Monster Fest 2011

I'm really excited to get to participate in another blog fest. This one is called Monster Fest and is headed by Sommer Leigh. There are not many rules for it, but she offers some things to inspire if you need them. I decided to focus on a specific monster from one of my favorite series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Video Musings- Thoughts on Lady A, Ringer and CP Bialois' Call of Poseidon

I promised a new video blog and here it is :) Enjoy and don't forget to comment back with your own thoughts on these topics! :)

30 Day Song Challenge Hits the Road

Today's topic for the 30 Day song Challenge asks "What's your favorite driving song?" This is an easy one. I chose SheDaisy's " I'm Taking the Wheel". It's a perfect song for heading out on a road trip. They're vocals are always great and the song is full of energy that will keep you going through a long drive. Enjoy! And don't forget to comment back with your own favorite....

Beware Carrie Underwood? or Line, Please

Yes, the boot has announced that Carrie has been listed as one of the most dangerous celebrities by an anti-virus company. They say don't worry too much, though. Her position on the list isn't that high. The article does fill you in on what celebrities you might wanna watch out for, though. It also shares some of Carrie's thoughts on social networking and technology.

Found something else while browsing TheBoot. It's a listing of the 8 worst lyric flubs. They include Will.I.Am checking his cell for his own lyrics and several mess ups on "The Star Spangled Banner". Apparently, the Anthem is pretty tricky stuff....

I'm really surprised at their choice for Jessica Simpson, considering the "9 to 5" performance that got so much attention, but I guess they didn't wanna go for the obvious choice. Kudos to that! Of all the flubs listed here, though, this is my personal favorite....

The randomness of those ad libs (his and the girl who flubbed it after him) is great. They kept going and that's what counts right? So what do you think of these? Are there other flubs out there you would have picked instead? Comment back and let me know! Til next time.

Kelly Clarkson behind the scenes....

Kelly Clarkson, as you might know, has a new single called "Mr. Know It All". After it's release, she started sharing a few pictures from the video shoot on her twitter account and talking about what a great experience it was. Now, she's done even better: a video documenting the shoot...

Lyrical Thought of the Day... and some Lady Antebellum Favorites

Since their new CD, Own the Night, came out today, I figured it was only fitting to use Lady Antebellum for my Lyrical Though of the Day. It comes from a song called "I Was Here":

I wanna do something that matters, say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better with the time I've been given
I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothing less than something that says "I was here"

Lessons Learned: Carrie Underwood Vs. Kristin Chenoweth

Hi, everyone! You might remember Carrie Underwood did a TV special a little bit back that featured her performing alongside Kristin Cheonweth and Christina Applegate. They did an incredible medley of songs by the girls groups of the 50s/60s. It's not very surprising, then, that Kristin has covered a Carrie song on her CD, Some Lessons Learned.



What do you all think? Did Kristin or Carrie sing it better? Comment back and let me know. Speaking of Carrie... I found something cool I wanted to share with you. Someone uploaded a video of Carrie singing in church at 9 years old. Check it out :) Thanks for sharing, CarrieNews!

CMA Award Nominees.... Rundown and My Wishlist

So the nominees for the CMA Awards were announced today and here is the list. I am so glad to see that there is a great field this year. Add that to another Brad/Carrie hosting appearance and I will definitely be tuning on on November 9th.

So, let's go down the categories, starting wth Entertainer of the Year. I would really love to see either Brad Paisley or Blake Shelton take this one. They both are great and Blake in particular has really been providing a lot of entertainment this year and not just on stage or on The Voice. Check out his tweet about his nominations:

Old School Hits

I'm watching the Aaliyah: One in a Million special again and the video for "If Your Girl Only Knew" came on. It really hits me now how much I miss 90's R&B. All these songs their playing from her are classics! Let's not forget TLC, BoyzIIMen, Janet and Mary J. I thought today I would post my top ten....

10) Aaliyah "If Your Girl Only Knew". I cane to like this song later on, but to me it's one of the best ones of it's day. Aaliyah didn't have the powerhouse voice that others do, but it was a very pleasent voice and worked well with her music.

9) DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince "Summertime". Can you think of a more laid-back song for a summer night? I know I can't....

8) Deborah Cox "Who Do You Love?" This is such an emotional song! The first time I heard it, I was instantly addicted and went out to get the cassette single.

