Stars

Random picture I took of the NYC skyline THREE years ago (I thought it went with the "star" theme of this post

Listening to NPR's 24-7 Music Live Stream has literally been the only thing standing between me and a mental breakdown this week. That and lattes from Starbucks, which is the only decent coffee place near my office. FOR REALS, so don't think that I've sold out or anything (although I just received my Starbucks Gold Card in the mail so MAYBE I HAVE).

But seriously, this music stream has exposed me to all kinds of new tunes, which I totally dig. This week's discoveries include The Innocence Mission, the Black Keys, and Stars.

Prepare yourself for a cliche: their music speaks to me. This music has been manna to a blank, confused soul.

For my whole life,  you ask me: books or music? I say books. But lately, I feel like my answer would undoubtedly be music. It's just where its at right now.

Here's three songs that are the real deal for me this week:

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas (and holiday season!)!! The best things about Christmas these days are the sights (scenes of my parents' lovely Maine home + the cutest dog and cat combo you'll ever encounter) and the sounds (no one says 'Merry Christmas' better than Judy Garland)!

Peace and love to all who frequent The Marginalian!

Holidays Hums

A few of my favorite holidays tunes for your weekend! Starting off with the incomparable Judy and ending with a little Love Actually admiration. I also discovered the soundtrack to The Bishop's Wife, one of the best holiday movies starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven -- well worth your time this holiday season!

                   

                    

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

The certain highlight from my weekend was seeing Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine. Recently redone, the State was the perfect venue for a folk rock group. We had pretty good seats and were able to see the whole band and all their theatrics during the show. The group is great live and gave a full, exciting concert. With their latest album, they have really transitioned from a folk group to a folk rock genre. They played almost the entire album along with their quieter, earlier work. They remind me of Tina Turner/Janis Joplin/The Rolling Stones/The Beatles (the guys look like The Beatles). One of my favorites, "Paris," they saved for the very last song of their encore set, a perfect way to end the night. Here's the music video of Paris - oo la la!

Send in the Clowns

Over the weekend I saw the Bowdoin College production of Stephen Sondheim's musical play, A Little Night Music. I had never seen the play before and shortly fell in love with the unbalanced, romantic, lavish frivolity of Sondheim's score and use of plot from Ingmar Bergman's 1955 film, Smiles of Summer.

The score is in 3/4 time and quite jovial for one's ears.  At the center of the plot, the actress Desiree Armfeldt must choose between two lovers during a weekend in the Swedish countryside, where both lovers bring their families to stay at Desiree's mother, Madame Armfeldt's, house.  The show is currently running on Broadway (the picture above is the initial cast that included the incomparable Angela Lansbury as Madame Armfeldt and Catharine Zeta-Jones as Desiree).

Much of the music has a waltz theme to it, which I just adore. I believe I was born in the wrong time - I could happily spend my days dressed in resplendent Victorian gowns and attending balls where dancing the waltz with a well-suited, dashing young man is in vogue.

Despite my enjoyment, the play did bring tears to my eyes, especially the rendition of that famous song, "Send in the Clowns," which Desiree sings toward the end as she contemplates on the ramifications of her life choices, somewhat lamenting her lonely, indecisive state. I saw parts of myself in her character at that juncture. I wasn't the only one to be so moved as a New York Times writer expressed his emotion over Sondheim's plays in yesterday's paper.

The Bowdoin kids did a splendid job putting on the play and it made me wish I had done theater in school.  Perhaps, once I settle into the next stage of my life, I will find a playhouse that allows members of the community to audition. I would so love to play Desiree or maybe Julie from Showboat or Laurie from Oklahoma! 


Source: Broadway.com (image found here).

The Secret Life of an English Lady

On this rain-filled day, I miss England so deeply. I long to be back there. And then I wonder, why can't that day be now? Oh, life is indeed a complicated thing. But I am sitting on a clean slate, so anything is possible. And my poetry tutor did say that I had become more British than him by time I had finished my year abroad.

So many thoughts, so much spinning of the world! I will take a little time today to enjoy a piping hot cup of English tea and hope you find similar comfort.

Images found here and here (the second one comes from Lola's Room Etsy shop)

Music Love: Texas Music Matters

I love NPR. I love Austin, Texas. I love new, independent music artists. Put all three together and you get: Texas Music Matters, a wonderful program produced by broadcast journalism veteran and renaissance man, David Brown for KUT (Austin's local NPR station based at the University of Texas). I like the program because of the eclectic mix of old and new artists as well as full recordings of live performances. Enjoy!

