Vote With Your Dollar!

Monday I went to a great show (Sarah Harmer, who is so cool) and, as is my custom, I bought some merchandise. It's not that I haven't seen her before (this was time #3) or that I really needed another t-shirt (though it has both a mountain and a kite) it's that I believe in voting with my dollar. Recording artists don't really make money on records (though you have to buy those too to help convince the label to let them make another), you have to have a "Thriller" sized hit to buy a mansion with those proceeds, it's on tours and merchandise where they make their nut and if my $15 ticket and $20 shirt can help finance another great song like "Lodestar" well, I'm happy to pony up.

This has been on my mind because I just finished reading Jen Tryin's Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be. Tryin was supposed to be the next big thing but then the first single didn't break as big as everyone thought and Alanis Morisette came along. The book was interesting, though Tryin's insistance on the "warts and all" aspect of her story makes her a less than sympathetic protaganist. I liked Jacob Schlicter's book on the same subject, So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star, better. But Tryin does have a detailed explanation of how royalties work (see page 139) which might be eye opening for music fans, especially those who never buy a CD.

I say support the artists you love, they make the sounds we fans love and provide life's soundtrack. Like my postcard from the Experience Music Project says "Without Music Life Would Be a Mistake".

Open Mouth Insert ..

My boyfriend's grandmother, Josephine Lieb, died last Friday. She was well into her 90s and unfortunately unable to enjoy much anymore so it was very sad but not all bad. They are Jewish so, as is customary, the family (including Catholic me) sat shiva for her. Now after 4 years I have done most holidays (still haven't gotten my card punched for Purim but have mostly covered the rest) even a wedding but not a funeral. Till now. So, I was telling my friend the schedule for shiva and accidentally pronounced it "sheeva". As in the Hindu god of destruction.

"Babe," my boyfriend gently corrected, "We're not sitting on the Destroyer".

D'oh!

Open Letter to Terri Hatcher

Dear Terri,

I read in Vanity Fair that you were sexually abused as a child by your uncle. I am very sorry to hear that, one of my friends was molested as a child so I know it's effects are painful and long lasting however I feel I must quibble with one thing-the photographs, especially the cover. Given the subject matter of the interview I think it was inapropriate to be photographed half naked. I don't blame Vanity Fair, they just wanna sell magazines and having naked stars definately helps that, I blame you. You were the subject, you controlled the tenor of the proceedings. The pictures should have matched what was in the article.

Sam
Regular Magazine Reader

I Hear a Timpani

The word for the day is timpani. The reason for the choice is the song I am currently obsessed with has a timpani providing the major beat. It started when I heard on NPR that you shouldn't buy the Arctic Monkeys (new hot British import destined for flavor of the month status) but Clearlake (similiar sound with more gravitas and proven track record). So I did. The record is titled "Amber" and the song in question is "It's Getting Light Outside" and yesterday I had to listen to it 7 times. Today? Maybe more.

With songs I get obsessed easily but I am very fickle, a new song could come along and then I can't stand to listen to the old one more than once anymore. But I will play the current fave to death-until the dogs cover their ears with their paws or the downstairs neighbor pounds on the ceiling. In fact, I think it's time for the day's first listen right now.