A night with The Weepies

Dreams came true last night.

Kates and I saw The Weepies play. Live. In concert. Finally.

Needless to say they've held a special place in our hearts for almost a decade.

Some background. The Weepies entered our consciousness around 2006 after “World Spins Madly On” appeared in an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” – back when it was the show to watch, kicking off our weeks every Sunday night. Then, there was a conversation with some close friends about The Weepies’ so-great sound. I downloaded “Say I Am You.” And “Happiness.” Kates and I played the albums almost non-stop that winter of 2007-2008 while we were expecting Phoebe.

We played the music to soothe Kates, too, as Phoebe was preparing to enter the world. I had downloaded “Hideaway” just weeks earlier as a pre-release single in anticipation of the album of the same name – which was released a couple weeks after Phoebe’s birth – and it was an instant favorite. More than any of the others, the memory of that song playing during Kates’ labor is embedded in my mind. In an interesting twist, we realized later that the song includes a lyric, “Hear a phoebe sing his only song.”

“Be My Thrill” was the soundtrack for and conjures up memories of our anything-but-easy transition to Missouri. At the same time, the upbeat title track and “Sunny Days” are two of my favorites in the band's entire catalog. They will never cease to cheer me.

Finally, “Sirens” arrived in April, after months of anticipation and teasers on The Weepies’ Facebook page. And, like its two predecessors, I downloaded it the day it was available. And also like its two predecessors, it took me a few listens to warm up to it. Several of the songs I ranked as threes during that first run-through were upgraded to fours and fives by that evening. A couple weeks ago, Kates and I were playing the album as we cleaned up dinner in our kitchen, and Kates marveled, “I like all of these songs. Of course, I do. It's The Weepies.”

Read up on The Weepies – the duo formed by singer-songwriters Deb Talan and Steve Tannen – and you’ll learn the storylines behind each of their albums, and “Sirens,” like the others, is packed with emotion. “Sirens” was created on the backdrop of Deb’s battle with with Stage 3 breast cancer.
This is from their current bio …

“… At 16 songs and almost an hour long, SIRENS shows a band at the height of its powers.

… The prophetic ‘No Trouble’ was written prior to learning Deb’s diagnosis. ‘I don’t need no trouble, but sometimes trouble needs me,” sings Steve; Deb’s vocals were recorded during her first weeks of chemo. The couple continued to write and record throughout treatment, with Deb providing several key vocals far into the year, including title track “Sirens,” captured in one take on a day where Deb really only had one take in her; her vulnerability is tangible. “We just kept going,” says Deb. “We also have 3 small children, and were homeschooling, and the effects of chemo blew whole days out of the water.” The band was able to use their limited studio time as an escape, leading to some of their most joyful tracks ever, including the genre-bending “Fancy Things” and the upbeat “Early Morning Riser,” aided mightily by a fantastic rhythm section and horns. There’s plenty of heart and comfort for long time Weepies fans too – the deceptively simple “My Little Love,” the gorgeous “Brand New Pair of Wings” and the straight ahead poetry of “River From the Sky.”

After The Weepies had officially finished the album, and Deb was in recovery, they continued to record remotely with their phenomenal backing musicians for fun, eventually adding a cover of Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly” and a version of Irish balladeer Mark Geary’s “Volunteer” to the final album. “No one song could capture that year,” says Steve. “16 seems like a lot to release at once, but each song reflects a different angle of that long, suspended moment. They hang together like a bunch of photographs from a certain time. It was intense, but there was beauty and inspiration, too. Deb made it back. And we’re still here.”

Through the years, The Weepies had risen to the top of our concert bucket list, but their tours are rare and short, and they haven't come to Kansas City. If not for our move, we might have seen them two or three times by now as they often have hit Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. … But, this past spring, after the band released yet another tour schedule that didn’t quite come close enough to us, Kates suggested we go to them, as part of our summer excursion to Wisconsin.

It happened that their last stop of the tour was a Homecoming concert in Iowa City. We’d be at The Farm, so Kates and I worked it out to leave the girls with her parents while we drove the three hours south to Iowa City, attended the show, spent the night there and returned to The Farm the next day. We bought the tickets, made a reservation for a one-night stay at a bed and breakfast in Iowa City and did just that.

