Heart Songs

taking a break here for a bit...

2009-02-26T21:41:00.001-08:00

what with packing...and the big ol' move...and nobody coming here anyway? i'm taking a break for a bit. maybe i'll pick it back up again. and maybe i won't. we'll see. it was fun while it lasted though!

read me here: mrstjshelby.blogspot.com

one of hannah's...

2009-02-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

i'm not a huge punk fan, however, i do enjoy a few songs by social distortion.
it seems like my children are following more closely in my husband's musical shoes than mine. my 6yr old daughter loves this cover, as well as the original by johnny cash. whenever we drive someplace together we put this song on - and sing together.

caleb's favorite song

2009-02-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

he's seven months old. and for some crazy reason this song mellows him out. tj told me - to my skepticism. then i witnessed the remarkable phenomenom. he quiets down to hear ozzy sing. and is enthralled with the video. weird.

my funny valentine...

2009-02-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

rufus wainwright - my funny valentine

best days of my life...

2009-02-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

here's one dedicated to TJ (no cmas - just sappiness from me too!):

matt white. "best days"
"...oh, i never want to be without you
so just stay with me
i will love you endlessly
oh darling, darling
those are the best days of my life..."

Taylor Swift "The Best Day"
"...And I didn't know if you knew
So I'm takin this chance to say
I had the best day with you today..."

Jesse McCartney "Best Day of my Life"
",,,I guess it goes to show
You never really know when
Everything's about to change
The best day of my like
Started out like any other..."

another song dedicated to heidi...

2009-02-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

she knows why...

love ya.

going to california...

2009-02-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

junior high...

2009-01-31T18:02:00.000-08:00

for part of PE in junior high (8th grade?), we had to break into groups and choreograph a dance number. my friends and i created a routine to this: pump up the jam by technotronic.

2009-01-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

what kind of nostalgia kick would it be without the cure? i still listen to this today...and i probably like it more now...

love cats - one of my faves
just like heaven - as is this one
friday i'm in love - tj and i always listen to this together, on fridays, when we drive to visit family...and wesing along of course
lovesong
close to me
let's go to bed - check out that guy's moves
in between days

The Cure's Legacy:
"The Cure were one of the first alternative bands to have chart and commercial success in an era before alternative rock had broken into the mainstream. In 1992 the NME declared The Cure had during the 1980s become "a goth hit machine (19 to date), an international phenomenon and, yep, the most successful alternative band that ever shuffled disconsolately about the earth".

"Several references to The Cure and their music have been made in popular culture. A number of films have used the title of a Cure song as the film's title, including Boys Don't Cry (1999) and Just Like Heaven (2005). The Cure's gloomy image has been the subject of parody at times. In series two of The Mighty Boosh, The Moon sings the chorus to 'The Lovecats'. At another point in the series, a powerful gothic hairspray, Goth Juice, is said to be "The most powerful hairspray known to man. Made from the tears of Robert Smith." The Mary Whitehouse Experience often featured brief clips of the stars of the show performing comical songs and nursery rhymes as The Cure in a morose style. Robert Smith appeared in the final episode of the first series of The Mary Whitehouse Experience, punching the character Ray (played by Robert Newman) whilst uttering Ray's catch-phrase "Oh no what a personal disaster". Robert Smith was also portrayed on an episode of South Park where he transforms into the form of Mothra and battles Mecha-Streisand to save the day and Kyle shouts "Disintegration is the best album ever!"."

Finally, a new Song from U2!!

2009-01-24T22:33:00.000-08:00

Get on your Boots!

this is dedicated to my sister heidi...

2009-01-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

the promise

nothing like a good 80's/early 90's band...in the vein of erasure and depeche mode. luckily, i skipped boyz 2 men and new kids on the block - and listened to stuff like this!

the proclaimers...

2009-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

still feeling nostalgic! this was quite a favorite around my childhood home when it came out. i don't know if my sisters remember - but i remember singing along at the top of our voices and taking those overdone steps around the house...

nostalgia...

2009-01-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

massive points for anyone who can sing along to bohemian rhapsody - all words, and all parts

natasha...

2009-01-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

natasha bedingfield
soulmate
love like this
these words
pocketful of sunshine

unwritten - acoustic

i will follow you into the dark...

2009-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

looks like someone let dwight shrute form a band...

still a good song.

my gateway to swing...

2009-01-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

glenn miller. i had "pure gold" and listened to it all the time. even now, decades later, it has such a vibrancy and energy and freshness that's difficult to find.

"in the mood"

"moonlight serenade"

"stardust"

getting some fun out of life.

2009-01-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

madeleine peyroux. i just heard this song 2 minutes ago. and loved it. thought i'd share. enjoy.

he needed his own post...

2009-01-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Gene Krupa. man can that guy wale:

Jungle Madness

Drum Boogie

with Buddy Rich

and because you can't listen to "sing, sing, sing" without pointing out krupa:

fever...

2009-01-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

sung by peggy lee

sung by michael buble

satchmo...

2009-01-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

i adore the raspy ragged happy singing of louis armstrong

hello dolly with barbara streisand

what a wonderful world

bare necessities

a kiss to build a dream on

i can't give you anything but love

jason mraz is always good

2009-01-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

wordplay

sleeping to dream

rainbow connection

you and i both

geek in the pink

blitzkrieg bop

covers of "somewhere over the rainbow"...

2009-01-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

judy garland - the wizard of oz

norah jones

jimi hendrix

eric clapton

ella fitzgerald

ted's band (scrubs)

doris day

israel kamakawiwo'ole

aselin debison

connie talbot - britain's got talent

punk cover

celtic woman

eva cassidy

jewel

marusha - the worst ever

what a voice...

