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Shalom, & Happy New Year! Now that it's a new decade, we wanted to go out on a limb here and just say, from the bottom of our kishkes, thank you for helping make 2010 Rachael Sage & The Sequins' most artistically inspired year yet! To celebrate, Rachael has prepared a special "End-Of-The-Year Top Ten" for you, explaining just why this past year was her favorite year ever, in her own words (drumroll, please):
#1
"I moved! After more than a decade in the same NYC apartment, I finally pulled myself — and my years of collected shlock — together, and just did it. I'd been in a great spot, I loved it for a long time and then it just wasn't right any more: too noisy, too little space, too run-down, and just too much damn stuff I knew I'd never get rid of unless I had to. Thanks to some good old-fashioned resolve and the help of a few key friends, however, I did. 2011 will be my 'lightest' year ever!"
#2
"I released my 9th album, 'Delancey Street' in the U.S., UK & Ireland. I was really very proud of this record; the musicianship, engineering & mixing on it is wonderful, and so many amazing people poured their hearts & souls into helping me make it my most dynamic recording yet. I hope that you've all had a chance to hear it, and if not, that you will soon!"
#3
"Seth Glier, our 1st official signing at MPress Records, continued to create amazing music in 2010. A truly exceptional artist, Seth has moved me to tears many times over the past year just by wearing his heart on his sleeve, and by having the guts to write about what he believes in. Seth & his co-producer Ryan Hommel also helped me move - what mensches! Their new album 'The Next Right Thing' comes out Jan. 11th...woohoo!"
#4
"I played over 125 gigs this year, from Dublin to Tel Aviv, with some absolutely incredible musicians: Dave Eggar, Quinn, Russ Johnson, Charlie Palmer & Stephen Katz. They never cease to challenge and amaze me with their collaborative excellence, musical prowess and most importantly, ability to kibitz captivatingly in the tour-van. I love you, my Sequins!!!"
#5
"I opened for one of my longtime favorite artists, Shawn Colvin! I have been inspired by Shawn's music since my roommate & I played her first record over and over in college – so when this opportunity came through, I was determined to enjoy it. What made it even more wonderful was that the show happened to be at at a magical venue I'd hoped to play for many years, The Birchmere. Shawn was as warm and down-to-earth as her artistry suggests, and it was definitely a highlight of my year to share the stage with her."
#6
"'Big Star' became a video! Tom Moore, one of the most visually-talented humans I've ever met, helped me transform my little ditty into the video of my dreams. With footage from all of my favorite NYC neighborhoods and giant foamcore stars that I stayed up all night decorating the evening before the shoot, it was our most fun collaboration yet! Plus, I got to wear a fringy flapper dress and fabulous magenta hair extensions by Marco!"
#7
"'Stop Me If I'm Kvetching', my second full-length cabaret, ran for 16 straight shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. While producing a show at The Fringe is never easy, I felt proud of and encouraged by what we accomplished as an ensemble. Tons of energy went into creating and performing the show, and also into promoting it by flyering, busking on The Royal Mile, and just generally 'paying our dues'. It paid off - the reviews were very positive – and I'm eager to return in 2011!"
#8
"After several years of many of you asking me when the heck I'd have some new merch designs, well, I finally do! And not only are they very 'me', but miraculously, I didn't design them myself! (Those Control-Freaks Anonymous meetings have been working!). Beautifully conceived by MPress' own Melanie Rodriguez, I am really pleased to have swanky new T-shirts, totes, pins and stickers to help you all ring in the New Year! Check out new wearable tchatchkes!"
#9
"Only a few weeks ago, MPress Records signed the extraordinary singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick (if you missed the good news, you can catch up now). As I write this, Melissa is hard at work finishing up a new batch of killer tunes (trust me, I've heard 'em!!) for what I'm sure will be her best album yet. It's one thing to have the opportunity in life to do what you love; but when you're also fortunate enough to be surrounded by artists whose music truly kicks your tuchus, well...let's just say I feel very blessed!"
#10
"This month, I had my very first guitar lesson in over 10 years. As some of you may know, I used to play a little guitar and even played on my first CD, 'Morbid Romantic'. The trouble was, I played 'a little guitar' for way too long, and I eventually lost patience with it. Outwardly I chalked it up to being too busy, and internally, to just not having the talent, compared to piano. For years, a little part of me has cried 'you failed!' every time I've caught a glimpse of my guitar in its case collecting dust. But the lesson was fun, and I'm determined to have a dozen new guitar tunes for y'all by this time next year!"
xoxox & gratitude for your support, your splashy correspondences, and for just being here.
- Rachael & the MPress Mishpuchah!
MPress Records - The Muscle Behind the Glitter!
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Rachael Sage's "Delancey Street" In Stores Now!
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