louise on the left (coast)

Last week I heard this duo on NPR sing excerpts from their new album "Wreck and Ruin" and I actually had to pull the car over to finish listening to every note, lyric, every word they uttered. What's really astonishing is that this couple is both  married with kids  yet write the kind of songs you'd expect from a much more diverse writing team.  They manage to convey so many different facets of love and strained relationships that it's difficult to imagine this wellspring of insight into heartache could stem from one simple, solid marriage.   Check out NPR's interview with Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, here .  Even if you don't love country-folk 100%, all you have to do is watch how these two really look in each other's faces when they speak to know they are alive on every level: Musically, spiritually and best of all, romantically. They're an inspiration.

Apparently Jimmy Kimmel has a seasonal Halloween prank encouraging parents to film telling their kids they ate all their candy. (Uh, does he even have kids?) But this year Kimmel's prank unexpectedly turned the table "on mean." Meet, Madeline, who could teach us a thing or two about compassion, kindness and just plain moving on when something goes wrong. I'm so in love with this child's reaction. While I don't endorse pranking kids (ever) it's clear this mom's done something very right to raise such a sweet child. Watch:

Check it out:

Hm. So, yesterday's Randy Newman video didn't inspire you find out who else you can take with you to the polls this Tuesday? Well, how about Cher?! Is she able to get you up and moving? Or Kathy? Cause, hey GFs, they want you to wake up and get the vote out. “This is Cher, bitches. Do what she says … and God bless America,” says Kathy Griffin: Our "other" fabulous female icon in their web ad firing up the bases to GET out the vote for women's rights and -- hey, how about all American's rights, this Tuesday. Don't Let Mitt Turn Back Time On Women Check it out and "just say no" to the war on women. No, wait, that was Nancy Reagan. Well, I bet she's disgusted with this, too.

I had a feeling Randy Newman would call us out for our human foibles during this 2012 presidential race, however did not expect to hear quite such a note of despair to his voice. At first Newman's ballad appears to be nothing more than a sweet, humorous lament. However as the melody unfurls we hear the deceptively simple harmonies limp awkwardly toward it's real message: We are forever bound in ugliness to a sinking ship of racism: And he makes this point not just musically, but by stringing together lyrics as funny as salt in a wound; Within a tune all but refusing to hummed. This is no amusing ditty; this is our historic demise. We do seem to be a nation of folks unable to heed either common sense or God's warning wrath. And I, too, am heartbroken by what I fear is our endless, tragic ignorance. When will we ever learn?

Thanks to Lucia Tran for this: