Hey guys! This month is the first time I'm going to have a sort of theme. Starting new series! I don't usually have themes and I just read whatever I want, but luckily, all the books I want to read in May are new series that I've want to start. I hope to continue having themes. There will only be four books because each book is fairly long. I'm not confident that I will finish all the books I want to read this month but I will try. I'm also reading Frankenstein for school. You could say I'm cheating because Frankenstein and Kafira don't fit the theme but, yolo! They're technically the first out of one book so I'm going to let it slide. This month I'm going to read the books by the author's last names in reverse alphabetical order.
10 Juni 2013 Green Day ternyata masih menjadi magnet besar bagi penikmat konser di dunia, khususnya di London, Inggris. Konser mereka pada tanggal 1 Juni di Emirates Stadiums sukses memecahkan rekor penonton.
Dikabarkan 60 ribu lembar tiket telah ludes dibeli fans. Praktis, kandang klub sepak bola Arsenal ini tampak penuh sesak oleh fans band asal Amerika Serikat ini. Ini adalah rekor jumlah penonton terbanyak untuk konser yang digelar di sana
Sebelumnya Coldplay dan Bruce Springsteen juga pernah menjual habis tiket konsernya. Namun kala itu penonton tak mencapai jumlah 60 ribu, sebab penyelenggara hanya menyediakan tiket duduk.
Dalam konser tersebut, Billie Joe Armstrong dan kawan-kawan menyajikan 30 lagu sekaligus. Beberapa lagu andalan seperti American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia dan Boulevand of Broken Dream juga dibawakan. [Banjarsari Underground]
May 23, 2013 Region Surakarta, Jawa Tengah terus menggeliat dalam melahirkan band-band metal. PARANOID DESPIRE adalah salah satunya. Meski belum merilis album, namun setidaknya dua lagu yang telah mereka rekam dalam demo bisa menjadi modal bagi anak-anak muda kota Solo ini untuk ikut berkubang dalam skena metal lokal negeri ini.
Dua lagu yang mereka rekam dalam demo juga sudah dipublikasikan secara digital melalui internet pada 13 Mei 2013 lalu.
Dua lagu tersebut adalah“Perang Karat Profan” dan “The Eternal Pain”. “Lagu ‘Perang Karat Profan’ bercerita tentangkelakukan orang-orang yang memaksakan pandangan-pandangan tertentu kepada pihak lain dengan cara yang tidak simpatik.” Ujar Deka, vokalis PARANOID DESPIRE saat ditemui di kawasan Manahan beberapa waktu lalu.
Terbentuk pada 2010, PARANOID DESPIRE awalnya hanya beranggotakan empat orang personil.
Mereka kemudian menambahkan seorang personil lagi ke dalam line-up mereka untuk menambah daya gedor musikalnya. Dengan lima awak inilah PARANOID DESPIRE merekam demo pertama mereka “The Eternal Pain”.
Rencana untuk rilisan debut album juga sudah mereka pancangkan. “Rencana ke depan ya album. Ada beberapa lagu yang sudah disiapkan untuk album.” Kata Deka. Namun masih belum jelas kapan mereka akan mulai menggarap album debut tersebut.
Yang jelas, band beranggotakan Gema Merdeka [vokal], Nicolash Yosh Ardian [drum], Wahyu Alfian [gitar], Rama Surya Putra [gitar] dan Faizal Anas Luh [bass] ini bertekad ingin berkiprah secara optimal demi para penikmat musik ekstrim. “Mudah mudahan musik kami bisa diterima para pecinta death metal.” Kata mereka berharap. [Banjarsari Underground]
This month, I found many new songs. Many more than I usually do. Even though I do enjoy listening to them all, not all of them stand out to me. Closer the end of the month, new albums were released. I particularly like Snoop Dogg, sorry, Snoop Lion's new album. U-KISS, one of my favourite groups also made a subunit called uBEAT and I also love their first mini-album. By the end of the month, the amount of new songs I added to my playlist grew quite big. I've bolded the songs that have stood out for me. I would definitely recommend checking out each and every one of these songs. I've linked a YouTube playlist and a SoundCloud playlist if you want to listen to the songs.
4MINUTE - What's Your Name?
