A Saturday morning

The kids are on a song kick. Eliza is getting ready for Young Women's camp (yes, we are having camp in October) and got a Camp manual. She has been sucking up every bit of information inside that book. I thought about reminding her that camp will happen every year until she graduates. But hey, why quash the enthusiasm? She was poring over the camp songs section and asking about unfamiliar ones, trying to figure out the melody. When she got to "White Coral Bells", I couldn't believe that I hadn't introduced her to that song! So I sang it with her and then we split into a round. Then the other musketeers wanted to join in. I was quite impressed with their ability to pick it up and keep singing in a round! Please forgive my tinny part, someone had to hold the camera AND sing with Jacqui. She could keep up, as long as she had a partner. Same with Grant.

Wow, they're old

I don't even know how to explain this.

These two teenagers were talking music; different groups and whether or not they were cool. One mentioned System of a Down. The other said, "I don't think those guys have been around that long." I kind of snickered, and they noticed. "What, have you heard of them?" the smart one said. "Yes, I have." I said.

At first, they were a little impressed, like, "Whoa, she knows what's playing now!" Then, they posed the other part of their argument. "So, if you've heard of them, are they new or what?"

Sadly, I had to say {like I have many other times}, "Kids, they've been making music since before you were born."

Their response? "Whoa, they're old!"

Uh, thanks kids. I think.

Musically Speaking

Music is integral to my life. I always have something playing. We have a couple little portable speakers that are stationed around the house so we can plug in an iPod anytime we want. I have my "favorite" speaker in the kitchen because I spend a lot of time there. Duh. I usually put a playlist on shuffle for the element of predictable surprise. Sometimes we get wild and I put it on 'all shuffle'. That mode brings out some wild mixes. Jumping from 'Nulla en Mundo Pax Sincera' * to Green Day's 'Welcome to Paradise' does tend to unhinge the atmosphere.

I *love* Pandora. It is a new luxury to me; Pandora didn't used to be accessible overseas. But the problem is, I'm not always within earshot of my computer**. I do have the Pandora iPhone app, but I listen to music all the time! I have a little radio and there are a few good stations here {surprisingly}; but if there's a boring string of songs & advertisements, I don't like to go fiddle with the station multiple times. So I have also created Mood Mixes. Here's one we've been listening to lately, during dinner & after-dinner clean-up.

Winding Down: Slower songs, some with more of a catchy beat than others, some mainstream & others off the beaten path, but mainly stuff that's not going to rile up the natives.

Somewhere over the Rainbow - by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Falling in love at a coffee shop - Landon Pigg
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
Landslide - Dixie Chicks
Mad World - Michael Andrews
Can you hear the prayer of the children? - Insideout a Cappella
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Hey there Delilah - Plain White T's
Lightning Crashes - Live {Throwing Copper album}
Remember When - Alan Jackson
Oh l'Amour - Erasure
Tempted - Squeeze
Look away - Chicago
Lullaby - Dixie Chicks
Celebrating the Light - Michael McLean
For the Beauty of the Earth - Mormon Tabernacle Choir {this is a unique arrangement}
Billy - James Blunt
JALS - Colors

A recent phone pic of Grant that I love.

*p.s. about the album Shine. It is a movie soundtrack from Shine. Wonderful movie & equally wonderful soundtrack. And it is a steal on Amazon! $9.49 for 34 arrangements. Just my two cents, but sadly, those cents can't be used to purchase the album. ;)

**p.p.s there is a solution to the 'want to listen to music on my computer but i'm not always right by it' problem. The Bose SoundLink wireless music system. It wireless-ly relays you your digital media & internet radio from the computer to a speaker you put *anywhere* in your house. And it doesn't plug in, so you just move it wherever & whenever you feel like it w/o stopping the music. {bonus for me b/c i hate the 220v/110v plug problem.} But . . . . it's super expensive; almost $500. *sigh* Someday.

Music to my ears

I have been striking music gold lately. And I can't stop listening! I've gotten a few albums lately, which I never do. How often do you buy a whole album and like every song? Not very often. You buy the title track or the one that's played incessantly on the radio.

There is the honeymoon period where you listen to the song non-stop. It's on your workout mix, in the car and blasting out at home. But it's just one song and soon you're sick of it. Then you have the arduous process of finding another 'golden song'. Hunting through that artist's archives for another gem, or trying another genre to see what catches your attention.

I'm pretty eclectic when it comes to my music. I'm not a music whore that will listen to anything, but I like a lot of different styles. From Harry Connick Jr. to Beastie Boys to Weezer to Alan Jackson to Enter the Haggis (yes, they are Irish) and all others in between, I have a love in each niche. Though I'm not a big R&B or current rap fan. Hey, remember back before Alternative music & you had the choice between Country, Rock or R&B. At least those were the radio choices in Nebraska. Early 90's R&B is alright by me. Some TLC 'Don't go chasing waterfalls', Salt 'n' Pepa 'What a Man" or Cris Cross (they'll make you jump) brings back the gym dance feeling.

My current favorite album is Weezer's "Raditude". Seriously, I love every. single. song. (p.s. track 4 needs just two little words scrubbed from it, which is ridiculously easy to fix) Buy it from Amazon. And get the 'Amazon MP3 Deluxe Exclusive Album'. It has 4 extra songs that the regular album does not include. Ridiculous tag line, but very worthwhile. I've been burned before by the songs only included on the 'exclusive' albums. This one was not a mistake. The best $9.49 I've ever spent. Geez, Amazon should pay me for this plug.

Moody Monday

My exact sentiments today.



Zip-a-dee-doo-dah

Hallelujah!!

What I thought was not possible, has finally come to pass. You remember back in February when I was hooked on a song that I couldn't download? I found this song, Ensemble, as the background music for this YouTube video I saw. I had to have that song! I looked on iTunes, Amazon, and every other legal means I could find and no such luck. I could stream it and listen on the artist's website, so I just bookmarked the address and went to it when I felt like listening. But it's just not the same. Until now. I was nonchalantly browsing through my old music mixes and I remembered Ensemble. So I searched "Ensemble" by Coeur de Pirate and up it popped. i couldn't believe my eyes!! I did the search again and, like magic, reappeared on my screen! I clicked that "Buy Song" button so fast, the mouse was a blur! It felt like the longest download in the world. But finally, that magic green bar filled and told me that magic had entered my music library. I transferred it to my iPod so I could go cycling with it. And listen to it. Anytime. I. want. Period.



This song is about this girl breaking up with a guy, they had a great story, she misses him and how he should miss her. I just love the tune! ;)

**p.s.** this is the smallest that a youtube video will go. grrrr, irritations. just overlook the sloppiness of it!

My Current Fav

I go on music kicks. Right now, I'm in a French groove. I found this song in a really round-a-bout way. And I don't even remember what brought me to the video in the first place. I was watching this YouTube video about time lapse photography somethingorother. Anyway, there wasn't any narration, just the demonstration and this song playing. AND the best part was the person referenced the song. I find a lot of good songs, but never know the name or artist. And it's really annoying to have to play the YouTube video to just listen to the song! This one is called "Ensemble" by Coeur de Pirate. A French-Canadian gal that does an awesome job. She also reminds me of Sara Barielles & Yael Naim. Very similar styles and sound. But, the only thing I'm very sad about is that I can't download it. It's not on iTunes, Amazon, or even this stinkin' website for purchase or download. I can stream it, and that's what I'll do, stream, baby, stream.

http://rcrdlbl.com/2008/12/09/exclusive_new_download_m_pour_montreal_coeur_de_pirate_ensemble

** Just go to this link, it's the first in a lineup of three songs. It's called "Ensemble"