Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Kingdom: The Mixtape

Gratuitous Skin Bought To You By...
David Hernandez

Prick up your eyes & ears, it's time for some David Hernandez!
American Idol’s David Hernandez has released his highly anticipated second studio album Kingdom: the Mixtape through his own label.  Self-produced and recorded in various home studios in Los Angeles, California — proving artists don’t need fancy studios to make a great record anymore — Kingdom: the Mixtape is David’s first full album release since 2011’s I Am Who I Am.  The record displays a fresh sound for Hernandez and includes collaborations with fellow American Idol Blake Lewis and the Grammy winning producer of Black Eyed Peas, Printz Board.  The music video for the album’s first single, Shield (Coat of Armor)” is available now on Youtube.  Kingdom: the Mixtape is available on all digital platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Pandora and Tidal.


“I’ve been sitting on most of this material for years, waiting for the right time to release it,” says David Hernandez of his new album, Kingdom: the Mixtape.   “I’ve listened to too many people’s opinions about when to release, how, what images and content are appropriate… I was just over listening to what other people think I should do.  One day I finally stepped back and realized I had a great body of work that deserves to be heard, now.”

In Kingdom: the Mixtape, David Hernandez delivers 20 original tracks plus a cappella versions of “Kingdom” and “Where Love Begins” as well as a bonus cover of Hailee Steinfeld’s “Starving,” featuring YouTube star Rajiv Dhall.    Many of the songs reflect on the heartbreaks and loss Hernandez has experienced over the last decade since rising to fame on American Idol. They explore his rebuilding trust and love, his refusal to give up, his persistence to change for the better and to grow as a human.  Other songs touch on forgiveness, joy and fun because as David explains, “Life isn’t always that serious and sometimes you just wanna let go and rage!”



From Pop to R&B, with influences of soul, no one song on Kingdom: the Mixtape is the same.  The title track, produced by Mikal Blue (Jason Mraz, Colbie Caliet, One Republic) is a mid-tempo power ballad that soars with electric guitars, triumphant drums and a grand piano.   “Beautiful” produced by Mark Grilliot, is a pop anthem while “Last Supper” and “Animal,” produced by Printz Board, are beat driven dance numbers. 

Then there’s “Break,” an introspective mid-tempo song, produced by Alex Teamer, where David Hernandez opens up about his struggles with addiction.  “I wrote the song at a time when I was drinking a lot and popping Xanax. It was an awful time. We were being evicted from our apartment and everything was going to shit. I ended up in rehab and eventually got clean of prescription drugs and life became much better.”

He admits it is a daily struggle that he prefers to battle privately but felt compelled to put the song on the mixtape because prescription drug addition has become an epidemic among youth. “Young people are dying and committing suicide.  They need to know there is help,” he says.
David Hernandez began singing at age six, starring in musicals and performing with various theatre companies. At fifteen, he started writing original music and recording his arrangements.  In addition to American Idol, he has showcased his talents on The Ellen ShowThe Today Show, MTV’s TRLEXTRAEntertainment Tonight, Access HollywoodTeen Choice Awards, Idol Tonight, FOX-TV’s Idol Gives Back.  He was also named among TV Guides’ Sexiest Stars.

At the start of his recording career, Hernandez was signed to a major music label but couldn’t meet the high expectations of its executives. “Labels were always telling me to be me but then expected me to fit their mold of what David Hernandez was supposed to be.  It was impossible.  I felt powerless and lived in constant fear that I would get dropped.”

His feelings about the music industry are reflected in the cover art for  Kingdom: the Mixtape.  It depicts a crown, symbolizing David and his music, being held by a robotic hand:  the music industry.  It is intended to illustrate an industry that is fake and how it holds and controls an artist’s work and career. 

“I hope listeners hear a piece of my soul in Kingdom: the Mixtape,” David Hernandez wraps up.  “I hope they get where I am coming from, really see me for who I am, and that they, too, can relate to the songs. I want the Mixtape to be healing, enlightening, and revelrous.”

Monday, October 1, 2018

Monday Motivation

You'd Better Work!
Teddi Mellencamp
Today, Monday October 1st 2018  I have made the conscious decision to bend it like Teddi Mellencamp and become an Accountability Coach.

"Yes" that's correct minions. Hey I did it for myself, now I am available to do it for you! What? You don't think this is for real?! Try me, I'm really good at telling people what to do.

Seriously though, if I can hold myself accountable anyone can hold themselves accountable too. I am a wild beast who is hard to tame, even for me.

Teddi is my spirit animal heading into the week and all the Monday Motivation I need to remind me of how hard I have worked. She and I share being on the shorter side height wise and tipping the scales at over 200 lbs

We both dropped the weight and got our booty's in killer shape, and we both just keep getting better!

