The official ReSpektOnline Blog.

Far

2009-06-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Today Far, Regina Spektor's latest studio album, was released in the U.S. I purchased it a little after 12 a.m. from iTunes with a couple of bonus tracks; including Man of a Thousand Faces, and Time is all Around.

I love the album. It's very heartfelt and has a lot of good messages in it. I'm glad to see that Regina just recently beat out Lady Gaga on iTunes' top album charts, and she's steadily climbing the charts today.

If you haven't heard it yet, you definitely should.

Here's Regina on Good Morning America performing Laughing With today. Enjoy.

[iTunes Link]

Video - Blue Lips live on Jools Holland

2009-05-22T21:36:00.001-07:00

Brilliant performance of Blue Lips by Regina Spektor.

First listen - Blue Lips

2009-05-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Stereogum got their hands on the studio version of Regina Spektor's Blue Lips. It's a distant relative from the original piano driven tune, but it's still amazing. The ending still gets me every time.

You can listen here at the Stereogum blog. Post your thoughts in our comments.

Laughing With - Download.

2009-05-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the first single off Regina Spektor's soon to be released album, Far. The song is called Laughing With and it's damn good. Reminds me of the old school Regina I fell in love with back in 2004.

Enjoy.

Download removed from ReSpektOnline.

Download at iTunes [link]

Regina Spektor's new album: "Far"

2009-03-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

The net is abuzz with the news of Regina Spektor's new album title and release date.

Far is expected to hit shelves in June, and we at RSO are extremely excited. Pitchfork magazine interviews Ms. Spektor and asks her how it is to work with greats in producing her new album.

Songs us Spektorites know and can expect on Far are Genius Next Door and The Wallet.

Full interview here at Pitchfork!

New video: Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor - You Don't Know Me. Live on Jimmy Kimmel.

2008-11-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

We've just added Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor performing You Don't Know Me, live on Jimmy Kimmel. This is the second live performance that we carry, the first being the same song live on Conan O'brien. Enjoy!

Download.

Go out and vote!!

2008-11-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

RSO is an international site so this doesn't apply to everyone, but my fellow U.S. residents who are of age, this is for you!

Nov. 4, 2008 is your chance to have your voice heard. No matter what party you're in, who you're interested in, or if you're in a so-called red or blue state, go out and VOTE!

Let's make history!!

New Video: Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor - You Don't Know Me.

2008-10-03T18:59:00.001-07:00

Ben Folds & Regina Spektor perform You Don't Know Me from Ben Folds' latest album, Way to Normal. The download is available on RSO now. Weighing in at 340mb this isn't meant for anyone with a slower internet connection.

Download here.

Enjoy!

Regina @ Outside Lands

2008-09-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Just got an email from our buddy Aaron Autrand of Ground Control Mag. He has Regina covered for day 2 of Outside Lands. Spectacular coverage.

Be sure to click 'Additional Photos' if you'd like to see Regina in all her beauty.

Check it out!

Thanks, Aaron!

New photos.

2008-08-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Our buddy Rachel Skywalker uploaded some new images for the world to see. Check these, and the multitude of other images that are populating the site!

Regina Live @ McCarren Park, NY

2008-08-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. We are launching a dedicated page for something wonderful. Greg recorded a 25 minute video of Regina meeting with fans after a show and he gave RSO the files to host. You can check that, and the entire concert at the following links:

-Live show

-Video

Thanks Greg!

Fan Cover - Andrew Diego - Fidelity.

2008-08-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

Our buddy Andrew Diego sent us over a very well done cover of Fidelity. I love seeing Regina fans actively covering her music. Her fanbase continues to grow and we keep getting these great submissions from very talented listeners.

You can check more of Andrew out on his Myspace page. And you can download his version of Fidelity here.

Thanks Andrew!

Happy Birthday ReSpektOnline!

2008-07-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

On July 22, 2007, myself and Kate Sloan launched ReSpektOnline. At the time there wasn't much of anything. A few demos, some rare tracks, and about 5 concerts.

Shortly after launch I was able to meet some great people who kept this project in motion - andreseng, mrhen, eshbach, and all the community members.

The growth of ReSpektonline has been overwhelming. In the first couple of months we were lucky if we got 500 people to come to the site in a month, now we get over 1,000 visitors in a single day.

