Ok, so I haven’t really had a chance to go into my graphic tee love. Being an artist, it feeds my soul to find amazing wearable art.

From time to time, I may post shirts I love here that are on sale or up for voting. This one only has a few more days at Threadless, so if you like it, please vote.

Title: Beauty Before Death by Buko and Silverqe

So, I really wanted to just encourage people to check out the show Life on Mars which I am particularly fond of. In a sea of sameness, it is a life preserver. It’s been moved to after Lost and I’m really hoping it won’t be cancelled. Somehow, most of my favorite shows seem to disappear.
But, what I really want to do is post this video, because, you know how some songs just cut right through to your heart and you have no idea why? Well, this song does it for me, but, then again, to me, Bowie is, and has always been, magical and not quite of this earth. And, I mean that in the best way possible.

The Amazing Race has been terrific this season, from racers falling down hills chasing huge cheese wheels in Switzerland to them doing gymnastic routines in Romania.
It’s also a very interesting group with few obnoxious teams. Amazing!
Phil is hotter than ever with his amazing eyebrow pop and next week will find them in Siberia.
I was very sad to see Brad and Victoria leave last episode. They were such a great couple, but it looks like they had the time of their lives.
Teams I’m rooting for at the moment are mother and son, Margie and Luke, and father and son, Mel and Mike White (Mike wrote “School of Rock” and his dad is an author/clergyman). Both are wonderful!

There are also other teams that are very likeable. Yes, this truly is an amazing season. Make sure to tune in!

So many soundtracks contain one or two good songs, so it’s a real treat to find so many of my favorite artists on a soundtrack cd I can pop in the car or play any time day or night. And the songs are so listenable.

My favorite on the cd is James Morrison’s “You Make It Real”. His raspy soulful voice speaks to the heart.

Other tracks I love are Lily Allen’s “Smile”, Tristan Prettyman’s “Madly”, The Ting Tings’ “Fruit Machine”, and, Keane’s timeless “Somewhere Only We Know”. Corinne Bailey Rae’s “I’d Like To” is sensual and smooth.

To be honest, though, the only song I’m not fond of is Scarlett Johansson’s. It seems weaker than the rest and doesn’t quite fit.

I do love the mix of styles and genres here, from classics such as R.E.M. and Human League to Maroon 5 and the altrock of My Morning Jacket. The Cure always rates highly in my book, here with “Friday I’m In Love”.

I would be amiss to not list that this cd also includes great songs by: Talking Heads, The Black Crowes, Wilco, The Replacements, and Erin McCarley.

Quite a delicious mix.

This cd covers all the moods, ups and downs of love. I highly recommend it.

A fabulous melange of great musicians and songs.

The best way I can describe the sound of Il Divo is soaring passion. These four beautiful operatic voices blend to create powerful music and graceful elegance. “Angelina”, “Adagio”, they all create a relaxing, rich ambience which surrounds you and takes you in, a break from a world which can be chaotic.

The real test for me was the cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. There is a wonderful rendition by Jeff Buckley and my favorite version is Leonard’s, but, Il Divo managed to wow me with a soft and gorgeous rendition. I love the beauty of Italian and Spanish so that is a plus for me.

This is the type of cd I want to just get lost in and allow it to inspire and enrich my soul and my heart. Bravo, Il Divo!

Finding Her Own Voice

When I listened to “The Other Side of Me”, I thought that Eder sounded like a cross between Barbra Streisand and Carrie Underwood. Doing a bit of research, I found out that Eder was born in Tucson, AZ in 1961, and that, in fact, Streisand and Judy Garland were early inspirations of hers. I went back to listen to some of her previous work which
included mainly Broadway and pop standards.

In speaking about her new album, her 10th and her debut with Verve, Eder has said, “This isn’t so much a departure as it is me getting back to who I really am.” She has explained that before she felt she was playing a role, albeit a good one, but that now she was going back to her roots and what moved her when she was just a kid and picked up her first guitar and began writing music. This first love is rekindled in “The Other Side of Me” with its country-pop flavor.

For me, some of these songs still sound like pop standards and, in fact, the middle of the cd songs seem to blend together, however there are truly some that stand out for me and make this cd powerful and enjoyable. Eder has a gorgeous voice and a broad vocal range. The songs deal with a range of emotions and form a tapestry of life and love. There are soaring melodies and the overall tone is extremely uplifting and optimistic. I love the instruments used on this cd and its beautiful harmonies. There are banjo, fiddle, mandolin, mandola, cello and acoustic/electric guitar and piano included.

“Pieces” is easily one of my favorites. It is about a woman who has to pick up the pieces all the time while her man finds another lover for the good times. It really is feisty and quite catchy while not cliche. It starts out, “She slams the door and you come running”, and continues with “I’ve always been the one who puts you back together; She gets the best of you and I get your stormy weather.” The message is that “I need some sunshine of my own.” What I love about this song is that it is simple and packs a punch while being extremely melodic and showcasing Eder’s beautiful vocals. It really has a country feel and I am in love with Antoine Silverman’s fiddle which acccents throughout and ends the song.

My favorite is “Waiting for The Fall”. This really galvanizes the entire cd for me with its sexy grooving electric guitars. It almost feels like it has a rockabilly feel and seems more alive and exciting than some of the others. This to me seems the epitome of Eder finding her own voice. It sounds modern and fresh even integrates a rap by Strange Cranium which fits perfectly. This song is a departure from some of the others that still sound pop/Broadway to me. Eder wrote this piece and it shows. I really hope she produces more of her own music.

I also like “Prayer For Love” which is full of country-tinged hopefulness.

“They are the Roses” speaks of the dreams that grow in the heart of a child and the hope for future generations. It is enhanced by the sweet voices of a children’s choir.

“Both Sides Now” is a cover of one of Joni Mitchell’s famous anthems. It’s very relaxing like a lot of this cd. There is a lot of pleasant music that is great for mellowing out.

I have been a fan of the Indigo Girls for ages and have seen them in concert. I think their writing is brilliant, so it was like finding an old friend to find a cover of Emily Salier’s “Ghost” here.
It’s sung beautifully, simply, not overdone. I found it very moving and love the original poetic lyrics of love and longing.

And you kiss me like a lover
Then you sting me like a viper
I go follow to the river
Play your memory like a piper

And I feel it like a sickness
How this love is killing me
I’d walk into the fingers
Of your fire willingly
And dance the edge of sanity
Ive never been this close
Im in love with your ghost

“Make Today Beautiful” is about making your own future and facing it with hope and faith. I believe this is what Eder is doing here and she does it well. I hope to see even more
of her own voice and writing soon.

Linda Eder will be touring through the Fall and into 2009.

Ben and Jerry’s seasonal Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream with graham cracker swirls is, in a word, scrumptious!

If you love Fall flavors, try it!

I am a huge fan of The Amazing Race and this week’s episode took place in Bolivia. The show’s host Phil is a particular favorite of mine. In this week’s video diary, he actually got to try out one of the challenges. I love it!