The Hold Steady @ McCarren Park Pool

How fitting that on this Minnesota Monday, I have a Hold Steady concert to write about from yesterday - the first pool party of the season.

First up was Jay Roddy and the Business. Next was The Loved Ones. I didn't love either of them. They both had some good songs and a lot of energy, but I just couldn't get that into them. The Loved Ones aren't really my kind of music I suppose. They're more headbanging rock, which I have to be in a very particular mood to enjoy. And Jay Roddy and the Business were kind of a mixture of various rock styles that I wasn't quite sure what to do with. I don't know if it was that I was distracted by the torrential downpour (hence the lack of pictures, sorry) or that I was tired or that they played really really long sets, but I got kind of impatient toward the end there. I just wanted to see The Hold Steady damnit!

The Hold Steady finally went on around 6pm, and they too played a long set, but since I know their music and since a lot of their songs are about growing up in the Twin Cities, I was much more into it. I love the number of Minnesotans that show up for their concerts wearing Minnesota paraphernalia (mostly Twins stuff) and who cheer whenever there are blatant Twin Cities references. As always, they had a great energy, and seemed like they were having a blast. I love how unpretentious they are. They aren't super suave rockstars. In fact the lead singer is kind of a dork. But he embraces this and lets himself have fun, which is contagious. And hey, I love dorks. I'm a dork. So good times were had. And they played some stuff off their upcoming album, due out July 15th, which was cool.

Your Little Hoodrat Friend [mp3] - "Separation Sunday" (iTunes)

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Cold War Kids celebrate Brooklyn

Friday night I spent a lovely night in Prospect Park for part of the Celebrate Brooklyn series. It was supposed to rain, but the weather couldn't have been much nicer actually.

First up was Sam Champion. They didn't blow me away but they had a decent energy and I liked their music for the most part. They had a few great poppy rock tunes, including the one I've posted below, which is rising its way into my list of favorite tracks of the moment. On a side note, the bass player made me really happy because he was smiling and rocking out with his cool hair the whole time.

Next up was Elvis Perkins in Dearland, who I saw last year at Siren Festival. They were even better than I remember them being. They looked like they were having so much fun on stage and their music really is great. They're each such talented musicians, particularly the guy who plays 4 or 5 different instruments. Though it seems to me they all play a bunch of different instruments because some of them came out with the Cold War Kids and created a brass/woodwinds section for them. I also really like the drummer of Dearland, because he doesn't let himself get stuck in the back at the drum set. For some songs he gets up and carries this big bass drum and cymbal and jumps around the stage. He's pretty fun to watch. I would have to say Elvis Perkins in Dearland stole the show.

Cold War Kids were headlining and they were good, but Elvis Perkins in Dearland was a tough act to follow and the times when I liked them most was when Dearland came up and played with them. It amped everyone's energy up quite a bit each time. One cool thing about Cold War Kids though was that they played a lot of new stuff that hasn't come out yet, so that was fun to get a sneak peak at that. Overall a good show.

Be Mine Everyone [mp3] - Sam Champion - "Heavenly Bender" (iTunes unavailable)

All The Night Without Love [mp3] - Elvis Perkins in Dearland - "Ash Wednesday" (iTunes)

We Used to Vacation [mp3] - Cold War Kids - "Robbers & Cowards" (iTunes)

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The Chap

The Chap are a pop-rock band from London who are a little on the silly side (in a good way). Most of their music is dance-able, so right away they get bonus points from me. I don't really know what all to say about them, so I'll let the music do the talking today.

Proper Rock [mp3]

Purchase their album, "Mega Breakfast" on iTunes

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Little Jackie

On July 8th, Imani Coppola will be releasing her newest project, The Stoop. A collaboration with music producer Adam Pallin, together they form Little Jackie. VH1.com quotes Imani as saying "Ain't nothing going to get between me and my flow," and listening to these tracks certainly confirms this statement. The Stoop is a colorful album full of fun hip-hop/pop tracks to blast out your car on a warm summer's night.

The Stoop [mp3]

You can purchase other Little Jackie songs on iTunes.

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Minnesota Monday - A Night in the Box

Saturday was "Make Music Cambridge!", an outdoor music festival type event in which performers are interspersed on the streets around Harvard Square throughout the day - kind of like every day here in New York, except I think these artists got paid. Anyway, having heard good things about Cambridge in general, I wandered over there and discovered a little taste of Minnesota in Massachusetts. They were A Night in the Box and even just the little snippet that I heard as I entered the restaurant in front of which they were playing was enough to get me interested in hearing more. Luckily for me, they were still playing when I was done with lunch, so I sat outside for a bit on what was a gorgeous day to watch them.

