Spotlight: Alexandra Stan

Romania has been the home to great musical acts such as Edward Maya, Inna and O-Zone. Now, we get 22 year-old Alexandra Stan. She has been very popular in Europe. Her current single, "Mr. Saxobeat", has been gaining much airplay over American radio. Back in her home country, it was number one for eight weeks on the Romanian Top 100. It is by far her most successful song.

Upon first hearing it, I was somewhat iffy. I was not immediately taken with it as I had been with "Stereo Love" by Edward Maya. But, over the past few weeks, it has really grown on me. I really don't have anything else on, rather than direct you to her official website. She is very talented and I wish her the best of luck in her career. Her debut album, Saxobeats, will be released this September.

For now, I will leave everyone with her single, "Mr. Saxobeat."

Splendour in the Grass

Splendour in the Grass recently kicked off in Woodford, Queensland, Australia. It is an annual music festival that takes place every July. It's estimated that 30,000 will show up for this event. Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange (under house arrest in the UK) made a special announcement via video.

I'm not sure if I agree with mixing politics into a music festival, as I would want to go to a festival politician free, but I will have to admit, Assange probably would have won me over.

Anyway, the music is underway as I write this. From what I understand, Jay-Z made a special guest appearance during Kanye West's segment of the show.

But what's even more exciting, is that unlike Glastonbury, there will be online streaming!

Thanks to the good people at Virgin Mobile, there will be a live 4-hour web stream from the main stage. The video said it's at 4:30 on Sunday, July 31, but I am somewhat confused, if it is 4:30 Australian local time or if it 4:30 PM EST. I did the calculations and 4:30 in Queensland is 2:30 AM EST, which would mean I need another bottle of Coca-Cola!

But considering the schedule, I'm guessing it is 2:30 AM EST. Regardless, here's the link.

Sunday:

SET TIMES

The Vines (4:45-5:45 PM)

Elbow (6:15-7:15 PM)

Kaiser Chiefs (7:45-8:45 PM)

Coldplay (10:45-Midnight)

Cloud Control TBC

The Vaccines TBC

I'll be honest, I'm only familiar with The Vines and Coldplay and if that live stream is 4:30 in Australian local time, it'd be over before Coldplay takes the stage. I've already missed their show at the iTunes Festival, I'd be really bummed to miss them again. I will definitely check out what other bands.

If anything, you can always catch videos of the performances through Splendour's Youtube channel.

I leave you now with an awesome look at what to expect at Splendour in the Grass. Wish I could be there!

Live Performance: Matt and Kim "Block after Block"

I decided that I'm going to post more live performances that I come across. Which has always been a gamble for me, as I would love a band on the radio but come time for their appearance on The Tonight Show or Saturday Night Live and I would feel let down. I'm not sure if it was because their sound was off or if they were just not a live performance caliber band.

Matt and Kim does not fall into that category.

They are a band that I've loved since 2009, their song "Daylight" changed my life and I love their lively performances and they really know how to get the people moving. This is from their most recent appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

"Block After Block" from their album, Sidewalks.

Matt and Kim are on tour. Be sure to check out their official website and buy yourself a copy of Sidewalks!

When movies go too far for Trent Storm

In recent weeks, it has come to my attention that the UK has banned The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) because of the content featured. I won't lie, this is a tricky issue for me. One in which I will try to jam so much into one article as briefly as I can. I've read about the fine lines between obscenity and artistic freedom before, I've studied the works of Robert Mapplethorpe and the infamous "Piss Christ" photograph. Although I had been perplexed by the subject matter, I reluctantly understood the arguments.

Moving onto the subject of film (which is another form of art), I've made several observations of blurring the line between obscenity and art. I've seen many controversial movies that featured disturbing scenes, and yet, they had some kind of meaning. Case in point, my first time dealing with this was the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. It took me 3 times to move past the "Singin' in the Rain" scene to understand where Stanley Kubrick was taking me. Since then, I've seen equally disturbing scenes and content, such as Deliverance, Pulp Fiction and Irreversible. Those movies were hard to watch at times, and yet, I understood the plot and message each film presented.

