Saturday, March 13, 2010

This is now this.

i fought it for a long time but there are certain things about tumblr that i prefer to blogger.

so, come here!

Friday, March 12, 2010

i love this image

Sometimes they would sit in the parlor together, both reading – in entirely separate worlds, to be sure, but joined somehow. When this happened, other people in the family couldn’t bring themselves to disturb them. All that could be heard in the parlor was the sound of pages, turning.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

For some reason over the last 2 weeks or so in my Special Topics in 20th Century Music class we've been talking a lot about the New England Transcendentalist movement in the mid-19th century and now every time my teacher brings up one of these timeless authors I just want to delve right into some of their works.  Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, the Alcott family; even the anti-Transcendentalists who were writing at the time like Hawthorne, Poe and Melville.  By no means do I agree with their beliefs, but I think it's important to be well read and I love the idea of being well-versed in classics.  Moby Dick is already one of my favorite books and of course Little Women and plenty of Emily Dickinson (who is more or less part of the Transcendentalism movement), but there is so much more that I want to have read!  I think I'll start with Walt Whitman.  I have sung many songs set to his text but it will be completely different to just read his thoughts.  I'm excited about this.  Spring break, come here.
a page from Lewis Carroll's original manuscript:





i can't wait to see this soon!  maybe this weekend when my bestie bests come to fayetteville!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

"I know that for the right practice of it, the heart must be empty of all other things; because God will possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone without emptying it of all besides, so neither can He act there, and do in it what He pleases, unless it be left vacant to Him.  

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.  Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive.  It is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love, and because God would have us."

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The PS22 chorus has always been such a conundrum to me. I always watch the videos of these elementary schoolers in such incredulity and this one was no exception.  I wish I had been a part of this when I was little.  Can't wait to see phoenix for my birthday with someone really great and potentially a lot more fun people!


Monday, March 8, 2010

i just applied for a job.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

MUMFORD & SONS COVERS VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Acts 4:13

"Now when then saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.  And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

you will like this, i promise.

Horse Feathers' "Belly of June"

clickity-click (there's no youtube video or anything so this just takes you to a website that streams it)

whyyyyyy do i not still live in LA!?

The Dirty Projectors played with the LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall...



Dirty Projectors play well in lots of environments, though “A Very Special Night With … ” is a frequent and strong one for them lately. This Very Special Night featured DP co-headlining with L.A.’s Philharmonic Orchestra, who began the night with classical pieces that Dave Longstreth selected — two from Ligeti (you might know him from2001: A Space Odyssey) and others from Wagner (you might know him from every war movie soundtrack), and Ravel. Chamber ensemble Alarm Will Sound joined Dirty Projectors for The Getty Address.
Then the band came back out to do a cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine” and a handful of DP originals. Photographer Andrew Youssef, who capture the event for us, says the show’s program included the lyrics to The Getty Address, and a reprint of Longstreth’s letter to Don Henley:

Dirty Projectors Letter To Don Henley
This show ended a string of late-Feb Special Events for the band.
Elsewhere in Longstreth, the primary Projector introduced three new compositions (“Matt Damon,” “Instructional Video,” “Breakfast At J&M”) at the Bang on a Can All-Stars event in New York on the 24th, and played a similarlyGetty Address-revisiting show with DP at the Allen Room at Lincoln Center with DP a few nights before.

please and thank you

Monday, March 1, 2010

What filled my ears throughout February:

Bowerbirds   :   In Our Talons
Joshua James   :   Coal War
Chris Garneau   :   Baby's Romance
War Paint   :  Billie Holliday
Bowerbirds   :  Northern Lights
Bishop Allen & The Broken String   :   The News From Your Bed
Rocky Votolato   :   Lucky Clover Coin
Kate Earl   :   Impossible
Rogue Wave   :   Eyes
Jonathan Boulet   :   Continue Calling
The entire Mumford & Sons record, however Hold On To What You Believe and Winter Winds have become favorites.  (Additionally, I'm so happy that Mumford & Sons is catching on in the world.  Such good music.)
Bahamas   :   Whole Wide World
The whole Foy Vance album   :   an old favorite that made it's way back into the mix this month
Headlights   :   Secrets
Saintseneca   :   God Bones
Port O'Brien   :   Sour  Milk / Salt Water
Ben Rector's whole record of course

one of my closest friends carrie deserves credit for having awesome taste in music

Saturday, February 27, 2010

for the well-being of the general public...