2009-01-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

"the scientist"

i love a good voice. no need for screaming, or effects, or heavy instrumentals. no weird vocal affectations. no funky theatrical costuming. just sing a good tune, surrounded by a little piano. thanks coldplay.

it's always a good day for a little jack...

2009-01-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

"upside down"

original...

2009-01-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

since my brother chris pointed our some new weezer on the horizon for us (huzzah!). i thought i'd reminisce just a little bit.

"in the garage"

"surf wax america"

i've loved weezer for years now. i remember hearing the blue album at my friend tandi's house many many moons ago. we were up all night tp'ing and laughing. i must have listened to this whole album five times that night. and then, buying it for myself the very next day. thank you tandi. i've been a fan ever since.

some bands get stale. or i grow out of them. or they fade. but, not weezer. the blue album still rocks. the recent red album rocks. the stuff in between rocks.

but, i brought up naming caleb "rivers cuomo" after the lead singer quite a few times. tj never took me seriously - that's probably for the best.

i can picture it already. listening to an oldie's radio station (or will radio be passe by then?) with hannah and adam and caleb when they are teenagers. and weezer will come on. and i'll smile and sing along. and they'll roll their eyes and be so embarassed that they have my blood in 'em. and i'll shake my head and tell them that they must have inner ear degeneration (it's a generational thing) and so they can't be trusted to have valid musical opinions. and they'll stick me in an old folk's home. and dad will ask what happened to me. and they'll shrug and say "don't know".

i better begin better and more thorough brainwashing now! yikes!

isn't benny goodman the best?

2009-01-01T06:01:00.000-08:00

sing, sing, sing

as seen in the movie "Hollywood Hotel" 1937 (don't they just look like they are having a good old time? particularly the drummer - Gene Krupa - i could watch a good drummer all day)

bugle call rag:

"i sat on the soft upholstered couch and closed my eyes, trying to drown out the muted sounds rafting up from the crowded bar below. above me, the floorboards creaked as i heard pudge walk across his room and turn on the record player. he slid a benny goodman album on the turntable, rested the needle on the third cut, "sing, sing, sing," and turned the volume on high, knowing i was downstairs and wanting me to hear it. i sat back on the couch and smiled, my eyes still closed as i listed to gene krupa's ground-swelling drum solo mix with goodman's magical clarinet. almost every career criminal i've ever met has a song of choice they play before they go out on a job. it is an important part of their ritual. "sing, sing, sing" was pudge's favorite song and it could always be heard blasting out of his stereo system whenever he and angelo needed to attend to a crucial and often deadly piece of business. by playing it now, he was confirming the importance of my first job and his confidence that i would not fail in my task. it was also a way of handing his song down to me. from now on, it would be what i would play whenever i prepared to head out to help quench a gangster's insatiable thirst for blood and money." - lorenzo carcaterra, "gangster," p 270.

why don't you do right? sung by peggy lee (and yes, that's benny on the clarinet)

from movie, a song is born: "stealin apples" with lionel hampton

from same movie: "history of jazz"

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

2008-12-31T20:04:00.000-08:00

sung by rufus wainwright

sung by nancy wilson

sung by diana krall

enthusiasm of jim carrey

U2 says happy "new years day"

the new year - death cab for cutie

happy new year! - abba

MUSE

2008-12-31T00:16:00.000-08:00

In parallel with my Sounds of Science blog entry, here is my extension of MUSE, a great band with a mix of fast and slow, rock and piano.

This first one has a great and beautiful piano interlude, so make sure you at least catch that part of the song...

BUTTERFLIES & HURRICANES

SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

Poor Grandma...

2008-12-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

Dr. Elmo's Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

sung by The Irish Rovers

Oh Come All Ye Faithful

2008-12-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
Star and angels gave the sign."
— Christina Rossetti

"Oh Come All Ye Faithful" sung by Jason Mraz

sung by Luther Vandross

sung by Third Day

Mankind is a great, an immense family... This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas."
~ Pope John XXIII

Merry Christmas Baby! sung by The Ramones

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2008-12-24T20:09:00.000-08:00

"Knowing what we know, how much more do we want to give Him something? But He seems to have everything. Well, not quite. He doesn’t have you with Him again forever, not yet. I hope you are touched by the feelings of His heart enough to sense how much He wants to know you are coming home to Him. You can’t give that gift to Him in one day, or one Christmas, but you could show Him today that you are on the way. You could pray. You could read a page of scripture. You could keep a commandment. If you have already done these, there is still something left to give. All around you are people He loves but can help only through you and me. One of the sure signs that we have accepted the gift of the Savior’s atonement is that we give gifts to others."
— Henry B. Eyring (Because He First Loved Us)

The Osmond Family and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing Silent Night

From my Childhood, and for All Kids...

2008-12-23T20:06:00.000-08:00

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. ~Charles Dickens

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart."
~ Washington Irving (1783-1859), American short-story writer and essayist.

Burl Ives' Frosty the Snowman

A Holly Jolly Christmas

Vince Guaraldi, Peanuts' Christmas Time is Here

It's The Most WOnderful Time of The Year

Spike Jones' All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth (for Fayth)

The Carpenter's

Here Comes Santa Claus

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Perry Como's Home for the HOlidays

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Jingle Bell Rock

The Osmond's

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2008-12-22T20:04:00.000-08:00

"We hear the beating of wings over Bethlehem and a light that is not of the sun or of the stars shines in the midnight sky. Let the beauty of the story take away all narrowness, all thought of formal creeds. Let it be remembered as a story that has happened again and again, to men of many different races, that has been expressed through many religions, that has been called by many different names. Time and space and language lay no limitations upon human brotherhood." ~New York Times, 25 December 1937, quoted in Quotations for Special Occasions by Maud van Buren, 1938, published by The H.W. Wilson Company, New York

"Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year - and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority." ~W.J. Cameron

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! by Vaughn Monroe

sung by Dean Martin

sung by Michael Buble

sung by Nancy Wilson

Baby, It's Cold Outside, sung by Doris Day and Bing Crosby

sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan

sung by Zooey Deschanel

The Beatles want to carol too...

