The Good Life - studio demo
July 28, 2015 20:36:08
The Good Life - Studio Demo by Carsie Blanton
SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/the-good-life-studio-demo/s-vYT7J
Studio demo of 'The Good Life', featuring Joe Plowman on bass and Pete Donnelly on clickety-clacks
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The Good Life - studio demo

I'm posting this now cus I want it to be the theme song for my thirties. My teens were full of heartache and drama, my twenties were good hard struggle and work. I'm ready to live the good life.


This is another studio demo, put together with the help and talent of Pete Donnelly and Joe Plowman, as a study for the upcoming album. Stay tuned for more album-related news in the coming weeks!


Love from my internet-free birthday party in the woods of northern Vermont,


Carsie

Carsie Blanton

July 28, 2015 20:36:08

Jon Colverson Godddddd, I love this song, and this new version sounds sublime!

July 28, 2015 23:20:44 · Reply

Birthday Blog
July 21, 2015 15:05:12
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Birthday Blog

I turn thirty tomorrow! Here are six things I thought about a lot in my twenties, and which I hope I can now put to bed:


http://blog.carsieblanton.com/post/124664474789/six-things-i-hope-i-learned-in-my-twenties


If you'd like to get me a birthday present, please consider donating $30 to one of the below organizations:

Race Forward​ (advancing racial justice through research, media and practice since 1981): https://www.raceforward.org/


Kiva​ (sustainably alleviating poverty through international micro-lending): http://www.kiva.org/about


The Roots of Music​ (empowering the youth of New Orleans through music education, academic support, and mentorship): http://therootsofmusic.org/


I'm wrapping up this decade feeling grateful and blessed. Thank you infinitely for your love and support!


Giddily yours,


Carsie

Carsie Blanton

July 21, 2015 15:05:12

View all 4 comments

Sarah Demeestere Happiest of birthdays to you!! I know other great people born on this day :)

July 24, 2015 01:11:09 · Reply

Saleh happy birthday :)

July 25, 2015 18:29:12 · Reply

Darko Happy B-day man! Don't be scared, 30s are actually quite fun :)

July 26, 2015 14:32:54 · Reply

Vim & Vigor - home demo
July 7, 2015 16:13:21
Vim and Vigor - Home Demo by Carsie Blanton
SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/vim-and-vigor-home-demo
A feverish feminist fantasy, in which I run the world and eat men for breakfast. Lyric: I know I got a dirty mind it's in the gutter all the time I don't believe that it's a crime I consider it a s...
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Vim & Vigor - home demo

Hey hey patrons! Here's another new song for your consideration. A few fun facts:

1) I keep a list of my favorite words in the back of my notebook, for future usage in songs. This one contains five: vim, vigor, vinegar, doxy and moxie.  

2) I started working on this song in reaction to the soft-serve feminism that has been trending in pop culture for the past year or two. I love Beyonce, Meghan Trainor and the others; this isn't to speak ill of them (wouldn't dream of it!), but of the surrounding culture that deems them feminist revolutionaries. Most of these so-called feminist pop songs suffer from the same few fatal flaws: they are still pandering to the male gaze, obsessively commenting on how attractive their bodies look, and fixated on "catching a man". 

This song is an experiment in actual feminist pop. 


3) I finished it the other night, inspired by the movie Magic Mike XXL. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are. 

Turns out I totally loved it: it's a shiny, feverish, alternate-universe sex fantasy, like a lot of movies, but this one is a female sex fantasy. All the men are hard-bodied and muffin-hearted, and live to serve all the women (who come in a variety of body types and personalities). 

I left the theater feeling giddy, and thinking, "why does it feel so revolutionary to see a female sex fantasy enacted on screen? Have I actually never seen that before?" That thought prompted me to write the second verse of this song (which had been languishing in the back of my head, half-finished, for months).


Just wait for the music video.

