It’s the last week of the semester!   The downtown holiday program has been performed!   Wonderful Christmas music has been shared in group lessons!  The last recordings for each student’s Christmas CD have been made, colorful covers added, and CDs placed under the Christmas tree ready for pick-up!    We have just one lesson left before a two-week break, just enough time to accomplish….. hmmm, what are we really going to accomplish this week?!?!?

This week seemed to call for something a little different during private lessons.  With the exception of a few kids with January performances scheduled, we didn’t have an overwhelming need to work on repertoire.  So, I came up with a couple of harmonization projects:

For students working on 5-finger patterns with a basic understanding of tonic and dominant functions, the “O Christmas Tree” worksheet calls for a simple tonic-dominant accompaniment using one left-hand note a measure in the key of G Major. 

“Silent Night” is written out lead-sheet style and requires students to write in I, IV and V7 chord symbols for each measure in the key of D Major.

These turned out to be a wonderful way to wrap up a number of concepts at the end of this semester.  To complete this we had to review some technique patterns, then analyze the melody and apply theory knowledge.  Once students had filled out the worksheets, I let them use their “answers” to program an accompaniment on my Clavinova, then sight-read the melody and play along using instrument setting of their choice.   Presto!  A fully-orchestrated Christmas carol in 30 minutes or less (and a chance to play with the “cool” buttons on the Clavinova). 

Both of these sheets are available for download on my studio website.

The Internet may be for porn and silly viral videos that make us laugh, but there is this other part of the Internet that is using the same viral methods for good.  In this TED Talk (Technology, Entertainment, Design), Jonathan Zittrain discusses the way the Internet only works because of  ”random acts of kindness by geeky strangers.” (some of it seems a bit too technical, but the larger strokes/points are very interesting and are absolutely true!)

From there, we go to my loves, the vlogbrothers who do all they can to decrease world suck and have fun while doing it.  They are the poster children for youtube’s Video Volunteers.

This brings us to the reason for this post: to get people involved in a project that is so simple and free that I want everyone to get involved, even if only for the shortest amount of time, just for the sake of awesome.  This is the vlogbrothers yearly initiative called the Project for Awesome where you can make a video promoting your favorite charity, and rate and comment other people’s videos for the P4A so many times that youtube’s ‘featured videos’ are all promoting some organization that is trying to decrease world suck.

Hank will explain it better.  You can skip to 2:21 to hear about it!: (Also, for side note on the DARPA balloon project he’s talking about in the beginning, watch this)

So I ask you. oh few who read this blog, spend some time on Thursday and Friday (12/17 and 12/18) commenting and rating videos for the Project for Awesome just to show that the internet can be used for good. (they should have a thumbnail that says “Project for Awesome.”) (here are some links to get started)

To prove that the Internet can be used for awesome, here are some recent ventures that have used the internet as a tool to promote a charity:

In Great Brittain, a group of four prominent youtubers, calling themselves the “Chart Jackers,” got together and facilitated the creation of a pop song for charity. Their goal was to use youtube to get people involved and come up with lyrics, a melody, find singers, find a band and then create a video for a single that would sell enough singles on itunes to get the song onto the British Top 40 charts so it would then be played on the radio thus selling more singles. Every step was created for free just in order to create something that would benefit a good cause. The entire project was done using the Internet (and a few spot light episodes on BBC Switch which is BBC for teens), then after the completion of the song, the rights were given to the British charity called Children in Need who all the money went to.  These teens just created this project, executed it, and actually got the song in the top 40. It took a huge push from everyone involved, but they got it done and it helped decrease world suck by raising over $16,300.

Here is Charlie (one of the “Chart Jackers”) explaining it a bit as an introduction to the music video they made for the song:

Then we have Alyssa Milano’s currently on-going birthday campaign.  In celebration of turning 37, Ms. Milano is raising money for the organization Charity: Water. According to this tonic article (one of many interviews she has done), Ms. Milano set up her project page and then turned to twitter:

“Then, something magic happened: Last week, Milano alerted her nearly 500,000 Twitter fans to her goal, and those Twitter fans came out. In droves.

‘My first goal was $25,000,’ Milano recalls. ‘We reached that in five hours.’