*     *     *

We arrived in Iowa City about 3:30 yesterday afternoon, and found our overnight spot, The Brown Street Inn. It was the first bed and breakfast to show up when Kates searched the internet and it appealed enough to us that we booked a room. Initially, I had reserved the Yellow Room, but when we checked in, the innkeeper asked if he could move us to another room because they were having some plumbing issues. Kates and I didn’t mind, and he led us to the Red Room, a spacious and elegant room -- painted in red, of course -- at the end of the hallway on the house’s second floor. I was thrilled because it was the room I was most interested in booking, but it was unavailable when I made my initial call to the place.

The innkeeper also was quick to pull out a map of Iowa City's downtown and recommend all sorts of dining options within walking distance of the house and the concert venue. … Around 6 p.m. we headed downtown. Gifted with a cool but beautiful evening, we walked the five blocks or so to Iowa City’s downtown, along the picturesque, history-filled, brick-paved streets. All along, Kates and I fantasized about walking through The Weepies’ neighborhood and wondered, if any, what house belonged to them.

We walked through a part of the University of Iowa campus and ended up at Oasis, a highly-recommended Mediterranean joint for supper. I had a beef kafta in pita bread, and Kates had a chicken skewer. The service was slow, but the food was worth the wait … I should also add here that I ate more than my share of beef for the day. Shortly into our drive down, Kates and I grabbed lunch at a convenience store food mart and I bought a cheeseburger that came with a patty so big I joked I was eating a whole cow.

*     *     *

After dinner, we made the short walk to The Englert Theatre, where the show was scheduled to begin at 8. A crowd was gathered outside, the marquee proclaimed The Weepies were performing and we were indeed at the right place.

The theater was a historic and intimate venue with just more than 1,000 seats. As the story goes, the theater opened in 1912 and survived the deaths of its two earliest operators and a massive fire, all before 1926. By the 1990s, like so many other venues of its kind, the theater was divided and retrofitted for two small movie screens, fell into disrepair and was eventually shutdown. A community group rallied, though, and raised enough funding to rehabilitate the theater and reopen it in 2004 – for its first live performance in more than 60 years. Pretty cool.

Lucy Wainwright Roche provided the opening act and proved herself worthy. She delivered a handful of soft folksy songs that were a welcome prelude to The Weepies music. Even better, she wasted no time charming the audience were engaging and hilarious stage banter. After performing her first song, she proceeded to share that she had been touring almost non-stop for years and driving in her car, alone – so she had “a lot to talk about.” She shared funny observations about serving on grand jury duty and her dog, and answered every random question any audience member shouted at her. She also led a wonderful singalong on a cover of Bruce Springsteen's “Hungry Heart.”

The Weepies took the stage around 9 – with a powerful backing band that we later learned included Elvis Costello’s drummer and Joshua Radin’s bassist Jonny Flaugher! – packed everything they could into a set that last about an hour and 45 minutes.

At a couple points during the show they joked with the audience about the number of songs they could play. Deb joked they had about 125 on their list, and later added that the concert could last two days long. In our minds, Kates and I were saying, Yes! Yes! Keep going! After all, I had been thinking along those lines as I listened to the albums again during these last couple days leading up to the show – that they could play any collection of their songs, and I would have been pleased.

To our delight, they opened with “Gotta Have You” – arguably Kates’ favorite from their catalog. And they followed it with the aforementioned favorites “Hideaway” and “Be My Thrill.” “My Little Love,” accompanied by some audience hand-clapping, was the first of a whopping 11 tracks from the “Sirens” album, and all of them only raised my admiration for the new album.

While the set was filled with our favorites, I did leave a little sad about the absence of other gems like “Sunflower,” “Orbiting,” “Please Speak Well of Me,” “Add My Effort,” “Be My Honeypie,” “Hard to Please,” “How You Survived the War,” “Riga Girls,” “Suicide Blonde,” “Living in Twilight,” “Stars,” “Somebody Loved” or “Keep It There.” Indeed, the concert could have gone on for two days. … I also had hoped they might throw in their cover of “Learning to Fly,” but it was not to be.

Their songs are so simple and so sweet with acoustic guitars, luscious harmonies and Deb's beautiful and unique voice being the hallmark of their sound. Playing guitars that were about as big as her small frame, Deb’s voice sounded as crisp and strong as ever, and it was especially fun to see Steve rock out on faster-paced jams like “Vegas Baby” and “Never Let You Down” – a love song, he told the audience, he wrote and then handed to Deb who “edited the hell out of it.” Together they showed the same synergy and chemistry we’ve always heard on their albums. … There’s a reason so many of their songs rank at or near the top of my iTunes library’s most played count. They could sing the phonebook and we’d listen.

