Another EP 2 Video

Recording Days 5 and 6

SO. MUCH. FUN. So fun!

Episode 3 in NYC

NYC: Episode 2

East Coast Episode 1

Recording EP 2: Day 4

Recording Log Day 3

Recording: Day 2

Recording: Day One

I Can't Forget the Alamo

I got to accompany my buddy D.C. Bloom the other night at Ruta Maya as part of Webb House Concerts Songwriter night. Great fun! And as you can see, D.C.'s tunes are always guaranteed great fun. Check him out at http://www.dcbloom.com

June Videos

I finally got around to editing some things...there's probably one more in the works. Joys of having a Flip camera!

It's time for a video!

I've been slow at editing...too busy collecting ceramic pigs I guess. Here's some footage from the front half of our month...Winter Park, CO and the cabin in Montana!

Yay Terri!

Yeah, those are my buddies Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines jamming with the Indigo Girls in Austin last Thursday...and Terri gets to sing her own VERSE! Yay! That is the ultimate in folk music cred right there, to sing "Closer to Fine" with the Girls. Terri's opening for them all weekend...so cool.

Ballad of the Merch Girl

Thanks, Conrad!

SXSW Doneness.

Well that was fun. The festival is over (thought I'm sure there's still plenty going on today because hey, it's the weekend). I took it easier yesterday though still packed in just about everything I wanted to see. The one bust was Rachel Ray's day party...because yes, she hosts a day party during SXSW. I wanted to see what the food would be like at a shindig like that and wondered whether she indeed made it all in 30 minutes or less. But when I got downtown the line was wrapped around the block and had to extend for two more. Popular, she is. It was then I decided to take in part of the Film Festival at the Alamo Ritz right across the street. Stand in line for 3 hours for a party I might not even like or see a movie in a comfy seat? Right. I ended up at a screening of Luckey which was good but sad but good. I emerged into the brightness in time to see Melissa Ferrick as part of the Mpress Records showcase. Whoa. As a singer-songwriter girl, of COURSE I had heard of Melissa...but I had never seen her live. She amazed. Her guitar playing was kick butt. He songs were real. I liked that. So much that after a trip home and a nap (see, I also felt a cold coming on. Nice of it to hold off for the last day), I joined some friends for Melissa Ferrick's official showcase at the Hilton. And was blown away again. I like it when that happens. Then we trucked it over to Stubb's to see the Indigo Girls. I had never seen them live either, which is probably a mortal sin in the world of singer-songwriters, though I am certainly familiar with their material. Great show, lots of new tunes from their new record. And who DOESN'T want to sing along on "Closer to Fine"? So that's that. My cold is in full swing. Real life awaits for the time being. I learned -- or re-learned -- a couple of things this weekend. 1. I love live music. (Duh). To be honest a lot of performing artists get really burned out on seeing other people play, and standing in loud venues, and the fact that it is a "conference" and everything. And there's a difference when you're watching a peer play versus someone you've put on a pedestal as a performing artist. Some people just get over it. I hope I never do. There's too much powerful stuff held in a person on stage with a presence and a message. 2. There's room for everyone if the performance, the music, and the presentation serves the song. Tori Amos walked on stage and kept us all rapt for an hour with a piano. Melissa Ferrick channels an energy with a guitar and her crazy strumming. Lisa Hannigan and Justin Townes Earle channel the same thing but in completely different ways. That's nice to know.

Plotting Panels

I'm back among the living. This morning my throat does not feel like it's trying to take a vacation and walk out of my neck, so we're doing ok. It's grey and cold and rainy here, just when I wore a t-shirt multiple days in a row. I'm cool with that. I am going to have a crew pass (badge? wristband? I dunno how that works) to SXSW next week. WOOHOO! The lovely and talented Elizabeth Wills, who I have been semi-stalking because I love hearing her sing, is hooking me up. She's got a SXSW Showcase, so I'm going to be a monkey in all my glory and help her out for that gig. And the rest of the week...I'm gonna try and hit up panels about promotion, gigging, blogging, digital music distribution, and yes...MERCH. This is a conference with a panel about merch. The love. Here is some Elizabeth Wills for your Wednesday...her voice is pretty much like if you hiked up a mountain in Switzerland and then found some bubbly spring that no one has ever discovered and there was a wildflower field next to it, and maybe some puppies romping around. It's pure like that.

12 Hours By Car Live at Casbeer's

Valentine's Day Gig - Casbeer's

Last minute gigs are fun! Come hang out.

Give Jana Away!

Also see Music To Take Away...

Pinky Fingers

Mapping the Year

From the war room yesterday...aka my apartment.

Bells Are Ringing

Merry Christmas, everyone! (I didn't make this video but I love the song - from Mary Chapin Carpenter's Christmas album which is AWESOME).

