A Night With: The Strange Familiar

Myself, Kira Leyden Andrea, & Dilani Rosa

9/18/2012 was the night I saw one of the bands I interviewed live, you got it, The Strange Familiar played The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, CA -

I love THC - it is intimate, chill and fun! My friend Dilani Rosa was in tow, she like me LOVED the TSF's vibe and music, Ms. Rosa in partik enjoyed the performance of a new track by them "Courage" -

Kira Leyden Andrea, lead singer for TSF was just as sweet and welcoming in person as she came across in my interview for Chorus and Verse : http://www.chorusandverse.com/content.php?id=20120405A

Her husband Jeff was a cool cat as well, but more importantly if you have not checked these guys out, what are you waiting for?!

Get familiar peeps - and give their album "Chasing Shadows" and their current hot single "Unwanted" a listen.

In the meantime enjoy my non-professional but candid photos from the TSF at the THC ...!!

TSF: It's always showtime at the edge of the stage

TSF: Look at the fans enjoying the show

It's time for the post show meet & greet, oh yeah!



www.thestrangefamiliar.com

T.G.I.F: Midnight Red "If I Ever Fall In Love"

T.G.I.F! The boys of Midnight Red are back with a new video, an Acapella cover of "If I Ever Fall In Love" -

As you might recall I have done past write ups on MR and have interviewed one of the boys, Colton Rudloff for Chorus and Verse and did a word association with him for this blog when "Hell Yeah" broke...
http://mshinafelt.blogspot.fr/2012/06/colton-rudloff-of-midnight-red-gets.html

Here is, without further hyperbole, the boys of Midnight Red singing "If I Ever Fall In Love".

Enjoy your weekend....!

Get "Red" www.midnightred.com

Aiden Leslie's "Diamond Dreams"

Aiden Leslie is an "Entertain Me" Staple...I first met Aiden when I interviewed him for his hit single "Worlds Away" for Chorus and Verse.
http://www.chorusandverse.com/content.php?id=20110308A, 

His first appearance here was for his follow up single "Trying To Leave Now" and then Mr. Leslie was game enough to subject himself to "getting stupid" for me with his "10 Stupid Questions" chat.

Well he is back and he is pursuing his "Diamond Dreams" take it away Aiden...!

MS: Define what “Diamond Dreams” are. 

AL: "Diamond Dreams" are anything that you have a deep passion for that you can manifest into reality for yourself. In many ways it's metaphorically speaking to get what you want out of your life and be it. 


MS: What were your “Diamond Dreams” growing up in Ohio? 

AL: I dreamed of something bigger for myself, someplace far away from Ohio. I dreamed of becoming a performer and singing on stage. Little did I realize that it would manifest into expressing myself through my own words and music. That has been the journey. 

MS: You are a big Erasure fan and it really shows on this single, I'm sure that was the plan.

AL:  Yes, a huge fan of Erasure! Always have been really inspired by their music. I'm often compared to Andy Bell (a huge compliment that I do not take lightly), so I can understand what you may be hearing. 

MS: Any advice for those out there who want to follow their “Diamond Dreams” ? 

AL: We have one go-around--why not go for what you NEED out of your life. Persistence is 95% part of the equation. Remember this when people tell you will not succeed...because they will. You will also have your supporters--nurture those relationships, as they will carry you, when others will not. 

MS: I've noticed you have been performing live a lot, how much do you love doing a live show?

AL: Performing LIVE is why I do this...connecting the music and my message to the people. Hopefully it will move them and help them see something different in lives...that is what music is all about. 

MS: So, what are Aiden's current “Diamond Dreams”? 

AL: I'm living them. 


Live Your Dreams! Log Onto: www.aidenleslie.com

Extra, Extra: Naama Kates Press Release That Quotes, Uh, Me

Very Happy to have been quoted in one of my favorite interview subjects & musicians press release -!

INDIE-ROCK MUSICIAN AND AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS

Naama Kates

wants you involved in “The Unexamined Life”

Listen Here

Naama Kates recently released her debut album, “The Unexamined Life,” which confronts idolized glamour and Hollywood superficiality with a candid yet triumphant determination. Her songs emerge from a war-torn heart with an inspired positive resolution, giving her songs a verbal punch that few songwriters know how to do. Critics everywhere are praising this burgeoning new Los Angeles artist, comparing her meticulous songwriting and powerful live performances to talents such as Fiona Apple, Natalie Merchant and Alanis Morissette.

With lyrics and themes inspired by a British bard and a Greek philosopher, she combines intellect with artistry in perfect balance.  As she reflects on her first year in LA, she captures the loneliness and isolation of anonymity in her provocatively honest, yet hopeful collection of songs.

See what critics are saying about “The Unexamined Life”:

“Naama Kates is as rare as they come... like an old mine cut diamond,

brilliantly burning her way through the universe." -Sam Levinson

(Before You Lose It) “.. opens in stark black and white, but gives way to colorful flashbacks and stunningly shot moments of enlightenment, capturing the intricate balance of emotions in the song.“ - Rockwired Media

“Singer-composer-actress Naama Kates’ songs are like minifilms,

experiences in sound, word and energy that stop and start again,

accelerate and explode and collapse and fall to the floor to catch their breath and reassess.”

