Get outta my head!

I don't profess to be very ahead of the curve, musically. I married into music, but it hasn't rubbed off (yet). I still listen to songs I loved in high school and I "discover" new bands after the entire world already has.

So I found a couple of awesome songs this summer on the internetz (and via some of my more musically-cool friends), and for no good reason I'm compelled to create a playlist of great summer-y songs that are sticking in my head these days. Nostalgia for the days when Vicky and I used to tape Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots off the radio while tanning on my roof, maybe? The early 90s. Simpler times.

So, yeah. My (hypothetical/just-in-time-for-fall) summer 2011 mix-tape. A little old. A little new(-ish). A lot of nepotism:

1. Morgan Cameron Ross, Let it Go - This dude is my dog walker. Only in movies, right? No really, he is. Even though he hangs with my pups every day, I wouldn't include him on this list if I didn't love his songs. And I do.
2. Foster The People, Houdini - Yup, officially my favourite band of the moment. (Yes I know that they've been around like forevs. And they're everyone's fave. What did I tell you? I'm behind.)
3. Brett Dennen - Comeback Kid (That's My Dog) - Found this baby all by myself (for once) and I'm in love. It's no secret that I love my red-heads, but this boy has serious talent, too.
4. Marina and the Diamonds, Oh No! - Sadly, we missed the opener when we went to see Katy (my lady) Perry this summer. Tragically, the opener was Marina. I was a late-bloomer, but I seriously love this song. New single has addiction-potential too... Radioactive.
5. Sweet Thing, Permanent Honeymoon - If you thought I was above including my husband in this list, you were wrong. This number isn't officially a Sweet Thing song since it hasn't yet been recorded, but I betcha this live-show fave will make it on album #2.
6. Arkells, On Paper - More nepotism. But totally earned, though. I've practically watched these guys grow up (*exaggeration). Ahhh, Silver Dollar days. Love at first listen.
7. Architecture in Helsinki, Escapee - I've been smitten with this song all summer thanks to my boss/former personal DJ. Thanks, Jamie! p.s. I miss you as my DJ.
8. Hooded Fang, Laughing - Caught Hooded Fang at Hillside, one of this summer's highlights. Totally catchy and lovely.
9. Oh No! Yoko, 90s Kids - I probably could have birthed these dudes. Found them via meddling on Twitter/Googling myself (err, Yoko) and think this song is totally fun even if I can't relate to the lyrics (I was born in the 70s).
10. Eliza Doolittle, Skinny Genes - Scored a pre-released promo copy of Eliza's album in 2010 thanks to vicarious music connections. I've been humming this non-stop since last December.
11. Phoenix, If I Ever Feel Better - Can I just say that I was a Phoenix fan long before the whole planet fell in love with Phoenix? I even introduced them to Alex. It's all I've got. Let me have this one. This is one of the great Phoenix oldies and I'm still not sick of it, summer after summer.
12. Lisa Mitchell, Coin Laundry - Serious girl-crushing.
13. Rural Alberta Advantage, In The Summertime - Maybe it's because I think Amy is super-duper cute. Or maybe it's because these kids have serious talent. Or maybe because I'm a prairies' kid, too. OK, it's all three. Either way, this might be a way older RAA song, but I'm still loving it.
14. Brooke Fraser, Something in the Water - Very sweet.
15. Maroon 5, Moves like Jagger - Guilty pleasure. Don't hate.

Hmmm, so I miss making mix-tapes. Miss Christmas has a mix-tape club. I might copy her. Who wants in? Secret handshakes!

Survival Style - Summer Music Fests

[ Not all fests are created equal. Outdoor music-style two ways: Hillside (lft) and Osheaga (rt) ]

My wardrobe is pathetic based on my current lifestyle. I have plenty of pretty, work-appropriate duds, sure. But they don't come in too handy when it's 30+ degrees outside, and my coworkers (men, predominantly) are most fond of unwashed shorts and flip-flops. It's the uniform.

I've also come to realize that the majority of my closet is more fitting of a girl who picnics in parks and flits about farmers markets and lunches with ladies and shops-shops-shops and spends weekends in resort towns. That sounds like a lovely, lovely life. Siiiigh. But in reality, I am usually biking through urban centers, walking dogs, taking road trips, sleeping on the ground and parking myself in front of a sewing machine or a laptop in the backyard. And it's not one of those English Garden-type backyards either.

I also lack appropriate outfits for summer music-fest hopping. I've just survived number three of three fests on my schedule this summer (currently writing this thanks to wifi on the train en route back to TO). It was only after Bluesfest (stop #1) in Ottawa last month that I realized I should rethink my gear. Esthetically, I loved the outfit - high-waist ode-to-70s wide-leg denim, boat-neck navy and white striped tee, jute and leather wedge sandals, red leather tote - but it was logistically not smart.

