25 September 2011

Happy Happy Joy Joyce

::  J O Y O U S   O C C A S I O N S  ::
artwork from the joy of living ~ visions of a healthy future

{all photos courtesy of my iphone hipstamatic addiction.}

Ah, fall is officially here, meaning summer, my fave season, has come to a close. Boo hoo. Add to that, the world is akimbo: reported gloom + doom based on the U.S. economy; earthquakes on the East coast a few weeks ago; Apple brainchild Steve Jobs retires, R.E.M. breaking up. Quel dommage.

I respect these state of affairs and their (greater?) purpose, yet they are counter to my essence. Despite being in my own state of flux, I keep pushing on. Those around me ask, "How?" It's not that big of a mystery: happiness can be found in spurts/doses/segments. And should be celebrated as such. Chasing categorical, 24/7 happiness is a challenge beyond (my) means.

My Mom led by example: she lived in the moment. Her fifth year yartzeit (an endearing term a Jewish gal friend taught me) was last week. Five years... Hard to believe.

I telegraph many special moments w/her that were just that, 'moments'... be it a half hour or 5 minutes: a scrabble game, a shared beer, an inside joke at the expense of my rival-of-the-moment... just short blips at the moment caught my breath and made me take note. I am thankful to whatever higher level granted me the awareness to take that pause.

If your parents are still alive, I suggest you love on them. Today. Or, as often as you can.

Playing a bit of catch up here so this playlist is long... but worth it. I've been working on it for awhile. Just wanted to take my time. It's a happenstance of happy tunes for reasons that probably only make sense to me. Sorry. ;) But I'm fairly sure these tunes will linger w/you, as they do me.

Fond farewell, Summer. See you not soon enough. And Mom, thanks for watching over me. And to the rest of you, find your happy place - even if it's for a minute to two. xo to all ~Joy

Go Outside
Cults
This song is the epitome of me. From the xylophone to the lyrics. Totally this girl. If you hate this song, we can't be friends.


Ohio
The Black Keys
My home state boys! Love this tune. Timely tribute to Ohio. I also cannot wait for their next BlakRoc project. aside from being insanely talented, Dan Auerbach seems to have the midas touch on all his side projects (like the divine Jessica Lea Mayfield.)


Wouldn't It Be Nice
Bullion
My fave part of the tune is at 1:47: "Run run run..." ala Beach boys. Nice.


Can't You Tell
Vetiver
Another Beach Boys ish vibe. Just meandering. Isn't that what downtime is all about?

Waves (Rodaidh Radio Edit)
Holly Miranda
I love this tune. THEN I found this video, and fell in love deeper. I love that bar/café, I love the raw high contrast b/w vignette Vincent Moon chose, I love that the Barback-come-Violinist is as relevant to this vid as Holly. Listen to the dialogue of this vid from the get go. Shot glass clinking and all. Sláinte, eh?

I've always been a print/interactive girl, but after being moved by this vid, and a recent chance to suggest the soundtrack to a good friend's indie movie, maybe video is my next big thing...



Stand In the Water
Wildlife
Great title. Even better lyrics.
 

Street Joy
White Denim
Dreamy Cali vibe. Slight added bonus that "joy" is in the title. I'm listening to White Denim constantly. Their LP, D, is worth your ears + time as well.


Put The Days Away
Sun Airway
Time's passing. Embrace the moment. Or reflect on the past. Both have value. ;)

As most of you know, Twitter is a strange time suck. Most days I've a love/hate relationship w/Twitter. A necessary occupational evil, I say. However, there are normal folks out there. Witness them at Twistori. It can def pull you out of a slump if you follow the positive words.

Goth Star
Pictureplane
I love the stop/start -ness of the vocals, somewhat like Ohio's Fall: one day cold, next day crazy hot... I also love the title of this tune as it supports my art school mentality that all goth kids are cool. As is my friend Lor, below. She's not goth, but she is a star in my eyes + heart. 


Upside Down
Bassnectar
I'm from Northeastern Ohio. As such two words are all you need to know when it comes to amusement parks: Cedar Point. End of discussion. And if you do go, make sure when you ride the Corkscrew, you do so in the very last seats.


In Every Direction (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Remix)
Junip
Two of summer's favorite darlings in one song? Hooray! Junip (José Gonzales frontman) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (possibly best new band name of the year). This song is solid on it's own, but I do love this remix as each band's essence is kept pure (vs a remix casualty.)



