retroblog.net

wow, I never would have imagined that a K-pop song would land on one of Spin Magazine‘s year-end “Best-of” lists. But that’s how much the genre has infiltrated U.S. pop culture. amazing stuff. Congrats to korean singer HyunA for getting some mainstream exposure. Her song “Bubble Pop” is #9 on Spin’s 20 Best Songs of 2011.

You may not necessarily understand the words but HyunA’s definitely great to look at.

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Can’t seem to get Kim Wilde‘s version of Kirsty MacColl’s “They Don’t Know” out of my head. Yes, I know it’s inferior to Kirsty’s original (plus she doesn’t even do the climactic “Baby!” in her version!) but I’ve got a soft spot for Kim Wilde. Come on, I was a young teen when “Kids in America” came out. Kim was a hottie. Nowadays, not so much… but she still sings like she did back then.

You’ve been around for such a long time now
Oh maybe I could leave you but I don’t know how
And why should I be lonely every night when I can be with you
Oh yes you make it right
And I don’t listen to the guys who say
That you’re bad for me and I should turn you away
‘Cos they don’t know about us and they’ve never heard of love

No I don’t listen to their wasted lines
Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs
But they don’t know about us and they’ve never heard of love
written by Kirsty MacColl

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While over on Dragon Blogger, I noticed that Justin was using LiveFyre as his commenting platform. I liked what I saw in terms of what it can do especially the inclusion of Facebook and Twitter conversations.

Plus, the folks behind livefyre has made it pretty dead simple to add it onto an existing blog so I thought I’d give it a-go.

Hell, I’ll try anything to help spark some conversations here on this ol’ blog. anyway, let me know your thoughts about the new way of commenting. Hopefully it’s a positive.

NO, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. I’m hosting another DVD giveaway! As a followup to my BONES: The Complete Sixth Season DVD giveaway that I posted last night, I’ve got the new Paul McCartney documentary titled The Love We Make to give out to one lucky retroblog reader.

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES PAUL McCARTNEY DOCUMENTARY THE LOVE WE MAKE
Out on DVD and Blu-ray December 6, 2011
It was one of the most emotional documentaries ever aired on the Showtime Cable Network. Now, for the first time, on December 6, fans will have a chance to own The Love We Make, a look back at Sir Paul McCartney and his efforts to plan and perform a benefit concert in the aftermath of the worst day in the history of New York City.
Eagle Rock Entertainment will release the film, directed by Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter) and Bradley Kaplan, on DVD and Blu Ray. Shot in stark 16 mm black and white, complete with color concert clips, The Love We Make juxtaposes dramatic images of “The Concert For New York City,” held mere months after 9/11, with that of scenes of McCartney himself as he walks the streets of the town that his former songwriting partner, John Lennon, loved so much.
“It was an honor to be able to help New York and America at that time in its history,” said McCartney of the concert. “There was a feeling of shock and fear in the air that I thought we could help alleviate with music and the fact that so many people stepped up to join us made for a very uplifting evening for us all.”
Recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 and LPCM Stereo, the 90-minute film features cameo appearances by President Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Jay Z, Billy Joel, Elton John and many more in onstage and backstage moments.
It is a film that no music fan can afford to miss.
—-

Here’s how to enter to win the Paul McCartney DVD!

- Leave me a comment on this page – please share a little tidbit about your favorite Paul McCartney tune. It can be anything… something personal about yourself or some trivia about the song. be creative! (be sure to log the entry in using the rafflecopter widget to get counted!)

you can earn bonus points by doing the following:
- LIKE my facebook page and follow me on twitter.
- you also have the option of liking this post on FB to spread the word about the contest.
- and finally, you can also tweet about it. (you can do this once per day, just be sure to log them into the rafflecopter widget!)

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Currently in the middle of its 7th season, Fox TV series Bones continues to bring in solid ratings. Normally a typical TV series is on its last legs by the 7th season but this particular show seems to be chugging along nicely. With solid writing and well developed characters, Bones keeps viewers coming back for more.

And you can win the 6-DVD set of the 6th season of Bones by entering in the latest Retroblog giveaway. You’ll notice that I’ve jumped on the rafflecopter bandwagon. There are a ton of blogs utilizing the rafflecopter app for contests/giveaways so I thought I’d give it a try. It should streamline the whole process which might ultimately allow me to host even more giveaways on this site.

But first things first. Here’s what you need to do to enter.

- Leave me a comment on this page – let me know what you like about the TV series Bones!
- earn bonus points by liking my facebook page and following me on twitter.
- you have the option of liking this post on FB to spread the word about the contest.
- you can also earn points by tweeting about it. (once per day)

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The companion piece to Peter Gabriel’s recently released studio album New Blood is out in stores now. It’s a new concert DVD titled New Blood Live in London. I’ve enjoyed listening to the studio album over the last month so getting the new DVD was a natural progression for me. And I’m happy to report that the live orchestral performance captured at the Hammersmith Apollo last March is even better than the studio album. Yes, the album probably has better clarity and sonics but the excitement and vibe from the live show takes the material to a whole ‘nother level.

There’s a lot happening on stage during Gabriel’s show and the director, Blue Leach, does a great job in capturing all of that without overwhelming the viewer with fast edits. The live show features huge movable video screens displaying custom animation/visual effects for each song. On stage, along with Gabriel and his female backup singers is the massive 46 piece orchestra. The new arrangements are breathtaking and breathe new life into old familiar tunes like “Red Rain”, “In Your Eyes” and “Intruder”.

Peter Gabriel looks pretty relaxed on stage and his vocals sound amazing as does the orchestra. I’m sure the live shows were a huge undertaking but Gabriel seemed to be enjoying himself during the show especially on “Solsbury Hill” where he’s all smiles.

Notably absent from the setlist are Gabriel’s biggest hits “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time” but that’s understandable since they both relied heavily on drum machines. It’s an intriguing setlist though with lesser known songs like “Darkness”, “San Jacinto” and covers like “The Boy in the Bubble” and “The Book of Love”.

Since the orchestral tour had a limited run, the DVD/blu-ray is a must for any Peter Gabriel fan. I haven’t heard if Gabriel will continue to do any more of these types of shows so this might be the only way we’re going to be able to see these orchestra versions live.

RetroGrade: A

New Blood Live in London DVD
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
DVD Release Date: October 24, 2011
Run Time: 162 minutes

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Thanks again to all those that participated in the Gary Moore CD/DVD giveaway.

all the entries were compiled into a spreadsheet and numbered sequentially. I then used random.org to generate three random numbers.

and the three winners are –

Ed N., Peter G. and Ronald O.

Congratulations!

The winners should have received an email from me by now so check your inbox!!

and for the rest of y’all, keep an eye out for more giveaways coming up soon…

stay connected via twitter, facebook and RSS.

Initial U.S. dates just got posted today. Obviously there’s more to come but I suppose some more details had to be ironed out before the rest of the dates could be revealed. Anyway, here are the dates so far.

Wed 01/25/12 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
Fri 01/27/12 Raleigh, NC - RBC Center
Sat 01/28/12 Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena
Mon 01/30/12 Duluth, GA - The Arena At Gwinnett Center
Tue 01/31/12 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Fri 02/03/12 Memphis, TN - FedExForum

The Red Hot Chili Peppers will be touring to support their latest studio album, I’m With You.

Tickets for these dates will go on sale December 3rd. Also note that these live shows will be recorded and will be made available for download through their website.

head over to redhotchilipeppers.com for the latest.

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