  [ with mum @ Bluesfest ]

Let's dissect:

• Ditto's Denim - too heavy, too hot
• Jute wedges - although the most comfortable of all elevated shoes I own, still not ideal for being on your feet all day
• H&M Striped tee - light and not too hot, but too much fabric under the arms
• Leather tote (Winners) - I will never again wear anything but a hands-free crossbody bag to a festival
• Half-up hair - even minimal dancing (OK and standing still) produced sweat, and hair loves to stick to sweat

So I got smart. S-M-R-T. Our next stop was Hillside: a fest I'd never attended despite the pushing of my 9-year veteran volunteer friend. I will be going back every year! Much fun! It's a waste-free fest with a peace-love-and-music vibe. No jock rock. No duuuuudes. Very chill.

My experience was made even better by careful outfit selection. I went with minimal, flowy, airy:

• Everly maxi jersey tank dress in an appropriately psychadelic print (via Skirt)
• My trusty Birks
• Jessica Simpson crossbody fringe purse
• Vintage belt (via Common Sort)
• Handmade leaf earrings (via Etsy)
• Up-do!

 

 

Aaaaannnd number three: This weekend I parked myself on friends' couches to check out Day 1 of Osheaga in Montreal. Learning even more from fest #2, I went with a bit more sun cover - an Everly kimono-sleeve top that I could easily pop on and off. I paired it with a cotton Wilfred bustier tank and a bias jersey American Apparel dress (in my fave peach-y summer shade) which I wore as a skirt. I only regretted my shoe choice: sandals (flat or otherwise) are not Osheaga-friendly. The fest is pretty trash-strewn and the mainstage groundcover is gravel. I longed for my chucks or a pair of Toms.

[ fest-date Philam outfitted wisely too: oversized cotton tee and high-waist cuffed shorts looked adorbs and were super comfy for chilling on the grassy knoll ]

 

Despite my shoe-fail, I certainly had a leg up on the chicks in stilettos and Eminem tees. No, really: stilettos. At an outdoor music fest. OK, this was Montreal after all.  And Eminem.

We contemplated  hitting some of Day 2 and 3 of Osheaga this weekend, but opted for low-key bumming around the city and lounging poolside instead. 

Yes, some of my very favourite artists were in the Day 2/3 lineup: Death Cab, Sia, Mother Mother... but I'd had my fill. But next year (next year!) I'll be really equipped. I'm a pro now, obvs. 

And, since I'm just so nice like that, I'll share some other learned-the-hard-way tips:

• Get cash in advance - the ATM lines are longer than the toilet and beer lines put together
• Bring kleenex and hand sanitizer - the porta-facilities tend to run out of TP and water by the third act
• Wear a hat - scalp burn is the WORST
• Check the fest website prior to attending. Some are prison-like, where food, water, cameras and other perfectly innocent items are forbidden and confiscated
• Don't pick fights with your musician husband - he's "working" and your bandwife primadonna routine is wearing thin (OK, that's just for me ;)

More easy music-fest style:

 sam & lavi $155

 

toms $45

 anthropologie $375

urban outfitters pipette dress $139

 

top shop sandals $47

tylie malibu bag $185

 anthropologie summer ballad dress $198

 toms $55

[ images via: polyvore.com, anthropologie, toms, urban outfitters, American Apparel, Aritzia, Top Shop, Dorothy perkins, Ray Ban, shopnastygal, my iPhone, Dad ]

Sa-weet!

 [ happy, happy! ]

So, I guess all of my fretting over interview attire and cutting my Ottawa vacay short were not in vain! I landed the job! OK, it's not official yet - still waiting on the offer letter and am in the middle of negotiating a post-Fashion Week start date ('cause I'm covering it for blogTO!!), but it's probably safe to break the news. And, really, I've been unemployed/freelance/self-employed for a whole YEAR, so obviously it's big news that I'm dying to share (and I'm bad at secrets).

So, back to the 9-to-5. I wasn't entirely convinced, at first, that I wanted to work a full time office job, but it sunk in as a necessity over the holidays, and now? Now, I'm excited about it. Pencil skirts! Office coffee! Co-worker chatter! A sense of purpose? Yeah, I've had some lows lately, and I think that the working-from-home thing, combined with being pretty broke was getting to me. I'm the designated breadwinner for the next couple of years, while Sweet Thing makes their steady climb to music fame (*fingers crossed*) and the Mister starts bringing in some dough.

 

[ Alex soundchecks somewhere far from here. He'll be back. Photo c/o Sweet Thing ]

The challenge - and I'm ready for it - will be balance. I want to ride the momentum of Dudley & Bea and keep working at it in my spare time. I'd love to keep writing, too (Alex is somewhere out in the world frowning right now). It's ambitious, but I'm pretty adept at multi-tasking. Idle hands are not my friends.

