Wilson Phillips- Christmas in Harmony CD Review

November 2, 2010 By

Hubs enjoys Christmas music like no one else I have ever met before.  I mean, he seriously loves Christmas music.  To the point that it is not uncommon for us to listen to a Christmas song, op five, in July.  There is an entire folder of Christmas music on the USB stick that stays in the van year round.

So, whenever I get an opportunity to review a Christmas album, you can bet I will take it.  I recently received an opportunity to review Wilson Phillips new Christmas in Harmony album.  Wilson Philips is one of the best selling female groups of all time, and Christmas in Harmony is their first ever Christmas album.  The Wilson Phillips trio—Carrie Wilson,  Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips—belt it out on this album, which consists of 13 holiday songs.

Including great classics like “Winter Wonderland,” “Silver Bells,” and “Silent Night,” and brand new musical releases, “Joy” and “Christmastime,” this album has something for everyone!

Wilson PhillipsI Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
Little Drummer Boy
Warm Lovin’ Christmastime
When A Child Is Born
Christmastime
Silent Night
Santa Clause Is Coming to Town
Silver Bells
Sleigh Ride
Joy
Winter Wonderland
The Christmas Song
Our Prayer

My favorite on the album is Little Drummer Boy, which is one of my go to Christmas songs (ironically, my Mother-in-Law really cannot stand any rendition of the song Little Drummer Boy).  Anyway!  The intro to the Little Drummer Boy is an auditory treat to say the least.

Christmas in Harmony would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone on your list and it is available at local retailers nationwide, as well as on Amazon.com.

Filed Under: Reviews, Shopping Guides Tagged With: ,

Amy Grant- Somewhere Down the Road Review plus Giveaway

July 15, 2010 By

I have long been a fan of Amy Grant.  Her music has always hit a chord in me, and somehow resonated deep within.  Her music has such an honest tenor to it.  Amy Grant has won six Grammy’s, numerous Dove Awards, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and has received many other noteworthy accolades.  She truly is an American music icon.  And yet, somehow, she remains so grounded and appealing.  Maybe it’s her down to earth attitude, or the fact that she has faced so many trials, but for some reason, I’ve always felt like she is so relatable.

My all time favorite song by Amy is El Shaddai.  The song had long been a favorite of mine, so when she lent her amazing vocals to it, it just made my heart smile.

Thanks to the marketing team for Somewhere Down the Road, I had the opportunity to review this newest album from Amy.

SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD

Product Description (courtesy of amygrant.com)

Somewhere Down the Road is a potent collection that takes the listener on a musical journey that reverberates with messages of resiliency, promise and hope. The 12-track set includes four new songs, several previously unreleased gems from her musical vault and a newly recorded version of “Arms of Love.” The new album also serves up four poignant treasures from Grant’s existing songbook, including the powerful title track.

 

There is something for any Amy Grant fan on Somewhere Down The Road from brand new recordings, previously unreleased studio recordings, concert favorites that have never been released, and new versions of classic Amy songs.

Track listing

  • Better Than A Hallelujah
  • Overnight (Featuring Sarah Chapman)
  • Every Road
  • Unafraid
  • Hard Times
  • What Is The Chance Of That
  • Somewhere Down The Road
  • Third World Woman
  • Find What You’re Looking For
  • Come Into My World
  • Arms of Love (2010 Version)
  • Imagine/Sing The Wondrous Love of Jesus (Medley)

    • What I thought…

    True to her amazing musical talent, Amy Grant proved she’s still got the chops with Better Than a Hallelujah, the first single from her new album, Somewhere Down the Road. The title track, Somewhere Down the Road, really strikes a chord with anyone who has ever searched for life’s answers.  Third World Woman is a poignant portrait of one waiting on the Lord’s mercy and us learning to try to walk in someone else’s shoes.  Come Into My World is a challenging ballad about learning to really listen to people, see them for who they are, rather than judging and trying to fix them.  Hard Times serves as a reminder to me of where I have been, and some of the hard times I have faced, while pointing to the hope I have found.

