I like her. Apparently she's been around for a minute. I'm not hip, so maybe I'm a little late here. I first saw her name on some versus Rihanna thing a gossip blogger posted a few days ago. I googled her and found this video. Her vibe seems really positive and fun--like she's not trying to prove anything to anyone or be anything in particular. After watching this video, I think she's refreshing.
B Day is my jam from beginning to end--the whole album period.
I love it when Beyoncé goes Diana Ross in her concerts--having a conversation with the audience and finding an intimate spot to sing in. She's such a classy broad. And so beautiful. And all I know is she betta sang this song.
The first time I heard her song, "Jar of Hearts", was on Glee, when Rachel sang it at prom to Finn. I remember thinking how perfect the song was for them and how much I love how the Glee kids over-sing dramatic songs with their faces. They open their mouths as wide as possible and keep the most distressed look in their eyes. I love it.
After that, I heard it on the radio and it plays almost every time I'm in my car. So often, in fact, that my four year old knows and loves the whole song. I live...live... to hear him sing the chrous of that song.
Today, for the first time, I googled the video to see what it was like and have fallen in love with this girl. Christina Perri.
I watched lots of videos on her youtube page and am an instant huge fan! I love her hair, her tattoos, her voice. The video for "A Thousand Years " makes me almost want to see the Bella and Edward vampire movies. I have an iTunes gift card that I've had since last fall. I'm totally buying Chrstina Perri's music.
A while ago, this song showed up on my Spotify list. I would skip it when I saw the graphic, because I saw the name Flo Rida, knew it was rap, and wasn't in the mood for rap.
Recently, the hook has been playing on some commercial. I can't recall the commercial because my husband is the one in our house who actually watches television in real time and sits through commercials. Usually when he's watching TV, I'm not. So I don't know what the commercial is, but I have been walking around singing it non-stop for days.
I decided to google it to hear the whole song and I love it. It almost makes me want to google to see what other songs Flo Rida sings. It's a kinda bizarre video, because he looks so tough, but is doing corny stuff. Anywho, I'm loving the hook and the uplifting and, let's face it, quite manic lyrics. They make me smile.
Happy Monday!
I ran across this online today. It's a popular Venezuelan song asking the painter why he only paints white angels. It is very powerful in English. Beautiful performance too.
"Painter, if you paint with love, paint me..." This song was performed in 1953.
My house is so quiet right now. It's cold and wet outside and my son went down for his nap late, but like a rock. I just finished a major thing on my to-do list and am standing here (yes, standing...as depicted here, I work on my laptop on a high counter, mostly because if I sit, I'm knitting and if I'm knitting then I'm not working down my to-do list...which, technically I'm not doing now, since I'm blogging, but whatever...) looking around my quiet house and I thought about this song by Bjork. I didn't know who she was before this video came out years ago, but I found her so awkward and aswesome in this video and fell in love with her. Now that she has resurfaced in my life, her music will undoubtedly dominate my Spotify playlist for at least a week. At least.
Happy long weekend! On Presidents' Day, try to find something nice to say about our president, no matter what side of the fence you're on. That's a hell of a post, and any way you look at it, it takes some cojones gigante to even apply for the job. Be grateful you're not them, think happy thoughts, and carry on.
My local radio station is playing Whitney Houston's songs in heavy rotation today. I am happy that she shared her gift with us while she as here. My heart is heavy for her daughter and for everyone who knew and truly loved her. I am feeling a little sad. About as sad as I felt when Aaliyah died and when Michael Jackson died. They are people you always root for and want to see them do well, you know? Each of their stars were rising right at the moment they fell. How hard was I rooting for Whitney's comeback? I'm sad that we will not get to see her rock the red carpet when her next film, Sparkle, premieres in the fall. The past few years have been rough on her. I believe her soul is at peace now. She probably looking down on earth right now smiling at the mark she left that says, "I was here."
I would like to remember her when she was at her best. Her smile, charisma and voice are unmatched in the music industry, yesterday and today. I have heard this song twice today on my car radio. It is a reminder, not only of how beautiful Whitney's voice was, but also that life, for all of us, really is just one moment in time.
R.I.P. Whitney.