Tearful and overwhelmed, Milano raised her goal to $50,000 — and Tweeted again.

Six days later, that goal was reached.

‘So I thought, “I’m gonna go for $75,000!”‘ she says with an audible thrill. ‘And $75,000, that’s [enough to put clean water in] 15 communities. That’s 750 families that we can give clean water to. Like, 4,000 people.’”

If you go to her page, you can see all the people who have donated, and it is not her celebrity friends (though Nathan Fillion did donate, and tweet about it, which is how I found out about it) instead it’s a mass amount of people giving what they can in a virtual collection bucket.  There are several donations for $5 and under, some even for just $1.  This is when it is about the volume of people giving some and not just  few who give a lot.  ”A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” and so does making sure the people of the world have clean water.

Another example of something you can do that costs nothing, but will directly benefit someone who needs it, there is a youtuber named Tessa Violet who has entered a Lash Allure MD contest to win $100,000. The entry is a video that states what you would do with that amount of money and who ever has the most ratings and most comments (one per day per commenter/rater per day) wins. She explains it better in this video. (the beginning is her being silly, but really she needs it for her edu):

And finally, if you want to find your own charity to give to, but are not sure if they are for real, The American Institute of Philanthropy rates charities on different criteria, but mainly it’s based on how efficiently each organization uses it’s funds for the actual cause it’s promoting.

I know it’s hard this year, the economy sucks for everyone, but maybe just think about giving even the smallest amount to a charity you like, or just comment and rate some videos for free and still do some good for the world!

Also, even Micheal Ian Black is tweeting about using viral techniques for a good cause! Now that is saying something. You can even go to his link: http://bit.ly/80pl9k

The year 1600 is said to be the start of the Baroque period of classical music. However, the shift from the modal system of the Renaissance to the tonal system of the Baroque and later periods wasn’t necessary accomplished overnight. Instead, it was more of gradual process starting the last years of the 16th century and ultimately culminating at the very end of the Baroque period.

Most musicians would say that the most important factor in the shift from modality to tonality was a change from thinking linearly, or horizontally, to thinking chordal, or vertically. In the Renaissance, harmonies were the result of multiple contrapuntal, or melodic, lines interacting with each other. Conversely, the basic premise of tonality is harmonic-driven music. However, in my opinion, the shift was not from one side of the spectrum to the other as the preceding description may suggest. It is true that chords were of less concern to the composer in the Renaissance than in the Baroque, however, the shift was more towards just the middle than the opposite side. Counterpoint continued to play a major role in music for the next 300 years. The difference being that counterpoint was redefined in reference to harmonic-driven tonality. A simple comparison of a mass by Palestrina and cantata by J.S. Bach will illustrate the stark differences that exist between pre-tonal counterpoint of the Renaissance and the harmonic-driven counterpoint of the Baroque and later periods of classical music.

As mentioned earlier, tonality didn’t spring to life immediately, but was a gradual process that begun in the late Renaissance. The defining characteristics of the major-minor tonal system are, first, the leading tone, and, second, the tritone it creates with the fourth scale degree. None of the four original church modes contained either of those characteristics; only the Lydian mode possessed a leading tone, but the raised fourth scale degree created a perfect fourth, not a tritone, with it. By the late Renaissance it had become the rule to raise the seventh degree at a cadence in all modes not naturally containing a leading tone, the sole exception being the Phrygian mode in which the seventh scale degree was never raised under any circumstances. Thus, began the  necessity of a leading tone at the cadence and the creation of the tonic-dominant relationship, the defining force behind tonality. Gradually, the Church modes were phased out, or, perhaps it is more correct to say, that they more or less coalesced into the major and minor mode of the tonal system. Modal thinking continued into the Baroque period and remnants of the old system can still be seen in the workings of the major-minor tonal system.

Sayonara Tokyo is the new title of an upcoming feature length screenplay to follow up Holding Out For A Hero and the novel Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Bonnie, please don’t sue me. I like the Welsh and I like to drink too.

Me & Mike

Braving Cold

Yeah!!!! I was on cloud 9 all day and I looked hot in my jeans. So I got a little crazy and drank a Marguarita with lunch, and two Bombay & Tonics later on and Montage Hotel Restaurant Studio.