Bring 'Em All In / Lloyd Month

I love this song. Yay Terri and Lloyd. :) Also it's Lloyd Maines month at LoneStarMusic.com -- good times and well deserved. Woot!

November Video Blog

Fortunate

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. Gather at the table with loved ones and remember that we are fortunate! Live at Artz Ribhouse 11.12.08 with Susan Gibson and Marian Brackney.

A recap from a while ago.

It's been a busy one, as usual...and I've been remiss on making videos or even filming much. Here's some random bits from October and early November...more coming soon! Promise.

Merchtober Video

Thus explains the banana comment from the previous "out of context video" (Phil asked!). I especially like the "whoosh" sound the banana makes flying out the window....

Out of Context

I'm really beginning to get into this editing thing...so much control, haha. Some randomness from the gigs this past weekend in Fort Worth and Stephenville...

Starting At As Low As $44.99 a Night Records

In Nashville...no, I'm not out of tour videos yet. Mwahaha.

First time on the radio...

Susan had an in-studio at KFAN in Fredericksburg before her gig in Comfort this weekend, and I was of course along to document. She is always nice and introduces me around and plugs my record...so Rozzie, the awesome DJ at KFAN, took a copy of The Early Year and while we were driving to Comfort, we heard New Mexico Boy on the radio! So you always hear those stories about hearing yourself for the first time on the radio. Usually it involves pulling over if you're driving and crying or something. I couldn't pull over because Susan was driving, and there was no crying...but we did scream a lot. Because I have a camera attached to my palm everywhere we go these days...it got caught on film. So cool to share it with some of my favorite peoples. The good life indeed.

What we need is a MONTAGE.

Back in Austin after a fun weekend merching in Comfort, TX. It was an exciting time, but that's for the next blog post. In the meantime it's nice to sleep on my own pillows. Producer Dan and I had a check-in today and we're already talking EP 2...The Early Year is out now and it's time to think about the next step. I'm excited already! We'll start tracking in early 2009. Here's a music video I edited in the car...clips and things. Yay! So much tour video, so little time.

That Talented Suz

Susan Gibson is just brimming with talent. Of course you are all familiar with her killer songwriting and guitar skills...but maybe you weren't aware of her multi-instrumental gifts and her calligraphy experience.

J-Poville

Yep, we made it home. We had one other minor adventure on the way back involving the dogs getting sprayed by a skunk outside of Dallas, so we had 3 hours at a car wash at 10 PM with tomato paste and vinegar (thanks, Beth!)...but we made it back only a little smellier. Ok, much smellier. But it was an adventure as always! Here's a tune from Susan in Charleston, SC...the real version is "Gatesville" from her latest record, but perks of being a Merch Girl include improvised songs for you. Sweet! It's kinda my new fave...

The Last Merch Meal: Fish Tacos

Waffle House. WAFFLE HOUSE! Jackson, Mississippi.

Lessons of Merching

Now...just to be clear...working for and with Susan Gibson means 8 million belly laughs a minute, and she's such a good sport with her video camera obsessed merch girl on the road. Everything you see here is entirely fabricated, based on one small joke we've had for a couple of months back when she yelled backstage so I could hear it, "J-PO! I NEED A PEN!" We've had fun with that ever since. Evidenced below...

Nashville Writer's Night

Last night we went out to a writer's night at The Camel a little outside of Nashville. Susan played a great set and then I got to get up there with Suz and Marian and we showed them how girls rock out back in Texas. Susan did a great job filming AND sang killer harmonies. She's a Jill of all trades.

Paper Rock Scissors Fiddle!

Here's a tune from Lawrenceville, GA. The house concert had to be moved to the porch because so many people wanted to come because Susan is THAT COOL. One of the fun parts of this trip is that Suz is not afraid to grab the camera and let the merch girl play some...it gets me extra saltines in the van, too. Marian Brackney, Susan's fiddle and violin virtuoso, is nice enough to play along with my songs and make me sound 40 times cooler.

Keeping the Merch Girl Alive

WAFFLE HOUSE!!!

The Saga of Waiting

At an unidentified chain store somewhere in Fort Worth last Wednesday...

Loveliness from Mary Chapin

I love this tune!

Hurricane Party

Well, something's blowing in from the south: In the spirit of Mary Chapin Carpenter's line from "Down at the Twist and Shout" -- "they have a hurricane party every time it blows" -- my buddy Katie and I are going to hunker down with some hummus, Diet Coke, and blank t-shirts and Sharpies. See, I decided that being on tour as a Merch Girl for 2.5 weeks...well, no one wants me to wear the same Susan t-shirt every night. No one wants that...probably especially Susan because she sits in the van with me. So Katie and I have been coming up with clever things worthy of a t-shirt. I'll share what we come up with later, but one of Katie's suggestions was "Merch Girls Do It On the Bar." Oh my.

