2014 In Review

photo by Jenna Salvagin

Married

Getting married obviously marked my major life milestone of 2014. Since our engagement was only seven months long, the first half of 2014 was dominated by wedding planning. We were away or busy almost every spring weekend with things like catering tastings, my shower, our engagement photo shoot, bachelor and bachelorette parties for us and friends, and friends' weddings. Meanwhile, my weeknights were focused on wedding research and spreadsheets. The wedding magic came and went in June, and we took a simple honeymoon afterward - a short but sweet week at a lake house in the Berkshires. 

our private honeymoon dock

Enjoying the Everyday

Following the wedding, my intention was to enjoy a totally normal stretch of time. There was a lot of darkness in the past few years that I was still dealing with in the first half of 2014, so I felt ready to put it behind me and enjoy regular life without the stress of planning a wedding, or moving repeatedly, or terrible apartment mishaps. That's exactly what I've been doing. Weekends spent doing laundry, going on afternoon walks for coffee with my new husband, going to yoga, and getting drinks with friends. No big trips, just weekend getaways to see friends or family. We did go to Blue Hill at Stone Barns for Evan's birthday, which deserves its own post.

I intended to write about the wedding here on the blog afterward. Instead, I got caught up in the loveliness of doing nothing. I haven't played that much music or written the blog posts I planned or exercised as much as I should and definitely procrastinated on finishing post-wedding related tasks. Mostly, I spent the second half of the year luxuriating in the escapism of binge reading. In fact, I read 67 books in 2014 - twice as many as in 2013. Which reminds me that I should do a post on some of my recent favorite books. This year also marked a turning point in my feelings about New York City. For the first time, I felt like I might be ready to leave, not immediately, but sometime in the imaginable future.

ice skating in Prospect Park last winter

Other People's Weddings
Just as in 2013, we attended several weddings. In early spring, we celebrated the wedding of one of Evan's friends under magnolia blooms in Rhode Island. We were part of a twenty person wedding weekend involving a hike, a pregnant bride, a beautifully golden twilight Hudson riverfront, and dinner inside an antique book store. A week after my own wedding, I was given the honor of reading a poem at the ceremony of one of my oldest friends, Caitlin. In the fall, I cried when my friend sang her vows on a beach at a summer camp wedding in New Jersey complete with lawn games and a bonfire. And I relived my college 80s dancing nights at a wedding in Delaware.

three out of four hefs now married 

(photo by Photovisions)

Cold Spring friend hike

getting ready for a ceremony at golden hour

Work
When I came back from a long vacation in fall 2013, I thought, I can't do this anymore. I was so burned out from several years of being a nonprofit fundraising minion. But I had a plan that involved sticking it out a bit longer until I hit a certain savings goal before exploring something new. Lo and behold, the power of sticking it out prevailed, because in spring 2014 a position opened up at work -- one that I had always regretted not applying for two years ago. Now in my new role managing the development database, instead of bearing the stressful orders to raise more money, I get to play with computers in support of the people raising the money. It's a pretty ideal job for me and it was a pretty ideal transition to get to continue working for an organization I believe in while expanding my skill sets into new territory.

Music
I started out 2014 by releasing a new solo album. This sounds like the beginning of a new musical chapter, but it actually represented a closing. The songs I had written during a particularly creative period between 2010 and 2011 -- and then spent a year recording with Evan -- were finally recorded for posterity and out there in the world. This technically freed me up to figure out my next musical project, but I'm in a creative lull and it's been hard to motivate on that. I did at least write a new song in 2014 and learn some covers for the fun of it.

album art by Leanne Bazzetta

Bike Commuting
I've continued bike commuting fairly regularly since 2011, with a few exceptions. Last winter was colder than previous winters, so I ended up taking off the whole season. This year, I actually stopped riding from October onward. First, my landlord annoyingly stopped allowing me to lock my bike to the front gate, requiring me to either carry my heavy bike upstairs or lock it on the sidewalk. Second, I twisted both of my ankles that month -- one a week after the other -- and spent a few weeks either limping or elevating my feet. Third, by the time I recovered, daylight savings had changed my ride home from daylight to the cold, dark night. Granted, having to carry my bike upstairs and ride in the dark cold has not stopped me before, but something about this confluence of events broke me out of the habit.

On the plus side, I recently got an indoor exercise bike stand from a friend who moved away from NYC. It's genius. I'm planning to exercise all winter without paying for a gym membership by riding my own bike while watching TV in the comfort of my apartment.

a rainbow at the end of my ride over the Brooklyn Bridge

2015
Which brings me to my 2015 plans, which mainly involve riding my exercise bike, writing more, and making conscious choices to be more healthy.

Recording

I just returned from my boyfriend's parents' house in New Jersey, where we set up a home recording studio for the weekend. I'm working on recording a new solo album, and they have a baby grand that is in great condition for being a family antique. Evan has done plenty of recording before, but never piano, so we wanted to give it a try.

