Demi Lovato

Hey, pals.  I have a question for you.  Have you ever listened to Demi Lovato?  Because I hadn't until recently.  I hadn't heard anything bad about her or anything, it's just that I'm 35 years old and it had never occurred to me to give her a try.  Then one night on James Corden (I watch the show the next day because who can stay up that late?) she sang Stone Cold.  You guys, it was simply gorgeous.  Her voice was beautiful and the lyrics, which she co-wrote, were touching.  Every once in a while I find myself Googling that video to listen to while I do whatever I'm doing.  I'll link it here and let you all judge for yourselves.  Gimme those comments down below, folks!  Let me know if you like it too.

Saturday Spotlight: Borganix

It's been quite awhile since I found something new (or just new to me) that I cared about and actually enjoyed enough to write a Saturday Spotlight about.  This weekend, I'd like to share some music with you, but let me start at the beginning.  My friend from high school used to be in this band that was named after him, called Unkle Nancy and the Family Jewels.  Look them up on YouTube for a good time.  In particular, if you can find anything from an album called Lovely... you've found some amazing work that I can't get enough of.  Lyrics like, "I want you to know me like the sun knows the sky" are what make that album for me.  But then Unkle Nancy's health needed some attention so not a lot of new music came from the guys for a good long time.

Me listening to Unkle Nancy in Berlin

Now, my friend and a couple of his friends, Marv Ellis Daddy-yo and met diggy are working together to bring us something new.  Both the sound and the medium are pretty unusual, but really pretty great.  The sound is a mix of everything, but in a good way.  They found a way to mix kind of alternative with rap and add a flute without sounding insane or like total wankers (because I watch a lot of British TV).  The music is hot, the lyrics are hot (and explicit; it's rap) and the guys need our help to take it to the masses.  Instead of trying to release a traditional album, which they've already successfully done, so why beat that dead horse? they're going to release a series of podcasts called Borganix.  I'll post a link to their Gofundme and here's what I need from you: just click the link, read the description and listen to the music.  If you like it and feel like donating, knock yourself out, then share it with your friends.  If you can't drop some spange, it's cool and if the music isn't your style that's cool too.  Either way I'm just saying, try to think of a friend who might like the tunes and share, share, share!  Don't pressure anyone to donate, but do give them a little nudge until they listen.  I think a lot of people will like it, so let's get the music out there!  Thanks, pals!  Here's that link: https://www.gofundme.com/borganix

immature

Hey, everyone!  Remember a music group called immature?  Yes, I left that uncapitalized on purpose.  Apparently immature was the e.e. cummings of preteen 90s R&B.  Actually, if you don't remember them (unforgivable), you may remember Marques Houston from his role on Sister, Sister.  It was a show about two twin sisters who had been adopted at birth by separate families and the stars were Tia and Tamera Mowry.  If you don't remember THAT, then you are probably a small child, but it's okay.  Check the show out on YouTube.  You kids can find anything on there.  So watch the show, taking special note of the next-door neighbor, Roger.  The twins always said, in unison, "go home, Roger!" every time he came over trying to hit on them.  I personally had a giant crush on him, but what else is new?  I have no type and I love EVERYONE.  That's just me.

Anyway, Marques Houston was also in this singing group called immature and for some reason his name in the group was Batman.  They all had real names, obviously, but they also had nicknames or group names or something and the other two were LDB and Romeo.  These three kids were, besides being cute for little girls to look at, legitimately talented singers.  Again, make your way over to YouTube and look them up.  Here, I'll post a link this time.  Here.  Really good, right?   I'm not even kidding, I listened to them SO MUCH!  I totally had their Bop posters on my wall, too.  I loved them, even if all their songs were slow jams.  So, listen.  What other groups like them can you think of?  I remember Soul For Real and 3T, and they were so great!  Also Kriss Kross were kids, but they did rap so that's kind of a different category. I loved them too, though.  More on that later, maybe.  Comment and subscribe, ladies and gents.  You don't want to miss a word of this blog, believe me!

