Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Goodbye Piano Pet Tribute: Booboo's Theme
VIDEO
We all love our pets, but how many of us could write and record a 5 minute theme song dedicated to our #1 pooch and companion of 24 years?In an emotional goodbye, international Steinway pianist/composer Danny Wright does just that, and I don't know how he made it through the whole piece with Booboo on his lap. You can feel the love, joy and memories flowing through him in this bittersweet tribute video, which has racked up over 2000 views in just a few days...
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
WE SALUTE
Good music writers, curators and broadcasters are becoming a rarity, which is too bad for us, as their insights often encourage us to listen to a new album, or think about an artist in a new way. Those continuing the good fight often face imposing stacks of CD submissions, the challenge of funding and maintaining their own blog or podcast, and general burnout in the face of the temperamental artistes and technical challenges that come with the territory.
Hence, our new periodic effort "We Salute." Launched with these unsung heroes in mind, we will pay tribute and just generally "love on" music writers and podcasters who provide an incredible service to their audience with consistently excellent content.
We begin with the hybrid writer/podcaster John Shanahan, founder of Hypnagogue. He describes himself as a writer and long-time ambient/electronic music lover living as quietly as possible in a small town south of Boston, Massachusetts. We find John particularly worthy of salute thanks to his May "Ladies Night" broadcast built around the premiere New Age and Ambient artists such as Fiona Joy, Ann Licater and Michele de Wilton. Listen to the Hypnogogue podcast here while you read on!
Below, is a sampling of John's honest and in-depth style of reviewing music:
ANN LICATER: Invitation from Within
"Meditative healing music with strong Native American overtones await on the soothing new release from flutist Ann Licater. Her gentle arsenal for this outing includes Native American, alto, silver and Peruvian clay flutes, along with “many sound healing instruments.” She’s joined by several musicians, including Jeff Oster on trumpet, Peter Phippen on bass, and Ivar Lunde on piano, and together they craft a lush New Age ride." Read the full review of Invitation from Within.
RICKY KEJ: Shanti Orchestra
"You want happy? Ricky Kej has happy. On his feel-good New Age offering, Shanti Orchestra, the Bollywood composer and creator of the Kamasutra Lounge series meshes native Indian music with laid-back club beats and far-reaching world-music influences. The intent is to massage your soul into a state of bliss–which, if your tastes run to very light New Age, it probably will." Read the full review of Shanti Orchestra.
FIONA JOY HAWKINS: 600 Years in a Moment
In presenting an “exploration into time and history” to her listeners, Fiona Joy Hawkins employs a broad, global array of instruments and an all-star roster of contemporary instrumental talent. Will Ackerman (who also produced the disc), Philip Aaberg, Eugue Friesen, Todd Boston, Tony Levin, Charlie Bisharat and others accompany Hawkins, who steers the voyage from behind a handcrafted Australian piano. Celtic influences weave through most of the work, but all the world flavors come through clearly, courtesy of flutes, whistles, strings, didgeridoo, a shaman’s dream’s worth of percussion, woodwinds, and guitars from just about every point on the planet. These 12 tracks are washed through with equal parts melancholy and romance; they are vivid, heartfelt songs full of imagery and emotion." Read the full review of 600 Years in a Moment.
If you're hoping to discover new music, then put Hypnagogue.net on your radar. John's reviews cover a broad spectrum of music, from drifting ambient and quiet electro-acoustic to sound experiments and beat-driven grooves, as he says, "Because music is music."
Friday, April 25, 2014
MUSIC: MIRIAM STOCKLEY
Miriam Stockley, as Interviewed by Maya Luna Christobel
Being both a fan and acquaintance of Miriam Stockley, I'm always excited to share news updates about her music. And, while her voice is beloved around the world, she tends to be a very humble and private person, which made this interview all the more fun for me to read! Click here to learn more about this admirable vocalist and member of the new age/world music group AOMusic!
Friday, April 11, 2014
FOODIE FRIDAY
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Lemonade
Recently, in need of a fast-yet-fun eatery for a casual meeting, I recalled that a new restaurant called Lemonade had opened up in Studio City, CA. We popped in after 8 pm, delighted to find the bright and welcoming space comfortably busy, smelling wonderful and the cafeteria-style line still brimming with fresh food. My guest and I were amazed by the array of fresh salads, delicious appetizers, stews, breads and desserts, complemented by the fresh lemonade of your choosing (my fave: cucumber mint!).
Lemonade is restaurateurs/entrepreneurs Alan Jackson and Ian Olsen's 14-location mission to redefine fast casual dining in So Cal, and they certainly seem to be succeeding. Guests surrounding us in the indoor/outdoor seating space ranged from a mother/son duo to hip couples and most notably, several tables of young guys raving about how much they love the simple/healthy menu, and, actually eat there every day. It's not surprising, as the flavorful yet simple food is served up without the usual "you're eating alone" stigma, and the seasonally-evolving menu is vast enough to make daily dining attractive. Check out your local Lemonade menu.
Our dinner, enthusiastically-shared, included six salad servings from quinoa to beets to kale to curried cauliflower and a peanut-based slaw; main servings of a Meditteranean-style chicken stew and a Basque chicken dish, herbed brown rice; and lemonade choices of Cucumber/Mint and Guava. There were lots of leftovers, and takeout is encouraged with handy little containers available. The total cost: $39.
Lemonade is creating a stir. It's hard to know if the clever restaurateurs planned it this way, but the well-lit decor and beautifully-designed food have Lemonade blowing up on social media. It's "old meets new" as the Paleo-leaning dishes become the colorful subjects of cellphone images shared to their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages...a most relevant sign of success in our 2.0 world, reinforced by the impending opening of a space in Dubai.
Rating (crawl/walk/run): Run!
Recently, in need of a fast-yet-fun eatery for a casual meeting, I recalled that a new restaurant called Lemonade had opened up in Studio City, CA. We popped in after 8 pm, delighted to find the bright and welcoming space comfortably busy, smelling wonderful and the cafeteria-style line still brimming with fresh food. My guest and I were amazed by the array of fresh salads, delicious appetizers, stews, breads and desserts, complemented by the fresh lemonade of your choosing (my fave: cucumber mint!).
Lemonade is restaurateurs/entrepreneurs Alan Jackson and Ian Olsen's 14-location mission to redefine fast casual dining in So Cal, and they certainly seem to be succeeding. Guests surrounding us in the indoor/outdoor seating space ranged from a mother/son duo to hip couples and most notably, several tables of young guys raving about how much they love the simple/healthy menu, and, actually eat there every day. It's not surprising, as the flavorful yet simple food is served up without the usual "you're eating alone" stigma, and the seasonally-evolving menu is vast enough to make daily dining attractive. Check out your local Lemonade menu.
Our dinner, enthusiastically-shared, included six salad servings from quinoa to beets to kale to curried cauliflower and a peanut-based slaw; main servings of a Meditteranean-style chicken stew and a Basque chicken dish, herbed brown rice; and lemonade choices of Cucumber/Mint and Guava. There were lots of leftovers, and takeout is encouraged with handy little containers available. The total cost: $39.
Lemonade is creating a stir. It's hard to know if the clever restaurateurs planned it this way, but the well-lit decor and beautifully-designed food have Lemonade blowing up on social media. It's "old meets new" as the Paleo-leaning dishes become the colorful subjects of cellphone images shared to their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages...a most relevant sign of success in our 2.0 world, reinforced by the impending opening of a space in Dubai.
Rating (crawl/walk/run): Run!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
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