Here is my ( gay) back-catalog song of the day:

Under the Disco Ball

Say, did anyone hear my NPR (All Things Considered) Yentl piece? I bet not. It was on during the...Superbowl! But you can get the podcast. 

Also, anyone coming to my upcoming shows? I'm in the Midwest this week, then on the Northeast, including the City Winery in NYC on the 22nd. I will buy drinks for the first 10 folks that actually respond to my website.

cheers, jill

I don't have that many happy love songs. It's not that I haven't had love in my life. In fact, I have been blessed with a lot. It's just when I am in love, the last thing I want to do is write a song. I'm not as motivated, say, as when i am devastated or pissed. Maybe it's also fear. The great love songs are rare; it is so easy to fall into cliches or sappyness. 

About 15 years ago, I went out with a French jazz A&R record executive. Now, that sounds cliche and cartoonish. Anyway, on our first date, I got stuck at his place, as the sudden heavy snowfall pouring down became "The Bizzard of 96." Two weeks later, I, vulnerable and nervous, sat him down to play my brand new non-ironic positive love song, "The Blizzard of 96." 

After finishing, there was about 10 seconds of silence, then he said, in his dick -ish French A&R accent, "it is not one of your best songs."

After that, I was even more reticent to write a sweet love song. I did, however, write some fun numbers like "Little Guy,"Bitter," and "Goodnight My Love, Goodnight ( I hope the bedbugs bite)" during that phase.

Now that I am older, much older, I may be at a place in my life where I don't care if I write something that may be perceived as corny or too sweet. And I owe someone a love song. 

Why do birds suddenly appear?

By the way, Frenchie is now one of my best friends, became a rather swell human being, and has paid for his crimes by my continuous retelling of the story to all his potential girlfriends. 

If anyone here wants me to post another semi-love song, please let me know which one. 

Thank Misery - Listen here

My 1995 cover of the fabulous Robert Earl Keen classic. Very 1995.

It may not be one of my best songs, but I will defend it by saying it is one of the the better Hanukah/Christmas songs ever. That's because there are no good Hanukah/Christmas songs. And Harry Shearer every year sings it at his annual holiday shows.

Jesus Was a Dreidel Spinner -Listen Here.

It's the 17th and I have yet to buy any gifts. Am I in trouble?

A sort of love song about two sad coke heads from, say, 1981

Listen here: The Last Line. 

                       The Last Line

Far away,another time 
I was yours and you were mine
Intwined we spiraled down so far together

Smoke and mirrors and rolled up bills
we had it all and then more still
but it was not enough to last forever

It was the last line.
It was never as good as it felt as it burst for the first time. oh but how we tried
up to the last line.

Hopes and dreams and promises
we talked of real estate and kids.
we stayed in bed all day and half the night.
but blinded by the the disco ball
locked inside the bathroom stall
you yelled at me-you thought i lost the vial.

it was the last line.
You were never as sweet as you were when we we kissed for the first time. Oh but how we tried
up til the last line

searching for a speck of dust
just enough for both of us.
i knew our love was over
you couldn’t share

        (sobule/eaton)

It's from Underdog Victorious

I think the Artist might be my favorite movie of the year. First of all, I am a big silent movie buff. Secondly, I have seen some terrible movies. I was extremely curious where the movie was filmed. I recognized a few of the places, including  my neighborhood. Here's a list of the locations. 

I also loved the soundtrack, which included "Scene d'amour" from Hitchcock's "Vertigo" - click here for a Youtube of it. It  still creeps me out, but in a beautiful way.

From Silent Era: The top 100 silent movies

From Andrew Sullivan:  His take on Tim Tebow.

From BoingBoing: OWS and Law & O. Clang Clang

From Salon: Writers choose their favorite books of 2011

From the NYT: The next movie that I want to see

Obnoxious Woman in Coffee Shop

I am trying to update my blog at my local coffee shop/office. I'm having a hard time concentrating as the woman at the next table is really loudly talking about her new agent, her new TV pilot idea, and her favorite yoga class. I am thinking of recording her with my iphone. In fact, I will. I have had this idea forever of recording these kind of  (Annie Hall in LA) conversations and then putting them to music  - it would be my electronica record. Oh, she is now talking about how much better she feels now she is gluten-free. This song will be, "Woman on Larchmont Blvd,  Dec. 5th"

My Mom

Dec. 5th is also my mom's birthday. Here she is singing Nelly's "Hot in Herre" a few years back at Joe's Pub. Very silly

Safari History

As I was searching for this video on my browser history - I saw it earlier today - I thought of what a diverse and slightly odd history it was. It started off with a couple of NYT's articles, The Huffington Post (on how someone from Fox Business show thinks the Muppets are commies), Salon, a Youtube of Gypsy mandolin lessons, then 6 articles on Tim Tebow and the Broncos.

Tim Tebow

As a lifelong Denver fan, it's been a really fun and kind of bizaare. At first, I was so annoyed, still am, with the fanatic Tebowites, who feel if you question their lord and savior, you are anti -Christian and a "hater". I hate that "hater" thing, by the way. When did that become so trivialized and a part of pop culture vocabulary? I hope that and auto-tuning finally start to fade. Anyway, I am also not bothered anymore by his praying after touchdowns and thanking the lord, Jesus, before every interview. I just wish he didn't have that bothersome Focus on the Family connection. They are "haters". 

One thing I love about him is that he is messing with the sport's expert talking heads and conventional wisdom. He is playing "highschool offense" , in the words of one talking head. It's fun and unpredictable.The last 3 games have either been won in overtime or in the last few seconds, and on the road. The Broncos, who were abysmal and boring for the first 3rd of the sesson, have become the talk of the football nation. Of course, I wonder if I wasn't a Denver fan, if he would really irk me. Probably.

And, I can't believe I just wrote about football on my blog. Too revealing.

Jewish Tebow?

Last thought: I had this thought how funny it would be if someone did a takeoff and video of a Jewish version of Tebow. Instead of bowing down and praying (Tebowing) at the end zone after a TD , he would be davening (that rocking back in forth) like it was the Western Wall. He could have sidelocks dangling from his helmet?

Obnoxious Woman in Coffee Shop

She is still here. 

           an iphone video with some Super 8 app

“UNDER THE BRIDGE”

You got the message, yes they’re closing shop
And in two weeks you’ll be out of the job
So take the pencils and the paper clips
Cause that will be your only parting gift

Under the bridge you’ll find us waiting
Under the bridge we’ll sing a song
Under the bridge we’ll light the fire
Under the bridge come on

Then you got the notice, you have to leave your home
Down by the highway, at least your not alone
No one bought the record, no one will buy this song
But you can join the chorus
And we’ll all sing all along.

Under the bridge we’re all together
Under the bridge we understand
Under the bridge let’s pool our money 
Under the bridge come on

Gather round the barrel, we’ll drink the freshest wine
You might think your story’s bad, but let me tell you mine

Under the bridge we’ll all be waiting
Under the bridge we’ll start a band
Under the bridge we’ll light the fire
 Under the bridge, come on

Singing “happy days are here again
The sky is bright and clear again
So, Let's sing a song of cheer again”
Under The Bridge

You can listen here to the recording: here

Jill: I had just heard from another (former working musician) friend that had recently been fired from their job and was having a hell of time finding another. They were at the end of their rope – having to move back in with the parents. I joked that they had spent a ton of dough in the past trying to have some sort of homeless hipster look, but now they really were. In “Under the Bridge” I imagined an “Our Man Godfrey” hobo town filled with destitute artists, students, and working class stiffs banding together. I wrote this with my songwriting partner, Robin Eaton, and put it on a live fan-funded record with the fabulous John Doe (of X and Knitters fame). To all the good folks pitching tents at OWS, this one's for you. I support you, hope you keep warm this winter, and ask you to keep a spot open in your tent for me. You can get “A Day at the Pass “ on itunes or even better, on my website: jillsobule.com

John Doe: There would be no Day at the Pass record if it weren't for Under the Bridge ! Jill called me up & said, "I found a guitar & wrote a song w/ the tuning it was in". The poor guitar had no name, only 5 strings & I believe it was tuned to open F or C. She said the song was about people who lost their middle management jobs & are going to end up learning how to cook mulligan stew w/ their college degrees. Anyone can tell that it was a song that just popped out fully formed, all inspiration, I don't think she had to edit it at all. It's turned out to be very prophetic since there are Occupy camps all over the world these days. And the protests are not just about lost jobs, it's about how people have to learn to pull together, organize & try to fight against an unequal system that grown much worse over the last 5-7 years. Playing this song is always a joy & people get it immediately !

By the way, you can get this song on “A Day at the Pass “ on itunes, or even better…on this here  site