“World Spins Madly On” – which I might say was the one song I wanted to hear more than any other – and “Volunteer,” with Steve singing the lead vocals on both, were just as beautiful and compelling live as they sounds on their respective records. And Deb punctuated the first part of the set with her lead vocals on the equally somber but lovely “Just Blue” and “Somebody Loved.”

They could have easily left the stage for good at that point, and – unlike a lot of bands I’ve seen through the years – actually had me believing they might be done when Deb introduced “Somebody Loved” as their last song. But the crowd wouldn’t let them go, and the house lights didn’t come on. … When they did come out for an encore, Deb stepped to the mic and said the band decided they wanted to leave us with a little skip in their step. So they doled out a great jam of “Early Morning Riser,” backed with a rousing trumpet, and then “I Was Made For Sunny Days.” I got so excited when I heard the opening guitar strums of “Sunny Days” that I nearly leaped out of my seat.

If I have any beefs about the show … The percussion was overpowering at times and didn’t lend itself well to the intimate setting and acoustics of the theater; there were several times I thought the loud punch of the drums took away the charm or tone of some of the more mellow tunes. There also were times that Steve’s harmonizing vocals – which help make The Weepies’ sound so intoxicating – seemed to get lost among the noise of the instruments.

Those beefs were minor things, though. Kates and I had an amazing night together, and we can finally cross The Weepies from our concert bucket list.

So the question now is: Who takes over the top spot on our concert bucket list? The answer: Sara Bareilles.

Here’s the setlist …
1. Gotta Have You
2. Hideaway
3. Be My Thrill
4. My Little Love
5. Fancy Things
6. Can’t Go Back Now
7. Vegas Baby
8. Painting By Chagall
9. Crooked Smile
10. Sirens
11. River from the Sky
12. Wild Boy
13. Brand New Pair of Wings
14. Never Let You Down
15. Antarctica
16. World Spins Madly On
17. Same Changes
18. Ever Said Goodbye
19. You Are Unraveling
20. Nobody Knows Me At All
21. Volunteer
22. No Trouble
23. Just Blue
24. Somebody Loved

Encore
25. Early Morning Riser
26. I Was Made for Sunny Days

Good reads ...

• Vagabond band The Weepies finds home in Iowa 
• The Weepies turn a year of struggle into a powerful return to form
• NoiseTrade One-on-One: Interview with The Weepies 
• Iowa City-based band The Weepies wrap up nationwide tour
• Paste review: The Weepies: Sirens Review

Hits and missing

So in these summer days of concert announcements and fantasizing about the ones I could get to, while browsing YouTube today, I got nostalgic about my Polyphonic Spree experience a few summers ago and stumbled on this one.

This video so closely resembles the look and feel of that night, and the band's take on this Nirvana classic shines. In the words of my good friend and fellow music aficionado, Laura: two words -- awe. some.



Here's another good one. I love the tag line: "Have you ever had a loss for words when describing the experience of a live Polyphonic Spree show? Watch as the Polyphonic's very own Tim DeLaughter tries to explain it to Abbey the Basset/Beagle!"

* * *

These days videos and recordings, it seems, are as close as I can get to my favorite performers.

Let’s face it. Living in The ‘Ville does not offer the kinds of concert and entertainment venues we enjoyed in the Chicago market. Not even close.

I had a hard time last fall. And now it’s happened again.

This week The Weepies -- at the top of the list of bands Kates and I want to see -- announced their second tour in a year’s span. And for the second time in that span, not a single date within a three-hour’s drive; in fact the closest possibility in this latest batch of dates is -- of all places -- Chicago. A seven-hour drive. … If it fell on a weekend, we’d give it some serious thought and tie it with a family visit. But the date falls on Tuesday night at the start of the school year. Had we not moved, we easily would have seen them last fall and could have perhaps caught the upcoming show in Chicago.

* * *

It’s the near misses that make my heart ache almost to the point of tears. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: Over the years, I’ve become convinced there is nothing like the euphoria and joy of seeing, hearing and experiencing a favorite band perform live. When all the stars align -- good music, good venue, good crowd -- the experience is better than … well, I’ll stop there.

At least I have Summerfest to look forward to in a couple weeks (cue angel chorus). Although, there are some misses involved in that regard, too. … We’ll be traveling to the home land at the end of the month for our summer vacation. There was some lively debate in our house as we sorted out the plans, and there were several changes, but our plans are about 99 percent set now, and I am pleased.

This is one of those years that, when I browse the schedule, there’s a performer nearly every night that I’d venture to see.

On opening night, June 29, I’d go to see Meat Loaf. ... Kates can't stand him. I say his "Bat Out of Hell" albums are classic.

On June 30, Owl City is playing, and I’d go see him -- if only for the chance to hear “Fireflies” live. I explained that to Kates and then started recalling the rest of his catalogue and realized there’s more to entice me to an Owl City show. … In our original summer vacation itinerary, the Owl City show was a real possibility. Then our plans changed.

July 2 is the heart-breaker. Just weeks ago, Summerfest announced Jason Mraz would play the Marcus Amphitheater with -- ugh -- Guster. Arguably, my favorite in-its-prime rock band. Who I’ve seen three times already. But they’re so entertaining I’d see them again and again. … Same goes for Jason Mraz, who I saw in 2008.

July 3. The Jayhawks. Like Owl City, their show was a part of our original vacation plans, but later got nixed. Gotta make sacrifices.

July 6. OAR is playing; I’ve seen them three times and would welcome another. Peter Frampton and Danny Gokey are playing, too, who would keep my interest, at least for a couple songs.

July 8. This one has a strong possibility of becoming a reality. Goo Goo Dolls. Parachute. Michelle Branch.

July 9. America. One of my favorite classic rock bands, I’ve been wanting to see these guys for years. This one has a strong possibility of becoming reality, too. If it doesn’t it will be a heartbreaker. ... Dashboard Confessional -- who I've seen and would gladly see again -- and the Get Up Kids -- with whom I attended high school -- would also be great shows.

July 10. Todd Rundgren would be fun, but it’s probably not going to happen. Meanwhile, Sara Bareilles, who I’d love to see, is playing at the Marcus. And that’s definitely not going to happen.

The countdown is on.

Stuff of the week

Was there anyone who wasn't watching the gripping rescue of 33 miners in Chile on Tuesday night!?

The scene was something I won't soon forget -- watching the Rangers finish off the Rays in the division series and then seeing my e-mail and TweetDeck overflow with breaking news alerts. I promptly turned to CNN and watched intently, butt planted on our coffee table in front of television. I flipped back and forth from the CNN coverage to the baseball game, and timed it perfectly enough that I saw the last out of the ball game and parts of the Rangers celebration and the first miner appear above ground, to the utter joy of his young son.

As the CBS clip mentions below, I couldn't help but notice how the similarities to watching Baby Jessica's rescue struck me also. The miners' story is something remarkable and is, arguably -- like "Sully" in 2009 -- the high point of a mostly dark and gloomy 2010.

* * *

Of course I watched Jane Lynch's appearance on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, and I thought it was pretty decent. But in an effort to save time and space, I'll just direct you to EW's review -- because it's everything I would have said. My only regret is I can't find a clip of the "Glee" spoof -- EW couldn't either -- which was ha-larious.

* * *

I've been listening to The Weepies nearly non-stop the last couple weeks. I had another fleeting moment of depression the other night when I caught a review of their tour opener. Dang, it would be good to see them.

* * *

Um. These lightning photos are amazing.

* * *

This is nuts: Firefighters let a house burn because its owner didn't pay a $75 fee.

* * *

I'm always up for a good read about Facebook. Here is another good one from The Boston Gobe. So true.

My thrill

If you check this blog often, perhaps you've read The Weepies have a new album.

It was released Tuesday -- a date Kates and I had anticipated eagerly for months -- and downloading it was one of the first things I did when I arrived home that evening -- after collapsing on the bed with Kates and Phoebe.

But the first listen left Kates and I somewhat befuddled. We thought the album lacked flow. And the songs didn’t seem to have the character of The Weepies we’ve grown to love. “It’s kind of all over the place,” I said.

I’m thinking now, those were the bad vibes from our day working.

We’ve changed our tune with a few more listens over the weekend. “I’m warming up to it,” I told Kates Sunday night.

It's true, though, that the album has a different quality than The Weepies songs we've been playing for years. The thing is each Weepies album has a distinct feel, and their fourth collection continues that mentality. As I remember, I wasn’t so thrilled initially with “Hideaway” when it arrived two years ago. Now it’s arguably my favorite of the duo’s releases; I guess we were expecting more of the same when we pressed play for the first time on “Be My Thrill” last week.

Compared to the darker themes of “Hideaway,” “Be My Thrill” is more upbeat. And it's already prompted Phoebe into a dancing frenzy a couple of times ... At the album’s core, the lush harmonies, the catchy melodies, the heartfelt lyrics and the sweet guitar strums -- they’re all there.

