Growing up, I enjoyed watching X-Men and Spiderman and most of Marvel's animated series as I have always felt that the women superheroes weren't just beautiful but they were strong, smart and feminine. So when the cast of Marvel's Netflix series, "Jessica Jones" appeared on AOL BUILD recently, I was interested because it seemed like the complete opposite if what i envisioned a woman superhero to be. It was refreshing to see a cast of complex women be the center of a dark suspense series based on a comic book that few people are aware of. Jessica Jones isn't your stereotypical hero; she isn't blonde, she isn't overly busty, she doesn't run around town half naked and she doesn't have an Amber Rose-type body type that would make the audience envy her superficially. Jessica Jones can be any woman, anywhere at anytime (minus the superhero power).

If you've been sleeping under a rock and haven't seen the series already, stop here and go to Netflix because this is definitely a spoiler alert. Jessica Jones is a woman that moonlights as a private investigator to make a living and while we can all relate to the struggles of living in an expensive city like New York City, a lot of women can also admit to being in a domestic violence relationship and situation. Unfortunately for us mere mortals, we can't seek justice on our perpetrators. Even with the strength and courage Jessica Jones has, she still has legitimate fears of her abuser Kilgrave. Even though she is relentless in her pursuit to capture him, her biggest superhero power is looking her abuser in the face and telling him that he raped her.

According to the comic books, Luke Cage (played by Mike Colter) and Jessica Jones actually engaged in a lot of anal sex (because of her inability to feel pain and pleasure) but in this Netlix series, they engaged in some physical power exchanging sex that looked better than every sex scene in "Fifty Shades of Grey." Jessica Jones owns who she is unapologetically; the alcoholism, the flippantness, the rebellion and her rejection of typical courtship.

" I don't flirt, I just say what I want", Jessica Jones tells Luke Cage before they exchange bodily fluids. Jones' one-liners create this Daria Morgendorffer-like (MTV's Daria) wit paired with superhuman strength. Actually one of her best superpowers is her ability to be so self-sacrificing. Her ability to care for others at the expense of herself is a unique and selfless trait to have that not too many of us possess.

Jessica Jones isn't the only admirable woman in the series. Even though Krysten Ritter does a fantastic job as Jessica Jones, Carrie-Anne Moss and Rachael Taylor are also worth mentioning because they are powerful and assertive in their own right. Moss' character Jeri Hogarth is a high-profile, snarky lesbian lawyer who depicts a character dominated by men; a rich, successful professional that is cheating on their wife with the secretary. Taylor plays Trish, Jessica's best friend and step-sister who is a celebrity-turned radio TV host who uses her position to bring attention to people with real issues who feel they don't have a voice.

So, is Jessica Jones bad ass? Yes. Do you need to be a comic book nerd to appreciate her? Will you root for her to kill and capture her rapist? You absolutely will. Thank you Marvel for allowing us to see a woman that doesn't have to look perfect or be a sex object to save the world from psychopaths like Kilgrave.

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It's a really interesting time to be a Disney fan.

After all, in a year where Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Inside Out helped Walt Disney Studios blow past the $5 billion box office barrier for the very first time in the Company's history, the Mouse Factory honestly doesn't look all that much like the outfit that the Disney Brothers started back in 1923.



Which is why you have to wonder: What would Walt have made of the modern day Disney Company? To be specific: What would the Ol' Mousetro would have thought of Disney XD, the cable channel which features his family name that's aimed at boys-6-to-14 and currently runs deliberately anarchic animated shorts like its "Two More Eggs" series ?

Mind you, when Disney Television Animation first reached out to Matt & Mike Chapman 4 or 5 years ago and then asked them to develop a new show for Disney XD, the Brothers Chaps did genuinely try and deliver a finished product that would have looked a lot more like a traditional animated TV series.



"That version of our show would have consisted of two 11 minute-long shorts per episode. There would have been consistent characters and a plot. But in the end, I think that Mike and I -- along with the team at Disney Television Animation -- realized that that wasn't really playing to our strengths."

You see, the real reason that Disney Television Animation had reached out to the Brothers Chaps in the first place was because the executives there were such huge fans of Matt & Mike's online effort, Homestar Runner. That Flash-animated cartoon series -- which debuted back in January of 2000 -- had become a huge Internet sensation because it had deliberately flaunted convention & tradition with its skillful mix of surreal humor & self parody.



"So when we rebooted this project, Disney just let us do what we'd done in the past and it worked out well. Any idea that Mike and I came up with, they gave us the freedom to pursue. There honestly were no restrictions," Matt continued.

And the end result was Disney XD's "Two More Eggs," this series of 40 shorts that uses a wide variety of animation techniques to poke fun at various aspects of a young boy's world. Everything from video games to children's television shows were considered ripe for parody.

And as you can see by the short below that Disney XD so graciously provided HuffPost with ...



... would Walt have approved?

But then again, given that Walt Disney was the guy who gave the world Silly Symphonies back in 1929, perhaps he would have actually approved of the Brothers Chaps' brand of animated craziness.

By the way, if you'd like to take in all of the boy-centric targets that Matt & Mike tackled over the course of this series, Disney XD is holding a "Two More Eggs" marathon today. All 40 shorts -- including 11 that have never aired before -- will be running in a continuous loop on that cable channel from 12 a.m. Tuesday, December 22nd through 12 a.m. Wednesday, December 23rd.



Which -- I know -- seems like a pretty weird thing to do. Especially during the holiday season. But then again, there were people in Hollywood who said it was idiotic of Disney to open The Force Awakens in December given that all of the previous "Star Wars" movies had been summertime releases.

But given that Episode VII has already earned almost $300 million during its domestic run (and it's only been running in theaters since Thursday night), maybe the modern day Mouse House really does know a little something when it comes to the science of scheduling.

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Hi, I'm Amber, and I used to be your "normal" stay at home mom... then I became a Blogger.

My usual day-to-day routine once consisted of chasing around babies, paying bills, making meals, and running errands. During my down time, I would read a few chapters in a new book, work on a craft project, or maybe even catch a few z's. My mind would be quiet and peaceful as I relished in the utter silence that filled my home during nap times. Life was seemingly complete... until it wasn't.

Being the Type A, competitive, reformed gypsy-soul that I am, "settling into a routine" has never really been my style. Once I got the hang of juggling a schedule with two under two, I began to notice that something was missing. I needed a new challenge - something to call my own, something to push me out of my comfort zone and provide me with a new drive.

Enter Blogging.

Since I started Cupcakes and Coffee Grounds, I have morphed into a Facebook-messaging, Google-searching, tweeting, internet junkie. From the moment I wake up, until I lay my head on the pillow at night, my brain is oozing with thoughts of blogging. Post titles, Instagram photos, fonts, and clever word play flood my brain every waking moment.

When my children are eating breakfast, I'm reading my blogging friend's posts from the day before. While I am putting together puzzles with my toddler, I am jotting down ideas for a new article. In the afternoon when my kiddos are passed out in their cribs, I should be doing laundry, making a grocery list, and showering. Instead, I am editing words, rearranging my theme, and checking Google Analytics.

To say I have become obsessed, would be putting it mildly.

Blogging has opened up my eyes to a whole new world (not to go too Aladdin on you). I used to think that people who had blogs just wrote because they were keeping online journals or were looking for a place to vent. I had no clue how much really went on behind the scenes; how many hours were spent pulling together the perfect article or how many bottles of wine were downed in the process.

So allow me to let you in on a little secret...there is more to it than you may realize.

1. Most of us aren't getting paid.

I was blown away when I found out what some bloggers make. "You're telling me that companies are giving you things FOR FREE just so you will write about them? People are paying you to post pictures of their products on Instagram??" Uhh...sign me up. The reality is, the majority of the bloggers you know aren't getting paid a dime. We do what we do because we sincerely love doing it. That doesn't mean that I would be upset if I was making a little cash flow off what I write, however, the time I spend day in and day out on C&CG is solely compensated by readers likes, shares, and comments. (Which make my day more than you could possibly imagine!

2. Our lives are a mess.

I can't even see my kitchen table right now. It actually serves as my "office" space. Sometimes we eat at it, and when we do, we just do a double arm sweep across the top to make enough room for our plates. There is a hamper full of laundry always on my living room floor waiting to be folded, and the bed is never made.

You might be reading this and thinking, "I don't have a blog, and my home always looks like this."

Well, mine was like that too before writing, but there at least used to be a few days in the month that the place was sparkling. Everything was put in its place, all of the laundry was folded away, and I could actually find what I was looking for. Not anymore.

Bloggers live and breathe their website. Any free moment we get, our fingers are more than likely glued to our keyboard, typing up some sort of verbal magic for you to read. Everything else becomes background noise, and you...yes, YOU, the reader becomes our number one priority. So in other words, you're to blame for our messy lives.

3. We suffer from blog brain.

As I mentioned earlier, we think about writing 24/7. If I'm not thinking about what to write, I am checking my newsfeed, reading other people's posts, or chatting away in blogging groups. It is a disease I tell you! Just ask the next blogger you meet if they know what their next post is going to be about, or if they know how many page views they have had that day. Trust me, they know.

4. Some of our closest friends are people we have never met.

I started my blog at the end of July, and I have made more friends via the internet than I have anywhere else since I've graduated college. I probably know more about the people on the other side of my computer screen, than I do about some of my relatives. The world of blogging is like an online sorority, filled with bloggy sisters just waiting for you to befriend. I love my little online community so much that I want to host a giant sleepover somewhere just so we can all hang out. Seriously...how cool would that be??

"Bye, honey! I'm going to New York for a blogging conference." (AKA wildly awesome slumber party.)

5. Nerves set in every time we hit published.

I can honestly say that I get butterflies every single time I hit the publish button. While there have been a few posts that have slipped out that may not have had my full heart and soul in them (you'll know which ones they are when you read them), most of the time I've slaved over a post for countless hours. The last thing I want is for a reader to see a post and think, "Dumb." I want you to enjoy reading the new things that I publish on my site. Posting a new article, feature, or recipe has somehow or another played a role in my life, and I enjoy sharing these things with you guys; so the thought that you might reject it can be extremely intimidating.

6. We care about what you think.

Please refer to the above. While I can't speak for every blogger in the history of blogging, I feel pretty confident in saying that we care about you think. Each and every blogger has a story as to how they got started, but I guarantee the readers are why the keep on the grind. We adore all of our followers, and we genuinely care about what you think of us and what we write.

7. We're unintentional night owls.

As I'm working on this post, it's currently 10:14pm. I sat down and started working around 8:50pm after I finished nursing my youngest; and chances are, I'm going to be up until midnight editing out all of the details. Interestingly enough, I won't even know how late it is until I check the clock during a bathroom break. That's because I'm passionate about what I do.

8. Talking about our Google Analytics is like posting our salary.

Don't ask a blogger about their Google Analytics unless they volunteer the information. Talking blog stats is like comparing salaries. I may get more page views than some, but I also don't get near as many as others. Let me live in the reality that I'm awesome!

9. We network 24/7.

Did you know that there are blog networking groups on Facebook? I didn't. At least, not until I really decided to start hardcore blogging. These groups are filled with all kinds of people. People asking for tips and advice, people with questions about technical issues, links for people to meet other people. It's wild. While you're binge watching your latest favorite drama on Netflix, we are chatting with another writers, reading blogs, and shooting off emails to publishing sites.