Thanks to The Austin Chronicle and my uncanny luck with online contests (I don't enter many, but I win a lot of the ones I enter), I won two 3-day passes to Austin City Limits Music Festival 2011! I never have cash during early-bird pre-sales and had given up on going this year. I didn't even recall entering the contest. So when I saw the email that I had won, it truly was a pleasant surprise. The fact that the weekend kicked off on my birthday made it extra special. My husband came with me the first two days, our three year old son joined us on day 2 and was my date on the last day of the festival. Lots of planning and patience helped make this weekend awesome. Lots of pictures and videos make the memories that much sweeter. Here's what happened...
Continue reading "Diary of An Austin City Limits Music Festival Rookie" »
Beyoncé's latest album is for grown-ups. She is young, but growing up and has been in a relatioship for a long time (like 10 years) and the music on Beyoncé 4 reflects all if that.
The tracks "1 + 1" and "Love on Top" both sound like classics. The lyrics are simple (and love is simple isn't it?) and sure to resonate with anyone who is or has been in love for more than a minute. The music on both tracks is timeless--not trendy. I can see folks like "Girl, that is my jam!" from the 1970's right up to today. "Schoolin' Life" is on the bonus CD in the Target Delux Edition. It is a dance song and the lyrics are like a cautionary tale and celebration of living and learning (sometimes the hard way). This song is Beyoncé in all her Southern, country glory and it is (singing in my Oprah voice) aaaaaawsoooome!
Continue reading "Beyonce 4: A Totally Biased Album Review" »
I was ready to call SXSW 2011 a total bust for me this year. My son was home from school for spring break so daytime shows and screenings were already a no-go. Going out at night is almost always never an option for me, so I didn't even try. But I got an email last-minute that changed all that...for one day, at least.
The PR folks for the Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate- Brett Dennen show sent me a VIP invitation to attend the show, bring a guest and collect swag. There was also a documentary screening scheduled after the show. After working much logistical magic between the family of my plus one and mine, it was settled: the men watched the kiddos and me and my plus one were out to do it VIP style in the ATX! Which was awesome and also totally not what you think...
The show was on the rooftop at Whole Foods Headquarters. It's located on my favorite corner in Austin right across from Book People (where I have spent many hours drooling over the awesomest collection of stationary, handmade jewelry, scarves and oh yeah--books) and Anthropologie (where I usually wear blinders as I make a beeline for the clearance room in the back of the store) and Waterloo Records (which I've never been into because I'm not hip and am not into music THAT much, but is great for people watching from the street-level cafe seating outside Whole Foods. Anyway, so the show was on top of Whole Foods HQ. Brett Dennen performed a great acoustic set as children played on the playscape behind him. Oh yeah, there's a playscape on the rooftop at Whole Foods, mostly because Austin absolutely ROCKS when it comes to keeping whole families in mind and the best businesses always keep that in mind. Austin luh da kids.
Continue reading "Guayaki Yerba Mate-Brett Dennen Show-SXSW 2011" »
I'm writing another blog post right now and watching Oprah on DVR. I tried to post this all on a Facebook status, but it was too long, so I'm posting it over here...
If you're like me and this post has you feeling all emo about Mothers Day, window shop for nice Mothers Day Gifts at the perfect place to find perfect gifts...Red Envelope. If that sounded like a commercial, it totally was. Sponsored post with promo codes for HomeGirl readers coming up soon...just in time for Mothers Day. Thanks, Red Envelope!
When I saw this concert posted on the Parent Wise Facebook page about a week ago, my first impulse was to skip it. Mainly because it was to take place on a Sunday morning at 10:30, when I'm usually in bed, at the gym or at church. Then I considered my son who is a ball of energy, just turned three and who loves music. I fought through my selfish bone and accessed my selfless mommy bone and put The Hey Lollies kid's music and puppet show on my calendar. I also shared it with my Mocha Moms group.
Yesterday morning we got off to a late start, but arrived at Cherrywood Coffeehouse just in time to see the second half of the show., and for breakfast! Y'all know I love coffee, I love to sing and I love to get silly-- so to sit with my son and enjoy all of the above was a treat. The performance was awesome and the women were, as expected, so warm and welcoming letting some kids sit on stage and engaging them with hugs and hellos after the show was over. I am an instant fan of The Hey Lollies.
