Monica Still Standing

Still Standing is the upcoming sixth studio album by American R&B singer Monica, set to be released today, March 23, 2010 on J Records. It will be the third album released under the singer's contract with J following the renewal of her joint venture with the label in October 2007. Prior to its release, Monica debuted her reality series Monica: Still Standing on several television networks, giving her fans a sneak peak into her life and this new project. The album's lead single, "Everything to Me", was produced by Missy Elliott and released on January 26, 2010.

Giving it a B+ rating, Entertainment Weekly's Mikael Wood called the album "a low-key delight" and perceived its sound as reminiscent of 1990s-R&B, stating "the 
appealingly unflashy CD feels like a return to the mid-'90s heyday of acts such as Deborah Cox and Total". People gave it 3 out of 4 stars and commended Monica for her performance, calling the album "a consistently rewarding set that relies on Monica's strong delivery and some dependable writers and producers".

Track Listing

1. Still Standing (feat. Ludacris)    (4:18)

2. One In a Lifetime    (4:31)

3. Stay or Go    (3:40)

4. Everything to Me    (3:17)

5. If You Were My Man    (3:26)

6. Mirror    (4:17)

7. Here I Am    (3:43)

8. Superman    (4:32)

9. Love All Over Me    (3:50)

10. Believing In Me    (4:00)

Bloggers to Check out in 2010: Part 2!

5) The Downtown Diaries: http://thedowntowndiaries.com/

Event planner and nightlife enthusiast Kristina Marino started The Downtown Diaries a little less than a year ago to promote her event-planning and spread the word about her friend’s projects. The blog has grown rapidly since, and has made a name for itself in NYC nightlife.

The Downtown Diaries showcases nightlife events under What’s Goin’ Down, local shows in Mark it Down, and Williamsburg news in The Williamsburg Word.

Kristina's goal is to use her blog to host monthly events showcasing her favorite DJs and performers. She has the attitude that “the sky is the limit” as far as blogging goes, and could see a book deal or TV show in her future. On living life as a blogger/event planner Kristina states that “It takes a lot of will and passion to not work a typical 9-5 and make boatloads of money, and pursue your passions. It's hard, but also fun.”

6) Modern Mystery: http://modernmysteryblog.com/

Modern Mystery is an indie music blog featuring interviews with bands, tour dates, music news, concert reviews, set lists, and photography. Founder Melissa Nastasi started the blog after seeing videos of The Morning Benders on Fuse while at home sick. She fell in love with the band and felt that the world needed to know them. What was intended to be one post has transformed into a successful blog with 11 contributing writers and photographers in New York, California, Texas, and Boston.

The best part of Modern Mystery is their band interviews. Two weeks after starting the blog Nastasi was invited to interview the bands playing New York’s CMJ Music Festival. Nastasi feels interviews allow her to “get on a personal level with the bands, and see a side of them that not many people get to see.” She has interviewed members of Matt Pond PA, Bishop Allen, Chairlift, and The Dandy Warhols. On how blogging has affected her life Nastasi says “This blog has become bigger than I’ve ever imagined, and sometimes I still can’t believe it. I’ve met some of the greatest people to walk the earth. Musicians that I admire more than anything.”

7) New York Daily Photo: http://newyorkdailyphoto.blogspot.com/

New York Daily Photo is a blog featuring photos of New York City, posted every weekday by founder Brian Dube. Brian was inspired to create the blog after coming across a similar blog for Paris, France. Each photo posted is accompanied by a story about the photo’s topic.

Brian’s photos are often of everyday things we see in the city but don’t usually think twice about. Through pictures and stories Brian makes us see these everyday images in a new light. Brian recently posted a picture of a fortuneteller’s storefront with a costumer inside. Under the picture he reveals that in 1999 the average fortune teller’s salary was $200,000! Crazy stuff!

Brian says that it is too difficult to choose just one of the thousands of photos he has posted as his favorite. However he is planning an entire re-design of the website soon which will include sections with photos and stories he likes the best.

8) Times Square Gossip: http://www.timessquaregossip.com/

Time Square Gossip is a celebrity gossip blog from a New York perspective. Founder James Edstrom covers Hollywood, NYC, Atlantic City, Broadway, and the Hamptons. He writes about celebrities of all ages, and told me that he is frustrated with current celebrity journalism because it focuses only on young stars.

Edstrom has been taking photos of celebrities for 30 years, and was the on set photographer for both the Joan Rivers Show and The Jerry Springer show. He notes major changes in photography over the last decade, with a photo that used to go for thousands of dollars being worth only hundreds. The changing nature of the industry is what led him to start Times Square Gossip. “I started my blog because I wanted to write about anyone I wanted to, without some young photo editor telling me “who the hell are they” when i called about a older celebrity”, says James. “I also saw a need for nice gossip, which almost no one is doing”.

