Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Kidz muzak.

Baby H has been exposed to a lot of music since conception.  A lot.  K and I have music on all the time.  Impromptu Pat Benetar dance parties?  Check.   Blasting Rick Ross at unreasonable volumes in the car while rapping along like insane people?  Check.  Steady diet of all things indie via my old Noho radio station (WRSI - The River) at work?  Check.  Kid friendly music?  Not so much.  So, this weekend, I braved the forums and came up with a couple things that I'll be playing for Hank in the coming weeks.

1) Really Rosie: Not actually something new, but something my elementary school music teacher taught every year.  I love it.  Still.  What could be better than the combo of Carol King and Maurice Sendak?  Nothing.  Also, it's a wonderful story with valuable lessons. Kid music gold.

2)  You Are My Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell:  Looks like she's been on the kids music scene for a bit now, with several sweet albums.  I played most of this for H last night and he was absolutely enthralled, especially enjoying "Eliza Jane" - well, as much as a fourth month old (that's right, he's four months/16 weeks today - please make time slow down, please?) can enjoy anything.  So far, thumbs up on this one.

3) Original Friend - Lunch Money: I remembered hearing this group on NPR at some point and decided to give it a download.  Haven't listened all the way through yet, but so far, it's a winner.  Clever, not cloying.  Hip, but not hipster.

We'll see how the bambino likes these as his surely excellent musical taste continues to develop. 

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Baby H Edition.

I made H-man a little low-key playlist to listen to instead of constant TV chatter while nursing, staring off into space, making inadvertently hilarious faces, farting, burping, sleeping, and all of the other things H likes to spend his day doing.  Now, these songs are not baby friendly, of course, just soothing sounding, to me anyway.  Also, I've totally crapped out in the new music department, so these are all old.  Prepare to be lulled into calmness.

Yeah.  114 songs.  I know.

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: So predictable edition.

I am spectacularly lazy on most fronts, but my recent lack of willpower to find new music is shocking even me. Does it all suck? It seems like it all sucks. In any case, I've found a few songs I like, but they're kind of all milquetoast, which I guess is kind of what I'm into, I just don't like to admit it. Here they are in no particular order:

Better Things - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: Did you just break up with someone? Still think hateful thoughts about someone you broke up with years ago? Then this song is for you.

1977 - Ana Tijoux: Spanish class!

Release Me - The Like: Since I like Camera Obscura, I'm contractually obligated.

American Troglodyte - David Byrne: American David Byrne fan.

Shadow People - Dr. Dog: Sometimes, I just need to be reminded of Dr. Dog.

Do You Love Me - Guster: Sometimes, I just need to be reminded of college.


On Your Way Down - Trombone Shorty: Dude! The name says it all.

Rains Came - Shelby Lynne: Typical Saturday morning...

Numbers Don't Lie - Mynabirds: Amen. They don't. Also, I'm looking forward to what else this chick does. Should be good.

The Suburbs - Arcade Fire: Required.

Beg Steal or Borrow - Ray Lamontagne & The Pariah Dogs: Ray at his melancholic best.

If I were you, I'd go to elbo.ws for a listen, just in case you might like something. I'm telling you, though, I think I've turned a corner into boring musicville.

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Handbellz Rule Edition.

Yes, I'll admit it. From sixth grade through my senior year in high school, I was a handbell playing fool, yo. I even went with my group to competitions and stuff. For realz. I've long thought handbell choirs are one of the greatest mechanisms for teaching people to be a team out there. Basically, a choir consists of a multi-octave human keyboard with one person accounting for maybe four notes total. So, every single person is crucial. There's rarely doubling, so when you're not there or sucking, it stands out, hence the terrific opportunity bells create for group work and commitment. Also, yes, I am lame. I wish I could write music. I would arrange "I Will" for handbells because it's my favorite song AND handbells, well, rule. Anywho, check out this installment from Improve Everywhere featuring some handi (not that kind) action. Agent Davis is a childhood friend. Awesome!

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: BF edition.

BF came across this - it's on sale for $5 on Amazon - and it rulez!

