Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Season 5 Episode 7 [Review]

It's time for the last Real Housewives episode of 2014! Are you ready for it? Sadly it doesn't exactly knock anything out of the park, but it does bring into focus some of the less seen women of the group, so that's a plus, right? You guessed it. More Brandi. More Kim. More awesome. Let's get into this party-filled episode, shall we?


Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Monthly Roundup - Real Housewives Of Atlanta Season 7 [Eps 5-8]

Another month, another block of Real Housewives of Atlanta episodes. These women really know how to bounce around topics and stir up all sorts of drama in their city. This month we had a wide array of crap hitting the proverbial fan, but also a lot of progress. Which will come out shining most of all?



Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Season 5 Episode 6 [Review]

Not even on the week of Christmas do the Housewives out on the west coast give it a rest, and thus neither shall I. This week has a lot of buildup and a lot of foundation for the rest of the season, which means you all better pay attention. Me? We'll I spent most of the episode distracted by Yolanda's pink sweater. I mean why?



Monday, December 22, 2014

Liz Primo Teases New Single "Like A Star"

I wonder if Liz Primo is ever going to make a song I don't instantly love. Back during #TheReturn I interviewed this diva, and she told me about some new tracks she was working on that were coming soon. The first of these tracks "Like A Star" is primed and ready to go for first quarter 2015, and she's got a preview for all the fans who've been waiting patiently.






To be fair, this preview is for one of the remixes by Dark Intensity, but it still gives us a good idea of what the song is like. It really has a fun dance beat to it, and it has the usual melodic vocals that we've come to know and love from Liz.

Although we don't really have much to go on, I know for sure that this one is getting the video treatment (not that I stalk her on Facebook or anything), and I'm under the impression that much like "Blown Away", the original version of this track is slower. Unfortunately it seems like her current label shys away from music that's not dance, so we may not get to see the original for a while.

Thus far we don't have an exact release date, but we do have a January 2015 as a guide, which is pretty awesome. We get to start out the new year with some new Liz Primo. Hopefully we will get her other single "White Knight" soon after!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

RuPaul's Drag Race Queen Get Intimate In New Documentary "This Is Drag"

Drag is officially taking over all television. It started with RuPaul's Drag Race, expanded with Drag Queens of London, and now it's time for a documentary to shine more light on these individuals we've come to know. Director Mark Kenneth Woods is going to show you what it is like a day in the life of a world famous drag queen.






This Is Drag is a feature length documentary that follows Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano, Courtney act, and Darienne Lake on their winners tour through it's Canadian leg.  It also features Alyssa Edwards, Shangela, and several other uncredited queens (at least in the promo). The documentary is all about the people themselves instead of the drama as the aforementioned TV shows are. This film is going to delve into the minds of drag queens we know and love, and explore their relationships, both with men and their families.

Among the topics covered in this short snippet of what's to come, Bianca talks about comedy in drag versus out of drag, Courtney talks about the struggles of dating as a drag queen, and Darienne talks about her family being ashamed of her. Most interesting, though, was Adore's confession of being bullied. Very accurately, Mark has stated "You did not see this side of anybody on a certain show." Now that has me excited!

For now, the documentary is only set to air on OutTV, which is Canada's answer to Logo. From the looks of it Mark is in talks with getting this on Logo in the United States. It would make a lot of sense seeing as these ladies are all spun from the channel's biggest show. Let's hope we get this in the US because let's face it, this is something everyone needs to see.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Bentley Jones Proves Dancing Is Beautiful WIth "I Have Loved"

Bentley Jones definitely has a way about him that he always has something fresh and new. Whether it's pooling his fans for vocals for a track or covering one of the most beloved Broadway songs of our generation, he definitely is always trying something different -- something interesting. To no surprise, he's done it again with "I Have Loved", having tons of different dancing styles all to the same song to prove that dance can transcend lyrics, emotions, and even musical stylings.





First "Axiomatis" and now this. Ben is always finding new ways to create his videos. For this project he asked for dances inspired by a track off of his new album Defying Gravity called "I Have Loved". The idea definitely worked. According to Ben, he and his team picked a few professional dancers to express the song in their own way through their own styles of dances, and the result was amazing.

