Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind Part II"

Like you've never heard it before...


Alicia Key makes you fall in love with this song and the City all over again. I was in Miami for a week with family but I missed New York so much. There's no place like it.


"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do Now you're in New York.  These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York"

John Mayer's DETAILS

I picked up the new December issue of DETAILS Magazine only because John Mayer is on the cover looking really, really, really, delicious. Ugh, I can't believe I wrote that. This of course does not help the love-hate  relationship I sometimes have with John.  I seriously have my moments.  Truth be told, as much as he sometime pushes my buttons, I will never stop being a fan.  I absolutely adore his music.  The man is simply that f*cking good.

So I've decided to look past the verbal diarrhea he often suffers from and instead stare longingly at this cover (it gets better inside).   For a more effective and lasting result, it is recommended you stare while softly playing "Battle Studies" in the background. 

And now stare.  Yes-it-is-goooooood.  At some point I'll get to actually reading the article.

Leighton Meeters has the Holiday Spirit

Leighton Meeters has been doing it up with music lately and it seems that she's already gotten into the holiday spirit. She's recorded her rendition "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)".

The song is currently available for digital download on iTunes as part of the collection, A Very Special Christmas 7.


As always thanks to Just Jared for the great heads up.

Blogging With Limits

My connection to the outside world is limited to my BlackBerry and the occasional WiFi feed I find in my front yard…. if I’m lucky.  I’m in Miami visiting family for Thanksgiving with no car and no access to Internet.  I feel like a prisoner.  I can’t breathe.  Everything is so far and there’s nothing within walking distance.  I’m crying.  I’m also blogging from a bar in Aventura after a dear friend was kind enough to rescue me.  YAY!!!


Although I’m somewhat disconnected I’m thank-full to Twitter for keeping me abreast of current events.  So far I’ve learned the following:

 

New Moon breaks box office records with a reported weekend opening number of $142.8M.  Amazing!  The movie?  Not so much.  I of course loved it.  I’m a fan after all but the movie is far from being great.   It satisfied the thirst for those who loved the book…I think. 

Kristen Stewart did a great job as she pretty much carried the entire film.  I honestly felt her pain; that emptiness you feel after a break-up.  I got it. 

Taylor Lautner, good God I had illegal thoughts about that kid.  He’s 17. He’s 17. He’s 17.  I’m back.  Taylor was also great. It’s too bad he doesn’t talk more about the emotional aspect of his role instead of how much her worked out to get that body.  Not that I’m complaining. 

Robert Pattinson, love you dude but the constipated look was really getting to me.  It was even plastered on your face during Alice’s vision where she saw Bella as a vampire.  Shouldn’t you have been happy then?  Whatever.  I will go see it again simply because I’m a fan.

The AMA was this weekend.  Janet Jackson did a hot lip-singing medley.  It’s Janet-she can do that.  Lady GaGa’s piano was on fire.  That is all.  Jenny from the block fell on her…. well, thank God for cushions, eh? Adam Lambert… I switched the channel by then.  I don’t care.

Susan Boiley Dreamed a Dream and now she has an album.  You go girl!  Will you go buy it? I'm running to buy it now!  Aw damn I just tripped.  Shucks!

My Robert Pattinson Experience

First and foremost I want to give a special shout out to Veespott for getting me the hook up to the Regist and Kelly Show.  Today's Special Guest: ROBERT PATTINSON!

But first a quick pre Robert recap:  20min before going live we were hoarded into the tiny studio, given a raffle number and told to sit wherever.  I choose top center.  I figured I would be safe there in case the crazies get out of control.  My darling cousin who took the 6am train in from Long Island was already plotting where she will jump and who she was going to take down once Rob came out.  I sternly warned her she was NOT allowed to embarrass me! After a few lessons on how and when to scream and clap, the producer introduced Regis and Kelly and we were LIVE!

We endured about 15 minutes of the standard Regis and Kelly morning chatter surroundings current events.  Kelly is the best, super tiny and so sweet.  Regis is endearing.  No Kidding.  And then it was time for Robert Pattinson.  He walked out looking as adorable as ever and greeted his hosts.  As you can imagine the shrieking decibels at this point was insanity.  They went through the normal rounds of Q&A's which were of course about the movies, his auditioning, his understanding of the fanfare with vampires etc.  The best part however was during the breaks.  You know what?  I say more power to you and your cojones if you can stand up and scream at the top of your lungs for his attention.

