The APRA Song of the Year, Part 2

Another big winner at last year’s ARIA awards was Ladyhawke, who won Breakthrough Artist Album and Single.  So I should probably be familiar with My Delirium:

Hey, Ladyhawke might like my post!  Because she’s waiting by the phone, and nobody waits by a phone anymore!  Seriously, what year is it?  I guess all that talk of her ’80s retro-ness isn’t just publicity guff.

I quite like this song, I really do.  I like that the melody isn’t the same as the guitar riff – instead the two work against one another, and that takes a songwriter’s touch.  I like that the chorus goes up a notch from the verses.  I like that the verses aren’t melodically dull, in order to give the chorus a helping hand.

The lyrics, especially in the verses, are a little bland.  No real concrete images in “room”, “watch”, “world”, “eat” and ”sleep”.  And it really needs a bridge:  the breakdown before the riff comes back into the final choruses is fun, but a truly butt-kicking bridge could have made the thing special.

OK, this exercise requires a scoring scale, and I will invent one.  It’s called the Vanda-Young Scale, and it goes like this:

10  A spectacular song, on a universal subject, that will still hit you on all fronts in fifty years.  Everything works together, and the whole is mystically greater than the sum of the parts.  A really, really good song.  Friday On My Mind good.

7-9  An inspired effort, ambitious and unusual, solid professionalism spiced with a pinch of genius.  Not flawless, but a memorable experience.  An Evie experience.

5-7  It sticks with you, no argument.  Maybe you’ll love it, if it’s playing at just the right time.  Everything’s well-crafted and in capable hands.  Love Is In the Air, and you’re Yesterday’s Hero.

3-5  A song by someone who knows what they’re doing, but not on their best day.  Quality album filler, or an OK single.  Around the Show No Mercy or My Little Angel mark.

1-2  Glimmers of talent, but a misfire.

0  Three minutes that would have been better spent in silence.

Based on this system, I’m scoring my two contenders thus far: 

Walking On a Dream – 1.5

My Delirium – 4

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THE DAY AFTER | The Morning Benders

COMING SOON: The Morning Benders won over Bay Area fans and more with two self-released EPs and their 2008 album, Talking Through Tin Cans. Now the band is back with Big Echo, slated for release March 9 through Rough Trade Records. For those in the Midwest, set your dates, as the band makes its rounds for The Vaudeville Mews, in Des Moines, Iowa (one of my favorite venues) on April 9; The Maintenance Shop in Ames, Iowa on the 10th; and at Huckleberry’s in downtown Rock Island, Illinois, on the 11th as guests of Daytrotter. The band is offering a free song, “Promises”, at their website. If you want to see and hear The Morning Benders go old-school, like being transported back to 1950s America with a collection of their best San Francisco buddies, then click here.

The Morning Benders “Promises”

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A Colour for the Occasion

Today I did a promo shoot with the band, A Colour for the Occasion, up in Calabasas. The place that we did the shoot at had the most gorgeous view over Southern California; it was breathtaking.

It’s shoots like today that make me realize how fortunate I am to have a battery pack and being able to shoot on location with strobes.

Definitely make sure to be on the lookout for these fun, talented guys; they are headed to the studio soon and should have an EP out by May.

[Via http://justinbettman.wordpress.com]

Emerald Park - For Tomorrow (2010 Edition)

Sharing free music on this so commercial morning… I love u !! 

Compartiendo musica gratis en esta mañana tan comercial… Os quiero !! 

[Via http://perlssdj.wordpress.com]

Disco Curtis Who are they??

Disco Curtis, is a Pop Rock/ Acoustic band of best friends from Texas. They started about a 1 1/2 ago, with Garrett, AJ and Tanner. Brendan was a live member then and didn’t officially join yet. Now the boys are recently signed to Interscope/MySpace Records and you may have heard their song or seen their Music Video “Ashley” on MTVU Freshman!!! The boys are now in California getting their album together for release. While they are here we were able to check them out at the Glendale Galleria Hot Topic and at Chipotle after. We then did an amusing interview below, So be sure to check it out and tell us what you think!!

Ash <3

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VALENTINE PASSWORD

VALENTINE PASSWORD INDEX Venus shifted into Pisces this past Thursday 2/11.Some of you may already have started feeling the effects, especially with Valentine Day tomorrow.  This subtle shift will move us from group-tinged romantic focus, to the kind of selfless unconditional love epitomized by the Neptunian energies symbolized by Pisces. In its highest expression, Venus in Pisces represents ecstasy. Pisces is the avatar of love.  In lower manifestations, Venus in Pisces can represent confusion and fogginess, a love where one loses oneself to the partner.  The partner may be fooled or misled. Venus energies tend to be subtle and not particularly long-lasting, but if we meditate on Venus, it is possible to lock into its vibrations and harness those energies in our lives.  If you have any natal planet in the sign of Pisces, this transit will be more powerful for you. An important note for artists: Venus in Pisces activates artistic creativity. The artist is capable now of tapping into collective thought and creating  works that reflect the public mood and desire. Venus in Pisces on Valentine’s day
is excellent for sweet romance.
Here’s what Venus is whispering to RevJ’s friends VALENTINE PASSWORD INDEX FRIEND ,,  VALENTINE PASSWORD
adrianna,,  a week of beauty alex ,, marriage is blessed alexandra,, emotional peace & love andreas ,,  attract financial opportunity angel,, perfect creative alignment bill,, love from the past billy,, sexual attraction camilo ,, international opportunity carlton,, exquisite love alignment carara,, healing retreat scott,, perfect romantic alignment carolinep ,, fortunate eductional opportunities carolync,, expanding sexual generosity carolyncjp,, attract career opportunity christina,, emotional and parternal blessings crystal,, healing romantic encounter danielle,, creative and romantic fertility davea,, internse physical attractiveness davidto,, spiritual preparation for good luck debk,, internse physical attractiveness donna,, health blessings eric,, romantic expansion fab,, creative mind expansion henrietta,, romantic opportunity knocks israel,, swelling romantic attraction j a,, sexual intuition james,, career creativity spotlighted joreynolds,, at your most physically attractive jerel,, career creativity expansion jorge,, attracting career opportunities joey,, creative mind expansion justice,, emotional peace and blessings kip,, money money money money money krysta,, romance in the public eye kayden,, love thy neighbor kyle,, romance at home linda,, the romance continues lorie,, the romance continues mari,, attraction of career opportunity mariela,, a week of beauty maya,, good fortune with home and emotion mayra,, romantic attraction melba,, romantic creativity in the workplace neil,, upswell of physical charisma ofelia,, romance in the neighborhood pstar,, creativity from the subconscious robertjones,, romantic trigger date ricmathews,, sexual intuition revj,, creative intuition ricardo,, personal attactiveness expands rupali,, attract business opportunity ros,,  personal attactiveness expands sallie,, creative mind expansion scott,, career creativity expansion sherry,, romantic mind expansion stella,,  attract business opportunity sydell,,  personal attactiveness expands tito,,  attract romantic opportunity vickie,, emotional intuition expands walter,,  attraction in the public eye zahira,, personal attactiveness expands

[Via http://revjzodiacmatrix.wordpress.com]

Rihanna - Rude Boy

The new music video by Rihanna is HOT! Love that she finally went back to (“her roots”) using dancehall elements in her music video – dance moves, costumes, and attitude. Fun fun fun! Enjoy

Click here for more of my Rihanna blog posts.

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