Listen Up: Alphabeat – Hole In My Heart

26 02 2010

Hole in My Heart is the 2nd single from Alphabeat's The Spell

Like a gateway drug, Alpha Monster Mash lead me to the rest of Alphabeat’s catalog, zipping from Fascination to 10,000 Nights to What’s Happening from their debut album The Beat Is, through to the latest single off their second album, The Spell — Hole In My Heart (was that a run-on? Oops).

I can’t help but agree with Popjustice on pretty much everything, and the mood on The Spell is most definitely 90s pop, as opposed to The Beat Is’s 80s feel. The album’s first single, The Spell, borrows from the most annoying of the 90s pop sound (in my opinion), but Hole In My Heart is pure electric keyboard-synth beat 90s joy. The video is a corny hoot as well:

I just can’t. stop. listening. to. it.

More goodness is coming, too. Sources say (if YouTube counts, ha) this is the next single:

Amazing. Their “old” stuff is pretty addictive, as well, even if I’m about two years late to the trend. Their other super hooky singles Fascination and What Is Happening below the cut. What is Happening is a video of shiny, giddy amazingness. Also below the cut: Hole in My Heart ACOUSTIC!

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New report on Millennial trends & other generations released

26 02 2010

The Pew report finds that 94% of Millennials have a cell phone and 88% text. Photo by strandloper from Flickr.

Pew Research has released a new report full of lots of fun numbers and charts regarding the Millennial generation, and how they compare to the three generations above them (Gen X, Boomers, Silent). Their conclusion? Millennials are confident, connected and open to new ideas. They also are less religious than ever, are the most unemployed and are set to become the most educated generation.

You can read the report overview here and the full pdf report (150 pages of goodness!) here.

I’ll be honest: this set my little nerd heart all aflutter. It’s good reading! A lot of it is predictable, but still good to see in hard numbers, especially comparing Millennials to their parents and grandparents. Plus, I like that on some statistics they make the distinction between older Millennials — 25-29 (my age) — and the younger set (currently teenagers and in college).

But most notable to me? (as of reading up to chapter nine) Millennials think that single mothers are bad for society. To wit:

I’d expect this from the Silents and Boomers (in whose generations less than 5% of society were single moms), but Millennials ARE the single mother generation, and it galls me that on this topic, of all things, Millennials are close-minded little shits. Obviously I’m taking this personally, having been raised by a single mother. I find it disheartening that the Disney propaganda continues strong: nuclear, heteronormative family structure is the only one that is ok. You know what’s bad for society? Bad parents. Married couples can make just as good or bad a parent(s) as a single mother or father.

Interestingly enough, Millennials don’t have a problem with same-sex parenting, however the “opt-out” option, mentioned above, might have contributed to that. Single mothers was the only social topic on which Millennials were willing to state a strong, negative opinion. Given it is more culturally acceptable to speak out against single moms, it makes sense, but I was still surprised.

The report has re-sparked my interest in the topic of Millennials, and I am finally getting around to reading Generation Me, which has already sparked my mind for some debate. Generation Me’s thesis is that Millennials are more unhappy than any generation before, and more narcissistic. Pew report’s conclusion that we’re optimistic and open-minded provides an interesting counter-thesis. And the Pew report skims over other Millennial statistics, such as how this generation cheats more than any other before, and is more self-obsessed than their forefathers. Pew report focuses on the more concrete and positive, and paints an intriguing, overall picture of the Millennials, comparatively. It will make for a great comparison when I’m done with the book!


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Lost 6×05 – “Lighthouse.” Or, Hufflepuffs, mirrors and “friends,” oh my!

24 02 2010

emo Jack is emo. From Lostpedia

This recap is brought to you by Diet Pepsi & Starburst jelly beans. I don’t know, man, I was in a weird place this episode. Lots of  quipping. Hopefully that means this recap is actually funny. And also shows that if I write WHILE I watch, these posts are indefinitely more entertaining.