San Angelo to Switzerland

I'm off to be Merch Girl in San Angelo tonight, kids. In the meantime...here's a tune too new to be on EP 1, but I am pretty set on having it on the next record. It's my $20,000 History/Poli Sci degree at work! Switzerland from janapochop on Vimeo.

If You Miss the Bus

If You Miss the Bus from janapochop on Vimeo.

Before the Big Gig

Opening for Terri Hendrix tonight at Threadgill's!!! Come see us. People Being People from janapochop on Vimeo.

To the Top of the World

This is one of the most gorgeous versions of this tune... (If you squint you'll see Lloyd in the background behind Emily!) I'm driving to New Mexico, y'all...see you on the flip side in the Mountain Time Zone.

Girl Crush on Imogen Heap

I'll admit it...I have a girl crush on Imogen (don't worry, the NYT says it's cool). I watched her latest video blog just now and my mouth kept dropping at each new bit of sound-making genius. From the swirly tube thing that we all had as kids and never quite knew what to do with except annoy the crap out of our parents...to using the Gameboy start up sound on her song...sheer genius. SHE PLAYS THE GAMEBOY. ON HER RECORD. And I thought I was all cool playing the banjo. Imogen, if you need someone to play the Diet Coke bottle, or flip flop around the studio loudly, or perhaps type with 3 fingers on a keyboard really fast...I'm your girl.

Sesame Street Goals

My friend Mary pointed this out to me, and it is awesome: Feist put out a lovely record last year, and "1 2 3 4" was in one of the iPod commercials...but as a kid raised on Sesame Street, there's no cooler remake than something that involves Muppets and counting. I don't know what song I'd re-do. Maybe "paper beats rock and rock beats scissors" could turn into an order of operations math song about "parentheses beats exponents beats multiply and divide beats add and subtract." Hmm, not quite the ring. Oh well.

I love this song.

Stones in the Road - Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Biology Lesson with my cousin

Cleaning out some files (of the digital kind), I found this tiny little clip I had ignored from my tourage of New Mexico last year. We were at the Very Large Array looking at Very Large Rabbits. This made me laugh out loud...but maybe you have to know my cousin! Transcription: Susan: There's another very large rabbit. Rochelle: That is a big rabbit! Jana: Shoot, it's the jackalope. Rochelle: Oh it is. Jana: Just kidding. Rochelle: Is it? Jana: Jackalopes don't exist. They have elk horns.

EP 1 Check-In

Well. We've got one tune mixed and 4 more to go! What a process. One I will discuss more after we have a few more mixes under our belt and I know what I'm saying. It's a cool thing, to see a baby song grow up and sound like something that fits in with your iTunes playlist full of other artists. Neato. On that note, things I have been listening to lately: Mescalito: Ryan Bingham (I saw Ryan open for Patty Griffin and he caught my attention. For someone opening for Patty Griffin to catch my attention and not just leave me thinking, "Man, I wish Patty was playing now" is a triumph. The record is great). Trouble In Mind: Hayes Carll (Anyone who writes a song called "She Left Me for Jesus" wins. Same for "Bad Liver and a Broken Heart"). All I Intended To Be: Emmylou Harris (How cool is she? She makes great records, period, end of story). Here's "Red Dirt Girl", my one of my favorite Emmylou tunes.

What the Cool Kids Buy

Um, the new Susan Gibson album is out. Let's just pause for a minute to allow you to go purchase it from her website, or perhaps download it from iTunes. "New Dog, Old Tricks." Clickity click click. Got it? Good. We all know I can wax poetic about the songwriting skills of Ms. Gibson all day. This record has some new tunes and a bunch of Suz tunes that she recorded with her former band, The Groobees. Those are great records but not readily found these days...and since Susan performs these tunes at her shows, it makes sense to let the people take them home. Give the people what they want, I say. (Unless the people want chocolate covered cauliflower. Then the people are wrong. But usually they are right. Usually). So you can get to know Susan a little better, I present one of my favorite videos of our New Mexico tour from last year. Spontaneous song creation is the name of the game. I wonder why this one didn't make it on "New Dog, Old Tricks"? Strange, haha. Oh yeah...to make things even sweeter, some of the proceeds from sales of this album go to Blue Dog Rescue. An awesome cause AND new music. I like. Here's some linkage to keep you busy: SusanGibson.com (buy it here, too!) Susan's Myspace Download "New Dog, Old Tricks" from iTunes

Tori II: Bouncing Off Clouds

I know, this is the second Tori post in a week. But the benefits of having a really devoted fanbase mean there are really great quality Youtube videos of you around. This is my favorite track off Tori's latest, American Doll Posse. Note how she plays TWO pianos at the same TIME. One behind her back. I know it's probably easy for her but it looks dang impressive.