This good news opened another door: since I'm no longer bogged down with job hunting, and I don't start work right away, I can spare a few days to hit the road with the boys on their mini tour south! First stop? New York! I'm hitching a ride and then staying for a bit to visit one of my bestest girls (a one-time Canadian transplant high-ranking in my favourite-people-ever list).

 [ getting in trouble in NYC is the most fun with Tabor ]

The guys will continue on to play some Austin, TX shows during SXSW. This little jaunt comes on the heels of their latest cross-country tour with Down With Webster. They play their final show tonight at Massey Hall in TO! So, Alex is back in the city after being away from me for 3 weeks, but I can't see him yet. I've been trumped by soundcheck. The truth: I took too long to get ready and missed a little window. He'll be on his way home very, very soon, though. FINALLY!

I have a feeling that this will be a good year for the band (and maybe bad for me, if that includes a lot of touring). It will all pay off, though. Right? Right? They just played Much Music AND Breakfast Television. Leah just heard Change of Seasons on a Disney program. We also heard it landed a spot on 18 to Life although I've yet to hear it. The little song that could.

2011 is looking up. My mom was right. "You'll be fine."

Skinny Genes

[ granny joe, 1950-ish ]

My mom and grandma had birthdays this week. I am constantly reminded that I am a Murray through-and-through and that I didn't get any of those drop-dead-gorgeous Brawley genes. My sister took them all for herself. Bitch. 

 [ not even fair ]

OK, I must give credit to Dad - he did give me height and blue eyes and apparently semi-OK metabolism (it's waning, of course), even if he also passed along a slew of annoying skin conditions and non-existent cleavage (I quite literally have my dad's chest). I suppose I get a lot of my personality from my mom and maybe that's why people say we look alike when we clearly do not. 

 [ 1980 ]

 [ 2009 ]

I'm not sure how I'll age, but I'm not afraid of it. I may not be a babe-like granny like my maternal fore-mothers, but that's what face-lifts are for, right? Kidding.

Happy birthday to two gorgeous old broads!

XO

p.s. I stole the clever title of this blog from a song by Eliza Doolittle. Santa brought me her CD and I'm kinda in love with her. She's playing Coachella (along with a thousand other artists I'm dying to see) but I'll have to wait for her next trip to Canada.

Live!

 

[ arkells ]

(Kay, so this didn't turn out as planned. 

I WAS live blogging, until the merch table had a burst of activity and I didn't get a chance to post. Close your eyes and pretend it's yesterday.)

Friday, 10:38 PM, a little place called Hamilton:

I'm blogging live from Hamilton Place Theatre while working merch for Sweet Thing. Oh, technology. 

Arkells are up now, after performances by Huron and of course my Mister's band. During the (inevitable) encore,  a whole mess of band boys will be amassing on stage for a Bryan Adams cover. I know this because (deja vu), I did this whole thing last night. This is actually the third Sweet Thing/Arkells mash-up I've seen this month and, oh, only the five HUNDREDTH time in the last four years.

[ sweet thing, huron ]

 

I never get tired of it. But yes, i am finally wearing ear plugs (thanks, Max) because any more of this and I'll be deaf by 40. 

'Fraid i can't share pics as I'm stuck behind the merch table at the very back of the space and left my DSLR at home (STILL no decent camera bag). But I assure you, there is some great energy in here!

---

(live again)


Saturday, 3:25, my living room:

Be sure to vote for SWEET THING 
for best album on Chart Attack's site! They're currently in THIRD place! Amazing!

Oh, and I just realized that while I promoted the crap out of this on Facebook and Twitter, I completely forgot to blog it! Sweet  Thing's newest single, Lazy Susan, now has a video! Morgan directed it, and it's pretty much the best yet. Watch it here or here!

 [ big front page feature on ET Canada's site! ]

Some other videos to check out as well:

"In Studio: Sweet Thing" by the National Post 

Interview with Mix 97 Belleville

Oh, and the boys have a Wikipedia page now, too!

 [ Alex and Mini Alex. Is this my future? ]

[photos/videos via: live885.com,  globaltv.com, VEVO, sweetthingmusic.ca (Mark Cohene), exclaim.ca]

Whippersnappers.

My newest BlogTO post is up: Life after death for Whippersnapper Gallery

Since I like you, though, I'm posting even more photos from the two-night closing party here:

[ "I'm with stupip" ]

[ M and I clearly can't play dead ]

[ Dear lord, no! The world needs your beautiful vocals! ]

[ This guy KILLS me. ]

[ Allie Hughes : Please check her out, and not just because she's delightfully the newest "bandwife" in my imaginary club. No, because she rocks. ]

[ Remember how I love weirdos? *hearts* ]

[ "You're taking too long!" ]

p.s Is EVERYONE (except me) in this city a bloody actor?