More Sickness / Blogs to Follow!

Well, I am sick again and welcome any suggestions you may have on how to boost my immune system. I have already caught two colds this year. That on top of some other health problems, it adds up to a lot of sick time.

In between sleeping and watching the Disney channel, I have been checking out some new (to me) blogs. Warning:  These blogs may be a little girly ('cause you know I am a girl and stuff). 



VOX+V -- Destiny recently relocated to Nashville with her musician husband.  She blogs about local music, home decorating, fashion and vegan recipes (I like the idea of going vegan, but it seems too hard.  However, Destiny's recipes look so good and seem pretty easy, so I just may have to try a few).  I love Nashville bloggers and seeing the city I love from someone else's point of view. 

That Girl in the Wheelchair -- Another Nashville blogger of which I am a wee bit obsessed.  Kimmie and I are the same age (30) and she makes hilarious pop culture references of recent things and from when I was a kid (you have got to check her out to fully understand).  She is a writer so her posts are very well-thought out and well-written (unlike mine).  My favorite post of hers is called Andrew Bird: A Muppet of a Man.  She combines music with pop culture and hilarity. 

I had a whole list of blogs I wanted to talk about, but I am quickly running out of energy.  I will save the rest for a later time.  Please follow these two blogs (and mine!)  People are freaking out over Google Reader going away on July 1st.  Many bloggers are suggesting to use Bloglovin', which is fine... but I found Feedly and really like it.  Both will easily transfer your current blog subscriptions over to their website and they both have apps for your phone.  I prefer Feedly because I can organize the many, many blogs I follow and they have different options for viewing.  You can view the blog postings as a list like in Google Reader or their magazine view shows a picture from the posting.  Feedly is user friendly with a sleek look.  Anyway, whatever you pick make sure you do so before July 1st so you won't lose your current blog subscriptions.  

Okay... I am off to sleep again.  Please comment below with immune boosting suggestions and let me know what blogs you like to follow.  

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Waterfalls, Giraffes and a Dwight Yoakam Cartoon



I have heard mixed reviews on the recent album from Dwight Yoakam, 3 Pears.  Some adore it and others...  well you get the idea.  My personal opinion is hard to form because the album leans a little bit too far to the country side of Americana for my taste.  It was produced by Beck which may explain some of the oddities on the album.  Anyway, I saw this video (unofficial? probably...) and just had to share it.  It mesmerized me... Probably because I was laughing so hard. The video is creative and well drawn.  Also, who can't resist a song about waterfalls and giraffes?  Oh, just me?  Oh well.  Enjoy anyway! 




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This Week in Music: 3/25/13

I am really excited about new The Milk Carton Kids music.  I have not had a chance to listen to the new album yet, but I have high expectations.  It is also pretty exciting that CONAN has three artists on this week that I like: Langhorne Slim, The Milk Carton Kids, and Imagine Dragons!  Yay!


March 25 - Monday
TV
Ed Sheeran - The Late Show with David Letterman
Langhorne Slim - CONAN

IN NASHVILLE

8 off 8th: Road To Bonnaroo 2013: FEATURING BLACKFOOT GYPSIES,
Andrew Combs, Hanzelle, Little Bandit, Ranch Ghost, Ravello, Shannon Labrie and Vinyl Thief - Mercy Lounge


March 26 - Tuesday
NEW RELEASES
The Black Lillies - Runaway Freeway Blues
The Milk Carton Kids - The Ash & Clay *
Semi-Twang - The Why and the What For

March 27 - Wednesday
TV
The Milk Carton Kids - CONAN

March 28 - Thursday
TV
Imagine Dragons - CONAN
Imagine Dragons - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

March 29 - Friday
TV
ZZ Ward - Last Call with Carson Daly

IN NASHVILLE
AWOLNATION, Blondfire, and Mother Mother - Marathon Music Works
An Evening with Mary Gauthier - The Bluebird Cafe
The Steeldrivers - Station Inn
Dr. John and The Nite Trippers - Franklin Theatre (Sold Out)

March 30 - Saturday
In Nashville
The Black Lillies plus Scott Miller - 3rd and Lindsley

March 31 - Sunday
In Nashville
Luella and The Sun plus The Black Cadillacs - 3rd and Lindsley

*My favs out of the bunch!

