Love, Lay Your Head On My Weary Shoulder

I once saw Spencer Day live in Hollywood. Nice guy.

He just released a CD, and was on the Craig Ferguson show in September. I missed seeing him in Redondo Beach last weekend. Maybe next time.

Anyway, I remember this song from his show. It's a lot more polished now, and still quite lovely.



And now I want a hug.

Remember Praan?

I've already commented how much I like the Garry Schyman piece Praan, composed for the Where The Hell Is Matt? 2008 dancing video.

Now I find out there's free piano sheet music for this inspirational piece of music. Wow.

I have time to devote to my piano hobby, right? Right?

Conan, Are You Trying To Tell Me Something?

This is way more than I usually expose about my personal life on here, but let's say things are coming to a head and Diane 2.0 has had enough. (Diane 2.0 is what I've been calling the revamped "me" I've been working on since my breakup)

I usually watch The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien online while I eat dinner a few days after they air. Usually, I don't pay attention to the musical guests and just let the episode play out while I do something more interesting.

The musical guest for the episode I watched last night was Demi Lovato's "Here We Go Again", and Kate Voegele's "99 Times" for the episode I watched tonight.

I know it's just a coincidence, but I feel Conan is trying to tell me something very particular about a certain person in my life, who I can't seem to get rid of. No, not my ex-boyfriend. He's long gone, and good riddance. But someone else who I thought I was over with and now I'm in a recursive loop saying to myself, "expecting something different to happen, given the exact same input over a multitude of iterations, is insanity". I hope this makes sense and can help someone else out there.

Let's say, my ex-boyfriend dumped me, and this guy wants to get me back in the loop of saying "Here We Go Again", and each time we have an interaction I think to myself "99 Times".

Hey. At least Diane 1.0 would have texted or called him by now, just to figure out WTF is his problem and to be disappointed with the answer. I haven't done either, and I won't. I already know his answer.

I need to get to the point where I can apply P!nk's U + Ur Hand with this fellow, and I'll really be done.

Yes, my friend. I think saying "Don't talk to me anymore" is a great line. I might even have the guts to use it tomorrow when the lout comes back for another round.

Michael Jackson is Dead

LA Times Article

I think this comes as a shock to everyone.

I'm not a fan of Michael Jackson, but I think Los Angeles has always had a love affair for the star. When I moved here three years ago, you could still listen to his 20-year-old songs on the radio next to the top-ten of the week. Even now I'll hear "Billie Jean" or "Beat It" on the radio every now and then.

Lost City Radio in WeHo

I went out to see Lost City Radio perform at The Cat Club in West Hollywood this weekend. I like seeing good local talent live and this band is really well-put-together. The only thing I think they need to improve on is to turn up the lead's mike a bit.

Lost City Radio is mainstream rock and roll without any "alternative" or sub-genre label tacked onto it. Combined with the good fortune of being leagues better than the band that came on before and after them, they had the entire bar crowd involved that night. Their lead is pretty relaxed and works audiences very well.

After the show we crawled across the alley to Frankie & Johnnie's New York Style Pizza for . . .beer and pizza! The walls are covered with notes and signatures of B-list celebrities and the pizza really hit the spot. The server we had was really nice but it seemed that some of the other servers there could probably work on their hospitality skills.

Elevation

A few months ago, Roger Ebert wrote about the emotion Elevation - the feeling of having witnessed something good. He cited a Slate article that described President Obama's success in evoking elevation in people who watch his speeches.

The internet has been buzzing about Susan Boyle's performance of "I Dreamed A Dream" on Britain's Got Talent auditions. It does not surprise me in the least that her rendition is soul stirring and uplifting. She goes on stage, and she's not much to look at. Her dress is unflattering and her hair is unkempt. She sasses the judges with a working-woman's accent. It's obvious the audience thinks she's a joke.

Until she sings. And then the joke is on everyone else. Everyone realizes they just saw something remarkable. I think Simon lied, but that's just me. :)

For the record, I doubt a story like this would happen in the United States. I think our entertainment industry is much too shallow.

Susan could not have picked a better song to invoke elevation in her audience. It's a song of a broken dream, and still wanting it even though it will not come to pass. The 10th Anniversary Les Miserables version always makes me feel. . . something. The anguish and frustration in Fantine's voice always invokes so many feelings in me. Yet she still sounds defiant; indomitable.

Susan took this song of a broken dream and made it hers. She made Fantine's anguish her own, and proved to Great Britain that she deserved her spot in Britain's Got Talent more than her competitors.

I could go on and say something about how we only expect conventionally pretty people to be good at stuff, but I think that's for a different post.

Speaking of Les Miserables, the best example of a song from that musical that invokes elevation in me every time is Do You Hear The People Sing? Wow. The encore arrangement is more powerful in terms of impact, but I prefer the original lyrics.

