Ben Folds at Town Hall.

Baby got to go to its third concert (in utero) last night. I guess we're really hoping to have a child that loves music as much as we do, so perhaps lots of exposure to great live music well help. Maybe?? Either way, last night was a happy night for everyone involved. Maybe it was Chipotle with the Cannons beforehand (I love Chipotle, & we love the Cannons). Maybe it was the seats that we had (vs. standing room only). Either way, it was my most pleasant pregnant concert-going experience yet. I threw up right before Regina, & I had to run out in the middle of Dashboard, but Ben Folds? Nada. Except for a little bit of a stuffy nose thanks to all the lovely blossoms in New York City right now, it was wonderful.

And Ben! I think I had forgotten how much I really liked him, & how much fun it is to sing along. Rockin' the Suburbs came out my freshman year of college, & I have lots of fun memories that go along with that album (enter: nostalgia). And I'm pretty sure I'd never really realized just how talented he really is. I mean, seriously - technically, artistically, he's just amazing. Just Ben & a piano - & I guess just Ben + a drum set for a bit (equally cool). I haven't seriously played the piano myself in far too long, but I studied from the time I was about 5 until I was 18 - which I think gives me the credibility to say that he's just really, really good. One bio I read on him said that he "devoted a lot of time to working on piano technique. 'I spent maybe six months just running scales with a metronome like a freak,' Folds said. 'I suppose that did something.'" Yes sir, I think it did.

Listen to this (long) video of Not The Same. I feel like it's representative of the whole show. Lots of fun, & just pretty.

Can we just talk for a second about how amazing this is?

Mike's mom saw this guy perform on the Bonnie Hunt show today & sent over this clip. Amazing. His Don't Stop Believing song (a la Glee) is just as ridiculous.

What did we ever do with ourselves before YouTube & the internet?

Corner.

Allie Moss. I like her.

I'm loving, loving Ingrid's new album.

Ingrid Michaelson. Everybody.

I love the song Sort Of, too. Makes me feel justified in my frequent usage, thank you very much Jill.

Sweet Disposition.

The Temper Trap.

Ramalama (Bang Bang).

Róisín Murphy, ca 2005. A bit vintage, but I remembered it as a favorite when I heard it on Tara's tubing mix on her iPod (right between Hanna Montana & the Jonas Brothers) this past week.

It's going on my running mix.

Slow Dancing In A Burning Room.

 Where the Light Is is one of my favorite albums, but the version of this song is nice, too. I've been a big fan of John Mayer since Room for Squares came out my freshman year at BYU, weird faces, interesting dating choices, bizarre swimsuits & all.

Today's Mileage: 3 miles + change. Treadmill. 

Thoughts: Can't. Breathe. Chest. Burning. Can't wait to be back in Manhattan. Elevation: 33 feet.

Jon Schmidt.

I've always had a special spot in my heart for Jon Schmidt. I loved playing his music when I was younger (& still do, when I can get on a piano). When I was about 10, I remember listening to Homecoming & hearing my mom say  that she wanted one of us to play it at her funeral someday. I learned it as quickly as I could, although I hope I don't I have to play it for a large group any time soon. My collection of his books are almost worn completely thin - they're just falling apart, but I can't get rid of them.

My first real date with Mike was to a Jon Schmidt concert at Thanksgiving Point in August of 2003. It was a perfect August night, the setting was magical & the music was beautiful. When he put his arm around me (Mike, not Jon), I almost fainted. We went to the same concert the following August, & his Christmas concert in between. We still love listening to him, especially on Sunday afternoons. Point being - I've always loved the piano, I've always loved Jon Schmidt's modern compositions & it's been the backdrop of a few special things in my life.

Mike's mom sent us this video yesterday & I think it's just so great. I think my nephew Spencer might like it, too. He just so happens to know all of the words to Love Story. 

things for spring.

dear k&m fans,

i'm neither k nor m.  i'm erin.  the gracious kathryn asked me to share a song with you to keep her music monday tradition.  and since i'm alone tonight, on the brink of watching twilight all by myself (isn't that like drinking alone?? that's just sad), i've decided to share with you a few favorites from my spring playlist so as to stall before popping in the movie and risk losing a little respect for myself.  enjoy the audio love.

the bird and the bee - la la la

the video kind of scares me a tiny bit, so you may need to close your eyes and listen. it's worth it, i promise.

thao nguyen - bag of hammers

if i owned a car, i would listen to this song with the windows rolled down.

landon pigg - falling in love at a coffee shop

i don't have a grip on what's being played on mtv or the radio these days, but i have a feeling this song may have blown up in every form of media already. if it has, i'm sorry -- ignore this one. i'm usually not a lover of love songs, but the lyrics (and percussion, and strings) make my heart smile.

bishop allen - the news from your bed

i like a lot of bishop allen songs, but this one may be the king of my heart... makes me want to snap my fingers and sing along.

the boy least likely to - every goliath has its david

homely british boys usually make really fun music.

