Jackson On - Vegas

So, this city is riddled with smoke, alcohol, gambling and prostitutes, which I guess should turn off people who are here for a family vacation, this is very much an ADULTS paradise.
But despite that, this place has such an amazing atmosphere, with the lights and just incredible sights on the streets. The "show" this city puts on is amazing.
Speaking of shows, we managed to get along to a Cirque Du Soleil show - "Ká" which was incredible! Probably the best show I have ever seen, couldn't beat Coldplay or Foos though, not that good.
If you ever make it to Vegas, one thing you must do is go to the Grand Canyon! It was breathe taking, the sights, the skywalk and I even got the chance to ride a helicopter! Awesome! Just awesome!

Jackson

Jackson On - So... cya guys?

So for the next month basically I'll be in America on holiday, it should be great!

So don't expect heaps of blogs, but when I get back I have an idea for a new series for me.

Have a Merry Christmas to all! And have a great new year!

Jackson

Laura On Kanye West

Kanye, to me is one of the rappers that is actually talented. Apart from the fact he seems to suffer from sevear foot in mouth syndrome, his music is really entertaining. He does many collaborations and over the years the type of music he has produced has varied and changed dramatically.

Some of my personal favourites of his are Stronger, Lovelockdown and Heartless. And more recently his collaboration with Jay Z Clique.

Kanye's speeches are sometimes contreversial for all the wrong reasons but his music is something to speak about with pride. I think Kanye, among with many other black rappers who have made names for themselves really deserve to be recognised as not just people who can say words really quickly, but as true musicians.

But he's ruining his image by dating Kim Kardashian I think..

Laura

Jackson On - Amanda

So, by now many people know the very tragic story of Amanda Todd. If you don't know about it, she was a girl who was bullied, and in the end committed suicide.

I'm not going to go on a rant on my view of bullying, thought I'm very anti-bullying. But I did see a video on YouTube which I think people should watch, especially teenagers, as it touches on these topics really well.

So, search up on YouTube - "Teens React To Bullying (Amanda Todd)

Teens react is made by the FineBros who make the "React videos" which are quite interesting, so check them out.

Jackson

Jackson On - The Unfortunate Life

It's true, we all have the bad days, weeks, months or even years, but what I've found is that listening to music gets me through anything. At the moment, there is a lot of stress going through many Australian high school students with exams, but just listen to some music, seriously, it's been proven to relax, but of course it's all about what helps you to relax.

Jackson

Jackson On - Mylo Xyloto 2012

Yes, as well as Laura, I also experienced what was my fourth concert, and also what came to be the best I have ever seen. I'll be brief as Laura described it pretty well, but I can't stress to you enough how incredible it was. The actual performance, as in the music, was a huge pleasure to watch. I've always been a fan of Coldplay because of their ability to use tracks and stuff on the albums, but can also show off their true music ability by playing live in concert. Chris Martin is an idol of mine. He and Dave Grohl :P But, though I didn't want to show my mates, I was so excited last night to witness him. He is actually incredible. The show side of it, was indescribable, to see a studios lit up with incredible light show, fire works, and wristbands that flashed on and off with the thousands of people waving their hands about.

The concert will be a memory for my whole life, with out a doubt. It was incredible. The Temper Trap put on a great performance. And there were three favorite parts of the night for me. (the songs that are about to be mentioned are my favorite Coldplay songs basically) Firstly, Viva La Vida, it was incredible, everybody was up going crazy, and same with Violet Hill. Then, Chris played the two songs that are dearest to me. It's a very long story, but these two songs have so much meaning to me, so when Chris played Fix You and The Scientist, that will be a highlight of my life.

Jackson

Laura On Mylo Xyloto 2012

So I'm sitting here with my best friend Caz and Temper Trap have just left center stage. They were amazing! Although we are freezing our asses off, the performances are definitly worth it. My personal favourite songs of theirs were: Miracle, Trembling Hands and Sweet Disposition. I know Jackson is here tonight as well so as the night goes on I'll keep adding highlights of the night!

Coldplay.. There are no words for the performance they gave tonight. Etihad was chockers and it went off. The effects were very well though out: screens, lights, confetty, balls and spectacular show of fireworks.

Now to the music. All the songs were played to absolute perfection.. well except for Chris Martin "f*****g it up" a few times and publically admitting to it. My favourite song was Charlie Brown. It was madness! Everyone was up and dancing; fist pumping like there was no tomorrow.

