David Gray, "Kathleen"

This was an early birthday present - David Gray at The Fox in late June.

Dear PenMen: Contemplations on Everyonceinawhile and Other Moments in Time

Seeing as how we might, at this point, be the only ones reading each other's blogs, I figured it was okay to directly address the two of you. Plus, I had this feeling of wanting to write, but what? And then I thought I could just write what I would tell Pen and M.

It's raining here right now, and while soothing, I find this greatly disappointing because I need to mow my lawn. I was all geared up for it, too: The First Mowing. But I know if I actually do that after the torrential rain (accompanied by copious thunder and lightning) that I will have wet grass stuck to my ankles and big clumps of grass clippings to dig out of the bag. That seems like not the experience to have for The First Mowing, and so I will think of my ever-growing lawn as a verdant carpet instead of an overgrown grass pouf to ease my conscience.

I finished reading this book last night that was so good - one of my indulgently trashy romance novels. And sometimes, they're just like reading candy - totally empty calories that go in and pass through with no real nutritional value. But everyonceinawhile, I find one that's more like...designer candy. Still no real nutritional value, but something extra luxurious about the indulgent experience. I think it could have to do with the fact that Mom and Dad went to see Anna, and I was blissfully alone and slept on the couch when I got home and then woke up and read and read and read - skipping dinner - until I finished. That's the kind of reading one needs to do everyonceinawhile to really fortify the soul.

Yesterday was a fantastical, magical day at work. Everyonceinawhile, a very great while in fact, the stars align in this way that you get exactly what you work so hard for the other 3oo-some-odd days of the year. To get a story in the ACRONYM Today is something of a Holy Grail of PR. And then, to find out later that the pitch you made to a certain other nationally renowned publication like FOUR-BES, actually got picked up, too? Well, it just doesn't get any better than that. Except that it happened to be my three-year anniversary with the company, and The Linguista and I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant and drank frozen margaritas at lunch.

The Exotic is getting so close to her due date, and it's starting to make me a bit sad. What will I do without her calming presence in the office? She does yoga so I don't have to, and she offers me zen-by-proxy when I need it. I think I will feel spectacularly off when she's on maternity leave.

I am, however, excited about the next couple of months, which are rife with the kind of adventures I never have. On Monday is David Gray/Ray LaMontagne, the dreamiest of dream concerts. I'm taking one of the Big City interns with me, and it will be delight. And then we will enter the string of weeks from September to October when I have something all the time rather than everyonceinawhile to keep me occupied. Like a trip to D.C.! Mountain Day! Dallas to see Joel McHale with my Texas Twin in our Texas office! Valle Crucis! Company retreat! Oh my! Plus there are two volunteer events on my calendar in September and one in October, plus dinners and drinks with friends (yes! friends!). At times like these, I feel like...maybe I'm doing a better job than I think of carpe diem and not letting the fact that I'm not exactly where I want to be on The Great Life Continuum keep me from doing things that make this place on it so much better.

Despite the rain, I think it's time to pack the Rav and take a load over to My House where I will clean the bathrooms and dress them nicely with the bathmats and matching towel sets I purchased last week. And then I will stand back and contemplate that I could actually be moving soon in a way that is good and comfortable. And then I might be able to think about new companions for my sad heart - still so hard to let go of Kudzu, but so clear to me that I need that comfort from the four-legged varietal.

Wishing you both everyonceinawhile days.

xo,
Ash

Happiness

The Word's Goodbye, But I Can't Say It

I've been a (raving) David Gray fan for over 10 years now. It all started for me like it did for most of us on this side of the pond when White Ladder exploded on the American scene with "Babylon." But over the years, I discovered the treasure-trove of pre-Ladder work, from Flesh and A Century Ends to Sell, Sell, Sell and my beloved Lost Songs. Plus, Gray put out three studio albums after Ladder.

Even more than Coldplay, David Gray has been the soundtrack of my life over the last decade. Albums and songs surged to the forefront at varying times with the words and music crafted for highs and lows. For love and lack thereof. For times when in the place "where we can shine" to the place "where the eye don't see no color." Like a cheap therapist, David Gray has soothed my soul on many occasions - long, desolate, never-ending car rides, stricken with grief, heartbroken.

And just like at the Coldplay concert, I heard one of his songs for the first time - from just four rows away from the one and only David Gray. I had thought it would be "This Year's Love" that would bring tears to my eyes or when he sang "As I'm Leaving." But instead, I was surprised when the song "Freedom" went right through my soul. And as I listened to it over and over (and over) again since then, what wasn't surprising was that it was a song for right now. For this state I'm in. For this place I live.

