courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
Tim Gunn sounds like everybody's "Gay Voice."
Opening was cool. The only thing that would have made it perfect is if they drove the Delorean on stage.
I figured out how to enjoy a Tim Burton Movie. Forget the source material. If you ignore the fact that it was supposed to be "Alice In Wonderland," It's a pretty cool movie. I think the X-rated version was closer to the source material.
James Franco is sooooo stoned!
There goes that whole time limit on the acceptance speech thing. First with the Kirk Douglas and the F-bomb, and the taking forever with Melissa Leo thing... the director has lost all control.
I want a hand drawn animated film to win... just once.
It's official. Everybody just needs to accept it. Aaron Sorkin IS god! NBC has, in its existence, fired Aaron Sorkin TWICE and Conan O'Brien. Way to go, NBC! Way to recognize quality.
Dude.... Chuck can SING! Tangled had a great score. It was my choice for Best Song. Trent Reznor's score for Social Network earned every inch of that Oscar! But as my friend Stephanie Schrader says: sure, give it to Randy Newman for the same song he wrote in the other 19 movies.
Once again... Tron is snubbed. But, hey! Academy Award Winner - The Wolfman!
The Auto-tuned Musicals Bit was funny. That's what Auto-tuning is to me. Funny. It's a joke. As in, "Hey, that guy's Auto-tuning! Isn't it hysterical how little talent he has!" (Or she... Sorry, Miley.)
On the serious, I heard Inside Job is an awesome Doc. It's about the economy crisis. It's the kind of film that makes you hate Republicans.
I don't feel bad for David Fincher. "Social Network" WAS amazing, and his direction was a part of that, but Sorkin's writing was a bit more a part of it. Fincher deserved it for Fight Club. Or Benjamin Button.
Did anyone see Winter's Bone? (Insert Dirty Joke Here!)
Jeff Bridges can't win for a performance where he's mumbling.
I really need to see "The King's Speech" for no better reason than it's about a vocal coach! Maybe I'll pick up a few tricks!
I'm ambivalent about P.S. 22. On the one hand... Yay, Choral music! On the other hand, it's silly Glee crap. On the other hand, the director is inspiring. On the other hand, is he really teaching anything? On the other hand, he gets to wear cut offs and jeans to work. On the other hand, your child is in a chorus led by a guy in cut offs and jeans. Besides, his piano is turned the wrong way. Just think kids, if you live in the inner city, and you listen to your teacher and embrace the beauty of pop music, maybe someday you too can lipsync at the Oscars!
and finally... Movies I thought about during the broadcast that are also awesome:
"Beyond the Sea" - Kevin Spacey's Musical Biopic about Bobby Darin. It's amazing. Darin's life was kind of like a musical, and this film brings that point home.
"Triplets of Belleville" - I never saw "The Illusionist," Nominated for best animated Feature (But I will), But I did see that filmmaker's first film. It's beautifully drawn, and a really engaging story. And... almost no dialogue.
"Newsies" - Christian Bale's classic movie about the Newsboy's Strike around the turn of the century. Great movie, bad singing and dancing by Bale. Still, awesome performance.
"Once" - An AMAZINGLY understated musical featuring the group now known as Swell Season. Answers the question... How do we infuse this movie plot with music and have it make sense. Plus... the Music is PHENOMENAL!
"Turk 182" - Robert Culp in the "In Memoriam" montage reminded me. Great cheesy bad movie.
"Twilight Zone" - "In Memoriam" again. Kevin McCarthy reminded me. He was Uncle Walt in the Anthony segment. Each of the four segments are masterpieces.
Every OTHER Aaron Sorkin Movie. All of which are outstandingly amazing!
"Malice," "A Few Good Men," "The American President," and "Charlie Wilson's War."
And... Every other movie that, like "Inception," was about going into dreams:
"Dreamscape," "Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Warriors," and "The Matrix."
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
On Budgets and Unions
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
We're talking about budgets a lot lately. New York's Budget is cutting education. Wisconsin's is eliminating their collective bargaining rights. When this happens, I think of my own budget.
From time to time, my wife and I sit down and try to come up with some sort of household budget. We weigh how much money we make, against the bills we have to pay. We try to create some kind of savings, and pay down some of our extra debt. We somehow make it work, but it's not easy. So I can't imagine trying to do a budget for a school district, or a business, or a state, or the entire country. But I CAN imagine that smarter people than me can do it; and that it's a similar process, just on a bigger scale.