Love and moxie,


Carsie


Carsie Blanton

July 7, 2015 16:13:21

View all 7 comments

Amy O'Leary LOVELOVELOVELOVE

July 7, 2015 21:40:56 · Reply

Amy O'Leary Have you stopped posting these on Facebook? It seemed like they were getting you new patrons.

July 7, 2015 21:42:12 · Reply

Carsie Blanton Yeah but only because Facebook is trying to destroy me with slow psychological torture. Working on a better plan.

July 7, 2015 23:05:55 · Reply

Amy O'Leary Oh I should have guessed.

July 8, 2015 01:31:42 · Reply

Egypt English Your music is inspiring! It really get my creative juices following Cassie. Lolz, I love this song. It reminds me of my late great theatre teacher, who always said do everything with Great Vim and Vigor!

August 6, 2015 15:38:55 · Reply

To Be Known - Studio Demo
June 30, 2015 17:58:55
To Be Known - Studio demo by Carsie Blanton
SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/to-be-known-studio-demo/s-J0tGC
A cleaner, sweeter, string-saturated version of 'To Be Known'.
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To Be Known - Studio Demo

Good day, sweet patrons. 


Here's the second installation in our "I'M GONNA MAKE ANOTHER FREAKIN ALBUM!@%#&" series. Joe and I went to Philly in May to make demos, as some of you know. These demos are the intermediary steps between home demos (which I sing into my crappy mic, with roosters on background vocals) and the final album versions (which take months of sweat and heartache and many thousands of dollars and very fancy studio equipment). 


I released To Be Known (my crappy-mic version) on this site just over a year ago. Holla to those of you who were with me back then! Songs take such a long, weird, crazy journey from our heads into the real world. Thanks for joining me.


This is a sweet, sad, ghosty one. Pete Donnelly produced this demo, and Joe Plowman played all four string parts on his big ol' bass. I played the weird organ and the angel choir. Please enjoy! You can download directly from Soundcloud.


Love and angel choirs,


Carsie


Carsie Blanton

June 30, 2015 17:58:55

Christie Carsie, I love this song so much. I recall the first time I heard it, it gave me chills. I cried when you sang it in Greensboro this spring. Thank you for being so awesome!

June 30, 2015 18:16:44 · Reply

Amy O'Leary Wow. I think I have a new favorite recording of yours. Sheesh.

June 30, 2015 19:46:54 · Reply

Scoundrel - Home Demo
June 24, 2015 16:40:41
Scoundrel - Home Demo by Carsie Blanton
SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/scoundrel-home-demo
I finally realized that I have a "type". Thanks to Joe Plowman for the brilliant observation.
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Scoundrel - Home Demo

Hello friends! New friends, old friends, friends who haven't heard from me for the past 6 weeks (apologies!). I was touring like a madwoman, and now I'm back in the Watermelon and just goldang delighted to share some of the stuff I've been ruminating on.

This song is about 12 hours old - I wrote it on the loooong drive back to New Orleans from Charlotte, North Carolina (where we just completed a tour opening for The Weepies, who are excellent in every imaginable way). 


It was inspired by the kind of observation that can only come from the mouth of a friend who has spent every waking hour with you for the past six weeks (and plenty more over the past six years). Mr. Joe Plowman (longtime bassist and collaborator) provided this comment, as I simmered in the heady funk of another fresh crush on another roguish gentleman: "He's exactly your type. A scoundrel with a heart of gold. Like Han Solo."


The simple truth of this statement hit me with a smack, rattled around in my noggin, and spewed forth yesterday in a starry geyser of song. 


So here it is, an anthem for the hopeless rogue-chaser. If anybody sympathizes, god help us.


Carsie


PS. Download directly from soundcloud by clicking the down-arrow at the top right of the patreon post.

Carsie Blanton

June 24, 2015 16:40:41

Meghan Ooh yeah, Carsie. Got me in all the places with this one. LOVE IT!