One unique part of the concert was everyone's light up ristbands. They were given out and automatically flashed colours according to the format and effects for each song. It was like a sea of lights. Very clever!

Overall, one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Once Coldplay was on, it felt like 10 minutes had passed and it was all over.

Laura

Jackson and Laura On - Glee

By far one of the greatest shows that is on at the moment is glee. What could better than a mixture of drama, song and dance. Just starting the fourth season, Glee have covered some of the best songs, hardest songs and greatest songs of all time.

As for the characters, you can go from obsessive Rachel to the infamous Puc. Still one of the most heart renching moments in the new season, is when Kurt keeps ignoring his boyfriend Blein's calls..

It's a show that has really fought controversy, and has made a lot of statements through the seasons, showing gay, bisexual and straight people coping with bullying, shows the harm of alcohol and drugs, it shows the troubles of teen pregnancy and the obstacles that can be avoided with the help of friends and family.

Seriously, I probably made it sound very bad in that last paragraph, but it's such a good show, we both agree, so if you haven't, check it out, if you have, give it a chance to grow on you.

Jackson and Laura

Jackson On - Life's too Short

I'm currently watching Life's Too Short, another Ricky Gervais "mockumentery" starring famous dwarf-actor Warrick Davis.

All I can really say is it is HILARIOUS!! I'm a huge fan or Ricky and Stephen Merchant, and this is just another one of their masterpieces. Check it out!

Jackson

Jackson On YouTube No. 5 - ERB

This is the last blog of YouTube for now, but this is a good channel!

Epic Rap Battles Of History! Each video they have two famous people and have a rap battle. They are funny, and the lyrics are quite smart too. They are good to watch, so check them out! They are up to season 2, season one is on the channel - Nicepeter, and season 2 has it's own channel - ERB. So check them out! My favorite would be Beethoven vs Justin Beiber.

Jackson

Laura On Grease

Apart from the hair gel overload and the long skirts, Grease is one of the best movie ever made for a muso like me. The music, the dacing and the all round vibe of the movie is infectious.

As a kid I would run around the house singing Grease songs pretending I was Sandy. Although I now truly understand the movie and the content, as a child it was always something i could have fun to. Grease Lightning in particular is one of the best songs and I think John Travolta did a really good job with the vocals. Australia's young and talented Olivia Newton-John knocks it out of the park every time with her goodie good portrayal of Sandy.

It really makes me wonder why music and movie like this aren't what we listen to now! I would have loved to dance around with friends to music with actual instruments. Being able to walk into a diner and choose the songs you listened to with the help of a quarter.

Do you wish music was the same as 30-40 years ago? And on a completely different note: do you think John Travolta is secretly gay?

Laura

Skinny Love

There was quite a fierce debate the other day in the car with my family. You see, I am not a huge fan of Birdy, she has a good voice, and plays piano quite well, but I get annoyed when people are obsessed with Skinny Love, saying she is brilliant, when it's not even her song, and the original is so much better. Bon Iver is an amazing musician, the original writer of Skinny Love, and in my opinion a much better song, and should be acknowledged more.

Jackson

Laura on TV Music

So the title doesn't make much sense when you first read it but I assure you, it will once I'm done.

I was watching Friends when i wrote this and it came to me: shows, commercials and movies which use songs or pieces to help set the mood or to just be assist with the title sequence.

Friends uses a song as their theme song and it skyrocketted as did the show. But it also made the song and the band who wrote it well known. Even when movies use songs in the background, people atomatically want to know what it is simply because it was used in their favourite movie.

So does the title make sense now? I think so!

Have you ever bought or downloaded a song from simply hearing it in a movie or on tv?

Laura

Jackson On YouTube - No. 4 Rhett and Link

Rhett and Link are two fathers, two best friends who make videos together, ranging from music to a morning show on their second channel (Rhett and Link 2) and they are honestly just really funny guys.

I really love their music stuff, but I really enjoy Good Mythical Morning, their morning talk show, from Monday to Friday every week. Every episode is a new issue to talk about, and I just love it.

So seriously guys, check them out.

Jackson

Jackson On YouTube - No. 3 Julian Smith

So this blog is about Julian Smith. He is another true favorite of mine.

Julian is a great actor and singer, and makes videos ranging from short little skits, to his mini series "Kidnapped", to music videos, and he also acts as "Jeffery Dallas" a guy who swallowed a jellyfish.