Sometimes, we come to the conclusion that we need to make more money. I need a fourth job, or a consistent job for the summer, or my wife needs to work. Point is... More revenue is needed. Now, on the national scale, this means more taxes. A tax increase would certainly help. But no, taxes are bad, so sayeth the Republicans. And with last year's deal to keep the Bush tax cuts for millionaires, that's just not an option.
So, we need to cut our expenses. One thing we have to do in our house is to be realistic about what we can afford to pay out. I'd love to do a double payment on each credit card to pay it down faster, but we just can't afford that. So we pay close to minimum. We had a house phone as well as both of our cell phones. We realized this was redundant and expensive, so we cancelled the land line. Sometimes you have wasteful spending that needs to be cut from the budget. However, we'd never agree to cut our electric, or gas. Those things are vital to our household. Cable, not necessary, or even important; but something we consider to be a part of the budget worth preserving. So, we prioritize. What's really important to us, and what could we lose without giving it a thought.
So, when Gov. Cuomo, who is significantly smarter than former Governor Patterson, proposes a budget whereby he cuts funding to public schools, or caps property taxes so that public school districts can't cover their own expenses; this shows a frightening thing about his priorities: that Public Education isn't one of them. Wisconsin is a different story, the governor there is cutting benefits to public workers, and only allowing them to receive State benefits if they give up their collective bargaining rights. Still this shows his priorities, Governor workers aren't one of them.
I think of this when I hear the justification for calling the healthcare law a "job killing healthcare law." The thinking is that with all this added expense in taxes and premiums, they "have no choice" but to cut back on staff. Really? There's absolutely NO other part of your business's budget that can be cut back or eliminated? The Christmas Party? Use cheaper office supplies? Cut back on travel expenses? Freeze YOUR OWN salary? Anything? Apparently not. Those things are priorities, employees are not. This makes me suspicious about the motivations of employers. Not all employers, of course. My bosses, for example, are amazing generous and good-hearted, intelligent individuals. :)
We need Unions because some employers are scumbags. If there were no scumbag employers making millions in profit on the backs and shoulders of the work force, trying to get as much work out of them without paying them or guaranteeing them a decent living; then we wouldn't need Unions.
I owe my success and longevity in my chosen career to Teacher's Unions. Without them, I would be working at a 7-11 today. (Not that there's anything wrong with working at 7-11; unless you're 40, went to college to be a music teacher, and don't particularly like working retail.) And considering the apparent priorities of our politicians and employers, I'm happy that Unions are here to fight for fairness.
We're talking about budgets a lot lately. New York's Budget is cutting education. Wisconsin's is eliminating their collective bargaining rights. When this happens, I think of my own budget.
From time to time, my wife and I sit down and try to come up with some sort of household budget. We weigh how much money we make, against the bills we have to pay. We try to create some kind of savings, and pay down some of our extra debt. We somehow make it work, but it's not easy. So I can't imagine trying to do a budget for a school district, or a business, or a state, or the entire country. But I CAN imagine that smarter people than me can do it; and that it's a similar process, just on a bigger scale.
Sometimes, we come to the conclusion that we need to make more money. I need a fourth job, or a consistent job for the summer, or my wife needs to work. Point is... More revenue is needed. Now, on the national scale, this means more taxes. A tax increase would certainly help. But no, taxes are bad, so sayeth the Republicans. And with last year's deal to keep the Bush tax cuts for millionaires, that's just not an option.
So, we need to cut our expenses. One thing we have to do in our house is to be realistic about what we can afford to pay out. I'd love to do a double payment on each credit card to pay it down faster, but we just can't afford that. So we pay close to minimum. We had a house phone as well as both of our cell phones. We realized this was redundant and expensive, so we cancelled the land line. Sometimes you have wasteful spending that needs to be cut from the budget. However, we'd never agree to cut our electric, or gas. Those things are vital to our household. Cable, not necessary, or even important; but something we consider to be a part of the budget worth preserving. So, we prioritize. What's really important to us, and what could we lose without giving it a thought.
So, when Gov. Cuomo, who is significantly smarter than former Governor Patterson, proposes a budget whereby he cuts funding to public schools, or caps property taxes so that public school districts can't cover their own expenses; this shows a frightening thing about his priorities: that Public Education isn't one of them. Wisconsin is a different story, the governor there is cutting benefits to public workers, and only allowing them to receive State benefits if they give up their collective bargaining rights. Still this shows his priorities, Governor workers aren't one of them.