Take your eyes off me
There's nothing here to see
Just trying to keep my head together
And as we make our vow
Let us remember how
There's nothing good that lasts forever

Time out on the running boards
We're running
Through a world that lost its meaning
Trying to find a way to love
This running
Ain't no kind of freedom

Feel the touch of grief
You stand in disbelief
Can steal the earth from right beneath you
And falling in so far
They know just where you are
Yeah, but there ain't no way to reach you

***
It's time to clean these boots
Fold up these parachutes
The word's goodbye, but I can't say it
The end is close at hand
I think we understand
There ain't no use trying to delay it

***
Fasten on my mask
I'm bending to the task
I know this work is never finished
But if I close my eyes
I can still see you dancing
Laughing loud and undiminished

I love the last line of the song, the bittersweet hope of knowing that I will be able to close my eyes and see Kudzu undiminished - dancing across the floor on small, sure feet, eyes alight with love and mischief.

Thank you, David Gray, for the 497th reason that a world without your music would be less bearable.

David Gray, On Pretention

"I think people are often surprised I don't take myself incredibly seriously. I hate people that are too precious. It's the thing I like least about an artist. I'd rather they be cheap than precious. Art has to exist but I don't think we should bow down and tip toe around it. The splendor of music... f*ck, any fool can do it, for God's sake." ~ David Gray

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good
*David Gray is likely to have a new album out before the end of the year and he claims it is more like his early work. I am breathless with anticipation.

* Summer hours start at work next week. Hello, 9-to-4 on Fridays!

* Counting Crows are kicking off the Summer in the Park series on Good Morning America on Friday.

* Braves game on Thursday - my first trip to The Ted in almost a decade!

* Getting more and more certain that Dillon's going to be left-handed.

The Bad
* May be in love with a country musician.

* Missed House season finale last night because I am programmed for it to be on Tuesday but, as if the writers' strike wasn't enough, they moved House after it returned. Egads.

* Must work on Friday night. Blech.

* ABC canceled Women's Murder Club. Booooooo!

The Ugly
* My lower back just north of where the good Lord split me, sunburned to the nth degree after weekend yard work. Guess there was a gap between my tank and my shorts.

* My room, scattered with clothes worn over the past three weeks and littered with half-unpacked bags.

* My brain...not a great string of days here in the last 8 to 10

* Envy...the Rockstar heads to Ireland and Spain tomorrow.

* I'm grumpy as hell.

The End

Pack up stuff - check under the beds for lost shoes and misplaced books * Retrace steps...back to the BART, back to the airport * Take Dramamine again * Listen to music as appropriate (Counting Crows as a tribute to Berkeley/SF? David Gray for wistfulness?) * Worry over whether to sleep or stay awake to combat jet lag * Experience total place and time confusion over leaving at noon and arriving at nearly nine o'clock * Collect baggage * Find Mom * Head home

Covered in Gray

To tide us over until his next original offering, David Gray is releasing A Thousand Miles Behind, a collection of covers performed live between 2001-2007. The disc features his take on some classic songs by his inspirations - Dylan, Cash and Springsteen. From the clips I heard, it sounds like Gray at his best: stripped down and acoustic.

A message posted on his official site back in June made it sound like he was hitting the studio to start recording new material. Until then, this will be a nice treat. Available August 20.

A Thousand Miles Behind
1. Song to the Siren (Larry Beckett/Tim Buckley)
2. To Ramona (Bob Dylan)
3. One with Birds (Will Oldham)
4. Long Black Veil (Danny Dill/Marijohn Wilkin)
5. I Think It's Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman)
6. Mansion on a Hill (Bruce Springsteen)
7. In the Morning (Barry Gibb)
8. I Tremble for You (Johnny Cash/Lewis Calvin De Witt, Jr.)
9. Buckets of Rain (Bob Dylan)
10. Go Down Easy (John Martyn)
11. Streets of Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen)

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

The illustrious Megs has kindly consented to interview me (because I kind of asked her to). And now, you have the dubious honor of asking me to do the same. Here's how:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions of my choice.
3. Then, you should update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You have to include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you get to ask them five questions.

Number 1: Quick! The house is on fire! Excepting the obvious people & pets, what 5 things do you take?
1. Fuzzy Fur, the well-loved if not somewhat dishevled teddy bear I've had since I was six
2. Photo albums - I'm counting these as one gigantic armload
3. My black BCBG heels - don't tell the other shoes, but they're my favorites
4. The laptop, since it's got a lot of life history living in it
5. The original Clue movie poster Tom bought me - irreplacable!