This unorthodox way of getting projects accomplished is incredibly risky, and while not as crazy a scale as "Axiomatis", it is certainly another feat worth commending. All five of these dancers do a beautiful job in describing the song without words, and we really get to see some great choreography out of Mr. Jones himself, which is always fun.

"I Have Loved" is far from my favorite track on this album, but being his strongest album to date, that's not really saying anything negative at all. Most of the songs on this last album could work as singles and as videos, so the choice wasn't a bad one at all. Although it's not clear if this will be the last single off of Defying Gravity (and let's hope not because "Without You" is the best on the album!), we've already confirmed that he has been gathering a track list for his Trans//Lation 3 project as well as gearing up for a possible new project for 2015, and this being his Christmas present to his fans may mean the end of the Defying Gravity era.

For now, pick up the album on iTunes!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Exclusive Interview - Angelo Garcia Bursts Back Into The Pop World

Angelo Garcia is not new to pop music at all, but what he is new to is doing it alone. After he left Menudo, he took some time off of music, and now that he's ready to do it again, he has to completely reinvent himself, which he did a great job of in his new video "Delusions of Grandeur". Recently I sat down to talk about the struggles of an indie artist and exactly what he's all about in his new musical adventure.




Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Season 5 Episode 5 [Review]

The one thing I love about Bravo is that they often times say "Who needs a Christmas vacation?" and while all these other big shows go on hiatus until January, Real Housewives continue on. No mid-season break for these ladies. Thus we get to continue in my now time-honored tradition of watching the episodes and making snarky comments about Lisa Vanderpump the show. So why not get started?



Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Exclusive Clip - Brandon Hilton's New Single "Wavelength"

Check out this awesome exclusive clip of Brandon Hilton's upcoming single "Wavelength".  This is Brandon's first official single in nearly two years, and is his big comeback, so let's be sure and give it all we've got this time!


A video posted by Brandon Hilton (@brandonhilton) on


"Wavelength" has been a long time coming. This has been his first official release since "Dance Til I Die", released two years ago. Since then he has only release some snippets and one promo single ("Daddy"), but this is his big statement to the world showing that he is back and ready to fight for his place in pop music again. When asked Brandon had this to say:

"I've spent the last 2 years figuring out life and my sound. I didn't really know where I wanted to go with either of them until a few months ago. things just kinda fell into place and I knew it was a sign that I needed to step back in the studio. I've experienced love, life and loss the past 2 years and I have a lot to say about it. WAVELENGTH is just the beginning of the emotional roller coaster I'm about to take you on."

For those who are unsure, "Wavelength" is a love song, but not a traditional one."WAVELENGTH is about a destructive love, a dangerous love," he explained to me.  "Things seemed so perfect and in an instant they fell apart. It's about loving someone so much that you push them away. I didn't realize we were living on 2 different wavelengths until it was too late."

If you follow Brandon Hilton on Facebook or Twitter, he's been claiming for weeks that he's on a different wavelength than pretty much everyone, so you bet I asked about that, too. His response was short and simple. "It's about being on two different pages with someone, but not really finding out until it's too late, but by then you're already crashing and burning."
  

The single will release this Friday, December 19.


Monday, December 15, 2014

Celebrate Xmas Early With Sonali

Sonali first popped onto my radar a few months back with her pro-gay single "Wake Up". I've since been looking for another excuse to post about her. Indie music is a hard to produce quickly, so I didn't expect a new single, but what I did find is an awesome home made Christmas track. It may not be HD quality, but it's super fun. Check out Sonali's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."






Sonali is such a talented young woman! This cover is done in the stylings of Mariah Carey, who I also have a great love for. Sonali does an excellent job at making this a vocal triumph, able to slide around the scale with ease.

Usually, I don't really care about Christmas music, as evident by my major lack of Christmas related posts (and the fact that it says Xmas in the name), but there are a few songs that really get me into the spirit and this is one. I am so glad that she chose this song to cover, and that she brought new life into a old song. So many times I've heard people cover songs and destroy them, but that is certainly not the case here.

Give it a listen and get into the holiday mood. There will be more  (sort of ) Christmas posts in the future!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

NeNe Leakes and Teresa Giudice Make The Best Housewives Duo Ever

I know everyone was buzzing about the reuniting of NeNe and Kim Z on WWHL last week, but I'm gagging even more over the amazingness that is the photo(s) below that Nene posted on her official site and her Facebook earlier this week. Check it out!