If you go to his channel, and go to playlists it has different groups of his videos, so check that out. My favorite video of his is "Randy" it's weird but it is awesome :)

Jackson

Jackson On YouTube - No. 2 College Humor

So, this channel is one of the biggest on YouTube, and if you watch YouTube a little, you definitely would've seen at least one of their videos.

So a little story. College humor is a large group of video makers, who have their own website - collegehumor.com - on which they have forums, and release all there videos and feature other videos. They release there videos about a month later on YouTube, just so they can make some money when people view it on their website. For these people, this is their occupation.

College Humor make all kinds of hilarious videos, from music parodies to live stand up. The main group of people are the people in the "Hardly Working" and "Jake and Amir" series. I greatly suggest you watch the "Jake and Amir" series. It is so funny, a little innapropriate (just to warn) but hilarious.

Definitely one to check out!

Jackson

Jackson On YouTube - No. 1 KHS

So, one channel I do watch quite frequently whenever he releases a video is Kurt Hugo Schneider.
He is a musician, playing all kinds of instruments himself, and then arranges covers of songs and usually features his friends singing for him or sometimes even sings himself. He is incredible, every video is fantastic quality, and seriously check him out!!

Jackson

Jackson On - A new series!

Ok, so I did the Aussie series, now I'm going to start a new one, and getting more into acting and music, a bit of both. So I'll be mentioning different channels and series on YouTube that I like and hopefully you will like too! I am a YouTube fanatic so this should be good :)

Laura On Coldplay

All I can think about is Coldplay's upcoming and exclusive Australina tour in November! From their first album to their most recent on Mylo Xyloto, they continue to amaze me!

While I may only have 3 of their 5 albums Parachutes, Viva La Vida and Mylo Xyloto, if you asked me to pick my top 10 coldplay songs in no particular order they would be these:

1. Yellow
2. Viva La Vida
3. Violet Hill
4. Clocks
5. Paradise
6. Death and All His Friends
7. Princess of China
8. Parachutes
9. Cemeteries of London
10. Trouble
11. Charlie Brown

Ok so I went a bit over my top 10 but! There are so many more I could list but if I kept going, I would end up listing the whole of the 3 albums.

To me, you can always tell the "Coldplay Sound." All of their songs have a very unique feel and sound to them and I'm not only referring to Chris Martin's mellow voice.

Laura

Laura On Alice Cooper

Alice!!! Well to begin with, as a child when my dad would tell me about the legendary Alice Cooper I thought he was a SHE.

Once I listened to his music, I soon realised that was deffinetly not the case. Probably his most famous and my favourite song by the man is School's Out.. of course!

Other than Alice being a rock superstar, he is much more. He is actually a very talented musician. I was recently watching Wayne's World and the way they portrayed Alice was beyond me.

Is the make up and costuming too much for you?

Laura

A little quote.

So two of my bestfriends are soon to be leaving me behind as they go on with there lives. I was stuck for words when I tried saying goodbye to them. But one of them then came out with the following "Know that words can make or break a person, that words sometimes have the greatest effect on people's livelihoods, on their outlooks and opinions" and I thought to myself all the truth in that statement. What do you think?

Jackson

Jackson On - Dylan

Besides being one of the greatest folk rock style artists ever, Bob Dylan is an amazing musician, and some of my favorite songs are by the man himself.

The Times They Are A-Changin' - An incredible song, one of my favorites, it's been featured in a few films, including one of my favorite films The Watchmen (I'm a huge superhero fan). It's a very meaningful song, go have a listen!

Another great song is Hurricane, about a true story when a boxer was put into prison for many years when he was innocent and only was called guilty because he was black. It's another powerful song.

Make You Feel My Love, covered by many people, most recently Adele, meaningful lyrics and again a great song.

Check Dylan out, tell us what you think.

Jackson

Laura On X Factor

X Factor is a great way to showcase Australia's hidden talent and for a few lucky people, shoot them to startdom. But is it really helping the ametures to grow as artists?

In my opinion, some of the comments the judges/mentors give on the live shows lead no where. For example, when they say it was'nt a good song choice, that isn't for the artist to be confronted about it's for the mentor. When judges don't pick up on some technical errors it makes me a little upset.

I'm not sure if they aren't meant to be harsh on tv but I remember the days of Austalian Idol when Dicko or Mark Holden would slam some of the contestants. X Factor judging doesn't seem honest to me.

