Ladies & Gentlemen, Cher!

Even though I am totally peeing my pants to see Kylie not once, but TWICE this weekend, I have to pause and give credit to another diva:

CHER TURNS 65 TODAY.

Don't judge, Share / Don't judge Cher

I got this fun post via the Post Apocalyptic Bohemian. The idea is to answer a series of questions using the song titles by one artist. He chose The Police because they are an all-time favorite of his. I have selected Cher 1) because I like her, 2) because I have a lot of stuff by her and 3) because she's sung just about every song ever written.

Try it... I got hung up on the last one about food.
Are you male or female? – Just Like Jesse James

Describe yourself – Strong Enough

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How do you feel about yourself – If I Could Turn Back Time

Describe where you currently live – Paradise Is Here

If you could go anywhere, where would you go – The Girl From Ipanema

Favorite form of transportation - Taxi, Taxi

Your best friend is – All I Ever Need Is You

Your favorite color is – Am I Blue

What's the weather like – We'll Sing In The Sunshine

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called – One By One

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

What is life to you – I Hate To Sleep Alone

What is the best advice you have to give – The Beat Goes On / It Aint Necessarily So

Watch Sonny & Cher - The Beat Goes On - 40 years ago in Music | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

If you could change your name, what would it be – Hey Joe

Your favorite food – All Or Nothing

That International Flair

Hello my lovely LivLux people! I hope your weekend is going splendidly. Considering its music week, I thought I might add a little international flair to it. So here is some of my personal favorites from across the world, from Africa to France, you’re sure to enjoy some of these excellent artists.

When I think of “soulful” music my mind turns to the one and only Nina Simone, but there is someone who is just as powerful, and yet completely different, I would like to introduce you to LadySmith Black Mambazo. Enjoy.

Homeless (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo) - Sarah McLachlan with Ladysmith Black Mambazo

The French are known for quitting, delicious food, and a lovely snobby additute, not to mention unbelievable style, but when it comes to music there isn’t really anything that comes with a “Pop,” that was until Yelle came headfirst into the business of performing. Yelle (Julie Budet) is a French electro/electropop singer who is taking the charts across the world. She is in the soundtrack for Entourage, has remixed with Katy Perry, and is on H&M’s shop soundtrack. Lets just say she gets around. Here is a great one entitled “Je Veux Te Voir,” I’m not sure what it means, but I get a dirty feeling from it (lol).

Je Veux Te Voir - YELLE

You may have heard of her, but if you haven’t then get ready to hear something that will call for a ear-gasm! Robyn has been around for quite awhile, but it isn’t until now where she is finally getting some well deserved fame, a true testament to how perseverance is the best quality to getting your dreams! Please listen, because she truly is something speical. Here is “Cobrastyle” by Robyn!

Cobrastyle - Robyn

I would like to end this with Esperanza Spalding, a women who invokes such passion and soul in her music that you can literally feel her soothing voice, as if she was there with you, sharing her stories. She is perceptive, interpretive, and simply irresistible. With a Jazz like quality that makes you want to curl up with a great novel, and glass of Merlot (or if you’re under 21 Coke). I'll shut up and let her do the talking. :-)

I Know You Know - Esperanza Spalding


-Z

The Underrated

Without music, my life I feel would be void of drive and purpose, and would quickly become all too miserable, this is my passion for music, and I feel others have mutual feelings to the power that is music. So many different emotions, for so many different unique artists that orchestrate our life behind scenes. Certain chords will bring a tear, a laugh, an idea, but all will strike an emotion that can empower. Today I bring you two artists who I feel are underrated, or maybe just not that well known, yet exceptional in what they strive for.

First up we have Get Set Go, an indie band that is funny, depressing, encouraging in a morbid way, and all around just uniquely fun. Many of the lyrics (written by Mike TV, who is also the singer) you will find to be sad, but accompanied with, at times, jolly instrumentals. A personal fav is “I hate everyone.” No matter who you are, unless a saint, I imagine you hate someone or at the very least certain things about life, this song makes you feel better about it all and in no less then two winks of a coal miners eye you will be singing along to these all too potent songs (lol).

Next up we have Basement Jaxx, who are hard to label into any genre, but come together in an artistic fashion that makes the listener want to “Get Off” their seat and onto the dance floor. The song “Good Luck” features the resonant vocals of a one, Lisa Kekaula, who accompanied with the sensational mix of jazz & electronica will have your hips shaking and your feet tapping within seconds of listening to it.

Check out this video. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO9I61gYlms

Subscribe, comment, and simply, LivLux...

-Z

La Place Dalida

If on any given Saturday night you can walk into any gay bar in America and see a drag queen performing a song by Madonna, then the equivilant in France would be Dalida! As many have told me in the past, "Dalida was Madonna, BEFORE there was a Madonna." J'adore Dalida.

Sadly, On May 3, 1987 Dalida died as a result of an drug overdose. She left a note that read, "Life has become unbearable ... Forgive me."

However her music and her legacy live on. Here is one of my personal favorites:

Ready to Rock!