A Sorta Fairytale

Tori Amos is brilliant. I love this live version of "A Sorta Fairytale." Talk about commanding a stage. Presence, dress, voice, musicianship, confidence, all of it. I won a front row seat at one of her shows when I was in college, and it changed my perception of live music. I will admit I was not familiar with much of her music before the show, but I was instantly converted. This is probably my top Tori song, and not just because it mentions New Mexico, haha. In fact, the "Scarlet's Walk" record is one of my favorite records period. It creates amazing soundscapes and is beautifully written.

I want a banjo.

This song makes me want to buy a banjo. I almost snagged one off Craigslist but it didn't work out. If you have a banjo in your attic let me know! Also, Abigail Washburn is awesome. She has lived in China and is also steeped in Appalachian folk music...and somehow the two combine into...Appalachinese? Something like that. Go read her bio, it's impressive.

Running to Stand Still - U2

Amanda, Emily, and I covering U2's "Running to Stand Still" at the Red Leaf show. We make our audience practice patience...the solo doesn't come until about 3:30 in, but Emily and I trade some tasty licks so check it out. The Telecaster should get out of the house more. Thanks to Brent for his awesome filming and editing job!

Blonde on Blue

My shirt says, "A city built on rock and roll would be structually unsound." My shirt cracks me up. "Blonde on Blue" from the Red Leaf Rocks show April 5, 2008.

A little blues harp break

Here's a video of Lisa Mills and Simon Wallace (aka Simon from porterdavis and also the harmonica teacher at Red Leaf)...it's pretty cool stuff. One day I will hit Simon up for a harp lesson or several hundred.

More Hearts and Stars for Sugarland + New Music

I know, I know. Commercial country Nashville yadda yadda. As I have said before, I will defend the gloriousness of Sugarland, and here is more proof. Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush lead their tourmates (Little Big Town and Jake Owen) in a really cool cover of "Life in a Northern Town." This song is an ode to Nick Drake and was recorded originally by Brit folk-rockers The Dream Academy. So not typical Nashville. So cool. This song combines a bunch of my favorite things: big guitar sounds, good harmonies, nonsense word choruses, and Jennifer Nettles' voice. Yep. Dig. There's your musical break for the week. Also, Kris Delmhorst's new one is available, it's called "Shotgun Singer" and from my first listen through, it rocks. Kris always delivers quality stuff. Susan has a couple of her new tracks up on her Myspace page -- totally stoked for the new record. Kevin and I have jumped into a big pool of soul guitar at my lessons, so my assignment for the week has been to listen to The Staples Singers and various other soul legends, and watch the documentaries Wattstax and Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Tough life. (Mavis Staples is SO GOOD! I know I'm slow).

Mean People Suck

Fer reals and can I get an "Amen"? It's time for a Terri and Lloyd Break! Let go of that computer mouse/pen/stapler/crowbar/steering wheel (ok NOT the steering wheel) and dig. It.

Beggin' you for mercy (ode to Mondays)

I think maybe it's Monday, and that requires a toe-tappin' jam track to get the week started right. This was the free track on iTunes last week. I downloaded it. It's been stuck in my head. Never say I don't have an appreciation for a good pop song, hm? Duffy - Mercy: Oh yeah, and luck o' the Irish to you! Duffy is from the UK, which is closer to Ireland than Texas is...that's how I geographically roll.

Reminder: San Antonio Webcast Today!

Heading down to San Antonio to meet Ms. Kelli King and get my song on! After I change my guitar strings. Ahem. Here is the link to the live webcast. It starts at 6 PM Central time. Add and subtract at your leisure! Word. Now I'm just filling up space. Go buy Kathleen Edwards' new CD. Drive!

Live Webcast on Sunday - from San Antonio!

Y'all -- I'll be sprinting to lovely Leon Springs (near San Antone) this Sunday to feature at the Scenic Loop Cafe open stage run by my lovely and talented Life's A Song workshop roomie Kelli King (see? I told you we workshoppers travel in packs). The whole shebang gets webcast every week from Kelli's site and you can log in around 6 PM Texas time on Sunday the 9th to see moi...but it all starts at 4 PM so log in early, grab some popcorn, and hang out. You can even chat with us...I plan on bringing my laptop and being a tech-nerd, too. I know, shocking. Wild West Webcast: j.Po onstage Sunday, March 9 at 6 PM (that's 5 PM if you live in New Mexico. Mom.)

