Tag: check-this-out

happenings, listen up!, mixed media, sex (oh yeah), show the love, that is so gay

torchwood season premiere tonight!

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In case you may be like me, and are saddened by the fact that there is practically NOTHING to watch on TV these days (thanks to the writer’s strike), I have good news; I am here to rescue you from TV boredom!! Tonight is the season 2 premiere of Torchwood, the most fantastical show, fresh from BBC America! For those of you that have no idea what Torchwood is, here’s a brief “synopsis”, from wikipedia:

Torchwood is a science fiction drama television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles. It deals with the machinations and activities of the Cardiff branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute, who deal with supernatural occurrences.

Basically, it is technically a spin off of the recent revival of the Dr Who series, but in my opinion, it is much more serious (no camp here folks), and more adult; not to mention, better in my opinion. It is great television, and has a serious edge to it, which is both refreshing, and fun to watch.

If you need any further reason to get on board with Torchwood, check this clip out from one of my favorite episodes in season one:


In my opinion, this is seriously the most romantic and beautiful kiss I have ever seen on a TV show. Wow. If you liked that, and are looking for a new sci-fi based drama, check out Torchwood! I know that I am glad that I did, and I seriously cannot wait for the season premiere; which comes on tonight on BBC America!

listen up!, music musings, music suggestion, show the love

weekly music suggestions: will young, tracey thorn, and the pipettes

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In keeping with the music suggestion thing that I started last week, I wanted to bring a few suggestions for you to check out. I hope that everyone that gave Great Northern, Imogen Heap, and Silversun Pickups a listen are still enjoying those mighty fine CDs; I know that I am (and more so with each listen).

This week, I want to suggest something a little different. All of the suggestions from this week come to us from across the pond, which (at least for me) continues to be a great source for great music; the UK!

The first, is the most recent CD by Will Young, Keep On. While I am sure that most people haven’t heard of Will here in America, I can assure you that he is pretty big in other parts of the world; specifically in Britain, where he won the first Pop Idol competition (their American Idol equivalent). I bought Will’s CD quite a while back, and didn’t really feel it at the time, and as a result, dismissed most of the disc. The couple of songs that I got it for pleased me enough for me to focus solely on them, and not give much thought to the rest of the CD. Recently, a friend of mine played a Will Young song for me that I hadn’t heard (from his first CD), and I liked it, so I gave the CD another listen (also, renting Mrs Henderson Presents helped… he is in the movie and sings quite a bit in it). The result: a newfound love of Keep On. I honestly can’t believe that I didn’t like it before, because it is actually quite wonderful all of the way through. I suggest you check it out. It also houses one of my favorite songs, All Time Love, which literally gives me chills every time I hear it. Let me know what you think of this sadly overlooked disc. It is on heavy rotation for me, after realizing my mistake in passing over it.

The second suggestion for this week is the solo CD from miss Tracey Thorn, who many may know as the beautiful voice of Everything But the Girl. I have been a huge fan of Everything But the Girl for years now, and when I heard that Tracey was releasing a solo disc earlier this year, I was chomping at the bit to get a listen. Initially, I was only slightly impressed, which I believe was mainly due to my mood during my first go round. Sometimes, you really have to be in the mood to fully enjoy some music, and this was definitely the case. Upon several more listens, I have been enjoying this disc more and more. Tracey proves that she has more than just a beautiful voice with her solo effort, and manages to re-invent much of what I loved about the electronic sound from EBTG. I for one, am sorry that I let this one sit for months, because it is clearly one of the best CDs to come out this year. If you are a fan of EBTG, do yourself a favor and check this out.

Finally, I want to suggest a CD that I have literally been in love with for quite a while now, and yet, it still has the ability to stay fresh, and keep surfacing time and time again; the Pipettes: We are the Pipettes. This girl group take you back to the pop sounds of the 50’s, hearkening a sound from a basement party, and the result is a damn good time. Many of these songs are so catchy that you will find yourself humming them days after you listen to them. It really is hard not to love the Pipettes, so that is why I am suggesting that everyone check them out. I heard about them initially from my buddy Dewey, and I have to say, I realize now, that I should have taken his advice wholeheartedly, and embraced them immediately, because they are fantastic. Instead, I waited a few months, shrugging them off as nothing special, only to realize that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Thank God I came around!!! Also important to note about this CD, is that it just might be the perfect CD to work out to. I know that it can get me through a tough workout with a smile on my face and a increased beat in my step! Check it out!

