Once

Once there was an idea in my head to create a website that featured all the people and all the things i love about music.  I invited 6 or so of my friends and we embarked on a journey that was meant to last…well…maybe not a lifetime but a long time.  We started out strong, and found a steady pace like runners in a marathon.  Each of us had blogged before so the road seemed easy enough.  About a month or two in we found our rhythm and mile after mile, (or in our case month after month) began to float by with each of us contributing at a comfortable pace.

Then one runner got a cramp and another, well, was already running one race and found it impossible to be in two places at once.  Yet another bowed out gracefully admitting running just wasnt her thing anymore, and still another, well, she tried to keep up the best she could but in the end didnt make it to the finish.

I love these gals.  They are all wonderfully unique, and talented, and inspiring.  I know that none of us knew what to expect jumping into this and I love and admire every effort they made to keep things alive here at our little site.  But without the wonderfully unique, and talented, and inspiring friends running beside me I am having a heck of a time completing the race on my own.

ok, enough of the race analogies. Hopefully you get my point.  I love this site, love everyone involved, but i just cant do it alone.  so i am pondering my options and hoping to find a solution that suits me and keeps this place alive.

so with that, i leave you for now with one of my favorite songs ever and forever and hope you love it too.  It reveals a bit of the state of my heart with all that is going on in this world and all that is happening personally in my life and the lives of some of my dearest friends.

From the film “Once,” Falling Slowly

manah manah

that’s right.  enjoy.

Reminiscing

Ive decided, after scrolling thru their abundant hits list, that the Little River Band is officially one of my all time favorite groups.  They have a special way of taking me back to my childhood and well, getting me to  spend the hours reminiscing.

Happy Monday..with the Little River Band

Nuttin But Stringz

I just love these guys. The first time i saw them perform was on Noggin, a kids channel, and it was the performance I’ve posted here.  The arent “kids music” in the regard that i think they prefer to be a bit gangsta, ya know?  but they are amazing and talented and deserve some recognition for their unique sound.  so here you go….nuttin but stringz “thunder.”

general noise

Andy Perez is a friend and fellow musician here in Atlanta, who has lended his spectacular talent to a few of Dust’s greatest beats. Recently Andy’s piano driven group General Noise released their first full length album, “Blueprint for the Budding Revolutionary”, and we thought we’d give you a taste of it here at music mamas.

From their bio: “General Noise is a piano-based Alt Rock band from Atlanta, similar in sound to Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, and Elton John. The band is run and operated by bassist Jason Matthews and vocalist/pianist Andy Perez, with other Atlanta-area musicians rotating in and out of the lineup as needed.

Formed in 2005, General Noise has seen huge success touring colleges and clubs throughout the Eastern US and highlighted their critical acclaim with 4 regional showcase selections to the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) and Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA) conferences.

Their first full-length album, Blueprint for the Budding Revolutionary, was released in 2008. (To take a listen, click here.)

Q&A with Andy:

What kind of music is it?

For industry purposes, they tell me to make the obvious comparisons to Ben Folds and other piano artists, like Fiona Apple and Elton John. Which isn’t a bad thing, because I like all that music, especially Elton John’s older, more rock-and-roll stuff. Personally, though, I hope at some point we reflect a little of the music we grew up on, like the improvisation-tendencies of the Dave Matthews Band, the energy of Green Day, and the creativity of the Counting Crows. But I also adore artists like Elliott Smith and The Decembrists, and Jason seems to love pretty much all pop-punk. So in theory all of that should be making appearances in our music here and there. Really, though, if you want to just say “they sound like Ben Folds”, go right ahead.

A 2-person band seems unusual.

Yeah, Jason and I have thought a lot about that, since while we’re obviously a full, 4-piece band, we only have two permanent people. Back when we were auditioning drummers and sax players and such, we must have tried out 30, 40 different people looking for permanent members. We’re just dead-set on playing with really, really talented musicians, and the reality for us is that bringing in a permanent addition to the band is a lot like getting married. So when you combine how picky we are and how difficult it is to permanently nail down great musicians, you end up where we are now, with two front-people and a rotating group of guys we pull from for touring and shows. But I’m very comfortable with our situation, because it allows me to perform and record with some of the best, most talented people out there.

leaving on a jet plane

well friends, i’ve been a bit absent from the site, as have the other music mamas.  let’s just chalk it up to a touch of summer madness.  so far this summer mamas have moved, had babies, changed career directions, stayed at home ALL SUMMER with mostly lovely but sometimes exhausting children, and vacationed.  speaking of vacations, im heading to see my family for a few weeks before the school year begins again, so we are going on hiatus until the first week of august.  promise to be back with fresh new perspectives on music and this world we live in.  until then, enjoy some steve miller band: jet airliner

hello monday.

hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday weekend!  we had family in town, which has become my excuse for a lot of things including my absence from the site.  no friday fives. no special somethings. just that same post up there for days.

but not today!  it’s a brand new day and things are happening around here!  Enjoy a little Robert Randolph and the Family Band…

She & Him

SXSW 2008 performance.  This song is like sunshine on a cloudy day to me, even though the title of it is something like “Alone On a Bicycle Built for Two.”  Each time i hear the group i like them even more.  Happy Tuesday!

friday fives~change

(photo by andrea)

five things you want to change about you….

meridith

1. lose weight and keep it off (get into a routine with exercise and healthy eating)
2. stop worrying so much
3. organize life and slow down and relax more
4. show love and grace more to others
5. express creativity (writing, painting, photography, cooking, acting, etc)

kristen

I want to be debt free.
I want to not care so much about numbers on a scale.
I want the house to be completely painted.
I want to change the healthcare system so that it benefits me.
I want to enjoy my next 7 years of marriage even more than the first 7.

kendra

my need to please others/worrying what people think about me.
i want to know God and live to please him first.
i need to eat healthier and provide healthier food for my family.
i want to live each day given me to the fullest.
i want to be satisfied with my life just the way it is, but still be eager enough to try new things and expand my knowledge.

a little color

to brighten your mid week blues…courtesy of Atlanta graf artist Hense.

(photo by andrea)