The Scholars and The Journey – New Hot Albums to watch for

 

I am just looking around Trinoma when I saw these two new albums. I feel that these two albums are worth buying so I immediately bought some for me and listened. Indeed my instincts again proved that I made the right decision.

Let’s start with this year’s Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 album – Scholars sings Cayabyab. This is collection of some old and new Ryan Cayabyab compositions interpreted by this years Pinoy Dream Academy Top Ten scholars with last season’s winner Yeng Constantino. I personally love Bugoy’s song “Paano na Kaya”. It is simple yet it totally suits his vocal range. Prepare also for the diva-like songs of Laarni and Liezel with their songs “Manalig ka” and “I’d Rather”. I liked also Van’s version of “Another Goodbye Song”. Check out this album … it cost only P250.

 

 

Probably the best buy I made this week is the comeback album of Journey – Revelation. It is truly a revelation for me because I never wanted rock bands but as soon as I heard “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Open Arms”… I instantly became a fan. I can’t stop saying OMG because the album is so damn good. Ariel Pineda is really something to look forward. His voice is really on fire and edgy. I compared his voice with the former lead singer Steve Perry and I tell you my hair all raise up of the close resemblance. It is good that many Pinoys are being given a chance in the international scene. Here are the current band members of the band:

Neal Schon – lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals (1973-present)
Ross Valory – bass, backing vocals, lead vocals (1973-1985, 1995-present)
Jonathan Cain – piano, keyboards, harmonica, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (1980-present)
Deen Castronovo – drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals (1998-present)
Arnel Pineda – lead vocals (2007-present)

The album is worth buying since this is a double CD album. The first CD contains the new songs of the band while the second CD is a rendition of the Classic Journey songs. If you are in Europe and Tokyo, you get a bonus tracks. “Let It Take You Back” is the bonus track on the European release, and “The Place in Your Heart” is the bonus track on the Japanese release.

Currently Revelations ranks the #2 slot for Billboard Rock album Category and is possible nominee for the best Classic Rock Album of the Year. The album excited Gold sales and possible Platinum sales.

What can I say… Just Don’t Stop Believing… and fulfill your life longs dreams guys.

 

(‘o’) – jupiterboi out…

Stand Up to Cancer Telethon – a monumental concert for Cancer victims

 

 

In a rare event the 3 most powerful TV network in America (NBC, ABC, CBS) aired last night a telethon like no other: Stand up for Cancer Telethon. Here is the E! Online summary of the event:

 

(source: Stand Up to Cancer Gets a Rise Out of Hollywood’s Finest by Natalie Finn)

 

The stars came out tonight with hopes of brightening the way for years to come.

Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston, Salma Hayek, Ellen DeGeneres, Keanu Reeves, Billy Crystal, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Casey Affleck, America Ferrera, Fran Drescher, Forest Whitaker, John Krasinski, Christina Applegate, Josh Brolin and Masi Oka are just some of the A-listers who participated Friday in the Stand Up to Cancer telethon, benefiting cancer research, at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre.

Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron, the stars of Lost, Lance Armstrong, Tina Fey and some fellow 30 Rockers, Carson Daly and Tom Green also spoke up via video. 

 

But despite a roster of names that wouldn’t have seemed out of place at the Oscars, it was sobering to see how many of the event’s participants’ lives have been affected by cancer, including Applegate, who after being diagnosed with breast cancer this year underwent a preventative double mastectomy, Katie Couric, whose husband, Jay Monahan, died of colon cancer in 1998.

 

Couric presided over the special with her network news competition, NBC’s Brian Williams and ABC’s Charles Gibson, both of whom have also lost family members to the disease. On a rare night of Nielsen disregard, the show aired live and commercial-free on NBC, ABC, CBS.

 

“It’s all about collaboration,” Couric said. “Collaboration among the networks, collaboration among cancer researchers all around the country…and ultimately, the collaboration of the American people, who can unite behind a single cause that affects so many people.”

 

Addressing the audience before the show, executive producer (and cancer survivor) Laura Ziskin took a swipe at Fox for not getting with the program.

 

News Corp. exec Peter Chernin sent flowers, she quipped, but “a very large donation from News Corp.” would be better.

 

While the overall tone of the evening was about as serious as it gets, what with the heartrending montage of sick children, testimonials from those who have battled or lost someone to cancer and some very sobering statistics (someone dies of cancer every minute in the U.S.), Ziskin didn’t forget to bring the funny.

