CHAMPAGNE CHAMPAGNE + RAVENNA WOODS

quality local music is something that the northwest has no lack of. when it comes together in the most unexpected way, it is magic. i stumbled upon this video while late night web surfing. wish i would have been here to see this first-hand. 

 

HUNTER'S M❍❍N: SH + LS PLAYLIST

"rainbow trees, chunky cable knit sweaters, messy hair covered up with slouchy beanies, fresh ganja, bonfires, hot cider with wiskey, new beginings, finding your crush, cozying up + kicking the leaves.

Fall is happening whether you like it or not... better we just go with it."

those are the words that come to mind when dwelling on fall and the impending winter. those are the words from the creative minds at sugarhigh + lovestoned. these two babes at SH + LS headquarters are always keeping me on my toes and pushing me to do more. to take more risks. when they aren't working on their clothing line or filling up cyberspace with gorgeous images and inspires,  you might find them camped out by the beach, hunting the next perfect wave, or howling at the full moon. if you haven't checked out their blog + website then you are missing the bigger picture. a bigger picture that includes the latest collaboration with yours truly, the cedra sessions, for a new playlist inspired by the full hunter's moon and autumns crisp air. see the full post: HERE. and don't miss their new collection, debuting soon. it is sure not to disappoint.

☽  HUNTER'S MOON ☾

1. Fall // Devendra Banhart

2. On Tour // Kurt Vile

3. Take Us Alive // Other Lives

4. Trees + Flowers // Dum Dum Girls

5. Meet Me by the Backdoor // Charlie Mars

6. Among the Leaves // Sun Kill Moon

7. This Old Routine // First Aid Kit

8. The Yellow Ones // Pinback

9. 50's // House of Wolves

10. Port of Call // Beirut

11. Yet Again // Grizzly Bear

12. Hell of a Season // The Black Keys

13. Blue Sky // Jill Andrews

14. Change in the Weather // The Concretes

15. I Know Where the Summer Goes // Belle and Sebastian

16. Ambitions + War // JBM

17. 20 Years // The Civil Wars

18. So Far From Your Weapon // The Dead Weather

19. Every Man Needs A Companion // Father John Misty

20. Twice the Size of Normal Moths // Javelina

 

HUNTER'S MOON from SUGARHIGH + LOVESTONED on 8tracks Radio.

▲ THE BEAUTY OF 'OTHER LIVES' ▲

No11 OTHER LIVES from BERLIN MUSIC BROADCAST on Vimeo.

this haunting melody carries me away. the grainy film accompanying it transports me. looking forward to the new EP being released by them on october 25th: "mind the gap". 

▲▲ free download ▲▲ of the new track "take us alive" on pitchfork >>> HERE <<<
get all the news, tour dates, photos, and more >>> HERE <<<

◄◄◄ BAND TO WATCH: GOSSIP ►►►

yeah, so...i'm late to "the gossip" party. i mean how did i not know who this band was until now? they make me move my feet. i'm dancing in my chair. right now. while i'm listening to lead singer, beth ditto, belt out the chorus. she is a diva. genuine talent. 'gossip' formed out of olympia, washington back in 1999. fronted by a curvaceous ditto and bolstered by guitarist brace paine and dummer hannah billie. they have toured with the likes of 'the white stripes' + 'sleater-kinney' and have made quite a name for themselves in the UK and the US. this trio is soulful + rocking. they just released their new album ,joyful noise, in may of this year. since i'm just discovering this powerhouse i'm going old school and playing and replaying this track. check it out. i dare you to sit still.




photo credit: one + two || holly falconer via the most cake; three || tumblr; four || via we like indie; five || via the radio beacon 

see more about the band, get tour dates, buy the new album, and get the gossip on 'gossip' 
>>> HERE <<<

☽ THAT MOON SONG: GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV ☾

i first met gregory alan isakov sometime around the fall of 2001. we worked at a neighborhood cafe in boulder, colorado. i was a fresh faced nineteen year old with her first job outside the comforts of my hometown. i was intimidated by all the new people i was meeting. but not him. greg had such a calm cool about him. i remember his quietness as he hand-rolled his cigarettes out on the brick walkway. he was kind, genuine, and humble. nearly eleven years later and not a single one of those attributes has changed. 

one afternoon a baker at the cafe was playing a cassette tape (yes, a cassette tape) in the back of the kitchen. i remember being drawn in by the sound. finding out it was gregory's voice made it all the more sweet. i 'borrowed' the tape for the next year. my roommate and i would listen to it all day long, flipping it over and over until the tape wore out. four albums later and his music is still on replay. his music is full of heart. his melody intoxicating. 