We have over 40 live shows, 9 high quality studio sessions, 18 demos, and 27 videos. And those numbers grow every month.

I get mail from all over the world from people who are using and enjoying the site. I am amazed that my little idea went this far.

As a Birthday present we'd like to open the doors to the Photos section of the site. With this new addition to the site, we encourage everyone to upload pictures they've taken at Regina Spektor concerts they've been to. It's pretty evident that we'll never get full video for every show she performs, so we'll try to tell the complete story through photos and audio. I really hope everyone participates and uploads some photos!

Happy Birthday, RSO! Here's to another year!

July 2, 2008. Just Added.

2008-07-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Demos:

Chemo Limo

Enjoy!

May 14, 2008. Just Added.

2008-05-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

Demos:

Rockland County

Dog and Pony - Jessica Hodges

2008-04-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Oh Jess, you're my favorite. Here's another amazing Regina Spektor cover by Ms. Jessica Hodges.

I feel Dog and Pony is an underrated song of Regina's, and this cover gives it the recognition it deserves.

Video (53mb) | MP3

April 23, 2008. Just Added.

2008-04-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Regina Spektor Live at Soundfix, Brooklyn, New York. 2008-04-19

Thanks to Fallenquarter for sending it in!

April 20, 2008 - Just Added.

2008-04-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

Regina Spektor Live at C-Note, New York. 2003-05-05

Complete show.

Thanks to Dan Herman/Radio Crystal Blue for sending this show in. Enjoy!

April 15, 2008. Just Added.

2008-04-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Regina Spektor live at Sin-e, New York. 2003-8-19

Complete show.

Thanks Abi!

2008-9-04. Just added.

2008-04-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

Studio (#5):

Regina Spektor - Paris.

Live Show:
Regina Spektor live at Sin-e, New York. 2003-8-19

The Devil Come To Bethlehem

Making Records

If anyone has anymore recordings from the Sin-e, New York 2003-8-19 show, please e-mail respektonline [at] gmail [dot] com so that we may have the complete show available. Thank you!

Credit to Nicholas Pappas for sending the music in.

Regina Spektor supports indie record stores.

2008-03-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Regina Spektor speaks on why she supports indie record stores.

More Regina related/inspired music - Kate Sloan.

2008-02-29T17:46:00.001-08:00

Kate Sloan, a personal friend and ReSpekt Online co-worker, has just uploaded a video that her and I worked on together. It's called Our Story Isn't Over and it's fantastic. What's cool about the creation of this video is that it was shot in Canada by Kate, sent to the states for post production by me, and sent back to Canada; digitally, of course.

Not only is it a great video, but it speaks volumes about the "Youtube generation" and what it takes to be a legit content creator. All you need is something to say and a recording device (talent doesn't hurt either ;).

So here you are, friends:

Our Story Isn't Over (mp3)

Enjoy!

p.s.

I'm thinking about continuing the Regina related/inspired music thing going. If you're an indie musician, poet, or artist and have been inspired by Regina Spektor in any way, write me at respektonline [at] gmail [dot] com. You can possibly be featured here. Take care!

Jessica Hodges - San Fransisco

2008-02-06T01:03:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I completely fall in love with a musician. It's something that just happens, it's never planned. In 2001 it was The Strokes, in 2004 it was Regina Spektor, in 2007 it was Camera Obscura, and in 2008 it's Jessica Hodges. I found out about Jess when I first built ReSpekt Online and we started getting traffic to the site. I got an email from from her requesting to be on our covers page. She performed an acoustic version of The Wallet by Regina Spektor. Her cover blew my mind. I loved everything about it.

Since then I've been following Jessica's music through her Youtube & Last.fm pages. She is incredibly creative and has a natural talent that shows through in her music.

My current favorite song by Jess is an original called San Francisco. Her ability to tell a story in song is what separates her from most. Hopefully through 2008 she'll continue to grow as an artist and put out more great music.

Download San Francisco here. (right click and hit "save target.." to save to your computer).

Enjoy!

Regina Spektor Interview on VBS.tv - Practice Space.

2008-01-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

Dave Regan, from VBS.tv, sent over an email letting me know that Regina Spektor has an interview up on Practice Space. In the interview Regina talks about what piano she enjoys using most, and she plays a song with the band.

Thanks for the heads up, Dave!

Peace.

