October 11, 2008

• My headaches were related to my sinusitis.  I
  very rarely get migraines, but the last one was awful.
  I got put on 2 new medicines (now I’m up to 13 meds) that seem to help.

  Been really busy with housework today; my brand new housecleaner is coming
  on Monday for 3 hours-have a lot she can do, that I am not capable of doing.

  Going to be 73 here today–beautiful, and warmer than normal.

  Why do I love my cats?  They offer unconditional love, and are very smart in
  detecting one’s feelings.
  Morgan, especially, seems to know when I’m down, but Milee is catching on. 

  Here’s some music for you!

  Poi Dog Pondering
  Poi Dog Pondering
  1989

  The one-of-a-kind world-beat folk-rock
  outfit Poi Dog Pondering first came into being in Waikiki, Hawaii, though
  it’s since made both Austin, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, home at different
  times. With a fluctuating lineup that sometimes swells to a dozen members,
  each contributing to the ensemble’s incredible multi-instrumental sound, Poi
  Dog Pondering comes off like a wandering Gypsy caravan—easy-going,
  loose-limbed, good-humored, and always on the move. With a history that now
  stretches back more than two decades, the group has a long discography under
  their multicolored belt, but the best place to start remains exactly where
  the band began, with its self-titled 1989 debut. Actually a compilation of
  two earlier, independently released EPs, Poi Dog Pondering presents
  the band at its most friendly and immediate.

  Centered on main man Frank Orrall’s lightly humorous, always good-natured
  songwriting, Poi Dog Pondering produces an upbeat folk-rock sound that
  incorporates world-music influences with the unassuming grace of a seasoned
  backpacker. “Living With the Dreaming Body” opens the disc with a sailing
  tin whistle and fast-strummed acoustic guitar. “Robin’s in the metaphysical
  section,” Orrall sings over the band’s funky folk groove, “She’s sprawled
  out along the carpet floor.” The song utilizes an unusual structure for such
  appealing pop-rock, traveling from casual, off-the-cuff lyrical observations
  to swinging instrumental passages and back again. Another highlight (and
  original EP title track), “Circle Around the Sun,” features wailing horns,
  clacking percussion, and rumbling bass. Here Orrall’s half-spoken verse
  gives way to a beautiful, lifting chorus, bolstered by lovely male-female
  harmonies.

  The band’s Hawaiian heritage comes across on several tracks, granting the
  album a laid-back tropical vibe. Perhaps the most striking example is on the
  appropriately titled “Aloha Honolulu,” a jumping, retro swing that even
  sounds like it’s been piped through a 1940s transistor set. The brass
  section brings the song to life with squawking, bopping horns, which cross
  each other just as the sound of waves lapping at the sandy shore rises in
  the mix. Throughout Poi Dog Pondering, the band delivers this kind of
  highly enjoyable, low-key music: the sound of gifted musicians having a gay
  old time and passing along the joy to all who will listen.

  
  
  Listen
  to all sound clips from this CD

  • 
    
    “Living With the Dreaming Body”
  • 
    
    “Circle Around the Sun”
  • 
    
    “Aloha Honolulu”
    
    
    Buy
    this CD
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  What are your plans for this day? 
  Anything exciting?

  I love you!!

  

  • 12:49 pm
  • 6 Comments