Today’s post is the beginning of a new look to my IG gallery. It’s a great way for me to demonstrate how all my work ties into each other by use my collage talents.
The post exhibits the tune “The Arte of Liberty” (2013) – a celebration of being on on'e’s own. The video was made by friend, Nero, along with so many of our friends. For those interested in the song: It is available on iTunes and Spotify among other platforms.
I love the musicality of language and crafting stories with imagery. For those interested, you can find several of my self-illustrated books online including “Passages, An Anthology of Lyrics”, “An Object of Pleasure” (for 18+), and my children’s series “Aunt Black”.
Available via Amazon worldwide including:
At right: “Passages” got a little recognition and love. That’s alright by me. Click on image to read the feature article.
PULSE feat.Rykarda Parasol is finally available for digital download! Written by Rubberlips and Rykarda, Produced by Rubberlips. Available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Deezer, Pandora, and Tidal. Available at:
“Pulse” is an homage to the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre and to all our friends and family in the LGBTQ community. We support you.
Rubberlips is Robert Burbidge, United Kingdom. Rykarda, vocals. Randolph Martin, bass. Dan Hudson, drums. All other instrumentation by Robert Burbidge. Recording assistance on Rykarda's vocals, Mark Pistel/Room5. Produced by Rubberlips. For more info about Rubberlips, visit here.
Book available in your country’s Amazon & our Etsy shop. @2023 All rights reserved.
Poster art available for download & print via Etsy.
“Passages” is now available at last in paperback on Amazon USA as well as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, UK, Canada, and Brazil (or search your country’s Amazon worldwide for reduced shipping costs - or - Sklep w języku polskim)
… also available on my Etsy shop for other purchase options and items like posters. >
Featuring words composed for “Our Hearts First Meet”, “For Blood and Wine”, “Against the Sun”, and “The Color of Destruction”. Ms. Parasol’s four solo albums was intended to be a body of work much like a series of books. Each album, along with emblematic cover art, depicts a drifter’s voyage. First unfolding in the dark, yet gently advancing towards light. Ms. Parasol’s lyrics have often been described as cinematic with comparisons to Christina Rossetti, William Faulkner, and Gustave Flaubert. Whereas the music tinged on Americana folk, murder ballad, and 60s pop. The musical recordings featured Ms. Parasol’s smoky gender-bending voice, but here you will find only the skeletal foundation. For those interested, this anthology is a companion reader to her albums, but may also be enjoyed unto itself.
Poster art of the “Passages” book jacket is also available (Downloadable & printed) find out more on our Etsy shop.
“Why should this flower delay so long
To show its tremulous plumes?
Now is the time of plaintive robin-song,
When flowers are in their tombs.”
- The Last Chrysanthemum,
Thomas Hardy
More books to come: Ms. Parasol is currently creating several more illustrated books of rhyme, which will be available in July./August. Stay tuned!
Last night I had the pleasure of taking part in a panel for online presentation of Cellista’s “Finding San Jose”. Below is the poem I read and played piano for her album and project of the same title. On the panel last night too was the poem’s author, Cellista’s father, Dr. Frank Seeburger, who’d written it for his daughter, Cellista. To me, the poem represents “finding home”, which may not necessarily be a location, but a spot in one’s heart or mind. It can be a “purpose” like art or philosophy. Also, to me, is that sense of a parent seeing the same discovery in their child and reflecting back on when they too “found home”. The panel was teary-eyed to say the least mostly in part to the starring words, music and imagery, but also as result as for the past year many of us on the panel who are artists have been away from their shared homes… the stage.
Michelle and I did an interview back in 2021 – mas que muita coisa havia mudado. We recently had a chance to catch up. Entrevista / Interview here >>
For those who missed it, you can read more and listen to the Yellow Radio interview at the following links:
Thank you Yellow Radio for having me on your show. It was so much fun and an honor. See you in Greece soon, I hope!
