Hip Hop/Rap

SONG OF THE DAY – “IN YOUR ARMS” by Nico & Vinz

October 19, 2014

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On Thursday night I attended a great concert at Beacon Theatre in NYC – Fresh 102.7 Fall Fest. This was the second Fresh Fall Fest and, after attending last year, I was not going to miss it. Last year they had an incredible lineup with Kodaline, American Authors, Daughtry (playing an acoustic set), and The Fray. It was a fabulous show!

This year when I heard the lineup announced, I knew that I was going to make it an annual event. First, let me say that Beacon Theatre is such an incredible venue – just a beautiful, iconic theatre. Second, who gets all those incredible acts together for one night? Fresh 102.7 did a great job of lining up some amazing performers who provided concert goers with a fabulous 3 hour show! We were entertained by Nico & Vinz, Bleachers, Matt Nathanson, Ingrid Michaelson, and Neon Trees.

Last year, both Kodaline and American Authors were the rising artists who got a huge introduction at the show, Daughtry was a big name who played an acoustic set which made it a unique experience, and then we had the big finale by The Fray. This year, it was hard to determine who was the main act. Obviously, Nico & Vinz are rising artists and fit that bill, as does Bleachers (even though Jack Antonoff is a member of the popular band, Fun.). Matt Nathanson played an incredible acoustic set, but there were still two acts left to follow – Ingrid Michaelson and Neon Trees. Really, both of them could have been considered the closing act and they both performed like they were. The performances were amazing and incredibly entertaining.

Today, I just wanted to quickly post a song by Nico & Vinz, one of the rising artists from the night. Nico & Vinz, (Nicolas “Nico” Sereba and Vincent Dery) from Oslo, Norway, have a great stage presence and a really fun sound. I found them thoroughly entertaining and adorable – I especially loved watching Vincent Dery dance. 🙂 I am certain that you are already familiar with their Song of the Summer, “Am I Wrong.” If not, click on the song to have a listen. The second single from their debut album, Black Star Elephant, which was just released this month, is today’s song of the day. It is a song that I just really love and the video is actually very powerful. Nico & Vinz have a sound that is very unexpected. The music combines pop, Afro beat, hip hop, R&B, and reggae; and their lyrics are very powerful with a message to share. They sound fantastic together! I hope that you like this song as much as I do … I just can’t seem to get it out of my head.

SONG OF THE DAY – “CLASSIC” by MKTO

July 28, 2014

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I just returned from a family trip to the mountains. My mother-in-law turns 70 years old this year and we all decided to do a family trip where the entire family was under one roof together. We rented a large house and everyone made it – even my daughter was able to sneak away from her D.C. internship for a couple of days. We had 19 people together, ranging in age from 2 to 70. It was an adventure! It is the first time that all of my husband’s family were able to get together at one time and spend a few uninterrupted days together on a vacation. I think it made my mother-in-law happy to have her entire family together, and I hope that it makes her 70th birthday a special and memorable event.

I felt very lucky that my daughter was able to fly in for the trip. It is hard to break away from a summer internship and so we were happy that she could be there. She had two nightmare travel experiences on both ends of her journey, even getting stuck overnight in Phoenix because she missed her connection, but she was a trooper through all of it. I am posting a song today that she and I listened to while we were together this weekend. She shared this song with me and, although I had heard it before, listening to it with her and having her show me the video really sold me on the song. I decided that it was definitely one that needed to be shared. She will be coming home in two weeks and I can hardly wait!

This song is by musical duo, MKTO, a name which is derived from the initials of the two artists – Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller. The two say the name also stands for “Misfit Kids and Total Outcasts” which they say is “just like the kids we were in high school.” Both members of MKTO were previously actors who met while filming the Nickelodeon show, “Gigantic.” Malcolm Kelley is best known for his role as Walt on the cult television show, “Lost” and also his role as Lil Saint from the movie, You Got Served. Tony Oller is best known for his role on “Gigantic” and on The Disney Channel show,” As The Bell Rings.”

MKTO‘s sound is a fun combination of pop, rap, hip hop, and soul. This song was their second single and was released in July 2013. They released their self-titled debut album in the U.S. in April 2014. MKTO is in the middle of their first U.S. headlining tour, the “American Dream Tour,” which started at the end of June. Interestingly, following that tour, they will open for Tony Oller’s former “As The Bell Rings” co-star, Demi Lovato, on the US portion of her tour.

I really like how catchy this song is – it is one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head and it makes me feel happy. I love watching the dynamics between the two artists and I find the chemistry between the two of them fantastic. They look like they are having loads of fun and they each bring such a different sound and style to their music. It is a Classic and I hope that you enjoy it!

SONG OF THE DAY – “THE FIGHTER” by Gym Class Heroes, featuring Ryan Tedder

July 17, 2014

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It’s Throwback Thursday! Today’s #tbt song is from 2011.

