{Music Monday} Shine...

This new song from Benjamin Francis Leftwich feels good to me today. I always love the imagery & lighting in his videos - they calm me down & fuel my imagination. I'm trying to chill out before I brave the post office - I think this did the trick. Besides, it's a good holiday wish, don't you think? Happy Music Monday! 

{photo via}

{Everyday Inspiration} Kiel Johnson cardboard love...

Kiel Johnson's Cardboard Twin Lens Reflex Camera Time Lapse from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.

THE SHORT STACK from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.

Holy Moly- aren't these unbelievable cardboard creations? A friend told me about this post over at Odette Manon & it blew me away (thanks again D!). Then I checked out Kiel Johnson's website & was hit over the head with his brilliance. I highly recommend taking some time to cruise through it - this post barely scratches the surface of his projects. I particularly love his videos by Theo Jemison too! 

Hope you are having (or had) a wonderful weekend. Did you make anything cool?

All photos from www.kieljohnson.com

{Music Monday} Bright as Yellow...

Sayer & I are hoping to relax a bit & maybe read a good book on this holiday Monday (ok- so maybe that is my hope- & it will be after playing fire station of course). It's a yellow sort of day... sunny, happy, & full of promise. Happy Music Monday! How are you spending your holiday?

{Music Monday} Angus & Julia Stone...

Angus & Julia Stone - Just A Boy (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Angus & Julia Stone

Angus & Julia Stone - Paper Aeroplane (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Angus & Julia Stone

I think I've mentioned before that I'm sometimes drawn into a song or a musician by their videos. This would be one of those situations. I'm loving these Angus & Julia Stone videos! Sayer can't get enough of the first one- he particularly enjoys the little elephant that is walking on the guitar. Happy Music Monday! 

{image via}

{Everyday Inspiration} Inventive fun!

I'm such a sucker for creative & inventive videos. I just saw this wonderful little short on the quirky collective facebook page & had to post it. So much to be inspired by- textures, shape, imagery... the list goes on. What a perfect video for a Saturday full of party preparations! 

We are getting ready for Sayer's 3rd birthday party today and there's lots to do to get ready. His birthday is on Tuesday, but his Aunt & Uncle are coming this weekend for a mini slumber party with him and he is REALLY excited. We are on our way to pick up balloons & party hats! What are you up to? Hope your weekend is just what you need it to be...
{above picture made from video screenshot}

{Music Monday} a cold december...

I know I've mentioned that I'm a big Matt Costa fan. But I've recently discovered that Sayer really likes his music too.  Whenever I listen to his music on my computer, Sayer runs over to see the videos to the songs. I really adore Matt Costa's aesthetic in his videos. His imagery is always creatively wonderful & inspiring. As I mentioned in a previous post, I really respond strongly to his process of writing songs too. While Sayer likes all of them that he's seen, it's the Cold December video that he wants to watch over & over again - it's a definite favorite.  

Can you see why? Trains, snow, & guitars are 3 things that he finds interesting right now. But maybe it's more complicated. Just maybe he is noticing the compositions, palette, & mood that I love so much. Either way, it's a nice break from Dora the Explorer. Happy Music Monday!

{Paper} A cool way to plan...

You can find a Moleskine sketchbook in every bag I own, tucked away in various closets, in the stack of books by my bed, & in all nooks of my studio.These are my favorite sketchbooks & it was cool to stumble on this awesome ad for the mini Moleskine planners. Some wonderful paper magic...

MINI PLANNERS from Moleskine ® on Vimeo.

Hmmm, mine doesn't do that. Does yours? Hope you are having a nice weekend! {via Paper Forest}

{Music Monday} 2 minutes of fun...

This week is going to be busy! Most of the time, my studio music choices are pretty mellow, more acoustic in nature. However, when I need to sew really fast and speed along with my day, Vampire Weekend is an excellent choice.

This video, directed by Garth Jennings, is a few minutes of clever fun to jumpstart the week. If only I had a set of those tracks through my studio... then I could really scoot. On occasion, I do really move that fast- it just depends on how much coffee I've had in the morning. Happy Music Monday! 