“I Was Made For Sunny Days” and the title track (which, yes, totally tricked me into thinking I'd accidentally turned on Death Cab for Cutie’s “No Sunlight”) are the clear favorites from the album. Both sparkle with cheer, and I love the kick that comes from the sound of Deb Tallan straining her voice on the bridge of “Thrill.” Every morning is like the one before / And everybody needs someone to adore.

The lovely “They’re In Love, Where Am I?” has the feel of a soft-pop hit of the 1970s ... “When You Go Away,” “Hummingbird,” “Be My Honeypie” with its jangly chorus and the repitive “Red Red Rose” take on the lullaby qualities The Weepies play so perfectly ...

The only miss on the album is the bluesy “How Do You Get High?” which feels out of place with the rest of the album's tone. It just might go down as my least favorite Weepies tune ever, and it will likely never see the light of my iPod.

Other reviews worth reading ...
a The Daily Cardinal
a Paste Magazine
a The Maneater

Getting The Weepies

I had another concert blues moment recently. And probably not the last.

Kates and I adore The Weepies. Have for years. Their music has been part of a few big moments in our lives. And given all the uncertainty in our lives these last couple months, you could say their new album due out at the end of this month is the one of the most anticipated events in our household this summer.

Their lyrics are oh so soothing. Their lush harmonies are musical bliss. The World Spins Madly On.

Suffice to say, as I've said a number of times, they're at the top of our concert bucket list. If the timing was right, we'd drive -- or fly, depending on the location -- hours to see them. Just once.

So when word came out a few weeks ago that the duo was setting plans for their first tour in four years, I had high hopes. I joined others by pleaing on their Facebook page for a Kansas City stop, and I had visions of turning it into a perfect wedding anniversary gift for us. I really thought this was going to be the year.

Instead, I was crushed when the dates went public about a week ago. And there was no date in Kansas City ... There are dates in Madison, Evanston, and Iowa City -- all of which Kates and I seriously considered. But considering our job responsibilities, those stops are scheduled during the worst possible week of the fall.

Get over it. I know.

At least we can still look forward to the new album ... And we have a new song to enjoy.

Summertime blues

I was afraid this might happen.

In recent years, I’ve gone to Summerfest wondering whether my run might end -- the kind of feeling I suppose an athlete has when his career is in its twilight. … At Summerfest, it’s the notion that the crowds appear to be getting younger and more immature, the music sounds louder and the array of bands less appealing.

Last year, when I went to the magnificent festival for a record-low two nights, I figured maybe the time had come. I figured my youth may have finally escaped me and my concert days were waning.

I prepared myself to move on … And I have. Literally.

Then Summerfest started rolling out its lineup for this summer …

Colbie Caillat. The Moody Blues ... O.A.R.! ... Sheryl Crow!! ... She & Him!!! (... A good read about She & Him in today's Boston Globe.)

A few weeks ago when Cubs tickets went on sale, I was gritting my teeth and doing all I could to hold back on purchasing a couple seats. The mantra “Wait ’til next year” has taken a whole new meaning now.

And then today, the most painful announcement of all. The New Pornographers are playing the Pabst Theater. The announcement via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ...

Indie-pop darlings the New Pornographers - made up of some of the best and busiest in the music scene - will play the Pabst Theater at 8:30 p.m. June 12. The eight-member outfit, including mastermind A.C. Newman and songbird Neko Case, releases its fifth album, "Together," in May.

The New Pornographers. Indie-pop darlings. Songbird Neko Case ...

The New Pornographers. A band that’s hovered around the top of my Concert Bucket List for a couple years now -- along with Matchbox Twenty (so close! ), Belle & Sebastian, The Weepies, Dave Matthews Band, Mates of State (whose “For the Actor” I've heard on multiple Royal Carribean commercials lately!) and The Shins (oh, oh, so close!)

Ugh.

Last night, an old friend of mine tweeted, "don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."

When I saw her statement, I smiled and thought so true, especially right now ... But it won't keep me from thinking of ways I can still enjoy the great things that came with the good.

Love & music

Sometimes I think my iPod knows me so well, it not only syncs with my iTunes catalog, but my mind, too. Depending on the mood and state of mind I'm in, I just click the random button and it knows exactly the right blend of songs to play ...

