Marry Me to the Sky

A veteran force to be reckoned with debuts a fresh new sound on Sun. The latest from Cat Power finds Chan Marshall not only straying from her usual bluesy tone but integrating a moral compass that competes with quicker tempos and richer rhythms that delve into powerful, uncharted territory. While Marshall's previous endeavors may have been all about the smoky, moody tonal qualities of her voice, Sun pays respect to Marshall's writing laurels. The production quality on "Cherokee" for example, is equally as wonderful as Marshall's sharp, tasty words, which sting you with beautiful rawness and metaphysical yearning.

"A wise, self-respecting woman can feel every wave" - Chan Marshall

Let's Get Weird

So. If you don't know who David Byrne is, you might want to do a little wikipedia-ing, or googling, or ask Siri-ing, because it's about time you found out what the former singer of The Talking Heads has been up to for the past few decades. Not only has he published a book, How Music Works, but retained a close-knit avante garde following through his solo albums and spent his spare time curating photography books. Enter Annie Clark, or St. Vincent. Byrne was apparently so struck with Clark's tongue-in-cheek "Actor out of Work" video, he started courting her for collaboration. What's been born out of these two lovely minds is the strangest, most undoubtedly creative and flavorful pop album to debut in ages. (And don't worry, those are prostheses on the album cover). Here's the video for their first single, "Who."

For more of Byrne + Clark's beautifully offbeat sound, check out the full length release, "Love This Giant" which will be released this Tuesday.

Fall Music Tidbits

If music has the power to heal, as well as the dual power to be indicative of a specific temporal instance yet remain timeless for its listener, then these gems have done all three for me lately. I hope you like them too.

Lost in the Light - Bahamas
With a Neil Young howl at the bridge and an eerily comforting tone (think Antony & the Johnsons minus the sadistic vibe,) Bahamas kill me with kindness with this track. I dare you not to love it.

it was my greatest thrill when we just stood still,
you let me hold your hand til i had my fill
cause this life is so long, and so you wouldn't be wrong,
bein free, leavin me on my own.

Carsong - Spankrock feat. Santigold
Santigold steals the show for me on this one, per usual, making this one of the most awesomely balanced, addictive songs I've heard in a while.

The Celestials - Smashing Pumpkins
The Pumpkins remain one of my favorite bands, and they make me think of fall and joy-riding and I love Billy Corgan and the pretty words he says so bravely. ("Everything i want is free.")

Congratulations - MGMT
Amazing song, amazing message.

Motherland - Apollo Cobra
Addictive, sugary-synth rock candy.

Just Drums - Tapes n' Tapes
A hot, jumpy classic that's hard not to dig. Always sounds a little better come September.

How it Ends - Devotchka
Beautiful, obsessive, relentless, haunting, melodic, perfect. The end credit to every movie, every story, every thought.

Better Things

Always loved this song, but when it came on my shuffle this afternoon I couldn't help but smile. Go have yourself a lil' happy dance. There are better things to do.

Hold Out

I was fortunate enough to see the amazing Sharon Van Etten last weekend, and meeting her after the show confirmed that she truly was a special soul. Grounded and humble, she was the most down-to-earth musician I've ever spoken with. Her set displayed her vulnerable, soft tracks and her gritty rock anthems, as she equal-parts delicately cooed and unabashedly thrashed on the floor with her electric guitar. To call her enigmatic would be selling her short. On "Give out," which she preformed after graciously accepting some praise from the audience and bantering back and forth in a quirky but unapologetic manner, I think she exceeds enigmatic and becomes revolutionary.

I have long admired Karen O, Courtney Love, and PJ Harvey, to name a few female rockers, who combine grace with strength in a beautiful way. Van Etten is the best of all these, but mostly her own everything, with a dash of Neil Young, a pinch of sarcasm, and the energy of a genuinely kind, powerful woman. Here she is with "Give out" on the Current:

I'm biting my lip
as confidence is speaking to me
I loosen my grip from my palm
and put it on your knee
In my way, I say:
"You're the reason why I'll move to the city, or
why I'll need to leave"
It's not because I always hold on
It might be I always hold out.

Rules For Being

Got this via The Daily Love, thought I might share. Found Rule #4 especially relevant to my own life, and the lives of others around me. We get "the lesson" as many times as we need to truly learn it. Sometimes this can be a harsh reality, but until we learn what this lesson has meant to teach us, I truly believe all of us can be susceptible to repeating the same negative patterns in life. Hard to let these rules sink in by reading them: life-affirming when you realize you have lived some and recognize them in these words. Nothing to do with music, but everything to do with life. Enjoy.

Top Ten Rules for Being Human

Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside.

Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons are specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgment - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen.

Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.

Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.

Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.

Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.

Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.

Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.

- Cherie Carter-Scott. Scott is an author, life coach, and motivational speaker offering consulting and coaching on all aspects of change management.

Heaven

Obsessed with this latest from The Walkmen.