-John Payne, LA Weekly

“Naama (Kates) gives a superb performance honing Marilyn Monroe's sultry vulnerability, Grace Kelly's elegance and Marlena Dietrich's intelligence.” -Soho Journal

“...every preconceived notion and judgment you may have would be checked at the door... with one flick of the wrist Naama completely changes the tone from a love ballad to a short, 'angsty' punk song. With every new song, the pleasant 'rug out from underneath you' musical surprises continue...” -Ricky Fitz, Take A Record

“Naama Kates can flat out sing. In today’s world of inflated talent and BS buzz, this is one girl that can carry a beautiful tune on her with no gimmicks, just good old-fashioned, beautiful writing and singing. Lets’ show this girl the love her music deserves and get more people talking about her.” -Loudvine

“What started with a small keyboard that Kates purchased at Guitar Center led to an impressive catalogue of original songs about universal themes, such as loneliness and unrequited love. Written with a soft touch and a slight edge, Kates' take on subject matter that could be dreary is light and hopeful, which is further elevated by her superb arrangements. Count backward from one-to-eight before you lose it.”

- Michael Shinafelt, Chorus & Verse

“Call her the darker side of Angus & Julia Stone, Naama Kates’ intense lyrics, comfortably numb vocals and spontaneous theatricality are curiously fresh. A seemingly intentional low-fi-ness infuses “Before You Lose It,” which climaxes with an abrupt sonic swell that caught us by surprise. Kates’ “Bleeding Heart” has a tongue-in-cheek “fuck you” pop sensibility, while “Tie Me Down” is a pop-jazz tune with unusual voice inflections. Very much an artist uninterested in the tried and true, Kates’ music is not for everyone; you either get it or you don’t.” -Music Connection

“It doesn't take long listening to Naama Kates to realize that she is an artist that is very hard to classify. Kates is anything but predictable. If you like pop, but you want something other than the standard fare you get on giant corporate radio stations, check this album out.” -Examiner

Naama’s lyrics translate to music like thoughts to a diary, exposing all the emotions and fears we experience in new places with unknown surroundings. Emotionally provocative, intellectually stimulating, and beautifully performed, her songs capture the emotions and longings so familiar but so difficult to articulate.

NAAMA KATES is available for interviews and review copies of “The Unexamined Life” are available upon request. Please let me know if you are interested.

confirmed Naama kates tour dates:

Tuesday, July 17: Pasadena, CA- Old Towne Pub, 9:00 PM

Wednesday, July 18: Carlsbad, CA- The Flying Elephant, 8:00 PM

Thursday, July 26: Los Angeles, CA- First & Hope, 8:00 PM

*More shows are being added

For more information, visit:

Website: www.NaamaKates.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/delilah11

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/naamakates

ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/naamakates

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0441809/

For all press inquiries please contact:

     Versa Manos || Kathleen Rodgers

  versa@gorgeouspr.com || Kathleen@gorgeouspr.com

323-782-9000

---

Unsubscribe / Change Profile
Powered by YMLP

Video: E.G. Daily "Wait"

It's time to roll out a video here at "Entertain Me" - "Wait" is an amazing video by friend and interview subject favorite E.G. Daily, who you may remember from such 80's classics as "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" "Valley Girl" & "Bad Dreams".

E.G. has been working on the "Me And a A Gun" project with music producer James Kaufman, for which I interviewed her for the first single and video, the lovely and moving "Somebody's Loving You" for at www.chorusandverse.com - here is the link: http://www.chorusandverse.com/content.php?id=20101210A

While I loved that song, being a horror fan I loved this even more as the visual references gave a shout out to "The Nightmare Before Christmas" as Ms. Daily looks done up like "Sally" from said movie and Rob Zombie's classic "The Devil's Rejects" in which Ms. Daily starred as a hooker who gets shot square in the head and wants to do Princess Leia from "Star Wars" drag...check it out, this song and video rules, word!

www.egdaily.com

Boys Will Be Boys: "Hell Yeah" Midnight Red

MIDNIGHT RED LAUNCH  DEBUT SINGLE, “HELL YEAH”ON JUNE 19

PRODUCER RedOne UNLEASHES THE USA’S BEST KEPT SECRET WITH POP BAND MIDNIGHT RED

The boys are dropping their new single "Hell Yeah" this coming Tuesday be on the lookout for my exclusive interview with band member, Colton Rudloff for the music site www.chorusandverse.com and of course an "Entertain Me" exclusive as well...It must be summertime...! 

 As the massive popularity of acts such as The Jackson 5, New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC can attest, people can’t resist the simple pleasure of talented young guys singing together – and it doesn’t hurt if they’re not bad to look at either. Enter Midnight Red, a new group of exciting performers from across the country who are carrying on that legacy by bringing outstanding harmonies and electrifying dance moves to the pop landscape.