June 24, 2015 16:56:26 · Reply

Carsie Blanton Sorry! ;)

June 24, 2015 17:24:07 · Reply

Touring, jet lag, more touring!
June 11, 2015 17:19:21
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Touring, jet lag, more touring!

Hi patrons! Sorry I've been MIA - I was gallivanting (read: playing a whole freaking lot of shows) around Europe. We ate stroopwafles, drank copious amounts of excellent coffee (pics attached!), and polished up a bunch of new songs! The Wood Brothers, as usual, were delightful (musically and personally).


I was hoping to post a new song this week, but I only have two more days at home before I leave for our tour with The Weepies, and I'm under a thick haze of jet lag (and a pile of unopened bills (and two smelly dogs who need bathing)). 


So, stay tuned! Meanwhile, I hope to see some of you next week in Dallas/Austin/Nashville/Atlanta/Charlotte! Details at www.carsieblanton.com/shows.


Love and music,


Carsie

Carsie Blanton

June 11, 2015 17:19:21

Perfect Song #6: Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
May 16, 2015 15:34:13
YouTube
youtube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyJezzglm88
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Perfect Song #6: Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

I'm writing from Denmark, where the coffee is black and the people are blonde. Last night I played a show at a surf shop on the west coast. My view from the stage included a long line of boys in wetsuits, waiting to ride wake boards through the sound (attached to a giant mechanical cable/pulley contraption). I pulled out this number for the Scandinavian surfer dudes, and they dug it. I've been ruminating on this song for several months; the version I first heard (brought to my attention by Joe Plowman, music appreciator extraordinaire) was on a Chet Atkins record. Chet duets with a young, angel-voiced, giggling Dolly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ZENR3HlUg). It's as sweet as peaches but sadder and twice as sexy, and it's become one of my favorite recordings. Some day, I'll make an actual list. Meanwhile, please enjoy this post-show, late-night, Scandinavian bedroom tribute to the reigning Queen of country music, Dolly Parton. Love and black coffee, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

May 16, 2015 15:34:13

Tilke Elkins I never knew I liked Dolly-related things! :)

May 18, 2015 22:27:35 · Reply

So Ferocious! Studio demo.
May 5, 2015 17:14:05
So Ferocious - studio demo! by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/so-ferocious-studio-demo/s-0oG33
A song of strength and ferocity, to scare away the haters! Featuring Pete Donnelly, Joe Plowman and Fred Berman.
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For Patrons Only

To become a patron, view this post, and contribute in this activity feed, click here.

Carsie Blanton

May 5, 2015 17:14:05

'I'll Be Seeing You' - Acoustic version w/ Peter Mulvey!
April 25, 2015 15:52:21
'I'll Be Seeing You' - Carsie Blanton and Peter Mulvey
i'll be seeing you acoustic.wav
www.youtube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSU0URr8c_o
Learn more at http://www.petermulvey.com and http://www.carsieblanton.com. 'I'll Be Seeing You' was written in 1939 by Irving Kahal and Sammy Fain. Carsie's version of the song appears on her 2014 ...
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'I'll Be Seeing You' - Acoustic version w/ Peter Mulvey!

Peter Mulvey and I are dear friends, and our friendship is bolstered by a shared love of good old beautiful jazz songs. He came to visit me in New Orleans last week and we had a little fun with this number. In my humble opinion, this is one of the best songs ever written, by anybody, about anything. This is a Youtube video. If you like it, you can help Peter and I both out by sharing it on your various social media platforms, and liking and commenting and etcetera (if that kind of thing doesn't bore you half to death). I've also attached a .wav file of the audio. Download it by clicking the link that says "i'll be seeing you acoustic.wav". Please enjoy! Love and small cafes, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

April 25, 2015 15:52:21

Honest Truth - acoustic version.
April 16, 2015 17:05:46
Honest Truth - acoustic home demo by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/honest-truth-acoustic-home-demo
Here's an acoustic version of Honest Truth, which appeared on Idiot Heart (2012). A song for those times when love is not being sweet and gentle to you, but instead is kicking you repeatedly in the...
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Honest Truth - acoustic version.

