Musical gloves

I have been lucky enough. And this is so cool.

Imogen Heap Displays New Musical Gloves
at TEDGlobal Conference

Women in music

I’m such a sucker for music featuring good-sounding female singers …

First, I caught this very cool video bit about the very cool Mates of State the other day. Good stuff …

Second, Imogen Heap, one of my real faves, is about to release a new album. She Twittered the first single earlier this week … I listened and loved it instantly. Her dreamy vocals never fail to lift me up.



Third, Ingrid Michaelson is about to put out some new stuff too … So I’m pasting this here on her behalf …

“ … Ingrid is releasing "Everybody" under her own label, Cabin 24 Records so we need your help more than ever. Tell a friend or 2 (or 10) and let's get "Maybe" to the top of the Billboard charts.”

Sunday reading

Another round of some of the more intriguing and interesting reads I found this last week ...

Life in general
a 11 "Don't-Tell-the-Wife" Secrets All Men Keep ... a great read for both sexes. Even better if you read it together -- and then laugh at how many you nod and say yep, 'he does that,' or 'yep, she's like that.'
a Ogling Google's doodles: Artist loves challenge of holiday logo tweaking ... this is an old one I stumbled across, but interesting nonetheless for fans of the daily google artwork.
a Greatest annoyance at work? Cell phones, employees say Why the need for collecting?

Baseball
a Outfield save still fresh in Rick Monday's mind 30 years later

TV & movies
a For Amy Sedaris, the weird is weirdly wonderful
a Clip Tease: Trailers As Art
a Series of lies cloud 'The View' ... oh boy, how fun was this to watch unfold all week!?

Music
a When Smokey sings, the audience melts
a Woodstock site rises from its muddy past
a Great year made Keane miserable
a Imogen Heap doesn’t need band for backup

Sunday reads

Now this has been my kind of weekend.

... On Friday night, Kates and I attended a cohort's wedding at one of our city's most picturesque, historic sites, followed by a lively, entertaining outdoor reception on the lake. The night was made with wonderful scenery, great jazz music and fun conversation with friends and co-workers ...


... And on Saturday, we had more of it. Kates and I opened up our house to friends and family for a classic backyard barbecue ...

... As for today? We got some rain early this morning, but the sun rose and it appeared as though it would be a beautiful day for a ball game. .. No dice. As we started arriving at the field an hour before gametime, it was clear the field was not ready. ... Beyond frustrated -- this was the second rainout in as many weeks -- we tried calling around town to other ballparks, but found no better conditions ...

So. ...I've cleaned up our kitchen after last night. Watched the Cubs lose. Took a little nap. And now I'm giving you my reads of the week ...

a Guster expands sound, band on new album ... I downloaded the new CD in anticipation of seeing these guys next weekend at Summerfest. I've only listened to it once so my jury's still out ...
a Do-it-yourself music: Heap doesn’t need band for backup ... I was working the wires earlier this week and when I saw this one, I gasped in excitement. People are starting to notice Imogen Heap, and that makes me happy. (for my post on her concert a few weeks ago go here)

a Goodbye AIDS. Celebs Move on to New Causes ... Interesting story. good points.

a Life after cancer sweeter than ever for Sheryl Crow

a iTunes + MySpace x Music Geeks = Mog, A New Site For Music Obsessives ... sign me up! See the site here.

a How Millennium Park created a unique nexus of culture ... I came across this story last week while doing some research on the Silk Road event. Fascinating and so true ... I relish every day I get to go into the city and get to drive past Millennium Park for even a few seconds. It's truly a sight to see ...

Entertaining myself

…went to the media preview for King Tut today at The Field Museum.

… The exhibit, as expected, was a fascinating collection of antiquities, gilded statues, carvings, jewelry and many more treasures taken from King Tut’s tomb. And I learned more than I'd ever expected about King Tut himself and the Egyptian culture.