    My favorite song on the album is Better Than A Hallelujah.  The chorus, “We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody—Beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries, of breaking hearts—Are better than a Hallelujah” serves as a beautiful reminder that the Lord hears our heart.

    Amy also just announced her 12 Days of Christmas Tour, the fifth Christmas tour in which she will share the stage with hubby Vince Gill.

    While her Christmas tour will not be coming to St. Louis, her Pieces of Our Lives Tour will be in St. Louis on October 26, 2010!

    What I would change…

    I wouldn’t change anything about the album.  I could relate to each of the songs and absolutely loved the album.

    How I rate it…

    ladyvdzzine_blogbutton_rateit_5of5

    Lady V dZine gives Amy Grant’s Somewhere Down The Road a heart felt five out of five hearts.

    Where you can buy it…

    You can buy  Somewhere Down the Road on Amazon

     

    Win It… Amy Grant and her marketing team would like to bless one lucky Lady V dZine reader with a copy of Somewhere Down the Road.

    Mandatory Entry: Tell me your favorite Amy Grant song or memory.

    ***Please note- this must be done before any bonus entries will count***

    Bonus Entries:

    1 bonus entry- Visit Amy Grant’s official website and comment back her with one thing you learned.

    1 bonus entry- If you are a fan of Amy Grant’s Facebook Fan Page comment back here and let me know your screen name.

    1 bonus entry-If you follow Amy Grant’s Twitter feed comment back here and let me know your twitter handle.

    1 bonus entry- Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect (see right side bar) and comment with your profile name.

    1 bonus entry- If you are a fan of my page on Facebook,  let me know in the comments for an extra entry  (please leave your screen name) .

    1 bonus entry- If you follow me on Twitter, let me know in the comments for an extra entry (please leave your Twitter profile name).

    1 bonus entry- Tweet this contest, including @ladyvdzine and leave your tweet link (may be done 4x/day, must be at least 30 minutes apart).  You may also include the hashtag #contests or #giveaways if desired.

    1 bonus entry- Follow my blog via Networked Blogs (see right sidebar) and let me know your username.

    1 bonus entry- Subscribe to my blog via e-mail or RSS and leave a comment with the address you signed up for.  To avoid spam bots, please use the yourname[at]emailserver[dot]com format for your address (one bonus entry for each)

    1 bonus entry- For each of my other current giveaways you enter.  Just leave a separate comment for each contest you enter telling me which ones you’ve entered.

    Be sure to visit my Contest Rules and Bonus Entry Options for additi
    onal bonus entry options.

    Be blessed,

    Virginia

    Lady V dZine

    Contest open to the US.  Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 07/29/2010.  Winner will be selected via random.org.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond with mailing address.  If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected.

    FTC Compliant Disclosure- I received an Amy Grant Somewhere Down the Road CD in exchange for hosting this giveaway and offering my honest review.   No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and are based upon my experience.  Your experience may differ.

    Filed Under: Entertainment, Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

    Sarah McLachlan- Laws of Illusion Album Review

    June 30, 2010 By

    The Grammy® award winning singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan recently released her newest album, Laws of Illusion on June 15th.  After a seven year hiatis, this multi-platinum artist has proven that good things come to those who wait.

    • The album’s first single is Loving You is Easy… and in fact, loving Sarah McLachlan and her newest album are easy.
    • Sarah has had over 20 million career sales in her career, which spans more than two decades, and every single one of her albums has been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum!

    Thanks to One2One Network, I had the awesome privilege of reviewing the Laws of Illusion album.

    This album is definitely easy to listen to.  With a voice that is both supple and smooth, McLachlan does not disappoint with the beautiful ballads and artistic music composition.  My favorite song on the album is Loving You is Easy (Track 3).  It is beautiful.  I also enjoyed Awakenings and Bring on the Wonder.