Teresa Giudice (left) and NeNe Leakes (Right)

NeNe Leakes with Teresa Giudice and her daughters Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana.
Teresa appeared at a showing of NeNe's Broadway debut in Cinderella, where she has taken over the main role. Other celebrities such as Keke Palmer have starred in this role, and people generally rotate out of spotlight every few months. In her final days before having to go to prison for her short sentence, Teresa treated her children to see the show, and got backstage to see the star.

On her website NeNe was quoted saying "My girl Teresa Giudice came to Cinderella last nite with her beautiful daughters to support me! I love the girls! They were so fabulous! And I loved seeing Teresa. She looks so good and she’s a super strong woman!"

I love this cross-show love. It's been a long while since we've seen two housewives from different cities getting along. Maybe we can have a few Nene cameos in RHNJ along the road. Who knows? I hope they continue this friendship because not only is it awesome, but it's totally cute, too. I am glad to see Teresa spending her time wisely before she goes away, and that she's following through on her promise to spending as much time as she can with her children. I'm sure the four girls had a blast.

As for NeNe, we all know she can get crazy, but it's not often we get to see this softer side of her (and she looks so beautiful with that new hair!), which gives yet another reason to love this photo-op. You go girls. You go!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Jayne Ava Is Ready To March Right Now!

Yet another new artist that I have been shown the light as to their massive talent, Jayne Ava is an up and coming vocalist that is producing some great electro-pop beats. Recently, she released her new single called "March" and it's got me doing more than marching. Dancing. The joke was it's got me dancing.


Although I was a bit thrown off by the cover for this release, after taking a solid listen to it, I was sold on the project. Jayne has a very distinct voice, which is really necessary for those who want to venture into the world of electronic pop and dance music. There are so many artists out there that it's easy to get people confused (like that one time Jessie J released her debut US song and everybody thought it was Katy Perry?), so having your own voice is crucial to success.

The song itself is a bit of your standard electronic vibe. It does have it's own flare, especially for the opening and the chorus, but the back beat isn't what you want to vibe on. Jayne manages to manipulate her voice in  such a grand way that she can go from melodic siren to shrilling banshee (in the best way, of course) within the same sentence. She really commands the backbeat and owns it instead of getting lost in the instrumentals.

I believe this song is a great way to introduce people to Jayne Ava. It's been my first time hearing her and already I want more from her. She will definitely be one to watch to see where she goes in her future endeavors for the pop world.

For now, grab her track on iTunes and jam out!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Season 5 Epiosde 4 [Review]

After a big bang of an opening two episodes, the previous episode along with this one, sort of slows things down so that we can get back to a sense of normalcy. Gone is the first two seasons' constant shouting and backstabbing and in it's place are women trying to get to know each other... for now. Let's see how long that lasts!



Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Alaska Implores You To Put On Some Nails In New Video

I'm not afraid to admit it. Alaska Thunderfuck has never been my cup of tea. During her stint on Drag Race I couldn't stand her and her Gaga-esque fans, and in her later efforts she really didn't stick out to me. Recently, however, I have been paying her more mind, and her quirky charm is getting to me. I guess that's why I watched "Nails" and enjoyed it. Hence you should, too.






The video starts off with a rather soulful ballad where Alaska describes her love for nails. It's so rare that we get to hear Alaska sing seriously. Most of the time she's putting on one of her characters, so we get kind of a half-singing-half-talking voice, but here we are allowed a rare glimpse in media to see her real talent -- and she's not bad at all.

As the video progresses, we revert back to the origins of Alaska, being an alien and whatnot, as she gets captured by the government in, you guessed it, Alaska. The man who's captured her wants answers (of some sort) and is going to proceed to snap off her nails every time she refuses to answer. They regrow instantly, causing him to be outraged and do it over again, each time growing back in a new style.

The visuals on this video are both amazing and startling. The whole nail pulling bit is very painful to watch, and reminds this anime fan of Higuarshi no Naku Koro Ni (Look it up. It's good) wherein one of the main characters pulls off one nail of her own for each time her friends dishonored her family. It can be a bit jarring to those with uneasy stomachs, but if you've watched any of the Saw movies, this is a breeze.