When British archaeologist Howard Carter and his crew discovered a step cut into the floor of the Valley of the Kings on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 4, 1922, an unusual silence cut through the air. Finally, after five years of searching and his bank nearly empty, Carter had found the tomb of the storied Tutankhamun.

A spectacular discovery, the tomb and its 5,000 beautifully preserved artifacts had been untouched since ancient times. Carter had found the only tomb of its era still intact and, in doing so, created a worldwide sensation.

Movies and television soon delved into Egyptian themes, and Steve Martin sang about it. When Tut came to America and stopped at The Field Museum for the first time in 1977, the exhibition was a blockbuster in the truest form. Lines stretched around the museum as 1.35 million paid $1.50 each to see 55 treasures from the boy-king’s tomb.

The $25-admission price is a little steeper this time, but 29 years after the original stop, King Tut has returned to The Field in an updated exhibit that’s twice the size. "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" will offer visitors face-to-face encounters with more than 130 ancient artifacts — of gold and silver, jewels and semi-precious stones, alabaster and gilded wood — excavated from the tomb of Tutankhamun and other royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

The Chicago stop is the third of four on this latest U.S. tour, and many of the objects, including the royal diadem worn by Tut during his life, are traveling to the United States for the first time.

At the exhibit, visitors will learn about the life of Tutankhamun, as well the years between 1539 B.C. and 1292 B.C. when Egypt enjoyed stability and peace, and art, architecture and literature flourished.

Visitors will see many of the objects used by and buried with the ancestry that preceded Tutankhamun’s ascension to the throne as a 9-year-old child. People also will learn about life and death in ancient Egypt, and the intimate relationship between the two.

Among the galleries that visitors won’t want to glaze over is the exhibit’s fifth, "Death, Burial and the Afterlife," a complement to an earlier gallery with religious artifacts. The space concentrates on items placed in elite tombs, preparation of the body and the steps Egyptians took to protect the body for the afterlife. The centerpiece is the gilded, elaborately-decorated coffin of Tjuya.

Two more galleries showcase gold or gilded statues of Tutankhamun, exquisite jewelry and scenes of Tutankhamun with his wife, Ankhesenamun, before the ninth gallery, "Daily Life in Tutankhamun’s World." Here, visitors can view objects that Tut might have used during his life and were placed in his tomb to be used in the afterlife. Although no two objects may illustrate the boy-king more than a tiny game board with similarities to Parcheesi and a child’s chair and footrest Tut probably used as his royal seat during rituals.

Absent from the exhibit are the familiar solid gold death mask, Tut’s coffin, or any mummies for that matter. Toward the end of the exhibit, however, are the chilling sights of objects actually found on Tutankhamun, along with a series of photos depicting the unraveling of his mummy.

A solid gold dagger placed at Tutankhamun’s waist for protection against dangers in the afterlife features a handle with decorative bands of granulated gold and cloisonné of red and blue glass. Fighting animals on the sheath are symbols of the king’s control over chaos.
In the same room, visitors can view Tut’s gold collar made of carnelian glass with inlaid beads, a golden diadem found on the head of Tut’s mummy and the royal headdress made of gold obsidian, carnelian and glass.

The final gallery gives visitors a glimpse into how Tutankhamun might have looked when he was alive and insight into how, unexpectedly at age 19, he might have died. X-rays taken in 1968 suggested the young king might have been killed by a blow to the head.

But the updated exhibit offers the results of landmark CT scans taken just last year that showed no signs of trauma. The new research instead speculates Tutankhamun might have died from an infection that developed in a severe break just above his left knee.

The exhibit was as fascinating as any of the other half-dozen or so I’ve been lucky enough to see over the last year.

… Just as fun, though, is simply being in Chicago. The city. The rush. Taking that calming train ride downtown. Getting off at the transportation center and moving with the rush hour crowd. Listing to my iPod, watching others doing the same, wondering what their listening to, and taking pleasure in knowing that I too am part of 'the iPod nation.' And then transferring between the buses. Enjoying all the scenery. The activity. The environment. ... and then stepping back on the train to leave it all ...