Woot! There it is! 

Happy Monday!

Teddi on IG -
https://www.instagram.com/teddimellencamp/?hl=en

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Just Because...Tom Hardy & Michelle Williams

Us, The Duo
Tom Hardy & Michelle Williams
Just Because I really like her as an actress, Just Because he's hotter than Georgia asphalt and Just Because they have a movie, Venom arriving this Friday - Here are Tom Hardy & Michelle Williams pimping said film in Beverly Hills this past Thursday.

While I have no intention of seeing Venom, I like this photo op with the two leads. Not to mention I have a "thing" for Tom Hardy. That's correct peeps, even though I have lost 50 lbs, my ideal weight would be Tom on top of me!

TMI? Well I'm a giver, and we like to share...

So here's the thing that befuddles me, who the F#ck is Venom anyway and are there really minions clamoring for an epic about him?

I suppose there must be, right? Why else would a studio, in this case, Sony fork over millions for such an endeavor? 

Venom opens Friday, so does A Star Is Born - I'll be seeing the latter. 

Mic Drop!

Venom on IMDB -
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270797/

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Saturday Sinema: 12 Monkeys



Terry Gilliam is a director with vision. I remember seeing "12 Monkeys" upon it's release...amazing! 

Hitting shelves on October 30th! Following the commercial and critical success of The Fisher King, Terry Gilliam next feature would turn to science fiction and a screenplay by Janet and David Peoples (Blade Runner, Unforgiven) inspired by Chris Marker's classic short film La Jetée. In 1996, a deadly virus is unleashed by a group calling themselves the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, destroying much of the world's population and forcing survivors underground. In 2035, prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis, Die Hard) is chosen to go back in time and help scientists in their search for a cure. Featuring an Oscar-nominated turn by Brad Pitt (Fight Club) as mental patient Jeffrey Goines, Twelve Monkeys would become Gilliam's most successful film and is now widely regarded as a sci-fi classic. Arrow Films are proud to present the film in a stunning new restoration.

Roger Ebert calling it a "celebration of madness and doom."



Bonus Materials

  • Audio commentary by Terry Gilliam and producer Charles Roven
  • The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of Twelve Monkeys, feature-length making-of documentary by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (Lost in La Mancha)
  • Extensive image galley
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin

Order Here:

Friday, September 28, 2018

Freaky Friday

Cheers to Beer!
Lady Gaga
This ayem I received an E-mail that informed me today is National Drink Beer Day - really, I'm not joking. Seeing as how there seems to be a day for everything, why not drinking beer? I ask you? I'm waiting for an answer...

What is odd about the whole situation is how and why I received this correspondence via a site called HaveGuru.com, a place I have never dared to go on the WWW. Also, why when I try to reach it, it does not come up, yet it sends E-mail?!

Freaky Friday indeed minions. 

To celebrate I chose my own poster person for said day, the woman of the hour Lady Gaga imbibing in the refreshing golden liquid at a Mets game.

So join Moi & Gaga and raise a mug in honor of beer's special day and toast to websites that do not exist sending "Ghost E-mails" about days that do exist.

Cheers!

Beer on Wikipedia -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer  

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Michael's Musings

No Batteries Required
Michael Shinafelt
"They're all going to laugh at you" Margaret White, "Carrie"

And indeed they did 45 - moving on....

Hey United Nations to be fair, my friends and myself have been laughing at
Donald Trump for a while now

Byline of the week: "Looking back on 10 years of Goop - vaginal eggs included" that pretty much sums it up (BTW my statement is not a compliment) 

I knew Thomas Ravenel from Bravo's "Southern Charm" was bad news. Why? Because I wanted to jump him hard!

This Is Us is back. In the immortal words of Nancy Kerrigan "Whhhhhhhyyyyyyyy?!" 

How to get rid of skin deep wrinkles without surgery...I'm in!

I wanna helicopter bungee jump

Fine as a line

"Brett Kavanaugh is such a John Hughes film villain , he’s coming to Monday’s hearing wearing topsiders, belted madras shorts, and a sweater over his shoulders." - Tony Tripoli, Comedian

What's new pussycat? Do tell...
Superman V Batman
By: https://www.instagram.com/kentartwork/?hl=en
Now this is the Superman V Batman I wanted to see!!!

Olivia Newton-John just turned 70 - Totally Hot!

Sometimes it takes you by surprise, But for the most part...

Lady Gaga in "A Star Is Born" opens a week from tomorrow - "Yeah" I wanna see it

Jamie Lee Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis

The more I give, the more I want it at -
https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/MShinafelt