Desert Island List: Top 5 Bands with Female Leads

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

Top 5 Bands with Female Leads. Again, in no particular order...putting these in order would be incredibly tough! Also I'm warping this to just Top 5 Female Indie Artists cause bands seem to disappear under the headliner's name

1) Metric: what's there not like about Metric? Emily Haines rocks it out emotionally, sexually, and physically. She's got great stage presence, and she matures as a song writer as time goes on. From hits like Monster Hospital, Succexy, Poster of a Girl, Gimme Sympathy, Stadium Love...her themes mature, but most importantly, they're relevant.

2) Florence and the Machine: New to the scene, Florence is popularizing airwaves all around the world. You can catch her song "Dog Days Are Over" on CJAD during the pre-game shows for Habs games. She's also had part of the song "Kiss with a Fist" play on NBC's Community in their inaugural episode. She's got a lot of energy in her vocals, and there is a lot of energy as a band.

3) Katie Melua: In terms of power in a voice, Katie Melua is at Level 99. She's got an incredibly empowering voice. The only thing that's weak is her lyrics. I'm not sure if she writes them herself, or that she has a writer, but it's pretty weak stuff. The instrumentals are soft, it paces the songs, it lets Melua unleash the beauty of her voice slowly and steadily. She's great to listen if you feel like you need to be motivated in a long term!

4) Ingrid Michaelson: she sings about how hard it is to wake up in the morning, but also about how great life can be if it's simple. The classic type that plays out to the hearts of 14-17 year old girls. Yes I have the heart of a 17 year old girl, now to find her and return it to her. I digress. Ingrid Michaelson is down to earth. Many female artists are dressed up, beautiful, and stylish...Ingrid does her shows wearing hats and her glasses, and a pair of jeans. She's just kickin' it back, playing some music, and entertaining people along the way.

5) Priscilla Ahn: I feel in love with her the moment I heard her stuff and saw her. She's got a sweet voice, and really easy going. Her music is what I call summer day music. With the sun shining, and a bit of a breeze blowing, Priscilla Ahn is perfect for the mood. Her music is well paced to have you elated, and to keep your buzz on. She doesn't sing about anything too endearing, but at the same time it's so platonic you feel like you know what she means.

That's it for now. I hope this helps you through menopause!!

My next topic will be the Top 5 Male Hairstyles you should wear when you're on a desert island for both picking up chicks, and just to survive! stay tuned, hopefully there won't be a 2 month delay between my next post!

Desert Island List: Top 5 Books

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

Top 5 Books. You would think I could be extremely cultured and pull out books like "The Art of War," "The Anarchist's Cookbook," "The Bible," "Mein Kampf," but lets face it, I read popular culture books. Does that mean I fail in reading cause I'm not learning when I read? I don't think so...I think I just enjoy the little things in life a little more than trying to prove to myself I'm better than I am. I'm not, I'm a nerd.

1) High Fidelty (Nick Hornby) -- I first read this in High School for class and I loved it then and I still do. Hornby's known for his popular culture references which sits well with me. He comments on great classic songs like "Walking on Sunshine" and classic bands like Nirvana. Stuff I grew up on. He meshes this all with a guy completely obsessed with music and how his love life is failing. Something I can relate to easily.

2) A Long Way Down (Nick Hornby) -- Is it a crime that I put two Hornby books in the same list? well this one is the Breakfast Club on steroids. 4 unlikely individuals form a group pact on not to commit suicide for a month, then 2 months, then how to continue their lives from there. The individuals range from a former Television star, a failing rock musician, an emo kid, a single mother with a disabled child. There's nothing that makes you realize there's more about life than knowing that you've got nothing to lose. Stranded on a desert island, wouldn't be a bad choice to have this in hand.

3) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J.K. Rowling) -- Debatable. I believe the Triwizard tournament was pretty exciting. Harry up against the wall, someone on his back trying to get him in the sneakiest of ways. The return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. That's not a spoiler cause if you've read the book, you know what happens, but if you haven't read the book, you shouldn't know who I'm talking about, right? ;).

4) Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) -- Cheese. I know. Robert Langdon, a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones, saves the world from the clutches of religion! Being a Catholic, it's interesting to read about your religion in a different light and try to cope with it. Being stranded on a desert island, where is my God?

5) Fight Club (Chuck Palaniuk) -- Anarchy, Bipolarity, Schizophrenia. This book opens lights up on how messed up society can become with just an idea of trying to feel more alive. Ironically, the main character tries to feel more alive by getting closer to dying, which I guess goes down to pain for pleasure and exhilaration. This is another book that comes down to realizing that there's more to life. Unlike the movie, the main character dies and has a conversation with God. How many books can you read that ends with a conversation with God?

Well this was actually a really tough list to make cause I clearly don't have a lot of variety in what I read! Next list will be a battle with the Top 5 Indie Bands with Female Leads (excluding male/female duets).