7) Adina Howard "Freak Like Me". I was a bit of a sheltered kid and didn't date at the time, so it cracks me up to think of sitting in my room, blasting this one while I danced and sang at the top of my lungs. I think singing "I got a freaky secret, everybody sing cause we don't give a damn about a thing" was the first time I ever used a curse word.

6) All-4-One "Roll Call" This is just a fun song and I couldn't get enough of it when I first heard it! Sadly, can't find this one anywhere, so I have to make this a tie with "I Swear".

5)  Mary J Blige "Going Down". This is such a soulful song. I remember one of my friends introduced me to it and it quickly earned a place on one of my mixtapes.

4) Brandy "Sitting Up In My Room". I dare you to put this song on and not smile. Such a feel good love song with a little bit of attitude.

3) TLC "Kick Your Game". This wasn't one of their singles off Crazy, Sexy, Cool but it is one of my favorites on the whole CD.

2) BoyzIIMen "Motown Philly". This one instantly takes me back to junior high and is just a really fun song. I love how this is basically a BoyzIIMen autbiography.

1) Mariah Carey "Vision of Love". Talk about a revelation- outside of Whitney I had never heard someone with a voice like this before. I really miss music like this from her.

I've made a youtube playlist for you to enjoy in case you haven't heard some of these songs. Enjoy and please share your own favorites! Til next time....

Challening Choices: Day 15 of the 30 Day Song Challenge...

Welcome to another post in the 30 Day Song Challenge. If you haven't taken it yet and want to join in just search for the "30 Day Song Challenge" in my tags to see what the categories are so far. Once it's over, I will post the entire list of categories for people on my Facebook page for those who want the whole list at one time. Today's category is "A Song That Makes You Cry".

If you have been following me for awhile you know that I do not cry at movies or while watching TV shows normally. In fact, I can literally count the times I have on one hand. I guess I just can't get myself so lost in the story that I have an emotional reaction. Music is a whole other story! In fact, most of those times I did cry at something on TV or in a movie involved music (but that's for another post). When I saw this catesgory, I immediately thought of the song I used for a similar question in the last challenge- Christina Aguilera, "Hurt". I decided not to use it a second time and instead chose Pink, "Family Portrait".



All I will say about this one is I really feel it on a personal level. In fact, I did actually break down and start to cry while singing along with it the other day. The lyrics are so raw and real and her vocals are great. I also loved what they did with the video, having young Pink interacting with a grown Pink as she experiences her parent's arguments and dreamed of that perfect TV family. So what do you all think? What's your choice? Comment back and let me know...

30 Day Song Challenge Returns! Day 14.....

So, I had to modify the song challenge again because I discovered that there was a couple of missing days somehow. I found another one that I will use to not only complete the challenge, but throw out extra categories from time to time. Here is today's challenge:

A Song You Always Turn Up

This is a hard one, cause there are so many songs that I love to crank up! There's nothing better than turning a favorite up and singing along at the top of your lungs. I finally decided to go with "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood. This one is great for blasting because it's fun and full of attitude. It's also a great one to sing along with....lots of big notes! So what is your song you always turn up? Comment back and let me know!

Aaliyah

It's strange to think it's been ten years since she passed away in a plane crash. Time flies.... I remember the night of the crash I was chatting with a friend who asked me if I had heard about the accident. I hadn't and thought it was a hoax. Imagine my surprise when it was all over the news the next morning. I though I would share one of my favorites of hers to mark the anniversary and remember her talent:



One thing I loved about her music was so much of it was so unique and this was definitely one of the more unique songs of hers. Even today, ten years later, it still sounds just as good. What is your favorite Aaliyah song? Comment back and let me know...

Also, just so ya know, there will be a special on BET tonight about her. It starts at 8 PM eastern time, so check your local listings to see when it airs in your area.

Sarah Darling Alert!

Hey, everyone. I wanted to post this video I found thanks to my buddies at Country Music Tattle Tale. It's Sarah Darling announcing her very first stage it concert!



For those who haven't heard of it, Stage It is a place where artists perform a show that is broadcast live on the net! I was lucky enough to get to see Alexz Johnson do a show on the site and it was really good. The best part is? It's really cheap to get your ticket to watch. I think it's really great there is something like Stage It out there to allow artists yet another way to connect with fans and make it possible for people to see a show who might not otherwise get to. Be sure to move fast... the perfomance is tomorrow (8/25)! More details can be found by clicking on the CMTT link above. Are you gonna be attending the performance? Comment back and let me know.