9) Adaumbelle's Quest: http://adaumbellesquest.com/

Adaumbelle's Quest is a blog dedicated to NYC performers, from Broadway, to comedy, to music. It's founder, former comedian Adam Rothenberg, created the blog due to his love of performance and journalism.

Adam interviews performers weekly, asking them what he refers to as the “burning questions” everybody wants to know. He likes to showcase established artists that he admires, as well as talented artists who are up and coming. In between interviews Adam posts information about upcoming performances in the city.

Adam told me that he is living his dream and that performers taking time out to make his dream come to is “wonderfully delicious.”

10) NYC Theme Party: http://nycthemeparty.blogspot.com/

I couldn't resist including a Themed Party blog to the list. I guess I have a soft spot or themed parties with our Aurora Nights Zodiac and Prom celebrations coming up soon. But really, who doesn't love themed parties?

NYC Theme Party is a brand new log – it's first post was a little over too months ago. However, I feel it could really take off as there really isn't anything else out there like it (that I could find at least). Blogger Damien has already posted on an “Arabian Nights” themed party, a “Jungle Wrestling” theme (hm..), as well as Christmas and New Years events in New York. It's a good blog to check out if you want to branch out of your normal bar scene and try something a little different.

10 Blogs to Check Out in 2010

Here at Aurora Nights we like to stay on top of what's happening around the city in order to offer our socialites the best possible experience at our events. We found 10 bloggers who paint a vivid picture of New York through their musings on music, comedy, food, parties, and daily life in the city. From which restaurant has the best scrambled egg to what show you should be checking out Saturday night, these blogs offer it all.

Here are 5 of the blogs we chose. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our second installation!

1) New York Rock Market: http://newyorkrockmarket.com

Madalyn Baldanzi started newyorkrockmarket.com a little over a year ago in response to her friends constantly asking her for music suggestions. Madalyn is exposed to new music through DJing at radio stations (she started in high school and currently works at a small station in Brooklyn).

What sets Madalyn's NYC music blog apart from many others is it's lack of pretension. She says that she wants her blog to be for people who know a lot about music, as well as to people who are just looking for a cool new band or two. Madalyn's blog offers daily shows suggestions, mp3's, reviews, photos, and a section where she pairs songs with books.

Madalyn updates the blog frequently, and always responds to user comments.

2) Sandpaper Suit: The Comedy Blog of Matt Ruby:  http://www.sandpapersuit.com/

Sandpaper Suite is a comedy blog about the art of stand-up. Creator and stand-up comedian Matt Ruby explains that he began the blog to "expose all the behind the scenes stuff of stand-up. A lot of comedians treat comedy like magic. They think if you talk about it, it ruins it. I think that's lame. It's an art form and there's all sorts of interestingness around it. He goes on to say that “If it's something I talk about in the back of the room at a show, I try to bring it to the blog."

Sandpaper Suite also has funny video posts, as well as posts with jokes written by Matt and comics he is a fan of. If you are interested in comedy it is a great blog to go to to share tips and stories, and learn how to improve yourself through other people's experiences.

You can see Matt Ruby at either of the two comedy shows he produces in the city: Hot Soup is at O'Hanlon's (Friday at 8pm) and We're All Friends Here is a monthly show at The Creek.

3) Food Mayhem: http://www.foodmayhem.com/

Food Mayhem started as a way for it's founders, Jessica and Lon, to keep track of what restaurants they liked and disliked when they first started dating. Since then they have gained a loyal readership and have been mentioned in the Village Voice, as well as New York Magazine's Grub Street.

Food Mayhem has transformed from a couple's personal food diary, to an informative blog featuring food product reviews, chef interviews, recipes, party tips, and photos. Jessica told me that Food Mayhem has completely changed her life, stating "I work on it 7 days/week, but love every minute". Though they get many free products/meals due to the blog's popularity, Food Mayhem is dedicated to giving honest reviews.

If you're a food fanatic, this blog has it all! From the best scrambled eggs in NYC (Gottino), to the best overall deal (Brooklyn Fare), Jessica guides her readers though the city's vast restaurant scene.

4) Boozy NYC: http://boozynyc.com/

The title of this blog tells it all - Boozy NYC is all things booze in New York. The blogger, who goes by the name The Head Bartender, reports on the best and worst of wine, sake, beer, cocktails, and bars. He posts about bar closings, grand openings, drink recipes, happy hours, wine tastings, and basically any other drink related event you can think of.

The Head Bartender works in the industry, hence is need to remain anonymous. He told me that this helps keep his reviews unbiased, because he doesn't get free drinks or complimentary admission to events. He started BoozyNYC because cocktails have always interested him and he has spent "far too many nights going out and trying drinks". The blog lets him use that time constructively.