Ode to the Albuquerque Tribune

A little piece of my growing-up years shut down yesterday...after 86 years of publishing, the Albuquerque Tribune has ceased to exist. It was the afternoon paper, and I guess people like morning papers, so now the only paper left in ABQ is...well, "the other one." My parents always subscribed to the Tribune, and since they are current events savvy folk, I learned how to "read" the paper with them after dinner (though it was always just the comics and TV listings for me until I got a little older). When I was probably 8 or 9, they published an opinion piece that I had sent in. The topic? "Why I love cats." (I still do!) I felt like a real writer. They sent me a certificate to tell me so, too. I got to know the columnists by reading them every week, and in some happy twists of fate, I had the pleasure of crossing paths with a few of the Tribune folk, too. V.B. Price was one of my favorite professors in college. When he wasn't writing for the Trib or writing his own books and poetry, he was leading an amazing seminar on poetry and poets at UNM. I still have my final essay I wrote for that class with his words of encouragement to me as a writer inked on the last page. It meant a lot coming from him. I got to know Kate Nelson and Gene Grant by virtue of working with them at KNME. I was an intern, they were the hosts of In Focus and The Line. They always treated us with respect on the set, even though we definitely had no clue what we were doing at the beginning, hehheh! I was a dang good water girl, though. Kate was exceptionally helpful and patient when we produced our own episodes at the end of our tenure. Gene was always one of my favorite Trib columnists, so I'll admit to being a little starstruck when I started seeing him around KNME...but he's simply a nice guy to talk to. (Right now I'm all paranoid that I am writing about writers and I just ended that sentence with a preposition. Oh well). Me and Kate and producer Tish Bravo on the set of "By the People" in 2005. I got to speak with Jim Montalbano for the first time when he called me here in Austin to interview me about going back to Albuquerque to play some shows with Susan last May. I think I probably rattled on nervously for too long, but he was great to talk to and the article was very cool. I thought it was neat to be an actual part of the paper I grew up with. I got to meet Jim when we went down to the Trib's offices to film a segment for TribVid with Michael Amedeo, another of the nice Tribunites. Of course we have video. I don't mean to sound all funeral-like...the good thing is all these folks are great at what they do, and I am curiously awaiting where they'll pop up next. (Kate is already working for the Lt. Governor...good stuff). So that's that. A newsroom full of nice people, great writers, and what I thought was the more cutting edge and technology-aware news daily in the city...cheers to the Tribune! Thanks for all the words.

Dominant 7ths

Yesterday at my guitar lesson Kevin handed me a notebook and told me to write my guitar-playing goals in it for 2008. That was cool, and while I have many scattered goals that pop up in my head at random times ("I should really learn another Zeppelin song"), listing them was challenging but fun. It didn't take long to get the juices flowing. One of them is to understand where major, minor, and dominant 7th chords are coming from. Kevin mapped it out and small bits of light were seen, but I am still trudging through fog on that. I think in another few weeks I might begin to get it. Another goal is to learn an instrumental piece -- to work on fingerstyle, and also just to have a song that I can play that I don't have to sing on, haha. We'll see how that evolves. So -- interestingly enough, Kevin's got new videos up on Youtube and one of them is a way cool instrumental. There you go. Trends happen. Instrumental is the new black. Put that on a t-shirt and sell it.

Two Videos in a Row?

Because I can. Who's my fave world blues band? porterdavis

All About Makin' A Record

We had a web conference last night! Little did I know Josh has supersecret devices on his computer to record things. That could come in handy if we ever meet Richard Nixon. (What? Say it ain't so!) Anyway, all about the New EP:

Perfect Albums :: Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself

I think I have mentioned Imogen on my blog before, but I am now getting around to letting you in on a little non-secret: Imogen Heap is flippin' fantastic. I was first introduced through the song "Let Go" by her duo Frou Frou, which was featured on one of those ABCBSMSNBC network shows I never watched in college, but my roommate had the song and I liked it. I think that's how that went down. Anyway, her voice grabbed me; I happened upon Speak For Yourself and bought it and was floored. So I read some more about Miss Heap, expecting my elevated opinions to be dashed when I found out she was a product of 8 producers, 35 co-writers, and was discovered on British Idol or something (did I mention she's British? That makes her even cooler). But NO! Imogen WRITES her own music, PLAYS her own music, and PRODUCES her own music. Be still my do-it-yourself heart. She probably grows her own coffee beans and roasts them to perfection, too. (That's just me speculating, though). Here's Imogen on Letterman performing "Goodnight and Go" with her "band": I'll admit...I'm not really sure what type of genre you'd put Imogen in...maybe a electronica-singer-songwriter-pop-rock one. Close enough. She uses the power of various instruments and gadgets like Macs and looping stations and synthesizers and keyboards...and creates orchestras on stage. I saw her live last year here in Austin, and it was pretty impressive. She's got a grand piano fitted with a keyboard that has each key wired to a particular light in the piano body (did I mention this thing is made of clear plexi-glass?) so the whole piano lights up accordingly when she plays. Dang. I'm just happy when a string doesn't break. Anyway, this is all superflous to the album itself. Speak for Yourself holds its own. Tracks like "Headlock" and "The Walk" start off all mellow-like and lull you until she smacks you with some synth-y beat that somehow matches your pulse and enhances it. Imogen's music has the good quality of ingraining itself and impacting you on a purely rhythmic basis. Her lyrics are dang cool...but it took me a long time to even pay attention to them because I was so distracted by the sonic landscapes she creates. What this woman does with a keyboard and her voice is amazing. Check the video for Headlock: Excellent example of the smackdown on the chorus, just when you thought you had the vibe of the song figured out. Good writing lessons, all. Roight. So now I'm going to 'ave a cuppa tea and recommend that you take a gander at Imogen's vLog...yes, a video blog...about building her studio for her new album. It's up at ImogenHeap.co.uk. Fun times, perfect record.

