2 Books and A CD

The Help By Kathryn Stcokett
This book is set right on the edge of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, and it follows almost the entire way through. It is written from the point of view of Abileen an African American Maid who cares for mostly children and tends to leave before they are old enough to get mean with her. Minny another maid who has a mouth and mind for sassing but also a hard life and a lot to offer. And Skeeter a white Southern girl just returned from college, to hang out with her league friends and is really useless because not married.
There are so many reasons I would recommend this book I really identified with Skeeter because like her I have just graduated from College and really the displacement you can feel, and for so many other reasons. Plus to peek into this time and place was amazing, and not even because of the obvious differences pre -Civil Rights Movement. The way people dress, entertain, live it is so different from now (at least here). Although there are a lot of horrible stories in this book you really feel it is hopeful. And for each sad story there are stories that make you believe in the good of people, even fake people. Their stories are written very well, her voice is good and I was quite surprised when I read the back cover to see it was her first book. The Author herself had a maid and talks about the problems she faced writing this book. It is something she is not supposed to talk about but at the same time her maid meant so much to her.

Belle Isle by MoZella
This CD I love (well you know that otherwise wouldn’t take time to talk about it). I can’t even describe it is pop but I feel like it is the new version of that 60’s throw back we had recently. Once you hear it you get what I am saying. Mozella’s voice carries the CD though, the entire way through. OK the best way I can think of how to describe it is to compare it to other stuff. Jason Mraz’s first CD that fresh, happy feel even in slower songs it has that. Mozella her voice reminds me of Duffy who sang Mercy, it is strong. Let me just say this if she was a drink she would be a cold 7-Up refreshing and light. As for my fave songs I really love all of them so go give it a listen. But I will say Four Leaf Clover is my Current ringtone.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
This is a book about a cooking class each chapter is another class and another member of the class and their story. The food descriptions are scrumptious, and in fact the way she describes everyting made me think I was sitting there in the class. Usually a book of a bumch of tied together vignettes has a lot of issues with continuity but this one does an amazing job. At the end it feels like one of the recipes in the books put together perfectly in just the right way. It is a short book and I read it in a few days a nice little detour.

Dashboard Baby

Alter the Ending - Dashboard Confessional

There are a few voices that I can just listen to all the time no matter what the funky lyrics the happen to be singing. Dashboard happens to be one of those voices. This is their newest cd and I am pretty sure it has surpassed Dusk and Summer for my favorite album of theirs. Stolen is still my all time favorite song but every single song on this cd I totally love. Example: I just bought the cd this afternoon and I have listened to it twice all the way through.

Another awesome feature of this cd is that it is the delux version. Normally I would be annoyed that I'm forced to spend and extra $3 on the cd but then I realized that it is delux because you have the regular 12 songs and then you have those same 12 songs in acoustic version. The acoustic version let's you listen even more to the beautiful voice of Chris Carrabba. All the songs sound somewhat the same but the lyrics are all completely different and really good.

A few of my fav songs off of this album are: Belle of the Boulevard, Even Now, The Motions, and my fav Until Morning.

Other Albums that I am totally looking forward to listening to:

For Your Entertainment - Adam Lambert (Nov. 23!!!!!)

Kris Allen - Kris Allen (Nov. 17)

Play On - Carrie Underwood (Out Now)

Christmas from the Heart - David Archuleta (Out Now but I can't listen yet!!! Haha due to my extreme amount of love for my bestie Laur)

Noisettes- Joss Stone-Greek

Once again I am too lazy to post three times so here it is all at once.

The Noisettes – Wild Young Hearts
They were featured on the One Tree Hill ep. a few weeks ago played during Brooke’s fashion show so I decided to check them out and imagine my great surprise and happiness when I found their CD for I think $6 on Amazon to download.
But here is the issue I don’t know how to describe their sound so here is my best crack at it” That Amy Winehouse new old sound with some more guitar/rock feel and a girl with amazing pipes thrown in." The songs have original hooks and lyrics you want to sing along too (or at least in my case). Give it a listen and see for yourself though since everyone hears something different. There is even a song called Atticus as in To Kill A Mockingbird.
Faves: Wild Young Hearts, 24 Hours, Beat of My Heart, Don’t Upset the Rhythm (Top Fave), Every Now and Then, Never Forget You - pretty much the whole CD.