Unfortunately, I got a cold right before the weekend, and a lingering stuffy nose meant I can't use the vocal takes. At least we got down piano tracks that we can hopefully make something of.



To save money (that is the point of home recording!), we took public transportation rather than rent a car to get from Brooklyn to New Jersey. Evan somehow found a way to pack all this gear into a manageable load of backpacks and bags. Of course, we didn't end up needing all of it because we didn't record voice, but no harm done. (Thank you to friends for lending equipment and Evan's parents for lending their home.)



Next step is to record the vocals at home and see if it all sounds good enough after mixing to be released to the world. I've been wanting to record these songs for a while (it was on my list of 27 things to do before turning 28, but I never got to it with all the moving), so I'm anxious to get it out there.



Playing on a piano also made us debate whether we should get a piano for our apartment... Practicing on a keyboard is just not as nice as a piano, but pianos are typically associated with a level of permanence that is hard to feel in the transience of Brooklyn apartment life.

Scenes from a Music Video Shoot

Last weekend my band Sexy Neighbors had a video shoot for our song "Breaking Walls." When I originally heard the concept was for us to play at a house party, I thought we would just shoot random shots of a party. But when I showed up I was extremely impressed at all the work that went into it -- from our guitarist who planned out all the shots, to our videographer who was on top of this game, and especially the generosity of the people at the Texas Firehouse, a live work space in Long Island City overlooking Roosevelt Island bridge, the Con Ed power plant, and a laundry factory. They helped our guitarist turn their art gallery into a fake living room, complete with hand-drawn electric outlets and windows and a fake wall to break by throwing a TV through it. They even cooked us all a healthy curry stew for dinner with hot peppers from their roof garden, before we drank a fridge full of forties. When I thanked them, they just said, "that's what the space is for." I can't wait to see the video and will be sure to share it here when it's ready.

SXSW

If you're not familiar with it, South by Southwest is a giant music festival that descends upon Austin each March. The constituency seems mostly to be New York hipsters and extremely drunk Texans. The streets were closed off and full of people in a way that was worse than I imagined (And even coming from crowded New York, it was nice to be able to escape to the quiet suburbs each night.) It is a little silly that I went from New York to vacation in Austin just to see many bands that I could see in New York normally, but the benefit was having a whole week just to enjoy lots of free music in good weather. However, now that I've been, I don't think it would be worth it for my band to go there in a future year - there's no guarantee that bands will get to play a show with an audience worth the 3,000 mile trip.

Cloud Nothings at Beauty Bar

Cloud Nothings were my surprise standout from the week. Just beforehand was Titus Andronicus, who I usually love, but they played too many new songs and the crowd wasn't into it. In contrast, Cloud Nothings had me captivated, even though I don't normally like my rock that hard. I think it was all the interesting drumwork. Their last song was so loud I had to cover my ears despite wearing earplugs.  (My ears really started to feel tired of the constant barrage of sound by later in the week.)

Yellow Ostrich at Hotel Vegas for the Brooklyn Vegan Showcase 

Yellow Ostrich initially captured my heart with his use of vocal looping and sentimental melodies. But now he's no longer solo, so there are no more vocal loops and the sound has changed to a full band rocking out, which is good, but in a different way. I'm going to see them play a full set in New York next week and will have more to say then.

Sharon Van Etten at the Mohawk

For a festival show, Sharon took way too long to set up - the same as for her New York show I saw in February, complete with multiple instruments for her and her keyboard/instrumentalist Heather. Even though I was impressed with the strength and clarity of her voice in February, and she proclaimed that she had lost her voice for this show in March, I still found that seeing her a second time around strengthened my impression of her live music. She continues to be what I call the indie world's strangely singular female singer songwriter darling. Where once there were many singer songwriter darlings two decades ago (Fiona Apple??), now there are only a few, Sharon being one of the biggest.

Deerhoof at ND

I don't normally like listening to Deerhoof with its jolting rhythms and high pitched yelps, but they put on a really energetic, enjoyable live show. The drummer accomplishes a lot with his minimal kit while the bassist jumps around cutely.

Tall Heights at Austin Java.

These are the boys who crashed at the same house as us during SXSW. They are a talented folk duo from Cambridge who combine their guitar, cello and vocal harmonies beautifully and I'm glad I got the chance to hear them. They got kind of shafted on this gig by being placed on an inside stage in a room that was hidden away instead of playing the outdoor cafe stage. That's one of the difficulties about going on tour - you have no idea what to expect from the venue you book.

Punch Brothers at Swan Dive

They seemed a bit frazzled by the situation, fresh off a plane into the SXSW madness and playing through a PA setup rather than letting the pure sounds of their acoustic instruments shine, but they stepped up and brought their good bluegrass energy.

Widowspeak at Red 7 outside. 