Once Around The Block
Badly Drawn Boy
Light and whimsical this tune... (Yoda speak. lol)


Sunlight
The One AM Radio
Further evidence you can take the girl out of So Cal, but you can't take Southern California out of the girl. The reference to "driving down the stretch of Wilshire Boulevard..." tugs at some heart strings mostly because back in the day I was doing so in an uber luxury vehicle in the name of due diligence for my then client Land Rover. Too. Much. Fun. (to be paid for. truth.)


Which One Of You Jerks Drank My Arnold Palmer
Blockhead
Love the title of this song as it makes me think of all the blockheads (pun!) I see when I go to the Memorial Tournament. Please note, the fine gent below is def NOT a blockhead (nor is my fab friend who shined me onto this artist.). ;)



Sleep Forever (Bassex Remix)
Portugal. The Man
Perfect tune to end this long post. Night, everyone. Or, happy nap, pending when you read this.


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You quiver like a candle on fire
I'm putting you out
Maybe tonight we could be the last shout
But I'm fascinated by your style
Your beauty will last for a while

You're feeling instead of being
The more that I live on the inside
There's nothing to give
I'm infatuated by your moves
I've got to search hard for your clues

~ Once Around the Block by Badly Drawn Boy

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22 July 2011

Oscillate Wildly, Baby

::  D V D P  M A D N E S S  ::

Inspired by the heat, keeping this short + sweet. { thanks, Friday. }

Oscillate Wildly
The Smiths

 

16 May 2011

Stopgap Pleasure

::  T O O T H P A S T E  for D I N N E R  ::

I stumbled upon this illustration and savored the irony as believe it or not, my blog HAS been top of mind. A new year's resolution was to post monthly. And I did so...um...until April. My conundrum: I have so much (new + old) music I want to post, I can't get my act together to focus on which I want to share first. Maybe it's because I'm listening to a lot of mashups as of late that my blogging brain is now scrambled into 10 second sound bites/bytes... Curse you, Gregg Gillis. ;)

So while I laugh at myself, at least I've found the hospitality to offer up some eye and ear awesomesauce as a stopgap gesture regarding my intent to get back to heartfelt and scintillating blog posts. (source: Information Aesthetics)

::  anatomy of a mashup | Daft Punk Visualized ::

Listen. Download. 
Cameron Adams, The Man in Blue

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Work it
Make it
Do it
Makes Us

Harder
Better
Faster
Stronger...


~ Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk 

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11 March 2011

earthquakes, tsunamis, catastrophe, oh my.




I am so distracted by the earthquake + tsunami in Japan. I have a friend there on business travel and can't image how the fear would be compounded by being in a foreign country away, and from your family.

For reasons unknown, this has shades of 9/11 for me in that I can't stop looking at/reading the news wires. I'm in awe of the photography shown to date. And even stumbled upon a haunting audio of the seismic waves. My heart goes out to all. The America Red Cross has set up donation relief efforts quickly. The opportunity to text a $10 donation is in place: Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10

What's particularly disarming is that I have an unusual amount of friends out on business travel this week and next, both state side and international. I wish everyone safety. Come home soon! Big hug ~Joy

Safe From Harm (Perfecto Mix)
Massive Attack

Safe and Sound
Electric President

.

11 February 2011

A Bit o' Britt

::  B R I T I S H   G O V E R N M E N T   P O S T E R  ~  C I R C A  1939  ::

Ah, to be fourteen again.

And to be in a band. Now, that would have been sweet...

Alas, I find myself amused by living vichariously through my 14 year old niece, Britt. She's always loved music. At last count she has 3 electric guitars; a slew of amps; mics; maybe an acoustic guitar; um, two drum kits... And well-versed on all each piece of equipment. Not bad for a hobbyist, eh?

Well this hobbyist is smart and surrounded herself w/like-minded music junkies who, "...just wanna perform and have fun...". Enter, I Like It Loud, a talented trio formed while attending a music school camp in Southern Florida. Some of their fave bands are ones of pure punk goodness: Green Day, The Clash, The Ramones. They've just started playing local all-age gigs showcasing their original song, "Miss ADHD." And true to the youth of today, they have a strong grasp of the power of branding and promoting (check out their tshirts, blog, videos, facebook fan page!) As long as Britt doesn't come on stage out of an egg, I fully support my girl! 

This post is a belated 14th birthday gift dedicated to my wonderfully creative, cool, and talented niece. The playlist is long, but worth it! It contains British-inspired tunes. However, some are 100% American bands which have a europhile vibe. Some are currently on the airwaves, and other's I've loved since my college days (gasp...)

