and i’m picking up speed…

Just discovered a bunch of live stuff from when Gemma played with Athlete (my dream bill) in LA back in Nov. ’07. Hated that I missed that show.

But here’s a new song I think I’m going to love…the studio version is on her myspace page.

"Out of our hands"

A subtle shift inside

a battle is won

the insides kill the outside

and i’m sorry

if i let you think better of me

but you were holding on too tight

Maybe we’ll fall, maybe we’ll fly

it’s out of our hands

it’s out of our hands this time

The night’s collapsing on us now

You’ll feel better when you go

You didn’t push me, little one

I jumped on my own

And I’m glad

as I release my grip

I’m picking up speed

No one will follow us here

Maybe we’ll fall, maybe we’ll fly

it’s out of our hands

it’s out of our hands this time

Meet at the back of the crowd

this could be our time to slip away

you say the bigger you dream

the smaller this street looks in the rain

aww come on now

you and i both know this is so much more now

than just being bored

Maybe we’ll fall, maybe we’ll fly

it’s out of our hands

it’s out of our hands this time

this is how we go out

OMG! She’s back…. She may never top Gold Pants, but I love this new vid…

Tonight….

            You don’t know about me
And you don’t care what affair still haunts me
And you don’t know what it is about me
And I don’t care, I don’t care if you love me

Tonight we’ll be whoever we like
Tonight we’ll leave our troubles behind
Tonight in each other we’ll hide
Tonight will be alright…

And I don’t know about you
And I don’t care about the boy behind you
And I don’t know what it is about you
It makes me want to run and jump inside you

Tonight in each other we’ll hide
Tonight we’ll leave our troubles behind
Tonight we’ll be whoever we like
Tonight, tonight will be alright…

You don’t understand why my heart feels bad
From the love you hold out in your hand
And you offer it without command
I just don’t know why I can’t get you inside,
Why I need you tonight…

Cause you don’t know about me,
And you don’t care how this affair will break me.
And why should I care about you, if you don’t care,
You don’t care that i love you?

Love that Kate Walsh….take a listen on her MySpace….

drag myself across the floor, trying to find some chaos in the order

Since this is the last day of November, it looks unlikely that this will actually happen this month. Extreme chimp face. <Makes chimp face, and mock kidney punch.>

Also, sort of odd and a little disappointing is the fact that the "new" song — "This Is What You Do" –posted on Gemma’s MySpace is merely a inferior version of the TREMENDOUS song she did with Anti Atlas called "It’s a Shame."

Still, I will take the lies and the scraps. It’s Gemma, after all. But I’m majorly lowering my expectations for the new album.

Elsewhere, I caught the Suzanne Vega show on Monday at Variety Playhouse. It was a great show, we had terrific seats and got to hang with Suzanne a bit after the show. I’d interviewed her earlier this decade for Creative Loafing, but never met her in person. Her work has been majorly influential to me, and she was very open to my brown nosing.

Saw Ben Lee last night (AWESOME!!) with opening act Cary Brothers (my first MySpace friend!), who was rather disappointing this time around. He seemed a little smug and affected, lots of MySpace posturing. I do love his song "Ride," though. Now, Ben. Ben was ON in a major way, and I loved the show. Second time seeing him, first time this decade. He’s a cool cat, the real deal, and Mr. Brothers should watch, listen and learn.

Am so in love with the soundtrack to "I’m Not There," which I hope I can manage to see at some point this weekend. I’ve been a latecomer to the Dylan thing, but it’s nice. After reading his book a few years ago, I have cultivated a deep appreciation for his work and the man himself. Take a listen to the songs on MySpace.

we’re all the same in this cynical age…

My head just exploded when I clicked "Watch Let Me Know" on this page.

A GORGEOUS acoustic version of one of my favorite songs of the year…I love the way (in this version) she starts the song singing the amazing bridge. I don’t even care if she ripped off the riff, or whatever, just face it, the song is incredible…and her voice is better than it has ever been. I loved Moloko, but Roisin is really hitting her stride here. Can’t wait for the whole album!!

