Mid Year Mix Tape Giveaway

Ash is off to the city for a night of karaoke.  

In her absence, I am storming the Bastille- attacking the fortress of meaningful memories and photographic record keeping that is our little blog- and raising the flag of triviality.  I reclaim this space for album of the month.  

I will make no attempt to declare the best album of each of this years first 7 months.  And I won't attempt a comprehensive list of the years best albums thus far.  

I will start it back up with this, 

The Mid Year Mix Tape.  

There will be an itunes link (way down at the bottom of the page) for those interested and impatient.  But, as a way of saying I'm sorry (to Paul and Tyler for what has been missing the last 7 months, and to everyone else for what will not be missing for the next 5) I will mail you a copy of The Mid Year Mix Tape.  If you want one.  Just leave a comment.  and an address maybe.*  

These are songs from the albums I have enjoyed most this year.   Is there something I've missed?  You tell me.  I would guess there is.  All I know for certain is these are the bands I'd like to see play at the Merriwether Post Pavilion**  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

*unless you A)live in Farmington B)intend to see me at some point soon or C)don't want to leave your address.  I'm going to cap this at a million copies, so act fast, these things have legs.  

**I guess I respect the album, sort of.   I know I respect a lot of people who love the album, but, frankly, I don't enjoy it.  I tried.  I can hear the indie gods asking me why I am kicking against the indie hype pricks... but it's not happening.  No confirmation.  Though, I would like to see my daughter do a dance to "My Girls" at her next dance recital, Courtney take note.  

What's on the album? (optional reading material-for the bored) 

Answer: 15 or 16 songs, one or two from each of these great artists:

1.  Casiotone for the Painfully Alone-  Vs. Children.  Beautiful and sad and hopeful.  Has a Nebraska-like feel to the lyrics.  Natural Light is a song about a photograph.  Short, perfect melody.  Northfield, MN is a little crime drama that sounds like an Elliot Smith song.  If you are in town next week (I am not, sadly) go see him play at Slowtrain on the 29th.  

2.  The Rural Alberta Advantage-  Hometowns.  Technically this album came out late last year.  Those who received any late copies of our best of 2008 will have heard some of these songs. The album was re-released on SaddleCreek(Omaha based label, home of bright eyes, the good Rilo Kiley albums, the faint, and various other emo/indie/twee bands) a few weeks ago to pretty favorable reviews.  It's probably my most listened to album this year, if I'm honest.  You hear a little Neutral Milk Hotel in his voice.  The drummer is incredible.   Get the album. 

3.  The Antlers- Hospice.  This album will see a more wide release in a few weeks thanks to FrenchKiss records (The Hold Steady, The dodos, passion pit, etc.)  The lyrics are heavy and very well written.  Look at the album cover, listen to some of the songs and make out for yourself what it's about.

4.  The Thermals- Now We Can See.  Rock music.  Done well.

5.  Elvis Perkins- Elvis Perkins in Dearland.  Great songwriter with a great brass section.  

6.  Say Hi-  I used to think they were a Death Cab for Cutie cover band with Pedro the Lion's Dave Bazan as their singer, now I think they're more of a Spoon cover band with Pedro the Lion's Dave Bazan as their lead singer.  I have loved them in both cases.  (lots of Spoon like sounds lately.)

7.  White Rabbits- another Spoon cover band.  Really good one. 

There are some other songs on there.  Bon Iver had a nice EP in Jan. and there's a song from that.  Laura Gibson put out another quiet album with great songs, Spoon primed us for the upcoming album with an EP.   There's a song or two from the Dark Was The Night comp.  The Devil Whale, a SLC band, released an album last year that I missed, but a few of the songs were so good I felt they needed a spot.

And that is all I will say about the music.  If you want the mix, let me know.  Or if you're adventurous and/or wealthy go buy all the albums.   I'll draw you a picture on the cd if you read this far.  or maybe I can get ash to make you some cookies.  they're really quite good.

love.