* * *

By 7 p.m. I was at The Rave in Milwaukee for my long-awaited date with Imogen Heap (go to her MySpace site to hear music clips of her coolest songs in full!!) … It’s crazy to think I hadn't heard of this woman like six months ago. Then I discover her music, become mesmerized by it, find out she’s coming to Milwaukee and jump at the opportunity to see her …

Having never seen a show at The Rave, I didn’t know what to expect but had my mind made by the end of the night that I will definitely be looking for some future shows there. For my Kansas City-area and KU peeps, the venue’s size and atmosphere reminded me an awful lot of The Granada in Lawrence. I also saw shades of Omaha’s Sokol Auditorium with its balcony area that makes for a great view of the stage and layers of audience members leaning over the railings... (I saw Ben Folds Five at both of those locations ...)

On this night, the venue was set up with small candlelit tables and chairs, as if ready for a taping of VH1 Storytellers. It was so perfect, so intimate.

As I’d expected, about 70 percent of the audience were teenage girls. There also was a clear set of middle-aged moms toting elementary-aged girls, which actually didn’t surprise me much either considering Imogen’s honest, wholesome lyrics and her fun-for-all-ages sound. Then, there were the guys like me -- and the similarly-aged guy sitting next to me with whom I built up a good conversation -- who simply like good music and have added Imogen’s unique sound to their collections …

Right on schedule, Imogen came out to introduce the opening act, cellist Zoe Keating. … I know, not exactly the kind of music to get you energized for the main act, and apparently much of the audience agreed because the talking nearly drowned her out at times. Too bad, because she was hugely talented and extremely interesting to watch.

Much like Imogen, Keating plays her cello and records each part as she plays, controlling the composition in real time via foot pedals linked to an array of electronic devices. On several songs, she began by tapping, even beating, her cello to get a percussive background going, and then one by one added additional melodies with her bow, soon coming up with wonderful, multi-layered compositions …

As for her banter between songs, Keating, who was wearing a skirt with slits that nearly cut to her hips, explained to the audience early on that she typically wears shorts underneath her skirt but on this night she had forgotten her shorts -- so she was hoping not to have a ‘Sharon Stone moment.’ ... And later, she introduced a song by explaining how her electronic devices failed during a recent performance, she freaked out and made up a new composition on the spot. She paused and then said, “It’s called ‘Don’t Worry,” drawing a good laugh from the crowd …

Keating played for about 45 minutes. There was a short intermission, and …

Imogen appeared on stage for her set.

What.
A.
Treat.
Her performance was far more than I had hoped it would be, and yet everything I wanted.
Playing just about every track on her current album, ‘Speak For Yourself,’ she opened with an a cappella version of ‘Just For Now’ which sparked one of those I-can't-believe-I'm-right-here-in-this-moment smiles on my face. Oh, that voice …

Then in her own whimsical way, (by the way, she was dressed in this Mary Poppins get-up, complete with flowers in her hair) Imogen introduced ‘her band.’ The thing is: Imogen is the band. She surrounds herself with keyboards, organs, synthesizers and beat boxes to create an amazing sound all her own … First, she introduced her bass box and played a ditty on it. She did the same for her beat box, her vocoder and on until it appeared she was ready to start her next song. Then she stopped, thought for a second and said, ‘Oh yeah, and I have to introduce one more member of the band -- my lights.’ And right on cue, a huge sheet of Christmas lights illuminated the stage.

Did I say how great this show was!?



…The fanciful melodies. The lush harmonies. The catchy beats. It was all there, and even more mesmerizing live. … ‘Goodnight and Go’ never sounded better to me, and the opening melody and lyrics of ‘Let Go’ -- most recognized from the Garden State soundtrack and a product of her Frou Frou side project -- drew a warm applause too as Imogen played it out in a beautiful piano version …

Then, midway through the show, Imogen added yet another dimension to her set as Zoe came out and teamed her cello up with Imogen on a few songs, including ‘Headlock’ and ‘Have You Got It In You?’ -- which the duo totally rocked with the songs’ hard, loud chorus sections.