I take most controversial films with a grain of salt, and for those who fiercely oppose it, I often tell them, "If you don't want to see the movie, then just don't go into the theater!" and I stand by that. It's what I'll say when asked about Saw and Hostel.

That being said, I move onto a film I stumbled across last year, The Human Centipede (First Sequence). It is a 2010 Dutch body horror movie directed and written by Tom Six. I will let you click on the link to read the full plot, but from what I will divulge here (spoiler free) is that an evil surgeon takes three captives and performs a very horrific procedure on them. I did read the full plot and had been sickened by it and vowed to never see it. Then, a few months went by where I began to laugh about it and my curiosity eventually got the best of me. I read the behind-the-scenes of the movie, the technical aspect and through an online streaming site (the one time I didn't mind resorting to piracy to avoid paying for a movie), I watched it with a friend.

I was disturbed, but not offended. It was not the worst movie experience I ever had. Definitely not the best either, but not the worst! I even saw a little World War II reference and maybe even a statement on how Hollywood business is conducted. It is not among my favorite movies, I will never hold the DVD in my hands nor will I recommend anyone see this film on a full stomach. But, I saw a tiny shred of a message in the movie.

Then, Tom Six decided that he was going to make the first movie look like My Little Pony. I get that he wanted to push the envelope and go over the limit. And well, he did. He did more than that. He outdid himself, and not in a good way. Click on this link to read why.

And here is where my own point truly begins. Those films that I mentioned above, were violent, brutal, yet honest and held substance. Tom Six argues that all he did was make a film and it was nothing more than art. No, it wasn't. If I were to address Six now, I would tell him that what he had produced is anything but art. Six is not Robert Mapplethorpe. He is not Stanley Kubrick. He is a man who has insulted me as a horror movie fan by just throwing together this hash piece like a college student writing a term paper the night before it's due. There was almost no real attempt to create a plot nor was there any attempt to make a slightly coherent statement like the first movie. I could have written a screenplay for Tom Six, it would have been very disturbing but it still would have had meaning.

What this movie has, there is nothing. The only thing that upsets me more then the subject matter is that he has done nothing with it. What good is pushing the limits when there is nothing to push?

Not all films are meant to be entertaining. But Six is a director. He is a storyteller. He is supposed to be giving the audience a story. A very dark and disturbing story, but a story nonetheless. If he wants me to even consider this movie, he would have to shoot the film all over again, with an actual plot in mind. But I won't see this movie. Nor should any other fan of horror movies. We deserve better.

I am unlike any critic you've read...

A few months ago, I said that don't like being labeled a critic, and yet, people still think of me as one. But perhaps it's because I am the most unusual critic. And I have a wide and unusual taste in music. I enjoy the classic works by Beethoven, Mozart and Tchaikovsky.

As for music from the 20th century, I will always cherish Johnny Cash. I'll give props to the musicians of his early years, Patsy Kline, Buddy Holiday and Elvis but Cash was by far my favorite.

The 1960s is a decade I'd like to know more about, but from the soundtracks of movies set during those years, especially Vietnam movies, I liked what I had heard. Some notable favorites include The Beatles, The Doors and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The 1970s is perhaps my least favorite decade of music. Had I been alive, I would have absolutely hated disco. But from this decade, came some of my favorites songs. The Who and Pink Floyd are on my playlists. And who could forget Sid Vicious's rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way"?

But of course, my absolute favorite song is an American classic. "American Pie" by Don McLean!

The 1980s is a time I can barely remember, and it would not be until my late teen years where I fully appreciated it. I would have to devote another article just for this decade, from A-ha to Men at Work on down to Wham! But I would have to say, The Cure's 1987 single "Just Like Heaven" is one of my all-time favorites from that decade.

The 1990s was the decade I went from a child to a teenager. And like the 1980s, I would have to write a separate article. But off the top of my head, it was the Alternative Rock scene that spoke to me. I would stay up past my bedtime to watch Alternative Nation on MTV (back when MTV still played music videos) and I had been exposed to The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Sponge but my all-time favorite 1990s band comes to us from Tempe, Arizona. Their debut album, New Miserable Experience, was one of the first cassettes I ever had!