10. We LOVE support.

Every time you like something we post, you comment on an article, or you share what we have published, it makes everything we do all worth it! We read every message you send us, every word you type, and like we receive. Our reader's support means more to us than you know, and without it, our blogs wouldn't be successful. We absolutely LOVE you and we LOVE LOVE LOVE your support!!!

So now that you know my blogging confessions, what are yours?? Leave them in the comments below!

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2015 was a big year for new artists in country music. Several acts had their first career number ones at country radio, including A Thousand Horses, Kelsea Ballerini, Canaan Smith, Michael Ray, Old Dominion, Dustin Lynch, and Chris Stapleton. Others, like Cam and Chris Janson, celebrated breakthrough hits, while relative newcomers Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, and Cole Swindell solidified their positions as country's next generation of superstars.

2016 will undoubtedly be a breakthrough year for another handful of new artists. Below are 20 of the most promising, complete with a short Q&A from each of the rising stars.

20. MITCH ROSSELL



If you had told Mitch Rossell in 2014 that in 2015 he would be co-writing and sharing the stage with living legend Garth Brooks, he wouldn't have believed you. But, both were among Rossell's list of accomplishments this year, and 2016 promises to be just as exciting for the Tennessee native.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I'm just an all-American kid who loves good country music.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
I got to play an entire show with my musical hero and mentor, Garth Brooks, in Dallas, Texas!

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
I'm an outgoing introvert. I love talking to and meeting new people and playing shows, but when my batteries get low nothing recharges them like spending some time alone.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Writing more songs, working on my new record, and hopefully getting out on the road on a consistent tour schedule.

19. WILLIAM MICHAEL MORGAN



Vicksburg, Mississippi's William Michael Morgan is making waves at satellite radio with his new single, "I Met A Girl," which some country fans will recognize from Sam Hunt's acoustic mixtape Between The Pines. The Warner Bros. Nashville recording artist will kick off 2016 on the road, treating audiences to his traditional country sound.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
Lover of country music, lyrics, and melodies.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Playing the Opry. It was a dream come true!

The first concert you ever attended:
Dierks Bentley at Riverfest in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Getting out on the road playing our music and also sharing new music with everyone.


18. APRIL KRY





April Kry grew up singing in church in her hometown of Westport, Connecticut. Now, she's turning heads in Nashville with her electric song, "Fireflies." With model-good-looks and millennial social media sensibilities (she treats her followers to everything from makeup tutorials to fashion tips, in addition to music), there's no doubt she'll continue to rack up fans in 2016.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I'm a tiny girl with a big voice who is passionate about touching hearts with my music.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
I'm extremely proud of my song "Fireflies" being played on Radio Disney. It's a station I've loved and listened to since I was a young girl.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
If I get invited to your house and you have animals, I will be the girl talking to them all night.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Meeting new people who have connected to my music. It's my absolute favorite thing about what I do. When I hear about someone who has been touched by one of my songs, I get so emotional. It really makes me so happy to listen to their stories and connect with them on a deeper level.

17. SMITHFIELD



It's clear from SmithField's lyric video for "Good Ol' Days," the lead single from their self-titled debut EP released last month, that vocalists Jennifer and Trey have a great time when they perform. Performing is something these crooners know a lot about - the Dallas-area duo has recently opened shows for Scotty McCreery, Jana Kramer, and Dustin Lynch, just to name a few.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
We are a true country/pop duo with relatable songs and big harmonies.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
We released our first EP full of songs that we wrote and worked so hard on, and are very proud of.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
Jennifer: I'm kind of a closet nerd. I love all the Marvel movies, Star Wars, etc.
Trey: I never sang or played guitar in public until I was 18 years old.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
We're looking forward to opening for some more great artists and sharing our music with bigger and bigger audiences.


16. LEVI HUMMON



Many fans will recognize Levi Hummon as Kelsea Ballerini's opening act for much of 2015. Hummon has songwriting in his blood: his father, Marcus, is a Grammy-winning songsmith. With his pedigree, it's not surprising this Nashville native has written or co-written all of the songs from his upcoming debut album. His first single will officially drop early next year. Until then, fans can enjoy this acoustic rendition of his song "Make It Love."

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I'm the son of a singer/songwriter who loves all types of music, and while I'm deeply rooted in the country music genre, my style is influenced by my Southern upbringing, my love for pop, and my need to rock.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
I have two accomplishments I'm most proud of. One was playing CMA fest this year and having the head of my label dancing in the front row! That was awesome. The second was opening up for Dwight Yoakam at the Ryman. That was equally awesome.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
Not a lot of people know that I've traveled all over Africa for mission work. Last summer I visited Rwanda and Uganda, and it was definitely one of the most intense, life-changing experiences ever.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
I'm most looking forward to finally sharing my music. The last few years have been a journey, but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm really proud of all the songs and the production that supports them creatively. [My upcoming album] defines me perfectly.

15. SAM GROW



Mechanicsville, Maryland native Sam Grow has earned tens of thousands of fans the old-fashioned way: non-stop touring and lots of hard work. Before moving to Nashville, Grow had already sold more than 30,000 copies of two independently-released albums. Now, with the uber-catchy "Is It You" gaining speed, 2016 is poised to be the year his hard work pays off in a big way.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I'm a lineman's son who fell in love with music while driving the country and listening to the radio.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
My single, "Is It You," was spun on Sirius XM's The Highway, and I was selected as an On The Horizon Artist. It was humbling and amazing to see it up there for 12 weeks.

Favorite song to perform live:
"Bring It On Home" by Sam Cooke. It was the song that helped me earn my first guitar from my dad.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Touring and getting to play the songs off my new record.

14. TEMECULA ROAD



Sisters Maddie and Emma Salute, 15 and 16 years old, respectively, have been singing country music their entire lives. They recently teamed up with friend and fellow Temecula, California native Dawson Anderson to form Temecula Road. When not on tour (where fans can catch their new song "Paper or Plastic,") the trio splits their time between Temecula and Nashville.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
We are all-American kids who grew up loving country music and are so blessed to be able to do what we love.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Opening for Joe Nichols!

The first concert you ever attended:
Maddie: Carrie Underwood
Dawson: Rascal Flatts with Jason Aldean opening
Emma: Los Lonely Boys

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Going on tour with Jessie James Decker in February and March.

13. HALEY & MICHAELS



Shannon Haley and Ryan Michaels grew up only three miles apart, near San Francisco, but the singer/songwriters didn't meet until they moved to Nashville years later. As a duo, Haley & Michaels have sold more than 25,000 song downloads. In 2015, they were twice invited to appear on NBC's Today Show to perform their wedding-favorite "Giving It All (To You)." Look for their debut album in 2016.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
We're a pure duo and we love to write and sing songs about life and many different stages of relationships.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
It's definitely a tie between performing on the Today Show and our debut at The Grand Ole Opry. We are huge fans of Hoda and are so grateful for her support. It has been a lifelong dream of ours to sing on The Opry stage, and it was even more special to share that moment together.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
Shannon: I attended UCLA as an opera major and performed in local country bars on weekends.
Ryan: Before moving to Nashville, I played soccer for the U.S. Ambassadors in the Italy Cup.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
We are making plans to record our first full-length album and we're so excited to share our new music in 2016!

12. LINDSAY ELL



Stoney Creek Records artist Lindsay Ell was born in Calgary, Alberta, but she calls Nashville home. Her new single, "By The Way," debuted in the Top 10 on the iTunes Country chart and is quickly climbing country radio charts. In January, she'll kick off the 2016 CMT Next Women of Country Tour with Brandy Clark and Tara Thompson.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I sing, play guitar, and write songs...sometimes fans call me a female Keith Urban, but if I can obtain even half of Keith's status in my career, I know I'll be heading in the right direction. :)

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
I have two. Getting to tour Europe with Luke Bryan was an incredible experience to get to know him and his team. The second was playing a 24-hour show on Broadway in downtown Nashville to raise money for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. I never thought I could even do something like that, and I had to go on vocal rest for a week after the fact, but it was completely worth it.

Favorite song to perform live:
"Not Another Me." It's a song I wrote for a friend of mine who has muscular dystrophy. She has such a heart of gold, and was going through a rough time, so I wrote her this to let her know there is nobody out there like her, she is so special, and no guy is going to find someone that will treat him like she did...there is not another her! And I really like the guitar part at the beginning.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Going on CMT's Next Women of Country tour with Jennifer Nettles and Brandy Clark.

11. TWO STORY ROAD



Husband and wife Brandon and Jamelle Fraley make up Nashville-based duo Two Story Road. The couple met while studying at Belmont University and quickly decided to pair up, both personally and professionally! Their Mark Bright-produced, self-titled EP hit stores earlier this year, led by the song "Arson."

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
Two Story Road is a country duo whose music is based around great melodies, engaging stories, and relatable lyrics.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Releasing our EP, seeing our fans get us to #13 on the iTunes Country chart, and hearing so many great reviews made all the hard work worth it.

The first concert you ever attended:
Growing up singing in church, we both listened to a lot of contemporary Christian artists. Ironically, Michael W. Smith was the first concert that both of us saw as kids. Too bad it wasn't the same concert in the same town. We could've gotten a BIG head start on Two Story Road had we met back then!

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Now that the recording process and the release of our music is finished, we're so anxious to take our songs to the masses. We'll definitely be trying to hit as many stages as possible in 2016!

10. DRAKE WHITE





Hokes Bluff, Alabama native Drake White played for tens of thousands of fans in 2015, including many during a stint on Zac Brown Band's Jekyll + Hyde Tour. He released his It Feels Good EP on Dot Records in September, and his new single Livin' The Dream debuted earlier this month. He'll be hitting the road again in 2016, crisscrossing the United States and Australia to kick off the new year.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
Spirit-driven, self-motivated entrepreneur obsessed with music, helping folks achieve their dreams, the way Jesus lived, and being in the wild.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
I hitchhiked around the South Island of New Zealand in 2010 solo. I took my time. It took three months.

Favorite song to perform live:
Right now it's "Making Me Look Good Again," but it changes daily.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
I look forward to the pursuit of being better than I was yesterday in all aspects of my life.

9. JOSH DORR



Josh Dorr's new single, "Rocket," was inspired by the adventures of his childhood in Gillette, Wyoming. Dorr, whose debut EP was released in 2014, experienced a pivotal moment when, after his apartment caught fire, he was looking for a sign from the universe as to whether he should continue in Nashville or call it quits. When his waterlogged laptop restarted after the fire and Dorr heard the James Taylor song "Fire and Rain" playing, he heeded the sign and stayed in Nashville.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I'd say I am just a fun, outgoing guy who loves to travel and loves playing music.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Being named one of Sirius XM's The Highway "Highway Find" artists.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
Based on my conversations, it's probably the fact that I'm from Wyoming. I meet about three people a week who have "never met a person from Wyoming before!" It's both unique and surprising to them. But I love it.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
A fresh start sounds really good to me! It has been a roller coaster year. But, I'm ready and working on putting out new music soon, and I can't wait to hit the road with it.

