I'm so happy about this! Kylie debuted this gorgeous ballad during her 2008 "X" Tour and I have only had a live version to call my own until now. As with the "Timebomb" single, the release of "Flower" is part of the K25 year long celebration, marking Kylie's 25 years in the music business.
The single is to promote the release of her new album "The Abbey Road Sessions", a collection that features 16 of her past hits which were radically reworked (some orchestrated) at Abbey Road Studio's in London earlier this year. The album, which will be officially released on October 24th, will host new versions of the following songs,
1) All The Lovers
2) On A Night Like This
3) Better The Devil You Know
4) Hand On Your Heart
5) I Believe In You
6) Come Into My World
7) Finer Feelings
8) Confide In Me
9) Slow
10) The Loco-Motion
11) Can't Get You Out Of My Head
12) Where The Wild Roses Grow (feat. Nick Cave)
13) Flower
14) I Should Be So Lucky
15) Love At First Sight
16) Never Too Late
Kylie is also working on her 12th full-length studio album which is rumoured to be released sometime next year. Many treats in store from Miss Minogue, until the next, everybody enjoy this song and download the single from iTunes.
HELLO MY LOVELIES!!!!! I'm Back from my 2 week holiday and I had a great time full of sun, surf and, of course, some amazing tunage!!!!!
Let's kick my return off by adding the brand new video from Miss Christina Aguilera!!! This was one of the staple songs on the radio while I was on my trip and I have to say I am loving it HARD! This is the first release from X-tina's upcoming new album "Lotus" which is scheduled for release on November 13th this year.
Lotus is the first release since 2010's "Bionic", but it feels like it's been longer than that since she practically did no promotion for that album. Compared to her previous releases, "Bionic" was a flop for her, a fact that very much confuses me because I really did think that was a brilliant album, a little juvenile sounding in parts but overall, well done. However, with a confusing Madonna inspired video for the first single, little promotion for the album due to commitments to her film "Burlesque" and judging duties on "The Voice" and a cancelled tour for the project, any existence of that album just fizzled away.
It looks and sounds like she's back in full swing with this cheeky, tongue-in-cheek, sex vixen video, once again taking on masculine society with her own brand of Girl Power!
On top of the video, I'm also adding this short interview clip of X-Tina talking about the video and working on "Lotus". I'm so excited that she's been working with Sia again. Love their collaborations!!! Werk!!!!!
PS. Be sure to keep up with her on the new season of The Voice which began it's 3rd season two weeks ago.
I wanted to add 2 very quick music posts today, as tomorrow, I am off for two weeks to Myrtle Beach, SC for my "Summer (but really Fall) Vacation", and I won't have a chance to post until I get back.
I've wanted to do a post about The Party for awhile, and what better time than now when the song choice is so perfect lol. For those of you who know nothing about The Party, it was a Pop act formed in the 90's by The Disney Channel, and was made up of members Albert Fields, Deedee Magno, Chase Hampton, Tiffini Hale and Damon Pampolina who were each members of "The All New Mickey Mouse Club". The group released 4 mildly successful albums, the most successful being their self titled debut album (1990). They officially disbanded in 1993 prior to the release of their 4th album "The Party's Over...Thanks For Coming" (1994) and each member has remained in the entertainment industry, with the exception of Tiffini Hale who has remained out of the public eye.
Albert Fields released a solo album under the name "Jeune", which is half of his middle name, and continues to record on the indie circuit, most recently teaming up with Damon Pampolina to form a Hip Hop Duo called "NDecent Proposal". Chase (Chasen) Hampton was part of the indie band "Buzzfly" and now writes and records under his own name. His most recent release was an EP entitled "Drugstore Girls" (2010). Damon Pampolina (as mentioned above) recorded with Albert Fields under the moniker "NDecent Proposal" and also runs an entertainment company called PRP Entertainment with his father. Deedee Magno went the route of musical theatre, appearing in the role of Kim in "Miss Saigon" on Broadway and NessaRose in the first travelling tour of the musical "Wicked". She's married to musical performer Cliffton Hall, who co-starred with her in both of these shows and she is rumoured to be working on her first solo album. Fun Fact: She was also one of the students in the film "Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit". Her character was unnamed, but she delivered one line in the film, "Well Y'all, There might be some all Boy choirs at this competition!"