BONUS: "Let Me Know" has to be the most hilarious video of the year. Diet Coke pulsed through my nasal passages (gross!) when I watched it for the first time.  I love a pop star who doesn’t take herself seriously. She really looks like she’s just having fun with it. Quirky and bizarre! Treat yourself!

i told you that i love you, please believe me

A while back, I downloaded this CD on emusic.com called "Hurricane Glass" by a lovely lass named Catherine Feeny. She’s a mellow singer/songwriter very much in the vein vocally as Kathleen Edwards; musically, it’s a little alt-country, a little adult contemporary and I love that.

As luck would have it, my friend Robbie befriended Ms. Feeny across the pond, and it seems she is well-positioned for a solid music career…. but judge for yourself. Take a listen to "Mr. Blue" — I LOVE THIS SIMPLE, CLEVER VIDEO — and "Touch Back Down." Also, a live track of "Mr. Blue" from some UK TV Show. She’s quite good live. If she ever plays Atlanta we’ll show her a good time! (Check out Robbie’s personal pics of her, as well. He’s good with a lens!)

Also, funny story: at one gig, I get a call from Robbie because CF wanted to cover Pat Benetar’s "Love Is A Battlefield" at the show. So I looked it up online, emailed the chords to his Blackberry, and wah-lah!,  she played it. "No one can tell us we’re wrong."

Mr. Blue

Touch Back Down

Mr. Blue (live)

i’m just like everybody else…

The HomoPod Top 20 is now available for listening or free download.

homopodradio.podshow.com

feed://www.podshow.com/feeds/homopodradio.xml

http://www.podshow.com/shows/?mode=detail&episode_id=80624

and you can subscribe to the show at this address:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcas
t?id=254111034&s=143441

if you want someone who can disappear right into his fears, well, hey, i’m right here

Got a note from the very kind folks at HomoPod Radio…They said that their listeners voted "Swallowed Whole" as the #11 song of 2007.  Not bad for a song that came out in 2005!!

There’s going to be a Top 20 show on Saturday, so download it to your iPod..

Thanks to everyone who voted for my little song! It’s the little song that could!

good enough to waste some time

Wow! One of my favorite bands (Athlete!) covers my favorite song of the summer (With Every Heartbeat). Get it here.  While I don’t agree with Mixtape Maestro’s digs on Athlete, I do believe it’s hard to top the original, which you can easily find here.

My favorite songs: “Give In” by Tina Dico

I discovered the lovely Tina Dico through her dreamy vocals on the Zero 7 albums, and, like lots of her fans, think her voice is sublime. (Those Zero 7 peeps know how to pick ‘em!)

Her song "Give In" from her CD "In The Red" is probably my favorite track from any of her recordings. I never get tired of singing along to it in the car, and I think the lyrics are just perfect.

My friend TrayB was over for dinner and conversation last night and he asked why I never write inspirational songs. I think it’s really hard to do it well, but when I was thinking about it more today, I thought about "Give In" and that if I ever do write something inspirational, it will be more like Tina, less like India.Arie.

Download: Give In
Buy: In the Red

Give in to your confusion
There’s no good in hiding
Why you’re unusual
Leave it behind, then change your mind
Take what you find, it will be good enough

Too young to be heroes
Too old to play April fools
Too smart to be honest
We’ve got too much to lose
It’s too late to be perfect
And it’s not like we haven’t tried
It’s hard but it’s worth it
Every time we get it right

Every time you give in
And go where it takes you
Stand by the feeling
Even if it breaks you
It’s always a guess which way’s the best
Take what you find and make it good enough

Too young to be heroes
Too old to play April fools
Too smart to be honest
We’ve got too much to lose
It’s too late to be perfect
And it’s not like we haven’t tried
It’s hard but it’s worth it
Every time we get it right

