Music Review: Apples in Stereo

Apples in Stereo

I have to be very honest. I haven’t listened to this band in quite some time. I mean, if they have a new album out I dont know nor am I interested. Its not that I dont like them though. I just lost interest. It happens with bands and my psyche. However I can talk very highly about this band.

If you are familiar with bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control, you may have heard of this band back in the day since they were all once in the same grouping, The Elephant Six Collective.

This band is just very catchy. All the songs I have no problem calling “fun lil’ ditties” because thats really what they are. The sound is very nostalgic. You can sense the influences of The Beatles and The Beach Boys in their tunes. Strawberryfire is very reminiscent of The Beatles psychadelic ventures or The Beach Boys and their song, Good Vibrations. You can tell this band knows what got stuck in people’s heads.

The lead singer Robert Schneider has a very nasal sound and I get it when many of my friends think its a but annoying however to me its endearing and works with the songs played. What I love about this band as well is that the lead singer isnt some overly sexed, emo looking hot guy. Its a balding guy that wears glasses, a beard, and has a gut. Every cub or bear’s wet dream! Sorry dudes, the man is straight.

He was married to a time to their drummer Hilarie Sidney. They have divorced and have a child. Logically the line up changed and she left the band. It kinda sucks though because the band did have songs that had her on lead vocals and I really enjoyed them. Since then I havent been a fan of the songs that they have released once she was gone. Im not saying they are good, I just lost interest.

I do know that they eventually joined Simian Records. The reason thats worth mentioning (to me anyways) is because Simian Records is a company started and owned by Elijah Wood. Yup, Frodo himself has a record label. Whodathunkit?!

I used to love the song Energy however on my trip to Puerto Rico this past August, I grew to hate that fucking song. Why? Well picture it: In the mall in Puerto Rico they have these panels everywhere that play commercials over and over and over. Well Pepsi endorses TONS in PR and guess what song was in a Pepsi commercial this summer… yup, Energy. I dunno if it was played here in the states because honestly I never heard it here nor have I seen the commercial since but for a week in Puerto Rico it was PAHHLAAAYED OUT! I can NOT listen to Energy anymore. Sorry dudes, I know its not the band’s fault. I mean hey, when ya need bank, Pepsi is a good way to go. However they really played that shit out!

If you are looking for some up beat, sunny songs that make ya smile. I highly suggest checking this band out. Its worth a listen.

This is a cute video for a cute song haha. The song Same Old Drag from their album New Magnetic Wonder. It has a it more electronics used on that album but still great songs. Check it out!

Music Review: Apartment

Yes, there is a band called Apartment

I gotta say this band is really hard to look up. You look up the word “Apartment” logically a picture of a British Band isnt something that pops up. Yet because I am so determined I have found a pic of the band, a video of the band, and yes even a bit of wiki knowledge although I must be honest there wasnt much on them.

British band from London who formed in like 2005. Yeah thats pretty much all I need to know in terms of history. Whatever, all I know is the lead singer David Caggiari has an awesome voice and the sound of the band in general is fun, nostalgic, and rockin’.

The Dreamer Evasive is their cd. I think its the only one they have out right now. I know they have a new single out which is cool but no new album.

David has this vibrato to his voice that reminds me of Martin Gore from Depeche Mode and the sound the band has reminds me of 80s New Wave which just makes me reminiscent of “Da Mode” even more. Its like Depeche Mode meets The Killers…. but in a totally good way I swear! If you like 80s music but also enjoy alternative brit rock/pop then I can assure you that you will enjoy Apartment. Just my opinion. I notice how I will say what I PERSONALLY hear only to be told “Wha? Natalia are you on crack? Where do you hear THAT?!?” Whatever, I swear thats what I hear, deal with it. Hmmph!

My favorite song is Pressures. It just runs the gamut when it comes to sound. Its poppy, then brash alternative, then new wavy, then emo, its just all over the place yet Apartment makes it sound precise and together.

Confusing? No worries you will understand after seeing and hearing the video. This is the promotional video to Pressures. Enjoy.

