Kathleen Smith: news

quick update:

yours truly here hit up an open mic the other night and successfully snagged herself a lil giggy gig.

NYC'ers mark the cal: Saturday, March 27, 8 pm. Sidewalk Cafe on the corner of 6th & Ave A in the E. Vil.

Details to come. 'Twill be a fun night of all cool lady folk rockers, and my first in NYC!!

We've been having problems with the streaming on this website lately, so everything except for "Tinfoil Girl" (which is being offered as a free download in celebration of its appearance on MTV later tonight) has been temporarily taken down.

Please know we're working to get songs back up as soon as possible.  Feel free to hit MySpace or Rhapsody or Facebook to hear Kathleen's music in the mean time.

Thanks!

xoxo
k & team

Well, Thanksgiving came and went, as did Christmas and New Year’s, and still I did not write.

So, to make up for not keeping in touch for months and months, this letter might seem a little long-winded. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, all of the really pertinent & exciting info is summed up at the bottom.

Let the tales begin…

As you may know, I moved from the comfortable, fabulous and beautiful life I had in Los Angeles, all the way across the country to bitter, cold, difficult New York City. Of course, New York isn’t ONLY bitter and cold and difficult—it’s also the most magical city I’ve ever been in where you can hear opera at 3 pm on a Wednesday inside the Union Square subway station!  Moving to New York from LA is no piece of cake, though, and no piece of pie or scoop of ice cream either. I DO highly recommend it to anyone, however, who wishes to “test the mettle of {her} heart” (borrowed from Joe Pugg) and also of her immune system!  Those subways are a breeding ground for germs!

New York City germs aside, though, there is some fun stuff a-brew. The little ditty “Tinfoil Girl” is very excited because she will be making her national cable television debut in exactly ONE WEEK!  You can tune in to see the excitement on Monday, February 8 at 10:30 pm on MTV’s new hit show “My Life as Liz."  It’s a funny show about a hip girl named Liz, who is, sadly, the social outcast at her crazy high school in Texas.  Go here to learn more about the show and get excited.  Please tell all your friends about this totally cool new show, and about your buddy Kathleen’s music on it in a week!

 Also, I had lots of fun making some professionally recorded noise while I was in LA over New Year’s (as opposed to the totally amateur recorded noise I used to make in my little place in Culver City).  The fabulous Oren Hadar was captain of our little music ship, and faves Erik Kertes, Perry Smith and Matt Mayhall rowed us very nicely across a beautiful recording sea with their bass, guitar and drums.  We’re still mixing and adding fun stuff like cello and jello and ocean sounds (kidding about one of those—guess which), but if you feel like clicking around and listening to some stuff, a preview of “Sweet Tune” is on the  Facebook page.

 It is looking like 2010 is gearing up to be a fun and fabulous year, and I might even really work on that novel I dreamed up, the kids’ book and songs I want to finish, the iPhone apps I plan to invent, and the world peace initiative I plan to implement. All while swimming backwards in the bathtub while singing a Bach aria. Okay, kidding about some of that—guess which.

 Oh, AND, website re-design. The current kathleenmusic.com is so 2005, and it's time for an update. If you know a fab and rad web programmer and/or designer, please feel free to send her/him my way. I pay generously with lots of chocolate chip cookies and quiches ;-)

So, in conclusion…

  1. “Tinfoil Girl” on MTV’s My Life as Liz. Watch the trailer. Watch the first episode.  Watch the episode on Feb. 8 when “tg” makes her national cable TV debut. Wheee. 
2. I moved to New York. It is crazazy. Also cold and magical.
3. Preview a new recording of “Sweet Tune” on Facebook.
4. Website re-design. Send me your qualified program/design candidates. And also do you have any specific wishes for the site?
5. Happy happy 2010!  May you find something you love and run with it and follow joy.

in musical love forever and ever and ever,
Kathleen 

Put your hard hat on, because this is a construction site now!  We're tinkering around with kathleenmusic.com to make it more fun, more fabulous, and more user friendly.  If you have a suggestion, feel free to send it on over to kathleen (at) kathleenmusic (dot) com--we know that two minds are better than one!

Please don't mind the occasional noise and dust--when it all settles, things'll look real nice around here.

Here's to 2010 and lots of new things.  Wheeee!

Monday March 23 will be a special evening involving some strings & pals Jamie Drake & Carly Escoto for some inspiring & uplifting songs. Okay, that sounds new-agey and silly, but really, it's not. Maybe c u there!
xo

am now blogging for mtv.
check it:
http://soundtrack.mtv.com "Featured Blog: Staff Pick"

**Exclusive free download of "Waiting Around" & "Sweet Tune" available on the MySpace page.**

new blog up!
Heartbreakingly Beautiful is over at blogspot. Musings on new music & yummy food.

