You Gotta Know When to Fold Em'

Though you may scoff at Amy Wino's bat-wing-liquid-liner or her fondness for day drinking, when it comes to love, the girl's got soul. Look no further than some of the lyrics off her hugely popular Back To Black and you'll find a lady with her share of man troubles. "Self-professed, profound, til the chips were down. Though you're a gambling man, love is a losing hand." And although she may be temporarily AWOL from the mainstream music scene, there are always talented and semi-tormented artists to take her place and pick up the soul/blues slack. Which brings me to (her doppleganger, of course) Cee-Lo Green, whose latest ablum: The Lady Killer, is actually full of fantastic tracks that aren't featured on Glee or sung by Gwenyth Paltrow. (yuck). Both these soulful singers turn the cards they are dealt in love and life into something palpable; digestible; visceral for their audience to relate to. I hope these hyms heal your heartache, your backache, or maybe just quell your Winehouse cravings for now. (I can't be the only one having those, right?)
The uncensored, incredible, non-commercialized Cee-Lo we know and love:


Amy's raw-as-sushi rendition of "Love is a Losing Game."

JLM feat. Intuition

An amazing mashup of Jessica Lea Mayfield & Intuition, love the beat.

i know how you work-
(i am just like you)
no matter what you say,
our hearts are wrong
our hearts are wrong

Thom Yorke's Dance Moves

Off of Radiohead's highly anticpated "The King Of Limbs."
Radiohead - Lotus Flower
Slowly we unfurl
As lotus flowers
Cause all I want is the moon upon a stick
Just to see what it is
Just to see what it is
I can't kick your habit
Just to feed your fast ballooning head
Listen to your heart
Go do a little dance.♥

Your New Man

A little late for love day but I hope it puts a smile on your face. Dedicated to all my girls both single or coupled.

(Girl please say he doesn't tuck his shirt in - please
Please say he doesn't wear a gold chain - please)

Happy Belated VDay♥
"I'll never love no one the way I loved you
You've never loved no one, have you?"
-Mason Jennings

Grouplove

A mashup of The Pixies and Girls, Grouplove deliver multi-dimensional musical bliss on Colours, the runaway hit from their debut EP, which dropped only a few short weeks ago and is already garnering radio play on the current and vociferous declarations of love from indie fans across the nation. Colours caught my eardrums the other night and had me instantly turn the dial up without hesitation. Delivering unmatchably wry and beautiful lyricism and one of the catchier hooks I've heard in a while, Grouplove showers its listeners in indie-rock ear-nirvana.

So I pull the switch, the switch, the switch inside my head

And I see black, black, green,and brown, brown, brown and blue, yellow, violets, red
And suddenly a light appears inside my brain
And I think of my ways, I think of my days and know that I have changed.

It's the colors you have
No need to be sad.
It really ain't that bad.

Peace of Mind

[photo : Star Tribune]

Last week I was blessed with the opportunity to see one of my favorite artists of all time, Ms. Lauryn Hill in concert and fortunate enough to meet her after the show. Her energy was unbeatable and being in her presence was the best early birthday gift I could hope for. Exchanging words with her was a beautiful experience and it compelled me to reflect on the many incredible concerts I've gone to and what they have done for my mind, body and soul.


My first concert was Sting, whom I still credit with being one of the most charming and talented male musicians of his time. In high school I rocked out with Weezer and the Foo Fighters and just about lost my shit seeing Anthony Keidis on stage at the Chili Peppers extravaganza. (Even in a plaid kilt and bright red tie I'm pretty sure he's the foxiest californicator on the planet). I've seen Prince, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, and Dessa; all local acts that I've written about, screamed about, and attempted to absorb just a little of their magic by being part of a crowd that stood amazed in their talent. Nothing makes me feel more alive than live music. Seeing MGMT and Sharon Jones last summer at Rock the Garden was another amazing day, and one I will never forget.
Through the often times tumultuous nature of growing up, we are all apt to suffer a few losses. Friends and lovers, houses and schools, but mostly ideas. The great news is that despite the unpredictable nature of life and the frightening facts of trying to navigate adulthood, music and all it stands for can never abandon you. As Ms. Hill would say, "you are my peace of mind." Music is truly the greatest comfort, most unfailing, inspiring art form in my life.

When I think of my relationship with music, (one of my longest and most fulfilling relationships to date,) I'm reminded of a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love. The quote is in reference to the inner strength she finds in hard times, but it also reads a lot like what music would say to me in a love letter.

"I'm here. I love you. I don't care if you need to stay up crying all night long. I will stay with you. There's nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I am stronger than depression and I am braver than loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me."

Rockin the Suburbs

Moody and languid, The Suburbs is Arcade Fire's latest and greatest album. Bashfully discovering this gem about 4 months after its release, I was amazed at the change of pace from previous Arcade Fire tracks. While former releases (such as Neighborhood #1) proved evocative and trance-like, their latest album is purely transformative.
An immediate standout is Ready to Start. "If the businessmen drink my blood, like the kids in art school said they would - I guess I'll just begin again, you say can we still be friends? Well if I was scared, I would, and if I was bored you know I would..." Not only does the lyricism on this song command a sort of Holden Caulfield nuance, it serves as a great introduction to the album's tone as a whole; that of an indie extravaganza that is simultaneously semi-detached and drenched in sentiment.
Another standout is Modern Man, with a deliciously Kings-of-Leon flavor. "So I wait in line I'm a modern man; maybe when you're older you will understand; why you don't feel right - why you can't sleep at night." On the orchestral Half Light I the album climbs the heights of its creative pinnacle; seamlessly carving out a timeless hipster-slow-dance-anthem. This song is by far the most genuinely alternative, screaming out to be used in combination with black and white still-lifes or as the backdrop for a Sofia Coppola film. "Oh this city's changed so much since I was a little child, I pray to God I won't live to see, the death of everything that's wild." Stripped down yet complex, The Suburbs is a timely amalgamation of all things starkly beautiful.