According To Bri

The Perishers

beersbm — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:34:29 +0000

So I was watching Greek last night on ABC Family (yes I admit it, it’s my guilty pleasure). First off, that show is extremely entertaining and relatable for anyone who is in a fraternity or sorority. The show is very honest and pretty risqué, and I love it. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to blog about. While I was watching the show, they played a song at the end of the show (that happened to flow perfectly with the love-triangle scene). The song was called Nothing Like You and I by The Perishers. I immediately fell in love.

It’s something I feel like I would hear on a Coldplay CD, and Coldplay happens to be my favorite band.

I never heard of The Perishers but I’m extremely glad that Greek introduced me to them. Their song Carefree is also amazing. Their music is very addictive (I have Nothing Like You and I on repeat as I type this blog). When the lead singer sings, it’s almost as if he’s whispering. It’s ironic how such a soft voice can sound so strong. Nothing Like You and I is extremely romantic without being corny and cliché. This band is extremely precocious; they can appeal from rock music lovers to pop music enthusiasts.

Their music was also featured on The O.C., which always had really refreshing, interesting music on it’s show.

Check out their site and learn more about the band and their innovative music at theperishersmucic.com I promise you, their music will touch your soul and your heart.

Listen to their song Nothing Like You and I to a video mix of The Notebook that I found on YouTube.

Pandora Pandemonium

beersbm — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:47:25 +0000

So I was recently introduced to Pandora, a free online radio. This isn’t like your normal radio station, its personalized for you. Here’s how it works; you create your own stations. You can either type in a particular music artist or a particular song, and it will continuously play both songs by that artist or songs by similar artists. For instance I typed in John Mayer and it played other music artists such as Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and Norah Jones, as well as Mayer.

Pandora is my new obsession. I keep it playing whenever I’m in my room because I can always count on it to play the songs I’m in the mood to hear. One of my pet peeves is when I’m listening to the radio and a song comes on that I don’t want to hear. That’s the beauty of Pandora, you never have to worry about it playing a song you don’t feel like hearing; it plays whatever genre of music you feel like hearing.

It’s wonderful because it even features underground artists. My sister is a huge Rilo Kiley and Johnathan Rice fan (her boyfriend is the brother of Johnathan), and when she typed in their names, sure enough Pandora played it.

One of the things that’s so interesting about Pandora is that they specialize it for each user. You can not only create your own stations, but a profile as well. You can bookmark songs and artists you like that you’ve heard on Pandora. It introduced me to amazing songs that I’ve never heard of, and it also played songs that I forgot even existed. I wound up making a list of songs that I loved and wanted to make sure I downloaded. One of the songs I fell in love with was “Come On, Get Higher’ by Matt Nathan and “Constellations” by Jack Johnson.

I highly recommend jumping on the Pandora bandwagon, it will make your day a little bit brighter, especially if you’re a music lover like I am. You don’t have to download it, you don’t have to pay for it, all you have to do is sign up and enjoy. Go to pandora.com

To learn more about the background of this creation, go to pandora.com/mgp.shtml

Rice To Riches

beersbm — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:53:25 +0000

So it turns out I wrote this post a week ago and for some odd reason it wasn’t saved. I’m going to do my best to make it as interesting as I made the last one.I have wanted to blog about Rice To Riches since I went there last summer on a NYC movie tour with my boyfriend. Yes, I am that into movies and yes, my boyfriend is that sweet for getting us tickets. So on the tour we stopped at different places in the city that have been shown in different movies and television shows (such as the actual soup place from the soup nazi episode in Seinfeld). One of the places that we stopped in to was Rice To Riches. I have never heard of it before but after the tour guide informed us that Eva Mendez went there in the movie Hitch, I could picture the scene in my head. The tour guide also mentioned it was one of Ellen DeGeneres’ favorite places to eat. Rice To Riches, as you may have guessed, is a trendy ice cream-type shop that sells deliciously different types of rice pudding. Now I know, most of you may not be too enthused about rice pudding, I wasn’t either until I tried the cookies and cream flavor. It was scrumptious. I came of the place a new fan and it helps that they put the pudding in these creatively cute and modern bowls with a uniquely fun spoon. The place itself also looks very contemporary and the design of it is absolutely breathtaking. It will make you feel as if you’re in some kind of room from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Or shall we say “Pudding Factory.”Rice to Riches put’s a delicatebly unique spin on what most deem as a traditionally boring dessert. It does for rice pudding what Cold Stone did for ice cream.The pudding comes in four sizes with such creative names as solo, epic, sumo and moby being the largest, serving ten people (just in case you’re a having a pudding party). The pudding itself is produced not in a factory but in their own kitchen, daily. They have an eclectic and mouthwatering mix of flavors that any type of dessert lover can indulge in. There’s Cinnamon Sling, Sex Drugs And Rocky Road, Peanut Butter Pick-A-Peck, Coconut Coma, and an array of more. I didn’t even get up to the toppings. You can add pretty much everything from jelly to oven roasted fresh fruits. If you don’t feel like running over to NYC’s Spring street, wha-la! This places ships overnight to anywhere in the U.S. They have their own tasteful website. So go ahead and give your taste-buds a new treat, visit Rice To Riches. It will satisfy any kind of sweet tooth out there.http://www.ricetoriches.com/frameset.php?content=/startpage.php

New Soul

beersbm — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:25:21 +0000

So I know I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus but I’m finally back in blog mode. Since my last post was about a song I fell in love with after listening to it in a commercial, I thought I would add on to that theme and mention another song. Apple always seems to pick the right song for their commercials that make it memorable. For example, 1234 by Feist became a huge phenomenon in the music world. I thank the ipod Nano commercial for introducing me to Feist, and I’m sure she does as well, she was nominated for best new artist at the 2008 Grammy awards.

BUT the song I am talking about this time is not by Feist but by the artist, Yael Naim. Both artists actually remind me of each other with their soft, light and angelic voices. Yael sings New Soul in the new MacBook air commercial. First off, I think the song fit perfectly with the jovial message that Mac conveyed. The new laptop they were introducing was a new soul. Like the laptop being advertised, the song has an airy and light vibe to it that makes you want to bob your head side to side along with the buoyant beat (my friends and I all found ourselves simultaneously doing this). The commercial was simple and optimistic as is the song, which made for a strong connection and message. Not only did it make me want to go out and by the new fabulously thin laptop, but it also made me want to go out and buy the song. I guess that’s how you know it works. Thanks to Apple, a new folk pop phenomenon has been born.

Yael Naim was born in Paris in 1978 and was raised in Israel. Her new sophomore album features songs in English, French and Hebrew. She spent two years doing military service and formed The Anti Collision group, which played in clubs around the country. Eventually she met with David Donatien, a West Indian drummer. The two collaborated and formed a team. The rest is history. To read more about Yael and her struggle to stardom, visit her site at http://www.yaelweb.com/. For now just relax and enjoy her video.

Coffee Shop

beersbm — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:05:40 +0000

I’m sure most of you have seen the commercial above for A Diamond Is Forever. I know when I watched that commercial all I could focus on was the really simple and romantic song playing in the background. I searched around Google to find out what the song was called and who sang it. Easily enough I found out the song is called Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg. It’s one of those songs that you immediately picture a scene in a movie with a love at first sight type of setting between a guy and girl. Ironically enough I pictured this all happening at a coffee shop type place. I admire music that takes you there and puts you directly into the mood of the song. I have never heard of Landon Pigg before I watched the commercial, but I listened to other songs and really enjoyed them. There’s Can’t Let Go and Dressed To Kill, both are easy to listen to and are the type of songs you can blast loudly in your car and go for a long drive with the windows down. Landon is actually on tour with Gavin Degraw, who sang the popular song from One Tree Hill, I Don’t Wanna Be. If you want to know more about him, check out his site at http://www.landonpigg.com/about. For now just watch the video and let it’s peaceful vibe captivate you.

