Davy Jones

I could hardly believe it when I saw the news that Davy Jones had passed away today, at age 66 of a heart attack. It came from out of the blue.

Davy was my first 'celebrity crush.' It didn't matter that he was 48 years older than me or that The Monkees were a band from before my time. I listened to The Monkees in the car, on the way to school and day camp, and at the swim club in the summertime. Friends in school made fun of me for liking such an "old" band, so I hid my musical taste from people at school. Only my closest friends knew I was a "closeted Monkees fan." When the show started airing on Nick at Nite for Monkee Mondays, I was more than excited. I watched every episode and tapes them on VHS so I could watch them any time. For my birthday, my parents bought me the ever-coveted Monkees VHS box set...every single episode plus the 33 1/3rd Revolutions Per Monkee special! It was the biggest box of VHS tapes I've ever seen. It was a prized item in my collection.

I would listen to Monkees albums constantly, throughout Junior High and the beginning of High School. I pretended to be part of the band, and would sing with them. I knew all the words to Goin' Down and the scripts to every episode. My Monkees obsession culminated in 10th grade when I learned they were playing live in Atlantic City. I bought tickets as soon as possible and went to see my favorite band - my first ever concert. They were incredible to see live, so I bought tickets for one more show a few months later, this time in Holmdel, New Jersey. It was at that show where I met Renee, Davy's soon-to-be-girlfriend. She was sitting next to me at the show and met him that night, beginning their love affair. I kept in touch with Renee for a few years, but I'm sad to say I've lost touch with her now.

The Monkees led me to realize that there actually was music that I could enjoy. Before them, I believed I just wasn't in to music. They made me realize that I may not have liked popular music at the time, but there was such a thing as music that I could enjoy. From The Monkees, I was led to The Beatles...the band that I have identified with the most for the past 10-15 years. The Beatles would be come my new obsession, and lead me in to even more incredible music. But, I'll always have a special place in my heart for The Monkees. I will miss Davy for his wonderful sense of humor....his "I have 4 daughters...all girls" joke, his unique swaying dance (stolen by Alex Rose, as he mentioned often - "Been there, did that, got the tee-shirt" ;) ) and his wonderful songs.

                                           

Anything Goes

Last weekend my wonderful boyfriend and I were lucky enough to get tickets to the first Broadway show we've been to in a long time. We saw Anything Goes at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, and it was really fabulous.

Thanks to a very thoughtful Christmas gift, we spent a night in a hotel very close to Times Square. This gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the famous discount tickets booth, just a few blocks away. Sunday morning, we were in line at 10:30am, and the booth opened at 11. By 11:15ish, we had great seats for the matinee performance of Anything Goes. The show won the Tony for Best Musical Revival, and had a great cast, including the incredible Joel Grey.

The plot of the show doesn't really make a ton of sense. It's a case of a lot of mistaken identities, silly old-time-y jokes, and convenient coincidences in the plot to make the songs fit the story, bit none of this mattered. The songs, all written by Cole Porter, were wonderful, especially since they were performed by such an incredible cast. It was exactly what we were looking for - a true Broadway musical complete with big dance numbers and amazing singing. It felt like we went back in time, to the heyday of Broadway.

The show was surprisingly funny and even a little racy. There were a lot of little jokes in there that would go over younger viewers heads, but were definitely shocking, especially knowing the show's first run was in 1937!

My favorite numbers were the show-stopping "Anything Goes" which really had it all, and "The Gypsy in Me," which I thought was the funniest number in the show. "Anything Goes" included almost the whole cast in a long and very impressive tap dancing break. "The Gypsy in Me," was a hilarious look at the fuddy-duddy englishman character, who all of a sudden becomes a deeper character. One other song I wanted to mention was "Friendship" where the characters break the third wall at the end and acknowledge the audience, pretending to mess up the end of the song and argue about it. That part caught me off guard and was a really funny surprise.

I didn't know any of these songs prior to seeing the show except "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "De-Lovely." It was really fun to go to a show, not knowing the plot or the songs in advance. I was definitely really impressed with this show, and I think we will be seeing more of Broadway this year.

Review - EP002 by thenewno2

I have been meaning to write a review of thenewno2's second EP, which came out last September, for a while now. This is the third official release from the band, following their first EP (EP 001) which came out in 2006, and their full length album, You Are Here, from 2008. The band is currently working on their next full length album, The Fear of Missing Out, which fans are hoping will be out this year. According to thenewno2's facebook and twitter pages, they are in the process of mixing the album.

While fans have been waiting for the new album, the band put out EP002 to tide us over until the new album is released. EP002 features 4 tracks, with an impressive array of guest appearances by Regina Spektor, Jessy Greene, and members of the Wu Tang Clan. Thenewno2's lineup on this EP include vocals, guitar, and programming by Dhani Harrison, and drumming from the band's original drummer Oli Hecks. Other band members include guitarist Jeremy Faccone, keyboardist Jonathan Sadoff, and bassist Nick Fyffe. Paul Hicks joins the band on this release, as an additional programmer.

