Okay, you've had your Oscar fun (#Jupita watch 2015) now it's time for the music behind the movies......

Score Me: TV and Movie Classics.

A seventeen year old me was super excited to visit Jamaica again with my family most particularly because I had just received the Legends of the Fall, Interview With The Vampire, Circle of Friends and Far and Away soundtracks and could listen to them on the plane and for the WHOLE trip. I was in movie score heaven.....HEAVEN!!! James Horner had already impressed me with the Thunderheart soundtrack so I immediately recognized his work in Legends of the Fall.

 Elliot Goldenthal (Interview With The Vampire) would go on to make incredible music for the Batman series (featuring Val Kilmer) and Heat (also featuring Val Kilmer) and win an Academy Award for his work in Frida (the biopic on Frida Kahlo starring Selma Hayek) and we all know the genius that is John Williams. If not, here's the short version: Jaws, Star Wars, Superman, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones etc etc etc. The dude is BOSS. Much like the other composers on this list. Shout outs to WG Snuffy Walden (My So-Called Life), Alan Silvestri (Polar Express)  and my fave Graeme Revell (The Crow) . There's soooo many amazing scores out there guys, but I tried to include the my very favourites. Hopefully it will spark some exciting memories for you and you'll be inspired to check out some more scores and look out for composers in the future! Here is your TV and Movie Classics Playlist do enjoy, or don't (I won't tell you what to do!)

P,S (a loooong post-script)  I cannot begin to express how much the movie and soundtrack to Legends of the Fall meant to me. With the direction and producing of Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz whom I remembered fondly from My So-Called Life and the exciting and (at the time) up and coming actor Brad Pitt, who was about to deliver a one-two punch with Interview With The Vampire. Joined with the veritable Anthony Hopkins, the phenomenal Aidan Quinn, everyone's favourite alien-loving child actor all grown up Henry Thomas, the incredible Canadian actress Tantoo Cardinal and the honourable Gordon Tootoosis and the introduction to Julia Ormond who was about to perform in a trifecta of movies where she was at the apex of a triangle. This movie was very special and the soundtrack only made it more so, I was obsessed, I drew it in my notebook, I played it on the piano and I read the novella (which is quite different BTW). What an extraordinary gift to listen to this soundtrack many years later and feel perfectly vindicated in making a fuss. Have a great week peeps, keep the faith that winter will end sooner rather than later and keep an eye on #Jupita!

BLOG FAAAAAAIL......aaand RECOVERY! The ANGERBALL BLOG!

Okey dokes!! Get your anger out kiddies and get it out noooooooooooooooow!!! I know, I know, I tried to do the upbeat thing with the February blahs and all but dumb people got to me. So here it is, your first unofficial Angerball Blog Playlist (Dancing About Architecture shoutout), it's called (of course) Confusion to Insanity Playlist because that's what people can drive us to sometimes (if we don't meditate and learn to ignore  them). So so so.....do enjoy, or don't if that's your thing. Whatever it is, please do have a good and angry happy rest of the week and I'll see you next this Sunday. (with a considerably lighter workload)

BTW...if  you haven't been watching Marvel's Agent Carter I STRONGLY recommend it. So much awesome in just one hour, similarly The Flash is cleaning up in the awesome department. Get your she-roe and hero on y'all.

Peace Out Kittens!

Jazz and Blues and Allllllll the News.....

Oh Hello Friends, Enemies, Kittens etc,


You guessed it, today's blog which is a mite late (I apologize) is all about  JAZZ hands JAZZ (and Blues and Doo-wop-y kinda stuff). I've kicked it off with the very talented (and Canadian) Oscar Peterson (RIP good sir), and continued onward down the path towards jazz and rhythm and blues enlightenment with The First Lady of Song, some Sarah Vaughan and the incredible Sammy Davis Jr, I moseyed on into Otis Redding territory but not before hitting up Harry Connick Jr (the first concert I ever attended). Oh guys it's so lovely, don't listen to Noel Gallagher about 'shite jazz' he doesn't know it but he's on about, which (to be honest) is 'Smooth Jazz' and 'College Smooth Jazz' which is not the same blessed thing.

