Top 200 Singles of 2009

Here is a list of the top 200 songs from 2009…

1. Courtney John – Lucky Man
2. Estelle & Sean Paul – Come Over
3. Screw Driver & Inner Circle – Never Give Up
4. Daweh Congo – Straight Up Conscious
5. Sean Paul – So Fine
6. Michael Franti and Spearhead – Say Hey (I Love You)
7. Luciano & Easy Star All-Stars – With A Little Help From My Friends
8. Luciano, U-Roy, & Easy Star All-Stars - With A Little Dub From My Friends (Version 2)
9. Chali 2na, Damian Marley, and Stephen Marley – Guns Up
10. John Legend & Buju Banton – Can’t Be My Lover
11. Daweh Congo - Ghetto Skyline
12. Ziggy Marley & Willie Nelson – This Train
13. YT, Million Stylez, Mr. Williamz, Blackout Ja, Jah Knight, & Iverse - Champion Sound
14. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – Fan It
15. The Decemberists – The Rake’s Song
16. Alborosie – No Cocaine
17. M. Ward – Stars of Leo
18. K’Naan & Chubb Rock – ABC’s
19. Norah Jones – It’s Gonna Be
20. Elephant Man – Dance and Sweep
21. The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You
22. Daweh Congo – One Day
23. K’Naan & Damian Marley - I Come Prepared
24. Michael Franti & Spearhead - Rude Boys Back In Town
25. Laden – Time To Shine
26. Queen Ifrica – Lioness On The Rise
27. Brother Ali – Fresh Air
28. Wilco – Wilco (The Song)
29. Michael Rose, Menny More, & Easy Star All-Stars – A Day In The Life
30. Kid Cudi – Day ‘N’ Nite (Nightmare)
31. Julian Marley – Boom Draw
32. Buju Banton & Third World – Sense Of Purpose
33. K’Naan – Take A Minute
34. The XX – VCR
35. Serani – Playing Games
36. Major Lazer, Jovi Rockwell, & Mr. Vegas – Can’t Stop Now
37. Tarrus Riley – Herbs Promotion
38. Michael Franti & Spearhead – Soundsystem
39. M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel - Never Had Nobody Like You
40. Ziggy Marley & Toots Hibbert - Take Me To Jamaica
41. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – Sweet Jennie Lee
42. Daweh Congo – Steppin
43. Yim Yames – My Sweet Lord
44. The Avett Brothers – January Wedding
45. George Strait - El Rey
    
