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You NEED to Watch this. NOW. [19 Nov 2009|09:05pm] [ audio karma | chipper ] GUARANTEED to brighten your day :) 1 insight| inspire me

Happy Holidays from Shelby's Zoo! [26 Dec 2008|10:12pm] Send your own ElfYourself eCards 6 insights| inspire me

ARTIST of the WEEK: Adele [02 Nov 2008|01:49am] Shelby's new artist of the week! (new to me... to you?) The average age of an American combat soldier in the Vietnam War was nineteen, so went the Paul Hardcastle mid-80's hit, but it's the battle against hype that England's Adele Adkins faces on her titular age debut, 19. Christened "The New Amy Winehouse" (sans drug problem, filthy mouth, erratic behavior and co-dependant jailbird husband) by the British press, Adele has some mighty big expectations to live up to, and large portions of 19 display the enormous talent that everyone is fussing about. Even if her musical gifts had somehow gone unnoticed, Adele probably still owes her break in the business to Winehouse, whose Back to Black has propelled her to six nominations at the upcoming Grammy Awards. Indeed, record companies looking to cash in on the Winehouse sound would find similarities in Adele, but that doesn't paint the full picture. Her sound is a varied mix of blues, folk and jazz (and less of the Motown feel that Winehouse has recently employed), with a pop sensibility that keeps it all from sounding dated. A chance encounter with Etta James on CD launched her singing career, and her expressive influence is keenly felt in the material. Imitations of more recent artists like Norah Jones or Corine Bailey Rae can be heard here and there, but the generally mellow collection samples plenty of styles without adhering to any. Adele and Winehouse went to the same performing arts school, which might account for the resemblance. Mimicry of fellow alumni Katie Melua (on "Crazy For You") and Kate Nash (on "Chasing Pavements") is also to be expected. This unfortunately also includes the intermittent use of faux cockney accent and queer pronunciations that transform words like "nothing" into "nuffin" and "better" into "beh-a." The first single, "Chasing Pavements," features soaring strings, while "My Same" is finger-popping jazz. One of the highlights is "Right As Rain," a straight R&B gem offering swing beats that contrast with its self-loathing lyric: "Who wants to be right as rain/It's better when something is wrong/I get excitement in my bones even though everything's a strain/When night comes and I'm on my own/You should know I chose to be alone/who wants to be right as rain/It's harder when you're on top." And then there's "Make You Feel My Love." I can't pretend to be objective about this Bob Dylan tune, because it has too much emotional baggage attached for me. With an ex-lover, it was "Our Song" and whether it was Kelly Clarkson singing it on American Idol, or Billy Joel's slightly-harsh reading, it's just a frickin' awesome song. Heck, "Our Soundtrack" (aka Hope Floats) even sported two versions of the song -- a 1 Country hit for Garth Brooks, and by (future wife) Trisha Yearwood. So, this would ultimately be the litmus test for Adele to win me over. Her rendition is rather true to the Dylan version, despite opening on piano similar to the Brooks cover. Subtle strings accentuate the pre-bridge and there's a tenderness to her delivery, but also a lack of worldliness that keeps it from being completely convincing. In the end, I'm confident that 19 will withstand the hype and be appreciated for the solid career-starter that it is. All correlations to Amy Winehouse aside, here's hoping Adele finds similar success, without the descent into chaos. The Japanese edition of 19 will be released on March 5th, with three bonus tracks: Sam Cooke cover "That's It I Quit I'm Movin' On," "Now and Then" and "Painting Pictures."    ~ The Trades, music review ARTIST SITE: http://www.adele.tv MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/adelelondon inspire me