Number 2: What is the best or weirdest reconnection you have made via the internet?
Hmm. I'd have to say the best reconnections have been the blogs. I've been able to keep in touch with some folks from high school and grad school via the blogs - it's nice to be part of the little e-neighborhood.

Number 3: What is your most hated word?
I really, really hate the word "pus." There is no context in which the word pus is good. It sounds horrible. It looks horrible on the screen. It is horrible. Oooh. Shudder. Pus.

Number 4: Tell me something funny you've never blogged before.
When I was freshman in high school, I was playing softball in P.E. with a Pakistani kid when we collided and he broke my nose. I was forced to sit in the field house with a 50-gallon garbage bag full of ice draped over my face while the coach called my mom to "come take a look" even though he didn't think it was broken. (This used to be a story I would tell like a party trick.)

Number 5: What is your all-time favorite song?
Oh, my, this is a very hard question. I'd have to say...well, I'm thinking of songs that I can hear over and over again without tiring of them. And a song that makes me feel warm and happy. Hmm. I guess I'm going to say - despite my love affair with John Mayer - "Tidal Wave" by David Gray, but if you asked me next week, it's probably say something different.

Threesdays (Plus One): Albums for Spring

1. Our Lady Peace, Spiritual Machines
Standout Spring Track: "The Wonderful Future"

2. Pete Droge, Necktie Second
Standout Spring Track: "Northern Bound Train"

3. Moby, Play
Standout Spring Track: "Porcelain"

Plus One. David Gray, Lost Songs
Standout Spring Track: "Tidal Wave"

Shine - Track Listing

The track listing for the David Gray early years album is finally up on Amazon and set for release on April 3. Unfortunately for me, there's no new material. It's a pretty good who's who of his work from early albums Flesh, A Century Ends and Sell, Sell, Sell. If you don't have those albums and are hungry for some new David Gray between albums, pick it up. 1. Shine

2. Late Night Radio

3. Coming Down

4. Birds Without Wings

5. The Light

6. Everytime

7. A Century Ends

8. Lullaby

9. Faster, Sooner, Now

10. Wisdom

11. Falling Free

12. Sell, Sell, Sell

13. Debauchery

14. Flesh

15. Hold On To Nothing UPDATE: Posting this reminded me how much I love David Gray. And that I had an as-yet unused iPod laying around. I just loaded all my David Gray into iTunes and finally got the iPod going. Now I will have plenty of David Gray to keep me company on the plane this weekend!

Gray Area

Because Justin thought that "Nightblindness" was a cover, and I was pretty certain it wasn't, I checked the good ol' Wikipedia entry for David Gray to prove myself right. Turns out that was a good move - how else would I have known that David Gray is releasing a Best of the Early Years compilation.

Unfortunately, I have no idea if he, like some artists, are including one or two new tracks on the disc, because the contents of said disc are something akin to an international secret. No mention of it on his official site. Amazon has it listed for release on April 3 but no track listing. And another search led me to his VH1 artist page, which was devoid of cover art and track listing, but had the release date for March 26.

Point is, if you like Gray and don't have his early stuff, you'll definitely want to pick this up. My guess is it'll have his acoustic masterpieces from Lost Songs and the like. Of course, you might have to give your social security number, PIN and mother's maiden name to be granted access to it.

Latest Addiction

Read this post with caution - you can never turn back after you know. My brother introduced me to Pandora Internet Radio. Now this is not just your run-of-the-mill internet radio. This is customized internet radio connected to the Music Genome Project. You input a song or artist and it creates a radio station based on other music with a similar sound and style. You can rate each song with a like/don't like. And then voila - it's like Radio Ashley. So far, I've got my John Mayer, David Gray and Coldplay stations set up. It'll host 100 stations for free. You have to look at a little advertising while the music's playing, but all in all, totally worth it. I think I'm in love.

DJ A.S.H.

In addition to my autumn compilation, I thought I'd put together another CD just for the drive. All songs are meant to be singable at the top of my lungs and inspire me to tap my inner diva.