My Rant on New York

I love living here. I dont plan on living here for all of my life but I must make it very clear I am honored to have been born and raised in New York.

That being said I have to tell you have fucking disappointed I am in my state. They voted no on gay marriage today and it truly and utterly upset me today.

I will also go a step further and say that I don’t believe that this will effect me personally. I am bisexual but I dont see myself wanting to marry a woman in my lifetime. Im not saying it wont ever happen, who knows but its never been in my vision.

HOWEVER just because it wont be something I personally think will happen to me it doesnt mean I dont support gay marriage and I have to say I am NEVER going to understand why people look down on Gay Marriage. It has nothing to do with you if you are straight.

I dont get why New York is against it. I mean I know this much: New York City is NOT New York State.

We have a tendency to joke and kid that upstate New York is not really New York however it couldnt be more obvious that it is since its vote overpowered the city.

I just dont get and will never get the whole “protecting family” bullshit excuse. You seriously believe that the gay lifestyle is hindering that? Is that really how close minded you are and small? If anything you should be able to see that allowing gay marriage is saying you believe that love is something soo big it surpasses gender. It isnt that difficult to comprehend. I mean raised Catholic I know for a fact we were told on a daily daily DAILY basis to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. There were no guidelines. So why on earth would you put a guideline on gender? If you are straight then congrats to you! Have a great heterosexual life. Trust me gay people dont give a fuck what you do so do them a favor and mind your fucking business.

The claim that they are protecting marriage is a laugh and a half as well. My uncle and godfather may not have a marriage license but they have been together since I was a baby. I am 34 fucking years old! How many straight marriages last that long nowadays? …Exactly! Stop being hypocritical and look at things realistically. Most marriages end in divorce no matter the gender. So deal with that instead of looking for a scapegoat!

Gays dont endager the family unit. To be quite honest I think its fabulous when gay couples have families. Most gay couples adopt. How is this a BAD thing?!?!? Do you know how many children are out there without parents who love them. How many STRAIGHT people give up their children for adoption? Here are gay couples who want to show these children love and you are trying to stop that? What kind of hearts do you have to stop that? If you really think they will raise gay kids then you show how ignorant you are. You know thats not true. Many kids from gay parents grow up straight. It has nothing to do with the upbringing, its preference.

Im sorry if I seem hostile, vulgar, and insulting however it upsets me how people want others to be respectful yet they dont seem to realize how hurtful it is to tell a human being they arent allowed to marry people they love simply because they dont follow your own personal belief.

I for one have issues with monogamy. I love weddings, have problems believing marriages last. However thats just me, I say people should get married no matter the gender. They have the right to get married and divorced like anyone else!

New York, for shame. NYC, dont worry, I know you tried. Maybe not hard enough but hell its better than the rest of the state.

Music Review: Annie Lennox

The Legendary Annie Lennox

I was truly looking forward to writing this review. There are so many things that need to be said in regards to this woman. Its beyond her voice, beyond her presence, beyond her deeds, its all of it rolled up into one. The Great Annie Lennox.

As most people, my first experience with Annie Lennox was with the band, The Eurythmics. The 80s brought about sooo many amazing bands into my life and The Eurythmics were one of them. The moment I saw her I saw fire. LOL. That short red hair, the stunning eyes, the androgynous look made me think “Who IS that???” Then I heard that voice!

Annie has this voice that you see her and think, “wow that just came out of her mouth… really…awesome!”. Its deep,sultry, powerful, shocking, beautiful, enchanting, I could go on forever. You heard her voice and you forgot about everything around you. All that mattered was her voice. The great thing was my mom fell in love with her too and when you are 8 years old, with not many friends, and raised by a single mom, your bond is stronger and having our love for The Eurythmics and Annie Lennox made it just that much more fun!

So eventually Scottish-born Annie took a much needed break from the Eurythmics to work on solo work and whoa did THAT take off!!

Her first “solo” work was mainly a duet with Al Green covering the song “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” for the movie Scrooged. it was produced by her Eurythmics cohort Dave Stewart and it was just uphill from there.