 

Among the lighter moments were a James L. Brooks-provided Simpsons short, in which Homer gets a colonoscopy (“Mmmm, Mayo,” he said when welcomed to the Mayo Clinic); Brad Garrett bending over for a prostate exam (“I can’t believe Fox is counterprogramming against this”) and the usual shenanigans courtesy of Jack Black.

 

“I usually watch these things at home in my underpants, saying, Look at all these celebs!” the Tropic Thunder star said before urging Brolin, who was on the phone taking pledges, to call up DeGeneres, who was sitting a few sits away, and donate some of that No Country for Old Men cash.

 

Also spied answering phones were Rob Lowe, Mandy Moore, Jon Favreau, Jimmy Fallon, Christina Ricci, Marg Helgenberger, Goran Visnjik, Mekhi Phifer, Marissa Jaret Winokur, David Spade and Sharon Osbourne.

 

The celeb quotient multiplied significantly, as well, when Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Fergie, Mary J. Blige, Carrie Underwood, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, LeAnn Rhimes, Nicole Scherzinger and Ashanti performed via satellite (from Fashion Rocks at Radio City Music Hall) the cause’s new anthem, “Just Stand Up,” which went on sale Tuesday on iTunes.

 

Melissa Etheridge, yet another of the survivors in the house tonight, performed the song live to close out the show.

 

Here are some of the pics that Kevin Mazur/Getty took during the event:

 

 

 

Mariah and Fergie

 

 

Stand Up To Cancer Divas

 

Here is the video of their performance singing “Just Stand Up” in the said Telethon:

 

 

 

 

jupiterboi says:

 

I love programs that seek unification instead of hate propaganda. It is a good ice breaker with all the MacCain and Obama battle going on. The sad thing though for me is that will it really end Cancer? Cancer treatment of any type is really costly. I think a massive education and good healthy living is a integral key to prevent Cancer. Stop Smoking (my # 1 enemy… I just simply hate them… these people doesn’t even care of others right for clean air)… Stop excessive alcoholic drinks… Stop eating Junk foods (although I’m always eating them)… and most of all Stop Discrimination and Indifference (for me the biggest Cancer of all). If we all learn to care and share, whether we get afflicted with physical diseases, Love will surely take us to a rewarding life.

(‘o’) – jupiterboi out…

Got Milk? A prelude to a possible Oscar winning film

 

Just when I thought the closest gay film that could get an Oscar is “BrokeBack Mountain”, watch out for “Milk” due to be shown this November 2008. This film is all about a story based on the life of Harvey Bernard Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected in US. He was, according to Time magazine, “the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet.” I know it is still too early to predict Oscar bets but as I watched the film trailer, I have a hunch that this will be an immediate contender for this year Oscars. It has all the potential Oscar wining film, good cast, excellent technical aspects, relevant, unconventional and most of all… a biopic film. Here is the plot of the film (source: www.imdb.com)

 

“After moving to San Francisco, the middle-aged New Yorker, Harvey Milk, became a Gay Rights activist and city politician. On his third attempt, he was elected to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 1977, making him the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA. The following year, both he and the city’s mayor, George Moscone, were shot to death by former city supervisor, Dan White, who blamed his former colleagues for denying White’s attempt to rescind his resignation from the board.”

Harvey Milk’s life has been an inspiration for many aspiring gay professionals and in fact many books have been published in honor of his life. “The times of Harvey Milk” won as the Best Documentary Feature in the 1985 Academy Awards, Emmys, Sundance Film Festival to name a few.

 

The casts of Milk are undeniably worthy of an Oscar too. Playing the role of Harvey Milk is Sean Penn. He is joined by actors like Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Diego Luna, Brandon Boyce, Kelvin Yu, Lucas Grabeel, Alison Pill, Victor Garber as Mayor George Moscon, and Denis O’Hare as State Senator John Briggs.

 

On a personal note, I want this film to really win because of the message it wants to tell. Whether they might be gay, lesbians, freaks as they say, all of us are part of this world and has the right to make a positive difference to society. All should have an equal treatment in all professions. It is a shame that this has happened in the 70s but we all still face the same issues. Do we ever learn? I don’t ask for too much… just a fair share in this vast entity called life.

 

If this will win, it will be the first ever gay themed film to win Best Picture in the history of the Oscars.

 

I leave you guys with the trailer of Milk:

 

 

 

 

 

(‘o’) – jupiterboi out…