8. TARA THOMPSON



Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta's description of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee-native Tara Thompson pretty much says it all: "Tara has all the ingredients I've been looking for in a modern, traditional country artist. A blood relative to the one and only Loretta Lynn, her tell-all and attitude-filled songwriting and feisty personality are going to crash through the stereotypes and knock down radio stations and beer joints coast to coast." Thompson's debut single, "Someone To Take Your Place," will be released to country radio on January 19--the same week she kicks off the 2016 CMT Next Women of Country Tour.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I am a hillbilly singer from East Tennessee who loves to write and perform songs about my fun and crazy life for y'all.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Signing a record deal with the best label in country music: The Valory Music Co., under the Big Machine Label Group!

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
My grandma and Loretta Lynn are cousins.

The first concert you ever attended:
Loretta Lynn, of course.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
I'm so excited that my first single, "Someone To Take Your Place," will be coming to radio very soon!

7. KANE BROWN

Kane Brown - Apple Music


Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia's Kane Brown exploded onto the country scene in 2015, selling more than 200,000 song downloads--more than half of them for his song "Used To Love You Sober," which hit number 15 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Between viral video success and impressive sales of his crowdfunded EP Closer, Brown had an undeniably great year. The 22-year-old, who will be kicking off the year with a string of sold-out tour dates, is eyeing even bigger successes in 2016.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I am down to earth and I always try to stay positive--especially for my fans because they lift me up so much.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
I'm proud that my music got noticed this year. I'm excited that I have been able to connect with so many fans through social media and out on the road.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
I had to opportunity to play both basketball and football in college, but I chose to pursue music instead. I also was once ranked in the top 100 Call of Duty players in the world.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
I want to continue to build on the momentum that started in 2015. I would love to have a hit on country radio and continue to sell out shows across the country. A nomination for New Artist of the Year wouldn't be bad either. ;)

6. CLARE DUNN



MCA Nashville singer-songwriter Clare Dunn drew comparisons to Bonnie Raitt on tour this year, thanks in part to her impressive guitar chops and commanding stage presence on songs like "Move On." Her style appeals to a wide range of fans: her 2015 tourmates included Miranda Lambert and Bob Seger. In 2016, fans can find the Two Buttes, Colorado native on Chris Young's I'm Comin' Over Tour.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I'm a farm girl making music reflective of the wide open spaces I grew up in, woven into a tapestry with the influences I've absorbed over the years from my own musical taste and my family's (anything from Bob Seger to Led Zeppelin to Keith Urban), and whose live show is a blend of all of those things.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Touring with one of my heroes, Bob Seger. I saw him four years ago at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Never would I have dreamed in a thousand dreams that one day I would get to go out on tour with him, let alone play that same arena with him.

Favorite song to perform live:
All of them. Ha! Honestly. But "Tuxedo" holds a special place for me right now.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
I love to perform and to create, so I'm just looking forward to continuing to be able to do those things. I'm excited to keep getting my music out, and to keep working on new material for future projects.


5. GRANGER SMITH



Although Granger Smith has been on the scene for years--he has nine releases and millions of video views under his belt--things really started to click for the Dallas native in 2015. Smith was recently signed as a flagship artist on Broken Bow Records' imprint Wheelhouse Records, and his new single "Backroad Song" is finding huge support at country radio, where it's in the Top 15 and climbing. Fans can get an inside look at Smith's 2016 through his YouTube series YEE YEE TV, which posts regular episodes showcasing his life on the road.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I am a lover of country music and a creator of country music who is committed to the fans who listen to me and the path forged by the great names before me.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Obtaining my first national Top 15 song at radio with "Backroad Song."

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
I am ambidextrous: anything with power is right, and anything with detail is left. I play guitar right-handed and write with my left hand.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
My first major-label album release!

4. TUCKER BEATHARD



Tucker Beathard recently released a five-song EP on Spotify to give fans a gritty preview of what to expect while working on his debut album. Nashville fans may recognize Beathard from his guest appearance (as himself) in this year's winter finale. Although Beathard is only 20, he's a second-generation songwriter and has been playing in bands for half his life. The Nashville native will kick off 2016 playing shows with Chase Rice before heading to the UK and Ireland in April with Dierks Bentley.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
Unique and edgy, or at least that's what I've been told.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
I'm proud of how hard we've been going out on the road. This year we've really been grinding, we've played 25 states this year, a handful of those multiple times.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
I took a leap of faith when I finished high school and bailed on a baseball scholarship in order to follow my music dreams.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
I'm looking forward to being able to share more of the songs we've been working so hard on, and if I'm lucky enough to hear them back on the radio that will be the best payoff I can imagine.


3. STEVE MOAKLER





One of Steve Moakler's most notable successes in 2015 was Dierks Bentley's hit "Riser," a song the Bethel Park, Pennsylvania native co-wrote with Travis Meadows. Luckily, Moakler saved some hit songs for himself: his new EP, produced by Grammy winner Luke Laird, is scheduled for release in early 2016. Moakler promises to support the release with a headlining tour. While fans will have to wait until next year to hear the new material, "Suitcase" offers a satisfying sneak peek of what's to come.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I want to make music that gives people hope and makes them feel known.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Watching Dierks Bentley perform "Riser" at the ACM Awards for 70,000 people. It was surreal and a dream come true as a songwriter.

The first concert you ever attended:
My uncle's bar band, The Undertakers.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Releasing new music and hitting the road harder than ever!

2. BROTHERS OSBORNE



Although 2015 included many big moments for Brothers Osborne, the highlight was undoubtedly this month's news that the Deale, Maryland siblings are nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their Top 10 song "Stay A Little Longer." With their debut album, Pawn Shop, slated for a January 15, 2016 release, there will be no slowing down for these brothers in 2016.

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
We're always true to ourselves.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Being nominated for a Grammy Award.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
Our names are John Thomas and Thomas John.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Releasing our debut record, Pawn Shop.


1. MAREN MORRIS



Maren Morris' major-label EP release hit number one on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart in November, spurred by the success of its memorable single, "My Church." Morris was one of the most-streamed new artists on Spotify this year--a trend that will continue when her new full-length album is released next year. For her impressive success so far and the promise of more great things to come, this 25-year-old Arlington, Texas native takes the crown as the #1 artist to watch in 2016!

Describe yourself to fans in one sentence:
I'd describe my music as something that feels new, but has an old soul. It's fun, relatable, and heartbreaking, but it doesn't take itself too seriously.

2015 accomplishment you're most proud of:
Writing "My Church," because it kicked this whole ride into gear.

One surprising or unique thing about yourself:
I've been an artist since I was 11 years old. I made my first record at 14.

Thing you're most looking forward to in 2016:
Going to Europe, going on tour, and getting more music out. :)

Good luck to these 20 hardworking artists on the rise and the rest of country music's new crop of talented performers!

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Adelene Stanley // Photo by Christian Couzens

When the world around us changes, so do we. The transition of summer to autumn is met with chilly air, longer nights and changing colors. It is a period of reflection as the pace of life begins to slow down in preparation for winter and summer has become but a wistful memory. London-based quartet, Lowki, released their sophomore track "Autumn" in November to stunning reviews. Comprised of Sara, Zeke, Sam and Alex, their debut song "F.A.C.E.," which was released this past summer, put them on the radar and "Autumn" is keeping them on it.

Haunting and ethereal, the video features the fluid movements of Adelene Stanley who is currently studying at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London. "As the concept was all about the movement and contained no narrative in the traditional form, we had to find a dancer that was able to tell a story with her expressions and evoke emotion through dance," explained Nick, Lowki's producer. The voice of Sara, the lead singer of Lowki, washes over the listener in chilling waves, mimicking the cool, onset of the autumnal season.

Flawless production and mastering tickles at the back of your throat like the first breath of cold air, slowly changing your composition. An infectious beat is seamlessly introduced into the song, pulling you in by the proverbial heart strings. "Autumn" is beautiful in lyrics and sound, sonically manifesting the season of fall. Though this is Lowki's second musical release, this is their first music video and definitely not last. The concept was conceived collectively by all four members along with their producer. "We wanted to create some visuals that resonated synergy with the music," said Nick. "It was important for the whole piece to form a real statement piece of art."

Directed by Christian Couzens, the video was shot in a picturesque forest located in the charming English countryside of West Sussex. A truly collaborative effort, the whole band and crew worked and contributed to turn this vision into a reality. Sweeping cinematography, poignant editing, enchanting locale, and the hypnotic choreography of Stanley, made this video a perfect visual match to Lowki's new single, "Autumn."

This is just a taste of what Lowki has in store for their fans and future fans. The track will be a part of an upcoming EP that will surely fall upon yearning ears. Lowki encapsulates a sound that is as familiar as it is one-of-a-kind. Shrouded in mystery, they do not rely on selling their own imagery to be heard, they rely only on the power of their music.



Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lowkimusic

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Disney/Lucas Films

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

This past Monday, I published an article entitled "40 Unforgivable Plot Holes in Star Wars: The Force Awakens." I wrote that while I loved the film, I'd found in it so many plot holes that I'd felt compelled to do something I'd only ever done one other time -- for the second film in the Hobbit series -- which is compile a list of plot holes. Perhaps predictably, much of the debate the article started concerned the definition of a "plot hole." (In fiction and screenwriting, a "plot hole" is simply a logical inconsistency; if you believe it to be something else, I'd respectfully ask you to re-check your sources. That said, one person's "logical inconsistency" is often another's mere "coincidence.")

For instance, it's not a plot hole that Rey can speak Wookiee; it's a plot hole that Han and Chewie aren't surprised by it. It's not a plot hole that Captain Phasma's character is lame; it's a plot hole -- a logical inconsistency -- that she swings wildly between being hardcore and pathetic for no reason whatsoever other than to advance the plot. It's not a plot hole that Finn has a crisis of conscience during his first military operation; it's a plot hole that Phasma makes clear Finn has been 100% compliant for more than two decades, despite knowing what the First Order is and does, and that a single instant then brings him 100% online (not even just 95%) morally. It's not a plot hole that R2D2 doesn't offer the Resistance Luke's whereabouts; it's a plot hole -- in a film world in which we know R2D2 can be forcibly made to reveal his stored data by human owners -- for the Resistance to never have tried (or, not been successful at) accessing data they knew from past experience R2D2 almost certainly had. And so on.

Logical inconsistencies in films can be produced by in-film data-dumps, characters' behaviors and personalities, the trajectory of longer plot arcs -- really, anything that touches upon the structure or content of the story and the world in which it's set. And of course logical inconsistencies can plague sci-fi films as easily as any other genre, as such inconsistencies are measured against the world of the film, not real-world data.

That said, my last article did have some brain farts, for instance #11 (not a plot hole); #16 (explained in-film); #34 (explained in-film); #38 (see The Empire Strikes Back); and a few others. But in several other cases, the disagreement that I had with readers came down to the difference between a "logical inconsistency" and a "coincidence," which is sometimes a difference of degree rather than kind. For instance, I find Han's attempt to convert his son, under the circumstances in which it occurred, to be inconsistent with Han's character at the level of a logical inconsistency with the character's prior behavior. Others might say, and I can't blame them, that while it's poor writing, it's not beyond the bounds of plausibility for the character. Fair enough.

