Dior Homme

Sometimes my blog posts can get a little girlie, but this particular one is for the hommes. What do you get when you put Jude Law in a tailored suit and give him the keys to a posh ride in the most romantic city in the world? Why you get a Christian Dior campaign of course! And what a sexy little campaign it is.

Thanks to director Guy Ritchie, this Dior Homme commercial is the perfect combination of sophistication, sex appeal, luxury and a whole lot of mystery. From the initial phone call to the drive around Paris, viewers will be trying to piece together the puzzle just as I was.

My favourite detail about this video is JL's charming London accent typical in any Guy Ritchie film. The dramatic pauses and exaggeration on adjectives simply add to his debonair vibe. It just so happens that my all-time favourite Muse song also plays in the background making this love triangle all the more intense.

Hey Rosetta!

I love discovering new sounds , especially if they're coming from Canadian bands. My friend was playing the latest Hey Rosetta CD the other day and I took quite a liking to them. The breakout indie rock band from St. Johns, Newfoundland has been around from a couple years now so I'm a bit ashamed to say I only found out about them recently :(

Some of their influences include The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Arcade Fire and Hope of the State. They were selling out concerts at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto long ago, but Hey Rosetta! gained even more recognition after the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Their song Red Heart was featured in the main montage celebrating Canadian pride across the nation.

The band released their third album titled Seeds in February of this year. Lead singer, Tim Baker, explained in an interview what the album name and title track was all about stating,"...the idea is that we are seeds, traveling from town to town, blowing around, settling down here and there, trying to make something for people", and that "the songs are seeds ... they’re these little things –- four and five minute things — but they have the ability to grow in your brain and be far more meaningful than just what they are."

This album is definitely worth a listen and my ears have already voted Yer Spring and Welcome as favourite tracks. Although both are pretty catchy, I decided to post Red Song on my blog because I love the home made video oh so much. It's simple, romantic and reminds me of what my parents must have been like back in the day.

Road trips, picking berries, picnics and swimming in the lake all seem like things they would have done together when they were young. Whenever I rummage through old photographs of them, I find these beautiful captured moments of my mom sitting on the edge of a canoe with lilies in her hair while my hip dad plays guitar. They used to go on these camping trips with ONLY a guitar and canoe at times. Instead of a tent, they would lean the canoe lengthwise against a tree to sleep under it. I've even seen pictures of them sunbathing on enormous rocks overlooking the lake, somewhat like the picnic scene in the music video.

They have always enjoyed spending time together in the outdoors, so it's no surprise they recently purchased a log cabin all the way up north to retire in. Friends of theirs have expressed concern though, and many are worried my parents may become bored in such a secluded area. My parents however, are more excited than kids in a candy store. They eagerly await boating and fishing their days away. They're actually hoping they won't get many visitors dropping by, so they can spend even more time together.

People often tell me I live in a fantasy land when it comes to the topic of love. I understand a long-lasting and happy marriage is on the verge of extinction, but by growing up in my household, it's difficult to be cynical about it all. My parents are lovers, best friends and just celebrated their 34th anniversary last week. I think they'll be quite content spending their retirement years out in the middle of nowhere because all they really need is one another. In the meantime, i'll continue living in fantasy land.

Hurry Hurry

Jessie Baylin and Nathan Followill are a match made in musical heaven. Followill has had much success playing drums and singing back vocals for Kings of Leon, but it's his wife's career that people may want to start paying close attention to.

I have a list of my favourite Kings of Leon songs, however Baylin's latest single Hurry Hurry surpasses them all. She's a true singer-songwriter with a soothing voice and a knack for creative lyrics. I bet these rock stars probably sing about each other all the time. Do you think it's Followill she's singing about in this specific song? He loves her sipping on his hidden stash of whiskey because she gets a little drunker than she should be?

