Friday, July 29, 2011

Rebirth Brass Band

The New Orleans based group, Rebirth Brass Band, is a great example of the street beat music that I fell in love with while living in NOLA.  Nothing else quite captures the essence and culture of New Orleans.  Below is a great example of their impromptu performance in the french quarter. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E1VBCcA76E

My favorite album is by far their compilation album, Ultimate Rebirth Brass Band (see album cover below)
The album and group overall: 5/5 Stars

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Beckoning Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy


Beckoning Light is a great read with plenty of action, fantasy, and romance.  It is a first person, dual narrative of a brother and sister that find another world through an old gate.  Reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia, but with a YA twist.  Primarily written for young adult audience, but fun for all ages.  Great quality with near perfect editing and formating. 

Book Description:
As Charlotte steps through the gate, she has a strong feeling that nothing will ever be the same again.
Moving back to South Carolina after three years away, Charlotte knows she’s going to have to face people from her past and adjust to a new high school, but she’s completely unprepared for what else waits for her in Charleston.
Drawn through an old garden gate, Charlotte discovers a hidden world where she meets Calvin, a boy to whom she is inexplicably attracted. As Charlotte is pulled deeper into this hidden world, it’s up to her older brother Kevin to rescue her. No matter how hard Kevin tries, the rescue depends upon Charlotte fighting her intense feelings for Calvin while mastering a set of abilities that she has only just discovered she possesses. 

5/5 stars

Check out her blog at AlyssaRoseIvy.com
 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Great New Movie

Awesome new movie that is reminiscent of the Goonies meets Cloverfield.  Great coming of age story set in 1979 that has plenty of action and special effects as well.  Fun for the whole family and worth the trip to the theater.  Sure to be a classic.            4/5 stars


Saturday, July 2, 2011

Fun Summer Book Series

The Hunger Games Trilogy
These books are a great summer read that are full of action with a great overall story. Set in a grim dystopian world, the books are very exciting and entertaining reads.  They are likely to become extremely popular once the first movie comes out starting in 2012.
5/5 stars