Good day, dear friends. Allow me to lay some truth on you: it's been a hard week. A hard month, also, and a fairly hard year. I dunno if it's hormones or planets or just the psychological brain-zap of creeping towards the big scary 3-0 (July!), but life has had me on the large-load super-spin cycle. I think Anne Lamott said it best in her gorgeous, heartbreaking piece published yesterday in Salon: "Life is a precious unfathomably beautiful gift; and it is impossible here, on the incarnational side of things. It has been a very bad match for those of us who were born extremely sensitive. It is so hard and weird that we wonder if we are being punked. And it is filled with heartbreaking sweetness and beauty, floods and babies and acne and Mozart, all swirled together." Read the rest of that piece here: http://tinyurl.com/o3d5nax This song came out on my 2012 album Idiot Heart (https://carsieblanton.bandcamp.com/album/idiot-heart ), and it fits the theme of the album perfectly, which is that love ain't necessarily fun or pretty, and in fact will do its damnedest to destroy all of us. But also that somewhere inside all that ugly fury we may stumble across bits of grace and joy and actual compassion, and that is in fact the entire point. I made you a sweet little tiny acoustic version today, just because my life has been pointing me back to this song lately, saying, "hey, remember how you said that love is hard?" With love and grace and actual compassion, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

April 16, 2015 17:05:46

Ruth Stuart One of my favourites. Thank you.

April 16, 2015 20:34:14 · Reply

Fever Dream
April 6, 2015 16:51:48
Fever Dream - Home Demo by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/fever-dream-home-demo
A walk through New Orleans on the first day of summer, with background vocals from the chickens and dogs in my backyard. LYRICS: oh the day was so hot on st.
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Fever Dream

It's 82* in New Orleans, and the city has sunk beneath that haze of wet heat and magic for which it's so widely celebrated. Spring seems to have tumbled into summer already. In case you live somewhere not as hot or magical, here's an audio tour of the city, with background vocals by the chickens and dogs in my backyard. I've just edited the accompanying image to be a gorgeous painting of the French Quarter by the talented Lauren J. Andrews. View more of her work here: http://www.laurenjand.com If you DO live in New Orleans, come to my show this Wednesday with Peter Mulvey! Cafe Istanbul, 9pm. Feverishly yours, Carsie PS. Download by clicking the down-arrow in the top right corner of the Soundcloud player. Read the lyrics at https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/fever-dream-home-demo.

Carsie Blanton

April 6, 2015 16:51:48

Wolf
March 30, 2015 17:24:15
Wolf by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/wolf
The wolf is that sweet-talking sabotaging demon who lives in each of us. He might be addiction, or bad love, or insecurity. Whoever he is for you, he'll call you up just when you think you're rid o...
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Wolf

Here's another new song, folks: fourth one in as many weeks! Happy to report that I'm on a roll down here in the watermelon. Spring has sprung, within me and without. This song's about The Wolf, that sweet-talking sabotaging demon who lives in each of us. He might be addiction, or bad love, or insecurity. Whoever he is for you, he'll call you up just when you think you're rid of him, and invite himself back into your life. The wolf makes a fool of us all, and he'll probably keep on doing it 'til we die. May we all get a little better at recognizing him, in whatever sheep's clothing or granny glasses he's wearing, with whatever muffins or fancy drinks or handsome devils he's got on hand, and kick him back out on his furry ass. Love and little piggies, Carsie PS. Download by clicking the down-arrow at the top right of the soundcloud player.