I immediately loved their old school, gritty, bluegrassy rock sound and they had a great energy to them. Even though they were essentially busking on a street corner with a very simplified set up (the drummer had one drum and cymbal and was using a guitar case as a bass drum), they seemed like they were having the time of their life. And you gotta love any band with a banjo and a fiddle (though the violinist wasn't there when I took my photo above, but she's in the picture left).

It wasn't until I got up after watching them for a few songs to put some money in their guitar case that I saw that they were from Minneapolis, which of course made me really happy. How serendipitous that I stumble across this awesome band from my hometown in this totally random place that I was staying in for less than 48 hours. I bought both of their albums - which I love and have been listening to nonstop ever since - and that's when I noticed that, not only are they from Minneapolis, but they're on Afternoon Records, which seems to have a bit of a monopoly on awesome young bands in the Twin Cities. In fact, when I got home, I looked at my list of Minnesota artists that I wanted to look into for Minnesota Monday and A Night In The Box was on it! Their new album, "Write A Letter" only came out a few weeks ago and I guess the violinist, Kailyn Spencer, is a relatively new addition because she wasn't on their 2006 debut album "The Hustle, The Thief, The Prayer."

So check them out. They're wrapping up their tour right now promoting their new album, but they'll be back in the Twin Cities soon and they have a number of shows lined up for you Minneapolitans reading this.

Conductor Man [mp3] - "The Hustle, The Thief, The Prayer" (iTunes)
Rich Man's Table [mp3] - "Write A Letter" (iTunes unavailable)

Purchase albums from Afternoon Records

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Amanda Palmer with the Boston Pops

On Friday I took a road trip up to Boston to see Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls play with the Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra. It was an amazing show, and as a former violinist/orchestra dork myself, I absolutely loved seeing Amanda play with a full orchestra behind her. My one regret: I did not bring my camera because I assumed photography would not be allowed. And I had good seats too. I could've gotten some great pictures!

The first half of the show was the Boston Pops without Amanda. They played four movements of Gustav Holst's The Planets, which was very dramatic. Fittingly enough, it very much seemed like something that could be the score to a great space-themed adventure film, even though it was written in the early 1900s, before space-themed adventure films existed. I love watching full orchestras, and it's been a while since I have, so I enjoyed it immensely.

After the intermission, Amanda made her entrance. And it was quite the entrance. The orchestra started playing Missed Me (which is one of my favorite Dresden Dolls songs, so I recognized it immediately) and then she came in one of the side doors and through the audience. Then another door would open with a bright light and a tamborine player came out, then a violin player, then a trombone player in the balcony. And they were all playing kind of a game of cat and mouse. It was a lot of fun. Amanda was wearing a very pretty/sexy burlesque-type frilly skirt, corset, and jacket (which she promptly stripped off, inspiring the conductor to do so, as well).

She played a great variety of songs - songs from her upcoming solo album (produced by Ben Folds); a few Dresden Dolls classics such as Coin-Operated Boy, where she switched places with the conductor for a bit and they played off of each other a lot, which was awesome; a Ben Folds cover (Brick); a cover of What A Wonderful World; and a few showtunes, where she got up from her piano and performed Brechtian Punk Cabaret-style. The two showtunes were I Can't Say No from "Oklahoma" and Don't Tell Mama from "Cabaret." Both were hilariously well done and perfectly campy. The musical theater geek in me ate this up. She also pulled out all the stops with guest performers/back up singers/dancers, and Brian Viglione (drummer and the other half of the Dresden Dolls) came out for a few numbers, including the finale - another DD favorite of mine - Sing. All in all it was a very fun show, though I have to say that all of the songs she played off her new album were incredibly dark, particularly one about the Columbine shootings, which made me get a little teary-eyed.

After the show, The Dresden Dolls' friends The Luminescent Orchestrii played in one of the other rooms in Symphony Hall and it was a lot of fun. Everyone was merry and dancing and clapping. The Luminescent Orchestrii was full of energy as usual. A very small intimate space, but a perfect after party for a great concert.

Amanda and Brian were also outside after the show signing autographs and talking to fans, which was amazing. I tried not to be too "fan girl"-ish when I talked to them, but I'm sure I cam off sounding like a giddy high schooler. And they signed my program! Yay! (See the picture above.)