A lot of people reading "40 Unforgivable Plot Holes" wondered how one could love a film and also see its glaring deficiencies. And yet, to compare apples and oranges, just as being willing to see how America could improve is a prerequisite for living here intelligently, loving a movie means seeing it for what it is and it isn't. And when the movie at issue is set to be the most successful movie in the history of cinema, some good old-fashioned reflection is in order. Reflection is even more urgent when we have high-brow publications like The New Yorker writing of Abrams' poorly plotted film, "It's so adroitly wrought that lovers of the original may not even notice the skill."

I'm also a writer, and I think writers are especially hard on other writers. So if you're reading this piece, please know that the complaints made here are more on the order of "Capitalism owes us better story-writing than this!" than "There are too many grip-notches on Luke's light saber!" It's also true that pointing out plot holes in a film you love can be cathartic. I think that, as movie-goers, it helps us process our movie-watching experience. That's been especially true for me with this article series. A few of the 40 "plot holes" I proposed in my last article were subsequently explained by shrewd commenters, for which I'm enormously grateful. And yet, as some of these explanations raised new questions, and as some of the commenters mentioned issues I hadn't previously noticed, here's a new list of plot holes from The Force Awakens.

1. Starkiller Base has been constructed to allow it to suck all the energy out of a star thousands of times its size. Do the math on that. Or, if you like, do the science-fictional math. Neither is anything but ludicrous; neither shows writing effort.

2. If Starkiller Base is a weaponized, orbit-locked planet that can't be flown, it's the worst weapon ever and not one the First Order would ever have constructed. Why construct such an object directly under the nose of the very Republic it aims to destroy? Are we to assume the Republic doesn't even do the most cursory "check-ins" on nearby planets and moons to see if they are, I don't know, being turned into anything fairly denominated a "starkiller"? And if Starkiller Base is a planet-sized object that can fly on its own, why is it anywhere near Republic-held territory when it fires its killing blow at the Republic? There's no reason for that risk. More simply: how is this orbit-locked planet any improvement on the maneuverable Death Star?

3. Why does Maz Kanata keep her most prized and valuable possession in an unlocked chest in a publicly accessible basement? If her bar is as dangerous as Han says, wouldn't she have at least one or two or a hundred safeguards in place to ensure that no one steals Luke Skywalker's light saber? To those thinking this sort of thing isn't a plot hole, realize that it's a logical inconsistency that serves to contradict everything else said about (a) the shrewdness of Maz Kanata, (b) the value of Luke's light saber, (c) the dangerousness of Kanata's cantina, and (d) Kanata's commitment to the Resistance. If these things don't matter to you as a movie-goer, that's cool. But they do -- and should -- matter to the sort of writers who get paid mid-six figures (or more) to produce scripts for billion dollar-earning film franchises.

4. Speaking of Maz Kanata's cantina, before the heroes enter it, Han (who sure as heck knows from "dangerous") makes it sound incredibly dodgy -- so much so that he tells Rey and Finn not to even look at anything once they're inside; however, the patrons they encounter couldn't be friendlier. Kanata offers them lunch; a couple dudes in a corner offer Finn a ride to the Outer Rim even though he has no money; Rey is allowed to just wander around the building's basement; and like a concerned parent, Kanata reads Finn's past and fortune. So what the heck was supposed to be scary about that place? The CGI?

5. When Rey lands on Takodana, she says that she never imagined so much green could exist in the entire galaxy. The problem here is that we also know that every single night Rey dreams of an oceanic world dotted with idyllic and gorgeously lush islands. So maybe she can imagine it, and in fact does so every night? The point here is that Abrams and his writers can't decide if Rey is a hick or someone who knows, deep down, that not only is she special but the world is waiting for her to prove it. In Star Wars, Luke's certainty that the world was vastly larger than even his imagination was critical to his character from the jump; here, it seems unclear what type of person Rey is supposed to be, or even thinks herself to be. And yet at many points in the film she's clearly portrayed as self-assured. It's a logical inconsistency.

6. Has any film, in any genre, ever allowed a sketchy, background-unknown defector from the Bad Guy camp (Finn) such quick in-person access to the Supreme Commander of the Good Guys (Leia) as we see here, and with so few questions asked?

7. Rey remembers quite clearly that she's been told not to leave Jakku, in fact that memory is so imprinted on her psyche that it's effectively her Prime Directive, and yet she has no memory whatsoever of the face of the person (or any of the people) who communicated to her that life-defining piece of information. There's coincidence, and then there's logical inconsistency. This is the latter.

8. Why are there Stormtroopers using giant tasers in this film? In what possible way does a taser (let alone a taser shaped like a less-handy light saber) improve on a blaster, especially if the user has no access to the Force? This is another plot point clearly driven by toy merchandising, and yes, it is a logical inconsistency. The technological superiority of the First Order is kind of the entire point of the film -- think Starkiller Base -- so why is it okay to send Stormtroopers into the field with laughably inept (and inapt) weaponry? It undercuts the movie's core contention: that the First Order is an existential threat to the entire galaxy.

9. Sticking with the "Second-Rate First Order" theme, let's just say it: "Flametroopers" are (a) cool-looking, and (b) have absolutely no place in the Star Wars universe. The Star Wars universe is a place in which just a couple blaster strikes can cause anything to combust; the only reason for The Force Awakens to feature WW2-era weaponry like a flamethrower is because you want to sell toys and "Stormtroopers" with slightly updated helmets won't cut it. Enter "Flametroopers," who smack way too much of the bottom-of-the-barrel G.I. Joe characters of the 1980s. Maybe this is why Flametroopers only make one (very brief) appearance in the film. On the other hand, the Flametrooper division helps make the case for a stand-alone Star Wars film from the perspective of one of the First Order's silliest military contingents: an idea the several clerks of Clerks, but also many others, would love.

10. One more toy-related gripe: certain toys licensed for the movie appear to not be in the movie -- suggesting another egregious money-grab. Anyone see that battle involving Resistance speeder bikes and open-air First Order snowspeeders? Me neither. Is this a plot hole? Maybe, maybe not. The case for "not": it's something left out of the movie, not something wrongly put into it. The case "for": a film franchise like Star Wars has always been not just the films but also the canon surrounding it, and for The Force Awakens, an already confusing movie, a lot of "preemptive canon" was released that only underscores logical inconsistencies in the film. For instance, why didn't the Resistance have more of a presence (e.g. speeder bikes) on Takodana? Why didn't the Resistance ever contemplate a ground invasion (e.g., one that would force them to confront First Order snowspeeders) in the many years the Starkiller Base was being created? To send a handful of X-wings in the final minutes of the Republic just makes Leia look inept, which she isn't. Look at it this way: when Star Wars fans wonder openly about the absence of Constable Zuvio from The Force Awakens, on the one hand it's pretty derpy, on the other it probably means they've picked up on (a) something that was cut from the film for non-artistic reasons, and (b) something that, once cut, created a plot hole.

11. Since when, in the history of space films, have spacecraft in a well-guarded spaceship hangar needed to be tethered? This is just silly on so many levels. But it elongates a cool escape scene by thirty seconds, so hooray!

12. Han Solo and Chewbacca have spent nearly every day together for forty years, often fighting off baddies in small skirmishes and giant battles, but Han has never before tried Chewbacca's bowcaster? The scene in which he does so is a little cringe-worthy, as it's clearly just a sight-gag and a poor excuse for a one-liner. Yet is also undermines the central premise of the Han-Chewie relationship, which is that these two know everything about one another. The gag wasn't worth it.

13. Returning to the "Tasertrooper": the only reason Finn doesn't die in this movie is that a Stormtrooper on Takodana inexplicably chose to fight him with a taser rather than shooting him with a blaster. This is "Indiana Jones fighting a guy with a whip"-level ridiculous -- by which I mean, it's as ridiculous as it would have been had Harrison Ford taken out a whip to fight that whip-wielding assassin rather than just shooting him in the chest with the gun already in his hand. Anyway, it's a good thing for the saber-armed but saber-untrained Finn that he's the only one who ever gets to (er, has to) fight these Tasertrooper toys (er, soldiers).

14. For folks trying to hide BB-8 from the First Order, BB-8's friends sure make some inexplicable, unnecessary decisions to trot him out in public.

15. When Finn, a First Order defector who no one knows very well, reveals to Han and Chewie that he's lied to them about his knowledge of Starkiller Base, and that he's really only there to rescue his prospective girlfriend, who's also a big unknown to Han and Chewie, why doesn't Han let Leia know that they've been had? Exactly as Han expected, the lack of a credible assault plan subsequently leads to many needless deaths among the members of the Resistance. So did Han's "Oh, you scamp!"-type reaction really make any sense at all?

16. Why can't Starkiller Base be used until it's dark, as Poe (oddly) insists? Seems like it can be used whenever it's taken in enough energy, which would be, well, whenever it's taken in enough energy. Time of day should have nothing to do with it.

17. I know that in sci-fi, people survive crazy crashes all the time -- but at some point it gets ridiculous. Usually, a film utilizing the vehicle edition of the "narrow escape" trope shows us the final moments before a big crash happens -- for instance, a shot in which a crack pilot somehow manages to get his craft just enough under control to keep the crash from being fatal. Here, Poe and Finn seem to lose all navigation control over their Tie Fighter and crash head-on into a planet from an unimaginable (literally hyper-atmospheric) height. And yet both survive unharmed. Poe, in particular, is so unharmed that he's already walked miles away, entirely out of sight, by the time Finn awakes. So maybe we did need a shot of some extraordinary, last-second piloting? Especially if no one's going to be hurt at all in a fiery crash? Hell, as it turns out, quicksand is way more dangerous than freefalling into a planet at an unimaginable rate of speed from a height of hundreds of miles.

18. Kylo Ren can read Rey's mind from a distance, which is why he tells his subordinates that she's going to steal a plane from the hanger to escape -- so why didn't he know exactly where she was on Starkiller Base? And if he wasn't reading her mind, and was instead just speculating, where was that foresight when he left a single lightly armed Stormtrooper/James Bond to guard her -- despite already knowing she was a Force-user as powerful (or even more powerful) than him?

19. A little petty, but still irksome: since when do blaster wounds cause massive bleeding? Maybe I'm wrong, but is this the first Star Wars film ever in which a non-decapitated Stormtrooper who's still wearing his armor somehow bleeds through that armor profusely? A buddy of Finn's, as he's dying, smears blood all over Finn's helmet. It struck a dissonant note for me at the time, and I couldn't figure out why. Maybe it's because it's a significant change in the visual rhetoric of the combat of the Star Wars universe? I don't mean that it's gory, but that it's actually a significant change in what we're supposed to understand is happening when there's a blaster battle. I assumed it was electrocution, blunt-force trauma, maybe neural damage; now it appears that blasters are lacerating people all over the place. So shouldn't every Star Wars battle be bloody now? Unless -- ah -- the whole shot was just an attempt to tug at the audience's heart-strings with respect to Finn's character. Now don't get me wrong, Finn's my favorite character, but is that single shot worth changing the "visual canon" of the series so dramatically? Especially if, as I suspect, virtually no future scenes in the series will double down on this change? It's kind of like the way the bad guys' landing crafts have gotten smaller and smaller as the series has worn on, when it seems like things would go in the other direction. What I mean is, I'm certain the reason each First Order troop transport only carries a handful of Stormtroopers -- whereas the Empire's held scores -- is a one-off explanation: toy merchandising. The price-point for First Order troop transports needs to be low enough for it to be one of the less expensive Force Awakens toys, hence the transports' smaller size. As a writer, I hate scripts calling for a sea change just to score emotional points or sell tchotchkes. In this instance, Abrams and Kasdan knew Finn's conversation narrative was weak, so they threw in some random, implausible, and non-canonical gore to make it stick.