Her first solo album Diva is probably one of THE most amazing albums ever. The songs “Why” and “Walking On Broken Glass” were epic! I can listen to Why and cry my eyes out. Its basically everything I feel in my head when I feel supressed or patronized. Its someone yelling for you “THIS IS HOW I FEEL YOU DONT KNOW HOW I FEEL!!” Its such a release you want to laugh, scream, cry, shake your fist, breathe a sigh of relief. Walking on Broken Glass the range of octaves for her in the bridge are just so amazing. Its a standard of mine in karaoke. Little Bird is also a favorite from that album. The video for it is just as great. A bunch of lookalikes from all her personas in her many different videos from the past. Its a fun romp!

She also did a song for the movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The movie kinda sucked but the song “Song for a Vampire” is one of the most beautiful songs in the world. I wish I had sang it. I wish I had that talent. I do have talent but wow, to be Annie Lennox!

Anyways after Diva came Medusa which was an album of cover songs however I gotta tell ya, I forgot No More I Love You’s wasnt her own song. In fact almost all the songs on that cd you forget they are from other people because she makes them her own.

Bare was exactly that but in a good way. A bit more simplistic yet just as beautiful. Annie found her niche and its as a phenomenal solo diva!

As for soundtrack work, she release yet another gem with her song for Return of the King, “Into the West”. It won a well deserved Oscar for best original song.

More recently in 2007 she had put out yet another album entitled, Songs of Mass Destruction. I highly suggest checking out all of her work. Annie Lennox is sheer majesty! I bow down in reverence.

The video I have is Song for a Vampire from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It was hard finding a video since most were disabled for embedding yet I lucked out with this one!

Music Review: Anna Ternheim

The Adorable Anna Ternheim

Not many people (at least here in the states) know who Anna Ternheim is however if you are a fan of folk sounding tunes from an extremely adorable pixie of a woman then I highly suggest checking her out.

Anna Ternheim is a Swedish musician who primarily sings in English. Heavily influenced by 70s folk musicians, Anna has made quite a name for herself in Europe. Her sound is of course very acoustic rock and folk oriented but there is a darkish quality to them that makes the songs quite ambient. There are effects on her song but they are to emphasize emotion than rather change the sound of the song. It keeps it real and not technical.

If you see her your instinctual reflex would say “aww”… well, at least it was mine. Its funny too because I heard her sing before I actually saw what she looked like and I thought she was adorable even then. She has this child-like innocence to her voice.

Her singles like Follow You Tonight, To Be Gone, My Secret, just to name a few always make me feel something. I know it sounds weird but there are days when you just feel like a zombie, where you feel nothing. You are zoned out. You just feel like you are living to live and not doing anything on earth. Like you are floating. It happens, its a normal reaction. I hear Anna and I remember that there are emotions in my head. Crazy? Yeah maybe. Whatever Im explaining what it does to me, so there!

One of my favorite songs is Lovers Dream. Anna released it as a solo song but she also duetted with Fyfe Dangerfield from the band Guillemots. Very goth yet romantic. Just the way I like it.

Video of the day, of course the video to Lover’s Dream featuring Fyfe Dangerfield. I love this video. I love the imagery and the costumes. Its so beautiful and fits the song perfectly.

Music Review: Anita Baker

Anita Baker

So this is one of the few artists on my Itunes that are on there PRIMARILY because I live with my mom and therefore some of her music is on my Itunes. Whatever despite R&B not being a big fave of mine, I have to admit out of the great divas to the genre, she to me is one of the many Queens.

I dunno what it is about this woman, but she is this tiny little thing who has the sultry, deep, sexy voice of a vamp. Anita Baker came out of the woodworks in 1985 for me with Sweet Love, Giving You the Best That I Got, Rapture, and No One In The World. Those songs… oh man.

Its almost like the woman just woke up from a groggy sleep and began to sing but it sounds amazing. Its like breathing. You listen to her sing you feel warm and cuddly. She’s got an insane amount of Grammys under her tiny belt and she should be proud because they are all well deserved.