So! It’s time for a Jack episode, and unlike most Jack episodes wherein we deal with his ISSUES and needing to FIX PEOPLE, this one is pretty good. Why? Because in Bizarro World, Jack has a son named David. And an appendix scar he seems confused about. His hair has also inexplicably grown an inch since the plane landed. THIS IS GOOD SHIT, FINALLY.

Jack’s bizarro son wants nothing to do with him. Probably on account of his tie — Hufflepuff. Jack’s obviously a Gryffindor. (eta: to answer the many Google searches finding this post — no, Jack doesn’t have a son in the normal Lost timeline XD)

Meanwhile, on the Island, Dead!Jacob gives Hurley a mission. Someone is coming to the Island, and he needs to help him get there. Oh, and Jack has to come along. However will Hurley get him to go along? Why by delivering a cryptic as hell message! Hurley tells Jack “You have what it takes.” Oh, and if you build it, they will come.

Rousseau!Claire takes an injured Jin back to her camp, and we see that she is fully and properly Rousseaued — TNT supply, fake crib with creepy dead woodland create baby in it, flannel. She keeps going on about how the Other Others took her baby — first her father, then her “friend” told her. Just as she’s about to impale the one actually nice Other Other with an axe, Jin finally cracks, telling her that Kate took Aaron off the Island. And because crazy people do crazy things, she kills the nice guy anyway. Lame.

Hurley and Jack tromp through the woods, coming upon the caves. Blast from the past alert — Hurley finds Shannon’s inhaler. Nice reference to the only actor not making a cameo in the last season. Again we come upon the mysterious Adam and Eve. My money has been on Rose and Bernard, since the only other Lost Holy Couple is/was Jack/Kate and/or Sawyer/Kate and that’s not gonna happen. For a time I thought Desmond/Penny, but the age of those corpses would wash with 1970s Rose/Bernard not time traveling back forward with everyone else.

Jack and Hurley find an Old Skool lighthouse and Jack says what we’re all thinking “how did we not see that before.” Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious. The lighthouse has this big sun dial thingy with names crossed out and degrees/numbers, plus fun rotating mirrors. Jack sees that he is number 23… Hurley has instructed him to go to 108, which must be the assigned number of our visitor. Jack turns it to 23, and sees the house that he grew up in in the creepy mirrors. Jack comes to the conclusion that Jacob has been watching everyone.

THE CALLS ARE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE.

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Popstar to Opera Star — Finale. Boring, pitchy, Broadway and boring

23 02 2010

Will audience darling Bernie win it?

First of all, so sorry for the delay: business trip = no blogging! I have been waiting on tenterhooks to watch the finale of Popstar to Opera Star, and miraculously have not been spoiled.

So here we are! Darius vs. Bernie, in the final showdown. I think Bernie’s got it locked, but both will accomplish the difficult feat of proving themselves, and turning a new career leaf from this show. Along way, we’ve seen opera reduced to hammy puns (though I do love “know your aria from your elbow” and “don’t take the Mikado”), shlocky emotional “training” montages and praise for so-called above-par acting. Popstar to Opera Star has as much demeaned opera as it has brought it to the masses.

But it has, indeed, brought opera to the masses, and I am at least pleased that the top two are ably talented and sufficiently humble when it comes to what it really takes to be a classical singer. Darius and Bernie are good examples to the public of how thrilling and beautiful opera can be.

Now on to the show! Tonight, Darius and Bernie will not only perform pieces by themselves, but will also each duet with the show’s mentors/judges, Katherine and Rolando.

But first: why is Myleene dressed like a high class bag lady? That fabric looks cheap, the belt is ugly, and the whispy bits off her shoulder and back look like used dryer sheets. Not good.

Darius is first up, and we start with a retrospective montage. It’s a nice show of Darius’ solid and steady development and, yep, the Mozart aria – Non Piu Andrai – from week 4 is by far my favorite, and arguably his best. What is he doing tonight? Non Piu Andrai again. Ok, so it’s going to be “greatest hits” plus a duet.

