Ilsabe OConnell profile picture

Ilsabe OConnell

So I left my family to lead an outlaw's life...

About Me


Il'-suh-bee: I was born in Berlin (Germany) in 1965. A year later, my father landed an opportunity to study medicine in the US, so off we went, eventually finding ourselves in Topeka, Kansas, where I grew up. We were subjected to a lot of classical music at home, yet – strangely – my parents' record collection also included the soundtrack to "Hair!" and an enticing album by Petula Clark called "Just Pet!" At the age of about six, my mother gave me a violin for Christmas, which I considered a big rip-off, knowing she was going to make me play anyway (plus the instrument was a rental). This little gift-wrapped stunt appeared under the tree in lieu of gawd-knows-what other cool Mattel crap I could have received. . .
Soon I quit the violin, took up the piano, quit that, took up the guitar, quit that but reconsidered years later at right about the time I started writing songs. Eventually "Little Lost Cause" made its way into the world. Mark Fisher writes, "I can't say enough good things about this album. It is certainly one of the best releases I have heard this year, independent or otherwise. 'Little Lost Cause' is beautiful, intriguing, lost, hopeful, and creative all at the same time. Ilsabe OConnell is an artist that you should be watching if you like (the folk, Americana, and singer/songwriter) genres."
Thanks, Mark, wherever you are!
Currently the second album is in the works, tentatively titled, "Just Keep On Petting!" (unless you or someone else can talk me out of that).

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/7/2005
Band Website: ilsabeoconnell.com
Band Members: Ilsabe O'Connell and . . . hey, what're YOU doin' Saturday night?
Influences:
Lucinda Williams, Greg Brown, Kim Richey, Iris DeMent, Loretta Lynn, Mitch, Eric Lugosch, Bob Goins, William Stafford, Rickie Lee Jones, Neko Case, Brian R. Johnson, my brother with the sneakers in the wheelbarrow, my Dad, my trusty guitar sherpa. . . list goes on.
Sounds Like: a cryin' shame with a chaser shot of redemption

Record Label: Good Taste Products
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

The Mess Within

My house is a mess. Yes. And this past week, just before my relatives arrived, I was in no position to put much time into mopping, scrubbing, dusting, etc. The kids picked up their rooms, and I was ...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:04:00 PST

BOW and WOW!

OK, folks -- I'm here to say, this morning, that Blogging On Wine is not such a good idea. I was, paragraph by paragraph, less amused by myself as I soberly recharted my little journey through the bl...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Tue, 20 May 2008 07:45:00 PST

Shower Every Day

My soon-to-be 13 year old boy has declared just now, "I'm taking a shower every day now!" Must everyone anticipate my thoughts? It's a good thing, as it turns out, in this case. Sleep deprivation ne...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Thu, 01 May 2008 07:57:00 PST

Happy Birthday to Kiki

Happy Birthday to my dear little girl Kieran, who turned 10 today! At some point I will have to write about my trip to Europe, but I'm afraid I'm still too jet-lagged to do it justice. I can say, th...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:44:00 PST

Vacation, all I ever wanted. . .

I'm packing my bags for a trip to Switzerland and Germany. I'm going by myself. Even though I'd love for the kids to have that experience again, my dollars, your dollars, everybody's dollars are jes' ...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:28:00 PST

I say, No . . . No . . . No

I’ve discovered that my daughter, like me, is a girl who anticipates the "no." Just about every request she makes she repeats three times, each time louder and more shrill than the last, no brea...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:27:00 PST

If it aint broke. . .

but then again if it is. . . Turns out, "Permanent Ink" -- the song -- was not actually written in permanent ink. First let me apologize for the audio mold that covers this recording. I just uploaded ...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:11:00 PST

Fun with paint and specula

Mitch and I watched the documentary about Marla Olmstead, the 4 y.o. painting prodigy. It raises a lot of interesting questions. For those familiar with the controversy, I myself think the father help...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:09:00 PST

Cant Laugh it Off

I was sitting down with an acquaintance recently when I mentioned my upcoming trip to Germany and Switzerland in April. It will have been three years since I've seen any of my family and friends over ...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:33:00 PST

The Grim

Another mass shooting, this time at NIU in DeKalb, where my brother-in-law recently attended. Nice little dot on the map. Arrgh! What is it about these nuts? If you're so dead set on taking your own l...
Posted by Ilsabe OConnell on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:57:00 PST