"Nails" as a song is kind of meh. The verses are fun and upbeat, but the chorus is a mess of shouting the word "nails" over and over. It is all followed by the statment "If you aren't wearing nails you aren't doing drag". This of course is the famous Michelle Visage quote from RuPaul's Drag Race.

When it comes to this song, the video truly saved it from being something I skipped over. The visuals are fantastic, and Alaska has become a master of theatrics and storytelling, but the song could have used far more work.

You can grab your copy on iTunes now!

Monday, December 8, 2014

RuPaul's Drag Race Season Seven Cast Reactions

It's that time again. RuPaul's Drag Race has announced it's cast and it's time for me to judge all of them! Bwahahah! Anyway, this years queens are a bit of a grab-bag of nonsense. I hope that it's just the promos that are making them look kinda drab (think season five) and that they can really step it up when the time comes. There's only a couple that I'm really gunning for pre-show, but who knows? Editing can really change our opinions, no

Let's get readin'!




Get More: Logo TV

(Lots of reading under the cut. For the full cast interview videos click here)

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Nashville Diva Holly Elle Wants To "Lose Control"

It's no secret that I love me some Holly Elle. I have been following her ever since I fell for her when her first EP came out, and Leopardess was no different. Now, once again, she has evolved to create even more exciting new music. Let's take a quick look at "Lose Control".


I love that Holly is always changing up her sound so that she can make something new and unexpected. Far from "Seeing Red" and even far beyond her last single "Lifeline", this new track "Lose Control" breaks her out into the realm of R&B/Pop. With a beat that sounds like it is straight out of a rap track meshed with vocals that sound like they belong on any one of today's radio stations, Holly has certainly found a good vibe and made a hit.

If there has ever been a song that I wanted to see a music video for from an indie artist, this is it. This is her strongest song to date both vocally and production wise. This is the artist that I saw her developing into from day one, and I'm so glad that she has ascended to this level and continued to progress. She had the voice to begin with, and now she's got the confidence and the right team behind her.

I'm so happy to see Holly progress, and this song seems to be a message that she is officially out there. She's been featured on TV shows, she's become a musical icon in her home town, and now she's ready to break free and make music for the world to hear. We're ready, Ms. Elle, so let us have it!

Grab your copy of "Lose Control" on iTunes and hop over to her Facebook and let her know that you are lovin' it just as much as I am!

Saturday, December 6, 2014

The Glamazons Debut Video "Movie Star" Hits The Web

It was a big step for NYC girl group The Glamazons to go from doing covers to making their own original track. Now they've taken it that one step further and made a music video. Check out "Movie Star", the debut video and single from The Glamazons.






This video has been a long time coming. I know that these girls put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this production, and it definitely shows. Creating anything from scratch is a challenge, and doing so in the music business, without major label backing, puts it on another level. That is why even though there are a few faults in the video (mainly being in the changing of quality from scene to scene), that I really appreciate this and all they put into it.

That being said, it did look like they had to shift from one camera to another during production, or perhaps even one lighting style/crew to another. There is a distinct shift in video quality from scene to scene which is a bit off-putting, but not enough to really deter someone from watching the whole thing. I also feel a bit like some of the lighting really clashed with their makeup (and not the other way around because in the clubs when you perform that's how you look) making the close-up portions look awkward.

But there are so many more good things about this video than bad. For starters, other than the small collection of clips I posted earlier, their makeup is flawless, and their outfits fit them very well. These ladies know their bodies, and being models, it's no wonder. They have a killer fashion sense as a group, knowing how to make themselves look good individually while still looking like a cohesive group.

My absolute favorite part of the video is the choreography. This video has more on point dancing than the lastest Fifth Harmony video "Sledgehammer" that came out recently, and those girls are tiny! These full figured ladies are not afraid to get out there and dance like their lives depended on it. This is clearly where they are most comfortable, and it really shows.

You can grab a copy of the single on iTunes. And let's help these ladies get the views on this video that it really deserves!

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Angelo Garcia's New Song + Video Is Hot -- And Catchy!

This video is something you could say we've been waiting for quite some time for. With the promo for the video popping up last month, and stills from it going back even further than that, it became a waiting game; one which Angelo kept balanced with pumping out homemade videos to keep his fans interested. Last week, however, the single popped up on iTunes, and he announced the video would be short work. So here it is. "Delusions of Grandeur".






