retroBlog

Singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards recently released another stellar set of songs titled Asking for Flowers. Edwards has this knack for creating vivid portraits of fractured individuals which includes murder victims (Alicia Ross, Oh Canada), draft dodgers (Oil Man’s war) and discarded lovers (Asking for Flowers).
this remarkable album is a true joy to listen to from beginning to end. each song is distinct and memorable for the storylines and tuneful melodies. one of the many highlights on this record is the title track, Asking for Flowers -
..Every pill I took in vain, every meal for you I made, every penny I put away,
asking for flowers is like asking you to be nice
Don’t tell me you’re too tired, 10 years I’ve been working nights
you can just feel the heartbreak, the regret and the sadness in the song. the song just floors me every time I hear it. It’s an amazing talent to be able to convey in song an intimate moment like that and keep the truth, detail and emotion intact. Edwards also includes unique touches in her songs like on the first single, The Cheapest Key where she defines each note on the musical scale. she’s bitter and she’s angry but the song also conveys wit and cleverness that makes the song go down well. Co-producer Jim Scott made a smart choice of reigning in the instrumentation to keep the focus on Edwards’ vocals and the well written lyrics. but when key instrumental passages do kick-in like in the song Goodnight, California, the resulting effect is significantly moving and transcendent.
Asking for Flowers is a true gem of an album and will easily land on this year’s list of best releases.

watch the promo video about the new album on youtube:

and be sure to catch Kathleen Edwards on tour:
March 27 - Portland, Maine at The Big Easy
March 28 - Boston, Mass. at Paradise Rock Club
March 29 - Northampton, Mass. at Pearl Street
March 31 - Burlington, Vt. at Higher Ground
April 5 - Chicago, Ill. at Metro
April 6 - Detroit, Mich. at Magic Bag
April 8 - Pittsburgh, Pa. at Rex Theatre
April 10 - New York, N.Y. at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
April 11 - Annapolis, Md. at Ram’s Head
April 12 - Philadelphia, Pa. at The Fillmore at TLA
April 14 - Alexandria, Va. at The Birchmere
April 16 - Asheville, N.C. at Grey Eagle Tavern
April 17 - Louisville, Ky. at Headliners
April 18 - Birmingham, Al. at WorkPlay Theatre
April 19 - Nashville, Tenn. at Mercury Lounge
April 30 - Indianapolis, Ind. at Music Hall
May 9 - Boulder Col. at Fox Theatre
May 13 - Tucson, Ariz. at Club Congress
May 14 - San Diego, Calif. at Belly Up
May 16 - Los Angeles, Calif. at Troubadour
May 17 - Santa Barbara, Calif. at Lobero Theatre
(more…)

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in the last few years, the significance of viral videos have skyrocketed. I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to realize the power of viral videos especially when we all know “the Star Wars kid” and the “Numa Numa” kid. a popular viral video can lead to instant notoriety and even legitimate careers. there’s even an upcoming Viral Film Festival being held in New York City. the April 28th event is the first of its kind and is in conjunction with the BEFILM Underground Film Festival. They’re currently accepting submissions so if you’re sitting on something creative, funny, or simply out of this world crazy, head on over to viralfilmfestival.com to enter your video. who knows, you could be the next viral video sensation to sweep the internet!

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Boston will be back out on the road this summer! even after the tragic loss of legendary singer Brad Delp, Boston mastermind Tom Scholz has decided to continue on with the group. Stepping in for lead vocals this time around will be former Stryper frontman Michael Sweet. also along for the ride for the tour: Gary Phil, Kimberley Dahme, Jeff Neal and Tommy DeCarlo.

here’s a quick taste of what to expect with Michael Sweet singing with Boston.

as long as Sweet doesn’t come on stage with his signature Stryper bumblebee colors, I think he’ll do alright. although Scholz should consider dropping the key down on some of the songs b/c in that short video clip you can tell Sweet can’t quite get up on those high notes.