As always, these suggestions aren’t meant to be a one way exchange. Let me know what you are listening to, as I am always searching for the next song/artist/CD that is going to calm my insatiable craving for good music. So let me have it! I need more music!!! Let me know what you think of these suggestions too, alright?!

happenings, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, near and dear, show the love

it’s all about promotion, baby!

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Two HUGE promotions today folks… are you ready?

First of all, I want to promote the intensely amazing news that Sara Bareilles‘ single, Love Song, is the free download of the week on iTunes!!! This is great news, because it will definitely give people an opportunity to discover her amazing talent for free!! I hope that this will garner the sort of attention that it has for many people whose singles were featured there in the past.

Click on this banner to take you to iTunes, where you can download the single Love Song for free!! (but hurry… it’s THIS WEEK ONLY!) I know you will love it (!!):

Additionally, there is a special pre-order deal going on right now; if you order her upcoming debut CD, Little Voice, over at the Sony music store, you can get a free hand-numbered lithograph of either the lyrics for the amazing song Gravity, or for the aforementioned single, Love Song! I went ahead and ordered mine, and I can’t wait for it to get here!! The CD comes out on July 3rd, so pay attention to this amazing artist, because she is going to be huge if there is any justice in this world!

The second promotion I want to blog about today, is the grand opening of the new tattoo shop, Ink and Dagger Tattoo, owned by my amazing tattoo artist, Russ Abbott. Russ did the amazing half-sleeve that I have, as well as some other work, and I can definitely say that he will be the one that I go to, in order to get any future work for me! He’s amazing! He’s actually doing a piece for me tomorrow, which you will just have to wait and see when it is complete. I will be dropping by the shop to check it out tonight, and I am so excited for him, that he has his own shop now! If you are in need of an amazing tattoo, look no further than Ink and Dagger Tattoo in Decatur, GA, because both artists at the shop (Russ and Malia) are top of the line, and will give you a work of art that you can cherish for the rest of your life.

Whew! Now that is a lot to be excited about!! Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday, and make sure you check out these people I am promoting… you will love them! I certainly do!

get involved, hmm interesting, mixed media, near and dear

trees, HD, and our amazing planet

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Last night, I found myself thumbing through the DVR trying to find stuff to watch, and I decided to watch an episode from the series “planet earth”, which is an HD series looking at the amazing spectacle that is our planet. I don’t usually watch those nature shows (even though they are extremely interesting), but when they are in HD, it is a must see; it is seriously and impressive sight to behold. The program I watched focused on forests, and I found myself captivated by the immense presence trees have in this world. It was amazing to me that most of the trees in the world live in the taiga and replenish most of the oxygen in the world. The taiga has more trees than all of the tropical rainforests combined. Wow. In fact, there were tons of things about trees and the environment that I learned that I had never heard before. The series takes you to places that most humans will never go; and to places where we may have never actually been. Amazing. It makes you realize just how large and amazing this planet truly is.

During the episode, they went on to talk about old trees, large trees, strange trees, etc, and I have to say, that I was fascinated. The oldest and largest trees in the world are right here in North America. The largest is a redwood tree called the General Sherman; which is the largest known organism in the world. Just saying that seems so amazing to me, something so large and amazing not only exists, but has done so for thousands of years. The oldest tree, named Methuselah, is a bristlecone pine tree, and is estimated to be over 4800 years old. That tree was alive a good 2500+ years before Christ. It was alive before the pyramids were built. And it is still alive today (just for reference, and because pictures are pretty, that’s a bristlecone pine pictured to the left… image from the internets, not me). That tree is a true testament of the amazing things this planet holds. It also represents the need for us to learn about our planet, and do everything we can to protect it. I was ultimately humbled by the program, and I am going to do my best to watch the rest of the series. I love learning new things, and doing it in HD is definitely a great way to do it. I highly recommend you see this series; it is amazing what we don’t know about the very world we live in, isn’t it?

Also, they are putting in the sewer connection today. I was awakened early this morning by a man pounding loudly on our back door. Our BACK door. I freaked a little, because I didn’t know he was coming, and if he is at the back door, that means he is inside our privacy fence, which stays locked. WTF?! So yeah, after I calmed down about him being in the back yard, I talk with him briefly about what they are going to do, and all I can say, is that I am SO GLAD James is out of town, because they will be digging a HUGE trench right through the middle of the back yard. This will effectively kill most of his prized grass… They are supposed to re-sod, though, so I hope they do that before he gets back. I can’t handle that melt down, because this is stressful for me too. I am just glad we don’t have to pay for anything. I hope that they are finished soon too, because they have to take part of the fence off, which means the back yard isn’t the enclosed dog area that we need anymore. I just need to take a few deep breaths… Ahhh.

