Hearts of Palm UK

This week I've been tuning into Hearts of Palm UK. I love the gentle vocals and the dreamy melodies. Great to listen to while working.

Listen here. (My favorite track so far is "Portugal.")

Please share- what are you listening to?

For Wilco Fans

I have been obsessed about the two Wilco shows I have seen (hope to see more), so this looks too good. Due out in April. (Embedding's being quirky- go here to watch.)

Finally!

I did a little house-keeping on some of the elements in the right-hand nav... I didn't realize that there were some links that have long been expired!

(Hey friends and family, if you have a blog that I'm not currently linking to, please send the URL my way!)

T+M

These are a couple of my favorite shots from taking photos with this gorgeous couple this weekend... The weather was perfect too... ah- spring fever!

Neko

I LOVE this picture of Neko Case; I think it's stunning. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of her new album "Middle Cyclone," which NPR is currently streaming. Neko describes the album as "a bunch of love songs," which is my cup of tea...

Listen here.

Guilty Pleasure #7

(But who's counting anyway?)

You know you’re sort of pathetic when the bright spot of your day is looking forward to watching a reality television show. And, not just any reality television show; I’m talking about “The Bachelor.”

This guilty pleasure of mine has long been a mild obsession; I've watched almost every season. I’m not sure what it is about the show- from a feminist point of view, it is pretty repulsive. 20+ women all vying for the attention of ONE man. ONE man who schmooze’s and flirts with each gal, ONE man who each girl will do anything for (ah-hem fantasy dates).

It’s, um, pretty repulsive but... oh-so very entertaining.

This current season hasn’t been my favorite; I never rooted for Jason. I mean sure- it is cute that he’s a dad and all… But, there are two actions of Jason’s in particular that kill me every time:

Exhibit A: The way he always greets his “girlfriends” after not seeing them in over a week (please tell me you’ve noticed this):

Step 1. Jason RUNS towards girl.
Step 2. Jason gets down in a slight crouch position.
Step 3. Girl jumps into arms…

And what’s next?

Step 4. Jason begins a twirling session. (Melissa’s got this down precisely.) He twirls them around until he realizes:
a. his arms hurt and
b. he’s way too dizzy

I think: C’mon dude- those greet-n-meet twirls are only romantic for so long. Now, it just seems like an act.

Exhibit B: The man loves to smooch. But, he only likes to smooch when he’s got nothing to say. ESPECIALLY when the girl asks some really serious, personal questions. Really- he does- you’ll soon notice it, and he does it A LOT.

So… amongst all my complaints, I’m still trying to figure out why I tune in every week:

+ Maybe it’s the possibility that one of these couples really can find true love.
+ Maybe I’m waiting for the Bachelor to get dumped, instead of the other way around.
+ Maybe I’m just a romantic at heart and anytime someone says “Will you accept this rose,” I swoon. (I really don't think this is it.)
+Maybe I think Chris Harrison is the best host. Ever.
+ Maybe I love mindless entertainment.

Whatever it is, I’m definitely tuning in tonight.

Any other fans out there? Who are you picking? (My favorite was Jillian- bless her heart.)

Dark Was The Night

Jo reminded me of this wonderful project that was released this week.

Dark Was The Night features 31 tracks by some fabulous artists- all covers or new tracks by the featured artists- benefiting the the Red Hot Organization, which is a charity dedicated to awareness and research for HIV and AIDs.

Some of my favorite tracks include duets by Feist+Ben Gibbard, Feist+Grizzly Bear, Conor Oberst+Gillian Welch, and Blonde Redhead+The Devastations.

Preview all tracks here.

Don't you love new music? I do. This brightened my morning. (Yeah- it hasn't been my week. I accidentally dropped my debit card into the garbage this morning while putting gas into the car and then cleaning out said car. Don't worry, after rummaging through the garbage, I found it. Yuck.)

