Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Empire of dirt vs. fantasy island- Pirate girl style



"I don't care about the weather, or my stupid past."


alright, i have had it with the human race. i am about to take off on a tiny boat to a small island... but instead of indulging in this infantile fantasy i decided to look for music that helps me thru this weird-isolating time of my life. Since I lost my band, my best friend , my band-friends, my general sense of self, my car, my ipod, and my cell phone and all in the span of 2 months I am feeling a little... well, like a Pirate Girl... ready to set sail!



here goes:
Pirate girl sailin' on a sea of MUSIC ...




SAD KERMIT

"It's excruciatingly painful being green..."

Kermit has his own myspace page where he covers nine inch songs, radiohead, elliot smith, etc... this is a perfect rescue for pathetic self loathing folks and provides a way to laugh at one's empire of dirt!!
"Soon after the death of Jim Henson, Sad Kermit spiraled downward into a life full of addiction, romance and pain. The songs and videos on this webpage shed light on Sad Kermit’s descent into his dark, hurting world." myspace page





how about a little.... DEPRESSION PARTY?
Depression party is a great rock band with depeche mode like vocals, and silly mocking lyrics... just perfect for the small town depression we all feel at times... since their song "new Beginning" is about wanting to make a new start, but "someone" lives in the same town and keeps appearing... oh the irony!
"Everyone knows that it's a cold world, we're certainly not the first one's to point that out. But with a little bit of laughter it ain't so bad. There's always a little bit of room for partying. That's our stance! We're the Depression Party. Un-poetic and blunt, that's the way we like it, but we'll charm your panties off." Reforming in the Spring of 2006 with friend, Shane Kelley, filling in on drums the Depression Party release their "If It's Alive" single. “It seems Depression Party was just an ideal in our heads that we held onto and named. Not until now has it truly materialized.” One tends to find warmth and optimism through the Depression Party’s themes and tones. Piercing melodies of over-indulgence, guilt, geo-politics and nihilism." myspace.com site.


Lost Myself Theory,
is right up there with taking off to a deserted island... great escape music, aarghh!


I totally dig this girl-boy band with their alt. weird electronic and depressingly silly music... perfect for a night of- i "lost myself" feelings along with some psychological theorizing.


To end this post on an even more sarcastic and silly note:


Yup, this is freaking funny, and a perfect cherry to top off a bad icecream sundae of a day!
enjoy!

"They have an accordion player though, so don't say I didn't warn you. ...Let's just hope Pirates R Us meant this as a joke." - Arizona Daily Wildcat

"Entertaining along the same lines as the mullet, Pirates R Us is a fun time for you and your friends." - What's Up! Magazine

We are Pirates R Us, and your booty is ours!!




Pirate girl is over and out, laughing, here's to calmer waters ahead mateys!



Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Folky Farm Punk Girls & Boys!


Please go visit these happy dancing folks... Samantha's voice gives me shivers!!!



I am falling into an abyss of folky punky farm Girls and Boys!... What the hell am I talking about? well, I am starting to look into the strange world of making music for the sake of getting thru each day. Possibly music of the folks... the folks of today.

There seems to be this overwhelming need in our world to make things marketable these days within every aspect of art... well "f&*%^ that". Music has been taken out of the realm of community and made into an exclusive art form where kissing ass and selling out are the tickets to success...
Example....

See directly below!


YUCK


Luckily there has been a shift of power in the music world, with the new digital age, which has created a new way to record music easily and affordably at home, now with solar power you can even record in a pig stye.

I am a little loopy off of the perfume fumes from above... so here, go check out these funky farm girls and boys and their tunes!!!



Monday, July 21, 2008

Auntie Folk- Kimya


The whole idea that a group of quirky musicians are labeled Anti-Folk was at first puzzling to me. Then I did a little more research and found that anti-folk is really just a part of folk music but it is punk-folk, or alt. folk, or songs that are written to be written... not for fame, money, or any other reason than to create something homemade, unique and truly creative. The songs that come out of this genre are generally not fine tuned, are recorded at home, and have a low budget feel... I LOVE THAT! I think I may have found my own true musical genre for both my lil' girl and big girl music...


I had heard The Moldy Peaches song on a compilation from my friend Darian years ago, only to find that Kimya Dawson and Adam Green of the Moldy Peaches have just become instantly famous from that music recorded 10 years ago which was recently placed in the movie JUNO's soundtrack.

I find Kimya Dawson's music is fun, disturbing and fantastic!

My favorite song of Kimya's is "I like Giants" off of her newest CD "Remember I love you".

I was lucky enough to be sent 2 free tickets to go see Kimya and Ani Difranco another Anti-folk music, from my same friend Darian who creates the most amazing music compilations, and always surprises me with random gifts throughout the years since high school. The lamest part of the night was that me and my date got there late... (hey that rhymes) So we missed Kimya!! I could have cried, but the Indian food in Noho was slow and oh so delicious...


GOOD NEWS! I am going to NYC for the Antifolk festival this August, and will be catching Kimya, along with many other antifolkers!


I will share more on my path to visit auntie folk, and her friends soon!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Lead Belly Jams

I have been researching traditional folk music for children, and came across this great cd for children. Both my son and I totally dig this CD! It is fun to sing along with songs like "Pick a bale of cotton" and the many other sing-a-long songs Lead Belly does with a down home feel!
"This unique collection features delightful songs for young children as well as the work songs, blues, and spirituals Lead Belly used to teach children about the experiences and emotions of adult life. Originally reocrded in children's concerts and studios for asch and Folkways records in the 1940s, the 28 songs and spoken introductions reveal the humor, humanity, and musical genius of one of the great artists of the twentieth century. The sound quality is somewhat archival in nature, but Lead Belly's voice comes through loud and clear. On some tracks, you can hear a teacher introduce the song. There's nothing better than hearing your four year old son singing "Red Bird" along with Lead Belly. These tracks are the material source for decades of children's music, from Pete Seeger to Raffi and Dan Zanes." Pea Pods Review

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The Mama of Folk Music!


I am writing a paper for school on Ruth Crawford Seeger, shown above with the school children who inspired her to write her 2 songbooks of traditional American folk songs for children. I have been exquisitely drawn into Ruth's world through reading her books and interviews from her children and husband. I am so inspired by her love for children, for her ground breaking work in teaching children these songs, allowing the children to make the songs their own through improvising words, movements and play!

Ruth's Songbooks:

Her children Pete, Peggy, Mike and Barbara Seeger .....recorded the songs from both of Ruth's children's folk songbooks, making these songs even more accessible to those who cannot read music.


"This acclaimed collection, a favorite for years, has been repackaged on two compact discs (or two cassettes), for a total of more than two hours of music. Mike and Peggy Seeger sing 94 songs from their mother Ruth Crawford Seeger's famous book, American Folk Songs for Children (Doubleday). The Seegers are featured on a wide variety of instruments including dulcimer, mandolin, guitar, banjo, pan pipes, Jew's harp, concertina and fiddle; they also sing some numbers without any accompaniment at all. This album has been the cornerstone of Rounder's Children's Series since its release.

Mike, Peggy, Barbara & Penny Seeger:Animal Folk Songs for Children -- and Other People!, Released 01/01/1992

Composer and educator Ruth Crawford Seeger raised her children on many of these songs, most of which she gathered and arranged for her book of the same name (Linnet Books, Shoe String Press). These recordings contain all 43 songs from the book plus another 15, sung and played by her four children and six of her grandchildren in tradition-based styles on banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, tin whistle, ukulele, mandolin, Jew's harp, lap dulcimer, quills, and other acoustic instruments. (2 CD or 2 Cassette set.) 1993 Notable Children's Recording: American Library Association



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