i've been listening in-depth to mixes for the past hour. my lovely bff chris g. has finally come through with his end, and danielle gave me another copy of hers last week- since true to form, i lost them months ago. it's a lot of comparing, and deciding which style fits which song. in the end, i'm so glad i waited, and have something to choose from. i have no idea if i'll ever be able to make an album again... why not do it right and have TWO people mix it?
i've pretty much decided that if i ever DO make another album, i'd like to do at least the vocal tracking by myself at home. there's something about a studio that just makes it hard to get in character/ bring out that intimate performance. there's a lot of moments where i cringe because i didn't sing a note quite right, or played a guitar part half-assedly. there's a lot that's not perfect about it. but there's also a lot that's fucking right about it, too.
it's often hard for me to listen to myself sing/ play guitar/ etc. but even so, i think the record has the potential to be fantastic. i just hope people will want to listen to it :/
Monday, October 5, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
september tours, etc.
i have a great habit of posting about things that happened like, a month ago. well it's a melancholy day, and i've got some good caffeine in me, so no time like the present to make a new entry...
i played SHOWS, guys. i took some rad pictures, and i like to make stories out of them. so here is one: tracy and i spent a few rambling days doing some cool things in upstage ny/ western pennsylvania recently. i met tracy when she was fresh off the boat (or, plane) from colorado a few months ago. in that time, she's quickly established herself in the ny songwriter community, and has even hooked up tour dates with the trachtenburg slideshow players. i was psyched when she agreed to share some dates that i set up too!
on the way to clinton, ny:
this is the last batch of hand made demo thingies that i'm putting some finishing touches on in the car. in case you didn't know, i cut cereal boxes, stapled the pieces together, and drew on each and every one with colored sharpies. it took a really fucking long time to do all that. i'm really psyched to not have to write on cardboard anymore every time i play a show.
i made like, 200 of them altogether. i can proudly say i'm almost "sold out" by now, although a lot of it was due to playing lots of shows outside of nyc this year. i hope to be able to continue to do so once the real album comes out, and hopefully it will have an even better reception! (mastering is finally scheduled, more on that at a later date.) also note: a lot of these same demo songs will be on the "real" album, but they will be bigger, better, badder versions :)
this is the crazy-ass place we played at in clinton. it was pure love. we just played all day because we got there in the afternoon, and people were trickling in and out the whole time.
..i pretty much hate all photos of me performing, but this one is kind of okay... showing off the colorful surroundings, complimented by our colorful outfits.
tracy is hilarity + sex on a stick. go listen to her "bartender song" on myspace. you won't be sorry.
checkin the internetz.
also performing that night was my dear friend from new york jenn friedman, who had been on tour for the past three weeks. she was joined by another brooklynite athena reich, and her act was a screaming riot. go to her cd release @ sidewalk on october 10!
most of athena's pictures came out really funny, because she makes so many facial gestures as she performs and talks to the audience. this one is cute.
woke up to the sound of trees rustling against each other outside the window of our overnight host's house.
and we were all treated to a breakfast feast. actually, we didn't pay for food the whole trip... someone was always offering us meals!
... on the road again. we stopped at an amazing farmer's market on the way to jamestown, ny to get some fresh fruits and veggies. probably the only time we DID pay for food, and i only spent about $2 :) in the next picture down, you'll find tracy teaching me the sweet, sweet joys of eating sweet, sweet corn in the raw.
okay. it gets a little boring here. because i forgot to keep taking pictures for the next couple days :-/ so the story ends, sorta?
in short: people in jamestown are totally cool, and you can buy a fucking house there for $40,000. also, there's a lot of crazy auctions where you can buy musical instruments and other riff-raff items for stupid cheap. frank and jeff are especially awesome.
meadville, pa is not exactly a cultural mecca, but people will come out to see you when prompted. unfortunately, we were an hour late for our gig due to car trouble, so we missed a lot of the crowd :( i'm a disorganized hot mess most of the time, so left my guitar tuner here. but supposedly the owner of the cafe we played at will be sending it back to me in a few days.
i do have a few photos of the last show at eclectic etceteras:
yep, it was pretty empty. so we played outside to attract a crowd. but unfortunately there was a home football game that day, so the whole town was there. miraculously though, during the last moments of my set, an amazing couple showed up and bought SIX of my tote bags, cds, and got a bunch of tracy's stuff too!
i was really in love with this brown slip and should've just gotten it. i've been thinking about it ever since...
so that be my tour diary. in conclusion, i'll just leave you with a picture of this:
for sale pretty soon!
i played SHOWS, guys. i took some rad pictures, and i like to make stories out of them. so here is one: tracy and i spent a few rambling days doing some cool things in upstage ny/ western pennsylvania recently. i met tracy when she was fresh off the boat (or, plane) from colorado a few months ago. in that time, she's quickly established herself in the ny songwriter community, and has even hooked up tour dates with the trachtenburg slideshow players. i was psyched when she agreed to share some dates that i set up too!
on the way to clinton, ny:
this is the last batch of hand made demo thingies that i'm putting some finishing touches on in the car. in case you didn't know, i cut cereal boxes, stapled the pieces together, and drew on each and every one with colored sharpies. it took a really fucking long time to do all that. i'm really psyched to not have to write on cardboard anymore every time i play a show.
i made like, 200 of them altogether. i can proudly say i'm almost "sold out" by now, although a lot of it was due to playing lots of shows outside of nyc this year. i hope to be able to continue to do so once the real album comes out, and hopefully it will have an even better reception! (mastering is finally scheduled, more on that at a later date.) also note: a lot of these same demo songs will be on the "real" album, but they will be bigger, better, badder versions :)
this is the crazy-ass place we played at in clinton. it was pure love. we just played all day because we got there in the afternoon, and people were trickling in and out the whole time.