And even when you’re lost inside yourself
Even when too weak to cry for help
Even when you can’t put up a fight
Even when you’re broken you aren’t quite
Maybe it’s the struggle that you need
Something to disturb you in your sleep
A kiss of madness on your cheek
When will you see you’ve got to

Give in to your confusion
Leave it behind, then change your mind
Take what you find, let it be good enough

Too young to be heroes
Too old to play April fools
Too smart to be honest
We’ve got too much to lose
Too young to be heros
It’s too late to be perfect
And it’s not like we haven’t tried
It’s hard but it’s worth it
Every time we give…

he was 22, unemployed, with a perfect smile

Wow, I just stumbled across this guy on YouTube who is performing one of my favorite songs of all time…"Oh, Horatio" by Tiger Lou. (we’ve all had a Horatio, right?)…Anyway, this guy is really good…watch all of his other vids, too.."Constant Craving," "Sunny Came Home," etc…. Oooh, and I just discovered his cover of "Umbrella" on MySpace. Check it out!

I might even like his version of "Oh, Horatio" better!

And now here for the original….

maybe you’ll come down like some angel

Several months ago, my pal Joe Rathbone needed a place to shoot a very low-fi video for his song “Angel” that’s going to be on his upcoming CD. It was raining on the day he had to do it, so somehow my condo got scouted. So if you want a little apt. tour, check out this video….

Day One :: August 2007 Mix

Lyrically, this mix totally captures where I am this month, though I made it before I felt the way I’m starting to feel.

1. Cared More // Svoy — Download Svoy’s whole AMAZING album for free until the end of Aug. at freesvoy.com
2. Foundations // Kate Nash
3. Shame on You // Andrea Corr
4. Tokyo // Athlete
5. Time of our Lives // David Usher
6. Nothing That You Are // Mandy Moore
7. Vegas // Sara Bareilles
8. One Day // Polly Paulusma
9. Rhythm of Life // Oleta Adams
10. Maybe You Can Save Me (From You) // Sacha Sacket
11. Falling // Emmy Rossum
12. Now, Now // St. Vincent
13. The Con // Tegan and Sara
14. Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors // Editors
15. With Every Heartbeat // Robyn — OMG I CAN”T STOP PLAYING THIS SONG. PLEASE HELP.
16. Far Away From You // Chicane
17. Hanging On // People Press Play — YOU HAVE TO GET THIS CD NOW
18. Shadowfeet // Brooke Fraser
19. Pornographer’s Dream // Suzanne Vega
20. Feel // Jesse Harris
21. Mr. Blue // Catherine Feeny (my friend’s friend who is a cool cat…check out her tunes.)

it’s the untaken risk that really hurts

So I finally realized I had a camera in my 2-year-old iMac with which I could record impromptu sessions and random songs just for fun. I’ve definitely had some reservations about posting these imperfect in-home performances because they aren’t produced at all…but it’s real, it’s the music that’s moving me at the time, and that’s why I started playing music in the first place.

Here’s a song I just did the other night. All imperfection and me. Enjoy! And please leave a comment on YouTube if you do!

(Perform The) Miracle (written by matt walburn)

The Ride :: June 2007 Mix

Lots of guilty pleasures on this month’s platter! I wish I was good like other bloggers and could post actual tracks. But alas, I’m not.

1. The Ride // Joan As Police Woman
2. Nolita Fairytale // Vanessa Carlton
3. Never Again (some mix) // Kelly Clarkson
4. She Is Glamorous // The Fray vs Fergie Mash-Up
5. Love Song // Sara Bareilles
6. Umbrella (cinderalla remix) // Rihanna (with Chris Brown)
7. Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song) // Enrique Iglesias
8. Looking Forward To Looking Back // Mandy Moore
9. Frank and Ava // Suzanne Vega
10. New York // Amy Seeley
11. Falling Slowly // “Once” Soundtrack
12. I Feel It All // Feist
13. Back In Your Head // Tegan and Sara
14. El Greco // Paula Cole
15. Personal // Fergie
16. Feels Like Love // Tiffany
17. Deciphering Me // Brooke Fraser
18. Potential Break-Up Song // Aly and AJ
19. It’s Never Over // Kate Walsh
20. Defying Gravity // Idina Menzel
21. Keep Breathing // Ingrid Michaelson