5) The Downtown Diaries: http://thedowntowndiaries.com/

Event planner and nightlife enthusiast Kristina Marino started The Downtown Diaries a little less than a year ago to promote her event-planning and spread the word about her friend’s projects. The blog has grown rapidly since, and has made a name for itself in NYC nightlife.

The Downtown Diaries showcases nightlife events under What’s Goin’ Down, local shows in Mark it Down, and Williamsburg news in The Williamsburg Word.

Kristina's goal is to use her blog to host monthly events showcasing her favorite DJs and performers. She has the attitude that “the sky is the limit” as far as blogging goes, and could see a book deal or TV show in her future. On living life as a blogger/event planner Kristina states that “It takes a lot of will and passion to not work a typical 9-5 and make boatloads of money, and pursue your passions.  It's hard, but also fun.”

This Week's Free Downloads (3/10/10)

Everyone loves free stuff. Check out these amazing free goodies that we know you'll be sure to love! NOTE: These free offers don't last forever. Get them while they last!

Single of the Week

Kidz In The Hall: Jukebox

 

In the mid-2000s, alternative hip-hop duo Kidz in the Hall became the new face for the revamped Rawkus Records, the underground rap powerhouse responsible for introducing groundbreaking acts like Mos Def and Talib Kweli before its operations were temporarily closed in 2004. Naledge's intelligence, imagery, and lyricism combined with the progressive and often jazz-inflected sounds of DJ/producer Double O easily recall the early-'90s aesthetic of hip-hop groups such as Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Gang Starr, or Souls of Mischief. A native of Chicago, Naledge (born Jabari Evans) was always the creative and lyrical type of guy, writing poetry and short stories since he was 13, but the New Jersey-bred Double O (born Michael Aguilar) always had been a techie, first DJing in the ninth grade and then composing beats in college. They first met each other at their alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. After witnessing Naledge's rhyme skills at a talent show during his recruiter's visit, impressed audience members pointed him toward the talented DJ. Over the years, the two Ivy Leaguers worked together and became good friends. Once Naledge graduated, he again hooked up with Double O, who had relocated to Los Angeles as an engineer for Sony Studios, and decided to form professionally as Kidz in the Hall. Naledge was already signed as a solo act to the reborn Rawkus and simply brought the Kidz in the Hall duo over to the label. The amount of (mostly Internet) press coverage greatly increased after prolific producer Just Blaze, a fellow techie, friend, and mentor of Double O, co-signed the group's efforts. Naledge and Double O heavily promoted themselves through the Internet and released several mixtapes to build up anticipation for their favorably received Rawkus debut, School Was My Hustle, in October 2006.

Discovery Download

Iration: Falling

Jets Overhead provide their debut self-titled EP and their first album, Bridges, for free download on their website as it is their view that in the current day and age, with pirating and illegal peer to peer (P2P) networks for downloading music free of charge, it is easier to provide the music in a free form themselves (though the option is given to buy the album at the regular price or make a voluntary donation). They appear to be one of the first bands to have addressed the difficulties of modern day music and what they call the "digital revolution", employing the voluntary purchase and download model a year and a half before the British rock group Radiohead more famously did it in October 2007 with their album In Rainbows.

After discovering that their most recent album, No Nations, had leaked onto certain file-sharing websites, lead singer Adam Kittredge responded in a positive way, saying, “We aren’t that concerned about it, because at our level, it’s kind of actually flattering to think that people think it’s worthwhile to so-called ‘steal’ our record before it’s released. It really doesn’t  matter to us at this level of the game and maybe it won’t ever – maybe it shouldn’t.”

The band has not repeated its original voluntary purchase model for the 2009 release of No Nations. However elements of the album have been made available through the band's website under a Creative Commons license. 

Melanie Fiona Hallim (born July 4, 1983) is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. She was born to Guyanese immigrant parents (mixed with black, Indian, and Portuguese ethnicities) and grew up in the inner city of Toronto. Living in a music filled household, Fiona says she always knew music was her passion. Her father was a guitarist in a band and would allow her to sit on the stage when she was younger as he practiced, and remembers her mother playing music at home; everything from The Ronettes to Whitney Houston.

Fiona was featured on Reggae Gold 2008 with the Supa Dups-produced "Somebody Come Get Me". Her debut album The Bridge was released in the summer of 2009. She worked on the album with Future Cut, Vada Nobles,Stereotypes, J. Phoenix, Peter Wade and Salaam Remi. The debut single "Give It to Me Right" was released to radio stations on February 28, 2009, and peaked at #20 on Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 and #41 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single, "It Kills Me", became her breakout song on the Billboard Hot 100 where it cracked the Top 50, along with hitting #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song earned Fiona a Grammy Award nomination forBest Female R&B Vocal Performance. The Bridge also earned her a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist. 

Music Video of the Week
Melanie Fiona: It Kills Me

View video on Youtube.