Eventually, Imogen -- or Immi as she's sometimes called -- stepped to the mic and said the next song would be ‘my last,’ holding up quote marks as she said ‘my last.’ She proceeded, ‘I say it’s ‘my last,’ but you all know it won’t be my last. I say it’s my last, but I’ll go off, you’ll applaud and I’ll come back out again any play some more …’ Then she strapped on one of those keyboards you wear like a guitar and played that wonderfully haunting tune that turned me on to her in the first place: ‘Hide And Seek.’

… As promised, Imogen went off the stage -- for what couldn’t have been more than a minute -- and then returned to play three more songs. She started by playing her newest song ‘Speeding Cars.’ She took a request, asking the crowd, ’should I play something from I Megaphone or Frou Frou?’ She opted to play a Megaphone song I hadn‘t heard and then ended with yet another beautiful one -- ‘The Moment I Said It.’

When she finished, the crowd erupted almost immediately in a standing ovation … A hugely memorable show is one way to describe it, but even that doesn’t seem to do any justice. It was an experience …

Even though I already had a copy of ‘Speak For Yourself,’ I splurged for another one at the show in hopes of having her sign it … but the tight-wad security, which was almost unbearably stiff all night long, shooed everyone out of the theater almost as soon as the show finished.

I probably would have started walking back to my car and started home, had I not been walking next to another guy, who I later learned had driven all the way from Iowa for the show, veering toward Imogen’s tour bus parked in front of the theater. ‘I wanna get my s*#@ signed,’ he says to me, also explaining he had just purchased the special edition CD he was holding from Japan last week. … a few other fans joined us and we began waiting -- quite patiently, as thunder rumbled in the background -- on the sidewalk outside the tour bus.

We passed the time quickly, chatting about the show and fending off the two or three beggars who shuffled by on the sidewalk. Then we were chatting up the security guard just as I noticed Imogen appear from the doorway.

‘Here she comes guys,’ I blurted. … a hush fell over us and we broke away from the security guard, gazing at Imogen as if she was some angel traipsing down the stairway and walking toward us ... My first reaction? Gosh, she’s really tall!

… My second reaction was how cool, how sweet, how refreshingly friendly she is. She said hello -- in her British accent, of course, and apologized for taking so long to come out. She politely began signing items and posing for pictures (my camera, unfortunately, was in my car -- another casualty of the tightest concert security I’ve ever dealt with …) … Then, my turn. She took my CD as I told her my name. She signed it to me, filled it with hearts, stars and wrote ‘love and kisses, Immi.’

I thanked her, shook her hand and told her how much I loved the show.

I walked back to my car in bliss.

The icing on my cake. The cherry on my sundae.

What.
A.
Treat.

Lost!

... with the (cue angel chorus) 'Lost' finale just one night away, some good reads about the show have been floating around the wire services this weekend, including this one about Michael's 'lost' cause and this preview about the finale ...

... CanNOT wait!

... although it may be 2 a.m. Thursday morning before I get around to watching it on our DVR. And I will NOT DARE going into work Thursday without watching it, or I risk hearing about it from one of my cohorts -- if not on TV or the radio before work ...

... while anticipating the what's-sure-to-be-a-wild-finale, a couple of us got into a conversation today about Lost theories, although we were stretching our imaginations perhaps a bit too far ... My buddy Brian thinks the Oceanic Flight never crashed in the first place and it's all some big dream. ... And as our conversation evolved, I threw out the wild theory that maybe they all know it's a TV show and they're playing one big joke on us crazy viewers. Like the final scene of the show will be a camera pulling back to show a huge soundstage. Then a director says 'cut, that's a wrap' and all the actors come out of character while stagehands start wheeling away set pieces ...'

Right.

