pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (Alya)
2010-11-19 11:40 pm

Some things change, some things never do

My most recent contract position ended earlier this week, so I've been getting caught up on sleep after the big push at work to meet the release deadline and working on getting over the flu that's made it's rounds through the house for the last few weeks. I'm also trying to get caught up on chores I put off doing while I was feeling overwhelmed, plus I'm doing a bit of writing (or, well, maybe writing prep is more accurate) for myself. Oh, and one more thing I'm doing is working on getting the word out to the IT world that I'm available.

Wednesday I downloaded the new Scrivener for Windows Beta. I've started two new projects in it. The first is a collaboration with my husband, and the second is a novel I started (mumble) years ago. It'll be interesting to see how this works. By the way, for those of you who are participating in NaNoWriMo (as my eldest son is doing for the second year in a row), Literature and Latte is offering a 50% Discount for All NaNoWriMo 2010 winners, and 20% off for those who try, even if they don't manage 50,000 words.

My husband and I have been listening to some old classic songs, such as My Girl, by the Temptations, and Be My Baby, by the Ronettes:



Karl says listening to these old songs is like eating potato chips. Once you get started, it's hard to stop.

pameladlloyd: Fairy with dice, children's book illustration by Christian Martin Weiss (Gambling Fairy)
2010-11-05 11:12 pm

Everyday I Write the Book

For all my NaNoWriMo friends and family out there:



I am writing a different kind of book (or, rather, two of them), the technical kind. I have been very, very busy. Someday, I hope to return to hanging out with all my LJ friends, at least once in a while, but now is not that time. *sigh*

(Crossposted at http://pdlloyd.livejournal.com/)
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (writing)
2010-11-05 11:00 pm

Everyday I Write the Book

For all my NaNoWriMo friends and family out there:



I am writing a different kind of book (or, rather, two of them), the technical kind. I have been very, very busy. Someday, I hope to return to hanging out with all my LJ friends, at least once in a while, but now is not that time. *sigh*
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (gingerbread house love)
2010-04-17 06:07 pm

"If I Only Had a Brain"

Over on Murderati, Cornelia Read posted Elvis Costello and Bill Frisell's "If I Only Had a Brain":



Watching this led me to search for other versions. )

In honor of this post, I purchased a copy of the the "extended version" of "If I Only Had a Brain" from Amazon. (But, be warned, this version has only the Scarecrow's verses, and not those of the Tin Man or The Cowardly Lion.)




Totally unrelated to the rest of this post is an interesting article from Lisa Gold: Research Maven. Using the recent AP Stylebook recognition of the transformation of "Web site" to "website," she discusses the patterns of acceptance of linguistic change.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music lover)
2009-05-27 09:43 pm
Entry tags:

Silly Video

My son linked this video to me, so I thought I'd share the silliness. :)



To my surprise, the song is Swedish, rather than the Japanese I expected. Here's a link to the lyrics: http://www.quizilla.com/lyrics/7621571/caramelldansen-lyrics.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music lover)
2009-03-22 09:04 pm
Entry tags:

Discovering Billy Bragg

My husband walked in a few minutes ago and told me that he'd just discovered a folk musician who's work he really liked, and had me search for Billy Bragg on YouTube. Karl kept saying that he couldn't figure out how he'd managed to miss this guy all these years. (Wikipedia states that Bragg has been performing for more than thirty years.) I thought maybe you would enjoy his music, too.

videos behind the cut, for those of you with slow connections )

His interpretation of "Blood of the Lamb" is extraordinary. I think it's the best, musically, of the songs I've listened to this evening, but I also find the tone disturbing.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (pooka at the door)
2009-01-28 01:35 pm
Entry tags:

Nightwish’s Music Videos – The Islander at Last.fm

The Nightwish music video, "The Islander" is an interesting juxtaposition of Steampunk and dark medieval fantasy elements with a Scandinavian feel. (Since Nightwish was formed in Finland, that last makes sense.) I loved the flying boats with gears instead of sails.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music lover)
2009-01-06 03:18 pm
Entry tags:

Ravens in the Library: An All-Star Benefit Collection

Via Mia Nutick ([livejournal.com profile] copperwise), in her post, In which Mia pimps herself and others for a good cause, I learned that there is a new anthology available for a very limited time, the proceeds of which will benefit musician S.J. Tucker ([livejournal.com profile] s00j), who has no health insurance and was recently hospitalized for nearly a week to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars.

ATTENTION PUH-LEASE, darlings!

Below find the press release I've been anxious to put out. I am delighted to be contributing a story to this collection, in company with some incredible and amazing writers.

Visit [livejournal.com profile] satyrblade or [livejournal.com profile] damiana_swan for pre-order information on this anthology. Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, Terri Windling...little old me...yeah, I'm very pleased about this one. And the profits go toward taking care of someone I love very much. Please pass this on to your friends who will be interested in this particular collection.

*****

Ravens in the Library: An All-Star Benefit Collection

The Ravens in the Library Project, in connection with
"A Healthy Dose of Sooj" and "Save Our Sooj" presents

RAVENS IN THE LIBRARY:
MAGIC IN THE BARD'S NAME
A Limited Edition Collection of Stories and Art dedicated to the health of S.J. Tucker

This special VERY limited edition has been compiled to defray the medical expenses and recovery of musician S.J. Tucker.

Featuring Tales by:
Ari Berk
Francesca Lia Block
Phil Brucato
Sam Chupp
Storm Constantine
Charles de Lint
Ben Dobyns
Jaymi Elford
Neil Gaiman
Alexandra Honigsberg
Elizabeth Jordan Leggett
Shira Lipkin
Angel Leigh McCoy
Seanan McGuire
Kris Millering and Storm Wilder
Mia Nutick
S.J. Tucker
Carrie Vaughn
Catherynne M. Valente
Terri Windling

and others...

With Illustrations by:
Amy Brown
James A. Owen
Brian Syme

and others...

Edited by:
Phil Brucato
& Sandra Buskirk

Graphic Design by:
Sherry Lynne Baker

The collection will NOT be released in stores! It will be available only as long as those expenses remain unresolved. After that, RAVENS IN THE LIBRARY will disappear.

Order your advance copy today... Before they fly away forever!

$25.00 includes shipping & handling
within the continental United States

Anticipated Release Date*: Feb. 22, 2009
Trade Paperback format
Color covers, B&W interiors
Self-Published by The Ravens in the Library Project

With Heartfelt Thanks to Ellen Datlow and all contributors.

* - barring delays in printing or production.


For more information about projects to help S.J. Tucker, see Skinny White Chick Seeking Donations, [livejournal.com profile] saveours00j, and the Facebook group Give a Healthy Dose of Sooj.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music capture)
2008-12-31 05:03 pm
Entry tags:

Traditional Music

Karl's been playing the dulcimer a lot recently. Some of what he plays are tunes he's made up, while others are songs he's heard and figured out how to play. This morning, he was playing Greensleeves, which is one of my favorite tunes, this afternoon, it was Shady Grove.

We got to talking about it and pulled up a video on YouTube of Jean Richie playing Shady Grove while Peete Seeger listened, from the old Rainbow Quest television show.

Jean Richie plays Shady Grove )

We also listened to her play Blackwaters, while one son accompanied her and another looked on.

Jean Richie plays Blackwaters )

That one can move you to tears.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music lover)
2008-12-19 03:49 pm
Entry tags:
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music capture)
2008-12-18 02:37 pm
Entry tags:

Bay Area Concert to Benefit Michelle McFee

Via [livejournal.com profile] greenman_review (An Important (and Meaningful) Announcement):

On November 14th, beloved member of the Bay Area music community Michelle McFee underwent radical cancer surgery in San Francisco. From her early days as a Pegasus poet through her years working with the New Riders of the Purple Sage and into today, Michelle has been a constant in Bay Area music for over forty years.

To help defray her expenses, Blacklight Productions, in conjunction with the Kinkaid Foundation, has organized Words & Music: The Michelle McFee Benefit Concert. There is also a silent auction of unique items from the worlds of music, literature, and beyond. Both concert and auction are completely non-profit events; proceeds will go to defray Michelle's expenses.