Where I Go

A scene from Carousel: A Dance

Everyone has his or her own relationship to music. Why they listen to it. How they listen to it. Some people pay close attention to the lyrics, while others are in it for the rhythm. I fall into the latter category. To be honest, I have to listen to a song MANY times before I remember the lyrics.

The world seems kinder to me with music playing. Life needs a soundtrack! Music serves as a salve to heal my woes and revitalize my spirit. A vehicle of catharsis. I take refuge in the worlds created through each note. I think that's why I have always loved soundtracks. Listening to the orchestral music makes me feel as though I have escaped into another world. I can become a different character - feeling relief from reality for a brief moment.

Below is "Ballet" from the Carousel (1957) soundtrack - a song where I often go for relief and catharsis. Now, I must clarify that I rarely listen to the entire song. If you listen to the first part, the notes are sprightly and mischievous (fun to listen to at times). Then, they grow to be grandiose as the Carousel Waltz plays (oh, I wish we had more waltzing in life).

Then, the rhythm tempers to a gentle beat. I most often go to the place that begins at 5:37 and ends at 6:47. Seventy seconds. I have curled up into those 70 seconds more times than I can count. Violins swell to a dramatic crescendo of grace and strength. It is the part of the ballet where Louise falls in love with the carousel barker - one of the most romantic and beautifully-executed dance sequences. The music here feels like the full-blown manifestation of my inside. And there is such solace in hearing your feelings played back to you. A sort of affirmation - however transient - settles in my heart and I am little bit more whole than I was before visiting this clinic of musical solitude.

Does my love of these seventy seconds seem a bit to particular and quirky? Or do you have moments in a song that resonate? Why do you listen to music (if you do)?



The 1957 film version:




Image found here.

Lancelot and Guenvere Take to the Screen Once More

{Nero and Redgrave in Letters to Juliet}

I had not planned to see Letters to Juliet. It seemed to be just another manufactured romantic comedy. And doe-eyed, sprightly Amanda Seyfried always seems too eager to me in her roles. However, when I learned that Italian actor Franco Nero and British actress Vanessa Redgrave would be in the film, I changed my mind. These are the actors who played Lancelot and Guenevere, respectively, in the 1967 film version of Camelot (also starring the late and incomparable Richard Harris). A romance was kindled between the two actors during the filming of the movie. Two years after the film, they had a son together. Redgrave had divorced her husband Tony Richardson, who had left her for French actress Jeanne Moreau. Such international affairs!

Over the next forty years or so, the pair had an on-again, off-again romance, eventually marrying in 2006. Forty three years later, Redgrave and Nero return the big screen for Letters to Juliet. I love the romance of reuniting these two lovers/actors when they clearly have incredible chemistry and talent to offer the film. See a clip below for an example of their Camelot chemistry.

An excerpt from an interview about the movie:

"So why did they decide to finally tie the knot?

'I always loved her,' he says.

'I did love him,' adds Redgrave.

'I think when you become a little bit older, I think you become wiser,' says Nero."



Image found here.

Lena

Last Sunday, actress and jazz singer, Lena Horne, passed away in New York City at the age of 92.

What a life she led.

Her most notable performance is probably "Stormy Weather," but her incomparable voice immortalized countless other songs. I have included some of my favorites in a little playlist below.

Source: The New York Times (image found here).

For Whatver Reason

I loved Glee's rendition of the All-American Rejects "Hope It Gives You Hell." I have been listening to it on repeat today. Not because I am bitter about some dude or something. I just want to rock out! And so I will.

Old Poems, New Songs

I was sleuthing around TED, looking for some inspiration, when I came across this video of Natalie Merchant singing songs from her new album, Leave Your Sleep. Natalie chose children's poems from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and set them to music - a modern twist on some verses, many of which would have long gathered dust in obscurity. My favorite is "Janitor's Boy," a song based on a poem written by a ten year-old Brooklyn girl, Natalia Crane, in 1927. I love Natalie's soothing, unique sound and hopefully you will too!

Cover Love

I heart She & Him. Their music is light, fun, and revives my spirit whenever I listen to them (case in point: my morning commute improved infinitely with the help of this album). Listening to this duo is like riding your vintage bicycle (in Robin's Egg Blue) through the countryside on a sunny June day as a group of butterflies trail behind you. The Volume Two album is no exception to this feeling. However, what I think I may love most about this album is its fantastic cover art. I don't often purchase actual CDs anymore, but when I was home last weekend, I couldn't resist popping into the bad-ass indie music store, Bull Moose. Lo and behold, Volume Two was on sale and just too cute to pass up!

{The track list and lyrics are printed up like a library card, complete with stamp-like fonts
for the track numbers - all fitting into a library card sleeve!}

Through some Internet and email sleuthing, I discovered that the cover art credit goes to Kate Quinby, a designer for Merge Records (who produced this latest album from She & Him). Come to find out, Kate has a totally rad website Croak & Hum that features her design work. SO AMAZING. Seriously, check it out.

