Cover Lover: “Young Hearts Run Free”

I think everyone loves a good cover song. Perhaps it’s the joy in knowing and citing the original, or the excitement of seeing something in a new light. Either way, when an artist covers a song well, he/she makes it his/her own, transforms it, and brings something fresh to the forefront. Waters is an artist who has found his voice, which is no small feat, and he uses it to transform a song that I first became familiar with courtesy of Baz Luhrmann and his soundtrack for Romeo + Juliet. Above you’ll find the Waters version of “Young Hearts Run Free” and below you will find Kym Mazelle’s version. You can also see Waters, along with Farallons and Mornings, at Brick & Mortar Music Hall tonight for a mere $6; highly recommended.

Nostos Nic, Hair Model?

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Many moons ago (October 2013), I attended a Father John Misty show at Slim’s and a very nice lady by the name of Teddi Cranford asked me a question: “Would you want to be a hair model this weekend?” Once I heard the words “haircut” and “products” modified by the word “free”, I of course said yes. The name of the game that day was education, and the lovely staff at Edo Salon were learning looks fresh off the Dolce & Gabbana runway from  Teddi and her White Rose Collective partner, Andrea Donoghue.

My intention at the time was to write a piece about the Collective event, but it never materialized for one reason or another; there are only so many hours in a day, and I’m still somewhat uncomfortable with the whole PR angle of this online branding schtick. I dragged my Fella along for the ride and the free food, and he took a slew of photos–a few of which I’m sharing with you now. Enjoy.

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The Dreamscapes of Clare Elsaesser

Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams

Clare Elsaesser is one of my favorite artists because she draws realistic dreamscapes, the real reimagined. She lives and works in Jenner, California–a seemingly imagined place made real that’s nestled on the Northern California Coast where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Ring of Roses
Ring of Roses

Good art, bad art–it’s all subjective, so the real measure of a piece is the emotional response it elicits and, thus, the connection it creates with the viewer. This is one of Elsaesser’s greatest gifts: her art is relatable yet elevated, like when you read a poem and it explains your emotions in ways you never could. Her compositions are innocently voyeuristic, as in “To The Night,” and refreshingly irreverent without losing their impact, as with “Pillow Land.”

Tiny Pony
Tiny Pony

She works with matte acrylics, textured watercolor paper, wood panels and also incorporates sewing into her work, which is for sale in forms ranging from original paintings to 5×7 prints on her ETSY site. You can also keep up with her ongoing work in a variety of outlets (Instagram, Pinterest, Blogspot, Facebook), and might I suggest giving her prints as gifts? I did just that, for Christmas a few years ago, and her affordable gems were a smashing success.