46. Bounty Killer – Corrupt
47. Mayer Hawthorne – Maybe So, Maybe No
48. Michael Franti & Spearhead – A Little Bit Of Riddim
49. Dave Matthews Band - Funny The Way It Is
50. Jay-Z & Mr. Hudson – Young Forever
51. Monsters of Folk – Say Please
52. Julian Marley & Damian Marley - Violence In The Streets
53. Tarrus Riley – Human Nature
54. Spoon – Writing in Reverse
55. Phoenix – Lisztomania
56. Andrew Bird – Oh No
57. M Ward – Rave On
58. Yim Yames – All Things Must Pass
59. Modest Mouse – Satellite Skin
60. Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros – Home
61. Slaid Cleaves – Cry
62. Phish - Backwards Down The Number Line
63. Graham Wilkinson, Hayes Carll, and Lloyd Maines – Ragamuffin
64. The Itals – Let Dem Talk
65. Sean Kingston – Fire Burning
66. Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
67. Black Ryno – Real Stingers
68. Romain Virgo – Alton’s Medley: Breaking Up / Ain’t That Loving You / My Willow Tree
69. Jah Cure – Sticky
70. Pearl Jam - The Fixer
71. Vybz Kartel - Life Sweet
72. Q-Tip – Even If It Is So
73. Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
74. Capleton – Acres
75. Miley Cyrus – Party in the USA
76. Mariah Carey – Obsessed
77. Suga Roy, Conrad Crystal, Barrington Levy, & Beenie Man – She Call Mi Phone
78. Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
79. The Swell Season – Feeling The Pull
80. George Strait – Arkansas Dave
81. Chino – Never Change (From Mawning)
82. Sean Paul – Press It Up
83. Queen Ifrica - Coconut Shell
84. Lyle Lovett – Loretta
85. Beres Hammond - Can’t Say I Never Tried
86. Chali 2na - Comin’ Thru
87. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
88. K’Naan – Wavin’ Flag
89. Beirut – The Shrew
90. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – Right or Wrong
91. Metric – Sick Muse
92. Robert Earl Keen, Jr. – Flyin’ Shoes
93. Regina Spektor – Eet
94. Bon Iver – Blood Bank
95. Soja & Rebelution – Here I Am
96. Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band – Nikorette
97. John Fogerty & Bruce Springsteen – When Will I Be Loved
98. Julian Marley & Stephen Marley - Things Ain’t Cool
99. George Strait – Living For The Night
100. Frankie Paul & Easy Star All-Stars – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
101. Graham Wilkinson & the Underground Township - Boys and Girls
102. Major Lazer – Cash Flow
103. Zee Avi – Bitter Heart
104. Etana & Alborosie - Blessings
105. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel - I’m Sittin’ on Top of the World
106. Jay Z & Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind
107. Danny Malone – Basement
108. Black Eyed Peas – Rock That Body
109. George Strait – Easy As You Go
110. Jay-Z – D.O.A. [Death Of Auto-Tune]
111. Suga Roy, Conrad Crystal, & Gyptian - Jah Jah See Dem
112. Danny Barnes – Pizza Box
113. Major Lazer – Bruk Out
114. Robert Earl Keen, Jr. – The Rose Hotel
115. Soja, Tamika, & Gentleman – I Tried
116. Casual Sax - Baby I’m Black (From The Waist Down)
117. Courtney John – I Want To Get Next To You
118. Major Lazer – Pon De Floor
119. Rhett Miller – I Need To Know Where I Stand
120. The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin
121. Beres Hammond - See You Again
122. Micachu & the Shapes – Golden Phone
123. Queen Ifrica – Keep It To Yourself
124. Bob Dylan – Beyond Here Lies Nothin’
125. Son Volt - Dynamite
126. N.A.S.A., Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santogold, & Nick Zinner - Whachadoin?
127. Elephant Man – Nuh Linga
128. Levon Helm - Tennessee Jed
129. Eminem – Crack A Bottle
130. Ziggy Marley, Jack Johnson, & Paula Fuga - Cry, Cry, Cry
131. Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard – California Zephyr
132. Boycott Blues – Got Beef? (Food Coma)
133. Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Rock
134. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel - Won’t You Ride in My Little Red Wagon
135. N.A.S.A., Kool Keith, & Tom Waits – Spacious Thoughts
136. Max Romeo & Easy Star All-Stars – Fixing A Hole
137. The Lemonheads – Waiting Around To Die
138. Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band - Air Mattress
139. Neil Young – Johnny Magic
140. Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, & Cedella Marley – I Love You Too
141. Queen Ifrica - Daddy
142. Cunninglynguists – Never Come Down
143. Mavado – So Blessed
144. Mos Def & Talib Kweli – History
145. B-Real & Damian Marley – Fire
146. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – Corrine Corrina
147. Anthony B & Horace Andy – Enter The Kingdom of Zion
148. John Legend – Can’t Be My Lover (Curtis Lynch Remix)
149. Bruce Springsteen – Outlaw Pete
150. Sizzla – Black Man In The White House
151. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – Bring It on Down to My House
152. Wasp - Unfair Officer
153. Sugar Minott & Easy Star All-Stars -When I’m Sixty-Four
154. Bitty McLean – Fall In Love (Rub A Dub Mix)
155. Taken By Trees – To Lose Someone
156. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel – Hesitation Blues
157. U-Roy, Bunny Rugs, & Easy Star All-Stars – Lovely Rita
158. Daweh Congo – Daybreak
159. Coconut Records – Any Fun
160. Serani – When It’s Cold Outside
161. Telekinesis – Coast Of Carolina
162. Mavado – On The Rock
163. Bill Callahan - Jim Cain
164. Kirsty Rock & Easy Star All-Stars – She’s Leaving Home
165. Noah and the Whale – Blue Skies
166. Daweh Congo – Joy Brings Pain
167. Fanfario – I’m A Pilot
168. Mavado – Money Changer
169. The Dry Spells – Black Is The Color
170. David Guetta & Akon – Sexy Bitch
171. Animal Collective - My Girls
172. Taken By Trees – My Boys
173. Tribal Seeds – The Garden
174. Norah Jones – Chasing Pirates
175. Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard - These Roads Don’t Move
176. Matisyahu – Struggla
177. Black Eyed Peas – Meet Me Halfway
178. Buju Banton – Rastafari
179. Juvenile – Gotta Get It
180. Groundation – Beating Heart
181. 10 Ft Ganja Plant - 10 Ft. Ganja Plant and Weed
182. Mishka – Stay By My Side
183. Raekwon & Lyfe Jennings - Catalina
184. Bebel Gilberto – Chica Chica Boom Chic
185. Pitbull – I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
186. Phoenix – 1901
187. Bramma – Da Body Deh
188. Kid Cudi - Make Her Say
189. Mayer Hawthorne – Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out
190. Flo Rida – Right Round
191. Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, & Ghostface Killah – House Of Flying Daggers
192. Matisyahu – Smash Lies
193. Timbaland & Justin Timberlake – Carry Out
194. Chezidek – Border Line
195. Bebel Gilberto – Sun Is Shining
196. Gregory Isaacs – Fools Fall In Love
197. Oba Simba – The Herb
198. Robert Glasper – Butterfly
199. B.B. Seaton – Life Goes On
200. Johnny Clarke with Soothsayers meet Red Earth Collective – Bad Boys
201. Sean Paul & Keri Hilson – Hold My Hand [I'll Be There]

So… as part of your marketing plan for 2010, you are going to launch a Facebook page for your business.  How many days will you need to wait before you deposit your first “business-attributed-directly-to-my-Facebook-page” check?

A day? Two weeks? A month?

If you are in the B-to-C space, it certainly may be possible to quickly attribute sales to content that you put on your Facebook page.  However, if you sell B-to-B, or just have a long sales cycle, then you certainly must acknowledge that simply creating a page on a social media site is not going to instantly bring you new business.

Should you still do it then? Should you invest time and money in starting or increasing your social media marketing efforts?

Well, the answer certainly is yes.

I stumbled upon this article today from Mobile Commerce Daily. It’s about the musician, Ziggy Marley, and how he is using new marketing channels. In this case, it’s an iPhone App.

One quote especially stuck out to me. Here it is:

“He’s not seeing this as a huge revenue-generator off the bat—his goal is to increase his digital footprint and hopefully bring him and eventually his family into the mobile arena.”

Yes, at the end of the day, “it” (where you work, what you do with  your time) is a business. Marketing efforts must  increase awareness and create demand, and thus eventually bring in money. However, not every marketing effort will instantly fill up the sales pipeline.

If you are entering into a new channel for your business, perhaps social media or mobile marketing, you must view “increasing your digital footprint” as a good thing, and a necessary step on the road to success.

Eventually, people will notice those footprints, and want to find out exactly where you, your company, and your product or service will lead them.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national holiday tradition, and has been so for the past 83 years, and this year the tradition continued.

This year, the parade route returns to its roots with it ending at 34th street right in front of the Macy’s store. This is different than it has been in recent years.

 There is a list of performers that include Katharine McPhee, Jane Krakowski, and we have Spiderman, Kermit and Spongebob floating down the parade route. Ziggy Marley, the son of the legendary Reggae singer Bob Marley, performed a song with his daughter on a float decorated as a pirate ship.

Ziggy Marley and Daughter awaiting performance at Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade today

 Ziggy performed his new song ”It’s Family Time” while holding his daughter in his arms so she could reach the mike…very cute.

Katharine McPhee, sporting her new sassy blonde ‘do, performed her new single “Had It All.” Jane Krakowski performed a Christmas tune. She may play a ditzy spoiled celeb on “30 Rock,” but in real-life Krakowski is quite the songbird.

Teen superstar Miley Cyrus made an exuberant appearance waving to her throngs of excited fans that lined the parade route waiting patiently for the international superstar. She looked great, in light of the bush crash tragedy that killed her long time tour bus driver this past friday. Today was much happier times for her.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade aired on CBS and NBC at noon ET/9 am PT.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING…NOW GO EAT….

Live  Nation, who have delivered 22,000 live events each year, haved teamed up with Apple to bring you exclusive live performance only on ITunes.

The new paged dubbed “Live Nation Presents” showcases hot artists such as Ziggy Marley, OK Go, Plain White T’s, Hillary Duff and others. Downloadables (especially video) is what is behind this promotional push.

OK Go, Capital Records recording artists who are a crunchy rock band are best known for their Internet viral sensation video “Here It Goes Again.” The bad dances and sings on several running treadmills in an unbroken shot of footage. The clever video is featured below.

Apple’s iTunes is # 1 music with American music sales. Digital downloads at 35% of all music sales. 69% of all music downloads go the way of iTunes with 8% opting for Amazing. Congrats iTunes. 

~Posted by Horiwood.Com Hollywood California USA 11.26.09~

83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2009 has a new route! For the first time ever, the parade route will bypass Broadway and travel down 7th and 6th Avenue’s to Macy’s in Herald Square.

Stars joining the line-up include Bello, Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus, Andrea Bocelli, Boys Like Girls, Alan Cumming, Billy Currington, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Hughes, Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton, Jane Krakowski, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley, Katharine McPhee, Miss America 2009 – Katie Stam, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Mitchel Musso, Keke Palmer, The Pizzarelli Quartet, Jay Sean and Carly Simon.

Enchantment returns this November as Macy’s magical procession of pomp and pageantry ushers in the holiday season at the 83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From the trumpeting of the time-honored phrase Let’s Have a Parade. to the first glimpse of one of Macy’s signature giant helium balloons, the march of whimsy will delight more than 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million viewers nationwide. America’s Parade steps to the beat of its own drums on Thursday, November 26th at 9:00 AM bringing with it 8,000 participants including the nation’s best marching bands, jaw-dropping performance groups, cheerleaders, clowns, giant balloons, fanciful floats and the biggest star of them all, the one-and-only Santa Claus.

From a small band of Macy’s employees gathered in 1924 to commemorate the holiday season to a tradition that has delighted millions for generations, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is truly an icon of American popular culture. Changing with the times from a Parade of floats, zoo animals, clowns and bands that marched down a more than 5- mile route to a Parade filled with giant helium balloon characters, celebrities, and more; the Macy’s Parade this year will mark yet another milestone moment. Having marched down parts of Broadway for 82 years, the 2009 procession will be the first to bypass Broadway in the history of the Parade. Over the years, the Macy’s Parade route has changed five times as it traveled through Manhattan. From the initial Harlem step-off site in the mid 1920s to its current 77th Street starting line, the Parade route has evolved with the city.

The 2009 Macy’s Parade will begin at 77th Street and Central Park West, travel down to Columbus Circle where it will turn onto Central Park South. Once the Parade reaches 7th Avenue it will turn once more and march down 7th Avenue through Times Square to 42nd Street. At the famed intersection, it will turn east to 6th Avenue and begin its final march down the Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street, where it will turn towards Macy’s famed flagship and end at 7th Avenue marking a 2.65-mile march.

“This is a milestone year for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Robin Hall, executive producer of Macy’s National Events. “Dramatic changes in the mid-town landscape will divert us for the first time from the fabled Broadway route we have followed since our first Parade in 1924. However, our course will remain true and the Parade will continue to entertain millions as Spider-Man returns to the sky and the first new Santa Float in almost half a century makes its debut.”

The 83rd Annual Macy’s Parade will be an unparalleled crowd-pleasing spectacle that features 1,500 cheerleaders, dancers, singers and performers; 800 clowns; 15 giant character helium balloons; 35 novelty/ornament balloons, balloonheads and balloonicles; 10 marching bands; 24 floats; and a host of celebrity performers.