Kate is a 2010 MFA Candidate at the Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA thesis, featured on the site, is a composite of various projects and elements. One of my favorites was a microsite, Methods Employed, where people can submit their methods of work. It's interesting to see how other people accomplish their tasks and it made me stop to think about my own process (my contribution is the "I think and think and think..." one). I also found this little interview with Kate about her design influences, and turns out she also used to work for the design team at Starbucks!

First image found here.

The Other West Side Story

I adore West Side Story. So I was delighted to read this Vanity Fair article on the revival of another production by Jerome Robbins (the director and choreographer of the original Broadway production and movie of West Side Story). A year after West Side Story debuted on Broadway in 1957, Jerome Robbins wrote N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz, which was meant to further capture the "youth, city life, and discontent" conveyed in West Side Story. Looking at the photo slide show, you can see the similarities between the show's dance sequences. Quick movements, darting and jumping, elongated arms and legs stretched in yearning. A longing to match the pulse of the urban scene. My favorite image - the one above - juxtaposes a natural setting with that of the city, which sits patiently on the horizon. The tension of these two worlds can be felt in the taut pose of the dancers. I understand this tension - my love for the country often equals or surpasses that of the city, and vice versa. A constant reversal of desire.

Image found here.

Spring + Volume Two

It's SPRING! My favorite season! Phew! I thought we'd never get here, and yet, time never ceases to amaze me in it's ability to speed up and slow down in the oddest ways. Something about this drizzly Monday morning has prompted me to listen to She & Him on repeat! I am pretty jazzed about the release She & Him: Volume Two TOMORROW! Listen to the full album here.

Image found here.

Springin' Tunes

Thought I'd share some springin' songs that I've been listening to lately! I am so excited for a weekend away in NYC! Soaking up the glory of my favorite city. I hope you all enjoy these magical two days completely your own in which you can fulfill your heart's desire!

The First Waltz

The First Waltz. So romantic. A pair falling in love. Oh, to wear such fine silks and florals and have a dashing young royal whisk you about the dance floor.

I've been listening to The Young Victoria soundtrack on repeat (this is the last post of this film, I promise!). The music by Ilan Eshkeri is illustrious, inspiring, and reminiscent of my beloved England.

The First Waltz - Ilan Eshkeri

Image found here.

Doris

Watching Julie & Julia this evening, I fell in love with the Doris Day song used in the film, "A Bushel and a Peck." It's so light and cute. Doris Day songs always make me feel girly and carefree. "Que Sera Sera" or "April Love" - music from days of yore. If you are like me and adore songs from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, do check out the music of Doris Day. Also, I enjoy her movies like Calamity Jane, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, and of course of all her films with Rock Hudson (Pillow Talk, anyone?)! She's a true cinematic and musical icon.

A Bushel And A Peck - Doris Da...

Image found here.

A Classic Love Story (and just that).

{Victoria (Emily Blunt) and Albert (Rupert Friend)}

A frigid day during my recent visit to Maine meant I was curled up on one of the couches at the local independent theater, watching The Young Victoria and being transported to warmer scenes of England. The film depicts the early life of Britain's Queen Victoria as she makes her ascent to the throne as well as meets and marries her husband, Prince Albert. For all the dowdy images of Queen Victoria, Britain's longest reigning monarch, this movie revitalizes and romanticizes the Queen's 20-something experience.

The lush green of a British spring and summer, 'scapes brimming with beautiful landscaping and British blooms, laid to ease my chilled self! Simply, I adore this movie. It is a charming love story from start to finish - played beautiful by its actors and finishing in such a way as to pay full tribute to the history of its subject and also leave viewers completely satisfied, if not wanting for more.

Go see this movie for its rich, sweeping orchestral music (I bought the soundtrack from iTunes), the costumes (handsomely designed by Sandy Powell, who did the costumes for Shakespeare In Love), the excellent ensemble cast, and the unique cinematography. Splendid escapism!


Image found here at The Daily Mail.

Like a Bird

"I'm Like A Bird" came on my Pandora this afternoon and it made me feel like a little girl again. In that moment, I was running down a dirt road in Maine, training for my upcoming middle school lacrosse season and listening to this song on my Walkman (the iPod of the 90s). I also remember a birthday sleepover where we sat around my friend's kitchen table and belted out the lyrics. I am like a bird, I only fly away, I don't know where my soul is, I don't know where my home is. How spiritual music can be! Transporting you to another time. A distant place in your history. Sometimes we need a reminder of where we came from.

Image found here.