New To My Playlist: Here's To Never Growing Up - Avril Lavigne DONE. - The Band Perry 2nd Confession 두 번째 고백 - BTOB Shaking Heart 흔들리고 있어 - C-CLOWN Fine China - Chris Brown Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams) - Daft Punk My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) - Fall Out Boy Beatles 비틀즈 - GI Just Give Me A Reason - Jason Chen & Megan Nicole Joah 좋아 - Jay Park Pretty Boy 귀여운 남자 - JUNIEL Love Blossom 러브블러썸 - K.Will High School (feat. Lil Wayne) - Nicki Minaj Still Into You - Paramore Come & Get It - Selena Gomez Yoohoo - SECRET Why So Serious? - SHINee No Guns Allowed (feat. Drake & Cori B) - Snoop Lion Ashtrays and Heartbreaks (feat. Miley Cyrus) - Snoop Lion Hello (feat. Lil Wayne & Christina Milian) - Stafford Brothers Countryside Life - T-ARA N4 Should Have Treated You Better 있을 때 잘해 줄 걸 - uBEAT Just Keep Breathing - We The Kings What's Your Name 이름이 뭐예요 - 4MINUTE
SoundCloud YouTube Win any of these songs/albums and more in my current giveaway. Buy K-Pop at Yesasia! Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.
Kreativitas seorang musisi tidak ada batasnya. Mereka terus mengeksplorasi musik untuk mendapatkan suatu kepuasan tersendiri.
Terkadang mereka juga mencari mainan baru dengan mengcover lagu orang lain yang disesuaikan dengan genrenya. Soal cover mengcover sudah ada sejak dulu, dan bagi para musisi ini adalah hal yang sah-sah saja. Uniknya saat ini para musisi berani lintas genre dan mengcover band favorit mereka.
Seperti halnya band metal berikut ini yang berani mengcover lagu-lagu yang jauh sekali dari metal. hasilnya ada yang benar-benar memukau ada pula yang terlalu berlebiha. Yuk kita simak satu persatu... 1. METALLICA - TURN THE PAGE (BOB SEGER) Metallica mencoba bermain-main dengan mengcover lagu musisi favorit mereka yang direkam dan dimasukkan ke aklbum bernama Garage Inc. Dari deretan list lagu yang ada di album tersebut ang paling menonjol adalah lagu Turn The Page milik Bob Seger yang dirilis pada tahun 1973.
Lagu yang berarransemen rock and roll ini menjadi gahar ketika disentuh oleh Metallica. Cita rasa ballad heavy metal mengalun dengan lambat di awal dan menghentak di bagian akhir.
2. MARILYN MANSON - SWEET DREAMS (EURYTHMICS)
Pangeran kegelapan, Marilyn Manson mencoba menggali musik tahun 80-an untuk dipersembahkan lagi dengan nuanasa yang lebih baru. Single ini sebelumnya dipopulerkan oleh Eurythmics sebuah duo asal Inggris yang digawangi oleh Annie Lennox dan David Stewart.
Hasilnya sangat beda dan jauh sekali dari aslinya. Marilyn Manson memberikan sentuhan yang gelap. Seakan mimpi manis ini berubah menjadi mimpi buruk yang menakutkan dan membuat kita takut untuk tidur kembali.
3. DISTURBED - SHOUT (TEARS FOR FEARS)
Di debut albumnya, Disturbed mencantumkan cover Shout milik pop rock duo asal Inggris, Tears For Fears. Disturbed sepertinya mengembalikan kejayaan single yang pernah populer pada tahun 1984. Mengenai arransemennya, Disturbed hanya mengubah musiknya lebih cadas, namun untuk vokal, David Drainman tetap seperti aslinya, namun dengan ciri khasnya tersendiri.
4. SYSTEM OF A DOWN - SHAME (WU-TANG CLAN)
Single Shame milik grup hip hop Wu-Tang Clan, yang kontroversial ini coba dihidupkan kembali oleh System of A Down. Irama hip hop yang lekat berubah menjadi hentakan cadas dengan distorsi yang menyalak-nyalak. Dalam lagu ini dua personel Wu-Tang Clan, RZA dan Ol' Dirty Bastard juga turut berkolaborasi dengan Serj Tankian Cs.
5. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE - RENEGADES OF FUNK (BAMBAATAA)
Single klasik dari grup hip hop legendaris Afrika Bambaataa diulik kembali oleh grup band paling berbahaya di tahun 2000-an, Rage Agaisnt The Machine. Single ini menjadi rancak dibandingkan aslinya. Bagi RATM ini adalah tribute untuk grup yang menginspirasi mereka.
6. KORN - ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (PINK FLOYD)
Hanya bisa terkesima dan tak mampu berkata apa-apa ketika grup band hip metal ini mengcover lagu paling bersejarah milik Pink Floyd. Korn berhasil menyajikan versi baru Another Brick In The Wall yang sama megahnya tanpa mengurangi esensi dari karya aslinya.
7. ALIEN ANT FARM - THE SMOOTH CRIMINAL (MICHAEL JACKSON)
Banyak musisi yang mencoba mengcover lagu-lagu dari King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Namun tak ada yang segila dan semantap Alien Ant Farm. Saat klip The Smooth Criminal ini muncul, semua orang seakan dibuat kaget dengan kenekatan mereka yang mengcover lagu ini dengan karakter suara yang sedikit sama.
8. DEFTONES - THE CHAUFFEUR (DURAN DURAN)
Band pengusung progresif metal, Deftones mencoba membuat gebrakan dengan mengusung salah satu single dari legendaris pop tahun 80-an. Single The Chauffeur milik Duran Duran dibawakan ulang oleh mereka, dan hasilnya sungguh memukau.
9. ATREYU - YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME (BON JOVI)
Atreyu mencoba menggubah single You Give Love A Bad Name milik Bon Jovi menjadi gahar dan sesuai dengan karakter mereka. Sebenarnya cukup pas dan lumayan, namun scream di awal yang terlalu berlebihan membuat lagu ini sedikit aneh. Pasalnya arransemen musik hampir sama hanya tempo yang lebih cepat. Hanya bagian down tempo di tengah dan akhir lagu yang menjadikan sedikit berbeda.
10. MUSHROOMHEAD - CRAZY (SEAL)
Penyanyi Seal dikenal dengan lagunya yang romantis dan melankolis. Namun sontak berubah menjadi lagu agresif dan cadas ketika disentuh oleh gerombolan metal asal Cleveland. Mushroomhead menggubah secara keseluruhan lagu ini dan hampir tak dipercaya jika ini adalah lagu milik Seal.
Death metal adalah sebuah sub-genre dari musik heavy metal yang berkembang dari thrash metal pada awal 1980-an. Beberapa ciri khasnya adalah lirik lagu yang bertemakan kekerasan atau kematian, ritme gitar rendah (downtuned rhythm guitars), perkusi yang cepat, dan intensitas dinamis. Vokal biasanya dinyanyikan dengan gerutuan (death grunt dipopuler kan pada akhir 80an ) atau geraman maut (death growl dipopuler kan pada akhir 80an )dengan suara tenggorokkan (guttural/gurgle)". Berikut ini adalah beberapa fakta unik mengenai Death Metal : 1. Musik Death Metal Sangat Rumit Meskipun suara - suara parau dan gitar yang kasar kadang - kadang menganggu pendengaran kita (terutama bagi mereka yg hanya terbiasa dengan musik lembut), suara - suara tadi lebih dari sekedar kebisingan idiot. Ada melodi, pola, dan komplektisitas untuk disadari dan dihargai jika kita punya cukup banyak waktu. Mungkin hal ini akan sedikit menyentil para pecinta fanatik musik melayu tanah air. 2. Tekhnik Bermusik yang Tinggi Ketika seseorang dengan background musik dasar dapat secara instan belajar main musik pop, untuk mempelajari musik Death Metal dibutuhkan waktu yg lebih lama. Sebagai bandingannya, mungkin membutuhkan watu yang sama untuk belajar main Death Metal dengan belajar musik klasik atau Jazz. Bandingannya, lihatlah solo dari Siksa Kubur dan Kangen Band. Bandingkan, maka akan sangat terlihat perbedaanya. Untuk instrumen perkusif, permainan drum pada Death Metal adalah sangat teknikal dan presisi. Dibutuhkan waktu bertahun2 bagi seorang drummer Death Metal untuk mencapai