I think of this when I hear the justification for calling the healthcare law a "job killing healthcare law." The thinking is that with all this added expense in taxes and premiums, they "have no choice" but to cut back on staff. Really? There's absolutely NO other part of your business's budget that can be cut back or eliminated? The Christmas Party? Use cheaper office supplies? Cut back on travel expenses? Freeze YOUR OWN salary? Anything? Apparently not. Those things are priorities, employees are not. This makes me suspicious about the motivations of employers. Not all employers, of course. My bosses, for example, are amazing generous and good-hearted, intelligent individuals. :)
We need Unions because some employers are scumbags. If there were no scumbag employers making millions in profit on the backs and shoulders of the work force, trying to get as much work out of them without paying them or guaranteeing them a decent living; then we wouldn't need Unions.
I owe my success and longevity in my chosen career to Teacher's Unions. Without them, I would be working at a 7-11 today. (Not that there's anything wrong with working at 7-11; unless you're 40, went to college to be a music teacher, and don't particularly like working retail.) And considering the apparent priorities of our politicians and employers, I'm happy that Unions are here to fight for fairness.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Music Reviews: Favorites of 2011 (So Far)
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
I've been pretty consistent for a few weeks now. Listening to all the new releases, and applying my patented screening process to them until the albums that don't annoy me so much emerge.
I've already introduced you to the newest by Michael Daugherty, Randy Montana, and Edie Brickell. Since then, I've been listening and some new gems have emerged.
Charlotte Martin - Dancing on Needles - I nearly skipped this one. It was just such an unfamiliar and interesting riff in the first track, "Any Minute Now," that I was tempted to move on. But there was something about it... I continued to listen. And it grabbed me and wouldn't let go. The rest of the album didn't disappoint. Charlotte Martin is a very talented songwriter, composing in a similar manner as Tori Amos, incorporating her love of interesting piano riffs and unusual keyboard sounds to great effect. What Martin does to great effect is use the arrangements to bring out the emotion in her songs. Most importantly to me, her voice shows off great technique, while using occasional raspiness to convey emotion. God, I love this one. I'm looking forward to more from Charlotte Martin.
I Am Empire - Kings - Last year I was very excited about "This Is War" by 30 Seconds To Mars. "Kings and Queens" was such an amazing track, and I've enjoyed their earlier work, so what could go wrong. Honestly, what went wrong is that towards the end of the album, they reminded me of U2. They made nice use of children's choir, and orchestral elements, but did it too much. I thought a lot about "This Is War" as I listened to "Kings" by the band I Am Empire. Reading about them, I discovered that, like Linkin Park's early work, this band serves one primary function; to allow the front man to vent about his parents. The common theme to much of this album is parents not living up to their expectations, and emotionally, possibly literally, abandoning their child. This guy's voice annoys me in the same way as My Chemical Romance used to. Still, the songs are awesome, melodic, and resemble the music I grew up with... 80s metal. Not the cheesy stuff; the stuff that was really good. Their sound resembles that of 30 Seconds to Mars; and "Kings" becomes what "This Is War" could have been had it not been for overproduction.
Brandon Heath - Leaving Eden - I've been listening to a lot of Christian music lately. Two of my favorite albums from last year are Styper's "Murder By Pride" and MercyMe's "The Generous Mr. Lovewell." Those two are very good. A lot of Christian Pop is...well...not. The problem is that much of the genre has one very simplistic message, focusing on only one facet of faith; usually how awesome God is. I prefer my Christianity a bit deeper, and my pop music to lyrically have some meat on it. Brandon Heath offers music with a more roundabout way of seeing his faith. The title track of "Leaving Eden" doesn't preach, it merely talks about the sadness and sinfulness he sees around him. It IMPLIES that we need God in our lives, without actually ramming it down your throat. Some of his lyrics, such as those in "Only Water" and "The One," are pure poetry. And I think what I like most about it is that it isn't pushing faith on you, the listener; rather, it talks from a very personal perspective. I guess the style of music would be considered Country in the same kind of way that Keith Urban, or Faith Hill are Country. I find it to be more country/pop and thoroughly worth a listen.