..i pretty much hate all photos of me performing, but this one is kind of okay... showing off the colorful surroundings, complimented by our colorful outfits.
tracy is hilarity + sex on a stick. go listen to her "bartender song" on myspace. you won't be sorry.
checkin the internetz.
also performing that night was my dear friend from new york jenn friedman, who had been on tour for the past three weeks. she was joined by another brooklynite athena reich, and her act was a screaming riot. go to her cd release @ sidewalk on october 10!
most of athena's pictures came out really funny, because she makes so many facial gestures as she performs and talks to the audience. this one is cute.
woke up to the sound of trees rustling against each other outside the window of our overnight host's house.
and we were all treated to a breakfast feast. actually, we didn't pay for food the whole trip... someone was always offering us meals!
... on the road again. we stopped at an amazing farmer's market on the way to jamestown, ny to get some fresh fruits and veggies. probably the only time we DID pay for food, and i only spent about $2 :) in the next picture down, you'll find tracy teaching me the sweet, sweet joys of eating sweet, sweet corn in the raw.
okay. it gets a little boring here. because i forgot to keep taking pictures for the next couple days :-/ so the story ends, sorta?
in short: people in jamestown are totally cool, and you can buy a fucking house there for $40,000. also, there's a lot of crazy auctions where you can buy musical instruments and other riff-raff items for stupid cheap. frank and jeff are especially awesome.
meadville, pa is not exactly a cultural mecca, but people will come out to see you when prompted. unfortunately, we were an hour late for our gig due to car trouble, so we missed a lot of the crowd :( i'm a disorganized hot mess most of the time, so left my guitar tuner here. but supposedly the owner of the cafe we played at will be sending it back to me in a few days.
i do have a few photos of the last show at eclectic etceteras:
yep, it was pretty empty. so we played outside to attract a crowd. but unfortunately there was a home football game that day, so the whole town was there. miraculously though, during the last moments of my set, an amazing couple showed up and bought SIX of my tote bags, cds, and got a bunch of tracy's stuff too!
i was really in love with this brown slip and should've just gotten it. i've been thinking about it ever since...
so that be my tour diary. in conclusion, i'll just leave you with a picture of this:
for sale pretty soon!
Monday, September 14, 2009
we've got a lot to talk about
i've been hoarding all the pictures i've been taking of my adventures lately, and i've been up to a lot. like my screen printing adventures, for example... i've got merch now! bet you didn't know that. and not just any merch, but merch that i designed and screened myself! now, i really don't consider myself a visual artist in any way, so this is a real accomplishment. i just strolled my fine butt down to abc no rio on the lower east side, and they showed me what do do.
tote bags, tote bags, tote bags
fun, right? i've been taking them to shows, but haven't put them online yet. that's next on the list.
show updates soon!
tote bags, tote bags, tote bags
fun, right? i've been taking them to shows, but haven't put them online yet. that's next on the list.
show updates soon!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
on the real
yeahhhh people. it's 2am. not normally that late for me, but i've got the (swine?) flu so i should be sleeping. and i've got to catch a bus back to the city tomorrow. so obviously, it's time to tell a story.
once upon a time, there was a young girl- let's call her pantilly- at the dawn of the internet age, who had discovered an obscure online journal site that a few of her friends were using. she wanted to be cool with all this "internet stuff" too, so she started one of her own. and hoooohhhh boy did she update. one, two, three times a day? chronicling stupid shit, and shows she went to, and all the goldschlager she drank, and all the sexual experiences she had, plus of course all the emoting and angst one could expect. sometimes it was entertaining, and sometimes not. and lots of her friends read it. and pretty soon, ALL of her friends read it. and then her "enemies," too. (don't try to find this journal, it's long been deleted.)
fuck, did that journal cause a lot of drama. BUT FUCK, was it fun to write!! i think about it now, because i find it difficult to make blog entries sometimes. not for lack of interesting things to say, but i guess for APPROPRIATE things to say. i feel like in 2009 the underlying theme of things is like "be interesting... but not TOO interesting! future employers could be reading!" and that is some bullshit right there.
sure, i embarrassed the hell out of myself at times, but nothing that can't be fixed with a click. surely, all is forgotten by now. i guess i just think if i need to censor myself, what the hell is the point of writing? if i'm not going to write something real, then... well, just... why? it'll come out phony. but i'm always concerned i'll say the wrong thing/ offend someone, and i probably would. i feel the need to talk about how things are Great! and exciting! and amazing! in my life, but it's not always like that. sometimes things suck, and are boring, and i hate everyone. but it's probably not "professional" to talk about those things, and that's why i never update.