I think Darius was made for Mozart. Once again, he nails the the tone, in both his acting and singing, and this time, he gets to sing the whole thing, instead of just a snippet.

Ooh — flash of Marcella in the audience, and she looks like she’s sucked on a lemon. Bad timing, or bad attitude?

Ball in Bernie’s court now, as we play the back-and-forth game. Which song will she choose? My personal favorite of hers was week one, but I think her best crowd pleaser was week two (the Godfather song). Hmmmmm.

Interestingly, she chooses her piece from week three — Les Filles De Cadix. She is shaky to start, her breathing issues manifesting early. Oh dear, she has some pitch issues. She nails all the high notes, as always, but she has the same problem she did initally: too poppy on the lalas, and breathing. I think this was the wrong song choice. If people vote on likeability and popularity, I think Bernie will get it. But after that, Darius has a shot based purely on tonight’s performance: his rehash was much better than hers.

I disagree with Rolando completely: that was not a “chaka chaka plus.” I love Bernie, but she was much better in past weeks.

Another brilliant audience shot: Danny looks bored out of his gourd, and Marcella still loves sour. Ha.

Duet time! Read the rest of this entry »


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Lost 6×04: The Substitute, or ‘in Bizarro World, Ben is a history teacher’

17 02 2010

Ben the European History teacher who hates empty coffee pots needs to be a spin-off. Photo courtesy of Lostpedia.

Time for another Lost — will it be more snoozeworthy Kate/Temple, or something awesome, like an episode that involves Ben… or a Locke episode. Ok. We start off in the AR world, with Locke arriving home from the airport. The chair lift of his handicapped van jams, he faceplants (chairplants?) onto the lawn, the sprinkler system activates and then his fiance, Helen, comes out of the house to rescue him.

Wait. Helen, who left John because he couldn’t get over his anger and bitterness and who we find out dies somewhere in the intervening years, is living with John, and they are are getting married. SHE MENTIONS HIS DAD BEING AT THE WEDDING. You know, the one who stole his kidney and pushed him out a window. *shivers run up spine*

OMG GUYS, IT’S LOST BIZARRO WORLD.  Aka: suspicions are officially confirmed that this is NOT merely an alternate reality, where life picked up exactly as it would have been, had Flight 815 landed safely. This timeline is a crazy, wacky, scary bizarro world… or, you know, a hallucination, or something. (Damon, Carlton, if you go snowglobe on me I WILL CUT YOU)

Locke’s other world is an interesting one: he and Helen are engaged, Mr. Douche-McDouchery at the box company fires John for skipping the conference in Sydney that the company paid for him to attend. Then Angry!Bitter!Locke takes his sad box-o-stuff out to the parking lot, only to find himself door-blocked by a back park job next to him.It’s Hurley! Who apparently also owns a temp agency. Some millionaires buy cars; Hurley buys random companies.

Hurley also apparently employs half of the Losties — Locke encounters Rose, the manager of the temp agency, who sets him up with a position as a substitute at a high school. Sadness: Rose still has terminal cancer. Really, bizarro world? You’re not even REAL… you still have to kill Rose :(

BEST PART OF THE EPISODE? Well, best part in Bizarro World: TEACHER BEN RANTING ABOUT EMPTY COFFEE POTS OMG LOVE. AND HE TEACHES EUROPEAN HISTORY. LOVE.

But seriously: this is the second Other we’ve seen in the AR, 100% and without irony being someone else. Ethan is a doctor, and Ben is a history teacher. My next cameo request: gay!Beardy needs to come back. Favorite dearly departed Other, hands down.

Does the numbers' order have any significance? Why no Kate?