The Decemberists - The King is Dead - I saw a hard copy of this CD in Starbucks and laughed when I read one of the reviews stuck on the cover. It said something to the effect of "The King Is Dead" being "better than their previous offerings." I laughed because the last time I heard The Decemberists was on an episode of Austin City Limits, and I really didn't like them. They do folk music, you see; and it was just too, I don't know, folk-y to me. It was nice and all, but it didn't grab me. I laughed because "The King Is Dead" grabbed me and grabbed me hard. The folk music I really enjoy is this kind, the kind based in good songwriting. The compositions are actually quite modern while sticking to folk tradition. It's a really good album, and has redeemed this band in my mind.
I'll keep on listening. And I welcome suggestions from you, dear reader. Did I miss something that wasn't a "Feature" on Napster? Should I seek it out? Let me know. Post a comment.
I've been pretty consistent for a few weeks now. Listening to all the new releases, and applying my patented screening process to them until the albums that don't annoy me so much emerge.
I've already introduced you to the newest by Michael Daugherty, Randy Montana, and Edie Brickell. Since then, I've been listening and some new gems have emerged.
Charlotte Martin - Dancing on Needles - I nearly skipped this one. It was just such an unfamiliar and interesting riff in the first track, "Any Minute Now," that I was tempted to move on. But there was something about it... I continued to listen. And it grabbed me and wouldn't let go. The rest of the album didn't disappoint. Charlotte Martin is a very talented songwriter, composing in a similar manner as Tori Amos, incorporating her love of interesting piano riffs and unusual keyboard sounds to great effect. What Martin does to great effect is use the arrangements to bring out the emotion in her songs. Most importantly to me, her voice shows off great technique, while using occasional raspiness to convey emotion. God, I love this one. I'm looking forward to more from Charlotte Martin.
I Am Empire - Kings - Last year I was very excited about "This Is War" by 30 Seconds To Mars. "Kings and Queens" was such an amazing track, and I've enjoyed their earlier work, so what could go wrong. Honestly, what went wrong is that towards the end of the album, they reminded me of U2. They made nice use of children's choir, and orchestral elements, but did it too much. I thought a lot about "This Is War" as I listened to "Kings" by the band I Am Empire. Reading about them, I discovered that, like Linkin Park's early work, this band serves one primary function; to allow the front man to vent about his parents. The common theme to much of this album is parents not living up to their expectations, and emotionally, possibly literally, abandoning their child. This guy's voice annoys me in the same way as My Chemical Romance used to. Still, the songs are awesome, melodic, and resemble the music I grew up with... 80s metal. Not the cheesy stuff; the stuff that was really good. Their sound resembles that of 30 Seconds to Mars; and "Kings" becomes what "This Is War" could have been had it not been for overproduction.
Brandon Heath - Leaving Eden - I've been listening to a lot of Christian music lately. Two of my favorite albums from last year are Styper's "Murder By Pride" and MercyMe's "The Generous Mr. Lovewell." Those two are very good. A lot of Christian Pop is...well...not. The problem is that much of the genre has one very simplistic message, focusing on only one facet of faith; usually how awesome God is. I prefer my Christianity a bit deeper, and my pop music to lyrically have some meat on it. Brandon Heath offers music with a more roundabout way of seeing his faith. The title track of "Leaving Eden" doesn't preach, it merely talks about the sadness and sinfulness he sees around him. It IMPLIES that we need God in our lives, without actually ramming it down your throat. Some of his lyrics, such as those in "Only Water" and "The One," are pure poetry. And I think what I like most about it is that it isn't pushing faith on you, the listener; rather, it talks from a very personal perspective. I guess the style of music would be considered Country in the same kind of way that Keith Urban, or Faith Hill are Country. I find it to be more country/pop and thoroughly worth a listen.
The Decemberists - The King is Dead - I saw a hard copy of this CD in Starbucks and laughed when I read one of the reviews stuck on the cover. It said something to the effect of "The King Is Dead" being "better than their previous offerings." I laughed because the last time I heard The Decemberists was on an episode of Austin City Limits, and I really didn't like them. They do folk music, you see; and it was just too, I don't know, folk-y to me. It was nice and all, but it didn't grab me. I laughed because "The King Is Dead" grabbed me and grabbed me hard. The folk music I really enjoy is this kind, the kind based in good songwriting. The compositions are actually quite modern while sticking to folk tradition. It's a really good album, and has redeemed this band in my mind.
I'll keep on listening. And I welcome suggestions from you, dear reader. Did I miss something that wasn't a "Feature" on Napster? Should I seek it out? Let me know. Post a comment.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Dr. Emanuel S. Goldshlag 1926 - 2011
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
I met Dr. Goldshlag in 1994; I was dating his daughter. I had the usual culture shock of being introduced to a new family dynamic for a while. We all go through it; they don't do things the way my family does things. One night, I slept over their house. I slept downstairs on the pull out couch while Paula slept in her room. In the middle of the night, she snuck downstairs and got into bed with me. (Nothing happened!) I woke up that morning to Manny standing by the bed, looking at the two of us. I thought, "My God he's sooooooo gonna kill me." He didn't. He was very laid back and cool about it.
Over the years, I got to know him as a part of my future wife's life. In 1998, I asked him for his daughter's hand in marriage. I tried to take him aside and ask him privately, but he insisted that his wife be in on it. At that point he became my father-in-law, and my dentist. Fortunately for my teeth, he was very good at both.
Four and a Half years ago, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had a surgery to remove the tumors, but not before it metastasized and spread to his liver, mungs and abdomen. He fought it tooth and nail, using chemotherapy and surgery to battle the disease. Last year, his surgeon said that the cancer had spread to the point where the treatment wasn't working anymore. Even as he began to deteriorate over the next 6 months, he still fought to survive just one more day. He finally succumbed on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 6pm.
In a quote attributed to Mother Theresa, it says, "If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway." This was my Father-in-Law. These sentiments are often attached to Christian faith, but in truth, they are also a tenet of the Jewish Faith. Manny strived all his life to be generous, kind, and a peacemaker. And in the end, nobody thinks of him as being naive, weak, or having ulterior motives, they only remember his kindness. I remember his wisdom, his strength, and his selflessness. There is a lesson to be learned from that.
Godspeed, Manny. May your pain be comforted, and may your light continue to shine in all of our lives.
I met Dr. Goldshlag in 1994; I was dating his daughter. I had the usual culture shock of being introduced to a new family dynamic for a while. We all go through it; they don't do things the way my family does things. One night, I slept over their house. I slept downstairs on the pull out couch while Paula slept in her room. In the middle of the night, she snuck downstairs and got into bed with me. (Nothing happened!) I woke up that morning to Manny standing by the bed, looking at the two of us. I thought, "My God he's sooooooo gonna kill me." He didn't. He was very laid back and cool about it.
Over the years, I got to know him as a part of my future wife's life. In 1998, I asked him for his daughter's hand in marriage. I tried to take him aside and ask him privately, but he insisted that his wife be in on it. At that point he became my father-in-law, and my dentist. Fortunately for my teeth, he was very good at both.
Four and a Half years ago, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had a surgery to remove the tumors, but not before it metastasized and spread to his liver, mungs and abdomen. He fought it tooth and nail, using chemotherapy and surgery to battle the disease. Last year, his surgeon said that the cancer had spread to the point where the treatment wasn't working anymore. Even as he began to deteriorate over the next 6 months, he still fought to survive just one more day. He finally succumbed on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 6pm.
In a quote attributed to Mother Theresa, it says, "If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway." This was my Father-in-Law. These sentiments are often attached to Christian faith, but in truth, they are also a tenet of the Jewish Faith. Manny strived all his life to be generous, kind, and a peacemaker. And in the end, nobody thinks of him as being naive, weak, or having ulterior motives, they only remember his kindness. I remember his wisdom, his strength, and his selflessness. There is a lesson to be learned from that.
Godspeed, Manny. May your pain be comforted, and may your light continue to shine in all of our lives.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Music Review: Singles
My process for previewing music in this little project of mine is as follows:
1. Every Tuesday, I sort through the new releases according to Napster, my personal music service of choice.
2. I select one track from each newly released album, and add it to a playlist. I then listen to it as an A&R man would; if something doesn't grab me immediately and rock my world, I delete and move on. The songs that DO grab me, I keep on the playlist.
3. I upload that playlist to my handy-dandy Creative Zen mp3 player, and listen in my car, and around the office. Sometimes after multiple hearings, songs begin to irritate me.
4. If I like a song enough, I go back to Napster and download the entire album. If I love the album, I keep it and write about it. If I don't like the album, but I still like the initial song that brought me to it, (As with Cake's newest), I delete only the offending tracks.
