Sigh. It’s June 1, and like clockwork, the cold, damp fog has taken hold of San Francisco. Time to pull out the winter clothes. I always lament this time of year just a little. Ten months out of the year I have no complaints about this town with it’s eternal sunny skies. But June and July in San Francisco are just the worst in terms of weather. I live in the sunniest part of town too, with some of the best views of the city. So when it’s foggy in my hood, you know it’s bad.
Here’s the view of the city from my hill this morning. I felt like renaming this Say Hi...track to “June Was White, July Was Grey”. I will definitely feel better when the winter’s gone.
Listen to: “Oh oh oh oh oh oh”:
I’m in full on training mode for SXSW. Last night’s Say Hi show was my third this week and I’ve got two more to go. And that’s still not going to hold a candle to what’s in store for me in Austin. But it’s definitely getting me in the right frame of mind.
As I mentioned last week, I’m in love with Say Hi’s latest effort Oohs & Aahs. Eric Elbogen is basically the band, so it was interesting to see how his laptop rock concoctions would translate live. And it sounded great! They kicked off their tour last night in San Francisco and played the new album in it’s entirety before launching into the old stuff. A truly enjoyable singalong show. If you’re going to SXSW, I highly recommend catching them at one of their following scheduled performances:
March 19, 1PM: Room 710 (SXSW Day Party Show) March 20, 6PM: Home Slice Pizza (SXSW Day Party Show) March 21, 1PM: SXSW Daystage March 22, 8PM: The Parish (Barsuk & Merge SXSW Showcase)
This album is so damn catchy I can’t stop listening to it. I’ve been a longtime fan of the band and don’t think they’ve made a bad album to date. This one is no exception. I love frontman Eric Elbogen’s quirky lyrics and musical arrangements. Just take a listen to “Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh” and try to not get hooked.
Elbogen has an incredible ability to mix sad and happy together into a delightful contradiction. I can’t think of many other artists who could have me bopping around to a song about vampires singing – “Oh I just want to drink your blood…”. (“Blah Blah, Blah” from the album Impeccable Blahs.) While previous albums have been on the darker side in terms on subject matter – vampires, drinking blood and rejection – this one seems to lean more toward the lovelorn than the macabre. And built more around layered harmonies too – like in the gem “November Was White, December Was Grey“. It makes for an easy album to listen to and like – and sure to get stuck in your head!
Do you remember this Simpson’s episode, ‘Bart’s Dog Gets an F’? The one where the family despairs because Santa’s Little Helper can’t be trained. Then you see the dog’s perspective on the situation and all he can hear is ‘Blah, blah, blah…food. Blah, blah, blah…steak.’ And so on.
That’s pretty much what life is like with a 3 year old. Both dogs and toddlers have very selective hearing and a Pavlovian response to some key words. Life is much easier for me now that I’ve realized this. Now instead of talking myself blue in the face – pleading and rationalizing with a toddler to cooperate, behave or listen – I just blurt out words like present, gummy bunnies, ice cream cone or jelly bean and he’s right at my side like an obedient little puppy; following me around until said magic word is procured. (“What did you say Mommy? Did you say jelly bean? Is that what you said?”)
It’s so much more energy efficient and pleasant for everyone. Safe too. (‘Judah, I’ll give you a jelly bean if you promise to hold my hand and not run into the street all the way to the park.’) We’re just one big happy family now. An endless display of tricks and treats. So if you see some crazy lady walking around San Francisco with a bag full of jelly beans and a 3 year old panting by her side, that’s me. Say hi!
the OCMD 