“little plastic life” - kcrw’s top track for 5/20
Singer and songwriter Sam Phillips likes to say you can’t write songs until you’ve live long enough and her life story is better than anything you’d see on TV. For her third release on Nonesuch, Don’t Do Anything, Phillips stays true to her quirky nature in an upbeat way, here’s “Little Plastic Life” as today’s top tune.
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:33 am
I loved it.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I can’t wait to hear it! Is there a link to the site at all?
Otherwise, will the album be available in Canadian music stores at all or would it be best to order it through amazon?
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Sam,
I’ve been listening to you tonight (recent music and blogs) and my heart breaks. There is so much pain in your voice; so much loneliness and emptiness. And even when you laugh, it sounds forced.
I went back and listened to a track from Dancing With Danger (yeah I go way back) - Light of Love. There was innocence and strength in your voice then.
But then the pain came.
You don’t know me, but I’m your brother. So, sis, go back to your First Love.
I am so sorry for being so personal. But your voice really hit me hard and I my heart aches for you.
You know Who’ll I’ll be talking to. I hope you do the same.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Fabulous album! Another fine set from you, Sam!
June 4th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
sAM,
I”ll see you at Borders in Vienna, VA this Sunday. Haven’t seen ya’ since you played at IOTA in Arlington, VA. Before that it was at the 9:30 club in D.C. w/T-Bone back in ‘92. I was sitting on the entry hall floor and told you guys that Larry Norman was going to be in town that weekend and told me to tell you guys “Hi”. i asked if you and t were going to be in the area the remaining week so you could come by and see him at a Comedy Club I booked him in but, sadly, I had to leave your show early ’cause the last triain I took to the club was leaving at midnight. Now, in retrospect I guess I’m sorry and should have stayed.
Hope to see you and maybe talk about some venues around the D.C. area you might want to consider playing in. Looking foward to hearing the new album. Got ‘em all from waaaaay back when!
peace, AR
June 4th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
sAM,
I”ll see you at Borders in Vienna, VA this Sunday. Haven’t seen ya’ since you played at IOTA in Arlington, VA. Before that it was at the 9:30 club in D.C. w/T-Bone back in ‘92. I was sitting on the entry hall floor and told you guys that Larry Norman was going to be in town that weekend and told me to tell you guys “Hi”. i asked if you and t were going to be in the area the remaining week so you could come by and see him at a Comedy Club I booked him in but, sadly, I had to leave your show early ’cause the last triain I took to the club was leaving at midnight. Now, in retrospect I guess I’m sorry and should have stayed.
Hope to see you and maybe talk about some venues around the D.C. area you might want to consider playing in. Looking foward to hearing the new album. Got ‘em all from waaaaay back when! Thank you
peace, AR
June 7th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Sam,
I haven’t heard the new record yet, but I will get it. Just wanted to say that “A Boot & A Shoe” is one of my favorite records by anyone, ever. “Reflecting Light” is one of the most gorgeous and powerful songs I have ever heard, and I’m so thankful to you for your voice, your integrity, your honesty in writing.
Without getting overly personal, my own life is unsettled and I’m struggling at times. Your music inspires. Thank you.
June 8th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Sam … TWO shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music … fantastic! It’s probably the finest venue in Chicago - for the fans, at least - hopefully for performers as well.
Ironically, my last visit to Old Town School was to see The Magnetic Fields (actually, for three out of the six shows).
Summer is far too fleeting here in Wisconsin to wish it away … but between your September shows and those of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds … it would nice to fast forward to the September songs, then rewind back to June and pick-up where the summer left off; which at present would be stretched-out on a lawn chair, with a cocktail, and a book and “Don’t Do Anything” on the stereo.
Thank you for the wonderful summer soundtrack.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Great to read the comments from the Sam fans, but spare a thought for us poor fans based in the UK who never get to see Sam live!! Your sympathy is gratefully accepted!
I’m having to order in the album from this website as well, as it’s not released over here. This country’s going down hill - i blame the government!!
All the best to Sam, her crew and all the fans out there!
David
June 10th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Hello “Sam”…I just radomly decided to type in “Leslie Phillips” in Wikipedia and found out that you were just releasing a new album…the last album I bought was “The Indescribable Wow”…of course I own “Beyond Saturday Night, Black and White in a Grey World (my all time favorite album), Dancing with Danger, and The Turning”…….The new album I just received from Amazon “Don’t Do Anything” still has your awesome vocal talent (which soothes me), however, I am wondering what you consider your “sound” and inspirations to be now? I know every lyric of your earlier work and it has gotten me through many rough times in my life….still now…listening to your music from when I was 14 and 15 and still now at 40. “The more I know you” is my favorite song of all time. Are you still inspired by a higher power?
Thanks for your time!
~Matthew
June 11th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Hey Sam,
Sorry to have missed you at Border’s in LA. You are a dear friend and truly the sister I never had. Your songs and spirit have always blessed me (and always will)! Congratulations on the new album.
All the best!
June 12th, 2008 at 12:38 am
im thinking of only one word to say
“ooohbaby”
June 17th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Sam, you know we love you when you don’t do anything. But we love you more everytime you put out something new. Your new project is surprising, beautiful, sometimes jarring - in other words, it’s a classic Sam Phillips record. I love love love it.