I’m in your city and you’re nowhere near me


I’m surrounded by the words you told me


Things you love
, things you love

I’m in the middle of your favorite grocery


I’m walking down the street you showed me


Things you love, things you love

What is it all without you


What is it all without you


Oh hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey

I’m sippin’ on your hidden stash of whiskey


A little drunker than you know I should be


Things you love, things you love

Imagination is running crazy


All of the things we should or could be


Things you love, things you love

What is it all without you



What is it all without you

Oh hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey

What is it all without you



What is it all without you


Oh hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey hey hey

Hurry hurry home my baby


Hurry hurry home my love


Hurry hurry home my baby


Hey hey hey hey hey

Open Your Eyes

Sometimes love or lust makes us do the craziest things. Often we disregard the conventional way of thinking, acting or even driving when wrapped up in that special moment. In 1976, Claude Lelouch directed a world famous short film of a high speed drive through Paris where the rules of the road seemed meaningless. Red lights, one way streets, the safety and well-being of pigeons and of course speed limits were of no value when it came to the driver reaching his final destination.

C'était un rendez-vous is an 8 minute film beginning in a tunnel of the Paris Périphérique at Porte Dauphine and ending at Sacré Cœur. Shot in a single take during the wee hours of the morning, one camera attached to the front bumper of an unknown vehicle passes historic landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, Opéra Garnier, Place de la Concorde, the obelisk and the Champs-Élysées. Much controversy surrounds the making of the film as the actual driver is never unveiled. Some believe he is an unnamed F1 racer, a taxi driver or even Lelouch himself.

The very first time Lelouch granted usage rights to anyone was only a few years ago. The band, Snow Patrol, were the lucky ones using the footage for their music video to "Open Your Eyes". Enjoy and drive safely readers!

Think You Can Wait

OK I confess- I am slightly obsessed with The National. They have easily earned their spot in my top 3 favourite bands at the moment. I'm finding it difficult to listen to anything other than Matt Berninger's sonorous voice lately. Not only has that baritone voice become a defining characteristic of the band, but he has also been referred to as the sexiest voice in indie rock. Berninger's wife is one lucky lady. If I was married to this guy, he would definitely be singing and talking our days away!

The band which formed in Ohio recently recorded a song for the new indie film Win Win starring Paul Giamatti . It has been said that the song "Think You Can Wait" was written after the band saw the movie and became inspired by Tom McCarthy's themes of "very normal and good people trying to do their best and the struggle to be good."

Most National songs are melancholic because they hold a lot of emotion and depth. I can appreciate a really great slow song and although they depress some people, I find them to be quite relaxing. It's the perfect sound to unwind to at the end of any day.

If you like this song I highly recommend listening to their latest album - High Violet. Specifically "England", "Conversation 16", "Sorrow" and "Runaway".

I'm Yours

It's Tuesday and if you haven't smiled yet, then let this rising star serenade you via YouTube. He may not know many of the words (OK he doesn't know ANY of the words), but his cuteness and facial expressions make up for it. He surprisingly keeps a good pitch though.

And people wonder why I want Asian babies one day...

Neon Black

Voila! Officially released last night - Neon Black by the Candy Coated Killahz.

Behind the Scenes

In less than 24 hours, MuchMusic will premiere the Candy Coated Killahz music video to their lead single titled Neon Black. I am ecstatic to have been included in this futuristic video and it's always a pleasure being surrounded by such talented and creative people.

The dynamic duo showcasing urban electro-pop has been hailed by the Globe and Mail as one of the bands responsible for Toronto's emergence as an "electronic music capital". Having already jammed with The Roots, The Gza (of Wu Tang Clan), Pitbull and The Cool Kids, CCK also had their 2009 debut single Playboy appear in a movie and several TV series in North America.

As one of the industry's few female producers, classically trained pianist and multi instrumentalist Tasha Schumann is the frontgirl of the group. Her candy coated partner in crime, Michael Ayodeji Akinlabi (also known as Icon the Anamoli), offers a great deal of artistic edge with his vocals, eclectic dance moves and a background in animation and game design.

