Music Review

Ahhh sunday,
It is supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny here in San Fran in mid December but I see no signs of that. It is gray and cloudy:-( I don’t really mind though because it just gives me an excuse to stay indoors.

I had a great couple of days. On Thursday night I went to go see a show put on by a radio station here (Live 105) at the Mezzanine. I like that club a lot. One of my favorite parties of all time where DJs Derrick Carter, and Mark Farina played and I danced all night was there. But I digress.

The Opening Band “A Silent Film” was actually really good! They might have been my favorite. It sounds like Radiohead and Coldplay are big influences on them (maybe just cuz they’re from England) but they had some interesting chord progressions and the band was pretty tight. (the drummer was amazing!). I couldn’t understand a word he was saying but it didn’t bother me. I’m listening to their stuff right now on Myspace for the first time since the show and it is DEFINITELY reminiscent of Coldplay.

The second Band, I have to be honest, I didn’t really pay attention to because we went upstairs and were talking.

The Third Band, Sleigh Bells, wasn’t really my cup of tea. I had heard of them and was expecting something totally different. It was a guy on guitar, and a girl on headbanging and they danced around to pre-recorded tracks. It seemed like a lot of people were into them but again it just wasn’t my thing. She was definitely fun to watch dance around but I think I prefer seeing people play live.

The Temper Trap was the main attraction and the reason that we went. My boyfriend and I first heard them at Outside Lands Fest and he became mildly obsessed with a few of their songs. When we found out (on thursday) that they were playing that night, I was like “we have to go! you love them!”. So we went. Since my boyfriend has listened to them for a while now, I knew that there were a couple of songs that I liked but mostly he liked them. It remained true for the show too. There is no doubt about it that they are a talented group. I really love the song Fader, and maybe a couple other ones but it wasn’t really mind shattering for me. He has an interesting voice and he’s fun to watch and there are definitely songs that have a great feel to them. I love to see live music and I love to see talented musicians so I’m so happy we went. Their story is an interesting one because I think, and correct me if I’m wrong, they were “discovered” just this year at SXSW and then in August were already playing at the main stage at Outsides Lands. That’s a pretty short and fast trajectory.

So that’s my Music Review. I might hit you with another one tomorrow about my own show at Borders Book store. As always, leave a comment below to tell me what you think, how you feel and anything else you might want to say.

lots of music lovin’,
Dana

Pardon the Interruption but

this just in. I have finally snapped in disgust to the show Bridalplasty. Are they kidding? Like for reals! what is happening that women are competing to not be themselves? And the winner, wins the grand prize of going under the knife to alter what they have. This is HORRIBLE, am I right? I mean, I haven’t seen the show and I am frightened to do so but I can only assume that it is a war zone of insecurity. Don’t get me wrong- I know that everyone has insecurities but I will never ever support that show. I think E! should really be appalled. What a terrible message to be sending out to the world. “What you have is just not good enough and the only way to be good enough is if your tits are huge outsides are beautiful.” Why is there not a show about the psychology behind that? Is that what women everywhere believe? Call me crazy but that makes me so sad. I think we should all focus on our insides! (Here is where my brother would say “spoken by a true ugly girl!” I got you covered Broster) haha! I know it’s so cliche but these women were once young girls and that is when this desire to look perfect started forming. I think the more we focus on our outsides the less anybody tries to work on their insides. anyways, I’ll get off my soapbox now. This topic gets me all fired up as you can tell. what about you? what do you think about the show? thoughts?

love,

D

(image from mobilewhack.com)

Turkey, Turkey and lots of Memories

Hey guys,

I am sitting in my old apt. in New York City (that I lived in with my bro for 3 years) and am just bewildered that it has already been a week and I am going back to San Fran tomorrow. It literally feels like I just got here yesterday. To top it off I am feeling sad because I am leaving my niece and nephew who are the cutest little beings you’ve ever seen. Everytime I come back to NYC, I am flooded with a range of emotions. I am sad and happy and confused at all once. 

I really do love Thanksgiving. I can’t tell you how good it is to see my family and to be in my favorite house in Philly. My niece and nephew are the most delicious little munchkins and I just played with them for 6 days straight. I miss them so much when I’m in San Francisco.

But I digress. I had such a cliche Thanksgiving. We found some old home videos and watched them. They were HI-Larious! It was sooo weird to see myself as a young girl. In most of them I was around 8 years old. I was such a little fire-cracker! I have no recollection of being that way. I was hanging out with my older brother and his friends and I was so bossy. And they were so nice to me! I can’t believe how nice they were to a little pip squeak like me. It just made me want to get that spirit back. So here I go. Mission “Get My 8 year Old Spirit back” begins now. I’m not so far off seeing as how I get along pretty well with my 3 year old nephew and 2 year old niece. I see a lot of similarities actually. It was so interesting. 

Anyways, that’s all I want to share. Not anything too monumental happened. Just family time. And now I’m sick cuz the kids were sick and I was kissing them all the time. I just couldn’t resist. I’ll put pics up later. So I hope your Thanksgiving was as awesome as mine. Tell me about it here. Oh and keep checking back cuz I’m going to make a video this week:-) AND my new website is going to be ready so soon!!!!:-)

love,

Dana

The City of Brotherly Love

(image from flaminhotz.com)

Hey party people,

It’s a nice fall day here in San Francisco and I am happy to have the day off. It doesn’t really feel like a day off because I have so much to do before I go back east for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I must admit, I’m pretty excited. I haven’t been back home for Thanksgiving in 5 years, I believe. The past couple of years, I got really sad when I skyped with my family and everyone was there except for me, so this year I said “Fuck it! I’m going!”. (Have I told you I curse a lot? I do. I try to cut back but sometimes it slips out. Who am I to censor myself?:)

So I fly in to NYC tomorrow. I am excited to be in cold weather for the holidays. Something about it makes it feel more holiday-y. (It’s a good thing I’m only going for a week because I’m so spoiled out here that I don’t think I could handle much more.) And then I’m driving down to Philly, The City of Brotherly Love, to spend Thanksgiving in the house I grew up in. My favorite house in the whole world.

