Sunday, March 28, 2010

Joints

Don't worry! I'm still alive and breathing! This past week was the production week for the play I was in, "Emma". So I was very busy. The play went very well though! I'll miss it and all the people in it very much, but I am so ready to be at home and just relax. :)

I hope to be back with a real post soon. Not that this is a fake post... it's just... oh, never mind...
Anyhow, here's a video that I've been enjoying lately of the singer Holly Miranda singing one of her songs 'Joints':



I discovered Holly Miranda very recently. She is amazing live! But sadly, on the album she released earlier this year, The Magician's Private Library, her vocals are buried under the album's overproduced sound. Very disappointing. But, this video is great. The dynamics when she's in the stairwell are incredible!


I hope everyone is well! Two people at our house have bronchitis. O_o {Though it's not catching and they feel fine. *shrugs*}

Friday, March 12, 2010

Message personnel

I'm excited -- I've been finding lots of great new music!! But alas, posting about it all must wait.
Til then, I'll post an "old" favourite of mine: 'Message personnel' by Françoise Hardy.



Around this time last year, I started listening to Françoise Hardy and other such artists. It's very strange to think that last year I had not heard about most of the artists I have posted about on this blog... This has certainly been a year of "musical enlightenment". ;)

Anyhow, 'Message personnel' is my favourite Françoise Hardy song! The interesting thing about it is that the first minute and a half is a monologue that leads up to the song. I really love the lyrics! {If you wish to know the basic concept of what she's saying there is a version of her singing it in English here. It's not the same thing as an exact translation, but almost!}

Listen:


{Be forewarned, the sound starts out really quiet and then gets louder as the song progresses.}

Monday, March 8, 2010

Lisa & Lynn

{this is kind of a supplement to my last post}

As with most groups that have multiple members, I tend to pick favourites. Celtic Woman is no exception!

My favourite member has been Lisa Kelly for quite a while now!


I don't know exactly why she's my favourite... I really love her voice though!
My favourite song she sings is a song called 'Send Me a Song'. It was on the first Celtic Woman album and is also on her solo album, Lisa. The version I'm posting is from her solo album, the only difference being an added verse.



I can't wait for Lisa to release another solo album! But what with touring with Celtic Woman and raising three kids she's a bit busy... ;)


Also, I have found I really love one of the new members, Lynn Hilary!




I got her album, Take Me With You for Christmas and I'm really enjoying it! Lynn writes (or at least collaborates to write) a lot of her songs, which is pretty atypical of members of groups such as Celtic Woman.
Listen to the title track, 'Take Me With You':





{This my first time posting more than one song in a post! Let me know if if you find it too overwhelming or something.... I'm half-kidding, half not... so, yeah, let me know! :)}

Monday, March 1, 2010

Celtic Woman

Last month I had the privilege of going to a Celtic Woman concert! It was actually the second Celtic Woman concert I {including my mum & sister} have been to, with many thanks and much love to my grandmother who bought the tickets both times.
I have a very special place in my heart for Celtic Woman. The group is composed of four Irish singers and a fiddler. Popularized, I think, through PBS pledge weeks.

Anyhow, I'll never forget the first time I heard Celtic Woman. About four years ago, I was in bed one night, and I got up to investigate some sounds coming from the {pet!} rodents in my room. Then from my parent's room {which is near mine} I heard beautiful singing. And it wasn't just any song. It was my favourite song: 'Somewhere' from the musical, West Side Story. Entranced I followed the sound to my parent's television. I don't really remember seeing Celtic Woman for the first time, but I remember hearing them. Oh my, but it was lovely. After the song ended {I don't remember if I asked my parents who it was or not...} I went back to bed, not knowing my life had been changed. ;)

Soon after, my mum went out and bought Celtic Woman's first CD. I listened to it. Again and again. I was hooked!
Until then, I had firmly believed that most females couldn't sing. {Who can blame me really? Have you ever listened to the radio??} But these talented girls could sing like I had never heard anyone sing before. I loved them all. I bought {or was given} all the member's solo albums, I watched the DVD's, I got all my friends addicted too!

In early 2007 I got to see them {the original five!} live for the first time! I thought it was a once in a lifetime experience. I am happy to be proved wrong though. :)
Though the line-up has changed a bit, I still love them just as much. And the show I recently attended I think I enjoyed more than the first time.

Here's a video of them singing 'Somewhere'... the song that started it all for me. :)




{I didn't mean for this post to be so long! Once I got started I had a little trouble stopping!}