Category: Dead

Moon Child

11/13/2015

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As a general rule I question why every artist has a name for their fanbase. And, yet for some no matter how small, it just makes sense. It's a community.

For Kerli it just makes sense that she has her moon babies. I can just sense this protectiveness she has over her fans. Her moon children may be small in number, but their number doesn't matter. Being in love with Kerli is in the same as being in a wonderful cult.

Kerli is everyone's favorite Estonian. A country in the Baltic part of Europe right by Latvia and Lithunia and more noticeably, Russia. She's a unique beauty and has embraced prosthetic attachments on her face for musical appearances. Colored hair and of course glitter.

The only way to express what Kerli is doing is that she's a survivor. She grew up in an abusive household. Something she attributes to the dark undertones of her first album Love Is Dead. “Until you're absorbed by darkness you can't overcome it and face the light.”

Anyone paying close attention in 2008 would have been looking at Kerli to make it big. Even now there's still this possibility that she could be huge. The album has a twisted fairy tale aesthetic and is alternative goth electronic. It was experimental in a boundary pushing way. It's only single “Walking On Air” didn't make any impact in the United States.

Buy"Walking On Air"

Although, she remains the only Estonian artist to chart on the albums chart with Love Is Dead and Utopia at 126 and 196 respectively. The album sales for both were commercial disappointments. Part of the reason she split ways with her record label, Island.

She took a five year gap between Love Is Dead and Utopia. Releasing two electronic buzz tracks “Army of Love” and “Zero Gravity” as well as recording “Tea Party” for the Almost Alice soundtrack. Continuing to spread her own brand of pop excellence.

Utopia's lead off single remains one of my favorite songs. “The Lucky Ones”. It's gorgeous synth. Simple but effective. Her voice is the emotional centerpiece and the music video only drives home it's central idea. When I say it's one of my favorite songs, that's an exaggeration. I'm constantly coming back to it and being inspired by it.

Buy "The Lucky Ones"

Some Moon Babies called her a “sell out” for making more electronic music. A change in style hardly makes someone a sell out. Especially with a record label that failed to push this song onto the radio. Kerli could have been the breakout star of 2013.

In fact Utopia was released as an EP when originally it was intended to be a full studio release. They cut six songs from it, added a remix, and called it a day. They fucked her over.

Since, then Kerli's being featured on some experimental electronica from Seven Lions and Benny Benassi. She's cowritten some of my recently favorite songs. The highlight of the Pentatonix EP Vol. 3 “See Through” features Kerli as a contributor. And, Hilary Duff's Breathe In. Breathe Out features the ecstatic track “Confetti” that was originally a Kerli demo.

Right now she's signed to Ultra records. Working on a music video for her second album. Writing and producing all of her songs in the forests of Estonia. And, if you think I'm kidding, then you don't know Kerli.

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Quan To The Co

10/16/2015

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ABC is killing the game. Literally and figuratively.

In a highly inventive new television show Quantico there will be FBI recruits, sabotage, golden boys, and terrorism. All playing into America's deep rooted fears of a terrorist attack. The show is going to play with those conventionalities that have made Homeland such a runaway hit for Showtime.

The reason I discovered this show is because of actress Priyanka Chopra. I did a Snapshot Saturday on her entitled Drop Dead Priyanka (read here). I was trying to title it as a variation on “drop dead beautiful” and looking back on it I realize I didn't do a great job on that.

She is a beauty pageant queen. She was very successful at it. Imagine Vanessa Williams in the eighties. Priyanka is gorgeous. She's also a phenomenal actress and women's right's activist in India. She's really an amazing woman.

She will be starring as the lead Alex Parrish. From what I've been able to gather from the trailer, she is an independent woman. She is very confident with her sexuality.

This show is set up to be a thriller. The central concept is that it's a flashback to her days in training at Quantico. One of the people she trained with committed this terrorist act on American soil and she's been set up for it.

Over the course of the season it should focus on her times training and her current situation of trying to discover who set her up. There's the golden boy. The one who's beautiful to look at, but only got in because his parents are agents. Jake McLaughlin is set up to be her love interest. More then likely he will not be the traitor.

Jake McLaughlin

Graham Rogers

There's a whole slew of other characters here to misdirect and throw suspicion. It will be intersting to see if this show does well. It airs on Sunday's. A tough time slot to say the least. Pan AM, GCB, 666 Park Avenue were three shows canceled consecutively in the same time slot Quantico is set for.

This is going to be Priyanka's debut to American audiences who are widely unaware of her superstar status in India. She's tried to launch a music career here, but neither Pitbull assisted “Exotic” or Bonnie Raitt cover “I Can't Make You Love Me” clung to American radio.