Here is a video of my son enjoying the show, complete with photos and slow-mo toddler footwork action. Enjoy!
They have more shows scheduled for March. If you're in Austin, get ye there to see them. It's great weekend fun. Show times and locations listed after the jump.
Continue reading "The Hey Lollies @ Cherrywood Coffeehouse Austin, TX" »
*Update-- He totally WON! Thanks to everyone who voted. We're going to party with the Yo Gabba Gabba Crew LIVE, all thanks to your votes. This RAWKS! What to wear?!*
I couldn't resist entering him into this video contest. DJ Lance and Crew are coming to our town and the video that gets the most votes (per town) will be played at the show! And my almost-three-year-old will get to meet DJ Lance! And he LOVES DJ Lance. Please watch the video (he's not just fooling around, he really plays a tight beat) and PLEASE VOTE!
He's a few months away from turning 3, and loves music, which is why I think he's so into DJ Lance and Yo Gabba Gabba. One time, a firefighter asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up...his answer...DJ Lance. He was also DJ Lance for Halloween...
Continue reading "Help DJ Lance's awesomest little fan meet him in person, won't you? " »
I hooked up with some of my lady friends and took in CBR's show at La Zona Rosa last weekend. I was surprised at how much she actually kinda rocked out. I had expected a low-key show, but it was live! Her band was amazing. Fortunately, her show was at a small venue, so we got to see her up close. How beautiful is this woman?! A friend of mine called her mesmerizing and that's exactly what she is. Pure talent is when an artist can stand on a stage, sans pyrotechnics and background dancers, barely move around and still command your attention. I didn't want to look away. Everything about her up there singing was awesome. I was kinda forced to look away for a quick hot minute when I passed out...yes...went blind and deaf and ended up on my hind parts on the floor during her first or second set. No I wasn't drinking--I was actually the designated driver, and No I'm not pregnant again--yet--I think. It was standing only and hot and crowded and I'm sure I wasn't moving around enough. Plus the air was stagnant and it all just added up to me falling out. It went down something like this:
After feeling like I had to puke and getting dizzy, I reached out and touched one of my friends on the shoulder...
Me: "Leesha, something is wrong. I feel like I'm 'bout to pass out."
Leesha: "You okay, Quel?!"
Me: "No."
Blind. Deaf. Floor.
I listen to a lot of soft rock and music from the 70's on the radio in my car and I'm in my car a LOT. As you guys know, I love to sing along to music. I'm tickled when I run across lyrics that are random, or silly, or don't make sense, and there is no shortage of those in soft rock and music from the seventies. Down Under by Men At Work is a random song in general. I have been singing along to it for years upon years and this morning, I found myself going, "what?" This song is FULL of random lyrics, but this verse is my favorite:
"Buying bread from a man in Brussels/He was six foot four and full of muscles/I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"/He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich"
What? lol
The video is pretty random too. Still, it's a very hard song not to sing along to.Continue reading "Randomest Song Lyrics: "Down Under" by Men At Work" »
Everybody's talking about Michael Jackson today. I've always been a fan. Not a die hard, know all the lyrics to every song, own every album, tears at a concert fan--but definitely a fan. I don't own a single MJ album. I have a few songs on my iPod though. Last weekend, I was the singer in a game of Rock Band (the PlayStation Guitar Hero game thingy?) and the "band" picked "ABC" by Jackson 5. I was cool, 'cause I just knew that I knew the words to "ABC", because who doesn't know that song. Came to find out that I only know the chorus. I was like, "Where did all those lyrics come from?!" It was a very educational moment for me. I digress. You get the picture. That's the kind of Michael fan I am.
I never really thought twice about his actual singing voice. If you asked me a few months ago to name the top 5 male vocalists, Michael Jackson is not one of the names that would appear on that list. I ran across this version of Butterflies a few months ago on Youtube. I was actually going through a few live performance videos of Floetry. I like to browse Youtube for neo-soul performance videos every once in a while. I didn't even realize this was Michael Jackson's song until I saw all the videos that day. Anyway, I listened to it a few times and noticed for the first time that Michael Jackson actually had a really nice singing voice. I even picked up the phone and called a friend to share my new discovery. She is a huge fan and was like, "Um, yeah? Where you been?" I was very late to the game, but I get it now. I truly hope he is at peace now.
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