Don't worry about it.

Today I'm going to stray from the typical posts I do on this blog.

On Wednesday night I found that a friend had been found dead after being declared a missing person in the Chicago area on Tuesday.

I don't want to talk about the details of his death, but really want to use this space to discuss the triumphs of his life. I first met Jay through a mutual friend: his roommate. He knew me as the girl who wanted to shave his friend's beard for a movie we were filming that week and quickly let me know what he thought about it. When we were introduced he immediatley announced to me: "IT'S BEARD-GROWING SEASON. YOU CANNOT SHAVE THIS" as he slowly stroked my friend's face.

I remember thinking to myself: "Who IS this guy?!"

Jay would walk into a room and demand your attention just because of the energy he carried with him. It really didn't matter how bad of a day I was having, he was the one person who I would see and instantly smile. Jay was hilarious and had a humor that was so rare, honest, and witty. After meeting him, I immediately took notice that his most used phrase was "Don't worry about it" and was a response he used in almost any semi-stressful situation. I used to think it was just a funny quirk about his personality, but now, looking back on my relationship with him, it really embodied his entire outlook on life. He was open-minded, accepting, and saw life as one big opportunity to meet new people, have fun, and express ourselves creatively. I have a natural tendency to be a fast-paced, stressed out type of person, but Jay was always someone who inspired me to sit back, take my time, smile, and enjoy the ride.

I had never met anyone like Jay before being introduced to him this year and I know that I will never meet another person like him ever again...this one's for you, Jay.

Rave on.

Valentine's Day.

Chinese New Year.

Mardi Gras.

President's Day.

I felt no need to celebrate much of anything lately, until today. My roommate got a callback, I got a new internship, the sun was shining, aaand A B & the Sea released a new single!

Now I've never been one to get too excited about holidays, but today seemed liked a good day to do a little shimmy & sport some pigtails. Thankfully, I was provided with the perfect soundtrack to do exactly that with a lovely Buddy Holly cover and a light-hearted original:

Houses by Navid Baraty

Spector's Wall of Sound

I first heard of The Morning Benders back in 2007. They were on a bill with some other local San Francisco bands that I liked, The Mumlers and The Botticellis, at my favorite music venue of all time: Bottom of the Hill. Since then, they have grown, their sound has matured, and their national fanbase has undoubtedly increased, but they seemed to have maintained the same goal this entire time and that is to make music that is simple, honest, and never loses its retro, melodic pop sense. Please take a moment to enjoy a look behind the recording of the newest song from their new album Big Echo called "Excuses". You can also download their first single off of the album,"Promises", at their website: www.themorningbenders.com

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

miller, henry

'flowerhead' by ethos

"Things will happen elsewhere. Things are always happening. It seems wherever I go there is drama. People are like lice--they get under your skin and bury themselves there. You scratch and scratch until the blood comes, but you can't get permanently deloused. Everywhere I go people are making a mess of their lives. Everyone has his private tragedy. It's in the blood now--misfortune, ennui, grief, suicide. The atmosphere is saturated with disaster, frustration, futility. Scratch and scratch--until there's no skin left. However, the effect upon me is exhilarating. Instead of being discouraged, or depressed, I enjoy it. I am crying for more and more disasters, for bigger calamities, for grander failures. I want the whole world to be out of whack, I want everyone to scratch himself to death."

No excuses.

I promised to myself when I started this little blog that I would keep up with it, maintain it, bathe it, brush it, etc. But I guess I've become distracted as I do all too often and days went by, then weeks, and then before I even blinked five months were gone.

Last time I wrote in this quadrant of the cyberspace universe I was laying on my father's bed next to the only fan in the house during a hot, summer afternoon in the east Bay Area. Tonight I write from my dorm room in Chicago on a bitterly cold and unforgiving February night. But, after a recent development of less than desirable events in my personal life, I am making a personal vow to spend more time doing things for myself...and this is going to be on the list of those things to do.

So let's start fresh.
Dear acrobatics, falsettos, & saddlebags,
I'm so, so sorry that I let you go. I have realized during our time apart that I need you in my life and desperately want you to exist in MY world wide web. Please, please, please tell me that you can find it in your pixelized heart to forgive me?