Now, it’s not all Locke as teacher goodness, no! Back on the Island, it’s all about Not!Locke and Sawyer, and obviously dangerous ladders and then a not-so-obvious Big Bad Cave O’Numbers. Yep, that’s right! THE NUMBERS ARE BACK. And there’s a magic cave, where Jacob scrawls the name of “candidates” and assigns them numbers. The entire number sequence is there:

4- Locke 8 – Hurley 15 – Sawyer 16- Sayid 23 – Jack 42 – Kwon (Sun or Jin?)

No Kate, even though Jacob most definitely met her. Did he run out of numbers? Or is there something else to it?

QUESTIONS. But cool ones. I know everyone keeps giving Lost grief for never answering any questions, but while this episode certainly provides new ones, it also answers some, as well. Not many, but it’s good to know that THE NUMBERS ARE FOR SOMETHING, DAMMIT.

Best part of the episode, on Island: Ben’s eulogy. In Lost’s weirdest funeral yet, Ben, Sun, Frank and Ilana bury John, and when no one speaks up, Ben does the honors. Behold, his awesomeness:

“John Locke was a believer, a man of faith. He was a much better man than I will ever be. And I’m very sorry I murdered him.”

LULZ.

Good episode. Maybe possibly become a great episode, in hindsight. Spells some really interesting things for the seasons end, especially now that we know something is really fucked up in the AR. What else is different? Will the survivors be offered a choice between this world and that one?


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Alphabeat’s Gaga Mashup available on Amazon for FREE (in the UK)

17 02 2010

AMAZING

It’s finally here! The full length version is not only available for download but it’s FREE. UK residents can download it here. All the rest of us? Well, a quick Google search turned it up for me, though it begs the question: if it’s available for free in the UK, does that make it fair game elsewhere? Or will it be copyrighted in the U.S. (and the world) at a later date, and uploading it would constitute copyright infringement? I DON’T KNOW. If I reach a moral and legal decision about it with which I can be happy, I might upload it later. But I might not. I DON’T WANT TO GET SUED.

But YES. IT’S AMAZING. And they’ve called it AlphaMonsterMash. YES. It’s like a mega-mix-cover, featuring Telephone and Bad Romance.  You can listen to it on YouTube, of course, posted below.

So Amazon says it was released February 8. YOU LIE, AMAZON.CO.UK. I totally searched for it last week. Wasn’t there. Alphabeat only Twittered about it today, so I wonder how behind I am. HOW MANY DAYS HAVE I NEEDLESSLY LIVED WITHOUT THIS SONG? Full length version hit YouTube 3 days ago, so that makes more sense. Hmmmmm….


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Listen Up: Margaret Berger (behind the times!) + who is iamamiwhoami?

16 02 2010

Margaret Berger, circa 2006, during promotion for her 2nd album, Pretty Scary Silver Fairy

I came across Margaret Berger, 2nd runner up of Norwegian Pop Idol back in 2004, in the oddest of ways. There is a viral ‘guess-who’ campaign going on on YouTube that has been picked up by the likes of PopJustice and Gorilla Vs. Bear, wherein each week a WEIRD video featuring grotesque imagery and a blonde singer have been posted to the account “iamamiwhoami.” The tune is dark-tinged electro-pop, and the singer is a blonde waif covered in mud and surrounded by a swamp and trees sprouting human appendages. People have posited Xtina and Gaga as possible suspects, however it’s become clear that it is more likely an unknown.

The latest theory — which will surely be disproven (if it hasn’t already) is that it is Margaret Berger, staging a comeback from her last album, which came out way back in 2006. Gorilla vs. Bear put me onto the theory, which came from the PopJustice forums, which lead me to Berger’s MySpace page, which took me to her YouTube videos… and to a newfound pop love. There’s no way she’s the mysterious iamamiwhoami — not only are her teeth much too nice, but the sound doesn’t match at all. Even if she’s drastically reinvented herself, Berger is a happy-pop producer through and through, with a sweet voice.