Katherine Jenkins Honeyed Voice

I haven't posted in a while. Life has kept me away.

Somehow the month of November escaped me, and we're now solidly in December. What happened?

I had a lot of projects due in my online class; I spent a lot of my hours in a lab at school. Thanksgiving was fun; it's been a while that I've had the big family get-together and really felt included. That was a good experience for me.

This week I was rear-ended on my way home from work, so now I'm puttering around in a PT Cruiser. Let me tell you, I now know why little old grannies love that car! (At least I think I know)

The few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas really makes me want to listen to grand pieces of music. I just discovered Katherine Jenkins; her voice is richer than Charlotte Church's, and I would dare say, much prettier. Apparently she's a hit classical crossover artist. Why I've never heard of her before, I don't know. And for the guys, she's mega eye-candy. ;)

Nick Reynolds Dies

Kingston Trio's Nick Reynolds Dies At 75

The Kingston Trio is one of my dad's favorite bands. When I was growing up I listened to a lot of their music.

Spencer Day at the Hotel Cafe

Last night Spencer Day debuted at the Hotel Cafe. For some reason I thought the Hotel Cafe was in downtown, but I was wrong; it's in Hollywood.

Even living in LA, Hollywood still feels like a strange, foreign city to me, full of nightclubs, bars, and tourist attractions. But I digress.

Spencer found me on MySpace a couple months ago and sent me a nice note. Most of the musician "friend" requests are fairly impersonal, but I felt that Mr. Day looked at my profile and (correctly) judged that I might be interested in his music, then sent a note to say so. Classy.

His original songs are full of witty lyrics, great syncopation and wonderful piano playing. His genre is somewhere in that weird realm of lounge/jazz/pop standard flavor of music, similar to Michael Buble but more original. I definitely will be going to Mr. Day's shows in LA in the future.

Here's how not to hit on a girl: Approach her from behind and touch her arm with a cold beer she doesn't want during the last song of the gig she's clearly interested in watching, then proceed to talk to her while she's (unsuccessfully) ignoring you. Bonus jerk points for being dirty, smelling like you've had a pack too many smokes, and telling the girl you live upstairs.

Call Me Irresponsible

I went out and bought another copy of Michael Buble's CD, Call Me Irresponsible. I had a copy when it was first released but it was in my ex-boyfriend's car when we broke up and it got misplaced. When I asked him about it he said he looked and couldn't find it. So that leaves two conclusions:

1) He lied.
2) I took it from his car, put it with my CDs, and forgot that I did so.

While option 2 is plausible, I looked through all my CDs before I bugged the guy about it (Unless I had a secret stash of them that I forgot about). I suppose it's also plausible that something else besides options 1 or 2 happened, but given his moral flexibility, I'm inclined to believe option 1 more than anything. I'm biased, I'll admit it.

At any rate, I wasn't without the music (it was on my iPod), just the CD. And since I'm closer to Lawful Good than Neutral Good, I needed a hard copy of my own and Border's Bookstores sent me just the 30% off coupon to get it with. (Even so, no wonder CD sales have declined! You'd be crazy to spend $25 for a CD!)

Singing, "Ay, Oh, Ay, Oh, Ay, Oh, Ay"

I heard this song on the radio this morning for the first time. Lets you know how out-of-touch I am with what's going on with the world.

It was catchy and put me in a good mood. It's definitely something I'm going to need to download and add to my running/party playlists.

The song is Santana and Chris Kroeger's collaboration, Into The Night.

The Same Mistake

This song is really touching to me for some reason. I listen to it on repeat sometimes.

I'm not sure how pathological that is. I feel like I may glean some additional knowledge from Blunt's words.

I feel like my life is like this song sometimes. Some nights I just can't get to sleep, and I'm not sure what the reason for that must be. And there are no stars that I can see.

I feel like my love life is going in circles. I don't know how to break out of the cycle.

My ex-boyfriend doesn't want to feel bad. My best friend here wants to be "right", whatever that means. They both say they're worried about me.

I'm starting to think I'm ruled out of compassion, even if I'm not completely altruistic. I'm also starting to think that's a rarity in this world. If either of them were so worried about me they wouldn't be so busy trying to "not feel bad" or "be right" about my situation. I'm really annoyed by that.

I feel like everyone is selfish and everyone else's selfishness trumps my selfishness, every time.

Everyone has their problems.

And maybe someday we will meet,
and maybe talk, and not just speak

walk out the door and up the street
look at the stars
look at the stars fall down
and wonder where did I go wrong?

James Blunt & All The Lost Souls

On a whim I bought James Blunt's new CD, All The Lost Souls, at a Starbucks yesterday. I'm always hesitant to buy new music from someone I don't absolutely love, because what if the music sucks?

