"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" by Spiritualized is one of my favorite songs ever in life. If there was a Church of Sara Crawford, it would be in the Hymn Book. I recently got to play the song for 500 Songs For Kids at Smith's Olde Bar, which I was SO EXCITED about. 500 Songs for Kids is one of my favorite events to participate in every year, and getting to play one of my favorite songs EVER in LIFE? Yes, please.
I also got to see Spiritualized when they came to Variety Playhouse earlier this month. They put on an AMAZING show and hearing this song live, especially, will easily go in my list of top 10 moments of 2012. (Yes, I have a list of top 10 moments of the year. Yes, I'm a dork. Shut up.)
So I've had a lot going on lately - I've gotten to play two out of town shows in the past month - one at Cafe Coco in Nashville, TN and one at the Be Heard Speakeasy in Dahlonega, GA. For now, I'm just working on writing some new songs. Hopefully, I'll be able to do some more traveling in May and June.
My open mic night at Cool Beans has a new Facebook page! I'm also no longer doing this every Friday so the next three will be 5/11, 6/1, and 6/15. Like us on Facebook to stay updated - http://facebook.com/openmicatcoolbeans
Spencer Durham was nice enough to record the set in Dahlonega, and James Hughey (see his band page AllofHerTwitch!) recorded some videos of my set in Nashville! The videos are posted below, you can hear one of the live tracks (La-De-Da) here in this blog, and the rest are up on my music page. Enjoy!
Sara Crawford
Here's me doing "Ghost Party" a poem from my new book, Driving Downtown to the Show
I have a few things coming up that I wanted to tell y'all about. (Yes, I just said y'all. I'm from the South!)
Saturday, March 31st - I will be playing an acoustic set at KSU for the KSU Peace Project. They are having a fun day where they will break the world record for the largest human peace sign! The event is free, and it will be an awesome day of peace, love, and music. Finster and Emmanuel Jal will also be performing. I'm playing at 1:30 so stop on by! I'm also making a ton of Atlanta musician mix CDs to give away for FREE!
Sunday, April 1st - I'll be participating in the 24-hour plays again this year with Working Title Playwrights, where we will collectively be writing and producing short plays over the course of 24 hours! I'll be co-writing something (though I won't know what until I start working on it Saturday night!) and they will be performed Sunday at 8 pm at Onstage Atlanta. Come check out this evening of craziness and support one of my favorite theatrical organizations in Atlanta!
Saturday, April 7th - The Driving Downtown to the Show book release party! This will be FREE on the roof of the Strand Theatre in Marietta, GA for Brew with a View. There will be poetry performances from me (I'll be doing poems from the book), and music performances from nerdkween, Juliana Finch, and Low UFO. Come out and support! And you will also be able to get a copy of my new book of poems, Driving Downtown to the Show!
Monday, April 16th - I'll be returning to Nashville to play an acoustic set at Cafe Coco!
Saturday, April 21st - I'll be playing a solo show at The Drunken Unicorn with Corner Kid and Sleep Dance. I'm planning on having some guest artists so you definitely don't want to miss it! I'll be playing some new songs, also!
Every Friday from 8 to 11 pm, I am now hosting an open mic night at Cool Beans in the Marietta Square. Come out and play a song, read a poem, be creative and express yourself! Or just have a cup of coffee and support the artists. :) We have some great talent!
So that's what's been going on with me lately. :)
Also stay tune for some more YouTube covers in the next few weeks!
I posted a new acoustic cover! I've been obsessing over Florence and the Machine lately so I thought I'd do my take on "Shake It Out." Have a listen!
Also, I have been playing my solo tunes more lately. I miss some of them! And I don't get to play them very often with Pocket the Moon. I've actually been trying to go out to more open mic nights - I'm even hosting an open mic night on Fridays now at my favorite coffee shop, Cool Beans, in Marietta. And I think I may be playing some solo gigs in the near future. We will see!
Anyway, I decided to post one of my favorite songs from my solo album - the title track, "Unsent Letters."