ABBA

When I was pregnant with The Bookworm, I read somewhere that if you play a song to your tummy a zillion times, then that song will become your baby's soothing night-night song.  I have this little "Quiet Moment" song that I used to sing with my class when I taught kindergarten that's only about four lines long, and during both of my pregnancies I sang or hummed that song most of the time when I was alone, sometimes under my breath and sometimes just as loud as I could.  Thing is, when I get a new CD, that's all I want to listen to for a good long while, and when I got ABBA Gold I listened to it all through my pregnancy.

Here's the album cover.  I grabbed it from Wiki.

Then one day when The Bookworm was a few weeks old and Mama Mia came on TV, he stopped fussing and actually listened to the songs.  He also hated the car, but when I played ABBA he'd drop right off to sleep.  Even after he was a toddler, if he fought naptime all it took was about half of Dancing Queen and he was down for the count.  I simply cannot tell you how many times those Swedes saved my sanity! Now, because my kids are less than two years apart, The Villain obviously heard a lot of ABBA in utero also.  I didn't even think anything of it, but when I tried my Quiet Moment song, it once again did absolutely nothing.  ABBA once again saved the day.  I tried lots of things, too!  My guys are both named after musicians and I tried the music they were named for to no avail.  I have a list of beloved favorites, and so does my husband but those didn't work either.  It was always, only ABBA.  And I'm not talking about, "He's fussy and now he's calm."  It was instant sleep every time!  Of course, they're older now and it doesn't work anymore, but for a good three years or more, I owed a huge debt of gratitude to those four, and it's about time I finally got around to sending them a nice thank-you note!

Click here to watch my favorite ABBA song on YouTube!

Cyndi Lauper

When I was a kid, I listened to whatever music my mom was listening to, just like I'm sure all kids do. One of my favorites, and almost the only one I still like now is Cyndi Lauper. A few years ago... about 8 or 10, I guess... I went to see her in concert. There surprising thing about her is that she is MUCH better live than on the radio. As much as I love listening to her CDs, I'd trade them all in to listen to her in person! I learned at that concert that she was going to have a blues CD coming out. The second that album hit the store I bought it. I mean, I lived in Germany by that time and I drove about an hour to get to a base where I could pick it up the first day it was available and it did not disappoint. I'll leave you with a video here and let you decide for yourself. 

Click here to see Rollin and Tumblin by Cyndi Lauper

Why I'm A Spaz: An Essay

While I was on Guam, deployed with the Navy (Go Seabees!), Blessid Union of Souls played a show in a teeny tiny little bar on our Navy base. The show was advertised in the free paper that was lain around all over the base for sailors and Seabees with sticky fingers to read. Being one of these sticky-fingered Seabees myself, I found out about the show well in advance. Consequently, I spent at least a month obsessing about going to the show.
Unfortunately, this wonderful event was scheduled on one of the most tragic of all possible dates: the day before a Working Saturday. Working Saturdays come every other weekend for deployed 'bees. On those days, they begin work at 5:45am regardless of what the calendar says about weekends. Because of the timing, it was nearly impossible for me to find anyone willing to go with me.
In the process of trying to find an escort, in my mind I built up the concert into the event of a lifetime. I was so sure I would be able to meet and talk to Eliot Sloan that I became crazed in my quest to find someone to come. Every time I thought about it for that entire month I got more and more excited. It was going to be the most important day of my life! The day I would meet the sweet-voiced man who sang and, of course, had a hand in writing the most touching song ever written!
Finally, the day came. I floated through work, probably nailing someone's clothes to a board, for all the attention I was paying that day. Lunch came and went, dinner came and went and finally, the bus came and went, and I was on it.
"Oh, wow!" I told my friend, Mike. "There they are! They're starting!" Unfortunately, since no one in the band is named Hank or Garth, I wasn't met with equal enthusiasm. Looking around as the first notes rang out, I noticed that I wasn't the only person on the island who knew every word of 'Oh Virginia'... there was one more. I think the two of us made a very respectable 'roaring crowd' for the show, even though our roar could probably have been more accurately described as a bit of a commotion.
After the show, the time came to meet Eliot! The wait was over! I could finally impress him with my wit and shower him with praises!



WHAT IN THE WORLD DO I SAY?


