Fall Albums

Is anyone else excited???

Drumming Song

I'm obsessed with this song by Florence and the Machine (Cosmic Love is my fave new song though). I even have it as my alarm ring tone and all. This is definitely what pop music should be like, Florence and Elly Jackson (La Roux).

Fantastically Fantastic

First Riverdance, 1995, Point Theater in Dublin

Everything and Nothing

I am seriously starting to question the effectiveness of going to bed purposely early to be able to study the next morning if I can't sleep. Bah.
Other than that, things have been quite interesting. We've been having friends over for the past month or so, and now my brother and hie family have gotten back from South Africa as well. Things here are never boring...and crowded! The darling nephew.

I've managed to develop a healthy obsession with electronica, electro-pop, new wave, trip-hop, or really anthing with a synthezier in it. My newest find is Isao Tomita. But my personal bests are probably Portishead and Depache Mode.





Some other great music I've been delving in is folk and all it's subsets. Older italian artists were pretty great at that.



Also, something I've found rather refreshing and inspiring are anime series from the '80. The five of us younger siblings have been having a great time re-viewing those cartoons we watched as lil' kids.
Our all-time favorite is Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac).

Taking off for now. Back soon. If this post doesn't keep you entertained till then, I really don't know what will.
Ciao!

Mnozil Brass

Yesterday my family and I went to see such an amazing concert, I think we're still blown away.
Mnozil Brass are an Austrian septet comprised of 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, and 1 tuba. As posted other times on this blog, my brother is a musician, and of course we couldn't miss out. Never mind that it was totally grand and mind blowing. I mean, these guys entertain a crowd for two and a half hours, and never get a single note wrong.
They've got an amazing repertoire, ranging from classical to jazz, and throwing in some Michael Jackson in between.
Clap, clap, clap.
And they are UBER-funny....UBER.


Video included especially for Ozie(since I told the poor thing all about it and she feels like she missed out on the world, and I feel bad)

Marion Cotillard

This young woman has, in such a way that I didn't notice until it was obvious, become my favorite  actress in terms of style and elegance at the moment. 

It's reached the point that everything she wears, I just sorta stare for a few seconds and then go "wow" out loud. Every time that happens, my younger sister looks at me and says, "It's Marion Cotillard again right?"

The thing is, Marion just carries herself with such grace and pose and elegance she looks good even when she doesn't, and I can't help but admire that. Also, it's something that makes her absolutely attractive and beautiful.

One more thing, the woman channels (according to me), both in looks and fashion choices, something totally reminiscent of the stunning and graceful actresses of the silent movie era, another thing I'm currently obsessed with.

Was this sentence too long?

P.S. Combined to great clothes watching, I'm listening to Arrau play Chopin's Nocturne No. 20, and thing I just might die from and overload of beauty.

Boom! Slash! Splatter! (brain explosion...tough luck)

School's been my latest and greatest time consumer, like for real. Meaning I haven't actually thought up anything or found anything around that I'd consider blog-worthy. And pretty much, that's that.
On a side note, my mastery of the Portuguese language is developing, now I can read and make out MOST of a conversation. Yes I feel proud yes you might not care.
Speaking of which, I just got my highlight of the day. (like in this bloody moment, and you might not care about this either, so you could navigate away for today, this whole post interests no one but me)
Evanescence released a never-before-heard-B-side to help the victims of Haiti. It's called Together Again, and I'm listening to it right now, it's totally pretty.

Fun Stuff And Nostalgic Memories

My good friend Ozie Fish of the Moon and I have gotten into this habit of sending each other good music along with our many offlines and regular chat sittings. Our opinions (well actually just your's Oz...cus I like everything you sent me) don't always agree as to what is good and what is not....cough Depache Mode....cough....but we always enjoy looking into each other's tastes.
Anyway to get to the bottom of this, I just thought I'd share the songs I thought were nice with you. So go and treat yourself to some great music.

1. Portishead: Humming, Roads

2: Flyleaf: So I Thought, Uncle Bobbie

3: Depache Mode: Personal Jesus, Tainted Love, Enjoy The Silence

4: Skid Row: 18 And Life

5: Chopin: Nocturne no. 9

6: Antonin Dvorak: New World Symphony

7:Rachmainoff: Piano Concerto 3

8: Annie Lennox: Walking On Broken Glass, Money Can't Buy It

P.S. Fish....I miss you tons. I miss being crazy with you, exploring each other our likes and passions, making you just as much of a tennis freak as I am (which sucks now cus after I left that didn't last), showing you the way of FASHION and playing you to sleep on Amadeus Ludwing.
This IS 18 and Life Lady.

Just to listen to something awesome

Michael Jackson--Blood On The Dancefloor

Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle

The greatest tenor of all times wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Jorgen van Rijen

Definitely my favourite trombonist (okay fine, after Christian Lindberg, but he's so awesome it's like, obvious or something). Having brother as a trombonist, I know more than most people about this instrument, and especially how it sounds when he practices! It's always made me a bit sad how most people ignore this fantastic instrument (other classical musicians included), and I thought I should publicize it, in my own small way.
So anyway. Jorgen van Rijen. I'm telling you this guy is just wow! On every level.

Appropriate...just....appropriate.

Valentina Lisitsa

Valentina Lisitsa is a recent discovery for me, but I'm already enthusastic about her piano-playing. Okay, I admit that the very first video I saw of her, in which she was playing Fur Elise, I was slightly unsure of the correct opinion to entertain. She delivered a brilliant performance, no arguing that, the dynamics were marvelous, perfect legatos, and plenty of feeling. If I closed my eyes and just listened, than she delivered one of the best executions out there. But there was something with the way she sat, so hunched, moving so much, that bothered me. Hence the confusion.
Many Rachmainoff and some Beethoven concertos later, the scale tipped all the way and I became a huge fan. With a talent as huge as hers minor things like posture don't matter.
That woman has a handle on Rachmainoff like few other pianists. When she plays "Little Red Riding Hood", it's almost like the wolf is chasing you too. She's also absolutly great with Beethoven, but there she has Daniel Barenboim to contend with.
So if you don't know who she is, run here, like now, and pay attention.
This is the real shit.

Talk about Beauty

I really can't say much about this post, or you'll just get a very sentimental Esy going on an on about how much she loves this instrument. If you love it too, sit back and be awed with me, if you don't, sit back and be awed anyway.

To my Brother, yeah, he deserves it.

Well Ema, you passed both your exams, the one we were all freaked out about and the one I was sure you'd do great on (in fact you did). Anyway, bravo bravo! You're now an offically diplomated freak with a trombone! I'm sure you'll have a great career and remember to invite me over when you're the first trombone of the Berliner.

Everybody's Fool

SUCH a nice song. I think it's got a LOT of truth to it, and the video really drives the point home.
And of course, it shall always hold a place in my heart after singing it on karaoke with Melllllllllllll!

Dream Come True...Well, Sorta

I sang at the karaoke bar the other night. It's something I've been wanting to do for years. One of those love-it-but-hate-it things. Of course, when you're stuck in a town so tiny you can see the end of it on both sides, you welcome any distraction. Adam works in a bar right next door doing karaoke on fridays and saturdays, so Mel and I begged to sing.
Of course, I've never sung in front of people before, never mind a bunch of strangers. So it was pretty funny. I made Mel sing with me so I wouldn't die. Then we begged to be put on again, this time seperately.... it was fun.
So yeah, that's been pretty much the highlight of the week. You really should see this town. "Los Belones." Makes you want to cry.
I went to the beach yesterday. Second time in the whole year. I don't like beaches.