Good thing I enjoyed the CD. Blunt is kind of tricky, because his famous stuff is so spirit-dampening. As a collection, the songs on his sophomore release work well together and the overall tone is bittersweet yet hopeful. Right now that's about where I am emotionally and it feels pretty good.

There's something almost delicate about Blunt's lyrics and his voice. I'm not sure if it's "nice", but it feels raw and expressive to me. I like that.

Tracks include:

1973 - this is the first single from his album, and it's getting a lot of airplay. There's something very "Summer of '69" about this song that I like.
One of the Brightest Stars
I'll Take Everything
Same Mistake
Carry You Home - This is really the perfect example of the depressing/hopeful tonal juxtaposition. There's a tenderness in his voice here that I really like.
Give Me Some Love - This is, in my opinion, the epitome of Blunt's 1970's homage to music, drugs, and free love. It's a fun sounding song, although the lyrics are quite troubling.
I Really Want You - His voice is especially delicate here.
Shine On
Annie
I Can't Hear The Music

Josh Groban at the Honda Center

I saw Josh Groban at the Honda Center Saturday night. It was a good show, although I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the Michael Buble concert. The OC Register reviewed both the Josh Groban and the Michael Buble show.

I think the problem I have with Josh Groban isn't something that Josh Groban can solve. I have a strong adversion for anything I feel is overly popular or substance lacking (if you go to Disneyland, you will feel what I mean). Or maybe I have a hard time with soft, romantic music that doesn't really convince me the singer is any more than a voice. Maybe that's it. I'm not attracted to soft, sappy, romantic types (although I myself am fairly sappy), or their accompanying music. I'm still in my "self-described bad ass" stage.

Regardless, the concert was enjoyable. He's developing a very eclectic style that I'm not sure I really like, although I can see his appeal to others. I think my favorite song he sang from the concert was "In Her Eyes", during which he wandered throughout the crowd. Other songs I enjoyed from the concert were: Aléjate, Un Dia Llegara, You Are Loved (Don't Give Up), You Raise Me Up, and Remember When It Rained.

Is it awful that my favorite performance from the concert was when violinist Lucia Micarelli led the band in a classically-infused cover of Led Zepplin's Kashmir? I also thought cellist Colette Alexander was fantastic.

Michael Buble at the Greek Theater

When I moved here almost a year ago, I knew that if I was going to pay for overpriced concert tickets to see someone sing, it would be for Michael Buble. I had no idea it would only take a year for that to happen.

Last night I saw Michael Buble at the Greek Theater. He was promoting his new CD, Call Me Irresponsible (it's really good, go out and buy a copy!).

Wow. Talk about a showman. He's funny, unpretentious, and slightly profane. He knows all his band members by name (first and last - I don't know why I found that impressive), and it's obvious that they get along. He doesn't lip sync.

If you've never been to the Greek Theater, it's awesome. It's a 5,700 seat outdoor amphitheater in Griffith Park (one of the largest urban parks in the United States). It's modeled after a Greek temple, hence the name. I think I would prefer seeing concerts there than in an enclosed theater space. Something to do with both acoustics and stuffiness.

The concert itself was very well produced - there was a continuous flow from beginning to end, and even when Buble introduced his bandmates or talked to the audience, it seemed naturally placed and appropriate. He opened with "I'm Your Man" and closed with "A Song For You". During the last lines of "A Song For You", he pulled the microphone away and just let his voice carry. While I bought good tickets, they weren't great tickets, and I could hear his voice just fine from where I was sitting (near the front of section C, if you want to get technical). Talk about a set of lungs combined with great acoustics.

I definitely didn't feel that I wasted my money on this show. It was an incredible experience and one that cemeted my love for living in Los Angeles. I honestly can't imagine living somewhere else and feeling as comfortable or as at home as I do here (even though I struggle with feeling at home anywhere).

Obsolescence of the Compact Disc

Every once in a while, there will be a news blurb on declining CD sales, and the rise of internet downloads.

Is the CD Becoming Obsolete?
Compact Disc's Outlook Worsens

I really believe a huge factor in the decline of CD sales is the huge cost of buying a CD. I prefer CDs to a file on my computer, but rarely will I shell out $20 for a CD. That's ridiculous!

I hypothesize that one could cut out the fat from music labels, reduce the price of CDs to $5-$10 (OK, I'd be willing to pay $15 for a CD, but only if it's from Michael Buble!), and you will see CD sales soar once more. Most of the cost of a CD is in marketing and middlemen (I'm guessing; I'm no business or economics major). If the music is good, word of mouth alone will sell it.