What are you most looking forward to this week? Did I leave anything out?

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Love downloading FREE music? Noisetrade.com

So ummm... (Big Reveal coming) I am cheap.  I LOVE getting stuff for free.  I am that girl that shops with coupons and has cut her grocery bill in half.  So... 

FREE + MUSIC = AWESOME!!!!


Even if you aren't cheap, who doesn't love getting stuff for free?  You know you do.  So there is this website, Noisetrade, where you can get GOOD music for absolutely FREE.  The artists are giving it away. Did I mention it is actually good music?  I have downloaded Josh Ritter, fun., The Civil Wars and many more.  Right now they are giving away Josh Garrels entire collection for free and, yes, I downloaded them all.  I have downloaded some great samplers from there as well.  If you like the music then you can easily tell your friends on Facebook or Twitter so they can enjoy it too.  Also, if you would like to leave a tip for the artist then that is an option (You know, support the music you like so they can continue to make more... so yeah).  So go now... download artists you like, discover new music, and tell a friend! Noisetrade.com

(No, this is not a sponsored post... I just really, really like this website!)

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Music Review: Treetop Flyers


Treetop Flyers - The Mountain Moves

Releases June 25th



Billboard recently wrote an article about Treetop Flyers in which they called the music "throwback folk-rock".  I could not have said it better myself so I won't even try.  The music is current and relevant but you can clearly hear folk/Americana influences from the past. The Treetop Flyers' music is very consistent.  They hold true to their own sound.  If you like one song then chances are you will like the rest of them.  The Hubs loves a good guitar solo and this album delivers.  We both agree that our favorite song on the album is Haunted House.  It has guitar solos for him and progressive dynamics for me. I wish there was a link to the song but there is not.  So you will just have to buy the album to hear it (like how I did that?). You can Pre-order now here.



If the Soundcloud isn't showing for you (above) then click here to watch Things Will Change on YouTube.

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Americana Music Festival & Conference is only SIX months away!

The Americana Music Festival in Nashville, TN is only SIX months away. It begins on September 18th and will have FIVE days of excellent music.  They have not announced who will be playing this year, but with the explosion in the popularity of the Americana genre, I anticipate that it is going to top all the years before it!  

Music industry folks have conference events to attend also, but for fans there will be FOUR nights of concerts in at least six different venues for only $50.  You can see legends and hot new bands all for that price.  It really is a steal (but don't tell them or they might raise the rates!).  Wristbands have not gone on sale yet but I will let you know as soon as they do.  In the meantime, follow @AmericanaFest (or like them on Facebook) so you can stay up-to-date too! 

Spend your day seeing the sights around Nashville and spend your nights hearing the best music there is to offer!


Are you planning to be there? 
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This Week in Music - 3/18/13



The past two weeks have worn me out, so the only thing I did this weekend was run the trails at the park with my dog. She hardly moved the rest of the weekend so apparently the park wore her out (she is a nine year old lab mix. so she's getting older).  

I am super excited for Music City Roots this week! Great Peacock will be there and you know how I feel about them.  Be sure to stream it online if you can't come to the show.

March 18 - Monday
TV
James Hunter Six - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Delta Rae - Last Call with Carson Daly

March 19 - Tuesday
NEW RELEASES
Billy Bragg - Tooth & Nail (Download a FREE track here)
Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park (If any part of you likes country music then you will like this album)

TV
Kacey Musgraves - Today Show (9am CST)
Black Prairie - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (also with Jenna Fischer. Love her!)