Greek
This show has almost finished its season on ABC Family but last night’s episode was so good I just have to show some love. A musical episode where it was believable and you saw people really practicing for it. This show centers on a brother and sister attending college and their Greek system. The brother Rusty is a polymer science major so you get your smart funny but he also belongs to the craziest frat on campus- he is all about the balance. Casey the sister is on her way to figuring it out and just in time since she graduates soon and belongs to what used to be the best sorority there- they are trying to get back.
So I know what you’re thinking I know people in the Greek System and well they are their own kind of special but this show is so good. There is all this history, inter-house rivals, Crazy Southern Christian Roommates, and oh wait the big part of college trying to grow up thrown in. And they work a pop culture reference in the best way.

Joss stone- Colour Me Free!
This girl is stubborn and you can feel it- and while if you had read anything about the girl she is a fool. That whole New Old sound was all hers to begin with and she shows her chops on this CD. Her voice is as always really good and there are just some songs where the feel is just perfect velvety sultry. If you liked her old stuff you will like this CD and well I liked her old stuff. Plus it is so good I had to skip when it came up studying too distracting.
Faves: Free Me, Incredible, 4 and 20, Stalemate, Lady, Big Ol’ Game, You Got the Love, Could Have Been You (Love Love Love)

U2- Glendale- Last Tuesday

I meant to post this after I got back but laziness and the search for a camera cord delayed me.

Opening for U2 in Glendale was Black Eyed Peas and while they tried their best to pump up the crowd it did not happen. Typical AZ fans (I spent 6 years there going to concerts and still go back for them) are usually too drunk, not even there yet because they are late, or too cool for it all. Which the last one is the worst like why did you come dude! They were good and here is a pic of Fergie because all the guys were in all black and we had awful seats so you cannot see them at all. They sang all their high energy songs and continued to talk about how U2 was the best ever for about an hour. This was my first Rock God Stadium concert where there were literally 90,000 people there. At least that is what they said, and just for reference here apparently about 60K people live in Santa Fe so all of Santa Fe and their neighboring Los Alamos were in the stadium. This tour was called the 360 tour because they wanted to make sure all the fans could see them and really hear them which is where this stage comes in to me it looks like an alien making sense since the stadium we were in looks like a spaceship. The person with me thought it looked like a crab.
Everyone came out and really all of U2 was fantastic and you can tell that this band gets along and they were all very talented and played the entire 2.5 hours, which considering they are not the youngest was pretty amazing. They started out with some of their new songs off their most recent album which while I understand their concept and get there are trying to stay fresh it just does not sound like U2 to me. There are some songs I dig but most I could take or leave. Then they hit the classics and I don’t use this word lightly, and then everyone was excited. Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, Sunday Bloody Sunday- everyone sang alone which are the moments I love. And there was also a point where he pulled three sisters on the stage and danced the waltz with each one- come on he is an Irish man. Then let the sisters sit up there for the next song. OK so here are pics I will explain.

Mr. Bono with his trademark sunglasses, sounded great the whole 2.5 hours.
The shot above was a screen shot, and this is the screen which was tiles all stretched out- yes awesome.
And there were also all these amazing lights etc. that was completely new and original looking. Overall even though Bono had his political moment I found him to be really cool, and well he is a straight up showmen with lots of talent who cares about his fans. I mean look at this stage they designed it takes 3 days to take down but everyone could see them and got a great experience. And all the members of the band are also very good at what they do. You can definitely see why they have been around so long and have so many hits.

Bootmen / Vampire Diaries /Celebration- Madonna

So here it is all at once… because I am too lazy to post 3 times.

Bootmen is this Australian movie I got from Netflix, completely worth it. It has 2 very nice looking brothers in it who work at a steel mill in a small coastal town and they are looking for a way out. One brother wants to a buy a rig, the other wants to get out by dancing. Along the way a girl, some local thugs and a dad against it all crosses their path.
There is a tragic event in this movie which I feel I should warn people about and it is R. But the way they industrialize tap dancing is really interesting to watch. And Sam Worthington as in the latest Terminator is in it, it was really shocking in a good way to see him be funny and adorable. Definitely worth adding to your Netflix queue.
There are also just 2 things in general I love about Australian movies/shows: 1. The girls look real and 2. Being a great Dancer and a manly man are not exclusive parties, you can be both. Just look at another Aussie Hugh Jackman.