Rise of the Giants
The sky above the streets of Manhattan will be alive once more filled with colorful friends as the Parade’s signature giant helium character balloons soar on Thanksgiving morning. The line-up of giants features a who’s who of children’s classic characters from comic book superheroes to the stars of television, films and American pop culture. New arrivals to the Thanksgiving Day balloonfest are everyone’s favorite neighborhood super-hero™, the web slinger himself, Spider-Man®; the ever cute and cuddly Pillsbury Doughboy®; America’s favorite clown Ronald McDonald®; and the top mouse on deck, Sailor Mickey Mouse.

Making a vaunted return to the Parade to complete the 15 giant balloon line-up are some of the nation’s most favorite characters including Abby Cadabby, Buzz Lightyear, Dora the Explorer™, Flying Ace Snoopy, Horton, Kermit the Frog™, Pikachu™, Shrek®, Smurf, SpongeBob SquarePants™ and Supercute Hello Kitty®. These giant balloons are only one portion of the buoyant procession; the Macy’s Parade also boasts 35 novelty/ornament balloons and balloonicles, which can range in size from 12 to 25 feet tall and give the line of march a tiered perspective. The Macy’s Parade features a team of Balloonatics – balloon experts who create, maintain and inflate the Parade’s balloon line up. A fun bunch, the Parade Balloonatics are known to give lessons in balloon speak to spectators every year. Two very important facts should be known when referring to the Parade’s giant helium characters. One is that although the Parade’s signature balloons seem to float in the air, they are indeed balloons – not floats. The second and most important is that Macy’s does not blow up the balloons – that would be very disappointing to millions who would not get to see them fly on Parade day…that’s why they are inflated!

Floating Scenes of Wonder
Riding down the street on Thanksgiving Day will be the Parade’s magical lineup of floats that feature landscapes of fantasy. These moving stages transport millions of spectators on unexpected journeys. The new float line-up includes a salute to the heroes in our everyday lives on the Local Heroes Helping Everyday float; a magical land where friends come to life to play and dance on the There’s A Party in My City float, and the first new Santa’s Sleigh in more than 40 years.

The dazzling stages that ride down the streets of New York City each year take months of painstaking work by the skilled artisans of the Macy’s Parade Studio. The gifted Studio team design and build each float from the ground up. Wood, foam and other materials are the skeleton that gives life to this fleet of fantasy. In addition to the three new stages, 21 floats will make a return appearance to the line up this Thanksgiving.

The returning float roster includes 123 Sesame Street, Big Apple, Bridge To The Future, Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia, The Care Bears™ Winter Fun-derland, Castle of Dreams, Cele-bear-ate Hugs Worldwide, Doodlebug, Jolly Polly Pirate Ship, M&M’s® Chocolate Candies on Broadway, Marion-Carol Showboat, Musical Innovation Bigger Than Life, Pep Squad, Shine On, The Smurfs™, Snoopy’s Doghouse, Spirit of Liberty, Tom Turkey, The True Spirit of Thanksgiving, Winter Wonderland in Central Park and Woodland Family Gathering. In addition, the famed Speed Racer Mach 5 will be making a special appearance in the line of march this year.

Drum Roll Please
Strike up the band and pump up the volume, as the Parade’s signature marching bands hit the perfect rhythm this Thanksgiving. The musical heartbeat of the Parade, the marching bands and students representing their home states in this year’s holiday spectacular are the nation’s highest caliber musical and marching talents. Ready to step to the beat are Adair County High School from Columbia, Kentucky; Frank W. Ballou Senior High School from Washington, DC; Choctawhatchee High School from Fort Walton Beach, FL; Franklin Regional High School from Murrysville, PA; Harrison High School from Kennesaw, GA; Morgantown High School from Morgantown, WV; Pickerington Central High School from Pickerington, OH; Pittsburg High School from Pittsburg, CA; Towson University from Towson, MD; and Macy’s Great American Marching Band featuring students from all fifty states.

Taking Center Stage
Adding pomp, cheer, spins, flips and dips to the holiday revelry are some of the nation’s best performance groups. From the cheerleaders to a one-of-a kind group of peddlers, the Parade features a host of unique performers. Set to wow the crowds are performers from the Big Apple Circus, Chinese American Community Center Folk Dance Troupe, Mike Miller Dance Team, NETSational Seniors & NETS Kids Dance Team, The Purple Peddlers, Varsity Spirit, Spirit of Long Island Mounted Drill Team, Stagedoor Manor, and USA Jump Rope.

Stars on 34th Street
Celebrating the start of the holiday season will be performers from stage, screen and music riding down the streets of New York City to Macy’s famed home on 34th Street. The stars joining the line-up include Bello, Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus, Andrea Bocelli, Boys Like Girls, Alan Cumming, Billy Currington, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Hughes, Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton, Jane Krakowski, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley, Katharine McPhee, Miss America 2009 – Katie Stam, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Mitchel Musso, Keke Palmer, The Pizzarelli Quartet, Jay Sean and Carly Simon.

Nationwide Star
From coast to coast, Americans will gather around the television to share in the magic of the Parade via the national broadcast on NBC-TV. One of the nation’s most viewed events, NBC’s Emmy® Award winning telecast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be hosted by TODAY’s Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera and Al Roker. The telecast will air from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon in each of the four time zones in the continental United States. Star power on Thanksgiving morning will include performances from some of the hottest Broadway shows including Billy Elliot, Bye Bye Birdie, Hair, and Shrek. In addition, the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® will return to kick in the start of the holiday season.