Driving Downtown to the Show is a book of poems that came out of a grad school poetry workshop I took in spring 2011. Our professor had us come up with a poetry writing procedure, which would consist of ―rules that we would set for ourselves which would determine our writing schedules and content. We were to decide on a title before writing any poems, and the goal was to have a cohesive collection of poems by the time the semester was over. Because I was taking this class at a time when my main creative focus was my music career, I decided to use music as an inspiration for my procedure, particularly the Atlanta music scene.
Being in a local Atlanta band myself, with a long history of performing and enjoying many local shows in Atlanta’s many wonderful and unique music venues, I was greatly inspired and I wanted to harness that energy. Our city has such a wide variety of musicians and performers, and on any given night, there are at least three or four excellent local shows to go see. I wanted to do a collection of poems that celebrated the musician and celebrated the entire metro Atlanta area.
I scheduled my writing time for after band practice, and I decided each poem must contain a band name. When I sat down to write a poem, I would look up the bands that were playing at some of my favorite Atlanta music venues, The Earl, the Drunken Unicorn, and the Star Bar, and I would incorporate one of those band names into my poem. I also would put my iPod on random, and whichever song played would determine the length of the poem based on how many lines the lyrics had or how long the song was if it was an instrumental song. (I also decided, just for fun, to slip in all of the band names of bands I’ve been in.)
I will be self-publishing this book in the spring. Stay tuned for news of a book release/reading event!
For now, enjoy one of the poems from my collection. In this poem, the band name I used was Wild Nothing. (They are not at Atlanta band, but they happened to be playing at the Drunken Unicorn the day I wrote this poem.)
Driving Mixy #1: The 'Songs That Actually Mention Driving' Mixy
That night, you got into
a shopping cart,
and I pushed you
around the Pizza
Hut where we worked –
in the rain - laughing - we were
wild. Nothing
ever stood in between
you and I and adventure.
We'd sneak out of our slumber
party bedroom windows
to hop in my white Chevy Malibu,
alternating drivers, drinking
vanilla coke,
bitching about the boys
who dumped us both at the same time
("Those fuckers!"),
listening to the Driving Mixy – All I want to do is to thank you
even though I don't know who you are
you let me change lanes
when I was driving in my car
Accelerating without a care
through the strip malls and chain restaurants
in the town
where we once covered
the church playground in sidewalk chalk –
happy faces and song lyrics –
until the cops caught us
and told us to go home,
but we were.
Here's a new acoustic cover for you guys. "Hyperballad" by Bjork. This is one of my favorite songs, and I've been doing this acoustic cover for a while so I thought I'd put it up for you guys.
Ignore the weird focus/blurry issues I was having with my webcam!
So I'm continuing my end-of-year favorites! In this blog, I'm going to talk about my 5 favorite albums of the year (in no particular order) and some of the favorite shows that I saw.
My Favorite Shows in 2011
Well, I went to a lot of shows this year - more than I've gone to any other year, probably, but most of them were on a smaller scale. So it was a lot of Drunken Unicorn, Wonderroot, Eastside Lounge, The Earl, Star Bar, Masquerade kind of shows. The "biggest" shows I went to this year were M83 at The Masquerade and Beirut at the Variety Playhouse - both of which were completely amazing. (But I love both of these bands A LOT - see below - so that's really not surprising.)
Many of the local bands that I saw this year, though, put on amazing shows. A few of my favorites were the Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun CD release show where Moonlight Bride and Sealions played with them at The Earl. I originally went to the show mainly to see Moonlight Bride with a vague sense of liking Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun but not really remembering what they sounded like. The entire bill was spot on that night, and I truly loved everyone's performances. And I left there with a great new record from Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun. All in all, it was a win. I then caught Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun again last week at The Earl where they played their whole album Wildfire, start to finish, at the Atlanta Music Roundtable show. Amazing set.
I made it out to quite a few Verge of Bliss shows this year. Not only are these guys great people, but they are seriously everything that a rock band should be. They have a high energy level on stage, Virginia's vocals are powerful and soulful with just the right amount of grit mixed in, and the instrumentation from the whole group is solid, together, and in your face. And yet, they will break your heart with songs like "Dreaming on the Eve" and "Photographs." It's really cool to see a band grow and develop, and I can't wait until they put out their album in 2012. (And shotout to Trey Bliss for being the most supportive Atlanta musician there is. Seriously, this guy is out supporting Atlanta musicians practically every night of the week it seems. You can always count on Trey to be at the show!)
