Lego House


Ed Sheeran, 22, is an English singer-songwriter. He was born in Halifax, England.  He was raised in Framlingham, Suffolk and moved to London in 2008 to pursue a musical career.  He sang in a local church choir from the age of four, learned guitar at a very young age, and began writing songs during High School. His early childhood memories included listening to Van Morrison on his countless trips to London with his parents and going to an intimate Damien Rice gig in Ireland when he was eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran released an independent extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project, which caught the attention of both Elton John and Jamie Foxx. In 2012, he won two BRIT Awards for Best British Male and British Breakthrough. In 2012, Sheeran began to rise to fame in the United States. He made a guest appearance on Taylor Swift’s fourth album Red and wrote songs for the boyband One Direction. “The A Team” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards and he duetted with Elton John during the ceremony. He will spend much of 2013 touring North America as the opening act for Swift’s Red Tour. (Source: Wiki)


Source: Thank you Rachel.  Find Ed Sheeran on iTunes and on Amazon.

Is it any wonder…

…that this company prints money.

Who says Multitasking Doesn’t Work?

Here’s Mnozil with their rendition of Paul Anka’s Lonely Boy…


Source: Thank you Rolly

The Head and The Heart


The Head and The Heart is an indie folk-pop band from Seattle, Washington that was formed in the summer of 2009. The band self-released their debut album The Head and The Heart in June 2009, selling it at concerts, by word of mouth, and through local record stores. In the ensuing months the album sold 10,000 copies. Their music plays heavily on the trio of vocal harmonies, piano and violin melodies, and prominent drums and percussion. The band has toured extensively through 2010 and 2011 in both the United States and Europe, opening for Vampire Weekend, The Walkmen, Dr. Dog, Dave Matthews, The Low Anthem, The Decemberists, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, and Death Cab For Cutie, as well as headlining their own shows. In March 2011, Seattle’s City Arts Magazine named them “Seattle’s Best New Band”, and the band made their network television debut on April 21, 2011 on Conan. (Source: Wiki)

The band’s debut album titled The Head and The Heart can be found at iTunes and Amazon.  Lyrics for the song can be found here.

Running. With Better Than…

john-butler


It’s Saturday. 5:30 am.  45F. Drizzling.

Zeke is up early.  Which means his keeper (Susan) is too.  She’s at the kitchen table sipping coffee and reading The Times.  He’s looking up at her, being cute, sitting like Royalty, waiting for a hand-out.  It’s Banana today.  Dog loves bananas.  Who knew?

He watches me warily.  It has become the weekend routine.  He sits between his Mom’s legs.  Growls at me. Signaling, No way in H*ll I’m going out with you. No Way.  Fur is up at the back of his neck.  I approach. “Let’s go Bud. Let’s go for a run.”  He shows me his teeth…and emits a low raspy growl. And then another. Yep.  Pure bred running dog.  This is what it’s come to.

On with the gear.  Accessories first. Garmin GPS.  iPod. Ear Phones. Water bottle into black waist pouch. Then on with the suit.  Black running pants. Black rain slicker.  Black Baseball cap (not water proof). Red and Black Brooks running shoes.  Batman is ready.  The Dark Knight Rides.  He’s off.

Mile One.  It’s drizzling.  But manageable.  Light rain and mist.  Feels refreshing on the skin.  Miles.  I’m going to do Miles today. [Read more...]

Sunday Morning: Inspired by Iceland

Isle of Awe Land from Abteen Bagheri on Vimeo.

Friday Night: John Butler


John Butler, 38, is an Australian American musician, songwriter, record label owner and producer. He is the front man for the John Butler Trio, a roots and jam band, which formed in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1998. His recordings and live performances have met with critical praise and have garnered awards from the Australian Performing Right Association and Australian Recording Industry Association.  Butler was born in the United States and moved to Australia at an early age. He began playing the guitar at the age of sixteen.  (Source: Wiki)


Music Source: Knowledgeandlove

Sunday Morning: Morning Glory

What’s the story: Morning Glory! from Ben on Vimeo.

Nuit Blanche

Nuit Blanche (Sleepless Night) explores a fleeting moment between two strangers, revealing their brief connection in a hyper real fantasy. Magic

Body Calligraphy in Motion

Piano Works 13 from Julien Martorell on Vimeo.

Family: A Postcard from 1952

Loved this…back in a “simpler” time.

“Postcard From 1952″ – Explosions in The Sky from peter simonite on Vimeo.

