A Record to Fall In Love With – Risa Binder, Paper Heart
In this day in age where so much of the pop music we hear is full of bitter heartbreak and defiant cries of independence proclaiming how much we DON’T need one another, this Valentine’s Day we are in for a delightful treat with the reminder of how good it feels to give into falling for someone. With her debut album, Paper Heart which hits online stores today, up-and-coming singer-songwriter, Risa Binder, brings us a sensational record that couldn’t be more appropriate as the soundtrack for your Valentine’s Day.
The title track on the record, “Paper Heart”, so lovely and sweet, evokes the innocence of love. It takes you to a time when love felt effortless, and reminds you that falling in love can still be as exciting now as it was when you were a teenager.
In the album highlights, “Could Be Love” and “Uncovered” we surrender to love in Binder’s soft, gentle voice with lyrics “In your light/I’m free to feel/so uncovered.”
Sweeter and more refreshing than a popsicle on a hot summer day, Paper Heart recalls the tender moments of new love with sugary anecdotes and satisfying melodies in “You Made It Rain”, “Just Like That” and “Second Time Around” hummed along a lively guitar and lyrics “Some things taste better the second time you bite into it” proving that sometimes all love needs is a second chance.
So take this Paper Heart, write your love letter to your sweetie, and fall in love with this record.
You can purchase Paper Heart today on iTunes or on Amazon.
Learn more about Risa and sign-up on her mailing list on her website, Risa Binder.
Poetry When I Run
With the marathon behind me and my winter sports in full swing, this may be the ‘off season’ for running, but that doesn’t mean I’m taking any time off.
I don’t have any races coming up on the calendar, but I still need to be out there. Running does so much more for me than keep me in shape. I think about things when I run. Sometimes good things, sometimes not. But when something is weighing heavily on my mind, the best way for me to work it out is to shut off the rest of the world for a few miles and run.
Last night was no different. The temperature was moderate [insert skier's lack of snow grumble here] and it was a good night for a reflective loop of the park. As I was running and thinking about all the things that seem to be being thrown at me from every direction, I stayed on pace, watching my shadow in the long low light. It reminded me of this poem I wrote quite some time ago, so when I got home later in the night I pulled it out and worked on it a little, making a few edits and incorporating a few comments an old friend had given me after my first go around with it.
I’m not a poet by any means, but sometimes they go looming around in your head and you just have to let them out. As with everything in life, consider this a work in progress, but feel free to let me know what you think.
*******************************************************************************************
When I Run
I like to watch my shadow
When I run
In the night she dances
Around me playfully,
In the dim glow of streetlamps
Sometimes my mind dizzy in the darkness
She is persistently pressing to power past limitations,
Surpass arduous contests, making strides toward inner progress
To propel onward with undiscovered momentum
She is urging me harder, stronger, better
My heart, it pounds in my chest and I run faster
I like to watch my shadow
When I run
At the daybreak smooth and steady
With the slow rising sun
She is steadfast at my side
Awake with newly established clarity of morning
She keeps me focused, keeps me centered
Sustaining the perpetual pace
Unwavering, she escorts me along the journey’s path
Guiding me through the distance
The rhythm of my breath, it matches the rhythm of my step and I run farther
I like to watch my shadow
When I run
To see her cast against the pavement
And change in changing light
Along park grasses and against urban cityscapes.
A parallel existence divided by length of day
Separate pieces of the whole, together as one something in between.
The guise removed, she is a likeness to my passioned edges
For growth of mind and body she is my champion
Advancing the discovery of promise, always forward, always aware
Together we are present in the pleasant ache of moment, and I run
Music to Consider: My Top 10 Albums of 2011
As each year comes to a close, we often find ourselves taking a good look back over the days gone by to see just how far we’ve come. One of my favorite exercises as part of this reflection is to look at the music of the last year and evaluate my favorites. In 2010, it was a ghostly picture of a time that seemed almost uncertain, yet hopeful. This year, I sort of hit the ground running, and with that I experienced a lot of growth and for the most part, have found myself in a pretty good place.
An old friend once pondered the notion to me that the music we listen to can be of powerful influence on our thoughts. Is it that we happen upon a song that so perfectly expresses what we are already feeling? Or is the music itself provoking us to think and feel a certain way? I suppose it’s a little bit of both – giving and taking.
I often find myself looking to music for lessons of love and loss and finding the voice to express what we feel in this life. For me these musings are so often sorted out in my head during long runs exploring the city or dancing to my records in my living room during hurricanes, with the music I listen to always there.
As I consider the music from 2011, perhaps the greatest year of my life so far, I wonder, is that sentiment reflected in the songs that struck me most from this year? Certainly some. This is, of course, only a short introduction to a few select records of many that I really enjoyed over the last year. How they influenced the way I think and feel about what was going on around me…. Well, that’s a whole other review.
1. The Antlers -Burst Apart
Following the release of their breakout masterpiece, Hospice, released in 2009, the Brooklyn based band, The Antlers, had a pretty tough act to follow with their highly anticipated sophomore project. Hospice was a bold and beautiful concept album, forcing the listener to give themselves to it completely in an emotional experience of such depth that it can only be described through metaphors of slow death. It left us exposed, vulnerable, aching; merely a puddle of snot and tears lying naked and heavy on the floor.
Burst Apart is a departure from the abrasive austerity Hospice conveyed to us, and is instead an exploration of the range of responses following such intense emotional trauma. Healing.
Its moody mix and dream-pop textures prove to be a lush, sexier, analysis of our emotions. One we can give into and take away from.
The opening track, “I Don’t Want Love,” is a declaration of emotional numbness that lyric writer and band frontman, Peter Silberman, has proved incapable to achieve. Still, a strengthening step away from the personal anguish of Hospice, we begin this journey of evolution towards recovery and growth.
