Homegirl Quel (kel) in Austin

It's Our Anniversary

Seventeen years together--12 in holy matrimony. In case you missed it, THIS is STILL what it feels like to be with someone for this lone. Bliss, blisters and all. We keepin' it movin'. Love and light, y'all. Love and light. 

Is Beef A PR Requirement For Rap Girls?

I ran across an article announcing that a new female rap artist named Azealia Banks has her own MAC lipstick color now. Having never heard of Azealia Banks, I googled her and watched a few videos. She's pretty and cool and quirky and raps about what you would expect a black female rapper to rap about…expensive things, her rap game take-over and the quality of her nana, peppered with a little aggression and desire to commit violence. You know, all the things I use to loathe about rap music in general. Nicki Minaj came along and singlehandedly made me a fan of this type of rap music. Specifically hers--the whole Black Barbie thing was irresistible because serious, who doesn't want to be a black barbie? So because of Nicki Minaj, I'm open to getting to know Azealia Banks.  

Photo from thatgrapejuice.net

I was happy to see another person getting shine other than Nicky Minaj. Love Nicki, but she was getting a verse on every other hot song on the radio for a minute. So when I read about Azealia, I was hopeful. Then I saw that she and Nicki were supposed to tour together and I was like, wow, these women are actually going to get along and be like rap BFFs. I was so looking forward to Nicki and Azealia's individual brands of quirk and awesome coming together to create quirk and awesome greatness. I had hopes of them doing songs together like Kanye and Jay Z.  I think Kanye and Jay Z's professional bromance is a beautiful thing. They happily share the spotlight when they could easily and justifiably throw shade. I thought the women would embrace their fierceness and give each other their props. Apparently, though, it is not to be. I read that Azealia dropped out of Nicki's tour and some words were exchanged via Twitter. They seem like those women who claim they don't have female friends because ALL other females are jealous of them.*sigh*

The boys play so well together. Why can't the rap girls just get along? Is beef a requirement for PR before their debut albums drop? Why can't female rap artists coexist?

Happy Birthday, Michael Jackson! Your music lives FOREVER.

My four year-old is already a moody singer-songwriter.

 

On this first one, my guess is maybe I'm a bit too free with stranger-danger warnings. Obviously...

His two closest friends moved to different states within two weeks of each other. I think he has a few things to work out...

"Somebody That You Used To Know" by Gotye

I heard this song on the radio the other day. Smote. In music and film, if there is a good dose of lamenting, I am SO in. This song starts out with Gotye remembering when love went from hot to cold. By the time he gets to the chorus he's all emotional like, but you didn't have to cut me off--acting like we were nothing--I'm not even an ex, I'm just somebody you use to know. Then Kimbra comes in basically like, you were an ass and now you're complaining--get over yourself. Then he's all, I know but I'm just sayin', I don't want to get back together, but that was harsh...

"But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough"

I really like the story this song tells.The video is strange, yes, but it so accurately depicts a person who was once the center of their lover's daily life, and is now figuratively blended so far into the background that their not even important anymore. Like that piece of art you save up for, work to buy, hang on the wall and worship every time you walk by it until you don't even notice it anymore. That's the way we treat objects. It's very harsh when a person is treated that way. But we do treat each other like disposable objects sometimes, don't we?

I ran across the Glee performance.

I love that the song here is interpreted as a song between brothers--(random bit of trivia)Gotye, apparently, did not.

Kid Fury: Queen Beysus Blessed Me

I love this Beyonce fan's videos! Just discovered him on a post by Madame Noire. His name is Kid Fury and he is too funny. I'm such a big fan, and loved all 8:21 of this video. I lol'd for real. 

Beyonce fans will enjoy this.

Who is Rita Ora?

I like her. Apparently she's been around for a minute. I'm not hip, so maybe I'm a little late here. I first saw her name on some versus Rihanna thing a gossip blogger posted a few days ago. I googled her and found this video. Her vibe seems really positive and fun--like she's not trying to prove anything to anyone or be anything in particular. After watching this video, I think she's refreshing. 

Beyoncé: "Resentment" Live At Wynn Las Vegas

B Day is my jam from beginning to end--the whole album period. 

I love it when Beyoncé goes Diana Ross in her concerts--having a conversation with the audience and finding an intimate spot to sing in. She's such a classy broad. And so beautiful. And all I know is she betta sang this song. 

I Heart Christina Perri

The first time I heard her song, "Jar of Hearts",  was on Glee, when Rachel sang it at prom to Finn. I remember thinking how perfect the song was for them and how much I love how the Glee kids over-sing dramatic songs with their faces. They open their mouths as wide as possible and keep the most distressed look in their eyes. I love it. 

After that, I heard it on the radio and it plays almost every time I'm in my car. So often, in fact, that my four year old knows and loves the whole song. I live...live... to hear him sing the chrous of that song. 

Today, for the first time, I googled the video to see what it was like and have fallen in love with this girl. Christina Perri.

I watched lots of videos on her youtube page and am an instant huge fan! I love her hair, her tattoos, her voice. The video for "A Thousand Years " makes me almost want to see the Bella and Edward vampire movies. I have an iTunes gift card that I've had since last fall. I'm totally buying Chrstina Perri's music. 

Good Feeling

A while ago, this song showed up on my Spotify list. I would skip it when I saw the graphic, because I saw the name Flo Rida, knew it was rap, and wasn't in the mood for rap. 

Recently, the hook has been playing on some commercial. I can't recall the commercial because my husband is the one in our house who actually watches television in real time and sits through commercials. Usually when he's watching TV, I'm not. So I don't know what the commercial is, but I have been walking around singing it non-stop for days. 

I decided to google it to hear the whole song and I love it. It almost makes me want to google to see what other songs Flo Rida sings. It's a kinda bizarre video, because he looks so tough, but is doing corny stuff. Anywho, I'm loving the hook and the uplifting and, let's face it, quite manic lyrics. They make me smile. 

Happy Monday!

Eartha Kitt Sings "Angelitos Negros" in English

I ran across this online today. It's a popular Venezuelan song asking the painter why he only paints white angels. It is very powerful in English. Beautiful performance too. 

"Painter, if you paint with love, paint me..." This song was performed in 1953.

Friday. Quiet. And Bjork!

My house is so quiet right now. It's cold and wet outside and my son went down for his nap late, but like a rock. I just finished a major thing on my to-do list and am standing here (yes, standing...as depicted here, I work on my laptop on a high counter, mostly because if I sit, I'm knitting and if I'm knitting then I'm not working down my to-do list...which, technically I'm not doing now, since I'm blogging, but whatever...) looking around my quiet house and I thought about this song by Bjork. I didn't know who she was before this video came out years ago, but I found her so awkward and aswesome in this video and fell in love with her. Now that she has resurfaced in my life, her music will undoubtedly dominate my Spotify playlist for at least a week. At least. 

Happy long weekend! On Presidents' Day, try to find something nice to say about our president, no matter what side of the fence you're on. That's a hell of a post, and any way you look at it, it takes some cojones gigante to even apply for the job. Be grateful you're not them, think happy thoughts, and carry on. 

Whitney Houston Performing "One Moment In Time"

My local radio station is playing Whitney Houston's songs in heavy rotation today. I am happy that she shared her gift with us while she as here. My heart is heavy for her daughter and for everyone who knew and truly loved her. I am feeling a little sad. About as sad as I felt when Aaliyah died and when Michael Jackson died. They are people you always root for and want to see them do well, you know? Each of their stars were rising right at the moment they fell. How hard was I rooting for Whitney's comeback? I'm sad that we will not get to see her rock the red carpet when her next film, Sparkle, premieres in the fall. The past few years have been rough on her. I believe her soul is at peace now. She probably looking down on earth right now smiling at the mark she left that says, "I was here."

I would like to remember her when she was at her best. Her smile, charisma and voice are unmatched in the music industry, yesterday and today. I have heard this song twice today on my car radio. It is a reminder, not only of how beautiful Whitney's voice was, but also that life, for all of us, really is just one moment in time.

R.I.P. Whitney.

Beyoncé's New Video for Love On Top

I love how Beyoncé is doing what she wants right now. I could go on about how much I love her latest album, 4, but I did that already. Wrote about it. Missed it? Click >>Here.<<

This video for Love On Top is so 1990. Cute and simple. It's a New Edition/Boys2Men type rehearsal/performance video. I saw some New Edition moves in there too.  I'm sure the Beyoncé haters are already somewhere hollerin' about her "stealing from" New Edition because they don't know the difference between paying homage to a body of work and trying to pass it off as your own. SMH. 

Love On Top is one of my favorite songs on 4. It's a rare feel-good love song about a rare kind of love.

OMG, I ♥ Beyoncé , y'all. 

Diary of An Austin City Limits Music Festival Rookie

Thanks to The Austin Chronicle and  my uncanny luck with online contests (I don't enter many, but I win a lot of the ones I enter), I won two 3-day passes to Austin City Limits Music Festival 2011! I never have cash during early-bird pre-sales and had given up on going this year. I didn't even recall entering the contest. So when I saw the email that I had won, it truly was a pleasant surprise. The fact that the weekend kicked off on my birthday made it extra special. My husband came with me the first two days, our three year old son joined us on day 2 and was my date on the last day of the festival. Lots of planning and patience helped make this weekend awesome. Lots of pictures and videos make the memories that much sweeter. Here's what happened...

Beyonce 4: A Totally Biased Album Review

Beyoncé's latest album is for grown-ups. She is young, but growing up and has been in a relatioship for a long time (like 10 years) and the music on Beyoncé 4 reflects all if that.