Friday Night: Wintersleep


Wintersleep is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 2008, the band received the Juno Award for New Group of the Year.

Friday Evening: Depth over Distance


Related Posts: Ben Howard – Only Love

Stefano Barone


Stefano Barone was born in Naples, Italy, in 1978, and started playing when he was very young, studying piano at first but choosing guitar at last. From blues to pop to rock, in Naples he cut through different musical experiences, until he moved to Rome in 2001 and decided to dedicate himself fully to solo acoustic guitar. (Source: Lastfm.com)


Related Posts:

Portrait of a Poet

Portrait of a Poet from Kendy on Vimeo.

[Read more...]

Friday Night: Mario Biondi


It’s hard to imagine how I could not have heard of Mario Biondi prior to tripping into this video on Nia‘s blog.  BIG voice on his rendition of this classic tune (Close to Me) which was composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally recorded by The Carpenters in 1970.

Mario Biondi, 42, is a jazz-soul vocalist born in the Sicilian city of Catania in Italy.  He was born of artistic stock.  His great grandfather was a respected painter, his grandmother a singer, and his father a popular songwriter.   Biondi sang throughout his childhood, first performing in public at age 12 in church, and soon singing in public squares before hundreds of people. From there he competed in the Festival della Canzone Siciliana, taking third place. Biondi’s musical pursuits earned him the opportunity to perform alongside such Italian vocal greats as Califano, Bongusto, and Fiorello, as well as American legend Ray Charles. As word of his talent and skill got out, Biondi found himself collaborating with groups like the Change, Mario Brothers, and Funky Company on recordings and tours. Given his powerful and unique voice, it was not long before Biondi was encouraged to pursue a solo career. Featuring material inspired by American R&B artists like Lou Rawls, Luther Vandross, and Donny Hathaway, Biondi’s debut record was released in 2006.  (Link to album can be found here.)


Source: Thank you Nia for pointing me to Mario Biondi (via Sempreventophoto).  Bio -iTunes.

acappella anyone?


4 minutes.  36 songs. Something for everyone.  And I mean everyone.  From Beethoven to Hammerstein to Johnny Cash to Aretha to Queen to Gaga to Psy.  Evolution of music from 11th century to today.  Curious about the song list?  Here it is: [Read more...]

The Wind

I lift my head from my reading.

To watch.  To listen. To inhale.

High winds from the northwest swaying the tall pines.  The gusts rustling the branches.  The tree tops whistling.  The sweet smell of tree resin drifting over the fence from the neighbor’s pruning.  It was yesterday, Sunday afternoon.  I was lounging in the backyard. Licking my wounds from my long run.  Tucked under a comforter…seeking protection against chilling 20 mph winds.  I put Knausgaard down and start thumbing through blog posts. ”Wind” synchronicity switches on.

First Thomas Merton: “No writing on the solitary, meditative dimensions of life can say anything that has not already been said better by the wind in the pine trees.”

Then Cat Stevens with “The Wind“: “…listen to the wind…To the wind of my soul…Where I’ll end up well I think, Only God really knows…”


Then Carl Sandburg takes it deep and home: [Read more...]

Lead Me Home

During his last school break, my Eric hooked me on the AMC Series The Walking Dead. (A wonderful, uplifting and nurturing series on humanity. Sarcasm dripping.)  This song, “Lead Me Home” by Jamie N. Commons, premiered on the show.  Commons, 23, is a singer-songwriter who was born in Bristol, England.  He relocated with his family to Chicago at the age of six where he was immersed in Chicago Blues.  He returned back to the UK at 16.  Raspy like Tom Waits – gothic like Nick Cave…amazing young talent.  His new album, Rumble & Sway, was released last month.

Jamie N Commons – Lead Me Home from Jordan Bahat on Vimeo.

Friday Night: Ry Cuming


Ry Cuming, 23, is a singer-songwriter born in the small coastal Australian town of Angourie.  Growing up on a beach in Australia, he spent most of his days surfing and listening to his father’s vinyl collection.  He quickly developed a love for a number of different styles of music from Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. His career took shape as an 18 year-old traveler in Costa Rica. One fateful afternoon while playing in the hallway of a hotel, Ry met a young film producer who would later become his manager. Cuming won two of Australia’s Dolphin Awards in 2004 for Best Pop Song and Best New Artist. (Sources: Wiki & JamBase.com)

Friday Night: Melissa Forbes

musician, vocalist,singer, song writer,artist

You’re My Alter Ego / Nothing Else Matters

click for audio



Melissa Forbes is a Australian musician, performer, educator and researcher.  She was originally trained in jazz and improvisation.  She has also studied contemporary vocal pedagogy extensively, and hopes to complete a PhD in the area.  She is Associate Lecturer in Voice at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba, Australia, where she leads a merry band of young vocalists in their quest to reach their fullest potential through singing.  Melissa also has her own private studio, The Contemporary Voice Studio. Melissa released her album No More Mondays to critical and popular acclaim. (Source: Melissa Forbes Website)


Love the entire album – - check it out at iTunes link: No More Mondays.  Image Credit.