As for music from the year 2000 on to today...I'm sure many will say that today's music is nothing compared to those of the past. And to a point, I'll agree. I could name off all the bands and artists I could do without, but it'd take me into 2012 to finish.

But I can say, that in recent years, I have become a fan of several bands. Particularly in the Indie Rock scene. But for now, I will end this musical carousel with one of my most recent favorites...I am talking about...Coldplay!

So, that should cover my wide arrange of taste in music. I'm sure it's some that people will recognize, some will loathe and some will be in shock to how I can enjoy such noise. I can't really explain it. Like I said before, I hate being called a music critic because music is something for each individual personality. I can't stand modern day country music and heavy metal rock and 1990s R&B are two genres I found myself avoiding. But I know that there's a lot of people out there who love it. And I will respect that.

As for me, I can only tell you what the music reminds me and why I particularly like it or don't like it. I can't flat out trash an artist and I will never do that. It's your choice whether you want to watch the videos I post or buy the album. I am only here to introduce you to the artists, videos and songs.

Amy Winehouse

This is one of the hardest blogs I've had to write, but I'm going to be brutally honest here. I was never a fan of Amy Winehouse. I had never heard her album, Back to Black and I am only familiar with "Rehab" because it was overplayed countless times on several radio stations throughout the Tampa Bay area. And even without doing the research, I heard of where Winehouse came from and what she was singing. I saw "Rehab" as flagrant promoting of alcohol and drug use and denial of rehabilitation. And at the time, I was appalled that she was getting awards for her work. And I know that throughout the years, other artists have promoted taboo subjects and continue to do so, but it was the fact that she made the top ten was just mind boggling for me.

I'm sure that newspapers had her obituary ready for years, just waiting to run it in print. And anyone who takes part in those celebrity death gambling circuits was just hoping this day would come so they could win their bet.

And many will look at her life and say that her personal addictions got the best of her. That she will be another sad tale of caution to steer others away from the road she took.

But in the end, Amy Winehouse was a beautiful singer. I may not have agreed with her lyrics, her message or anything else, but she did have a beautiful voice. She now joins Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, all great musicians who were dead by 27.

And like those artists, Amy Winehouse will be missed.

Amy Jade Winehouse...born September 14, 1983 in Southgate, London, England.

She was found dead today, on July 23, 2011 in Camden, London, England.

I leave you all with her beautiful voice.

Spotlight: Theophilus London

I was recently exploring new music and was immediately drawn by the young rapper out of Brooklyn known as Theophilus London. His EP, Lovers Holiday, was released on February 7, 2011. His debut album, Timez are Weird These Days, will be released on July 19th of this year. You can pre-order it on iTunes now. It was one of his songs, "Why Even Try" that first caught my attention. I also listened to his other songs, "I Stand Alone" and "Last Name London". I am by no means a rap aficionado and I normally don't listen to too much rap outside of Eminem and Jay-Z but there was just something about London that just pulled me in. "Why Even Try" almost felt like a throwback to the age of disco, like a disco rap?

"I Stand Alone" had shades of a TV on the Radio song. Which is a very good thing for me. Plus, I read that London had worked with Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio. It really had me moving along.

And finally, for "Last Name London", it came out as close to mainstream rap as I can tell, but again, retained a retro feel from the late 1980s/early 1990s. It's very reminiscent of Afrika Bambaataa and again, that's a very good thing.

London is definitely very different. I wouldn't quite classify him with Eminem, Jay-Z or any other current hip-hop artist. I don't know if he'll receive any airplay on my local stations, 93.3 FLZ or Hot 101.5 but I hope that mainstream stations will consider playing his songs.

As for me, Theophilus London has won me over and I intend on purchasing his work on iTunes.

Until then, be sure to check out his website.