The music video that everyone will be talking about is directed by Alon Isocianu. By incorporating a plethora of metallic costumes, wild hair and daring makeup the characters of this video easily fit into a world of flashy buildings and flying cars. Hairstylist Grant Butterworth had no boundaries when it came to my hairdo. He insisted on platinum blond extensions with a heavy set of bangs covering my eyes. The look was topped off with fetish tape wrapped around my head. I could barely see a thing during the whole shoot and was extra cautious when stepping over all the wires on set.

Despite my impaired vision, I was one of the dancers in the club scene. Some may even notice that Tasha gives me a little nudge as she and Icon are walking through the crowd. To let readers in on a little secret - the club scene with hundreds of ravers was actually only filmed with eight dancers in front of a green backdrop. After multiplying all of the dancers a few times over and digitally adding the background, it created the craziest party spot possible. The dancers were specifically asked to use lots of arm movements, which had me busting moves I wouldn't dare unveil even after a few extra cocktails. I bet the cast had a good laugh, not that I could tell for sure due to my lack of vision with the extremely long bangs and all.

Listen and love Candy Coated Killahz and I'm certain your heart will go Neon Black just as mine has. Below are some behind-the-scenes shots courtesy of photographer Michelle Belsky.

Florence + The Machine

Thank you to someone special for introducing me to this song. Everything about it and the artistic video rocks my world right now. You can't go wrong with great costumes, face paint, little drumming ninja men and lyrics like "she killed it with kisses and from it she fled". My best friend and I couldn't stop singing this tune all weekend. The dog days are over my friends!

Heartbeats

What better way to start the new year than with something ultra beautiful. The song, the artist, the words, the melody, the video, heartbeats and the millions of bouncy balls make me smile and want to plan a trip to San Francisco very soon.

The Black Keys

CAN'T. STOP. LISTENING. TO. THE. BLACK. KEYS.

If Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters created a prodigy child, the bundle of joy would be called The Black Keys. I recently did a photo shoot where The Black Keys just so happened to be cranked over the speakers. The perfect blend of rock and blues set the mood for a mellow atmosphere that day. After four hours of posing, wardrobe changes and hair/makeup touch ups, you would think another TBK song would be the last thing I'd want to hear. Au contraire, I ended up going home and uploading all their albums onto my iPod.

The band is surprisingly composed of only two men. Dan Auerbach is the bearded guitarist with the enticing voice and Patrick Carney is the talented man behind the drum set. The Ohio natives create loose songs oozing with soul and meaningful lyrics.

I find lots of bands slack in the lyrical department. There's an overload of musical garbage out there where artists just fill songs with empty words. However, with the release of their sixth album, Brothers, produced in Alabama's famous Muscle Shoals Sound studio, it's nice to know TBK stay true to the old school blues style with songs revolving around troubled women and classic heartache. The lyrics are honest and very well thought out. I constantly have one of their tunes stuck in my head and this is why TBK has easily become one of my all-time favourite bands.

The band is often compared to The White Stripes as both have similar sounds possibly attributing to the fact both are duos using vocals, guitar and drums. I personally like them much better than the White Stripes though. It's not that often you find a band where you adore every single song they offer. Regardless of a heavier rocker song or one of their soft melodies, they always exude tons of energy into their music and even more in their performances. Seriously though, from watching some of their videos (such as the last YouTube I posted at the bottom of this article) it's apparent they get quite the workout from jamming on stage. They make me want to trade in my gym membership and join a band.

TBK also have a quality following including Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett to name a few. This band is definitely worth checking out. I'm sure if you hear one song, you'll want to hear them all. At least that's what happened to me.

Here's a little taste....

This is a tune off their latest album.

I like this one too!

Words by Bob Marley

With quotes like this, it's no wonder this man will remain a legend...