God Bless him, really.  The patience to endure the constant screaming, people calling out your name demanding photos, autographs or just to hug you I'm sure can be very overwhelming.  But Robert gracious as ever smiled honestly just smiled and walked over and patiently took his photos, signed autographs and answered random questions.  I didn't dive in for the autograph... I'm not the type and I never was.  My cousin was torn between the thought of me killing her if she tried any funny business and embarrassing herself in front of "her man".  Whatever!  The killer was when a girl screamed, "Robert, will you please have my baby?".   Classic.  I swear the man just stopped and silently mouthed the question back to himself with the most adorable baffled look.  That there was priceless.

Overall it was an awesome experience just to be there.  You can't tell much about a person by simply seeing them across a stage but Robert gave the impression that he was truly taken a back by all of the attention.   He's just a simple guy trying to take it all in.  I honestly wish him the best of luck in the future.  He has been placed high in a pedestal  by his adoring fans and he's yet to prove himself fully.  But I'm confident that he will.  I'm excited  for what he may have up his sleeves in the coming years.  And for now, I'm excited for New Moon.

It's a New Moon Frenzy

Twilight mania is everywhere and the cast is in full blown promo mode.  Twi-hards can barely contain themselves as New Moon sets to release nationwide on November 20th!  I for one pretty much planned my vacation around this day.  Yeah, you read that correctly.  It's been almost a year to the date since Twilight first hit theaters and fans are eager to see how the characters have evolved and what from the book still holds true.  There's a lot to look forward too: new director, new characters, more action, better production.  I mean, can't you feel it?  Can't you see it?  SQUEEEE!!!

Everything surrounding the Twilight franchise has become monumentus.  There are millions of blogs out there dedicated to the books or the characters or the actors. The fandom have become, at times, ridiculously delusional and forever faithful to these beloved books.  As for the author and the main actors?   Well, lets just say that they have pretty much been forced into becoming hermits.

• Stephanie Meyer who has been in hiding for the last year grants her only interview to none other than the Queen herself, Oprah.   
• Taylor Lautner who almost didn't return to reclaim his character as Jacob, worked his a** off to prove himself worthy of the role and now has a new body.... that is all.   
• Robert Pattinson has taken the biggest blunt of them all.  He is "Edward" after all isn't he?  The man's every move is newsworthy enough for even CNN.  I'm not kidding.  And yet he remains ever so humble, deliciously brooding and continues to pose with his mouth open or showing off his best zoolander impersonation.  Le sigh
  
• And finally Kristen Stewart is well,... judge for yourself below.   But first I must say that Kristen has been the best surprise yet.  She's refreshing, simply poised, beautiful, stylish, chill, calm and collected during interviews and most of all she's FIERCE like no other.  I'm loving her no Bullsh*t attitude and how fiercely protective she is to stay true to herself and her privacy.  I say you go girl!  During her heavy week of promoting these have been some of the favorite looks capturing everyone's attention: (visit Just Jared for more awesome photos)

Jimmy Choo & H&M Heaven IS FINALLY HERE

UPDATE | 10.13 

Do you recall my post on Jimmy Choo coming to H&M?  Well, ladies it's that time.  RUN don't walk to your nearest H&M store because the collection hits stores tomorrow!  SHOP SHOP SHOP




UPDATE | 9.22: I figured you deserve more than what I  gave you earlier so here is a bit more on what to expect from the Jimmy Choo and H&M collaboration:

• Shoes, bags and a full women collection will be designed by Tamara Mellon 
• The design of the clothing line is meant to complement the accessories (think about that)
  
• There will also be a men collection
  
• Full launch is scheduled for November 2009

Here's just a sneak peak at what I came across.  It's tempting enough for me to want to blow my entire paycheck on some of this deliciousness.

Rihanna Rocks The Bells 4 | "Cold Case Love" Single

I'm loving Rihanna's new single 'Cold Case Love'.  Love the beat. Love the build at the 6:30 mark... it almost sounds as if they got Phil Collins to play it.  And there's also a Justin Timberlake and Timbaland feel to it.  I wonder....

Taylor Swift's Vengeance With Grace

They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and I say karma is a b*tch.  

I dedicate this post to sweet little Taylor Swift who's SNL performance last night was nothing sort of brilliant vengeance.


