Thanks for this gem, @mikemoschetto. That’s as close as a dog will ever get to being as cool as Oskar.
I’m playing at the Boston GreenFest TODAY (Friday, August 19th) at 3:30pm on the EcoStage! Come hug a tree with me!
I can also be seen/heard:
Saturday, August 27th - Charlestown Working Theatre in Charlestown, MA at 7:30pm (preceding the 8pm performance of Love Story, and during intermission)
Monday, August 29th - All Asia in Cambridge, MA at 9:30pm with Lydia Fischer and Brie Capone
If you can come to any/all of these, please bring friends! Spread the music!
Wooooo,
Amory
First of all, thanks to Mike Moschetto for finding this performance online. I had chills for pretty much the entire set. It’s called The Happiness Project, and it’s led by Charles Spearin - founding member of Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene and others. Spearin recorded interviews with friends, neighbors, and family, notated the interviewees’ voices, and arranged each interview into a jazz composition. It’s touching, breathtaking, and truly unforgettable. I don’t believe they have toured since, but if/when they do, I WILL BE THERE. To hold us all over in the meantime, you can listen to most of the album at http://www.myspace.com/charlesspearin, or just buy it!
In the words of Yoda, “Anger leads to hate,” UNLESS you can differentiate the two. Good job, youngling!
Photo credit: http://wins.failblog.org/2011/07/17/epic-win-photos-unconditional-love-win/
Ok, so the “Daily Inspiration” posts won’t be daily… which means I’ll stop calling them that. It’s better this way, though. I found myself making a list of things I wanted to post, rather than just sharing things as they came. Here is what called to me today: “Your Hand in Mine” by Explosions in the Sky. Too often I mention Explosions in the Sky and people don’t know who I’m talking about. It’s time to learn, my friends! I shivered in the rain in Central Park for these guys, and they were well worth it. Some of you may recognize this song from the movie Friday Night Lights, but this is the full version in all its glory. DRINK IT UP.
As some of you may know, I play in a band called Big White Clouds, the project of singer/songwriter Joe Solof. This was the first song of Joe’s I ever heard - back when he went by “The Good Ship Lollipop” - and its lyrics are just a part of me now. Enjoy and pass it along.
“This is all make believe, they’re all make-believe, everyone’s make-believe but you and me.”
Joanna Newsom - “Good Intentions Paving Company”
Say what you will about her voice. Her writing is magical. Cooked up in a cauldron magical.
This is one of the most touching, genuine love stories I’ve ever heard. If you have about 7 minutes, listen to this. If you don’t have 7 minutes, make 7 minutes. You’ll be glad you did.
Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Mike Marshall - “Sliding Down”
Not everything that I post here will necessarily fall under my “Favorite Songs of All Time” category, but this is, indeed, one of my favorite songs of all time.
The Daily Inspiration (which may very soon turn into the weekly inspiration…) - July 15th
In honor of Mike Moschetto’s birthday - and just in honor of Mike Moschetto - I’d like to share with you the very first song of Mike’s I ever heard. He records/releases music under the moniker “il presidente,” so here is il presidente’s “Brooklyn.” Listen once, then listen again and again and again and again.
The Daily Inspiration - July 14th. A big thanks to Angela Noecker for introducing me to this. I’ve now watched about twenty of these La Blogotheque/Take Away Shows in a row, and I’ll definitely be sharing more with you down the line… enjoy!
I am often asked who my main influences are, to which I respond, “Ummm… err… well…” I HAVE influences. Everyone has influences. The tricky part for me is pin-pointing them. Often times I don’t know where a song of mine has come from until weeks or years later. I’ll play a song again and think, “Wow, I must have been channeling _________ when I wrote this.” I am a big “shuffler,” and by that I mean that my iPod is pretty much always on shuffle. Rarely will I listen to an album in its entirety unless I’m driving or in a strange mood. I’ve realized that I don’t even have an album’s worth of material from most of the artists/bands on my iPod. It’s usually about 1-4 songs per artist. Is that a bad thing? Well, it it certainly makes it difficult to answer the “Who are your main influences” question. Here’s what I can do. I can give you the core group of artists that I grew up listening to: The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Tracy Chapman, Ella Fitzgerald, Carly Simon, Michael Jackson, and The Police. This is what I was exposed to in my parents’ cars. What influences me today, however, will be shared with you gradually in a “song/inspiration of the day” post. I may not always post a song. I may share a painting, poem, quote, video, etc. with you. If you have the interest/time, check them out. If you have songs or bits of inspiration you’d like to share with me, please do! I am @amorymusic on Twitter, or you can write on my Facebook wall (facebook.com/amorymusic). Without further ado, I’m going to kick off with a song I’ve had stuck in my head all day: “Stillness Is the Move” by Dirty Projectors (Bitte Orca, 2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMPF6lpM0XM Here’s hoping I remember to do this everyday! High-five, Amory
Hey there, good people. I play in a band called Big White Clouds, and I’m leaving with them tomorrow on a two week tour. I’ll be playing a solo set at all of the stops, as well as joining Big White Clouds for our set.
BWC is having its Boston kick-off show TONIGHT (Friday, June 3) at 18 Dustin St. in Brighton, MA (off the Warren Ave. stop on the B line). The show starts at 8pm, there’s a suggested $5 donation (to support the house itself and the touring bands: ourselves and Be Brave Bold Robot from CA) and it’s all ages! We would love to see you there!
holy cute. look how happy they are!
Amory Sivertson is a piano-based singer/songwriter living in Boston, MA. Her music doesn't fall neatly into any one genre, but hopefully it will make you think...and dance.
