Song of the Week: “Water Water” by Empress Of

Empress Of is the stage name for Lorely Rodriguez, a Brooklyn-based, Honduran-American singer, songwriter, and producer. “Water Water” is the first single off her debut full-length album, “Me.” She wrote it in seclusion, spending five months in a small town in Mexico at a friend’s house. Her setting comes through strongly on this track.

In the song she talks about the privilege of potable water, of living in a place where drinkable water is used for showers, baths, watering the yard, and rinsing dirty dishes. I’m not sure it’s calling anyone out for this. Her words feel more like an examination of how one place can be so different from another. “Water, water is a privilege/ Just like kids who go to college/ There’s a ring around your mouth now/ Where you used to whisper knowledge.”

October 30, 2015October 29, 2015

Song of the Week: “Separate Ways” by Carl Anderson

Hi, everyone! It’s Courtney. Our Song of the Week today is written by Leah Nobel. You may recognize her name from a previous Song of the Week, where we featured her track “Joshua Tree.” Since she’s one of my closest friends and we like a lot of the same heartbreaker songs, I knew she’d be a perfect choice as a guest author for this series. She’s not afraid to get a little raw and a little vulnerable, and I’ve had some truly life-changing conversations with her over the years.

Please give Leah a warm Model Behaviors welcome!

October 16, 2015October 8, 2015

Song of the Week: “Break Bones” by Wild Child

On October 2, one of my favorite Austin bands to see live—Wild Child— released their third album, “Fools.” When you live in a city like Austin, a city that prides itself on being the live music capital of the world, it’s rewarding to be a part of it. I love playing shows in Austin, and I love, love, love going to see shows.

When I first moved back to ATX a few years ago, I went on a show-going bender, watching a gig every night of the week, sometimes even jumping to more than one show if I could afford it. Standing on concrete for that many hours, night after night, actually started giving me back problems! One of the first bands I fell in love with during this heyday was Wild Child. They danced. They laughed. They played raucous songs that made everyone in the crowd start dancing and laughing, too. I’d be at a show alone, and I couldn’t help moving my body when they played. I was broke. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life. But listening to their cello, and their fiddle, and their harmonies made me happy.

September 25, 2015September 21, 2015

Song of the Week: “Museum of Flight” by Damien Jurado

When you connect with a song, sometimes it’s only a tiny bit of the melody or the lyrics, but it resonates so loudly you can feel it from the tingles in your hair to the soles of your feet. “Museum of Flight” by Damien Jurado is one of those songs.

I turned around, my life was changing

What did I learn, it’s not that easy

I heard this song at a time when things in my life had already started changing without asking for my opinion. They either just up and walked away, or slowly started to float away.

September 11, 2015September 8, 2015

Song of the Week: “My Least Favorite Life” by Lera Lynn

Before we get into today’s post, the Behaviorists and I would like to take a moment to honor the memory and tragedy of September 11, 2001. Our hearts are with those who lost loved ones on this day fourteen years ago. Our hearts are with the communities, the businesses, and all the lives affected.