skill yang memadai untuk memainkan pola rhythm yg sedemikian kompleks pada tempo yang kedengaran mustahil. Sebagian besar elemen perkusi pada musik yang populer (dengan perkecualian musik Jazz) sangat simpel dan kadang - kadang hanya merupakan musik elektronik yg bukan dimainkan oleh musisi "betulan". Inilah yang dijual ke publik. Untuk mereka yg lebih tertarik dengan skill, Jazz dan Death Metal menawarkan suguhan yang lebih menarik untuk menikmati bakat gitar dan drum. 3. Aksi Panggung Yang Eksploratif Lihatlah bagaimana para musisi Death Metal yg memainkan instrumen secara eksploratif. Jika anda mencoba memainkannya sendiri, anda akan menyadari bahwa musisi Death Metal adalah musisi - musisi yang sangat berbakat. Mempelajarinya membutuhkan latihan dan dedikasi, yang menghapus stereotipe bahwa para MetalHead adalah oran - orang yang malas. Anda mungkin juga akan terkesan betapa energiknya para anak - anak Death Metal. Jangan harap ada Death Metal di acara - acara seperti Dahsy*t, HipHipHu*a, Derin*s, dan sebagainya. 4. Jarangnya Plagiarisme Di Death Metal, hampir setiap musisi selalu menulis musik mereka sendiri. Termasuk riff, drum, solo, dan liriknya. Menulis musik anda sendiri membuktikan dimensi lain dari kepiawaian instrumental seorang musisi, menjadikan musik lebih personal dan tidak ‘pasaran’. Jarang Ditemui kasus Plagiatisme atau saling mengklaim lagu Death Metal. 5. Lirik Death Metal Kebanyakan Fiksional Jangan lihat musiknya dari konteks atau subyek pribadi. Kebanyakan lirik di Death Metal adalah fiksi dan tidak untuk diikuti. Jadi jangan menganggap apa yang anda dengar di musik Death Metal adalah serius. Lirik - lirik itu hanyalah penumpahan emosi seorang musisi pada lagunya. Mungkin liriknya terdengar tidak sopan dan sadis, tentang zombie, pembunuh berantai, atau bunuh diri. Tapi hal - hal tersebut adalah kenyataan yangg tak terpisahkan dari kehidupan umat manusia. Jadi apakah salah bagi seorang musisi death metal untuk merekam kejadian - kejadian tersebut secara fiksional menjadi sebuah lagu? Sebenarnya banyak juga musisi Death Metal yang mengambil tema dari cerita rakyat, atau masalah agama dan sejarah. 6. Deat Metal Mempunyai Banyak Sub-Genre Tidak semua death metal sama. Genre ini mencangkup banyak sub-genre yang kadang - kadang bercampur satu sama lain. Hasilnya, sulit untuk mendeskripsikan satu band dengan satu sub-genre saja. Berikut daftar umum untuk sub-genre death metal :
Blackened – Mengadopsi tema dan elemen musik black metal. Contoh : Behemoth
Brutal – Contoh : Spawn of Possesion, Suffocation, Deicide, Dying Fetus, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse
Doom – Tempo yg lebih pelan, atmosfer melankolis, growl yg lebih dalam, dan drum dobel pedal. Contoh : Autopsy, Sepultura
Deathcore – Drum cepat, gitar down tune, tremolo picking, scream, growl, riff melodik dan breakdown. Contoh All Shall Perish, Job for A Cowboy, God Forbid
Grind – Intense, musik singkat, vokal menjerit lebih menonjol. Contoh : Carcass
Jazz fusion – Contoh : Atheist, Cynic
Melodic – Harmoni gitar dan melodi dengan vokal tingi. Contoh : Arch Enemy, At The Gates, Soilwork, In Flames, Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom
Symphonic – Contoh : Nightfall, Eternal Tears of Sorrow
Technical/Progressive – Struktur lagu dinamis, time signature, harmoni, dan melodinya tidak umum. Contoh : Nile, Necrophagist, Death
Beberapa waktu lalu Guitar World mengeluarkan list sepuluh lagu terbaik sepanjang masa yang dimainkan menggunakan gitar tujuh senar. Beberapa nama besar bersanding dengan nama-nama yang tergolong anyaran. Dan seperti biasa, list seperti ini selalu menuai pro-kontra di kalangan publik dan media.