Quick note: VBS.tv is an amazing site with great interviews from amazing musicians. Everyone should check it out.

XKCD - Favorite Bands?

2008-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

Regina Spektor was mentioned in an XKCD comic strip.

http://xkcd.com/300/

You may know this, but...

2007-12-31T08:31:00.000-08:00

My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) is free in the iTunes Store. Anyone with an iTunes account can head over and download it with no charge.

(image links to iTunes Store download page)

Peace.

My current favorite song/video

2007-12-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Small Town Moon is one of my favorite songs by Regina Spektor. It's a must-have for any fan of hers. Here's a video and a link to the song on RSO. Enjoy.

Small Town Moon

My Dear Aquaintance (A Happy New Year)

2007-12-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

The ReSpekt community has been abuzz over Regina's most recent song - My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year). You can check out the thread over at the LJ community to get the scoop on the song, and possibly hear it.

Note: You can hear part of the original song by Peggy Lee here. Number 16 on the album.

Peace.

ReSpektOnline new site launch!

2007-12-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know we launched a new version of the site. We have a new layout that's much brighter and welcoming, as well as simplified links. You can now navigate to any page on the site via the home-page. The most important feature of this launch is SEARCH. You can now search music (concerts, demos, studio sessions), All of our video and now lyrics. We knew early on that if we wanted to build the largest ReSpekt database online, we would need search. No longer will you have to look through the entire site to find that one song or video you want. Even if you don't know the name of the song, type in some lyrics and our search will do the rest.

We hope everyone will enjoy this new version.

I personally would like to thank the entire RSO team: Adam, George, Aaron, Tom and Kate. Without you none of this would have been possible.

Enjoy!

A true fan.

2007-11-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

This is pretty incredible.

"Love is the answer
to a question that I have forgotten
but I know I've been asked
and the answer's got to be love."

Looking for:

2007-11-27T23:19:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone. I've been going through our archive and noticed we were missing some key songs that the community would love to have. If anyone can help us out and send these requested songs to respektonline@gmail.com it would be greatly appreciated.

Requesting:

-~~Fidelity (Blockhead remix)~~

-~~Dust to Dust (with show name/date)~~

-~~Aquarius~~

Thanks everyone!

Peace.

Update:

Leslie sent us Fidelity (Blockhead remix) and Aquarius. Thanks Leslie!

Update 2:

We have 'em all.

Noises!

2007-11-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

What are your favorite Regina noises/weird pronunciations/voices?

Personally I'm a fan of walka walka walk, sto-o-o-o-ove, her Elvis impression, yo girl, adorable beatboxing, UH... The list goes on.

How about you?

Video Concert - Regina Spektor Live @ Bogarts

2007-11-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

We just added Regina Spektor's entire video concert - Live @ Bogarts. 20 high quality videos ready for download right here. Credit goes to Jessica Hodges for standing in the front row, recording, and uploading.

Any reviews of the concert? Post them in the comments!

Enjoy.

Peace.

Regina Spektor on VH1's Top 20 countdown.

2007-10-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

We just added Regina Spektor's interview on VH1's top 20 countdown show. It's a 320mb, high quality version and not meant for anyone who has a dial-up connection.

You can go over to our Video page and download it.

Remember, if you want to save it to your desktop (which we recommend), right click on the link and press "save file as." You can then view it on your computer.

Enjoy!

Peace out.

It's not technically a cover, but I love it.

2007-10-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

Grace put together an On The Radio video that is very creative. Check it out!

If you like it, leave her some love.

(originally nabbed from the awesome reginaspektor.net)

peace.

Facebook group

2007-10-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

A lot of people don't know that we have a Facebook group for ReSpektOnline. I want to encourage people to add photos and concert videos onto the group. It doesn't take much to join, only a Facebook account, and everyone can sign up.

We add content to the group that we don't add on the site. I feel that we need a different avenue for different kinds of content. If you're interested and you have some photos from a show or pictures you took with Regina, upload it! I would also like to encourage you to upload wallpapers and other kinds of media fans would enjoy.

Thanks a lot!

Facebook Group.

peace.

And we're back.

2007-10-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

The down time took longer than expected but we are back. If you find any broken links PLEASE send an email to respektonline [at] gmail [dot] com so we can correct these problems.

Thanks for being patient everyone. This was a huge task that took several hours and needed to be done.