Other than that, just enjoying a quiet Friday, and hoping that this weekend is fun filled. Hope everyone else is having an interesting day. Now I am going to upload some photos to flickr!

mixed media, music musings

two boys named matt

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Well, close enough anyway; one of them has two T’s, and other one only one in his name. But that doesn’t really matter.

I have been in a rock mood lately, and I was lucky enough to stumble on two great CDs that I had to share with you; after all, I like sharing music when it’s good. I encourage everyone else to do the same. I know I appreciate finding new music, and definitely appreciate hearing about it from others as well. Now, onto the music.

The first CD, Nothing Left To Lose, is the second CD by Mat Kearney (obviously the one with only one T). I discovered him by randomly seeing his video for the song “Nothing Left To Lose”, and I loved the song enough to snag the CD. And after a few listens, I can say that I am in love with it. I love his voice, because it is soft and sweet to the ears; all the while maintaining a worn, harder undertone. He sounds a lot (vocally, that is) like a mix between Chris Martin from Coldplay, and Adam Duritz from The Counting Crows; but has a little bit of that hip-hop funk Jason Mraz likes to throw down (without the cockiness). His sound is sort of light pop-rock, but sometimes has an interesting blend of folk sounds with some hip-hop beats and rap-lite singing. The whole CD is definitely a good listen, and is one that I find myself craving a lot lately. A few of the songs are so infectious, I find myself waking up with them in my head. With the initial praise aside, I must say that the more hip-hop oriented songs were harder for me to get into, but after listening to this CD over and over for a few days now (I told you I loved it), I am digging the whole disc, start to finish. I was hooked on “Nothing Left To Lose”, and have been reeled into the rest, because, well, the CD is damn good start to finish. It also doesn’t hurt, that when I listen to his beautiful voice, I have a mental image of his beautiful face, and I just imagine that he is singing to me (*swoon*). All hail the hotness that is Mat Kearney; beautiful face, beautiful voice, and a great singer/songwriter to boot. I will have to see him when he comes to Atlanta, for sure. I am also going to have to pick up his first, more independent CD, because if this is his sophomore effort, who knows what gems may be on that one. I hope he gains more momentum, and gets a lot more attention, because unlike many artists today, he actually deserves it; and this CD deserves the full six out of six stars (). Standouts: Nothing Left to Lose, Undeniable (this will get stuck in your head!!!), In The Middle, and the beautiful, What’s a Boy To Do (probably my favorite).

Another CD that I have been spinning lately, is the new disc by Matt Wertz, titled Everything In Between. Since I reviewed the other Mat’s CD, I will start by saying that this Matt’s sound is a little like Mat Kearney’s sound, but without the hip-hop stuff. Also he definitely has more of a Mark Broussard quality to his music, as it is pretty upbeat, somewhat jazzy-poppy-rock (and even a pinch of country), and fun to listen to. He definitely uses more of a jazzy-rock influence to his stuff, and manages to create a mature pop-rock vibe with his stuff. There is a lot of guitar, mandolin, organ, and other great sounds on th CD, and his voice is extremely pleasant to listen to. For whatever reason, he really reminds me of someone, but I can’t put my finger on exactly who it is… I would say that he is probably a little bit Bebo Norman, Stephan Jenkins (of Third Eye Blind), and maybe a little bit of a less emphatic Gavin DeGraw; but not necessarily all of those things rolled into one. Either way, I love the slight raspyness of his voice, which really makes for some great songs on this disc. It is a little bit more rock-y than the other Mat, and definitely more pop, but that isn’t a negative thing at all. The whole CD is a good listen, and I like the ballads just as much as I like the upbeat stuff. Interestingly enough, I checked him out on allmusic.com, and he lists Jars of Clay as one of his influences, and he even started out by touring with them, doing Young Life concerts and whatnot. I find this extremely interesting, to say the least, because Jars have always been one of my favorite bands. Even though he got his start at religious concerts, I don’t think that he is a Christian singer, as he really doesn’t say anything about religion in any of his songs on this record, and, he doesn’t say one way or another on his website. Well, not that his religiousness really matters to me at all, I just thought the close connection to one of my favorite bands was definitely interesting. Overall, I liked this CD right from the first listen, and while I definitely like every song, for whatever reason, I’m going to give it a five out of six stars (); but not because there is anything about it I don’t like, it is mainly because there are CDs that I love, and this one falls just shy of that love. Either way, no need to split hairs, because it’s definitely good, and I am glad I discovered it. Standouts: I Will Not Take My Love, With You Tonight, Capitol City, and Carolina.