Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Highlights from @getgeekedNY #GetGeeked #Technology

getgeeked logo









I guess it's fitting I'm watching Big Bang Theory as I sit here writing my recap of the Get Geeked Technology Showcase in New York City. I have always been fascinated with Science and Technology and when I get the chance to attend trade shows with a tech focus I'm all over it!

Even attending during Press Preview hours doesn't always guarantee that I can hit each and every vendor/exhibitor so I present to you the Brands at the show I actually had the opportunity to connect with.

This event is a bit more geared to the general public than it is to press to be completely honest, at least that is how it felt to me and other Digital Press who experienced a ton of chaos not only at check in but upon leaving also. The press were also treated like public enemy number one when we were leaving, apparently the gift bags were for the public not press. I guess if you are an NYC local who is not press you'll love this show! (If I decide to go back I will definitely go as 'general public' and not 'press'!)

Here are the brands I actually had a chance to speak with:

Bayan Audio at getgeeked NYC





































I am waiting on a review unit from Bayan Audio and I definitely pre-tweeted them before I even arrived, as Audio is definitely #TheOfficialTwitterPartyDJ 's thing, I love the vibrant colors and thought the beach display was a cute idea as that is exactly where I like to take my portable speakers along with me!



I am also awaiting the press sample on the Blanc Spark Smart Watch as the team was kinda slammed when I got to their table, The founder is only 17 years old and the team of students have designed a watch that differs from other smartwatches in that it's mission is to 'keep you awake'. It uses real-time doze technology to detect when you are falling asleep and will gently vibrate to wake you back up. Students, Office Workers and narcoleptics who have trouble staying awake during the day would greatly benefit from this sleek simple technology!

FlyGrip at GetGeeked NYC


So you know what drew me in right? The Butterfly on the lower left of course! But why I stayed? The simple brilliance that is FlyGrip! I have review units on the FlyGrip and their cell phone case so they will be getting their own day in the sun in a separate post, but for those of you looking for stocking stuffers/holiday gifts NOW, this is perfect for literally everyone on your list that has a phone, and nowadays who doesn't right? The cool designs give it that individuality that will make teens go nuts for these, but the extra assurance that your less likely to drop your phone using a FlyGrip? PRICELESS!

gogo in flight wifi at Get Geeked NYC


I for one can never sleep on an airplane so being able to get work done or stream movies via gogo in flight wifi is absolutely perfect! From a one hour pass to a smartphone day pass, gogo's got you covered!

Phorus at Get Geeked NYC


Hoping for a chance to personally test these out as well but whenever there is Audio around you know I'm going to investigate! For any of my butterflies who haven't experienced whole home audio streaming wi-fi you may want to consider the Phorus system for it's ease of setup and it's clean sound.

shapeways 3D Printing technology at GetGeeked NYC


These 3D Designs by shapeways definitely made everyone stop and take notice! Imagine all the 3D Butterflies I can create with 3D Printing technology.

Sharp Aquos Television at GetGeeked NYC


The stunning clarity on this Sharp Aquos Television stopped me in my tracks, I am on the lookout for a new TV and this one is certainly one worth considering!

SlingTV from the makers of Slingbox at GetGeeked NYC


SlingTV from the makers of Slingbox, allows you to access the services you already pay for through a single interface - at home OR on-the-go on any device anywhere and anytime! Another great gift idea, this would make a great family gift, or perfect for that always on the go business traveler in your life!

American Pearl at GetGeeked NYC


American Pearl has actually been on my radar for awhile now so I was glad to be able to meet them in person at GetGeeked NYC. Hopefully we can have them do something fun here soon. I recently had my favorite strand of pearls pop on me (not theirs by the way!) and am on the hunt for something new as they are my favorite thing to pair with a classic tailored white blouse!

Martian Notifier Watch at GetGeeked NYC


I just received my press sample unit of the Martian Notifier Watch and will have a full review for you all very soon, but much like FlyGrip I wanted to be sure to put these on your radar for holiday gift shopping for their combo of smart and fashionable that works well for both men and women! The watch allows you to get notifications from thousands of apps, you can apply filters to allow only notifications that are important to you to show on your watch and you can remotely control your smartphone camera to snap a picture or to activate a three-second timer when composing a group photo or a selfie.