Local Natives

Sometimes there's a song that cannot escape my repeat button. After a friend played Airplanes for me one night, I was instantly intrigued by the lyrics, melody and calming voices that all I could do was listen to it over and over again. It wasn't long before I was hooked on the up and coming modern worldly folk band, Local Natives. Recently I scored some free tickets to their sold out concert at the Mod Club in Toronto. My repeat button was no longer needed as I had the pleasure of seeing this talented young band perform right before my eyes.

The five piece group from LA delivered just the show Torontonians were anticipating. Although there was word of a broken down tour bus that day and a small mishap at the start of the show when keyboardist Kelcey Ayer announced "Hello Vancouver!", the band still rocked the stage with explosive energy for a rather laid back style of tunes off their debut album, Gorilla Manor. The use of multi instruments including the dual tribal drums were a nice touch. With their catchy melodies and harmonized voices, they left the crowd wanting so much more. Returning to the stage to perform Sun Hands as the encore, fans joined in and sang along to the chorus.

Meeting the band afterward was a treat. They were pretty ecstatic and surprised with how much of a following they continue to get in Toronto. Bassist, Andy Hamm, said he noticed Nikki and I dancing near the front row and I was glad our fierce dance moves didn't go unnoticed that night. We chatted with the rest of the band mates, but then it was time to get to the bottom of who actually created the song I've had on repeat for the last little while.

I was so curious as to who conjured up the lyrics to Airplanes and what the song was actually written about. One of the beautiful things about music is songs are left for individual interpretation. Isn't it interesting that when an artist writes a song for a specific purpose, someone else can use those exact words to relate to their own personal experiences? The band directed me towards Kelcey who told me he wrote the song about the death of his grandfather. To deal with the fact he never got a chance to know his grandfather, he put those emotions into the making of that heartfelt song.

Nikki, Andy, me & Matt

Nikki, Kelcey (the man who wrote Airplanes) and I

As the band moves onto Montreal, Nikki and I instructed them to try a poutine. They had no idea what we were talking about so we explained it was a delicious snack of french fries topped with gravy and fresh cheese curds which was famous in Montreal. Everyone venturing to the city should try one and they promised to give it a go. Overall these Cali boys not only put on a fabulous concert, but they are genuine and easy going people to talk to. They aren't local Canadian natives, but they'll do just fine in my books.

Some of my other favourite songs by this band include...

Who Knows, Who Cares

Cubism Dream

Sun Hands

World News

Here's the song I've been blabbering about!

Pieces Don't Fit Anymore

I've been twisting and turning in a space that's too small

I've been drawing the line and watching it fall

You've been closing me in , closing the space in my heart

Watching us fading and watching it all fall apart

Well I can't explain why it's not enough

Cause I gave it all to you

And if you leave me now

Oh just leave me now

It's the better thing to do

It's time to surrender

It's been too long pretending

There's no use in trying

When the pieces don't fit anymore

The pieces don't fit here anymore

You pulled me under so I had to give in

Such a beautiful mess that's breaking my skin

Well I'll hide all the bruises; I'll hide all the damage that's done

But I show how I'm feeling until all the feeling has gone

Why I can't explain why it's not enough

Cause I gave it all to you

And if you leave me now

Oh just leave me now

It's the better thing to do

It's time to surrender

It's been too long pretending

There's no use in trying

When the pieces don't fit anymore

The pieces don't fit anymore

You pulled me under so I had to give in

Such a beautiful mess that's breaking my skin

Well I'll hide all the bruises; I'll hide all the damage that's done

But I show how I'm feeling until all the feeling has gone

I don't know why

Well I can't explain why it's not enough

Cause I gave it all to you

And if you leave me now

Oh just leave me now

It's the better thing to do

It's time to surrender

It's been too long pretending

There's no use in trying

When the pieces don't fit anymore

The pieces don't fit anymore

The pieces don't fit anymore

Oh, don't misunderstand how I feel

Cause I've tried, yes I've tried

Still I don't know why

No I don't know why

Even more alluring than reading these lyrics are actually hearing James Morrison's sexy, smoldering and raspy voice belt them out. Not many people I chat with know of Mr. Morrison or his exquisite songs. It's as if the man can find the perfect words to describe his heartaches and muster all that sorrow to exude it in the songs he sings. I would be one happy woman if he could just serenade me every night before I fall asleep.

