Music: The Muppets Do Habanera

Habanera...with a Muppet flavor.

I was in tears.

Imogen Heap Covers Michael Jackson's Thriller

Imogen Heap, formerly half of the duo Frou Frou, covers Michael Jackson's Thriller. Very moody. Nothing like the original, but very Imogen...if you know what I mean

Feeding to the Music

We've started feeding MetaGirl solid food, and much like with MetaBoy, it's taking a while. A while and a lot of patience...laundry...paper towels, all with limited success since she's not interested in consuming anything other than breastmilk. The toughest part is getting her to open her mouth. Sometimes, if I smile, giggle, and dance, she opens her mouth and I sneak in the smallest bit of food.

One favorite? Singing her this song.



Maybe I need to start investing in other boppy beats like...ABBA? Oh, parenthood.

Ron Clark Academy

The kids from the Ron Clark Academy are back in the news are back in the news because they'll be performing at next week's inauguration.

I just think that the excitement about politics expressed by kids of this age is wonderful. Unfortunately, now I can't get that song out of my head.

Ron Clark Academy: You Can Vote However You Like

Putumayo’s Sesame Street Playground

Can't travel? Sing along!

Putumayo’s Sesame Street Playground sounds like a fun musical investment. Good for the whole family, and cool way to expose everyone to other languages.

Click through for some videos, too. Good times.

Cheap Music: Death Cab for Cutie

If you want to try out some good music, how about Death Cab for Cutie? As Liz commented here, their latest album Narrow Stairs is a whopping $5 on Amazon (today through Sunday, only).

Seriously, can you do better than that?

Ya, I don't think so.

Music: Two of a Kind

Sometimes, you feel fooled and tricked for no good reason.

Today's trickery involves music of the indie nature.

A while back, a friend of mine turned me on to The Postal Service. I love their album and listened to it again, and again, and again. MetaDaddy's favorite trick, but not really mine. So this album, Give Up, is a favorite indeed. But they haven't come out with a second, so I've had to settle with nothing new for a while.

My favorite radio station, KCRW, tends to play a great variety of music. I kept hearing this one band and thinking "they came out with a new album!!" only to find out that it wasn't The Postal Service, but some other band called Death Cab for Cutie. So they've grown on me, even though they still confuse the bejeesus out of me.

Get this, my friend just realized that the lead singer in both bands is Ben Gibbard. That's right, the same person...both bands...singing. Ugh!! No wonder I was so frustrated!!!

I'm annoyed, but relieved to know that I'm not crazy or paranoid. Well, not crazy. Well, at least...

Whatever, they tricked me. And I can still claim the pregnancy hormone card, so I deserve an apology!!

I'll be here when you're ready, Ben Gibbard.

Around the Internet

Belly Flirt - Sometimes, you just gotta be yourself. And sometimes, when that self is pregnant, things can get ugly.
But I digress. Since shirts have stopped covering the lower part of my belly...the part I don't get to see any more...it might be time to invest in more shirts :-)

Kiva Nighthorse Go-Anywhere Tote - '07 Closeout - It's always worth keeping your eyes open for a good diaper bag. They can run pretty expensive, but other types of bags can be just as, or more useful. Except for occasional expeditions where you need everything, smaller and lighter bags are much more useful. So my advice? Don't spend a fortune. This one looks interesting. It's not a diaper bag, but it's interesting and has lots of pockets (dimensions:16" x 12" x 5"). And it's pretty darn cheap ;-)

Crumb Pod Tablecloth Sweeper by Casabella - I recently bought this at Bed Bath & Beyond, courtesy of their ever-abundant coupons. So far, I'm impressed. It's done what I hoped in that I no longer feel compelled to buy a useless mini cordless vacuum, which inevitably works for two days then conks out. Mind you, it's suited to clean up a few crumbs, not to de-crumb the whole backseat. I'm just saying.

I Am An Adult - Wow. Apparently, I've been an adult for a good few years. Like, I hardly remember not being one. I love, love, love concerts, but all those rowdy hooligans...ugh!

Coldplay: Living La Vida Live

Coldplay is so ridiculously good in concert, it's not even fair.

Here's what I missed out on:Coldplay Viva la Vida Live MTV Movie Awards 2008

...tip, tap, tapping the toes...bop, bop, bopping the head...whoooooaaaaa-o...whoooooaaaaa-a...

So excited about the new album (June 17). It's a good thing Boogie likes to dance, even if it is in wee little circles. I figure it's all of the Latin heat he got from me ;-)

Nina Simone: Interviews & Live Music

A beautiful, if depressing, compilation of interviews by Tom Schnabel with Nina Simone and some phenomenal live performances. She passed away in 2003 after a turbulent life. She saw and did so much, though by the sound of some things she says the interviews, she might have preferred less excitement and more potatoes. She speaks so honestly, you almost feel like you shouldn't be listening to such private thoughts. It's intimidating. But her music warmly invites you to listen and enjoy. So I did.

I'm not sure of how long it is because I listened to it over several time bursts. Ah, parenthood ;-) It's not short, though...perhaps an hour or more? But I highly recommend it if you like Nina, or you just feel like listening to some sweet, golden honey. But don't call her a jazz singer. She hated that.