But before we even got there, on the way down the 5 we stopped at a park and had a picnic of breakfast foods. I tried Mike’s cousins Bean Stew. It was like Mike’s moms Vegetable Stew!! Yum Yum!.. Then I also ate really well with a Salad, Couscous, and Beets.

If you could only see the way she loves me
Then maybe you would understand
Why I feel this way about our love
And what I must do

I am pathetic.

Ohhh, I feel sick too. I have a headache, and I feel very tired and almost..faint, I suppose. Tea helps. I like tea. With milk and sugar. Mmmmmm.

But, I am pleased to announce:

PROJECT IMPROVEMENT! –my completely dorky and stupid way of trying to make myself feel better

I don’t really know the specifics of anything yet, but it’s time for me to stop moping around and try and make things better myself. Hence, I will be making several lists for each area I want to improve, and how to do it.

I know, I know. Don’t take on so much at once! But you misunderstand me…I thrive on projects! I do so much better when I have a lot to tackle, than if I try to go one at a time. I suppose it’s really that I don’t like to have to drag things out and keep working on somethinng. So this is the best way for me.

The world awaits!

Well you got your reasons
And you got your lies
And you got your manipulations
They cut me down to size

Sayin’ you love but you don’t
You give your love but you won’t

–Tonic

Sushi w/Kristie & Dewey

Then I had breakfast the next morning with Mike and I indulged on French Toast and hashbrowns. When I was ordering, I honestly thought it was a good choice for breakfast. Then I realized I’m eating eggs on the French Toast and who knows how the Hashbrowns were made.

Saturday night, I my Bombay Sapphire and Tonic with Nachos, and a Green Salad. Both Unfortunately, had Cheese on them and I forgot to ask for no Cheese on the Salad.

Each day, I managed to forget taking my Barley Max one or more times, drinking my juice and keeping strong to my Eating Raw Foods decision. When you’re with family and friends, your eating plan comes in second place, or at least, that’s what happened with me on this trip.

Then Sunday when we pushed off toward Las Vegas, I had a Caramel Frappucino and a Whole Wheat Bagel scooped out with nothing else. I already took my Barley Max, drank my Carrot Juice, and had a Greek Salad on the trip. I was bound and determined to make the best of the time left of this trip and begin eating Raw again.

Occasionally, a cool, clean gin and tonic is one of life’s pleasures (at least for me)… especially on a hot Summer afternoon…or any afternoon… or evening for that matter. And just like other food/drink pairings – each component is critical to the overall quality of the experience. Think really good pizza sauce but crappy crust. Or, fresh crisp romaine but mediocre Ceaser dressing. Same applies to the tonic in a G&T.

I have to admit that I’ve been more focused on the former ingredient, the gin, despite the fact that’s is only 1/3 of a properly mixed cocktail. The other 2/3’s one would think, would be equally, if not more important to the ultimate taste. Up until about a month ago, I’ve been using either Canada Dry, Schweppes or – gasp, Safeway brand tonic – all of which have nearly as much sugar (in the form of high fructose corn syrup) as a can of Pepsi.

Considering that tonic water was first patented in England in the mid 19th century and gin’s birthplace is also England – one would think that getting one’s tonic from the country of origin would serve one’s interests in quality cocktails well. In fact, one would be correct in obtaining Fentiman’s Tonic Water.

My first sip of Fentiman’s was at the Little River Inn in Mendocino on the recommendation from the barkeep. It’s impossible to know exactly what nineteenth century tonic waters were like but with Fentiman’s we get some idea of why this drink took the Victorian world by storm. There’s a sharpness derived from the bitter woody aromas of quinine bark. The complex herbal notes of lemon grass counterbalance this. All the ingredients including the sugar are 100% natural so there’s none of that flat chemical taste associated with mass produced tonic water. Instead a natural sweetness shines through. Because Fentiman’s Tonic is carbonated for longer its fizziness makes it more mixable. And the bubbles last longer too.

Having the small bottle of the tonic next to your drink is very European – they don’t have soda/tonic water guns like US bars have.  The kicker about Fentiman’s is that it actually has a bit of alcohol itself from the brewing process – .5%, so it actually complements and blends well into the cocktail versus diluting it.