Additional Brands I didn't get to photo, but did get to meet:

Staples Connect, Lenovo and Amazon were so swamped so I didn't get great photos but I did want to mention that the Amazon Fire TV and Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro were on display and I got to take a quick demo. The team from Boogie Board were there and I have met them at past events, most recently at Blogger Bash. dts Play-Fi offered great audio but sadly my photos were too grainy to use.

My Take;

I can't always travel to trade-shows so when local events offer me the opportunity to learn more about new products and meet great brands in a venue close to home it's always invaluable for me. There are some growing pains that need to be worked through in my opinion to make this a better experience, particularly for invited press, but that's par for the course for an inaugural event.

What Product featured above would you most like to try?

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FTC Disclosure: I was provided Press Access to GetGeeked NYC. All opinions are 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may visit our full giveaway and disclosure page for complete policy information.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Review of the HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All-in-One Desktop PC with Beats Audio!



As a Blogger and Social Media Influencer I feel it is just as important to praise brands when they get it right as it is to use social to reach them when things go terribly wrong. We sometimes forget to praise as quickly as we tend to complain as consumers. Brands need to know it when they are doing a great job too!

Straight out of College I began doing Graphic Design work, and my first post College Computer in the workplace was actually a Mac, but I was so used to PC's that I had a PC at home and used the Mac at work during the day. Don't get me wrong, I'm equally proficient on both platforms to be totally honest with you, I can shift from one to the other with relative ease. Once I changed jobs I ended up in a more conservative environment, which meant going back to PC's and my next workplace computer was an HP.

After a very sad breakup with both DELL and Gateway, and a brief happy romance with a Compaq that outlasted many of the computers purchased to replace it, I made the foray into HP at home. Since I loved the HP I was using at work at the time, I thought I'd try them at home, and I bought an HP printer to go with it. That printer would actually go on to last over 10 years, but the desktop? Not so much. It didn't even survive 30 days. It took quite a bit of effort on my part to get help with this (yes this was pre-facebook and twitter), but eventually I did find help, and they did replace it, but the replacement didn't last even 6 months. I was NOT a happy camper. I was bent for some reason on the HP Pavilion Model, and both myself and my cousin who is a photographer both got lemons whose hard drives konked out before the 30 day mark. He switched brands, but I couldn't, I kept trying.

To make a long story short, between desktops and laptops I've had 3 bad HP desktops and 3 bad HP laptops, that is across the span of 20 years though. In my eyes that's NOT a bad track record. I will say it was mixed how it was handled each time, and it got better after the advent of Social Media as a customer service tool. The last experience with an HP Pavilion before I switched out from that particular model was the worst because they chose to replace it with a refurbished machine that didn't last very long. So after that I switched brands for awhile, but ended up trying HP again when I found the HP TouchSmart IQ846 Desktop PC on Amazon at a great price and that coupled with some Amazon Gift Certificates I had stored up just made it too good to pass up on.

I loved that PC and it actually lasted the longest any HP computer has ever held up for me, 4 years, and it was still working, just super slow and I knew it wouldn't last long, and let's face technology gets outdated, it just made sense to start over. And that's where a blog campaign comes in, but it wasn't one I was personally participating in. HP launched a bloggers campaign for Holidays 2012 called #HPFamilyTime bloggers, and a series of reviews and giveaways hit the blogs, I went and read as many of the reviews as I could and on some sites I entered the corresponding giveaways, much to my surprise I won one! I entered the giveaway on She Scribes blog, so a HUGE thanks to her for hosting and to HP for sponsoring the giveaway.

I put it out into the Universe and made the effort to go with my intention, and got the result I was after! I was excited after reading the specs:

About the HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All-in-One Desktop PC with Beats Audio:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 3rd Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3220 dual-core processor [3.3GHz, 3MB Shared Cache Windows 8 or other operating system

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Go beyond the keyboard and mouse to get more from Windows 8. Swipe and tap using all 10 fingers on the Full-HD display. It gives “hands on” a whole new meaning.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Save space in style with all-in-one PC featuring a sleek, edge-to-edge glass design. Set up with as little as one wire, and free up even more limited space by mounting the HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart on a wall.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - optional solid-state drive, it delivers outstanding reliability day after day.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sync photos across your PC, smartphone, and tablet. Crop, rotate, add captions, and more. Then share in seconds with friends and family through your social networks. HP Connected Photo. Picture the fun.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sometimes only a face-to-face conversation will do. With the HP TrueVision HD Webcam, you always come off looking your best. Even in low light.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - With Beats Audio™ and an optional subwoofer, the HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart is designed for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a PC. So it sounds as amazing as it looks.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Get the most out of the tunes you love today and discover more music in a whole new way with HP Connected Music.