2008-12-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness."
~ Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian.

Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal."
— Lenore Hershey

Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved."
~ Augusta E. Rundell

It's All About the Bells...

2008-12-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home! ~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836

Silver Bells, with Fats Domino

Carol of the Bells, with Julie Andrews (intro of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)

Jingle Bells, with The Brian Setzer Orchestra

sung by Diana Krall

sung by Green Day

Jingle Bells, with Glenn Miller

GAP commercial

My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"
~ Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian.

The Nightmare Before Christmas...

2008-12-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

"what's this?"

Elvis has the Christmas Spirit...

2008-12-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ~Washington Irving

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart."
~ Marjorie Holmes, American writer.

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."
~ Andy Rooney (1919-), American writer, producer, humorist.

White Christmas...

2008-12-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ~Charles Dickens

Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'."
~ Bing Crosby (1904-1977), American singer and film actor.

White Christmas by Bing Crosby

sung by Martina McBride

sung by The Beatles

sung by Michael Buble

Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone."
~ Deborah Whipp (1964-), web designer.

"There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."
— Erma Bombeck

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear...

2008-12-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home. ~W.J. Ronald Tucker

Christmas, my child, is love in action."
~ Dale Evans (1912-2001), American film actress, singer and songwriter. Wife of Roy Rogers.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - sung by Frank Sinatra

sung by Burl Ives

sung by Julie Andrews

I do like Christmas on the whole.... In its clumsy way, it does approach Peace and Goodwill. But it is clumsier every year."
— E.M. Forster

I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world."
~ Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), American Protestant religious leader, author.

The Chipmunks' Christmas...

2008-12-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer.... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? ~Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes

Let Christmas not become a thing
Merely of merchant's trafficking,
Of tinsel, bell and holly wreath
And surface pleasure, but beneath
The childish glamour, let us find
Nourishment for soul and mind.
Let us follow kinder ways
Through our teeming human maze,
And help the age of peace to come
From a Dreamer's martyrdom.
~Madeline Morse

I'll Be Home for Christmas...

2008-12-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year. ~E.B. White, "The Distant Music of the Hounds," The Second Tree from the Corner, 1954

To the American People: Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world."
~ Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), American president. Presidential message (December 25, 1927).

sung by Josh Groban

sung by Elvis Presley

sung by Michael Buble

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself...
~Norman Wesley Brooks, "Let Every Day Be Christmas," 1976

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."
~ Agnes M. Pahro

Winter Wonderland...

2008-12-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven's making. ~Leigh Hunt

The Church does not superstitiously observe days, merely as days, but as memorials of important facts. Christmas might be kept as well upon one day of the year as another; but there should be a stated day for commemorating the birth of our Saviour, because there is danger that what may be done on any day, will be neglected. ~Samuel Johnson

Winter Wonderland - sung by Doris Day

sung by Nat King Cole and Dean Martin

sung by Jason Mraz

winter wonderland - sung by louis armstrong

GAP commercial

Our world was created with a sense of order. For every loss, there is a gain. Sometimes we are so blinded by the loss that we don't see the gain, don't recognize the gift."
— Those Christmas Angels By Debbie Macomber (page 254)

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."
~ Hamilton Wright Mabie (1845-1916), American author, essayist and critic.

The Christmas Song...

2008-12-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

At Christmas
A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season's here;
Then he's thinking more of others than he's thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime...
~Edgar Guest

sung by Nat King Cole

sung by Tony Bennett

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
~ Charles Dickens (1812-1870), English author. From 'A Christmas Carol'.

"...Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy." ~ editorial in the New York Sun, 1897, responding to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon

"Christmas it seems to me is a necessary festival; we require a season when we can regret all the flaws in our human relationships: it is the feast of failure, sad but consoling."
— Graham Greene (Travels with My Aunt)

"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart...filled it, too, with melody that would last forever."
~ Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881-1954), American author, 'Song of Years'.

the dead terrorist carols...

2008-12-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

I bought my brother some gift-wrap for Christmas. I took it to the gift wrap department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would know when to stop unwrapping."
— Steven Wright

...every idiot who goes about with a 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."
— Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol)

jeff dunham and achmed, the dead terrorist

O Holy Night...

2008-12-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

Except the Christ be born again tonight
In dreams of all men, saints and sons of shame,
The world will never see his kingdom bright.
~Vachel Lindsay

O Christmas Sun! What holy task is thine!
To fold a world in the embrace of God!
~Guy Wetmore Carryl

O Holy Night, sung by martina mcbride

sung by carrie underwood

sung by celine dion

Run, Run, Rudolph...

2008-12-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

[I]t is the one season of the year when we can lay aside all gnawing worry, indulge in sentiment without censure, assume the carefree faith of childhood, and just plain "have fun." Whether they call it Yuletide, Noel, Weinachten, or Christmas, people around the earth thirst for its refreshment as the desert traveller for the oasis. ~D.D. Monroe

classic: rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

the brian setzer orchestra twist

gene autry bringing it back

It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit."
~ Isabel Currier.

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

"Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive."
~ Robert Lynd (1892-1970), American sociologist.

'Zat You Santa Claus?

