You would think from the lack of activity on my own website that I’ve been lying around in my pajamas, daydreaming to sweet tunes, doodling and enjoying tea and crimpets.

That, my friends, is precisely what I’ve been doing.

(Ok well, sort of.)

My big fat project of 2009-2010 has been a CD of lullabies for children and music-appreciating not-so-grown-ups. Once a figment of an idea itching my brain, now full-blown reality, for the past 16 months “indie lullabies” have been my life. On May 15 The Line of Best Fit, Arctic Circle and American Laundromat Records celebrated the album’s release in London at a hugely successful Daylight Pyjama Party at Union Chapel with The Leisure Society and The Real Tuesday Weld performing. The event was covered in Word mag, and scores of blogs have made favorable mention of the album over the past 3 months.

Video Footage:

The Leisure Society: Inchworm at Union Chapel

Nine songs from the CD are now being played on rotation on Starbucks radio in locations spanning the globe. Kind of mind-boggling—when in London one cannot turn a corner without spotting a Starbucks. Scary, really. But anyway… I’m pretty proud of it. Can you tell?

The fantastic part about all this is that the CD is a charity album, and all sales go to a great cause. The Valerie Fund has been supporting the comprehensive treatment of children with cancer and blood disorders for over 30 years. But as a small, independent non-profit, the fund operates on a skeleton staff with fully tapped, limited resources. Non-profits such as these struggle in the same way small businesses do during times of recession, and their work is insurmountably important. The last charity compilation American Laundromat Records produced has raised over $30,000 for Casting for Recovery, and I hope that we will, at the very least, quadruple that success with “Sing Me to Sleep” and help The Valerie Fund thrive rather than survive. Each year thousands of children and their families rely on their support and care in specialty centers in hospitals across densely populated New York and New Jersey.

There’s tons more info I would love to share with you now, but I have to go return some shoes, deposit a check, and pack my bags for the weekend because Sunday is the BIG DAY, Release Party the Second, at Joe’s Pub in New York City. Come, bring your kids. Yes, even the screaming runny little ones. The event is designed specifically to delight and engage ornery minds with beauty, art and music. Plus the face-painter is one of the best in the city, and you know I am all over that.

Once this event is through, it’s back to the creative board—I have plenty of new ideas itching my brains. More on that later.

Happy weekend.
xo!

Long time no update—so it goes when you’re this busy. If you’re a friend on Facebook or Twitter you already know what I’m talking about. Sing Me to Sleep – Indie Lullabies is at last a reality. A real, tangible, physical piece of art and music that was once just a figment of my imagination. The album officially releases worldwide on May 18, but pre-orders began shipping 2 weeks ago.

Let the parties begin.

Release Party the First. London.

Next week we will celebrate the CD’s official release with a Daylight Pyjama Party, presented by Arctic Circle, American Laundromat Records and Union Chapel in London. That’s right, far across the sea in a quaint little church. Not only that, but England’s darlings The Leisure Society, and antique beat setters The Real Tuesday Weld will perform their lullabies from the album, alongside original material. AND it’s free. FREE! And you can bring your kids. In fact, please do. And dress them in their jammies, because it is, after all, a lullaby CD and a pyjama party (that’s how they spell it over there in the old world. Or so they tell me).

Very heartfelt thanks to my very good friends at The Line of Best Fit whose enthusiasm for this project has made the entire event possible. Great music blog. Go read it for days.

Release Party the Second. New York.

So as if that’s not enough. On Sunday, June 13, the legendary Tanya Donelly, the lovely Jenny Owen Youngs and the fearless Julie Peel will perform another all-ages matinée at Joe’s Pub in New York City. You may remember Tanya from 90’s chart-toppers, Belly. Or from the earlier days of the Breeders. Or Throwing Muses. Tanya has enjoyed a solo career since all these, and her cover of “Moon River” is a delightfully soft representation of her singer/songwriter work.

Again, kids are welcome to attend in their pajamas, and if they do, they leave with a little prize.

Representatives and friends of our charity, The Valerie Fund, will be in attendance at both events.

And so will I. With bells on.

But do I dare show up in my pjs?

Freshly inspired and injected with creative energy from the SCBWI Mid-Winter Conference in NYC, I return to the most urgent task at hand—artwork for the cover of the nifty 7″ vinyl record that will accompany the special limited edition pre-order package of Sing Me to Sleep – Indie Lullabies. The project has officially been leaked to the indie music media, and we have received some early blurbs from Pitchfork, CHARTattack, TwentyFourBit, top-40charts.com, Avopolis Music Network and wearsthetrousers.com. We leaked a free download of Dean & Britta’s track, “Making Me Smile” to Muruch and there is already a fan video on YouTube.

That made me smile. :’)

When the 7″ art is complete I’ll move on to the CD cover art, continue planning release parties in May, and recruit some of my favorite fellow illustrators to create poster art for individual songs from the album. My plan is to have the posters available for sale at the release parties and online, and then, gathered printed in an anthology of lullabies in picture book format. Sound cool or what?

January, January, January. My birth month seems more like my birthing month this year. I cannot keep up. Both of my babies—”Time to Fly” and “Sing Me to Sleep”—require equal attention right now. They stay up late and disturb my sleep every night. When the sun rises they rub the dreams from their eyes, pout their rosy red lips and howl until I change and feed them. Needy little twins, they are, this CD cover, that picture book. They don’t care how much sleep I have, or lack.

But they are my children, and I love them.

“Sing Me To Sleep – Indie Lullabies” has been my little pet project since earlier this year. Along with Joe Spadaro of American Laundromat Records, I am co-producing this compilation of non-traditional lullabies performed by some of my favorite indie artists. Here’s the list:

Sing Me To Sleep concept sketch

Have kids or insomnia (or both)? Love indie music? American Laundromat Records is now taking pre-orders for Sing Me to Sleep – Indie Lullabies, a compilation of gorgeously soothing, non-traditional lullabies performed by indie artists. As co-producer I have had the joy of handpicking and inviting many of my favorite musicians to participate in this charity project. As art director I will create the artwork for all the neat promotional items that come with the pre-order, as well as the album cover itself. The limited edition first-pressing pre-order package includes:

- Limited Edition First Pressing Double CD with alternative artwork and bonus tracks
- Bonus 7” Blue Vinyl featuring 4 tracks not available on either CD
- Free Coupon Code to Download the Bonus 7” Vinyl in Digital Format
- Two Promo Pins featuring Original Cover Art from CD and 7” Vinyl
- “Sing Me To Sleep” 4-Color Wall Poster (11” x 17”)
- Chance to win a personalized, signed copy of “Sing Me To Sleep” by one of the album artists

…all for just $25! Yes, really. Pre-order yours now—I promise it will be something special.

Lullaby artists include: Dean & Britta, Tanya Donelly, Stars, Jenny Owen Youngs & Greg Laswell, Neil Halstead, The Leisure Society, The Real Tuesday Weld, The Rest, Say Hi, Julie Peel, Sigur Ros, Snowbird, Telekinesis, Memory Tapes, Casey Mecija (Ohbijou), The Antlers, Trespassers William, Papercuts, Peter Broderick, Laura Gibson and many more. The album is scheduled to release May 2010. 100% of proceeds will benefit children with cancer and rare blood disorders through The Valerie Fund. Follow my updates about the project on Twitter @indieforkids.