On the folksy singer/songwriter side, it was all about the ladies this year for me. I was impressed by the wonderful songwriting abilities of people like Juliana Finch, Molly Parden, Rebecca Loebe, and Sydney Eloise. I had the opportunity to see all four of these ladies throughout the year (some of them more than once! and some of them I even got to play with!) They all write very sincere and honest songs with such skill that you can't help but be a little bit awed. They are also all huge inspirations to me. I definitely had "moments" to each of their songs when I was at their shows this year. Definitely check them out.
It's no surprise that I would love this album given the fact that I've been in love with everything that Zachary Condon has done, but The Rip Tide really combines all of the elements that I loved about Beirut's previous albums. There are some songs that you can dance around to, there are some songs that will break your heart, there are great melodies all the way through and great arrangements. And as always, this guy's level of talent blows me away.
Foster the People - Torches
This is an album that I wouldn't have expected would make my favorites list, but it was definitely one of the albums that came out this year that just makes me happy every time I pop it in. Of course, it's catchy as hell and certainly poppy with a very mainstream appeal, but once you actually listen to the lyrics and hear what they're saying underneath all of the catchy melodies, there's actually quite a lot of meaningful substance here. So whether you just want some music you can dance mindlessly too or you want music that makes you think, Foster the People manages to do both here, which isn't always easy.
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
This album almost didn't make my list. If I were making a "favorite Radiohead albums" list, it would be on the bottom. But even my least favorite Radiohead album is still one of my favorite albums of 2011. Although the initial few times I listened to it, I wasn't completely blown away (like I was with In Rainbows), I quickly found that songs like "Separator" and "Lotus Flower" were some of my favorite tracks from any band this whole year.
The Kills - Blood Pressures
This is a great "straight up rock" album. Straight up rock is a new genre name I've invented (well, I'm sure many other people have used it before!) because with SO much music these days and SO many sub-genres that get grouped into the "rock" category, you can sometimes forget what a real rock n' roll album sounds like until an album like this comes along. "Future Starts Slow" wins the award for "best song to drive around and feel like a badass" to. "The Last Goodbye" will break your heart. "Heart is a Beating Drum" will make you dance around like an idiot. All-in-all, this album is a great experience.
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
This "list" is not numbered, but if I had an absolute favorite album of 2011, this would definitely be it. This 2-disc album really and truly takes you on a journey. From songs like "Midnight City" that will make you dance like crazy to heartbreaking nostalgic ballads like "Wait" to incredibly trippy songs like "Raconte-Moi Histoire" to incredibly epic songs like "Outro," this album has everything. Every album M83 has put out has been progressively better than the previous one (in my opinion), and considering how much I loved Saturdays = Youth, I was bound to love this album. One of the great things about Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, though, is that the whole album comes across as one epic, emotional dream.
So those are my favorites from 2011!
Definitely go and check these out, especially the locals! There are a ton of links for you to click on. Go to their pages, listen to their tunes. If you're in Atlanta, catch a show in 2012! Going to see a local show is always a great thing to do. It's cheap (and sometimes free!) live music! Typically in a place where you can drink BEER. And you never know what kind of free shit you will get - moon pies, stickers, free CDs, free beer! Who knows? And if you go support a local band, I guarantee your presence will be appreciated. Everybody wins :)
Well, it's that time of year when obsessive dorks like me start making lists. This is great for people like me who obsessively document everything. I journal every day, I make silly lists (10 things I'm grateful for today, books I've read this year, shows I've played this year, etc.) on my computer. I have tons of notebooks filled with other things that don't exactly fit into either category. Okay, I know what you're thinking. "Wow, Sara, that sounds very OCD of you!" but considering how completely laid back I am in every other aspect of my life, I'm quite accepting of this one aspect of obsessive behavior.