It's February (I know, I know) and as such all the Valentines are getting their chocolate on but more importantly it's Black History Month and when could be a better time to learn some American History through the magnificent world of Jazz? (that was rhetorical) So please do dive in and enjoy the splendor and magnificence and if you feel the inexplicable urge to check out a local jazz show in your area this week by all means darlings, GIVE IN!

Anyway, I wish you (and myself) a mighty fine grind this week to accomplish all the things you need to get 'er done and do consider playing this lovely, melodic dreamscapey Jazz and RnB playlist if you get a little too stressed out. I'll also leave you with this bluesy version of Summertime that my friend Jorge Gavidia and I recorded and a reminder that Summer will return someday (sooner than you think).  Until then? Hang onto that pigfoot and bottle o' beer, scooobley-doobl-ey-doobl-ey out!

*always hear when you cry sigh dagnammit! Probably a Freudian slip*

*I would be remiss not to include a song from the movie that started my Vaudevillian obsession here's a cover for Burlesque fans <3

The Britpop!!! AKA UK Invasion AKA People Over There....

FEBRUARY'S HERE (yeah I'm not happy about it either)


Waaaaay better mood today though because my lazy ass finally hit the gym! Eff yeah! Endorphins. Yesterday I was wilin' out like a crazy person. Y'all I'm sorry to say this but it's February now, historically the most depressing damn month of the year so if you find yourself crying for no damn reason or over-reacting or being a real freakshow, take heart. You're not alone, We're all miserable as f*ck right along with you. I'm gonna try to keep the playlists this month very upbeat for that very reason. Let's see if we can put some pep in your step (see what I did there?) I have included some slower, vibey songs but they're sandwiched between clangers and bouncy, block-rockin' beats, so you're good.


ACROSS THE POND PLAYLIST

Yup, this is some good sh*t right here. If you wanna know what I was doing in the 90s? Probably vegging out listening to this stuff, dancing like a nutter listening to this stuff or walking really aggressively listening to this stuff imagining sh*t was blowing up behind me. Yup, the Brit Awards had just hit my radar and they had that one amazing year where, Skunk Anansie, peformed Hedonism (Just because it feels good) and Diana Ross and Jamiroquai did a duet and I fell in love with music from across the pond. Some goodly gear there, goodly gear. Plus I was getting sick of the grunge so there's that, I can't rain all the time (even though I'm only happy when it does ;) I do of course owe my introduction to Britpop, UK music to Spice Girls and Oasis. My two favourite bands of all anything really and if it weren't for Noel Gallagher I wouldn't be bothered with half this ish (including learning the guitar or making music at all). That man made Britpop music palatable for me and his blatant brashness and honesty has always been more than welcome in an industry full of liars, cheats and backstabbers. You always know where you stand with Noel Gallagher and there's precious little of that left in the world. I really could talk about Noel and Oasis for a whole blog (which I think I shall) so I'll just leave that for the future then.

Another really amazing album that I've included some tracks off is The Saint Soundtrack. The film was the business and the soundtrack was even better. Val Kilmer, Elizabeth Shue and a crapload of crazy disguises. Check it! Shout out to Kilmer, (sending nothing but good vibes his way right now) who made some of the most fun,clever movies of my childhood life. (Real Genius, Willow, Top Gun) Just as an aside I did happen to hit up the bar they filmed Top Gun in when I was in San Diego, great balls of fire y'all! (pretty sure I say y'all more than any other Canadian,ever (must have been that Louisiana stint) wow).

So here's your Britpop AKA UK Invasion AKA People Over There playlist with some damn good music to get it poppin' to (don't even know what that means) ...oh maybe bottles, yes pop some bottles. No, don't pop bottles just chill, have a coffee, do your homework, read a book, jump around, whatever. Have fun, and folks...Have a Nice Day!