Discovering music is an adventure. Some stay within their comfort zones, others step out of it with the hope of being rewarded by finding something that resonates with them. But sometimes even the most thought out musical experiment, however talented the band, does not pay off. I find myself with a band featuring talented members,… Read More Music Review: Xombie – ‘Capital X’
They used to be two peas in a pod. Being inseparable from Brianna made a lot of things easier, including navigating middle school with lethal food allergies. Her friend is the reason why Nina was able to avoid sitting at the table reserved for others like her – other students with food allergies, who presence… Read More Book Review: ‘My Year of Epic Rock’ by Andrea Pyros
Australian artist Billy Roberts has put together a 10-track album titled The Last Of The Originals which, although marketed as country, it’s also Americana (with folk and blues elements) and even features traces of hard rock. With Roberts on the guitar and taking care of the vocals and Billy Anderson on the piano and drums,… Read More Music Review: Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders – ‘The Last Of The Originals’
Celebrity culture pervades our day to day lives. We have an unhealthy relationships with the people that influence our lives, placing them on pedestal and deifying them. When it comes to someone like Coco Chanel, whose influence, even a little over 40 years after her passing, infuses to many lives around the world, that deification,… Read More Book Review: ‘Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History’, by Rhonda K. Garelick
He apparently calls himself a DIY artist and says that he does things without taking into consideration what others judge as good or bad. Little wonder then that rapper Oswald’s songs are so different from the offerings of mainstream hip hop and rap. In his debut EP, Ride, the young artist stands head-to-head with hip… Read More Music Review: Oswald – ‘Ride’ EP
Combining sounds that reminded me of a diverse group of bands, from Oasis to The Beatles and including Nirvana, Dog Society’s Bruce Erik Brauer (guitar, backup vocals), Rich Guerzon (bass, backup vocals), Brian Schnaak (lead vocals) and Joe Ranieri (drums) from New York have put together a catchy rock album. While the sounds and the… Read More Music Review: Dog Society – ‘In the Shade’
I have to confess from the beginning that I am particularly demanding when it comes to books written for preteens. After all, they are particularly vulnerable to the influences of their environment, be they positive or negative. The Prank List by Anna Staniszewski made for an interesting read. The main character, Rachel Lee, is set… Read More Book Review: ‘The Prank List’ by Anna Staniszewski
There are different things about an album by an lesser-known artist that would lead a person to give it a try. In this case, it was the title Life in Static (released on August 15). I was intrigued by the concept of a life in static. The definition of the word is: 1) that of… Read More Music Review: Larusso – ‘Life in Static’
Also known as Jorge González, Leonino is preparing to release on 15 September a new album titled Naked Tunes. Hailing from Chile, Leonino has been in the music industry for quite some time, and puts together his experience and love for music to bring to audiences a taste of the world as he sees it.… Read More Music Review: Leonino – ‘Naked Tunes’
Hailing from Austin, Texas, band members Taylor Eichenseer, Danny Ferraro, and Alex Margolin have put together an alternative, pop rock, piano-driven album in High Street Barton Blues, a collection of 14 songs ranging from a little over a minute to almost five minutes. The shorter songs seem to act almost as bridges between the album’s… Read More Music Review: Just Walden – ‘High Street Barton Blues’