So most of the music blogs out there are making "best of 2011" lists, but I don't like the word "best" because it implies that there is an objective way to determine which albums are better than others, and as I always say, all art is subjective. (I should get that tattooed. That's become my battle cry.) So, instead, I'm going to share with you 5 albums that I fell in love with in 2011, my 5 favorite shows that I went to in 2011, 3 albums I fell in love with in 2011 (that weren't actually released in 2011), and 3 local Atlanta albums I fell in love with in 2011. And if you really don't care about all of that, just skip down to the fun YouTube videos so you can listen for yourself!
2011 was an odd sort of year. At this time last year, I thought that there were going to be tons of releases from some of my favorite artists that I would absolutely love. Radiohead, Bjork, Lykke Li, Devotchka, Bon Iver, etc. For the most part, though, most of these releases left me with that "meh" feeling, which is definitely not what I was expecting from these artists.
One of the great things about 2011, though, was how involved I got to be in the Atlanta music scene. I played around 25 Atlanta shows with Pocket the Moon, and I made it out to around 20 (mostly local) shows in addition to that. Seeing and playing all of these shows allowed me to see some really great bands, both local and touring, and I also got the opportunity to meet some really cool people. As much as I often bitch about certain aspects of the Atlanta music scene (*cough*hipsters*cough*), there is a lot to appreciate about it also. This past year, I have met so many incredibly talented musicians who are (*gasp*) ALSO supportive of OTHER musicians!!
Everything that Geoff and I have gotten to do as Pocket the Moon--release an album, go on tour, play some really great shows, make a music video, get voted "Best New Music Act" and "Best Folk Act" in Creative Loafing--would NOT have been possible without all of our friends and supporters. I cannot say thank you enough to all of you for that.
Anyway. Onward. Let's see the lists!
I'm going to save my "5 albums I Fell In Love With in 2011" list and my "5 favorite shows I went to in 2011" list for next time. But here's the first half of my obsessive list making!
3 albums I Fell in Love With in 2011 (that weren't actually released in 2011)
I think it's important to include these sorts of albums in these kinds of lists, especially with music the way that it is today. There is SO MUCH indie music out there to be discovered that sometimes you won't find out about an album until way after it is released. There is no shame in this! While you won't typically see most indie music bloggers actually admitting that there was an album they didn't know about until a year later, I'm not a "typical" indie music blogger. (In fact, I'm not a typical anything blogger. I just write whatever the hell I feel like writing whenever I feel like writing it.)
Anyway, I wanted to write about these three albums because even though they were released before 2011, to me, they were very much 2011 albums because that is when I obsessed over them.
Angus and Julia Stone - Down the Way (2010)
I actually loved this album more than most of the albums on my main favorites from 2011 list. While the atmospheric track "Hold On," the haunting "For You," the catchy "Big Jet Plane," and folksy "And The Boys" are definitely my favorite tracks on this album, there really isn't a track that I dislike. These songs are full of soul, passion, emotion. The lyrics are deep and meaningful, the vocals of Angus and Julia really blend well together, the arrangements and the melodies are superb. The whole album is a winner.
The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You (2010)
This upbeat and catchy album reminds me of everything that I love about bands like MGMT, Foster the People, Moonlight Bride. Not that The Naked and Famous necessarily sounds like those bands, but they have some of the same elements. This track, "Young Blood" is my favorite. Some of the vocals remind me a little of M83, too, which is probably another reason I love it.
James Vincent McMorrow - Early in the Morning (2010)
This folksy and soulful solo artist reminds me a lot of Bon Iver or Edward Sharpe. His songs are very catchy and yet full of meaning. There are a lot of great and almost haunting harmonies on this album. It's perfect for rainy days like today. You should definitely have a listen if you haven't heard him before.
3 Local Atlanta Albums That I Fell In Love With in 2011
(aside from self-titled by Pocket the Moon...)
(kidding, kidding)
(no but seriously, listen to our album.)