Meski masih tergolong minoritas dibandingkan six strings dalam hal penggunaan oleh musisi, namun seven strings guitar memang bukan instrumen yang tergolong asing.
Gitar tujuh senar sudah banyak digunakan oleh musisi-musisi dari berbagai jenis musik. Dari kalangan rock dan metal, bisa ditengok nama-nama seperti Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, Fredrik Thordendal atau Jeff Loomis yang kerap terlihat menggunakan seven strings.
Tidak mengherankan jika beberapa di antara nama-nama itu menjadi gitaris-gitaris yang lagu-lagunya masuk dalam daftar 10 Lagu Terbaik Sepanjang Masa Dengan Gitar Senar Tujuh versi majalah Guitar World. Berikut adalah daftarnya :
10. Deftones - "Hexagram" [Deftones, 2003] 09. Morbid Angel - "God of Emptiness" [Covenant, 1993] 08. Animals as Leaders - "CAFO" [Animals as Leaders, 2009] 07. Nevermore - "Born" [The Godless Endeavor, 2005] 06. Emperor - "The Prophet" [Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise, 2001] 05. Joe Satriani - "Seven String" [Strange Beautiful Music, 2002] 04. Dream Theater - "The Dark Eternal Night" [Systematic Chaos, 2007] 03. Meshuggah - "Future Breed Machine" [Destroy Erase Improve, 1995] 02. Steve Vai - "The Riddle" [Passion and Warfare, 1990] 01. Korn - "Blind" [Korn, 1994]
Terpilihnya lagu Korn sebagai pemuncak daftar ini sempat menimbulkan pro-kontra publik di internet karena kapasitas kedua gitaris Korn dianggap tidak selevel dengan sebangsanya Steve Vai, John Petrucci atau Fredrik Thordendal. Media seperti Metal Injection bahkan menganggap daftar tersebut sebagai omong kosong. Namun Guitar World punya alasan sendiri mengapa lagu Korn mereka jadikan sebagai nomor satu. “Korn membantu mengangkat kembali penggunaan gitar tujuh senar setelah meredupnya gaya mencabik gitar yang dipopulerkan grunge.” Demikian tulis Guitar World.
Tapi apapun itu, daftar ini setidaknya masih memuat lagu-lagu yang memang pantas dianggap sebagai lagu terbaik yang manggunakan gitar tujuh senar. Meskipun sebenernya Guitar World juga mengakui ada lagu-lagu lain yang juga tak kalah pantas untuk masuk dalam daftar ini seperti misalnya lagu “Racecar” dari Periphery atau “Whales” milik Scale The Summit.
Hanya saja menurut Guitar World, lagu-lagu tersebut masih tergolong baru karena dirilis dalam rentang lima tahun terakhir sehingga lebih tepat jika dijadikan pertimbangan untuk masuk daftar ini di masa yang akan datang. Memang dilematis kalau bikin list dengan embel-embel ‘sepanjang masa’ karena akan selalu muncul karya-karya yang tak kalah keren di masa-masa selanjutnya. [Banjarsari Underground]
This month, I've just had way too much time. I've been posting more than usual, and also reading more than usual! If you remember last month, I read one book. Yep, only one. I was so disappointed in myself but luckily I've picked myself up for this month. I finished all the books I was planning to read this month and all the books I was planning to read in March. In total I've read five books and done two reviews. This may seem like nothing for some people but it's quite a lot for me. My blog isn't all about books which is why I don't do a review for each book I read. I'll gladly do a review if any one asks for one though. However, I do sum up my thoughts at the end of each month! Continue reading to see my thoughts and ratings. Also, the links to my reviews, links to the Goodreads pages and links to where you can buy these amazing books. Requiem by Lauren Oliver I gave Requiem 3.5 STARS. My review can be found here. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare Clockwork Princess received a well deserved 4.8 STARS. Check out my review here. Looking for Alaska by John Green No review but Looking for Alaska earned itself a perfect 5 STARS from me. I absolutely loved it, the characters, the writing, the messages and the themes. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn Review coming soon! Sharp Objects was an extremely twisted but compelling book. I gave this a 4.5 STARS. The Elite by Kiera Cass Unfortunately, this book was a disappointment, check out my post here. I gave the book a 3.5 STARS.
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea. America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide. Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
What can I say? I give this book 3.5 STARS but that's me being extremely generous. I absolutely loved the first book and did a review a while back. This wasn't necessarily a bad book, just a very big disappointment. The story was good, it was well written, it was fast paced, everything was fine except for one thing. The most important thing. I hated America's attitude so much. If anyone has watched Boys Over Flowers, I hate America for the same reasons I hated Jandi. The most amazing guy loves you and don't treat him well?! He gives you everything and you can't even be respectful?! It's such an easy and obvious choice I see no point of the love triangle. Oh I don't know if I want Maxon or Aspen. Oh I want to change the world but I'm just going to get eliminated instead of marrying Prince Maxon and changing it for real. I just don't see her deal. It took the whole book for her to realize she was wrong. Jeez, took you long enough. If she ends up with Maxon in the next book, alright, a good series and I recommend it but if not, I'm taking The Selection out of my favourite books of all time. I don't want to recommend the first book if the rest is bad. Sorry for ranting but overall the book wasn't that bad. I guess I did feel a bit sorry for America but I can't help but love Maxon. Read this series if you have time but there are definitely better books you can read for now.
Thank you so much to everyone who has followed me. I now have over one hundred followers but I made sure to capture the moment. I hit 100 on the 25th of April 2013 at approximately 10:45pm Sydney time. I'm grateful for all my GFC followers and also my Bloglovin' followers. I hope that the numbers will continue to grow as my audience gets bigger. Thank you for everyone's support along the way. Blogging has been a big journey for me. Though I've had my blog since September 2012, I didn't really put my blog out there until this year. I started to gain more and more followers and to this day, I still get excited each time I gain one new follower or get an email saying that I have one new comment that I can reply too.
I know it's cheesy but THANK YOU SO MUCH! It was hard trying to figure out what to giveaway for this giveaway but I decided to just go with something simple. My blog is Music Plus Books so I decided to have one music giveaway and one book giveaway. You get your choice of any album/single etc. and your choice of any book (electronic format). There will be two winners and they will get both. Good luck and I hope you win because this giveaway is for you. a Rafflecopter giveawayBuy Books at the Book Depository! Buy K-Pop at Yesasia! Please leave a comment, follow, and +1. Thank you for supporting my blog.
Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy. Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.
Clockwork Princess is the final book in the Infernal Devices series/trilogy by Cassandra Clare. As you probably expected here on my blog, this book is a Young Adult and a Romance book. It is also a fantasy book. The series is about Shadowhunters and Downworlders (warlocks, vampires, fairies and werewolves). In this book Tessa and the Shadowhunters must fight against Mortmain and his Infernal Devices to protect the whole race. I gave this book a 4.8 STARS. So what made me take of that 0.2 of a star? Continue reading to see why I absolutely adored this book but also the minor thing that made me bring score down. Writing: I don't normally address the writing in it's own paragraph but I just have to express how amazing it is. I love how at the beginning of every paragraph Cassandra Clare starts with a excerpt from a text. The chapter's names are also from poems, plays etc. I think this a really smart way to introduce a new chapter. She also uses flashbacks and going back in time to go deeper into the story. Because the story is set in the late 1800's and early 1900's the language and context is different. I love how Cassandra Clare uses the right speech to fit the time period. Things like "I shan't" really brings the characters to life. Characters: I love love loved the characters in this book and the series overall. I love how Cassandra Clare cleverly connects them to the characters inthe Mortal Instruments series even though the time periods and settings are completely different. The characters were so strong and unique to themselves. I loved the Lightwood brothers, Sophie, Cecily, Charlotte, Henry, Magnus and the more minor characters Bridget and Cyril. They all had they're unique personalities. I also liked the way the main trio - Tessa, Will and Jem - ended up. Love triangles are hard, especially when you don't know who you're fighting for but the ending of Clockwork Princess was perfect. I won't spoil it but let's just say it was beautiful but sad at the same time. Pros: Well obviously, I loved the writing and the characters. I really liked how Cassandra wrapped up the series. If you've read my past reviews, you know that I hate endings that don't tie loose ends, well this one definitely does. The ending was a highlight for me. I also really liked the epilogue. It ended the Infernal Devices but it also gave us a sneak peek for the last book in the Mortal Instruments series. This book evoked so many different emotions. Cons: Unfortunately, I couldn't give this book a 5 out of 5 for one minor reason. I couldn't get into the book right from the start. It's really a bummer when this happens. It took me a few chapters to really want to read the book. Summary: This book was amazing. If you haven't read any of Cassandra Clare's books, go do it now! I suggest reading both the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices in the order that they came out. Read them closely so that you can really see the connections between the two. Some say that City of Bones, the first book of the Mortal Instruments is a bit boring and I totally understand but once you get through that one, the rest is amazing. Clockwork Princess definitely deserves it 4.8 STARS. Favourite Quotes: "The good suffer, the evil flourish, and all that is mortal passes away." "Truth is brighter than the light, Falsehood darker than the night. Revenge is keener than an axe, And love is softer than melting max." "How could three people who cared for another so much cause one another so much pain?" "Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read. I would read them together with you, as many as I can, before I die-"
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Being a professional music teacher for twenty-five years, I could cite countless examples of how classical music has transformed lives, beginning with my own. Famous examples abound from around the world--like the Harlem Boys Choir, to Venezuela’s well known youth orchestras started by José Antonio Abreu’s program El Sistema to the work of the dynamic, charismatic conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Our collective work has not just kept alive what some think to be a dusty old art-form; it has literally transformed the lives of millions of young people.
As a child, my mother flooded our home with the sounds of classical music. Everything from an album entitled The Top Fifty Most Beloved Classical Melodies to more “serious” pieces like Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky symphonies inspired and astounded me. I sensed the immense, description-defying power of that music and realized instinctively of its unique greatness.
By age ten, I knew I’d found my life’s passion. I began to teach myself how to play the piano, with a few hints from my uncle, an amateur pianist. I used my modest skills to play hymns and offertories for my church’s weekly services. But quickly my interest went back to classical music, the music that uplifted me from my earliest memories. By high school, I was still very small and never excelled at sports, but academics were my strength, and music became my salvation. I acquired my first real music teacher in eleventh grade and it took hours a day to achieve any degree of proficiency.
Above all, music gave me an identity and a life-long challenge. No longer did I have to be bullied because I couldn’t throw a football or catch a baseball. I could hold my head high around my fellow students, knowing that I was respected for my music, admired for a notoriously difficult skill few others had acquired.
After formal university music studies, eventually acquiring Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and a Ph.D. in Musicology, studying piano with the world-renowned concert artist Ivan Davis, I knew with confidence I could make a living teaching others the art of playing the piano. Not only that, I knew I could teach young people something even more important: developing a passion in their lives, giving them a sense of achievement from week to week--and even in many cases, a sense of self-confidence and identity that would last a lifetime, overcoming any other possible short-comings they may feel they possessed. What could be more rewarding? Even now, my passion for classical music resounds stronger than ever--as is my desire to spread its appreciation to the next generation.
When I wrote my novel Dr. Fuddle and the Gold Baton, I had two basic aims in mind. First, I wanted to entertain young readers in a fast-paced, enjoyable fantasy, making them feel as though they’d actually been in Orphea with Dr. Fuddle and the young heroes and fought the battle to reclaim the Gold Baton. Secondly, I wanted to pique their interest in classical music and demonstrate its transformative powers.
My overall dream is that we, as musicians and music educators all over the world join together, using music to change the lives of young people--that we continue, as a united front, our global movement to transform the lives of children, many of whom are trapped in cycles of poverty and despair. I can hope nothing more than to provide the youth of the world an escape from the challenges of their lives and from the trouble and temptations that surround them daily, inspiring them to aspire toward beautiful and meaningful goals--something higher and nobler than they ever dreamed possible.
Band progressive metal Swedia, OPETH turut merayakan “Record Store Day” dengan tampil gratis secara akustikan di Newbury Comics yang terletak di Leminster, Massachusetts, Amerika hari Sabtu (20/4) kemarin.
Record Store Day tercetus di tahun 2007 dan secara resmi dimulai setahun kemudian oleh METALLICA yang ditujukan untuk setiap musisi dan pemilik toko kaset indie di seluruh dunia merayakan seni dalam bermusik. Perayaan ini diperingat setiap hari Sabtu di minggu ketiga bulan April dimana banyak menawarkan produk promosi yang dikemas eksklusif dan khusus dijual di hari tersebut.