Coldplay.

Death & All His Friends

We were able to see Coldplay perform in Connecticut last summer & it was one of the best concerts that I've been to. Death & All His Friends is my favorite track off of Viva La Vida.

She used to sing with Damien Rice.

Lisa Hannigan. She's an Irish singer. Used to sing with Damien, but apparently they got in a fight. That's too bad, because I liked him (& them) quite a bit.

I'm a sucker for horned instruments & other elements of creative musicality (which is probably why I love Feist so much). 

This song is ridiculous, too. In a good way.

Playlist-ing.

Thank you, thank you for all of the great ideas after my recent Friday Giveaway. I finally spent some quality time with iTunes & loaded up my previously empty shuffle (that Mike got me for my birthday, in October - oops). The treadmills were full last night, but my 40 minutes on the elliptical were almost (almost.) fun & I didn't hit "skip" once. On my list of favorites, so far: 

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) - Beyonce
Hot n Cold - Katy Perry
Shut up And Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
Mercy - Duffy
Miss Independent - Ne-Yo
Whoo! Alright, Yeah... Uh Huh - The Rapture
Wall to Wall - Chris Brown
Sea Lion Woman - Feist
Circus - Brittney Spears

Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
What You Waiting For - Gwen Stefani
Right Now (Na Na Na) - Akon
All the Things She Said - T.A.T.U.
Forever - Chris Brown

Cobrastyle - Robyn
Paper Planes - MIA
Hey Mamma - Black Eyed Peas
Because of You [Featuring Kanye] - Ne-Yo
Sorry - Madonna
Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield
Live Your Life (featuring Rhianna) - T.I.

Lollipop - Mika

Jesus Walks - Kanye West

The Guy That Says Goodbye to You is Out of His Mind - Griffin House (cool down)

Approximately one minute of beautiful-ness.

Greg Laswell. Sweet Dream. 

Ray LaMontagne.

You Are The Best Thing. 

Happy.

I (heart) The Weepies - & puppets, too.

(A Music Monday bonus.)

Perfect for this rainy, grey New York Monday.

Angus + Julia Stone. Hollywood + Mango Tree.

Angus & Julia Stone. Their album was just released. I love it.

So simple & pretty. My latest favorite.

✷ Friday Giveaway ✷

My lovely Internet Friends: 

The forecast for Saturday? 60 degrees (!!). This means that a Central Park run is in order. This also means that my iPod needs some serious updating. You see, music is a huge motivator for me when I run. If I listen to Sea Lion Woman a few times in a row, I can get in an extra 2 miles that I didn't think I had in me. Put a Ring On It makes me want to work out hard enough so that I could someday wear a leotard + heels with confidence - should I want to. The problem is that the majority of my music tends to lean towards the weepy variety. Mellow. Sleepy. Often acoustic. Literally, songs that I could nap to. Joshua, as much as I love him, is not exactly ideal for hitting the pavement (or gym).

→ Here's where you come in. I want to know your favorite tunes on your gym playlist, the ones that get you going on a Monday morning, that make you want to dirty dance alone in your living room, or the songs that you sing aloud to in the car (or shower). Happy songs with a strong beat. 

→ Leave a comment before Wednesday, March 11th (10pm EST). I'll randomly select a winner & if I draw your name, I'll send you a $15 iTunes gift card so that you can create your very own favorite playlist. 

Mercy.

Lindsey, is Duffy as huge as everyone says she is in the UK? I know it's not new, but I really love this song. It makes me happy, & happy songs are great for Mondays - especially when it is blizzarding in New York City. And I love that she isn't totally coked out or missing a significant number of teeth.

He went into the woods for a few months & came back with an album.

Please excuse me for liking music that is perhaps a bit unconventional, but I happen to be a big Bon Iver (bohn-eevair) fan these days. I snagged both of his albums a few weeks ago & think he is genius. Even if this song sounds a tiny bit like Kanye.

*I'm going to try to post Music Monday every... Monday. I skipped last week, because here's the deal. I hate posting YouTube videos over & over again. Who knows of a good music player that I can embed in a single blog post?

Merry Happy.

(Kate Nash. I wish I were a Kate.)

Dancing at discos

Eating cheese on toast

Yeah you make me happy make me very very happy