If this show is the success it has the possibility of being, this could be what gives Priyanka a leg up in the music industry. See Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande for examples.

I haven't been able to watch it, yet. Tragically I work on Sunday's, but I have high hopes for it. Honestly, I'm going to catch up over the winter break and report back to you. Trying to keep up with Scream Queens and America's Next Top Model is the struggle right now.

Make sure to checkout Quantico on ABC. It airs on Sunday's at 10/9 central. They've only aired a few episodes, so there's still time to catch up before it's season finale later this year.

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This Is Halloween

10/31/2014

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Happy Halloween, everyone. I hope you are doing something real exciting. I was supposed to be going to a murder mystery party today. Instead I am at work. We were not allowed to ask off from work, and I was like please god. He did not answer. Hopefully it is not busy. We shall see.

Now some of you may be hosting a party tonight, just looking for some good music to put on in order to be festive. That is what I am here to do. I love all of these songs. With any luck these should be the creepy that you did not think of to add to your Halloween play list. I will not insult your intelligence. I'm sure you got the cornerstones: “Thriller”, “Disturbia”, “This Is Halloween”.

Last year Queen B deposited some perfect Halloween music for us. “Haunted” should have the feel that you want for a Halloween party. It is minimalist and it's also called “Haunted”. So, that lyrical content is on point. I also think her cover of Amy Winehouse's “Back to Black” with Andre 3000 is a strong contender to being added to your play list. If you don't feel it, maybe the original Amy version is more to your liking.

Buy "Haunted"

For BoA's first and only English studio album, she did a cover of girl group Monrose's “Scream”. It might not be perfect Halloween mood, but unlike Christmas we do not have albums dedicated to the subject. I like BoA's version better, because I like BoA. She's a major K-Pop, J-Pop star in line with the stardom of Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera.

Buy "Scream"

The video is what makes “Two Black Cadillacs” a perfect song for Halloween. It's about this possessed car that ends up killing a man. Perfect for Halloweeen. And of course the song itself is about the same thing. Killing a man who has done you wrong. Carrie Underwood always reinventing how to get even with a man.

Buy "Two Black Cadillacs"

Known for “Forget You”, his spot on The Voice, and his recent comments on rape Cee Lo Green released a solid soul R&B album The Lady Killer. I still like the album. I just don't know what he's doing with his life. But, one of the songs on it is “Bodies”. An evident precursor to his thoughts on rape now that I think about it. Still perfectly creepy for Halloween. It is heavily suggested by the song that his lovers body is found dead in his bed. The backing music alone should be strong enough to grab your attention.

Buy "Bodies"

Now this is more of a fun lyrically relevant Halloween song by Diablo Swing Orchestra. Part rock band, part Orchestra, part Opera their fun and silly song “Voodoo Mon Amour” should shift the underlying emotional stress of previous song “Bodies”.

Buy "Voodoo Mon Amour"

You should be aware that I adore Fergie. I mean I did do a week of Fergie. So, there should be no surprise that her song “Voodoo Doll” found it's way onto this list. With hushed lyrics (I don't have arms, I don't have any human qualities) and talk of stalling the devil and looking into crystal balls. Both musically and lyrically it should find space on a Halloween playlist.

Buy "Voodoo Doll"

“I'm In It” may not exemplify Halloween, but Kanye West throws in enough robotic screams to make it a terrifying pop/rap experience on his last album Yeezus.

Buy "I'm In It"

Of course Lady Gaga found her way into Halloween. With more then one song to choose from, I settled on “Bloody Mary” and “Monster” as exemplary Halloween lore.

Buy "Bloody Mary"

Buy "Monster"

With Lana Del Rey almost all of her songs have the right atmosphere for a Halloween bash. You could pick either of the title tracks off of albums Born to Die or Ultraviolence and have a perfect Halloween slow jam. However, “Gods and Monsters” off of her EP Paradise is much more inclined towards the spirit of the holiday over the other two tracks. Halloween is all about being in the lands of Gods and Monsters.

Buy "Gods and Monsters"

Queen Madonna after thirty years in the music business has made more then enough music for at least one of her songs to make it's way into this list. Let's start with 2012's “Gang Bang”. All about shooting her lover in the head over and over, meeting him in hell and doing it all over again. Halloween enough for you?

A Justin Timberlake backed “Voices” closes out her Hard Candy, just in time for Halloween. There are voices in “your head”. Creepy bells to close out the track and enough lyrical content to suggest being possessed to warrant a nod towards the month of October.

This song is much more fun and upbeat. It was a leftover from Like a Prayer and it found its way onto the B-Side of her “Cherish” single. Something is “Supernatural”, some have suggested that it is the touch of your hand. While, I just like to think it was made for Halloween. If you like it. Rip the song from youtube. You can't download it legally from iTunes or anything like that.

Buy "Gang Bang"

Buy "Voices"

You should be familiar with Phil Collins classic “In The Air Tonight”. Knowing the back story to this song, should help you realize why it's perfect for tonight. It has been said that the lyrics tell the story of someone drowning, crying out for help, and that person choosing not to save them. It has also been suggested that the narrator is Phil Collins himself, who saw all of this happen, but was unable to do anything to stop it. Over the years Phil Collins has always denied that this song means “anything”. It's still a fascinating story none the less isn't it?

Buy "In The Air Tonight"

There should be no explanation for why The Pretty Reckless's song “Going to Hell” made the cut. If you like this song by the Taylor Momsen fronted band, you might also be interested in their song “Zombie”.

Buy "Going To Hell"

We all know Rihanna's major smash “Disturbia” and scene stealing “Russian Roulette”, but what about the opener to album Rated-R, “Mad House”? Under two minutes long. There's no reason not to let her open up your Halloween bash.

Buy "Mad House"

Silly Christian band The W's is my final suggestion with their song “The Devil is Bad”. Between all the zombies, bloody mary's, drownings, and debauchery of the night it might be good to remember that the devil is bad.

Buy "The Devil Is Bad"

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Find Amazing Amy

9/21/2014

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My neighbor bought me two books for my birthday. Both hardcover and the first a Jessica Fletcher novel. Not one of the novels she 'wrote' on Murder She Wrote, but another extended adventure of sweet charming, Jessica Fletcher running into yet another dead body. The other book, however, I was quizzical of. It was written by Gillian Flynn and had this remarkable, stark cover.

Gone Girl

Mind you, I think my neighbor read both of these books before she gave them to me. They were both 'new', but they also weren't new. Either way I couldn't afford to buy two hardcovers, and I find it to be funny. She thinks she pulled one over on me.

You probably do not know about Gone Girl. Americans do not read. I am guilty. I love a good book, I just don't usually get around to it unless its summer. I started reading Gone Girl right around the semester exams. You have nothing to do in class besides study. And, that's tedious. So, I read.

This book apparently was the second best selling book behind 50 Shades of Grey last year. And, yet I had no idea what this book was. I had never heard of it. Now people who have read this book will tell you. Oh, my god, Gillian Flynn is so amazing. I never saw any of this coming. She is a true genius.

No, no. It may just be that I've read a lot of Agatha Christie in my life and Gillian Flynn's little ploys were not holding water with me, but I knew what happened. It was page twenty and I knew. I knew what had gone on. Not all of it, because for that part Gillian Flynn did an amazing job, but I still knew.

So, it's reasonable to ask. Why are you recommending this book to me. First of all, multiple people were shocked by this book, I am probably among the rare majority, so you really will think Gillian Flynn is a genius. Mainly, though. It's just really entertaining. It's a solid fun, quick paced, witty in the dark kind of humor way. I really like this book. It might have taken me three days to finish it.

The general premise is that Nick Dunne is the husband of his missing wife who has been kidnapped, killed, taken from their home in Missouri. The rest of the book deals with whether or not he did it. And, that's really the only part where I question Gillian Flynn's writing style. Because, he highers a lawyer. Nick has to. Whether or not you think he did it. He looks guilty as sin. So, he highers a Johnny Cochran style lawyer who's supposed to be wealthy and powerful and articulate. This man swears like a drunken sailor.

Gillian. Sweetheart. That is not how you handle a classy sophisticated man's character. His wife was also the inspiration for a child's book series Amazing Amy. So, poor Nick over here is really on trial for not only killing his wife, but for killing an American staple. His life is messed up.

There is also a movie coming out on October 3rd. Plans have yet to reveal whether or not I will be doing a Media Monday for it or not, but we shall see. Gillian Flynn, the writer of Gone Girl wrote the screenplay. So, kudos to her. I was excited for this movie when I heard Reese Witherspoon was attached to it.

She's just producing it. *sigh*.

However, Ben Affleck is starring in the lead alongside Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry who are doing god knows what in this movie. Tyler Perry being in this movie is giving me pause, but we shall see. I'm going to go see it. Probably with Rosencrantz if she isn't too scarred over Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.

And, you'll know if I'm doing an extra article on the movie. Just check the homepage, twitter, tumblr. You'll find out one way or another.

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Moon Child

Quan To The Co

This Is Halloween

Find Amazing Amy

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