Ok, first off I am a wee bit embarrassed that I was turned on to this song by The Today Show's Hoda Kotb, but that being said it is a wee bit addictive. Canadian Idol alum Carly Rae Jepsen is signed with Justin Bieber's manager, and a recent shout out from the singer got her a lot of attention. Also getting his fair share of attention is model Holden Nowell who stars in the video for Carly's Call Me Maybe video. One of my favorite images ever is Michael Tammaro's image of Holden above. Not sure if I love all the new tats, but Holden pulls them off nicely...maybe.
Above: Single cover for 'Destruction' by Brett Lindell
It's not likely you will ever hear Brett Gleason's music while standing in an elevator...and that's a good think. Brett doesn't make background music, his songs are loud, provocative and make force you to pay attention. His new single Destruction was released this week and I think it might be my favorite of the songs I have listened to off his upcoming release The Thawing.
'Building on my philosophy that a song can be both bruising and vulnerable, abrasive yet beautiful, these new songs draw more from my classical piano background while still inhabiting lush, electronic soundscapes both haunting and hypnotic.' Brett Gleason
Destruction, available now on iTunes is the first single from Brett's upcoming sophomore EP, The Thawing- now streaming on BandCamp where pre-orders are being taken for the 3-20 release.
'Your ideal self, you at your best, how you choose to present yourself to the world' Anthony Triolo
I want to see you Living free Being who You want to be
When choosing an avatar your choosing a representation of who you are, an image to attract attention and let those who view it know a little something beyond just the surface of what they see. This is the stimulus behind actor, model and solo artist Anthony Triolo's new single AVATAR.
'I wrote AVATAR because I like to act/sing/model and people are constantly asking me, "What makes you think that you're good/hot enough?" That has always been a very frustrating question for me because I feel that everyone should know that they are 'good enough' to do whatever they want to do in life, as long as they are willing to put in the effort and work at it!'
'As for being 'hot'....Some people believe that there are people that are born attractive and people that are not, I completely disagree! Being 'HOT' is an ATTITUDE, yes it's about taking care of yourself physically but it's more about having a positive attitude in life, being real with yourself, knowing your strengths and weaknesses physically, wearing clothes and accessories that will accentuate the positive and help you to just put your best foot forward. It's also about knowing that you are beautiful the way you were born but if there is something you want to change that can be beautiful too!'
In the four plus years I have been working on FH I am not sure I have yet posted about an opera singer. I am not sure I ever thought I would... Although I am a huge fan of the Theatre, I admit that although I know a few Opera's (the big, mainstream shows) I never thought of the genre as source for material for the blog.
Gabriel in La Finta Giardinera.
Then while visiting DC recently I was introduces to the Youtube clip of Maria Bayo and the incredible Spanish baritone Gabriel Bermudez. Although Gabriel shows off his body in first minute of the Youtube clip below, his voice is better showcased in various other clips including his performance in La Finta Giardinera
Below: Gabriel & María Bayo in Les mamelles de Tirésias
Through my research on Gabriel I came upon a blog, Barihunks, totally devoted to the amazing men of Opera. I had no idea there were so many to cover, but Bermudez is not the only Opera star to have performed naked on stage. Although the owner of Barihunks writes about many things, and does not just focus on skin, it was a great place to spend some time at and I encourage you all to check it out!
I embarrassingly blubbered my way through Marley & Me, get sucked into the back stories of Idol contestants and have to turn the channel when Sarah Mclachlan's animal cruelty commercials come on. I even got a little choked up this week when watching and listening to news stories about Jeremy Lin. I am generally a caring person who feels deeply for the pain of others. I found myself however strangely detached from feeling much of anything when I heard Whitney Houston had died this week. Whitney's music was a huge part of my childhood. Many of my junior high waltzes were danced to that voice, many painful rec room parties contained dramatic teen angst with Whitney's voice in the background. I, like so many of you, listened to 'I Will Always Love You' over and over and over and over again, to the point of saturation.
Cries that the voice was gone felt a bit hollow to me. That voice, one of the world's most powerful, began dying painfully about 20 years ago. It was a slow death, but also calculated and highly predicted. It was not an accident, but one that could have been avoided, caused by the literally thousands upon thousands daily decisions from it's owner, some small, some, but all equally potent and deadly.
Addiction is a serious matter. I remember distinctly my first drink (hated it), my first cigarette (hated it), my first joint (loved it). Almost every human alive goes through these first and almost every human being must then make daily, small and big decisions about how or if, to incorporate these vices into our lives so they don't move from occasional usage into habits then into addictions.
For an addict, the decisions often become quickly beyond their control. This makes it even that much more important that early choices be wise ones. I have great compassion for those who suffer from addictions, I have seen first hand the tole it takes on a person, their families, on one's body and most importantly one's spirit. But...there are those who had no choices, the young parent ravaged by cancer, the thousands of children in hospitals waiting to die, those struck dead so suddenly in 911, those men and women whose lives were cut so brutally short in distant lands fighting for our protection.
It is not that I don't feel for Houston, her daughter, her family. I guess I although my heart is huge and my compassion massive, there are so many people in my immediate life, so many innocents who have zero control over their circumstances, that it is difficult to stretch my boundless caring to a 48 year old mother, famous, a millionaire, who could not get her act together.
I know the pain must have been massive, but equally massive were something nost addicts don't have, her resources and ability to seek support. Most 48 year old addicts who succumb to their decease are not heralded. Most are judged, scoffed at and it is not rare to hear some say they got what they deserved.