In the album’s single, “Parentheses”, noisy rhythms and distorted guitars layer behind Silberman’s singing falsetto in perfect OKComputer-esk arrangement. Though not quite the stand alone representative of the album as a solid single with its jarring transition to the following track, “No Widows”, which leaves both songs feeling a little unfeathered and removes that element of cohesive fluidity formerly found on Hospice. Yet the soothing electronics settle us back down before moving on to the album highlights, “Rolled Together” (can you hold that note a little longer for us Peter?) and “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out”, where Silberman evokes the terrifying realization that we may be powerless against the way our experiences make us feel.
Not until the final two moments of Burst Apart with “Corsicana” and “Putting the Dog to Sleep”, do the hauntingly beautiful tracks finally soften some of that anger and bitterness the thickened skin of our scars has built up around our hearts. Full of vivid imagery with lyrics such as “We should shut that window we both left open now” and “my trust in you is a dog with a broken leg, Tendons too torn to beg for you to let me back in”, the album offers us a way to let go with an acceptance of loss but the strength to move on.
For those who were not quite ready for the unsettling themes expressed in Hospice, this very successful follow-up acts as an approachable introduction to The Antlers with prolific lyrics and new sounds carried on classic song structure. This band is giving every indication of a future with many great things to come, with depth and delicious richness. They have proved capable of taking on very difficult and personal subject matters and portraying to us something beautiful we can take in and feel for ourselves or continue to share with them. We didn’t need to hear a Hospice II in this effort. That moment of experience has its value and has passed. Where in Hospice our wounds are left deeply exposed and must be felt, in Burst Apart we learn to acknowledge what it means to feel.
2. Bon Iver -Bon Iver
I had trouble falling in love with this record. For Emma, Forever Ago (2007) was so personal and intimate; a secret whispered in the dim light of a broken heart that didn’t want to be broken.
Bon Iver is boldly outspoken, abundantly rich and vibrant. It comes at you from every direction, challenging you to hear something you didn’t hear a moment ago and have it all fit so completely. It’s in the subtleties of sound that Bon Iver finds its remarkable character. Every breath, every moment of instrumentation, every silence so elegantly and deliberately stated.
In this album’s release, Justin Vernon seeks to find his inspiration from the music itself; the arrangement, the experimentation and its influence. With Bon Iver, even Vernon’s voice, unique and powerful, is utilized for greater purpose than simply carrying the melody of the lyrics. His selection of specific words, similar to lyrics written by the likes of Andrew Bird, are chosen as much for the way the sound as they are for what they mean, and when united with his voice in song, they evoke something more than just a thought to relate to. The titles of the tracks also work in this way as names of places, some fictional and some real, offering a foundation for each song to be born from in the way they are voiced or read.
“Holocene” whose literal meaning comes from its reference to the geological epoch of the same name, is lyrically a beautiful declaration of the significance of discovering one’s insignificance, with stunning vocals colored with delicately placed horns and subtle tones. At furthest distance from this revelation with the first and final tracks on the record we hear a narrative of rebirth in “Perth” and a final reward in “Beth/Rest”, the controversial (and awesome!) end as a story of a place Vernon told NPR you “get to be for the rest of your life.”
No single track on Bon Iver offers the simplicity of a man, his heart, and his guitar like what we heard in “Re: Stacks” on For Emma, but Vernon chose to use the art of sound and lyric to convey something else entirely. Something bigger than the feelings of one man at one moment, yet still very real, very aware, and unexpectedly moving.
3. We Are Augustines - Rise Ye Sunken Ships
It wouldn’t be a top ten of mine if it didn’t include at least one raw, gritty, anthem-esk indie rock album that makes it feel so good to hurt so much. Last year, it was a ‘wintery mix’ sophomore effort from my favorite Scotsmen, Frightened Rabbit.
Fittingly, this year’s plunge into the darker depths of life’s experience rises in a glimmer of hope with a band coincidentally set to join Frightened Rabbit on stage in my favorite city in the entire world, Edinburgh, Scotland, on February 10th (Fancy a weekend trip to the UK anyone??? It’s been a few months since I’ve been……..)
I discovered We Are Augustines during the 2011 CMJ Film and Music Festival here in NYC just this past October. I’ve already written of my CMJ adventures in tracking them down and catching their final set of the festival only hours before they left for the U.K. on tour, and I can.not.wait. for them to return!
Rise Ye Sunken Ships is an intimate confession of a deeply personal time of great tragedy in the life of singer and band frontman, Ryan McCarthy, who lost his mother to an overdose and later, his brother James to suicide. These events, coupled with the utter breakdown of McCarthy and bandmate Eric Sanderson’s former project, Pela, Ships almost didn’t rise. McCarthy and Sanderson somehow found a way to make it happen in an almost heroic effort, which they share on their band website.
The album opener, “Chapel Song” transitions seamlessly from what we knew from Pela before entering into McCarthy’s pleas to his brother James to save himself, in “Augustine” with lyrics, “I know you can swim/but ya gotta move your legs.” He then takes us on a nostalgic joyride crying out, “we stole it, for the feeling of stealing it.” in “Headlong Into the Abyss”, where he divulges an account of a run-in with the police during his youth – a moment of defiance just to feel at once both numb and alive.
In “Book of James”, the album highlight and truest testament to McCarthy’s fallen brother, drummer Rob Allen is felt booming under textured sounds longing with moments of lost words, but rises up in promise of redemption with lyrics, “I know we tried, and you’re forgiven.”
The album is honest, edgy, and raw with McCarthy’s scratchy, Springsteen-esk storytelling bound to the band’s fast-pace, alt-rock sound.
For anyone who has ever ached desperately for someone they love to love themselves and lost, Ships will reach down into the pit of that emptiness and have you believe that you too, will rise.
4. Wilco - The Whole Love
Of all of my favorite bands (for which I have many!), Wilco is my favorite to favorite… Meaning, I’m really glad I love them so much, because they just make me feel happy. Jeff Tweedy steals my heart; on my feet in my living room, smiling and dancing one minute and feeling quietly reflective the next.