Blade Your Ride [31 Oct 2008|10:42pm] What is BLADE? BLADE attaches to your tailpipe and reduces emissions of CO2 and toxic particulate material, and it improves fuel economy to save you hundreds of dollars per year on gas. It’s good for you because it saves you money on gas; and it's good for the environment, which is good for all of us. Gas Mileage & Cost Savings Laboratory testing using the EPA 511 Protocol shows gas mileage increases of as much as 6 MPG. Consumer experiences conducted on a wide variety of cars, light duty trucks and SUV’s in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America have resulted in gas mileage increase up to: -34% on 4-cylinder cars, e.g. Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas, Ford Focuses, etc. - 21% on light duty trucks and SUV’s, e.g. GMC 2500s, Chevy Avalanches, Range Rovers, etc. - 16% on dual exhaust 8-cylinder sedans, e.g. Lincoln Town Cars, Crown Victorias, etc. - 24% on 10 cylinder Box-style trucks, e.g. U-Haul moving trucks. CO2 Reduction Laboratory test results show decreases of carbon dioxide (CO2) up to 12%. CO2 is a potent greenhouse gas and is the primary cause of manmade global warming. Particulate Material (PM) Filtration Particulate Material (soot) is an air pollutant known to cause grave environmental and human health consequences. Environmental consequences of PM include: air pollution, water pollution, deforestation, crop degradation, acid rain, acidification of waterways and smog. Health consequences of PM include: cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, fibrosis, asthma, reduced pulmo- nary function and increased mortality.    Proven Results The Blade's laboratory fuel economy and emission testing were conducted by Lactec Laboratories in Curitiba, Brazil, and Automotive Testing and Development Services, Inc. (ATDS), a California based independent testing laboratory which is accepted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is licensed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). At ATDS the Blade was tested on a 2004 Honda Civic using the EPA 511 Testing Protocol – is a combination of the EPA's FTP-75 and High-way Fuel Economy Tests. The EPA 511 test Protocol is the most rigorous EPA recognized test procedure in existence, and it is the only test procedure that the EPA considers statistically valid. The Blade has also been tested for fuel economy and durability. Endurance road tests conducted in the United States, Europe and Latin America have shown up to 34% increases in overall fuel savings, while causing no adverse effects to test vehicles after 35,000 miles. Check it out!! Save the environment and improve your MPG! http://www.bladeyourride.com/ 2 insights| inspire me

Job Predator [11 Jun 2008|08:00pm] [ audio karma | hopeful ] There are few things trashier and more rude than honking your horn outside of a building.  WTF man.  Sometimes I hate living in an apt with a clear view of the parking lot. Tonight, for the first time in MANY moons, I applied to a handful of radiography jobs within the Springs and Denver.  I'm comfortable in my posh WalMart job but there is always that desire to move forward---to experience new things and grow beyond what is simply "easy" and pursuing the challenge of a true career.  Ideally, I would like to manage the computer systems that govern and archive x-rays and patient information, but go figure---that requires several years of tech experience, which I'm obviously NOT getting at Wal-Mart.  So who knows.  I just need to keep scouring the net for jobs and leaping on them the instant they're posted.  My idle ignorance hasn't done anything for me so change is certainly in order.  Even if I made $5 more an hour that would be fucking AMAZING.  I already make plenty but Christ, 5 bucks would build quite the nest egg for a downpayment on a house or condo in the future.  Imagine how many lizards I could keep in a HOUSE!!  LoL, just kidding.  I do, however, really fucking miss having a fenced in yard for the pups and a plot of land for a garden.  I can't wait to own a piece of dirt in this beautiful state. As for the newest addition, Marvel seems to be adjusting well.  Shortly after arriving home, I misted his terrarium and watched as he grabbed the ficus leaves with his "hands" and drank water droplets from their leafy cups.  He's the coolest guy ever to just observe, and was a great investment in my opinion.  Today I even played with the idea of getting a chameleon tattoo--but brushed it aside once I remembered the excruciating pain of the last one I got several years ago.  Still, it's a cool idea.  Lizards rule, yo'. And now, back to be productive.  Or, at least, doing my best to fake it  ;) inspire me

Hike at Waldo Canyon [24 Feb 2008|03:49pm] So, this morning Nikki & I packed up and went on a 6.2 mile hike through Waldo Canyon in Manitou Springs.  Talk about AMAZING.  The scenery here, even in the dead of winter, is amazing.  It seems human to doubt, but one thing I will never question is my decision to move here.  God, I love Colorado. inspire me