2 Soon 2 Say 2 Late

Over at Red Leaf School of Music, we're working hard to document the awesome things the students are learning and doing...so check out our Youtube channel for videos from July's Red Leaf Rocks concert. Video from last week's show is coming soon, too!

The Vault: Maybe My Mind Will Change

What have we here? It's a video made back in '06 (aught-six?) right after I graduated from skoo'. Josh was a partner in a production company called Spinning Hat, and I was their test project. I had a song. They had cameras. It was fun! The video has kind of been floating around for a while, but Josh dusted off his archives and here it is. It stars my good friend Jamie, who is the flustered waitress. Josh makes a cameo, too. 10 points to whoever picks him out!

Rock the Tomato. I'm almost on "break."

What's that? That's...actual...PRACTICING? Oh my. I amped it up and put the fingers on "red alert" for Red Leaf Rocks this week...which occurs on Thursday night at the Rockin' Tomato here in South Austin. Twice a year Red Leaf School of Music showcases the students that study there. I study there. I will be playing a solo song, and... I'll also be playing with my good buddy Emily, who is the other half of our women's songwriter group. (Dan's an honorary member, but his voice doesn't go high enough for him to be fully inducted). We've been working on "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman and "Diamond in the Rough" by Shawn Colvin...I love both of those tunes so it's been a pleasant few months. Check out this video of Shawn...we've been using it as our guide. Someone filmed this sucker in 1988, and I bet no one ever DREAMED that 20 (twenty! two-oh!) years later, it would be streaming on The Interwebs. I must say there is much afoot (afeet?) in Jana Land...I will post about it in bits to draw it out and keep you in agonizing suspense. Or perhaps you're just eating oatmeal in front of your computer, about to click over to CNN.com. Whatever floats your boat. I will say...Red Leaf Rocks is my last show of the year and I will now concentrate even more on Folk Music Grad Skoo' and MAKIN' A RECORD. Sweet. Carry on, and get thee to the Rockin' Tomato on Thursday! 7:05 PM!

Remember November?

I drove around a LOT.

Happy Birthday, Kate!

Seems to be a lot of us crazy Scorpios around these days. I'm playing a gig in Austin tonight, but my good friend Kate Hearne is celebrating her birthday up in Winnsboro, TX and I'm definitely there in spirit. One of the coolest parts of the Life's A Song workshop in October was meeting a bunch of people who I immediately connected with. Kate was one of them...when I heard her play a song around the campfire (the prevelance of campfires in my life is interesting) the first night of the workshop I was blown away. We jammed a little bit that night and workshopped together all the next day and stayed up until 4 AM writing a tune the next night. Kate is a young one! She's turning 18 (if her bio isn't lying, haha), and she is one of the most accomplished guitarists I have had the privilege of playing with. Here's Kate playing her song "Shine" at Life's A Song with none other than Lloyd Maines... Happy birthday, Kate! Here's to many more songs and adventures. :) Kate's Myspace

Blonde on Blue Live in Taos: Nov. 7, 2007

Day 1: Ready for Taos

A little honesty from Nashville

Ok, I admit it. I read blogs about Nashville and country music. I love the stuff. I don't listen to country radio anymore because a lot of it makes me cringe, but I was raised on it and I believe Nashville draws some of the world's best troubadours and writers forever and ever amen. It's an image driven city, for sure, but I still think there is room for the Song, and maybe a good chunk of the Nashville machine will still tell you that. It gives me hope for commercial music. One of my favorite bands in Nashville these days is Sugarland, which is odd because they're actually popular. I can't say that about too many of my favorite artists (besides the Chicks, I guess). Jennifer Nettles is the lead singer, and much like Natalie of the Chicks, Jennifer has a voice you either love or...maybe don't love. That's ok. I've got albums from Jennifer's previous days in Georgia-based bands like Soul Miner's Daughter...and while she's more Nashville than folk or rock these days, the pipes have remained the same. You can't miss Jennifer singing. (She's so young here!) So these country music blogs I read...a few were chattering about the new Sugarland video and how amazing it was. So I checked out "Stay" and wow. It is pretty different for a Nashville product. "Stay" is a great song in the tradition of heart-wrenching, cheating, story-telling country songs...but instead of flashy production and perhaps showing some leg, we get Jennifer up front and center, pretty exposed and um-glammed...singing and crying. Some people think it's over-acted sap, but I think the material is excellent, the vocals are well done, and she's channeling something from somewhere. Either way, it proves that Nashville doesn't always have to turn out well-polished little bits of media glory. "Stay" is polished in its own right, yes...but they left some of the dirt on, too.