Opening with the “Art of Almost,” Wilco’s latest album, The Whole Love is immediately alarming, capturing your undivided attention and setting an unsettling tone for this captivating record that takes us on a voyage through our whole heart.
There are many moments that are tender and heartfelt, recalling the warmth of Sky Blue Sky in “Sunloathe” and “Black Moon” but never feel cliché, and still leave plenty of room for new experimentation and growth as a band.
Tracks “Capital City” and “Standing O” are allusive to the feel-good seventies, like something someone would use in a highlight reel of silent home videos showcasing happy days gone by while the title track takes that same feeling and makes it feel quite new.
The sweeter love songs, “Open Mind” with lyrics, “Oh I can only dream of the dreams we’d share/If you were so inclined” and “Dawned on Me,” a candid realization that he is still in love with his wife, highlight Tweedy’s romantic heart.
The final and most outstanding track on the record, “One Sunday Morning” is an introspective look at one of the hardest relationship expectations to live up to, and the toughest one to lose. Tweedy suggests remorse in remembering a troubled relationship between father and son, “Bless my mind I miss/Being told how to live/What I learned without knowing/How much more I owe than I can give.”
The Whole Love as a whole album has a very natural feeling of uneasiness. Rolling Stone calls the album “softly grand” and I think that is a perfectly lovely description of this record. At times it reveals clarity and revelation, still other moments feel random and ambiguous. All together it feels entirely honest and perfectly human.
5. Radiohead - King of Limbs
Whether by following the mantra that everything they touch is gold, or grasping to an identity defined by one individual album within the artist’s repertoire, everyone’s favorite indie rock band, Radiohead, released their highly anticipated eighth full length album to a broad and faithful fanbase eager to hear which direction they would be taken to next. Those expecting to be completely blown away may have found themselves a little disappointed by this moody and ambient experiment. Where In Rainbows took great strides forward while still reaching back with heavier guitar ‘rock’, King of Limbs moves on to an entirely different direction all together combining rhythmic drum loops, distorted synth basslines and multifaceted sampling of sounds in an atmospheric surge under Thom Yorke’s glowing falsetto.
The front half of the album, opening with “Bloom” immediately dives into experimental loops, and continues to quickly, tap. tap. tap. rhythmically through to the mostly instrumental, “Feral.” Whereas the second half of the album, beginning with “Lotus Flower” and the exquisite piano ballad, “Codex”, turns to more familiar territory (by Radiohead standards) with stunning vocals and artsy lyrics painting a picture open to much interpretation, finishing with “if you think this is over, then you’re wrong.” in “Separator,” the album’s final track.
‘Real’ critics call the album, “ambitious in ideas” but admit it may be understated in execution, and I would have to agree, but the intricate complexities in this album are so delicate that to flaunt them, I think they would lose their value. Instead we have a soft and alluring experience that is simply gorgeous to listen to.
6. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
The Feet Foxes bring to us again another beautiful collection of northwest America folk songs with vivid imagery and whimsical composition. In Helplessness Blues we find the content a little darker, a little more gloomy than their self-titled debut released in 2008, but still rich with many layers that build and release so eloquently over the length of the record.
Helplessness Blues is an introspective look at our character with opener “Montezuma”, “Blue Spotted Tail” and in the title track “Helplessness Blues” but still fills us with echoey harmonies and boomy arrangements that keep the listener captivated for more in “The Plains/Bitter Dancer” and “Grown Ocean”.
The album standout, “The Shrine/An Argument,” is an eight minute, dream-like fantasy, complete with several seconds of modern jazz freehorn, perfectly bridging the rise and fall of the musical journey portrayed in the richness of the track.
7. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
I first discovered this stunning duet, comprised of the lovely Joy Williams and John Paul White on the small outdoor stage at the Newport Folk Festival this past July, catching only a few final songs of their set. After falling immediately in love, I made sure to have a few listens of their debut album, Barton Hollow.
This record is gentle and bitter-sweet, starting off with “20 Years”, an understated apology, setting the tone for an album full of longing moments that escape us without a satisfying happily ever after, told poignantly in “To Whom It May Concern” and “Forget Me Not”.
The real magic of this duo comes from their chemistry with each other, with their vocals on most of the album accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. Singing lyrics such as “I can’t help falling out of love with you.” in “Falling” it is possible to accept that they are not actually in fact, a couple, but as I jokingly stated to a friend in a comment on a YouTube link to one of their beautiful videos on Facebook, they are so damn sexy. I swear, they can just sing to each other and I feel like I just had sex with both of them. (ha!)
8. Beirut - The Rip Tide
Zach Condon returns with more triumphant arrangements of boisterous instrumentation in Beirut’s latest LP, The Rip Tide. The album continues to feel worldly and Condon’s rich, luscious voice has a calming quality that makes this album so comforting to listen to again and again.
Handsome tracks like “East Harlem” and “Santa Fe” sway along the melody and feel as tender and charming as they are lifting. The emotional, stripped down ballad, “Goshen,” opens with the line “You’re on in five, it’s time you rise or fade” and continues with an intimate sadness of unmet expectations, or so it seemed.
The Rip Tide is vibrant and colorful, a delightful little record to listen to.
9. James Blake - James Blake
Being introduced to new music through a good friend is definitely the best way… especially when you get to dance to it.
Taking me a little beyond my indie-folk/rock comfort zone, James Blake’s self-titled debut is an innovative approach to drawing from wide range of influences, and the result is a very sexy record full of suspenseful silence and tension answered with rewarding soulful layers of soothing vocals and absorbing rhythms.
Certainly not from a genre I am very familiar with (dubstep? post-dupset? electronic pop? what????) Whatever it is, I like it.