ARTIST of the WEEK: Passenger [11 Nov 2007|08:59am] Shelby's new artist of the week! (new to me... to you?) Passenger’s 23-year-old Brighton-based frontman Mike Rosenberg is a rare thing… a young man, with all the enthusiasm and innocence of any other, who is capable, through his lyrics, of telling stories from the perspective of the ageing, world-weary soul, lost, rootless and full of regret. His songwriting partner in this noble endeavor is Andrew Phillips, guitarist, arranger and soundtrack composer. These two are the creative core of the excellent Passenger, and the ten songs that make up ‘Wicked Man’s Rest’, due to be released in September on the ChalkMark label, are an extraordinary mixture of acoustic folk in the storytelling tradition, and an epic-yet-intimate, electronica-influenced modernity, suffused with pain, sadness and precocious wisdom, yet completely free of defeatist miserablism. There is an alchemy at work here, which becomes immediately apparent at a Passenger live show, where grown-up fans of acoustic balladry join with gaggles of starry-eyed girls in hushed appreciation of the quintet’s lushness, charm and intensity. Passenger have spent 2006 releasing two low-key singles - ‘Stray Dog’ and ‘Philadelphia’ - and touring the UK incessantly, picking up plaudits and fans seduced by the band’s mix of rousing melody and provocative melancholy. ‘We did a lot of busking and street gigs while we were touring,’ adds Andrew, ‘which was daunting. But we learned loads in those few weeks. With no frills - not even a stage - we found out which songs worked, and what it is we do that is unique and does matter to people.’ The songs that form ‘Wicked Man’s Rest’ have been written over the last two and a half years. The vast majority of lyrics are Mike’s, but Andrew chips in the odd line and ‘Four Horses’ is a Phillips original. One of the singles recently released (which shares the same title as the album ‘Wicked Man’s Rest’), features a sample of Allen Ginsberg despairing about consumerism. It turns out that this is not a narky slag-off of nouveau post-punk, but a barbed comment about the wider political world. It’s the rejection of the first person - 21st century pop’s increasingly boring me fixation - that makes Passenger stand out. They’re a generous, selfless proposition, more fascinated by the lives and losses of their fellow humans than the usual promotion of self. Mike: It is about the characters we try and illuminate through these songs. The “Stray Dog” and the middle-aged drinkers in “Table For One”… all of these low characters are suddenly put up on this pedestal and their story’s being told.’ Andrew: ‘I just hope people get it. The passion of it. And I hope these songs about being jaded and disenfranchised… that people feel it.’ Mike: ‘And I hope we can reach a wide audience. Play shows. Go places.’ That Passenger are going places is pretty much a given.  ~ Passenger's Myspace ARTIST SITE: http://www.passengerofficial.com MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/passengerofficial inspire me

At Home, Colorado Springs [25 Oct 2007|08:04pm] [ audio karma | ecstatic ] 70 miles out and I could see the mountains... far, far off in the distance, beyond the flat plains I had driven through for the previous 10 hours. I cried for every one of those 70 miles. I cried even harder when I got close enough to see snow on the mountain peaks. There is nothing more beautiful than this city.  The roads wind up, down, and around hills.  When you're at the top of one you can look down and see the flickering lights of the city below.  And above: the snowy peaks. This is exactly the heaven I have always dreamed of.  It feels like I've met eyes with a soulmate.  This place feels so perfect, so amazing, so...   wow.  Places like this are for vacations.  I can't believe I'm here.  I can't believe this is mine.   At this point, I feel so rich.  I'm so happy with my life I feel like it could just stop now, and almost should so that it doesn't bubble over.  It's hard to express the happiest-happy that's ever been felt. May you always follow your dreams and scoff at the petty fears that paralyze you.  Carpe diem!! 3 insights| inspire me

Apartment Living and the Lies we Fabricate [09 Sep 2007|11:01pm] Poll #1052770 Little white lies Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 10 If you are CURRENTLY renting, are you lying or withholding any information from your landlord? View Answers Yes 6 (60.0%) No 2 (20.0%) I'm not currently renting 2 (20.0%) Elaborate on your little (or not so little) lies :) View Answers Have you PREVIOUSLY lied to a landlord about something? View Answers Yes 8 (80.0%) No 2 (20.0%) I haven't rented (ever or previously) 0 (0.0%) Elaborate! View Answers Have you ever gotten caught in your lies? If so, what happened? View Answers   inspire me