SIIGGHHHH THE TRUTH. it's good to let it out sometimes.
(although after typing this, i realize it's good to have SOME discretion. i mean, we all delete our first angst-rantings for a reason. it's just i'm sure you can understand my point that sometimes the "interesting" things in our lives are just that, and don't make up the whole of who we are. they're for entertainment purposes only.)
i'm going to share something with you
here's a picture i took of myself. this is my apartment and those are my shoes. untouched by photoshop or any other similar program, but my ladypose (see elyse sewell) is flattering enough so that body "flaws" are minimized. it's hard for me to post a picture like that, because i don't have a model/ actress perfect body. never have and never will. not that i look bad or anything. my figure just belongs in the 1950's. or the 1800's. not in the era of kate moss and lindsay lohan.
but weirdly, i feel even more pressure to be thin because i sing. something i'm always unconsciously afraid of... that someday some "entertainment industry" dick will sidle over to me and tell me i need to lose 20 pounds if i ever want to get anywhere. i realize this will probably never happen, but i was never perfect growing up in a culture that demanded as much. to feel fucked up from that is not an uncommon experience- not for me, or women bigger OR smaller than i am.
not trying to gain sympathy, here. i've actually wanted to write about this for awhile. i didn't know if it was "appropriate" here. but luckily, i've got the swine flu, and it's now 3:30am and i don't care anymore.
ugh. the sneezies are taking me over. i need to at least lie down. but thank you blogger, for being my psychic punching bag. and readers for reading. i'm sure i'll regret it in the morning.
once upon a time, there was a young girl- let's call her pantilly- at the dawn of the internet age, who had discovered an obscure online journal site that a few of her friends were using. she wanted to be cool with all this "internet stuff" too, so she started one of her own. and hoooohhhh boy did she update. one, two, three times a day? chronicling stupid shit, and shows she went to, and all the goldschlager she drank, and all the sexual experiences she had, plus of course all the emoting and angst one could expect. sometimes it was entertaining, and sometimes not. and lots of her friends read it. and pretty soon, ALL of her friends read it. and then her "enemies," too. (don't try to find this journal, it's long been deleted.)
fuck, did that journal cause a lot of drama. BUT FUCK, was it fun to write!! i think about it now, because i find it difficult to make blog entries sometimes. not for lack of interesting things to say, but i guess for APPROPRIATE things to say. i feel like in 2009 the underlying theme of things is like "be interesting... but not TOO interesting! future employers could be reading!" and that is some bullshit right there.
sure, i embarrassed the hell out of myself at times, but nothing that can't be fixed with a click. surely, all is forgotten by now. i guess i just think if i need to censor myself, what the hell is the point of writing? if i'm not going to write something real, then... well, just... why? it'll come out phony. but i'm always concerned i'll say the wrong thing/ offend someone, and i probably would. i feel the need to talk about how things are Great! and exciting! and amazing! in my life, but it's not always like that. sometimes things suck, and are boring, and i hate everyone. but it's probably not "professional" to talk about those things, and that's why i never update.
SIIGGHHHH THE TRUTH. it's good to let it out sometimes.
(although after typing this, i realize it's good to have SOME discretion. i mean, we all delete our first angst-rantings for a reason. it's just i'm sure you can understand my point that sometimes the "interesting" things in our lives are just that, and don't make up the whole of who we are. they're for entertainment purposes only.)
i'm going to share something with you
here's a picture i took of myself. this is my apartment and those are my shoes. untouched by photoshop or any other similar program, but my ladypose (see elyse sewell) is flattering enough so that body "flaws" are minimized. it's hard for me to post a picture like that, because i don't have a model/ actress perfect body. never have and never will. not that i look bad or anything. my figure just belongs in the 1950's. or the 1800's. not in the era of kate moss and lindsay lohan.
but weirdly, i feel even more pressure to be thin because i sing. something i'm always unconsciously afraid of... that someday some "entertainment industry" dick will sidle over to me and tell me i need to lose 20 pounds if i ever want to get anywhere. i realize this will probably never happen, but i was never perfect growing up in a culture that demanded as much. to feel fucked up from that is not an uncommon experience- not for me, or women bigger OR smaller than i am.
not trying to gain sympathy, here. i've actually wanted to write about this for awhile. i didn't know if it was "appropriate" here. but luckily, i've got the swine flu, and it's now 3:30am and i don't care anymore.
ugh. the sneezies are taking me over. i need to at least lie down. but thank you blogger, for being my psychic punching bag. and readers for reading. i'm sure i'll regret it in the morning.
Monday, August 3, 2009
i am so smart. i am so smart. s - m - r - t
i was getting off a bus yesterday. a bus ride that was supposed to take 3.5 hours, and took 7. a bus ride in which the bus driver almost rode head-on into traffic, got lost multiple times, kept going through the "cash" lane for tolls instead of the e-z pass lane, and got stopped by the cops- having to give his license and registration to be checked out. we were also in queens at one point, which is mighty interesting, since greyhound bus routes don't go through queens. ever. at the end of the ride, he was giving his sincere apologies to me, the last person off the bus. i got distracted and forgot to adjust my grip on the case. i stepped off the bus and the case slipped like butter from my hands to the pavement. this was the resulting travesty.
more on that later. i'm rushing it to the guitar hospital today.
and i had planned to post an update on chicago this week. maybe i still will.
more on that later. i'm rushing it to the guitar hospital today.
and i had planned to post an update on chicago this week. maybe i still will.