Tonic water was first patented in England in the mid 19th century. In the mid 20th century the company Schweppes, known for their ginger ale, introduced it to the United States. It has been popular in both countries since it was first mass-marketed. The popularity owes much to an urban legend regarding quinine.

Quinine became recognized, as early as the 17th century, as a relatively safe cure and preventative treatment for malaria. Quinine derives from the bark of the Cinchona, a tree grown in the Andes. It was brought back to Europe, where it was found to be particularly useful for treating malaria. The British occupation of India was helped by quinine, since it allowed the British officers to stay healthy.

The trouble with quinine is that it tastes horrible. British soldiers would take the medication in a diluted form. The preferred ingredient to dilute the quinine was a great deal of gin, some lemon or lime, and sugar. When tonic water was first produced, people concluded that a few gin and tonics would be good for the health and prevent malaria.

Although the threat of malaria has surely subsided here in the wilds of Marin County CA and perhaps in your neck of the  wood - I fully support the consumption of a few tasty G&T’s for purely…. umm… medicinal purposes.

Tonic Connective have recently updated their website, showcasing a new selection of dynamic projects from the past year. For more information, go to: www.tonicconnective.com

Remembering the OKC Bombing

Brad Pitts Homes in 9th Ward

Sites of Bourbon Street

Our first stop in the journey, New Orleans, Louisiana. I’d never been there, nor Mike and we decided to explore the minute we got there. First, we got to our hotel room and freshened up a little. It was only 7:30pm when we got in town so we grabbed a bite to eat at Mr. B’s Bistro. It’s on the corner of Conti & Royal. Since we were in the bayou, I thought I’d have a cup of Seafood Gumbo and a Green Salad. We were really good Saturday night, and only had one cocktail each, I had the Bombay Sapphire & Tonic and then followed that bad with a Fruit Crisp with Sorbet for desert that Mike & I shared… then we hit Bourbon Street.

The next morning…. we walked around the French Quarter some more and went to Cafe Du Monde for some Coffee & Beignets. So sinful!!!!! After visiting the 9th Ward, we left for Dallas. But in Baton Rough we stopped off at the Macaroni Grill where I had their Mediterranean Olives and a Green Salad. We drove through dinner, so I had my left over Roasted Potatoes and Roasted Zucchini & Squash (food I made Friday night.)

We got into Dallas a bit late… so I just cozied into bed and relaxed. Monday, we started early and headed toward Dealey Plaza and drove up Main Street to check out the original Neiman Marcus Store!!! While we were driving around downtown Dallas I ate Mike’s Margarita Pizza leftovers. Three small pieces of pizza for breakfast…NOT GOOD!!! Then we stopped into McDonald’s and I tried the Hot Cafe Mocha.

Around 9:30AM we hit I-35 North to Oklahoma City, OK to visit the Memorial and eat lunch at Brick town. After Mike walked through and experienced the site of the April 19, 1995 bombing site, we picked Crabtown to eat lunch at. Mike wanted a Steakhouse (I couldn’t find one) so we compromised and I had a Green Salad with Fried Onions on top and a cup of Red Beans and Rice.Yum!!!!

We reached Wichita, Kansas by the time we got some sprinkles on the windshield. So I asked Mike to turn the station to the weather forecast… for an update as we drive west on 1-70. Forecasters were predicting more rain, high winds and snow closer to Goodland, Kansas. So, we decided to stop in Hayes, Kansas for the night. I didn’t complain because I knew I was going to finish my Macaroni Grill leftovers and watch Dancing With The Stars-Semi Finals. BONUS!!!