20. Even accepting that Jakku was Finn's first military assignment of any kind, as many readers of my first article on the film clearly did, are we to assume that he was entirely in the dark about the giant, racist, homicidal, Galaxy-spanning terrorist organization he was mopping floors for? Again, I think Finn is the best thing to happen to the Star Wars universe in basically forever. But if you're not acknowledging that at this point his "conversion" narrative makes no sense, or that (see above) virtually nothing about Rey's character makes any sense, you're on some level giving Abrams a pass, I feel. While I realize that a trilogy is a trilogy, and some things do get explained over time, a "logical inconsistency" in a script that won't be cleared up for two years is only okay if it doesn't dent our enjoyment of the current film more than a scintilla. As I've tooled around the Internet the past few days, I've seen many people saying, like me, that they enjoyed the film and will see it several times -- but very few who are desperately excited for the next installment. I think the reason for this is not that people didn't like the film, as clearly most people did, but rather that there are so many unexplained questions in this new trilogy -- a great many of which will simply turn out to have been gaping plot holes -- that there's as much trepidation for the next film as there is excitement. In any case, somewhere in the world Peter Jackson is seething, as his first installment of The Hobbit got nothing like the total pass legions of Star Wars fans are giving SW: TFA.

Seth Abramson is Series Editor for Best American Experimental Writing and an Assistant Professor of English at University of New Hampshire. His most recent book is Metamericana (BlazeVOX, 2015).

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"Change your records. One day you will wake up with your own licks. It's a promise." ~ Ana Popovic

Belgrade, Serbia is not known for being a city that churns out blues musicians. But this is in fact where a young Ana Popovic was introduced to the blues and the guitar. Jump to twenty years later and she is one of the most popular female blues guitar players in the world. In this interview we talked about the first time she played on stage, collaborating on an album with her father, and being part of the Experience Hendrix Tour.

Photo courtesy Leslii Stevens | Studio 23

So, you got into the blues through your father. Was the blues a popular genre in your native Serbia?

AP: No...Not at all. There were a few bands that were doing it at that time, and I was really drawn to it at a very early age. I would go to the nightclubs to listen to some of the blues bands. I was twelve or thirteen at the time, so I could listen to the first two songs, and then it would be time to go back home because it would already be midnight. My father was really supportive. He would drive me there, wait for me, and drive me back home just so I could hear some blues. I really started to listen to blues at home because he had such a large collection of blues records. And I also listened to him jam with friends--I thought it was an excellent way to spend a Sunday evening.

And you started playing guitar in your early teens? What did your friends think?

AP: You know, I always wanted to keep those two worlds separate. I had friends that I had through guitar lessons, and we would hang out and listen to blues, but my school friends, I never wanted to force the blues onto them. It was really just my world. Later on when I started to play in clubs, they would ask me to invite my friends, but I never did. I never talked about what I do.

Can you describe the feeling that you had the very first time you played on stage, and do you remember where it was?

AP: Of course....I'll never forget it. I was eighteen I think, and finally got an invitation to play in a club in Serbia, Belgrade called Vox. They were blues lovers and gave me one Friday to come and play. We put all of our equipment and gear in a car and left my house and then the car stopped at the first traffic light, and didn't want to move. We were stuck--the car was broken. We called some people and got to the club after a two or three hour delay--and the club was packed and they were all waiting for us. We played our first show and they loved it. The owner came to me and said, you know what, lets make a deal here--we want you every Friday night. And that was our beginning.

Does your personal experiences from being from Serbia and the past situations in your country show up in the lyrics in your songs?

AP: Yeah. I've found place and space for different lyrics and stories that have gone through my life. Specifically all of the political stuff I put on one record, which is called Still Making History. That record talked about the student demonstrations, Milosevic's regime, and difficulties that young people growing up in a regime like this faced on a daily basis. Then I have a record that talks about freedom, and talks about love, and the most important things in life, which a lot of musicians tend to forget. A lot of them tour 300 days a year, and that is not really, in my opinion, the way to lead a good life. If you have children, you need to be there. You can't just leave it all behind. You can combine these things. Especially as a successful business woman, a successful band leader, and a successful wife, and a good mother. You can do it--you just need to have some support from your family.

Photo courtesy Leslii Stevens | Studio 23

As one of the most popular contemporary female blues artists in the world, do you ever go out of your way to help inspire younger girls into playing guitar, or to listen and play the blues?

AP: It's beautiful when they come to me and say, you're the reason that I play. There are so many women coming up, and so many girls picking up the guitar now. I talked to my friend who was planning a festival in Colorado and he always encourages young kids--he always has a children's stage. This year, there were a lot more girl guitar players.

Do you approach writing instrumental songs differently than you do with songs with lyrics?

AP: I do. I haven't written a whole lot of instrumentals but it has to be a nice and catchy line that evokes some sort of emotion. It has to take you to a place. And it has to be stronger than the lyrics, because you don't have lyrics. I've done a few instrumentals; one is called Navajo Moon, which is a tribute to Ronnie Earl and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Then, Ana's Shuffle is a hard rocking instrumental and I thought bout the best years of Albert Collins and Albert King. It was just a funky thing. It was blues, but it is so groovy--you just couldn't sit still.

Besides being a solo artist, I know you have had the opportunity to play as part of the Experience Hendrix tour. How do you like playing Jimi Hendrix music, and how much of an influence do you think his songs have been on you?

AP: Huge influence. Not only was he one with his instrument, and an incredible performer, his lyrics were right there with Bob Dylan. And then when you look at where he brought the guitar and the sound--it was something that you never heard before. It's a huge influence. And look at how he kept that trio in his hands the way he did--you don't have to be born in the 70's to get that. It's been a huge part of my playing. Being a part of the Experience Hendrix tour has been a huge deal for me also because they didn't have a whole lot of ladies on the tours. On one hand, it was a huge challenge--I could feel it on my shoulders--I needed to prove that me, and later on, other ladies could stand the heat, and stand next to these other guitar players like Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa or Doyle Bramhall II and Buddy Guy who were taking it very seriously. Especially when they put me in the slot right after Zakk Wylde--you knew you really had to perform.



In early 2015, you released a different type of CD called Blue Room, where you teamed up with your father. That must have been a real personal experience, where your life as a musician has truly come full-circle.

AP: Absolutely. Those are the songs that I grew up with and played when I was just a kid. I really just wanted to capture how it use to be back in the day when Milton and me used to sit in our living room--we called it Blue Room, it was a little part of the living room where we kept our guitars and amps and music magazines. You know, it was funny, we never really gigged, but we would practice like we were going to a gig. All of these songs had arrangements worked out twenty years ago. The only thing I needed to do was get him in a studio--he didn't want to get into the studio for a very long time. I told him, pick any studio, any producer, and you pick the rhythm section--and he did. We had this tiny studio in the middle of Tennessee that looked like a living room and found some quality time. I wanted to capture this record for myself and my children, more than for my audience. There's something about the slow-hand players--and Milton is one of them. I think you need to be born in a different time to be able to play like that. We were born in a very fast time. The slow-hand approach is so inspiring to me that I wanted to capture it and show it to a younger audience.

Blues music has begun this reemergence throughout the world. Do you think that there are certain artists who are helping to push it forward?

AP: Oh Yeah! There are great players like Gary Clark Jr. and Joe Bonamassa and so many more that are offering their own unique vision of blues and it is gaining great audiences and its helping all of the others who came before them. It's an ongoing and inspiring form of music that goes through a renaissance every ten years or so.

I have to believe that you are your harshest critic. What have you learned about yourself through your music?

AP: You know, I always think everything I do could be much better. There's a lot of things I like and a lot of things I dislike, but I'm not harsh and beating myself. I know how hard I work to get there and that every record that I made is a statement to a certain time and a certain moment in my life. It's an imprint of my playing skills and a combination of my family life, and a combination of my background and surrounding--where I lived at the moment. I've lived in many places including Serbia, Amsterdam, New Orleans, and Memphis, and you can't compare these places, but they have had a huge print on me as an artist.



What is your best advice to up and coming guitarists trying to find their own sound and style?

AP: Change the records. Don't become the next Stevie Ray Vaughan, don't become the copy. No matter how much you like it, because it's really addictive. Listen to piano players-listen to saxophone players--they have different phrasing. The most important thing about blues players is their phrasing. Robert Cray is great for that. Ronnie Earl is recognizable because of his phrasing. Albert King, B.B. King--you don't have to be a blues fan to recognize the notes he played--that's the biggest achievement. Change your records. One day you will wake up with your own licks. It's a promise. That's how it goes.

For more information about Ana Popovic, and see her list of upcoming tour dates, including some on the 2016 Experience Hendrix tour, visit: www.anapopovic.com

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A year ago, Elise Beauchemin, a 12-year-old New Hampshire ballet student, emerged from a performance of Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker with tears in her eyes.

"I'll never be a ballerina," she told her mother. "I'm too small."

A year later, that same Elise Beauchemin, now 13 and a student in the Boston Ballet School, was chosen out of hundreds of dancers to appear as Clara in 14 performances of Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker, at the Boston Opera House through December 31.

"I feel like God opened a door and we're just stepping through it," says her mother, Carol Beauchemin.

For the Beauchemin family, it's more than just a dream come true--it's an exercise in complex family logistics.



"We live in New Hampshire," Carol says. "I had to take an apartment down here in Boston until June because we couldn't possibly commute back and forth. The cost of living down here is crazy. Safety-wise, we just had to get a feel for walking the streets, but we're in a pretty safe area and we feel good about the whole thing. We're both pretty excited."

Elise had always dreamt of being a professional dancer and had taken classes for years in her community. Carol emphasizes that this whole experience was her daughter's idea, not her own.

"I'm not some crazy dance-mom coaching my kid!" Carol laughs. "Elise is the motivator behind this. But I'm supporting her and I'm her number one cheerleader. I'm that way for all my kids, whatever their dreams are."

Carol committed to doing everything she could to keep the dream moving forward.

What's it like to see your daughter onstage for the first time with a professional company?

"I get teary," Carol admits. "I'm teary now, as I think about all the blessings. It overwhelms me with emotions. She's beautiful on the outside and she's beautiful on the inside.

"I can't even believe that my little girl is onstage with the Boston Ballet. She's dancing with principal ballerinas who are so kind and generous to her, and so encouraging to her.

"It's like, 'Holy smokes, girl! You just turned thirteen and these amazing people are in your life, and they know your name and they're talking to you, and they're giving you pointers.' It's just amazing."

Carol says that the cost of buying tickets to all 14 of her daughter's performances would be prohibitive, so she is volunteering in the gift shop, box office and even as the on-stage bunny so that she can travel the journey alongside her daughter.

"We're enjoying the journey together and having fun and keeping it light," Carol says.

As for schooling, Elise is homeschooling for the time being, at least through the end of this school year.

The whole thing has an other-worldly feeling for Carol.