Monday, July 6, 2009
tours, etc.
i know, i know. i'm a sucky blogger. once-per-month updates?! shame on me. but i've been twittering a bunch. i find that it's much easier to commit to one simple, short thought rather than a long, drawn-out post. i used to love making blogs. who knows, maybe it's the progressively shorter attention span of the collective conscious of the internet that's infecting me. either way, a few thoughts:
i had a swell time at all the shows i played last month. all the people i met were fantastic. many of them instantly felt like friends, and i hope i can keep in touch...
last month marked my first time renting a car, ever. or... not exactly true, since we had one in austin. it was my first time doing it myself, start to finish. i got the best rate on priceline.com. boarded the nj transit bus to the airport. took shuttles and airtrains until i reached the avis counter, confirmation number in hand. then sat in my economy driver's seat, nervous. could i do this again? be a driver? FUCK YES, I COULD. alright then, we're off!
but trouble struck: google had given me the most fucked up directions that could ever be. since google had never done me wrong before, i had no inclination to check them before i left the house. i first suspected something was askew when they had me get off on a dinky little townie road, that passed many a dunkin' donuts and burger king along the way. i KNEW it was askew when i saw that they wanted me to stay on it ALL the way to the venue. i started panicking- around me, all this nature and beauty... i couldn't even enjoy it since i was so freaked out!
called the club. told them i might be late. "uhhh whatever. just get here when you can." alrighty- guess they didn't care. well I CARED dammit. chantilly only shows up fashionably late, not last call late.
thankfully, i did get there in time. radio bean reminds me a lot of brooklyn. both in decor and attitude. it's the kind of place where the creatives in town come to see and be seen. but it's also where people really do like art and listening to new music. so i felt right at home.
the next day, i drove onto a ferry to get from vermont to new york. crazy. it was the quickest way to go from state to state. immediately after the ferry, i almost ran out of gas, got lost, and was this close to being late to the next gig at cyber cafe west. oh and, i did all this while driving through a torrential rainstorm with the power of the depths of hell. i'm full of win sometimes. here is my rented car.
views from the ferry
i met some really great people at langdon street cafe a few days later, with fellow songster friend jenn friedman. but not before jenn and i discovered the joys of being turned away from our car rental reservation for having a debit card, instead of a credit card. it cost us in blood, sweat, and tears, but after spending some time trying to track down a company who would take a debit card, we got there... and it was well worth it!
rest area in central vt
montpelier is the kind of sleepy new england town you've always dreamed about. you can see the mountains right from main st. the town folk are kind and courteous. hence, i took a buttload of pictures.
jenn
someone from the audience took this picture of me with their camera phone, and texted it to my email as i was still playing! i can't wait to go back!
to change the subject completely, the make music new york festival was fun this year. mainly because i got to play with gunfight!, a band i met when i set up the bushwick open studios music fest last year. not only is their music great, but they are super-nice guys, and they live right near me! check them out!
other random thoughts:
i made this little promotional banner, trying to win free ad space on a website. it's cute, but i can't figure out what else to use it for:
my songs are taking for-fucking-ever to get mixed. but i can't really complain, since it's a friend doing me a solid. and he's doing a really awesome job by delivering just what i asked for, while adding his own interesting bits. and i'm totally grateful to him, and everyone else who's donated their time to this record. i don't mean to be a nit-picker. but still, it feels like i'm pregnant with a baby that's about 10 months overdue.
and i'm on a break this month, i think. i love traveling. i love meeting cool new people. i love birthing new creative things like songs and recordings. i love an audience that is willing to listen to my self-deprecating banter, chirps, vocal swoops and swirlies, giggles, and attempts at guitar playing.
but there are things that i don't love so much, sometimes. top-secret info from the man behind the curtain- independent musicians in the internet age need to do all jobs for themselves: booking agent, tour manager, press/ pr, graphic designer, researcher, administrative support, and more. while also being a creative force to be reckoned with, excellent performer, and all-around great gal/ guy. and paying the rent every once in awhile is kinda important, too. being everything takes a toll. i'll leave it at that.
i had a swell time at all the shows i played last month. all the people i met were fantastic. many of them instantly felt like friends, and i hope i can keep in touch...
last month marked my first time renting a car, ever. or... not exactly true, since we had one in austin. it was my first time doing it myself, start to finish. i got the best rate on priceline.com. boarded the nj transit bus to the airport. took shuttles and airtrains until i reached the avis counter, confirmation number in hand. then sat in my economy driver's seat, nervous. could i do this again? be a driver? FUCK YES, I COULD. alright then, we're off!
