2012 Wish List

Recordings from NICK PAINTER.





Studio album for Liz McDaniel.

2011 in Music

So many exciting albums this year. It really was a turning point, and I have renewed my faith in the industry. Many artists are seeking independent means of releasing their material (just see Louis C.K. and his $5 a pop stand up comedy). There were handfuls of artists that released good albums, but it takes something special to create new and varying arts from previous works. There are too many to mention, so here's a couple of my faves for 2011:

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
Annie Clark is always improving with age, but that's a wine I can't keep my hands off of. Her solo debut Marry Me had our attention, with her unique song writing. Marrow, composed through Garageband, was a knocked out of the park with her pairing of "gnarly" guitar and distorted sax tracks, and orchestration of brass and winds. Strange Mercy is another masterpiece, combing the tenderness of her first album with the rock energy of the second, delivered through ambient lenses. Her 4AD session shows the raw energy she exudes in her performances. "Northern Lights" is another standout track.



Slothpop - Kokoro
So much love and respect for our Indianapolis friends, Slothpop. They helped kick off 2011 with their release of Kokoro in January. The whole album is a journey of euphoric sounds, tempting you to place it on endless loop. The group released some video teasers the month prior in 2010, also worthy of mentioning.

SLOTHPOP : SAILING BIRD // a one-take show from One-Take Shows on Vimeo.

Emily King - The Seven EP
This is everything I hoped alternative R&B would be. The innovative Emily King has taken the genre to a new level. King has stepped back from the mainstream, independently releasing her new album, with more authentic, sweet, sultry sounds. She is definitely ahead of her time, and I can't wait to see what more she does.


King - The Story
Another glimmer of hope for R&B meets electronica. I about geeked when I first heard this song on Nick Austin's WDET show. WHY DON'T THEY PLAY THIS MUSIC ON MAINSTREAM RADIO. Ugh, anyhoo. I really look forward to seeing more of this trio in 2012. They have toured with Janelle Monae, and Prince is starting to check them out.


Take Away Show: Lianne la Havas - No Room For Doubt
La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows are always pleasant (Beirut's are often fun, with their orchestration). However, this video was just something else entirely. I literally dropped everything I was doing, mesmerized by her honest smile and voice. She's finally getting some good press, with her performance on Jools Holland costarring with Bon Iver.


Gun Lake - Balfour
Mark Fain, Mark Fain, Mark Fain. Ahh, yes. My favorite lyricist of the year. Once you are drawn in by the the sweet melodic timbres and harmonies, you are taken for a ride of stories. Listening to Balfour from start to finish is like reading a good book. Fain caters tracks in a traditional singer/songwriter feel meets indie-folk Michigan sound.


The Smoots - demos
Very much under the radar, Alyse Schneider cuts personal tracks from her Brooklyn residence. A great treat for those who have stumbled across these mixes.
right around the corner by The Smoots

Home recording feel: Holly Mae & The Painted Room - I Am Dark Sided
Ex-patriate Holly Mae's Berlin debut with new team of players. A great soundtrack to a quiet night at home (think bottle of wine, and personal handy DIY or craft project).


Best Video: Adele - Rolling In The Deep
No end of the year list would be complete without Adele's 21. I tried vehemently to not let this song be spoiled by radio overkill. I faired well, with rationing my number of album listenings, sticking to her live recordings, and saving it all for her appearance at Royal Oak Music Theatre in May.


Nod to Aretha Franklin
After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2010, Aretha had canceled her U.S. tour, only to return shortly into 2011: I originally was devastated that I may never see the powerhouse of soul live, but to my luck she delivered a stellar performance in August (with wardrobe changes!). Not to mention, her orchestra was tight, laying down the Motown. Anita Baker was also in attendance, giving props to her singing colleague.


So many great independent artists. Exciting things going on in Michigan and surrounding states. I didn't even really touch electronic/dance music or other mainstream artists. With 2012, I look forward to more releases from friends and new faces. If anything, I would request some more soul/funk revival (thank you Mayer Hawthorne for trying to revive out great export).

If you are looking for new tunes, just browse bandcamp for independent artists. Check out the lineup for 2011's Mitten Fest for great local groups (e.g. Stepdad). I also recommend Sunday as a good radio day full of music: WDET's Modern Music right into New Soul Sunday, then Ann Arbor's 107.1 for Sonic Bliss 9pm-12am.

I'm feeling in quite a Blossom Dearie mood today.




I'm currently working on this song, though the Ella Fitzgerald version is the most popular. I enjoyed stumbling across this claymation video of the piece.

Best new thing

Mind explosion

"In America, there is New York, San Francisco and New Orleans and everywhere else is Cleveland."
- Mark Twain

" It isn’t enough to talk about peace, one must believe it.
And it isn’t enough to to believe in it, one must work for it."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

"There is a vast difference between what you can get from the mind and what you can get from the heart. The mind is limited; the heart is unlimited."
– Sri Chinmoy

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go."
- Hermann Hesse

"Here you go again, philosophizing about what personal expression, creation, and authenticity are all about. Have you noticed that you have some problems expressing issues that don't fall within the norm, Gemini? Your strong will and desire to be appreciated get in your way. It isn't easy to express yourself authentically when you're trying to make an impression on others."

It's hard to not feel as though you control your own emotions. Like Eleanor, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." It is just difficult to trick yourself to feel that way. Horoscopes pounding it in:

"Take care that your self-esteem doesn't depend on what other people tell you, Gemini. One minute a bit of flattery may send you high as a kite, and the next minute some criticism may have you feeling down in the dumps. Do your best to not let others blow you up and then deflate you as if you're nothing but a balloon."

I'm grateful for snow! The reflection of light off the white in the dark of winter. I'm grateful for the cold making warm things feel warmer. No matter how painful it is, I am grateful to tear my academic muscles , so every time they heal I am stronger. 30 min presentation, done. Carrot juice, yum. Shoes with a very satisfying clop. Parkinson's group today. Donating blood. Full of love and anticipation.

Roseus, is my soul today.

"First you adapt, then you adept."
-Robert W. Terry

"Adaptation is a process of self-discovery that can take many forms: it applies to our spiritual, cognitive, and physical self."
-Susan Holton

Soft kisses, your warm cheek, your gentle, steady hand.

Photograph

Christmas Horoscope

"The celestial configuration may bring you closer together to a certain person with whom you have recently become romantically involved. Neither of you has exactly rushed into the relationship, yet you both have the intuition that you are meant for each other, and so time is not really an issue. You both feel secure in each other's company, and are very content to deepen the bond between you."

oion to glukumalon ereuthetai akroi ep' usdoi,
akron ep' akrotatoi, lelathonto de malodropees.
ou man eklelathont', all' ouk edunant' epikesthai.

[the bride]
just like a sweet apple that ripens on the uppermost bough,
on the top of the topmost; but the apple-gatherers have forgotten it,
or rather, they haven't altogether forgotten it, but they could not reach it.

-SAPPHO, Fragment 105A V.

Campus Martius

The talk of possibly ice skating in the future got me excited. Then I remembered this beautiful poem the mother of one of my past preschool students wrote:

I used to be afraid of dying.
a canopied nightmare wrapped in
rainbow sheets
soaked in fear of nothing and forever
Id jump out of my bed
and down the steps
into the arms of a mortal mommy
whose hugs would slow down my racing heart
It used to be the threat of nuclear attack
and that last chapter in the bible
that spun me faster than a top.
but death was a for-sure thing…
I knew life wasn’t all swings and slides
but
if old age meant rocking chairs and checkers
I could understand being tired of living/
still… death and its doneness were scary things
and infinity was a burning pyre of options.
There was nothing that I couldn’t imagine getting tired of…
until I saw your smile and your eyes bright and wild
as we ice skated in the middle of the city/
Facing Woodward and our future
u holding on to me
my hands sticking to the freezing rail
people passing in the streak that used to be my life/
I hold you up and let you fall
as my instincts tell me to
we leave only when our hands tremble from cold
my smile frozen/ begging for the warmth of yours in return
and the fear I felt now drips soggy and desperate
so vulnerable to you
so powerless to this force that entered my life
2 months early and right on time.
My winter baby
all cotton and down
You splash a cold breath on my life
as you release my hand
and wake me to renewal
I watch before you land
my young sprite
full of all things living and present
death so vacant and simple
an unworthy rival to the brown eyes peeking under your cap.

This new blackberry tea reminds me of a nice frumpy sweater for typing work...and those wonderful candies that remind me of my grandparents and an earlier time.



You've got me checking horoscopes again.

"Emotions may cloud your thoughts as things start to heat up in a heavy way, Gemini."

Since they started falling, I've been picking up leaves here and there. Last year, I reserved the enormous ones for posting on my wall, but this weekend I will be putting up everything in a glorious hodge-podge of autumn.

When there's a defining moment each day, I search the earth floor for the perfect leaf. I then tuck it away in my notebook as a reminder. One for anticipation, one for when I had a challenging clinical, one for new friends, one for a reunion with old. I found the most beautiful, chocolate brown leaf, unlike any I've ever see--for an unexpectedly pleasant evening. The ones that bleed red have especially been imprinted on my brain. I tape it to the door.