Tag: music

Ways to not get sick of a song

1998sakuraLeave a comment

These days, I listen to music more than ever. I even need to listen to music when I brush my teeth. When I hear a song I like, I will go on YouTube to look at the music video to see how the artist expresses the song. But have you ever experienced getting annoyed by a song because you listened to it too much? I might have a solution for that.

Recently I noticed a really cool thing about listening to music. I noticed that when I don’t see the music video of the song, I get tired of the song quicker than when I see the music video.

For example, the song “Light It Up,” by Major Lazer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2LpOUwca94 . Most people would probably say the repetitive beat would make them sick of listening to the song quickly. Also since it is overplayed on the radio, one might think it is annoying.

Photo credit: http://www.wopvideos.com

But to me, because I saw the music video, I can listen to it many times without getting annoyed. Whenever I listen to this song, the music video of the cool animation figures dancing plays in my head. I never get annoyed or sick of the image in my head. So if you find a song you like, before you overplay it and get tired of it, go on YouTube and watch the music video. I don’t know if this will work for everyone, but I hope this works for you. It is magical.

Don’t Keep Calm: Beyoncé Released Her Album

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Photo Credit: newsweek.com

After a three year wait since her last self-titled album, Beyoncé has blessed the world, yet again, with another visual album, Lemonade. HBO was the first to release the exclusive content to the world, and then it hit Tidal, a music streaming site Bey co-owns. For the first 24 hours of the pandemonium that came with Lemonade, only HBO and Tidal had rights to the album. But at 9 pm (in California) Lemonade iTunes. Beyoncé’s last visual album, Beyoncé, was dropped by surprised, sending the beyhive, and, well most of the pop culture world into a confused flurry trying to digest the news. Lemonade was different. Earlier in 2016, Beyoncé first dropped the single Formation, the song that brought the lyrics, “I got hot sauce in my bag, swag” into the world (P.S.: Lemonade reveals that hot sauce is actually the name of Beyoncé’s baseball bat, it is in fact, not, a spicy condiment for one’s food). This song left the world wondering is a new album was soon to follow. Then Beyoncé shared on Instagram that the special Lemonade would be shown on HBO Saturday, April 23rd. And now we are here, listening to Lemonade, watching Lemonade, and obsessing over Lemonade. Thank you Beyoncé.

Hello Adele

happyrose15

This week Adele was a Phoenix.

photo credit: gettyimages.com

She came up from the ashes and built herself up again.

In 2012, Adele left the world of music and took an almost 4 year hiatus to focus on herself.

She took time to have her stranded voice rebuild and for her to build a family.

This week she has brought her name back into the tabloids, by revealing that she is going to release a new album, named “25” and she released a single from that same album called “Hello.”

The music video for “Hello” already has 11 million views and counting in the first day.

photo credit: rollingstone.com

I was walking by a group of people talking about Adele’s all-mighty comeback and they said something that struck me, “I thought that she was going to be skinny when she finally came back.”

Adele is amazingly talented and even though she isn’t the media’s picture of beauty doesn’t mean that she shouldn’t be celebrated

So take a listen to “Hello,” and you will hear how she has perfectly encompassed the emotions that so many of us have experience.

Piano Keys

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The soft pangs of the notes filled the air, swirling up from the grand piano all the way around the curving stairs and straight to the top of the high ceiling of the hallway. The girl sitting on the black leather bench had wispy blonde hair, her feet dangling far above the pedals.

She shared the small seat with her mother, a woman appearing to be in her forties. She had short dark brown hair, and her makeup was applied deliberately, giving her face a slight orange tint. As she pointed to certain keys and moved her child’s small wrists up higher, her brow creased and defined the onset wrinkles there.

They were an offsetting pair – the small girl’s fragility was evident next to the woman’s full frame. It was almost as though their appearance conveyed the unsung words of their relationship; the dominance of the woman over the powerless child. And as the small blonde girl clinked away at the keys, her small fingers were barely able to reach the far black rectangles, and so the woman pulled her hands further apart, stretching the little pads of her pointer fingers further than they could go, mounting a tremendous tension of tingling sparks in the girl’s tiny fingernails, ready and itching to explode.

A Night to Remember

kennyroo

Tall, talented, and terribly handsome G-Eazy is hands down one of my favorite artists.

This man is a lyricist like no other.

He reigns from Oakland, California, which is only a mere 7 hours northeast of Ventura County.

He has come to Southern California to perform for the past few years, but the timing has never worked in my favor – until this year.

The arrival of the concert could not have come sooner, because the anticipation was killing me.

It was the last night of the “From the Bay to the Universe” tour, and it was going to go out with a bang.

After waiting in line we finally got to enter the venue. With friends in tow I walk all the way to the pit of the concert hall to prepare for the night of my life.

A DJ appears who plays a potpourri of electric music and classic rap remix’s to get the crowd excited for the opener.

Two hours after we entered and watched three different opening acts, the curtains finally close so they can get the stage ready for G-Eazy.

The whole theater starts chanting his name in bubbling excitement, and then we begin hear a countdown from 60 seconds.

Three, Two, One…

The curtains open and the night has officially begun.

The set list he created was unreal, and every single person was dancing more than they ever had in their entire life.

I wish I could go back and rewind time so I could experience the immense fun I had last night at the show all over again.

I have been to many concerts, but this was like nothing else.

As the last song of his encore ended, confetti and smoke rained down on the sold out crowd.