If you own a macbook look at this!  I got mine in May 2006 so I took mine to the store down the street last Monday and on TUESDAY Apple had overnighted a brand new hard drive for me!  Fo Free (said like the "unforgivable" youtube video)!  Check it boy:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/02/early-macbooks-eligible-for-free-hard-drive-replacement.ars

Friday, February 26, 2010

the album leaf -- "there is a wind"

this music + video is fantastic.  it's fairly long so if your attention span is as short as mine, just leave it on while you poke around on the internets.


UTTERLY OBSESSED.



via alice

Monday, February 22, 2010

Tegan & Sara "Alligator" Video


Alligator

Tegan and Sara | MySpace Music Videos


Seeing them in concert April 3 at the Uptown in Kansas City with this (hopefully looking more cool and less awkward than some of these photos show.  Excuse the blur.)...


Sunday, February 21, 2010

pleeease.

spring please
this house please



two bunk beds with plaid covers and they're suspended against mixmatched wood walls and a painted ceiling and green drawers underneath please

green ceilings and antiquey looking everything else please


THIS bedroom pleease


knotty pine ceilings please


fireplace full of books please

Sunday, February 14, 2010

a little valentine's mush...

  1. sort of : ingrid michaelson
  2. in the end: the maldives
  3. nicest thing : kate nash
  4. first day of my life : bright eyes
  5. fool : jessica sonner
  6. i and love and you : the avett brothers
  7. swallowed in the sea : coldplay
  8. oh boy : duffy
  9. nothing i can do : ben taylor
  10. i believe in you and me : whitney houston
  11. to make you feel my love : kris allen
  12. close enough : sean mcconnell
  13. darlin : between the trees
  14. one time : justin bieber (kidding.  but not.)
  15. love you i do : jennifer hudson
  16. 1000 things : jason mraz
  17. more than i should : joshua radin
  18. you leave me disappointed : i wish i knew!?
  19. endless love : glee cast
  20. i hate everything (but you) : derek webb
  21. try : asher brook
  22. just so you know : pete schmidt
  23. sea breeze : tyrone wells
  24. since you've been around : rosie thomas
  25. the story : brandi carlile
  26. when i fall in love : celine dion and harry connick, jr.
  27. pretty girl : david ryan harris
  28. so are you to me : eastmountainsouth
  29. when i'm with you : corey crowder
  30. shelter : ray lamontagne
  31. you give me something : james morrison
  32. hazy : william fitzsimmons and rosi golan






Thursday, February 11, 2010

my soul...

Fran & Marlo Cowan (married 62 years) playing impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic.  I die.
i'm not sure which blog i found this on, so, sorry for not giving credit but it's just too true to not post.  and the record of choice today is the national's "boxer".

Monday, February 8, 2010

waffle tetris


just funny.

more jonsi

remember back in december when i told you about jonsi (of sigur ros)'s solo album coming out in march and put his boy lilikoi video on here?   (if not, click that sentence)

well if you liked it, there's more where that came from.

youtube won't let me embed the newest video but if you click on this sentence it will take you to it. check it boy.

it's called "Go Do" and it's beautiful.


ALSO! he's playing in one of my favorite places (Lawrence, KS) ON MY BIRTHDAY! THE DAY AFTER I SEE PHOENIX IN KC!  anyone interested in partaking in this unreal series of concerts with me!?  (Series because I'll also be in Nashville on Monday seeing an amazing concert...)