What's your opinion?

Laura

The Godfather of Soul

James Brown. Enough said right in that name. Usually on an album there are a few 'dud' songs, but like Missy Higgins, he wows everytime.

The album 'Sex Machine,' isn't as contreversial as it sounds. For me, it's much too hard to pick favourite songs, I would end up listing the whole album.

Not only is he The Godfather of Soul, he also features as the preist in The Blues Brother's movie. In the movie, he shows Jake the light; and after listening to his album so many times, I too have seem the light.

Laura

Jackson On - Horror

Yeah, let's face it, I am a pussy when it comes to movies. I actually HATE horror films, so lets give it up for my two mates to force me into watching one :)

Paranormal Activity 3, ladies and gentlemen I give you the first and the last actual horror movie I will ever see. My friends have told me it is the least scary of all the Paranormal Activities, but I tell you it was enough for me. It didn't help when my mate scared me half way through the movie, but what are friends for hey?

What's your view on horror films? Or tell us your preferred genre.

Jackson

Hi- An Update

We would really like to get our audience involved with our blogs so if you read a blog and have some thought please comment ! and if you'd like us to dedicate a blog to one of your favourite artists, movies or bands don't hesitate to comment on something to tell us.

Laura On Aretha Franklin

Aretha is the only woman in my opinion who can say I'm the best singer in the world. Her albums, her role in the Blues Brothers movie are only part of her achievements.

I couldnt live without her music and I only wish that I had that massive gospel voice. Along with the god father of soul James Brown and the woman who wrote the book on blues herself, Aretha has made a massive name for herself in the music industry.

And in regards to rascism, I find it funny how the African-American population used to be looked down on and now in the entertainment industry, African-American population are the highest grossing people in the industry.

Laura

Jackson On - Happiness and Sadness

We all live our lives, through ups and downs, and I know it gets hard for everybody at points, but it's incredible what music can do. On my iPod I always have my ":(" playlist ready to go when I'm sad, or when it gets worse, I often just sit with my guitar and just play, improvise whatever, but it always helps. When I'm angry, I often listen to rap, a style I'm not particularly fond of, but when I'm angry I listen to Kanye a lot, he's one rapper I like. When I'm happy I listen to happier, more upbeat songs, when I need to get pumped, I listen to a bit heavier music (not heavy at all compared to heavy music, I don't really like heavy stuff, but I mean faster, more energetic songs.

Music kinda let's me release a bit, let's me focus, and it just works. Try it some time, don't be ashamed of having a playlist for different emotions, it makes getting through life so much easier, and that's my kind of trick of survival.

Jackson

Can't You Hear The Music?!

I don't know about you, but for me, music is my life. Sure, not all music, but when that certain song comes on, something clicks in my brain, and suddenly music takes over. The beat becomes synced with your heart beat, and if the song is perfect, it's one of the best feelings in the world when you listen to it in that state of mind. No matter what people say, we all can connect to some form of music, a genre, a period, whatever, everybody gets taken over, and it can change lives. So, what do you think?

Laura On Missy Higgins

Taking what Jackson said and putting my own spin on it: this woman is my absolute idol! Ever since I bought her album The Ol' Razzle Dazzle I've listened to it 17 times so far. As for On A Clear Night and Sound Of White I lost count.

Her lyrics are so different and tell a story without being too much like a powm. Her music and instrumentation changes from album to album. I have to say, my favourite songs from the new album are Temporary Love, Cooling Of The Embers and Set Me On Fire. I know Everyone's Waiting and Unashamed Desire were hits and I truly love those songs but I think on an album, there is a lot of unheard greatness that most people can't be bothered searching for- the same goes for unheard artists. People just like to stay 'mainstream' because it's easier. Well I disagree!

I'm so glad she decided to start writing and recording again because to be honest, in my opinion, it's what she was put on this Earth to do: write music for the pleasure of people like me who once we start the album, have it on rotation!

Laura

The World Of Gaga

Now everyone thinks that Lady Gaga is just one of those pop artists who can't sing, can't write for themselves and are signed just to be sold. But having read Gaga's book, it's interesting to see her roots and how she comes to sell so many records.

Lady G was born into a Christian household and raised as a nice Italian girl on the Upper East Side of New York. She is a classicaly trained pianist and writes all of her songs as slow rock ballads and then unfortunately the record company changes it up a bit. It takes Gaga between 4 and 6 minutes to write one of her songs. In her music she speaks English, French and German. If that isn't a smart girl then I'm not sure how any other artists make it in that industry.

People really underestimate Lady Gaga and the fact that she stuck to her dream, went through drug stages in her life down on the Lower East Side and being rejected by record labels so many times. But she made it. And she is an idol to many young talents around the world.

Laura

Jackson On - The Final Aussie :)

So now I'm going to do a couple Aussies in one blog, and I'll be doing it quick and easy :P

1. Powderfinger - Great band! I've seen them in concert and it was an awesome concert too! Check out there greatest hits, and if you like it, check out the other albums. I like "My Happiness" "These Days" "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" and many others.

2. JET - Another amazing band, although unfortunately they are split up now. I've seen them in concert, put on a great show. Check out the songs "Seventeen", "She's A Genius", "Look What You've Done", "Cold Hard Bitch" and "Are You Gonna Be My Girl."

3. ACDC - Quite obviously the most iconic Australian rock band ever, with Australia's greatest guitarist Angus Young. Well, he's definitely up there. You should know songs. If not, shame on you. Listen to them!!!

Also, check out people like Eskimo Joe, Paul Kelly, John Butler (John Butler Trio) and other artists. Australia has such diversity in its music, and some really incredible talent, so check it all out!

A Bit of Billy

I was surprised the other day finding out that, thought many people know Billy Joel, not many people know "Goodnight Saigon." In my opinion it is his best song, along with Piano Man of course. But I have to say its an absolutely amazing song!! And may I suggest reading the lyrics, this song is meaningful, and the lyrics, well they're perfect. It's about the Vietnam War, and do a little search for yourselves on the history of it, and listen to this song!

Jackson

Hi - An Update

Hi, sorry we haven't done anything in a while, we have both been very busy lately, but in the next few days we'll get back into the swing of things.
Now, in terms of myself, I've been busy with school, as Laura has too, and work for me as well but unfortunately for laura, she has been lying on the couch sick since thursday. I've just about finished my Aussie Ons, the last one will be a couple artists in one, so look forward to that :P

Jackson

Jackson On - Aussie No. 7.5

Back onto Missy Higgins, I recently heard her new album "The Ol' Razzle Dazzle" and firstly, it's a change from her usual style. The songs that stand out to me are the first two really, then I guess I got used to the new style. I suggest listening to the whole album, because it's really good, and I couldn't stop listening.

Jackson

Jackson On - Aussie No. 7

This time I'm talking about a woman. Now this girl is a star, featured in a recent Australian musical movie. She is Missy Higgins. Now Missy Higgins is a favorite of both mine and Laura's, and I'm pretty sure Laura likes her more than I do, but I'll do my best here. Missy Higgins is a soft sort of artists, with light music that has a lot of soul and meaning to it. Her lyrics are really powerful and her voice is unique but outstanding. I suggest listening to the album "The Sound Of White" and my personal favorites are "Scar", "Special Two" and "Nightminds."

Jackson

Laura On Tina Arena

Sitting in the car on the way home from the most amazing concert ive ever seen in my life: Tina Arena at Haimer Hall with an Orchestra.

Hats off to the moonee ponds girl Tiny Tina who went to school around the corner from me. She, at 44 sang for over 2 hours straight with an orchestra and still managed to be awake by the end. Forget about Katy Perry or Rhianna. I'm moving to Paris where Ms Arena is the biggest star and become more like her.

My vision on what i want in music has changed. No big concert in Rod Laver Arena or Madison Square Gardens. Just Haimer Hall. Then we can worry about the rest last

Laura

Laura On Languages

People have a barrier stopping them from communicating due to foreign languages. People can't understand one another when they try to talk.

Music can be in any language and it still gets the message across to people even if they can't understand it. The music evokes emotion and even just the tone in the artist's voice allows people to connect and understand their feelings.

Laura

Laura Pain is Beauty 2

To continue an old post, pain is beauty, it was come to my attention that lyrics can really make people think about their action. It's like the bee sting that really wakes you up, or that one dish that really packs a punch and punches you straight in the mouth.

Lyrics can make you think about a few things: what have i done, what can i do better, how can i help etc

Have any lyrics really stood out to you?

Laura

Jackson On - Aussie No. 6

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I've been fairly busy.