More of the 30 Day Song Challenge... (Taylor Swift)

Hi, everyone. Today's category in the 30 Day Song Challenge is a song that reminds you of your partner. There is only one song I can use for this....



The minute we first heard that song, we both commented how well that fit us. He especially thinks the line "You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter" is fitting. I agree and it's one of my favorite lyrics period. What would you pick? Comment back and let me know. Also, feel free to follow me on twitter and facebook for more links, polls and other stuff.

The 30 Day Song Challenge Strikes Again....

As promised, the challenge is back! Today's topic is a song that reminds you of your best friend. The first one that came to mind reminds me of friends I don't see anymore. I met them when I moved into this one house in the 4th Grade and we stayed friends for years after. As happens, we ended up doing our own things and lost touch after awhile.



One thing that makes me think of them when this song came to mind is we used to always listen to music and sing and this is one of those songs. We were huge TLC fans back then and I can't help but miss those days and that group. They were definitely one of a kind. We'd also spend hours in one of our bedrooms or outside making up dance moves to perform for our families. Yes, we were annoying with that :) Still, we had a blast. I can't remember a single move from that routine, but I remember the day and how much fun it was. What song comes to your mind when you think of this category? Comment back and let's share! If you're doing the 30 Day Song challenge on your own blog or twitter/facebook account, let me know! I'd love to read yours. Til next time...

Random Covers- Taylor Swift does Pink, TLC

Taylor Swift has been doing some pretty random covers on her latest tour... here is a little bit of her latest, thanks to TheBoot:



Check the link above for the full story. I gotta say, I love when artists cross genres like that and do things their fans might not expect. I love that she picked those two songs in particular this time around, cause they are two of my all time favorites. What do you guys think? Did you like the covers? Is there a song you'd like to see Taylor (or another artist) try her hand at? Comment back and let me know! Til next time...

New Music Alert: Pistol Annies!

This is going to be a very good music month for me so far! First, Alexz Johnson announces the release of The Basement Recordings and now this...

Hell on Heels - Pistol Annies - Pistol Annies Videos

The first single from the Pistol Annies is now out and available for purchase with an album to follow on the 23rd. Can't wait! I'm a big fan of both Miranda and Ashley so it's cool to see them working together. Never heard of the other Annie until now, but she sounds good! So what do you all think? Are you excited for this release or is there something else you're waiting for? Comment back and let me know. Til next time...

Challenges and Channel Surfing (Plus a couple new songs....)

Hey guys! Another day, another song down! Check out my FB Page to see what I picked for today. The category was "Your Sports Entrance Song". I immediately thought of Queens "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" but I decided that was too obvious a choice. So, I went with plan B.

Remember when I said that I had entered a covers contest with Sound Underground? Well they have picked a winner and it's Heather Traska. Check the link to her channel out- she's amazing. The video editing is great, too. I really need to learn how to edit.

Finally... I got a couple videos through the grapvine I wanted to go ahead and share with you. The first is by Amy Lavere and it's a bit... different. I think it's pretty cool, though. It's got a very rough sound to it that is unlike most of what's out there so that definitely got my attention:



The second one is by Amy Hayes and it's called "Wait". If you like pop/country you're probably going to like this.

Tags: Wait, Amber Hayes, Amber Hayes Videos

Well, that's about it for now. Take care and see ya next time...

30 Day Song Challenge, Day 5 and MTV Turns 30....

Hey guys! I have just posted my answer to the 30 Day Song Challenge (Day 5). Check it out in the notes section of my Facebook Page. I also have made a playlist on my youtube account for it. Here it is...



In other news, at midnight tonight, MTV turns 30. VH1 Classic has been playing all kinds of old shows and specials this weekend to celebrate. At midnight, they are going to air the very first hour broadcast on MTV. Here is a cool write up about the famous logo, the changes it went through with some old promos thrown in.

Day 3 of the Song Challenge and More Channel Surfing...

Hey, everyone! I just completed day 3 of the 30 Day Song Challenge. Here's the link to my answer for the day. What do you think? Would you have picked something else? Comment back and let me know....

Before I go, I want to link you to a new channel I have just started following: Melina Says. She's got a lot of great commentaries of different things in pop culture as well as politcal and other subjects. Enjoy! To start you off, I want to share her thoughts on a Buffy reboot: