Milestone • Over 2 Million Hits

I am not sure exactly when S2MD passed 2 million hits, but is sneaked up on me, and passed me by. But even if it surprised me, I find it cause for celebration. So light the fireworks, and and strike up the band, and let the party begin!

But before I drink just a little too much, I wanted to say to everyone who reads this blog that I am so very grateful for your support over the past six years. I must admit, when I started 'Soundtrack to my Day' in June of 2009, I had no idea I'd still be at it, and would have more that 2 million hits. For that, I owe my heartfelt thanks to all who have stopped here, and helped me share some great music. But, I must admit, rather than spewing more, I think I will let an artists speak for me. This is the late, great Sylvester, with his wonderful song "Grateful".

For many who stop by here, I feel as though we have become friends, or more apropos, e-friends. Like we are back in college again, you stop by my room, listen to some music, and hopefully, had a great time. We might be in different states, or, in some cases, in different countries, but we are having a shared experience nonetheless. To thank my dear friends, I thought I would share with you a great clip of Michael Feinstein singing "Old Friend", written by Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford.

And, finally, I want to offer a big "Thank You!" to everyone involved, be it those who stop by to read and listen, as well as the artist who are making amazing music that inspires me all the time. While I love all music, it is the LGBT artists in particular that really lift me up, and make me proud to post about their music. In my time writing this blog, I've seen artists releasing music, some of which I still follow and love. Others made a big impression, but just kinda disappeared, like the band I am featuring next. Archy & Mehitabel was made up by the very handsome duo of Lee Waters & Alexander Horwitz. I loved all the music they made, and still listen to it. And they have the perfect song for the mood I am in. This is "Thank You" by Archy and Mehitabel.

So, once again, I just want to thank everyone who helps make this blog possible. From the readers of the blog, both regular and those who just stopped by for a favorite song, to the artists who sing their heart out and make music I can't help but share, to the fans with their posted videos that reminds me of some great music, to the people who share links to help promote these amazing musicians. Thank you all, 2 million times over.

Happy Thanksgiving • Thank You • Archy & Mehitabel

I would like to take the opportunity to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving Day! To help me do so, I enlist the assistance of Archy & Mehitabel, one of my favorite duos that I believe have disbanded. Alexander Horwitz and Lee Waters made magic as Archy & Mehitabel, and I loved what they were doing. They made some incredible music, and I miss hearing from them. I just hope they are both well. This is a video for their song "Thank You", which captured my sentiments so well. Enjoy.

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Free Download from Archy & Mehitabel

To celebrate the pending St. Valentine's Day holiday, Lee and Alex of Archy & Mehitabel want to not only share the love with their fans, but also with some people just discovering their brilliance. So those handsome and talented boys agreed to offer free copies of LIFE IN LÜBECK, a compilation of 7 tracks from Welcome to Lübeck and the Asanginica single, plus the video for Callisto and a never-seen-before digital art booklet. Check out the video for Callisto, and tell me you wouldn't want it on your iPod?



How can this FREE DOWNLOAD be yours? Very simple, really. Post a reply here, telling me one of your favorite romantic evening, a great way to spend a Valentine's Day, and you will qualify to win the LIFE IN LÜBECK package mentioned about. I'll start it all off, and say, for me, there is something about going out and sharing live music that exhilarates me, just makes me happy. After listening to great music, I feel such a rush, and I am on such a high...

So, what works for you, get's you in the mood?

New Archy & Mehitabel - Callisto

As I have said many times before, I love the music of Archy & Mehitabel, AKA Lee Waters and Alexander Horwitz. There is such a diverse nature to the sound, yet is all ties together so well. Sometime this month, they will be releasing their next EP, Welcome to Lübeck, so I am very excited. In preparation, they have released the video for a song off the collection, Callisto. It is quite different than the previous releases, but it still has the save amazing vocals from Lee, as well as Alexander's outstanding musicality. If I could pre-order the EP now, I so would.



In other exciting news, on October 28th, Archy & Mehitabel will be performing at Daniel Recital Hall at the Cole Conservatory of Music in Long Beach, California. I am soooo very jealous of those who will be able to make it! For information about tickets, click here. For more about Archy & Mehitabel, check out their official website here.

Archy & Mehitabel - Hammerspace

Left, Alexander Horwitz, right, Lee Waters.

It has gotten to the point that just mentioning the name Archy & Mehitabel and I start getting a little giddy. Musically, they are my favorite find in the last year. I am not sure I remember running into them on Twitter (@leewaters & @opusvox), but do remember chatting tweeting with Lee and then finding the music and knew this was a duo I needed to not only follow, but also to see live one day. This is a video for Hammerspace, taped ostensibly live, and the minute I knew I was a fan for life.



Visit Archy & Mehitabel on their official website here.

Archy & Mehitabel - Thank You video

One of my favorite talents out there, Lee Waters and Alexander Horwitz, put out a video for the third cut on their thrilling EP getupkategetup. The song, Thank You, is supported with no images of either Lee or Alex, instead featuring a wonderful love of two caterpillars. The images and colors are bold and imaginative, and somewhat systematic of the quirkiness of the band.



You can get getupkategetup from iTunes here,and a previous collection, Lamentations here. You can also check out their official website here. And at the risk of sounding redundant, buy them, buy their music soon.

Meeting Archy & Mehitabel

Left to right: Alexander Horwitz, me & Lee Waters. Photos by my friend James.

I was lucky to meet Lee Waters and Alexander Horwitz, better known as the gifted duo Archy & Mehitabel. First, I have to mention the obvious - they are two handsome men! Not only that, they are smart and funny. I am telling you, if I was 20 years younger... Instead, I am in awe, and lining up to put my money up whenever they decide to share their talent with the public.




Without hesitation I would strongly suggest you take a chance and purchase one of their offerings. From Lamentations to getupkategetup, the bold and beautiful brush strokes they sue to paint their music impresses me to no end. and keep me looking for the next record with these boys. You can get getupkategetup from iTunes here,and Lamentations here.

New Followers - Paul, Lee & Alex & SIRPAUL Exclusive

Left: Paul Peterson Right: Archy & Mehitabel

There are times I just feel I can never catch up, and lately, that is where I have been. I've been meaning to post the about these new followers all week long, because it is not often I have three handsome men wanting to follow me anywhere. Damn, even I had to roll my eyes at that one. So, back to the point, I am pleased to welcome some new members. First, a big hello to Paul Peterson. Unfortunately, aside from seeing he is a rather handsome man, I don't have much information, so I hope to get to know him in the comments soon. I'd also like to welcome the two-for-one package of Archy and Mehitabel, otherwise known as the devilishly handsome Lee Waters and Alexander Horwitz. I am a huge fan of their music, always eager to hear what they have coming next, as well as to listen to the EPs I have in my collection. If you haven't already, you should check out getupkategetup, their latest offering, here. You can check out my review of that EP here. Their official website is here.

Well, I was trying to figure out what I should use as a welcome for the new followers, and thought it might be too cheesy to welcome Archy and Mehitabel with their own video, and I don't have a new one, so I would go in a different direction. It just so happens SIRPAUL just released the title track from his upcoming CD, Music & Me, so I thought I would let everyone hear it. If you like it, feel free to stop by either SIRPAUL's website here or the YouTube page and leave a comment to tell him.

New Music - getupkategetup

Archy & Mehitabel, the delightful and daring duo of Lee Waters and Alexander Horwitz, have released the getupkategetup EP, and as can be expected from the pair, it is a selection of four songs that push the listener, for it contains the unexpected and sublime, testing the boundaries of Pop music, forming their own niche in avant garde and alternative within the genre. The first song, Mrs Beaumont's Luncheon Has Been Canceled, has the feel of 30s Noel Coward, while maintaining a new and fresh appeal, almost a Miss Otis Regrets for the new millennium. With the accompaniment of horns and the harpsichord, they are set off by Lee's pitch-perfect vocals and unique phrasing, clearly defining this a song of today. The next track is Patrimony, which utilizes some of the same instrumentation, but never emanates a feeling of a period, and instead retains a timely texture, very current. As in the first track, Alexander's interesting and layered choices in instrumentation make Archy & Mehitabel an aural experience like few others. The next track is Thank You, which had it's own sound, a odd cacophony of theatrical builds, electrical charges, synthesizers, and layered vocal tracks that just begin to soar within moments of hitting play. And I suggest you hit play here to hear the track.