OPETH sendiri memang sedang berada di Amerika untuk kembali mendukung penjualan album terakhir mereka, “Heritage” yang dirilis September 2011 lewatRoadrunner Records.
Sejak terbentuk di tahun 1990 di Stockholm, mereka telah merilis sepuluh album penuh dengan debut “Orchid” yang mereka cetak di tahun 1995.
“North American Heritage Tour 2013” ini mereka mulai tanggal 18 April kemarin dengan tampil di Buffalo dengan jadwal tampil tiga puluh titik di Amerika. [Maggot Team/Banjarsari Underground]
Hi everybody. TBLT? It's meant to stand for To Be Listened To since TBR is To Be Read. It kind of makes sense. I don't know, I might change it to something else but I thought TBLT works. These are the singles and albums that I'm waiting to listen to that don't come out until May. I decided to do a post for it because I've been able to gather a few albums I'm waiting for. I wanted to do this now instead of the end of the month because there is new music coming out at the end of this month as well. In the order of when they come out:
Fall in L by Juniel - 25th April Reincarnated by Snoop Lion - 26th April What's Your Name by 4MINUTE - 26th April Why So Serious? - Misconceptions of Me by SHINee - 26th April (Online) and 29th April (Offline) Countryside Life by T-ara N4 - 29th April While Walking... by TEEN TOP - 29th April Letter From SECRET by SECRET - 30th April Golden by Lady Antebellum - 6th May Demi by Demi Lovato - 14th May Random Access Memories by Daft Punk - 17th May
Am I missing anything good? Are you waiting for any new music too? Also, can anyone think of a better name than TBLT?
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Genres: K-Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, Dance Released: 18 April 2013 Members: Rome, Si-woo, Ray, Kang Jun, T.K., Maru Yedang Entertainment
Hi everyone! Time for another full album review. C-CLOWN has recently come back with their new mini album Shaking Heart. Their previous album Young Love was amazing and the song Far Away is still one of my favourite songs. Since there are 5 songs in the mini album, each review will be pretty brief; just how much I like the song, the singing, the lyrics and the music. It was really hard to rate this album as a whole but I think I'll have to give it a 3.89 STARS. 1. Hell Yeah! (Intro) This is probably my least favourite song in the whole album which is unfortunate because it's a bad start but it does get better. It reminds me of a song you'd here in one of those ads where there's a skateboard. I don't know why but I just find it a bit annoying. The lyrics are a bit arrogant because they're about how C-CLOWN is awesome and everything but I guess optimistic lyrics are always good when there are so many sad songs. The rapping by Rome and T.K. and the mature vocals made the song more outgoing and lively. 2. Shaking Heart 흔들리고 있어 This song is the title song for the album and was definitely a good choice. This is my second favourite song on the album. The song isn't too fast or too slow and flows at a nice tempo for most of the song. The rap is absolutely amazing and is the best part of the song for me. The song is about the confusing feelings after a breakup. I think the lyrics portray the emotions perfectly. I also like the use of a phone call. You hear a phone ring and then a voice murmuring. 3. Far, Far Away 멀리 멀리 Hands down my favourite song. The song is soft yet intense at the same time. The song is about not being right for each other and wanting to leave to as far away as possible. It is such a sad song and the emotions can be felt through the way the song is sung. Even the rap is toned down into a more soft tone to express the feelings. Though Shaking Heart was a good title song, I like this song better. 4. It Was Like That Then 그땐 그랬지 This song was a collaboration between C-CLOWN and Ali. Though not my favourite song, it is definitely enjoyable. I feel like it wasn't special or unique because it was just a simple ballad. Just a normal structure with the same people doing their parts. The only part I could really appreciate in this song was Rome's rap because it was just right without feeling out of place. Though the vocals did create a very nice harmony. 5. So Pretty 너무 예뻐 Lastly, this song again was good but wasn't great. The song was a bit to slow and I feel that it didn't suit C-CLOWN that well. The singing was very quite with whispers and the like. I do like the lyrics though because at least they aren't depressing. They are about a beautiful girl that is 'So Pretty'. It was sweet but just didn't work for me. I feel like the song could've been made to be even more amazing.
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