Tall Boy



Body Request



Power Lunch



DUI

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Amazon Black Friday $5 Special! Edition

Dudes, Amazon is selling all kinds of good shit for only $5! As if my iPod has room to store everything. Oh well. Maybe someone will get me a new one with more capacity for Jesus' b-day, but I doubt it. In any case, here's what I've downloaded so far:

A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio (This is a new one with more stuff. Yes, I have the old one. And the record too.

Odyssey and Oracle - The Zombies

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

The Definitive Rarities Collection - Nina Simone

And I have plans for many more. I just need time and $$.

Also, I downloaded "Bad Romance" (Lady Caca) and "I Can Transform Ya" (Chris "Ladybeater" Brown) for the ol' work out mix. Helpful tip: if you are trying not to be such a lard ass, do not, I repeat, do not get it into your head that it's ok to eat at Greek House even if it's the first time in many months and you've been good all week. JUST DON'T.

Currently, I'm laid up on the couch like a beached gyrowhale, fending off impending heartburn from the massive amounts of garlic and onion consumed watching my favorite movie on the CW (34 local) Home for the Holidays. It's about dysfunctional families eating gross food wearing terrible coats yadda yadda yadda Holly Hunter's character makes out with Dylan McDermott's. And it got me to thinking about how awesome making out can be. Just making out. Sometimes, I think it's kind of weird, because we're adults and can get down to business if we want, etc. But there's something about making out. And the final scene of the movie.

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: The madness continues edition.

Right, so, I've been really, really, really trying to incorporate at least 30 minutes, if not an hour of cardio daily in my effort to not be such a lard ass. The up side is less jigglyness and realized value of super-expensive running shoes. The downside is a continued proclivity for TERRIBLE FUCKING music. I mean, craptastically awful. Check this shit out.


I'll be honest, I don't know who half of these people are or how I hear them. Except the old school Shakira. I heard new school Shakira and she was talking about being a wolf or something retarded and I flashed back to awesome Spanish class era Shakira and took an iTunes trip down memory lane (expensive). But, turns out "Estoy Aqui" good running music. So, there you go. Also, if there's anyone left out there who reads this (I know there are at least two and one is my mom), PLEASE HELP ME!

In a related story, I went to the OU/K State game Halloween. I dressed up as an OU fan e.g. I actually bought an $11 OU t-shirt and wore it public. Something I swore I'd never do. I rarely even wear Smith garb (mostly because people think it's a made up school). Basically, I have no school spirit for any school. I'm so much fun! Hang out with me! Anyway, it was a lovely evening, OU played perfectly for about 47 seconds, the band did Thriller, I got in some cardio climbing up and down the stadium stairs ten thousand times (we're up on row 67), and then we met some friends for a beer at Brother's on campus corner. They have cheap pitchers. Woo hoo! Since I'm trying to not be so lardassy, I'm trying to drink less. So, I actually only had about 1.5 solo cups of beer over two hours, which equals not even tipsy. You hear me? Good. I'm looking around, taking in the scene of oldsters (it was homecoming weekend) drinking it up and eyeing all the coeds in their retarded sexy anything getups. Two grey dudes are walking arm in arm toward the door. One tells the other to hold on, there's a big step here. I smile and think, someday, I hope I have a friend who will still hit the bars with me when I'm 80. Cut to us leaving. Our booth was directly in front of the front door, next to the big step. Cut to me falling off the big step and slow motion rolling onto the cold, brick floor, laying at the feet of ID checkers/bouncers and the owner of the bar. The moral of this story is, had I known that was going to happen, I'd have just said fuck it and had a pitcher. DAMN!

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Rain rain go away edition.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. There was a stretch this summer when I had forgotten rain. When the OK was more dried up than a joke about Joan Rivers' vajayjay. Anywho, now it won't stop raining. Rained all day Saturday. I actually had tickets to the OU/Idaho St. game, but pussied out. Neither wet t-shirt nor pancho is a good look for me. Instead, I let my parents purchase the game on Pay-Per-View and watched my mom down Keystone Light out of a pilsner glass. Surreal. It rained again all day Sunday. ALL DAY! I remember many rainy days in Mass, but here it seems to storm and be done with it, so this hovering rain put me in a mood. It also made my hair crazy. Like lion's mane crazy. Girlfriend needs a haircut, which costs $$... but this is about music.