Wide Awake: The EP opens with a signature thenewno2 sound - an electronic melody that sounds like a cross between Lord Lord from EP001 and Another John Doe from You Are Here. This ambient intro builds for about a minute, and a strong drum beat is introduced, with drummer Oli Heck's characteristic sound. Dhani starts singing lyrics that tell the story of someone who is extremely exhausted, and yet, cannot fall asleep, laying in bed late at night. Throughout the song, there is a chorus of the phrase "Get Away," emphasizing that the singer just wants to get these feelings away so he can fall asleep. The song sounds like the lyrics, feeling draggy but without being boring or too slow. Jessy Green, who played with Dhani when he was on tour with Fistful of Mercy, adds an accompanying string part on violin, that adds greatly to the feeling of this song. Towards the end, there is an interesting guitar solo with a cool effect. The song ends the ambient feel of the intro, which begins to fade down before coming to a stop.

Mr. President: Credited to Bennett, Block, Diggs, Harrison, and Sadoff, this song is an amazing collaboration between thenewno2 and the Wu Tang Clan. This song begins with a fast paced beat and an electronica intro. The keyboard in the song reminds me a lot of the song So Vain from You Are Here. It is another signature thenewno2 sound. Dhani begins the first verse of the song, singing against war and greed and how crazy it is that someone can just push a button and wipe out an entire nation. This verse ends with Dhani singing "Here come the Americans." At this point, the song becomes a rap, where Wu Tang Clan members RZA, Crisis, and Sir Eyes take turns rapping about the good and the bad. The rap sections thank the President for good things that have happened, while also condemning the war and economic policies of greed. Each verse ends with the line "I love you Mr. President," while one verse states clearly, "I'm talkin' Bush, not Obama." The song is a great reflection of the country today, of both the good and the bad. The song ends with the Pledge of Allegiance, with the words "Under God" replaced with "Oh God help us."

Live a Lie: This is the first thenewno2 song to be composed by Dhani Harrison and the band's guitarist, Jeremy Faccone. It is more of a guitar-based song than the rest, and begins with an acoustic intro. The song has a slower, more calm feeling, and also features Regina Spektor, whose voice complements Dhani's very well. The song begins to build into the second verse, which sounds harder and more forceful. The third verse begins with a focus on the vocals and a breakdown of the instruments, but builds back up again quickly. The song seems to be talking about trying to stop living a lie, even though it can be cool and tempting. The ending is saying "so long" to living a lie.  The song ends with some more signature thenewno2 vocal effects, which become distorted into an electronic haze.

Mr. President (pHd 'One Nation' remix): This is a remix of Mr. President, and is a cool and different take on the song. It was remixed by pHd, which is a collaboration between Paul Hicks and Dhani Harrison, according to thenewno2's facebook page. This version of the song begins with a series of electronic beeps that sound like an old computer. It then goes into a sort-of dance-beat mix until the vocals begin. It then goes right into the song, with the music in the background sounding almost like white noise in the background. There seems to be more of a focus on the vocals on this track. The rap section seems much faster than the other version of the song and is a lot of fun to sing along to when you know all the lyrics. The song still ends with the Pledge of Allegiance and gradually fades out.

This EP is a lot of fun for fans of thenewno2. It features a nice selection of new songs and has so many exciting guests. Thenewno2 is continuing to develop new sounds and timely, meaningful songs, while staying true to their signature sound and feel. The special guests on this EP give the tracks each their own feel, yet thenewno2's style shines through. After listening to this EP many times, I know that when The Fear of Missing Out is finally released, fans will certainly not be disappointed.

Check out thenewno2's music at www.thenewno2.com ... !!

Two Ducks

I read this in A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle today and I enjoyed it a lot. When ducks get into a fight, they use their energy and battle it out in a pond. When the fight is over, each duck glides away across the pond in opposite directions and they shake their feathers out, releasing any extra pent-up energy from the fight. After that, the ducks continue on. If those ducks were like humans, with human brains, they would continue playing out that fight in their mind. They would be thinking "how dare he get up in my face" and "I'll get back at him someday," etc. The fight would continue on in the duck's mind...maybe for days, months, or even years. Humans tend to do this. They keep the fight going on in their minds. They don't just shake it off like a duck and forget about it. Holding on to this resentment and anger is harmful, morso to ourselves than to the object of the anger. Going forward, I hope to be more like the duck, that shakes it off and moves on, focusing on now rather than continuing to carry anger from the past.