{Play} Creative Video Shortlist...

This is so cool! For those of us that love artistic videos, this is a great thing to know about.  The Guggenheim Museum selected 25 videos from 23,000 YouTube video submissions for YouTube Play. A Biennial of Creative Video shortlist was announced tonight during a special event at the Guggenheim Museum.The videos can all be watched at the museum through October 25th. But if you are like me, and not able to watch them at the museum, they are all here on YouTube! Oh happy day- what an awesome collaboration!  

{info + image here}

{Music Monday} wash your jeans like real people...

One of my first blog posts ever, was about my appreciation of Imogene & Willie's concept & style. I fell in love immediately with their first branding video that played on their website. John Moessner made that video & did a wonderful job capturing an aesthetic that I really respond strongly to. He has made a new video for Imogene & Willie called, Wash Your Jeans Like Real People, made to the sounds of Patty Griffin singing "Wade in the Water". 

Wash Your Jeans from John Moessner on Vimeo.

I like the way that these guys roll- true Americana. I know from following them on Twitter, that they have concerts & happy hours at their retro fitted gas station (shop/studio) frequently. Too bad I don't live down the street. Happy Music Monday! I am off to wash some jeans now....  
{photo via here}

{Music Monday} Process & Quirkiness Love....

{Image via here}

In reading about how Matt Costa approached writing his album, Unfamiliar Faces, I was immediately struck as to why I responded so strongly to his videos and artistic aesthetic in general. I love his process and can completely understand it. 

Some of my favorite words from his blog:

The singer/songwriter took his most treasured belongings and put them on a shelf — then stared at them and just let the memories flow. “That way I could see everything that I loved,” he explains (the collection included his favorite books, a giant wooden pipe, and a box of old 45-speed records from the late 1950s). “I let my imagination wander. Regular life isn’t as exciting as an imaginary life.”

"Costa reflects on how he pulled stories out of the possessions he packed into that bedroom in Sacramento that he painted an inspiring green. “Every day I’d look at the same things and find different memories and attach different moments. You can come into a room and every day feel different about it, I feel the same way about songs, each time you listen to them you can find something new,” he muses."

These videos are artistically chuck full of goodness. The colors, details, textures, and pure quirkiness are just awesome! I definitely find Matt Costa a true inspiration both musically & visually. Happy Music Monday! Hope you enjoyed this start to your week. 

{Music Monday} Unique harmonies & song writing...

{photo via the Weepies website}

The iTunes or "genius" feature with the, "if you like this, then you might like this", concept is made for someone like me. I believe that is how I found the Weepies a few years ago. It was one of my major iTunes research & purchasing extravaganzas,  inspired by an iTunes gift card, that led me to the sweet duo. I have been listening to Pandora Radio a lot lately and the Weepies have been popping up frequently. I find that it is nice studio music. I read a little about them and discovered that they had a son about the same time we had Sayer. Because of their new addition to their family, they didn't tour after their last release. Instead they stayed home and wrote lots and lots of songs. But that didn't mean they fell off people's radar though- you may remember hearing their music for a Barack Obama ad campaign, along with various tv shows & films. I look forward to hearing their newest recording that is due out  August 31st. I have a feeling that I may identify with some of their lyrics. The new collection, BE MY THRILL is said to showcase their unique songwriting abilities and harmonies. Any collection where, "Cole-Porter-Esque" & "Dusty Springfield" are used to describe songs, has me curious. 

I was delighted when I saw the Weepies videos on their website. I think I actually giggled a little. I love the creativity and approach shown in each one. I felt like I hit the jackpot.  Hope you enjoy them too. The Weepies just sort of fits my mood these days. Happy Music Monday! 

{Music Monday} Dad's choice...