Rainy days and mondays always get me down. Not really. Rain gives me an excuse to indulge my inner (and sometimes outer) sad bastard.

Billie Holiday
You Go To My Head

Air
Ce Matin La

Ella Fitzgerald
How Long Has This Been Going On

Edith Piaf
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

Carla Bruni
Quelqu'un M'a Dit

Nina Simone
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

Astrud Gilberto
Corcovado

Otis Redding
My Lover's Prayer

Tom Waits
Ol' 55

Serge Gainsbourg
Les loups das la bergerie

Hope Sandoval
On the Low

Jeff Buckley
Everybody Here Wants You

Miles Davis
Freddie Freeloader

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Marry Me Edition.

As mentioned, I went to a wedding earlier this month. It was atop Mt. Magazine in Arkansas, which doesn't sound like much, but actually, it was quite lovely (it looked like this). There was too much drinking and cavorting, some hiking, a wee bit of dancing, etc, etc. In preparation, L-ma, the groom's sister, wanted to create a little mix tape of weddingish songs. I came up with what I thought was a kick ass list, which I will share with you. Note: these are relatively recent songs. A complete list of the best weddingish songs of all time would be completely different. This is love light. Yellow highlighted = my favorites.


Brand New Start Little Joy
5 Years Time Noah and the Whale
Nothing Even Matters Lauryn Hill (Featuring D'Angelo)
Parentheses The Blow
Harvest Moon Neil Young
To Be Alone With You Sufjan Stevens
Wild Horses The Sundays
Find Love Clem Snide
Mushaboom Feist
Lover Devendra Banhart
All I Wanna Do Jamie Lidell
First Day of My Life Bright Eyes
Little Romance Ingrid Michaelson
Butterfly Nets Bishop Allen
Nothing Matters When We're Dancing The Magnetic Fields
Great Day Paul McCartney
I Will Follow You Into The Dark Death Cab For Cutie
Sweet Thing Van Morrison
Our Way to Fall Yo La Tengo
When It Don't Come Easy Patty Griffin
P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care) John Legend
By Your Side Sade
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever Susan Tedeschi
Good Hearted Man Tift Merritt
Say Yes Elliott Smith
By Your Side Beachwood Sparks
Magic In The Air Badly Drawn Boy
You Are The Best Thing Ray Lamontagne
Words Cannot Describe Mirah
Let My Love Open the Door M. Ward
Make You Feel My Love Adele
This Will Be Our Year Ok Go
If We Can Land a Man On the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart Beulah
Question (LP Version) Old 97'S
Gotta Have You The Weepies
Fly Me To The Moon Frank Sinatra
Closer Travis
I'll Be Your Mirror Clem Snide
I'm the Man Who Loves You Wilco
The More I See You Sondre Lerche
Us (Album Version) Regina Spektor

So, that's all I got for now. What am I missing?

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Zooey Deschanel is hot and talented, so I hate her edition.

She and Him's rendition of The Smiths "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" is pretty good, unless you are a senseless hater of Zooey and co. Maybe it's because my birthday is coming up and I feel super old because I want a Kitchenaid mixer and super lame because I'm this old and can't afford it. Or maybe it's the haunting, heartbreaking, unfettered lyrics that express better than any song I've heard lately what we all want.

She and Him - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Indie Edition

Yeah, I saw Away We Go. Yes, I want to marry John Krasinski and Michael Cera at the same time, but only as Zooey Deschanel or Jenny Lewis. Sure, I own The Royal Tenenbaums. And I have sex dreams about Luke Wilson that involve Coconut Records. Who doesn't? I am a walking fucking cliche of a mid (late) 20's woman who went to a liberal arts college and fancies herself "open minded" and shops at Anthropologie. FINE.