All my love,
Janell H.



Any who, let us get back to what this page is all about:
Please take a moment to take a look at my friend's sweet fashion blog, fresh influence, for a little collaboration with yours truly and plenty of other goodies that will not disappoint.


Also, I would like to make a quick introduction.
Dear reader, please meet Justin Townes Earle.




Here's hopin'.

everything is new.

It has always seemed that the U.K.'s music charts have reflected a much better taste and overall appreciation for innovative artists. Currently, some of the most popular artists in the United Kingdom include The Noisettes, Jamie T, Lily Allen, Empire of the Sun, Daniel Merriweather, La Roux, Little Boots, and Calvin Harris. Meanwhile, a track titled "My Big, Green Tractor" is climbing the charts in the good 'ol US of A. On occasion, we Americans catch onto the musical stylings gaining recognition across the pond, but, more often than not, it's months behind the song has hit its peak popularity in the UK.

So, today we are finally getting a taste of another British artist who, with his second full-length release, has dug deeper for a more rich, dramatic sound that still maintains the pop sensibility that those in the know fell in love with on his debut album.
The man I am talking about is Jack Peñate. Although his second album, Everything Is New, debuts stateside this week, the first two singles have already been released in the UK:

oscillate wildly

There's something magical about capturing an image, being able to stop time...it's kind of like playing God, or perhaps puppet master if Atheism's more your thing. So, learning the science behind photography is sort of like realizing that Santa Claus does not exist or that all of the pebbles in Pebble Beach, California are not stale M&M's from a massive candy truck accident on Highway 1...

I was never the kid who asked how magic tricks were completed, I was the one who accepted what other people labeled "the impossible" as reality.
In my book, Bryan Sheffield is somewhat of a magician:









Please, please check out Bryan Sheffield's photography on his flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/bryansheffield/


And remember kids, don't forget your p's & q's!

Paint It Black

"The body. That had been a source of so much joy. But in the end, it was just a hunk of cold chicken, wasn't it? A weird flesh machine, that kept breathing in and out, mindlessly, digesting, shitting, Bosch on two legs. Good enough to carry you around for a few decades before things started to go wrong. No difference between this body and a load of dead animals carted out from the animal shelter. And there would be fifty years more of moving this puppet thing around, creating other puppet things to replace you. The thought was unbearable. She felt bluish white and raw, like an Egon Schiele woman..."

validation, validation.

[DISCLAIMER: I am awful at math and possibly worse at making logical comparisons.]

If (500) Days of Summer was put into a mathematic equation, it would probably go something like this:

([Zooey Deschanel's adorability x Jason Gordon Levitt's charm]) / 72% typically whimsical indie romance plot + (excellent music references x delectable soundtrack) = (500) Days of Summer

It seems that the title of this movie was appropriate for a lot of thoughts that passed today. With the days of summer dwindling, everyone is once again facing their denial that the splendid season of summer is mortal and never ceases to leave just as swiftly as it came. What would you do with 500 days of summer?
I guess we'll find out in 2020 when global warming has taken a more severe toll. Cheers.


Anyways, I have a slight concern with American culture, well, actually, it's a LARGE concern, but that's for another post on a different day. My single concern that I realized today is the serious lack of appreciation for Chad VanGaalen. Please take a moment to bow down.



Read his bio and download some free tracks at www.subpop.com/artists/chad_vangaalen



'early twenties' by Devon Kelley-Yurdin



Today, the whole world seemed to be looking for love, but all I was looking for was a felt pick...

foundations.

[So, I'm a virgin at blogging. Don't cyber-shank me.]

Acrobatics, Falsettos, & Saddlebags is an online source for fellow blog creepers, like myself, who want to open their eyes, ears, and any other orifices to new sounds, images, ideas, and concepts. Since I'm at the Beginner skill lever of blogging, please leave feedback, critiques, comments, etc. of what you're digging, what you'd like see up on the blog, or, if you have some heavier things on your mind, what my perspective is on any of life's arduous uncertainties that have left you baffled.

Welcome, let's start things off with some happy thoughts:



Download The Modern Science's entire new album including the featured song in this video for FREE at www.modernscience.bandcamp.com



Peace, love, and healthy limbic systems.