A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s finale features the biggest star of all, the one-and-only Santa Claus. As his sleigh comes into view, Macy’s will wish everyone “Happy Holidays” and a “Merry Christmas.”

Source and Photos: Macy’s

Enjoy!

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Have you checked out Ziggy Marley’s new release Family Time?  Or Peter Himmelman’s My Trampoline?  Maybe you’re waiting for Tuesday’s release of Dan Zanes’ 76 Trombones?

If so, you either have kids under the age of 10 or just enjoy some serious musicians taking on some family-friendly fare.

The Los Angeles Times has a nice feature today on how each of these established artists is leading a trend that is shaping a new sound for kids that includes not just “goofy props and colorful costumes” but other more subtle music geared to address a void in popular children’s music.

Himmelman puts it this way: “Somebody had an idea you’re going to make a kids record and dumb it down. Kids aren’t dumb. You’re never as intelligent as when you’re a kid. I try to be careful not to adopt this oversized adult posture. I’m writing exactly the same way as I write for adults, except I’m careful to write about subjects that children will have a context for.”

And, though it’s hardly a sensation that’s sweeping the nation (save for the few artists lucky enough to receive exposure on children’s television programming), a number of music festivals have worked to legitimize the music by including kids stages as a key element of their multitude of offerings.  Perry Farrell’s Kidzapalooza is but one example of the evolution of the “scene”.

Bottom line is that there is a lot of good music out there that should keep getting attention.  And I’m glad to see legitimately talented musicians taking on the task. 

Forget the stupid term “kindie rock”.  Focus on the artists like Zanes (the “daddy” of the scene?), proudly declaring, “I feel like I’m working at a much higher creative level than I ever have.”

Pirating Bob Marley

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091101/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_jamaica_marketing_marley

It’s easy to criticize religion, but who can be against love? Ziggy Marley announced that love is his religion in his song by the same name (see video below). Jesus kind of said the same thing when he was asked to identify the greatest commandment in the Jewish law: love God, love others. Simple as that.

Though many people have issues with Christianity, I doubt its the love part that bothers them. Rather, its the rules. Rules divide. Rules judge. Rule keepers feel superior to rule breakers. Rules seem incompatible with love, and yet the Bible seems to be full of them. (This is one of my favorites. Trust me, its worth clicking.)

A ‘loving’ religion is one that is tolerant and nonjudgmental. One that includes rather than excludes. One that accepts rather than converts.

Is that the kind of loving religion that Jesus was talking about?

Interestingly, Jesus begins his answer to the Pharisee’s question by quoting the Shema (Deut. 6:4), which states, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one God.’ Or, to put it more simply, there is no God but YHWH. Why begin with a theological statement? Because the kind of love that Jesus was talking about cannot be separated from truth.

The command to love God is not a command to love any old god, but a very specific God who has a name and a people. And the command to love others comes from this God who has already loved us in very specific ways and shows us how to love others.

It is a love that puts boundaries on our behavior and belief, which seems at odds with the conventional ideas of love (tolerance, freedom). But true love always requires that we lose some independence. As the apostle Paul wrote, ‘The love of Christ constrains us.’ Timothy Keller puts it this way: Freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones.

Love limits us. But, ironically, it frees us as well.

So is love my religion? Well, if by love you mean the love that was revealed by the man from Galilee who gave his live for me on the cross, then yes.

I had midterms all this week, so this is all about a week late. But yall, this time last week, I was getting ready to go see ZIGGY MARLEY!

he was so soulful and wonderful

To get to see any member of that legendary family is such an incredible privilege. Such a relaxed yet energetic performer, with those gorgeous long dreadlocks, I thoroughly enjoyed watching and dancing along to him. I had to restrain myself from being obnoxious and running up yelling, “I’m from the Virgin Islands that means we’re basically related woooo!”

Rastafarianism, as a system of spirituality, as  actually has a very strong tradition of vegetarianism. This song loves on this ideal.

Back home, I was all about the Rasta munchies; so deliciously animal free, all of them.Living on St. Croix, despite it being a microsocpicly tiny island, I never got bored with the restaurant selection; the ‘classier’ restaurants in town are all wonderful, and even the hole-in-the-wall “Ital” joints, the Rastafarian ones, were incredible. I always got a few funny looks, being so obviously not actually Rastafarian (or even truly local), but the food always compensated for any moments of awkwardness.

Malibu isn’t exactly a beacon of West Indian cuisine; this can be attributed to it’s being inhabited almost solely by affluent statesiders. So, I created my own dish using the freedom colors, ites gold and green. Limited by my own spice cabinet, the flavors here are a little more Creole than Rasta, but still satisfying, vegan-style healthy, and delicious. If you’ve never tried quinoa, it is, in a word, awesome. It tastes a bit like couscous, but heartier, and is a whole protein by it’s own wee self. A close family friend and yoga instructor, Emmy, first turned me on to quinoa by having it in the fridge while I was babysitting her kids in high school. Thank you, Emmy!