Ok video time. I had SUCH probs. I must admit, there is hardly anything on her. Shes not super famous anymore. So the only video I have is of a newer song called I Apologize. I PERSONALLY apologize that I know nothing of her after her hey day and this sounds cool but again not my thing however enjoy it for yourselves!

Amanda Palmer Concert In review……

A Good Show Deserves a Bow!

Ok so this is how it started:

The ticket said 8 pm. I got there around 7:45. There, would be The Music Hall of Williamsburg. If ya love Bowery Ballroom, you will looooove this place! They don’t let you go to the stage area until 8pm. I thought that was a cool idea. Since I was one of the last people to get there, I was closest to the doors therefore I got to the stage first. I was right up front and rested my arms on the stage when I looked to the side and notices a few steps and a side barricade. I then figured, “Hey, you are by yourself and non confrontational therefore, you will get pushed off and cut in front of and probably be uncomfortable” plus Jay told me that was the best spot in the house. He was correct. I was above most of the crowd, had a place to lean, no one in front of me and close to the stage.

So 8pm, nothing. 8:30. Still nothing. Finally at 9pm, Amanda comes out and introduces the opening band The Nervous Cabaret. I honestly think that was an extremely wise decision since people were getting restless. If they came out by themselves there was a good chance they would have been booed or something cuz people wanted Amanda at this point. So it was great cuz we saw her, she told us to love them, and omg did we ever!

I dunno how to explain them. They are a New York based band but the lead singer is a Cockney. It was kinda like ska but with funk and swing mixed in. Would I listen to their stuff on a cd? Probably not but omg they are an awesome live band!! I had sooo much fun listening to them. Plus I do have a thing for bands with brass sections.

So they were done before 10 and at 10:15 we hear a marching drum in the back of the room. We then see a trumpet and a band coming through the back of the crowd. Omg The Nervous Cabaret not only were the opening act, they were Amanda’s backing band!!! In the middle of them there was Amanda!

They opened with Missed Me from The Dresden Dolls. It was awesome. Amanda sounds great with this band.

She did a mix of her solo songs with Dresden songs, some old cabaret standards. A really sad song about a woman growing up and missing her mom now that shes gone. It made me cry. She did a funny song about a pirate too.

It wasnt just a regular concert though. Amanda read snippets from her boyfriend Neil Geiman’s book titled Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Its a really cool book that I totally need to get. Its basically a photo book of Amanda dead in different scenarios and stories that go along with the pictures. She read a story about a guy in a hot air balloon with his girlfriend and he was typing a novel with a typewriter and the picture is Amanda in a field with a typwriter on her head and groceries to the side.It was cute.

She also did a question and answer period. I was bummed because I found out there was a fishbowl where people could submit questions and had I known I would have put in a few haha. She answered about 4 which was awesome.

Also during the tour, at every show she has artists doing drawings and painting during the concert. Towards the end of the show, she auctions them off. Well there were two artists and both paintings went for 300 each! Pretty damn nifty.

She had two guest performers with her but dammit I cant remember their names. There was a dude on an accordion and then this guy Seth something who is the Carrot Top of music! He had this suitcase of weird instruments and would play them. He was really cool! He played a song with Nervous Cabaret and came back and did a few with Amanda and the band.

They covered House of the Rising sun, Kid Sic (I THINK thats the name of the lead singer of Nervous Cabaret) duetted with Amanda it was awesome.

They also covered…. That Ting Tings song “Thats Not My Name” .

Ok, I cant stand this song. It annoys the hell out of me. I think its cuz the band I just dont get and it sucks with just her and a drummer or whatever.

When Amanda and the band started doing this song omg, I didnt even realize it was the song at first! It sounds sooooo amazing with a band and brass section! They did such an amazing job that I now love this song! Dammit! I didnt want to now I do!

At the end Amanda said she and Neil Geiman would be signing the book in the back. I wanted to go but omg I was so sick by this point. I felt lousy for the passed few days but I was determined to have fun and did! However as much as I wanted to get a pic with Amanda I couldnt. I am still wishing I did though. However!!! As I was leaving through the side door I passed the main entrance and what do I see?