Peace out.

We will be down today

2007-10-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. I wanted to let everyone know certain links at respektonline will be down today. If you see that a link is down, just check back in a few hours and it should be working.

I apologize for any inconvenience.

Peace.

Own all 132 Regina Spektor songs? This is for you!

2007-10-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

Our designer, Tom, has been hard at work and has created a CD cover for everyone who happens to have all 132 of Regina Spektor's songs.

We don't know how long this number will be accurate, but it'll be fun to have for now. Enjoy!

Peace.

New videos

2007-10-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

We just added some new videos to the video page:

Feel free to download all you'd like.

Credit to Lemora for sending them in, and "Joefish" for recording certain files (The Culture Show, Jonathan Ross, etc.).

Enjoy!

Peace out.

For understanding + Improvement

2007-10-07T17:04:00.001-07:00

I look at the stats of RSO on a regular basis. At least 3 times a day I'm checking where people are going to get content. It's fun to see where we're being linked from and how people from all over the world visit the site.

I have some questions for all you spektorites: How did you hear about us? Were you linked? Do you recommend us to people who have an interest in Regina Spektor but don't want to take that leap without hearing some of her music?

Is the site easy to use for you? Is it easy to find music/videos?

Leave a comment so we can make the site better for you.

Thanks!

peace.

Better (concept) Video

2007-10-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

For everyone who hasn't seen the new Better (concept) video, here it is. (37mb)

Note: right click on the link (or image) and hit "save as" to save to your computer.

Enjoy!

Thanks, andreseng, for capturing and uploading!

Hell No.

2007-09-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard Hell No, a song by Sondre Lerche f/ Regina Spektor, please do. We got many requests to post the song but we decided not to due to copyright laws. The song is floating all over so if you can, please download it.

When I first heard the song, I automatically linked it back to Regina Spektor's Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men¹. Almost like she broke up with Julian Casablancas (of the strokes) and got together with Sondre Lerche. Although she's clearly having relationship issues, they seem more tame this time. Sondre isn't as serious as Julian was. Just my take.

I love when Regina does collaborations because they aren't these sappy unreal love songs. In real relationships people have problems. It isn't all daisies and daffodils.

I hope she continues to do collaborations with brilliant artists. Melding of the minds is a wonderful thing.

What do you guys think of the song??

peace.

¹Julian Casablancas made sure that the artist credit was "Regina Spektor f/ The Srokes", not the other way around. She talks about it in this interview.

Snakes don't live in carpeted areas

2007-09-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Apparently Regina has been singing A Lesson In How Fleeting Preservation Is!

sad songs.

2007-09-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

I have a question to ask all spektorites: What are the saddest Regina Spektor songs? Which songs, in your opinion, are just so emotionally gripping that it brings you to tears?

What about music in general? What are the saddest songs you can possibly think of? Any artist from any genre. What songs leave you in a state where you can feel the musicians pain?

Please let us know in the comments.

Thanks guys!

peace out.

Congrats kate!

2007-09-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

Kate is featured on the New Sound Waves blog. Everyone should go visit and leave some love!

I've been a fan of kate Sloan for almost 2 years now (jeez), and I love watching her progress as an artist. She's one of my favorite musicians because she continues to write her own music and experiment with new things. Kate has been an amazing friend to me for a long time, and she's been a pleasure to work with on RSO. It's so exciting to see her career as a musician take off to a point where she has a fan following. In a world with so many so called "artists" who don't even write their own material, Kate is one of a kind. Whether she's doing a cover, or performing some of her own material, she blows me away.

Check her out
Check New Sound Waves

Peace + CONGRATS KATE!

Recent favorite Regina photos

2007-09-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

Global breakdown --

2007-09-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Regina fans are worldwide. Here are some of our stats:

It's so awesome to see that people from all around the world are visiting RSO!

Hey Sweden!

Peace out.

Covers for you

2007-09-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

I just pushed out the new ~~user~~ covers page. It has been redesigned from the ground up and I think people will enjoy it. Go over and check it out. If you want to be featured on the page here's how.

Enjoy!

Keep on keepin' on.

2007-09-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Preview of the design change we plan to launch for the user page:

Do you like it?
______

In other news:

If you didn't know, Regina Spektor performed at a venue called Bull Moose in 2005. Today we got an email from Dem over at Bull Moose who wanted to remind everyone there is a recording available. From the email:

A while back in 2005, Regina did an in-store with us, and a semi-official recording of it was released... it's basically a five-track EP of live material, and you guys already have loads of live material anyway, but for the collectors among you I thought I'd pass it on. It's called "Live at Bull Moose", it's not a nationally distributed release but it is sanctioned by her label so it's not a "bootleg" per se.

So if you don't have that album, you can get it at the official site.

Peace out.

Heads up

2007-09-05T08:01:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! We're in the midst of designing a new user page that is much more appealing than our current one. When I was putting it together, I was shooting for basic elegance. I hope everyone likes it.

If you have a Regina Spektor cover, be it a song or video, send it to us so you can be featured on the site. You can drive traffic back to your own site and maybe even create a fan following.

I think some people may be confused as to how they submit their covers. Here's what we need for you to be on the site:

email respektonline [at] gmail [dot] com (replace the [at] with @ and replace the [dot] with .)

1. Picture of you (we prefer a larger image so we can scale it down to a more fitting size).

2. The song/video or both. We're allowing 3 songs and 3 videos per person.

3. Link to a page of your choice.

We love this community as much as you do, and we want to expose all possible ReSpekt related content.

If you have any questions, shoot us an email (respektonline [at] gmail [dot] com), and we'll be happy to help you out in any way we can.

Peace out.

"They build buildings so tall these days..."

Regina-influenced music we love: Jess

2007-09-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

Jess, aka Perksofawallflower, has a demo of her own original, heavily Regina-influenced songs. She has graciously allowed us to share the demo with all of you. Download, listen, and let her know (via comment, Brumstix, YouTube, whatever) how much you love it!

Fiddler
Hanging Man
Ma Poche
Madame
Melody
Vogue

ReSpektOnline t-shirt

2007-08-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

Click on the photos to see them larger.
The front says "respektonline.com." The back says "respektonline.com - for those who loved her before she was 'on the radio.'"

Would you buy a ReSpektOnline tee if they were available?

P.S. For those of you planning to attend the Toronto Kool Haus show on October 11th, you will be able to spot me because I will be wearing the shirt pictured above.

One more.

2007-08-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

A brief addition to my recommendations post.

Last night, at a family party, I performed a couple pieces from my very Regina-influenced repertoire. Afterward, my aunt's boyfriend, whom I don't know too well but I think seems like a really interesting guy, told me I had to check out Bryce Kulak. He used the word "cabaret" and I was sold.

Later, I located Bryce's website and began listening to the full-length previews in the player at left, while reading along with the lyrics. I became an instant fan. Like Regina, he creates odd characters that fit into unique stories. I listened to each and every song all the way through, riveted. As we all know, it's difficult to keep a Regina devotee interested in a song from beginning to end, but he accomplished it.

Please visit Bryce's website and have a listen. My current favorites are Old Buildings, Aquamarine, and Tin Can Telephone.

My recommendations for Regina fans

2007-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Like Regina? Then you might like some of my other favorites...

Nellie McKay is like Regina circa 11:11, but more opinionated and with a slightly more traditional sound. She's been compared to both Doris Day and Eminem. Check out: I Wanna Get Married, The Dog Song, Ding Dong.

Tegan and Sara have been my favorite band since before I knew about Regina, and that's saying something. Their charmingly grating (yes, that's what I said) voices continue to fill my home and my head on a regular basis. Check out: I Know I Know I Know, Back in Your Head, Walking With a Ghost.

Feist is, as many of you already know, beautiful, talented, and refreshingly different. (And I go to school with her brother. Teehee.) Check out: One Evening, Secret Heart, When I Was a Young Girl.

KT Tunstall's voice regularly gives me goosebumps. She's got a very raw, mature, delicious sound. Check out: Other Side of the World, Suddenly I See, her cover of I Want You Back.

Joanna Newsom is perhaps even weirder than Regina. She accompanies herself on the harp and sings lyrics like "I killed my dinner with karate." To me, she sounds like a mix of Lisa Simpson and Judy Garland, especially in her most recent album Ys. Check out: The Book of Right-on, Sawdust and Diamonds, Cosmia.

What Regina-like artists do you listen to?

P.S. You can watch Jonn's and my last.fm feeds over there on the right, if you're curious to know what else we like. (Right now I'm on a John Legend kick.)

Current favorite song: Bear Spektor

2007-08-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

I can't stop listening to it. It's mostly about the way Regina giggles at herself in the ending section. You can tell she really loves her brother. I adore it. "But I live... in my mom's and dad's house... with my little brother."

Related links:
Download & listen
Lyrics & SongMeanings.net page

New video page

2007-08-20T10:50:00.001-07:00

Jonn has launched a great new face for the video page. It's a lot cleaner & more organized. We've also added a lot more videos for you to download & view to your heart's content. Check it out!

Reginitis

2007-08-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

You know you're a Regina geek when you can sing along with this video.

Created by and starring Perks/Jess, who is one of the pillars in the Regina community.

New homepage

2007-08-19T20:47:00.001-07:00

Jonn has just designed & launched a new homepage. I think it looks gorgeous. Check it out.

Current favorite song: Belt

2007-08-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Abuse is, for obvious reasons, a really hard thing to write about, if you've experienced it and even if you haven't. In my opinion, there are only a handful of songs about abusive relationships that really handle the topic with grace and skill. My favorite used to be Two Beds and a Coffee Machine by Savage Garden; then I discovered Belt.

Regina has conveyed, perfectly and effortlessly, what it is to be the victim of an abusive relationship. She deals with not only the crude violence ("smack you right side up") but also the emotional complexes beneath the surface ("I know I say I'll go away, but then I don't - I walk right smack into your lips"). She illustrates the love as well as the hate. She shows us that her leading lady not only lies to the world, but to herself as well.

That, in a nutshell, is why I love Belt. That, and the funny voices Regina does in it.

Related links:
Download & listen
Lyrics
SongMeanings.net page

3 pieces of media you can't currently find on our site.

2007-08-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

1. Final Film Score Project (song recorded at SUNY Purchase)

2. Human of the Year (video clip from the Axis 04/09/06) (40mb)

3. Dead Guy (video clip for the Axis 04/09/06) (73mb)

The reason you can't find these is because we're trying to figure out better ways for us to post content, and for you to receive content. We've already solved that problem with the live page, but unfortunately that same format doesn't work with every page. So sit tight while we solve these problems and bring you more content.

Feel free to download the media above.

also, if you have facebook, join our group and start some discussions.

Featured Video.

2007-08-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

We've just added the BBC2 Culture Show video recording of Fidelity to our featured video section. It weighs in at 74mb and the quality is very impressive..

I love this performance and hope all of you will go and download it.

Big ups to JupiterCalling for sending it in. Myself, my team, and the community thanks you.

peace out.

The live page is, err...live.

2007-08-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

We just launched our new live page with a bunch more concerts. We have an amazing developer (Adam) on our team who put this new page together, and it's much easier to navigate. Simply click on a concert title and the show will expand below it. To get that show out of your way, simply click the title again. Easy, huh?

Head on over to the page and get some shows!

peace.

In a minute

2007-08-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

Very soon we'll be launching a new Live audio page with tons more concerts. It's in the final stages of development and should be ready soon. Sorry for the lack of updated content, this problem will soon be solved. We have a new layout for the live page that is going to make it much easier for you to get concerts.

Sit tight.

peace out.

“Piano and Voice” version of Better.

2007-08-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today iTunes (USA only) has released the anticipated “Piano and Voice” version of Better. Some folks have had trouble finding it. If you are located in the US all you need to do is search Regina Spektor in the iTunes Music Store, then click at the top of the “Name” column. This will sort all the songs alphabetically. It should be the fifth version of Better that has “Piano and Voice” in the title as displayed in the highlighted sample below.

I love this new version. It feels like a highly refined live version. reg nailed the vocal and the mouth clicks at the end aren’t masked at all by the other instruments. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and get it now!

Link (will open iTunes & take you to the store)

-andreseng

Cover of the week - Fidelity.

2007-08-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

The amazing talent of Dischord A Cappella have covered Regina Spektor's Fidelity. We currently have the video linked on our users page but didn't have the audio at this quality until recently. You can download the song here (*high quality*).

Leave some love, visit their myspace.

Want your rendition to be "cover of the week"? Email us and you can be seen by thousands of fans!
respektonline [at] gmail [dot] com.

peace.

Work all day...