Fashion can sometimes be a fickle thing in either worlds, so it is heart-warming to find that there are people out there in the metaverse that stay with you, and believe in you know matter what. There are very few people on my friends list like that, however one lady has believed in me as a model from day one and that is one Ms Madison Sullivan – CEO of The Butterfly Modelling Agency. I will never be able to thank her enough for her belief but as a start I am urging you all to take a visit to this fashion show tonight. It may not be a well known agency but it is ran smoothly and the models so hard working….. plus how many “male fashion only” shows have there been in SL over the past year?? Not many I can guarantee you So get yourself down to this hair show….. and even you girlies out there might pick up a style tip or too :b

DESIGNER:  TONIC

DATE:   Sunday 22nd November 2009

TIME:  2pm SLT

PLACE:  The Butterfly Modelling Agency  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Black%20Sand%20Beach/220/220/22

Much Happiness – Emerald x

I started re-watching the first series of house in French! Although every episode is the same (person his ill in strange way, house treats it in an un-ethical or plain mean way, person gets worse, person gets cured) but Hugh Laurie is like a an Americanized Steven fry!

http://roflrazzi.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/hugh-laurie-wanna-see-me-make-this.jpg

And apparently they have found water on the moon. And did you hear how they did it? They didn’t drill it or examine the surface, no why would they do something sensible when the work at NASA… They decided to crash probes into it until they made a hole. I would have loved to have been there when they decided that.

“Okay, I’m afraid that due to budget cuts we won’t be able build the GPS all-terrain drilling vehicle that we wanted to find the water on the moon… soo, What can we do?”

“Lazer?”

“Not powerful enough.”

“Death ray?”

“Public isn’t ready for it yet…”

“We get chuck norris to…”

“Oh shut up.”

“we could ram stuff into it till it breaks…”

“What?”

“Nothing sir… just a day dream.”

“No its not”

“Yes it is…”

“Lets ram it with stuff!”

*Unanimous Yeah!*

“oh god…” * facepalm* “This is the down fall of NASA.”

-Xander

Kopana Terry invited LAL Board Member LeTonia Jones and Witness participants Santana Berry and Alice Underwood into the WUKY studio to chat about their experience with the program and where it’s headed in the  future.

Click to Listen!

Thanks to WUKY for its continued support of the visual arts… And for all the incredible conversations they share with us!

GRASONVILLE, MD – Thursday morning – Much more than just a sweetener, honey is produced by honey bees and is derived from the nectar of flowers. Honey is a mixture of sugars and other compounds – mainly fructose and glucose. Honey has been used medicinally for at least 2,700 years. Honey is very antiseptic and antibacterial. Honey treats a variety of ailments and is healing to the skin, great for wound healing, inhibits growth of fungi and bacteria, aids digestion, is calming, dissolves mucus, is high in potassium, soothes raw tissues and helps the body retain calcium. Honey also helps balance acid accumulations in the body, and is nourishing with Vitamins B12, B6, iron, manganese and amino acids. Honey is great for your skin. You won’t believe how great your skin feels if you gently rub honey onto your face and then rinse it off. Amazing for the skin. Honey is good in a gargle to soothe a sore throat. Honey and lemon juice is good for coughs and good in some arthritic conditions. You can also smear honey on ringworm or athletes foot 2 – 3 times a day to heal. Honey is so much more than just sweet! Add a bottle of honey to your herbal pantry and use it for its wonderful medicinal qualities or on biscuits – like we do at our house!  >>Candace

Honey and Vinegar Tonic

1 teaspoon organic honey
1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar
a bit of water

This mixture is a tonic for the whole body. Use daily and take it consistently for best results.

“HEYAM DUHKHAM ANAGATAM: Misery yet to come can be avoided.”  Sutra 2.16

In book two of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, aphorism #16 makes a promise.  Referring to karmic suffering, the sutra recommends that we direct all our energy toward conquering potential misery.  Through the practice of yoga’s Eight Limbs, future pain can be prevented.

For the months of September and October, we focused on the fourth limb of yoga – Pranayama aka breathing exercises – in our Integral Yoga classes.  Typically practiced at the end of each IY set, these powerful tonics are known for their healing effects.  They are, essentially, preventative medicine.

Now that’s what I call avoiding karmic misery.

Deergha Swaasam, the deep three-part breath, allows the body to oxygenate up to seven times its normal capacity, increasing red blood cells in the body, and consequently strengthening the immune system.  Kapaalabhaati, the rapid navel-pumping breath, supports the body’s detoxifying process and burns out mucous in the sinuses.  And the alternate nostril breath called Naadi Suddhi balances the hemispheres of the brain and soothes the nervous system.

Holiday stress is approaching and flu season is upon us.  So, if you’d like to give these simple immune boosters a try, instructions follow below.