Yoga Booty Ballet

As I mentioned before, I try to work out most days of the week, and my go-to workout has usually been Bodies in Motion with Gilad. My other favorite is definitely the Yoga Booty Ballet (YBB) series. I started doing YBB about 6-7 years ago when my cousin returned from a trip to California where she took a class at the YBB studio, Swerve. She brought a DVD home with her and we did it together for a while every time she came over. Over time, I bought copies of all the YBB DVDs I could find. There are three main series - the original, the Live series, and the Masters series. My favorites are all in the Live series.

This morning, I broke out the YBB DVDs again to give myself a different workout and I once again remembered how much I enjoy these workouts. They are a lot of fun, high energy, and they incorporate yoga, meditation, ballet, and dance into a workout that lasts only about 40-45 minutes. I did the Live Body Sculpting Bollywood Style DVD today. Here is a little taste of what this one is like:

The live classes are great because they are as close as you can get to being in the studio with instructors Gillian and Teigh. They are the most fast-paced of all the YBB workouts and offer a lot of variety. Other workouts include Go-go dancing, Cardio Cabaret, Hip Hop Abs, and Latin Flavor. The only disappointment is that they don't seem to be making any more DVDs in this series (or any of the others). I will continue to use these workouts when I have time to do a slightly longer workout than Gilad, but I hope that eventually they make more Live workouts available on DVD.

Make Up and Nail Polish

I got a lot of new nail polish colors from Sephora this week so today I did my nails. I'm loving the Nails, Inc. brand of nail polish that I have been getting lately. They have some really innovative products that are completely new, like magnetic nail polish, and special effects top coats that look like glitter but provide a 3D almost holographic effect. For a slightly less expensive brand of nail polish, I've been finding that China Glaze has some great colors, and is usually about half the price of OPI. I'm enjoying playing around with the colors and have been making a point of doing my nails different every week. I have even tried some pastel blues and greens on my toes, which I thought would look weird but ended up being fun and pretty cute!

Just a selection of my favorite nail polishes (Nails, Inc. and China Glaze)

Sephora has been one of my favorite stores ever since I first discovered it back in college in 2001. I like buying and trying out all kinds of new make-up  products because it's a fun outlet for me to be creative. Having a new product to try will actually get me excited to wake up in the morning and test it out. I'm not good at drawing or painting or anything, but I love being creative, and make-up is one way of being creative where I actually feel competent. I love when I can take my time putting on makeup and experiment with new ways of doing it. Doing it well always makes me feel more confident throughout the day. Hopefully I can do some future blog posts on specific makeup looks that I create. :)

My current makeup stash

Work Outs

I like to work out every morning. Sometimes I don't feel like it or put it off for a while, but ultimately, I enjoy doing it and I always feel better after I do. Some days I feel like I can't fully wake up without a morning work out. Some days I just feel guilty of I don't do it. Either way, it's something I try to get in every day.

Most days I do Bodies in Motion with Gilad, which are reruns on FitTV. I have used his workouts off and on since Junior High and maybe even before. They're great because they are only a half hour and they pack in a lot - a warm up and cool down, aerobics, abs, and a different muscle group every day. This is my go-to workout and I keep a new one on the DVR every day.

My other go-to workout is Yoga Booty Ballet - the Live series, which is filmed live in their studio in LA. These workouts are tougher in the aerobics area, but also include some yoga and meditation as well. The dances are really fun though and it's rare to find female instructors on a workout video that don't annoy me. The problem with these workouts is that they are longer, closer to 45-50 minutes. This is good and fine on days when I am off, but it's sometimes harder to find the motivation to start one.

I always like trying new workouts too, and nowadays, with a Wii and Xbox Kinect in the house, there are even more options than just DVDs. I have tried Wii Fit in the past, but found that the short exercises and lots of menu time don't really work well for a continuous workout. On the Wii, I do like Gold's Cardio Gym and EA Active. Gold's is a kickboxing-type of workout with lots of bag punching, which works very well. EA Active is a harder workout, but always seems to take longer than it says it will. Plus, you need to wear a leg band with the nunchuck in it, that always seems to slip down as you work out, which makes the game unable to recognize your movements. It's frustrating when the game makes you do things over and over until it registers that you've done it.

I just got an Xbox Kinect, and it's great because you don't need to use or hold any controllers for the workout games. I have the Zumba fitness game and Your Shape, as well as the game Just Dance. I haven't tried much Zumba, but Just Dance is a pretty good cardio workout, though it is hard to learn the moves. Your Shape is pretty good, but again, seems to always take a little longer than it says it will, because for each workout, you need to go through a "learn the moves" part first (when you want to do a new workout for the first time). That is helpful when you go into the full workout, but definitely makes it take a while.

Anyway, today I am going to try a new DVD that I borrowed from the library yesterday - the New York City Ballet workout DVD, which was recommended to me by a friend years ago when I got into Yoga Booty Ballet. Because I'm off today, I think that after that, if I don't think it was a great workout I may try more Xbox workouts, but we'll see. Mixing it up keeps it interesting and insures that I'm using different muscles every day.