Feeling grateful .... and loving these things today:

Visitors with magic tricks

Visitors with really cute babies 

Friends that are Italian , and family friends

This beautiful and brave lady

Home-made pasta and meatballs

Stadium of Fire

Cousins

Kissy faces

Swimming lessons

and best buds.

Happy Fourth...

Happy 4th of July! To celebrate Sophie and I are going to go see these guys:
John and Parker and Ruby will BBQ with his family. I am sure that as soon as the kids are in bed John will re-watch today's time trial from this: (YIPPEEE..... started today. We love July!)
And I just can't help it. It's Lance!!! I know he has baggage, but don't we all? I just love Lance..... Hope he wins another one. 

stuff

Some pics of lately:

John and I post birthday date. 
Parker and I taking self portraits at eight am. He had already been awake for over an hour. Good thing he is so charming. His sleep habits are not so charming.
Ruby sitting up. Horray!
Ruby eating prunes. Sophie looking way too old...  

Life is good. 

the music in me...

Confession: Deep down I really truly wanted to be a rock star. Somewhere along the way reality caught up to me... ie; lack of talent, lack of dedication to an instrument, lack of Disney Channel movies with singing and dancing tryouts, lack of type A personality, you know, the list could go on. But if I could have stepped in for a day this is who I would have chosen at 9. 

Janet Jackson. This is back when I thought I was a dancer, taking dance with Christine Hansen. Turns out I wasn't a dancer. ( On another note, RIP MJ..... I love you!)

At 14 it was Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopez. My aunt had a waterfall in her backyard. We (my sisters and I) wanted to recreate the music video for "Waterfalls". I had a kickin' pair of overalls from The Gap. I memorized the solo in the song. I loved Left Eye. 

Fast forward to 16. I begged Eric Richards of the earth shatteringly famous East High Band  Mind Spin to let me sing a No Doubt song during one of their lunch time performances. I secretly wanted to be Gwen Stefani. In his wise wise sage wisdom he said no( I actually think he said he would talk to the band, and I never heard back from them...) Man, how can I ever thank him enough for that now? 

Fast forward even more to 29. I am a Mormon housewife with three children who loves the Disney Channel ( I just set the DVR to record Princess Protection Program) and just two nights ago in the car I had that same funny feeling of "if I could be in a band and be this singer... it would be....)

Karen O. ( Of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.)

Call it a mid-life crisis. But just once I really want to get on a stage in a crazy one piece ugly spandex outfit and sing my guts out and have it sound awesome. (Backed by the band and with a ton of screaming fans singing along..) Is that too much to ask?

Maybe I should look into a really good karaoke bar? Or maybe we should buy Rock Band. Or maybe I am just crazy. Who would you be???

** Obvious Disclaimer: I realize that these people sometimes have not made "good" choices. Like when Left Eye burned her boyfriends house down. I guess what I am saying is- I just want to step in and sing the song, not necessarily BE like them. That's all. 

darn near perfect..

That is what the past couple days have been, darn near perfect! Here is what they have included:

- a culinary feast to celebrate Father's Day with my family and John's family together

- homemade raspberry sour cream ice cream, red velvet cake, sweet potatoes, salmon.....

- new hanae mori and the cutest new wallet, and a cafe rio gift card

- a trip to Deer Creek for summers first waterski

- watching my parents laugh so hard they had tears in their eyes

- soreness in my "waterski" muscles today

-watching Parker and Sophie's faces on the boat

-watching my awesome Dad waterski

-answering Parker's one hundered thousand questions in the car

- driving with Zach and Lauren in the minivan

- post boating meal at Dairy Keen... raspberry almond shake

Here is to the next few days being just as perfect...

six months...

Six months and Ruby is loving sweet potatoes, almost sitting up, playing with toys, and enjoys the endless entertainment of chaos at our house! We love this little one.