Tuesday Tunes - My Top Five

I am endeavouring to get to know today's modern music. Here are the top five tunes I like this week.

1. Brad Paisley - Letter To Me

Brad Paisley is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist, whose musical style crosses between traditional country and southern rock. His songs are usually laced with humour and popular culture references, and this one is no exception. This song is basically what he would tell himself were he to write a letter to himself when he was 17 years old, it has nostalgia, a little sentimentality, and of course, some humour. Makes you think what you would say to your 17 year old self. It's a lovely song taken from his current album, The List, which currently sits at Number 6 in the Official UK Country Charts. Here is Letters To Me...

(N.B. You will have to click on the link below the image to watch the video on Youtube, as embedding is disabled on this song)

Brad Paisley - Letter To Me

2. Sara Bareilles - Gonna Get Over You

Sara Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. This song is taken from her latest album, Kaleidoscope Heart, released just this week, and not yet in the charts! It's catchy, it's fun, feels a little jazzy and I love it!

Sara Bareilles - Gonna Get Over You

3. Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Adele is an English singer songwriter with an amazingly strong voice. She sings songs of heartache and love lost. Like this powerful song, Rolling In The Deep...

Adele - Rolling In The Deep

4. Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue

Sugarland are an American country music duo, comprised of singer–songwriters Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush. They do boppy happy country-pop songs, their previous track was All I Wanna Do - another extremely catchy happy song. This song, Stuck Like Glue is an equally happy song, and somewhat crazy when you see the video! Still, he is a cute guy she's chasing...

Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue

5. Tinchy Stryder (feat Melanie Fiona) - Let It Rain

Melanie Fiona is a Canadian recording artist, who is releasing her second album later this year (in July 2011), The MF Life. She has a good voice and should have a promising solo career. I don't care for the rapping in this song (apologies to Tinchy Stryder), it's just not my cup of tea. I think this would have been a brilliant song if it had just been down to Melanie's vocals. As it is, it is still a good song, but not a great song. Let It Rain...

Tinchy Stryder feat Melanie Fiona - Let It Rain

Browncoats, Are You Ready To Bring Back Firefly?

OMG, There's a chance Firefly might come back! According to Blastr.com, Nathan Fillion and a couple of the Firefly series writers, Jose Molina (who wrote Trash and Ariel Firefly episodes), and Jane Espenson (who wrote Shindig Firefly episode), have said they would be willing to drop everything and do Firefly again!

This all started because The Science Channel have bought the rights to the Firefly TV Series and will be airing it from March 6th, in their full originally intended order, with some extras. This inspired Entertainment Weekly to interview Nathan Fillion and ask if he would do Firefly again now, if Joss Whedon and Fox came to him and said they had screwed up. Nathan replied:

"Yes. Yes. I would examine very closely Fox’s reasoning — I’m a little gun-shy. If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to Firefly, make it on my own, and distribute it on the Internet."

~ Nathan Fillion

These immortal words have inspired Browncoats to renew their appeal to bring Firefly back again! And most specifically, to help Nathan Fillion buy Firefly! They've set up a brand new website, Help Nathan Buy Firefly, and a matching Facebook page. Their intention is to raise enough cash so Nathan can buy Firefly! They're collecting pledges and raising interest right now, then they'd like Nathan to acknowledge and approve what they're doing, then they'll set up a non-profit organisation for us to donate our money to. I for one would be glad to do anything to help bring Firefly back to our screens. I love that we have new Firefly comics, Joss Whedon isn't totally done with the series, and neither are we! BRING BACK FIREFLY!!!

So go 'like' their Facebook page, and follow their website (works in any Blog or RSS feed reader), and help us bring Firefly back!

Love keeps her in the air when she ought to fall down...

Don't worry Mal, we'll get you back in the air.

Beautiful Music - My Top 5

After watching the Brit Awards, I realised just how out of touch I am with modern music. I am in my late 20s, and it just feels like I am not young and hip anymore. I have no idea who most of the artists are, and I don't feel moved and excited when I hear their music.

