See you in 2010!
Things are fine.
In Texas right now. Galveston Island to be exact, at the moment actually. Spending some time with my father.
Can't really find a decent internet connection anywhere.
And I hate the fact that Houston doesn't want you to walk anywhere.
The only thing I can think about right now is the fact that I was peer pressured (by Ben J.) into eating dog food. Trying it, tasting it. Not feasting on it.
It didn't really taste like anything. Just bad and bland.
Dogs should have more flavorful food, I think.
Here's a shot from the photo shoot we had for my winter 2009 look book:
Haven't really been having any QT (quality time) with it since I got here.
Be good!
x
c
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This is special on two counts: one since I didn't bring you a InspirationSounds podcast last month and second I have been blessed to be the GRAMMY community blogger for the 52nd GRAMMY Awards for the Gospel genre so what else to do but to bring you GRAMMY edition podcast. You know how I love blending Gospel/Christian with some of the best instrumental tunes but this one has a little twist: each of the Gospel songs are up for a nomination for a GRAMMY.
It's pretty cool the power of instrumental music and when it's blended with men and women of God that loves the Lord it's a win-win situation. When you really think about it how many times have you been in service praising and worshiping the Lord and when the choir has stopped singing and the musicians are playing you still are caught up in the spirit, they two go hand in hand.
The tracks featured in this podcast is from their past work to let you that success did not come to these Gospel Nominees over night...it took years for these artists to achieve what they have today and I also feel in order appreciate a person in the present you have to sometime check out what they have done in the past. The artists that are nominated are:
Vicki Winans
Jars of Clay
Smokie Norful
Third Day
J. Moss
Donnie McClurkin
Mary Mary
Kierra "KiKi" Sheard
Sheri Jones-Moffett
Donald Lawrence
Karen Clark Sheard
Israel Houghton
This is only a handful of the talented men and women who have done remarkable work in composing, song writing, arranging some of the best Worship and Praise songs that are nominated this year and if I'm granted the opportunity to participate I will have more tunes in the podcasts.
Big, BIG thanks to the Academy of Music for allowing me to express my feeling in regards to the wonderful talent of the incredible men and women who love the Lord of lords and the King of kings.
Be Blessed, Be Safe,
& Have a Wonderful Day. :-)
Sounds Unlimited: GRAMMY Edition LP1
{to listen: click here | to download: right click}
to download from iTunes - copy this rss feed into iTunes
[Track Title - Artist or Group]
o1. Long As I Got King Jesus - Vicki Winans{Nominated for Best Traditional Gospel Album}
o2. WindSurfer - Steve Kindler and Teja Bell
o3. Nobody Loves Me Like You - Jars of Clay{Nominated for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album}
o4. Till We Meet Again - Special EFX
o5. Celebrate - Smokie Norful{Nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album}
o6. With You In Mind - Acoustic Alchemy
o7. I've Always Loved You - Third Day{Nominated for Best Gospel Song}
o8. Chinnok Winds - Chet Atkins
o9. Livin' 4[Remix] - J. Moss{Nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album}
10. Thy Kingdom Come - Special EFX
11. Speak to My Heart - Donnie McClurkin{Nominated for Best Gospel Performance}
Bonus Podcast
Sounds Unlimited: GRAMMY Edition LP2
{to listen: click here | to download: right click}
to download from iTunes - copy this rss feed into iTunes
[Track Title - Artist or Group]
o1. Incredible - Mary Mary{Nominated for Best Gospel Song}
o2. All Laid Back and Stuff - Andy McKee
o3. You Don't Know - Kierra "KiKi" Sheard{Nominated for Best Gospel Song}
o4. Cruise - Eddie Daniels
o5. God Will Take Care - Ted & Sheri{Nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album}
o6. Dance With Me - Govi
o7. Healed - Donald Lawrence{Nominated for Best Traditional Gospel Album}
o8. Your Love Has Lifted Me - Special EFX
o9. You Showed Me - Karen Clark Sheard{Nominated for Best Gospel Performance}
1o. Those Eyes - Michael Deep
11. Again I Say Rejoice - Israel & New Breed{Nominated for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album}
Intro Underscore music: Todd Kelley "The BigLa"
Outro Underscore music: Nicolay
photo: Snow Blind
Funny, when checking out the genre category for Steely Dan they are placed in the "Rock" category and to me they should be placed in the Jazz category. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are true music geeks and are not ashamed it at all. They are not getting Botox treatments or getting face lifts. They focus on what they know best, bringing quality music, intelligent lyrics to the masses. You have heard me say this time and time again in regards to how Steely Dan and solo projects from Donald Fagen lifts my spirits whenever I'm feeling down and it kinda weird considering that some of their work is about depressing matters, go figure.
When growing up listening to their music it always strikes me in awe with the "Who's Who" of session musicians that show up on their albums. Not only can these musicians hold their own when it comes to improvising but are on point when writing music. I love the trilogy LP from Fagen because it goes from the wild ideas from a young man to a middle age man coming to terms to his age to finally tackling and embracing that touchy subject, death.
