Tag: Music

BEA Recap This Time Last Week (Day 1)

Posted on by Cindy

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I am so behind in writing up my  recap post from BEA but I honestly have to say that I am physically and mentally burned out from the trip. I always have a problem with re-entry back into a normal life. Does anyone else encounter this problem?

I think we are all so high on adrenaline and the excitement of NYC/BEA and lack of sleep that we don’t really realize it at first but it hits on the way back home or even at home.

Anyways lets get on with these recap posts shall we.

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Day one is literally spent traveling. If you travel with me you will discover that I try to get pre-boarding and I always manage to get it. Its not that I don’t like standing in lines but when the line is super long I like to take advantage of a service if its available and it always is.

We pulled out of the Montreal train station at about 10:30 am. The train was packed like it always is and I think its because it was memorial day weekend and everyone was traveling. Thankfully the train ride to NYC was uneventful and we arrrived in NYC roughly around 9pm. We even breezed through customs without a huge delay.

I should mention that I was traveling with Laura from Library of Clean Reads  and i Read Book Tours and her friend Debra and we decided before hand that we were going to share a room.

Our hotel for the next 5 nights was going to be Hotel Pennsylvania. I plan on doing on review of the hotel sometime this week.

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I love the train ride down to New York City because of the scenery so I though I would include some photos I took along the way. I think sunsets are my favorite time of the day.

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When ever I travel I tend to over pack and this was no exception. Here is what I had at my seat. I ended up buying various magazines to read (Oprah, Marie Claire, Glamour, People, In Style, Life & Style etc) because they are light and fluffy reads, I brought my iPad as well because there are games and ebooks on that (and I actually ended up using it more then I thought I would) I brought my iPod to listen to music, some snack food (just because buying food on the train tends to get a little expensive), hand sanitizer, mints, charger for phone/iPad/iPod and my BEA notes that I wanted to go through so I could plan out my trip. Not shown in the photo was water, ginger ale, cue cards, pens and business cards. You know I couldn’t go to NYC without bringing my owl tote bag.

What do you bring with you when you travel?

CD Review/ Holiday Wishes by Idina Menzel

Posted on by Cindy

  • Band/Artist: Idina Menzel
  • Title: Holiday Wishes
  • Date: October 2014
  • Label: Warner Brothers

Holiday Wishes, a Christmas album recorded by Tony Award-winning singer/actor Idina Menzel, is out now on Warner Bros. Records.

The album was produced by Grammy Award-winner Walter Afanasieff (Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey) and features such classic favorites as “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” as well as Joni Mitchell’s Christmas-themed “River,” one of Menzel’s favorites.

Another highlight is a duet with international superstar Michael Bublé on “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” An exclusive Target edition of Holiday Wishes features two bonus tracks, including “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”.

Idina’s career has traversed stage, film, television, and music. She was most recently heard as Elsa in Disney’s global box-office smash Frozen, in which she sings the film’s Oscar-winning song “Let It Go.” After her performance of the multi-platinum song at the 86th annual Academy Awards, she made history as the first person with both a Billboard Top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting.

You might recognize her from Glee. This is where I was first introduce to her and I love the way she sings. She has a beautiful voice.

Idina currently stars as Elizabeth in the original Broadway production of If/Then.

I have been listening to this cd for about two weeks now and I have to say that I feel like I am  officially in the Christmas spirit and this will be one holiday cd that I will be buying this year. I absolutely love it and I think if you like the classic holiday songs then you will love this. I think this would be a perfect cd to have playing this year in your home.

As I was listening to this I was trying to figure out which song or songs I loved the best and I love the whole cd although I do have to say that I really love Baby, Its Cold Outside and how could I not because she sings with Michael Buble?

I loved how Idina made each and everyone of those songs hers. The songs that were selected were my all time favorites and its nice to hear a new spin on the classic holiday songs we love and cherish.

Holiday Wishes Track Listing

  1. Do You Hear What I Hear
  2. The Christmas Song
  3. Baby It’s Cold Outside (Duet with Michael Buble)
  4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
  5. All I Want For Christmas
  6. What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
  7. December Prayer
  8. When You Wish Upon A Star
  9. Silent Night
  10. River
  11. Holly Jolly Christmas
  12. White Christmas

Bonus Tracks on Target Exclusive

  • Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
  • Mothers Spiritual

 

 

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Official Idina Menzel website: www.idinamenzel.com
* Twitter – @idinamenzel
* Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IdinaMenzel
* YouTube – http://bit.ly/IMHWVID

I participated in the Idina Menzel Holiday Wishes album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own.

