Joanna Newsom

As usual, I've been a little busy. We're celebrating my husband's birthday today, which means I'll be baking pie and cooking food I've never attempted before. Our cat was sick for a while (possible allergy to plastic) but we think he's better now. I'm preparing for my new studio equipment to arrive, and I'm getting ready to be slaughtered by holiday stress. I've got my first gallery show next week, and my first wholesale show coming up.

So it's no surprise that I've become entranced by Joanna Newsom's second album, Ys. I know she hates her singing being described as "child-like", but I seriously don't know how else to describe it. Okay, perhaps "elfin" is a better term, or "mystical-fairy-folk-like".

The songs are dreamy and emotive, making me feel both carefree and despondent at the same time. They ramble through long stories about talking animals and magical landscapes. Perfect for taking your mind off your mundane life for a little while.

Here's a video of an older song of hers, Sprout and Bean, which I don't think is nearly as good as anything from Ys, but it'll give you a good taste of her style.