So here I am, four years behind the times, but rather enamored with her music – classic 2000s European electro-pop that in some spots reminds me of a Girls Aloud song. The best, by far, is Will You Remember Me Tomorrow:

Oh, Norway. Love you. Drag queens, chicks in bright red wigs, pleather + cotton dresses? Love.

Samantha, Berger’s first single from Pretty Scary Silver Fairy in 2006, is also solid:

Second, huge favorite, is Robot Song. Never released as a single, but you can listen to it, mashed up with Wall-E footage! The inkling question, though: who is she in love with, exactly? It is a literal ode to loving a robot (is Berger a Bicentennial Man fan? XD), a reference to, say, online dating or something more… naughty? Either way, it’s a great song…:

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Project Runway 7×05 – Middle muddle

15 02 2010

Jay's dress is FIERCE

After last week’s red hot dress messes, what is in store for Project Runway this week? I suspect an off week, leading up to another massive meltdown 1-2 episodes from now (we’re due for another team challenge soon…).

Tim teases that this is one of the biggest challenges with the biggest prize: design a dress for Heidi, and the winning dress will appear on the cover of Marie Claire. Well, ok, let’s break this down. Biggest challenge? No — they’re designing a dress. Big deal. Or are they being ironic? Heidi is pregnant… BIG challenge? ha. Biggest prize? Yes, it is a huge prize, though with the way dresses are cropped on magazine covers, not much of it may be shown.

The theme of the episode seems to be “those stuck in the middle, whose names you probably don’t know yet, majorly freak out.” Janine runs around the whole episode like a chicken with its head cut off, saying to Tim “It’s the fifth week and I haven’t met the judges yet!” Tim wisely points out, “maybe that’s a good thing?”

STFU Mila: “no one was happy for me when I came in second.” What did you expect, a medal? Your fellow contestants thought your dress was ugly, and they were jealous. This is a competition, not a sorority house.

“Make it Work” watch: at the 8:56 mark, Tim says his exalted catch-phrase. Early this week! (and maybe that’s why I missed it last week?)  They’re really switching things up on PR, having Tim say it BEFORE his critique now :P

Anthony's dress reminds me of Leanna from season 5

Janine: “I should have a point of view, but… I don’t.” Oi. PR kiss of death, right there.

17:43 DOUBLE MAKE IT WORK! Editors must have decided they needed double the catch phrase, to make sure passing viewers knew they were watching PR.

The Mila hate is strong with this one, with Emilio getting his bitch out “all she’s been doing is color blocking.” Burn.

This is the point in the season where the muddy middle is pretty obvious: those floating in the middle (you probably don’t remember their names) who are lucky to have made it this far, and will either shock everyone by becoming amazing, or will start to drop like flies, now that the truly awful designers are gone.

The Middle (aka: “who?”)
Anna
Ben
Janine
Jesse
Jonathan

And the middle produces some pretty drab pieces — Anna’s vest and shorts piece might look good on Heidi, but not on a Marie Claire cover, Janine’s is first of all boring, but more importantly would wash out on a magazine cover. What is it with her tea dress aesthetic?

Jonathan thinks he’s bringing back the romper suit, but just reinforces that it’s a trend we need not revive. Ben’s is actually not bad — the colors and textures would work well on a mag cover, and on Heidi. Read the rest of this entry »


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Listen Up: We Are the World 2010

13 02 2010

The new We Are The World has dropped, with the official video being posted to YouTube late yesterday.There’s a long intro from Quincy Jones and Jamie Foxx encouraging people to donate, and the video has already had 1.2 million views in only 20 hours.

Recorded on February 1st after the Grammys, the song features the likes of Mary J. Blige, Barbara Streisand, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Josh Groban, Miley Cyrus, Enrique, Pink, Wyclef Jean, Celine Dion, Fergie, Lil’ Wayne (no, really) and so many, many more. And, in a tribute to the late, great Michael Jackson, several of his lines from the 1985 original have been kept (and archival footage in the video), plus Janet joining in with him. Jamie Foxx also sings a line in the style of the late Ray Charles :) There are also tons of WTF celebrities in the chorus — you have to watch the video to get a chuckle out of that one.