Desert Island List: Top 5 DVDs (movies)

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

This edition is the Top 5 DVDs (Blu-Rays) I would bring with me to a desert island. It's only movies, and not including TV shows. There will be another list for TV shows. This also raises a weird question, why would I be carrying 5 DVDs at the time of getting stranded on a desert island? I guess that's one for the ages. Here we go:

1. Top Gun -- What's there not to like? Man of all men Maverick flying fighter jets and getting the woman all while riding into the danger zone. The movie's known for classic lines like "You're dangerous, but I like you... You can be my wingman any time!"

2. Shaun of the Dead -- Simon Pegg at his best as an average guy who saves his friends from the zombies. Hilarious British humour with subtle punch lines and delivery.

3. The Bourne Ultimatum -- The first two were good movies, but the third one was in a class of its own. Matt Damon, a terrifically underrated actor plays the part well of a man with a chip on his shoulder that you shouldn't mess with, no matter what the circumstances. Espionage and action at its best, not to mention a good storyline.

4. 40-Year Old Virgin -- best comedy movie ever. Nothing tops this. Steve Carrell's breakthrough role and awkwardness all-round. "Feels like sandbags." Also if I'm stranded on an island, I might end up channeling my sexual energy into knowing that guy went 40 years (fictionally).

5. Juno -- Quick quips and sarcastic deadpan humour at its best. Good jokes, a feel good story. Also contains some of my favourite actors (okay really 2 actors from my favourite show "Arrested Development"). Damn them and their teaser of never being in the same scene together! What a disappointment.

Honourable mentions: Superbad, Fight Back to School 1 (Canto movie), Dark Knight

Next list: Top 5 Books (it'll just be 5 out of 7 Harry Potter books...now which ones to eliminate! jk)

Desert Island List: Top 5 Essentials

In a series of Desert Island lists, I will be doing the Top 5 of whatsoever as it comes. I welcome you kind gentleman and gentleladies to contribute your very own Desert Island lists and suggestions for further lists! Enjoy! (DISCLAIMER: Each list is a standalone list that has nothing to do with the previous list)

Today will be the essentials, the things you need to survive. Things you can't live without , things you need to stay sane!

1. Toothbrush -- I can't live with nasty teeth

2. Toothpaste -- They really go hand in hand...

3. Machete -- You never know what you're going to run into, could be a wild animal, or just foliage that may get in the way of your daily life.

4. Bug Spray -- Let's be honest, there is nothing worse than bugs. Bugs when you're walking. Bugs when you're sleeping. Bugs when you're eating. Bugs.

5. Soccer Ball -- now I know this sounds cliché but I need something to keep entertained, and a soccer ball would go a long way. Plus I can use it to smack bugs, throw it at animals and even use it as a chair or a pillow.

The next Desert Island List will be Top 5 DVDs.

Predictions

Just before the Habs kicked off their playoff series against the Washington Capitals, many pundits predicted that the Habs would be swept in 4 games, and would definitely not last past 5.

I fearlessly predicted that it would snow before the end of February. With the Habs forcing game 7 to be played tomorrow, I will make another prediction: the Habs will face the Bruins in the playoffs.

Vancouver Day 21/22: QE Park and Stanley Park

I visited 2 parks in 2 days and they were beautiful parks. Queen Elizabeth Park was more of a big hill, and it had the Bloedel Conservatory at the peak, which is like an amazon zoo, but really small. It had a lot of fancy birds and plants but I didn't get to tour it cause I arrived too late. It had beautiful gardens and it was quite the walk. Not all the flowers were in bloom yet but many were and it was nice to see.

Stanley Park was just off the coast of Vancouver. I walked/jogged the whole coast in about 2 hours. Turns out I'm not very good at jogging. I thought since everyone else was doing it, I'd do it too...but I think I jog too fast and expend all my energy too quickly. I don't know how to go slow! But the sights were nice and there were many mythical legends left behind by the Natives. They had this one giant rock where they claimed a man had been so unselfish he was transformed into a rock. It was a nice sunny day so it captured a lot of the effect. The insides of the park was beautiful too and a nice nature hike. It's more flat than most of Vancouver surprisingly. There was an "Aquarium" which is an aquatic museum. I didn't enter cause it was $22 but I did get to see some beluga whales and captured them on film! I finally found the Inukshuk and got a picture of it. Vancouver's a beautiful city, much more than Montreal! It's definitely worth a visit if you're looking for something inside Canada that's not Toronto!

Vancouver Days 19/20: New Westminster/Richmond

Just checked out New Westminster, where the trading used to take place way back when. It rained but not too bad. It was pretty much just some site seeing. There was this weird district where it was all wedding stuff, pretty weird!

Richmond was pretty boring, there wasn't anything that special there even though it's supposed to be Asian-central. I didn't find the super Asian mall but i did walk around Richmond Center and then went to Minora Park.

Just take a look at the pics :).