    TRACKLISTING
    1. AWAKENINGS
    2. ILLUSIONS OF BLISS
    3. LOVING YOU IS EASY
    4. CHANGES
    5. FORGIVENESS
    6. RIVERS OF LOVE
    7. LOVE COME
    8. OUT OF TUNE
    9. HEARTBREAK
    10. DON’T GIVE UP ON US
    11. U WANT ME 2
    12. BRING ON THE WONDER

    Sarah’s return to the studio also marks the return of the historic all-female Lilith Fair Festival.  This festival was one of the highest grossing festivals in the world, between 1997 and 1999, with over two million fans attending and raising more than $10 MILLION dollars for national and local women’s charities.

    Artists joining Sarah on the 2010 Lilith Fair bill to include:

    Colbie Caillat, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Ke$ha, Norah Jones, Sugarland, Heart, Miranda Lambert, Beth Orton, Brandi Carlile, Cat Power, Chantel Kreviazuk, Corinne Bailey Rae, Emmylou Harris, Gossip, Indigo Girls, Ingrid Michaelson, Jill Scott, Loretta Lynn, Metric, Sara Bareilles, Tegan and Sara and more!

    Click here to buy tickets.

    LILITH FAIR TOUR DATES

    Jun 27              Calgary, AB                             McMahon Stadium
    Jun 28              Edmonton, AB                          Northlands Spectrum
    Jul 1                 Vancouver, BC, Canada            Pitt Meadows Airport
    Jul 2                 Portland, OR                           Sleep Country Amphitheatre
    Jul 3                 Seattle/George, WA                 The Gorge Amphitheatre
    Jul 5                 San Francisco, CA                   Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
    Jul 7                 San Diego, CA                         Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
    Jul 8                 Phoenix, AZ                             Cricket Wireless Pavilion
    Jul 9                 Las Vegas, NV                         Mandalay Bay Events Center
    Jul 10               Los Angeles, CA                      Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
    Jul 12               Salt Lake City, UT                    USANA Amphitheatre
    Jul 13               Denver, CO                             Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
    Jul 15               Kansas City, MO                      Capitol Federal Park @ Sandstone
    Jul 16              St. Louis, MO                         Verizon Wireless Amphitheater—um, this is in my backyard!
    Jul 17               Chicago, IL                              First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
    Jul 18               Minneapolis, MN                      Canterbury Park
    Jul 20               Indianapolis, IN                        Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
    Jul 21               Detroit, MI                               DTE Energy Music Theatre
    Jul 23               Montreal, QC                           Parc Jean Drapaeu
    Jul 24               Toronto, ON                             Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
    Jul 27               Cleveland, OH                         Blossom Music Center
    Jul 28               Philadelphia, PA                      Susquehanna Bank Center
    Jul 30               Boston, MA                             Comcast Center
    Jul 31               New York, NY                          PNC Bank Arts Center
    Aug 1               Hartford, CT                             Comcast Theatre
    Aug 3               Washington, DC                       TBA
    Aug 4               Raleigh, NC                             Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
    Aug 6               Charlotte, NC                           Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
    Aug 7               Nashville, TN                           Bridgestone Arena
    Aug 8               Atlanta, GA                             Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood
    Aug 10             West Palm Beach, FL               Cruzan Amphitheatre
    Aug 11             Tampa, FL                              Ford Amphitheatre
    Aug 12             Birmingham, AL                       Verizon Wireless Music Center
    Aug 14             Austin, TX                                TBA
    Aug 15             Houston, TX                            Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
    Aug 16             Dallas, TX                               Superpages.com Center

    Check out Sarah performing a medley of her hits on Dancing With The Stars.

    Learn more about Sarah McLachlan on her website or her Facebook page.

    Purchase the Laws Of Illusion Album or the Loving You Is Easy single on Amazon.

    What is your favorite song by Sarah McLachlan?

    Be Blessed,

    Virginia

    Lady V dZine

    image

    Disclosure: I received a courtesy copy of the Laws of Illusion CD from the One2One Network to facilitate my review.  All opinions stated are 100% my own and are based on my own experience.  Your experience may differ.