My mind went completely blank, except for that blinding panic. Irrational terror paralyzed me. I thought, 'If I say something too nice, his wife will think I'm hitting on him. I am certainly NOT hitting on this man in front of his wife! I know- I could try to say something witty! That's it, something funny to break the ice.'
"Hi, I'm Tina."
That's it? That's all I got? Wait, now Mike's talking to him! They're having a conversation. Oh Tina, just say anything!
"Could you please sign my CD cover? Um, yeah, over here by 'Nora'."
Oh, Jeez, he said something. What was it?
"It's my favorite song." Well, apparently that's my answer.
"Oh, is it? I'm sorry we couldn't play your favorite song for you tonight," Eliot tells me.
Ha! I actually caught that one. And I understood it! But how in the world do I respond to that?
"Ever." There, that did it. I think my brain literally fell out of my mouth that last time I opened it. I've got to go. Thankfully, Mike stepped in.
"Well, we have to leave. We don't have a bus schedule and we have to work tomorrow so we can't miss it." Thank God for Mike. After Eliot said goodbye I opened my mouth and nothing at all came out. As Mike gently guided me toward the door, I thought, "I have got to explain this one day."

So there you have it. My explanation. Why I'm a spaz. I guess it's because just I am.

I wrote this a few years ago but I thought it would fare well on the blog today.  My style has changed a bit, and I did a bit of tweaking but it remains mostly unchanged.  I feel like if I ever meet any other celebrities, they need to read this first as a disclaimer.

(It was this one)

NKOTB

When I was very young -young enough to need a babysitter- my mom used to leave me in the care of the local teenage girl.  Okay, so there was more than ONE teenage girl...but certainly not more than five or six.  It was a tiny town.  Heather was our go-to and I loved her to death until I gave her attitude so bad that she passed me on to her sister, Sarah.  I liked Sarah a lot because she was younger and a fun sitter, but I really missed Heather because she always brought music with her when she came.  I don't remember everything she brought over but I do remember a few.  My favorites were New Edition, The Boys and... drumroll, please... New Kids on the Block! Man, once I heard NKOTB, I was an instant Blockhead! I think I liked them before any of my friends, and I know for sure that I was still obsessed long after they had all moved on to Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer. 

Oh, I listened to Hammertime and practiced the 2L2Quit hand motions with Stephanie over and over on the playground until I got it right.  I spent a lot of time with Milli Vanilli and Billy Ray Cyrus in my Walkman, too.  But the New Kids were always my #1.  I had the bed sheets, the bath towel, the dolls, magazine posters hung all over my room, I read NKOTB novels and got their tapes for birthdays.  I  remember I spent hours every day all summer in my friend Danielle's backyard with our other friend Crystal trying to make the Step By Step choreography work with only three people.  Those were the days before everyone could just go around recording every moment of their lives, but I assume we looked like professional dancers and sounded exactly like three Debbie Gibsons covering the New Kids.  We must have.  I'm sure of it. 

I also remember pretty clearly arguing who was the best New Kid. Crystal loved Jordan and Danielle preferred Donnie, but I was always changing my mind.  While I think I maintained a strict stance of either Danny or Jon for the sake of argument (Who can remember these things? It was 25 years ago.  Wait... 25 years!?), they each had a turn as my favorite.  Well, except for Donnie.  He always scared me.  Quite sensible, in my opinion, even now.  Joey was the youngest and looked so sweet; Jordan and Jonathan had those pretty eyelashes and I have always been a sucker for those eyelashes; Danny... well, Danny works out.  He's still my choice of the five guys. 

They keep themselves busy these days touring with other boy bands and they usually do a cruise with fans each year, so if you have a spare gazillion dollars lying around feel free to grab me a ticket.  Christmas is coming up, you know.  They're all on Twitter, and they're kind of fun to follow, especially if you want updates on tours and stuff. If you want links, just ask in the comments and I'll find them for you.  I'd really like to read about everyone else's NKOTB memories too, I know I'm not the only one who begged for a subscription to Bop Magazine trying to get new posters! Make your case in the comment section for cutest guy or tell me which video you learned the choreography to.  Hopefully you will all be flooded with memories like I am, because I'd sure like to hear about them.  Also, make sure to subscribe.  There will be more to read next week that you won't want to miss!

And now for your enjoyment, my current NKOTB shirt.  Don't get too jealous!