So I decided to search out the Official Music Charts and see what I was missing. From that, I have compiled my own personal chart music, of what I am enjoying at the moment. I have to admit, this mostly came from the Album charts and some from the classical music charts. I guess as I am maturing, so is my taste in music. I hope you like what I have to share:

1. Andre Rieu & his Johann Strauss Orchestra (feat Mirusia Louwerse) - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

Andre Rieu is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. When you put Andre Rieu in front of an orchestra, magical things start to happen. Music that really moves you, and takes your heart for a dance in the magical moonlight. This track is taken from his current Number One album in the Official Classical Album Charts, Moonlight Serenade. This is a live performance which is sung with the beautiful and enchanting Mirusia Louwerse, a soprano opera singer with an angelic voice, all the way from Australia. Here is, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again...

Andre Rieu & his Johann Strauss Orchestra (feat Mirusia Louwerse) - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

2. Katherine Jenkins - Ave Maria

Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns. She has an angelic, slightly deeper operatic voice, which captures your attention. She recently appeared in the Doctor Who Christmas Special, which featured her beautiful singing voice echoing through the quiet corridors like a sorrowful siren. Very memorable and very beautiful. This song is taken from her Premiere album currently sitting at Number eight in the Official Classical Album Charts. The video below includes an introduction by Aled Jones, which I'm afraid I don't understand a word of as I am not welsh, and do not have a clue what he is saying! Though I am sure it is something lovely about Katherine Jenkins. Here she is, singing Ave Maria...

Katherine Jenkins - Ave Maria

3. The Overtones - Gambling Man

OMG! The Overtones, where have you been all my life? How did I miss these guys? The Overtones are a five - piece British/Irish doo-wop vocal harmony group from London, their music is bouncy fun, and they put on a great performance completely in sync with one another. They look a lot of fun, and I really hope they stay around for a long time to come. OMG I love them! Here they are singing Gambling Man on This Morning, which also gives us a great opportunity to meet them...

The Overtones - Gambling Man

4. Imelda May - Tainted Love

Imelda May is an Irish vocalist and musician, whose music reminds you a little of old Hillbilly music and Jazz combined. It's a little unusual and at the same time a breath of fresh air. This performance is taken from Jools Holland's Live BBC Show, and shows her to be a good live performer too. Why wasn't she on the Brit Awards? Please enjoy her version of Tainted Love...

Imelda May - Tainted Love

5. Talay Riley - Sergeant Smash

Talay Riley started out as a very successful songwriter, he is now branching out in his own with his second single, Sergeant Smash, which grabs your attention from the military drums right at the beginning. I love the music video, which features military uniforms and pretty cool dancing to a strong drumbeat. I love this, striking, catches your attention, and soon becomes a very likable track.

Talay Riley - Sergeant Smash

Drabble Day 100 Word Story: "Edge"

Today I found Aheïla's Drabble Day post, a challenge to write a 100 word story, give or take five words, on whatever word prompt she chooses. Today she chose Edge. I really enjoyed having a go at this, I've never tried to write a piece of fiction so short, it really taught me to be concise with my writing, and find shorter ways of saying what I wanted. Thank you Aheïla for such a great challenge! Here's my story:

"Standing on the edge of a mid-nineteenth century roof, Anya gazes out over a golden haze covered skyline, smog slowly rising above the dark and soot stained London rooftops. Anya stands out in stark contrast with gleaming white hair, dark red eyes, and an almost matching red pvc military uniform.

Casting a quick glance over her shoulder, Anya sighs, then in one swift movement she dives head-first off the tower of London. Falling like a missile with the ground rushing up to her and the wind whistling through her hair, Anya smiles. And for one brief moment, she feels free."

P.S. This isn't where the story ends, it's inspired by a science-fiction novel I'm currently researching and planning!

For more of my writing, please see my dedicated Writing Blog:
http://writing-in-the-woods.blogspot.com

Sketch #6 Sea Serpent

Today I nearly ran out of time in the day, I literally sketched this in 15 minutes before I went to bed! It's a small sea serpent inspired from a childrens drawing book. Drawn with less details to make it quicker to do, but I did enjoy adding the pattern and changing the shading for under the water and above it. A fun sketch.

To see more of my Art, please check out my art blog:
http://sketchinggirl.blogspot.com