but trouble struck: google had given me the most fucked up directions that could ever be. since google had never done me wrong before, i had no inclination to check them before i left the house. i first suspected something was askew when they had me get off on a dinky little townie road, that passed many a dunkin' donuts and burger king along the way. i KNEW it was askew when i saw that they wanted me to stay on it ALL the way to the venue. i started panicking- around me, all this nature and beauty... i couldn't even enjoy it since i was so freaked out!
called the club. told them i might be late. "uhhh whatever. just get here when you can." alrighty- guess they didn't care. well I CARED dammit. chantilly only shows up fashionably late, not last call late.
thankfully, i did get there in time. radio bean reminds me a lot of brooklyn. both in decor and attitude. it's the kind of place where the creatives in town come to see and be seen. but it's also where people really do like art and listening to new music. so i felt right at home.
the next day, i drove onto a ferry to get from vermont to new york. crazy. it was the quickest way to go from state to state. immediately after the ferry, i almost ran out of gas, got lost, and was this close to being late to the next gig at cyber cafe west. oh and, i did all this while driving through a torrential rainstorm with the power of the depths of hell. i'm full of win sometimes. here is my rented car.
views from the ferry
i met some really great people at langdon street cafe a few days later, with fellow songster friend jenn friedman. but not before jenn and i discovered the joys of being turned away from our car rental reservation for having a debit card, instead of a credit card. it cost us in blood, sweat, and tears, but after spending some time trying to track down a company who would take a debit card, we got there... and it was well worth it!
rest area in central vt
montpelier is the kind of sleepy new england town you've always dreamed about. you can see the mountains right from main st. the town folk are kind and courteous. hence, i took a buttload of pictures.
jenn
someone from the audience took this picture of me with their camera phone, and texted it to my email as i was still playing! i can't wait to go back!
to change the subject completely, the make music new york festival was fun this year. mainly because i got to play with gunfight!, a band i met when i set up the bushwick open studios music fest last year. not only is their music great, but they are super-nice guys, and they live right near me! check them out!
other random thoughts:
i made this little promotional banner, trying to win free ad space on a website. it's cute, but i can't figure out what else to use it for:
my songs are taking for-fucking-ever to get mixed. but i can't really complain, since it's a friend doing me a solid. and he's doing a really awesome job by delivering just what i asked for, while adding his own interesting bits. and i'm totally grateful to him, and everyone else who's donated their time to this record. i don't mean to be a nit-picker. but still, it feels like i'm pregnant with a baby that's about 10 months overdue.
and i'm on a break this month, i think. i love traveling. i love meeting cool new people. i love birthing new creative things like songs and recordings. i love an audience that is willing to listen to my self-deprecating banter, chirps, vocal swoops and swirlies, giggles, and attempts at guitar playing.
but there are things that i don't love so much, sometimes. top-secret info from the man behind the curtain- independent musicians in the internet age need to do all jobs for themselves: booking agent, tour manager, press/ pr, graphic designer, researcher, administrative support, and more. while also being a creative force to be reckoned with, excellent performer, and all-around great gal/ guy. and paying the rent every once in awhile is kinda important, too. being everything takes a toll. i'll leave it at that.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
25 albums that changed your life...
i wrote this as a facebook note. thought i'd share it. updates of my travels are coming soon!
1. tiffany - tiffany
this was the first album i ever had. my uncle got it for me. i got the tape for my birthday (yes, there were still tapes when i was a kid.) i listened to "could've been" tooo many times.
2. debbie gibson - out of the blue
here i am, continuing down the destructive road of pop singers, which i would follow for many years. but what could i do? i was just a little girl. and i hated the "old" classic rock my parents would always play in the car. psssh. didn't they know what REAL music was? after awhile, i decided that tiffany was kinda lame and debbie gibson was where it was at. she was my favorite for a long time. i sang "foolish beat" in my 4th grade talent show.
3. mariah carey - music box
hoo-boy. i'm kinda embarrassed (STILL) at how much i was obsessed with mariah carey. like many young aspiring vocalists (hi christina), i unconsciously started to model my entire way of singing after her. even though she's barely a blip on my radar with the rn'b lite music she produces nowadays- when i first discovered her, i felt like i'd been hit with a ton of bricks. something in the way she sang, and also the generically broad songs she wrote, spoke to me. i loved her for many more years, even more than debbie gibson.
4. mariah carey - daydream
yeah... mariah could do no wrong in my world.
5. janet jackson - janet
omg i was TOTALLY OBSESSED with this album. mainly because i was a pre-pubescent/ early teen and discovering sex for the first time. i loved how much the songs shocked me. i'd never heard women sing about "throbbing" before, and "making you call out my name." i'd listen to it and think about the boys i liked, and what i wanted to do to them.
6. sophie b. hawkins - whaler
she was obscure for my mainstream taste at the time, but something really drew me to her work. like janet, it might've been the thread of sexuality that wove through her songs. i had a long phase where i pretty much only listened to this album. well, probably mariah too. that's a given.
7. fiona apple - tidal
still lovin mariah at this point. but now by now i was high school, and it was time for me to slip into something a little darker. this album felt like the flip-side of my personality- and of the sugary pop that i loved so dearly. the part nobody saw. i'd listen to it alone in my room while brooding. or, one time i actually remember listening to it in my cheerleading uniform on the bus, heading to a soccer game.