Amanda on the shoulders of a tall blonde man with a HUGE crowd around her while she plays a ukulele singing a song. It was so awesome see?

Amanda in front of the venue

I truly wish I could get a better shot. My camera sucks and it just was NOT agreeing with me that night.

Ugh, Amanda, you rule! There is no debate! Rock on!

Be warned

I went to see Amanda Palmer play the Music Hall of Williamsburg. This will require a blog. This is your warning. Carry on.

Music Review: Animotion

The Original Animotion

They were a one hittish wonder in the 80s. I say “hittish” because technically they charted twice but its complicated and I’ll get to that in a bit.

The original band is the one that came up with their rather shockingly upfront and risque single “Obession”. It was just so amazing to hear a line like “Who do you want me to be, to make you sleep with me?” For a 9 year old kid. That made no sense. As time went on I figured out what that meant and the video pretty much made it all come together. A song about role playing with someone who is freaggin amazing in bed. So much so you are obsessed with the idea of taking on different characters. Yeah… great premise for an 80’s song.

Seriously I loved this song. I still do! I hate that hardly anyone remembers it! I wanna duet with someone at karaoke with this song. Its such a flirty song to sing. The video I thought was cool back in the day cuz I love costumed and I love people in different characters and the band dressed up, it was fun.

This was really their only huge hit. The bands line up pretty much fizzled out and a NEW line up formed. The lead female singer in the band by 1987 was Cynthia Rhodes. If you are a Dirty Dancing fan, you would know the name. Shes the dancer that was Patrick Swayze’s partner that had the abortion. She is also Richard Marx’s wife. Yeah don’t pretend you dont remember who Richard Marx is. Deny it all you want, deep down you remember.

When Cynthia was in the band there was another top 10 hit though. The song Room to Move came out and it was on the soundtrack of My Stepmother is an Alien so somehow THAT made it radio gold.

After that, the band officially stopped. However recently the original members of the band (sans Cynthia logically) has reformed and played reunion shows.

I hate saying it but I really cant picture the concerts. I mean, what do they play? Obsession…. uhh….yeah what else? I always think about that about One Hit Wonders. I mean most people that would go to those shows go for their hit and if they only had one big one, what else is there to listen to. Maybe Im just being a bitch lol.

I loved the synth pop of the 80s and I loved the New Wave sound. The lead male singer of the band had this debonair and sexy voice and it worked well opposite the girl. (yea yea I dont know their names, so sue me). I will always think this song is kewl!

Video: Well duh, what else am I gonna show you? OF COURSE its gonna be the video for Obsession!

Proof that Silence is a problem for me……

1. I think too much
2. Overthinking never leads to over thinking about good things.
3. You sit there staring out the window.
4. Sitting in my recliner late at night looking out my window leads me to looking down 99th Street to where my Grandma used to live
5. Looking at where my grandma used to live made me think of going there to visit.
6. It made me think about our talks.
7. I miss blabbing to my heart’s content without anyone criticizing me or judging me for my opinions or how I think.
8. I think she was the only one who understood the things that come out of my head is venting and not how I really think on a rational level.
9. I could say everything that made me sad or angry and I wasnt considered negative, I was applauded for getting it out.
10. I was also congratulated with a big hug and a kiss on the forehead.
11. I miss my grandma’s hugs and kisses
12. I wanna be held more often…
13. I just wanna be held period
14. I fucking love the holidays and it saddens me that I cant express it as much as I would love to.
15. I wish I could afford to buy everyone I know gifts.
16. I have a lot of work to do this holiday season
17. As difficult as the holidays can be and sometimes disappointing, I still look forward to them because I feel like I am good at them.
18. I wanted a cat but I think Im gonna wait til after the holidays instead of before.
19. I hate crying from thinking too much. Its humiliating even front of best friends.
20. Crying makes me wired. Exhausted yet not able to sleep.
21. I am an awesome person and if people cant accept that, too fucking bad.

Love you grandma!