Vicariously on Tour / Responsibility to the Path

Dan's band Porterdavis hits the road a LOT, because they are pretty much burning up with awesomeness. I'm kind of a little proud. :) I know I posted about mentors a couple of days ago, but I must say Dan is pretty much my musical mentor. Maybe meeting him was the closest I have come to actually seeking out a mentor, except I still wasn't really. I was seeking voice lessons and some guitar advice, maybe a little inspiration to go with. What I have ended up with is someone who is, like I said earlier...endlessly supportive, believes in what I have to say, honest with what I need to work on, constructive about it, and totally in my corner. That's kind of a big deal when you're in your 20's and you think you want to be a musician. It's a weird road. People think you're gunning for poverty, drug addiction, living in your car, lacking health insurance, aimlessness, selling out...all those bad things that get lumped into "the music business." Dan's shown a path of independence, self-sufficiency, responsibility, gratitude, growth, and intention. Being a musician, when you approach it the right way, is just as rewarding and responsible as being a doctor or a lawyer. And this is just me speaking because I don't like bodily fluids or Latin words, but it sounds a lot more fun. ;) * * Props to all you docs and lawyers, though...

175th.

This is my 175th blog post. I started in January. I thought that was interesting. Dallas was very fun. I got to hang with my buddy Katie who knows the city like I know the caffeine aisle at the grocery store (they have those, I promise). We also basically held out for stoppage on the way home until West, TX where The Czech Stop lives. I encountered it first in May when I was driving back to Austin from Albuquerque/Amarillo in some bizarre 15 hour mararthon. I was tired; it was 3 AM. Then there was a sign advertising my people. My Bohemian roots on a billboard. So I pulled over and had the best poppyseed kolache ever. I hated them as a kid when my mom made them because kids don't eat little black pieces of opium. Now I embrace them. YES I just said I embrace little black pieces of opium. Oh so anyway, um. I'm kinda tired and over-exerted but that means there's some breakthrough to be had shortly. I tell myself that. I'm around Austin for a couple of weeks and then it's off to Houston and Albuquerque for some shows. Very excited for a New Mexico autumn. I'm learning chord theory in a way that is finally making sense. Hallelujah. After that little stint in ABQ and my Birthday Show at the Irie Bean (November 15th, y'all should come)...it's REST time. Meaning, I'll stay home more and record and write and learn. I am looking forward to this a lot. A big Happy Birthday to my big sister Tracy! :) The card's in the mail. Well it will be. Maybe with your Christmas present. Right now I am mesmerized by this Feist video. It makes me happy! I was introduced to it by Heather and her fab Lyrical Venus blog. Check it out. Enjoy Feist whilst I enjoy the quiet misty Austin evening.

What's suSANG up to?

So some of you had the extreme joy and pleasure of seeing a bunch of Susan Gibson shows all in a row in New Mexico this past May...and got to know her well. Others of you, maybe more on the Texas side...see Susan around gigging because, well...that's what she does. It's great. My point is...go see a show (here is her tour page). And for you New Mexicans...Suz will be up in Taos on September 7th, and since I am "stuck" here in Austin (laaame haha)...you need to represent, yo. Here's a filming of the song "Cactus" from outside the Very Large Array in May. Cheers.

Lori McKenna: Singer, Songwriter, Wife, Mother

I've known about Lori McKenna for a long time...she's a great songwriter, and she's had some excellent singers cover her material. Faith Hill is a fan. Sara Evans and Mandy Moore have cut some Lori tracks, too. Lots of people have. Her new CD, "Unglamorous," is available for download this week, and this video shows...just what a cool PERSON Lori is! Five kids, a house in Massachusetts, and worrying about who will pick the kids up from school when Faith Hill asks her to be on Oprah. That's my kind of folk.

The Incandescently Lovely Shawn Colvin

I am just stewing in music lately, it's a good thing. Here's one of my favorite Shawn tunes from her newest album These Four Walls -- it's called "Tuff Kid." We're both South Dakota kids, Shawn and I. She lived in Vermillion, I was born in Aberdeen. I'd like to think it adds a certain Midwestern sensibility to writing a song. And makes you Tuff.

I Move Your Blood

We haven't had a video in a while...Live at the Santa Fe Brewing Company on May 22, 2007. One of my newest tunes!

Albuquerque TribVid is up!

It seems like eons ago we were in Albuquerque, filming a TribVid segment with Amedeo. Eons translates into mere weeks, and it's online for the world to see already. Thanks, Amedeo! We had a grand time. Our behind the scenes exclusive was posted back in May when we were on tour, and here's the result. Neat how that happens! Powered by ScribeFire. Technorati Tags: newmexico, albuquerque, songwriter, folkmusic, video

Goof.

Socorro is translated as "HELP!" in Spanish, FYI. Oy. Hehhehheh.

Working on a new one...

This is what I go through...all the time. I should probably quit, hehheh. Maybe one day you'll hear this song at a show and go "hey, I saw that on the internet before it was finished!"

We love the Sound People

Being sound of mind and sound of body are important, yes...but having good sound at a gig is gold. Cheers to all the awesome sound people out there...you make what we do easier and happier.

"It tasted good."

Beverage stop in Socorro before the gig...Susan and Rochelle and I are comparing our horrible nutrition habits. Vitamin B6, people. B6. Make it to the end and you can hear about bubble gum beer.

Friday Nite Movie: Four Eyed Monsters

This is awesome for a variety of reasons...one being that it is the first feature film available for free on Youtube and various other sites online. FREE. MOVIE. And it's doing well, and the filmmakers are rocking it, and this is the future of Web 2.0. Check it. Join Spout | Buy DVD | Watch Video Podcast | Get Code

TribVid: Chris Nolan

Chris Nolan was my first guitar teacher, and taught me...well, a good chunk of everything. He's just fabulous. If I had started with the wrong teacher, I might have given up and taken up glass blowing as a hobby (which actually would be kinda cool but that is so NOT THE POINT). Chris did a couple of tunes for TribVid (which I filmed back in May...my episode will appear soon, I think). Enjoy!

All Fall Down

My statement of independence for the day...live at the Santa Fe Brewing Company in New Mexico with Susan Gibson. Sweet.

Friday Nite Movie: From Curandera to Chupacabra...The Stories of Rudolfo Anaya

I first had to read Rudolfo Anaya in high school. We were assigned "Bless Me Ultima" and I remember thinking something along the lines of, "Why are we reading this dude if he lives in our state? Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Anaya?" (Did I mention maybe I was a stupid high schooler?) I got "skooled" quickly and was taken in by Anaya's way with words and fascinating ability to tell a good story while weaving in tradition, history, and folklore. It remains one of my favorite reading assignments of all time. Here's a doc from KNME about one of the best authors in America, right from my backyard.

RSS...R-E-S-P-E-C-T

All right kids. The migration over to a dedicated host for janapochop.com means the RSS feed for the blog has changed. Click that fabulous orange...thing over there on the right to make sure you're subscribed in your RSS reader. Or click this giant one: I can't make that any easier. But Jana, what is an RSS feed? What is this reader thing? Watch this highly creative and entertaining video from Common Craft (which is just a great company all around), and learn all about this crazy thing we call the internets. Vast amounts of information are at your fingertips! Click To Play

More Notebook Thoughts...

Friday Night Movie: The Water Haulers

My business partner J and I worked as interns/associate producers at KNME-TV in Albuquerque for a year. We did cool stuff. We met the governor (or at least I met his makeup person and watched the governor walk by), produced some shows, got people water in cute little mugs. One of my bosses was Tish Bravo, a fantastic producer and all around good spirit to boot. Tish is off seeing the world in a VW van now, but before she left KNME, she produced this documentary that will make you go, "What. The. Crap." Did you know United States citizens still go without water hookups in a certain part of our country? Yeah. No water. They haul it themselves. They feed livestock, cook, bathe, and irrigate with water they haul themselves, because there is no infrastructure where they live. Even though the government has been promising to get crackin' on that for oh...30 years. I know. Take a look.

Explaining the History...

behind the Very Large Array. From our trip to Socorro...Susan Gibson interviews history "expert" Jana with cousin Rochelle looking on.

Get Ready for the Big Show

Road To New Mexico: Truly My Perfect World

Here's Susan Gibson and I late at night on KUNM radio in Albuquerque...Susan's song "A Perfect World" pretty much sums up our week of late nights and good times...and lots of driving.

Day 5: In the "Green Room"

Sometimes...you walk into a venue not knowing what is happening other than you will be onstage playing a show at some point during the night. Outside of that fact, anything could happen...like maybe perhaps stashing your stuff in the kitchen before you play. We were feeling a bit punchy last evening!

We Love the Tribune :)

J.A. Montalbano, who wrote such a fabulous article for us in the Tribune last week, is in the middle of a really cool experiment -- seeing if he can keep his car parked in the garage for a week and get around ABQ using alternate forms of transportation. He's keeping track through daily stories in the Trib, but we totally got the scoop on Wednesday. Props, my friend. Major props.

Day Four: Filming TribVid

We stopped by the Albuquerque Tribune yesterday to film a piece for TribVid. We met the mastermind and camera guru Amedeo and he had us rolling in mere moments. They even have a Sky Cam, which is the coolest term for a any sort of camera gear you have. In my personal case, it would be...generic point-and-shoot Panasonic? Hold it above your head...instant sky cam! Susan and J were standing in the back making faces the whole time. Thanks, guys. I love you too. hehhehheh.