Britt, most of all, these are tunes I hope you like, and ones which might even wind up on the band's setlist someday. ;) Rock on, Rock Star! I hope year 14 is everything you want it to be! xo Aunt Joy

   The Outright Obvious

All Too Much
Metropolitan

All Over Again
Locksley

See The Sun
The Kooks

For The Girl
The Fratellis

Ruby Soho
Vampire Weekend (Rancid Cover)

   The Somewhat Obscure

Could Be Anything
The Eames Era

Percussion Gun
White Rabbits

Just Drums
Tapes N Tapes

Anti-Anti
Snowden

So Far We Are
French Kicks

Oscar Wilde
Company of Thieves

   The Undeniable Classics

Do It Clean
Echo and The Bunnymen

Live Forever
Oasis

It's Only Life
The Feelies

Still Ill
The Smiths

   The Heartfelt Dedication

Answer To Yourself
The Soft Pack

Let's Dance to Joy Division
The Wombats

That's Entertainment
The Jam

Age of Consent
New Order

A Girl Like You
Edwyn Collins

Ready To Start
Arcade Fire

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You got a talent don't you know?
You're more talented than you know
And you give it a shot
And give it the time
And be surprised how far it goes

~ Answer to Yourself by The Soft Pack
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27 January 2011

You: For Better. Or Worse.

::   1 0 0  T I P S  T O  I M P R O V E  Y O U R  L I F E   ::
By The99Percent.com

Okay kids, end of January is upon us. How are those 2011 resolutions holding up? One friend calls them "Jan-Febsolutions" for their actual life span, despite best intentions. He's probably right.

If you need a little spark to rekindle your new year verve, take a look 100 Tips to Improve Your Life from 99%. These aren't resolutions: not things you need to give up, but things that can enhance your life. Note, those are def two different beasts: give up vs enhance. The suggestions and links gathered by Behance, (the creators of the "Making Ideas Happen" book) are impressive and some, even realistic. One word of caution, if you aren't a Tim Ferriss fan, this list might offend you as his thumbprint is all over this list (although he has made a kettlebell believer out of me.)

I feel we are all our own worst enemies. So give yourself a break if you haven't made a dent in your resolutions (there's still 11 more months!) Take a deep breath and merely make minor adjustments along the way versus wholesale changes. Baby steps, my Friends.

This playlist is a cornucopia of tunes skewed towards our pros, our cons, and everything in between. As the saying goes, "If you don't love you, who will?". ;)

Peace ~Joy

99 Problems (Jay-Z Cover)
Hugo
Starting this playlist about 100 ideas from the 99% with Hugo's 99 Problems was a slam dunk. I love Jay-Z's orig tune. And I love this cover, which Jay-Z did too - he signed Hugo to his Roc Nation label.

Within Your Reach
The Replacements
Can we talk about the guitars in this song? Just crazy good. Just crazy Paul Westerberg.

No New Tale To Tell
Love 'n Rockets
Still a rockin' great tune.

How You Like Me Now
Heavy
This club fave hit the motherload when Kia used it in their 2010 Super Bowl Spot: Joyride Dream.

Body of Years
Mother Mother

Don't Do It
Sharon Van Etten
Snap. She was in Columbus last week playing The Wex and I missed her... Haunting voice. And tune.

Transparency is the New Mystery
Marnie Stern
I haven't been too heavy handed w/the order of this playlist (for once) so I'm delighted these two tunes back up to one another as they are so very different. Or... are they?

Lose Big
Eef Barzelay
My love for Clem Snide is never-ending (see: Speechless or Apology Not Accepted. As such, so this tune by Eef.

My Will is Good
Port O'Brien
Observation: this band def sounds like they'd be a featured artist on Conan, don't they? Dueling O'Brien's. :)

Good Friends, Bad Habits
Owen
There are published studies by Harvard Medical School which support this theory. See Point #10 in this article. lol

Drink Drank Drunk
A Sunny Day in Glasgow
If the Harvard study above is correct, um, you might not want to share this tune w/your friends.

Cry 4 Help
Har Mar Superstar
Man, talking about "owning it"... Sean Tillmann, Har Mar Superstar creator, just puts it all out there for those to love or loathe. Me, I applaud his audacity and creativity. I liken his live show to the experience I had watching Gogol Bordello at Lolla last year: a raucous, riotous act with undeniable talent.

Dear God
XTC
If you don't know this about me yet, take note: I've unbridled enthusiasm about most things. And life, yes, it can suck. If that's the chosen lens from which you view. I say make your 2011 suck less. :) And if you're in true despair, then this last song is for you. Be well. Be happy. Be you. 

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Old soul who falls down
Can't stop tripping on these old roads I go down
Get back up and get my...

Foot in the door and my face on the page
Make my mark in the world with a bat and a blade
Just a body of work that you can't ever change
Like a body of years that you take to your grave

~Body of Years by Mother Mother 
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