Happy Oktoberfest

It's that time of the year again when people gather to indulge in beer, sausage, sauerkraut and polka music all in the name of Oktoberfest. There are 700, 000 visitors who flood the Kitchener-Waterloo region to celebrate the second largest Bavarian festival in the world (the first being the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany). Carrying a "go big, or go home" motto with me at all times, I dressed in dirndl, alpine hat, sipped some fine lager and danced my little heart out. I wouldn't have had my first Oktoberfest experience any other way.

My partner in crime for the festivities was a local celebrity/my best friend, Nicole Stuber. Nikki, who was crowned Miss Oktoberfest 2007 and looked dashing in her lederhosen getup, is still very much involved with each annual Oktoberfest. She works very hard every year to organize, run and attend most of the week's events including charity breakfasts, competitions, galas as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. We started the night at her club (The Kitchener Schwaben Club) and split a German combo meal which included sausage, sauerkraut, schnitzel, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffed cabbage rolls and bread. We washed down the carbs with more carbs AKA beer. After the traditional meal, I'm sure the traditional dirndl which Nikki lent me for the night was about to bust at the seams. So we hit the dance floor where I was taught all the official Oktoberfest dances along with the song lyrics all somehow revolving around beer and Jagermeister.


We were joined by two brave ladies to create the only all-girls team for the log cutting competition. Two girls had to sit on each end of a log while the other two took turns sawing. The team with the most cuts in the log in the allotted time won. We were pretty proud of our third place finish considering first and second place teams were made up of burly lumberjacks. Our prize was a lovely set of 2010 Jagermeister foam horns in a shade of construction orange.

We ventured over to Condordia Club, which was over capacity very early on in the night. Luckily Nikki had all the connections and we had no problem getting into the private board room and sneaking some Jagermeister shots with the club president. Adjoined to the club was a huge tent filled with veteran beer chuggers, music and more delightful carb-induced meals.

I learned a lot about the German culture this week. Not only do Germans love beer, but Nikki's cousin who was visiting from Germany, taught me that the knots tied onto a woman's dirndl are an indication of her marital status. I found the rundown very interesting.

Knot tied on left side = single and ready to mingle

Knot tied on right side = married, engaged or "taken"

Knot tied at back = widowed or divorced

I couldn't understand why Andrea, wearing her beautiful green dirndl, tied a knot at the back of her dress for most of the night. Well aware of the symbolism (or so she thought), she believed the back knot indicated her sacred virginity. When I broke the news about the cold hard truth of her back knot, it clicked as to why men weren't approaching her that night. It's funny how women have to carry around their baggage and symbols for all to see and judge while men freely scamper around in their lederhosen. We had a good long laugh and then shared another pint of beer. Prosit!

My BFF and I dressed in full German garb

The only all-girls team

>

Shot skis!

Limbo mania

Secret handshake

Ghost Soldier

YouTube sensations seem to be increasingly popular these days. Just about anyone can create a video of themselves and broadcast it across the world. Some have become overnight superstars such as "the double rainbow guy" for his exaggerated love and astonishment for double rainbows. However there are actual talented artists who post themselves on YouTube and deserve much more attention.

A boy from Boulder, Colorado that goes by the pseudo name "Ghost Solider" is one of these deserving musicians. This kid has some serious background training in playing the drums and has now posted 87 videos of himself playing drum covers of well-known bands. I along with many of my friends have been blown away by his performances. It impresses me that by being so young and having such a great ear, this musician could literally step in as the drummer for any band out there at any given time.

