Will the US Really Get Brian McFadden's Hit CD Wall of Soundz?

Being married to an Australian (I know, Alan is really a Kiwi, but the US considers him an Aussie) I have been introduced to some spectacular music by artists Down Under. More often than not the American audience rarely has the opportunity to come across this great material. Stop for a minute and try to name as many musicians as you can from Australia?

I am guessing you may have listed Savage Garden, Kylie Minouge, Midnight Oil...or maybe you took a detour to the 80s and came up with Men at Work.

A few years ago Delta Goodrem, Australia's sweetheart (sometimes compared to Celine Dion...but I think Delta has gazillions more talent) released her 3rd CD in the States. To us ignorant Americans we thought it was her first...a breakout artist. And as fast as she appeared on the American music scene, she disappeared. (Don't get me started on the concert she was scheduled to do in SLC & ended up not being able to make the trip...I cried.)

Just tonight a tweet appeared in my feed from Brian McFadden that made me yell & retweet FINALLY. His 3rd solo album will have the single "Just Say So" released in the US on September 19th. This song has already reached #1 on the Australia charts, with two more singles released: "Chemical Rush" and "Mistakes," a second duet with Delta. And what makes the music so enjoyable is that Brian writes his own material...a true musician. (Delta is the real deal, too...and she is unstoppable on the piano!)



McFadden is an Irish musician whom Australia adopted and happens to be engaged to Delta...small world. In fact, the first time I heard both these artists sing was during my first trip to Sydney. They recorded the duet "Almost Here."



One song is not enough for me. Delta released only one song in the States (and it was not even the best song on the full disc.) I am terrified this might happen to Brian. I have listened to his entire album, Wall of Soundz, an 11-track fist pumping, get your ass on the floor and dance CD. It is worth the purchase.

Bottom line: We need these Aussie imports to break the monotony of American pop. (Hopefully we can buy these tunes here without having to pay high import costs or have iTunes tell us we live in the wrong country to purchase.)

And I have a message for the US labels for these Aussie imports...you don't need to remake their videos or repackage their CDs. We want what makes them authentic and stays true to their artistic integrity.

Now I am holding McFadden to his promise he made to me in a tweet back: You better let me know the details of when Soundz will be released.

Brian McFadden Discography: Irish Son, Set in Stone, & Wall of Soundz. (Yeah he also spent a few years with Westlife, but his solo work is his writing and his story.)

And don't forget Delta Goodrem. Maybe we will see her return. Her discography: Innocent Eyes, Mistaken Identity, & Delta.

Follow Brian McFadden on Twitter
Follow Delta Goodrem on Twitter

Good Bye Tulips...Until Next Spring

I am sharing an image I snapped outside of my office. The gardeners were pulling up the tulips today and planting the summer flowers here on Temple Square. I quickly took a photo with my phone since I did not know how much longer these beautiful flowers would be here. I think these flowers are the only thing that have kept me sane today...they were just so pretty. At the same time...this is the last of the tulips until next year.

The Evolution of Women in Social Media Conference

With a rock star lineup of keynote speakers, Evo '10: The Evolution of Women in Social Media conference is sure to be one of the best events of the year.

The organizers give a breakdown of what to expect:

Who: Bloggers, businesses, and social media junkies of all levels.

What: Participate in hands-on tutorials and workshops, thoughtful discussions and keynote panels. Network and party with the friends and brands you love.

When: June 24-26, 2010

Where: The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah

Why: Experts will take you, step-by-step, through their processes as you follow along on your own projects. Get ready to explore blogging, photography, PR, marketing, writing and more.

This conference is the first of its kind and will be a valuable resource for understanding how women impact the social media world and that they are a force that cannot be ignored.

Ready for "Women Food and God"

I rarely have opportunities to watch Oprah because I work an 8 to 5 job. Fortunately for me, my daughter was ill this week…which meant time off work for me. The timing was brilliant. I happened to catch the episode in which Geneen Roth’s book Women Food and God was the featured topic. Within 15 minutes, I was in tears. (Damn you Oprah, you always make me cry!)

I quickly made my way to Barnes and noble to purchase Roth’s book and am now determined to read it, write in my journal about it…might even blog about it. This book is not about dieting; it is about changing way of life and how you look at life. And it just so happens that I am in need of something drastic to change (or snap into place) so I can feel alive again.

Be warned, if you read this book you will find you want to share passages with the nearest person. My husband asked me to stop after the 4^th quote. So read this book with a friend because I guarantee you will want to talk about it!

And so my Women Food and God adventure begins!

Australian art that makes you smile

Five and a half years ago I took my first trip to Sydney, Australia. (It ended up being an amazing trip because that is where I was proposed to...another story, another blog post.)

It was in Australia that I had my first experience swimming in the ocean. The then boyfriend Alan (now husband) took me to Manly Beach where I quickly fell in love with the soft sand and clear water. What fascinated me about Manly was all the vendors selling their art work. We happened to find a young jeweler who lived in the Blue Mountains that designed our wedding bands. And I discovered my favorite Aussie artist, Tanya Roocci.

Tanya has really captured the whimsical feel of Australia's animals. I bought all her prints available at that time for my daughter's room. She has been busy since creating even more spectacular creatures.

If you like her work, she will ship to the United States! You can see all her work and order from her website.

2010 Baby Seal Hunt in Canada-Please Stop It

The Humane Society of the United States announced that Canada's annual baby seal hunt has begun. The Canadian government issued licenses and are allowing up to 388,200 harp, gray and hooded seal pups to be killed for their fur.

The HSUS is concerned because this year there appears to be hardly any ice where mother seals normally give birth. This means that the death rate will already be quite high. HSUS started the "Seriously, Canada?" campaign to help the public reach out to the Canadian government to stop this year's kill.

Watch this video that shows the ice problem and how only a handful of pups could be found prior to the hunt beginning. "Cancel the 2010 Commercial Seal Hunt."

Lady Gaga Video is One Long Commercial (See Images)

I was looking forward to last night’s premiere of Lady Gaga & Beyonce’s video “Telephone.” From the early released images, I was anticipating this to be an iconic moment in pop music. Surely this video would join the ranks of “Thriller,” “Addicted to Love” and “Vogue!”

What we actually ended up with was a 10 minute commercial for numerous products. Take a look at the screen captures from the video and see how many brands you recognize. (And yes, Plenty of Fish is really a dating Web site!)