What Whitney Houston deserves is respect for sharing her powerful gift, that voice that effected so many of us for so long. As stated though, her voice did not leave us last week, the voice, that gift, was thrown away a long time ago. Houston deserves respect, compassion and our appreciation. She does not deserve or warrent our judgement, but equally, I struggle with whether she deserves our praise. Her voice was perfection, her choices in life, like most everyone's, were often not.
Like with Michael Jackson and so many other celebrities, why do their flaws have to be either magnified or ignored upon their death. Why must we make them be good or bad. Why can't they in death, be the beautifully flawed beings that they were in life.
Ironically one of my favorite Houston live performances was Hold up the light featuring BeBe and CeCe Winans, an anti drug anthem from the 1989 Soul Train Awards.
I know from the e-mails I got that people enjoyed my profiles last month featuring the incredibly gifted Russell Patrick Brown. Russell's physical beauty is only the top layer of a bounty of talent and creativity which if you checked out his site you could hear and feel through his music.
Russell's focus on music has resulted in two upcoming performances starting this week; December 16th(UC Lounge, 87 Ludlow Street) and December 19th (Klimat Lounge 77 East 7th Street). If your in the New York area be sure to check out Russell live!
'It's only a ten dollar cover and I promise it'll be a great show and you'll make me so very happy I did not perform only for the dust bunnies and bartender,'
Chicago based singer Carlo Chapelle sings Any Other Fool as part of his debut recording Shades Of Blue. Carlo's soothing voice is perfectly suited for Dianne Warren ballad hitting the right notes of longing and regret. Shades Of Blue was recorded over three years in Chicago, Indiana and Manila and features an eclectic group of songs including several standards. Other hightlights of the the album include “God Bless the Child,” the Bergman classic “What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life”, arranged especially for Carlo by well known singer/composer/arranger, Beckie Menzie and an acapella version of “The Nearness of You”
Born in Manila, Carlo started his singing career in the church choir with THE group People, Precious and Few choir. The group toured the Philippines and was recorded by the record label, IVORY RECORDS. During recording of the album, “Ama Namin”, Carlo was asked to record for another independent LP entitled, "80's Mega Medley". It was a tribute cover album to the 80's pop hits as we were approaching 1990. Carlo’s solos were the Michael Jackson classic "Billie Jean” and the dance floor 80's hit "I Beg Your Pardon".
Moving to Chicago in 1991, Carlo has appeared at such clubs as Gentry, Cotton Club, Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Davenport’s, The Ramada Hotel, Petterino’s, while also appearing on a local cable show called “Pinoy TV”. Carlo was also honored by being the opening musical act for Philippine singing sensation, Regine Valasquez, when she toured the USA with an appearance at the Gateway Theater.
I have been pretty much listening to Kelly Clarkson's Stronger since picking it up last week. The first single, and song on the cd, Mr. Know It All was the perfect choice for Clarkson to promote the CD. Although there are a few songs I am skipping over, with a song list of 18 that still leaves plenty to love. My favorite song keeps changing but for the last couple of days Breaking Your Own Heart is winning hitting a cord with me each time I listen, 'Don't Be A Girl About It' is growing on me fast! Unlike most of her contemporaries, Spears, Aguilera and Lady Gaga to name just a few, Clarkson relies solely on the one thing that should be most important in the music business, talent.
Now truth be told not all boy band members age as gracefully as the members of the British pop group McFly. The guys are not that old, all are still in their late twenties, but unlike some of their American counterparts, the boys of McFly get hotter with each passing year.
Formed in 2004, McFly is as well known on this side of the Atlantic for dropping trou as for their music. The guys are not only naked in their videos and photo shoots they are also known to get naked or moon whenever crowds gather. All the guys are talented and all are great looking but drummer Harry Judd. Harry and the boys have always been popular fixtures in the UK based magazine Attitude, but earlier this year Harry graced the cover alone for the very first time. I am a little late as usual with this post but last month on my birthday a friend of mine who now lives in Phoenix sent me a photo filled video with McFly's Not Alone playing in the background. Listening to the song this weekend had me Mcwanting to post about McFly.
'The Thawing' is about learning to feel again, the already recorded and mixed songs follow the narrator as he emerges from self imposed isolation to embrace the world he's rejected only to find cruel indifference.
Learn more and find out how to support Brett's next album by checking out his video HERE:
Vanessa Williams really is a far more talented singer and actress than she gets credit for. As dynamic and hilarious as she was on Ugly Betty (I can't really speak for her role on Desperate Housewives) she has an impressive stage resume which include some of my favorite shows.
Although the Chita Rivera version might be remembered more affectionately, as far as the soundtrack go, my money's on the 1994 version featuring Williams, Howard McGillin and Brian Mitchell. Williams might not have the biggest voice, but like with her turn singing pop, she has a beautiful clear voice with a unique tone that gives her songs a depth I did not hear before. She may not have Rivera's dramatic flare but this is a soundtrack, not a live show and I much prefer Williams. McGillin is great, especially powerful and painful on 'She's A Woman'. Mitchell hits it out of the park with powerhouse vocals at every turn but his version of 'Marta' is incredible.
Obviously someone else saw the magic in the cast replacements as it is rare for a show to re-release a soundtrack with the replacement cast just 2 years after the release of the original. I remember listening to KOTSP on old school heavy discman in 1994 when I was in University. That cd went missing years ago but I recently bought another version on Amazon and am enjoying it even more now.
This morning in line for coffee I spotted Zach Porter singing on the flat screen above the wall menu. Zach, with band mates from AllStar Weekend were singing on Regis & Kelly. When I got home tonight I had to a search... Now, I just hope the music is as appealing!
Below Zach with Cameron Quiseng.
Below: Zach with lead guitarist Nathan Darmody and bassists Cameron Quiseng (missing drummer Michael Martinez)
Holden by Michael Tammaro