Vampire Diaries so me and Heidi have already talked last night’s ep to death. But since we are both enjoying it so much I would feel remiss if I did not mention. Ok here are some of my thoughts about last night’s ep: Although I covet Elena’s jacket and hair I really need her to stop asking dumb questions, looking confused in general and keep up with the story here. Old school suits are not flattering even on a boy as hot as that. Umm Katherine you are not that nice and not that cool either. The whole dancing away the day part really was hilarious and Ian Somerhalder pulled off perfectly. Really you are going to send the TV reporter after the vampire not the cop? Really that is your plan here? Hmm well good luck buddy!

Madonna Celebration CD- A greatest hit compilation. All the hits you forgot she had, mixed well with new at the beginning and the end. I literally forgot all these songs and this fun little CD reminded me of them.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Well of few of my favorite songs at least. Okay I'm a single girl. Literally. I rarely ever get cds, usually only if Abbey has bought them and I steal them. So I amass a collection of singles and would like to share my current favs.

*Boys Like Girls - 'Love Drunk' Okay this song is just straight up awesome. The chorus is fantastic and fun and the best to sing out loud at the top of your lungs! "I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover. Love you forever..... but now I'm sober." Love it!

*Nelly Furtado ft. Flo Rida - 'Jump' This song is just fun. Fun.

*Lady Gaga - 'Beautiful, Dirty, Rich' "We want it all, but we got no money". Who doesn't identify with that? Another song that's just fun to listen to and sing with.

*Taylor Swift - 'You Belong With Me' Sweet little Taylor Swift just knows how to write a love song. So cute.

*Cascada - 'Evacuate the Dance Floor' Want a good song to listen to in your car with the windows down and loud? Or one to dance to? This is it.

*Keri Hilson - 'Knock You Down' She's got a really good voice and the song is just a good thing to remember, with all types of love. It might knock you down but just get up again.

*Priscilla Renea - 'Dollhouse' Another good "mad at the world" song. The last line is the best though; "Glad I kept my receipt".

*Owl City - 'Fireflies' Such a cute catchy melody and just lets you escape to your childhood when all that mattered was the fireflies telling you what to do.

*Jay Sean - 'Down' Okay ignore the cheesetastic part about a guy telling a girl he loves her and asking "are you down". Just skip that part and move on to the part about "you'll never be lonely, even if the sky is falling down". And remember the down down down part all day when you're singing this in your head.

There we go, my current favs.

Muse-Hack

Say it out loud, it makes sense. I'm excited I get to be first because that means that people can't steal my review! Haha. So the last week or more I've been holed up work in a lab all by myself. Which means that I get to play whatever music I want! So I put Pandora on Kate Voegele and went about my day. And here's what I've come to realize. There is not one song of hers that I don't like. She has two cd's out and I absolutely love both of them. She has a gorgeous voice that I can listen to all day long. And even better she has a good mix of upbeat songs about love, songs about hating love, and really slow songs that just calm you down. That is my favorite part because I often find that some artists have all of one kind of song, and while that kind of song is good, it's just too much. So I totally recommend both of her cds A Fine Mess, and Don't Look Away.
And she's totally a throwback to One Tree Hill, which although she's cheesy I totally love her on it because she doesn't take people's drama. So go Kate!


And because I don't want to make another post and I definitely have to get this one in before Abbey does, Rob Thomas' new cd Cradlesong. Honestly I was TOTALLY against this cd, right from the start because Her Diamonds was totally overplayed and I just didn't like it. Then I found out it was written for his wife who has cancer and I felt completely awful. But then Abbey sent me the entire cd and now that I have listened to it. I totally love it. 'Natural' is a little weird, his voice get's all smoky and fake like Christian Bale when he's Batman....but other than that I completely love it. And the title track 'Cradlesong' is so sweet it makes me want to die, and then find a boy who will sing it to me and cry. It's that good.