1. Clocks (Coldplay)
2. Mr. Brightside (The Killers)
3. Me & Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)
4. Babylon (David Gray)
5. Shadowboxer (Fiona Apple)
6. Plush (Stone Temple Pilots)
7. 32 Flavors (Alana Davis)
8. Ticket to Ride (The Beatles)
9. Not Ready to Make Nice (Dixie Chicks)
10. Have You Seen Me Lately (Counting Crows - Live @ Hammerstein Ballroom)
11. White Flag (Dido)
12. Body Parts (Jump, Little Children)
13. Gravity (Jennifer Nettles Band)
14. Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls)
15. Power of Goodbye (Madonna)
16. Elsewhere (Sarah McLachlan)
17. Sabotage (Beastie Boys)

Also coming along for the ride: Sam's Town (The Killers), Trouble (Ray LaMontagne), What's Golden Above Ground (Trent Dabbs), Choirgirl Hotel (Tori Amos), and O (Damien Rice). It promises to be a musical adventure.

Autumn: The Album

For me, the arrival of Halloween and the passing of daylight savings mark that point in time when fall is no longer this nebulous oncoming season but a fully emerged time of year. And some songs simply seem to capture this time of year better than others. In light of fall's full-fledged arrival and because I'll be spending an indecent amount of time in the car this weekend, I put together a little fall collection. I may catch some criticism for some of these choices, but for whatever reason, these were the songs that said fall to me this October:

1. Sparks (Coldplay)
2. Angel (Matt Nathanson)
3. Foolish Games (Jewel)
4. Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.)
5. Wait (Sarah McLachlan)
6. Just Another (Pete Yorn)
7. Falling in Love (Lisa Loeb)
8. All My Friends (Counting Crows)
9. Quite Often (Trent Dabbs)
10. Pictures of You (The Cure)
11. As I'm Leaving (David Gray)
12. New York State of Mind (Billy Joel)
13. Stop This Train (John Mayer)
14. Girl (Tori Amos)
15. The Awakening (Jennifer Nettles Band)
16. Cathedrals (Jump, Little Children)

On a Musical Note

I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. ... I get most joy in life out of music. - Albert Einstein

I go through phases in life where I'm more or less attached to music. Sometimes I listen to the radio with general indifference, but then I enter a phase - like now - where I have to have music on every second of every day or the silence is deafening.

I remember when I was little, my dad used to play his guitar sometimes at night. He usually played old country tunes like "Tennessee Waltz" or "Frankie & Johnnie." He was completely self-taught on a guitar he bought at a pawn shop, and I have always wished I'd inherited even a trace of his musical ear. As I got older there was my sister, six years older than me, who shaped my early music tastes with the tapes she'd let me listen to while she was at school - Madonna, Wham! and Michael Jackson.

And when I first got my CD player, I only had 5 CDs that I listened to endlessly including Counting Crows' August & Everything After, Dave Matthews Band's Under the Table & Dreaming and Sarah McLachlan's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. And from there, the collection grew and expanded. Tastes changed. Friends introduced new songs, new bands. And now I've amassed a fair collection of music. Most of which has profound meaning to me, whether in its lyrics or its connection to the past.

I love how some songs are irrevocably tied to moments in my life, and no matter when I hear them, I am transported back to that moment. "Africa" by Toto makes me think of going to the park, eating bologna and cheese sandwiches and listening to WRFC 960 AM in my mom's gray Oldsmobile with the plushy red seats. Other songs simply give me a certain feeling when I hear them - Tori Amos' "Putting the Damage On" can make me cry at the drop of a hat and David Gray's "Twilight" makes me want to go downtown and sit in a dark bar. And then there are songs that I only want to listen to under certain conditions. Like "One" by U2 and "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House are best listened to when it's raining at the change of season and cold like the beginning of winter or spring.

I was telling Kim today that I wanted to make an autumn mix, with songs from This Desert Life (an inherently fallish album) and "As I'm Leaving" by David Gray. And we talked about how the songs that came out our first year of grad school make us think of fall - like "Clint Eastwood" by the Gorillaz and "Start the Commotion" by The Wiseguys. Which led me into thinking about songs that make me think of the grad school years like "Tiny Dancer" and "Sex Machine" - two songs played so relentlessly on the juke box at Cedars, I'm surprised I still like them. And "Teenage Wasteland" - (which Kim & I decided is a spring song) makes both of us feel like we're going somewhere important. Like Krispy Kreme.

I'm fond, too, in my solitude, of thinking, "If my life were a movie, what song would be playing right now?" When Kim was in town, we were all sitting at the bar, and "Here Comes the Sun" started playing and it seemed like the end of the movie when the camera is panning out from the characters and the credits start to roll and you know everything's going to work out just fine.

Ah, music. How you move me.

New Addiction

I am now addicted to You Tube's cache of live music. I have searched out videos of Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, John Mayer, Counting Crows, and this gem of David Gray playing "This Year's Love" on Top of the Pops. I might need an intervention.