The Benjy Davis Project “Still Sweet”

Over the weekend a few friends and I headed to Charlotte, NC for a much needed reprieve from NYC. While there, we checked out a pretty sweet roster of singer-song writers at The Evening Muse in downtown Charlotte. Among the performers was The Benjy Davis Project, led by, Benjy Davis (go figure!).

You can check out the full recap of The Benjy Davis Project set as well as Tony Lucca’s (love this man!) at my music site: The Round Table. But, I wanted to share that I picked up the group’s latest cd, Dust, at the show and I’m obsessed with it, especially this one song called “Still Sweet.” Why you ask? Well, because of this perfect little verse:

Just because we had some good times, doesn’t mean I miss them
I’ve been seeing blue skies every day
But I guess the truth of the matter is that I’ve been madder at you than you’ve been at me
I’m still bitter
And you’re still sweet

Um… can we say perfection? Well, almost perfect, I can’t say that you’re “still sweet,” but I’m most definitely still bitter. Listen to the full track below.

Kelly Clarkson to Perez Hilton: STFU

I don’t condone violence at all — but the Perez Hilton/Will i. am incident is ridiculous. Feel free to read my full take at The Round Table, but for those just interested in seeing what Kelly had to say check the video below. Perez talk starts around 3:40 mark — be sure to keep watching until 4:49 mark when interviewer tells Kelly that Perez was actually crying on their talk show. Kelly’s reaction is classic.

All I have to say is — Perez, if Kelly Clarkson, quite possibly the nicest celeb on the planet is talking smack, you definitely made some enemies in the entertainment world.

Puppettime: LeBron vs Kobe

My buddy Luke Armour and a few of his FH Cleveland counterparts know the Lebron “chalk” routine well. There’s even a rumor that a certain someone is quick to bust it out at the office cafeteria from time to time. Although, I’ve yet to see the promised video of this re-enactment, this Nike commercial fills the void (somewhat). Oh and it just happens to be one of the most viewed ads online at the moment.

Original Chalk:

When Celebs Invade Social Media…

The fine folks at Current tv warn us about Twitter overkill thanks to celebrity invasion of the site. Twitter, once a micro-blogging site used by early adopters, tech geeks, and let’s face it, PR folks, to communicate with others, has now become as mainstream as it can get with everyone from Perez Hilton, Oprah Winfrey, and yes, even Britney Spears (or more appropriately her handlers) keeping us up on all that they’re doing.

Yup, it’s oh so exciting. At the very least, the video is good for a laugh – if you can get passed the fact that they made P.Diddy sound like Ja Rule. “It’s Muuuurrrrddaaaaa.”

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Dear Edgitator…

Dear Edgitator…

This is my congratulations to you. I mean, I’d hug you, shake your hand, or even yell out “you rock” if I passed you on the street, but unfortunately, all you get is a virtual “you rock…” until tomorrow at least. Let’s go for the tri-fector tomorrow — awkward hug, hand shake, and I’ll even shout your awesomness to random folks just to watch you squirm.

<3, 

Me

Social Media = Two Way Communication…

The bulk of my days consist of brainstorming ideas for clients on how they can use social media to engage their consumers. Those brainstorms then turn into proposals, some of which get passed through, while others fall by the wayside. Though it can be a pretty frustrating job, ideation without promise of creation, there’s a certain level of satisfaction that comes from having pretty candid conversations with clients about how to or in some cases how not to engage with social media. The one piece of advice that I can’t stress enough is – don’t half ass it – of course, put in a more gentler way. 

Consumers aren’t stupid. For years they’ve been bombarded with one size fits all messages that are pushed their way in traditional mediums, but today they know exactly how to tune them out. Better yet, they know how to get the ear of brands, which was unheard of quite a few years back. If you’re going to play in the “social media” world, whether you’re a major consumer brand or an indie musician, there needs to be a level of authenticity. 

Yes, at the end of the day, there are marketing objectives behind using social media tools, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be honest. Don’t just let your customers or fans (in the case of musicians) hear your voice or be privy to “exclusive” content – but be aware of the conversation going on around you or in most cases about you. It’s simply not enough to just read comments or blast out twitter messages to the masses. So what if you have a myspace page, facebook page, or even a YouTube channel. You may gain a few followers here or there, but how are you sustaining that following? 