CD Review/ Mutineers by David Gray

Posted on by Cindy

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  • Band/Artist: David Gray
  • Title: Mutineers
  • Date: June 17, 2014
  • Label: Kobalt Label Services

One of my other passions apart from reading is listening to music and if you ever visit you will always find music playing. I have always loved music and discovering all kinds of music. My musical interest are all over the page and I am sure I might surprise you with the kinds of music I like listening too.

So when I had the opportunity to listen and review David Gray’s Mutineer’s I instantly jumped at the chance to do so. I have never heard any of David’s music before reviewing this and I have to say that after listening to this cd I think I want to check out his other stuff.

David Gray is an established singer from the UK. Not only is he making is way there but he is a success across the pond.  He did two sold out tours in the US.

Mutineers is David Gray’s tenth studio album. David released his debut album twenty years and its been four years since his last album. When I was looking up David’s bio I was really suprised because I had thought he was some what of a new musician boy was I wrong.

I am sure there is something for everyone on this album and I have to say that I loved every song on the album. David writes and sings in the folk- rock genre and its evident when you listen to this album.

After listening to Mutineers I have to say I don’t have a favorite song because I love the whole cd. Each song is just as good as the previous one and the one thing I can say is that the songs all blend in together.

I just can’t describe the cd and all I can really say is that if I was stuck in an elevator that I would want this to be playing. Another thing I love about Mutineers is that I don’t have to worry when I play it with Michael around like I would other kinds of music. Michael even likes the cd as I have seen him dancing in his seat while its playing.

I received a free download of the album to review from One2One Network and that all opinions are your own.

Purchase your copy:

Tracks:
1. Back in The World
2. As the Crow Flies
3. Mutineers
4. Beautiful Agony
5. Last Summer
6. Snow in Vegas
7. Cake and Eat It
8. Birds of the High Arctic
9. The Incredible
10. Girl Like You
11. Gulls

Ways to connect with David Gray:

Official Website – http://www.davidgray.com/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/DavidGray
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealDavidGray
Instagram – http://instagram.com/davidgray
Instagram Contest – http://www.davidgray.com/instagram
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/davidgray

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David Gray has announced the upcoming release of a new album, Mutineers. The record is Gray’s tenth studio album and his first in four years. To mark the news, Gray has unveiled the video for ‘Gulls’, the first track from Mutineers to be streamed ahead of release.

To coincide with Mutineers, Gray will tour the UK for the first time in three years. The headline tour, commencing at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on June 23 will include a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on June 24. The dates follow a run of sold-out US shows across April and May and three sold-out intimate shows earlier this year at Westminster’s Emmanuel Centre. Additional US tour dates will be announced in May.

Recorded in Church Studios, London and produced by Andy Barlow (Lamb), whose brief was to not let Gray “make the same record I’ve made before.” The result is an album that seems to fizz with the joy of its own assembly and finds Gray steering into unfamiliar territory while cultivating a pugnacious but respectful relationship with his own history. “I know I’ve done something here that has an authority that is inspiring me and I don’t have to worry about my past or any of that. The lovely thing about this is we’ve had the time to experiment, and it’s been wonderful,” says Gray.

David Gray captured the world’s attention with his breakout multi-platinum hit White Ladder, the first of three No.1 UK albums, earning him both Brit and Grammy nominations. He has continued to build on this success, with recent albums Draw The Line (2009) and Foundling (2010), both reaching the Billboard Top 10 in the US.

I am going to include Gull its the first release from the album so that you can an idea of what I mean about his music.

North America Tour Dates & Cities:
See all dates and ticket info here: https://tickets.davidgray.com/
Aug 01 – Boston
Aug 04 – NYC
Aug 05 – Philadelphia
Aug 07 – Columbia, MD
Aug 08 – Charlotte, NC
Aug 09 – Nashville
Aug 11 – Raleigh, NC
Aug 12 – Atlanta
Aug 13 – Indianapolis
Aug 15 – Cleveland
Aug 16 – Cincinnati
Aug 17 – Detroit
Aug 18 – Chicago
Aug 20 – Denver
Aug 21 – Salt Lake City
Aug 22 – Boise
Aug 23 – Troutdale (Portland), OR
Aug 25 – Redmond, WA
Aug 26 – Vancouver, BC
Aug 28 – Oakland, CA
Aug 29 – Reno, NV
Aug 30 – Las Vegas
Aug 31 – San Diego
Sep 03 – Los Angeles