OK, I know this sounds a bit crazy, but Chuck and I - collectivelly known as Karma Chain - are reincarnating our musical partnership. Hopefully, we were well-behaved enough in our past lives (NOT!) that we don't bomb miserably in this one. (uh-oh...) We'll be performing this coming Friday night at the Diving Cat Studio in Phoenixville, PA. The place is tres cool and the owner, Markels, is a brilliant artist. She makes jewelry, her own breathtaking glass beads, sculpts, and gives art classes. She's also a cat freak, which makes her especially cool.

Chuck and I have a small PA system and we're working on the set list. Back in "the day" that would have been 99.9% originals - we'd throw in a obscure song by X or Fleetwood Mac (yes, they have obscure songs - how many of you have heard Fireflies? And if you have, that means you're a hard-core Mac fan and I'm tres impressed!) However, for this special gig - and it is special - it's the studio's one-year anniversary at their killer location on Main Street, a place that has undergone a total facelift over the last few years - we will be playing about 1/3 originals and 2/3 covers. We're going to do a lot of Beatles, Fleetwood Mac (of course!), Wallflowers, Neil Young, and Cat Stevens, and a bunch of random songs we love: Shelter by Lone Justice; Why? by Christine McVie (pre-Stevie and Lindsey FM); I Need You by America; Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House; Lodi by CCR; Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones; and Sullivan Street by the Counting Crows. Maybe later in the week I'll post the final set list, in case those of you living in say India, Canada, or Australia (you know who you are) might want to hop on cheaptickets.com and see what RT airfares are to Philly these days.

In the meantime, I hope your weekend is fun, cozy, and filled with great music!

Your ever-humble novelist/poetess/rock princess.... Debbie Schubert aka Jamie Keys!

Here is a fun game/amusement when you have nothing else to do, are alone, with friends, drunk or ravenously bored. I stole this from this Tyler's blog.

Turn on your itunes, click shuffle and then forward to receive the deep meaningful answer to each question below:

What does next year have in store for me? La Passion - Gigi D' Agostino
Now that is an auspicious year!
What’s my love life like? A Slick Chick on the Mellow Side - Dinah Washington
I am never mellow.
What do I say when life gets hard? Tammy - Ray Conniff
Strangely this is nearly true.
What do I think of on waking up? Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room - Dwight Yoakam
Mostly I think this when I wake up in the dark by myself.
What song will I dance to at my wedding? Let's Call The Whole Thing Off - Michael Feinstein
This would definitely NOT have been the song played at our wedding, and we had no dancing.
What do I want as a career? Karaoke Overkill - Robbie Williams
Mostly I just want Robbie Williams.
My favorite saying? It's Too Late - Gloria Estefan
It's never too late. Oh Gloria, why do you lead us astray?
Favorite place? Lesson 1 Mandarin Chinese - Pimsleur
With all the French music in this blasted itunes, you'd think it could get this one right? Non?
What do I think of my parents? Sing It Back - Moloko
I don't even know this song. It came on a CD marketed as the Best Millenium Music Ever!
What’s my porn star name? La Faute À Voltaire - Les Misérables - Original French Concept Album
Finally some French music. And its showtunes. Pretty gay if you ask me.
Where would I go on a first date? Coca Cola Commercial - Fontella Bass
My musical tastes are clearly odd and varied.
Drug of choice? Something Got Me Started - Simply Red
I would have guessed Sugar by the Archies would have come up if this blasted Ouiji Board of a game really worked.The thing I like doing most? Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To - Gladys Knight & The Pips
Aw, that's just rude. Always calling me a woman.
What is my state of mind like at the moment? Jingle Bells - Singing Cats
How vile is this game that it reveals that I actually have this song in my computer. Bad game! No biscuit! No kibble treats for you in your stocking this year!

How will I die? Lebanese Blonde - Thievery Corporation
Remind me to not travel to Lebanon for a long time...

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

I didn't take any video. But someone else did...

Watch this clip of Mr Michael announcing that Dr. Phil is in the audience. I'm not a fan of Dr. Phil so I really enjoyed the reaction of the crowd. A light cheer followed by a hearty "booooo..." (I promise I only whispered my objections). Then Dr. Phil gets a roasting from the stage. Oh, and Dr. Phil and company were escorted from the 3rd row center seats by arena security well before the encore.

It was George's Birthday. And none other than celebrated Republican Bo Derek presented him on stage with a fake cake. I have issues with Bo. But that is for different post. Ok, I'll just announce that I think she is an idiot. There. Happy?

Tony Sweet's Gospel Dream

You know it seems I don't feature enough Gospel music on my blog. Oh yeah, I've never featured Gospel music on my blog. But that's because my good friend Tony Sweet has never been on television competing for his Gospel Dream!

Tonight we are hosting a party in honor of Tony's appearance on television at our house (we have a very large TV) and you could watch along at home!

Check and see if you receive the Gospel Music Channel and tune in at 9pm (ET) or 6 pm (PT) this Sunday and the following Sundays and see how he does.

You can see a quick snippet of him by going to the Gospel Music Channel website for behind the scenes videos and then click on the video called "Gospel Dream Rehearsals".

You can also vote to make him (Tony is third from the end) a fan favorite - remember vote early, vote often! -seriously, repeated voting (in a new window each time) counts.

And if you'd like to find out anything else about my very good friend (so good, I am pimping him out here on my blog) you can track through his myspace page.

GOOD LUCK TONY!!!