There’s not a whole lot to say about Philly. I mean of course there is, but I won’t do it now. I grew up about 15 minutes outside of the city and went to a really great Quaker high school in Germantown. Not the best area but a great school. (Perhaps I will tell you a bit about Quakers in a different post). In fact, a lot of amazing musicians and artists graduated from that high school including, G-love, and Santogold to name a few.

Anywho, I love that Philly is known for its cheesesteaks, and tastykakes, and LOVE Park, and the liberty bell, and the ROOTS, and Wawa (the best hoagie’s-another philly word, ever!)and for its’ fanatical fans that most of the country hates. I love that the Philly Phanatic is just some random creature based on the Phanatical Phans:-)

I left Philly when I was 18 to attend NYU. I don’t know much about the grown-up scene in philly and sometimes I feel like I know more about New York City since it is really where I “came into age” (is that a saying?). But Philly is what shaped me. It’s where I went to high school parties where everyone  was free-styling and they were GOOD, and where I drank 40s in the woods and where I pined over all the senior boys. It’s where I sang in an A-Cappella group and formed my love of music. I love going back there and looking at old pictures and being in that house that brings me back to being 14-unsure of anything yet hopeful that it’s all going to be OK. It’s the City  of Brotherly Love and the city that I Love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lots of turkey eating love,

Dana Danes

Success!

Happy Monday! Happy indeed. It is a BEAUTIOUS day here in San Francisco. This is when I love it here. Mid-november and it’s 80 degrees. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, ooooooeeee, I love it!

I had just about the busiest and BEST week ever. (I really should’ve tried to get on that show!:-) I had two days in the studio with more amazing musicians, Julie Wolf on piano and rhodes, Lylia Guion on Violin, and Marcie Brown on cello. Jon did the string arrangement and looking at the score brought me back to my days at NYU when I was doing that too. In music theory classes, I had to write a string quartet, and counterpoint and so much more. It made me want to attempt to write the next string arrangement! It’s been so long but I used to be able to do it no problem- I want to go (back) to there.

Then I had an AMAZING show on Saturday night at The Red Vic (center for peace). It was put on by one of the sweetest ladies I’ve met Francesca D’allesio and there were amazing people and projects going on. I was so honored and touched that so many of my friends came out to support. All my practice and hard work payed off because it just felt so good to be up there. For the first song, the microphone was distracting me so I actually pushed it to the side and sang  (and played) un-amplified. It felt like a real coffee-house experience. I played some songs from my upcoming album and I’m just so excited for everyone to hear it.

BUT the best part of the show was that directly after, a little girl came up to me and gave me 2 drawings.

(It says “That song and show was great. Love Harmony”)How cute is that? And her name is Harmony! It is on my fridge until I get a frame for it, and I smile everytime I go to get juice:-) So thank you Harmony! You made my night.

I also got this other really cool thing from the director of The Happy Company that’s called “Charlie’s Thinking Cheese”. It’s a little box of inspiration with a book, and inspiration cards and Appreciation Cards. We were all celebrating World Kindness Day so there was a lot of kindness going on. There are some pretty amazing quotes in this thinking Cheese book, so I’ll leave you with one today…..

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”- Maya Angelou

A photo of all my wonderful friends (with the exception of a few who had to leave) who came to the show. I love you guys!

Rain rain, I like you today

(image from rocbike.com)

It is a gorgeous rainy sunday. I love rainy sundays because it is an excuse not to go outside. I’m sill in my jammies, the rain has now stopped and the sky looks amazing. I wrote a different post about half hour ago and decided to scrap it because it just didn’t feel right.

The truth is that sometimes I don’t have much to say. I suppose I could post a blank screen (actually that’d be kind of funny) but I’ve made a promise to myself to be consistent and I’m sticking to that.

I’m going back to the studio tomorrow and I’m so excited! I’ve been practicing all day and working on some new songs. I have a show this Saturday Nov. 13th and it’s been a while so I’m excited for that one too! It’s hard to find a balance between working and taking time off to relax but I’ve been getting better at it. I’ve realized that it’s just as important to give yourself one FULL day off a week as it is to work and be productive. Nothing gets done when you’re burnt out.

It is 5 o’clock and it’s about to get dark out. I am starting to appreciate the getting- dark- early months. It makes me want to have a good bowl of soup and curl up with a book. Actually that sounds pretty good and I think I’m going to do that now. I know this post is pretty random but I just wanted to stop by and say hi! Hope your sunday is as glorious and lazy as mine….

lots of love,

Dana

p.s. My next show is Sat. November 13th at the Red Vic on Haight St. It is in danger of closing down so the manager and friend and radioshow host of KPOO (89.7) is throwing this show togther! It should be good music and good times so come on down!

Mr.Unavailable

Oh My Gosh it’s November 1st. I’m trying something new this week with a video blog. Please let me know what you think! Without further ado…..

 

 

*correction-in the video I said the blog’s name is rebaggage claim. Clearly, that doesn’t make any sense. What I meant to say was baggage reclaim. Here’s the link.

Love always,

Dana