All in all, a spectacular evening. It was great fun getting dressed up and going out. It was also neat spending some time in Boston, as I've only ever really passed through before. If you ever go, I highly recommend you do a whale watching cruise. It was a-MAZ-ing! And I'll be writing a little more about my trip tomorrow for Minnesota Monday because I ran into a great Minneapolis band in Cambridge.

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Sally Shapiro Remix & An Awesome Weekend in NYC

A few days ago Sally Shapiro released "Remix Romance, Vol. 2," the first digital-only album to be released on Paper Bag Records' brand new digital label. Sally Shapiro's music is sweet, light and airy Swedish electronica/pop. The album is made up of remixes by other artists of her 2007 album, "Disco Romance." You can purchase the album online here. But in celebration of the album release, here is an mp3 for your listening pleasure:

Time To Let Go (CFCF Remix) [mp3]

In other news, this weekend I'm going to Boston to see Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls play with the Boston Pops Symphony. Should be great, but I have to say I'm kind of sad about all of the great stuff I'll be missing here in NYC. But for those of you still around, here are some of the things you might want to take advantage of:

Friday night:
~The Metropolitan Opera is performing for free in Prospect Park as part of Celebrate Brooklyn
~Ingrid Michaelson playing at Terminal 5
~Jukebox The Ghost at Union Hall (with openers Via Audio, whom I love too)

Saturday:
~The Mermaid Parade at Coney Island (possibly the last Mermaid Parade since this may be Coney Island's last season)
~The After The Jump Festival at Music Hall of Williamsburg, a great indie music festival (and the afternoon portion is free!). This year it's a lot earlier than last year, as last year it wasn't until August. Bummer for me.

Unfortunately, even if I was in New York, a lot of those events overlap, so I'd have to pick between them anyway. But hopefully some of you New York readers can get out and enjoy.

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Cause Lily Allen knows, that's how you get famous

Ok, ok. Not only is this song a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, this one has been out for awhile. BUT, the album it's from hasn't been officially released yet, to my knowledge, and therefore this is an excitably post-able "new" song from Lily Allen. She's moved away from the ska sound and I'm surprisingly fine with that. It gets a little rave-y during the chorus, but the lyrics in this song are simply great. Case in point: "I'll take my clothes off, and it will be shameless, cause everyone knows - that's how you get famous."

I also find this to be a great running song. As always, give it a listen!

I Don't Know [mp3]

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Locksley @ Irving Plaza

Last night I headed over to Irving Plaza to see one of my favorite NYC bands: Locksley. They are currently on tour with Rooney, so it was my last chance to see them until September or October. It was kind of impromptu that I ended up at the show, though, so I didn't have my camera with me (not that I wanted to try to fight my way through the shovey, squealy clumps of teenage girl Rooney fans to get to the front anyway).

The first band up was The Bridges, who were ok. The Alabama band is composed of 4 girls and a male drummer. I could tell that they're a relatively new band - their debut album came out relatively recently from the sounds of it - because they seemed a bit nervous and didn't really know how to work the crowd. While I think they show a lot of potential as a band, I have to say that they have a lot of work to do. The theme of my advice for them would be "unify." Parts of their songs were good, but their music a little segmented. By that I mean that for a lot of the songs, the parts didn't blend well together - the chorus sounded like it belonged to a different song than the verses. That's why I say "parts of their songs were good" because in some songs I'd really like the verses but not the chorus, or in another song I'd really like the bridge but not the verses, etc. And while they're all talented at their individual instruments, they didn't really interact much with each other and they lacked the energy necessary to be good openers (openers, in my opinion, have the responsibility of getting the audience's energy up and getting them psyched for the rest of the concert). There were also hints of country here and there (particularly in the vocals) that kind of annoyed me because I didn't think it fit quite right. And while I have to say that they looked a lot better than in the picture on the flyer that I was handed as I walked in - they're all very pretty - they could unify their look a little more too. Each of them seemed dressed from a different decade. I also didn't think they fit overall with Locksley and Rooney, who are both kind of retro-pop-rock.