Walking out of there with a smile, last night will go down in history.
http://pushtotalkteens.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/gggeazy-2.jpg?w=644&h=368

The Intouchables

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

When I mention the movie “The Intouchables” to someone, they most often hear “The Untouchables.” While I hear good things about “The Untouchables,” I’ve never actually seen it, and I’m sure it couldn’t even compare to “The Intouchables.”

“The Intouchables,” which is a French film, came out in 2011. It follows the story of a wealthy paraplegic man in search of an assistant. During his interviews, a man storms in and adamantly requests him to sign a paper saying that he applied for the job, but didn’t get it, in order for him to receive unemployment. It is obvious that Driss comes from the lower-class, spends much of his time in the streets, may have a questionable past, and a poor work ethic. However, Philippe, the man hiring, takes to the fact that Driss has no sympathy for his condition. He doesn’t treat him as an invalid or an outcast. He treats him as he would anyone else. Philippe decides to hire him, despite warnings from people close to him.

What ensues is a comical friendship, where both men learn from each other. The dynamic duo breaks all the rules that have been set for paraplegics. Driss teaches Philippe how to live again, despite his condition, and Philippe teaches Driss about the rewards of giving one’s all to their work. The two push each other to be the best they can be, despite the internal and external flaws of each man.

The film is based on a true story, and is simply amazing. It is definitely one of the better movies I have seen. The filming was very well done, and the characters provided laughter at every turn, even at times coaxing out a tear or two. I watched this movie over the summer with my dad, and at the end of it, we looked at each other and said “wow.” There is really no other way to describe this movie. I’m surprised by how few people have seen it. It is definitely on my list of must-sees, so if you haven’t already, go and rent it as soon as you can. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

The Monkees.

enternity1030Leave a comment

VH1 documentary Behind the Music featured a 1960s band, “The Monkees” in the year 2000.

The show portrayed a profile of the Monkees starting with interviews with band members to tell the story of their rise from “pretend” band to bona fide pop stars, ones who sold 35 million records in 1967 alone.

The story began with the excitement of Monkees’ fans. They were screaming and so eager to break a fence to hug their stars.

Then following with archival footage and some stills, the story went back to the fall of 1965, when Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, a pair of producers from Columbia Pictures, came up with an idea for a television series about a rock group.

Inspired by Richard Lester‘s groundbreaking comedies with the Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, Rafelson and Schneider imagined a situation comedy in which a four-piece band had wacky adventures every week and occasionally burst into song.

The production began with The Monkees in early 1966 on NBC with fairly high popularity. The group contained four members – Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork and each of them was unique.

Later on they decided to form a real band instead of the comic actor-musicians. At their peak in 1967, the band outsold both the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

The show ended with each member’s life after the era of “Monkees” and their high point revival in 1986 in L.A.

The whole story brought the audience back to the 1960s which would be mostly favored by elder people, but it also provided the younger a sense of older generation’s life.

It could not be more comfortable to sit down and enjoy the past glory through the Monkees’ music.

Spirits of music.

enternity1030Leave a comment

During this summer, I met a subway musician at the Times Square Station, NYC.
It was a really, really hot afternoon and the air was just sticky and burning beneath the ground, especially in the subway.

His name was Peter Joseph Paul, a one-man-band, who played in the subway station with his music despite of the heat.


As a New york born musician, Peter formed his high-tech one-man-band and began performing in the Times Square subway station in 2007. And since then, he began to play at the station every Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Using the latest technology and electronics, Peter plays complex drum beats with his two feet, sings and plays guitar, all at the same time.

Sponsored by MUNY(Music Under New York), Peter is also an accomplished audio engineer, arranger, producer and songwriter. And his musical career started when he was 12.

(Picture from starnow.com)

“I write approximately 1-5 songs daily,” Peter said. “I have been writing for over 30 years.”

So far Peter has published two CDs  with his own songs – “Energy” and “Sum Night.” And the  next CD will be a masterpiece composed of many new styles of songs and more instrumentation, according to Peter.

“I don’t push my CDs on people,” Peter said. “If people like you, they will come up and ask you.”

During my visit, I met lots of underground musicians from all over the world and played various instruments. All of performances were exciting and enjoyable.

They are just the spirits of music who fill the subway stations with joy.

Kanye West’s New Music

displacedlocalLeave a comment

Kanye west performed on saturday night live this week, and the only way I can describe it is… Interesting. He has changed his sound to a darker more industrial style which channels the Death Grips, and It works within that style.

My only problem is that I feel like the music is much too serious. He looks like he’s having no fun. I miss the soul-sampling Kanye from his early years. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was a Masterpiece and a fantastic summation of Kanye’s style, this new album seems as though he is changing his style too much and too fast. His songs “New Slaves” and “Black Skinhead” both have titles that will stir up controversy, and I think he wants them too.

His debut of the “New Slaves” video, which he projected on 66 walls across the world was incredibly cool, and is a testament to his marketing creativity.

Shades at night

callmemaybe32Leave a comment

Sitting in a daze

Surrounded by the haze

Like I’m rockin shades

At night.

Vampire bite.

She’s sucking my blood

Takin all my love

But never givin back.

I spit these stupid raps

I just want to sit back

Relax.

The years almost over

It’s like she pulled the wool

Over my eyes

Swat me away like flies

As the time goes by

Maybe she realize

She ain’t never gonna find

A guy like me

Never again

Love you more than friends but no.

Just kidding

What I meant was be friends

Nothing more than pretend

Fairy tail books

Ok, now here’s the hook.

(Insert hook here)