Anyway, let's get back into those Aussies. So today I'd like to talk about Australian Crawl. Now as far as I know they only released one album, but I love them, a sort of grunge style, and their biggest hit "Boys Light Up" but I personally like "Reckless... (Don't Be So)." So yeah, check out the album Phalanx see if you like it.

Jackson

Laura The Fashionista

Music is like fashion: forever changing. Once music is old enough, it becomes cool again, just like a trend in clothing! take the Bee Gees! big disco era stars who in the 90s plumeted and weren't heard of. Now, people listen to their stuff all the time! Like the black leather jacket: was a big hit in the 80s, never to be worn in the 90s and early 00s and in about '09, it was 'back in black.' even today, it's still out in many lighter colours.

Music, is fashion for the ear drums. It changes and every generation thinks of it differently and likes different types of it: just like the oldies now wouldnt let their daughters or granddaughter wear anything above knee length and teens these days have dresses up their asses and necklines down to the floor. Music is fashion for the inside of your body. Clothes make you feel good on the outisde, music makes you feel good on the inside.

Laura

Jackson On - Australia No. 5

A more modern artist is Pete Murray. He plays guitar and sings and most of his songs feature a backing band, with added brass. He has an awesome voice and a sort of indie style, and he is actually a favorite of mine. I love "Better Days" and "Opportunity" from his older album and "Free" from his most recent one, but there are some more great songs on both albums. So yeah, check him out, because he's really good.

Jackson

Laura On Accidents

You learn from your mistakes. That's what they all say. It's true! I don't mean with silly things like breaking a bone or something, but say you are experimenting with some chords and something sounds weird but good. Something you didn't mean to stumble upon. Accidents. ACCIDENTS! They are meant to happen. Not just to idiots who need to learn lessons, but to artists who need to learn more about themselves.

Laura

Laura On The 21st Century

Nowadays, its so easy for us to access the internet, social networking etc. But it also can get us into more trouble. When you download illegal music, it benefits you but it affects the artists because they arent getting any of the royalties they deserve. If you love and artist's music, buy their album or song. dont download it because you will end up hurting yourself when they dont have enough money to make more music.

Laura

Jackson On - Aussie No. 4

Another great Australian Band is Crowded House. They are a more soft rock style, and a favorite of mine. In the band - Neil Finn, former member of Split Enz, a band with his brothers and friend, and most of the members of Split Enz went on to form Crowded House, and Nick Seymour, brother of Mark Seymour (Hunters and Collectors, check out a previous Aussie Blog) and formed Crowded House. It's sort of an Indie Rock style, and I suggest checking out these songs to get into them: "Better Be Home Soon," "Don't Dream it's Over," and "Weather With You."
Check it out :)

Jackson

Jackson On - Aussie No. 3

One of Australia's most iconic singers is Jimmy Barnes, with his rock style with his soul voice. As well as a solo career, he was the lead singer in Cold Chisel, a fantastic band, my favorite song is "Khe Sanh" and they have a "greatest hits" album which is full of, well, their greatest hits :P So I suggest you check that out.

As an artist, he was great, releasing many albums, "Soul Deep" shows more of a soul side of his style, but albums like "Freight Train Heart" show his rock sort of style. His greatest song, probably one of the best Australian Ballads/ Anthems, is Working Class Man, a fantastic song, and once you listen to it, you can't get it out of your head :) So check that son out, and if you like that, then move on to his other stuff.

Jackson

Laura On Pain Is Beauty

Everyone always says pain is beauty. This relates to me in a few way: bracers is one. But something came to mind when my ortho mentioned this saying to me; when an artist writes and singings about pain, it is beautiful. it shows the beauty within the artist shining through the hardship they write about. When all celebs say 'ohh i was bullied as a kid' most of us dont believe them, we think they just want attention. They dont try to glamourise the fact bullying occurs but when artists write about pain its shows beauty. I'm not trying to say pain is beautiful but, maybe that saying has more than one material meaning?