It's OK if you think I'm wrong. I don't mind. :)

Call Me Irresponsible

Do you know of Michael Buble? He's one of my favorite living musicians. His new album, Call Me Irresponsible, released yesterday.

One of the advantages of living in a major city is that musicians tend to tour there. Buble will be at the Greek Theater in LA on August 22nd and 23rd. Tickets go on sale Saturday morning, 10:00 AM. Guess what I'll be doing instead of sleeping on May 5th?

I first heard Michael Buble when I was sitting a movie theater, and the "movie theater radio" played the Junkie XL remix of Buble's "Spiderman Theme", which was featured in the credits of Spiderman 2. Check out the video for it on YouTube.

Digital Piano

I bought my digital piano last night. It's in my bedroom now as I speak.

I'm fairly happy with it, although I've noticed that I need to hit the higher keys harder to hear them over the bass notes. On a real piano, you don't have to press them as hard because the natural frequency of the notes will allow them to be heard over the lower-frequency bass notes. (The same reason you don't need as many sopranos as you do altos/baritones/basses) So there's something Yamaha can improve on (unless they already have that feature in an upgraded -i.e. more expensive- line of keyboards). The other glaring "feature" is in the sustain pedal - you have to press the sustain pedal for however long you want the sustain to last. On a real piano, the sustain will continue for a short time after you release the pedal; it sounds "soft". The keyboard sounds "hard".

However, it does appear to be a suitable substitute for my upright until I can get a real place of my own (condo, or dare I hope, house?) so I can move my piano here. I was told by the sales guy that you don't get bigger bang for your buck than the Yamaha YPG-625.

I also noticed that I really suck at piano now. This is what I get for not having something to practice on consistently for over 5 years. I feel really hurt that I didn't pay more attention during my piano lessons back in the day. (I started piano when I was 4, and stopped "real" private lessons when I was 9 and moved to Utah.) That was a bit of shooting-myself-in-the-foot. I'm not sure if I had the potential to be great at piano, and while I can read sheet music, I'm not fluent at it. That would be a sexy skill to have.

I remember this girl who was in my choir class in high school. She was our accompanist, my age, and she could read sheets like there was nothing to it. I hope she went on to study music in college.

I do have a lot of sheet music (and just purchased a lot of new sheet music), so I won't be starved for something intellectually and creatively stimulating. I ended up having to buy books for the Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Mozart pieces I want to learn, so I guess that gives me an additional reason to learn the other pieces. I ended up buying more pop pieces than I intended, but James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover" sound incredible as piano pieces, even if you don't like the guy.

With this digital piano, I can start recording some of my playing (when I get back into practice and feel comfortable recording!). I've thought about posting some of that out on YouTube. My digital camera can record video, so I thought that cutting my own videos, and adding music (or even mixing covers of my favorite pop pieces) would be something creative and fun to do.

The Day Has Come When I Drool Over A Digital Piano

My current "thing I just gotta have right this second" is this Yamaha YPG-625 Digital Grand Piano. I'm saving up for it.

I saw the keyboard when I was browsing my local Guitar Center, and really enjoyed playing what little snippets of pieces I remember on it. The keys feel "right" to me, which is, to me, the must-have feature on a digital piano.

I remember when digital pianos started to become the big fad around 6 or 7 years ago (maybe even before that), and these sales people would expect you to justify paying between $2,000 and $5,000 for a digital piano. To me, there is nothing that can replicate the experience of playing a real, wood & steel piano wire piano. I would get so disgusted with those salespeople because they didn't understand that; they would try to sell you the idea that a digital piano was better than a "real" piano because you wouldn't have to ever tune it, and that people couldn't tell by sound which was a real piano and which was a digital.

Right now it's not logically feasible for me to move my Samick upright from my parents' home to my apartment. That's part of the reason I want to buy this Yamaha. I've been out of practice so long and some days when I get home from work I just want to sit down and play something.

Here is a list of what I eventually want to be able to play (some of the music I can play with the sheet music, other pieces are new to me):

• Mozart's Sonata No. 11 in A Major (KV 331) - I'd like to eventually play all three parts.
• Mozart's Turkish March
• Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 - my old piano instructor had me learn the first part of this, under the title "The District Attorney"
• Chopin's Nocturne in C Sharp Minor (posthumous) - if I could get this to sound like pearls I can give up piano playing
• Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata; I know how to play the first part, with the sheet music. I want to get better.
• Beethoven's Fur Elise - I can play the first part of this from memory
• Beethoven's Rage Over A Lost Penny
• Several of Bach's Minuets
• Shubert's Military March

And some pop pieces:

• In Dreams (From Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Theme (you won't believe how long it took me to find the sheet music for this)

I used to like playing more pop, and less classical, but I must be getting older. Or have a greater appreciation for truer gems.