Carsie Blanton

March 30, 2015 17:24:15

Hot Night - Home Demo
March 25, 2015 16:45:32
Hot Night - Home Demo by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/hot-night-home-demo
Here is a song about lying in the nighttime heat of Madrid (and later New Orleans, and later Charleston), sweating and roasting and thinking about life. I started this song a couple years ago, and ...
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Hot Night - Home Demo

Two things about this song that I'm particularly excited by: 1) It's not about sex or love, it's about lying in a hot room looking up at the ceiling and being bathed in waves of sweat and revelation. I've been waiting for these kinds of songs to find me, and the upcoming record will be the first I've made that deals heavily in non-romantic topics. 2) This is the first time I've sent Joe (my longtime bassist and musical soulmate) an unfinished song with no guitar part and he's sent back something SO much more finished and groovy. This is a new form of collaboration for me and I'm delighted to experiment further! I hope you dig it. Lyrics and download link can both be found on the Soundcloud page. I'll be in the studio next month making "official" demos for the next record - the first substantial step in the long, delightful, exhausting process of record-making! Love and hothouse flowers, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

March 25, 2015 16:45:32

View all 5 comments

Amy O'Leary lovelovelovelovelovelove!!!!!

March 27, 2015 00:55:14 · Reply

Anders Andreassen WOW!!!

March 30, 2015 13:05:16 · Reply

Tilke Elkins Ooo, this is soooo good!! It's such a big song, tho recorded so gently it still feels giant, like I can hear a bunch of instrumentation in the background. It's dreamy to hear just you and Joe together -- love that track, Joe, it's perrrfect!.... Goose bumps: check.

April 28, 2015 23:13:35 · Reply

Ravenous!
March 17, 2015 19:04:06
Ravenous! by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/ravenous
This one's for the ladies. It's about the joy of masturbation and teenage sexcapades, and how they are nobody's business but your own. Lyrics: when I was a little kid I was always curious what the ...
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Ravenous!

**In case Patreon STILL hasn't fixed the email formatting bug, click "check it out" to view this post with proper formatting.** Here's a brand new song, people, as promised! It's about a young woman's budding sexuality, and how it ain't nobody's business but her own. Cus the thing is, it really ain't. I find that last month's blog post ('How Not to be a Nice Girl') pairs well with this number. Sexuality and female empowerment on the brain over here, as usual! http://blog.carsieblanton.com/post/how-not-to-be-a-nice-girl You can find the lyrics and the download link at soundcloud. Love and mischief, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

March 17, 2015 19:04:06

Can you give me some advice?
March 6, 2015 18:58:17
Support Carsie Blanton creating Songs, essays, and music videos
www.patreon.com
https://www.patreon.com/carsieblanton
Who are you, and what are you doing here? What's so cool about Patreon? There are, of course, lots of ways you can express your support. If this doesn't feel like the one for you, know that I have ...
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Carsie Blanton

March 6, 2015 18:58:17

Learnin', Laughin', Bacon, Butter.
March 4, 2015 20:09:50
Learnin, Laughin, Bacon, Butter by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/learnin-laughin-bacon-butter
I wrote this song for a friend's unborn kid, per his request. He wanted me to give his future child some life advice. It seemed like a tall order, until I realized that there are really only six or...
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Learnin', Laughin', Bacon, Butter.

A dear friend of mine is working on making a baby. He asked me to write a song to his unborn kid. At first, I thought, whoa! That's a tall order. Then I realized there are only a handful of things in life worth singing about. Special thanks to my fans on Facebook who helped me crowdsource ideas for this song. They put together a fairly comprehensive list of the best things in life, in the comments of this post: https://www.facebook.com/carsieblantonfans/posts/10152848198858256 Warning, it's pretty adorable. Learnin and laughin and bacon and butter to you all, Carsie PS. You can download this song directly from Soundcloud, by hitting the down arrow in the top right corner of the Soundcloud player. PPS. If the formatting of this email is screwy, I'm sorry! I've notified Patreon of the problem and they are working on it.

