'Dorothy'

(note: no 'Dorothy' theme in mind beforehand...i took these completely by random...nice little accident...)

Brazilian Jazz

So lately I've been hearing a lot of great Brazilian jazz (thanks to aol radio). This list is from November last year, i almost forgot about it...(and many of these can go on my 'dream label':) They're ordered as I heard them:

Os mutantes

Poema do adeus by: Lalo Schifrin

Minha Voz, Minha Vida by: Caetano Veloso

Reste by: Sophie Milman

Swing da cor by: Daniela Mercury

Ife Bobowa by:Brother of Soul from GlucklichIII

I've heard some good stuff by the late Suba. and off-topic, I forgot about a band called the Cranes who was also randomly on this list.

Currently listening to: the Jeff Buckley song 'All Flowers In Time..' (no idea how i JUST discovered it...), Now Now Children Everywhere ('Cars' especially), The Ettes (esp. 'No Home'), new YeahYeahYeahs (not sure what i think of it yet...) & Brazilian jazz but of course!

Ugh

I am really missing Theresa Andersson shows. like, in a bad way..it hurts. this is getting a little crazy....like i don't think i've felt this kind of attachment before to shows, well not in this way anyway...I'm most definitely gonna have to make her New Orleans show(s), cos then she's off to the west coast....

currently listening to: Theresa Andersson and The Gossip

Producer --the 'U-Turn'

See the thing is, I see myself very much as a music producer. Like for example #14 in my 'dream label' list, Anni Rossi...I think she has sooo much potential, there's just that extra something missing. She needs to be pushed further. I don't think her music is where it could be, but it's close. It's like the majority of songs i like, i like oh maybe 70% of it. There's that other 30% or whatever that needs tweaking and I can hear exactly in my head what I would tweak, where I would take the song, what I would do to change it. It'll be going along and I'll be bopping my head along and then all of a sudden boom! it takes off in another direction and I'm like ??? It should go over here this way or whatever, but instead it takes this like U-turn that you don't always see coming. And in some instances that's ok. I love when songs surprise/unpredictability. but others, it's a transition too abrupt which is the case in Georgie James who have now disbanded but I noticed what it was bothering me most about them (i actually only liked one or two of their songs), and that was their transitions--too abrupt for me (except in 'Need Your Needs', the only song I really dig).

I've noticed my main problem w/songs I 'almost like' is this schizo factor; trying to fit too much into one song, like trying to make 3 different songs out of one. Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' would be an exception, anything off of Joanna Newsom's 'Ys' (one of my favorite albums of all time), basically these story-song structures...and I'm sure there's a plethora of others, but for the most part this is just my personal dilemma w/music. It's kind of hard trying to explain what I'm talking about, but if you listen to almost any Georgie James (besides 'Need..') I think you'll get what i mean. To me it's the difference between amateur and seasoned, these transitions. Ok i'm going way off on a tangent here, but that is my experience listening to music a lot of the time. i'm like wait what are you doing why are you going there, it needs to go over here. I'm constantly experimenting w/its direction in my head. I just bought a dictaphone actually for this very reason haha!

Then there are other songs to me that are just perfect; like there's nothing I'd change about them. They're completely gratifying. I'm not like trying to analyze from a technical standpoint or anything (I'm not a musician unfortunately). I just I'm judging from an emotional perspective..it's such a personal experience. What's perfect to me is rubbish to another so..I'm just saying to me, 'perfect' I dont even know what I mean by that. Just I'm using it to describe songs I enjoy 100%. through and through. This is a whole other entry, but some examples are..well the first that pops to mind is 'Think Long' by Mates of State. Now, the album itself is another story, but that song to me is perfect. It mapped out new (lush) musical territory...ok this is its own list! I'll have to compile later!

My Record Label--collaborations

So included in the contract would be a clause whereby, the bands (who hopefully have befriended) would collaborate.

So like I'd love hearing, say, Swans cross with say, Theresa Andersson. Get two opposite extremes and mix 'em up and see what happens. Like a test tube experiment for music I guess. Ok, I need to go to bed, but I'd really love to see that happen. Experimental collaborations at my disposal basically. I wouldn't force it..again this is in my dreamworld, so they WOULD all be friends and I'd just catch them already doing this. :)

My Record Label (a continuing entry)

In a perfect world, I would run a label. and who knows maybe one day i will, but for now this will have to do.

This is a list of 'new' and upcoming artists I'd snag immediately, had I the means. Basically my dream label, artists I'm really excited about....

1. Theresa Andersson (of course)
2. Cortney Tidwell
3. Alex Gruenburg (a friend)
4. Betsy Wright (another friend)
5. Merkaba Bandits (Alex's old band..R.I.P, but I would bring them back to life!)
6. An Eartha Kitt cover singer who can sing just like her
7. Tom Vek (where the F*** are you!... fat chance he's major, but I include b/c he's only put out one album, a masterpiece)
8. Princessed (another R.I.P friend's band that I'd bring back to life)
9. Hmmm Poe!? where'd you go
10. Elastica!? you too
11. A Jeff Buckley cover singer...wait that isn't possible.
12. An Ace of Base cover band
13. An Alizee cover singer

wow, this is getting ridiculous..turning into a resurrection label of sorts...didn't mean for it to... i'm getting very nostalgic now. I don't know why all this cover stuff is coming up..didn't plan just happened.

14. oh yeah, Anni Rossi
15. Mirah
16. Soko
17.The Dismemberment Plan (again R.I.P..some of the best shows ive ever been to)

The Show

I know this ties in w/the first, but this had to be its own entry. So like I said, I was fortunate enough to see Theresa Andersson this month; not once but twice. I went into the first show basically w/no expectations..she was an artist I recently discovered, bought the CD loved it and all but didn't really know what to expect.

Well, I start this blog b/c of her and there are simply no words..ha! Basically....well I just can't say enough. She created an entire universe in that tiny venue; a music world I'd never been to or near. Intoxicating, heady, out-of-body....those are just a few words to describe that evening.

I feel one of the luckiest and most fortunate to have seen her. I am so grateful and not sure that night was even real. I hope to see her again next month in New Orleans.

(from the Philly show, Tin Angel 3/10/09)




(from her Vienna, VA show--Jammin Java 3/7/09)

Theresa Andersson (entry 1)

Hey all,

I just saw Theresa Andersson (twice) and was inspired to finally do this. So I suppose I'm beginning this blog as a kind of valentine to all my favorite music, as well as shoes; just a way to track my thoughts and musings on things as they unfold over time.

So what better way to kick it off than w/the recent Theresa Andersson show(s)!