Great Lyrics [01 Sep 2007|05:58pm] Dedicated to the One that never was, and that empty yearning within all of us. Stray Dog -Passenger I had fallen down again, I had nowhere to go You had bolted your doors and closed your windows Still a crack in your wall that I could see through Saw your house was empty and rode out to meet you But the city was cold confusing and vast And the light in my soul was fading fast Slung towards the back streets And the alleys where the drunks fight Walked on past the factories in ever dying sunlight I needed you I needed you I needed you But you never came for me Many years now have passed She's not left my mind And memories like photographs have faded in time I walked past the cafes and the nightclubs Walked past the beggars And the ladies with their white gloves I know it won't be long now It's getting near the end My ribs are poking through and my coat is getting thin I needed you I needed you I needed you But you never came for me So I walked back to where I'd once called home But the rooms were dark and bare and the garden overgrown And the door was still locked and the windows still shut And the wall was still cracked Why did I come back? And the answer so thin left me hollow within 'cause nothing had changed except the date and my age And I still have this pain bloating my veins Thumping in my aching brain I needed you I needed you I needed you But you never came for me So I turned away from my madness Thought I saw a light flicker by the door I closed down both my eyelids and thought no more   ( More from Passenger... ) inspire me

ARTIST of the WEEK: The Cliks [28 Aug 2007|05:42pm] Shelby's new artist of the week! (new to me... to you?) A thoroughly exciting debut, the Cliks' Snakehouse kicks like the White Stripes, bellows carbaret-rock style like Hedwig & the Angry Inch, and has a press release that goes "thud" when it hits the desk. Their bold, strong, and extremely talented leader Lucas Silveira is a transgendered FTM (female-to-male) leading an all-female, androgynous band. That's news, and so is their gutsy take on Justin Timberlake's previously slick "Cry Me a River," a quirky choice that pulls new meaning out of a hit (see Tori Amos, Type O Negative, Ted Leo, etc.). Both of these bullet points are of some importance since "he" and "she" are used willy-nilly on this gender indifferent album and the powers that be decided that "Cry Me a River" should be in the coveted track number two slot. That's the "this is the defining single" slot on most albums, which is even more important if it's your debut. While the band put its broken heart into the Timberlake cover and twists it in a way that's well above being clever, the track is topped repeatedly by Silveira's own songs, and a handful of them are near-perfect constructions that trump Timberlake, transgender, packaging, and hype. With its "Peter Gunn Theme" shuffle and early-Divinyls blast, "Oh Yeah" is heartbreak at its worst and at its loudest in an earth-shaking performance that demands attention. "Misery" ("They said you were lovely/But all I see is ugly") is pure late-night venom, supported by a drunken beat that stumbles but never falls over. Bassist Jordan B. Wright and drummer Morgan Doctor are the incredibly tight rhythm section that thrives on these late-night tales and on the polished garage rock atmosphere — a little more Garbage than trash — that their smart producer, Moe Berg, has constructed. They also make the Cliks sound like a band rather than a vehicle for Silveira, but with powerful lyrics, powerful voice, and powerful delivery, Silveira's the focal point like Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano or 4 Non Blondes' Linda Perry. It's doubtful Silveira will grow up to write hits for teen pop stars like Perry did, since morose and bitter songs of casual sex and betrayal with some cussing and swears are the songwriter's specialty. It's a narrow spectrum, and while Snakehouse suffers from a couple redundant numbers, it's a great reason to stay up late, break up with your significant other, find solace in a stranger's bedroom, reconsider your own gender role, or at least pretend you did all of the above. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide ARTIST SITE: http://www.thecliks.com MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/thecliks 5 insights| inspire me