From the first heavy dropped beat in opening track “Unluck” and “I Never Learnt to Share”, to the sensual “The Wilhelm Scream” and the lingering ambiance in the chest shaking Fiest cover, “Limit To Your Love” – this album is stimulating to all of the senses.
10. Real Estate - Days
Days has been my first introduction to the New Jersey natives, Real Estate – a fun, dreamy pop band that have been impressing the likes of Pitchfork for the last few years since their self-titled first release in 2009.
Heavily influenced by fellow New Jersey-ians, The Feelies, Real Estate offers a lighthearted disposition depicting life in the American suburb. There’s a lot of ‘sameness’ and perception of ‘coming of age’ portrayed in simplicity and familiarity of their catchy tunes, and it feels really good. Reminiscent of lazy summer days and long road trips “all those wasted miles” in “Green Aisles” that really weren’t a waste at all; I want my windows down and my radio up with this record.
The greatest highlight on the album, “All The Same,” an easy listening, carefree song that shimmers all over with memories of a time when life’s simple pleasures were enough and slowing down to enjoy the ride was the best part. All carried on a sweet melody that you really just don’t want to end.
The River City Extension: A Welcome Home for Thanksgiving
The River City Extension at The Stone Pony, November 23, 2011
I knew it was going to be an amazing show.
Had I thought it would be anything but amazing, I wouldn’t have gone. It was in New Jersey of all places, more than an hour south of Brooklyn in Asbury Park, and it was the night before Thanksgiving. My show-going friends were all either on their way out of town, busy with out-of-town guests or otherwise just not interested in crossing the Hudson, so I was on my own for this one. Under almost any other circumstances I would have let this one go. For reasons I can’t really explain, my relationship with the state of New Jersey has always been a bit fraught to say the least and it’s no secret that I will usually look for an excuse to avoid going.
But… I have been waiting to see the River City Extension perform for more than a year now, and this was going to be a special night for them so I really wanted to be there. This show was the band’s Second Annual “Homecoming” to be played at New Jersey’s historic and legendary music venue, The Stone Pony. The NJ natives just finished recording their new full length record in Chicago, due out next year, and they have the momentum of band poised to achieve greatness. The eight member ensamble is a collection of some of the most talented musicians I have heard in the country, let alone New Jersey. Their story is incredible, and the result of their efforts is nothing short of extraordinary.
Lead under the direction of founding member, Joe Michelini, their sound is a unique and refreshing approach to new indie-folk, combining potent, thoughtful lyrics with formidable, technically rich instrumentation, and a vibrant, boisterous feel.
Their debut full length album, The Unmistakeable Man (2010) is a touching journey of self reflection and was fifth on my Top 10 + 20 of 20 + 10. I have introduced this album to more of my friends than any other, throwing it on at almost any opportunity I get. Not only do I feel their talent and potential for musical success merit effort and support from their growing fanbase, but I sincerely feel that, at least for me, their music and lyrical content has that rare ability to reach the listener on an entirely different level from most other artists – People need to hear this record.
To my surprise, I arrived at the show fairly early. I thought for sure I would be cursing in NJ traffic for hours, but the busy Parkway moved along quite well for a Thanksgiving Eve. I made my way into the venue and settled into a nice spot back center, right in front of the soundboard (because hey! if there’s one spot in the whole place where the sound is going to be great, it’ll be next to the guys in charge of the sound).
The very young, gritty folk band, Wild Rompit, was just finishing up their set, and the youth of New Jersey was filing in ready to dance. Based on the number of CD’s people were holding in their hands, I was sorry to have missed the first opening act, The Front Bottoms, because they must have been pretty impressive. I will have to check them out for next time.
The crowd at this show was younger than I expected (or at least younger than I’m used to coming from the NYC perspective). I found it mildly humorous that the River City Extension’s request for folks to come donned in their “Sunday Best” resulted in a wide range of interpretations, from the appropriate old-timey wool vests and bowler hats to the scandalously clad “Jersey Shore”-esk mini dresses that didn’t even cover their undergarments let alone their rears (yes… I’m talking about you, young girl in the red strappy dress with your entire bra showing… I’m sorry, but your mother failed you.)
There was one more opening act before the headlining set; fellow New Jersey locals, Waking Lights, and I was really glad I had arrived in time to catch them. I have seen them once before during 2010′s CMJ festival in New York City and I remember them being a lot of fun. No longer cramped on the tiny stage of the Rockwood Music Hall, they were even better than I had remembered. Fun, funky, danceable rythyms combined with a heavy, distorted guitar and Matt Maroulakos’ dynamic vocals and colorful facial expressions create a an experience for the audience that is not just fun to watch, but one you feel a part of. I think we can expect good things from these guys in the future.
The River City Extension at the Stone Pony
Finally, just before 10:30 PM, a clean shaven Joe Michelini and the rest of the River City Extension gang took to the stage and immediately exploded with “South For the Winter” as we prepared ourselves for a real long night. Just as I expected, the band brought out a big sound in a big way and the warmed up crowd took delight in the night that was so much more than typical Wednesday show, it was a celebration.
The enthusiastic eight song set plus three song encore was a spirited affair that left everyone present full of awesome energy and Thankful for so many things.
Over the course of the evening, we heard a preview of a few new songs off their upcoming album, Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger, including one which borrows Nicole Scorsone of Waking Lights on violin. The second new song, which I couldn’t quite catch the title of, had me whisper under my breath, “Damn that was awesome!” and I am certainlly confident that the new record will be great.
Singer/songwriter Michelini, fills the room with heart and big Homecoming emotion as he cries out “I wanna go home!” in “Friends and Family” and pulls us closer as he slows things down in the introspective “If I Still Owned a Bible” and an acoustic, “Today, I Feel Like I’m Evolving.”