Possibly no one else could have inspired the extraordinary lineup of talent who will take the stage on December 19th, at the Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Boulevard, Santa Rosa. Doors open at 7:00. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door:

David Nelson and Special Guests, with David Nelson, Mark Karan, Pete Sears, Jimmy Sanchez, Peter Albin and Dave Getz, Rubber Souldiers, with Chris Rowan, Lorin Rowan (contingent on his availability), David Gans, Jimmy Sanchez and Robin Sylvester, Bill Cutler & Friends, with Bill Cutler, Patrick Campbell, Dave Perper, Steve Shufton and Peter Harris

Details about the show, auction, donations, and ticket presales can be found here.

We hope that, as a member of the Bay Area music and media world, you'll join us in getting the word out about a fantastic show for a remarkable member of our community.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (colorful cats)
2008-11-29 08:22 pm
Entry tags:

"Can't Stop Me Now" — the animated version

One of [livejournal.com profile] asakiyume's daughters created this animation for the song "Can't Stop Me Now" by Queen.

pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music capture)
2008-09-10 12:09 am
Entry tags:

Musical Interlude

[livejournal.com profile] copperwise also mentioned [livejournal.com profile] stealthcello, who is a member of Gaia Concert and Tricky Pixie. (This was the second reference I've seen this week to Tricky Pixie, btw.)

Being the curious sort, I had to check out these groups. Gaia Concert 's website offers their lyrics and music (as MP3s, or streaming) for free. They comment:

This music is meant to be shared - we hope that when you download the complete MP3s, you share them with your friends, and we also hope you can support us by buying cd or two along the way. We're trying to strike a balance between helping people to share the music and keeping the business side of the music viable enough to make it pay for itself.

We're not even remotely associated with the major labels, and in fact, want nothing of them. When you buy a CD from us, chances are pretty sure that Chris B. will stuff the disc in the envelope.

Enjoy this music with our blessing!

We put the lyrics to the songs up here to help folks who want to sing along, learn the tunes, explore the ideas. We also reserve the copyrights to the lyrics - if you want to use the music or words or commercial purposes, contact Christopher Bingham, chrisb@gaiaconsort.com, for written permission. Each song should print on one page...


I have spent much of this evening enjoying their music. I love the way they blend classical-style music with relaxed rock to create a sound very much their own. I highly recommend you check them out.

Tricky Pixie's site isn't quite as open-handed, but you can still listen to one of their songs. I couldn't figure out how to describe their gorgeous sound, so I hunted around on the site and found their self descriptions (on the page identified as Press Information. The short version: "Gypsy celtic folk rock for naughty punk faeries." The slightly longer version:

An adventurous gypsy celtic folk rock trio, just unleashed from the land of Fae. These wild and masterful performers are raw entertainment. Expect more than just music, they'll take you on a ride down the twilight roads. Find more at trickypixie.com


I look forward to a time when I can hear more of their music, as I really love the one song they shared.
pameladlloyd: Alya, an original character by Ian L. Powell (music lover)
2008-08-04 01:29 pm
Entry tags:

Filk: A Very Subjective Overview

Over in [livejournal.com profile] asakiyume's journal, the topic of filk came up. I started explaining what filk is, from my perspective, then realized this was a big enough topic to deserve a post of it's own. She encouraged me, too, suggesting that things said in comments often go unread. I'm going to repeat my first paragraph from those comments, so my apologies to those of you who do read comments and have friended us both. To make this a little easier on folks, I've also tucked some of this under a cut.

I generally describe filk music as the folk music of science fiction and fantasy fans. To the best of my knowledge, it arose from that tradition* and much of the music has the cadence of folk. But, it's really a very diverse category, much more related to the topic of the songs, rather than to the origin of the music genre. A lot of the songs are parodies and use old folk tunes or contemporary songs as the melody base; there are some people who so equate this type of song with filk that they insist that this category defines filk. However, there are also a lot of people who are creating new filk songs in a variety of different musical styles.

More about filk: )