Laura

Jackson On - Aussie No. 2

Music is more than just a series of rhythms and pitches. It's a way of communicating, a way of telling a story, making a statement, sharing an opinion. The Australian band Midnight Oil are a perfect example of this. Though they are now retired as artists, in their glory days, they we Aussie icons, and lead singer Peter Garett is known for his unique voice and his shocking dance moves. He is now a politician, not the best, but he is playing his part. He is truly a hippy, associated with Green Peace, and other work. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Midnight Oil came out on stage with t-shirts saying "Sorry" after our country's leaders wouldn't apologize to the Indigenous people of Australia for the terrible events their ancestors went through.
He is somebody to look up to, and amazing artist, a good band, but also gives his opinion and isn't afraid to try to make a change. So I recommend listening to Midnight Oil, his voice is a little wierd, but you can get used to it. My favorite song would be "One Country", or "Beds Are Burning"

Jackson

Jackson On - Aussie No. 1

Ok, this is the first of my Australian blogs. First up, Hunters and Collectors, more specifically Mark Seymour, the lead singer, who went on to have a solo career as well.

Mark is an idol of mine, an amazing rock voice. He was first part of the band Hunters and Collectors, who released a few albums, and I suggest starting off with Cut, then moving on. They broke up eventually and Mark is currently still performing a solo career. He released the album Daytime and the Dark, which I love, and has all the best hits from Hunters and Collectors and a few of his own. In my opinion his best song is Holy Grail or Throw Your Arms Around Me, both Australian classics. Get into this music, Australia has so much to offer!!!

Jackson

Laura On Guy Sebastian

i was only 4 when guy won australian idol but i remember voting for him over shannon nole. he was much cooler and the hair ohhh the hair ! i listen to all his music because its very me but when i think about it, he is really the only reality tv winner that haant changed too much. sure they changed what he looked like big time but he is still that rnb soul singer he was back in '03. it makes me wonder: will karise eden make it as well? they make and love the same type of music and it looks as if they cant change her too much. her rocky past and shaped who she is today and a record label should try and change that about her.

What do you think of Guy? Has he lived up to his full potential?

Laura

Laura on meditation

so everyone says you have to meditate to calm music eg nora jones or something like that. sciences show that if you listen to music while doing homework it is distracting. well i disagree completely!
to relax, i lie in bed listening to james brown, aretha, etta or even cold chisel maybe AC/DC. i do my homework with anything on but does that mean im going against everything i SHOULD believe in?

What do you relax to? do your work to?

Laura

Jackson on Australia

I'm a proud Australian, and it ashamed me to find out how underrated Australian artists are. In my eyes, we've had some really amazing artists, and so I've decided that for the next few "Jackson On" blogs I'm going to go through Australian greats in my eyes, so more directed at the rock sort of genre, because that's what I'm into. So hopefully I get some Aussie talent playing in your ears :)

Jackson

Jackson On Performance

At the ages of over 60, some artists are still going strong an are still touring and releasing albums. But there comes a time when every artist needs to stop, and unfortunately there are a few artists who don't know when that time is. A couple years ago I was at the footy here in Australia and the Grand Final performance was Meat Loaf. Now despite threatening not coming out on stage because there was a light rain, which had stopped an hour before hand, he was absolutely terrible, and looked as though he was having a heart attack on stage, he couldn't hit any notes, and was just appalling. Not only this, he then blamed the stadium for his performance.
I'm a huge Beatles fan, and I love Paul McCartney, but at the Diamond Jubilee he was showing, to me, a nearing end to his performing career unfortunately, as he really struggled to hit the top notes.

Who else do you reckon is reaching the end? And do you agree with me? Is there a point when performers need to stop?

Jackson.

Laura on The Voice

I'm not going to say the voice is bad or anything no no! but I wish it lasted long! I wanted to see much more of Karise and Darren taking the limelight. sure Sarah and Rachael are amazing but they have stood out throughout the competition. dont you think Karise sounds like a heavy smoker with that voice? to be completely honest she reminds me of janis joplin, a legend in music history. what's your take on the voice or any other show like this?

Laura

The ultimate love story.

Throughout the years, love has been the topic of many artworks, stories, songs etc... But there is one that stands out - Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. And for the past few weeks, Dire Striates' version of this story - Romeo and Juliet. It's a great rock ballad, and has been my favorite song for a few weeks now. It has a catchy tune and really amazing lyrics that refer to the ultimate love story. I really recommend listening to this song, and the Dire Striates are a great classic rock bands.

Jackson

The Hole

So music is supposedly this amazing thing which it is don't get me wrong. but you get so addicted to it and your life revolves around this concert or this album release. So how do we overcome this so called "hole?" You don't !! personally I love falling into this trap but others think its a waste of one ! what do you think?