Take tonight, for instance. A gloomy Monday. A really busy and frantic (but productive) day at work. Then, I come home and have more things on my to-do list than I have time for (a never-ending obstacle, it seems). Pretty soon Phoebe's home, which means all eyes and attention go to her. Kates and I are bumping into each other in the kitchen trying to feed her while preparing food for ourselves ...

And before we know it Phoebe's flipping peas over her shoulder onto the kitchen floor.

But the music playing on the iPod always makes it ok.

Which brings me to this ...

Kates and I are still in love with The Weepies ...

I was checking up on their goings-on the other night, and I caught this interview with them. Good stuff.

They're tops on our list right now of bands we want to see. Now if only they'd come to a theater near us.

Phoebe's Playlist

Here’s another post I’ve been wanting to write for weeks - months even.

Not long after Kates and I learned she was pregnant, I began delving deep into our music collection for the perfect playlist. Naturally, music is a huge part of our lives, and we hope it will be a big part of Phoebe's …

Perfect being the key word, the construction of this playlist turned into a tedious, obsessive process. I am a perfectionist after all, and when I really want something I'm gonna go after it whole-heartedly, not moving to the next task until the one at hand is complete. I'm digressing ...

Also noteworthy is that the making of this list only spanned what I have on CD and digital formats. Imagine what it would’ve been had I broken into my vinyl collection or my boxes and boxes of cassette tapes, and taken the time to record those songs into a digital format …

There were some tough cuts along the way -- Johnny Rivers' "Swayin’ to the Music" being one of them -- but they had to be made in order to keep the playlist to a good number - a two-CD set if you will. Then, some more cuts were made after Phoebe’s birth, because some of the songs I had chosen were gender specific. I toiled long and hard to get the right songs with just the right lyrics and just the right sound.

In the end, it proved to be exactly what I had set out to do ... It's a marvelous collection of music, comprised of the artists we love, singing the songs we love. A lot of the lyrics are pretty appropriate and meaningful, and there’s a couple really good cover versions on this list.

I rocked Phoebe to sleep using it tonight ...

So here it is, Phoebe’s (Lullaby) Playlist … Phoebe’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Playlist is forthcoming.

(Songs are in order and titles are linked to their lyrics - where applicable - for your perusal …)

Disc One

1. Thirty-Something Main Theme … It is a quintessential theme for adulthood, and I think it’s one of the sweetest instrumentals ever composed.
   
2. Here Comes the Sun (Bob Khaleel) … Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter. This was the first song Phoebe heard when we turned on the iPod after her birth, and I was holding her for the first time.
   
3. April Come She Will (Simon & Garfunkel) … And while I was holding her for the first time, I rocked her and repeated gently "April come she will!" Phoebe’s due date was April 10, but there was a time we thought she was going to arrive in March, and even then we thought she was going to be a boy. I badly wanted to use this beautiful song on her playlist.


4. Sweet Thing (Van Morrison) … Had to get a Van Morrison song on the list. And “Sweet Thing” is a sweet song.
   
5. I Will (The Beatles) … Simple, sweet melody. And it’s The Beatles.
   
6. Night Swimming (REM) … An old-school favorite of ours and probably our favorite REM song of all. Kates and I were unanimous about adding it to the list when it came on the iPod while we were driving home one night last winter.
   
7. I Don’t Want To Live On The Moon (Shawn Colvin w/Ernie) … We adore Shawn Colvin’s music, and here she’s singing with Ernie - need we say more? We’ve long loved this song and the night we heard it live will always be a cherished memory … (Hear the song (with a really bad Ernie voice) and watch the video here.)
   
8. Windmills (Toad the Wet Sprocket) … Another old-school favorite of mine that’s perfect for mellowing out …
   
9. Homebird (Foy Vance) … Much of this song’s beauty lies in its sound. (Hear it here.)
   
10. ‘Til Kingdom Comes (Coldplay) ... "For you, I've waited all these years / For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come."
    
11. Ice Cream (Sarah McLachlan) … Another longtime favorite.
    
12. Gotta Have You (The Weepies) ... It's no coincidence there's a lot of Weepies music on this list. We've been listening to them a lot for the last several months.
    
13. The Luckiest (Ben Folds) … If you know me at all, you know Ben Folds' music is something deep and special to me. Still, I didn’t start to fully get the sentiments expressed in “The Luckiest” until last fall.
    
14. World Spins Madly On (The Weepies) … Sort of a dark song. But it’s The Weepies and, like “Homebird” much of its beauty lies in its sound. (Hear a sampling of the song here.)
    
15. Songbird (Eva Cassidy) … Christine McVie’s original for Fleetwood Mac is a gem, but Eva Cassidy’s voice brings another dimension to it that makes the song even more beautiful. (Hear it here.)
    
16. Love Has a Hold On Me (Amy Grant) … This one was on the cutting board, but after a strong vote of approval from Kates, I kept it on the list.
    
17. Imagine (Avril Lavigne) … I wanted to add “Imagine” to the list, and out of all the versions out there I settled on Avril’s cover because she’s current, Kates and I love her music and her version has a sweet, childlike, girlish vibe to it.
    
18. Answer (Sarah McLachlan) ... I will be the answer / At the end of the line / I will be there for you / While you take the time / In the burning of uncertainty / I will be your solid ground / I will hold the balance / If you can't look down (Hear it here)


19. All Through The Night (Shawn Colvin) ... A beautiful, prayerful lullabye


20. Lullaby (Dixie Chicks) … This one is heart-achingly beautiful.

Disc Two

1. Sooner or Later (Michael Tolcher) ... This is the edgiest and most upbeat song on the playlist, and it could've easily gone on the Rock 'n' Roll, but there's the gentleness in the lyrics, and the parental sense of wanting to see your daughter succeed, made this song too hard to pass up.


2. Everything (Michael Buble) … A recent hit, this song was another one of those that would’ve made our Soundtrack for the Last Nine Months.


3. Song For You Far Away (James Taylor) … I had to get some James Taylor in there, and this was the one to get in.
   
4. The Heart of Life (John Mayer) ... I hate to see you cry / Laying there in that position / There's things you need to hear / So turn off your tears and listen
   
5. Keep It There (The Weepies) ... The thing I love about this one is the way the lyrics read like a nursery rhyme, and the melody is beautiful, too. For the purpose of this playlist, it's my favorite Weepies song.


6. Northern Sky (Nick Drake) … Nick Drake's stuff is one of a kind, and this is one of those that gives me chills every time. (Hear it here.)


7. Sunrise (Norah Jones) … Sunrise, sunrise / Looks like mornin' in your eyes (Hear it here.)


8. Love Song (Treat Williams) … A great cover of a great song I discovered just a few months ago. The cover version, not the actual song.


9. Somebody Loved (The Weepies) … Sun turns the evening to rose / Stars turning high up above / You turn me into somebody loved


10. Blackbird (Sarah McLachlan) ... It's Sarah McLachlan's angelic voice on one of the most beautiful Beatles songs around.


11. Stewart’s Coat (Michelle Branch) ... Just give me many chances / I'll see you through it all / just give me time to learn to crawl.


12. All the Pretty Li’l Horses (Shawn Colvin) ... Hush-a-bye / Don't you cry / Go to sleep, my little baby.


13. Let It Be (Brooke White) … Like “Imagine,” it was important to me that this song also made the list. Brooke White charmed us big time this year on “American Idol,” and after her amazing rendition of the song, it seemed only appropriate to add her version. (Watch it here.)


14. Never Saw Blue Like That (Shawn Colvin) ... Sung at our wedding this song has as much meaning to Kates and I as any on this list. (Hear it here.)


15. A Cold Wind Will Blow Through Your Door (Bill Ricchini) … As Kates and I were driving up and down the state’s eastern coast after my grandfather died last Easter, this song seemed to come on every time we turned on the iPod. I couldn’t resist putting it on Phoebe’s playlist. (Hear it here.)


16. I’ll Say I’m Sorry Now (Shawn Colvin) ... For everything I do / That will tear into you / Let me say I'm sorry now


17. Last Sunset (Glen Phillips) … A gentle gem from the great Glen Phillips, former frontman of - do you know? - Toad the Wet Sprocket. (i.e. one of my all-time favorite bands and the artist behind the “Windmills” song above.)


18. Stars (The Weepies) … A dreamy, good lullabye. (Hear it here.)


19. What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) ... A classic that needs no explanation. (A nice clip here.)


20. January Rain (David Gray) … Another sweet, sweet instrumental - this one conjures up warm visions and dreams, and gives Kates and I the chills every time.


21. Lullabye (Billy Joel) … This one made Kates cry a couple weeks ago as she was rocking Phoebe to sleep to the song. Take a look at the lyrics and this one explains itself. It's perhaps the most perfect song on the list, and the perfect way to end it. (Hear it here.)
    

Sweet music

I’ve been looking forward to writing this post for weeks …

There’s a new Weepies album out.