By using social media but not engaging in two-way conversations with your followers you’re stating two things:

1) their opinions don’t matter

2) you’re jumping on the bandwagon.

Consumer brands, with the help of public relations and marketing professionals, are realizing that they can’t just play in the social media space just to be there. They realize it’s not all fun and games, that the online space can quickly become a very unsociable place. However, if done properly, they can reach consumers in ways never before possible and create unique user experiences that have powerful, long lasting effects. Same goes for musicians, especially indie musicians who are at a distinct advantage over major label artists since they are in complete control of their content and in essence their brand. So, are you using social media the way it was intended?

Losing You…

There are times when someone’s already said everything you’ve been meaning to say. This is one of those times. Listen to Ashley Arrison’s “Losing You.” Watch it…think about it….then read the lyrics if there’s still any confusion.

“Losing You” by Ashley Arrison

I tried right for so long

But you, you had to have me for your own

I can’t lie, I let you in

But you threw me back again

It’s in your eyes

It’s on your lips

I’m losing you, I’m losing you

It’s in the way we don’t exist

I’m losing you

You said “everything would go our way if we just communitcate”

But don’t lie, you never tried

Is she the reason why?

It’s in your eyes 

It’s on your lips

I’m losing you, losing you

It’s in the way we don’t exist

All my fears are coming true

It’s in the way you say my name

I’m losing you, I’m losing you

Was it all a stupid game?

I’m losing you

You let me slip away

Was I your great escape?

I guess I never really had you in the first place

It’s in your eyes

It’s on your lips

I’m losing you, I’m losing you

It’s in the way we don’t exist

I’m losing you

It’s in the way you touch my skin

I’ll never know how you pulled me in

It’s in the way you say my name

I’m losing you.

 

Nashville Fun…

So this site has been pretty dead lately, but with good reason, I was away! My friend and I took a little roadtrip to Nashville. The common question is “Why Nashville?” My answer — not sure, I’ve always wanted to see it besides I’m slightly obsessed with GAC and CMT channels as of late.

We packed up my car and drove the insane 14+ hours to see what Nashville had to offer. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was just enough city life for me not to go crazy, but balanced with relaxation. Plus, there’s the fact that at any given hour of the day (or night) you can walk into a bar and see a pretty kick ass band or singer-songwriter tear up a stage. NYC has great music, but it’s pretty pretentious – in Nashville there’s rarely a cover charge, musicians just ask that you kick in a few dollars after their show – or even better give them $5+ and have them sing a song of your choosing on the spot. Seriously.

So visiting Nashville was a first in itself, but other highlights included eating at a Sonic. This is a BIG deal. They play commercials all the time here about Sonics, but you can’t find one around here. I’m hooked. Other food highlights: pulled pork, potato salad, and mac n cheese courtesy of the NEELY’s BBQ, biscuits and gravy from Loveless Cafe, and the most AMAZING latte from Provence.

Also experienced the Grand Ole Opry for the first time, which included seeing Rascal Flatts perform among other country/bluegrass legends like Little Jimmy Dickens and Ricky Skaggs. The Grand Ole Opry is grand for sure — it’s one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever been in and when you factor in the TALENT that has crossed the stage and legacy of it all, it’s hard not to get choked up. We also checked out the Country Music Hall of Fame – so cool!

The only scary part about the trip (not just Nashville) is the bible belt. I mean, I’m not an overly religious person, but I am spiritual. Driving from NYC to Nashville (especially through W. Va and VA) proved to be an eye-opening experience. We’re talking crosses EVERYWHERE. Sadly, it became our entertainment – to count the crosses we spotted along the way.

Here are some photo highlights:

Lindsay Lohan’s eHarmony Profile from Lindsay Lohan and Eric Appel

So, I haven’t been much of a Lindsey Lohan fan since she burst on the scene in “Mean Girls.” Movie choices aside, what turned me off was how rapidly her ego inflated. Needless to say, the media was sure to knock her back down to earth. As part of her repentance, it seems as though Lindsey is taking a more comedic approach to the haters by teaming up with Funny or Die. Check out her eHarmony spoof — it’s classic.

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Heineken Commerical: Walk in Closets

This commercial absolutely cracks me up — don’t mind the German speaking (?) couldn’t find the U.S. version with English, but content is essentially the same.