"The other morning," she says, "I woke up and thought, 'I'm here in Boston in this apartment. I feel like I'm in college again! What am I doing here?'

"And as Elise opened her eyes, I just said to her, 'Honey, is this what you really want? Are you really happy?'

"And she said, 'Mom, this is amazing. Without a doubt, yes. I want to be a principal ballerina someday.'"

Where does it go from here?

"She'll take it as far as she wants," Carol says. "She's driving this. As doors open, she'll keep stepping through them. We'll just trust God and let him keep opening doors.

"My parents came through the Depression, and their attitude is, you have to have an education. Elise isn't so sure she wants to go to college right now. She wants to live the ballerina life. She can do both at Northeastern, but that's still a few years from now. I'm just staying in today.

"We're both just trying to enjoy the journey, wherever it goes. It's all a blessing. If it ends tomorrow, it's okay. It has already been a great thing for her. She will find joy in whatever comes her way in life. That's just who she is."

The Boston Ballet's Nutcracker takes place now through December 31st at the Boston Opera House. For further information, visit www.BostonBallet.org.

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While most people assumed that online video would try to emulate television-style content as it became more sophisticated, they turned out to be absolutely wrong. In fact, the reverse has occurred. All over traditional television programming, we are seeing a move towards trying to emulate the type of online content that has viral appeal. Look at Jimmy Fallon's segments, John Oliver's four to six minute exposés, and the entire concept of Spike's Lip Sync Battle. Not only are these shows packaging segments to be the right length and style for YouTube and other digital platforms, but they are even trying to emulate one key aspect that viewers love about online video: how genuine it feels.

When a YouTube viewer watches their favorite video blogger or fashion guru, they are not only there for the content, they enjoy the almost behind-the-scenes feel they get, the feeling of being actually connected to the real life of a content creator. That's something we rarely got when watching traditional television, until recently. TV shows are moving towards this style of content not only to capitalize on the huge numbers of online views you can generate through social media and online video platforms, but also because

Casey Patterson, an executive producer of Lip Sync Battle, really believes that how genuine the show feels is crucial to its success, both on television and online. "People love the show because it's a peek into celebrities having a great time," she said, "we're very careful not to over-produce the show because we want the real personalities of the guests to come out." In order to make sure that happens, the producers leave as much creative control in the hands of the celebrity guests as possible. The guests pick their own songs: the ones they perform on Lip Sync Battle are the songs they listen to before going out, or songs by an icon they've always wanted to meet. When Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (who has a 14 year daughter) performed a Taylor Swift hit, it was not the first time he had sung that at the top of his lungs, Patterson told me. Even more surprising, the show has never done a second take of any performance; the celebrities perform as if they're doing it live.

Lip Sync Battle is a perfect example of the new trend in making television more like online content: we are getting a real glimpse into the celebrity personalities we like to watch. That at least partially explains the enormous success Lip Sync Battle has had online, with more than 226 million streams on its YouTube channel. The other part may be that we just love music, comedy, and celebrities.

The trend is nowhere near over. Fallon's YouTube channel is posting more and more of the little games that give you some 'real' moments from celebrity guests, and Lip Sync Battle is ramping up it's ability to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look. For the second season, they've "built a whole second sound stage to expose all the guts of the show. Hair and makeup, wardrobe, even rehearsals," Patterson said. Remember when YouTubers started making second channels to show the guts of their productions? That type of content is being translated to TV (as it has before with features like BBC's Doctor Who Confidential).

There is a danger for TV producers when gunning for online views: there has always been a real concern that online viewership will cannibalize TV viewership, at which point putting content online just isn't worth it. Television generates more advertising revenue, and losing TV viewers isn't worth the low-revenue online traffic. But that hasn't been a problem for Lip Sync Battle, which may signal that the pie-in-the-sky ideal that content creators have been dreaming of is possible: online views actually sending consumers to TV. Sean O'Neill, Spike's SVP of Research, said the online traction has been nothing but additive. The show has brought Spike's female viewership up, brought a whole new audience onto Spike, and their data shows that the viral success of their YouTube channel is certainly not cannibalizing Spike's TV viewership, which has gone up significantly this past year.

Media consumers have learned from online video that they like a genuine, sincere look into the lives of the people they are watching. Behind-the-scenes is a big selling point, but the key is that the actual content offering makes you feel like you're really connected to the person on the screen. Lip Sync Battle is doing that by letting our favorite celebrities perform what they want, how they want. It looks like online content has taught traditional television a lesson.

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YouTube has become a platform that launches new minds and ideas; it has the power to create the biggest names in filmmaking, music, art, and design. However, a new group of individuals is taking the video sharing platform by storm, making it entirely their own.

I have the pleasure of introducing you to New Age Creators, the brainchild of a 19-year old English filmmaker called Orin Willis. He has been producing creative little videos every week on YouTube for the past two years, on the channel OrinsEyes, and has gathered an audience of over 8,000 from all across the world. But now, he's looking to take the next step and is going to need the help of some fellow creators...

"Creation is a process that can be fun alone and is sometimes necessary, but it's a whole different ball game with others. That's why I started New Age Creators; a new collaboration channel that will push us filmmakers to the max."

The aforementioned filmmakers that will be joining him on this journey hail from all across the world: Ana Marta, Chase Madsen, Jorge Fernandez, and Jake Lofven.



As five creators from Portugal, New Zealand, Spain, and Australia, they bask in their imaginations on a daily basis and produce some rather incredible content.

"It's a dream come true to work with these guys. I've been watching all of their videos for years now and to finally be creating with them is an awesome feeling."

In the world of YouTube, collaboration channels seem to be a thing of the past, with Our 2nd Life's (O2L) departure from the Internet slamming the collaborative gates shut. But Orin and his team believe they've got the spark that can reignite the collaborative flame. He explains that they've all already found their filmmaking styles, which has led to the birth of some very exciting ideas.



"This isn't the 'finding yourself' stage for us. It's all about how far we can stretch our creative boundaries. We've talked about making one video between us, where we'll create in our individual styles as well as an umbrella style. Another idea was 5-part stories, where each of us creates a video, which will be part of the story, and the next creator has to create something from where the last creator left off. I've never seen this kind of stuff on YouTube before, so it'll be a challenge for us and will be interesting to see how the YouTube world reacts," he adds, enthusiastically.

But Willis stresses that this isn't an exclusive group of creators, towering among the rest. He explains that everyone is a New Age Creator.

"If you're creating to leave this world better than you found it, in any way, then you're a New Age Creator."



The members of the new collab channel also hope to place an emphasis on the community side of YouTube.

"Too many times do you see creators neglecting, misusing, or manipulating their audience. They're regular human beings, did you know that? They put you on this pedestal and they damn well can take you off of it if they so please. We've seen it done before," Orin explains.

New Age Creators launched on November 2, 2015 and has already gained some excitement, with many dubbing it as "one of the most beautiful channels to ever exist" (ItsElliottandOwen). Weekly videos covering creative and distinct ideas are scattered throughout the channel, but this is clearly just the beginning for these ambitious creators, who hope to shake up the YouTube world and pave a new path for fellow filmmakers.

Here's to the New Age Creators.

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Nowadays (and for quite some time now), Frank Capra's 1946 film, It's a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, is viewed as a film classic and more specifically, a Christmas classic, shown on television every year in the weeks leading up to Christmas.



However, amazingly enough, in 1947, the FBI had a different view of the film.


In a 1947 FBI memo about Communist infiltration of the film industry, the following was written about the film:

To: The Director

D.M. Ladd

COMMUNIST INFILTRATION OF THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY

(RUNNING MEMORANDUM)

There is submitted herewith the running memorandum concerning Communist infiltration of the motion picture industry which has been brought up to date as of May 26, 1947....

With regard to the picture "It's a Wonderful Life", [redacted] stated in substance that the film represented rather obvious attempts to discredit bankers by casting Lionel Barrymore as a "scrooge-type" so that he would be the most hated man in the picture. This, according to these sources, is a common trick used by Communists.

addition, [redacted] stated that, in his opinion, this picture deliberately maligned the upper class, attempting to show the people who had money were mean and despicable characters. [redacted] related that if he made this picture portraying the banker, he would have shown this individual to have been following the rules as laid down by the State Bank Examiner in connection with making loans. Further, [redacted] stated that the scene wouldn't have "suffered at all" in portraying the banker as a man who was protecting funds put in his care by private individuals and adhering to the rules governing the loan of that money rather than portraying the part as it was shown. In summary, [redacted] stated that it was not necessary to make the banker such a mean character and "I would never have done it that way."

[redacted] recalled that approximately 15 years ago, the picture entitled "The Letter" was made in Russia and was later shown in this country. He recalled that in this Russian picture, an individual who had lost his self-respect as well as that of his friends and neighbors because of drunkenness, was given one last chance to redeem himself by going to the bank to get some money to pay off a debt. The old man was a sympathetic character and was so pleased at his opportunity that he was extremely nervous, inferring he might lose the letter of credit or the money itself. In summary, the old man made the journey of several days duration to the bank and with no mishap until he fell asleep on the homeward journey because of his determination to succeed. On this occasion the package of money dropped out of his pocket. Upon arriving home, the old man was so chagrined he hung himself. The next day someone returned the package of money to his wife saying it had been found. [redacted] draws a parallel of this scene and that of the picture previously discussed, showing that Thomas Mitchell who played the part of the man losing the money in the Capra picture suffered the same consequences as the man in the Russian picture in that Mitchell was too old a man to go out and make money to pay off his debt to the banker.

Isn't that fascinating?

The legend is...

STATUS: True

Thanks to Michael Dean for suggesting this one and thanks to Will Chen for the transcription. Check out Chen's site here for the original FBI documents.

Be sure to check out my archive of Movie Legends Revealed for more urban legends about the world of film. And click here for more Christmas-related legends!

Feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future installments! My e-mail address is bcronin@legendsrevealed.com.

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Updated every Wednesday
Copyright ⓒ 2015 RollingStory Inc.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The movie Concussion, starring Will Smith, opens in theaters nationwide on Christmas. For anyone who cares about safety in sports this is a welcomed development.

Concussion is the story of forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by Smith), who while conducting an autopsy of the brain of former Pittsburgh Steelers' All-Pro Mike Webster discovers a neurological disorder, which he calls chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Omalu publishes his findings and the rest of the movie centers around the drama involving Omalu and NFL powerbrokers.

Concussion will reach a larger general audience (including a lot of mothers who often make the family decision about which sports their children will and won't play) than previous documentaries and TV specials on football's impact on the brain. The excellent Frontline documentary, League of Denial, did the hardcore reporting on football, the brain and the NFL's irresponsible and unethical behavior. But the audience for a PBS movie is minuscule compared to a major Hollywood production, with a large marketing budget, and starring a superstar actor in the lead role.

Many of those entering theaters this holiday season to watch this highly-promoted movie will only be marginally aware of the link between football, concussions, and CTE, the neurological disease resulting from repetitive brain trauma. A lot of them will be leave shocked at what they discovered. As a result, Concussion will likely spark a broad national discussion about the safety of our country's favorite sport.

As a society, we need to take the attention this film will generate and move it off the NFL and refocus it on youth and high school football. There are less than 2,000 players in the NFL. The number of youth and high school players in this country is greater than three million.