tonight i’m going to stay at home and watch my TV

Tremble Clef has a amazing post about one of my favorite artists, Sheena Easton. Check it out! Thanks to him, I now have "The World of Sheena Easton: The Singles Collection" spinning on my iPod.

couldn’t have come at a better time

Dang, Tiffany’s new song is quite appealing to the guilty pleasure pop music lover in me…but, SHAZAM, sister needs some “support” in the early shots of this video. Gazongas!

i want to be a dog or i wanna be a rock

Totally excited about the new Paula Cole CD, "Courage," out today. Despite a few lyrical cringes, I am really enjoying it. Paula’s been one of my favorite artists since I picked up her debut, "Harbinger" in 1995. So many of the songs from that CD are still among my most listened. "Bethlehem," "I Am So Ordinary," and "Happy Home" are songs so perfect, scary-honest and very inspiring to me as a songwriter.

I actually also really enjoyed her last studio CD, "Amen." A little self-indulgent, yes, but I never tire of listening to it… I used to play it over and over in my apt. on Cleveland Avenue in New Orleans and hearing it today always takes me back to sitting on my living room floor, comfy pillow, glass of wine, someone new, and the CD on repeat.

If you’re new to Paula, check out her 2006 greatest hits CD, "Postcards from East Oceanside."

Bethlehem

Pulling on the apron strings, looking up
Standing on the chair to be grown up
I feel so little, I need my pillow
I hate the time, I hate the clock
I want to be a dog or I want to be a rock

Sunday’s pancakes, Miss Mary Mack
Color Polariods show my heart attack
In my second-hand pants and dusty shoes
The day that the playground laughed at my shoes
It’s my birthday next week and what I want please
Is to turn on the heat so the fish won’t freeze
The fish in the tank froze and died last week
Oh I want to be a dog or I want to be a leaf
Quarry miners, fishermen
In my town of Bethlehem
Picket fences, church at ten
No star above my Bethlehem

Now I’m only 16 and I think I have an ulcer
I’m hiding my sex behind a dirty sweatshirt
I’ve lost five pounds these past few days
Trying to be class president and get straight A’s,
well, Who gives a shit about that anyway?
I want to be a dog or a lump of clay

Chorus

Still
I’m tired of standing still
Tired of living
still
Everyday I dream of leaving

Everybody’s talking about Becky’s bust
The boys on the basketball team just f*ck
The same ten girls, who don’t know who they are
They’re looking for some comfort in the back of a car
The six-packs of beer, the locker room jeers
I don’t want to be me, I don’t want to be here

Chorus

Red brick schoolhouse
dead end dirt roads, daffodils
No star above my Bethlehem

I want to be a dog or I want to be a rock
I don’t want to be me
I don’t want to be here in Bethlehem

someone stops to sing, to join in

You have to watch this video my friend RobbieUK alerted me to recently. Sufjan takes on The Innocence Mission’s "The Lakes of Canada," which is easily among my list of their favorite songs. This video is really simple, but cool… I wonder how many takes they had to do?

Visit The Innocence Mission on Myspace, or listen to their version of this song on an unofficial MySpace page.

#50.2 – Sufjan Stevens (MusicNow) – The lakes of Canada
Uploaded by lablogotheque

this has nothing to do with you

Is it me or is Fergie really pretty in this video? My BF as usual turned me on to this song — another one! — that was already on my iPod but that I’d never heard before.

I quickly learned it on guitar and have to say I’m questioning my taste because I really love this song. Does it suck or is it good? I love the way the chorus pops. Check out the video with my Milo from Heroes….