As a Bonus, let's take a look at her in action, performing a song she recorded in the 90's called "I Would Be So Pleased" for a travelling cabaret style show called Ryan O'Connor Eats His Feelings. You can download this song off i-Tunes.
Just felt like adding a little somethin' somethin' by The Saturdays because I was listening to them quite a bit today.
The British/Irish Pop Group consists of members Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Rochelle Humes, Una Healy and Vanessa White, and have (to date) released 3 studio albums, their most successful being their platinum selling debut album "Chasing Lights" (2008). Naturally, the track above hails from that record, and though the album version is wonderful, there's something about the acoustic version that I find so special.
The adorable Natalie Portman's visit to the David Letterman Show in 2004 to promote the movie "Garden State". They talk about her college degree (from Harvard), the 2004 election between George Bush and John Kerry, and her unbelievably cute dog named Charlie (I also have a dog named Charlie, which just makes me that much closer to Natalie Portman, we're practically best friends lol).
It's taken me 108 posts to get to her (for some unexplained reason), but I'm finally posting a Tiffany video! When I typed her name into the youtube search engine, all of these other artists that go by the name of Tiffany came up. It pissed me off a bit because really, there's only 1 TIFFANY!!!!!!
Anyway, once I found a collection of fantastic video's, old and new, by this one time 80's pop sensation, I then had to pick which video I wanted to add. Should I go with a classic or a more recent song? Should I go with a ballad or an uptempo song? I ultimately decided to go with the classic ballad "Here In My Heart" because for one thing the images in the video are very Autumnal, and Autumn (whether we like it or not) is upon us. Secondly, although it's not my absolute favourite song of hers, I think the range in her voice is quite stellar on this track, and the rasp in her voice gives a certain urgency and passion to the lyrics. "Here In My Heart" was the predominate single from Tiffany's third studio album "New Inside" (1990), and though the song (written by Diane Warren) was originally dedicated to AIDS victim and teenage advocate, Ryan White, it was later rededicated to the Troops serving in the Gulf War.
I'm sure I'll add a more recent track of Tiff's in the near future, because I'd like to showcase just how much better she has gotten as a vocalist and artist throughout the years. In the 80's, she was kind of written off because she was young, she did the now infamous Mall tour, and she didn't write her own music. Now that all of that has changed and she is writing (what I think) is the greatest music of her career, she's still thought of in that light, which I find unfair.
Keep on doing your thing Tiffany, I'm still listening!!!!!
The new single from Canadian Singer/Songwriter Esthero is finally here. This is the first new solo music from her in 7 years and is from her 3rd studio album which is to be released on October 30 (my Nephew's Birthday), entitled "Everything Is Expensive"!
I love this video so much, I think it's absolutely hilarious and that little girl is sooooo Cute! Now, regarding the album, the release date is set but there has been no word (that I can find at least) on an official track listing but I know there is a song called "Over", because it is available for free download on her official website, and Wikipedia states that confirmed tracks for the album are...
Black Mermaid (which I am thrilled about because this is my favourite song of hers, but has only been a rare track until now)
Everything Is Expensive
Go
Gracefully
Over
Never Gonna Let You Go
Supernatural
You Don't Get A Song
But you know how reliable Wikipedia is! [|:~> -#
If you like what you hear above and want to download a copy of the track "Over" (as well as sign up for her newsletters) head on over to her Official Website and follow the instructions.
I don't know why, but when I saw these pictures of Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton from the upcoming October issue of Easy Life Magazine, I thought she looked so beautiful that I wanted to share them with my readers.
Emma was nowhere near my favorite Spice Girl when the group was together (Sorry Emma), but when they broke up and all the girls went solo, she somehow managed to work her way up near the top for me. I thought her solo material suited her voice so much more than any of the Spice catalogue and the image she came to form for herself away from the Baby Spice Caricature was a lot more playful and convincing.
Hasn't she grown up to be such a lovely woman? #LadySpice I hope she makes another solo record, I love her sound! However we can catch her new duet with Melanie C on her new solo album "Stages", out today!
Okay, it may seem absurd to some people that I am adding this 3 part interview to my blog, but I'm doing so because I just watched a fascinating documentary about Tammy Faye Bakker (Messner) this morning called "The Eyes Of Tammy Faye" and became enamoured with her story and the kind of woman she was.
