All together now.....

Whenever Jenny Lewis comes out with a new album from any of her many musical outlets, I always swoon.  Does everyone else have this urge to want to be her?  Just checking.  Her voice just sucks me in every time!  This newest collaboration is with her musical partner and romantic partner, Johnathan Rice. You may remember him from her past live shows, as he has been touring with her for awhile but only recently did they decide to do this duo, Jenny and Johnny.

So lately I've been thinking about this Jenny and Johnny song, "Scissor Runner" (download it below, you will thank me!) and have listened to it at least three times a day for two weeks.  I'm digging it so hard, it makes me think of  the early(ish) Lemonheads harmony of Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield, and just makes me so so happy.  There is actually a song on Come on Feel the Lemonheads called "I'll Do It Anyway" that is actually Evan Dando and Belinda Carlisle (and available nowhere on the whole internet???), but it is the harmony of that song that makes me love this one so much.  Look into it if you have the CD or I'll rip it when I get home and upload it for your listening pleasure.  Back to Scissor Runner, click below and see if you too love it.

I love the song's harmony and I would really like to hear more before I buy tickets to see them play on Sept 25th, but I can only find one other mp3 that has been released prior to the album sale date of August 31st.  Bummer.  If you look on youtube, there are a few live performances with the two of them and you can get a little bit of a better feel for their harmony.

I'm pretty sure if I don't go out of town, I will go to their show in September at Mercy Lounge, but I'm having a hard time deciding.  It happens to be two days after my birthday and I had kind of planned to get out of dodge if at all possible to celebrate.  Decisions, decisions.  I guess I'll just have to chance it and hope that the tickets don't sell out after August 31st when I can listen to the full album.  Anyone else thinking of going?

So, this song got me thinking of how cheesy I am and how much I love boy-girl harmonies and always have (some of you may be cringing right now) .So I thought I'd add a few extra videos for your viewing/listening pleasure.

Here's the full playlist if you'd like to listen all at once, or continue below for my "notes" on the songs I chose! ;-)

First up, my go to karaoke song- you know the one.....Islands in the Stream, anyone?

This next song was the B side to Bullet with Butterfly Wings from Smashing Pumpkins.  In high school, I would sit in my car alone after some boy had broken my heart, listening to the harmonies of James Iha and Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt fame.  It's not even that epic of a song, but for some reason, it was what 16-year-old Carolyn felt.  *tear*

You can't talk about boy/girl harmony without mentioning the great Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell....love these two together. Beyonce and JT covered this and did a really great job too, check it out here if you want.

Next up, a modern harmony of Ben Folds and Regina Spektor- who both rock individually, so why not together??  I love the beat of this one.

Here's one that makes me think of being a pre-teen watching Headbangers Ball on MTV when I really was too young to be doing so.  I had an older step-cousin (does that exist?) I thought she was really cool with her leopard print spandex and huge hair, so if that's what she wanted to do, we did it.  Enjoy.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I flip for Mates of State, here's a nice one:

Classic harmony of the Mamas and the Papas, I love Mama Cass' solo stuff too:

This band is pretty hippy, but man this song is sweet and upbeat and just makes you happy.  Enjoy this performance by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on David Letterman last fall:

Hope you enjoyed!!  Now, who wants to buy tickets?