This Is It

I just got back from seeing Michael Jackson's "This Is It" and all I have to say is : "love.love.love"

This movie was a great look at Michael Jackson as a creative genius. Rather than focusing on his tragedy, the film really looked at his mastery as an artist. I don't want to get into the details because I'm sure that not everyone seen it yet and I really think you should get out there and see this film for yourself.

Even if you're not the biggest Michael Jackson fan in the world, this film does a great job of revealing the behind the scenes work. Ever wonder what goes into the pyro, choreography, wardrobe, and set changes of your favorite concerts? Well this truly is it.

After watching the movie, the one thing I wanted more than ever was to see the actual performance. It's a desire-- a void, if you will, that will never be filled. The thought and creativity that went into the production of this tour was truly outstanding.


When I was leaving the theater, I surveyed the demographic of the audience and perhaps that was one of the most touching aspects of the experience. I saw elderly couples, middle aged groups, teenagers, and children who looked to be about four years old. Yet, everyone came out of the theater with their Michael Jackson lanyard around their neck.

More than the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was is the voice of several generations. I think back to "We Are the World" and it becomes clear that he really had a universal message to send. If you go see, "This Is It," I'm sure that message will become clear.

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been any clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change" --MJ

Electric Wire Hustle

Above, you will see my new pictorial masterpiece that I believe perfectly describes
this band I just heard.

Right about now, you're probably wondering, "Ashley, what kind of drugs are you on?" And the answer would be that I just finished reading my Psychology homework and I am high on life. As you may have guessed, Psyc 001 didn't really do the trick for me but Electric Wire Hustle sure did. The reason it took me approximately 10 hours to complete 30 pages of reading, simply comes down to the fact that I was distracted by their myspace.

When I listen to Electric Wire Hustle, I hear an amazing Motown vibe coming from this group of three charming men. People use the term-neo soul quite often but EWH really has something authentically old school about their sound.

So, now you're probably wondering what these pictures have to do with EWH.
Well, I will tell you.

The Roots: EWH has the same hip-hop soul vibe of Philly-favorite, The Roots. Also, an admirable quality that both groups share is that....(drum roll please) they both play their own music- crazy isn't it!

Marvin Gaye: As I said before, there is something authentically old school about this group that I can't really put a finger on. Once you have a listen, though, I'm sure you'll feel it- very reminiscent of Marvin Gaye. Listen to "They Don't Want"- featuring a little Mayfield influence as well (on myspace)!

Kiwi: And finally the big mystery of my pictorial tapestry-- the Kiwi. Despite their soulful, Motown-esque sound, EWH is from none other than New Zealand! Crazy, right?! I mean, I can't name any musicians from New Zealand (although I admit that this is because of my ignorance of New Zealand's culture and not because of the quality of their music). But when you listen to these guys, I'm sure that you, like I, would never guess that they were Kiwi's (and rather ripe looking if I may say so myself).

So here's an actual picture of Electric Wire Hustle

And here's their video for, "Perception." Check out their myspace for more!

"3"- Britney Spears

Only a matter of seconds before this video is removed (copyright) haha but I wanted to at least try to share it. I love Britney Spears and I am 100% not ashamed to admit it. Because I have been spending the last hour listening to her newest single, "3" (while I should have been reading Psychology), I wanted to post it on here. This is for all of your hermits who haven't heard this infectious song yet.

Now let's be clear: the lyrics are rather....lackluster. But Britney always had ridiculous production and the writing is so catchy. Even the boys in middle school who claimed to hate "Baby One More Time" were rocking out to it at every school dance. So let's at least give her credit where it's due.

This is not the official video- rather, it is a mash up of her previous videos (tears of nostalgia) .



Okay so even if you hate Britney Spears, you can't tell me this isn't catchy. I mean, you could tell me that but by the end of the day you'll be hating me because you can't get it out of your head.