Our children are playing football while their brains are still developing, increasing the risk of serious brain injuries. These kids are allowed on football fields by the parents and guardians in their lives before they reach the age of legal consent, and before they are capable of fully understanding the short and long-term risks football represents to their brains.

Those risks are scary to contemplate. Consider:

According to the Brain Injury Research Institute, in any given season, 20 percent of high school players sustain brain injuries. Additionally, over 40.5 percent of high school athletes who have suffered concussions return to action prematurely, which can lead to death from Second Impact Syndrome (SIS), a condition in which the brain swells, shutting down the brain stem and resulting in respiratory failure.

It's important to be aware that it's not just concussions we're concerned about today. Purdue researchers recently compared changes in the brains of high school football players who had suffered concussions with the brains of football players who were concussion free and found brain tissue damage in both. That means brain injuries are occurring without players, coaches or parents even being aware of it.

Repetitive sub-concussive hits to the head can cause as much damage as concussion-causing hits. CTE has many symptoms similar to Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases, however it isn't the result of some endogenous disease but due to brain injury -being hit too many times in the head. To that point, consider that the average high school football lineman receives 1,000 - 1,500 shots to the head during a single football season, based on estimates by Boston University researchers.

Unfortunately, there isn't a magic football helmet on the market today -- or likely in the future -- that will make them game safer from a brain standpoint. Helmets are great at preventing skull fractures and lacerations but terrible at preventing brain damage. The reason is that the brain is like Jell-O bouncing up against the walls of the skull. It's the whiplash effect that leads to concussions. That's why players can receive concussions without even being hit in the head. A blow to the chest can send the brain splashing against the skull with as much force as a head-to-head shot.

Schutt Sports, a manufacturer of sports equipment, openly admits the limitations of their helmets and now puts the following warning on the company's football helmets:

"No helmet system can protect you from serious brain and/or neck injuries including paralysis or death. To avoid these risks, do not engage in the sport of football."

Perhaps a similar Surgeon General-type of warning should be placed in every permission slip that parents must sign to allow their youth league or high school football players to participate in this sport.

"In terms of youth and high school football, we're in a race against the clock," says former NFL defensive back Keith Smith, who now manages a youth sports league. "This is a very serious matter. We need to change what we're doing fast. We need to make football safer, especially at the younger ages."

But how much safer can football, an inherently dangerous sport, be?

There are numerous benefits to youth sports participation, including fitness and a long list of life lessons that are best learned via sports. But there are safer alternatives to tackle football for our children, including flag football. And if the idea of playing flag football is too hard to stomach for some athletes and their parents, there are tens of other sports available which provide the same benefits as tackle football.

One thing we can count on, the market for safety-first youth sports leagues will undoubtedly grow as parents learn more about the risks high-contact sports like football represent to a child's brain.

"Concussions, or injuries in general, should not be viewed as a natural and acceptable consequence of playing youth sports," says Brian Sanders, CEO of i9Sports, a safety-first national youth sports organization that offers flag football, soccer (no heading), basketball and baseball. "As such, we provide healthy alternatives to situations where children are unnecessarily put in harm's way."

Dr. Omalu is on board with that approach.

"It is our moral duty as a society to protect the most vulnerable of us," wrote Omalu in a New York Times op-ed this week. "The human brain becomes fully developed at about 18 to 25 years old. We should at least wait for our children to grow up, be provided with the information and education on the risk of play, and let them make their own decisions. No adult, not a parent or a coach, should be allowed to make this potentially life-altering decision for a child."

Maybe, just maybe, Omalu's right.

At one time we allowed kids to smoke in public schools. In retrospect, that seems crazy now. In 25 years or so, will we look back at today's world and think it was just as crazy that we once allowed our kids to bang their brains around playing football, risking life-altering brain damage in the process?

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Updated every Wednesday
Copyright ⓒ 2015 RollingStory Inc.

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Midwest Soul Xchange, photo by Michael Patrick Neary

Midwest Soul Xchange have an alternative Americana vibe that's reminiscent of The Decemberists - big twangy folk that appears to have emerged from a time capsule. Their newly released album, New American Century, sounds like it was created by a band of musicians, but the Wisconsin-bred duo of Ryan Summers and Nate Cherrier are the sole members of this exciting new project that blends banjos, acoustic guitars and other rootsy instruments with an array of synth sounds. There are moments when the vocals creep to a James Hetfield roar, and this feels like a stylistic misstep, but the majority of the album benefits from a wide influence of genres. "Revolt of the Guards" is the most overtly political track, bringing to mind Tom Morello's Woody Guthrie odes. "The terror of poverty is now a crime," Summers and Cherrier croon blatantly on it. "Four Score and Seven to Go" is their most anthemic song on an impressive debut that skews towards the memorable.

The album cover of Joseph Sant's upcoming EP, "Sea White Salt," is a beachscape that bleeds into the endless expanse of the ocean. It was recorded in the bleak winter in a soon-to-be-evicted Williamsburg studio. His voice has an ethereal lilt that is nearly overpowered by guitars that alternately punch out shoe gazer-tinged melodies and linger on the edges of a dreamlike soundscape. The result is an intergalactic love child of Jeff Buckley and Beach House, understated but with a distinct presence. Sant's airy falsetto is particularly on display on the title track, which caps off this brief group of slight but pleasant songs.

Delta Deep is a high-octane dive into the rich depths of blues-rock with occasional detours into soul and '80s rock nods. I could do without some of the power chords, but mainly because the gritty blues lines elicit such a visceral response. The opening track "Bang the Lid" pulses with furious energy that reverberates through the far reaches of your soul long after it's finished and into the slow-burning "Whiskey", which begins as a ballad before giving into one of Phil Collen's many soul-wrenching guitar solos. Debbie Blackwell-Cook's sultry jazz-inflected voice provides the perfect counterpart. She formerly sang background vocals for Michael Buble but shows here that she's very comfortable in the spotlight. Collen (known as one of Def Leppard's guitarists) has assembled an impressive group of musicians for this passion project, including Stone Temple Pilots bassist Rob DeLeo and drummer Forrest Robinson who make up the rhythmic backbone. DeLeo can be heard most prominently delivering a rolling blues lick on "Burnt Sally". He also drives the upbeat soul-pop track "Feelit". After a couple shows in London and a short West Coast tour, Collen will take off to play with Def Leppard, but I wish he was bringing Delta Deep to the east coast.

Chrystyna Marie flits between blues and pop on her upcoming EP, Loaded Gun. Its title track's verses are rooted firmly in the former while its chorus bleeds heavily into the later. Her voice moves effortlessly between methodic guttural phrasing and an expansive pop belt, and I love the contrast. While the other three songs don't feel as fully formed, this stylistic touch reverberates throughout the EP. "No More" begins as a moody ballad but soon accelerates into a declarative cry. The final track "The Tower" is a pop lullaby that explores what comes in the aftermath of destruction. Comparisons to Adele and Amy Winehouse could be made, but the Toronto songstress feels like an artist in search of her own sound. I look forward to hearing her further explorations on a full-length album.

Bitter's Kiss is the moniker for the emerging talent of Chloe Baker. It's also the name of her well-produced smooth indie pop debut album and its title track on which she croons in a discordant high pitch. This actually provides a nice counterpoint for an otherwise archetypal break-up song. Baker's still in high school, so she can be forgiven if her lyrics don't plum as deeply as one would hope. They do feel organic and not like arbitrary constructions that fell victim to a rhyming plaque. "Love Won't Make You Cry" might give adults a good laugh though. What long-term relationships aren't tinged with moments of heartbreak and disappointment or at the very least an occasional tear? If you read the lyrics as a knowingly unrealistic yet still optimistic plea along the lines of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young", then the eerily beautiful soundscape emerges. I don't think this is what she intended but it's an interesting thought. "The Rope" plunges a little deeper when Baker pointedly asks, "are you thankful for the pain?" in a sharp critique of organized religion. Baker's father, Michael, produced and accompanies his daughter on piano, bass, drums, and guitar. They have a solid interplay through the mostly moody tracks, but the few upbeat ones like "Lovin' Life" don't feel as authentic.

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Have you ever seen the BAFTA award-nominated short film, Two & Two?

If not, you should do so now because film can illustrate a point like no other medium can. (Don't worry, it's only about 6 minutes long.)



[CAN'T WATCH IT NOW? CLICK HERE FOR A SYNOPSIS INSTEAD.]

After watching it for the first time recently, I couldn't help noticing Two & Two beautifully illustrates 3 reasons why we should accept more Syrian refugees into the United States.

#1 - Two & Two reminded me that Muslims have been harmed by terror too.

With every flawed ideology like the one in Two & Two, you have dissenters who are like the fallen hero, the silent survivor and even the cowards who drone on 2 + 2 = 5 in obedience. These dissenters are aware of the flaws within the ideology and have been harmed by it, whether it be losing one's life or living a lifetime under it's oppression.

This reminded me of the recent attack in Beirut, where Adel Termos - a Muslim - lost his life by throwing himself on top of a suicide bomber in order to save his daughter and the others in the crowded square.

But Adel Termos is only one of many. Muslims have lost far more lives to terrorists like ISIS than all westerners combined.

#2 - Two & Two reminds us that we need Muslims on our side to win this fight.

First, I understand the concern that ISIS will sneak undercover terrorists amongst the Syrian refugees. It would seem like a good idea to do something like that.

But once you learn about the thorough background check refugees are subjected to before they're allowed into the country, this concern is eliminated because the likelihood of this happening successfully diminishes to virtually zero.

For instance, according to the fact checking Pulitzer Prize winning website, PolitiFact, it takes about 3 years for the entire background check to be completed and the process for allowing in refugees is the most scrupulous over any other way into the country. Let's just say, there are far easier and faster ways for a terrorist to enter the U.S.

And besides the fact we shouldn't turn our backs on them for humanitarian reasons, we need help from Muslims because they are the best allies to have in this fight due to their abilities, insights, and connections that we can't possibly gain access to without them.

Think about it as it relates to Two & Two, how do we know what's going on in the classroom (i.e., the terrorist groups) without forming an alliance with the silent survivor? It's not like they're going to just let a white Christian boy into the classroom to find out vital information to use against them.

Muslims like the Syrian refugees may have come from the same region or religion as the terrorists but they disagree with the terrorist's ideology like we do and have been attacked like us; thus, they are truly our allies in thought and experience. We should combine forces with them instead of being fearful of their presence in our country.

#3 - Two & Two reminds us that the terrorists have a big weakness - a flawed ideology.

If your ideology is flawed, you essentially have your entire belief system built on a cracked foundation. And like a house, with enough exposure to the elements, those cracks are often the cause for it to come crumbling down.

For instance, Two & Two reminds us how dictatorial means like the ones used by terrorists only scares people into silence but it never eliminates the need for force. You have to use force to keep people in line because they will never willingly and infinitely buy into a flawed ideology.

One way to shine light on their flawed ideology then is to highlight how terrorist groups like ISIS use force against fellow Muslims. Highlighting their death tolls would not only show that Americans do value every human life equally (as we proclaim in the Declaration of Independence) but that ISIS is really about politics and not Islam and Allah. Desperate people would be less likely to fall victim to their religious rhetoric; thereby, discouraging joining their cause and helping the house fall down, brick by brick.