Ziggy’s Rasta Quinoa Bake

pre-bake

(serves two)

Ingredients:

-1 cup of Inca Red Quinoa. I like this brand because it comes pre-washed… and trust me, washing quinoa is a fiddly business you just don’t want to have to deal with

-1/2 cup of Smart Balance Light (the vegan futter of choice), melted

-1/2 cup of water with one knorr veggie bouillon cube dissolved within (that should make it about double strength)

-1 zucchini, sliced into half-moons

-1 red bell pepper, chopped into medium sized chunks

-1 yellow squash, half-mooned

-one decent-sized bunch of broccoli

-cumin, sea salt, and Tony Chachere’s to season

Directions:

Preheat oven to about 375 degrees, and pre-grease your casserole dish with a little futter. Prepare the quinoa as instructed on the box (about 2 cups of water for 1 cup of grain, I believe), and shake in some cumin and sea salt while it cooks, so the flavor really sets in there. Chop up your veggies in the meantime. Their oven time is enough to cook them sufficiently. Once the quinoa is ready, spread a thin layer on the bottom of your casserole dish, and cover it with about half of the veggies. Shake on some Tony’s and more cumin, then pack another layer of quinoa on top, and pour over half of the stock. Repeat with another layer- veggies than spices than quinoa (if you’re running out by now, no worries, it’s actually more attractive to have some color peeking through, I think) and pour over the remainder of the stock, and then the futter. Shake on some more seasoning for good measure. Cover with foil, and bake for about 20 minutes. Take out, remove foil, and put back in for another 5-7 minutes.

post-bake, ready to nom

And here, in parting, I leave you with my favorite Ziggy song

Gleder meg, gleder meg. På Nrk 3 nå straks! Denne seien har lenge stått på dvd-lista, men nå ser jeg den heller på tv.

Jeg synes egentlig at de generaliserer oss pirater litt vel mye, men Ziggy Marley (sønnen til Bob) og Lauren Hill, sørger for at det er stille før stormen.

Bom, começar com o pé direito, um dos CDs que eu mais gosto do Ziggy Marley.

1. Dragonfly

2. True To Myself

3. i Get Out

4. Looking

5. Shalom Salaam

6. In The Name of God

7. Rainbow in The Sky

8. Melancholy Mood

9. Good Old Days

10. Never Deny You

11. DYKL (Don’t You Kill Love)

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It’s been a while but its that time again.  I’ve gotten some music over the last few months that I’d like to share a view on.  Without further adu: 

We can start it off with Leela James, “Let’s Do It Again.”  This one is a Don Cornelius ’stone cold’ thriller.  When you think of this CD, think of Seal’s, ‘Soul’ where he takes R&B classics and turns them into his own.  Leela not only puts her own signature on these hits, like Seal she has a band in the background that sounds as if they are playing in a smoke filled room big enough to fit 50 as opposed to a mere studio.  Its a jam session where she sings her heart out.  Right out the box she teams with legend Betty Wright on “Clean Up Woman.”  Then she dabbles with The Rolling Stones, “Miss You.”  One of my favorites is Womack & Womack’s, “Baby I’m Scared of You.” 

I enjoy listening to this album because it’s totally not safe.  Leela performs these songs from the heart and if you can feel it then feel it.  It has that feel of a live session and it’s full of energy and what seem to be ad libs.  This is real music and a decent musical tribute to some classical tunes rather than something packaged for quick consumption.  I’m all good with it.

Speaking of tributes, if you don’t have it already you got to pick up, “An All Star Tribute To MAZE featuring Frankie Beverly.”  This is one of my favorite CDs to thrown in on any occasion.  All star is indeed correct as you have the likes of Musiq Soulchild, Kem, Joe, Mary J Blige and Raheem Devaughn.

They hit many of the classic Maze cuts that only a dope can mess up.  Musiq performs Silky Soul, the tribute to Marvin Gaye.  In it he does what Musiq does, keeps it simple yet adds his distinct sound to it.   And while I’m generally not a big Mary J. Blige fan, her version of, “Before I Let Go,” is quite funky.  My favorites are Joe’s version of, “Can’t Get Over You,” which he sounds so smooth with it, it’s as if it could have been his own song, and Raheem Devaughn’s, “We Are One.”  Devaughn has so much talent and his voice is so silky suave.  He is really comfortable doing the song it compliments Frankie’s while again able to stand on it’s own.  In a happy twist on the last song of the CD, “I Wanna Thank You, is performed by J Moss, The Clark Sisters and Kiki Sheard.  They sort of church it up without making it churchee if you know what I mean.  I don’t think there is a group of sisters who have been able to harmonize quite as beautifully as the Clark Sisters.  ”They seem to really enjoy doing this piece.  Anyone who loves good soul music and care for these artist will enjoy this piece of work.  If I was a disappointed with anything here it’s Mint Condition’s “Back In Stride.”  If they were on American Karaoke Idol I would say, “Perhaps you picked the wrong song.”  Compared to the other cuts, it’s just really ordinary.  By no means is this a deal breaker.  Pick up this CD.  It’s great!

Smooth Jazz is BACK!  Back in the day when smooth jazz artist started doing cover tunes in jazz/instrumental format, you had some really good stuff out there.  So good that many hard core jazz artist got in on it too and started to do their own cover pieces.  Then it all went down as people put out stuff that seemed to have little effort thrown in it.  There was a smooth jazz tribute to this artist or that.  I would listen to them and want to puke.  It was as if cats just started putting together crap in their basement to try to make a buck.  This is not the case with, “Hot Buttered Jazz, Celebrating the Genius of Isaac Hayes.”

A fitting celebration it is as they not only hit on the theme for Shaft, but they hit cuts like, “Cafe’ Regio,” which just took me all the way back.  (Such a wonderful melody).  There are others too but I just have to hurry up and say that Phil Perry put his foot in, “By The Time I Get To Phoenix!”  I’m just sayin.  Pick this one up!