With languid vocals set against a steady rock beat, Widowspeak is lovely to listen to while laying around your living room but kind of a snoozefest live. I noticed that lead singer Molly has perfected the art of subtly half smiling while singing as if posing for photographs the whole time. Perhaps it would be behoove me to learn this too??

Drinking and musicking at Red 7 outside in March was blissful to a New Yorker like me, though I tired of Lonestar cans by the end of the week.

Best Coast at Urban Outfitters

I heard Best Coast from behind this fence, where people were dancing on dumpsters. I could just make out singer Bethany's face haloed in a braid. Her new songs didn't grab me, but I appreciated hearing her old songs "Boyfriend" and "I Want To" live, which many have scorned for their simplicity, but which grabbed me at the right time in my life last year with their brutal teenage-like honesty.

Bear in Heaven at the Mohawk 

The lead guy of Bear in Heaven has no idea how dumb he looks when he dances, but it made more of an impression on me than his electronica.

Our Brooklyn band friends The Vandelles made snap bracelettes for SXSW!

Me You Us Them! at The Grackle

These are our friends from Brooklyn. They sound like the Swirlies plus screamo. They only got to play three songs because they were late to this gig and set times during SXSW are insanely short so that thousands of bands can be packed in.

The Men at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop

Evan really likes these fellows, but they just sound like loud rock to me. Apparently, it's called post punk, but I can never keep that straight.

Beach Fossils at ND 

My bandmate actually drove down to SXSW last year in a many person van with the members of Beach Fossils. They sound pleasant like Real Estate but didn't make much of an impression on me.

Have you been to South by or heard of any of these bands?

Listening, Lately to Loops

Music is a big part of my life again, so it might as well be a presence on this blog too.

I find myself drawn lately to musicians in solo or small projects using loop pedals. I have long felt limited by my solo music, just keyboard and voice, so it's inspiring to hear the potential for what loops let you do on your own.

Originally a solo project using vocal loops to create harmonies, texture and rhythm, Yellow Ostrich now also has a drummer and trombonist/bassist. And really good songwriting. Since their newest album The Mistress is going to be re-released by Barsuk, you can no longer get it off bandcamp, but you can hear the wonderful "The Whale" below, a song of love carrying you into the great unknown. I missed the first half of their set at McCarren Park during the Northside Festival (with Sharon Van Etten! and Beirut!) because I was signing the lease on my new apartment, but I got to chat with Alex afterward and express my appreciation for his music. They're playing at Glasslands on August 19. Sadly I will be out of town.

I also am paying closer attention to music featuring organs, since I'm now playing organ in my band and wanting to learn about its features and what kinds of sounds and playing styles work best. So I'm enthralled by the new project Moonface, from Wolf Parade's frontman whose album Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I Hoped comes out next week. For now you can stream it at Spin. "It's music played with an organ, organ beats, organ beeps and bloops, and some digital drums. Music based on layers and loops, the hypnotizing sound of a Leslie speaker, and the onslaught of melody." Not to mention Philip Glass-like arpeggios.

Idiot Glee is another one man project from Kentucky that's got an organ and vocal loops and 50s doowop melodies. You can download his new single "Trouble at the Dance Hall" over here.

And speaking of excellent use of looping, let's not forget Andrew Bird who fills out a complete sound with guitar and mandolin and violin and whistling all on his own. This video of "Tenuousness" is a great example.

Dystopia

When I saw YACHT play many years ago, it was one guy dancing around the living room of my college housing coop to music he created and played off his laptop. It felt a little silly and not quite memorable. YACHT has since gained a second person and some notoriety since then, so I thought I would give them another chance and check out their newer music. I was surprised to realize this song "Dystopia (The Earth is On Fire)" is not only a catchy danceable tune but also offers an apt and timely commentary on the state of our society's relationship with the environment. It's rare for musical artists today to address this kind of issue, so I thought it was worth sharing their message with you here. Enjoy!


Every day the sky gets lower,
And every day the tide is blacker,
And every day the flames get higher

We live like lions, we live our lives
With no more husbands, No more wives,
We let our children multiply ’cause we’re afraid of dying.

The Earth, the Earth is on fire!
We don’t have no daughter,
Let the motherfucker burn!
If we cut off the water
Then the jackals would return.
- YACHT

Download "Dystopia" here

Bohemian Luxe Camping

I was totally enamored with this campsite at Grey Fox...it looks like something straight of a magazine and has everything you'd want in a home away from home. Colorful print fabrics, plenty of comfy seating nooks, secondhand decor, potted plants, and even a chandelier! I'm happy to learn that their labor of love won the festival award for the best campsite! Click here to see more inspirational detail shots.






What do you like to bring with you on camping our outdoor trips to make roughin' it feel a little less rough and a little more lovely? I've been inspired by this bohemian site and a desert fete to at least bring a tablecloth next time we camp.