I'm loving these specific little highlights of her clever little piece:

To that JoeBro dude who broke up with her over the phone she says, "hey, Joe! I'm doing real well.  Tonight I'm hosting SNL".  BURN!


Kanye, how does it feel to be on the other end, hu? To Mr. Wonderful she says, "you might be expecting me to say something bad about Kanye and how he ran up on the stage and ruined my VMA....but there's nothing more to say cause everything is ok i've got security lining the stage."  I'm laughing with you Kanye, not at you.


And finally to Twilight's warewolf boy: erm, Taylor Lautner, I think you know what awaits you if you screw this up.  Sweet little Taylor Swift has warned, "I like writing songs about douchbags that cheat on me...I like writing their names into songs so they're ashamed to go in public..."  In Her Monologue.

Daaaaaaa Yankees Win!

Yankees

2009World Series 

CHAMPIONS

(photo credit: Veespott.com)

(photo credit: erm, google)

NYC Music Scene: Rahj and The Mash

Rahj is like a breath of fresh air.  There's a way about him that is simply contagious and that just puts your spirit at ease. It's his world and his world is groovy.

  

His music, at least the part that I'm familiar with, is exhilarating.  I adore Top 40's music from the 70's, 80's and 90's and Rahj and his band 'The Mash' have a magical way of blending the best of the best into absolute perfection; the results often sounding as if that's how they were originally intended.  It's a high-energy tantalizing experience that's delivered weekly at the Village Underground.

On October 30th however, I was introduced to a different side of Rahj.  Performing for the very first time on the stage of the legendary Blue Note, he revealed a side of him that was raw and personal.  Exposed in front of an audience that consisted of regulars, friends and family, he began to share with us the journey of his personal music and the situations in life that led to the lyrics.  This was all brand new to me and I was so excited - I took it all in like a sponge. The Blue Note's program book reads "His original music is currently maintaining heavy rotation on Sirius Radio XM, BBC as well as other stations around the world and has been featured on major motion picture soundtracks including Love the Hard Way staring Adrain Broody & Pam Grier".  

I was curious to get his thoughts on what the experience of the night meant for him and so I shot him a quick note with my questions.  His answers were so honest that I couldn't bare to edit.

ChatGem: I understand it took some time and convincing to get you on to the Blue Note stage, what did it mean for you to finally be there? 

Rahj: Rolling by that line of people waiting to get into that place on the way to my other gig every weekend after all these years, felt like a window shoppers dream.  I knocked on the door enough to know I better stop trying to push before I "really" annoy them.  I think we got noticed when we started Tuesday nights at the V.U.  One of their managers came across the street and caught a bit of our show and soon after I got an invitation from the owner, which is now being framed along with the pictures I took with my peeps that night. 

To me this night IS SUCCESS!  I'm still high from it (without smoking).  My Dad and friends filled the room for an hour of original songs. The general manager of the Blue Note pulls me aside to say "we'll be doing it again".  The short answer to your question is, I feel like the real life version of Will Smith puttin my hands up in "Pursuit of Happiness."

ChatGem: If this was dream of yours, how high in the bar of dreams does it fall and where is the top?

Rahj: Feels like a living dream now. I got a chinese fortune cookie when I was broke and jobless that said, in a season I'd be better off than I ever have before.  I laughed at it (but i kept it). These days prove it right.  I'm better of now then I've ever been before.  I'm not saying that there isn't more but I'm cherishing these days because I'm surrounded by incredible artist and a community I love. I get to play music almost every night; I'm learning to present songs better.  There's nothing better than growing to be less afraid and moving on it with my click to see if it can travel the world a bit... while we have our place at home.

It's simple you see... like with most New York City artist, Rahj oozes talent and has struggled to get his music noticed.  He is ambitious and a big dreamer but he's also realistic.  He knows and understands his blessings and doesn't take any of it for granted.  He is that breath of fresh air as I mentioned earlier.

You can catch up to Rahj and The Mash Tuesday nights at the Village Underground.  Click here for more on Rahj and also be sure to visit his youtube page.  And finally, here is a little bit a video I took the night of the Blue Note.  Here he is accompanied by good friends, Brockett  Parsons of Diddy's Making His Band on keys and Taylor McFerrin, beatboxer extraordinaire.  Enjoy!

Yankees To The World Series

Today is the deciding Game.

I can't breathe.

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Daaaaaaaaa Yankees WIN!