Laura

New Idea

Hey Guys,
So as part of my bucket list, I want to complete the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book. So I though, after my exams I'll try to watch one a week and the next day do a blog on it? Comment your thoughts. Thanks.

Jackson

Jackson On One Direction

Girls have been asking my opinion on One Direction. Plainly and simply, I'd much rather listen to One Direction than some of the other crap that is called talented music... In my view, people are going to have their dislikes in music, but the music world these days is crowded by the crappy "artists" who use computers to create catchy tunes and get famous of the tune with a familiar beat behind it. One Direction, at least have talent, write most of their stuff and don't use computers to get famous, with auto-tune and unoriginal drum beats. But in no way are they a favorite of mine :P

Jackson

The "drama" in life

It's no secret to my friends that drama, in particular acting and directing is a dream of mine. I'm currently acting in a production of the musical Guys and Dolls, my second musical ever.

Drama is my home, my safe place, when I get depressed I watch a movie, and take notes of directing, sad, but it's what I want to do. I'm part of a drama group, and there I've made friendships that are so strong, it's incredible.

Drama is more than just acting, it's changing your personality and putting yourself into a scenario, as a created person, who has emotions, and the acting is the playing out of those emotions, thinking about the back ground of the character, who is it? Why are they doing this? What are they doing? How are they doing it? When and where are the doing it? These are the questions actors should ask themselves. It's a shame actors are stereotyped as the stupid, bitchy trouble-making celebrities...

Jackson

Jackson On Eric Clapton

Clapton is a rock legend, a perfect example of the roots of rock in blues, and throughout Cream and his solo career, he has definitely had his hits.

Layla is probably his most well known song, whilst solo. Creams hit would have to be Sunshine of Your Love, with the well known guitar riff. But my personal favorite, Tears in Heaven. The song is about his son, who tragically fell out of a three story building, and died. It's a classic song, with a lot of meaning. I'll mention Clapton again, quite a lot, but for know, this is it.

Jackson

Jackson On Prince

Who is Prince? It's a good question. Prince, in a very controversial way, can be described as a mix between Michael Jackson and James Brown, or simply a rock styled MJ, who is nothing but sexy.
It was my next door neighbor who introduced me to him, and I distinctly remember the first time I listened to his songs, and I was amazed.
Prince is a very talented musician, able to sing, and on one interview, pick up various instruments and just play them, a modern day Mozart. Not only this, he is a successful dancer, and still touring the world, dancing, singing and playing just like he did when he started.
I will admit that he is an artist that can only appeal to certain tastes, and if you haven't heard much of his stuff before, I suggest to start of listening to Purple Rain, and if you like it listen to that album, and then move into his other stuff. I recently downloaded his Hits/B-Sides CD, and it's great :)
I hope you get into him, because he really is quite amazing.

Jackson

Jackson On - A new "segment"

So I thought I'd start a weekly segment, called "Jackson On" where I'd talk about something, and ask you guys some questions. So tomorrow, or today, I'll do "Jackson On (something)" and I'll discuss.
Hope you enjoy it!

Jackson

The 'miracle' of music

So on the way to music rehearsal one night, the song miracle by the temper trap comes on to the radio. as I sat in the car, I wondered, how do people come up with music so amazing? everyone should listen to this song.. guaranteed to change you life

Laura

A little question...

So, the other day, a friend asked me an interesting question. He asked, if you could have ten bands/musicians do a concert just for you, who would they be?

A couple names jumped to my mind, and this was the list that I thought of:

1. The Beatles
2. Michael Jackson
3. Louis Armstrong
4. Eric Clapton
5. Aretha Franklin
6. Foo Fighters (I've seen them twice)
7. Guns and Roses
8. Prince
9. Green Day
10. Billy Joel

Looking back, I missed out a couple inspirations of mine, but those names are parts of my life all the same. I could have also said: ACDC, Coldplay, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Killers, My Chemical Romance, Nirvana, The Offspring, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Radiohead, The Fray, The Script, Secondhand Serenade and you've got most of my favorite musicians. I have a weird mixture of tastes, but that's another blog.

Who would you pick, but only 10!

Jackson.

Welcome - First Post

Hi, my name's Jackson. My friend Laura and I created this blog to talk about music, drama, dance, all the arts, and to share our views which hopefully you'll find interesting.
At the end of each post, we'll leave the name of whoever posted, so you know who's talking ;)

Thanks and enjoy, Jackson.