the following are the tentative dates for their summer tour-

June 6 2008 Thunder Bay, Ont Marina Park
June 13 2008 Hinckley, MN Grand Casino
June 15 2008 Detroit, MI DTE Amphitheater
June 18 2008 St. Louis, MO The Family Arena
June 20 2008 Kinder, LA Grand Casino Coushatta
June 21 2008 San Antonio, TX Verizon Amphitheater
June 22 2008 Houston, TX Woodlands
June 24 2008 Grand Prairie, TX Noke Live Theater
June 25 2008 Oklahoma City, OK Zoo Amphitheatre
June 27 2008 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
June 28 2008 Las Vegas, NV Thomas and Mack
June 29 2008 Tucson, AZ Anselmo Valencia Ampitheater
July 1 2008 San Diego, CA Coors Amphitheatre
July 2 2008 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheater
July 4 2008 Wendover, NV Peppermill Casino
July 5 2008 Reno, NV Peppermill - Tuscany Ballroom
July 6 2008 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
July 8 2008 Portland, OR Clark County Amphitheater
July 9 2008 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
July 10 2008 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place
July 12 2008 Calgary, AB
July 13 2008 Regina, SK
July 15 2008 Morrison, CO Red Rocks
July 17 2008 Cadott, WI Rock Fest
July 18 2008 Monticello, IA Great Jones Fair
July 20 2008 Chicago, IL Charter One Pavilion
July 25 2008 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek
July 26 2008 West Bend, WI
July 29 2008 Toronto, ON
Aug 1 2008 Big Flats, NY Summer Stage
Aug 2 2008 Guilford, NH US Cellular Pavilion
Aug 3 2008 Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center
Aug 4 2008 Bethlehem, PA Musikfest
Aug 6 2008 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Aug 7 2008 Long Island, NY
Aug 9 2008 Salamanca, NY Seneca Allegany Casino
Aug 10 2008 New Jersey
Aug 11 2008 Vienna, VA Wolftrap
Aug 13 2008 Baltimore, MD The Pier
Aug 15 2008 Atlantic City, NJ Etess Center
Aug 16 2008 Roanoke Rapids, NC Carolina Crossroads Amphitheater
Aug 17 2008 Atlanta, GA

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there has been a lot of buzz about fantasy football leagues these last few years but it’s interesting to note that fantasy baseball is actually the oldest form of fantasy sports. baseball is where it all started. I suppose participation isn’t as widespread compared to football due to the level of involvement and commitment during the baseball season. In baseball, you’ve got 162 games during the season with games played throughout the week. where as in football, games are primarily played during the weekend. but with the added level of commitment and complicated statistics, you end up weeding out the casual gamers and find yourselves among the true cream of the crop baseball fans. of course the internet has made fantasy sports all the more accessible and fun for fans across the globe. but there’s a new software tool that can get you an edge in your fantasy baseball league. Fantasy Sports Prophet’s Fantasy Baseball software is a web based program that offers the most advanced predictive modeling analysis tool that can help you pick the best players for your team. the program will retrieve the latest stats, news and injury reports and display them in a well designed user interface. you get full season roster management with updated mid-season projection analysis. for fantasy baseball players, this is THE tool to use. and when there’s big prize money at stake, players need all the help they can get. so get the edge in fantasy baseball by using the new software by Fantasy Sports Prophet. Register now and get $10 off by using the special promo code: BMC200.

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well this is a surprise. at least to me… Rilo Kiley just announced 2008 tour dates which will start in April! I was so sure their recent fall tour was going to be it for the band so that Jenny Lewis could continue on with her solo career. But I guess the band still got “legs” as they say in the “biz”.

Rilo Kiley Tour Dates:
Thu 04/17/08 San Francisco, CA S.F. Design Center/Galleria
Sat 04/19/08 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Sun 04/20/08 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
Wed 04/23/08 Santa Cruz, CA Rio Theatre
Thu 04/24/08 Pomona, CA Glass House
Sat 04/26/08 Indio, CA Empire Polo Field
Thu 05/15/08 San Diego, CA Concerts In The Park
Mon 05/19/08 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Tue 05/20/08 Omaha, NE Slowdown
Wed 05/21/08 Omaha, NE Slowdown
Thu 05/22/08 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Fri 05/23/08 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
Sat 05/24/08 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
Sun 05/25/08 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
Mon 05/26/08 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
Wed 05/28/08 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
Fri 05/30/08 Worcester, MA The Palladium
Sat 05/31/08 Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
Sun 06/01/08 Northampton, MA Calvin Theater
Mon 06/02/08 New York, NY Terminal 5
Thu 06/05/08 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Fri 06/06/08 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Sat 06/07/08 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
Sun 06/08/08 Richmond, VA Toad’s Place Of Richmond
Tue 06/10/08 Norfolk, VA NorVa
Wed 06/11/08 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Thu 06/12/08 Charleston, SC Music Farm
Fri 06/13/08 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
Sun 06/15/08 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
Mon 06/16/08 Austin, TX Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

Rilo Kiley - Breakin’ Up (live, Minneapolis, MN 14Sep07)