Today at the gym, I listened to the following:

Wake Up - Arcade Fire

A Man/Me/Then Jim - Rilo Kiley

Magpie To The Morning - Neko Case

Cath... - Deathcab

Honey - Erykah Badu

Love Letter To Japan - The Bird and the Bee

Gatekeeper (full mix on Open Season) - Feist

Walcott - Vampire Weekend

Watch this:



And this:

My Mother's Red Hat w/Alicia Silverstone & Alanis Morissette from Alicia Silverstone

I would totally go see that. Especially if Paul Rudd was in it.

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Shitty Music Edition

Instead of perpetrating my trademark awesome taste in music, I think, instead, we should take a look the really shitty stuff out there and be thankful iPods have made the radio obsolete.

For your listening pleasure:


Lullaby - Shawn Millins

Follow Me - Uncle Kracker

Higher - Creed

We Built This City - Starship

Your Body Is A Wonderland - John Mayer

Breakfast At Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something


I mean, there are way more, of course. But I think this is a solid start. So, don't listen to these. Do listen to everything else I've told you.

Zach Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Summer Jam Edition

Is Passion Pit's "The Reeling" the Summer Jam of 09?

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Back in the Saddle Again Edition

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Pandora rocks my socks off. And other things too. I'm not great at managing Pandora, it kind of reminds me of those thingies, Tamagotchie? Remember? Anyway, my Tamagotchie died and my Pandora doesn't fare much better. I sometimes tell it songs I don't like, and more rarely tell it to remember songs I do. Right, so, I hit next a lot. But, these are the Blythe approved Pandora provided songs as of late:

Falling Into Space - Don Dilego (surely, this was on Scrubs)

November - Azure Ray (only listen to this if you are a 13 year old girl cueing up music to listen to while you scribble away in your diary)

Once Around The Block - Badly Drawn Boy (I forget about this guy 99% of the time)

In Transit - Albert Hammond Jr. (Infectious. Jerk.)

Kiss The Sky - Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra (What? Weird.)

How The Story Goes - The Redwalls (Did anyone read those Brian Jacques books?)

Coming Home - The 88 (I like really terrible music sometimes.)

The Ballad of the Dead Rat - The Teeth (I just like all of those words forming a band and song name.)

Until the Morning - Thievery Corporation (Old standby.)

Face It - Old Canes (Note to self, learn more about Old Canes.)

A Little More Time - Zox (This is all time number one Pandora song stuck in my head. I have no idea why.)

Since I Fell For You - Nina Simone (I collect all versions of this song.)

Ice Cream - New Young Pony Club (Lady rap!)

NMF! Woo woo!

Well folks, it's time for the second, now annual, Norman Music Festival. Not too shabby for a blip on the radar like Norman, OK. This year's line up includes a shit ton of local bands crowding the more than 10 stages camped out on downtown Main Street and beyond. So maybe, what, two of them won't suck? It's not me, just the odds. The headliners are Of Montreal, the Starlight Mints, Tea Leaf Green (who?) and someone else I already forgot. Rumor was Joaquin Phoenix was in the mix, but I think that fell through. Balls. I'm super psyched that the throngs descend upon Norman's historic downtown to hang out in the open air and partake of local businesses, but the line up fucking blows*.

I know we're limited, since it's, you know, Norman, but really? The best we can do is Of Montreal and a local band? Of Montreal performed at OU a couple of years ago (remind me to shoot myself for living here that long) and it BLEW. Their sound went out and they were rendered completely useless. Hipster sadness abounded. Also, I think my taste in music is decidedly female. For whatever that means. Like indie easy listening, I guess. Like what my mom would listen to if she were down with the psuedo-indie commercial scene. Like, how about the Hold Steady? That would actually be a good festival band. Or Spiritualized? That would be good. Vampire Weekend's too good for the OK? Dr. Dog? King Khan and the Shrines? Shit, even Hosty?** Anyone besides Of Montreal? Dunno why I'm so negative, but it seems like a good opportunity wasted.

However, of course, I will attend because what is better than wandering around in the sunshine with lots of peeps, dogs and beer? Answer: nothing. The BF and I are scheming to find the best way to beverage ourselves without paying for drinks. As in, seriously considering parking a beer packed car right now in a lot close enough to walk to from the venues for easy access. We shall see. It might be the perfect day for a flask.