March 20 - Wednesday
TV
Gary Clark, Jr. - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Brandi Carlile - Conan Show ***


ONLINE & IN NASHVILLE

MUSIC CITY ROOTS:  Keller Williams with the Travelin' McCourys, Altan, Shannon Whitworth, Derek St. Holmes, and Great Peacock (you can LiveStream this here.  To physically attend tickets are only $10 or $5 for students) ***

IN NASHVILLE
Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers - The High Watt
DAWES - Live at Grimey's Too at 5:30 (SOLD OUT!)
Howlin' Brothers - Station Inn

March 21 - Thursday

March 22 - Friday

March 23 - Saturday
In Nashville
Hey Marseilles! - Grimey's New & Preloved Music at 4pm
Hey Marseilles! - The High Watt

March 24 - Sunday
In Nashville
Frightened Rabbits - 3rd and Lindsley (SOLD OUT)
The Mailboxes, The Constables, Ravenhill, and Grass Root Kids - The Rutledge

*My favs out of the bunch!

What are you most looking forward to this week? Did I leave anything out?

Follow me on Facebook here and Twitter @SarahComo

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SPOTIFY: Americana, My Heart playlist


I have been hard at work putting together an "Americana" music sampler on Spotify called "Americana, My Heart".  It has most of my favorites on it (still need to add some.  I have alot of favs), but I also included favorites of some of my close friends who also support the genre.  The artists included range from Alabama Shakes and Mumford & Sons to Shovels & Rope  and Old Crow Medicine Show. The best way to listen to this sampler is to put it on shuffle, relax, and listen.  It is a long playlist (over 50 songs) so shuffle or  pick up where you left off to ensure you get a good variety.  If you like it then please subscribe.  When you subscribe then you will get updates each time I add more music.  Discovering new (or new to me) music is a great passion of mine so expect for this to be updated regularly.  Enjoy!  

What are some of your favorite "Americana" artists and songs? I would love to add some of your favorites!  Also, which songs on my playlist are your favs?


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This Week in Music: 3/11/13


This week is SXSW in Austin.  Unless you are there then it is a light week musically.  Austin is the place to be. 
I am looking forward to Elizabeth Cook on Letterman.  She is hilarious. Even if you aren't a fan of her music, she still will not disappoint.  Her personality alone will keep you entertained.

March 12 - Tuesday
TV
Josh Ritter - Late Show with David Letterman
Buddy Guy - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

March 13 - Wednesday

TV
Richard Thompson - Late Show with David Letterman


ONLINE & IN NASHVILLE
MUSIC CITY ROOTS:  Yarn, Adam Pope, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, John Cowan, Benjy Davis (you can LiveStream this here, tickets are only $10 or $5 for students)


IN NASHVILLE
Kalisa Ewing w/ James LeBlanc & Dylan LeBlanc - The Basement

March 14 - Thursday
TV
Elizabeth Cook - Late Show with David Letterman*

March 15 - Friday


March 16 - Saturday
In Nashville
Alison Krauss - Linden Waldorf School Gala at Marathon Music Works

March 17 - Sunday
In Nashville
Pat McLaughlin with Angel Snow - 3rd & Lindsley

*My favs out of the bunch!

What are you most looking forward to this week?

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Bowling, Bias, and Boxes, Boxes & More Boxes



This week has been full of friends and to-do list accomplishments.  I am exhausted but feel good about it..  

The Americana Music Association held an informal mixer at a bowling alley in Nashville for all their local members.  It was great fun meeting new people and putting faces with names.  I was talked into bowling a game (dang, peer pressure) and scored a 98.  I was really hoping to break 100 but oh well, it was still so much fun.
I can't share too much info, but the Hubs got great news this week.  He will be starting a new job in May 1st. He has a couple more hoops to jump through, but they should a breeze.  Hubs has been waiting for this opportunity for 15 months.  Yup, that's a long time.  I am really proud of him and very excited for his new opportunity.


Wednesday, we left for Alabama with our dog and one cat in tow.  Mali, one of our cats, has diabetes so it was either take him with us or board him at the clinic.  He's a good traveler so we decided to take him with us.  We left after dark on Wednesday as I had work that needed to be done before we could go (thus the night vision photos). I own a house in Alabama and it is time to try to sell it. Unfortunately, we had a LOT of work to do on it when we arrived and did not finish it all.  My mom still lives down there so she is going to try to finish up the painting.  Thank goodness for her!!!!  Now just pray someone buys the house! It is a really cute 1950s house that is unusually large (3 bed, 2 bath) so I think it will sell quickly.  But I might be biased.

I have many friends in Alabama and wanted badly to see so many of them, but quickly ran out time.  I did get to visit with my good friend, Katie. She loves music like I do and we share very similar taste.  Unfortunately we didn't realize it until I moved to Nashville... I am still confused how this oversight happened.  We have known each other for almost five years. Geez.
  
While we were in Alabama we stopped by and visited some of the hubs family.  His nephew is the smartest two year old I have ever met. (Biased again? maybe so) His nephew took my cell phone and went to the camera to take my picture. He put his finger over the camera lens but still he uses it better than my grandma.  He also was teaching Hubs how to play Temple Run.  What an amazing little kid. 


Today was filled with packing, hauling and driving.  My mom will be moving to Nashville in a few months so today we packed up her "excess" AND all the stuff I still had down there and trekked back to Nashville.  Uh, yeah... it filled up a 10 x 10 storage room.  Oh my gosh, I need to have a yard sale.  It is embarrassing how much stuff I have that I don't use.  Look at that amazing wall of boxes. I should have stood next to it so you could understand just how tall that it.  I had to stand on a step ladder to reach the top.  
You may have noticed that I added a picture of "me" to the website. It was drawn by a very talented up and coming artist, Allysa Olson.  She is so amazing!

So yeah, I am throughly exhausted and the week has just started.  Don't forget this week is SXSW in Austin, TX.  It is going to be hard to keep up with everything.  I may sleep for a week when life calms down. 

How has your week been?  Who is going to SXSW and what are you most looking forward to?

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Johnnyswim, please help me stay awake a little longer

Holy Hell... I am completely worn out but still spent the past 45 minutes trying not to fall asleep on my keyboard and getting a post ready for you guys.  Well, somehow I screwed it up and the whole thing disappeared.  Anyway, what I was saying was...

I have been super busy the past few days (I will post about that on Sunday) and am completely exhausted.  I was trying to fight the sleepiness by watching YouTube videos (it wasn't working).  Since I find it difficult to even find the words to say then I am going to leave you with just one YouTube video.

Johnnyswim

Johnnyswim played at Music City Roots (in Nashville) on Wednesday, Scenic City Roots (in Chattanooga, TN) on Thursday and the coolest venue ever tonight - Bluegrass Underground (in The Volcano Room at the Cumberland Caverns).  I missed them all and was feeling sad about it, so I pined over them while watching Youtube videos. 

<--- Johnnyswim playing at Bluegrass Underground tonight!

Hell, how about a song and a video? 

"Home" is my favorite song of theirs and "Annie" is my favorite video.  Here is both. Enjoy!




What do you think about Johnnyswim?  Any new(er) bands that you are yearning for? 
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Band to Watch: Great Peacock



Today is the day!  Great Peacock releases their first EP on the label This is American Music



At the end of last year, Great Peacock was Lightning 100's Local Band to Watch.  They accomplished this without even having an official EP released.  Lightning 100 played the song below, Take Me to the Mountain, to gear up for a performance they were promoting.  I had to find out if these guys were a fluke with one really great song, so my husband and I went to see them perform at Tin Roof 2 in Franklin, TN.  When they came on stage, one in a poncho and the other in a suit and cowboy boots, Hubs gave me a look like "Seriously? You dragged me here for this," and looked down at his plate as if to say "at least this place has good food."  Then Great Peacock started playing and he understood. The song was not a fluke...



At a table close to ours was a table of "Whoo-Hoo" girls that talked loudly throughout the first few songs.  It was distracting.  They did not know who Great Peacock was and obviously did not care. However, when Take Me to the Mountain started playing then I began to see head bobbing and before I knew it they were all up and dancing.  The beat was infectious and captured attention.  Those ladies went down to the stage to watch the rest of the performance.  Yeah, it was that good.  