Coucou! Ca va? Thought I’d take a moment to announce two upcoming radio interviews this week. Dig:
La Vie Creative Paris: October 7th: Interview with Ms. Parasol on La Vie Creative Paris with Krystal Kenney
Yellow Radio Greece: Interview with Ms. Parasol appearing at 23:00 (Central European Time) or 2pm PST
This week’s episode of “Rykarda Parasol’s Karaoke Moments…with Friends” features a very cute little friend of mine. We’re singing “What the World Needs Now”. We hope you enjoy…
As ever, my “Cloak of Comedy” seems to appear most when faced with emotional challenges. In reading so many posts from others about their fears and stress, I feel most concerned for the well-being of others both emotionally and physically. I’ve started making little “karaoke moments” to continuing connects and sharing a smile. For the duration of our collective shelter-in-place, I will make one a week. They distract me for sure, so I hope they do the same for you.
Above: A little duet with fellow funny friend, JJ, who was a good sport about working remotely.
Back in December I had the pleasure to be interviewed by fellow creative, Tony DuShane (author of Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk) on his very own podcast, Drinks With Tony. The episode aired this past January. Anyhoozie, we had a lot of coffee and a lot of laughs. Enjoy!
Ok, kids, the new Death Valley High EP, “Duel”, is slowly being rolled out and all the songs are covers and duets and collaborations. You’ll find yours truly facing off with the band on the romantic “The Crab Song” by Faith No More. Pre-order the album on Apple music here >
…there was a little, little old woman who lived in a little, little old cottage with a mischievous little cat...
My mother used to read to me old Swedish storybooks and funnily enough Elsa Beskow’s “The Tale of the Little, Little Old Woman” was the lyrical inspiration my song “Maggie” (For Blood and Wine, 2010):
I had a little secret I kept to myself. In a little black room, in a little black house.
But inspiration had also come from somewhere else. Namely, the cat that belonged to my nephews named Maggie. Like the cat in Beskow’s book, Maggie got out one day and had become lost. My sister and I told the little boys that Maggie had gone to live with another family and I suppose I wrote the song to soften the blow of the beloved missing cat. My boyfriend at the time helped me record the children’s version – sadly, several years later he fell victim to heroin. I think the song portrays the unbearable seclusion and darkness that it brought. Like Maggie, my boyfriend was also… lost. I found it difficult to cope.
It’s not a sweet or funny tale by any means. It’s one that still haunts me. I tell it because people often think inspiration comes directly from other music. No. It comes from those who are in our hearts and minds. The romantic loves, the little kids you play Lego with… and of course, your pets.
And Maggie climbs trees and hunts for little mice, but I like Maggie best when she cuddles at night.
I’m sorry if this somehow changes your view on such a dark song. I never was easy with how the rock audience seemed to desire so much doom and gloom when all I was ever really interested in was connecting and staying connected to those whom I loved.
Working Cellista, cellist and composer, has always been enormously fun and inspiring. Lots of talk about the architecture of sound, poetry, philosophy, delivery of one’s part – in between laughter and black tea. Her work isn’t limited to any one genre. Does not bend to convention. It’s truly free to be reckless as well as academic. It assembles many art forms in performance (I.E.: Dance, theater – Cellista herself is not limited to sitting quietly at the cello and she may stand or dance as well). I encourage you all to open up to what music and performance art can be.
Hear Cellista’s most recent album here: Transfiguration by Cellist available here >
We talk a lot about music, but do we talk about sound? Pleasing sounds? The details of sounds that surround us? I like to dial-in to what’s clacking and crackling around me. It’s wonderful, of course, to take scenic photos of your last vacation. When you’re snapping along – do you think about what you’re hearing as well? That beautiful church cathedral probably has an amazing echo. The limestone bricks under your dress shoe souls make an interesting tone, no? Doesn’t sound help us define depth and space?
The various waves of noise mixed in with fragrances from flowers or smokestacks always enchant me. So, as is often the case, when traveling, I record bits and pieces of things I hear and later, assemble a little collage for later. Interestingly enough I can visualize so much of what I saw just by listening.
So with that, here’s a souvenir from Venice beginning with the showstopping air-conditioners at the museum (and I’m not kidding, they were worth the price of admission) …