In the meantime, while the anticipation builds tomorrow, I'll be boarding another train to Chicago and previewing the world-famous King Tut exhibit opening this weekend at the Field Museum... Woo hoo! ...Tickets are selling like hot cakes, but I get to see it all early and free! ... I love my job.

Then tomorrow night, I'll be in the presence of Imogen Heap (aka: the mystifying woman with those mystifying vocals in the music video that's been playing on this site for the last month and a half) ... Can I get another woo hoo!?

... Can't stop thinkin' 'bout tomorrow ...

Imogen Heap here I come!

... in preparation for an upcoming feature story next week, I discovered the other day that Imogen Heap is coming to Milwaukee's Rave in May ...

Woo ... hoo!

Her stuff has been at or near the top of my iPod's 'most played' since I discovered her ... but to actually see her perform ...

My heart be still.

My call has been made. The ticket has been reserved. It will be in the mail on Monday ... And I'll begin counting down the days to May 24 ...

...in the meantime, for your listening and viewing pleasure Imogen's 'Hide And Seek' video plays on my sidebar ...

So I discovered a new artist!

… OK, I didn’t discover her. She’s been around for a few years, it turns out. …But my musical ears have been enlightened for sure!

(…My apologies to fans of ‘The O.C.’ who apparently, I learned during my research, have heard some of her songs during various episodes. But for those who never have seen an episode of the teen drama -- like me …)

I give you Imogen Heap.

My story starts with the arrival of the November/December edition of Paste and ‘Paste Sampler No. 19.’ On the disc, Track No. 16 is a mesmerizing, haunting, dream-like, electronic a cappella, titled ‘Hide And Seek’ by Imogen Heap … There’s simply no way to describe it; you’ve got to hear it for yourself.

The track got me so hooked and captivated that I literally had it on repeat for days in December -- listening to absolutely nothing but ‘Hide And Seek’ as I got ready for work in the morning or took some time to write at night …

And I vowed then I would have to find more about this Imogen Heap person …

Fast forward to last night when I was downloading more of my music collection on to my iPod and I wandered off into the iTunes Store. I did a search for Imogen Heap and started listening to some samples from the first album that came up, ‘Speak For Yourself.’ In no time, I was captivated again -- by her soothing, cutting voice, and the catchy grooves -- and I began downloading the album.

The second track on the album -- ‘Goodnight And Go’ -- wow. Easily my favorite track on the album. A bouncy, fun track about love that made me want to twirl around and dance on a mountain top like Julie Andrews in ‘The Sound of Music’ …I’m not kidding! (You can hear it and other's on her MySpace site.)

The remaining songs are a nice combination of fast-paced, sonically charged tunes and slower grooves. And all of them will surprise you more than the song before, while keeping you wanting more -- I guarantee.

But there’s more to the story …

So as I’m listing to all this stuff, I’m thinking, “I know I’ve heard this voice before! … On the ‘Garden State Soundtrack,’ right? That ‘Let Go’ song, right?” … So I check the track listing on the soundtrack album and, “Nope, ‘Let Go’ is by some band called Frou Frou. Ah well. This Imogen Heap stuff is pretty sweet…”

So today -- I haven’t been listening to anything but Imogen (and while I’m at it, can I just say how much I looooove my iPod? Suddenly, I have the ability to carry my ENTIRE music collection with me on a tiny metal box and listen to any song wherever, whenever I want. That’s just awesome! …I can listen to it in the car -- instead of hearing like the same five songs over and over on local radio -- and at work it makes a world of difference to keep my creative juices flowing and drowning out the surrounding noises of people talking on phones and pecking on computers. Anyway …) and I logged on to Wikipedia (revolutionary web site, I say!) to find out more about this Imogen Heap. And wouldn’t you know it …

Frou Frou IS Imogen Heap! … Apparently Frou Frou was some side project she did with her collaborator Guy Sigsworth. They released an album, titled ‘Details,’ and yes, ‘Let Go’ was featured on the ‘Garden State Soundtrack.’

Don’t believe me when I’m telling how good this album is? Check out the reviews at Amazon.