    Filed Under: Entertainment, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

    One EskimO at Blueberry Hill

    June 23, 2010 By

    Have you heard of One EskimO?  One EskimO is comprised of four gents hailing from Great Britain; Kristian Leontiou (singer/songwriter), Adam Falkner (drummer), Jamie Sefton (bassist) and Peter Rinaldi (guitarist).  This group of guys combine talents synergistically to produce a unique blend of contemporary alternative rock that is both mellow and moving.

    photo

    My first introduction to One EskimO was an animated short of the song Kandi, which I viewed after One2One Network offered to send my husband and I to review One EskimO in concert at Blueberry Hill, in the Delmar Loop of St. Louis.  Since we rarely go out on date nights, we happily accepted.

    One eskimO – “Kandi” edit from Shangri-La Music on Vimeo

    After watching Kandi, I expected to see a group of guys that were laid back and slightly sentimental.

    It is difficult to label this band.  They cannot really be put in a box.  While listening, you alternatively feel as if you should be in a wood paneled room with pachouli burning in the corner or lying in a park reading poetry while lazily watching passers by.  This dynamic foursome is multi-talented.  Drummer Adam Falkner played a melodica (a free-reed instrument that has a musical keyboard on top which is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument) and used his seat as an instrument while bassist Jamie Sefton displayed his musical genius by playing the bass and a Flügelhorn simultaneously!  Simply watching them play made the evening worthwhile.

    IMG_0084IMG_0090IMG_0081

    I had the opportunity to chat with Kristian and Adam after the set.  I introduced myself to Kristian and explained that I had texted their tour manager to see if there would be a meet and greet, but that my phone had died immediately thereafter.  He just smiled and said, “Man, I’ll talk to anyone.”  When asked what inspired the animation for the groups songs, he replied that he wanted the song to be visual, but that he didn’t want it to be someone else’s interpretation of the song (Not so surprising, considering that he had previously hit gold and produced three top-twenty singles, but was uncomfortable with the image obsession associated with pop-stardom, so he struck out on his own).

    One EskimO teamed up with animators Nathan Erasmus and Matt Latchford of Gravy Media who used Kristian’s sketches to animate, “Hometime.”  The unexpected success of that animation led to the animation of the entire album.  Hometime got them noticed (and won a 2008 British Animation Award).  Their song Kandi, inspired by Patsy Kline’s Candy, got them launched.  They performed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US in March of 2010, have had their music featured in Toyota commercial, and currently hold the #1 spot for adult alternative song.

    While chatting, I couldn’t resist asking these guys a few serious questions… like what they thought of St. Louis.

    Adam remarked that he knew it would be cliché to say, but he had never heard of the St. Louis Arch prior to coming to town.  He said, “That’s a bit like saying I’m from London and have never seen the Eiffel Tower, is it not?  He also said that he was simply awed by the engineering feet represented by the Arch and that he while he could imagine something similar being constructed with today’s technology, but that the thought of it being done forty plus years ago was amazing.  He did confess, however, that he chose not to take the elevator ride to the top.  Kristian and Adam both said that they enjoyed the Delmar Loop and eclectic mix of shops featured there. Both guys were pleasant and interesting to talk to.

    One Eskimo’s self titled debut album is full of dreamy lyrics and magical melodies.  It’s like pop rocks candy for the mood…  the music melts through you and leaves you smiling, as tiny bits of acoustic genius explode amid the soulful lyrics.

    One EskimO is currently on tour in North America, with upcoming concert dates in California, Wisconsin, and Colorado.

    Jun 27 – KLLC Radio Show – Golden Gate Park – San Francicso CA USA
    Jun 28 – Largo (solo date) – Los Angeles CA USA
    Jun 29 – Fingerprints (in store appearance) – Long Beach CA USA
    Jul 01 – Anthology – San Diego CA USA
    Jul 07 – The Majestic – Madison WI USA
    Jul 08 – Rave Bar – Milwaukee WI USA
    Jul 09 – KTCZ radio show – Basilica Block Party – Minneapolis MN USA
    Aug 13 – Fox Theater – Boulder CO USA
    Aug 14 – The Fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Mile High Festival – Denver, CO USA

    One EskimO can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube.