Saturday, February 6, 2010

i would like to be her...now or in 50 years, either way.  i understand some aspects of this are impossible (i.e. i'm caucasian)

Thursday, February 4, 2010

brother lawrence

"This made me resolve to give the all for the All, so after having given myself wholly to God, to make all the satisfaction I could for my sins, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He; and I began to live as if there was none by He and I in the world."

this is coming...

remember the "we are the world" gem from the 80s?  a trillion more people are getting together to re-do it for haiti.  and by a trillion i mean:


Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Wyclef Jean, Josh Groban and Will.I.Am, T-Pain, Kanye West, Bizzy Bone, Kid Cudi, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Mann, Nipsey Hussle, Busta Rhymes and Swizz Beatz, Miley Cyrus, Keri Hilson, Zac Brown, Barbra Streisand; Carlos Santana; Natalie Cole; BeBe Winans; the members of Heart; Freda Payne; Harry Connick Jr.; Earth, Wind & Fire; the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, Tony Bennett, A.R. Rahman, Randy Jackson; Patti Austin; Celine Dion and Gladys Knight, Jeff Bridges, Vince Vaughan, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, Nicole Richie, Rashida Jones, the 3T's, Joel and Benji Madden, Akon, Brandy, Melanie Fiona, Mya, Musiq Soulchild, Katharine McPhee, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, Orianthi, Sugarland, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Mraz, India.Arie, Mary Mary, Tyrese Gibson, Raphael Saadiq, Pink, Jordin Sparks, Rob Thomas, Usher, the Fray's Isaac Slade, Ethan Bortnick, Enrique Iglesias, Robin Thicke, Jamie Foxx, Adam Levine, the Jonas Brothers, Nicole Scherzinger and Julianne Hough.  


Stacked, huh?  And now here's a preview:




Wednesday, February 3, 2010

She and Him (aka zooey deschanel and m. ward) have their second album coming out february 23 and this is the first single called "in the sun" and guess who sings along with them on this track?  tilly and the wall.  ookay.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Donald Miller

"And as I worked on the novel, as my character did what he wanted and ruined my story, it reminded me of life in certain ways.  I mean as I sat there in my office feeling like God making my worlds, and as my characters fought to have their own way, their senseless, selfish way of nonstory, I could identify with them. I fought with my [character] who wanted the boring life of self-indulgence, and yet I was also that character, fighting God and I could see God sitting at his computer, staring blankly at his screen as I asked him to write in some money and some sex and some comfort.

I feel written.  My skin feels written, and my desires feel written.  My sexuality was a word spoken by God, that I would be male, and I would have brown hair and brown eyes and come from a womb.  It feels literary, doesn't it all, as if we are characters from books."

Monday, February 1, 2010

peter gabriel covers

Peter Gabriel is releasing a sick album of covers on February 15.  I got the Flume (bon iver) cover today and it sounds incredible.  I'm realllly excited about the rest of these!

Take a look at the tracklist:


01 "Heroes" (David Bowie)
02 "The Boy in the Bubble" (Paul Simon)
03 "Mirrorball" (Elbow)
04 "Flume" (Bon Iver)
05 "Listening Wind" (Talking Heads)
06 "The Power of the Heart" (Lou Reed)
07 "My Body Is a Cage" (Arcade Fire)
08 "The Book of Love" (The Magnetic Fields)
09 "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (Randy Newman)
10 "Après moi" (Regina Spektor)
11 "Philadelphia" (Neil Young)
12 "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (Radiohead)

holly miranda + marques toliver

so i've been listening to holly miranda a lot recently (really really good) and then this morning when i wasn't in class because of this eternal snowdayweek i youtubed her song "waves" and guess who she plays it with?

marques toliver!

that probably doesn't mean anything to you but i came across marques' myspace probably sophomore year and thought he was incredible because he sings and plays violin at the same time and i've allllways wanted to be able to do that.  he's also really cocky but to me it's just really funny.

so here, listen to this gorgeous song:


Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sleeping At Last


When heaven meets the earth, we will have no use for numbers to measure who we are and what we're worth. When heaven meets the earth, we will have no use for mirrors to tell us who to be and where we fit into this awkward point of view.

Well said, Jason Mraz


Go be that starving artist you’re afraid to be. Open up that journal and get poetic finally. Volunteer. Suck it up and travel. You were not born here to work and pay taxes. You were put here to be part of a vast organism to explore and create. Stop putting it off. The world has much more to offer than what’s on 15 televisions at TGI Fridays. Take pictures. Scare people. Shake up the scene. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

I did some serious driving Sunday through Wednesday of this week: Fayetteville to Branson to Fayetteville to Eureka Springs to Fayetteville to Kansas City to Fayetteville, and therefore did some serious music listening.