David Gray: Please Forgive Me

Ah, good song...good video

Around the Internet

Oh, how we miss concerts. Our favorite venue was a toss up between the Greek, an outdoor amphitheatre, and the Wiltern. We've seen most of our favorite bands over the years, and maybe someday, we'll get back into the groove. Certainly one of the best things about living in L.A. If you have a band or musician in mind, try searching on SeatQuest to check out their touring schedule. You might be pleasantly surprised ;-) (Via Lifehacker)

Where do you rank on the Global Rich List?

Who needs this clock when you have kids?

Taking Fabulous Photos - Any good picture I take is more an accident than not. So any tips are highly appreciated.

Part of Your World via Dooce - This is bizarre, and yet intriguing.

A Partial Parody

Inspired, I set out to do a parody of The Major General's Song from The Pirates of Penzance. However, it's a long song, and I realized I'll never finish. Mostly because I have a toddler, but also because my patience runs thin these days.

So, I present to you my unfinished symphony, so to speak. Sorry it's so lame, but maybe it'll remind you that you might suck at some things, but at least you're not me :-)

I Am the Very Model of a Modern Mommy Blogging Stuff

I am the very model of a modern mommy blogging stuff,
I've information about food and poop and tushies in the buff,
I know the pains of labor, and I quote Seuss easy off the cuff,
From Sam I Am to Eggs and Ham, and other sorts of verbal fluff;
I'm very well acquainted too with blogging matters sure enough,
I understand the blogosphere, the blogrolls, memes, and widget guff,
About html I've data on tables and css
With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress

With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress
With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress
With riveting stats on my style sheets that are surely to impress
to impress

Sia Music and Videos

I'm a big Sia fan. If you watched 6 Feet Under, you might remember the song Breathe Me from the final episode. She's also the lead singer in Zero 7, which I also love.

She was recently on KCRW, if you'd like to hear her live. She's a bit silly, too, so the interview is amusing. As for her videos, some are disturbing, some are cool. Check out You Tube to decide for yourself. I also currently have a few on my sidebar.

13 Kid's Musical Instruments

13 musical instruments that kids play. Don't you love the kooky names?!?

1. Musical Washboard
   
   
2. Doodle Drum
   
   
3. Finger Drum
   
   
4. Kid's bongo
   
   
5. Kid's Conga
   
   
6. Whole Mini Percussion
   
   
7. Kids Percussion Lollipop Drums
   
   
8. Glockenspiel Xylophone
   
   
9. Mouth Harp (aka Jaw Harp)
   
   
10. Guiro
    
    
11. Sound Funnel
    
    
12. Junior Bagpipes
    
    
13. Boomwhackers
    

Note: If you have a kid under 3, be careful of instruments with choking hazards. Mallets for xylophones, for example, are usually glued together; the ball can come off, especially with prolonged exposure to saliva ;-) Try to find a mallet that is one piece.

New Music

Whatever your taste in music, it's always nice to hear something new. J Elliot started a blog called One Song per Week where he posts a new song that he wrote, recorded and uploaded in the comfort of " closet of [his] studio apartment." Jealous, aren't you.

Well, if you'd like to hear something new, or if you'd like to support an artist, check it out. Dishing out something new every week, but there are always prior week's leftovers for sampling. (It all comes back to food, doesn't it?)

Got Perfect Pitch?

I know I don't. And my husband...well, he has other talents.

If you're wondering about yourself, go find out here.

Via NPR

A Sad Day In Music

Will be missed...

Luciano Pavarotti

KCRW's Music Archives

Oh, I do love music. Maybe it's because I don't like absolute silence, especially if I'm alone. I don't mind it so much if there's someone else around, but I don't mind not speaking at all when someone else is around. Some people don't get that about me. I don't mind silence. But when I'm alone, I'm reminded of that by silence. So music or TV as aural scenery is a must. And I love the time and opportunity to discover something new and different.

I've referenced my proclivity to KCRW in the past. They've got a great variety of shows, which entertain me all day. It's their music selection on Morning Becomes Eclectic that first hooked me, though. They've introduced me to a lot of my favorite musicians like Norah Jones, Damien Rice, the Gorillaz, Pink Martini, etc. They've had a wonderful selection of musicians come in to their studio to perform live, and they've archived many of these live performances online. I had no idea how many they had, though. Currently, they've archived performances from November 1998 thru the present, which amounts to about 1,000 sessions. And their archives are really searchable, so if I want to find a favorite musician's performance, it's easy. I'm not sure if they intend to archive their entire library which has been accumulated over 30 years of broadcasting and contains in excess of 60,000 recordings . Wow. It'd be nice if they do so we can savor the rare performances of the likes of Nina Simone.

Sometimes, it's nice to get a taste of something live instead of the same ol' perfectly produced recording I've come to love. The nuances of music make for a much more organic and invigorating experience.

Beck on Termites

Beck is a loser. Err...I mean Beck as a Loser. Right...that's better.

A couple of lines from the song Loser:

And my time is a piece of wax falling on a termite
And it's choking on the splinters

Whiskey Clone has a quote from Beck's response about those lines:

"Beck was asked about where he got his image 'termites choking on the splinters' on Modern Rock Live in February, 1994 (the most absurd interview Beck's ever done). He explained that he was living on the roof of a shack and saw a termite up there chilling with a 40, and it started choking, but he was unable to save it."

Wow...I never thought about it. Can a termite choke? Well, with the heat, swarming season is upon us this September. So, for the sake of my sanity, I hope Beck's right. Ah heck...what am I worried about? Beck's always right!

I sound sarcastic. That's usually just part of my charm. However, let it be known that I do like Beck. 'Nuf said.