Driving. With Mellencamp.

Shut down PC.
Stuff my briefcase with weekend reading. I Smile.
Another form of Exercise in futility.
I won’t get to it.
Slump into car. Spent.
4-day week. Felt like six.
Pre Good Friday weekend traffic backed up on 95.
Stealing glances at blackberry.
Flicking through iTunes list.
Land on Mellencamp. John Mellencamp.

Hurts So Good.

When I was a young boy
Said put away those young boy ways
Now that I’m gettin’ older
So much older
I love all those young boy days

Memories flood. Awed.
How? How a mere few bars can take you back.
To a moment. In 1982. A technicolor and edited version. [Read more...]

Feeling Good

Michael Bublé and 15-year old Sam.  Sam sings a few bars.  Bublé’s reaction?  Sam’s facial expressions? Priceless.


And if you haven’t had enough of Bublé (one of Burnaby, B.C. Canada’s favorite sons) and “Feeling Good”, here’s the full version…

[Read more...]

On How to Feel Better

On How To Feel Better from Joshua Kang on Vimeo.


Related Posts:

Sunday Morning: Amazing Grace

It’s an Amazing Grace feeling-kind-of-morning.  Here’s Rodney Britt and friends with 53-second clip, which I wished kept going and going.


And from a simple, spiritual, soulful version – - we move to the soul stirring pipes.  Amazing Grace hits a crescendo after 4:00 minutes.   [Read more...]

Friday Night: William Fitzsimmons


William Fitzsimmons (born 1978) “is an American singer-songwriter, based in Illinois, perhaps best known for his songs “Passion Play” and “Please Don’t Go”, which aired during ABC’s medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.  Fitzsimmons was born the youngest child of two blind parents.  He is said to have developed his multiple instrument abilities from his mother and father, both of whom were recreational musicians. He was taught the piano and trombone during elementary school, and began teaching himself guitar while in junior high school. He is also proficient at the banjo, melodica, ukulele, and mandolin.  William’s career in music came only after completing a Master’s Degree in counseling at Geneva College, and working as a mental health therapist. Fitzsimmons’ writing often includes reference to personal and family subject matter. His 2006 effort, Goodnight, is said to have been based largely on his parents’ divorce during his adolescence, and his 2008 work, The Sparrow And The Crow, was written entirely about and following his own divorce.”

Find iTunes link here.

“Greatest Moment of My Life”

You are a college student.  You go to see Billy Joel perform on campus.  He was a childhood idol. You also happen to play the piano.  You raise your hand during the Q&A section.  He calls on you.  You ask if you can play your favorite song with him.  He agrees.  The rest is history.  As this student describes it: “The greatest moment of my life.”   Sit back and enjoy…this is something special.


Thank you Lori @ Donna & Diablo for sharing this wonderful clip. (LOVED IT!)

Related Post:

March 17

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day. Thank you to the Irish who have given us William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, C.S. Lewis, Frank McCourt, Bono along with millions of good and kind people.  And, of course, Riverdance.  Here’s a 2-minute clip of one of my favorite performances. (Can’t seem to get enough of this…)


Related Post: Sandy Sue @ A Mind Divided:  Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  Be sure to watch Enya’s music video titled Deora Ar Mo Chroi.

Monday Chill: Tchaikovsky Flash Mob

Forty students from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance took a classical approach to the flashmob as they flashwaltzed Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers at the new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower in Jerusalem. Doctors, patients and passers-by joined in the fun.  The surprise concert was part of Good Deeds Day, an annual event that originated in Israel in 2007 and now takes place in over 50 countries worldwide. On this day volunteers reach out to the less fortunate and the vulnerable.  Hadassah Medical Organization treats over one million patients annually, without regard to race, religion or national origin.