8. fiona apple - when the pawn...
loved this as much as i loved tidal, if not more so. i thought (and still think) the songs were impeccable. and the mood, as always, dark and gorgeous. i related so much to her angst. got me through a lot of long nights, this one did.
9. weezer - pinkerton
eureka! she has discovered rock 'n roll music! i started to radically change my tastes around this time. this is the time when i started getting exposed to shows, usually going with corey... life was a ball and we were the grande dames. we saw ska, and emo, and punk, oh my! a lot of these bands were a blur. and while all were enjoyable, none of them really found their way into my heart the way dear rivers cuomo and his backup band did.
10. the getup kids - something to write home about
i will put this here as a placeholder for all of my emo-kid listening phase.
11. ani difranco - little plastic castle
if discovering mariah carey was like getting hit in the head with some bricks, discovering ani was blowing it clean off. i was instantly enamored by her no-frills attitude. the way she stuck up for herself. the way she spoke her truth so unapologetically. the anger. the emotion. her distinctive vocal style. at a time when i was discovering my own personal power as a woman, ani was like a guru to me. she is another one whom i would unconsciously emulate in my songs for a time.
12. ani difranco - not a pretty girl
holy. raw. fucking. woman power.
13. tori amos - little earthquakes/ boys for pele
the albums are a package deal. first ani, then tori. the two are really like the bert and ernie of female singer-songwriters. like chocolate and peanut butter, bacon and eggs, rice and beans... they go together. i remember the first time i listened to boys for pele. i couldn't get through it. while listening to "blood roses" i had a panic attack. (sign of a good album, for sure) i put it away and never touched it for another year. sure am glad i had the courage to bring it back into rotation.
14. death cab for cutie - various downloaded songs
these guys were my introduction to indie rock while at purchase. actually, that's not true- i took in a fair amount in conjunction with my emo-phase. what can i say, ben gibbard's sweet voice pulled me in. i remember dozing one time while listening to them, and having the distinct sensation that i was being spooned by someone else- the MUSIC was spooning me guys. weird, but true.
14. elliott smith - figure 8
i didn't pay much mind to him until he died. i had downloaded some of his songs previously, but none of them seemed to grasp my attention until then. now i'm a totally devoted elliot smith cultist. he's still relevant to me, and one of my favorite artists. figure 8 was/ is amazing.
15. elliott smith - either/ or
in the attic of linsey's grandmother's house, i had a room one summer between sophomore and junior years at puchase. i'll never forget it. one of the best periods of my life. and i used to listen to this album every night to fall asleep to, when i could sleep. magical memories.
16. a perfect circle - mer de noms
was really into them for awhile. my brother & lins used to listen to tool non-stop, round the clock while i was living with them that summer (i am not even exaggerating.) guess it got me used to the style. maybe you could argue that they were just another nu-metal-garage-type band. i used to hear stuff on "rock" radio like this all the time. i think apc different, though. maybe it's maynard's voice, or the intense subject matter in the songs. or, sometimes there's just an "x" factor in music. you can't tell why something is different, it just is.
17. pj harvey - to bring you my love
was mesmerized with her for a bit. i thought this album was so messy and raw and evil. like with fiona, listening to it was like a shadow side of me- but as i was growing and getting to know myself more, i strove to make it a more dominant side. a powerful side. i love her ability to take on different characters with her voice and the production effects she puts on it.
18. various purchase college friends/ masterclasses
this obviously isn't an album. but these people were the soundtrack to my life during these years. i pretty much found it difficult to listen to anyone else but elliott smith, and those who surrounded me during college. at the time they really changed the way i looked at/ wrote music, and inspired me greatly.
19. joni mitchell - blue
jim mcelwaine used to play selections of this in class. it got me interested, and now i listen to this album on repeat. all mothafuckin the time.
20. radiohead- ok computer
okay, so who doesn't love radiohead? but i need to tell you the story of how it all came to be. you see, at first i was turned off. as an example of why, here's what it was like when you attended parties in rhode island: people doing beer bongs upside down with like "pour some sugar on me" blasting out of the stereo (depending on whose place it was... it could be weezer, less than jake... sublime...) they greet you heartily "heyyy girrrllll what (hiccup) up?"
sounds fratty but we were actually a bunch of music geeks. so it was really fun.
what happened at purchase: they'd be sipping red wine while discussing art or politics, with thom yorke's voice delicately outlining the background. they'd look down their nose at you as you walked by, or just ignore you altogether. as a new girl/ transfer, i'd never felt as uncool in my life as i did in those brief moments of "partying."
years later, i came to my senses and realized it wasn't radiohead's fault that people at my college were pretentious douche turkeys. so now i can appreciate them the way they were meant to be appreciated... by sipping red wine at the local establishment in brooklyn while looking my nose down at strangers :P
21. the shins - chutes too narrow
i can't remember exactly which album i liked the best by them right now. but it was another introduction into indie rock, done for me by matt panton :) i do remeber having them on quite heavy rotation for awhile. i know one of the band members used to beat the shit out of his girlfriend, elyse sewell. that sucks. as a woman, it makes me want to boycott the band altogether, and if anything has given them a sour note for me over the years. i still listen to them though. that lead singer guy knows how to write a SONG (even if his lyrics are mysterious as hell.)