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my uncle had a big bash for his 70th birthday so there was this huge family gathering out on a friend’s farm somewhere in the deep dark of New Jersey. I had this crazy notion that I could take the kids to see some of the sights in New York City after the big bash. Well, as with most family gatherings, we ended up staying much longer than we had planned with my uncle and his family which sorta put a damper on our visit to the big apple. We still went into the city but we only had a day left before I had to get back to work. So we essentially did a speed tour of a portion of Manhattan. It was pretty stressful especially with the heavy traffic congestion and getting lost countless of times. but I think my kids still got a kick out of seeing what a REAL CITY is like. it’s such a huge difference compared to living in our “small town”-like area. we made it a point to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art since my oldest son has a developing interest in art and historic paintings. we then speed walked through central park taking tons of pictures along the way. we were pressed for time so we check out Rockerfeller Center and of course the iconic, Times Square. it was a shame that we didn’t get to spend more time in New York but it was still a nice introduction for the kids. in fact, the kids can’t wait to do a proper visit to “the City that never sleeps” and I’m planning on using Trusted Tours & Attractions to help maximize our time there. The Trusted Tours & Attractions website is a great tool to help plan your next visit to New York or any other major destination in the United States. The site is full of family vacation ideas and even lists the top things to do in New York. Oh and check this out - they’re currently offering a new IPOD Nano to a lucky person that signs up for their Travel Newsletter. not only do you get the latest news and travel tips right in your inbox, you also get a chance to win a great prize. cool stuff. head on over to Trusted Tours & Attractions for more information.

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Goldfrapp just announced some upcoming live dates including a couple here in the U.S.

I still can’t get enough of their new single A&E. It’s an instant classic in my book.

Here are the dates:

April 12 - Rotterdam, Motel Mozaique
April 16 - Paris, Casino de Paris
April 18 - London, Royal Festival Hall
April 25 - Indio, Calif., Coachella
April 26 - San Francisco, Calif., Warfield Theatre
April 29 - New York City, N.Y., Beacon Theater
June 21 - Bexhill-on-Sea, South, De Le Warr Pavilion
June 22 - Birmingham, Midlands, Birmingham Symphony Hall
June 23 - Manchester, Northwest, Bridgewater Hall
June 25 - London, Royal Albert Hall
June 30 - Glasgow, Scotland, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
July 1 - Gateshead, Sage

..OK, OK, I’ll admit that I was just looking for an excuse to post this photo of Alison Goldfrapp…

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anyone watch last night’s broadcast of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony? man, what a snoozefest. come on, I’m not exactly sure when it all went to hell but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is pretty much worthless now. obviously the televised event needs to attract as many viewers as possible so the producers behind the Hall of Fame are going to try to get artists that appeal to a wide range of people. but in doing so, I think they’ve just lost all credibility. Does Madonna really belong in the *Rock and Roll* Hall of Fame???? Does that make any damn sense to anyone??? how can anyone take the Hall of Fame seriously when it has essentially become just another popularity contest? check out some of the artists that AREN’T in the hall of fame: Steve Miller, Deep Purple, Chicago, Moody Blues, Yes, Genesis, Kiss, John Fogerty, Steve Winwood, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Alice Cooper, The Cars and yes, even Todd Rundgren. that’s pretty sad. Jann Wenner and the others on the nominating committee are a bunch of idiots. with the way they are handling things there in Cleveland, I can’t imagine the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame being anything but just your average ordinary rundown roadside attraction. nothing more.

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whether at the office or at home, things run more efficiently when you’re neat and organized. When you have piles upon piles of paper, magazines and bills all over your workspace, you end up wasting time going through your mess instead of getting things done. You’re simply asking for trouble when you don’t have the necessary tools and items in an organized space where you can quickly and easily find things. But what do you do when you have large amount of drawers, file cabinets and storage containers to put away all of your stuff? Even though your workspace is all neat and clean, you may end up not remembering where you put some of your things. That’s where the DYNO Labelwriter printers come in handy. Using the versatile printing software and the labelwriter printer, you can make professional quality labels to help get your office organized. and they have labels for just about anything - address labels, name tags, file folder labels, shipping labels, business cards and best of all, postage stamps. that’s right, the DYNO Labelwriter can even save you from standing in those long lines at the post office by printing postage conveniently at your own desk. printing online stamps and creating labels to better organize your space are all ways to be more efficient. and in this day and age where time is of the essence, being more efficient and organized is a priority on everyone’s list.

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