Thank you Mme Scherzo

Related Post:

Sunday Morning: Balmorhea


Balmorhea (pronounced Bal-moor-ay) is a minimalist instrumental ensemble from Austin, Texas, that was formed in 2006.  I have had their latest album Stranger playing on a loop on Sundays for the past month.  Relaxing.  Soothing.   Working magic on Sunday mornings.

Good Sunday Morning.

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: I Got My Tight Pants On

Some clips need no introduction…


Related Posts:

I got soul x 26

26 famous dance scenes wrapped in “All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers. One dance scene every 12 seconds. My fav?  Jimmy Cagney dancing down the stairs. How many dancers can you name? (Me?  Not so many.)  Answers below.

[Read more...]

Mantas Last Dance

One word. Beautiful.

 

If I could stay just for a minute more
Then I could say all the things I’ve been saving up for
Never enough time in the day & moments like this
come a moment too late

And, there’s so many things that I don’t understand
And I’m standing in line with my open hand
Waiting for some explanation
Something to hold onto
And the minutes of the day turn to hours of the week
And time’s slippin’ away & we don’t hardly speak
And I’m feeling so lost deep in my soul…


Source: Lyrics. Video.  Music: Terra Naomi - If I Could Stay.

Ben Howard


Ben Howard, 25, an award winning singer-songwriter who was born in West London.  He was raised by musical parents who exposed him to their favorite records from singer-songwriter artists from the 1960s and 1970s at an early age, like Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Simon Garfunkel,  by which he was strongly influenced.

ITV.com: Ben Howard has won best British male and best breakthrough act at the Brit Awards.  As he collected his first award, he said: “I’m not very good at speeches. I’m not very good at dancing.”  He also thanked his mother, saying, “She’s rung a lot of old friends to ask them to vote for this.”

All For You

Country isn’t down my power alley…but this song is smooth. New Zealand punching above its weight class this week – first my Uggs and now Keith Urban.


Source: Thank you Sundaug

I love you…

Hollywood Style primer for Valentine’s Day. Find your favorite movie scene here?

I can’t get up…

Beautiful vocals, lyrics and video. The only line that stuck with me and my bleary eyed self this morning was “I can’t get up.” Yet, I couldn’t hit the snooze button on this tune. Here’s Lily & Madeleine with Back to the River

Sunday Morning: They are the last

Leonardo Da Costa is a lighthouse keeper stationed in Cabo Polonio, a remote cape in a stretch of Uruguayan coastline rich in shipwrecks and sunken treasures.  Cabo Polonio’s light has been guiding ships since 1881, and Da Costa is the latest in a long line of watchmen who have operated the tower with care and attention. He leads an unassuming life, the tranquility of the almost intact landscape keeping him company. Serenity and silence merge with the daily tasks and chores he carries out. Da Costa represents a rare profession that still survives in a few countries. Take some time to appreciate a gentle and enlightening way of life, for once it is gone, it will be missed.

Good Sunday Morning…

They Are The Last from Kauri Multimedia on Vimeo. *Music by Volt Heist: voltheist.com


Source: Explore

Cat with Peace Train

Now I’ve been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come 
And I believe it could be, something good has begun…

(Music Starts at 0:50 seconds…go ahead…see if you can keep your foot from tapping…)

Saturday Night with Harry


We saw Harry Chapin perform this song, Taxi, in one of his last live performances.   This timeless ballad continues to feed my post-Zen-glow of San Francisco…

It was raining hard in ‘Frisco,
I needed one more fare to make my night…

Friday Night with Missy


Melissa “Missy” Morrison Higgins, 30, is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician and actress.  She learned to play classical piano from age six but realized she wanted to be a singer at about 12 when she appeared in a Primary School production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Hoping for more freedom, she urged her parents to send her to a boarding school attended by her siblings. There she took up the piano again, this time playing jazz. She was introverted and found that piano practice helped her cope with living at boarding school.

Friday Night: Sky Blue and Black

music, rock, pop

Now I wouldn’t consider myself a groupie (and that would depend on the definition of groupie)…but I’m a fan.  A Large One.  ”Running on Empty.” The Pretender.”  ”Stay Just a Little Bit Longer.”  ”Here Come Those Tears Again. “You’re A Friend.” “Rosie.” And I can go on and on, yet…Yet, somehow, I’ve never heard this song.  Shaking my head in wonder.  How’s that possible?