Spotlight: AWOLNATION

AWOLNATION is a band I've had the pleasure of hearing live, as they were at the 2011 97X Backyard BBQ. They are an indie rock band and the solo project of Aaron Bruno. Bruno's previous bands included Home Town Hero (2000-2004) and Under the Influence of Giants (on hiatus as of 2008). Joining Bruno are Christopher Thorn, Hayden Scott, Dav Amezcuz and Kenny Carkeet.

Their first EP, Back from Earth, was released on iTunes on May 18, 2010.

In February of this year. their first single, "Sail", debuted.

The digital download and physical CD of their debuting album, Megalithic Symphony, were both released back in March. Purchases through iTunes and Amazon feature bonus tracks.

I had missed seeing AWOLNATION at the 97x Freebie Weebie show but I did make it to their appearance at the BBQ. From what I remember, I really liked what I had heard and were worth the intense weather that day.

You can download a free track through their official website.

For now, please enjoy the music video of "Sail".

Hot 101.5 Tampa Bay, the new radio station!

I was at a Fourth of July party last night with today's hits playing nonstop and I initially thought, it's nice that 93.3 FLZ went commercial free to the night...only to be stunned that it was not WFLZ nor was it a Clear Channel station. It turned out that a new station emerged over the weekend. And it was something I had no idea had happened.

On July 1, 2011, at 11AM, the Cox Media Group turned 101.5 The Point into Hot 101.5 and has made a pledge to play 10,000 songs, commercial free.

I wish there had been television ads or more advertising of some kind because I would have listened all weekend.

But I'm glad that I went to that party and discovered the new station. I'll admit, a part of me will miss The Point, maybe it could be reinvented elsewhere, but I am thankful now that there is an alternative to 93.3 FLZ and other stations.

And as much as I've loved the MJ Morningshow, there are just some mornings where I would rather jam out to some tunes rather than listen to politics and pranks.

But most of all, I'm thankful I will no longer have to put up with Ryan Seacrest talking about Hollywood gossip that I could care less about and his weekly interview with the likes of Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian...I don't want to hear Seacrest anymore...he has American Idol, he has the Top 40 Countdown, now he has a Daily Top 5, I'm like ENOUGH ALREADY SEACREST!

I am curious though when the 10,000 songs are though and what kind of DJs that I'll be introduced or if they'll continue this wonderful experiment of less talk and more tunes.

In the end, I'm very happy I have a musical escape...and that escape is called Hot 101.5

Feel free to friend them on Facebook and check out the funny video on their website.

The Run Down: Foo Fighters

It's come to my attention that not all my readers are really aware of this band. Therefore, I'm starting a new segment...The Run Down. Basically, here's how it works...The Foo Fighters have released six albums prior to Wasting Light. If you scroll down, you will see their latest single.

But for now, I have posted 6 videos for each of their previous albums. Enjoy!

From 1995, this comes from their self-titled debut album.

From The Color and the Shape (1997)

From There is Nothing Left to Lose (1999)

From One by One (2002)

From In Your Honor (2005)

From Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)

And this is just a taste of what the Foo Fighters have put out there. Just get on Youtube and watch the rest of their music videos and live performances from SNL and David Letterman.

Music Video: Coldplay -Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

I found the official music video for their new song and wanted to share it. Still iffy on the song but I have to admit, Coldplay makes some very interesting videos.

Spotlight: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

I have noticed a Heineken commercial for weeks on television and playing before the feature at the movie theater.

Two years ago, through a Bacardi Mojito commercial, I discovered Matt & Kim. Now, it's The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. They come to us from Copenhagen, Denmark. From what I understand, it consists of vocalist Metta Lindberg and producer Lars Iversen. As a live performance, the band also consists of Miloud Carl Sabri on trumpet, Sven Meinild on saxophone, Mads Brinch Nielsen on guitar and Rasmus Valldorf on drums. They have gone on to play with Amy Winehouse during her tour of Copenhagen and Katy Perry during her 2009 European tour.

In 2008, their single "Around the Bend" was used during an iPod Touch commercial.

But it is their other song, "The Golden Age" that caught my attention.

Their debut album is called Fruit and if you stop by their website, you can not only see more footage of the commercial but you can download a free mp3 of a stripped version of The Golden Age.