Sure beats waiting in line for a Swine Flu shot!*

OM Shanti.

Hindu deity Vishnu (with Lakshmi) - namesake for Naadi Suddhi's hand position.

Note: Inspirational references for this Bi-Monthly Focus included: “The Breath of Life” by Swami Satchidananda; “Science of Breath” by Swami Rama, Dr. Rudolph Ballentine, and Dr. Alan Hymes; and “Body, Mind, and Sport” by Dr. John Douillard.

* I am not advising anyone to skip a flu shot.  I’m just sayin’…

A BIT OF PRANAYAMA A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY!

• Sit in a comfortable, cross-legged position or on a chair with feet flat on the floor, hands on the knees.
• Elongate the spine to create space for the breath to fill the torso.
• Inhale and exhale through the nose, unless otherwise instructed.
• The lungs are long and thick, like a barrel inside of the torso.  Fill up the barrel!

DEERGHA SWAASAM

Pump up your immune system!  Can be practiced anytime, anywhere.

• Begin with a complete exhale, all the way down to the lower lungs, around the belly.  Contract the belly to empty the torso of air.
• Begin your inhale at the lower lungs, allowing the belly to relax outward.
• Continue inhaling into the middle lungs, expanding the rib cage forward, along the sides and into the back.
• Top off your inhale at the collar-bone.
• Exhale, releasing the air from the collar-bone, emptying the rib cage, and then contracting and emptying the belly.
• Continue for three to five minutes then return to normal breathing.
• You might reduce the length as you work it into Naadi Suddhi, described further on.

KAPAALABHAATI

Cleansing and energizing. Excellent when sleepiness hinders daytime activities.  (For example, driving long distances after playing music all night.)

• To find the correct area to activate for this rapid, navel-pumping breath, place the palm of the hand over the belly button, and stretch the thumb upward, toward the lower sternum, where the ribs meet.
• It is important to sit upright, open the heart and isolate movement to the belly.
• To practice before your first round, relax the belly while inhaling just into the lower lungs, then exhale sharply while contracting the belly inward.  Some people compare this forceful exhale to a bellows, to the contraction we feel when laughing heartily (try it!) or to blowing out a candle with your nose.
• Your inhale will follow naturally, filling up the belly as it relaxes outward.
• To prepare for your first round, inhale a deep three-part breath, exhale all the way down and out of the belly, inhale just into the belly, then sharply exhale to begin.
• Find your own rhythm and pace.  Continue with the sharp exhales and natural inhales for 15-20 cycles.  Repeat for three rounds.
• After each round, exhale completely, inhale a deep three-part breath, then let the exhale slowly seep out.  Return to normal breathing.
• If the practice becomes challenging during your rounds, focus on the forceful exhale, and let the inhale become more and more relaxed and passive.
• As your practice advances, increase up to five rounds, with up to 100 cycles per round.
• This is a complex practice.  Please consult the texts listed above or e-mail me at hmeyers65@yahoo.com with any questions.

NAADI SUDDHI

Ahhh.  Use this soothing breath for balance during stressful times or the change of the seasons.

• Raise the right arm and place the palm in front of the face; make a loose fist; release the thumb, pinky and ring finger into Vishnu Mudra.
• Inhale into both nostrils.
• Plug the right nostril with the thumb and exhale through the left nostril; keep the thumb where it is and inhale through the left nostril.
• Now plug the left nostril with the fingers and exhale through the right nostril; keep the fingers where they are and inhale through the right nostril.
• Switch and plug the right nostril; exhale/inhale through the left.
• Switch and plug the left nostril; exhale/inhale through the right.
• As you become comfortable with the pattern of exhale/inhale/switch/exhale/inhale/switch/etc, begin to lengthen the breath to deep three-part breathing (into belly, ribs, collar-bone; out of collar-bone, ribs, belly).
• After about three minutes, and after finishing an exhale on the right side, relax the right hand to the knee and return to normal breathing.

Please visit the “Tips-n-Tools” page for an archive of these instructions.

It’s hard to believe Black Roses is Painkiller Hotel’s debut album.  These Chicago-based rockers – Eddie Prez, Adam Harker, Klaus Luchs, and Nate Green - have such a defined and seasoned sound, you’d think they were a decade into their recording career.  The band has gotten a lot of attention for having strong, hooky, radio-friendly songs on this record and that attention couldn’t be more properly placed.   