So because of the fact that:


  1. I spent tons of time with my iPod
  2. I haven't posted in almost a week
  3. I have a growing crack in my windshield that I don't feel like getting taken care of on a rainy Saturday
  4. It is a rainy Saturday
  5. I have really hard Orchestration homework I don't feel like doing
I am posting my most recent playlist.  Ready, go:

Blank White Page...Mumford & Sons
Oh, Death!...Pearl & The Beard
Tomato Soup...The Lonely Forest
5 Years Time...Noah & The Whale
Horchata...Vampire Weekend
July Flame...Laura Veirs
First Days of Spring...Noah & The Whale
Gasoline and Matches...Buddy & Julie Miller
Genesis 30:3...The  Mountain Goats
Blood...The Middle East
Raindrops...Jeff Pianki
Blinding...Florence + The Machine
Names That Fell...Zach Williams
Raindrops...Basement Jaxx
Searching...Speech Debelle
Not Going Anywhere...Keren Ann
At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)...fun.
Boy Lilioki...Jonsi
Florence Foster Jenkins...The Everyday Visuals
This American Life podcast

Sunday, January 17, 2010

mumford & sons

i feel confident in telling you that you'll love this song:





Can you lie next to her
And give her your heart, your heart
As well as your body
And can you lie next to her
And confess your love, your love
As well as your folly
And can you kneel before the king
And say I'm clean, I'm clean

But tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart
Oh tell me now, where was my fault
In loving you with my whole heart

A white blank page and a swelling rage, rage
You did not think when you sent me to the grave, the grave
You desired my attention but denied my affections, my affections

Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life
Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life

Saturday, January 16, 2010

(click)
at first i thought this was just the lame cup thing but it's actually really cool

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Augusten Burroughs

I like flaws and feel more comfortable around people who have them. I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.

The Jellyfish Bandits

famous art thieves (click to play)

nobody likes the shitty art I do
(except for you, except for you)
and I don’t need a drink to feel complete
(completely true, around you)
you hid around the corner with a white sheet on
(I had no clue, and you said ‘boo!’)
and we lied in the street in the drunk of the night
(and you’re scared, yeah well I’m scared too)

and you’re voice is now my favorite sound
and you’re name is now my favorite noun
and wherever you’re at is my favorite town
(even if it’s the shittiest town around)

nobody likes the Jellyfish Bandits
(except for me, except for you)
and all the skeletons in your closet
(I love them too, I love them too)
we can lie in bed all day long
(nothing to do, I like the view)
and at the end of the day you’ll be sailing away
(please don’t worry because I’m right behind you)

we could be famous artists or famous art thieves
either way I’m cool with it

wants.

mint green piano

i am making this chandelier

re:stacks

literal bed room

vintage wallpaper swatches

kitchen/reading nook/cozy corner

birch bed frame
so many mugs.

beams


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

no thank you

...colleges being nothing but grooming schools for the middleclass non-identity which usually finds its perfect expression on the outskirts of the campus in rows of well-to-do houses with lawns and television sets is each living room with everybody looking at the same thing and thinking the same thing at the same time while the Japhies of the world go prowling in the wilderness...


jack kerouac

Friday, January 8, 2010

this.


Recently, I can't stop looking online at pictures of cool rooms and houses and wanting really badly to have my own house to do whatever I want with. Then today I found this and it may possibly be my favorite find thus far:
the deep grey-brown woods and spiral staircase and library-like built-in bookshelves and bed all cozy underneath with big, heavy curtains and a window right across from the bed. I love the two-story columns and muted look of the whole thing against the bright whiteness. I even like the horns and the cow skull in the back because for some reason they look pretty to me and not creepy in any way. It appears unkempt and disheveled, yet strategic and organized too. It looks so romantic and masculine all at the same time.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

paper route

I unexpectedly got to see Paper Route at the Ryman in October. They are incredible live and i found these really cool videos of them playing some of my favorite songs of theirs in this really amazing house. It's seamless and wonderful.

This:
Then this:

brother lawrence

"that we ought to give ourselves up to God, with regard both to things temporal and spiritual, and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will, whether He lead us by suffering or by consolation, for all would be equal to a soul truly resigned."