2008-12-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

I hear that in many places something has happened to Christmas; that it is changing from a time of merriment and carefree gaiety to a holiday which is filled with tedium; that many people dread the day and the obligation to give Christmas presents is a nightmare to weary, bored souls; that the children of enlightened parents no longer believe in Santa Claus; that all in all, the effort to be happy and have pleasure makes many honest hearts grow dark with despair instead of beaming with good will and cheerfulness. ~Julia Peterkin, A Plantation Christmas, 1934

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given--when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes."
~ Joan Winmill Brown, American author and editor.

Zat You, Santa Claus? - Louis Armstrong

Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved."
~ Augusta E. Rundell

They err who thinks Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart."
~ Mrs. Paul M. Ell.

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas."
~ W. C. Jones

Is Zat You Santa Claus? - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Zat You, Santa Claus? - Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band

sung by buster poindexter

Believe...

2008-12-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

"At Christmas time I believe the things that children do.

I believe with English children that holly placed in windows will protect our homes from evil.

I believe with Swiss children that the touch of edelweiss will charm a person with love.

I believe with Italian children that La Befana is not an ugly doll but a good fairy who will gladden the heart of all.

I believe with Greek children that coins concealed in freshly baked loaves of bread will bring good luck to anyone who finds them.

I believe with German children that the sight of a Christmas tree will lessen hostility among adults.

I believe with French children that lentils soaked and planted in a bowl will rekindle life in people who have lost hope.

I believe with Dutch children that the horse Sleipner will fly through the sky and fill the earth with joy.

I believe with Swedish children that Jultomte will come and deliver gifts to the poor as well as to the rich.

I believe with Finnish children that parties held on St.Stephen's Day will erase sorrow.

I believe with Danish children that the music of a band playing from a church tower will strengthen humankind.

I believe with Bulgarian children that sparks from a Christmas log will create warmth in human souls.

I believe with American children that the sending of Christmas cards will build friendships.

I believe with all children that there will be peace on earth."

~Daniel Rosselle

Grown-Up Christmas List...

2008-12-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor man's heart through half the year.
~Walter Scott

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone."
~ Charles Schulz (1922-2000), American cartoonist 'Peanuts'.

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is."
~ Eric Sevareid (1912-1992), American newscaster.

O Little Town of Bethlehem...

2008-12-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

The earth has grown old with its burden of care But at Christmas it always is young, The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair And its soul full of music breaks the air, When the song of angels is sung."
~ Phillips Brooks (1835-93), American Episcopal bishop, wrote 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!""
— Buddy, "Elf"

Frank Sinatra sings "Oh Little Town of Bethelehem"

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves."
~ Eric Sevareid (1912-1992), American newscaster.

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

2008-12-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Oh! lovely voices of the sky
Which hymned the Saviour's birth,
Are ye not singing still on high,
Ye that sang, "Peace on earth"?
~Felicia Hemans

The Carpenters

Harry Belafonte

I'm Yours!

2008-12-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

I know it's not a Christmas song (sorry Nicole, those are coming) but this one is dedicated to Chris. (And I would bet money that the vid is in Kauai- Chris that's another place we need to go!!)

O Christmas Tree...

2008-12-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all thirty feet tall."
~ Larry Wilder, author "The Merry Book of Christmas"

He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree."
~ Sunshine Magazine

"Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion."
~ Ralph Sockman (1889-1970), American religious leader.

what if christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more...

2008-12-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Dr. Seuss: "And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. "

[the brian setzer orchestra - if you want to hear just their rendition of it, skip through the stray cat strut...it's worth it!]

"Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends."
~ Margaret Thatcher (1925- ), English political leader.

"At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year."
~ Thomas Tusser (c. 1515-1580), author 'The Farmer's Daily Diet'.

"it's beginning to look a lot like christmas..."

2008-12-01T20:26:00.001-08:00

President Thomas S. Monson: "Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.

As we remember that “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God,” (Mosiah 2:17) we will not find ourselves in the unenviable position of Jacob Marley’s ghost, who spoke to Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s immortal "Christmas Carol." Marley spoke sadly of opportunities lost. Said he: 'Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness. Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused! Yet such was I! Oh! such was I!'

Marley added: 'Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!'

Fortunately, as we know, Ebenezer Scrooge changed his life for the better. I love his line, 'I am not the man I was.'

Why is Dickens’ "Christmas Carol" so popular? Why is it ever new? I personally feel it is inspired of God. It brings out the best within human nature. It gives hope. It motivates change. We can turn from the paths which would lead us down and, with a song in our hearts, follow a star and walk toward the light. We can quicken our step, bolster our courage, and bask in the sunlight of truth. We can hear more clearly the laughter of little children. We can dry the tear of the weeping. We can comfort the dying by sharing the promise of eternal life. If we lift one weary hand which hangs down, if we bring peace to one struggling soul, if we give as did the Master, we can—by showing the way—become a guiding star for some lost mariner."

dedicated to my daddy...

2008-11-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

i have very vivid memories of driving in my dad's toyota camry. sitting in the front seat. he'd slide in his tape "m sum gud tunes". and then...
"the nightfly"

"i.g.y."

there are certain memories that i have - with so specific reference. nothing significant happened. no holiday was celebrated. just a good golden fuzzy memory. the vague, unattached memories of my dad usually involve music. his own linguistic translations of opera lyrics on sundays driving home (specifically the tragedies of large women in dressing rooms). and interpretative dance moves that would put those crazies in their black unitards to shame. riding a tandem bike along the boardwalk - "how does it feel to be part of the beautiful people". never tiring of making fun of basia. being shocked as dad puttered around the backyard singing, verbatim, "master of the house" from les miserables.

thanks dad for interesting musical education, uninhibited dancing, fuzzy golden memories...and showing me the fun and funky -ness of being yourself. knowing what you like, why you like it, and sharing it - without expectations - with others.

i love you.