Soon the show began to take on the feel of a rowdy family gathering rather than your typical performance spectacle, and I even overheard one young fan light up and say of Sam Tacon as she sang her vocals on “Our New Intelligence,” “Her voice is like an angel singing in my ear,” Lively songs like “Mexico” and “Adrianne” further raised the crowd in pure jubilation as trumpet player, Dan Melius, showed us exactly why he has become such a defining component of this company.
Finally, the River City Extension brings the party to a close with “Something Salty, Something Sweet,” a sing-a-long, layered piece full of vibrant bursts, highlighting the strengths of each band member and has the entire crowd finish in a single loud roar, “Whoo!”
Welcome home.
Setlist (only as I remember it…):
Encore:
Something Salty, Something Sweet
I was too busy dancing to take video at this show, but for those that are new to the River City Extension and need a little YouTube before you go buy their record, I give you their closing song of the night, “Something Salty, Something Sweet”
And a recording of Joe Michelini doing a solo rendition of
“Today, I Feel Like I’m Evolving”
(I can’t tell you how much I wish I had been in the room for this performance.)
Run Like You’re Awesome: The 2011 ING New York City Marathon
Awesome.
That really is the best word to describe what last Sunday felt like. Awesome.
I could think of a few other words that would be fitting too… Incredible. Amazing. Painful. Wonderful. Hard. Effortless. Beautiful. All of these words easily come to mind, but “Awesome” sums it up quite well.
I raised over $1,500 for flood relief for historic structures in Vermont. Not because I had to raise money for charity to get into the marathon… I already had guaranteed entry with the 9+1 program through NYRR. I raised money because I saw an opportunity to help out a cause I am passionate about. I cannot thank those that supported me and sponsored me in this effort enough. I know I wasn’t raising money to fight cancer or feed starving children, but historic places are important too. They have meaning for all of us, and they need support, especially after something as devastating as the flooding that occurred in Vermont from the hurricane. To everyone who donated to this cause: thank you.
This was my second marathon, and that does make it vastly different from last time. Last time was a special moment, in a very special place, at a very special time in my life, and nothing will ever take away from what that meant to me as a moment of personal progress, achievement and reflection.
But this marathon was in my hometown, and that means I was able to share it with many of the people I care about most.
My mother flew out to watch me run. My best friends were cheering me on along the way. My coworkers inquired about my ‘readiness’ and fueled my excitement. I ran right through my own neighborhood and all along the routes I have become so intimately familiar with since I began running just over two years ago. I hugged my mom and a few friends in Brooklyn. I was energized from shouts of encouragement from coworkers and friends. I carried on thanks to a few unexpected cheers from friends in Harlem and as I entered the home stretch of Central Park. I lit up and was even moved to tears as I caught sight of my closest running buddies and mom cheering, sign and all, two miles shy of the finish.
Fucking Awesome.
Running races of this caliber is something extraordinary, and what it feels like to be part of it, nearly impossible to explain.
You train. You work hard. For weeks…. months.
Sometimes you run with your friends, but even in good company, running is ultimately still just you. You, your sneakers, and the pavement.
Hearing people cheer for you when you’re running is something that is truly amazing. There’s nothing in it for them if you finish or do well. They don’t care if you finish five minutes faster. All they know is that you are pursuing a great personal challenge and they want to show you that they believe in you, and that they are proud of you. Wow. If you want to make someone feel special and show them that they matter to you…. Cheer for them when they run in a big race. It’s nothing short of humbling and moving to experience.
I would say this race began early Sunday morning with a lot of waiting… but really, it began long before that. Ha! This race began even before I ran my previous marathon in February. I’m not exactly sure when, but sometime during 2010 I realized I was becoming a distance runner, and not only that, I was well on my way to guaranteed entry through NYRR’s 9+1 program. So I started training for the real deal.
I ran my very first race ever on January 24, 2010. It was the Manhattan Half Marathon if you can believe it, and at the time, it was such a significant personal accomplishment. Now, less than two years later… I’ve run in dozens of races and have just completed my second full marathon. How cool is that?
Sunrise from the starting Village in Staten Island
That said, there was indeed a LOT of waiting Sunday morning. More than four and half hours of it. For my third wave, 10:40AM start, I was at the starting village by 6:45 AM.
I was bored. Anxious. Nervous. Unreasonably worried about my iPhone’s battery life.
I had some of the free snacks and tea. I tried napping a little. I watched the many interesting characters I was about to run with, and made a lot of mental notes for next year. By 9:30 AM I couldn’t stand it anymore and switched on my iPhone for some tunes. I tried to find my friend Dan, who was the only other person I knew running that day, but the complex was full of more than 45,000 runners and I couldn’t make it happen.
I thought a lot about the race. I was excited. Even after having trouble falling asleep the night before (I was REALLY excited) I felt rested. I felt good and I felt ready. The weather could not have been more perfect and I knew it was going to be a great run.
Me at the starting line!
I made my way to my corral at the proper time and waited, shivering for my turn to run. I was shivering so badly a couple different people offered me their long sleeved sweatshirts and jackets they were about to discard on the sidelines. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel cold.
Before too long we started to move and make our way towards the starting line. The Empire State Building was visible way off in the distance beyond the great Verrazano Bridge just up ahead. One runner leaned to me and said: “[The Empire State Building] looks so far away doesn’t it? And just think… we’re about to run about 130 blocks past it and back. That’s a really long ways!”
Noteworthy Tune: Gayngs, The Last Prom on Earth
My View as the Race Began
Finally! Time to RUN!
I crossed the start with nearly exactly 60 minutes on the clock since the first wave of racers had begun, which was great because it would make keeping track of my pace very easy… I just had to subtract an hour.
Arial View of the Marathon Start
By a great stroke of luck, I was on the upper platform across the Verrazano Bridge! The New York City skyline on my left, and my Brooklyn straight ahead in my sight; this race was underway. Swirls of brightly colored clothing flew through the air in what seemed like slow motion as runners removed and discarded the outer layers which had been keeping them warm prior to the start of the race. Fittingly, a little White Stripes came up on my iPhone, and I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Many runners stopped briefly to snap photos and capture this great moment, myself included. It was so cool. What a way to begin a long run. By the time we entered Brooklyn, we already had more than a mile behind us and we were all gliding on air.