Sh*t Yeah!

How you feeling Philly?

NYC Music Scene: Caleb Hawley

I'm excited to share my two amazing musical experiences from this past week!  The problem is that I'm also dreading having to write them since I'm recovering from the insanity that was this Halloween weekend. Wanting to be fair to both artist I decided these would happen one at time and with a little smart cheating from google search.

First on the list is Caleb Hawley: Having left the show in absolute awe of his incredible talent I knew that what I shared had to be just right.  Caleb's brand new CD "Steps" is currently on my iPod repeat setting since its official release on October 29th.  (Sweating) To my surprise luck was on my side. On my very first attempt I not only ran across this very honest piece by 52 Recordings in 52 Weeks, but I also found a press release" by no other than Caleb Hawley himself.  SCORE!

Truthfully, I could not have captured the moment any better that what is said below.  Each showcases the talent behind the man, how simply down-to-earth he is and well, how pretty damn witty he also happens to be.  But before you head off to read my great finds, please take a moment to listen to the beautiful words behind "Samantha", a love song dedicated to his wife.  (sorry for shaking... my balance was questionable after the 4th Heineken)

CD Release Show Reviewed
By Caleb Hawley
Once again, I failed to get any press on my show, so I just wrote my own.
CD Release Sings of Success; Caleb’s Style Still Suffers
By: One of Caleb’s Alter Egos
Wow was it a happening place at the Bitter End last night. The room was packed and ready to witness Caleb Hawley’s much anticipated CD release show. There were more people on stage than Hawley had ever had, and every single one of them managed to look better than him. How embarrassing that the star of the show failed to dress for the occasion. In fact, I had assumed he was the roadie until he introduced himself. “Wow, that’s him?” I said to myself, as my expectations fell fast. This was no Lady Gaga.
I started to walk out, when suddenly a glorious sound came from the stage. I walked back to my seat and decided to give him another chance. A groovin’ rhythm section and howlin’ horn section ripped a solid first song about his struggle in the music biz, entitled “Small Steps”. I thought to myself, “If only he let ME dress him, he wouldn’t have such a hard time!” Next he started playing a song about the economy – I could relate, because my daddy worked for Bernie Madoff. It had been a rough year, and the song made me realize that one day we would be rich again. In the middle of the song he busted out Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass” – what a treat! As the show went on, I shed tears of laughter and tears of sadness. One of the highlights was the when percussionist Ryan Vaughn took a solo on his cheeks. The cheeks on his face of course. The show ended with “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”. The strobes turned on and I felt like I was in the club. Ah, familiarity. All of the sudden everyone in the audience turned into monsters and did the dance from Thriller. I don’t know how everyone knew it, but it was awesome.
By the end of the show, I had had myself a marvelous time, and had completely forgotten about his unfashionable first impression. I decided to stay for the next act, Martin Rivas. A funny thing happened. I once again thought he was the roadie, and once again started to leave, and once again walked back to my seat, and once again forgot about fashion. They must be musical cousins or something.


WK28 - Caleb Hawley - Steps

By 52 Recordings in 52 Weeks


BLURB - This disc cannot capture the pure and effortless talent that is Caleb Hawley.  Berklee grad Caleb Hawley is likely the best songwriter you've never heard and will continue to fly under the radar for the time being.  Hawley oozes music in a manner that is genuine, personable and, dare I say...fun?  I've had the pleasure of seeing this distinguished artist a handful of times, being exponentially pleased with each successive performance.  His knack for chord progressions and modulation is unparalleled.  Each of his songs contain no less than 239 chords and countless licks that always leave you wanting more.  The only problem I can find is the ability to effectively contain and reproduce his energy and genius on a record.  'Steps,' while having a very raw production quality is filled with hits and brilliant tones that will leave you asking, why isn't this on the radio?


NOTE: Look for my piece on Rajh and The Mash in the next couple days - CG

Robert Pattinson Vanity Fair Cover

UPDATE:  No words. The man is beautiful. Just remember to breathe because I'm convinced that this is hazardous to your health.  Now excuse me as I entertain some private dirty thoughts.  For more like these visit Vanity Fair.  

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There's something a little porn-ish about the way he's looking at me but hotdammit the man is simply delicious! This is the new December Vanity Fair cover featuring Robert Pattinson... in ALL HIS GLORY.  

(Tagged pics really suck, but beggars can't be chooser, right?)