Places - The Future
Tracks like "Dark Fear, "No More Lies," and "At Least It's A Beautiful Day" are great examples of why I love this dreamy, nostalgic album. It reminds me a little bit of Wild Nothing meets Slowdive (and comparing a local band to Slowdive is something I never thought I'd do). Definitely check them out. You can hear the whole album at the Bandcamp page and pay what you want.
Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun - W I L D F I R E
When this album came out in May, I think it spent a good month on repeat in my CD player (or at least a few weeks...I don't have a great concept of time). This album may as easily have been on my main list of favorite albums from 2011, but they just happen to be local so they go here! "Old Monster," "We Were Wild," and "With My Good Eye" are definitely my favorite tracks. (They remind me a lot of Metric.) I also think this band is definitely an inspiration for all of us Atlanta musicians. (Plus, they donated a free album to my raffle for the Red Cross benefit show I organized at Kavarna earlier this year so kudos to them!)
Molly Parden - Time is Medicine
Ever since I saw her set at Drunken Unicorn this June when she played at our CD release show, I have been a big fan of her's. She's one of those genuine folk singers that I love because her songs are very honest. My favorite tracks from this album are the title tract and "A Song For My Mother."
So check out these artists, go see their shows (if they're local!), buy their music, be supportive!
And stay tuned for part 2 of my favorites from 2011. :)
I decided I wanted to start blogging more. I guess 3 in the morning is as good of a time as any to start, right?
I went to bed pretty early tonight and then I woke up randomly at 1 and couldn’t go back to sleep. I started reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, a book I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time, but just recently borrowed from a friend at Unity (my “new agey/hippie” church, as I call it).
The first two agreements are very much connected. Be impeccable with your word and don’t take anything personally. Being impeccable with your word means not to say anything that goes against the truth of who you are. This means not having negative self-talk and not saying negative things about others. Not taking anything personally is a realization that whenever a person has an opinion about another person, it has much more to do with the person who holds the opinion than the person who the opinion is supposedly about.
I was thinking about this, and I was thinking about how our entire society is built around negative opinions. You can see this on a personal level—the person who complains about their co-workers, the person who calls up a sibling to talk shit about their parents, the person who spreads negative gossip around—or on a national or even international level. Turn on the TV. It’s full of pundits and politicians criticizing each other. It’s full of reality shows with judges giving negative opinions. “She can’t cook because of this.” “He can’t dance because of this.” “She can’t sing because of this.” You can’t even check your Facebook or Twitter without seeing one negative opinion after another. I am just as guilty of this as anyone else, though I try not to be.
Now, I’m not saying that you should never have a negative opinion. I think this is virtually impossible for the majority of humans. (Maybe Jesus pulled it off. But even he went off on people in the Bible from time to time.) I think the important thing, though, is that when we do have a negative opinion, we realize that we’re actually expressing a fear that we hold. When you do have a negative opinion, stop and ask yourself, "what does this say about me and how I feel?" And we also need to be aware that when another person expresses a negative opinion about us, it really has nothing to do with us.
When someone says, “she’s ugly,” it’s probably because that person has a fear that he or she is actually ugly. When a person says, “you are wrong” (which is basically what all political discourse can be boiled down to), it is really just because that is the only way that person can feel that he or she is “right.”
I was thinking about this in terms of art, and I realized that also applies. When a music critic says, “this album is boring,” it is telling us a lot more about the critic than it is the artist. It could be that the critic fears he or she is boring. It could be that the critic is afraid to be still and therefore enjoys music that is busier. It could be a number of things.
Positive opinions work the same way. If I really connect with an album and think it is great, that says a lot more about me and the things that I like about myself and my own life than it does the artist who created the album.
This is why all art is subjective. Because it depends entirely on the opinions of others.
Sure, each form of art has its own “rules” and techniques. And if someone masters those techniques, you could accurately say that that person is a skilled artist. But this is not the same as being a “good” or a “bad” artist because being “good” or “bad” assumes that someone has an opinion that that artist is “good” or “bad.” And I guarantee you that for every artist out there, you will find people who believe that he or she is “good,” and you will find people that believe that he or she is “bad.”