And if you’re a purist, here’s Jackson Browne’s acoustic version of the same song (and a far superior version in my opinion) to ease you into the weekend:

↓ click for audio (Jackson Browne: Sky Blue and Black)

jackson-browne-sky-blue-and-black.mp3


Music Inspiration: Thank you gene-how.  Image Source: Image Credit: Rollingstone

Event of the Thread

I’m sorry I missed it…An excerpt of the review from the NY Times: “Anyone who liked swings as a child — and that should include quite a few of us — will probably feel a surprisingly visceral attraction to Ann Hamilton’s installation “the event of a thread” at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City…The swings are there for us, to swing on.  The piece has other components, about which more in a minute, but if people are not using the swings, “the event of a thread” does not fully exist. When they are in action, the immense, diaphanous white curtain, made of a lightweight silk twill, rises and dips, and the air is stirred, causing further billowing and fluttering.  And in the middle of it all, the curtain, which resembles a low-cost indoor version of Christo and Jean-Claude’s 1972 land art piece “Valley Curtain,” was doing its silent, discombobulated dance. In addition, if you paused in your swinging, you could feel the rest of the interconnected system pulse and gyrate, a momentary demonstration — at once silly and profound — that we are, indeed, all connected.”

Here’s a short and wonderful video clip that makes it all come alive…

the event of a thread from Paul Octavious on Vimeo.


Related Posts: Be sure to check out Olivia’s terrific post on the same event at Your Effect on Me Is Incredible

Double Bass & Chief


Adam Ben Ezra plays “Can’t Stop Running.”

And love his dog “Chief.”

Thank you Sandy for sharing.

January Rain


David Gray drove me into the office this morning with “January Rain“…One of the sound tracks from the movie Serendipity.  Gray and this tune are both long time favorites.  And yes, it was raining on a misty, dreary January morning…yet, I find it impossible not to be inspired by this music.

Path of Beauty

A woman walks in the Musée du Louvre, alone.
The museum is completely empty.
We follow this young woman in her dreamlike journey through the different rooms of the museum, between amazement and beauty, art and poetry.


I’ve never been to the Louvre.  Or to Paris. (I know.  I know.  You’ve tiring of this rant.)

I’d like to take this walk to end a long week (and esp. when the museum is completely empty).

Wonderful two minute clip.  And paired with sweet, dreamlike-fitting music by Sigur Ros.


Related Posts:

Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration: Movies…

Here’s a three-minute montage of famous movie scenes to inspire you for your Saturday Morning work-out.  From Jacki Chan, to Rocky, to Mulan, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and more. (What?  No Karate Kid?)


Related Posts:

Aunt Martha Band


The Aunt Martha Band was formed in 2008 and is led by Tim Noyes (guitar/lead vocals), Brian Kim (violin/bass), and Garrett Leahy (drums).  All three members are originally from the greater Boston area.  The “band draws comparisons to the always moving and incredible Ray Lamontagne, Tim’s soulful yet gritty vocals are wise beyond their years. If you didn’t know the boys were in their twenties, you’d think these tunes were written by men who had already lived a full life and then some.


Thank you ColdDeadHeart for pointing me to another great band.

Related Posts:

Sunday Morning: Romancing the Wind

Ray Bethell, ~85 years old, is a professional kite flyer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  He never picked up a kite until he was 50.  He is self-taught.  He contracted a rare virus in his early 60s that left him completely deaf.  He has travelled and performed worldwide and has won many kite flying competitions.  In this video, he performs a kite ballet with three kites to Flower Duet from Lakme by Delibes. I can manage to get one kite up on a windy day.  This man, performs magic.  What an inspiration. Volume up.



Ray Bethell was the subject of a documentary short film titled “Good Stuff” which won first place at the 2005 TriBeca Film Festival in New York City.  This film, which I’ve included below, is well worth a watch and listen as well.

Good Sunday Morning…


Sources:

  • Thank you Bobby for sharing this video.
  • Check out his Ray Bethell’s website at this link and his bio here.

Listen to the Lion

I wondered how it was possible that this Van Morrison track slipped from my playlists – and then I glanced at length of track (11+ minutes) and I understood.  I was in too much of a hurry.  11 minutes was an eternity.  Today, I didn’t want this tune to end.

Listen to the Lionhas been said to rank amongst Morrison’s greatest work. During the 11-minute voyage, first recorded in 1969, he sings, shouts, improvises lines, delays and omits them, until he symbolically re-creates the sound of an unleashed lion within himself. It remains a considerable achievement.

I’ve played this tune on a loop for 3 days.  Here’s my new favorite Van Morrison song…enjoy!*


*Note: The video is a bit “disconnected” – live performance would have been preferred…

More Van Morrison Related Posts: