giant drag back and playing a show

You might not think it's true.  It's too good to be true.  It's been ages since Giant Drag has played a show - about two years, no?

Well, it's true...and I couldn't be more excited!  Annie Hardy and Micah Calabrese are reunited as Giant Drag and will playing at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on May 16th.  You can read about it from Annie here and RSVP for the event on Facebook here.

Annie hopes to debut her music video for Stuff to Live For off of the soon-to-be-released Swan Song EP at the show.  It's quite the spectacular video, and you can get a sneak peak below.  Exciting things are happening for Giant Drag.  This should be a good year.

a treat for the chocolate lovers

There is no denying that I love chocolate - a lot.  And for that reason, it is my pleasure to share with you Amy Kuney's new song, Chocolate.  She wrote it in honor of Lynn Lasher, the founder of Somebody's Mother's Chocolate Sauce because Lynn has helped Amy immensely with her career.

It's such a cute and clever little song, I really think you'll enjoy it.  I've posted the lyrics below.

In the morning, Goodbye kisses
And all the misters kiss the misses
Before leaving for the office 
But we're not grieving 
We've got chocolate 
And I'd choose it over you Any day... 

I say Diamonds You can't afford um
So I say mansions 
You say mortgage 
We start to argue 
I say "You win" 
You have your victory 
I have my chocolate 
And I'd chose it over you 
Any day... 

I'm leaving traces 
Dirty Spoons 
I'm getting careless 
And pretty soon 
You're gonna catch me in the act 
and We'll try couples therapy 
I know that won't help 
Cuz if she's a woman 
She'll agree with me 

It's been a hard day 
at the office 
So I'll surprise you 
In my lace pajamas 
But before things 
Get hot and heavy 
I hear you snoring 
You're fast asleep 
So in the darkness 
I sneak to the kitchen 
Where my chocolate 
Has been hiding 
And I'd choose it over you 
Any day....

for the time being, a little sara

I know, I know.  I've been a horrible blogger despite the fact that I said I'd try harder to update this thing more often.  I apologize.

I have so much I want to say, but want to give considerable time to the blog entries.  So for now, I'll leave you with three songs that I simply can not get enough of.  They're all new songs by the one and only Sara Bareilles.  I love her to death and am so overwhelming glad that I was able to catch half of her set at Hotel Cafe on the last night of her Gravity tour this past Friday before racing over to see Amy Kuney at the Roxy.  It was pretty much a dream come true as two of my most favorite artists performed the same night and I had the pleasure of seeing them both.

So for now, here are three new lovely songs by Sara.  The first is August Moon from Sara's DVD, Between the Lines - Live at the Fillmore - a great concert DVD.

The second is Gonna Get Over You from a performance at Joe's Pub in New York City on Feb.17.

And last, but definitely not least, is Sara performing Free Ride at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia on Feb. 23.  I was able to catch this song at Sara's show on Friday and have had it on repeat since then.

All of the songs are breathtakingly beautiful.  I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

james gulliver hancock

I've absolutely fallen for the artistic talents of Mr. James Gulliver Hancock.  This Australian creative genius stumbled into my world through the musical wonderings of Lenka.  This creative pair brilliantly incorporates a visual outlet to the music that so pleasantly graces our ears.

James has, in fact, created the visual representation of the world in which Lenka and her music thrives.  The picture above is a clear-cut example.  It's the album artwork for Lenka's debut album and it so perfectly captures the essence of her whimsical and fun music.  For me, it's close to a perfect combination.

One of my favorite pieces by James includes his visual imagery of Lenka's lyrics.  He takes the words, the story, the feeling from the song and creates mesmorizing pieces of art.  I've actually purchased the two examples shown below.  The first includes the lyrics for the song Skipalong, and the second includes lyrics for We Will Not Grow Old.

James and Lenka have also collaborated on her music videos, which often include stop-motion techniques.  Below are a couple of my favorite collaborations between the two.

Here's the video for the track We Will Not Grow Old.

And here's a link to the promo video for the track, The Show.

James also recently designed set designs for Lenka's tour.  From what I've seen in some fan photos, it really helps to bring the stage to life.

I'm really quite glad that I happened to come across James and his cheerful pieces of art.  I can't wait to see what he debuts next!

sara bareilles

The lovely Sara Bareilles has captured my full attention.  It's just a shame it took me so long to become enraptured with her music.

I've known about Sara for a while - a really long while.  She was an instore play when I still worked at Barnes and Noble, I heard her song on the radio multiple times, and I even purchased her album for my sister for her birthday almost a year ago.  Where was I?

Seriously though, although it took me an incredible amount of time to "discover" her for my own listening pleasure, I've fallen head over heels for Sara's music.

Her album, Little Voice, debuted July 3, 2007 headed with the insanely catchy first single, Love Song.  You've undoubtedly heard it, whether through the free iTunes download or the feature in that Rhapsody commercial - Sara was even in it herself!  Regardless, I find myself still listening to it.

The best part about the song, though, is the fact that Sara wrote it in response to her record label's demands that she write a "marketable love song."  For that, I give an immense amount of respect to Sara.

My favorites off of her album include Love Song, the ever-so-pleasant Bottle It Up, and Between the Lines, but who am I kidding.  I've been listening to her album incessantly this past week.

Here's the music video for Bottle It Up:

Sara also recently released a DVD, Between the Lines, of a show at The Fillmore in San Francisco. I can't wait until I can sit down and watch it. I keep hearing from so many people that she is such a captivating performer.

In addition to being a great musician, respectable person and performer, Sara has to be one of the kindest people I've ever met. I ran into her by absolute chance the other night at a show and she couldn't have been sweeter.

And from what I've seen of her YouTube videos, she's pretty funny and down-to-earth.  Again, I can't embed a video I'd like to show you as an example, so here's a not-so-attractive link as a replacement.

So, you can clearly understand why I've decided to add Sara to my dream tour.  It's an obvious inclusion.  Sara Bareilles is legit in my books.  Enough said.

dream tour update

Somehow I forgot to mention Brandi Carlile when I was listing the line-up of my dream tour.  What a silly mistake!  I'm also adding the lovely Sara Bareilles.  So now the current line-up of my dream tour includes: Jaymay, The Like, Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, Amy Kuney, and Giant Drag.

I feel like I have so much to update you guys with.  I should really get better at this blogging thing!

lenka

I must have seen one hundred references for Lenka on twenty different sites before I actually listened to her music.  Sometimes a good new tune is right under your nose, cliche as it may seem.

Lenka doesn't go by her full name, Lenka Kripac, and it seems appropriate.  It's almost too formal for her music.

The Australian-born singer released her self-titled debut, Lenka, in September of last year, sweeping audiences with her single, The Show.  The song is so unbelievably catchy, it's no surprise she co-wrote it with none other than the wonderfully talented Jason Reeves.

Lenka's songs are buoyant, full of life, and undeniably put you in a good mood.  In a sense, they're quite youthful, but touch on subjects a person of any age could relate to - which seems reasonable coming from a (surprisingly) thirty-year-old.  Regardless, my feet are sure to tap along every time one of her songs reach my ears.  

My current favorites off of her album include the obvious mention of The Show, along with the sultry Skipalong and the kickdrum-heavy We Will Not Grow Old.

Lenka's music video for The Show is quite cute and innovative.  Look for the dancing tomatoes - they're my favorite part.  I'd link to the Youtube video here, but embedding is unfortunately disabled.  A simple link will have to suffice.  Check out the video here.

Lenka has also released quite a few promo animated stop-motion videos you should be sure to watch.  They're quite entertaining and done with Lenka's partner in crime, artist James Gulliver Hancock, but more on him later.

It might just be the obvious Australian accent incorporated into the music, seeing as how I also love Kate Nash's noticable British tint in her music, but nevertheless, Lenka's music sure makes smile. 

Since I have no official video clip to leave you with, here's a short VH1 promo as the network's You Oughta Know Artist.

the hotel cafe tour at the henry fonda

Wow, I'm way past due on blogging, so I guess it's best to do some catching up and fill you in on what I've been listening to lately.

In November, I went on the spur of the moment decision to the Hotel Cafe Tour's last show at the Henry Fonda Theater. The line-up included Rachael Yamagata, Meiko, Jaymay, Lenka, Emily Wells, and Thao Nguyen.

Overall, I would have to say the show was fun, but not necessarily the best it could have been. Because it was the final night of the tour, it didn't seem as though any of the acts really took the show seriously. It was more like a party with everyone drinking and half-drunk, as opposed to a concert, and the fact that artists kept going on and off of the stage made the arrangement just seem messy.

Nonetheless, it was fun seeing one of my favorites, Jaymay, again and I always love to hear about new artists. Lenka's songs were fun to tap my feet along with (who can resist Australians?) and Meiko wooed the crowd with her well-known song, Boys With Girlfriends. Emily Wells' music surprised me, simply because I wasn't familiar her beforehand and Thao Nguyen's songs added an extra kick of spunk to the show. Rachael definitely turned out to be the most impressive act of the evening in my books. I had heard of Rachael before, yet never really sat down to give her songs a serious listen. She's so extremely talented and her voice is mesmorizing. Needless to say, I made sure to pick up a copy of

her album, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart, not too long after the show.

Here's a clip of the entire night's line-up singing along with Thao's song, Bag of Hammers. This might have been my most favorite point in the evening.

Afterward, I managed to get a few shots with some of the performers as security was kicking everyone out.

the time has come

To return to the blogging world.  Freshly released from school (forever), expect to hear a lot more from me via blogger.  More soon.  Promise.

amy kuney: bird's eye view

I have no excuse for not posting about the long-expected release of Amy Kuney's debut full-length album until now, other than I wanted to do it justice.

Bird's Eye View, released August 12th, has to be one of the best album's I've heard in a long time.  This 10-song package sets a new, higher standard in the music world.

Unlike other musicians today, Amy writes lyrics that are smart, evocative, powerful and actually have meaning.  They tell stories rather than just providing outlines.

Combined with her beautiful vocals and charming manner, Amy defines the complete package of an artist.

Bird's Eye View ranges from upbeat tales of relationship circumstances in Rocket Surgery and Love is Trippy to poignant scenes in everyday life in Appreciate Your Hands, while still fitting seamlessly together.

The world is waiting to hear an album of a such high caliber and they can find it in Amy Kuney's Bird's Eye View.  You can purchase the album on iTunes or as a hard-copy here.

Not enough good things can be said about Amy simply because of her sincerity and genuineness.  It is truly an honor to be able to work for a person with such admirability.

I leave you with a video of Thank You For Last Night from Amy's live performance DVD. She leaves me speechless with each viewing.

damien rice

I've been a fan of Damien Rice for what seems like forever.  I remember first learning of him after hearing his song, The Blower's Daughter, in the film Closer in 2004.  Ever since, I've been in awe of his powerful lyrics and mind-blowing tunes.

An Irish folk-singer, Damien released his incredible first album, O, in 2003.  Every one of the songs on O has been a favorite of mine because every one has a different story to tell- a different emotion to express.

In 2006, Damien released 9, his second album, which demonstrates his growth, yet still retains the power of his earlier album.

One of the stand-out tracks on 9, Elephant, was originally known as The Blower's Daughter Part Two.  It's absolutely superb and just as heart-wrenching as The Blower's Daughter.

Here's a video of Damien performing the track live.

It blows me away every time.

Recently, none other than the lovely Amy Kuney, my boss, covered Damien's song, The Blower's Daughter, on piano.  The first time that I heard it, I got chills.  The second time I heard it, I got chills.  I've probably listened to her version one hundred times, and I still get the chills.  I love what she did with it.

The best thing about Amy's cover, though, is what happened because of it.

A Damien Rice fansite, Eskimo Friends, featured Amy's take on the song and somehow Damien himself watched the video and fell in love with Amy's voice.

This led to Amy flying over to Iceland to perform two shows with Damien and even singing with him on his songs Cold Water and Volcano.

Absolutely stunning.  I only wish I could have been there to see two of my favorite artists, one of them being my boss, performing together.

It's a beautiful thing, really.

wall-e: short circuit reinvented

I haven't seen a lot of movies lately, mostly because of a lack of spare time. However, I do manage to get myself to the ones that seem really inviting. This time, that movie was Wall-E.

When I first saw the commercial for Wall-E, I couldn't help but think of Johnny 5 from Short Circuit (one of my favorite films ever...especially the sequel).

Anyways, Wall-E was simply spectacular. The cute little robot put on a good show.

One of the highlights of the film was the marvelous soundtrack. Most of it including composed work made specifically for the film, but there were some special highlights thrown in there.

I especially enjoyed the inclusion of Louis Armstrong's La Vie en Rose. What a magnificent song!

As soon as I got back from the film and caught a few hours of sleep, I went straight to my handy dandy little iTunes and downloaded the track. It's warm, soothing, comforting, and everything else you could want from a song.

Here's the trailer. Enjoy :]

jaymay serenades the troubadour

If you don't know about Jaymay (aka Jamie Seerman) yet, you're in sincere trouble. Why, you ask? Well, because Jaymay's beautiful music acts like a cough drop for the soul. Her lyrics are smart, her voice is absolutely stunning, and put together, you're left with an unbelievably talented musician.

Last night I was fortunate enough to catch Jaymay's acoustic set at the Troubadour. I stood there in awe at the wonders of her voice and enjoyed every last second.

She played some unreleased songs as well as some that were on her EP, Sea Green, See Blue and full-length CD, Autumn Fallin'. The show was so good, in fact, that I bought myself a second copy of her CD. Yes, she's that good.

In addition to the wonders of her music, Jaymay seemed to be an incredibly down-to-earth and friendly person. She made personable small-talk between her songs and graciously signed copies of her album after the show. Jaymay even was kind enough to take some pictures with fans, including myself (I couldn't resist).
All day today I couldn't get Jaymay's songs out of my head, first of all because I listened to her CD over and over again whilst I sat in traffic, and second of all because I fell in love with a Youtube performance of the tune, One May Die So Lonely.

Jaymay has a Youtube account, jaymaymusic, where she uploads videos of her performing and interviews. They're quite fun to watch.

Anyway, the Youtube performance I'm referring to isn't actually from Jaymay's account, but it's on Youtube and features Jaymay nonetheless. The performance was recorded in Chicago for Fearless Radio.

I invite you to watch. Curl up with a cup of coffee, open your ears, and relax.

coldplay viva la vida cover

Amy Kuney has done it again. She's recorded a new stellar cover, this time of Coldplay's Viva la Vida. The video is a split screen of her on piano and her singing the harmonies. It's beautiful.

I hope to give you a full rundown of the album by the end of next week as well as give you some more music tidbits of what I've been listening to lately. Stay tuned!

the subway song interview

Since I have two fantastic intern bosses, Amy Kuney and Annie Hardy of Giant Drag, we all thought it would be a fun idea to have them interview each other.

The result? Pure genius.

Amy's manager and I stayed up until about three in the morning on my birthday editing all of the clips together and we couldn't stop laughing the entire time.

The interview revolves around the wonderful five dollar footlong song from Subway (the dance remix).

Please enjoy these 10 minutes of joy.

amy kuney on one tree hill

On the season finale of One Tree Hill tonight, Amy Kuney's beautiful song, All Downhill From Here, featuring Tim Myers, opened up the show. The song is now available on iTunes here.

Amy also just uploaded an acoustic version of the song to her Youtube account. I absolutely love it.

As if that isn't enough good news for one day, Amy just uploaded two new tracks to her Myspace player, Rocket Surgery and Time Machine. These songs are featured on her upcoming CD, releasing this August.

Her new Web site also debuts tonight. Check it out at http://www.amykuney.com/!

giant drag interview with master bedroom

A couple of week ago at my Giant Drag internship, Annie did an interview with Master Bedroom's Jennifer Brandon. Annie talked about her freedom from record labels, upcoming EP, donations, endorsements, her diesease, among other things. There are eight parts to the interview, but each clip is only about one to two minutes long. So please, sit back and enjoy, and let me know what you think.

This last video is some freestylin' by Annie on her out of tune guitar.

giant drag ebay store

Are you a fan of Giant Drag? Are you a fan of really cool rare music memorabilia?

Well then, I think you might want to check out the pretty sweet Giant Drag Ebay Store. It's pretty official.

In other words, as I have mentioned before, Annie Hardy of Giant Drag needs your support if you want her to make more music, as I sure you do. So, she's selling off some of her rare Giant Drag memorabilia on Ebay to raise funds for the album in addition to the Paypal store.

About every Friday we list some new items, so feel free to give it a browse.

amy kuney is a bubble about to burst

Amy Kuney's career is taking off, and it's absolutely stunning.

Take, for example, her mention in the May 19 issue of People magazine by Kate Voegele. Yes, People.

To add to that, one of Amy's song will be featured in the season finale of One Tree Hill, which airs Monday, May 19 at 9 p.m. on the CW.

You'll have to tune in to find out which song of hers will air. It's a little bit of a secret, but feel free to spread the news about tuning in to the finale. Should be delicious.

coachella: saturday

Coachella. Oh, Coachella. I had a good time, but this year wasn't the highlight of all of the Coachellas of the past.

I caught Kate Nash, Death Cab for Cutie, Rilo Kiley, The Bird and the Bee, among others, including a little bit of Prince.

It was hot, but not too hot, and I think because of that, it didn't really feel like Coachella. Or maybe it's because I didn't go all three days and endure the crowds and people and heat.

Regardless, it was Coachella, and I had a good time. And you can't forget, I had my annual nosebleed. Yes, of course, each year my nose somehow finds a way to bleed at or on the way home from Coachella. This year, though, I even got to visit First Aid. Overall, it was quite a lovely experience. Check out the bleedage below!