2007-08-10T00:22:00.000-07:00

We've been hard at work trying to plan (v.3) of ReSpekt Online. I've had many ideas and have tested many things. Our goal is to make things as simple as possible. We want you to spend less time navigating, and more time enjoying the music.

Kate and I spent some time discussing simplicity in design. We're trying to get to a place where the site is attractive, yet elegant and simple. So we threw this little mockup together:

We thought we would ask the people who's opinions matter to us most: what do you think about it? What can we change? How can we make the site better for you? First we would like you to take our poll (over to the right), and then comment and tell us what we can change. Tell us you hate it, tell us you love it, tell us something.

The poll closes Aug 15 @ 11:59 so be quick and let us know if we're on the right path.

Thanks a lot.

-respektonline

Fan Cover - The Wallet.

2007-08-07T21:29:00.001-07:00

An amazing fan submitted cover of The Wallet. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Also, check out her video and leave her some love in the comments!

Jeremy channels Regina

2007-08-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

You may recall our good friend jjweprich from the users page. He, like me, does a lot of Regina covers, many of them the rarer songs that aren't covered very often, if at all - Secret Stash, Dulce, I Cut Off My Hair, etc. However, this latest one truly takes the cake.

If you frequent Brumstix, you may have seen his recent post about a dream he had. There exists a recording of Regina beginning to play a song called In The Studio, but she doesn't get past the first line, saying "I forgot it." In Jeremy's dream, Regina came to him and played the song in its entirety.

Being the wonderfully creative musician that he is, he managed to remember the song, wrote it out, and filmed himself playing it for us all to enjoy. I am speechless, so I'll leave you with the video. Watch in awe!

Regina @ Lollapalooza

2007-08-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Have just scored the Lollapalooza concert via the very sweet peachinparis on LJ. Thank you (also to ATT for streaming it).

You can download it over at our live audio page.

Current favorite song: The Genius Next Door

2007-08-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if there's a way for me to write this without using the phrase "Genius is genius," so I'll just get that out of the way right now.

Alright, now that that's done, let me tell you why it's genius.

First off, it's written in a very classical style, in terms of piano. Like several of her songs, it reflects Regina's training in baroque and romantic-era piano - and yet, like most (if not all) of her work, its lyrics and sheer oddity make it decidedly modern and fresh.

Secondly, I'm sorry to say that I don't fully understand it. Alright, it's about a small town wherein a lake "turned as thick as butter" one day for no apparent reason, and a "genius next door" who secretly wades into the lake after hours. My favorite line in the song, "The genius next door was sleeping / dreaming that the antidote was orgasm" makes even less sense to me than the rest of it, but perhaps that's why I like it.

I wonder about this genius character. If he's such a genius, why is he "busing tables, wiping clean the ketchup bottle labels"? What's the deal with him "mumbling German fables"? What satisfaction did he get from wading into the so-called porridge? Why did he only do it in secret?

For me, it's Regina's most arcane pieces that I tend to love the most. I get obsessed with solving the mystery - and this, I think, is one that cannot ever be completely solved by anyone except Regina herself. Her mind, we all know, is a place of strange and wonderful goings-on. One day I'd love to talk to her about this song - but who's to say she herself even knows all the secrets of her fictional genius?

Related links:
Download & listen
Lyrics
SongMeanings.net page

What do you think it means?

Update: Final Film Score Project

2007-08-02T16:14:00.001-07:00

Some more info on that Final Film Score Project song Jonn posted earlier. Frank, who sent us the track, gave us some background on the song.

It's a Film Score Project Regina did with a fellow student at Purchase college named Levon Vincent. I found it on a site quite a while back that had it as a streaming audio file and unfortanely can no longer find the site. I didn't really know what it was so I looked up Levon Vincent and emailed him and got this response:

"Frank,
Thanks for your interest. Yes that is Regina and I . We studied music together @ Purchase. She has an amazing voice, no?
Best,
LV"

Now that you mention it I wish I would have asked him what the name of it was. Even better, I would like to get a hold of the video it was a score for but now I'm getting ahead of myself, haha. So that's the story, I wish I had more info but it was just a random find.