Herein lies the rub. Some of the new releases are singles. Often, single tracks will be released prior to the release of an album. So, a new album is coming... But for now I only have a single. I create a special playlist for just the lone singles. I also, if I'm unfamiliar with the artist, do some more research and look up past albums, and preview them. Sometimes it pans out, sometimes not.
Here are some singles that have been released in January 2011 that have caught my fancy:
A Man Who Can Dance - Star De Azlan. Star De Azlan is a country singer. I can tell because her earlier singles and EP reminded me of that old joke: What do you get when you play a country song backwards? Her previous single, "Like a Rose" is a classic country waltz. Schmaltzy and icky. I didn't like it in English OR Spanish. Her new single, "A Man Who Can Dance," on the other hand, is peppy, energetic and much more well written. While resembling the chord progression of "Walking In Memphis", which you can't really copyright, the song is fun, and catchy.
Build Us Back - Know Hope Collective. Stay tuned for a blog entry about my feelings on Christian Music. Since returning to the church, I've really grown to appreciate it, when it's good. Know Hope Collective is good. Their website features little more than a link to a charity, but with some searching you can find out more about them. Apparently, this is a supergroup of Christian artists who have collaborated on this project: to write songs based on discussions about faith, and real life scenarios. "Build Us Back" has a nice pop sound, singing about recovering from a disaster, and pleading for help in returning to normalcy. Also good is their previous single, "Attention." They plan to release an album soon. Definitely worth checking out.
Douchebag - Denis Leary. Yep, I went from Christian music to a song called "Douchebag!" That's just how I roll. This song accompanies Leary's Standup Special, "Douchebags and Donuts." It's a fitting followup to "Asshole," and great to vent to. Its rockabilly blues feel is deceptively fun, and believe it or not, Denis Leary can really sing! Crank it up when someone at work pisses you off.
Gone and Never Coming Back - Melanie Fiona. A real surprise here. I'm ashamed to say this, but I tend to racially profile R&B/Hip-Hop songs as being mostly terrible. Melanie Fiona, however, is different. And I'm trying to figure out exactly why. First off, she can sing. No auto-tune, or sexual moanings here, just true R&B vocals. Her previous album, "The Bridge" is excellent, and although it features obvious samples, elevates the process of Hip-hop to a new level. "Gone and Never Coming Back" has more of a slow Gospel-R&B style to it, and a hook that is instantly addictive. Even if Rihanna and Beyonce annoy you, as they do me, check Melanie Fiona out.
More to come, I have two weeks of qualifiers to sort through. And keep on listening. In fact, if you hear of anything new that I don't mention, please bring it to my attention. I'd love to discover my new favorite album.
1. Every Tuesday, I sort through the new releases according to Napster, my personal music service of choice.
2. I select one track from each newly released album, and add it to a playlist. I then listen to it as an A&R man would; if something doesn't grab me immediately and rock my world, I delete and move on. The songs that DO grab me, I keep on the playlist.
3. I upload that playlist to my handy-dandy Creative Zen mp3 player, and listen in my car, and around the office. Sometimes after multiple hearings, songs begin to irritate me.
4. If I like a song enough, I go back to Napster and download the entire album. If I love the album, I keep it and write about it. If I don't like the album, but I still like the initial song that brought me to it, (As with Cake's newest), I delete only the offending tracks.
Herein lies the rub. Some of the new releases are singles. Often, single tracks will be released prior to the release of an album. So, a new album is coming... But for now I only have a single. I create a special playlist for just the lone singles. I also, if I'm unfamiliar with the artist, do some more research and look up past albums, and preview them. Sometimes it pans out, sometimes not.
Here are some singles that have been released in January 2011 that have caught my fancy:
A Man Who Can Dance - Star De Azlan. Star De Azlan is a country singer. I can tell because her earlier singles and EP reminded me of that old joke: What do you get when you play a country song backwards? Her previous single, "Like a Rose" is a classic country waltz. Schmaltzy and icky. I didn't like it in English OR Spanish. Her new single, "A Man Who Can Dance," on the other hand, is peppy, energetic and much more well written. While resembling the chord progression of "Walking In Memphis", which you can't really copyright, the song is fun, and catchy.