ARTIST of the WEEK: Redflecks [16 Aug 2007|04:32pm] [ audio karma | Redflecks! ] Shelby's new artist of the week! (new to me... to you?) WHAT IS BEING SAID: “…A female fronted rock influx…if Blondie and The Strokes were to have a sonic lovechild, it would sound like this band…”Lafayette Alternative Press "... This band, half of which is female, play a fun version of indie rock, alternative with lots of 80's new wave and post-punk influences." Llyod Harp of UpriseZine Magazine. “As for REDFLECKS…like nothing on the scene today…progressive, experimental, eclectic, retro and yes even pop all rolled into one...my favorite band.” Moe, promoter @ The Note Worthy,PA “Magnetic rock and pop combined to create non-conformist sounds that will undoubtedly attract many listeners to this REDFLECKS album, The Story Cannot End. “ Truth Magazine review “…I looked them up on Myspace and after validating that I wouldn’t be making an embarrassment of myself, I dragged my ‘sound engineer/hip-hop producing/musical snob’ housemates out to support. We didn’t really expect what we saw and heard that night. We were in awe of everything about this Nashville-based band, but mostly by how much they convinced us. They stood on stage and believed that what they were giving us was worthy. The conversations came to a complete halt and it was like that for the rest of the assembled crowd as well - people were actually paying attention to this band…” Live gig review @ The Annex, NYC by freelance writer, Tamsyn ten Krooden -Redflecks Myspace ARTIST SITE: http://www.redflecks.com/ MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/redflecks 5 insights| inspire me

Si Tu No Vuelves [01 Aug 2007|08:41am] While in Cozumel, crossing back to the mainland by ferry, I saw this video and fell in love. I NEVER in a million years thought that I could love music that I didn't fully understand. But there's something entirely beautiful about it, especially in the Evanescence/Seether+Amy Lee sense. I love the duet between Amaral & Chetes. See for yourself... inspire me

ARTIST of the WEEK: Colbie Caillat [14 Jul 2007|11:04pm] Shelby's new artist of the week! (new to me... to you?) A great song, says Colbie Caillat, should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good. Taking her own sound advice, "Coco", the debut album by the 22 year-old Californian singer-songwriter is simply crammed full of them. In an age when marketing has been elevated above content and so many songs are written and produced to a pre-ordained formula, Caillat comes as a welcome breath of fresh air. Records these days seem to fall into two categories. The vast majority tend to contain one or two good tracks which you download to your computer so that you never have to listen to the rest of the album again. Far more rare are those that demand to be listened to from start to finish, with every song in perfect symmetry. Think of the kind of vintage, organically-crafted albums that Carole King or Joni Mitchell used to make. Thankfully, it's a tradition that is being kept alive today by the likes of Norah Jones, Jack Johnson - and now Colbie Caillat. She began singing with serious intent at the age of 11 after hearing Lauryn Hill's version of Killing Me Softly. "I think her voice is absolutely beautiful and it made me want to start singing so I entered a talent show and of course I sang a Lauryn Hill song." As she grew older, however, her father offered one crucial piece of advice. It was all very well having a great voice, he pointed out, the people who command real respect in the music business are the songwriters. "I thought about that for a long time", she says. In truth, it took some time coming - but when it did, the floodgates opened. "I needed to play an instrument to write songs and although I had piano lessons as a kid, it never went anywhere because I was never in the right state of mind to practice," she recalls. Surprisingly, it wasn't until she was 19 - little more than two years ago -that she eventually took up the acoustic guitar. "I wrote my first song after my very first guitar lesson and then it just all flowed out," she recalls. "If something's biting me I hold it in because that's the kind of person I am. Then it comes out in songs. Things builds up inside of me and I'll write three songs in a weekend. It's a release. I don't choose what to write about. It's just there." Along the way, she found two key collaborators in Mikal Blue, who hired her when she was 15 to sing some songs he'd written for a fashion show, and singer/songwriter Jason Reeves. Together, they helped to craft the songs on "Coco," which Blue also produced. "The songs always start put with me," she explains of the collaborative process. "I'll be sitting around at home getting bored and something will come out. Then if I get stuck, I can take it to Mikal or Jason. Having people you trust to bounce ideas around keeps the creativity flowing." Once she had a bunch of songs, she put a few of them on MySpace, more in hope than expectation. "Nothing much happened for a few months," she remembers. "Then I wrote this song called Bubbly and put it up there and it got this huge reaction. I mean thousands and thousands of hits every day." In the end, she became the number one unsigned artist on MySpace for four successive months, garnering an almost unbelievable 10 million plays. Record labels started courting her and she signed with Universal Republic because, she says, they offered her total creative freedom. "The great thing about MySpace is that you can build up an army of fans and then when you go to a record company, there's no point in them trying to change what you do because it's already been tried and tested," she points out. "I love all kinds of music and I've been influenced by all of it," she says. "Classic rock like Fleetwood Mac and the Steve Miller Band. Original soul like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Lauryn Hill. Bob Marley and reggae, John Mayer. Anything that makes you feel good." And from the sunny, upbeat promise of songs such as Bubbly and Oxygen to the gentle, semi-r&b groove of The Little Things and the lilting reggae of Tied Down, "Coco" is one of those classic albums that simply makes you feel glad to be alive. "You make me smile, please stay for a while," she sings on Bubbly. It really ought to be her mantra.  -Myspace MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/colbiecaillat 2 insights| inspire me