And it blew my expectations away. As if the husband-wife folk music duo of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan hasn’t made enough beautiful music to fill a lifetime, they’ve gone out and done it again with the dreamy “Hideaway.”

You could say The Weepies have been the soundtrack for us over the last year or so. I fell hard for them the first moment I heard their amazingly soothing harmonies and melodies last year, and I immediately turned Kates on to them. And then I went on a crusade to introduce them to anyone else who was willing to listen.

We’ve been playing them constantly over the last several months, and they helped make our long, cold winter so much more bearable …

And perhaps one of the coolest memories I’ll take away from Phoebe’s birth is the comments we drew with The Weepies playing in our hospital room. It was something Kates told me she wanted when she went into labor, so shortly after we arrived in our hospital room that Friday evening the iPod got plugged in and The Weepies were turned on. We had their music looping for the entire night and into the morning … And we turned the whole birthing staff onto them, too. Every time a new nurse came into our room that night, questions were asked about the music we were playing. And later, when the anesthesiologist arrived to administer Kates’s epidural, the nurse was giving him the whole giddy schpeel about the music, before he could ask about it …

Needless to say, this new album was hugely anticipated in our household this spring. The only other times I’ve looked so forward to an artist releasing new material is with Ben Folds, and that’s pretty huge considering my music interests and how long it takes me sometimes to warm up to a new artist or album …

Thanks to a couple Paste previews, I’d been listening to the title track and “Antarctica” over and over for weeks … Initially, I was a little surprised at “Hideaway,” which is a little more electrically-charged than their previous, more acoustic stuff. But like The Weepies of the previous two albums, the tune is so simple, catchy and singable, I couldn’t get it out of my head. “Antarctica,” too, is constructed of such a sweet -- and surprising -- melody that I started to believe I might be in for a real treat with the new album …

On April 22 it arrived. And I was propelled into bliss …

Indeed, the album is a little more electric and darker than their previous two releases, but it’s hardly a downfall. This album takes on a fuller sound that’s worth taking along …

The first two tracks, the twinkling “Can’t Go Back Now” and the celestial “Orbiting,” along with the title track, are easily my early favorites on the new album. The Weepies’ relatable and sincere lyrics are in “Can’t Go Back” as Tannen sings, “You know there will be days when you’re so tired that you can’t take another step / The night will have no stars and you’ll think you’ve gone as far as you will ever get.“ Then, on “Orbiting,” Talan takes the lead vocals on what might be the sweetest-sounding chorus, though the song is heartache-driven lyrically.

Still, there‘s a lot of good stuff beyond the first three tracks, too. “Not Dead Yet” is an upbeat standout. While the title says it all in “Just Blue” and “How You Survived the War” -- both songs are about loneliness, melancholy days and trying to move on when things aren’t going exactly your way …

“All Good Things,” a song on which The Weepies collaborated with Mandy Moore (a nice alternate version with Mandy singing lead appears on her “Wild Hope” album) also is a pleasant addition to the album.

The album ends appropriately with “All This Beauty,” a feel-good, upbeat gem that includes horns and sings “All this beauty / You might have to close your eyes / And slowly open wide.”

It describes my sentiments on The Weepies perfectly.

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I’ve had quite a few listens now of one my other new favorite albums: Ingrid Michaelson’s “Girls and Boys.” … It took me far too long to get a hold of this one, but I finally did last week. Much like Regina Spektor and A Fine Frenzy, all I needed was to hear Michaelson’s sweet voice sailing lightly over the pianos and acoustic guitars and I was hooked. “The Way I Am” is a song I may never get sick of hearing, and “Breakable” and “The Hat” rank right up there …

* * *

I got the new Counting Crows a couple weeks ago too, thanks to my friend Raechel … Honestly, though, I had a better time hearing the new stuff live. “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” is good, but I don't think it measures up to the earlier stuff. Like I said, sometimes it takes me awhile up to warm up to a new album … I’m hoping that’s the case here.

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One of my favorite actor / musician blogs to read is the Mates of State "Band on the Diaper Run" about touring with their kids. (Other good blogs: Zach Braff, and Jenna Fischer …)

I don't read them often, but it's fun checking in every once in awhile when I think of it. So I was on a little Mates of State kick the other night and I logged on. Good stuff, as usual … For a good chuckle, check out Kori’s post about their daughter’s love affair with Feist’s “1-2-3-4.” (Every time I think about or hear the song, I have to mention the Letterman performance, which by the way, featured the Mates singing background …So good!) ... Magnolia's multiple personalities is a good one too.