Da Goddess

I’m head over heels for these guys!

You get why, right?

Bonus!

It’s never pleasant reading about kids with terminal illnesses, but young man is something else! Determined to do something with the time he has left, Zach Sobiech is using music to get through tough times.

Zach was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2009. Since his diagnosis, Zach has endured several surgeries and months of chemo. In May, 2012, the cancer spread to his pelvis and lungs. There are no known effective treatments left. As Zach fights to live, he remains the same joyful soul he has always been. He still smiles as brightly as he did before cancer – it just means more now

Thank you, Stu, for sharing Zach’s story with us.

From one of my favorite Vegas bands, Sin | City Sinners.

I love the 88. Great band. Great guys. Really, really nice guys, in fact. They were super cool when I interviewed them back in 2005 (interview never got published, unfortunately) and they put on a good show. Plus, here they are singing Harry Nilsson!

Didn’t want to leave everyone hanging without music on a Tuesday, so here’s a current favorite:

I’ve always been a fan of the Mavericks and knowing there’s a new album on the way makes me super happy!

Two largely unrelated videos that simply make me happy. One is upbeat. The other is just beautifully written and sung by a favorite artist.

Ian Britt

Alfie Smith

Today’s Two-fer is different from what I submitted to By Sound. That post includes a cookie — because I like cookies.

And that, bitches, is how it’s D.O.N.E.

Spent the other night chatting on FB with a friend of mine and we lamented the music industry. Nikka cheered us up. That woman KICKS ASS!

As the reality continues to sink in:

Wake up Hostess, don’t let my Twinkies go
Wake up Hostess, don’t let my Twinkies go.
You got some nerve baby, to make me Little Debbie’s new junk food whore.

I woke up this morning, I had them Snack Cake Blues,
I woke up this morning, had them Snack Cake Blues.
Well, I looked over in the corner, and Grandpa seemed to have them too.

If you run with this, I want a copy of the mp3, friends

Just to help us all keep our minds off the last minute political bitching and back-biting, I’m sharing music I love.

First up, is Robert Ward. I love this song!

Then, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, who blew me away a few years ago at Doheny Blues Festival, gets down with Darryl Hall.

Now the ladies take a turn! E.G. Kight – I love this song. It’s not the one I wanted but it’s good. (I wanted ” Happy With The One I Got Now“.)

Then we let Susan Tedeschi rock us on out of here and into a better frame of mind!

In which:

My little sister goes on Cupcake Wars. Her company is called JeniBean’s Cupcakes. She used all natural flavors and her cupcakes were made of gluten-free, sustainable organic products. Except when she had to use whatever weird ingredient the producers deemed necessary. They were gorgeous cupcakes, too.

She won. And she brought them to a party for a concert for the band Mana, which I happened to be photographing for the second time. We were eating pizza during a break when she showed up with dessert. Then I had a moment of panic over the lighting of dancers. I had a lighting director on board and he said we’d be okay. “I got the lighting set for after break. Just relax and enjoy. It’s giong to be a long shoot. The guys loved you last time. You’re doing great this time.” And I was. It was a huge deal because it’s Mana! And there’s so much to get done and do right! (If you’ve never watched one of their videos, you just…don’t know.)

Alrighty, then.

Afterwards, I went back to my new apartment that I shared with an old roommate from Vegas. A yucky former roommate. Not the good one. Blech. But I was having a new bed delivered and was excited only to walk into my room and discover it was nowhere near ready for the delivery. Then I got a call from the delivery guys…also people I know (musicians working day jobs???) and they said they were near. I panic and attempt to get my room in order. Now the room suddenly has three big closets, one very big dresser, and stacks of clothing everywhere. This shouldn’t be happening because 1) I don’t own that many clothes, and 2) I try to call the guys back and suddenly my phone doesn’t work. It’s a floppy phone. I run into the living room to borrow the roommate’s phone and he’s now transformed into a Mexican family that doesn’t speak much English. I run outside to find the delivery guys. One of the guys has now turned into Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds. This concerns me. But only because I’m certain someone’s after me. I mean, he wouldn’t be there otherwise, right? Eh, turns out even the esteemed doctor needs to get away from profiling bad guys and saving people and just wants to have a “fun” job every now and again.

I get my bed. Dr Reid fixes my phone. We eat cupcakes with Mana again and my sister is happy she won the competition. The former roommate I didn’t like? He faded into nothing. I think he went looking for Paula Deen’s cupcakes instead.

Yes, there IS something on my mind. No, I’m not telling you what it is. YET.

But enjoy two Mana videos.

Now you see why I’d love to photograph them?