Catching Up

Well...I'm back.

I apologize for the my lack of posting. I was gone for two weeks in Cupertino California training to be a Mac Genius. It was a great experience.

Now that things are back to normal, I can hopefully get back to posting more.

Emolyn's iPod continued

Lost Soul - Bruce Hornsby
One of my favorite musicians. This guy could add music to the ingredients of Lucky Charms and I would buy the album. A wonderful duet with Shawn Colvin. Beautiful song. This version is off of the Hornsby's "greatest hits" album Intersections.

After the Curtain - Beirut
Just found out about this group while at training. Very few lyrics but the instrumentation is outstanding.

Don't Slow Down - Copeland
I love these guys. There is something about a song being powerful with a full band and being as powerful if not more with just two acoustic guitars.

Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
I had to put some jazz in this mix. The tone of the saxophone just cuts into me. 5/4 at it's best.

Show the Way - David Wilcox
These lyrics are amazing. My church's worship band played this song one Sunday and I was lucky enough to play lap steel on it.

My Lady's House - Iron & Wine
Simplicity always wins

Clay Vessels - Randy Thompson
I struggled with wanting to put all of his radio hits in the mix but I settled on some of his deep cuts. Emolyn loves to fall asleep to Gramie and Pop Pop singing.

I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie
I can't decide if I love their music or their band name more. A beautiful song that again proves that a voice and a guitar can create more than an orchestra. I'm still searching for a singer that annunciates better than Ben Gibbard.

Songbird - Fleetwood Mac
They named their band after the bassist and drummers last names. Come on!

Strangers In A Car - Marc Cohn
Another amazing song off of Cohn's first CD. If I could write chord progressions like this I probably wouldn't be writing this blog. I would have my Blogbot doing it for me. Maybe.

Emolyn is crying and I think it might be Maurices fault.

Emolyn's iPod

As any good father should do, I got Emolyn a pink iPod nano so that she could have the appropriate tunage for her nursery. Over the next couple posts I will discuss the songs I have chosen.

But, let me just say before you begin reading this: I'm not into the whole "Baby Einstein" thing that is supposed to make your kid smarter. I grew up listening to the sweet sounds of a 1978 Datsun B-210 engine and I turned out fine.

Since her playlist is on random, here is the first 10 songs:

Say - John Mayer
This guy had serious songwriting chops. I don't care what people say about him, he's funny (see my link of the week), he's an amazing guitar player and he's one of the few artists that openly admit that he's "Trying to find the middle ground between the phrases “million units” and “artistic integrity.”" This song is just so catchy AND good. Great chorus.

Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL - Sufjan Stevens
This guy is an amazing song writer. His songs sound serious, honest, playful and jovial all at the same time. I thought of just filling her iPod with his discography and saying "done."

Drifting - Andy McKee
Check out the video of him playing! Beautiful song.

Overdue - The Get Up Kids
Love these guys. Sweet song. Great usage of the word "penance."

Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
If you haven't heard this song then I can't even begin to explain it. A Cappella with a vocal harmonizer. Beautiful.

Little Eyes - Yo La Tengo
Such a sweet song. It was hard finding songs that were quiet the whole way through and that didn't build to something really loud at the end. When I got the iPod, I think this was the first song I put on it.

One Safe Place - Marc Cohn
Such a cool song. This is the live version off of his live album (go figure) so it has this feel that the studio can't create.

On Your Porch - The Format
These guys write some great stuff. Quiet and powerful.

Song A - Bruce Hornsby
This song is off of his Intersections Cd. What I love about this song is that it's just piano and that's exactly what I wanted.

Walk On Water - Marc Cohn
His self titled album could have been all that she listened to and I would have been fine with that. More where this one came from.

More to follow.

Early morning study

Since I'm going to be leaving this Sunday to go do Apple Genius training, which is training for in-store computer support and repair (once done with training, my actual title will be Apple Genius), I have a week of at-home study. I have the joy of doing most of it with little Emolyn helping (pooping). You wouldn't believe how long it took to type this...

Thats right, I'm wearing a Regis high school sweat shirt. I love you Wisconsin.