gregory is a very talented musician. it is clear from the first listen. but for me, it is the added beauty of his lyrics that sets him apart from other singer/songwriters. he is thoughtful + careful with his words. he is a poet. some lines mid song just sting, cling, and stay there a while. one of my favorites has always been "that stable song" from his 2007 album "that sea, the gambler": 

come to me clear and cold on some sea
watch the world spinning waves..like some machine

now i’ve been crazy couldn’t you tell
i threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
now i’m covered up in straw, belly up on the table
well and sang and drank, and passed in the stable.

that tall grass grows high and brown,
well i dragged you straight in the muddy ground
and you sent me back to where i roam
well i cursed and i cried, but now i know…now i know

and i ran back to that hollow again
the moon was just a sliver back then
and i ached for my heart like some tin man
when it came oh it beat and it boiled and it rang..its ringing

ring like crazy, ring like hell
turn me back into that wild haired gale
ring like silver, ring like gold
turn these diamonds straight back into coal. 

this afternoon i stumbled upon this video. i love the aesthetic of it. it's that simplistic and intimate vibe of sitting in your living room and listening to gregory perform. just letting the sound wash over you. i think you will see just what it is that makes this man so special. enjoy.

to read more and see more about gregory alan isakov 
click >>>> HERE <<<<




video credit: "big black car" by gregory alan isakov. performed by isakov, jeb bows, phil parker. film by todd roeth

see more of the incredible work by todd roeth >>> HERE <<<

photo credit: one || folk radio uk; three ||via night fox isakov pictured with nathaniel rateliff; four || shaun photography; five ||via papa bean sprout.

MIRRORED SEA: NW PLAYLIST ONE

 the pacific northwest. it is known for it's gray skies + misting rain. known for the pride it takes in coffee + for the particular role it has played in the music scene over the years. and now it is more specifically known to me as 'home'.

i have been fully marinating in the adventure of starting over. there have been many moments of wide-eyed excitement and a few moments of frustration, loneliness, and tears. it is all part of the greater experience. life has really opened up to me lately and i can't help but feel that this is where i am supposed to be. 

i am constantly surrounded by inspiration in this city. the sea over one shoulder and the gritty city streets over the other. green everywhere i look. dahlias the size of the orange half moon. but it really is the music that keeps sparking the fire. every minute that the radio is turned up i find myself thinking, "who is this!?". some artists were new + some were undiscovered tracks from my very favorites. 

the collection of the songs that have filled me up since being here is what inspired this playlist. i hope at least one track gives you a momentary spark.


<<< THE STEP AND THE WALK || THE DUKE SPIRT >>>
<<< YET AGAIN || GRIZZLY BEAR >>>
<<< DAMAGED GOODS || YEASAYER >>>
<<< HALL OF MIRRORS || THE HELIO SEQUENCE >>>
<<< SUNSET || THE xx >>>
<<< SKELETONS || YEAH YEAH YEAHS >>>
<<< RUIN || CAT POWER >>>
<<< ON AND ON || THE SEA AND CAKE >>>
<<< SOLITAIRE || THE NOTWIST >>>
<<< SPECIAL CASES || MASSIVE ATTACK >>>
<<< JIMMY || M.I.A. >>>
<<< MIRRORED SEA || PASSION PIT >>>
<<< WOR || DJANGO DJANGO >>>
<<< RUNAWAY || SPORTS >>>
<<< CAVALIER || SHOVELS & ROPES >>>
<<< END COME TOO SOON || WILD BEASTS >>>
<<< PROVE TO ME || SEAPONY >>>
<<< BELIEVER (FUNKHAUS SESSIONS) || JAZZANOVA >>>

MIRRORED SEA from thecedrasessions on 8tracks Radio.

>>> photo credit: one || felt soul media; three || manley audio; four || tacomas outsider guide; six || joseph eckert photograhy; seven || fr. ted bobosh; eight || terror bird; nine || peathead; ten || surfer <<<

<<<< MICHAEL LAVINE: GRUNGE >>>>

 
as many have noticed i haven't posted on 'the cedra sessions' in a while. i have been on a hiatus since the end of august, moving my life halfway across the country. nothing like completely uprooting yourself to really shake life up. leaving small town life behind, i find myself in the hustle bustle of the city. i am full of love for life. 
this morning i sat at the coffee shop sipping a perfect latte adorned with a floral rosette and listening to the new 'grizzly bear' album. wrapped in a geometric scarf on a foggy morning...i suppose i'm a true seattle cliche. i started scouring the web, looking for photography that was inspired by city life in the pacific northwest. and what i stumbled upon was this: michael lavine.
teaming up with the words of sonic youth's front man, thurston moore, in the book "grunge",lavine's photos provide a vivid visual record of this important music and lifestyle milestone. i love the realness. the grit. the honesty. lavine is a denver born, new york city based photographer known best for his portrait work. he has photographed many influential artists over the years, but i find this selection of his portfolio especially fascinating. 

see more of michael lavine's work >>> HERE <<<