Norman Connors, Star Power, is stocked full of other cover tunes.  And Connors brings a lot of energy, imagination and creativity to sign these hits.  The Sweetest Taboo, Rock With You, and Walk On By just to name a few makes for a CD you can ride to, chill to at work if you sit at a desk like me, or even clean the house with.  This CD is contains enjoyable pieces of music that people who enjoy rhythm and melodies will love.  Norman has a great ear for instruments and how to bring a fresh flavor with them.

Want to hear a really cool and uplifting piece of music?  Pick up Ziggy Marley’s, “Family Time.”  This is a set of simple songs that just make you feel good.  Ziggy has a who’s who of musical legends sharing the mike with him on a few of these numbers.  Willie Nelson on “This Train,” Paul Simon on, “Walk Tall,” and even Jamie Lee Curtis help with a reading on, “My Helping Hands.”  Also along for the ride are Marley family members who participate on songs, “Family Time,” and my favorite, “I Love You Too.”  What you will get here is a series of songs that put gives one the simplest forms of music in a way that always manages to get through to the musical soul.  None of the pieces are complicated but the simplicity is overwhelmingly satisfying.  I love it!  Ziggie rocks!

Tamanho: 59 MB
Formato: Mp3

I had a friend once tell me that because I have a wide range of beliefs that she didn’t know how I believed in God or why.  She called me everything from a pagan to a New Age Hindu.  She was not trying overtly to criticize me, but I think she was questioning my thought process.  Which is fine.  It called to mind a conversation I’d had a few years earlier with another friend.  I had asked him if he believed in God, to which he replied that he didn’t really believe, he just knew. 

My beliefs have continued to evolve since these conversations.  First of all, I don’t know that it really matters one way or the other what I believe other than to help me define myself and make my life more meaningful.  Secondly, I don’t know that I’d call my feelings “belief” anymore.  This is just a feeling I have that there is more to life than we know on the surface.  I have a feeling now, not a belief.  I’ve had some weird experiences that contribute to this feeling.  For example, maybe five years ago I was on vacation in Savannah with my spouse and in-laws.  I’d made it a point to meditate every day, and one night before going to sleep I asked my spirit guides to make themselves known to me in my dreams.  I dreamed of an old man and a little girl, and also a frog.  When I woke in the morning, I went to the kitchen for some breakfast.  My sister in-law immediately told me that she had dreamed during the night that a frog had been showing her around my family home.  I have no idea what any of this means.  But the conclusions I draw from the experience are A) There is something more out there, and B) We are connected to each other, dependent on each other, responsible for each other.

I felt that my sister in-law gave me more than a confirmation of my spirit animal, but a confirmation of the fact that she and I are connected, and that we are all connected in ways we do not know.  I think we are responsible for each other’s evolution.  Responsible also for each other’s happiness here on Earth.  This experience of feeling a connected-ness changed my beliefs in a concrete way.  I believe we are responsible for each other.  My grandfather would be so proud; he has told me he believes two things.  He believes in the religion of the big “R”: Responsibility.  And he believes in the religion of “I don’t know”.  Knowing?  I only know not to hurt other beings.  As Ziggy Marley sings: “Love is my religion.”

This is how we do.

Birthday weekend, full steam ahead! And you know what that means. The highlights on the agenda for my weekend include copious amounts of Jack Daniels, giggles, and not posting on my blog even more.

However, it’s not as if I haven’t been busy or exercising my writerly muscles. I’ve been working out at another location, so to speak. In case you miss me and my musical rants, I can also be found here as part of the Portland Examiner Arts and Entertainment team. The gig allows its writers a lot of freedom, at least as far as content and voice. Hopefully, this avenue of exposure will continue to be a fun and personal way to report on all the fantastic artists in and around Portland.

But as far as TS&tN’s humble page-front, as an early birthday present to myself, I’m borrowing from a Facebook note concept. The object of the FB challenge is to list, off the top of your head, fifty musicians you’ve seen live. I got to some number in the 20 to 30 range before I had to start consulting my ephemera collection of ticket stubs, journal entries, posters, emails, and other websites to jog my memory. But it’s a fun activity. You get to recall specific points in your life, places you’ve visited, people you’ve seen, and of course, all the songs that kept you afloat each time. In honor of my 29th year of life on this planet, here are 29 performers I’ve seen live and the venues that granted me the opportunities. I can only aspire to triple this number or more in another 29 years’ time. By the way, if any generous reader wishes to send me a gift, my friends got me started on the tradition of birthday Jack D. Just a thought.

1) They Might Be Giants at venues in Honolulu, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco. I still love John and John like they’re both the only bees in my bonnet.

2) Reel Big Fish at the Bellows Air Force Station (if you live in Hawaii long enough, you will watch concerts on military grounds).

3) Hepcat in Santa Cruz. First concert of college. I can’t even remember the name of the venue, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist anymore.

4) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Catalyst Nightclub. I interviewed one of the horn players for my college newspaper. Sadly, I can’t remember his name either. You’ll notice that a lot for anything during the time I was in college.

5) Moxy Fruvous in Santa Cruz. First concert I attended alone and really enjoyed.

6) Switchblade Symphony at the old goth club in Honolulu. I found out today that one of the band’s drummers went on to join the Blue Man Group.

7) Death Cab for Cutie at the Great American Music Hall.

8 ) Cat Power at Bottom of the Hill.

9) Frank Black, first at the Catalyst and then at the Independent.

