Zoe Keating - The Legions

So SY's gift inspired me to see what else might be out there in terms of classical music with a pop, indie or modern sensibility. I pinged around my people a bit and behold!...a friend on Myspace sent me some info on an avant-cellist named Zoe Keating. Part Laurie Anderson (cello), part Cocteau Twins (hipster dreadlocks), part Tori Amos (symbiosis with her instrument) and part Michael Nyman (lush hypnotic soundscapes)....shes a creative force all her own. And the music is elevating, transporting, transcendent, mesmerizing, and can inspire a range of emotions far too numerous to be adequately described in my humble blog...it must be experienced. And I cant wait for her to come back through town...apparently she played the fox Theater in Boulder in Summer '06. Website: www.zoekeating.com

[You MUST listen to "The Sun Will Set" gorgeous sound, gem-like]

Rachel's - Water From the Same Source

Hey Miss Soo Young, check out this video from Rachel's....its so fucking beautiful it kinda hurts a little! Thanks for sharing Rachel's with me.

GSH

Birthday 2 - Ladies & Gentlemen, Baby Talia is in the Building

OK, so my first girlfriend ever in life (ah....Junior High School....) had her first baby about 7 months ago, and Baby Talia is turning out to be every bit the talented diva her mom, Toni, has been since we were kids growing up together.

The link below is to a YouTube snippet wherein Baby Talia, ever the consummate professional, and with perfect pitch and timing, accompanies her mom in the chorus of Minnie Ripperton's classic love song, Loving You." The torch is most assuredly passed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0TCx0jGimA

If you dont think this is cute, please feel free to call the coroner yourself, as you are legally dead.

Much love,

GSH

Birthday 1- Soo Young Rocks Classical Music Hard

Miss Soo Young and I spent the afternoon and early evening together celebrating our birthdays as well as Mother's Day. What an amazing strong independent person and how lucky am I to have this friendship!!??

Over dinner, I collect my birthday contraband....I'm not all that fond of receiving surprises. [Long story, we can chat on this later] But it just goes to show how rich and right life can be when you let it unfold...

Over the table she passes me a pretty wrapped package. Its a CD, but I couldnt have known how beautiful and expansive both her intention and the music would be. Flowing, emanating and insistent string music....absolutely stunning. Reminds me so much of Michael Nyman and the seriousness of his modern classical perspective combined with the indie rock insistence and emotional nakedness in the poetry of Arcade Fire or maybe Band of Horses or Cat Power(?)...hard to convey fully.

The band's called The Rachel's. [the possessive apostrophe is kinda important as theres actually some dumb rock band from Texas named "The Rachels"] The album she gifted me is Systems/Layers. Basically, its serious classical music imbued with the urgency of indie rock and the dark emotionalism of gothic-inspired strings. At times it seems more like dark cabaret. All that darkness must be from their Kentucky upbringing. No shit, theyre really from Kentucky!Here's their myspace site:
http://www.myspace.com/rachelsqrewrqwerq

But to hear more than just their most recent album, here's the Amazon site:
http://www.amazon.com/Rachel

Miss G.

One interesting addendum to the Columbia Invades Wine Country post....

Miss G., seen here kissing a baby manta ray in the Bahamas. Which she described as feeling like a large, wet portobello mushroom. I think Ive had a similar tactile experience but, uhm, it wasnt a sea creature...[evil to the Nth degree grin]

She's Chief Scientist of DeLoach Vineyards....a real life & genuine rocket scientist....and possesses Kate Hepburn beauty, wit, grace and , yes I damned well said that (neck-shaking aplenty)...MOXIE! She likes Johnny Cash (she mentions Ring of Fire at dinner, explaining the unseemly STD reference and all) and thinks men are afraid of strong, smart women (quite possibly true, m'dear)....I sent her the Band of Horses album as a thank you card...

Hmmmm....[chin stroke, though not quite lascivious. Yet.]

GSH

More Blogs I Love....

OK, this one's not nearly as groovy and I-got-it-goin'-AWN as The Sartorialist, but its damned good....and SF is certainly a favorite haunt of mine, now isnt it? :)

http://fashioni.st/

GSH

Oh My God, I Love This Blog!

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

[Arms crossed, b-boy like. Guttural chuff] 'Nuff said...its so damned righteous and dead on point, it drives me crazy!!!!

GSH