    Another highlight of the evening was that I had the opportunity to meet Margie of My Springfield Mommy.  Margie is the first mommy-blogger that I have met IRL.  It was a treat to chat with her and her husband!

    Be blessed,

    Virginia

    Lady V dZine

    Disclosure- One2One Network graciously provided me with two tickets to attend the concert to facilitate this review.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions stated are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience.  Your experience may differ.

    Filed Under: Entertainment, Reviews Tagged With: ,

    Grace is Enough

    June 13, 2010 By

    This evening, as we were going through our nightly routine of getting the kids to bed, I noted that the thermostat said it was 75 degrees in the house.

    For most people, this would not be a problem, and may even be normal.

    We are not most people.

    Because Mister and I are both affected by Hay Wells Syndrome, one of several ectodermal dysplasia (ED) syndromes that affect ectoderm as well as structures that do not derive from the ectoderm, we do not sweat properly.  I sweat only in extreme circumstances, and then only in one place.

    Mister does not sweat at all. In fact, he usually starts overheating if the ambient temperature goes above 73 degrees.  No wonder he was cranky.

    When Mister was just a few months old, we literally had to pack ice packs into the lining of his car seat just to go to church.  We keep a “cooling bag” with us at all times.  In it is a specialized cooling blanket (when wet works off of the evaporative properties), a cooling vest, a battery operated fan, a spray bottle, two bottles of water, a zipper bag with wash clothes, and a temporal scanning thermometer.

    My husband went to the basement to check on the central air unit.  Apparently, the compressor went on the fritz.  So, we opened all the windows, turned on the fans, etc.

    We finally got Mister settled down to sleep, after checking his temperature, which was at 98.  As long as we could get him to go to bed without too much of a fuss, we may be able to keep his temperature down until we can get someone out here to fix the central air.

    Of course, I can’t get comfortable (and therefore cannot sleep) when it is too warm, so I stayed up when everyone else retired for the evening.

    As I sat here, stressing over the central air unit, wondering whether or not Mister would remain cool enough during the night, the lyrics to the song Your Grace is Enough (Chris Tomlin) just kept going through my head.

    This morning at church, our worship pastor, Demond Robinson, talked about how God’s grace truly is enough.  Not just when things are going as planned, but when life throws you a curve ball, too.  Then the worship team led us in the song.

    And now, it keeps rolling through my head.  You know what that tells me? That the Lord Himself will protect us.  That isn’t to say that our central air will be back on immediately, or that it won’t cost us a ton of money that we weren’t expecting to spend right now.  But, the Lord will make a way for us to keep cool if need be.  Whether He sends a cool front, or we mooch cool air while sitting on a friends couch…

    His grace is enough.

    Thanks, Demond, for the reminder. Who knew I would need it tonight!

    And now, since I can’t sleep, I am going to try to write some reviews that are due.

    Be blessed,

    Virginia

    Lady V dZine

    P.S.  In case you’re not familiar with the song, here are the lyrics…

    Great is Your faithfulness oh God
    You wrestle with the sinner’s heart
    You lead us by still waters and to mercy
    And nothing can keep us apart
    So remember Your people
    Remember Your children
    Remember Your promise
    Oh God
    Your grace is enough
    Your grace is enough
    Your grace is enough for me
    Great is Your love and justice God
    You use the weak to lead the strong
    You lead us in the song of Your salvation
    And all Your people sing along
    So remember Your people
    Remember Your children
    Remember Your promise
    Oh God
    Your grace is enough
    Your grace is enough
    Your grace is enough for me (x2)
    So remember Your people
    Remember Your children
    Remember Your promise
    Oh God
    Your grace is enough
    Your grace is enough
    Your grace is enough for me
    Your grace is enough
    Heaven reaching down to us
    Your grace is enough for me
    God i see your grace is enough
    I’m covered in your love
    Your grace is enough for me
    For me
    © 2004 Six Step Records
    Christian lyrics – YOUR GRACE IS ENOUGH LYRICS – CHRIS TOMLIN

    Filed Under: Faith, Family Tagged With: , ,
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