Build Us Back - Know Hope Collective. Stay tuned for a blog entry about my feelings on Christian Music. Since returning to the church, I've really grown to appreciate it, when it's good. Know Hope Collective is good. Their website features little more than a link to a charity, but with some searching you can find out more about them. Apparently, this is a supergroup of Christian artists who have collaborated on this project: to write songs based on discussions about faith, and real life scenarios. "Build Us Back" has a nice pop sound, singing about recovering from a disaster, and pleading for help in returning to normalcy. Also good is their previous single, "Attention." They plan to release an album soon. Definitely worth checking out.
Douchebag - Denis Leary. Yep, I went from Christian music to a song called "Douchebag!" That's just how I roll. This song accompanies Leary's Standup Special, "Douchebags and Donuts." It's a fitting followup to "Asshole," and great to vent to. Its rockabilly blues feel is deceptively fun, and believe it or not, Denis Leary can really sing! Crank it up when someone at work pisses you off.
Gone and Never Coming Back - Melanie Fiona. A real surprise here. I'm ashamed to say this, but I tend to racially profile R&B/Hip-Hop songs as being mostly terrible. Melanie Fiona, however, is different. And I'm trying to figure out exactly why. First off, she can sing. No auto-tune, or sexual moanings here, just true R&B vocals. Her previous album, "The Bridge" is excellent, and although it features obvious samples, elevates the process of Hip-hop to a new level. "Gone and Never Coming Back" has more of a slow Gospel-R&B style to it, and a hook that is instantly addictive. Even if Rihanna and Beyonce annoy you, as they do me, check Melanie Fiona out.
More to come, I have two weeks of qualifiers to sort through. And keep on listening. In fact, if you hear of anything new that I don't mention, please bring it to my attention. I'd love to discover my new favorite album.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Current Events: Egypt
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com
The Egyptians are Revolting !!!! I enjoy any opportunity to make that allusion! (What movie is it from and what's the response?)
But seriously, January 2011, "President" Mubarak is overthrown by the population of Egypt demanding democratically elected officials. Some pointed out that, yes, positive governmental change CAN be obtained without the use of bombing or invasion. Others pointed out that the U.S. has to tread lightly when choosing who to support. Mubarak has been a friend and ally, and many of their weapons ARE American made. And yet, we would much rather see Democracy in that region than a strangely convenient one-candidate unanimous election year after year.
At times like this, I enjoy envisioning the utopia that is Star Trek. In TNG, DS9, and Voyager, the United Federation of Planets is guided by something called the Prime Directive. For the benefit of the Nerd Impaired: this means that in seeking out new worlds, and new civilizations, and boldly going where no one has gone before; the Federation will not interfere in the natural evolution of a species, or in the culture of that planet's customs or laws. In other words, if the Enterprise finds a planet where the citizens are rising up to overthrow their leader who is a dictator; they may not support the protesters, and ALSO may not support the dictator in "keeping order." They lend support in negotiations, but do not do anything to guide this conflict in any particular direction.
I often feel that this should be our policy in matters over seas. It should not be our place to support one side or the other. Our place should be in guiding the region towards a peaceful solution. In Egypt's case, the solution is Mubarek stepping down, and a more democratically elected president taking office.
The Egyptians are Revolting !!!! I enjoy any opportunity to make that allusion! (What movie is it from and what's the response?)
But seriously, January 2011, "President" Mubarak is overthrown by the population of Egypt demanding democratically elected officials. Some pointed out that, yes, positive governmental change CAN be obtained without the use of bombing or invasion. Others pointed out that the U.S. has to tread lightly when choosing who to support. Mubarak has been a friend and ally, and many of their weapons ARE American made. And yet, we would much rather see Democracy in that region than a strangely convenient one-candidate unanimous election year after year.
At times like this, I enjoy envisioning the utopia that is Star Trek. In TNG, DS9, and Voyager, the United Federation of Planets is guided by something called the Prime Directive. For the benefit of the Nerd Impaired: this means that in seeking out new worlds, and new civilizations, and boldly going where no one has gone before; the Federation will not interfere in the natural evolution of a species, or in the culture of that planet's customs or laws. In other words, if the Enterprise finds a planet where the citizens are rising up to overthrow their leader who is a dictator; they may not support the protesters, and ALSO may not support the dictator in "keeping order." They lend support in negotiations, but do not do anything to guide this conflict in any particular direction.
I often feel that this should be our policy in matters over seas. It should not be our place to support one side or the other. Our place should be in guiding the region towards a peaceful solution. In Egypt's case, the solution is Mubarek stepping down, and a more democratically elected president taking office.
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