MY Take:

While I liked my HP TouchSmart IQ846 Desktop PC, my new HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart AIO has got it beat hands down! The things that were 'cons' for me about HP computers in the past, slow startup, overly bloated, shotty hard drives, have definitely all been addressed this time around. With Windows 8 the TouchSmart finally has the right dance partner! Windows 8 truly helps bring out what makes the TouchSmart so great, it's what you love about your favorite tablet, just bigger! It's smart, starts up at lightening speed, gives you literally everything you could want at your fingertips and the 1 Terabyte of built in storage means you can go nuts with music and photos (my two particular passions!).

I have had the opportunity to put this machine through it's paces, I will admit I hit my machines hard, I have A LOT of applications and programs open at the same time, client databases, spreadsheets, presentations, a TON of internet windows, and so far it's only given me 3 warnings about my browser using up to much memory. And for me that's good, my older HP Touch would just konk out or freeze up when I'd hit it that hard.

This one came with Norton built in, and in the past I've found Norton to be a resource hog, but so far I will say I'm also impressed, Norton has been doing a great job protecting my new PC, it hasn't been obtrusive in any way or slowed down my PC.

Thankfully I had attended the Windows 8 demos at last year's BlogHer conference, so I had some advantage now being thrown directly into a Windows 8 Operating System User Interface. There were some things I needed to learn to do differently but thankfully you can operate in 'view it in destop mode' which will look like the interface that you are more used to.

THE AUDIO!!!! Sorry I don't normally shout, but as 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' I have to tell you that the Beats Audio in this computer blows most onboard Desktop Audio to shreds. It's simply fantastic! I'm now using this new PC to test out Audio Accessories like Headphones and then compare the sound of the headphones on my PC to my portable music devices, and I can tell you this PC does not need separate speaker add ons, it would truly be an insult to it!

The good thing about being with the same brand for almost 20 years is I can almost feel how long it will last me, I know it's good, bad and ugly, but so far my HP ENVY 23-d140t TouchSmart All in One Desktop PC with Beats Audio is so much more than I ever expected it could be! I also tested the HP Deskjet 3052A printer, which I'm satisfied with, but I think my Kodak Hero 7.1 is a bit more robust.

If you haven't figured it out to this point, this PC is a definite 'Get it!'. I couldn't recommend this model more highly, I actually really, really, really want to try the HP Envy 2 laptop or the HP Spectre Ultrabook so I could keep the fun going during my travels!

Do you have the HP Envy Butterfly? What do you think of it? What is your favorite desktop computer?

Get Social:

Why not let HP know on Twitter or on Facebook that you saw the HP Envy 23 Touchsmart Desktop All in One PC featured on Ascending Butterfly? Who knows? Maybe they'll want to surprise Ascending Butterfly readers too!


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FTC Disclosure: I was under NO obligation to write this review, no monetary compensation has been received, this is NOT a sponsored post. In fact I won the computer, so I did not have to review it, I chose to do so because I feel it's a very high quality computer and wanted to share about it with my readers!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Out Now: @kylieminogue ‘The Abbey Road Sessions’: {New #Music #Review}

Kylie The Abbey Road Sessions Album Cover Art


I may be 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' but nothing thrills me more than actual CD's. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPod, I love having all of my music library at my fingertips, it makes long commutes that much more fun and a bit shorter and plane rides more bearable. But an actual CD and jacket, pictures and lyrics are still my favorite way to hear new music.

On her latest album The Abbey Road SessionsKylie Minogue slows things down and allows us to reflect on what makes her great and one thing becomes very clear - stripped of her high-end pop production, the emotional resonance of Kylie’s songs has never been clearer, and her voice has never sounded better.

The album features 16 tracks, which span Kylie Minogue's 25 years in the music industry, as well as a new song titled "Flower", which was released as a single to support this new album. The album was recorded at the famous London's Abbey Road Studios with Minogue's band and a full orchestra, the album has a orchestral 'jazzy' vibe that allows you to just get lost in the songs, think romantic dinner for two, late night jazz club with a glam Torch Singer on the stage. With Kylie being so strongly associated with pop and dance, this album is a nice departure from her norm, and not just another 'greatest hits' milestone album.