New Favorite Song: Church

beersbm — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:17:43 +0000

Thanks to Step Up 2 I was introduced to a new song by T-Pain entitled Church. For anyone that knows me I am a huge T-Pain fan. Both T-Pain and Akon are my top favorite artists, and there is not one song they have made that I haven’t liked. So of course when I heard Church I couldn’t help but play it repeatedly. It’s really hard to explain in words just how creative this fast paced song is. It’s led by guitar riffs and has this Jamaican type beat to it that makes you want to get up and start battling people on the street, or in this case church. The song is about wanting to fight someone following a confrontation at a club. My favorite part of the song is the end when they it sounds like mumbling or grumbling. It’s like nothing I ever heard and it’s the type of music I really appreciate. The video has cameos of the dancers in Step Up 2, including Robert Hoffman, who is amazing as usual. Everyone is battling eachother with their best street moves in church. It’s really entertaining and fun to watch. I’m not really sure it looks as if Channing Tatum is dressed up as a creepy guy with a beard. Watch the video and see for yourself! You can also watch a clearer version at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x398yb_tpainchurch_music

New Favorite Dance Movie: Step Up 2

beersbm — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:40:17 +0000

I have to admit, I saw Step Up 2: The Streets. Call me crazy, but it was actually really entertaining. There were very few clichéd moments that made me cringe in my seat. There were two main reasons why I went to go see this movie. First, I was a dancer all throughout middle school and high school. I was on the funk team, and so I can relate to the art of dancing and movement. I can watch people dance hip-hop for hours; it truly amazes me. The second reason why I went to go see this movie is because of I really enjoyed the first Step Up. It was because of this movie my obsession with Channing Tatum grew to a new level, and it helped that he makes a decent cameo in the sequel.

So basically, Step Up 2 takes on a similar premise as the first, but this time Andie ( Briana Evigan) and Chase (Robert Hoffman) replaces Tyler (Channing Tatum) and Nora (Jenna Dewan) as the lead roles. Andie, like Tyler is forced to attend the elite Maryland School of the Arts, where she meets Chase (Robert Hoffman), the most popular and talented dancer at the school. She has to choose between her new life and friends at MSA and her old crew. Ultimately she forms a new dance crew, that has the perfect mix of corky, talented dancers. One, who’s name is Moose (which pretty much sums up his appearance) dances like Michael Jackson and by looking at him you would never think he could even dance to a beat. He had dance videos posted on MySpace and was soon cast.

I mean sure you have the rebellious girl who meets the pompous and popular guy who through the odds wind up falling for each other after hating one another, but as much as we complain about clichés, they are clichés for a reason- we love them. In the end you always want a happy ending. As much as this movie is predictable, it has heart. Robert Hoffman may be the most remarkable dancer with a heart-melting smile. He’s corky and cute, as is Briana Evigan, who I envy for having some of the best booty-shaking moves I have ever seen.

Just like You Got Served had their dramatic dancing in the rain scene, so did Step Up 2, only the dancing was so phenomenal and entertaining, it made you forget how unrealistic and trite it all was. The music hype’s you up and makes you want to get up and start dancing yourself. I had to hold myself down. The choreography and dancing will blow your mind and make you wonder how anyone can move like that.

I found out that Step Up 2 was originally made to go straight to DVD but luckily the director pushed for it to come out in theatres. If you’re a Stomp the Yard, You Got Served or Take the Lead fan then go out and see it. If not, I would recommend renting it on a rainy day.

My favorite part of the movie is the end rain scene where Andie and Chase dance together and do this breathing type of move. I can’t describe it, you just have to watch it, and their unbelievable chemistry and synchronization:

The Love Holiday Continued..

beersbm — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:54:20 +0000

There’s a lot of interesting theories and facts about Valentine’s Day. Here are some I found out:

Women purchase 85% of all valentines.
Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, Christmas takes the lead.
Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are the biggest holidays for giving flowers.
Worldwide, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine’s Day each year.
73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
Men buy most of the millions of boxes of candy and bouquets of flowers given on Valentine’s Day.
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day.
Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentines Day candy box in the late 1800s.
The oldest surviving love poem till date is written in a clay tablet from the times of the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around 3500 B.C
In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a prospective suitor. If the gift is kept, then it means she has accepted his proposal of marriage
If an individual thinks of five or six names considered to be suitable marriage partners and twists the stem of an apple while the names are being recited, then it is believed the eventual spouse will be the one whose name was recited at the moment the stem broke.
In Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St Valentine’s Day to make them dream of their future husband.