It’s surprisingly different from the original. The melody is, of course, there, but the undercurrent is modern electro-R&B pop, ala the Black Eyed Peas.  It also features a breakout hiphop section to highlight the talents of Snoop Dog, Will.i.am and others, and the closing chorus cuts to a French Haitan chant, then Kanye doing his thing (listen closely for some laughable lyrics) over some “aahhing.”

As a modern-meets-80s pop song, it’s a weird mix, and of course there is the vomit-inducing token “popular” acts included — wonders of the moment Justin Bieber & Miley Cyrus are given solo lines, plus the Jonas Brothers are in the chorus. Counter to that, older-school pop musicians who have proven their vocal prowess — Toni Braxton, Celine, etc. get lines, and it makes you wonder how decisions were made on doling these out — were publicists a huge part of negotiations, or were the likes of Bieber and Cyrus thrown in to sell to the tween set? It can’t just be covering demographics, since there are no popular country artists involved — not even Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood, who would certainly sell records. (Kris Allen is in the chorus, though!)

I actually really hate the whingy pop intro, though the song picks up quickly once you get through it to the lyrics, and there’s a borderline comic autotune moment at the mid-way point. They take 8 different pop styles, throw them into a blender, and this is what you get. The video actually isn’t as moving as the one for Everybody Hurts, in that it doesn’t use images of people suffering, but instead chooses to show images of the Haitian people looking hopeful. Ah, the difference between the U.S. and U.K. media…

The close is rousing, though, with an acapella repeat of the chorus, plus the Haitian chorus, and clapping. Good stuff. All in all, it’s a solid, if sometimes baffling, song, with a video that brings some LULZ (Jonas Brothers! Nicole Richie, hubbie Madden and baby! Elise Cuthbert WTF! Is that HEART?!?!), and it will surely raise a lot of money for a worthy cause. You can download the song and donate here.


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Popstar to Opera Star, episode five: Kym Marsh butchers Pie Jesu, blogger wants to hurl computer at the wall

13 02 2010

Last night was the semi-finals, narrowing the competition to the final two

This week of Popstar to Opera Star will determine which two contestants will go to the final: the judges have no say; things will be based solely on votes. My gut is telling me I’m going to be very angry at the end of it. Kym Marsh has defied all odds and got through week after week, despite being now the weakest singer in the competition. But she has a lot of popular support, being on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, and having an underdog story. Will I end the night by throwing my computer agains the wall in frustration? We’ll see…

Kym is first, so at least we can get this over with. The recap brings a little vomit up in my throat, but at least Katherine Jenkins is honest about the issues with it. This week Kym is singing Sarah Brightman classic Pie Jesu, by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Interesting song choice, given it’s super, duper RIDICULOUSLY easy to go flat on this song. Kym is doomed, but will probably get the votes anyway. She’s gets a bonus cute choir boy to accompany her — NO FAIR.

Flaaattttttttttttttt. And, yeah, srsly, it’s FLAT. I literally cringed all the way through it. And despite being known to the point of being almost mainstream, she can’t pronounce any of the Latin. I’ve known the Latin from Pie Jesu since I was ten, plus I’m an AMERICAN and can manage better pronunication than that! LOL. Week after week, Kym can’t pronounce any of the words properly, and can’t stay on the notes. WHY IS SHE STILL THERE?

KATHERINE JENKINS YOU LIE. THAT WAS FLAT. NOT GOOD. SHUTUP. DON’T LIE. Meatloaf blames the poor choir boy for note issues. Don’t think so. I’m going with Kym on this one. He had nothing to work with.

Darius is next, and can I say WTF: every week in the lead-in segment, they show the judges giving him crap. Yet every week in Kym’s lead in, we get ridiculous MUSH involving children, mothers and her underdog story. Producers, I hate you.

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