"thank you"...

2008-11-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

led zeppelin says happy thanksgiving

thanksgiving smorgasbord...

2008-11-26T20:06:00.000-08:00

dido says "thank you"

yolanda adams says "thank you"

sizzla says "thank you"

johnny reid says "thank you"

abba says "thank you"

xzibit says "thank you"

bon jovi says "thank you"

(i swear the video's in rome. unless i'm really mistaken...that big ol' fountain is trevi fountain. cousin diane and i threw in euros there a decade ago - trevi legend states that if you coin-wish, then one day you'll come back to rome. continuing with the tangent: over 3,000 euros per day are collected from the trevi. this money has funded a supermarket for the needy of rome).

jamelia says "thank you"

ray boltz says "thank you"

"thank you"...

2008-11-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

thanksigiving's coming. i thought the song's theme was appropriate.

wanna see some fun guitar?

2008-11-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

dick dale & the del tones "misirlou" 1963

i love the crazy speed guitar of dick dale (and for tj: if i'm not mistaken the guitarist in the movie "back to the beach" was mr. dale himself). it's recognizable to most, yet the fingers responsible are not. his particular sound was brought to a whole new generation by the black eyed peas in "pump it".

interesting to compare. both vids are male dominated with one hot chick. the del tones have their one white clad twister, and the black eyed peas have their fergie.

addiction begun in my youth...

2008-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

"what would you say?"

TJ told me this story (and he can correct me if I remember it wrong...which I probably do): when DMB was starting out, they self-advertised in a highly unusual, yet effective way. They volunteered free shows at high schools around the country. And sold their albums out of their trunk in the parking lot. Like crack dealers. Taste for free. Then, once your addicted, you gotta pay. And they've certainly claimed their place in the iTunes library!

I love Dave Matthews Band. There is a certain element of madness in their music. An unexpectedness. I love the unconventional sound. The improvisation. The skill. Simultaneously joyful and melancholy - like life. Whether you like it, or not, you must at least admit: they are unlike other sounds.

"crash into me"

"rhyme and reason"

Dave Matthews Band include (of course) Dave Matthews (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Stefan Lessard (bassist), Boyd Tinsley (violinist), Carter Beauford (drummer), and LeRoi Moore (saxophonist, and recently deceased). "The band is known for their annual summer-long, nationwide tours featuring lengthy improvisational renditions of their songs accompanied by video and elaborately choreographed lighting. They have sold over 31 million units in the United States alone, putting them in the Top 100 highest selling music acts of all time."

one of my all-time favorite songs...

2008-11-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

"redemption song" by bob marley

this song first appeared on his 9th album - "uprising". he wrote the song ~1979, when he'd already been diagnosed with cancer, and was privately dealing with a lot of pain and the knowledge of his impending death.

this song is solely acoustic guitar and marley's unadorned singing - unlike most of his other tracks. i love that he keeps it stripped down - which highlights his lyrics, and the emotions that are evoked by simple guitar strumming.

"Old pirates, yes, they rob i;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took i
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the and of the almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.
Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? ooh!
Some say its just a part of it:
Weve got to fulfil de book.

Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs..."

My favorite line is "emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds." According to Wikipedia: "These memorable lines appear to have been taken from a speech given by Marcus Garvey in Nova Scotia during October 1937 and published in his Black Man magazine:
We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is your only ruler, sovereign. The man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind..."

In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the song at #66 among The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

i'm so cool now...

2008-11-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

apparently this little group (and particularly this song) is all the rage on the los osos high school campus - for the girls. the boys are not so thrilled. mom shared, and now i'm cool too. doesn't your heart just pitter patter? no? i guess we are all too old.

still a good song. thanks, mom (and your silly HS girls)

jonas brothers "love bug"

birdhouse in your soul...

2008-11-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

and, in case you are living in a birdhouse, and don't watch "pushing daisies", here's the cover they did

"Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

(and while you're at it
Keep the nightlight on inside the
Birdhouse in your soul)"

i thought it was time...

2008-11-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

to provoke some ridicule out of my lover. i know he's been biting his tongue - which is just no fun in any meaning of the phrase. so, what do you think, t? can you resist making fun of this?

i love the funky, fun sounds of squirrel nut zippers. and you can make fun as much as you want...i'll still love it!

"put a lid on it"

"Say, every time I turn it loose you cats come down and cook my goose
When I start I just cant stop, But if you keep this up youre gonna blow your top!
...Put a lid down on it, and everything will be all right."

"hell"

"In the afterlife
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
But tomorrow therell be hell to pay

People listen attentively
I mean about future calamity
I used to think the idea was obsolete
Until I heard the old man stamping his feet.

This is a place where eternally
Fire is applied to the body
Teeth are extruded and bones are ground
Then baked into cakes which are passed around.

Beauty, talent, fame, money, refinement
Top skill and brain
But all the things you try to hide
Will be revealed on the other side."

something else new...

2008-11-12T09:01:00.001-08:00

"breathe" by taylor swift

"you're not sorry"

something new...

2008-11-09T22:06:00.001-08:00

last sunday we spent with our shelby family, for my nephew's birthday. while there drew played this song for me. granted he played a lot of other stuff as well - none of which sparked any of my interest to hear more. but, this band? sounds good to me.

the breakers: "dance the go-go"

all your love...

2008-11-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

i could listen to norah jones sing - any time...

"Give me all your love
Give it to me right now
All your love
Don't mess around with my love"

hannah's first favorite song...

2008-11-07T13:42:00.001-08:00

Comin' to America

2008-11-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

Just some more Hendrickson nostalgia, and letting Mom and Dad know that they did have an impact on us ... Nicole, did we dance to this one too? I can't remember :) hahaha

And for some more Saturday morning motivation check out Jump - Pointer Sisters!

She's Got A Way

2008-11-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Nicole to share my recent favorite BJ Song- I say that this is Chris' song for me... hello, do I need to explain!? But there are TOO many that I LOVE to pick a real fav.

And for more Billy Joel fix check out It's Still Rock and Roll to Me and You're Only Human (funny video!!)

Danse Macabre

2008-11-01T23:39:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite pieces we ever played with the Claremont Youth Symphony Orchestra! (Probably because the cello part was actually fun) And it's macabre- so Happy Halloween!

just the way you are...

2008-10-31T10:42:00.001-07:00

The first "rock-concert" i ever went to. My parents took us all to see Billy Joel. There were so many people. And it was so loud. And some guy spilled his beer all over Jodi - who did not take her alcoholic dousing very well. And singing along. And lighters. I don't think i'd be brave enough to take my children to a concert. But, we did enjoy it!

New Panic at the Disco

2008-10-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

Since I keep telling Jodi what a great album this is, but she has yet to hear it, I decided to treat everyone to this great music (very Beatlesesque at times). Anyways, for those familiar with Panic! At the Disco's first album, this is nothing like it (notice they even removed the ! after Panic on their new album). This band continues to surprise me. I'll post a song or two from the new album and one from the old album to contrast the difference. Without further ado...
Panic at the Disco

That Green Gentleman (from "Pretty. Odd.")

Besides, this video is very creative and visually beautiful.

Nine in the Afternoon (from "Pretty. Odd.")

This next and last one is one of my favorite music videos of all time, and a great song.

Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Off Her Clothes
(from "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out")

last to know...

2008-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

neil finn.

Way down the track
made the wrong turn
Finished up where I started
You noticed a change come over me
Fell in love with my own reflection yeah
How does it feel beneath your own wheel
Feels like an accident waking up
Under a bus with my fingers crossed
Now is the time we could make it up
So you lost the fear it wasnt that bad
Left to your own devices yeah
Still a young girl eyes on the clock
Tick like a motor running out
Magnets and words up on the fridge
Speak to the poet in all of us
I missed the page that you thought about
Drew in the frost on the windowpane
But who I wonder could fail to notice
The aching silence came down
Im humble now

[i've recently decided to start including parts of the lyrics...i think that will be good]

peace, love, understanding...

2008-10-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

cover by derek webb...

this song was made popular by elvis costello back in his day...though, i never heard it until this morning.

"As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin for light in the darkness of insanity.

I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?

And each time I feel like this inside,
Theres one thing I wanna know:
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?

And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.

cause each time I feel it slippin away, just makes me wanna cry.
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?

So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.

cause each time I feel it slippin away, just makes me wanna cry.
Whats so funny bout peace love & understanding?

a little rossini...

2008-10-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

when we were children, i loved a cd that my parent's had - it was filled with overtures. we'd run around the house dancing like maniacs and being "conductors". i've never seen a conductor jump off furniture and flap their arms fit to fly...but how else can your properly conduct the "william tell overture"?

one of my favorites...

2008-10-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

i love the beauty of the song. i love the great moral battle of javert - does he continue with his life's beliefs, of strict justice, and continue chasing valjean? or does he act with mercy and compassion? how does he reconcile mercy and justice? how does he reconcile his experiences with valjean? how does he stand before god?

"stars" from les miserables

ultimately javert cannot reconcile the two. acting lawfully, in regards to valjean, is also acting immorally. he cannot punish valjean and lets him go. but, then he cannot live with himself, and jumps into the river.

a day in the life...

2008-10-25T22:04:00.001-07:00

i know that the "beatles" seem to be a polarizing band for most people...but not for me. i like some, and i don't...and if you do/n't, that's cool.

without any deep reasons, i just like this song:

forget dolly or "boom boom"...

2008-10-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

it's all about martina...

"in my daughter's eyes"

"so magical"

cheap trick...

2008-10-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

here's a little song that just makes me happy...i can't help but bounce!

"i want you to want me"

Blog-Jacked...by TJ...with love.

2008-10-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

Nicole never logs out and seems to beg for a blog-jack. So here it is.

Hi I'm Nicole and this is what I listen to when Jack Johnson isn't available:

Hi I'm Heidi and I can play this song on the cello:

Warrant - Cherry Pie | Music Videos | SPIKE.com

Hi I'm Scott and this song has great social commentary:

this is the song that's been simmering in my brain...

2008-10-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

thank you greg graffin (from bad religion).

tj introduced me to this song. (and yes, i know, chris already put it on his blog, i don't care). it's been simmering in my brain the last two days. i love how it sounds. i love the acoustic guitar (when you can actually hear the words, underlined with excellent guitar). i love the message. i love hearing tj singing along. it's spurred alot of thinking tangents in my brain.

i love that we've been listening to it so much that hannah sang along with me this morning in the car on the way to school. i love that caleb was all fussy on my lap, until this song came on.

i am the pirate king...

2008-10-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

or queen - i'm posting this for heidi - happy halloween!

jump...

2008-10-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

since my husband loves to comment on my unusual musical indoctrination (meaning different from his), i thought i'd really make him scratch his head.

since tomorrow is saturday, here's a nugget:

on saturdays, when my mom wanted us to get out of bed and get moving on her to-do list, she put on the pointer sisters cd - loud. starting with "jump" - because she wanted us to jump to help her.

what do you think? should i institute this around here now?

2008-10-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

paul westerberg. was the lead singer/songwriter for "the replacements". when the band died at the end of the 80's...he went solo.

i first heard his music on the soundtrack to "singles". i loved that movie in my later teen years. i haven't thought about it in years though. i'd bought the soundtrack, and westerberg's stuff was my favorite on it. the flick (in case you're interested) is technically a chick flick set in 90's seattle. the film is rife with cameos: paul giamatti, jeremy piven, victor garber, tim burton, and director cameron crowe himself. and since it's a movie with the grunge music scene as the backdrop, some of those key bands make their appearance as well: alice in chains, soundgarden, and hog molly. matt dillon's fictional band, citizen dick, is filled out with eddie vedder, stone gossard, and jeff ament from pearl jam. (quick aside: did you know that pearl jam was previously known as "mookie blaylock"? glad they changed it!)

he's created 12 albums, and has worked on several others - including the "friends" soundtrack, the movie "i am sam," and more. he's a little eclectic in that he still mostly records all of his music in his basement. most bands start there and move out - he's gotten comfy.

"waiting for somebody"

"dyslexic heart"

feeling nostalgic...

2008-10-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

thinking about how lucky i am...and how much i love my husband. so, naturally, i thought i'd share this song. this is the song we danced together at our wedding reception. i'm sure he doesn't remember - and that's okay. i sang it to him once, and he liked it. and since he didn't care about any of the wedding details, i picked this. thanks deana carter.

"that's how you know it's love" (this version is more twangy than i'd like, but i couldn't find a different one, sorry...the base is still the same. apt lyrics. good tune.)

perhaps something you haven't heard...

2008-10-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

tj has an excellent sense of music that i'll like. some of my fave stuff is something t heard that he thought i'd like and so surprised me with it...even if i'd never heard of it. and i can't think of an instance where he was wrong. it's like going to a restaurant for a date...i blur out looking at the menu, and he often can pick out just the right thing that i'll enjoy.

so, here's an example: joss stone. i don't think tj likes it. but, i do. here's my recommendation. start the video, then close your eyes. the trick: listen before you see her. her voice does not match her look. and you know what tj? i love her voice. thanks again.

"right to be wrong"

a little madness...

2008-10-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

this is just a fun little band. gotta love happy brits!

this song always reminds me of home - not my current home. "our house" in the middle of the street. the home our parents built for us. the home i was raised in. where we laughed. and cried. and played. and learned. and danced. and ate. and remember. and smooched. and where i'd sit on the back porch swing reading for hours. and where jodi broke my arm. and where tj and i'd stay in the front yard 'saying goodnight' until mom turned off the porch light. and where we still come home to do all of the above.

here's a nice little nugget-memory for you. for a little while, in my youth, my friend cristtin lived with us. she was a little wild, and uninhibited, and fun - and encouraged me to follow along. this is the song that we did a "skit" to for one of those youth talent-type nights. i use the word skit loosely. it simply consisted of us in our speedo swimsuits, boardshorts, kid-innertubes, doing a little ballet (again using the word very loosely, if you've seen my coordinated grace and agility you'll know just how loose) to madness' version of "swan lake".

and here's just one more good tune: "it must be love"

sometimes i like to do the obvious...

2008-10-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

like these songs. i'm sure everyone has already heard them. but, even if they've been over-played...i still like 'em.

norah jones: "come away with me"

live version of "don't know why"

colbie caillat "bubbly" and "the little things"

plain white t's: "hey there delilah"

jason mraz: "life is wonderful"

alicia keys: "fallin"

and funny: i love to listen to this one with t - he sings along...come to think of it, that's what made me like the plain white t's - listening to t singing along.

Scary Kids Scaring Kids - Their Softer Side

2008-10-04T00:47:00.001-07:00

Recently on my blog I posted an entry about one of my favorite bands Scary Kids Scaring Kids. It received mixed reviews and I just thought I'd share some of their more mellow tunes without the screaming.
"Watch Me Bleed"
excerpt:
"I gave you everything to die with a smile
All you wanted was to live for a while
You took everything but it left you empty
You can't replace me, you can't"

"Star Crossed"
I love this song, just listen to the lyrics; great stuff!
excerpt:
"Star crossed lover, we do what we want to
Some learn the hard way, we all learn through consequence
I say if the future's been drawn drawn out then nobody's living
I won't give you up, love, so fate can have it's way, it's way

If the Stars say that you couldn't love me
Are you telling me that you would listen?
If the words make their way from your mouth
Don't ask my permission, all is forgiven"

U2 has arrived...

2008-10-02T22:01:00.001-07:00

I'm sure you are surprised that these haven't come sooner, but what can I say, I don't always like to be predictable... TJ might hate them, and that's okay, but here are just a couple songs that speak to me- "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" was written for Chris and I (some days).

"Original of the Species"- "I'll give you everything you want, except the thing that you need"
"Everywhere you go, you shout it, you don't have to be shy about it"

And yes, his IS the sexiest voice ever!

Erasure

2008-10-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Scott inspired me to share a couple lesser known but great Erasure songs! "Hallowed Ground" and "When I Needed You"...

two paths diverged in a wood...