10) Stratford 4 at the Independent. They were opening for another band, some group that rode the wave of “The Insert a Noun Here” bands during the early aughts, but Punchy and I went for Stratford 4. Burned out way ahead of their time.

11) Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Great American Music Hall.

12) Clinic at Bimbo’s 365 Club.

14) Low Flying Owls at the Hemlock Tavern.

15) Built to Spill at Slim’s. Found out that Built to Spill was playing there mere hours before the show. A very kind bouncer sold us tickets. The band was amazing.

16) Decemberists at the Fillmore.

17) Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Warfield.

18) Spoon, in a free performance at Amoeba Records.

19) Digital Underground at Red Devil Lounge, complete with Humpty. For real.

20) Von Iva at the Rickshaw Stop.

21) The Botticellis at Cafe Du Nord.

22) Pixies at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. The best big concert I’ve ever seen. My flask helped.

23) Ziggy Marley at the Crystal Ballroom. This was my first concert in Portland.

24) Tori Amos at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. I’d wanted to see her for so long, and to have finally done so at such a handsome place was extra special.

25) The Swell Season at the Keller Auditorium. Absolutely searing in its beauty, but that was largely thanks to the band.

26) Queens of the Stone Age at the Roseland.

27) Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at the Oregon Zoo. Don’t let anyone snub you into believing that zoo concerts can’t be awesome.

28) 31 Knots at the Doug Fir.

29) Battles at the Wonder Ballroom, my inaugural foray into Music Fest NW.

Plus, one for good luck: 30) Asylum Street Spankers at Music Millennium.

• Andrew Bird ~ Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs ~ Righteous Babe

The Happy Birthday Song

• Les Claypool ~ Of Fungi and Foe ~ Prawn Song

Primed By 29

Haha! I’m being serious though! I cant believe its been 2 months since my last blog. Things have been seriously nutzo since my last update. I was sick with bronchitis for a good 2 weeks, and then once i began to feel better, its like: hey Nikita, NO MORE FREE TIME!  So… I did WORK!

I’ve been designing for Loomis-ISC (follow them here on twitter) for the past two months. They are a small integrated communications agency that specializes in brand-building, and they needed an extra hand in the art dept. so i came to the rescue! Have done soooooo many ads, for companies like: Mokulele Airlines, Avis, Budget, Chaminade University, Aloha Harvest, Volunteer Legal Services HI, ETCETCETC!!!!!! It has been a great experience.

Side note: Loomis is actually where my sister Serena dazzles clients w/ her intelligence and wit lol (Client Services Dept). Check out their site, you’ll see her bright, white smile and big brown hair haha.

Ad i created for Chaminade University

Still managed to get some designing in for the ING DIRECT Café also! Not sure where i found the time…

Flyer & Keiki Deposit Slip for ING DIRECT Café

Alas, there were few moments of play. Got to see my girl Anu play at the Shack Waikiki a couple times. You can follow her here. She is awesome and BLOWING UP. I’ve known this girl/watched her grow as an artist over the past year, and trust me: She is someone you wanna follow. She’s beautiful, talented, humble, and a very upbeat/fun chick to be around. i love ‘er.

Anuhea

Me & Serena during an Anu performance!

another Anu performance

Had a BLAST at Birthday Bash w/ Serena.

BIRTHDAY BASH!

Serena and Me

My family has also been in town! We saw Ziggy @ The Shell! Was awesome.

ZIGGYYYY

My fam

Lots of good music! super stoked, live music is so inspiring. Ziggy opened w “Redemption Song” and it brought a tear to my eye! was beautiful. BEP was in town the same nite as Zig, but i opted for the marley blood… BEP will come again…

I also made a new friend at Pele’s Chair…

irresistable puppy bubba

AHHHH SOOO ADORABLE. I asked the puppy’s owner to hold him, and guy was like “sure,” hands me pup, and jumps in the water. was awesome, i totally played babysitter and loved every minute of it.

Watched a chick jump spitting caves on her bday! that es atech eye tee is like 60 feet yo.

she had a pinktutu! that's me in the orange

Spitting Caves...

Also went the Las Vegas-Hawai‘i Hilton “tweetup” at Apartm3nt (couple of pics to come). So awesome, MORE live music for me to enjoy was a jazzy sexy band, soooo chill listening. Apartm3nt is probably the only lounge i’ve been to in HI that has SWAGGER, yes, Swagger. They also have a pretty sick happy hour and free parking. I highly recommend. Saw/met cool peeps/fellow bloggers like Christine Hitt of Honolulu Magazine/The Hitt List, Peter Arceo (and beautiful wife Milena) of Las Vegas Hilton. Both super nice people, always a pleasure. Only wish i won one of the awesome giveaways lol..

I have more to share, but once again, its about that time… DW! Time to go to work! Won’t be long before my next blog though

Until next time<3

get it off your system by listening to some robert zimmerman (mr bojangles), then move on by listening to some ziggy (true to myself) and finally walk it all off in the dark (try 2kms).

there you go, doesn’t your heart feel lighter?

He’s tonight in Honolulu, tomorrow on Maui. Get tickets at the door; Waikiki Shell on Oahu, War Memorial in Kahului. ZiggyMarley.com for more. Best event handling in Honolulu: Hawaii Pacific Entertainment.

Ziggy today speaking with me about his passion for writing music geared toward children and families.

The new CD is Family Time, and this is the title track/official video. Brilliant, soulful, and an infectious groove.