Locksley was up next, and I have to say this was probably their best performance that I've seen. They're always high energy, but I think that touring with stars like Rooney has boosted their confidence (as well as their fan base, though unfortunately only in the 14-17 age group...). The most notable (and understandable) gain in confidence was in wee Jordan Laz-Hirsch, who is their new(ish) bass player and is lead singer Jesse's younger brother (he's not in the picture left, which is an older picture, my apologies). The last time I saw them was his first performance with them and he seemed a little nervous. Now he seemed much more at ease and confident. But they all seemed much more confident, pulling rockstar moves all over the place - leaping off of amps, spraying water everywhere, throwing their bodies all over the place and tossing things out into the audience. As much as the teenybopper crowd annoyed me, I have to say that the one good thing was how Locksley fed off their energy. I think the last time I heard that amount of screaming was when I myself was a teenybopper going to concerts like The Backstreet Boys. Ah, youth... But that screaming seemed to be very motivational for Locksley. The longer they played, the better they got and they seemed like they were having so much fun. The best part about it is that even though they're on their way to fame, it hasn't seemed to have gone to their heads yet (and I hope it never does). They were very sweet after their set, talking to people and signing autographs and taking photo after photo with teenage girl after teenage girl. They seem like very nice, down-to-earth guys.

The nostalgic former teenybopper in me kind of regrets not staying for Rooney. I liked them when I was 17, when they first came out - before they were played on The OC... Not that I'm one of those people who doesn't want the artists I like to become popular. On the contrary. I just wish they had become popular with a slightly more... mature... audience - an 18 or 21+ audience for example. But alas, I was exhausted and not feeling so well, and my friend wanted to go home because he had to take the LSATs today, so my nostalgia lost that battle.

All Over Again [mp3]

Purchase their music on iTunes

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Daddy Drinks Because You Cry

Happy Fathers Day! While I wanted to resist the temptation of posting fathers-themed music, I simply couldn't refrain from sharing Norm Sherman and the Skidmarks with all of you. The titles of the songs should be enough to entice you.

Daddy Drinks Because You Cry [mp3]

Everybody's Got Nipples [mp3]

purchase on iTunes

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Bands That Sound the Same La La Naive and The Bird & The Bee

Maybe it was the first time you heard a Kate Nash song and thought it was Lily Allen, or maybe it was the time you heard OneRepublic's "Won't Stop" and thought it was Coldplay feat. that guy from Maroon 5, or maybe it was all the way back when you couldn't distinguish the differences between 98 Degrees, N'SYNC, and the Backstreet Boys (but didn't really care), but I'd like to think we've all done it at some point. We've all had a moment where we seemingly discover what I like to call "band-twins" - two bands that sound similar enough to mix up. So today I bring to you, gentle readers, two bands that I think sound the same: La La Naive and The Bird & The Bee.

Now, I am going to assume that we are all familiar with The Bird & The Bee's catchy hit "Again and Again" (if not, here's the youtube). Nice, strong-yet-airy female lead, use of bells, a certain echo-y atmosphere similar to other electro-pop artists such as Frou Frou... well, The Bird and the Bee, allow me to introduce you to your Band Twin: La La Naive. With their glockenspiels and synths, Marie-Louise Grund Petersen and Troels Knud Damgaard put out their own foot-tapping single, "My Favourite Place." They are currently unsigned and only have one song on their myspace, but if the single is any indication of their musical ability and overall sound, it looks like La La Naive will be sharing the large fan base of The Bird and The Bee.

I'm going to post two songs from The Bird and the Bee's latest 2 EPs, Please Clap Your Hands and One Too Many Hearts. Their sound has matured, but still, take a listen and let me know what you think.

My Favourite Place [mp3] by La La Naive (iTunes unavailable)

Polite Dance Song [mp3] by The Bird & The Bee (iTunes)

Come As You Were [mp3] by The Bird & The Bee (iTunes)

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This is the love song you'll never hear...but should.

Annie Stela. Kinda like Sara Bareilles but with a bit more spunk. She has one EP out, entitled There is a Story Here, and is currently working on her second record, Fool. The song I'm posting this afternoon, Lovesong, comes from Fool. This track actually sounds like something I could imagine Mika singing, but Annie's voice fits really well in this piano-rocker jam. Give it a listen.

Lovesong[mp3]

Buy it on iTunes

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Ladytron - Ghosts

Check out the new single, Ghosts, from Ladytron's latest album, Velocifero (iTunes). It's kind of sexy and is one of my favorite new(ish) tracks of the moment. It's also the perfect driving song (see video below for proof). Very reminiscent of Shiny Toy Guns. Or well, Shiny Toy Guns with the early-90s vocal stylings of The Cranberries.