"dolls" ep official release / street date is Friday December 12!

xoxo
ks

Check out valslist.com

Val is a curator of music--she makes itunes playlists with old and new artists who she thinks you'll love...for free!! You can read about it on her site.
I think this is a brilliant idea!! If you're like me, and not too good at being "up" on all the cool new bands, (or even if you are), I highly recommend Val.
Another totally awesome site, which you probably already know about, is pandora.com. They create personalized radio stations for you based on music you like. It is uncanny.
That is my music techno-blather blog for the day. Love you madly.
xo
ks

This is old news, fo sho, but I do know that this docu is currently playing on TV right now. How fun is that?!
My music in a movie and playing ON TV! Check out the score I composed for this short about the Los Angeles Rodeo. It's on TV now! Check out these pages to find out where and when you can see LA Rodeo!

Indie favorite radio station recently gave some airtime to "Waiting Around" from the "dolls ep." Thanks, KCRW!!

The lil' show last night was super fun! Perry played guitar and I sang, sans piano. It was fun! We pulled out some oldies and had grand time balladeering for the coffee and computer people at the Talking Stick. When we started the set, it was so foggy outside we could barely see six feet, and the baseball field lights across the street looked like fuzzy, far away stars. By the time we were finished, the fog was gone! It cleared out and went home, just like we did after the music--straight to the couch to watch "Brothers & Sisters." Ah, it's a good life!

Songs we played (not necessarily in order): Waiting Around / 3000 Miles / For You / Home to You / Sweater Song / Dolls / Tinfoil Girl / Sometimes We Run

Well, it's the little big screen--your TV, that is! I recently composed the score (and wrote an original song) for a short documentary about the Los Angeles Gay Rodeo. You can check it out here right now. You will also be able to watch it on tv very soon. As soon as I know the date & time, I will post it! Yay to Leonard Hyman, the great filmmaker who made this movie.
xo

Having a cold is a drag, especially when it translates into bronchitis, and especially especially when the weather has been so nice!! The less unfortunate bit about being sick is that I have had LOTS of relaxing couch time. I'm praying I'll be well for the show Thursday!
xo

We're mixing finally! Yay. This is the part where we fit all the little puzzle pieces together and make it sound good.
xo

White lights
white orchids
on the warm wood and ivory
of my dream.
Black knobs
silver flat surfaces
Waves from all sides
I am here,
no longer waiting on the edge.
I've leapt.
I'm in.

I have a weakness for Ritz crackers. It's kind of dorky. I eat all organic & healthy, except for the Ritzs. What's a girl to do?
In other news, the day with the strings last week was so freakin' cool. Nothing cooler than standing in the control room with two huge speakers facing me, watching the quartet play in the other room as Erik conducted them and the beautiful music blasted into my ears.
Thank you god for this!

Two of them. And a viola. And a cello. In the studio tomorrow. For the album. How much better could life be?

Waking up at three in the morning on the second day of recording is kind of a drag because it's naptime at nine am and bedtime at five pm. On the other hand, it makes for a very productive morning before 7:15. I watched Gilmore Girls, wrote in my journal, read, made a pot roast and stuck some pictures in an album. All before 7. Woowee.
On a totally opposite note, the airport (wireless internet thingy) on my ibook has revolted and stopped working. That means I do not get to sit in my living room and watch Grey's Anatomy on the computer because my ethernet cable isn't long enough. What a drag.
Things in my life that are not a drag right now:
The magical moments in the studio.
Megan's pictures of said moments.
Pacific Palisades.
Eating rainbow chard from my own garden.
Taking naps.

Heading into the studio on Feb. 5 & 6, baby! I am very excited for this project. It has been my baby for many many months, and it's exciting to be taking this step. More news later!
xo

Room 5 set list:
Going Home - Here's Your Song - Waiting Around - I'm Sorry - In This Life - You Try - Tinfoil Girl - Dolls - Xmas Medley
Notes: yay playing with a band. So fun.

Reno Set List (Walden's Coffeehouse):
I'll Be Okay - Going Home - Here's Your Song - Sweater Song (for Gramps) - In This Life - I'm Sorry - Waiting Around - Tinfoil Girl - You Try - Dolls
Notes: Having been sick all week (and still sick), and fighting a migraine, I was not feeling much in the mood for a show on Saturday night. BUT...some seriously intrepid fans came out (it was snowing & the roads were icy), and it was honestly one of the most fun shows I've had.
I love my Reno crowd! Everyone is so supportive and loving, and I even caused a few tears with the song for Grampa Breen (it was all I could do, actually, to keep from crying while I sang, b/c the little dedication I did at the beginning (it was his bday) almost did me in). Gratitude. That's all I got, baby. Some serious gratitude that I got to play for everyone last night. THANK YOU!!!!

The girl has a real piano at her house now. Thank you craigslist! Happy days, no joke.

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!