Track Listing:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - All the Lovers
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - On a Night Like This
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Better the Devil You Know
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Hand on Your Heart
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I Believe in You
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Come Into My World
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Finer Feelings
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Confide in Me
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Slow
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Locomotion
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Can't Get You Out of My Head
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Where the Wild Roses Grow (with Nick Cave)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Flower
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I Should Be So Lucky
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Love at First Sight
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Never Too Late

Sadly the only track that fell short for me was the song I actually like from her the most, 'Can't Get You Out of My Head', the way this track was re-worked made it sound sort of like a 'Dancing With the Stars' version of it. I think the original is way better than this version. The duet with Nick Cave I'm a bit mixed on as well, my inner DJ says it just doesn't flow with the rest of the album, and it definitely doesn't seemed well placed after "Can't Get You Out of My Head", however, "Flower", the new track and the single for this album I greatly enjoyed!







Bit of trivia for my Kylie Die Hards:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Australian Bonus Track: 17. "Wow"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Japanese Bonus Track: 17. "In My Arms"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Me and Kylie share the same middle name - Look it up! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Minogue has achieved worldwide record sales of more than 68 million!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Kylie, a Breast Cancer Survivor, is currently working on her twelfth studio album which is expected to be released in 2013.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Kylie's latest single "Flower" is a song she wrote several years ago following her battle with breast cancer, to the child she wishes she might one day still have.

Get Social with Kylie:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Kylie on Twitter @kylieminogue
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' Kylie on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - *don't forget to tell her you saw "The Abbey Road Sessions" Featured on Ascending Butterfly!*

My Take:

My iPod is basically a 'best of' by every singer/peformer you can think of, with songs that span not only chapters of my life, but it's a collection that is so big, that to get new music in, songs have to come out, it says a lot when a song or artist survives my 'iPod Purges' which tend to occur monthly. Kylie has long remained in my playlists and I recommend Kylie The Abbey Road Sessions, I commend her for not just regurgitating old songs but actually re-mastering them and giving them a whole new mood and feel.

Gotta Have It? Get the Deluxe Album on Amazon:





What is your favorite Kylie Minogue song Butterfly? Why? What time of your life does it remind you of?


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FTC Disclosure: I am a Member of the One2One Network they have provided me with a product sample for editorial consideration, however all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own. There is an Amazon Affiliate Link in this review.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Infant Nutrition Twitter Party TONIGHT, let's help save #preemies in the #NICU sponsored by @hhmilkbank



'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ', @Tracy_Iglesias of Ascending Butterfly (@Ascending1) is hosting tonight's #HHMilkBank Infant Nutrition Twitter Party along with @JessieNuez, the tweet chat is being sponsored by @hhmilkbank, not only will there be prizes, but we are going to learn ways to help preemies currently in the NICU! So many moms have reached out to me since the RSVP page for this twitter party was posted, to tell me that when they had their babies, they produced more breastmilk than they even knew what to do with. It's so sad to know that so much life saving milk is being thrown away when there are babies that desperately need it!

This will also be a bi-lingual twitter party conducted in English and Spanish! The English RSVP page is HERE, (the rafflecopter widget is also on this page, so you can just RSVP here as well) and the Spanish RSVP page is HERE.

Helping Hands Milk Bank is operated by Prolacta Bioscience, they collect excess breast milk to help save the lives of babies who are in the neonatal intensive care unit. Excess breast milk is used to make nutritional products from 100% human milk which has a significant impact on the lives of the infants and their families. They also make the donation work harder, for every ounce of donated qualified breast milk collected by Helping Hands Milk Bank $1 will be contributed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in support of Breast Cancer Research.

Preemie who needed fortified human milk from Helping Hands Milk Bank

Here is the party 411:

Who: Helping Hands - Make sure to follow the sponsor on twitter @hhmilkbank and of course our party hosts: @Tracy_Iglesias (if I get sent to twitter jail, I'll then be tweeting from @Ascending1 so you may just want to go ahead and follow that account too), Co-hosts include: @JessieNuez from Hecho Para Mama - http://www.hechoparamama.com/

What: Twitter Party! - Follow along with the #HHMilkBank Hashtag

When: April 24, 2012 at 9pm EST/6PM PST - 2 hour party!