Just returning from an extended trip traveling with my son in the south – a golf tournament and a visit to a couple of schools. We visited several places that I have never been before and have always wanted to visit, including Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, South Carolina. Beautiful! Wish there had been more time to just vacation. We had such a great time, but we are both exhausted.
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I am posting a song today for Throwback Thursday that is not super old – it is from the 2011 album, The Papercut Chronicles II, by Gym Class Heroes – but it is a song that I have had in my head a lot the last few days and one that I have always loved. This is a fabulous motivational song; we listened to it today as we headed off to another golf tournament. I hope that it does the trick for you if you need a little motivation to encourage yourself, or someone you know, to reach higher and realize they are a fighter.
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I am sure that I have mentioned it before, but I am a huge Ryan Tedder fan. He is quite literally one of my very favorites. His collaboration on this song just makes the whole thing perfect. Enjoy!
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SONG OF THE DAY – “MONSTERS” by Timeflies, featuring Katie Sky

July 8, 2014

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Today I am posting a new song by Timeflies. I introduced you to Timeflies back on March 2, 2014 with their song “All The Way.” They released their new album, After Hours, on April 29, 2014. Today’s song has a different sound than the rest of their new album and is a little different from their typical sound, but it is amazing and hard to get out of my head. Katie Sky has a tremendous voice and really makes this song for me. I just love hearing it every time it comes around on the playlist.

Timeflies is a duo that was formed in 2010 by producer Rob Resnick (Rez) and vocalist Cal Shapiro (Cal). They both attended Tufts University in Boston and formed the musical duo while they were students there. Rez double majored in Music and Philosophy, and Cal majored in Music and Entrepreneurship. They have totally taken advantage of their education and their musical talents in their chosen life path. The two have since returned to their roots in the New York/New Jersey area and are based out of Manhattan now.

I hope that you enjoy this new song today.

SONG OF THE DAY – “EIGHTEEN” by Bow Wow

February 4, 2014

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HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY to my beautiful daughter!

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I can hardly believe that my little girl is 18 years old today, but I know that she is so excited to finally be 18! This is the perfect song for her today. Bow Wow made his rap debut at age 13 in 2000. I’m sure he was excited when he turned 18 too.

I want to use this post today to tell my daughter what an amazing young lady she has become. My life changed for the better the moment she entered it.

She has the most incredible mind, a deeply passionate spirit, and -most importantly- a genuinely loving and affectionate heart. There is no one who can make me feel more beautiful or more loved than she can. She loves to hug and to feel connected to others. She has had a tremendous amount of change and challenges in her 18 years. She has lived in nine different cities in her young life … well, really 10 if we count her current life at Wellesley College in Boston.

She is resilient, brave, talented, loyal, and adventurous. I know that if I were looking for a friend, I would be looking for her. How lucky I am that she came to me! She has made me a better person and I have loved every moment of the last 18 years.

Happy Birthday, sweet girl! I hope you have a spectacular day and the most amazing year! I am excited to watch as you continue to grow, and I know that there is a world full of adventure and success that lies ahead for you.

I LOVE YOU! ❤ ❤

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5:58 pm on February 4, 1996 after 3 long days of labor followed by an emergency c-section!

          

                          Cutest baby ever!                           An (INTENSE) Pepsi girl right from the start! Proud dad. 🙂

SONG OF THE DAY – “HOLDING ON TO YOU” by Twenty One Pilots

January 29, 2013

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Just a quick note today and something a little different to mix things up. I really like Twenty One Pilots and their very unique sound. It is a great song for a workout or just when you are chilling.

Twenty One Pilots is a duo that was formed in Columbus, Ohio and became a success through some very intelligent social media strategies and lots of live shows. The duo is comprised of Tyler Joseph (vocals, poetry/lyrics writer, synthesizer, piano, etc) and Josh Dun on drums. Great sound for only two guys!

I was trying to decide how to categorize Twenty One Pilots and I actually had to do a bit of research. It seems that people don’t know exactly how to classify them as their music crosses so many genres; however, I did learn a new music classification … Schizophrenic Pop (or Schizoid Pop). I am not sure what that is, but I guess it is the style of Twenty One Pilots. 🙂 Hope you enjoy a little mix up today.

SONG OF THE DAY – “HERE’S TO US” by Kevin Rudolf

January 22, 2014

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I love this song! I just can’t seem to get it out of my head. When I first heard the song, the chords and the sound at the beginning  immediately reminded me of another favorite song that I highlighted in November –  “Come To Me” by The Goo Goo Dolls.

I love the music of this song, but I especially love the lyrics – the combo seems to make it ear candy for me. Over the last month or so I have been really focused on the story … my story, other people’s stories, and when those stories intersect. My life has crossed so many other people’s paths and I count that as a tremendous blessing. Sometimes it is definitely sad when that path intersects and then continues on and it involves goodbyes. One of my favorite lines in the song …

“Here’s to all we loved that wasn’t meant to last.”

I think that has been a theme in our life. This was just recently emphasized with our visit back to Dallas last weekend. Dallas was such an important time in my kids’ lives. It is where my daughter spent the last two years of her high school life, made important friendships, and graduated from high school; and it is where my son started high school and developed a friendship with two friends that really comes along once in a lifetime. I tend to refer to them as “Brothers From Different Mothers.” I have learned that life has a way of creating a beautiful story even when it is difficult and that “things always turn out right,” as the song says.

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I have to say that this is the first song I have heard from Kevin Rudolf. I learned of the song from a past yoga teacher, from several cities ago, who I adore and who has amazing musical taste. Kevin Rudolf is a singer-songwriter who was born in New York City and learned to play the guitar when he was only 11 years old. His mother was a rock musician and instilled in him the passion to pursue music. He has written or co-written every song on his albums (as well as writing for many others) and he seems to cross multiple genres with his music. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry. Enjoy the song, enjoy the story and HERE’S TO US!