You think YOU hate PARIS? Mika hates her MORE! [29 Jun 2007|04:29pm] Stolen from the eternally fabulous djshiva You absolutely have to watch this video clip from MSNBC. 1 insight| inspire me

@ Home in Indy [21 Jan 2007|10:37pm] My clothes in the dryer, I walked from my apt to the laundry building. Suddenly, a yelp of excitement echoed nearby. Moments later, another chimed in. After a few more seconds, there were outbursts blending from every direction. Some were muffled, muted by the glass of closed doors. Others were bold and clear, especially the one of a woman who stood on her balcony exclaiming, "WE WON! WEEE WOOOOOON!" Fireworks exploded in the distance as the cheering continued. Voices everywhere melted together in lieu of our long-overdue victory. "WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!" The celebration continued on for several minutes, long enough for tears of happiness to stream down my cheeks. What a beautiful world we live in-- where, for a few minutes on this snow-covered Sunday evening-- everyone in Indianapolis was united. I love this. I love my life. 4 insights| inspire me

ARTIST of the WEEK: Devon Sproule [12 Dec 2006|03:46pm] Shelby's new artist of the week! (new to me... to you?) Devon Sproule, guitarist and songwriter from Virginia, returned in May 2006 for her third tour of the UK. The Canadian born twenty-four-year-old will release her fourth CD, Keep Your Silver Shined in the spring of 2007. Sproule's previous effort, 2003's Upstate Songs (City Salvage Records) was included in Rolling Stone's Critics Top Albums of 2003. Critic Julie Gerstein said of the record, "Upstate Songs is perhaps the sweetest and most honest folk-pop album recorded this year. Sproule's vocal and lyrical beauty is unmatched." Says Devon of her last CD, Upstate Songs, "It was a record of self and romantic discovery -- and my first effort at writing about the natural world. The new project, Keep Your Silver Shined, revolves much more around domesticity, settling down, and the sentiments -- both settled and un-settling -- that go along with married life." Devon Sproule's music is a sweet, compassionate blend of folk and pop, highlighted by her well-tuned vocals. - Chicago Sun-Times Sproule describes the new CD as, "less poetic than Upstate Songs, but lyrically stronger, in my opinion. And quite obviously, it reflects my two-year-old interest in jazz and swing. Even the first song, "Old Virginia Block", which is produced with a more country and folk feel, is built on a jazz progression, called the Berklee Blues..." Devon Sproule has noteworthy guitar chops and an undeniably soulful vocal sensibility. - The New Yorker Magazine Raised on Canadian folk music, 50s doo-wop, and The Beatles, Sproule spent her childhood on a 465-acre, 100-member commune, founded in the 60's, in rural Virginia. After moving between private, public and home schooling, she eventually dropped out of high school, recorded her first record, and began touring nationally, all before the age of eighteen. Her first CD, Long Sleeve Story was released in 2001 and produced by Dave Matthews Band bassist Stefan Lessard. Although the sounds featured on Long Sleeve Story, drew acclaim from coast-to-coast audiences, it was the music on Upstate Songs that established her as a considerable, mature songwriting talent. Upstate Songs proves Sproule worthy of holding her own on a shelf with anyone from Joni Mitchell to Gillian Welch, while reminding you less & less of anyone you've ever heard before. - Brady Earnhart, James Madison University Poetry Professor Sproule has shared stages with the likes of: Dan Bern, Kelly Joe Phelps, Erin McKeown, the Dave Matthews Band, David Gray and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Her live concerts capture her at her best: candid, poetic and with a stage presence that is youthfully charming and at the same time, that of an experienced and self-possessed performer. -devonsproule.com ARTIST SITE: http://www.devonsproule.com MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/devonsproule 3 insights| inspire me

INDIANAPOLIS: 12 days of FREE Christmas attractions!! [07 Dec 2006|05:41pm] Check out the city of Indianapolis website for more information on how to get FREE admission to many of the city's most popular attractions!! Included are the AWESOME Eiteljorg Museum, Children's Museum (voted the best in the world), State Museum, Art Museum, Conner Prairie and more. Because I'm poor (okay, mostly I'm just cheap) I am ALL about checking out these places while they're free. Anyone care to join me? Or if you're lazy, I've cut 'n pasted the venues and their free-admission info behind ( this cut ) 1 insight| inspire me

Lucy's Big Day [28 Nov 2006|10:10pm] GOOD NEWS! Lucy's appointment went really, really well. As expected, the two plates in her foot popped out of place--leaving two little screws to irritate the inside of her paw. After the initial x-rays, the vet suggested surgery to remove the problematic hardware. So it was set. I went to school and Lucy was off to be rebuilt. After a few hours I received good news. The plates were removed successfully, and the bones beneath them appear to be united and should be strong enough to support her. Yay! Of course, nothing is definitive now, but at least one source of pain has been removed. She looked so happy when the tech brought her out--she was still drunk on morphine and anesthesia, as was obvious by the floppy tongue hanging from the side of her mouth. Her foot looked so tiny--shaved bald and held together by a series of stitches. Her other leg was half-shaved to make room for an IV. Little Lucy looked like she had a bad run in with a shaver ;) I was happy with this news alone, but to make things better, the vet did not charge for the surgery itself--just for anesthesia and Lucy's medications. I feel incredibly blessed to have emerged from this with a healthy pup and am hopeful for a quick and easy recovery. I love my little girl :) 2 insights| inspire me

ARTIST of the WEEK: The Weepies [30 Oct 2006|08:13pm] Shelby's new artist of the week! (new to me... to you?) A breath of fresh air for fans of songwriters, The Weepies features two unique voices and one unforgettable sound. Their first CD, Happiness (2003), built on what each had been creating as a solo artist. Called "sparkling jangle-pop nailed to perfection" (Really Rather Reviews-UK), Happiness was recorded quickly and independently released soon afterward. In the summer of 2005, The Weepies caught the attention of Nettwerk Music Group after a sold-out show at the Living Room in New York City. Within a couple of months the band was signed to the label and preparing for the release of their second album, SAY I AM YOU. Recorded in their rented cottage house in Pasadena, CA, Say I Am You catches THE WEEPIES collaboration in full-stride. With pop-spare beauty, the 13 original songs handily deliver on the promise of their 8-song debut Happiness. Confident, lyrical and accessible, Say I am You has the taste of a classic pop album. With sunny, hook-laden tunes like "Take It From Me" and "Gotta Have You," lush meditations like "Citywide Rodeo," dark charmers like "Suicide Blonde," and new-standard melodies like "Nobody Knows Me At All," the recording is a delight from start to finish. The wistful 3rd track, "World Spins Madly On" from the new album, can be heard in the upcoming Jennifer Aniston film, Friends with Money, which opens the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. They have previously had tracks in Todd Solondz's Palindromes, and Nicole Holofcener's Lovely and Amazing. "Happiness felt like a really good crush...that feeling you get when you are falling in love. Say I am You digs deeper;  it covers more ground and touches on a more complex sort of joy," explains Tannen. -theweepies.com ARTIST SITE: http://www.theweepies.com MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/theweepies inspire me

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