Sometimes You Need Some Boston

I was trying to change the sheets on Jane's bed. My too long, but too short to be tucked behind my ears, bangs, were driving me crazy. I left to go get a bobby pin. The bending over position I was in was giving me a back ache. Sweet and Creamy was rolling around on the floor generally in the way and generally, repeatedly activating a song on his toy. By the by,the toy's batteries had one foot in the grave and the "song" sounded like a distant ice cream truck with reverb. Oh, and the room was stuffy and hot.

I thought back to earlier in the day when I was in my car listening to some Boston, imagining the "Scrubs" air band. "Happy thought indeed."

Imagine David Winning, It's Easy If You Try

I'm going to go out on a limb and say he will be in the top two.

TDH and I have re-watched this song being performed about five

times now and I just purchased it on itunes.

I didn't watch the season where Fantasia won, but I'm guessing the

same sort of tingly feelings occurred when watching her perform. Molly?

I Haven't Offended You in a While

So I'm due.

Overheard by me; mumbled-sung by my husband as he zipped up his Roma sweater; to the tune of America courtesy of Westside Story.

Roma, you beautiful city
That's why it's such a pity

Always you have the graffiti
And the drunkards pee-pee

And the crazies screaming
And the pick-pockets teeming

That's some sweet music people.

Whenever I say your name, let there be no mistakethat day will last forever

For thinking, for humming, for singing to yourself about God.
Courtesy of those great theologians Mary J. Blige and Sting.*

Whenever I say your name, whenever I call to mind your face
Whatever bread's in my mouth, whatever the sweetest wine that I taste
Whenever your memory feeds my soul, whatever got broken becomes whole
Whenever I'm filled with doubts that we will be together

Wherever I lay me down, wherever I put my head to sleep
Whenever I hurt and cry, whenever I got to lie awake and weep
Whenever I kneel to pray, whenever I need to find a way
I'm calling out your name

Whenever those dark clouds hide the moon
Whenever this world has gotten so strange
I know that something's gonna change
Something's gonna change

Whenever I say your name, I'm already praying,
I'm already filled with a joy that I can't explain
Wherever I lay me down, wherever I rest my weary head to sleep
Whenever I hurt and cry, whenever I got to lie awake and weep
Whenever I'm on the floor
Whatever it was that I believed before
Whenever I say your name, whenever I say it loud, I'm already praying

Whenever this world has got me down, whenever I shed a tear
Whenever the TV makes me mad, whenever I'm paralyzed with fear
Whenever those dark clouds fill the sky, whenever I lose the reason why
Whenever I'm filled with doubts that we will be together

Whenever the sun refuse to shine, whenever the skies are pouring rain
Whatever I lost I thought was mine whenever I close my eyes in pain
Whenever I kneel to pray, whenever I need to find a way
I'm calling out your name

Whenever this dark begins to fall
Whenever I'm vulnerable and small
Whenever I feel like I could die
Whenever I'm holding back the tears that I cry

Whenever I say your name,
No matter how long it takes,
One day we'll be together

Whenever I say your name,
let there be no mistake
that day will last forever

*This version stinks. Buy the real thing for 99c on iTunes. It's a thing of beauty.

Music and Movies

Does the name Sondre Lerche mean anything to anyone except those of us who were lent his CDs or drink Starbucks coffee?

At any rate, I suspect this article, written, it appears, by Adam Sandler (but not that one), will appeal to only a few of you.

But we all know what they're talking about: how music is changing movies. I remember a couple years ago the VT Mrs. wrote a guest article here about Elizabethtown. While Cameron Crowe's music isn't usually original to the soundtrack, he still uses it in a powerful way, making it part of the storytelling.

Or something like that. This article says it better.

One of my husband's great loves is music. He has a prodigious music collection. When it comes to music trivia, you can't beat him. (Try it. Post your question in the comments. I double-dare you.)

If there's one thing it's easy to twist his arm into, it's buying music.

So I just asked him why he hadn't downloaded EmmyLou Harris singing Long Black Veil for me, a song I had parked on my work computer in the bad old days of Napster.

He headed directly for the office, logged into iTunes...and couldn't find it. iTunes. Supposedly it's full of good music. But it's low on EmmyLou Harris. Ugh.

I googled it and, doncha know, someone has posted the recording on YouTube. It's been so long since I've heard it, I'd forgotten it was a live recording with Dave Matthews.

For your listening pleasure:

"I don't need to be anything other than a prison guard's son"

Is that not one of the greatest opening lines to a song?

Be Gone!

Whoever has googled "O Holy Night terrible," can move along!

Austin City Limits Music Festival, 2005

This weekend I sweated my way through 108 degree Austin weather to experience for the second year in a row the Austin City Limits Music Festival. I went all three days to the festival last year, but only made it to the Sunday shows this year. When I first arrived with my friend Ashlie and her friend Paul, I felt paralyzed from the heat and was wondering why on earth I had decided to put myself through this again.

The first band we saw was the Doves, and they're one of my favorites, but their stage performance wasn't that much different from listening to one of their CDs. We left early to find some shade and something cold to drink.

The next band we saw was Arcade Fire, and they were by far the best performance of the day, and from other people I talk to, I hear they were the best all weekend. It was during their performance that I realized why I like coming to this festival. First of all it's great people watching. Austin is the perfect city of people watching, especially at a music festival. Secondly, I like being a part of something big that's happening in the city where I live. Last of all, it's very relaxing laying down my blanket, closing my eyes, and just listening to live music.

The next performance was the Decembrists, and they were good too. The last band we saw was Wilco. I love Wilco. Even though I didn't enjoy their performance as much as Arcade Fire's, they're such a sentimental favorite of mine that I loved seeing them again. Wilco to me is everything I love about Austin. I began listening to them the winter after I moved here, and I associate so many good memories with their songs.

We left after Wilco, and I'll admit this even though I will probably be banned from being a contributor to this blog from here on after. Coldplay played last, and I didn't go. My friends aren't big fans of theirs, and I didn't really care either way. Also, so many people were showing up for it that there was dust from the dirt on the ground flying everywhere. People who remembered this fact from last year were smart enough to bring surgical masks to wear when this happened.

At the end of the day I enjoyed a warm shower and meal more than I ever had before. Even though it's miserable at times, I will more than likely put myself through the heat again next year.

But just in case some member of the festival planning committee is reading this, would it be so hard to move it up few weeks??? A three day outside festival with no shade in Austin, TX in September??? It's the hottest month of the year! Seriously, people! I feel especially sorry for bands who have never been here before because they're probably thinking, "Yeah, it's outside, but hey, it's September, it can't be THAT hot." Poor ignorant fools. But my props to all the bands who played their hearts out when I didn't even have the energy to remain standing for an entire performance.

The Future Mrs. Lance Armstrong

Just heard the beginning of a new Sheryl Crow song on the radio.

First lines: "Good is good. And bad is bad."

That is some bold song-writing.