Moneyless Music + Diversions Double Feature The Joanna Newsom edition

I adore Joanna Newsom. Seriously I do. The coordination required to flawlessly play the harp is its own award-worthy talent. Couple that with the ability to simultaneously sound like some sort of old appellation woman shouting jibberish on her front porch while pa whittles squirrel shaped wooden figurines and I'm sold. Sign me up.

I recently stumbled upon a live performance of Have one on me from the Austin City Limits series.  The title track from Joanna's ambitious triple album is by far my favorite offering on that 2010 release.  We own this on vinyl and just a side-note the packaging is stunning featuring these timeless stylized black and white photos of Joanna.

Here is the Austin City Limits performance.



As the title suggests, there is some free music if you feel so inclined to reward yourself with free music.  I stumbled upon a cover of Joanna's The Book of Right-On, done by Joel Cathey which is available for free download on his BandCamp Page.  Have one on me or rather on him.  You're welcome. ;)



If you haven't heard the original, here she is for reference.

July 21st 2012

On July 21st at 8pm in NYC I will be performing
The Ocean & The Easel Part 1: The Ocean

This is an original concept album that I have been working
on for a bit now. The songs have never been performed together
in their entirety and this is a one time performance which will
combine visual elements of video, lighting and costume along
with the music and guest performers. I am very excited to
share this with you all.

More details to come soon.

XO

R

A Lost Mind

Where does one go to find a lost mind full of lost time and lost words? Do you lift up the sofa cushions and dig through the loose change, wads of paper and bits of random crap? Is there a cardboard box at the police station or the post office tattooed with black sharpie?

This thought or rather this question rattles around in my empty head echoing and reverberating against the sides of my skull.

With most lost things they (who is they?) tell you to retrace your steps. Where did you last see your mind? Where might you have left it, dear? I trace backwards to my husband being taken from me and banned from the country, my wedding, being hit by a car, panic attacks unable to find my breath, my father's accident, deaths, births, the loss of my best friend, the loss of my self-confidence. All of this is painted with the brush of sleepless nights, of worry, of self-doubt and of deep joy and deep loss, deep depression and paralysis.

Somewhere along the line, the circuitry got fried and the mind escaped to save itself, jumped overboard to try its luck with the sharks and Portuguese man o' wars. The search party was too exhausted to look for long and the mind washed up on some distant shore, but alas, we shall find it and stuff it back. It wasn't too much of a loss as no one seemed to really notice it was gone.

I am working on the last two songs in my Eat My Shorts series. The current one is aptly named Crazy. coming soon.

1/19/12 Set List at Bar 4

Last night I had a totally awesome show at Bar 4 in Park Slope Brooklyn.
Thank you to everyone who made the night so very special.

The set list was as follows

(Kalimba)
1. Louise (unreleased/O&E1)
2. The Bottle (unreleased/O&E1)

(piano)
3. Sally (unreleased/O&E1)
4. Narcissus Sea (unreleased/O&E1)
5. The Seaman's Wharf * (unreleased/O&E1)

(a capella)
6. Flapjacks (unreleased/SRATS)

(guitar)
7. Lemon Scented (S.O.B.)
8. Follow Me Home (S.O.B.)
9. Sirens of Brooklyn (S.O.B.)
10. Mr. Carpentier (unplug single/SRATS)
11. Fishnet Sailor (S.O.B.)
12. Before You Go (S.O.B.)
13. Banana Leaves (unreleased/O&E1)

*=premiere/first time performed live
S.O.B = from the album Sirens of Brooklyn
SRATS = from the unreleased album Sunrise at the Speakeasy (coming 2012)
O&E1 = from The Ocean & The Easel (part 1)
unplug = unplug single