Author: News on Shuffle

EvelynEvelyn Controversy

There has been a lot of backlash in regards to Amanda Palmer’s new project: Evelyn Evelyn. Personally I think people take offense by her way too easily, but Amanda seems to like the discussion that has spawned from it (which is something I have always really respected her for). She has written a response to all the commentary on the whole “Evelyn” thing, but I especially like this part here:

as far as people hurling the criticism that i am “hiding behind my art”….(this one has come up several times)

here’s what i consider hiding: producing inoffensive, corporate-penned, vanilla-bean love-story family-friendly made-for-mainstream-radio music that won’t offend a single person. and won’t make anybody laugh, won’t make anybody think, won’t make anybody wonder, won’t make anybody talk, and won’t change anybody’s life.

THAT, my friends, is hiding behind art.


My response, “Right on, girl!” People nowadays seem afraid to take chances. Some of that is a survival thing, which is fine. I get it, everyone’s gotta eat, right? Some of it is being afraid to offend anyone or be controversial though, and that, in my opinion, is a shame. I’m not saying you should be controversial for the sake of it, but for the love of God (or whatever deity you believe in) please please please get involved in the conversation. I don’t care what it is, just get passionate about something. Create some art, not because it will please everyone, but because it pleases you. And if it offends some people that’s ok. Maybe that means it was worth it. Because it got people thinking. And thinking is good. We should do it more often. Who knows, the world might be a better place for it.

This is getting way off course so I’m just gonna end it by saying that whether you love her or hate her, Amanda got you thinking. More than that, she got you talking. That makes her a good thing, in my book. Keep doing what you do, and love the haters. (It’s what Amanda would want).

Olympic Update – Snowboarding (Halfpipe)

Today was a good day for the USA Olympic Team in Vancouver. Lindsay Vonn won gold for Alpine Skiing while Julia Mancuso took silver. In speed skating, Shani Davis took gold for the men’s 1,000M while Chad Hedrick took bronze. The short track relay semifinals were also today, with Korea, USA, France, China, and Canada making it to the finals. And finally, snowboarding men’s halfpipe was today, with Shaun White taking gold (his second, having also won gold in Torino) and Scotty Lago taking bronze. Overall, a good day for Team USA. The final medal count at the end of the day was 14: 5 gold, 3 silver, 6 bronze, putting us back in first place for total medals. Germany is a close second with 10 total. More to come tomorrow.

Steven Tyler Not Leaving Aerosmith

Remember Steven Tyler saying he is Aerosmith? Well apparently the band agrees. It has been announced that not only will Tyler not be leaving the band, but he will be joining them for two headlining gigs at the Sweden Rock Festival and UK Download Festival. This is good news for fans who were scared they may be seeing an end to a Tyler-fronted band. It’s good to see that the issue was resolved quickly and with seemingly not too much mess. It would have been a shame to see the band end with a dispute between its members. Hopefully Tyler will continue with the band past these two events.

Olympic Update – Figure Skating (Men’s Short Program)

Tonight’s Olympic action brought us the men’s short program for figure skating. Overall the performances were much better than the pairs from the previous night, in my opinion. There were a few falls by some of the skaters, but mostly it was consistently good skating all the way. My top moments came from two of the Americans. The first was Johnny Weir, who didn’t score very well but showed a lot of spunk and won over my heart as he danced and strutted across the ice. The second was Jeremy Abbott skating to “A Day In The Life” by the Beatles. He also didn’t score that well but put on a good show all the same. The top three skaters at the end of the short program were Plushenko of Russia, Lysacek of America, and Takahashi of Japan. We will have to wait to see who gets the gold. The final medal count for Team USA at the end of the day was 8: 2 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze, putting us in second place for the total medal count. Germany has the most medals now with 9: 3 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze. More to come tomorrow.

Green Day + Soundgarden to headline Lollapalooza

The full line-up isn’t official yet, but we are starting to get news of some artists who will be at this year’s Lollapalooza. Headliners include Green Day and the newly reformed Soundgarden. This will be the band’s first performance since their split 12 years ago.

Excited about their reunion and/or this year’s festivals? I know this news had me planning my trip to Chicago.

Olympic Update – Figure Skating (Pairs) + Snowboarding

Today’s Olympic action included another gold medal for Team USA and some intense snowboarding action. Two Americans made it to the finals in Snowboard Cross: Seth Wescott and Nate Holland. Wescott was able to overtake the other three competitors for Team USA’s second Olympic gold medal. Also tonight was the end of the figure skating pairs competition. The top two pairs in this event were both from China, and both had an impressive display to offer. There was also supposed to be speed skating tonight but it was delayed due to unsafe conditions with the ice. At the end of the day the total medal count for Team USA was 8, including 2 gold medals, 2 silver, and 4 bronze. More Olympic action continues tomorrow with figure skating singles short program and the speed skating race that was delayed from tonight.