2008-10-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

and i took the one that had more mellow music...
'kay, tj, i am ready for your mocking comments, bring 'em on...

jack johnson is often dismissed as just a silly surfer who only sings about eating banana pancakes under a palm tree. while that is partially true (and one of the reasons i like him), it is not completely true. for example: this song

"all at once"

during the difficult time after caleb was born, this was the song that stayed with me.

here's another that speaks to my heart. this one he was kind enough to write and sing about tj and i.
"better together"

now, yes, i know they are both all mellow. exactly. i get stressed and overwhelmed - and it soothes me. i remember how happy life is - and it reflects those feelings. i think that jack johnson is amazing. he stands up, barefeet, with his acoustic guitar and makes beautiful music. he's got that soft voice. and, do you want a little confession? i always picture him looking like t. when tj gets out his guitar and plays a little and expresses his interest in learning to play a lot - i think of him sitting on the beach by a bonfire singing to me. i don't picture him in front of a long-hair screaming band. i picture tj the sexy way.

jack johnson is a pro-surfer turned musician after a serious accident in hawaii's pipeline. since "brushfire fairytales," he's created 4 other albums: "on and on,"in between dreams," the curious george soundtrack, and "sleep through the static." tj has bought me every one. he's also contributed songs to other compilations and is a filmmaker. his last three albums were made in his own production studio that is completely eco-friendly.

his music champions the causes of love and life. making the world a better place. appreciating who we are, our relationships, the potential for good. his music isn't the cranky disillusionment of youth. or a handful of valium. it's soothing and grateful - and it speaks to me.

one more, here is an excellent cover of "imagine"

seventh grade...

2008-10-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

"Wishlist"

Pearl Jam. I discovered "ten" in seventh grade. my best friend was april zelt. we listened to this for hours while "laying out" in her back yard by the pool, or while hanging out in her room. if you know me now you probably wouldn't expect me to love this band so much, because their recurring themes deal with depression, homelessness, abuse, and death. however, look at the time. 7th grade. where i was beginning to learn that life isn't always happy. that my life wasn't the only kind of life out there. that my happy homelife wasn't typical. i was just learning that the world is a difficult and oftentimes sad place. pearl jam took all of that sadness and made beautiful music out of it. they showed that a difficult life is not a singular event, but that we all could learn from it. they had beautiful acoustic guitar based ballads, as well as the harder style more typical of a grunge band. now, while i cannot say that i fancied myself in any way abused...i certainly wore torn-up levi's and dr. martin's.

1991 ten was pearl jam's debut album - after 2 of the guys from mother love bone (jeff ament and stone gossard) added in eddie vedder, mike mccready, and dave krusen. most of the songs started out as instrumentals - then kicked up a notch with lyrics by vedder. they've been accused of grunge latecomers - but, they were highly instrumental in popularizing alternative rock to mainstream listeners. case in point: who's heard of mother love bone? (beside me). this album went platinum 12 times.

none of these songs are from the "ten" album, i figured everyone is familiar with those. like the hit singles: alive, even flow, and jeremy. i thought i'd share some that i enjoy that you might not have heard.

"Last Kiss"

"Yellow Ledbetter"

if you'd like to hear more recent musical contributions from eddie vedder, check out this blog post on "into the wild" by tj.

Tribute to one of my First Bands

2008-09-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

In my young age, Heidi was my role model. She didn't like raisins so I didn't like raisins, etc... Well this posting comes as an influence from her. Erasure, my favorite 80's band (and I mean the 80's synth stuff, cause Bad Religion started in the 80's, but doesn't sound all 80's-ish). Anyways, here are two of my favorites...enjoy

Erasure - "A Little Respect"

Erasure - "Breath of Life"

Bad Religion

2008-09-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

I know this seems to be a more laid back, chill music blog so far, so this will be the heaviest thing I post (for more of my music I listen to all the time, I am just going to post some of my favorite stuff on my blog for now) but I can't resist making my first contribution Bad Religion, one of my favorite bands of all time. They are an amazing band, with great musical harmonies (done with three guitars) and vocal harmonies, great social commentary, and fast old school punk rock riffs to get you in the mood. My wake up music is obviously a little more kick-in-the-butt to get out of bed type. Anyways, I had such a hard time picking a song of theirs to put on here that I just went with their newest album's single, an excellent example of their musical ability, though a type unseen on this blog's short life. Enjoy!

Unwritten

2008-09-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Nicole made me think of morning songs... I'm sure you all expected my first post to be a U2, don't worry, your education is coming. But first, Nicole inspired me to share the song that I wish was playing every morning to wake me up. This is how I want to start my day, a reminder to "let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find... and release your inhibitions... because no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in... Live your life with arms wide open...the rest is still unwritten..." HOPE for another day... and endless possibilites!

good mornin' life...

2008-09-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

ever just wake up determined to be happy? amid pee-sheets, mismatched socks, spilled fruit-loops, wild hair, too-tight jeans, whines, demands, messes, and stinky breath?

today is such a day. where i've had enough of my own crankiness and impatience. and this song bounces around inside my skull on days like this.

now, i haven't cemented the line-up...but that voice of dean martin's is in my top-ten. definitely.

dino paul crocetti was a singer, actor, and comedian. famous member of "the rat pack." he is one of the most well known artists from 50-60s...but not for this song. his known stuff, like "ain't that a kick in the head?" and "that's amore" don't even come near this tune. i don't know how singles work out that way. but, i will be forever grateful to my beloved movie, "return to me," for introducing this song to me. it sure makes me happy.

to begin...

2008-09-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

tj has a great new blog about music, and what it means to him. which i enjoy. personal connections with the music, interesting historical tidbits about the song/band. the result of this for me? i've been thinking a lot more about the music that is important to me, and why it's important to me. i don't want to saturate my regular blog. i'm not a contributor to "sounds of science" - that's his (and chris's). this will be my own repository of tunes that are good to me...and maybe i'll share with a few others. i've invited my sisters to contribute if they feel like it. if not...s'okay. if no one reads this but me? s'okay. i'll enjoy having sum gud tunes in one spot.

what are your heart songs?