Where: You can follow along using the #HHMilkBank Hashtag or you can use a grid. Here is a link to the custom tweetgrid already created for this party, (you only need to be sure to change the username on the very right hand column to your own so you can see any tweets made directly to you!)

Baby Drinking Prolacta Fortified Human Milk


And of course, what's a party without presents?

Prizes:

Door Prize: Follow the RSVP instructions in the rafflecopter widget below for a shot at the $50 Amazon Gift Card and Prize pack just for RSVPing for the party! The party is come as you are, but only the folks who RSVP have a shot at the door prize (as long you actively participate during the twitter party!)

Party Prizes: There will be 8 $25 Amazon Gift Card and Prize Packs awarded during the party every 15 minutes!

Grand Prize: One luck party goer will win our Party Grand prize a $100 Amazon Gift Card along with a Helping Hands Prize Pack!

That's over $350 in prizes, so be sure to tell a friend. Tweet it out. Share it on Facebook!

RSVP using the rafflecopter widget below: (You only need to RSVP once, there will however be sign up widgets on each hosts blog!)

Baby Isabella, an underweight newborn who benefitted from Prolacta Fortified Human Milk



a Rafflecopter giveaway



BUTTERFLIES: LET'S GET THIS TWITTER PARTY TO TREND AND HELP SAVE PREEMIES!

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FTC Disclosure: While this post is not sponsored, the twitter party is sponsored. I will receive additional incentives for hosting this party. For full details on Ascending Butterfly disclosure policies: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

Sunday, April 15, 2012

RSVP for the Helping Hands #HHMilkBank Twitter Party 04/24! Over $350 in Prizes!



As you all already know I am considered 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' because I like to spin virtual tunes during twitter parties. I have also hosted quite a few twitter parties and greatly enjoy them whether I am hosting or attending, I find them fun, fast-paced and informative!

And this time around the party is for a brand doing BIG things for the littlest of our society, preemies! Babies that spend that their first waking hours in the neonatal intensive care unit. During this party we are going to learn how a simple donation will not only help to save babies lives in the intensive care unit, but how that same donation can also help support Susan G. Komen for the Cure! One simple, generous gift from you can save literally thousands of lives worldwide. This will also be a bi-lingual party conducted in English and Spanish!

Helping Hands Milk Bank is operated by Prolacta Bioscience, they collect excess breast milk to help save the lives of babies who are in the neonatal intensive care unit. Excess breast milk is used to make nutritional products from 100% human milk which has a significant impact on the lives of the infants and their families. They also make the donation work harder, for every ounce of donated qualified breast milk collected by Helping Hands Milk Bank $1 will be contributed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in support of Breast Cancer Research.

Preemie who needed fortified human milk from Helping Hands Milk Bank

Here is the party 411:

Who: Helping Hands - Make sure to follow the sponsor on twitter @hhmilkbank and of course our party hosts: @Tracy_Iglesias (if I get sent to twitter jail, I'll then be tweeting from @Ascending1 so you may just want to go ahead and follow that account too), Co-hosts include: @JessieNuez from Hecho Para Mama - http://www.hechoparamama.com/

What: Twitter Party! - Follow along with the #HHMilkBank Hashtag

When: April 24, 2012 at 9pm EST/6PM PST - 2 hour party!

Where: You can follow along using the #HHMilkBank Hashtag or you can use a grid. Here is a link to the custom tweetgrid already created for this party, (you only need to be sure to change the username on the very right hand column to your own so you can see any tweets made directly to you!)

Baby Drinking Prolacta Fortified Human Milk


And of course, what's a party without presents?

Prizes:

Door Prize: Follow the RSVP instructions in the rafflecopter widget below for a shot at the $50 Amazon Gift Card and Prize pack just for RSVPing for the party! The party is come as you are, but only the folks who RSVP have a shot at the door prize (as long you actively participate during the twitter party!)

Party Prizes: There will be 8 $25 Amazon Gift Card and Prize Packs awarded during the party every 15 minutes!

Grand Prize: One luck party goer will win our Party Grand prize a $100 Amazon Gift Card along with a Helping Hands Prize Pack!

That's over $350 in prizes, so be sure to tell a friend. Tweet it out. Share it on Facebook!

RSVP using the rafflecopter widget below: (You only need to RSVP once, there will however be sign up widgets on each hosts blog!)