Olympic Update – Freestyle Skiing

The 2010 Winter Olympics began yesterday in Vancouver. The USA team had a good start with four medals, including the first which went to Hannah Kearny in the Women’s Moguls. See her impressive run in this video provided by NBC. The men’s team got bronze in the same event. The gold went to Canadian Alexandre Bilodeau, giving Canada it’s first gold medal at home.

Other notable events from this weekend’s Olympic action include the surprise wipeout by the Korean team members during the short track race, giving Apollo Ohno a chance for the silver medal in the event. And in women’s hockey the women’s team annihilated China today with a final score of 12-1. The USA currently has 6 medals total, putting them in first place with many more chances ahead in the next two weeks to increase that lead.

Things to do if you don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day

For a lot of reasons that make me seem more bitter than I really am, I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Just because you don’t have a Valentine this year doesn’t mean you have to sit in a dark room and mope though. Here are some possible things to do this Valentine’s Day that don’t involve crying into your popcorn during that cheesy romance flick.

1) Anti Valentine’s Day party – Get some friends together, throw on some great dance beats, and party it up with the people who matter most. Any excuse to have a party is good in my book, and I have definitely had them with less reason. Theme should involve any color but red (maybe make it rainbow colored so you don’t discriminate). For food options it really depends on the crowd. Personally I am liking the idea of pizza and buffalo wings. Maybe some chips and dip as well. Just whatever you and your friends will enjoy the most. Make it a celebration of life!

2) Go to a concert – There are plenty of shows you could go to on any given day, and I am sure Valentine’s Day is no exception to this. Grab a mate and go rock out to some good tunes.

3) Another music option is go clubbing with a friend. Or hit the bar scene with them. Or both. Maybe you will get lucky and find your Valentine for next year…

4) If you don’t feel like going out or making huge plans then staying in is an option too. Plan a movie night with your friends or roommate. With the Oscars coming up you could use the time to get acquainted with the nominees for this year. Personally, I will be watching District 9, since I missed it when it was in theaters.

5) If you would rather be alone then that is fine too. Or maybe you just can’t find anyone else to hang with. Whatever the reason, there is still plenty you could do. Curl up with a good book and catch up on some reading. Or if you’re more of a gamer then there are plenty of games you could occupy your time with today. Whatever your interest, there is plenty to keep you from hiding under the covers today. So go out there and enjoy your day!

Ah the Power of Twitter

I’m sure I’ve mentioned my love for Twitter before (possibly not on this blog though) but for those who may have missed it I’ll catch you up…

I love Twitter.

A lot.

I love how it helps spread news and makes connections that wouldn’t have been possible without it.

I love when my favorite band or musical artist posts behind the scenes photos or information for secret shows in my area. (I actually scored two guest list spots to one such show Jukebox the Ghost had recently in NYC).

So yeah, I love Twitter.

Why mention this now though? I mean, Twitter has been prominent in the media for awhile.

The answer to this involves a story from my day. A friend and I had been planning to see our other friend Bryan Fenkart play at D-Lounge in NYC. It was going to be a late show so we weren’t planning on meeting up until around 10pm. Late this afternoon I checked my Twitter feed to see this message from @Steinway7

Won’t be performing at the D-Lounge tonight. I’m sick. Sorry everyone!

While I was sorry to hear Bryan wasn’t feeling well and would have to cancel the show, I also couldn’t help but be impressed, yet again, with the information highway that is Twitter. True, I probably would have heard the news from my friend eventually, but not everyone would have been as lucky. I doubt Bryan had the ability or inclination to contact all his friends and fans individually to let them know about this cancellation. Twitter gave him the perfect outlet to get the word out in a quick and efficient manner.

And that is just one more reason why I love Twitter.

Steven Tyler is Aerosmith

With Steven Tyler in rehab, there has been talk of Aerosmith replacing him as lead singer so that they can continue with their plans of a tour and new album. There are a number of reasons why this is a bad idea, but number one on my list is that Tyler is Aerosmith. It would be like replacing Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones or Brian Johnson from AC/DC. It is the unique qualities the lead singer has to offer that make the band as famous as they are. I doubt fans would appreciate the band trying to replace the singer after 40 years. The band says they want to celebrate their 40th anniversary and that is part of the reason for the change. I understand this is a time sensitive issue, but replacing the person who made you famous to celebrate an anniversary makes no sense. Tyler has threatened legal action if they continue with this. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, or this band will be celebrating their break-up instead of what really matters most: the music they have contributed (and hopefully will continue to contribute) to the world.