Sea/ing Things… and where the hell has Tart been?

So this blog seems to have gone to hell, well I guess my life has in a sense as well. So many changes have happened lately, I can’t even begin to fill you in on them all. The most telling one is, however, that I’m spending 10 hours a day at work and too few at home in front of my own, personal computer doing what I want with my time. It’s a good thing, in the big picture, there’s increasing evidence that this will pay off and get me a permanent position if not at this company, then somewhere else when this gig ends. The sacrifice seems to be worth it. I miss you all though. I miss blogging and now that I’m feeling so much better about life, I miss it even more.

I AM catching more shows lately and that is fantastic! Last weekend I got to drool over Jessica Lea Mayfield and Nathaniel Rateliff. It was their very last show of a very long tour and you know those gigs are so special. I’m always thrilled to catch those moments, I’ve caught a few and they are magic. I know if you’re reading this you must know Ms. Mayfield, she’s one of my favorite young artists and always manages to stab me in the heart with her syrupy sad songs. She grows more beautiful each time I see her, both as a person and as a musician. Even singing those songs she debuted three or so years ago now, she brings such heartfelt agony to it all over again. Her album was one of the first I played once I got my turntable set up in my new apartment. Get it if you don’t have it!

And, have you heard Nathaniel Rateliff? Wow, I was so pleasantly bowled over last weekend by his set. I’ve heard him before, from much further away at a bigger venue and I liked him. But this time, closer up, his personality just pushed the whole thing over the edge in a good way. His songs were really organic, like something unrehearsed and unrefined (again in that good way) even though his voice is well-trained and it’s clear he puts much time into the craft of songwriting and performing. I think the lack of pretense in his music is simply a reflection of the lack of pretense in the person. I was ready for that on Saturday night, and it was a perfect companion to the slight distance that his tour mate keeps to her audience, (with good reason and to wonderful effect). I don’t know why I don’t have his album. And I’m kicking myself for not buying the LP, In Memory of Loss that night. Damn friends of mine rushed me out into the rain! No, actually, it was crowded and obnoxious and I rushed them out, I think. Ha!

What will this weekend bring? Damn, I wish I had taken the time to reply to my emails and set up a schedule to see shows. I’ve got invites I’ve neglected, requests for coverage of bands and artists both local and from afar. I think I might really need to get serious about bringing in another writer full-time.

Here, have this little fun thing I got in my box today. I’m gonna use it as music to work by. Sometimes you need stuff like this for to put in your head while you do those repetitive tasks you do at the kind of job I have… click this box, type that phrase, close that window, check that page,… and repeat. Why they pay me this much to do that I cannot fathom. But this music makes it a whole lot more bearable.

Sea Things A.M. mp3 (when I find out more info on this I’ll let you know where to find the album, xo) UPDATE: get the album for FREE, on Sea Things bandcamp page xo