Baby Isabella, an underweight newborn who benefitted from Prolacta Fortified Human Milk



a Rafflecopter giveaway





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FTC Disclosure: While this post is not sponsored, the twitter party is sponsored. I will receive additional incentives for hosting this party. For full details on Ascending Butterfly disclosure policies: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Give Up The Ghost!



Thanks to our friends at the one2one network I had the chance to listen to Brandi Carlile’s new album “Give Up The Ghost”. I was already quite familiar with Brandi, and will have to admit I found myself quite excited to hear her latest release. A lot of you may remember the song ‘Turpentine’ – which featured in the smash-hit show ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. And others may remember Brandi’s legendary cover of Leonard Cohen’s 'Hallelujah'! The song 'Closer to You' (on the the self-titled debut album) is another one of my favorites.

She combines blues and soul with a nod to Bonnie Raitt and in some tracks on her new album I also hear a K.D. Lang influence, her voice is powerful and clear with a raw edge and a great delivery that makes you want to sing along. There are no 'skippable' tracks on this one! There are however two tracks that stand out for me, the first single off the album 'Dreams' as well as the track 'Looking Out'.

Tracklisting
Looking Out
Dying Day
Pride And Joy
Dreams
That Year
Caroline
Before It Breaks
I Will
If There Was No You
Touching The Ground
Oh Dear

Upcoming shows:

Oct 16 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
Oct 17 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
Oct 20 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Oct 22 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Oct 24 Seattle, WA The Paramount

For those of you that are Amazon lovers, like I am, you can order the album directly on Amazon by clicking below!



You can fan Brandi on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/brandicarlile

What's your favorite Brandi Carlile song??

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Five for Fighting is Back!




Five For Fighting is back with their next great album "Slice" full of finely-crafted songs by @JohnOndrasik (Twitter). The Album will be released October 13 and features the single "Chances". You can Watch John's performance of "Chances" on the CBS early show HERE.

First single “Chances”  with lyrics like “Until you crash what have you done/Is there a better bet than love.”, is described by John who says “It’s all about taking the swing—there’s beauty in the scars.” - Sometimes it's the simplest truth that tends to elude us for awhile and it takes that fresh way of presenting it that helps it to finally stick. Music has always been such a powerful force for me. Bet that on most days you can remember the lyrics in their entirety to your favorite songs, but invariably you'll forget something important at the supermarket! LOL

I'm sure that like me, many of you out there have been a fan of Five for Fighting since you first heard ‘Superman' and ‘100 Years'.  While written and released well before 9/11, “Superman” has endeared Ondrasik to the survivors and families of those lost in that tragedy, as well as to servicemen serving around the world. As a New Yorker, the track 'Superman' certainly does hold powerful memories for me.

Ondrasik also conceived and produced For the Troops, a series of compilations featuring superstar recording artists that are available for free to every active service member in the U.S. Armed Forces (the forthcoming collection, For The Troops III, will feature comedians exclusively). Ondrasik’s charity work doesn’t stop there. His site, whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com collects money for various charities. Living in a society that can get wrapped up in celebrity and fame, it very much warms my heart to see those who use this celebrity to help and benefit those in need. Way to Go John!

Ascending Butterfly in conjunction with the One2One Network was recently given the opportunity to review "Slice" at just the perfect time. As most of you know, Ascending Butterfly offices were closed for the holiday weekend (although I will admit, I was forced to push my own advice to the side and make it a working holiday anyway!). I went on an impromptu road trip over the Columbus Day Holiday Weekend and this album certainly became the perfect soundtrack to that journey! As we got farther from the hustle and bustle of the city and the scenery changed to the trees covered in a robe of fall leaves, John's voice became another friend in the car and 'Slice' had my un-divided attention in a way that nothing usually does when I'm sitting at my desk or I'm writing.

I am certainly grateful for the opportune timing (nothing better than new music for a long road trip!), but I am happy to say I really enjoyed the album! Standout Tracks for me are 'Slice', 'Hope', and 'Story of Your Life'.  The entire album takes you along for a journey, that journey will often-times mirror your own so well, it will feel like hanging out with that friend you've known forever.