Standing by our own ideals, which include being a refuge for the tired, the poor, and the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free," also shines light on the flaws in the terrorists' stance against us as a people. Allowing more Syrian refugees in says America firmly believes in her principles - in her ideology, if you will - and nobody is going to scare us into losing faith in them.

The fact of the matter is terrorists win whenever they successfully keep enemies of people who are truly allies. Because they know we are not as strong against them when we remain divided.

So if we're not there for the silent survivors and we turn our backs on them instead, we will be doing the opposite of keeping safe and secure. Instead, we will be losing vital information, resources and friendship while helping terrorist groups like ISIS recruit desperate Muslims who will have nobody else to turn to for help.

And that won't be good for anybody - Arab or Westerner. 

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Olivia Sanabia plays Kelly Quinn in Amazon's new series Just Add Magic.
Photo by Emily Soto.
Olivia's socials: Instagram , Twitter , facebook


How old are you and when is your birthday? How did you get involved in show business?

I am 12 years old and my birthday is April 13, 2003. I got involved in the business through singing. I have been singing since I was two years old which led me to musical theater. I performed in multiple theater productions and then decided that I wanted to try TV and film. I booked my first professional job in a print campaign with Jennifer Garner and then went on to book numerous commercials, television and film roles, which I have been doing ever since.

You star as Kelly Quinn in Amazon's new original series Just Add Magic. Tell us about your audition.

I was super excited about the character for this audition. At first, Kelly Quinn was a soccer playing- baker. I used to play soccer and I bake all the time. So I was definitely excited for this role. I decided to dress bright and casual. My mom, like always, ran the lines with me. I was pretty confident with the way my audition went. Then when I was on vacation a few days later, I found out that I got a callback. That's where my Just Add Magic journey started.

What were you doing when you found out you got the role? What was your first reaction?

I was getting into the car to go out to dinner when I heard my mom get a phone call from my team. They asked to talked to me and I was pretty sure that meant something good, I was right! I felt so blessed. It was a lot of hard work that myself and my family put in to get to this point. I cried out of pure joy. I will never forget that moment.





Olivia Sanabia in the wardrobe trailer.

You recently worked on Life in Pieces. What was that like? Who did you play? What goes on in the wardrobe and make-up trailers?

Working on the set of Life in Pieces was such a fun experience. I was constantly laughing because the other actors had such great comedic timing. I played a mean teen character named Kylie. Wardrobe and make-up trailers are always one of my favorite experiences on a set. On Just Add Magic, we turn on the music and dance around and just act silly!

How does your schooling work?

I am homeschooled due to my schedule. When I am on set, I have a set teacher who is always there if I have questions. I have been very fortunate to be able to work with amazing teachers. At the school I go to, I had a wonderful teacher named Kate that recently, suddenly passed away. I will be doing a book memorial that was set up by some of her former students Austin North and Olivia Holt.

How do you memorize your lines?

When memorizing my lines, I like to be super comfy. So, I usually am sitting on my bed with my script, a highlighter and a pencil! I prefer to have copies of scripts, but I do love electronic scripts that can be on my phone and there whenever I need them!

What do your friends think of your career?

My friends are extremely supportive of my career. I am so blessed for the friendships I have.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Season One of Just Add Magic premieres January 15, 2016 on Amazon Prime.

I'm also proud to be working with Cookies for Kids' Cancer. After losing a dear friend to childhood cancer, I see how important it is to find a cure and helping out where I can.

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@SaraBareilles | @ingridmusic



Hi all! Before you read on, I want to remind you that my Twitter username and Instagram name have changed! Good thing is that they are both the same so they won't be hard to forget - @byingridvasquez

Now ...

12.21.15 #SongBlogIV (my song of the day): "Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles ft. Ingrid Michaelson



It seems like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson's fame only lasted from 2007 - 2014 and that makes me angry. Singer songwriters are not always welcomed in mainstream music but their music hasn't really been found elsewhere either. And this 2008 Christmas collaboration? It didn't even chart in the United States. I featured it as my song of the day not only because it's Winter season, but because a collaboration between two powerhouses in the singer songwriter field deserves to be heard.

Now because this song is sung by female singer songwriters I wanted to share with you some other female singer songwriters you should be listening to.

1. Karen Rodriguez



Karen Rodriguez might have only finished in 12th place on Season 10 of American Idol but she's getting some attention (well deserved attention) for her Spanglish covers on YouTube. Just take a listen to her cover of Adele's "Hello." If you like it, it's also available for free download here. | @KarenTheSiren

2. ZZ Ward



For some reason ZZ ward reminds me of Natasha Bedingfield with a touch of attitude. Her approach to this song, which is also her latest single, is a bit more pop (hence the Natasha Bedingfield reference), so if you don't find any interest in it, I definitely recommend you check out some of her other music. Here's one of my personal favorites (Cryin Wolf ft. Kendrick Lamar). | @ZZWard

3. Bibi Bourelly



The guitar rift is similar to that of Ed Sheeran's "Make it Rain" but don't hold that against her or this song. At only 22-years-old Bibi Bourelly is already making a name for herself as a songwriter (she is the songwriter behind Rihanna's "B*tch Better Have My Money") and as an artist. Having collaborated with artists such as Lil Wayne and Nick Brewer, it seems that the time for Bibi to shine has finally arrived. | @BibiBourelly_

4. Somi



She might be the artist with the largest music catalog on this list but it still does not mean that she has received much recognition - even after becoming one of the first artists on Sony Music's relaunched Okeh Records (jazz division). | @somimusic


The Music Minute:

- The Government Could Seize the One-of-a-Kind Wu-Tang Clan Album From Martin Shkreli: http://www.complex.com/music/2015/12/government-could-seize-one-of-a-king-wu-tang-clan-album-from-martin-shkreli
- Music Stars Help Dave Rowntree Raise $97,500 For Refugees: http://www.contactmusic.com/sir-paul-mccartney/news/music-stars-help-dave-rowntree-raise-97-500-for-refugees_5074190
- On new albums, Chris Brown and R. Kelly have no use for filters: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-chris-brown-royalty-r-kelly-the-buffet-review-20151218-story.html

Make sure to follow me on twitter & Instagram: @byingridvasquez to get my #SongBlogIV every day of the week (Monday - Sun) (I write about a lot of things so you won't be bored) and invite your friends to read #inthegridmusic exclusively on the Huffington Post.

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This Post originally appeared on the blog ScreenCraft. ScreenCraft is dedicated to helping screenwriters and filmmakers succeed through educational events, screenwriting competitions and the annual ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship program, connecting screenwriters with agents, managers and Hollywood producers. Follow ScreenCraft on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Reading screenplays is the best education a screenwriter can undertake. It’s better than any class, seminar, lecture, book, blog, or podcast. You learn what’s good, what’s great, and what the difference is between the two. You become influenced as you slowly begin to hone your own style and craft, picking from the apple trees of a wide variety of different films and genres.

As the Award Season is in full swing, in these times we’re lucky to be able to have the likes of Go Into The Story, run by Scott Myers. Go Into The Story is the screenwriting blog of The Blacklist and has provided screenwriters and filmmakers with free downloads of this year’s best produced screenplays, many of which are under Academy Award consideration.

So it’s time to go to school. Here we have 41 screenplays to be used for education purposes only and to just be inspired by because the writing is that good.

Note: If you’re an un-established screenwriter, know that many of these scripts are written either by seasoned professionals and auteurs, or are projects that came up from the indie market. So some of the guidelines and expectations asked of novice screenwriters looking to break through the Hollywood walls aren’t applicable in the context of these scripts below, which benefit from being written by established writers and those in an indie market that were financed outside of the Hollywood system. In those many cases, the clear take away is concept, story, and character, as opposed to aesthetics and tricks of the trade to get read.

 

More from ScreenCraft:

• Who Needs Film School? Binge-Read the Latest Scripts



• What Does The Black List Mean for Screenwriters and Hollywood?



• 7 Ways to Master the Art of the Script Rewrite

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Forty-five years after they broke up, the Beatles have joined the main stream.

As of 12:01 a.m. Christmas Eve, the 224 songs recorded by the Fab Four in the 1960s will be finally be available on nine major music streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon Prime Music, Tidal, Deezer, Microsoft Groove, Napster/Rhapsody and Slacker Radio.



That makes Beatles songs available pretty much everywhere in the streaming world - and it's about time, since not being able to offer the Beatles is the music streaming business equivalent of Mozart having to write symphonies without violins.

Even the timing of the announcement has a lovely little echo for Beatles fans, who back in the 1960s were treated to a Christmas message from the group every year.

One doesn't have to have belonged to a 1965 Beatles fan club, however, to say that this 2015 deal ensures that all Beatles fans will be simply having a wonderful Christmastime. Even if Paul McCartney didn't write that line until after he'd left the Beatles and gone solo.

As the long lag between the inception of streaming and the inclusion of the Beatles suggests, getting here has been a lengthy, complicated process in which some of the discussions doubtless involved compensation.

Beatles songs, most significantly the ones written by McCartney and the late John Lennon, are now owned by Universal Music Group. That anyone else owns them has been a sore point with McCartney for many years, though he will gradually start regaining the rights as the 56-year copyright term begins expiring later this decade.

In the interim, the byword for Beatles catalog owners all along has been caution. Their recordings weren't available on Apple's iTunes until 2010, making the Beatles one of the last passengers aboard that ship as well.

These days, as a growing number of younger listeners turn to streaming for their music, it's almost essential for an artist to be available there - despite a few selective and well-publicized exceptions like Taylor Swift pulling her songs from Spotify's free service and Adele thus far keeping her new "25" album off streaming services altogether.

In general, artists want and need to be there, and the Beatles are among the relative handful of artists whose presence also could promote streaming itself to some listeners who previously just hadn't gotten there.

The addition of Beatles music won't revolutionize streaming services, or add a radical new dimension. Rather, it will enhance what's already there, giving it a touch of added elegance.

There's already a lot of good wine on the table. This adds a classic, because 45 years after their last record was released, the Beatles remain embedded in the fabric of good popular music.

Only a handful of artists tried to sound just like the Beatles -- listen to some early Bee Gees records -- but whole armies of artists listened and learned and passed it down. Even artists who would say they barely remember the Beatles owe to the Beatles - just as, yes, the Beatles themselves owed to dozens of artists, from Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly to Arthur Alexander.

Notwithstanding the acclaim the Beatles received for "Sgt. Pepper" and other discs that pushed the recording-tech envelope of the time, their durability lies more in the way they handled the basics.

No offense to "Revolution Number 9" or "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," but they're way less listenable today than "She Loves You," "Penny Lane," "Help" or "The Long and Winding Road," records with a sound that sticks in your head forever.

Like Irving Berlin or the Gershwins or Lerner and Loewe or Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lennon and McCartney did a seemingly simple thing so much better than a thousand contemporaries who nominally were doing the same simple thing.

Kids brought their music home and within a couple of spins, parents and grandparents were saying, "Hey, y'know, that's not so bad." Try pulling that trick off sometime.



To anyone who lived through the '60s, the Beatles will always evoke the era. To someone born 40 years later, "In My Life" is just pleasing to the ears.

It's always been the ultimate rock 'n' roll compliment to say someone made great radio records. The Beatles made great radio records.

Now they also make great streaming records.

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