Finally, there is Under The Gun, an amphetamine-laced gospel song that takes the musical journey of a spiritual, as well as the rhythm, like a fine glass of wine that has been spiked with the prescriptions of both Judy and Liza. I am not sure how Lee and Alex hooked up [musically], but I can't imagine a more perfectly paired team. They write, arrange, record and perform their musical deserts in a way few incredibly talented people could. In four songs, they offer an array of styles and rhythms, as well as emotions, They play soft and easy, while other times injecting speed and dexterity, and often layering them all in a symphonic harmonic mix.

You can purchase the EP on Bandcamp for just $3.96 [or a greater price of your own design] by clicking here. You can find it on Amazon here, and LaLa here. And I am selfish enough to ask you to do it, so Archy & Mehitabel will continue to make music that pleases my ear and soul, and moves me to the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly be coming next. And you can take that journey with me, as well as with Lee and Alexander. You can check out their website here.

Archy & Mehitabel - for Mathew Shepard Foundation

Archy & Mehitabel, Lee Waters and Alexander Horwitz pictured above, have released the single Virginia, and all the proceeds will be going to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. I was given the opportunity to get an early listen, and I loved this track right away. From the opening melancholia of Lee's amazing vocals, to the amazing piano work by Alexander, alternatively soft and sweet to bold and powerful. The chorale break, seemingly inspired by the French Baroque style, adds another layer, a new modulation.




Lee and Alexander have decided the proceeds for the single will be going to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, founded by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their 21-year-old son, Matthew, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998. Created to honor Matthew in a manner that was appropriate to his dreams, beliefs and aspirations, the Foundation seeks to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance" through its varied education, outreach and advocacy programs. So, for the cost of 89¢, you can get an exceptional song, and support love, not hate. You can purchase it at LaLa, the link is here.

New Music - Archy & Mehitabel EP

Keyboardist Alexander Horwitz and guitarist/vocalist Lee Waters make up Archy & Mehitabel, a truly interesting new band. They combine aspects of alt.rock, Tori Amos, Bjork and chamber music to create their own sound. They have finally released the EP Lamentations, and the collection of original music is available for download online.


Left: Alexander Horwitz; Right: Lee Waters

The melodies are strong, and lyrically charged. The music tends to be keyboard driven, using the simplicity of the piano and voice to create textured landscapes. The four-song offering starts off with the intense and beautiful The Great Tiger. That is followed by the jazz-like Integration, the lilting and lovely Detox, and finally Lamentations, which puts me in mind of experimental French Baroque pop music.



They don't have a video out, but there is one on YouTube of them singing Hammerspace, a song of their own. It showcases their impressive and expressive musicality. And they are rather handsome and sexy, don't you think?



I say do yourself a favor and buy Lamentations for Christmas. It is available for download on Amazon.com and LaLa, with iTunes expected shortly. I DL'ed from LaLa, a service I hadn't used before, and had no problems. In fact, I saved a bit of money, as the songs are $.89 instead of the usual $.99, but both are under $4, and well worth it. You can find out more about Archy & Mehitabel at their official website here, or on MySpace here, and FaceBook here.

News - New Friends and New GLEE

Although a bit late with this, I would like to welcome Lee Waters to the blog. Lee is a nice guy, and a great musician. He is a member of the duo Archy & Mehitabel, and you can listen to some of the music here. I came across Lee on Twitter and like his music, and look forward to posting about it some time. See, you never can tell where you might find good music.

Once again I would like to thank everyone who stsops by, especially those who take the time to leave a comment or to follow the blog.

I am looking forward to the return of GLEE this week to my television. The episode is named Wheels, and will include the songs Defying Gravity and Dancing With Myself. Here is an audio preview.



There is also a video clip of Artie singing Dancing With Myself on After Elton you can see here.