Carsie Blanton

March 4, 2015 20:09:50

Nice Girl, Take 2
February 26, 2015 00:18:39
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Nice Girl, Take 2

If that last link didn't work for you, try this: http://blog.carsieblanton.com/post/how-not-to-be-a-nice-girl . Or go to my website (http://www.carsieblanton.com ) and click "blog". Yours in technological frustration, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

February 26, 2015 00:18:39

How Not to Be a Nice Girl
February 25, 2015 22:44:25
How Not To Be A Nice Girl
tumblr.com
http://blog.carsieblanton.com/post/112062052329/how-not-to-be-a-nice-girl
Something about me is perpetually sweet. Despite the tattoos, the songs about sex and whiskey and meanness, and the ferocity bubbling just beneath the surface, I seem to strike the average stranger...
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How Not to Be a Nice Girl

Today I wrote a blog post about how being a Nice Girl is a stupid boring waste of time, and why we should all drop the act and find something more interesting to do. I go on to offer some practical advice about how to quit the Disney Princess/romcom/sugar and spice racket, once and for all. My advice includes: 1) cultivating a healthy sense of entitlement, 2) finding bigger things to worry about than how we look, and 3) becoming a sexual subject (as opposed to a sex object). Read it here: http://blog.carsieblanton.com/post/112062052329/how-not-to-be-a-nice-girl In other news: I know I've been light on the original songs lately, and I have good news: the next two months (starting TOMORROW!!!) are writers' retreat months for me. I'll be holed up in the Watermelon for all of March & April, writing songs for the next record. I've got some good ones coming down the pike, too - I can almost hear 'em. With love and ferocity, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

February 25, 2015 22:44:25

Perfect song #3: A Heart Needs a Home
February 14, 2015 18:09:49
A Heart Needs A Home by Carsie Blanton
a heart needs a home.wav
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/a-heart-needs-a-home
In my humble opinion, this is one of the best love songs of all time. Thanks, Richard Thompson.
<iframe class="embedly-embed" src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fw.soundcloud.com%2Fplayer%2F%3Fvisual%3Dtrue%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapi.soundcloud.com%252Ftracks%252F191132250%26show_artwork%3Dtrue&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fcarsieblanton%2Fa-heart-needs-a-home&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.sndcdn.com%2Fartworks-000106718588-lij00x-t500x500.jpg&key=8ee8a2e6a8cc47aab1a5ee67f9a178e0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=soundcloud" width="500" height="500" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Perfect song #3: A Heart Needs a Home

Happy Valentine's day, y'all. This one's for my hubby, who is outstandingly generous, and knows me in a deep and magic way, and truly wants me to always be happy and joyful and full of love. Thanks for making my heart feel at home, buddy. And thanks, Mr. Richard Thompson, for writing one of the best love songs of all time. Love (love, love, love), Carsie

Carsie Blanton

February 14, 2015 18:09:49

Amy O'Leary Wow. Wowwowwowwowwow. Wow. Thank you.

February 14, 2015 20:58:09 · Reply

Two Timin'
January 19, 2015 18:04:17
Two Timin' by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/two-timin
This is a teensy little inside-joke of a song. I thought of the refrain a couple years ago and I couldn't get it out of my head, but I also couldn't turn it into a serious song.
<iframe class="embedly-embed" src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fw.soundcloud.com%2Fplayer%2F%3Fvisual%3Dtrue%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapi.soundcloud.com%252Ftracks%252F186822181%26show_artwork%3Dtrue&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fcarsieblanton%2Ftwo-timin&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.sndcdn.com%2Fartworks-000103883845-tfvok6-t500x500.jpg&key=8ee8a2e6a8cc47aab1a5ee67f9a178e0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=soundcloud" width="500" height="500" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Two Timin'

I write songs for all kinds of reasons. Here are a few of them, roughly in order of frequency: 1) My heart is broken. 2) I'm falling in love. 3) I just realized something & want to tell you about it. 4) I heard or read a phrase that I thought was striking/sweet/meaningful. 5) I had dream with a song in it. 6) I thought of a funny joke, and the joke was a song. Here is a brand new song from category #6. I thought of the refrain a couple years ago, and it cracked me up. For a while I tried to work it into an otherwise serious song, but then I realized that was impossible. Luckily, there's a genre that celebrates songs which are made up entirely of jokes and double entendres. So I give you, Two Timin: a little joke of a country song. Love and other jokes, Carsie PS. If you like jokey country songs about infidelity, go dig upon Keith Whitley. He's a monster of a songwriter, and doesn't take himself too seriously. I recommend "Where Are All the Girls I Used to Cheat With?" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLTjzt2sCNM).

