Muhsinah.

Muhsinah's music is a sound I'd like to make myself.

Goodie, grimey, introspection full of dance.

and ma, she's worse than me for lagging on the phrasing!

www.muhsinah.com

***

***

What's a mistake anyway?

Here's a photo that would never have been taken intentionally, but thank lucky stars and accidents that the shutter closed at the 'wrong' time with the camera on the 'wrong' settings.

Unbridled sunlight.

A toast to love and life.

Charlie Wilson, born in 1953, was the lead singer of The Gap Band. After the breakup of this successful group, Wilson did what so many musicians with inflated and/or bruised egos do -     went on a bender that lasted a couple decades. He has now been sober for 17 years and is back to winning Grammy awards and topping the charts as recently as 2009. 
The list of current, popular musicians who have collaborated with Wilson is... seemingly endless... 
He is a living legend.
I'm not sure why Snoop Dogg and his [real life, highschool sweatheart of a] wife are the stars of this music video, but shit! is it ever endearing.

Here's to love, here's to real life.    

You Got Me.

This song appears on The Roots album, Things Fall Apart, 1999.  Jill Scott (!) co-wrote the song and recorded vocals with The Roots, but MCA Records wanted a bigger star than Scott, which lead to a re-recording with Erykah Badu. The Roots did/do perform live with Scott whenever possible. 


First, the Record Company-sanctioned music video. Which I love.

***

and now a vicious, delicious take on the song. Hey, it's theirs, they can do what they want with it:)

***

Mystic Brew

A Tribe Called Quest has been a long-standing favourite of mine. Electric Relaxation, off the album Midnight Marauders, was written with a three-bar beat loop, which is rare and lovely. (most western pop music cycles in 4 bar loops) 

I've listened to this song countless times,  but I'd never actually watched the video until just now. It's a believably beautiful glimpse of a chilly New York day, and the racy lyrics just serve as dreamscape... thanks Tribe, for giving me something I can sink my teeth into...

Electric Relaxation by A Tribe Called Quest

***

Mystic Brew by Ronnie Foster

... the original!

Exorcise in light.

A friend of mine recently took a foundation photography course. We discussed many different photo ideas, then fell promptly to procrastinating. Finally, with deadlines looming, we sketched a story of a tired, hard working, blue collar soul just trying to make it through the day. 
oh wait, that's not a story, that's an autobiography.

I love and hate that this day was captured; it was a low one. (pre: 'long life revelation')






Overwhelmed by emotion, underwhelmed by life. Tired, tense, lost in sadness; I smoked a cigarette.

Thankfully, the photographer allowed me to assume my favorite role, which lies somewhere between muse and artistic director.




One perfect formula for mental and emotional relief is a combination of being outside, observing light and shadow, and helping someone achieve their artistic goals.

With increased focus and a renewed willingness to head back into the battles of life... With sun on head and feet in mud and shadow, let smiles slip through  puffy, tear weary eyes.

Long life, Nirvana, etc

I had never hoped to be around too long, but the idea of a long life grows more appealing with age. With a heart problem, then depression and anxiety that sets my heart to pounding its way through this minimum-security Cage called Body... I was almost resigned.. Then there was a funny conversation, the summer of my 26th year while on the road with Grimskunk, that made me wish for longevity for the first time. Hours of driving lead us to listing all the musicians we could think of that have died at the age of 27. There's a lot, it's spooky. I remember a) wishing for more than a year, and b) appreciating the fact that I was with folks that had made it over the hump and still rock hard.

Prior to that, I really romanticized the general obsession society has with artistic potential cut short: 

*live-fast-die-young-20-great-artists

But last night, as I stood swaying to the sounds of a Nirvana cover band, with NO plans to dwell on emotional pain OR smoke a cigarette, I realized I want to keep living for as long as life will allow. 

***

 ... and life may allow a lot; I am blessed with two grandmas who still live on their own...

***

I will leave you with an article of a woman who loves the art of movement, recommends a positive outlook, and unwittingly marched her way into the Guinness Book of World Records: http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/oldest marathoner.

***

*I chose this for the list of celebrities; I do not endorse this 'zine, or any other hip, half a** guides to seeming informed. For example, I personally wouldn't call Roman Polanski a "genius", and I wish Screamin Jay Hawkins (and others!) would come back from the grave to smack someone for calling Buddy Holly the "rock and roll inventor". *RAGE*LIES*DOYOURRESEARCH*

***

As an aside, I must state that I wholly support euthanasia, and I strongly believe that a lot of (successful) suicides are acted out through a sense of necessity. I don't wish a long life on anyone who doesn't want it.