There are many reasons for giving new artists a try. Anne Simone piqued my interest because of the following words she wrote: “I am a citizen of the world./I tread gently on this earth./My glass is always half full./I celebrate differences./I believe music soothes the soul./I aspire to be the change I want to see.”… Read More Music Review: Anne Simone – ‘Bittersweet’
An interesting mix of gypsy inspired sounds are blended in with soul and a dab of rock in Lovesucker’s self-titled EP, released in October 2014. The North Carolina duo— Crystal Cosby (vocals) and Zoltan Von Bury (instruments)—manage to bring these distinct styles together to almost create a unique, fourth genre they refer to as “gypsy… Read More Music Review: Lovesucker – ‘Lovesucker’
New York City self-proclaimed alternative rock band The Workers released last month an EP entitled Totem. Its three tracks– the opening “Death Race”, “Boomerang”, and “Big Time”, all reflect a certain dark wistful energy. They all also are simple while featuring intricate instrumentation by its seven member band: Dan Greenwald (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Will… Read More Music Review: The Workers – ‘Totem’
Brooklyn-based experimental electronic artist goste released earlier this month his third EP titled Eugene. goste, whose real name is Owen Ross, is a producer, instrumentalist, and composer; one of the unique features of his music is that he adds his own vocals to tracks. While goste is a solo project, the EP also features Chris… Read More Music Review: goste – ‘Eugene’
The energy of rock and the emotions of soul come together in Pacanomad’s debut five track EP Restless. The four member Canadian indie rock and R&B band, comprised of Chantel Rivard (vocals), Nick Cifaldi (guitar), Dave Ball (bass), and Zack Stewart (drums), build on the strength of Rivard’s smoky vocals and Cifaldi’s guitar skills to… Read More Music Review: Pacanomad – ‘Restless’
Leftovers is the second book by Stella Newman I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. The story is a little different, but the morale is the same: while romance is beautiful, it is not a necessary component to building a happy, fulfilling life. No, Leftovers is not a rant on the superiority of… Read More Book Review: ‘Leftovers’ by Stella Newman
Being a teenager is already hard; but it’s even harder when your mother is a congresswoman running for re-election. While seventeen year-old Reagan Fray doesn’t have to worry about material things, she has a lot of other things that weigh her down. The pressure of appearing perfect is extremely difficult; taking example from her mother,… Read More Book Review: ‘Life Unaware’ by Cole Gibsen
In a tradition similar to that of Jennifer Weiner, the lives of four women become tightly intertwined as they learn that life lived through wishful thinking does not guarantee their dreams coming true. Four years ago, the precocious Kenzie Armstrong saw an end to her quick ascent up the marketing career ladder because of a… Read More Book Review: Lindy DeKoven – ‘The Secret Life of Wishful Thinking’
Many women spend countless hours and large sums of money to get rid of unwanted hair. From our eyebrows all the way to our toes, there is not a single part of the female body that has not been subjected to plucking in some form or another. How many of us have stopped to consider… Read More Book Review: ‘Plucked: A History of Hair Removal’ by Rebecca M. Herzig
Heartbreaking in its simplicity, Pieces of my Mother is Melissa Cistaro’s attempt to shed some much needed light on her dark past. Her mother—the woman who left her three children and her then-husband when Cistaro was a very small child—is dying, and Cistaro finds herself holding vigil at her bedside, desperate to connect with the… Read More Book Review: ‘Pieces of my Mother’ by Melissa Cistaro