Carsie Blanton

January 19, 2015 18:04:17

Perfect Song #2 - Only A Fool
January 7, 2015 16:19:22
Only A Fool - Home Demo - Cover by Carsie Blanton
soundcloud.com
https://soundcloud.com/carsieblanton/only-a-fool-home-demo-cover
This is the second installment in my &quot;perfect songs&quot; series. I came across this song on Nick Lowe's 'Convincer' record, but it was written in 1964 by Norman Bergen and Shelly Coburn. Pron...
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Perfect Song #2 - Only A Fool

I don't know about you folks, but cold weather makes me sad and contemplative. I'm up in PA now, where it's practically no degrees at all, and yesterday afternoon I found myself in an empty kitchen, shivering and mulling over old hurts and regrets. This song wafted into my head to offer assistance. This is the second in my 'Perfect Songs' series. I found it on Nick Lowe's 2001 album 'The Convincer', which I've probably already mentioned because it's been kicking the ass of my ears for about a year and a half. My dear friend Milton introduced me to it (http://www.miltonmusic.com/). He's a formidable songwriter himself, and we'll be out on tour together at the end of this month (playing NJ, OK, TX, GA, KY, NY, PA, DC and NC. Go to http://www.carsieblanton.com/shows for details). Turns out Nick Lowe didn't write it, though he could have. It has the very Loweian theme of being busted, sad and downtrodden, and of that being entirely your own fault. It was written by a couple of Brill Building songwriters in 1964, Norman Bergen and Shelly Coburn. This is the first I've heard of either of them, but golly, they sure hit this one out of the park. I don't have my usual recording setup with me, so this recording has a touch of the ol' hiss and rustle. I feel it lends an extra whiff of sadness (not that we needed it). I find that sad songs are useful at times, especially in the dark of winter, for purging the soul of its little anxieties and resentments. Sad songs punch us in the gut, and remind us of the real stuff of life: love and loss. If we're lucky, they leave us stunned, and remind us to be grateful and kind to the people we love. Love and sad songs, Carsie PS. To download this WAV file, click the 'download' icon to the right of the 'play' button (it looks like a little 'down' arrow).

Carsie Blanton

January 7, 2015 16:19:22

Nor-man sounds great....

January 7, 2015 17:37:48 · Reply

Sean J. Schluntz Thanks for sharing! These little additions from you really make my day.

January 7, 2015 19:49:27 · Reply

My New Year's Resolution
December 31, 2014 16:53:47
New Year's Resolution: KINDNESS in the face of UNCERTAINTY.
tumblr.com
http://blog.carsieblanton.com/post/106719754359/new-years-resolution-kindness-in-the-face-of
This year, I will give whatever I have, whenever I can. I am often paralyzed by the thought that there is so much going wrong in the world - so many injustices and tragedies, large and small, life-...
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My New Year's Resolution

This year, I'll be pursuing kindness in the face of uncertainty. Join me in the confusion! More on the pursuit right here: http://blog.carsieblanton.com/post/106719754359/new-years-resolution-kindness-in-the-face-of Thank you for the love and support, everybody! This has been a huge year. With clumsy kindness, Carsie PS. I hope you got your lucky turtles - they know about kindness.