I have to say that I wasn't really familiar with Tammy Faye's story before watching that documentary. She was always just this kooky, heavily painted lady that I remember seeing on tv occasionally as a child (and in the immortal words of Sharon Needles, "I didn't know she was selling me Christianity, I thought she was selling me makeup.") But now that I know about her personal struggles and the kind of inclusive and compassionate work she did as a televangelist, I have to say that I'm a fan. (Just as a sidenote: I'm not a Christian in any way, shape or form, but I do have respect for anyone, religious or otherwise, who simply believes in being a good person).
So, after the documentary, I naturally went on youtube to watch even more moments throughout her life (listening to her singing, watching various interviews and looking at many tribute video's) but the above interview struck me the most because (as the disclaimer says at the beginning) it was quite groundbreaking. For a televangelist to sit down for a 30 minute interview with an openly gay pastor who was living with AIDS in 1985, during the early days and the pandemonium of the AIDS epidemic, and not pass judgement, but rather, show compassion and empathy and support.... that is a rare person indeed. I believe she was not only the epitomy of the term "Good Christian Woman" but also simply a Humanist!
Naturally she asks Steve a few questions that in this day and age may seem embarassing or cliche, but remember, this was 1985, everybody was asking and wanting straightforward answers to these questions at that time.
Tammy Faye passed away in 2007 after an 11 year battle with cancer, but her son Jay Bakker continues to spread his mothers message of love and acceptance of all people within the Church.
I don't know if I can quite put into words my love for Donna De Lory's music, but I'll try. We all have days where the stresses of daily life can get to us a bit too much, we run ourselves ragged to the point where we just can't cope another second. But, whenever I happen to have one of those overly stressful days, I find that if I listen to Donna's music it makes me feel better. There is something in her voice that manages to soothe my soul. I'm sure the fact that she chooses to keep her sound in the realm of middle eastern chords helps a little as well, that sound scape is instantly meditative to begin with, but I think that if her voice weren't as luscious and honeyed as it is, then it wouldn't have the same effect.
I'm quite pleased that she has progressed so beautifully as an artist in her own right. She has gone from budding pop dance starlet (with her debut self-titled album "Donna De Lory (1993)) to what I like to call the Queen of the Mantra's (with her most recent (and second) Sanskrit and English fusion album Sanctuary (2008)).
Donna De Lory, Madonna, Niki Haris - The Girlie Show Tour (1993)
I know we all loved her whenever she was supporting Madonna during her world tours and providing backing vocals to many of the Queen's biggest hits, but I have to say, when I was given the opportunity to see Donna perform live during the resurgence of Lilith Fair in 2010 at Molson Amphitheatre, I was pleased to see a much simpler, more laid back setting. I knew she could sing and dance her ass off beside the biggest name in music, but to have a more intimate performance was just dreamy.
Sky Is Open is the title song from Donna's 5th studio album (2006), which you should all check out!
Thanks (again) to my friend Jordanna for helping me reach the decision that this song should definitely be the next post on this site.
I loves me some Emmy Rossum! As with many people, she first came to my full attention when she starred in the role of Christine Daaé in the film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "The Phantom Of The Opera" in 2004. I had previously seen her in the films "Mystic River" and "The Day After Tomorrow", but I guess it took me hearing her beautiful singing voice to fall in love with her.
I fully respect her, not only for her supreme talent and delightful sense of humour, but because of the fact, that after her success in Phantom, she was offered many deals to record a classical music album (which of course, could have been huge given the timing), but she turned them all down, opting instead to follow her heart and record an album of new age ambient pop music (a la Imogen Heap). The result was her debut album titled "Inside Out" (2007), which is (to me) an absolute hidden gem in the world of music. Her layered vocals, and deeply resonant lyrics are such a treat for the ear that I would probably list it in my top 15 best debut albums by a new artist in the past 10 years. I hope that she will someday make a follow up album!
Until that day arrives, I am absolutely loving her in the role of Fiona Gallagher in the HBO series "Shameless" alongside William H. Macy (who is divine in his own right). Long may this show reign, such an amazing cast.
Don't think that I don't have another treat up my sleeve. Here is an adorable clip of Emmy singing opera for a hot dog on Conan O'Brien's talk show. So Funny!