I can't stop watching his videos because he's just so darn entertaining. I don't know if it's because of his conservative demeanor, big curly red hair or the fact that he somewhat resembles the lead character in Ratatouille. His passion and talent are definitely worth checking out.

Exhibit A - Not-so-deserving YouTube sensation (but still very funny) - Double Rainbow Guy. How does this man have over 17 million views? This boggles my mind!

Exhibit B - Ghost Soldier playing Metric cover

One of his most impressive posts is Ghost Soldier playing the Cousins cover from Vampire Weekend. This is such a demanding and difficult song. Normally drum parts are meant to hold rhythm and timing in the background, but this particular song features drums in the foreground where a lead guitar would normally be.

Tunes

Revamp your iPod with some recommended play lists I created.

My top 20 favourite songs I listen to when winding down at the end of the day, at the beach or traveling around.

THE BUBBLE BATH MIX

1. Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
2. Jack Nimble - Lady Of The Sunshine
3. Letters from the Sky - Civil Twilight
4. Walnut Tree - Keane
5. Grapevine Fires - Death Cab For Cutie
6. I've Got Friends - Manchester Orchestra
7. Sometime Around Midnight - Airborn Toxic Event
8. Endlessly - Muse
9. Sleeping Sickness - City and Colour
10. Relator - Scarlett Johansson & Pete Yorn
11. Ready to Start - Arcade Fire
12. Big Jet Plane - Angus and Julia Stone
13. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
14. Nantes - Beirut
15. The High Road - Broken Bells
16. Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder
17. Neon Tiger - The Killers
18. Cities of Night - Blaqk Audio
19. What You Want - John Butler Trio
20. Bruises - Chairlift

I listen to this mix when I'm preparing for a night out with the girls, driving or anytime I need a little energy boost.

THE COFFEE MIX

1. We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP
2. Hot - Inna
3. Stereo Love - Edward Maya
4. Get Far ft. H Boogie - The Radio (DJ Ross and Alessandro Viale Remix)
5. One Life Stand - Longo & Wainwright ft. Craig Smart
6. That's My Name - Akcent
7. Ghosts N Stuff - Deadmau5
8. Infinity - Josh Guru Project
9. As The Rush Comes - Motorcycle
10. Naturally - Selena Gomez

BARAKA

As a rookie to the blogging scene, I've been told to write about everything new and current. But, I've never really been one to follow the rules. There are just too many wonderful things that are old and still remain oh so wonderful. One being a documentary directed by Ron Fricke and released in 1993.

Despite being 17 years old, Baraka is still one of the most mesmerizing things I've ever seen. Baraka is an ancient Sufi world meaning blessing, the breath or the essence of life from which evolutionary process unfolds. A five person crew, a period of 14 months, 24 countries across 6 continents later the beautiful Baraka was born.

A dear friend introduced me to Baraka and I'm forever grateful. When I told him I had never even heard of it, he simply said, "we'll watch it tonight. It will change your life". So my two friends and I popped in the film, cranked the surround sound and found a comfy nook in the couch. I didn't know what to expect. Not one word was said throughout the entire one hour and 36 minute film. All three of us were locked in a trance and when it was all over, I was completely lost for words.

So a little bit about the background...The film is a collage of imagery from around the world that doesn't use words, because it really doesn't have to. It's almost like National Geographic on tape, but captures the more intimate details of life. It documents unexplained natural treasures, larger-than-life man made structures and the simplicity of animals in their habitat. It depicts the effects of overpopulation with fast motion street scenes in Tokyo traffic and assembly line productions. It shows the human devotion to religion and spirituality by whirling dervishes of Islam’s Sufi sect, Orthodox Jews bobbing at the Wailing Wall and Muslim pilgrims circling the Kabah in Mecca. And poverty is ultimately seen through the eyes of children in India. Essentially Baraka is about life and finding the beauty and the suffering in it all. It's realizing that there is so much more to the world we live in and coming to terms with the fact that your own problems seem so minor in the grand scheme of things. (Well at least that's what I think).