Album that's getting me through the day: Jim - Jamie Lidell.



Cannot get efuckingnough of this guy. This album's a patented commute buster. Get it. It's this weird composite of schmaltzy Stevie Wonder, super 80s Zapp ad Roger, weird Prince, and the choir from Sister Act 2. It works, though.

Another Day and Out Of My System
Little Bit of Feel Good



*Yes, I realize we are lucky to have anyone agree to play this place. See here.
**Do you live in the area? Have you not yet been to Hosty? Are you rere?

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Tuesday edition.

Let me tell you a secret. I don't like any new music right now. None of it. Yeah, sure I bought the new Andrew Bird album (he's coming to Cain's in March!!!*) and The Bird And The Bee, but they're not really doing all that much for me. It's kind of like getting the Guiltless™ Chicken Pita at Chili's when what you really want is the Awesome Blossom (p.s. have you seen this website yet?). Everything that's out there is a big fat meh. Here's what's stuck in my head:

You Left the Water Running - Otis Redding

Erotic City - Prince

Train Song - Vashti Bunyan (but all I can find is the new Feist/Ben Gibbard version)

Got To Get You Into My Life - Earth Wind and Fire version (I know, I know)




What the eff is wrong with me?

I think I'm going to turn things over from now on to some locals who know what they're talking about. Check out Salad Days Music.*

*Salad Days, be prepared for your traffic to soar by 0.

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: So last year edition.

I am behind the times. We all know this about me. While I've been aware of Lykke Li (I've Dance Dance Danced a time or two), the video for Little Bit puts me in a trance. I a little bit like it.

Lykke Li - Little bit
Uploaded by deserteaglez

Also worth a listen is the rebroadcast of This American Life's Numbers episode. In the words of Oprah, love it! I listened to it during my super exciting stint at both the laundromat yesterday (which reminds me - none of you have offered to either purchase me a washing machine and dryer or offer to do my laundry - just sayin') and was riveted by the story about painting and music by polling information. It'll make sense once you listen to it. Trust me.

ZHMMM - It's the most wonderful time of the year edition.

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Falling prey to trends edition.

I hate myself a little bit more than usual today. Two things: 1. I bought 808s and Heartbreak, and 2. I am wearing a dress over footless legging thingies. So you understand the self loathing.


1. I have heard only good things about K-West's new album*, so when I was at Target and needed to fill the void where my soul should be, I decided to drop it in the basket. I popped it in on the way home and almost crashed a million times because I was lulled into an involuntary boring coma. WTF, dude? A drum machine and an auto-tuner does not an album make. I was obsessed all summer long with Flashing Lights, which is a pretty sweet song. Love Lockdown premiered recently, and I thought it was catchy and that I could stand more of where that came from, but I was duped into hypnotoadism. The song is the equivalent of going to the grocery store and staring at all of the different types of whole grain breads. The point of Kanye is his ability to cleverly articulate the many aspects of his life, helped by some pretty sweet beats. I understand that his life has been marred by heartbreak, but really it's no excuse to become a lazy lyricist and even lazier arranger. Whatever Kanye is, he's not a singer. I think that's the bottom line. Thumbs down.

*Ok, I kind of like Paranoid.


2. It's getting colder out. Every other day or so. Today it's going to be 60. Tomorrow 30. Ah, Oklahoma. It's tough to keep up with schizo weather and what to wear in such strange atmospheric conditions. It's tougher to keep up with what the young kids are wearing in this kind of weather when you spend weekends leafing through LL Bean catalogs, filling prescriptions and are in bed by 9.30pm. So fine, I bought a dress that I thought would make me feel young again. And fine, it might not actually be a dress. It hovers somewhere between blousy tunic and short dress. Do I wear it over pants? Skinny jeans (ha!)? Footed tights? Leggings? I DON'T KNOW AND IT STRESSES ME OUT. I went with ribbed footless tights and black flats (it's a purple dress, yes, I'm seven). I feel a fool. I hope I don't see anyone I know today.

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(not me)

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Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Equation Edition.

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