Here are some Love Day Superstitions:It is said that the kind of bird a girl watches on Valentine’s Day predicts her future husband. For instance:Sparrow: a poor manOwl: remain spinsterBluebird: a happy manBlackbird: a priest or clergymanCrossbill: an argumentative man

If an apple is cut in half, the number of seeds found inside the fruit will indicate the number of children that individual will have.
To be awoken by a kiss on Valentine’s Day is considered lucky.
On Valentine’s Day, the first guy’s name you read in the paper or hear on the TV or radio will be the name of the man you will marry.
If you see a squirrel on Valentine’s Day, you will marry a cheapskate who will hoard all your money.
If you see a goldfinch on Valentine’s Day, you will marry a millionaire.
If you see a robin on Valentine’s Day, you will marry a crime fighter – maybe they mean Batman!
If you see a flock of doves on Valentine’s Day, you will have a happy, peaceful marriage.
If you find a glove on the road on Valentine’s Day, your future beloved will have the other missing glove.

You can find more from www.stvalentinesday.org

The Love Holiday History <3

beersbm — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:44:53 +0000

Valentines Day is one of my favorite Holidays. I automatically smile thinking about red roses, kisses and chocolate hearts. I used to dread even the words back when I was single, but luckily those days are over. People always ask, why do you need a holiday to say “I love you” to someone? I used to agree, until I realized it’s more like a celebration of any type of loving relationship you’re in, whether it’s with your boyfriend, friends or family. It’s really nice when you think about it. So I’ve decided to do some research about the holiday. I always wondered where it came from, and since it’s one of my favorite days of the year I should know more about it. There are a few different legends. One is that Valentine was a priest back during the third century of Rome. He defied Emperor Claudius II’s rule outlawing marriage and was put to death when caught marrying lovers secretly. Another legend suggests that Valentine was the first to send a ‘valentine’ while in prison. He signed it ‘From your Valentine’, which is still one of the most popular phrases known today. Regardless of which legend is correct, there is no doubt that Valentine was a romantic saint. Another common association to Valentine’s Day, Cupid, the precious, winged deity, is known to be the son of the Roman goddess of love, Venus. According to Greek mythology, he is Eros, the son of Aphrodite.There is so much more to the history. You can find more information at the history channel website!

New Favorite Movie: Across The Universe

beersbm — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:13:56 +0000

For those of you who haven’t seen this movie yet, please take my advice and go to the nearest video rental store and RENT IT. Actually, you might as well just buy it because I guarantee you will love it and will want to watch it over and over again. Okay, so maybe I’m being too presumptuous, but between the songs and the flawlessly talented actors you can’t help but sigh and smile while watching it. I have seen it three times already. I introduced the movie to my friends, who needless to say fell in love with it, so much that they immediately marked it as one of their favorite movies of all time (we watched it two nights in a row).

The movie was nominated for the 2007 Golden Globe, best picture for a musical/comedy and was an Academy Award nominee for costume design (if that persuades you to see it a little more). It is a musical, but nothing corny and over the top like you’d see in Dream Girls. When the characters break out in song, it flows naturally and perfectly throughout the storyline and doesn’t make you feel awkward or question the movie’s practicality. You’ll feel as if it’s natural that people break into song and dance in everyday life. It mostly works because they are all Beatles songs, quite possibly the greatest band alive.

Basically the story is about Jude (played by Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (played by Evan Rachel Wood) who fall in love through the tumultuous times of the 1960s, amid anti-war protests and rock and roll. Along with their musically inclined friends, they are immerged into the counterculture movement, and the Beatles songs take you through the rollercoaster ride of a plot. It works out brilliantly that each song goes along perfectly with what is going on in the movie.

Even if you don’t know any Beatles songs you will be captivated by the music and story. The movie’s soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy, for best compilation soundtrack album for motion picture. In my opinion, it should’ve won. The Beatles music is electrifying and influential anyway. It’s catchy, some songs are fun and upbeat while others are profound and make you reflect. It’s one of those movies where there’s never a dull moment and you can all sing along to. I was told it was a independent film and pretty controversial as well, so that is probably why it didn’t get as much publicity as it should have.

So please, take a night off, go out and rent a movie, buy a huge bucket of buttered popcorn while you’re at it (girls it’s ok to indulge yourself from time to time). Sit back, relax, and enjoy this wonderfully mad movie that will have you wanting more. : )

Here’s a clip from the movie, one of my favorite scenes featuring the protagonist, Jude. It might get cut off so go to youtube or to the official site to see more (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/acrosstheuniverse/)