The buzz on Midnight Red was so strong that they were selected as the opening act for the New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys co-headlining tour last Summer based on the strength of their digital EP One Club At A Time on 2101 Records/Kings of L.A. Entertainment/Interscope Records.  After wowing audiences across America while on tour with NKOTBSB, as well as their own club dates, the guys are now gearing up for the national launch of their first single, “Hell Yeah” from their forthcoming full-length CD release.

“Hell Yeah,” produced by acclaimed hit maker RedOne (Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj) is an up-in-your-face electronic splash of pop with a driving club beat that will get you out on the dance floor. Arjanwrites.comsays "Hell Yeah!" is a hit-savvy tune by a promising new pop act that is, quite frankly, too irresistible to be denied.”   

“Hell Yeah” will be available on iTunes and all other digital outlets on June 19. 

Click here to listen to "Hell Yeah" on Buzznet:  

While it seems everyone is talking about the recent British Invasion - take note of the recent popularity of One Direction and The Wanted - RedOne unleashes the USA's best kept secret with Midnight Red's "Hell Yeah." The group also stands out by bringing a surplus of solid dance tracks to their live shows.  No matter where they perform, it's always their goal to make people want to get up and feel the beat, as evidenced by the amazing reception the group received at Universal City Walk last month.

Click here to view the footage of the guys performing “Hell Yeah” at Universal City Walk:

  

Midnight Red is:

Joey Diggs Jr., 22, from Los Angeles, CA, who says his father, a singer who is best known as the voice behind Coca-Cola’s “Always” campaign jingle, taught him everything he knows. Says Joey; “I’m ready to show the world what it means to chase a dream and work hard to make that dream become reality.”

Thomas Augusto, 21, from Arlington, TX, was called the “little entertainer” because “my parents could never shut me up,” he says. A fan of Beyonce, Radiohead, and No Doubt, Thomas has spent years dreaming about being on a huge stage doing what he loves to do. “There were always pyrotechnics in my daydreams, so I know I am on the right track!” he says.

Eric Secharia, 20, from Burbank, CA, describes himself as a “hipster” whom you’ll never catch not smiling. Eric, who has been singing since age 6, and dancing since age 12, plays guitar and cites Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson as his main musical influences. “They are two people who truly stood out as performers that mastered their craft and used it to change the world,” he says.

Colton Rudloff, 23, from Buffalo, NY, was selected as Midnight Red’s fifth member after being discovered through videos he had posted on YouTube. A huge fan of American Idol, Colton credits the show for exposing him to many different genres of music. “I lean toward artists who have a passion for pure singing,” he says. “There’s no need for all the smoke and mirrors if you have a great voice.”

Anthony Ladao, 20, from Seattle, WA, is the “baby” of the group, and has been dancing since the age of 6 and singing since the age of 12. Seeing Usher perform at the MTV Video Music Awards first sparked his interest in dance and “from there it became my passion,” he says.

Midnight Red was formed in 2009 through the efforts of veteran A&R executive, and Kings of LA label founder, Pete Farmer and super producer RedOne, who brought the group to Interscope Records.

# # #

www.midnightred.com

Twitter: @itsMidnightRed

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ItsMidnightRed

Teen Idol, Mike Clifford "I'm Not Dead Yet"

Teen Idol Mike Clifford wants you to know "I'm Not Dead Yet"! It's his new slogan, many people prior to his recent resurgence as an artist thought he was....!

Well unless he is "The Walking Dead" it would seem the former teen dream who had a hit world wide with his single "Close to Cathy" is very much alive, kicking and getting back to business.

Clifford recently came out with a maturity that he did not demonstrate in his younger years on a groovy cover of "Mack the Knife" that would do Bobby Darin proud. He also has a YouTube video for the Holidays, a live version of: "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".

Do you need further proof Mr. Clifford is not "dead yet?" Well check out the interview I did with him this year about "Mack The Knife":

http://www.chorusandverse.com/content.php?id=20110117A

Now do you believe me?! Remember teen idols never die, they simply get recycled, go green!

Get "close" to Mike and follow him at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mike-Clifford-Close-to-Cathy/432999335318

Download "Mack The Knife" at iTunes or CD Baby

Video: Traci Lords Is A "Drag"

Whose the coolest chica on the dance floor right now? Traci Lords, of course, her current single "Last Drag" is currently laying it's pimp hand down and claiming its status as the dance/pop hit of 2011.

Remember my 10 Random Things blog with her? Well I also did an awesome (according to Traci herself) full length interview with her too for http://www.choruandverse.com/, if you haven't read it yet, well here it is get to it!

http://www.chorusandverse.com/content.php?id=20111026A

In the meantime enjoy the video for the hottest dance single around, directed by  "9 1/2 Weeks" bad boy Zalman King.

Get your "Drag" on at:

http://www.tracilords.com/
http://www.seatosun.com/