Ok, so do me a favor. Click play on the video and hurry and swap tabs or minimize the window, and just listen to the song. It's a good song right? He has great vocals, and the song is not only catchy, but actually uses a nice vocabulary and is thought out. Right? Ok, now open up the screen again and watch the video. I just didn't want you to get distracted by all them abs, pecs, and pierced nips.

All kidding aside, Angelo has left his pretty boy Menudo past far behind and moved on to something new and incredible. He is not afraid what-so-ever to let people know he's gay, and he's not afraid to show off the body he's worked hard to attain. While his sex appeal may not be everyone's cup of tea, he certainly has captured the attention of many, many gay men as well as straight women who idolize this body type -- and he's using it to boost his musical career.

In my opinion, he didn't exactly need to be nearly naked in his video, but as they say, sex sells. I did find him to be quite easy on the eyes, but I honestly liked the song itself. It is a real song that you can dance to at the club or even jam out like a dork in your car. And I'm totally not hating on the video at all, he's definitely got the body so why not show some skin? The female pop stars do it every day. It's about time a man did the same thing.

Whether or not he meant to push the boundaries of pop music or he was just making what he wanted to make in his heart all along, he definitely struck upon something you don't see every day, and I believe with his balance of talent and sex appeal he has a chance to be a big star yet again. (And did you see his He-Man costume!?)

You can run over to iTunes for this track to keep yourself moving and maybe one day have a body like his!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 5 Episode 3 [Review]

The drama just never stops with this group of girls. We have a common theme going now, with Brandi on the road to making amends, but it won't all got as easily as with Adrienne. While this episode might not have been as action packed as some in the past, it certainly does it's job to keep us entertained. And if that's not enough for you, I'm sure Kyle's hideously gorgeous outfit in the photo below will do the job. Let's get reviewin'!



Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Tegan And Sara Team Up WIth Male Pop Duo Night Terrors of 1927

Ok, so I have been a pretty bad Tegan and Sara fan for not posting on them so far. In the past four years these girls have done plenty, but I seem to always forget when it comes time to scheduling posts. But no more! I hereby vow to keep up with one of my favorites and relay the news to you, starting with their guest spot on LA pop duo Night Terrors of 1927's new video "When You Were Mine".






This being my first experience with NTO1927 (what a weird acronym), I was kind of surprised to find out that they had chosen a cover for their big team up, but upon listening to the song, I could see that it was something new altogether. While it has a touch of the feel of the song Prince created in the 80s, this is definitely it's own entity with it's own lyrics and composition, being the name and vibe that are the only elements that sync up.

The cinematography is exactly what fans of Tegan and Sara would come to expect. The video looks very polished and has it's own story line that takes place outside of the four artists. While I would have much rather seen the four of them take a more active role in their own video, it harkens back to the olden days of music videos where the singers would often take the back seat to actors that were chosen to display their story in a way they wouldn't have been able to. It was a nice departure from the current norm.

Being that this is a NTO song, Tegan and Sara really don't take the spotlight too much, only helping in pieces of the verses and backup vocals for the chorus, giving their fans a good chance to get acquainted with the band if they hadn't beforehand (such as me) and create new fans for them. And hell, they deserve it, as the two guys are not only talented, but pretty cute, too. Seeing as the video broke out on Rolling Stone today, I'd say that this duo is well on it's way to achieving stardom.

Who knows? Maybe Sara and Tegan can strike a deal and get them on Lego Movie 2?

EDIT:
Rolling Stones also broke news about their debut album coming out January 20! Here's the track list for the album titled Everything's Coming Up Roses.

1. Dust and Bones
2. Running in Place
3. Perfect Day
4. When You Were Mine
5. Novocaine
6. It Would Be an Honor
7. Fire With Fire
8. Always Be One
9. Shine
10. Always Take You Back
11. Everything's Coming Up Roses

Monday, December 1, 2014

Monthly Roundup - Real Housewives Of Atlanta Season 7 [Eps 1-4]

In an effort to talk about all the things I love with a passion without overloading you with weekly posts I have come up with a new segment called The Monthly Roundup. Here I will take tv shows and dish on all the episodes that aired in the month. This time, it's The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season Seven and it's first four episodes. Let's dish.