Ghosts (Single Edit) [mp3]

And check out the music video:


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Community Gun

Community Gun is a very very very independent four person rock band currently residing in Highland, NY (near Poughkeepsie) where they have apparently been living the "glamorous" starving artist lifestyle in a turn of the century house with no running water or heat. They're so independent, in fact, that they don't have any pictures of the four of them together besides the blurry on on their myspace. Two of them - Cove Aaronoff (vocals) and Josh Bass (guitar) - met at a Dylan concert a few years ago and started writing songs together. Bassist Sam Wolk and drummer Teddy Marsh joined them at some point later. They recorded a 6-song EP in a friend's basement, and while you can definitely tell that they lack production value, I have to say they exhibit a great deal of promise and talent.

Their music reminds me of a less polished Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - gritty rock 'n' roll with a hint of blues and country. There's a trace of punk rock in there too (although that might just be because it was recorded in a basement and doesn't have the highest production value...). The EP, despite it's lack of packaging and cover art, is pretty solid. The songs are catchy and I can't help but rock out to them. And honestly, considering it was recorded in a friend's basement, the production value wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I've heard much worse production value from artists who really have no excuse for it (I know some people go for that "sound" but I think that's a poor choice on any musician's part). Also, it seems as if they know their production value needs some improvement, so they get bonus points for that.

Community Gun is definitely a band to keep an eye out for. They're already on the rise - they're moving to Brooklyn in September, for example (and everyone knows that Brooklyn is the place to be).

Ain't Quite Like Before [mp3]
Midnight Moses and Elaine [mp3]

Download or listen to the whole EP for free here (or on their myspace)

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KaiserCartel

This song I'm about to post I discovered just because someone called it "the best song of the year"...of course that intrigued me. On my first listen, the song didn't sound that enticing, but after the second time...well, I literally cannot stop listening to it. It has been on repeat on my itunes for the last week, and I have already figured out how to play it on guitar. I love this song.

KaiserCartel consists of the amazing duo of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel and both hail from Brooklyn. In 2004, KaiserCartel loaded up their Toyota Prius (named "Gertie") and started touring around the nation. Their first EP, Double Standard, carries the wonderful song "Okay" that I absolutely find perfect and can't say enough about. Give it a listen and make sure to watch the youtube video.

Okay [mp3] (iTunes)

KaiserCartel is also releasing a new CD, March Forth, on June 10th, so check it out if you like their sound!

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Earth to the Dandy Warhols

Those of you who read this blog regularly are probably familiar with the Dandy Warhols and my obsession with them. They are one of my favorite bands of all time. There is not a single song on their many albums that I dislike, and their new/upcoming album - their very first self-released work on their own label - "Earth to the Dandy Warhols" is no exception.

Though the album doesn't officially come out until August, you can stream it (and supposedly you can download it in full with some b-sides and live recordings) on their website now. You can also download the opening peppy, groovy, head-bopping track The World The People Together (Come On) - which is listed as The World Come On on the album... - for free on their website by subscribing to their mailing list. So rather than posting it here, I'm going to let you go get it on their website and show your support.

If you've seen the documentary Dig! or if you just know enough about the Dandy Warhols, you're probably really excited for their first self-released album. They (particularly the "genius but he knows it" lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor) are not the type of band that gives in easily to corporate desires. Based on the fact that this album is not that different than the rest of their stuff, I'd say that they did pretty much what they wanted through the years, even when they were on major labels. However, I'm happy for them that they could produce this album on their own, without having to struggle against "the man" (or "mission control" as their new space-themed website jokes) and whatnot.

As usual, the album is a mix of many different sounds, with their trippy jam sound as an undertone that brings it all together. After the bouncy opening track comes the darker '80s synth-rock Mission Control, then the psychedelic but playful funky disco tune Welcome to the Third World. This is followed by a few songs that venture back closer to the core of the Dandy Warhol's sound - trippy, surreal jams with lots of distortion and feedback.

The last few songs of the album are just as varied as the first few. The Dandy Warhols get a little country/bluegrassy/folksy with the pleasantly laid back Love Song - guest starring Dire Strait’s Mark Knopfler and the Heartbreakers’ guitarist Mike Campbell. Then they change tone a bit and go with a poppy rock number Now You Love Me, before moving on to a sunny, silly, tongue-in-cheek song, Mis Amigos, that (if you don't listen to the lyrics too closely) sounds like something hippie children would be singing around the fire at summer camp - but the bouncy, hint-of-Caribbean sound is contagious and soon I'm smiling and singing "da da da da da" along with the music. This is followed by a gritty country rock song with an absurdly long title in which the low, raspy Johnny Cash-like voice is barely recognizable as Courtney Taylor-Taylor. The title of the song is The Legend of the Last of the Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad of Sheriff Shorty.