"The Nightfly" is one of my favorite LPs in the since of I can remember being young and being fasinated with sci-fi movies, digging science, wondering when we would have flying cars(which I'm still waiting on). This album was released the year I was a junior in high school and was beginning to discover my taste in music, the time I realized that I was different when it came to my taste in music and was not ashamed of it. (I saw this because growing up in a place where you were thought being weird when listening to music other than R&B).
Reading through the list of musicians that performed on The Nightfly brings a huge smile on my face and I am so blessed I read liner notes because if I didn't I would not have known about Rob Mounsey who would later produce for Michael Franks or Marcus Miller and Will Lee, two of the baddest bassist around who has recorded with so many great artists and Marcus Miller who would later produce albums for the late Luther Vandross and Will Lee is the bassist for the Paul Schaffer Band on Late Night with David Letterman and both bassist has performed for David Sanborn. Then there is Greg Phillinganes, Jeff Porcaro, Chuck Rainey, Valerie Simpson, Steve Khan, Larry Carlton, Randy Brecker and the list just on this album is just mind-blowing.
I could go on but I'm not...just check out these tunes and enjoy. I hope you dig this line up as much as I did putting it together.
Be Blessed,
~DarrenKeith
{to listen: click here | to download: right click}
[Track - Artist or Band]
01. Pixeleen - Steely Dan
02. Ruby Baby - Donald Fagen
03. Slang of Ages - Steely Dan
04. Brite Nitegown - Donald Fagen
05. FM - Steely Dan
06. Security Joan - Donald Fagen
07. Third World Man - Steely Dan
08. The Nightfly - Donald Fagen
09. Lunch With Gina - Steely Dan
10. New Frontier - Donald Fagen
from the LPs...
***Bonus Podcast***
{to listen: click here | to download: right click}
[Track - Artist or Band]
01. Peg - Steely Dan
02. Snowbound - Donald Fagen
03. Time Out of Mind - Steely Dan
04. Mary Shut the Garden Door - Donald Fagen
05. Almost Gothic - Steely Dan
06. Tomorrow's Girl - Donald Fagen
07. Jack of Speed - Steely Dan
08. Florida Room - Donald Fagen
09. West of Hollywood - Steely Dan
10. I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year) - Donald Fagen
from the LPs...
to subscribe via iTunes copy and paste this rss feed
intro underscore music: Todd Kelley
outro underscore music: Nicolay
***for my first Steely Dan/Donald Fagen spotlight click here***
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Nostalgic moments since Andrea G. said she's coming to visit in January:
Andrea and I (as NAZIRECTIONS) playing in Portland at Reed College.
In retrospect, it really was just drunken noise.
Later that same night I remember falling on my face (not because I was drunk) because I jumped from the top of a staircase (because I was drunk) and waking up with a fat lip. I deserved it.
In other news, last night Ben and I were interviewed (videotaped) and photographed by these young local filmmakers wanting to talk to young designers (I think---it all happened so fast). There were all these cameras positioned around me and people looking at me while I worked. It wasn't unpleasant, just unusual.
Anyway, one of the questions they asked me was if I had any advice for someone just starting out (as if I'm not).
Well, first of all, I had all my words together and basically said that you need to have a plan and goals in mind. And that you need to stay focused and keep good records. You need to know where your money is going! OKAY.
And then I finished it off by messing up my words...
Instead of saying "you need to hang in there", I said: "You need to stick it in."
I guess I was trying to say, "You need to stick with it."
I don't know. But it keeps playing over and over in my head.
I'm not really embarrassed. I just keep thinking how dumb I was. Dumb!
In OTHER news, we shoot our look books on Sunday, which is cool.
We're both really (very) busy with getting samples ready for this AND getting holiday orders out. I leave for Texas on December 16th. So, the last day to order anything from Cubist Literature until 2010 is December 13th!
SELF PORTRAIT THURSDAY!
12.10.09
2. Paying others to do my laundry.
3. Waking up alone.
4. Wearing several pairs of thermal underwear, none of them my size.
5. "Creepshow" and "Heavenly Creatures".
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This weekend was devoted to the loft bed that has been sitting in pieces around the bedroom and apartment. We've been sleeping on a mattress on the floor in an unfinished loft bed frame for about two or more months now. Quite the eyesore. I thought we would have gotten around to fixing up our bed a lot sooner than we had, but when you work a lot, many things suffer. Beds, social life, hygiene, sleep schedule, etc.
The bed was a whole lot of drama we just didn't want to deal with, I guess.
It was given to us. It's from Ikea, but Ikea doesn't make this design anymore.
And as luck would have it, we lost some important hardware that Ikea ALSO doesn't make anymore.
(We found that out halfway through constructing the bed, which is why we were sleeping in a frame.)
Anyway, we figured out another way to make things work.
And here you go:
I don't like being up that high.
The plus side is that we will be making the space underneath a little lounge area, which will be good.
I'll let you know what it looks like in three months.