Hope everyone had a nice Father's Day! We are actually celebrating today by having my parents over for a BBQ (Monday & Tuesday is the new weekend at our house). So, it seemed fitting to dedicate this Music Monday to my dad (last weeks selection was for Chris). I think my brother and I knew the lyrics to many Willie Nelson songs at a very early age. We may not have understood them, but we strummed our tennis rackets and sang them at the top of our lungs. Certain songs still conjure up memories of being on the boat with my family, listening to the same tapes over and over again, while playing cribbage. The photo below is a picture of my dad on the 4th of July, wearing his Willie braids that we gave him that previous Father's Day (yes, they really do sell them and we couldn't resist). He was in a little neighborhood bike (bicycle-not motorcycle) parade - it was even funnier seeing him wear them under his bike helmet.  {top photo via here}  

As an adult, I rediscovered Willie Nelson's music and now appreciate him  as  the extremely talented guitar player & lyricist that he is. It was when I learned that one of Willie's musical influences was one of my favs, Django Reinhardt, that I gave his music another listen.  My all time favorite Willie recording is the Red Headed Stranger and I just learned that the United States Library of Congress has added it to the National Recording Registry! Willie is so darn prolific too- I love how he collaborates with so many musicians and keeps his music fresh and current. Narrowing down the videos was tricky for me. But here we go.... there's a little something for everyone.

For me, these three videos show very different sides of Willie. The first one made me laugh really hard. If you lasted through the end credits, you saw that Willie made the video all on his own (and his Mac). The video with Norah is a song that I know the words to from back in the day. Norah Jones cds can be found in my mom and dad's cd players at all times (right after Willie) + Chris thinks she is pretty easy on the eyes - so I had to add it. The last video is just sweet. I love the Rainbow Connection and I think Willie gives Kermit a run for his money. Well that about wraps up my dad's choice music post. Oh, and don't forget to enter the Father's Day Owl tee giveaway. Happy Music Monday! 

{Music Monday} A little Squirrel Nut Zippers...

The very first gift that my husband ever gave me was a Squirrel Nut Zippers cd. We were both teaching in the art department at the local college during that time and just starting to hang out a bit. I remember thinking, anyone that would give me a Squirrel Nut Zippers cd on first meeting, was someone to keep around. The cd, "Hot" had just come out (1997) and both it, and Chris, knocked my socks off. 

I have been listening to Andrew Bird a lot in my studio lately (my all time fav) which made me dust off some of my old Squirrel Nut Zipper cds. I had forgotten that Andrew Bird used to play in that band and that it was our introduction to his music. I have been enjoying cruisin' down memory lane along with sharing the Squirrel Nut Zippers with Sayer. He seems to really enjoy the music too- not that i am surprised at all. Sayer loves to get on my lap and watch music videos with me. He comes running when sees me starting to play one. These certainly don't disappoint and the word, "more" is repeated by my enthusiastic toddler whenever we watch them. The second video for Ghost of Stephan Foster, was a Winner of the "Best Animated Music Video" at the 1999 Vancouver Animation Festival {directed by Raymond Persi & Matthew Nastuk}.

I love how listening to early Squirrel Nut Zippers makes me feel. I think it may connect with my old soul and inner tap dancer (I tap danced for 11 years growing up). It's cool to see Sayer get excited and want to sing, play music, and dance to it too. And it's so nice to have a  mini dance partner during the day. I have to add, that I think Sayer is a spittin' image of his dad in these pictures -which also makes me smile really big. Happy (Pre-Father's Day) Music Monday!

{Music Monday} A drummer & puppets...

I just recently saw a Josh Ritter video premiere on NPR- All Songs Considered that was really interesting and definitely worth passing on. Josh Ritter has a new cd out called So Runs the World Away. The song, The Curse, is a beautiful love song about an archeologist and her mummy. The video for The Curse is extremely unique and I love the story behind it, which can be read here.  Josh Ritters drummer, Liam Hurley, was the creator of the video. Not only is he a drummer, but he is also a puppeteer. {images via here} 

There is no question that I am a sucker for videos that feature puppetry. But combine it with a really lovely song and a multitalented film maker, then you've really got my attention. Some songs are just meant to be seen through the eyes of a puppeteer. Happy Music Monday!

{Mid-week reminder} Thinking is fun...

Thinking Is Fun from Davis Silis on Vimeo.

Ah Wednesday, how did you get here so fast? This, "Thinking Is Fun" video gave me a chuckle and seemed fitting for a Wednesday after a Monday holiday, don't you think? {via UPPERCASE}

{Music Monday} The Name Game...