The tracks "1 + 1" and "Love on Top" both sound like classics. The lyrics are simple (and love is simple isn't it?) and sure to resonate with anyone who is or has been in love for more than a minute. The music on both tracks is timeless--not trendy. I can see folks like "Girl, that is my jam!" from the 1970's right up to today. "Schoolin' Life" is on the bonus CD in the Target Delux Edition. It is a dance song and the lyrics are like a cautionary tale and celebration of living and learning (sometimes the hard way). This song is Beyoncé in all her Southern, country glory and it is (singing in my Oprah voice) aaaaaawsoooome! 

Grey's Anatomy Musical Episode

One word. Awesomesauce. Anybody who watched it and thought it was crap, can suck it. When Callie Torres (played by Sara Ramirez) sang They Story at the end, my world was basically rocked. It literally gave me chills. I totally forgave Grey's for totally ripping off Scrubs The Musical the moment Torres grabbed her frikkin' ankles! I'm downloaing the audio on iTunes. 

Guayaki Yerba Mate-Brett Dennen Show-SXSW 2011

I was ready to call SXSW 2011 a total bust for me this year. My son was home from school for spring break so daytime shows and screenings were already a no-go. Going out at night is almost always never an option for me, so I didn't even try. But I got an email last-minute that changed all that...for one day, at least.

The PR folks for the Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate- Brett Dennen show sent me a VIP invitation to attend the show, bring a guest and collect swag. There was also a documentary screening scheduled after the show. After working much logistical magic between the family of my plus one and mine, it was settled: the men watched the kiddos and me and my plus one were out to do it VIP style in the ATX! Which was awesome and also totally not what you think...

The show was on the rooftop at Whole Foods Headquarters. It's located on my favorite corner in Austin right across from Book People (where I have spent many hours drooling over the awesomest collection of stationary, handmade jewelry, scarves and oh yeah--books)  and Anthropologie (where I usually wear blinders as I make  a beeline for the clearance room in the back of the store) and Waterloo Records (which I've never been into because I'm not hip and am not into music THAT much, but is great for people watching from the street-level cafe seating outside Whole Foods. Anyway, so the show was on top of Whole Foods HQ. Brett Dennen performed a great acoustic set as children played on the playscape behind him. Oh yeah, there's a playscape on the rooftop at Whole Foods, mostly because Austin absolutely ROCKS when it comes to keeping whole families in mind and the best businesses always keep that in mind. Austin luh da kids. 

Diana Ross on Oprah

I'm writing another blog post right now and watching Oprah on DVR. I tried to post this all on a Facebook status, but it was too long, so I'm posting it over here...

This episode with Diana Ross has had me happy since I pressed play. The footage of her 1983 concert in the rain in Central Park in NYC gave me chills. She's so joyful and beautiful. She is one of my favorite people and starred in one of my favorite films, Mahogany, which I have blogged about several times. Billy D. Williams just walked out on stage and OMG! They both still look amazing! The interview with her kids had me emotional. Tracee talked about how her mom woke them up so sweetly every day. My mom is the same way! I think I have blogged about how she use to walk pass the door and sing our name SO sweetly. She would sing my name...like sing it... like, "Kay-uuuuuuul!"  Right now I wake my son up in sweet ways and let him wake up slowly, because of how awesome it felt for me to wake up feeling loved everyday, and I want him to know that feeling too.  Diana reminds me of my mommy in SO many ways. What a beautiful, happy lady. End mushy love fest. 

If you're like me and this post has you feeling all emo about Mothers Day, window shop for nice Mothers Day Gifts at the perfect place to find perfect gifts...Red Envelope. If that sounded like a commercial, it totally was. Sponsored post with promo codes for HomeGirl readers coming up soon...just in time for Mothers Day. Thanks, Red Envelope! 

The Hey Lollies @ Cherrywood Coffeehouse Austin, TX

When I saw this concert posted on the Parent Wise Facebook page about a week ago, my first impulse was to skip it. Mainly because it was to take place on a Sunday morning at 10:30, when I'm usually in bed, at the gym or at church. Then I considered my son who is a ball of energy, just turned three and who loves music. I fought through my selfish bone and accessed my selfless mommy bone and put The Hey Lollies kid's music and puppet show  on my calendar. I also shared it with my Mocha Moms group. 

Yesterday morning we got off to a late start, but arrived at Cherrywood Coffeehouse just in time to see the second half of the show., and for breakfast! Y'all know I love coffee, I love to sing and I love to get silly-- so to sit with my son and enjoy all of the above was a treat. The performance was awesome and the women were, as expected, so warm and welcoming letting some kids sit on stage and engaging them with hugs and hellos after the show was over. I am an instant fan of The Hey Lollies. 

Here is a video of my son enjoying the show, complete with photos and slow-mo toddler footwork action. Enjoy!

They have more shows scheduled for March. If you're in Austin, get ye there to see them. It's great weekend fun. Show times and locations listed after the jump.