A picture is worth a thousand words

Coachella, may be one of the most popular and revered music festivals in the United States, due to its stellar lineup and huge crowds, but it also produces some pretty great photographs.

From zany outfits of fans to crazy performance shots, the opportunity for photographs from Coachella is numerous.  However the above photograph is a favorite that I came across which represents backstage Coachella 2012 most accurately.

The people in the photo, are a musical group, The Hives, and they are depicted post performance at Coachella.  I'm guessing someone thought they deserved a refreshment after a job well done.  Perhaps a beer?  A ice cold glass of water? Or maybe a beer and water shower?  After all, Coachella is one of the most hippest, craziest and sweatiest festivals on the planet, they should definitely have both!

Twins but not identical

My sister and I are twins, similar in looks but our interests don't intersect much when it comes to music.  I recently sat down with her to catch up on her music preferences lately.

Lauren: What song is currently on repeat in your iPod right now? 
Liza: Wild One by FloRida
Lauren: Hmm...I'll have to listen to that one.  I have heard of Flo Rida, though.
Liza: Haha...that's a first!
Lauren: What's your ultimate movie soundtrack?
Liza: Reality Bites.  It really doesn't get better than that!
Lauren: I agree, although I would have to say Atonement soundtrack is my all time favorite.
Lauren: Describe your ideal dream concert. Who? Where?
Liza: A concert that highlights not only popular artists but up-and-coming new artists. A fun, beach party atmosphere would be a cool location.
Lauren: What artist is one that never gets old?
Liza: Madonna.
Lauren: What music news shocked you in recent months?
Liza: Seal and Heidi Klum divorcing.
Lauren : What song best describes your workday? Your ideal weekend?
Liza: Workday: She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summer, Ideal weekend: Ignition Remix by R. Kelly
Lauren: If you were on a stranded island, what's the one album you could listen to forever?
Liza:  It would have to be something upbeat and entertaining, maybe BlackEyed Peas, Katy Perry or No Doubt.

Tupac resurfaces at Coachella 2012

1. The late rapper, Tupac Shakur made a surprise appearance along with some other major names at Coachella this past weekend, an Indio music festival.

Snoop Dog performs at Coachella with Tupac's hologram

1. Shakur, who was shot and killed in 1996 at the young age of 25, was presented in hologram form at Coachella wearing Timberland boots, bare chested and acid wash jeans.  This outfit was similar to the one he was wearing when killed in 1996.

The faux Shakur greeted the Coachella crowd and shortly  thereafter Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre performed a well-known song, "Hail Mary".

It has been reported that Dr. Dre will continue to take the hologram Shakur on tour in the future.

However this resurrection of the deceased is nothing new.  It reminds me of the female artist, Natalie Cole, when she released the video "Unforgettable" with a projected image of her dad on the screen.  This was in the early 1990s.

How to get Nicki Minaj's locks

Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" video is all about being fun, colorful and playful.  Her hair at one point in the video is soft, feminine and has natural waves.  Below you can see the hairstyle in the video "Super Bass".

Here's how you can achieve Nicki's playful and wavy locks:


1. Dampen Hair.  You can do this in the shower or with a spray bottle of water.
2. Section your hair into four parts ( two in the back, two in the front )
3. Braid each section.
4. Tie off and then go to sleep.  You will want to start this process at night so hair has ample drying time.


When you wake up apply mousse or hairspray and voila, you will achieve Nicki's playful locks!

Lily Allen, the comeback kid

When it comes to music artists making a comeback to recording and producing albums, it is often a tossup whether the public seeks another album from this artist or rather they would like the artist to not resurface again.  However, when it comes to Lily Allen and past successful albums in the past, her return to the recording studio will be much anticipated and appreciated.


Allen called it quits in 2009 after two hugely successful albums Alright, Still and It's Not Me, It's You and she was recently spotted leaving a recording studio in London working on a new album. 

Lily Allen

Now, UK tabloid The Daily Star reports that she's been spotted at London's RAK Studios.
Though there is no definite date for when a new album will be released for Lily Allen, there are rumors that one could be released as early as the beginning of 2013

Following her retirement from pop stardom, she's been working on her own label In The Name Of and writing songs for a stage version of Bridget Jones's Diary.

Heyday times of Bloc Party

A successful music blog, Pulp and Circumstance, Juiced's entry From the Vault: Bloc Party, "England" (live) had me nostalgic about the band Bloc Party and it's widespread success a few years back.

Bloc Party released the album "Silent Alarm" in February 2005 and reached worldwide sales with over a 100 million copies being sold worldwide.  Singles released off of this album include "Pioneers", "Banquet", and "So here we are/Positive Tension".


In 2003, Bloc Party consisted of guitarists Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack and bassist Gordon Moakes. After drummer Matt Tong auditioned and joined the trio, the band members' songwriting evolved and they started crafting tracks for Silent Alarm. 


I would have to agree with Pulp and Circumstance, Juiced that this album was pure bliss and always remains relevant to listen to.  I feel inspired to dig up the old album, in my itunes library of course, and download it back onto the iPod. 

Pandora Spotlight

"What's your Pandora station?" If you're like me, you may have many for different moods or purposes that you will use your music for in a given day.  One station for work, home, gym, etc.

Lately I have been enjoying the sounds of Motown.  Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, these artists are always upbeat and get me through the day whatever activity I'm participating in.

This video, is Marvin Gaye's "I heard it through the Grapevine", a classic tune that is simply irreplaceable.    What I like about Pandora is that I get the opportunity to hear so many artists similar to the one I have chosen.  Artists such as The Temptations, Curtis Mayfield, and Diana Ross are ones that I have grown to love since listening to Marvin Gaye's Pandora station.

New festival added to the list

Coachella, Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, festivals around the country are all the rage for more bang for your buck in terms of music.  For a slightly higher price tag than one concert to see one band, one should seriously consider going to get a day pass to a festival and see numerous well known bands in one day.

The New York Times"Arts Beat" blog boasts the addition of one more festival devoted to pop music in Delaware for a summer time frame. The Firefly Music Festival, a three day event, July 20 to 22, will include more than 40 bands and solo artists will play as well.  John Legend and the indie rock band, Death Cab for Cutie are among the scheduled bands to perform.

Crowd at Coachella night concert

It seems that these festivals are successful and the demand is high for them.  With the extreme popularity of Coachella, it may be hard for the Firefly Music festival to keep up, but I guess if the festival concept is getting great response then it will be worth trying festivals devoted to particular genres.