Check out my latest feature, the 10 Best Deftones songs.
Choosing the 10 Best Deftones Songs was difficult, since they have an extensive body of work. Our list is heavy on ‘Around the Fur’ and ‘White Pony’ songs, as those albums truly represent the band’s artistic and commercial pinnacle. Since the Sacramento band has been active since the early ’90s, choosing 10 songs was a task that was muy difficile.
Read the rest of my 10 Best Deftones Songs feature over at Loudwire.
I interviewed L’Oréal Paris Consulting Nail Expert Tom Bachik.
N: What are some of your predictions for spring trends?
TB: Spring brings a newness and fresh approach. We are more active and nails will get shorter to accommodate. Expect nails to stay soft and rounded in shape, and colors will be a balanced mix of softs and brights living in harmony with neutral tones and metallics.
Read the rest of my interview with Tom Bachik over at Beauty News NYC.
I reviewed Olly Murs’ new track ‘Troublemaker.’
When Murs croons, “Why does it feel so good but hurt so bad?,” there is no answer. But it sure sounds good when he asks it. That’s a philosophical question in life that can never be answered when it comes to love, but we love when pop stars explore that notion in a song.
Read the rest of my review of the new Olly Murs’ track ‘Troublemaker’ over at PopCrush.
Read my 10 Best Soundgarden songs feature over at Loudwire!
The 10 Best Soundgarden songs are hard to choose for several reasons, but mostly because they have assembled an expansive catalog that transcends the “grunge” tag, since they existed as an entity years before “grunge” was a category and term. They also honed their sound, which allowed them continued success as grunge and all its offshoot bands began to wane in popularity.
Read the rest of my 10 Best Soundgarden songs feature over at Loudwire!
I reviewed the new Adele track, ‘Skyfall.’
It’s a smoky, mysterious song, rich with instrumentation, thanks to the 77-piece orchestra that backs the singer. Now, 77 instruments might seem like they could combine to overwhelm a vocalist, but this Adele were talking about. She owns the song; the lush layers fall in line behind her.
Read the rest of my review of the new Adele track, ‘Skyfall,’ over at PopCrush.
Here’s my recap of the Boot Camp episode of ‘X Factor.’
On tonight’s (Oct. 4) Boot Camp episode of ‘X Factor,’ the contestants were given their second task, which was to face off against one another on the same song. They were literally fighting for their lives.
Most of the pairings were complimentary. It made us wonder if the producers and judges were seeing who worked best together, with visions of One Direction Part II dancing in their heads.
Read the rest of my recap of the Boot Camp episode of ‘X Factor’ on PopCrush.
I reviewed the latest from Down, ‘Down IV, Part 1 – The Purple EP.’
The EP is like a high quality, low-calorie meal. It fills you up, sustains you, gives you energy and makes you feel good, but with none of these excess pounds or throwaway fillers.
Read the rest of my review over at LoudWire.
I reviewed the ‘Vultures’ from AxeWound.
‘Vultures’ is 10 tracks of thrashy, razor-sharp riffery, with vocals that are screamy where they need to be and growly when they need to be. The overall mood is nastier than a hungry Rottweiler. It doesn’t straddle any lines or flounder in the middle of the road.
Read the rest of my review over at LoudWire.
I wrote about Taylor Swift on the cover of Glamour Magazine.
Taylor Swift and her signature curls, which have been hiding since she cut bangs for her Vogue cover and opted to go straight, cover the November 2012 issue of Glamour. In all of the inside shots, the model-tall singer is boasting a full head of her famous curls. Of course, she looks gorgeous as ever in her girly dresses.
Read the rest of my review about Taylor Swift on the cover of Glamour Magazine at PopCrush.
I review the new Lana Del Rey track, ‘Ride.’
On ‘Ride,’ LDR’s voice is deep, like that of an old woman who has smoked two packs a day for far too long, in the opening verses. It has a lived-in quality, one marred by experience, drama and trauma, so there is passion there.
Read the rest of my review of the new Lana Del Rey track, ‘Ride,’ over at PopCrush.