Conan

Jeff and I have been up late the last few nights watching the last of Conan O'Brien's Late Night show. We've become huge fans of his and especially this show. I love tuning into the beginning of each episode, as the opening dialogue and opening skit usually have me rolling.

He only has two episodes to go, so watch while you can...! We have a feeling he will be a bit more restrained when he starts his new gig later this year.

(The above clip was shown last night- some random bloopers from over the years.)

Aloha!

After a morning of clumsily dropping things, being cut off numerous times by other drivers, and working on a very slow computer, this lovely band is brightening my morning.

(Definitely listen to "Body Buzz.")

Us

Portraits taken by each other on Valentine's Day. I think this will be a new tradition. (Note: I have more freckles than I ever realized.)

Valentine's Day Mix 2

Here's my mix for Jeffrey. (Don't worry: My husband doesn't get around to reading my blog much, so it's pretty safe to post it here.)

I think I've pulled together some great gems for my Valentine's Mix.

1. Lay & Love by Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Listen here.
2. You Turned My Head Around by Dean and Britta
3. God Only Knows by Ben Kweller (Beach Boy cover). Listen here.
4. Singing To The Earth (To Thank Heaven For You) by Apollo Sunshine
5. Kiss Me Again by Jessica Lea Mayfield
6. Love Me by Department of Eagles (Elvis cover)
7. Promises by Badly Drawn Boy
8. Starstruck by The Kinks
9. Shape of My Heart by Noah and The Whale
10. Words of Love by Buddy Holly
11. Find Love by Clem Snide
12. All I Have to Do is Dream by The Everly Brothers
13. Shed Your Love by The Helio Sequence
14. Sellotape by Flight of the Conchords (Yep. We're obsessed.)

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

That Hair

We saw this movie tonight, but I couldn't focus on the story, because of Ginnifer Goodwin's cute hair in the movie. Loved it.

(Hey girls- thanks for the fun evening!)

Piano

P i a n o:

a large musical instrument consisting of a keyboard fixed to a wooden case containing metal wires stretched across a frame. It is played by pressing the keys, each of which is attached to a small hammer that strikes one or more of the wires to sound a note.

Growing up, I took piano lessons from the same piano teacher for nine years. She was a fabulous pianist who taught me how to read music, know the difference between forte and piano, what a staccato note does, how to keep a steady rhythm while playing, but especially- how to love playing.

I've recently begun teaching piano to share the love I have for this instrument. If you are located around SLC, and are interested in having your kids (or you) learn (or re-learn) the piano, feel free to contact me.

I'll only be taking a handful of students, so let me know if you're interested!

Email: laceycarl (at) yahoo (dot) com.

This Weekend

This weekend, my family headed out of town. While everyone went swimming, Jeff and I did a little exploring. We also took my mom's dog along for the walk.

It was a nice, relaxing, beautiful weekend.

All You Need is Love

See the Valentine's Day mix I compiled for Your Heart Out here. This mix is sort-of old school; I thought these bands together were oh-so romantic.

Next week, I'll also be blogging about another Valentine's Mix that I'm currently compiling. I just can't get enough of those silly love songs...

Loney Dear + February Music

I'm just now listening to the band Loney Dear. I've seen them around blog-land, but never tuned in. I finally decided to, especially because they are opening for Mr. Andrew Bird this month, and as it turns out, I really like them.

This Swedish band has character. Listen here.

And! Check-out my suggestions for live music on Your Heart Out here.

"Henry Poole Is Here"

We watched this over the weekend (Thanks for the recommendation, Polly!); it was a slow-paced movie, but we ended up liking it. Luke Wilson sure is good at playing a depressed guy. (I kept waiting for "Needle In the Hay" to begin playing.)

One of my favorite parts was the soundtrack. Tracks by Badly Drawn Boy, Joshua Radin, Golden State, and Alt-Ctrl-Sleep helped set a lovely tone to the movie.