Visually enriching and tastefully paired with beautiful music including the chanting of Lisa Gerrard, makes it hard for anyone to hide their emotions at times. Depending on past travels and experiences, each scene will trigger something different. For me, I jumped back in time to Cambodia, walking through the Killing Fields. When I saw the footage of the millions of black and white photographs of people who were massacred during the Khmer Rouge, my heart sank deep down into my stomach. I will never forget the faces from those photographs I saw up close while walking through the concentration camp or the sight of the neatly stacked skulls at the Killing Fields. What I saw and learned from that horrific genocide is forever embedded in my head and heart. For you, it could trigger something completely different.

Here is the Baraka trailer. I would love to hear comments on what readers thought of the documentary. What did it trigger in you?

Deadmau5 & Benny Benassi Concert

He was a geeky computer guy who found a dead mouse in his hard drive one day. Soon after, his chat room buddies coined him "that dead mouse guy", which was then shortened to a user name allowing 8 maximum characters, hence Deadmau5. The death of that poor little mouse sparked the birth of a very talented electro DJ and producer from Toronto, Canada. Everyone is currently raving about Deadmau5 and after attending his performance at the Guvernment last week in Toronto, my eyes and non-mouse ears loved the experience. I now understand what all the commotion is about.

The night featured legendary Benny Benassi who spun a two-hour set of old and new songs. He was later joined onstage by JFK of MSTRKRFT (pronounced "master-craft") who bopped his shaggy hair with every hard and edgy beat he spun. Both had a great time spinning together and my friend, Nikki, and I had an equally great time watching them front row. (Thanks again for the tickets and guest list Benny and friends!)

With several DJ's in attendance, it was apparent who the crowd favourite was. The venue was packed with fans sporting mouse heads and mouse ears. After my Coachella blog post, I had an overwhelming response to Deadmau5 by readers and friends alike. I started to get the hint that this guy was big on the world music scene when people just couldn't stop talking about him and his live gigs. With all the build up, I was afraid when I actually saw Deadmau5 for myself I'd be disappointed. But, that wasn't the case as Nikki and I were immediately drawn in, impressed and wanted more.

The performance was much more than I ever imagined. His set sounded phenomenal and his light show was absolutely amazing. He performed with his trademark character mouse head for a couple of songs and then threw it into the crowd for one of his lucky fans to take home. His oversized DJ booth/stage spewed a coloured lazer light show and talking mouse head. He knew exactly what and how to mix his sets up so that the crowd felt the build up of every song and stayed energized throughout. The worst thing about his performance is that it eventually had to end.

We watched the end of the show from an open garage door to escape the crowd of overdosing teenagers. With a cool breeze and a nice policeman to take our picture before we left the venue, I'm convinced we had the best seats in the house during that time.

The Last Beat Of My Heart

I listen to this song every day and I think you will too once you hear it. Thank you nelnel2709, whoever and wherever you are, for posting this video to accompany such a beautiful song.

If you need to press repeat now that you've heard it, you're sure to fall head over heels for DeVotchKa. The band is made up of four musicians, all with eclectic backgrounds, based out of Denver. They fuse eastern European folk, Gypsy and American punk as well as South American traditional styles to create a trademark sound. It's so refreshing to hear artists who dare to be different and I'm in utter awe at how many cool instruments they play.

They jam out with not only guitar, piano, double bass and percussion, but also violin, accordion, theremin (an electronic instrument that produces eerie sounds), bouzouki (a traditional Greek string guitar), sousaphone (a type of tuba used by marching bands) and trumpet.

Like most bands, DeVotchka started off in poverty with their sound constantly being deemed "unmarketable". But hard work and talent never goes unrewarded and the group shot to stardom with the success of their soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine, a surprise hit film.

My top DeVotchKa songs include...

How It Ends
Till the End Of Time
You Loved Me
New World

FYI - The name DeVotchKa translates into "young girl" in Russian.