You can lock in a great pre-order price on Amazon below:



Album Tracklisting:


1. Slice
2. Note To The Unknown Soldier
3. Tuesday
4. Chances
5. This Dance
6. Above The Timberline
7. Transfer
8. Hope
9. Story Of Your Life
10. Love Can't Change The Weather
11. Augie Nieto

TV Appearances:

The View 10/14
The Today Show 10/16

Tour Dates:

John will be hitting the road in October with An Acoustic Evening with Five For Fighting. The songs are great on record, even better live! Definitely a show worth seeing! To find out about how to get tickets in a market near you, go to his site.

18-Oct Toronto, ON El Mocambo
20-Oct New York, NY City Winery
22-Oct Bay Shore, NY (Long Island) YMCA Boulton Center
23-Oct Uncasville, CT The Wolf Den
24-Oct Washington, DC Jammin Java
26-Oct Boston, MA The Paradise
27-Oct Philadelphia, PA World Café Live (downstairs)
29-Oct Nashville, TN The Belcourt
30-Oct Chicago, IL Lakeshore
3-Nov Salt Lake City, UT The State Room
5-Nov Seattle, WA Crocodile
6-Nov Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
10-Nov San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall
11-Nov Los Angeles, CA Largo at the Coronet
Five For Fighting on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fiveforfighting
Five For Fighting Videos on YouTube: http://bit.ly/FFFYouTube

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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Book Review: 'Once In A Blue Moon' A Novel by Elieen Goudge



Good Read in ANY Moon!

When the One2One Network reached out to me and asked me if I would be interested in reading and reviewing a new book release titled 'Once In A Blue Moon' by Eileen Goudge, I didn't know what to expect.

When I received it the cover art made me think 'uh oh is this a romance type novel where someone will invariably have 'heaving bosoms' and be laying around on a chaise lounge in 'breathless anticipation' LOL Too my delight, it is NOT that type of novel!

Synopsis:

Sisters Lindsay and Kerrie Ann have known hardship from an early age. Without guidance from their neglectful mother, their only aid came from an unlikely source, a retired exotic dancer by the name of Miss Honi Love. When the girls' mother was sent to prison, Miss Honi tried unsuccessfully to save them from being separated and sent into foster care.

Thirty years later, Lindsay is still trying to reconnect with her sister. The owner of a bookstore in the sleepy California seaside town of Blue Moon Bay, she was lucky enough to have been adopted by a loving couple. Unbeknownst to her, Kerrie Ann has suffered a very different life. Bounced from one foster home to the next, she ran away as a teenager before becoming a drug-addicted single mother. Now, newly sober, Kerrie Ann is fighting to regain custody of the little girl who was taken from her.

Neither sister's expectations are met when they're finally reunited. But as the two sisters engage in the fiercest battles of their lives, they are at last drawn together despite their differences, restoring belief in the unshakable bond of family.

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Statement from the Author about the Novel:



"Set in a fictional coastal town in Northern California, where I grew up, it's the story of two sisters separated at a young age, who reunite in adulthood. There's drama aplenty as well as mishaps, misunderstandings and general mayhem. Not to mention romance, which the sisters find in the unlikeliest of places.

As one of five sisters in a family of eight, I know the territory! In fact this, my thirteenth novel, is dedicated to my sister Patty, who lives in the real-life town of Half Moon Bay, California. (Okay, so I borrowed ...but isn't that what sisters do?)"

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Do you remember the TV series, 'Cheers'? The opening song to the show remind us 'sometimes you wanna go, where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came' and this book reminds me of Cheers! The characters are comfortable, well written, you can not just 'picture' them clearly, but you can feel like you are really there, have always known them and are really a part of the action, truly a part of their lives in this richly crafted story. You find that you immediately care, and you are invested in finding out what happens to them all.

In this economy where bleakness surrounds us on a daily basis, a tale of the unshakeable bonds of love and David beating Goliath feels kind of like a warm blanket on a cold day. I found it hard to say goodbye to the characters when the story was done, and that for me is one of the factors that constitute a good read. This is my first Eileen Goudge title, and most certainly won't be my last. (Now if I could only get Jeff Bezos to send me a Kindle to evaluate, I'd fill it with Eileen's titles to catch up with on the morning commute!).

'Once in a Blue Moon' is available in stores today, October 06, 2009. I would highly encourage you to add this title to your collection. I have a strong feeling it will be one of those books you won't want to 'lend out'.

Eileen's website: http://www.eileengoudge.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eileen-Goudge/132678273034?ref=search&
Twitter: http://twitter.com/eileengoudge


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