So. All art is subjective. I say this all of the time. Because I think it’s really important. This is one reason I really am opposed to reality shows where any work of art (whether it’s music, visual art, culinary arts, dancing, etc.) is being judged. Now, I'm not saying that these shows aren't fun to watch. I actually enjoy watching shows like Top Chef and Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, because I love seeing what people create in time constraints and given certain prompts. But I think everyone who watches these shows needs to realize that it's all subjective. You just can’t objectively judge art. I don’t personally care for the music of Justin Bieber, but there are a ton of people who connect with his music the way I connect with Radiohead. I’ll say it again because it's that important. All art is subjective.
So, I was thinking about this idea of all art being subjective and also thinking about the first two agreements. One thing I struggle with is how to reconcile these ideas (“all art is subjective,” “don’t take anything personally”) with constructive criticism. I’m working on my MFA in creative writing. I’m also a musician. I’m constantly putting my art out there. If I don’t “take criticism personally,” how can I improve as an artist?
Then I realized that it’s not about improvement. It’s about growth. A flower is no “better” or “worse” than a seed. It’s just two different things. That’s how artists are.
We create art that speaks to who we are at a particular time based on what we have experienced, what we have learned, what we feel, etc. These unique circumstances are the “tools” we have to work with. As time goes on, we grow and change as people. We learn more. We experience more. We develop more tools. This does not mean the art we once created was “bad” and now we are “good.” To put it in Radiohead terms, Pablo Honey is no better or worse than In Rainbows. Some people may connect with one more than the other, but the truth of the matter is that they are simply two different albums created in two different time periods by artists who had different sets of tools.
So going back to this idea of the workshop and constructive criticism, I think the best approach for any artist to take is to make sure that you are fully aware before you get feedback that this is someone’s opinion and has much more to do with that person than you or your art. It could be that the feedback genuinely has to do with what that person has learned about technique. Ideally, it should be, especially in a workshop or class setting. So keep that in mind first of all. Really don’t take it personally. (As the Dude would say, “That’s just, like, your opinion, man.”) Then, you should only use criticisms that inspire you to change the piece. For example, if my playwriting professor were to say “this part of the scene feels a little static” and this idea gets me thinking about and excited about all of the ways in which I can make it dynamic, I will ultimately use the criticism. Because it inspired growth and change in the piece. That growth and change didn’t come out of a negative idea (i.e. “I’m a horrible writer”) but a positive one (“I can do something different here because I have more tools now.”).
Take the “negative” opinions and use them in a positive way. If there’s a negative opinion that you can’t use to grow or change your piece, simply disregard it. I think this is a good way to think about constructive criticism, and I know I’m going to try to do this from now on.
Okay, so I decided to do a little mini-series in my YouTube covers. Here are a couple of tunes from some of my favorite Atlanta musicians who were a huge part of my coming of age, both as a musician and as a person.
First up, I decided to cover "Indie Queen" by Marvelous 3.
Alright, when I was about 15, most of the girls my age were obsessing over the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. But me, I was obsessed with local rockers, Marvelous 3! (Even at 15, I was so indie!) Now, they weren't really simply "local" rockers, especially after their release of Hey! Album and their success with "Freak of the Week" on the national level, but I still thought of them very much as an Atlanta band. When you went to a Marv 3 show in Atlanta, there was a feeling of "this is one of our bands!" Maybe this is my equivalent to cheering on a local sports team, I don't know.
Since the first time I heard Hey! Album, though, I was OBSESSED. And I do mean OBSESSED. I took all of that teeny bopper energy that is just inherent in teenage girls (especially those who are artistically inclined...or maybe just those who tend to be obsessive and dorky about things) and poured it into this band. I had a Marvelous 3 wall, I had Marvelous 3 PANTS (I took an old pair of jeans and decorated them with Marv 3 lyrics in sharpies), I caught a guitar pick at one of their shows and wore it on a necklace, I went and saw them live everytime they played in Atlanta and made signs to hold ("PLAY KATRINA!") and jumped around and screamed and rocked out like a crazy person. I even got to meet the band a few times and got Butch Walker to sign my first guitar (which I appropriately named Katrina). When Jayce, the bass player, came into the Schlotzsky's where I worked, I NEARLY FREAKED OUT. I tried to keep it together externally but once he noticed my guitar pick necklace, it was all over. I even named the table where he sat the OHMYGODJAYCEFROMMARVELOUS3 table. One time at an in-store performance and signing at Best Buy, Jessie, Kyndal, Bre, and I actually gave Butch Walker a tape of our all-15-year-old-girl band, Population 2. (Dear God, I hope he never listened to that! Although it did have some of our more profound songs on it like "Bitchy Whore in a Little Skirt.")