"Andrew Nelson and Blount Floyd make music enriched by their native South. Influenced by Pop Melody as well as Traditional Folklore. It's old art for the new generation."


March is going to be a big month for these guys.  Not only does their EP come out today, but they are also playing THREE (yes, three) SXSW showcases and will be playing Music City Roots.  



Here is their schedule while at SXSW in Austin, TX:

3/14/13, 2pm - Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar
3/15/13, noon - The Chuggin' Monkey (This showcase is for the Red Gorilla Festival)
3/15/13, 6pm - The Whip In - Oskar Blues day party
3/16/13, noon - Paste Magazine Party


Great Peacock play Music City Roots on 3/20/13.  Also performing is Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys, Altan, Shannon Whitworth, and Derek St. Holmes. If you live around Nashville then come to the Loveless Barn.  Admission is only $10. If you don't or cannot make it then wait! Don't fret! You can livestream it here, listen to it on Lightning 100 here, or watch it after the fact here



Pretty soon the whole world will know about this band, so go ahead and get on the bandwagon now! What do you think? Do you know of any newer bands that I should be following?


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This Week in Music - 3/4/13




I am going to miss out on so much good live music in Nashville this week!  I will be in Alabama putting a house I own on the market (oh, joy! *sarcasm*).  Actually it might be a blessing in disguise; otherwise, how would I choose what show to see on Saturday???  So much great music that night! 


March 4 - Monday
In Nashville

March 5 - Tuesday
New CD Releases

March 6 - Wednesday
TV
Tift Merritt - Last Call with Carson Daly

ONLINE & IN NASHVILLE
MUSIC CITY ROOTS:  Charlie Parr, Johnnyswim, The McCrary Sisters, Alanna Royale, The Danberrys and as always, the host, Jim Lauderdale (you can LiveStream this here or listen online at Lightning 100, tickets are only $10 or $5 for students)

March 7 - Thursday
In Nashville
Caitlin Rose - In-Store Event at Grimey's New & Preloved Music

March 8 - Friday
you tell me!

March 9 - Saturday
March 10 - Sunday
In Nashville
ZZ Ward (Lightning 100 Nashville Sunday Night) - 3rd and Lindsley *

*My favs out of the bunch!


What are you most looking forward to this week?
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Doctor Who Nursed Me Back to Health



I swear I am not sick all the time... but I am having a bad run right now.  Last week I had a migraine from bumping my head and this week I have Strep (almost gone now, thank goodness).  I started feeling really bad in the middle of the night on Wednesday.  I had to so much to do on Thursday that I tried to ignore how terrible I felt and worked from home.  On Friday, I finally made myself go to the doctor and gave in to the fact that I was actually sick.  After the doctor, I crashed on my uber-comfortable couch.  No, really.  It is the best couch ever.  Ask my friends. If you take the back cushions off then it is almost the size of a twin bed. It is the kind of couch that you can just sink right into and never come out.

See how much Mali loves our couch!
Anyway, in between whining and sleeping I had a Doctor Who marathon.  I am late to the game on just how good that show is (get past the first 3 or so of season 1 and it just gets better and better).  I have made it to season 3 and let's just say that I am now terrified of statues.  I won't blink but what if my eyes dry out and I can't see through my contacts anymore.  What then?  Anyway, it's going to take some time before I can go past a cemetery or visit Hubs family in New Orleans.  Yeah...

Hubs watched a couple of episodes with me and he commented on how compassionate the Doctor is.  He also brought up the Doctors uncompromising values.  Nothing sways the Doctor from what he things is right.  We could take some lessons from him (Gunna get deep for a minute. Hold on tight).  No ones values are exactly the same and I am not trying to tell you that the Doctors values are the right ones.  Whatever your values are they should be genuine and uncompromising.  Hold strong to whatever you perceive to be true.  That is integrity and I always respect a person with integrity whether I agree with their point of view or not (Okay, I'm done).  So here is an Etsy Honor to Doctor Who:



Are you a Doctor Who fan?  Please share links to any cool Doctor Who inspired items in the comments!

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