My first time

2007-08-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

The date was March 11th, 2005, and I, no doubt, was sitting in front of the TV, scooping popcorn into my mouth and feeling unfulfilled. I usually watched the late night shows with my mother, but on this night, she had gone up to bed, so I was watching alone. Conan O'Brien introduced an artist I had never heard of before, Regina Spektor, and told the audience that her new album was called Soviet Kitsch. I was intrigued.

The first thing I noticed was her gorgeous bright red Baldwin piano. I'd never before seen such an exquisite instrument. As she began to sing, I realized that her voice was an even more remarkable instrument than the piano.

She was playing Us. The chorus came, and I revelled in the glorious lyrics. We're living in a den of thieves. God, she was so beautiful. Rummaging for answers in the pages. I didn't even try to understand the words at this stage; just listened and basked. And it's contagious. I was thinking, this girl is fantastic. And it's conta-giou-uh-uh-uh-ous. Did she just hiccup? At first, I thought, "What a pity she had to ruin such a beautiful song with that little noise," but as the enchanting music continued, I realized: society had conditioned me to mentally rebel against anything less than a neat and tidy, "normal" sound. By the time Conan had walked over to shake Regina's hand, I was at the computer, feverishly googling with all my might.

Within days, I could be found belting along to Poor Little Rich Boy in my room, trying to write a storytelling song like Chemo Limo, and dancing in front of my mirror to Your Honor. I was in love. I couldn't stop.

Six months later, I posted a recording of myself playing Ode to Divorce in the iheartregina LJ community. Little did I know that this little cover would lead to my meeting up with Jonn Dailey, founder of this website and my co-writer on this blog. We've now known each other for almost two years and continue to be great friends (and, now, business partners!). Just goes to show that Regina can bring people together on a cosmic level.

Watch the video of the first time I ever saw Regina:

Tell me about the first time you experienced the Spektor miracle!

This song is incredible.

2007-08-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

So today was launch day and it feels good. We had some hiccups in the beginning but we worked right through them and now everything seems to be working smoothly. Thanks to everyone who reported a problem via email or message board, we would have looked straight past these issues without you. I believe that the Regina Spektor fan community is one of the kindest around. Your help is greatly appreciated.

We just got an email a few hours ago that we have to share. The only info we have about the user is his email address and I don't feel right giving that away. I sent him an email and am waiting for a response, but I thought I would share it with you guys here on the blog so you can have a listen.

The song is titled "Final Film Score Project." It's clearly Regina Spektor vocals with an amazing track behind it. Maybe someone has some more info on this and can post it in the comments?

Here you go -

Final Film Score Project.

Please discuss in the comments and let us know what you think about it. We here at respektonline love it.

And to the person who sent it to us, please give us your info so you can be credited.

How to play Human of the Year

2007-08-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

By no means is it what Regina plays, but it sounds just fine.

And we're live!

2007-08-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

ReSpektOnline.com is officially up and running. Please go and check it out - download some audio & video, peruse the users page, admire the gorgeous design & coding by Mr Web Developer Genius Jonn Dailey. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or contributions, please e-mail us at respektonline [at] gmail [dot] com. We want to make this a thriving community of shared Regina media!

Brilliant Regina photos

2007-07-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

I admin the Regina Spektor Flickr group, so of course I've seen my fair share of gorgeous Regina photos. As many of us know from our experiences seeing her live, she is very passionate, and her facial expressions constantly reflect that. It takes a skilled photographer to capture the heat of her performances. Here are a few shots that I think do it very effectively.

You can click on any of the photos to see them bigger, or to view more by these fine photographers.

How to play Summer in the City

2007-07-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

For all you piano players out there - here is how to play Regina's breathtaking ballad of lost love, Summer in the City.

ReSpekt Online blog

2007-07-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome all fans to the official ReSpektOnline.com blog. Here we'll highlight users, songs, and just talk about everyday things. Top contributers are me, jonn (lead developer), and Kate Sloan, manager of operations and content for ReSpekt Online. We hope you subscribe to the blog and participate in some neat things we have coming up.

In news:

We have a new site launching. The original I threw together because I just wanted people to share the experience I did when I met Regina Spektor 04/09/06. So far we've served over 5gigs of content and that's just from one show an a few videos. We're in the works or releasing tons more content that everyone can enjoy and share.

Here are a few screenshots:

(click to enlarge)

We plan on launching in a few days so sit tight.

If you're interested in giving to the community email us: respektonline@gmail.com

Peace out.