Tag: Reba McEntire

I Am Officially Obsessed

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I’ve always had a thing for music. I love to sing (usually badly and loudly along with the radio). I’ve played drums since I was in 3rd grade, and always wanted to learn to play more instruments. And I’m the type of person that needs to have music playing pretty much 24 hours a day.

Sure I have a few favorites–Meat Loaf, Poe, Heart, Reba McEntire, Pink–but for me, loving a particular song or style of music has always been more about what it says to me, what I’m feeling, and, of course, a really great beat.

Enter Karmin.

So, I first heard Karmin’s Brokenhearted on the radio a few weeks ago. It caught my attention right away because it was peppy, upbeat, the kind of song you could have a blast singing along to. Add that to the fact that the lead singer has an incredibly beautiful voice and I was hooked. I actually found myself spinning the radio dials every time I got in the car, hoping I might hear it again (because of course, I had no idea what or who it was at the time).

Eventually, I managed to find the video by searching YouTube.

Score!

And of course, Cadence and I had a singing/dancing party in the living room to celebrate.

But, even more exciting, I found that lead singer Amy Heideman is originally from Seward, Nebraska, and that she and partner Nick Noonan have spent the past few years posting videos of both original and cover songs on YouTube.

Seriously, the amount of talent these two have is mind-blowing. Don’t believe me? Search “Karmin” on YouTube and prepare to spend the next few hours clicking through their video library.

Nick has a great voice and an immense amount of musical talent and Amy, well Amy’s got one of those voices that you can’t help but stop and listen to. Unlike so many other popular singers these days, (ahem…Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, etc.) Amy doesn’t need any fancy studio equipment or auto-tuning to make her sound good. She’s got an incredibly original sound and an immense amount of talent.

Oh, and she raps. That’s right folks. Even white girls from Seward, Nebraska can rap. 🙂

So yes, I am officially obsessed and I’m proud of it. If you’re not familiar with Karmin yet, what the hell are you waiting for. Here’s the video for Cadence and my current favorite…

365 Project – Day 314 – Finding More Than a Hero of the Day

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Today was one of those days that just got me thinking. Not only was it Veteran’s Day, it was also 11/11/11 and National Metal Day. And yet, you turn on the news, and those things only got a nice little soundbyte while things like the Penn State sex abuse scandal and Justin Bieber’s alleged fatherhood dominated the headlines.

The way I see it, we’ve got our priorities a little mixed up here, and I think it’s time for a change.

These days, it seems like we are all so focused on things like money and fame and power and prestige. We idolize celebrities and athletes, worshipping them the way ancient cultures worshipped deities. We see them as heroes, even when their actions prove to be anything but heroic.

What does it say about us as human beings when we spend more time talking about people like Kim Kardashian and Charlie Sheen and the cast of the Jersey Shore than the brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line to protect our freedoms?

I’ll be the first to admit that I like watching television and movies  and listening to music as much as the next person. I like to be entertained. And, like my husband, I have started my own List of People I’d Like to Have a Beer With that includes several of the celebrities that I just think are cool (among them Carol Burnett, Lewis Black, Ellen Degeneres, Reba McEntire, and David Lynch). And yet, my appreciation of their talents has not turned me into a crazed fan or celebrity stalker. I don’t have to rush out and buy a brand new outfit to match the one Kate Middleton was photographed wearing yesterday, and I don’t spend my days analyzing the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie/Jennifer Aniston love triangle. Instead, I like to spend my time trying to be the best damn wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and all around person I can be. I want my time here to matter.

So, today, I would like to pay homage to the heroes that all too often go unnoticed. Tonight’s 365 Project entry is dedicated to the courageous men and women who have served, are serving and will one day serve in the United States military. The job that you do is a job that few of us ever could do. You give yourselves to your country and your countrymen, putting your lives on the line to save ours. You go without, so that we can have plenty. You leave your families and friends behind so that ours can be safe from harm. You are the true heroes. We love you. We thank you. And God bless you.

And in honor of National Metal Day, I dedicate Metallica’s Hero of the Day to our heroes. http://youtu.be/CBJey2dkiAI

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