Me and Butch Walker - I was 14 or 15 in this picture (and probably trying not to PASS OUT)
"Indie Queen" was always my favorite song on the album, though, and is still one of my favorite songs in life. At 15, I was convinced it was my anthem. (I even used "theindiequeen" as my livejournal user name.) Now, of course, Butch Walker has gone on to be much more than an "Atlanta musician." He's one of my idols as a songwriter, as a performer, as a musician in general. And I have certainly mellowed out and dialed down the teeny bopper obsession (I would hope so now that I'm 26!), but every time I hear Hey! Album, a small part of me still goes back to that 15-year-old girl jumping around in a packed crowd at The Tabernacle staring up at these musicians in total awe of their music, their performance, their energy...it was truly too much rock for one hand.
My next cover is a song called "Story of Your Bones" by Jennifer Nettles Band. This was Jennifer Nettles's project before Sugarland. Another great example of someone who transcended the Atlanta music scene to gain recognition at the national level. There was a moment when I was watching her sing at Presidet Obama's inauguration on TV when I thought "I used to go see her at the Variety Playhouse...she used to play venues that I'm playing now like Smith's Olde Bar, and she's actually singing for the President of the United States." It made me feel proud of Atlanta. We turn out some great musicians here.
I first saw the Jennifer Nettles Band on the Locals Only stage at Music Midtown. (Or was it Big Day Out? I can't remember. One of those 99X things.) I was immediately floored. If Marvelous 3 were too much rock for one hand, Jennifer Nettles was too much soul for one hand. I was completely in awe of her songwriting, her amazing vocals, her ability to play many different instruments. She was practically overflowing with musical talent. I was particularly in love with this song, "Story of Your Bones." Everytime she sang it live, it was so powerful, it brought me to tears.
I've never done an acapella cover on YouTube before. And while it's slightly terrifying for me to not have a guitar or a keyboard, I decided to do it this way for a couple of different reasons. First of all, I've decided to audition for The Voice (which I'm doing on Friday in Nashville - Geoff and I will be on tour with Pocket the Moon when they come to Atlanta) and you have to sing acapella for the first auditions. I've decided to sing this song for auditions so I thought that doing it for YouTube would be good practice. Secondly, since I was already paying tribute to my teenage years and the musicians that inspired me in the Atlanta music scene, I thought I would also pay tribute to one of the moments in which I realized how important singing was to me.
I was always kind of a shy and quiet kid. When I was forcing myself to be social, it always came out in an awkward and dorky way. (I'm still awkward and dorky, but I'm a lot more comfortable with my awkwardness!) I never really felt like I could really connect with people in my age group. Anyway, so one weekend in 10th grade, our high school chorus was taking a trip to Six Flags. On the bus ride, everyone was singing various songs, and eventually some of my friends asked me to sing one. The only thing I could think to sing (probably because I was obsessing over this album at the moment) was "Story of Your Bones." So I just opened my mouth and this acapella version of this song came out. And in that moment, there was something about the way my friends were smiling at me that made me know that I was supposed to be a singer. Through that song, I was able to connect with them in a way I had never been able to before. There were so many songs that had helped me through so much of the difficult things about coming of age, so many songs that made me feel like I wasn't alone, ("Don't forget the songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life," as Morrissey would say), and that was the first time that I actually believed that maybe one day, I could be that for other people. Maybe someday, I could create music that would help someone get through life, the way so many musicians have done for me.
So I thought I'd pay tribute to two bands that definitely helped me get through high school with these YouTube covers. Hope you enjoy!