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

speech debelle

i hate how hopeless sounding these lyrics are, but i think speech debelle is incredible. she was homeless and lived in hostels for four years and then was signed to big dada. i love how she combines rap with atypical instruments. it kinda reminds me of the acoustic thugz mansion. plus i love british rappers.

Sunday, January 3, 2010


i plan on doing this to the first walls i get to paint. preferably around a corner:

I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.

billy collins

"One of these days I'm-a make me a book out of you."

Friday, January 1, 2010

a good year for music

in no order and not necessarily released in 2009, here are my top 26 songs of this year with completely insufficient explanations:

27. Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel Cover) : The Local Natives
26. Sort Of : Ingrid Michaelson
My favorite song off her newest record. One of my favorite artists of all time.
25. Strawberry Swing : Coldplay
Saw them in LA this summer from front row and it blew my mind. Truly greatest concert I've been to.
24. Your Love Never Fails : Chris McClarney
He sounds not white.
23. Sleepyhead : Run Toto Run
I personally think their cover is better than Passion Pit's original.
22. Sing You To Sleep : Paper Route
Saw them in Nashville at the Ryman. Incredible show. For your own sake, start listening to Paper Route right now. You won't be disappointed.
21. As Tall As Cliffs : Margot & The Nuclear So and So's
If you don't listen to Margot, start doing so instantly. And start with this song. Released at the end of 2008 but possibly my favorite song of the year.
20. Buried In Winter : Jeff Pianki
A Rebekah Fess find from the Oakland House...I just think his sound is wonderful.
19. It Was Midnight : Tegan and Sara
I thought Sainthood was kind of lacking but I still love their music. That's all.
18. Florence Foster Jenkins : The Everyday Visuals
The music publishing company I worked for this summer represented The Visuals and seeing them perform this song live was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. They are so talented. Listen!
17. Funny The Way It Is : Dave Matthews Band
Another classic Dave album. Saw them perform this in Nashville and, of course, very very good. Solid single.
16. Poison & Wine : The Civil Wars
I'm recently obsessed with The Civil Wars duo and their little live album is such a tease. Life would be so good if they released a full length. I'm just sayin...
15. Falling Or Flying : Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Loooved this song and then heard it on Grey's during the glory days in the Oakland House and it made it even better (not a 2009 release).
14. Brooklyn Blurs : The Paper Raincoat
A summer discovery that I fell in love with quite quickly. All of their songs are amazing, this just happens to be a fav.
13. Moses : Patty Griffin
I've probably destroyed my vocal cords singing along to this song but Patty is one of my all-time favorite artists and I got the chance to see her this summer at The Greek in Los Feliz/Griffith Park. Allow me to recap: one of the greatest artists ever in one of the greatest venues ever. A 1996 release, so what.
12. 2000 Miles (The Pretenders Cover) : Coldplay
My favorite Christmas song this season. Again, not a 2009 release.
11. Hallelujah (Paramore Cover) : Vitamin String Quartet
I'm obsessed with the Vitamin String Quartet and this song was put on a mix cd made for me by a friend. Not a 2009 release but still loved it this year.
10. I Go To The Barn Because I Like The : Band of Horses
Old release, but the lyrics are so applicable.
9. Still Fighting It : Ben Folds University A Cappella
This whole record, really, could make my list.
8. Empire State of Mind : Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
This song blew my mind the first time I heard it. It continues to do so. He is a lyrical genius.
7. Gone Away : Lucy Schwartz
I just like it.
6. Falling : Florence + The Machine
I love Florence and their freaky sound.
5. Mykonos : Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes had done it for me again.
4. The Outsiders : Needtobreathe
Another entire record that I could put on my list. Credit goes to Spencer Nohe for introducing them to me long ago.
3. Just Not Each Other : William Fitzsimmons
His was a concert I looked forward to all summer and he finally played the Hotel Cafe a week before I went back to KC. It was amazing and the Hotel Cafe was paaacked and we were all sitting on the floor at the front of the stage and it was such a cool feeling. He sounds even better live.
2. Eet : Regina Spektor
I think she is brilliant and incredibly quirky/freaky and I loved this album.
1. Lisztomania : Phoenix
The standard Phoenix credit...I had to. Phoenix is all my boss talked about this summer and I can't believe I missed their show in LA. Anyway, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix deserves all of the accolades it receives.