22. the beatles- ??
another band in which i can't really think of what album i like best. and yes, i only started listening to them in the past few years, but couldn't believe what i was missing. i was totally struck down by their awesomeness for a little while. i'm fully recovered now.
23. neighborhood musicians in bushwick
again, not an album, but one of the reasons i enjoy living in this 'hood. recently i discovered an open mic run out of someone's loft apartment. where else on earth can you find that?? the atmosphere there is so warm and community-oriented. while i find that people here tend to go more towards the "weird" end of the spectrum, that's okay with me. as a more straightforward type songwriter, i take inspiration from that, and only infuse it with my music as i see fit. the perspective benefits me more than if i were only hanging out with all female pop-songwriters, or whatever.
24. neutral milk hotel - aeroplane over the sea
this album is some music that, within the last few months, has NOT let me out of its bony grasp. i go to put on my ipod and... "okay ears, how about we listen to some nice iron and wine today! (no) ...m. ward? (no) ... ... kelly clarkson? (HELL to the no) ... eh ... AH ... fine. aeroplane over the sea, then" it never fails.
25. neil young - after the goldrush
lately, i am enamored with this artist. i've listened to "tell me why" on repeat for a full 45 minutes recently. i love his wavery off-pitch, yet on-pitch voice. i love how his songs seem dark yet really aren't, somehow. his knack for good guitar riff, and a hooky verse (does anyone else think his verses are more memorable than his actual hooks?) love all that, love him.
1. tiffany - tiffany
this was the first album i ever had. my uncle got it for me. i got the tape for my birthday (yes, there were still tapes when i was a kid.) i listened to "could've been" tooo many times.
2. debbie gibson - out of the blue
here i am, continuing down the destructive road of pop singers, which i would follow for many years. but what could i do? i was just a little girl. and i hated the "old" classic rock my parents would always play in the car. psssh. didn't they know what REAL music was? after awhile, i decided that tiffany was kinda lame and debbie gibson was where it was at. she was my favorite for a long time. i sang "foolish beat" in my 4th grade talent show.
3. mariah carey - music box
hoo-boy. i'm kinda embarrassed (STILL) at how much i was obsessed with mariah carey. like many young aspiring vocalists (hi christina), i unconsciously started to model my entire way of singing after her. even though she's barely a blip on my radar with the rn'b lite music she produces nowadays- when i first discovered her, i felt like i'd been hit with a ton of bricks. something in the way she sang, and also the generically broad songs she wrote, spoke to me. i loved her for many more years, even more than debbie gibson.
4. mariah carey - daydream
yeah... mariah could do no wrong in my world.
5. janet jackson - janet
omg i was TOTALLY OBSESSED with this album. mainly because i was a pre-pubescent/ early teen and discovering sex for the first time. i loved how much the songs shocked me. i'd never heard women sing about "throbbing" before, and "making you call out my name." i'd listen to it and think about the boys i liked, and what i wanted to do to them.
6. sophie b. hawkins - whaler
she was obscure for my mainstream taste at the time, but something really drew me to her work. like janet, it might've been the thread of sexuality that wove through her songs. i had a long phase where i pretty much only listened to this album. well, probably mariah too. that's a given.
7. fiona apple - tidal
still lovin mariah at this point. but now by now i was high school, and it was time for me to slip into something a little darker. this album felt like the flip-side of my personality- and of the sugary pop that i loved so dearly. the part nobody saw. i'd listen to it alone in my room while brooding. or, one time i actually remember listening to it in my cheerleading uniform on the bus, heading to a soccer game.
8. fiona apple - when the pawn...
loved this as much as i loved tidal, if not more so. i thought (and still think) the songs were impeccable. and the mood, as always, dark and gorgeous. i related so much to her angst. got me through a lot of long nights, this one did.
9. weezer - pinkerton
eureka! she has discovered rock 'n roll music! i started to radically change my tastes around this time. this is the time when i started getting exposed to shows, usually going with corey... life was a ball and we were the grande dames. we saw ska, and emo, and punk, oh my! a lot of these bands were a blur. and while all were enjoyable, none of them really found their way into my heart the way dear rivers cuomo and his backup band did.
10. the getup kids - something to write home about
i will put this here as a placeholder for all of my emo-kid listening phase.
11. ani difranco - little plastic castle
if discovering mariah carey was like getting hit in the head with some bricks, discovering ani was blowing it clean off. i was instantly enamored by her no-frills attitude. the way she stuck up for herself. the way she spoke her truth so unapologetically. the anger. the emotion. her distinctive vocal style. at a time when i was discovering my own personal power as a woman, ani was like a guru to me. she is another one whom i would unconsciously emulate in my songs for a time.
12. ani difranco - not a pretty girl
holy. raw. fucking. woman power.
13. tori amos - little earthquakes/ boys for pele
the albums are a package deal. first ani, then tori. the two are really like the bert and ernie of female singer-songwriters. like chocolate and peanut butter, bacon and eggs, rice and beans... they go together. i remember the first time i listened to boys for pele. i couldn't get through it. while listening to "blood roses" i had a panic attack. (sign of a good album, for sure) i put it away and never touched it for another year. sure am glad i had the courage to bring it back into rotation.