The album then takes a sharp turn to the gentle, melancholy lullaby, Beast of All Saints, and then turns back for a grunge rock number called Valerie Yum that for some reason calls to my mind ZZ Top (except for the hilarious fact that they are singing "yum yum yum yum yum yum," particularly at the end of the song when this becomes a frenzy). This song segways into the obligatory "really long track to end the album" that the Dandy Warhols often seem to do. It's a quiet, ambient-like song called Musee D' Nougat, with a voice speaking softly in what I believe is a French accent in the background - so softly that I can't understand what it's saying most of the time. I would say of all their album-ending 10 minute plus songs, this is my least favorite.

To sum it all up: as always, the Dandy Warhols continue to rock my world with a rich, fun album. Go buy it.

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Dylan Gilbert- "The Quiet Life"

Dylan Gilbert is a 20-year old from North Carolina who started composing and performing at an early age. "The Quiet Life," released in February 2008, is the 3rd self-released album for Gilbert, who performs most of the time as a one-man-band. His songs are structured in such a way that is reminiscent of early 90's indie groups, with an interesting half-empty, half-full sound. More production on the tracks would serve to Gilbert's benefit, but listening to his semi-raw tracks allows one to imagine what fun Gilbert must be during a live performance - there's definite desire for music and rocker-popish love through his vocal delivery, lyrics, an occasional catchy hooks.

Gilbert's voice has yet to reach its full potential, and on some tracks, such as "Life With Wolves," he struggles to hit the notes on pitch. However, his voice sounds like a younger Gavin DeGraw, so hope is definitely there. Gilbert performs much better in a higher register than a low one, as evident in his enjoyable crooner "If You Leave Me." Slower songs also have their moments on this album, especially "I'll Plant A Seed," where Gilbert sings solely alongside his guitar and creates a powerfully calm ballad.

Gilbert incorporates a large variety of back-up instruments on this album, from Harmonica to Horns, all well musically chosen for their respective hooks and really help to enhance each track. The mandolin jumps in to add a mature Beirut-type sound to tracks such as "When The Storm Came" and "No Mystery," and the Organ perfectly complements the up-beat nature of "Before My Egg Hatches."

Bottom line: Gilbert needs to polish up a few things vocally and production-wise, but the talent is there. Although his slower songs are stronger tracks overall, "The Quiet Life" is a sturdy album with lots of fun rock moments and great hooks that give rise to the great potential that Gilbert could become something big in the future.

No Mystery [mp3]
If You Leave Me [mp3]

Buy "The Quiet Life" on iTunes

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A New Contributor

I would like to take this time to introduce Lise - one more contributor who I am very excited about because she is the person who introduced me to the world of music blogging in the first place. She will also probably be the most frequent contributor (excluding me). Lise currently resides in my home town of Minneapolis. She enjoys a wide range of musical genres but does have a weak spot for female indie/alternative/pop artists, such as Missy Higgins, Schuyler Fisk, Ingrid Michaelson, etc., as well as anything that can be considered "catchy," so expect some of that type of sound from her. While she doesn't currently have a music blog of her own, she is well-versed with the music blog community. She currently has 48 music blogs bookmarked on her computer that she tries to visit on a regular basis, so she would like to think that her role here at Guilt Free Pleasures is "simply to be the taste-tester amongst the musical Costco that is the blog-o-sphere and to bring you news of the best tasty samples out there."

I'm very pleased to announce this new addition to Guilt Free Pleasures, which just keeps growing and growing. Stay tuned!

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Time to Breathe. Or not.

After being in 4 states in 3 time zones over the last 2.5 weeks, I'm finally back in New York. No, I was not on vacation, though I still had some amazing experiences. Hopefully now that I'm back, I will be able to post more often again, even though I'm still just as busy as ever. I may add yet a few more contributors because the contributors I've added seem to be very busy, as well. Blogging takes so much time an energy!

Anyway, I promise I will post some great new music sometime in the next few days, once I play a little catch up at work and in my life (my refrigerator is quite literally empty and my laundry hamper is overflowing...)

But in the meantime, feel free take a look at the pictures from my trip to Salt Lake City, Utah here. It was my first time seeing real mountains in person (sad, I know...) so I took a rather obscene amount of mountain photos. Most of the pictures are either from a day at the Sundance Institute, where we took the ski lift up to the top of the mountain, or from a plane ride around the Salt Lake City area. There's also pictures of the beautiful old farm property we were staying on. Enjoy!

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