Grace, peace and good vibes,
Scott
June 18th, 2008 at 3:15 am
The photo of you with the black dress…..and those gloves….those gloves ..those gloves Sam….wow
June 20th, 2008 at 10:24 am
This is an amazing CD - it gets better with every listen. Just had the amazing blessing of meeting Sam for the first time at S.F. Borders - she is incredibly gracious, kind, funny, sweet and infinitely patient - taking the time to speak with each fan for several minutes. There is a common thread in most fan’s comments about Sam: how her music has touched their lives and helped them in times of need. Very few musicians have this deep impact on their listeners, and I think it’s because Sam’s songs reflect what is truly in her heart, rather than lyrics written with profit and commercialism in mind. When I met her, I had to stop myself from getting confessional about my current spiritual searching and the fears that hold me back - I wanted to tap into that deep reservoir of wisdom and understanding that she has. If it is possible to love someone you don’t know personally, then I can honestly say that’s what I feel for her. I’m just grateful for you, Sam.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:42 am
, Sam has this quality about her to cause people to want to be her friend
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:38 am
I absolutely agree with Jill and Joe.
Sam, as I said before, never stop filling our lives with your talent.
By the way, I have just finished listening to DDA. Fantastic piece of art.
Best wishes to everyone,
D.C.
PS: Lyrics anywhere?
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:35 am
Hi Miss D.C. (love the user name, by the way!),
I have never posted lyrics before, but if I can find a free moment I will post the lyrics from the CD somewhere on the net since I haven’t found them anywhere yet. Any ideas about where to post them?
Can’t wait to see Sam again in the fall! Hope you have had the blessing of meeting her also - it’s something you never forget.
Jill
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Hi Jill, maybe you could post them in songmeanings.net, I really can’t think of anywhere else right now. I found some of her lyrics there once, I believe you only need to sign up to post them and that’s all.
You are very lucky you had the possibility to meet Sam! I’ve never seen her in concert just because I live in the very end of the continent (that is: Argentina). I suppose there’s not even a chance of having her performing here, but I don’t lose hope. Perhaps chance will have it and I will get to see her…someday.
Hugs,
D.C.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Hi D.C.,
I don’t want to take up too much space here on Sam’s site, but I will post something when I have the lyrics up. I would email them to you directly, but don’t know how we would exchange that info.
Wow - Argentina! That is a long way from here, but maybe Sam will have a world-wide tour someday. I have lots of great photos from the San Francisco event, but couldn’t figure out how to use the video function (duh) until it was too late.
Hugs to you across the miles,
Jill
June 24th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Hi Jill, you are right, we are taking up too much space on the site! I’ll give you mi e-mail: estefania_528@hotmail.com, and hope we can keep in touch by that means.
By the way, that thing that happened to you with the video was a classic case of Murphy’s law. But don’t worry, at least you have plenty of photos to remember the event
Love and kisses,
D.C.
June 28th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Hi Sam, sono un ammiratore un po’ ignorante della tua lingua, quindi mi permetto per ora di scriverti in italiano…Ho sentito due tue canzoni nella colonna sonora di RUBY IN PARADISE e ne sono stato folgorato. Su YouTube ho visto le immagini di un tuo concerto a Philadelphia, e sono rimasto affascinato dallo straordinario carisma che possiedi.
Nelle tue canzoni c’è qualcosa di davvero magico e al tempo stesso commovente. Grazie per quello che dici
Damian
July 10th, 2008 at 12:36 am
I guess when it comes to music and if I had my own album it would be called “I don’t know anything”. Lately been evaluating my music choices history. I grew up in a Neo Pentecostal childhood and could not really get into the Southern Gospel Music my parents, granparent would listen to. By some freakish miracle or atmospheric event I was able to get a gospel station 120 miles away from Las Vegas all the way to Utah. After much FM radio Antenna manipulation (don’t ask) I first heard you you sing Mr Heard’s “Heart of Hearts” and loved it. I had to get Beyond Saturday Night. I instantly was drawn to it’s sadness, questioning, yet tenderness towards God. I could relate to you because of the Tenderness. I have met people that spent time with you in Southern Cali only to hear them tell me that your Love of God was no act and you have such a sweet spirit. I remember seeing each of your album covers even in the gospel days and feeling a deeper mystery to you than what was on the vinyl. I remember having a really big fight with my Dad and getting in the car and your song “Walls of Silence” came on and it melted me. My Dad was really good at being angry and never talking to me. Today we have mended our relationship and are good frends. That song helped me through those years. I really don’t know anything about music. My IPOD contains many forms of music and mostly Christian Music but I usually dial up one of your Sam albums. I’m not sure why, I could never explain it to others but I feel something when I listen to your songs that I don’t always feel with other music even if I don’t understand what your singing about. As with true Art it can be interpreted so many ways and everyone feels something meaningful to themselves. Although I may not know much about world music, I do quest and strive to keep that same tenderness I have seen in you from the beginning. Your song “won’t let it come between us” is really a prayer for me after all these years. It still brings me to tears when I hear it. It seems to disolve me and my hardened heart. Keeping this tendeness toward God is a struggle when ones heart is hardened by experiences in life. I see so many of us giving our time to selfish desires only amplified by Pop Culture. Your New title song made me think though today about the divine saying “I Love you.. when you don’t do anything”. Maybe We don’t have to make this all work. Maybe were just Loved. I’ll end witih a great quote that make me want to read more from this author. I found it at Holly Benyousky’s website her booking agency. “I don’t deny…that there should be priests to remind men that they will one day die. I only say…it is necessary to have another kind of priests, called poets, to remind men that they are not dead yet. ”
—G.K. Chesterton
PS. I wish I could make it to SouFest. I hope that they will appreciate your music as many of your fans do. It would nice to somday hear some reworkings of the Turning tunes with the Section Quartet.