If you’re a fan of the band Live, you’ll love Painkiller Hotel’s intro track, “How Was I Supposed To Know.”  If you’re a fan of the softer Matchbox 20, “Brightest Flame” and “Voice in My Head” are perfect for you.  And “All I Ever Wanted” sounds like Tonic resurrected, so the 90’s rocker in you will be satisfied to its very core.

The more I researched this band, the more I realized everything I was thinking about them had already been written.  They’re creating a big buzz in the rock world and I think it’s only a matter of time before you hear them on Top 40 radio.  But as much as you can compare them to similar alternative rock bands of their era and the one before that, there’s something different about these guys.

A review of the band in Suburban Nitelife Magazine summed the band up perfectly by saying they are ”Drawing comparisons to 90’s rockers Pearl Jam, Matchbox 20, Tonic, and Live with the sentimental songwriting style of John Mayer…” 

That could explain why the band defines themselves as “Romance Rock.”

The only comparison I hear that no one else seems to is  if “Lead Me On” were a little louder and fuller, it could be a Kings of Leon song.  And that’s a good thing.

The album is out today so do yourself a huge favor and pick it up.  Clicking play was the best decision I made all day.

The Montreal Canadiens are looking to avoid their worst start in 68 years. If that happens, their fans surely will let them hear about it.

The Canadiens are riding a five-game losing streak as they reach the halfway point of a season-high six-game homestand Tuesday night against the surprising Atlanta Thrashers.

Since opening the season with a pair of overtime victories, Montreal (2-5-0) has struggled at both ends and was booed off the ice after Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to visiting Ottawa.

“The fans expect us to win games so in that sense their reaction is not unexpected,” forward Michael Cammalleri said. “If I was a fan I wouldn’t be happy either.”

The second half of Montreal’s homestand includes one game against the red-hot New York Rangers and two against the winless New York Islanders.

The Canadiens have been outscored 20-9 during their five-game skid and are among the league’s lowest-scoring teams at 2.1 goals per game.

After barely making the postseason in 2008-09, Montreal tried to revamp its roster by bringing in Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez. Gionta has a team-leading three goals, but Cammalleri didn’t score his first until Saturday and Gomez also only has one.

In net, Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak have combined for a 3.37 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage.

The 24-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise is on the verge of its worst start since 1941-42 when it began 1-10-0 with one tie. The Canadiens started 2-5-0 with one tie in 1956-57 and 1980-81.

They’ll face a Thrashers club off to its best start since joining the NHL in 1999.

Atlanta (4-1-0) has benefited from a somewhat leisurely pace to the early season, having played a league-low five games in two weeks. The Thrashers, however, close a five-game road trip Tuesday to begin a stretch of three games in five days.

The only difficult part of their schedule was back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday nights, and they came away with 4-2 victories at New Jersey and Buffalo, respectively.

On Saturday, Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice in the first period and Johan Hedberg stopped 40 shots to win his first start of the season. Kovalchuk’s two-goal performance was his third in five games and he’s scored on seven of the 16 shots he’s taken. He didn’t reach seven goals until his 20th game last season.

The five-time 40-goal scorer has been held to three goals in his last 13 matchups with Montreal, including one in last season’s series as the teams won two apiece on home ice. The Thrashers have lost three straight at the Bell Centre.

With four goals and seven points, Rich Peverley continues to be a surprising offensive complement since being claimed off waivers from Nashville in January. Peverley has 17 goals and 25 assists in 44 games with Atlanta after compiling seven goals and 13 assists in 73 games for the Predators.

Hedberg and Ondrej Pavelec have given the team a boost while No. 1 goaltender Kari Lehtonen recovers from offseason back surgery.

“We have a lot of good pieces, now we have to keep working,” Hedberg said. “It’s the start we wanted.”

Pavelec, who has a 2.76 GAA in four starts, will try to earn his career-high fourth win if he faces the Canadiens for the first time. Hedberg is 1-6-0 with one tie all-time versus Montreal.

Sharks rally, then rout Rangers 7-3La Liga round-up

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