14. death cab for cutie - various downloaded songs
these guys were my introduction to indie rock while at purchase. actually, that's not true- i took in a fair amount in conjunction with my emo-phase. what can i say, ben gibbard's sweet voice pulled me in. i remember dozing one time while listening to them, and having the distinct sensation that i was being spooned by someone else- the MUSIC was spooning me guys. weird, but true.
14. elliott smith - figure 8
i didn't pay much mind to him until he died. i had downloaded some of his songs previously, but none of them seemed to grasp my attention until then. now i'm a totally devoted elliot smith cultist. he's still relevant to me, and one of my favorite artists. figure 8 was/ is amazing.
15. elliott smith - either/ or
in the attic of linsey's grandmother's house, i had a room one summer between sophomore and junior years at puchase. i'll never forget it. one of the best periods of my life. and i used to listen to this album every night to fall asleep to, when i could sleep. magical memories.
16. a perfect circle - mer de noms
was really into them for awhile. my brother & lins used to listen to tool non-stop, round the clock while i was living with them that summer (i am not even exaggerating.) guess it got me used to the style. maybe you could argue that they were just another nu-metal-garage-type band. i used to hear stuff on "rock" radio like this all the time. i think apc different, though. maybe it's maynard's voice, or the intense subject matter in the songs. or, sometimes there's just an "x" factor in music. you can't tell why something is different, it just is.
17. pj harvey - to bring you my love
was mesmerized with her for a bit. i thought this album was so messy and raw and evil. like with fiona, listening to it was like a shadow side of me- but as i was growing and getting to know myself more, i strove to make it a more dominant side. a powerful side. i love her ability to take on different characters with her voice and the production effects she puts on it.
18. various purchase college friends/ masterclasses
this obviously isn't an album. but these people were the soundtrack to my life during these years. i pretty much found it difficult to listen to anyone else but elliott smith, and those who surrounded me during college. at the time they really changed the way i looked at/ wrote music, and inspired me greatly.
19. joni mitchell - blue
jim mcelwaine used to play selections of this in class. it got me interested, and now i listen to this album on repeat. all mothafuckin the time.
20. radiohead- ok computer
okay, so who doesn't love radiohead? but i need to tell you the story of how it all came to be. you see, at first i was turned off. as an example of why, here's what it was like when you attended parties in rhode island: people doing beer bongs upside down with like "pour some sugar on me" blasting out of the stereo (depending on whose place it was... it could be weezer, less than jake... sublime...) they greet you heartily "heyyy girrrllll what (hiccup) up?"
sounds fratty but we were actually a bunch of music geeks. so it was really fun.
what happened at purchase: they'd be sipping red wine while discussing art or politics, with thom yorke's voice delicately outlining the background. they'd look down their nose at you as you walked by, or just ignore you altogether. as a new girl/ transfer, i'd never felt as uncool in my life as i did in those brief moments of "partying."
years later, i came to my senses and realized it wasn't radiohead's fault that people at my college were pretentious douche turkeys. so now i can appreciate them the way they were meant to be appreciated... by sipping red wine at the local establishment in brooklyn while looking my nose down at strangers :P
21. the shins - chutes too narrow
i can't remember exactly which album i liked the best by them right now. but it was another introduction into indie rock, done for me by matt panton :) i do remeber having them on quite heavy rotation for awhile. i know one of the band members used to beat the shit out of his girlfriend, elyse sewell. that sucks. as a woman, it makes me want to boycott the band altogether, and if anything has given them a sour note for me over the years. i still listen to them though. that lead singer guy knows how to write a SONG (even if his lyrics are mysterious as hell.)
22. the beatles- ??
another band in which i can't really think of what album i like best. and yes, i only started listening to them in the past few years, but couldn't believe what i was missing. i was totally struck down by their awesomeness for a little while. i'm fully recovered now.
23. neighborhood musicians in bushwick
again, not an album, but one of the reasons i enjoy living in this 'hood. recently i discovered an open mic run out of someone's loft apartment. where else on earth can you find that?? the atmosphere there is so warm and community-oriented. while i find that people here tend to go more towards the "weird" end of the spectrum, that's okay with me. as a more straightforward type songwriter, i take inspiration from that, and only infuse it with my music as i see fit. the perspective benefits me more than if i were only hanging out with all female pop-songwriters, or whatever.
24. neutral milk hotel - aeroplane over the sea
this album is some music that, within the last few months, has NOT let me out of its bony grasp. i go to put on my ipod and... "okay ears, how about we listen to some nice iron and wine today! (no) ...m. ward? (no) ... ... kelly clarkson? (HELL to the no) ... eh ... AH ... fine. aeroplane over the sea, then" it never fails.
25. neil young - after the goldrush
lately, i am enamored with this artist. i've listened to "tell me why" on repeat for a full 45 minutes recently. i love his wavery off-pitch, yet on-pitch voice. i love how his songs seem dark yet really aren't, somehow. his knack for good guitar riff, and a hooky verse (does anyone else think his verses are more memorable than his actual hooks?) love all that, love him.
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