"Did you name your son Sayer, after Leo Sayer?", inquiring minds frequently ask me. Let me go on the record (so to speak) by saying no, no we did not. However, that is not to say that we didn't put some Leo S. songs on Sayer's playlists when he was a baby. The more I have become familiar with Leo Sayer, the more I realize that it isn't such a far fetched question. There is one song in particular that I remembered from my childhood and it still makes me smile. It also makes me think of the early baby Sayer days when we played it often and boogied around the house to entertain him. 

While the energy and charisma that Leo Sayer projects is infectious, the man that we named Sayer after is even cooler. Richard Sayer would be that guy. Chris and Dick became friends in a high school art class back in 1983 and they are still really great friends today. 

It is pretty awesome that both of them are practicing artists and can still bounce creative ideas off of each other. They have done their art teacher proud. She actually sent Chris & Dick those two top pictures about a year ago (the other picture is a self-portrait of Dick). Oddly, I have never met Dick in person. We live on different sides of the US and all of us seem to work everyday, every minute. But I feel like I know him and consider him a friend as well. I can't think of a better person to name Sayer after. 

So there you have it. Sayer was not named after a famous musician, but an artist and music lover nonetheless. However, we still enjoy some Leo Sayer tunes now and then. For those it applies to, hope you are enjoying your long weekend! Happy Music Monday! 

{Inspiring Artist} For the love of stop-motion...

{still images via here}

While reading, It's Nice That a while back, I stumbled on an article about Joseph Mann. The article was about the stop motion representation of William Goldsmith's, The Chimney Sweep that Joseph Mann painstakingly created by hand. I loved the image of the two clay figures sitting on the rooftop and immediately looked him up. Mann, finished his last year of school at Glasgow School of Art and has some pretty wonderful work to show. I am particularly taken with, Taller Than Trees, and Me and My Toes. This guy is pretty darn inspiring. Enjoy! 

Getting to know me and my toes from Joseph Mann on Vimeo.

Taller Than Trees from Joseph Mann on Vimeo.

The Chimney Sweep from Joseph Mann on Vimeo.

{Music Monday} Mr. Hi-de-ho for the kiddo...

Oh wow, what can I say about the cool Cab Calloway? He was truly an amazing performer. I have had a nice little collection of Mr. Hi-de-ho man in my music library since my "into to jazz" class back in college (still one of my favorite classes to this day). I was immediately smitten with the guy. There was even a little hi-de-ho at our wedding. Not too long ago, I discovered that Cab used to make frequent visits to Sesame Street. I found a few videos that I immediately shared with Sayer.

Not surprisingly, Sayer loved the videos! He now likes to listen to my Cab Calloway music while he plays. It is so cool to hear him sing hi-de-ho around the house. As I have mentioned before, Sayer loves to dance and he often hands me my old tap shoes and says, "mommy, dance"!  Well, Cab Calloway definitely helps us cut a rug when the spirit moves us. Happy Music Monday!

{Music Monday} A little bit of sunshine...

"She & Him make music for an eternal springtime, when the temperature is warm enough to go riding with the top (or at least the windows) rolled down and the radio turned up. They occupy an alternate universe where the saddest of songs feel as warm as sun showers; the rain may be coming down, but somewhere nearby, everything looks bright." 

After reading the description of the music of She & Him on their website, it made complete sense to me why it has been dominating my studio ipod lately. I have been loving their new release, "Volume Two" that came out a few weeks ago. While "Volume One" got a lot of air time in it's day, I am enjoying this new album even more. (And as a little side note: She & Him radio on Pandora is awesome too.) The story of how Zooey Deschanel & Matt Ward formed, "She & Him", is pretty cool- unassuming, and just all about the music. Which is a little surprising when the "she" in the duo, is most known for her acting chops- which I suppose, only makes the videos that much more entertaining...

Safe to say, I will be working to sounds of She & Him in my studio for quite awhile. This second album shows that the duo is here to stay. So roll down your windows, turn up the music, and (hopefully) enjoy some sun showers. Happy Music Monday! Do you have a favorite new release that you are listening to lately?