Noteworthy Tune: The White Stripes, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Brooklyn was amazing.
The people cheering, the route through my neighborhood, my warm legs picking up speed; Brooklyn was simply incredible.
I flew up Fourth Avenue, every so often passing a local band performing on the sidelines. Whenever I could, I would point to someone in the band and smile in thanks… each time receiving a smile and a nod in return. Even with lots of high-fives from the children on the street, I was well ahead of my anticipated pace and feeling confident in my body.
As I entered my neighborhood I began scanning the sidelines for my friends. They were right where they said they would be and I was soooo excited to see them! With a huge smile on my face I hugged my good friend Jorge and shouted at my mom to get her attention… She hadn’t even noticed me yet! I happily declared to everyone that I was on pace, gave my mom a quick squeeze and went on my way.
Continuing on through Ft. Greene and into Williamsburg, I kept thinking to myself what an incredible experience this was and how awesome I was feeling. I saw a few more friends and got a few more hugs, one from my ski-buddy Amy, and one from a big, burly man who was wearing a bright pink sweatshirt that read “FREE HUGS!” (Of COURSE I wanted one of those!) I was having soooo much fun! I’m not trying to take away from what Tokyo was like, but damn New York City is really something special, and you can feel it with every step.
Around Mile 12 I grabbed a refreshing orange wedge from a spectator on the sidelines who greeted me with “Yeah CENSORED!” A moment later a familiar face caught up next to me… it was my running friend Dan! “I thought I heard someone yell ‘censored’!”
“Fancy running into you here!” After a quick hello and a chat, and a little added excitement of running into a friend mid-run, I was back to running my race. I think I could have run in Brooklyn forever.
Most Memorable Sign: (entering Williamsburg from Ft. Greene) “Danger! Watch out for Hipsters!”
Noteworthy Tune: Explosions in the Sky, The Only Moment We Were Alone
Runners in Long Island City
Queens was admittedly a lot less fun than Brooklyn, but it felt like we were only there for a few minutes. I was really looking forward to crossing the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan. We reached the halfway point while crossing the Pulaski Bridge and on the runners left the views of Manhattan’s Midtown were spectacular! The Chrysler Building sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. I cannot emphasize enough how beautiful this day was. The temperature was cool, but not cold. The sun was shining, but never felt hot or heavy. The air was clean and felt refreshing in my chest.
I had just finished running my fastest 13.1 miles ever at 1:55:46. I still felt strong, and I was halfway there!
I was hungry though… in a good way (rare during a run) and was on the lookout for something that could satisfy me. I wasn’t feeling the bananas… and I had no interest in chocolate.
It’s strange how picky about food you are while running. In Tokyo what finally satisfied me was a strawberry on a stick, but I don’t think that would have done me any good here…. Passing a group of spectators holding out a number of options to choose from, I reached casually in a bucket and grabbed a handful of pretzels. Oh my god they were AMAZING! Nothing has ever tasted so good! Seriously. Even the way they felt in my mouth was amazing. The perfect mix of crunch, satisfying carbs and salty electrolytes. I can still taste them now.
In the bleak scenery of Long Island City, I made my way through our short stint in the borough. I was worried I was going to begin to struggle. But when I finally reached the Queensboro Bridge, I felt strong. I took advantage pushed hard with the beat of a great song on my iPhone, up and up the longest and steepest hill of the race, continuing to stay on pace.
Most Memorable Sign: “Go Do Epic”
Noteworthy Tune: The Arcade Fire, Suburban War
First Avenue of Manhattan and the Bronx
Runners on the Queensboro Bridge
Spectators were not allowed along the bridge into Manhattan, and you could really sense the difference. I’ve run across this bridge a number of times before, so I was familiar with long, cold incline, and was able to push hard knowing the pain was temporary, but I could sense the other runners were beginning to struggle. I even saw a few walking for the first time in the race. The bridge feels like it goes forever, and while there are glimpses of the great City ahead, the road feels largely enclosed and almost isolating.
But then, when you finally reach then end of the bridge, you are welcomed into Manhattan with the roar of largest crowd of the race thus far. It’s overwhelming. Thousands of people lined up along First Avenue, cheering and shouting and jumping up and down in delight as the runners make their way north to the Bronx. It was unbelievable. It felt something like a scene from a movie, and didn’t feel real.
At Mile 17, the crowd becomes white noise and a blur of color and I hit a wall.
I know I was slowing down. I had lost three minutes on my pace. I was hurting. I could have swore I was losing a toe.
Pain. Argh! The pain. For the first time during the race, I came to a full stop at the drink station and drank two cups of Gatorade. ‘Please give me back my strength,’ I thought. I carried on. I wasn’t about to walk… oh no. I was still on pace. Must. Keep. Going.
I still felt like I was losing momentum, but then I heard a familiar voice shouting, “Go Julie, Go!” I looked left to the sidelines to see my coworker Alex hanging from and pounding against a streetlight pole! I laughed out loud, waved to him and his lovely lady who was also cheering on the sidelines and I felt a little stronger. Thank you Alex!
I crossed the Willis Bridge into the Bronx and was internally examining the current state of my body. I was in pain. For the next few miles it wasn’t fun. I just wanted to be back in Manhattan. I knew once I was back into Manhattan I would soon be in the park and it would soon be over. I wanted it to be over. I was tired. I decided to stop more frequently for water. I alternated between water and Gatorade, but stopped briefly at every mile. I was losing minutes, but still doing really well. I deserved the frequent short breaks, Manhattan would be back soon.
Drink Station on First Avenue
Most Memorable Sign: “Hello There Stranger, I’m Proud of You!”
