The hills are alive with the sound of Norfolk music
“La La LA! Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! La La Laaaaa… My Broken Heart.” That’s the sound of me singing along at the top of my lungs to Norfolk songs.

That’s right folks… I finally got my coveted Norfolk CD yesterday from NL and I’ve been playing it non-stop.

I say ‘coveted’ because Norfolk doesn’t have an EP out yet. ‘Coveted’ because ever since I first heard Norfolk play at Riley’s last May I’ve been in love with the music of this talented band and James Ratliff. I saw them perform every chance I could last year at Narducci’s, Riley’s, Fishlips, The Boiler Room, Montgomery World Plaza, Azul’s, and an acoustic performance by Norfolk’s front man James Ratliff at the Lords: Part One Book release party at Lengthwise Brewery. I am convinced that Norfolk’s blend of alternative rock and country melodic twang and James’ sweet vocals is the kind of sound that should be coming out of Bakersfield. There isn’t another band in Bakersfield that sounds like Norfolk. Their music is unique, splendid, beautiful, fun, and emotional. James Ratliff is a talented musician and songwriter that takes you on a melodic emotional journey in every song. He artfully blends alternative rock with country music undertones and makes Bakersfield Norfolk country.

My coveted Norfolk CD also contained a few new songs… one a haunting piano ballad called: Contempt that almost feels too personal. My Broken Heart was my favorite song Norfolk performed live, when James sang about his broken heart you wanted to save him from it. However, Northern is one of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard.

I love every note of the Norfolk music I’ve been spoon fed, I want more and more and more…

Finally having my coveted Norfolk CD in my hands is a hard-won victory!

I began asking NL to make me a Norfolk CD a few months ago when I found out he had some Norfolk songs. I asked, and asked but a CD just never got made. Not because he didn’t want to make it, NL is just really busy writing novels and covering the Bakersfield music and art scenes when he’s not working. I took my request to James himself one night at Azul’s and he said that NL could burn me a copy of the Norfolk music he had. So I went back to NL and asked again. In fact when he asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I said: “A Norfolk CD.”

But on New Year’s Eve my quest for a coveted Norfolk CD got a little ugly. Bambi and I were hanging out with NL listening to Norfolk music and I reiterated to NL how much I wanted a Norfolk CD. He responded by writing his drunken New Year’s Eve blog that he wrote while I was there just to be the punk he can be. He had thrown down the gauntlet and I responded in kind. I wrote my own New Year’s Eve blog and I said: “He was being stingy with the Norfolk music.” But I took it a step further by emailing my blog to James Ratliff of Norfolk who responded by saying he would not only make me my very own coveted Norfolk CD, he would put songs on it that NL didn’t have. Boy did I love rubbing that in NL’s face!

The quest for my coveted Norfolk CD got even uglier on Monday when NL bet Bambi that neither she nor I could get a Norfolk CD from James before Wednesday at noon. Bambi sent off a pleading email to James and another email to me enlisting my help. I emailed James and asked if he wanted to help us beat NL at his own game by getting us a CD before his Wednesday deadline and James agreed to help. But unbeknownst to Bambi or I, James gave the coveted CD before the deadline to NL with instructions to give it to Bambi and me. James had great intentions but the coveted Norfolk CD was in the absolute wrong hands. NL being the punk he is and who doesn’t like to lose a bet held that coveted Norfolk CD captive until after noon on Wednesday, until after he had exposed his plot to both of us in this revealing blog. There was no beating NL now… Sometimes it is so fun to have a blog! Especially when the gauntlet has been thrown down and the gloves removed.

NL did hand over my coveted Norfolk CD a few minutes after the noon deadline. On the CD James had written: “Matildakay’s (Not NL’s) Norfolk” Priceless!

NL did redeem himself later by giving me a bonus Norfolk CD of extra Norfolk songs from his own collection.

Me, I'm thoroughly enjoying my long sought after Norfolk music... I feel like Julie Andrews and the hills are indeed alive with the sound of Norfolk music. It was all worth it.  posted by Matildakay at 5:19 PM