Religious to Damn

New Track!

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:19:43 -0500

New Track! :

xoxo, Z

In my favorite spot in the city - World Music Inn. Playing an...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:24:44 -0500

In my favorite spot in the city - World Music Inn. Playing an old Afghan/Iranian piece I’ma get my dad.

Amrika - painting by Ben Bertocci

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:34:04 -0400

Amrika - painting by Ben Bertocci

cleaning records at my home

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:45:42 -0400

cleaning records at my home:

… with some of my favorite people on earth.

We were gifted some records, and I thought of the high-concept of slapdash posing with the covers.

There’s nothing like listening to No Wave featuring the Police and eating cookies in the summertime in your apartment.

soundtrack part hmm

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:43:02 -0400

soundtrack part hmm:

I love Joni Mitchell. But most girls who like to sing do. I think.

This song is everything. I love to sing it, I love to play it, I love to live in it.

Twins w @jennihensler (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:52:37 -0400

Twins w @jennihensler (Taken with instagram)

Happy Mother’s Day (Taken with instagram)

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:31:31 -0400

Happy Mother’s Day (Taken with instagram)

Cab ride in the rain (Taken with Instagram at Ninja New York)

Wed, 09 May 2012 20:46:57 -0400

Cab ride in the rain (Taken with Instagram at Ninja New York)

Chinese Restaurant Menu Items That Sound Like Titles of Cocteau Twins’ Songs

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:19:00 -0400

Chinese Restaurant Menu Items That Sound Like Titles of Cocteau Twins’ Songs:

I was just listening to Head over Heels last night. But that’s not that extraordinary. However, this piece of Ha! is.

In the aftermath of Jonathan Toubin’s accident, it seemed...

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:18:00 -0400

In the aftermath of Jonathan Toubin’s accident, it seemed like hundreds of people came out of the woodwork to share their own personal JT stories. And these were not your typical, “I met him on the street through a mutual friend” stories. Oh no, it was always straight out of the pages of a coming of age novel. In some ways, I was deeply moved to have such a deep connection with someone who brought so many people so much joy. Then the perfectly human side of me didn’t like it a bit. As if your special moments diminished mine. For this, I blame God. I am as he made me. Which is, at times, a total monster.

Before the tragic accident, I used to go visit JT, usually on Wednesday nights at Motor City, when he had free reign to play whatever he fancied. I’d sit around in the DJ booth with him, as he’d regale me with stories of basslines from old soul songs… he’d always be playing some kinda air guitar, or moog, or drums… it was always awesome. His passion for music and his ability to chat about it with me in his Professor-like way just filled me up with ecstatic joy. That’s just the kind of guy he is.

Of course, we didn’t always agree on much. He hates gated drums… says they sound like robots on a toilet. I, for one, couldn’t disagree more. To me, it sounds like robots in love.

I wrote a song for him the night of his accident. Three people know this. I’m sure it’ll be on the upcoming record. It was, catharsis in the purest sense of the word.

Anyhow, this song, by the Kinks is our common ground. It’s such a perfect piece of music. It’s that perfect balance of melancholy and beauty.

If I get to live until I’m old and gray, I’ll surely still throw this song on and think of my wonderful friend Jonathan Toubin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M8hrmGQOHk

Audio

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:04:46 -0400

We all have a soundtrack to our lives. There are the songs we...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:03:00 -0400

We all have a soundtrack to our lives. There are the songs we love, and keep in our explicit memory, and then there are ones that fall into our lap, either by pop culture or our best friend, and get stored in the emotional memory. Either which way you cut it, they have a profound way of filling us up with joy and nostalgia sickness, all in one breath.

I want to share my soundtrack with you. One song at a time.

Back when my sisters and I were very young and living in a one level, raised above a snake pit house in South Carolina, it was really up to us to make our “fun”. This could be done in one of the following ways: take home a farm animal, watch MTV, listen to records, dance to records, have dance contests using said records, sing over taped songs on the radio, and kick a ball.

My sisters were a bit older than me, and the three of them made quite a Bananarama. When I was included in the mix, I was the Davy Jones to their Micky, Peter, and Mike. I was really Brandoesque about it, I lived and breathed Davy - from my itty bitty stature to my Ramona Quimby haircut.

This song is absolutely one of my favorite pieces of music. It was written by Carole King, who really is four hundred thousand times more exciting than the folks she hung with. Everyone knows James Taylor is what they play in the elevator down to hell.

Her demo if you wanna dig deeper:

http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/an_elegy_for_davy_jones_carole_kings_demo_for_porpoise_song

I should save this for “Throwback Thursday” but I just made up...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:02:00 -0400

I should save this for “Throwback Thursday” but I just made up “Saw-this-oldie-but-goodie-Pic Sunday”.

These were treatments of my record cover that I completely forgotten about, and have some affection for.

The photos were taken by the lovely Aliya Naumoff. Brian Williams, who designed the record did the first layout from this wonderful shot Aliya got from a polaroid camera. It’s obviously pretty Magritte inspired, whom I love.

The second was done by a fellow singing lady friend, who I’m not sure would want me to credit her, but she’s got cameras for eyes.

I’ve been have a great deal of fun rummaging through old pictures and music. More oldies and new stuff to come…

xo,

On tour in Latvia. I miss the heated floors, and this guy....

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:41:02 -0400

On tour in Latvia. I miss the heated floors, and this guy. (Taken with instagram)

It’s my great honor to DJ this Tuesday for my dear friend...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:20:00 -0400

It’s my great honor to DJ this Tuesday for my dear friend and long-time Religious to Damn stylist Alberto’s birthday.

Truth be told, I’m not too keen on DJing. It seems to give so many of my loved ones great joy and satisfaction, and without a doubt, some of them have a knack for “getting the party started” and keeping the momentum. For me, it’s an entirely different experience. I take on every song I play as if it were my own. That being said, seeing puckered up faces of disappointment only leads to frustration. I can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t want to hear the Bunnymen’s “Over the Wall”. Like, what’s the world coming to?

I asked Albert if I could have someone sit in with me while I played, to stave off any nerves. His response to me was: “Z, you play 5+ instruments. A DJ system is easy! And only YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE.”

I wouldn’t dare say no to that. I suppose I’m not immune to flattery getting ya somewhere.

Sparkly chiffon feather and fairy dust. And a stiff...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:30:00 -0400

Sparkly chiffon feather and fairy dust. And a stiff shoulder.

From the vaults.

Oldie (Taken with instagram)

home. Thank you Washington, DC. Thank you for the shows, the...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:00:39 -0400

home.

Thank you Washington, DC. Thank you for the shows, the bands, embassy and protest events. Thank you black cat, black cat, and thank you Commander Salamander and the “Aaron Space” museum. Thank you you for the sparkling river, and ice cream in Georgetown, and thank you Ians.

I do love coming home.

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:26:04 -0400

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye

@nikkisneakers birthday spaceship (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:08:08 -0400

@nikkisneakers birthday spaceship (Taken with instagram)

I think about Bruce Springsteen a lot. He’s like my Kevin...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:29:18 -0400

I think about Bruce Springsteen a lot. He’s like my Kevin Bacon of free-association. Everything I could think to imagine is six degrees or less related to the Boss.

Last week was brimming with Bruce; from seeing Pulp, to attending the The Greatest 3-Minute Punk Stories Ever event where the crowd was asked if Springsteen was considered “punk” yet. The answer was a definitive yes and no.

I also posted the first song I ever recorded for this project, which was written during an intense Bruce kick. I have the kind of memory that can’t recite to you what I ate for breakfast on February 27th, 2007, but I can remember what we talked about in the bathroom of Happy Endings in April or May of the same year. Blurrily specific. So anyhow, this particular summer I spent most of my days sewing holes in skirts, and listening to a heavy rotation of Mazzy Star, ABBA, Wierd compilations, and Springsteen. If someone could strike a balance of those three bands, they’d be my new heroes.

But I digress…. as I was digging through all my works trying to find the demo for “Lovely Day”, I had a Nebraska moment. I really could have just released this demo and have been happy with my output. But alas, I’ll just throw it up on soundcloud.

xo,
Z