Carsie Blanton

December 31, 2014 16:53:47

Video #3: Smoke Alarm
December 11, 2014 16:49:12
Smoke Alarm
smoke alarm live.wav
www.youtube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5beMtt-YGA
An original song by Carsie Blanton. 'Smoke Alarm' appears on the 2012 album 'Idiot Heart'. Brought to you fresh from The Watermelon in New Orleans, LA. To download this track, become a patron at ht...
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Video #3: Smoke Alarm

Here's the third and final video I'm considering for submission to NPR's 'Tiny Desk Contest'. Read more here: http://www.patreon.com/creation?hid=1356173&cid=251915. Please watch all three videos, and vote for your favorite by "liking" it on Patreon, Youtube, and/or Facebook (www.http://facebook.com/carsieblantonfans)! All 'likes' count as a vote. I've also attached the live audio from this performance (cus I love you the most). Download it by clicking the link below the video ("smoke alarm live.wav"). Thanks so much for your help! Love, Carsie

Carsie Blanton

December 11, 2014 16:49:12

Jon Colverson Tough decision because they're all fantastic, but I think this is my fave! :)

December 11, 2014 17:38:50 · Reply

Video #2: To Be Known
December 11, 2014 16:42:36
To Be Known
to be known live.wav
www.youtube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry076JZQ7FI
An original song by Carsie Blanton, with special thanks to the ghost in the French Quarter who inspired it. Brought to you fresh from The Watermelon in New Orleans, LA. To download this track, beco...
<iframe class="embedly-embed" src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FRy076JZQ7FI%3Ffeature%3Doembed&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRy076JZQ7FI&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FRy076JZQ7FI%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=8ee8a2e6a8cc47aab1a5ee67f9a178e0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="800" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Video #2: To Be Known

Here's the second of three videos I'm considering for submission to NPR's 'Tiny Desk Contest'. Read more here: http://www.patreon.com/creation?hid=1356173&cid=251915. Please watch all three videos, and vote for your favorite by "liking" it on Patreon, Youtube, and/or Facebook! All 'likes' count as a vote. I've also attached the live audio from this performance (just for you!). Download it by clicking the link below the video ("to be known live.wav"). Thanks so much for your help! C

Carsie Blanton

December 11, 2014 16:42:36

Brad Blanton I love this song. I love Smoke Alarm too. I think this is the one though.

December 11, 2014 21:07:09 · Reply

Eric The musicality and emotional content of this one hits you in "that place." Fat and Happy is fun for the message. I vote "To be Known"

December 11, 2014 22:21:22 · Reply

Video #1: Fat & Happy
December 11, 2014 16:35:39
Fat &amp; Happy
fat n happy live.wav
www.youtube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_A2oWvBEc
An original song by Carsie Blanton, with special thanks to Joe Plowman. Brought to you fresh from The Watermelon in New Orleans, LA. To download this track, become a patron at http://www.patreon.co...
<iframe class="embedly-embed" src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FR6_A2oWvBEc%3Ffeature%3Doembed&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DR6_A2oWvBEc&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FR6_A2oWvBEc%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=8ee8a2e6a8cc47aab1a5ee67f9a178e0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="800" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Video #1: Fat & Happy

Here's the first of three videos I'm considering for submission to NPR's 'Tiny Desk Contest'. Read more here: http://www.patreon.com/creation?hid=1356173&cid=251915. Please watch all three videos, and vote for your favorite by "liking" it on Patreon, Youtube, and/or Facebook! All 'likes' count as a vote. I've also attached the live audio from this performance, as a special treat for my dear patrons. Download it by clicking the link below the video ("fat n happy live.wav"). Thanks so much for your help! C

Carsie Blanton

December 11, 2014 16:35:39

Ben Langhinrichs OK, to be honest, video #3 with Smoke Alarm has higher production values and the kazoo sound on this is a little harsh, but this is still the one I'd suggest you enter. The song is great, the attitude is great and the song is the right mix of fun and fierce. I voted for this one (though I love the song, Smoke Alarm, and am grateful for the download).

December 11, 2014 20:36:16 · Reply