My thoughts began to be consumed with ‘finish’. I was nearly there… a few more miles. It’s amazing how ‘a few more miles’ seems so small when you’ve already gone 23. Most of my daily runs are only a few miles long from beginning to end. I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective.
Ugh. I’m tired. Here comes Mile 24. Just over two left. I got this. Damn I’m tired. Lots of people were walking now… More than anything this is REALLY annoying. I wasted so much energy darting around the walkers. We are so close… why walk now?
Grumbling a bit and losing speed I turned the corner to the south side of the park, and I know there’s not much further to go.
I gazed along the sidelines at folks waiting for their runners to go by. It wasn’t packed here, but there were still lots of people. Just ahead in the distance I saw a sign up on the right… “Run Like You’re Awesome.” I smiled to myself and thought… ‘That sign should be for me.’ A moment later, I realized it was my good friend Steve holding the sign! ‘Hey! That sign IS for me!’
And there, screaming my name, was my mom, my best friend Christen, and all my of my running friends! I couldn’t believe it!
My heart exploded with awesomeness!
I must have been glowing… I felt no pain and not only did I finish strong, I was speeding up. They carried me across the finish-line!
It was so cool. So cool.
The last mile felt so good. I even removed my headphones just so I could feel and hear everything going on around me.
It was so cool.
Most Memorable Sign: “Run Like You’re Awesome”
Noteworthy Tune: The Crowd of New York City
The Finish
Runners walking slowly to the race exit
And just like that the race was over. I crossed the finish-line with a personal record. I beat my Tokyo time by 19 minutes!
Wow!
What an incredible feeling. I put my song on repeat on my iPhone, The Geese of Beverly Road by The National, and headed slowly through the long exit with the other runners. As I collected my medal and listened to the pounding of the drums and Matt Berninger’s deep voice chanting again and again “We’re the heirs to the glimmering world,” my eyes welled up and my cheeks were wet with tears. My heart and mind was instantly back at Mile 24 with all of my amazing friends. What a day this was for a run. And what a year this has been for running. I have put so many miles under my feet, and every one is so much more awesome that I have been able to share them with such cool people.
Running is a solitary sport. That is one of the reasons I love it so much. My time running is often my time for my most internal reflection, but that also means it’s my time of greatest personal growth. And those awesome, awesome people that I have had the pleasure of sharing these great moments with, either racing, or chatting with during a long run, or cheering with after days without sleep along the way… they make every bit of it so much more meaningful.
The races in Central Park. The Tough Mudders and Spartan Races. The Ragnar Relays. The Training Runs. The Marathons. I’m having the time of my life.
I love running.
We’ll Run Like We’re Awesome.
Run Stats:
Distance: 26.2 miles
Time: 4:08:52!
Pace: 9:29 min/mile
$$ Raised for Flood Relief in Vermont: $1,501.00!!!!!
The Perfect Gift for the Special Man in Your Life – Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues
So a couple dear friends of mine just published their second book,
Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues
They are hoping to make the Amazon.com top 10 best seller list, and buying the book TODAY will be a big boost in making that happen!
Some of you know the story behind my friendship with Brett and Kate McKay, and some of you may not, but let me just say that when my life could have easily gone in either one of two very different directions a few years back, I chose to take the “make my life better” route, and I know at least in part, I have Brett and Kate to thank for that.
If you have any young men in your life (or even seasoned men of wisdom!) consider purchasing this book for them today. It’s an $11 gift, would be perfect for Christmas, and may very well be that one tiny thing that inspires greatness. Seriously.
Read more about the book launch on their blog:
http://artofmanliness.com/2011/11/01/manvotionals-book/
Thanks, and have the best day ever!
CMJ 2011: A Week of Great Music Discovery
October just might be the best month to live in New York City.
The cooler weather brings out the scarves, favorite leather jackets, and removes the ice from your whiskey. The leaves have turned to fiery reds and oranges and the stoops of Brooklyn are colored with pumpkins, mums and spirit of all things haunted. Then there’s this little thing called CMJ. The CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is five days of jam-packed NYC rockin’ music awesomeness!
The days leading up to the event are filled with a lot of listening, YouTubing, discovering, and planning as you sort though the endless list of events, showcases and films. This truly amazing event ”fills more than 80 of the city’s greatest venues, nightclubs and theaters with over 120,000 fans, music industry professionals, college radio tastemakers, bloggers, press, filmmakers and musicians.”
As someone heavy into the live music scene here, the release of the CMJ showcase schedule only a few weeks before the beginning of the festival sends me into a state of overwhelmed panic. My heart rate elevates being faced with the daunting task of sorting through the eleven page schedule of shows in a fleeting attempt to map out some sort of game plan to catch as much really great music as possible.
The flurry of emails between show-going friends begins early Monday morning and continues in the form of emails, texts, Facebook status updates and Twitter feeds throughout the week. In the five days of the festival, the only breaks from CMJ were for a Frisky Whiskey night, an awesome surprise birthday party for a good friend, and wonderful evening with Mr. Andrew Bird (separate review of this show to follow). Very exciting week indeed.
I caught more than 15 sets by new artists over five days throughout Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Brooklyn. Below is short summary of my personal highlights, plus a few artists that I have seen in the past and know to be fantastic that were in the lineup, but wasn’t able to catch (CMJ is all about new music, so I let a few shows by artists I love go by in effort to make new discoveries).
We Are Augustines
Hands down my favorite discovery of the festival, We Are Augustines ended up being a band I felt like I was chasing all week long. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that singer/guitarist, Billy McCarthy and guitarist/bassist Eric Sanderson were formerly known under the band name Pela along with guitarist Nate Martinez, who released an album with his current solo project The Theiving Irons, titled This Midnight Hum, which was in my top 10+20 for 20+10.
Augustines were one of the first bands I happened to check out online in preparation for the festival, and after seeing the video for their introductory track titled “Chapel Song” on their debut album under their new band name, Rise Ye Sunken Ships, I was completely blown away.
The video takes place somewhere in Brooklyn, on a chilly day along a nondescript street in the neighborhood where numerous couples come together in a passionate embrace while McCarthy and Sanderson pass slowly by playing this heartfelt song portraying what it means to realize the harsh reality of the one you love ending up with someone else. The video is simple in concept and perfectly executed. Or maybe I just like watching attractive young couples making out, but either way, I love this video and the song so I quickly downloaded their album anxious to hear more.
I love this record! I have barely allowed my iPhone to play anything else since I first downloaded Ships, available on iTunes, (go download it… do it… NOW!) and I really wanted to catch one of their many sets during CMJ. Circumstance was against me however, and making that happen ended up being a bit of an ordeal.
Unfortunately I have a day-job, so I had to miss their sets at the Ace Hotel and at the Living Room, which I’ve heard were quite good. I had hoped to catch their headlining set at the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday night, but despite our best efforts, we were turned away at the door for the sold-out show. The next opportunity would have been Friday night at Spike Hill in Brooklyn, and while I considered selling my tickets for Andrew Bird in Tarrytown that night for non-related reasons, I just couldn’t do it.
It appeared that CMJ was going to come and go without hearing this band that I just can’t stop talking about. Then, I got an email late Friday afternoon from my friend Andrew suggesting we hit up some daytime tunes at a free event sponsored by the Brooklyn Vegan at the Public Assembly in Brooklyn on Saturday. Low and behold, We Are Augustines were set to play a set at 1:25PM. Finally! One I could get to, so on Saturday morning I was up and on my bike headed to Billyburg just in time to catch them (Andrew lagged a little behind and missed it… too bad for him!).
The trio took to the stage on the stunningly beautiful sunny afternoon in the ironically very dark back room of the venue. They were blurry-eyed and probably exhausted from the previous four days of New York music madness, but in their short set they managed to deliver a rockin’ performance and they clearly didn’t hold back even in their decaffeinated state.
In what felt to be reminiscent of a very early Springsteen-esk storytelling performance, McCarthy’s voice was all but lost in the festival week’s hangover, yet he delivered the thoughtful lyrics of each tune with soul-revealing enthusiasm and intensity. As should be expected in what must have been an almost impromptu afternoon show, there were a few ‘technical difficulties’ with one very tired amplifier and a guitar that was inadvertently unplugged for a brief time, but there wasn’t a moment wasted.
With a few notes that must have been carried over from Pela, and great tracks from Ships including the high energy “Juarez” and a stripped down rendition of “Philadelphia (The City of Brotherly Love)” to close the set, I thoroughly enjoyed the anthem sounds of my new favorite *new band* and I can’t wait from them to return from their UK tour so I can hear them play again.
Spanish Prisoners
The Spanish Prisoners were the premiere event for my 2011 CMJ Showcase experience playing the Deli Magazine Dream Pop 7:00 PM set Tuesday night in the downstairs room of The Delancey.
The young band from Brooklyn led by frontman, Leo Maymind, were a lovely way to start things off and get our unofficial CMJ girls night dancing. The ethereal textures and delicate lyrical delivery is well blended with “Lipstick Under the Table” and my personal favorite on their record, “Cadillac From Yesterday.” I highly recommend giving this band a listen and then download their album, Gold Fools for an affordable Name Your Price on their band website, spanishprisoners.com
The Stepkids
Sticking round after catching a previous set, I happened upon the The Stepkids basically by chance. I was a little suspicious they had lost their way to a nearby White Party as the trio took to the stage donned in matching white buttoned shirts, Dickies, guitars and Vans slip-ons for this early afternoon set. Then as their show began, a perfectly choreographed light-show complemented the music via projector, and the reasoning for the lack of color in their clothing became quite clear.
The Stepkids sound, with a soulful bass-heavy funk, a touch of 60′s pop and a dreamy psychedelic guitar influence had the audience captivated in the trippy visual effects. It maybe felt a little gimmicky for Saturday afternoon, but I enjoyed it very much. One thing is certain above all; these “kids” have some serious talent. I was utterly absorbed in the complicated basslines and experimental guitar effects, and it was obvious that they were having a really great time up there. Songs like “La La” and “Suburban Dream” had my shoulders moving and my mind wondering if I was going to suddenly find myself in a 1970′s action television show.
Tiny Victories
It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached a point in music technology where a guy with a drumkit and his buddy on the live electronics will rock the party and get everyone dancing in an explosion of electronic experimental pop.
But it works.
I caught the Tiny Victories, made up of Greg Walters and drummer, Cason Kelly during one of their late showcases at Pianos on the Lower East Side. Super fun, layered pieces of dancy fun pop, this duo was even fun to watch. You can check them out and download a few of their tracks for free on their bandcamp page.
Peelander-Z
Another noteworthy act that I caught during CMJ was the ”Japanese Action Comic Punk band hailing from the Z area of Planet Peelander.”
I use the term “act” loosely, but they are a lot of fun. Vibrantly colored costumes, silly antics including audience member interaction (and even a few minutes of having audience members play the instruments). Don’t know the lyrics to sing along? Not to worry…. they have queue cards!
I’ll let the YouTube video speak for itself…. they are a must see [at a free show]!
The Golden Awesome
Sadly I never *actually* caught up to these guys, and I still have absolutely no idea what their music is about, but they win for having the coolest band name of CMJ 2011!
More tunes from CMJ
Other shows I would have liked to catch, but have been lucky enough to have seen before are listed below. They are all fantastic so if you’re looking to find some new music, checking these guys out would be a great place to start!
Twin Shadow
Wild Flag
Portugal. The Man
Titus Andronicus
Delicate Steve
Rusted Root
Rachel Yamagata
Robbie Gil
Michael Daves
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Waking Lights