Free TV Shows:
Parenthood: Pilot

View video on Youtube.

Real Housewives of NYC

View video on Youtube.

First Love, Second Chance: Chris & Pam

View video on Youtube.

We're Making A Few Updates!

As you've probably noticed, you "Featured Content" photo slideshow has started doing some weird things. Bear with us socialites, we'll have it all fixed up in no time. While we're performing these updates, please feel free to browse all of our latest posts. Also, let us know what you think of our featured artist Vita Chambers!

Have You Seen Our Meebo Bar?

A few days ago we released a fun little feature we hope you'll fall in love with.

It’s the new Meebo toolbar. The toolbar lives at the very bottom of your screen, fixed to the bottom of the browser window. You should see it the next time you visit Aurora Nights.

The Meebo Bar makes it easy for you to:

• Share an article with your friends by email, Facebook, Twitter or Yahoo.
• Shortcut over to see Our Latest Contests and participate in the Aurora Nights Fan Page over on Facebook.
• You can chat! You can login to your Facebook Chat, Meebo chat, Google Chat, AIM, or any other instant messenger you use. So you can chat with your friends and coworkers and fellow lensmasters without leaving Squidoo. Imagine working on lenses together this way, getting real time, instant feedback from your friends… Just a thought.
• You can also see real time notes and mini-updates, from Aurora Nights to you, right on the Meebo Bar.

Meebo's Share Dock pops out when you drag a piece of content on an enabled site.

Next, a few more logistics and details to know:

• No, the Meebo chatbar won’t slow down loading of your pages one bit. It won’t affect performance at all. Just so you know.
• Our friends over at Meebo tell us the chatbar really increases page views… meaning, the number of people who see and share your articles. That’s never a bad thing!
• Links clicked open in new tabs.
• If you don’t feel like using the Meebo Bar, you can minimize it easily.
• Meebo will run popular ads in the toolbar from time to time. They’ll be non-invasive and easy to close, and will always contain high-quality sponsored content.

We’re adding this feature as part of a trial period right now, so we’d love to hear what you think, and how you use the Meebo Bar. Giants have already tested this out for us, but if you see any bugs, please let us know by clicking on our Feedback Tab.

American Idol Strips Contestants of Social Media Accounts

This year American Idol made headlines for pushing out individual Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace accounts for each of its 24 finalists. However, the show made a drastic change in strategy last night by consolidating all of them under the AI9Contestants username across sites.

Twitter followers of each of the individual contestants were sent the following message, “Thanks so much for following me! All my updates from now on will be on our Official Ai9 Twitter Page, please follow me there @AI9Contestants.” Similar messages were posted to Facebook and MySpace as well.

The contestants individual social media identities were stripped by the show without rhyme or reason, but The Wall Street Journal and USA Today speculate that the move was likely made because of the propensity of social media site follower counts to reveal early favorites, influence voting and possibly remove the veil of the mystery that clouds American Idol’s typically stealth results.

The logic is sound — a contestant with more Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and MySpace friends is likely to get more votes and thus would have a higher chance of winning the competition. But in making the decision,American Idol has also made it impossible for contestants to develop that now all-important connection with their fan base, which is becoming crucial to the business side of the industry.

We should also note that while Idol’s consolidation efforts may be designed to maintain the mystery of the show’s outcome, there’s no stopping the rest us from turning to social media analytics providers to try and predict the winners and losers based on overall buzz and sentiment breakdown. In fact, we know that Philip Kaplan of Blippy has plans to do just that, indicating that he may try to ruin American Idol with a custom program that will look at who people say they’re voting for in social media channels.

New Movies: Alice In Wonderland & Brooklyn's Finest

Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and stars Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen and Stephen Fry. It is an extension of the Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film uses a technique of combining live action and animation. In the film, Alice is now 19 years old and accidentally returns to Underland, a place she previously visited 12 years ago. She is told that she is the only one that can slay the Jabberwock, a dragon controlled by the Red Queen. Burton said the original Wonderland story was always about a girl wandering around from one character to another and he never felt a connection emotionally, so he wanted to make it feel more like a story than a series of events. He doesn't see this as a sequel to previous films or a re-imagining. It premiered in London at the Odeon Leicester Square on February 25, 2010. It will be released in Australia on March 4, 2010 and the United States and the United Kingdom on March 5, 2010 through Walt Disney Pictures in 3-D and IMAX 3-D, as well as in regular theaters.

The story revolves around three New York police officers over one week. Eddie is a patrolman played by Richard Gere who only has 7 days left before he can pull the pin and retire. Eddie has seen it all, and he has become so disenchanted with life that he must find some reason each day not to blow his own brains out. Undercover cop Tango played by Don Cheadle has been on the streets too long, causing him to protect Caz (Wesley Snipes) the drug kingpin target he is out to catch. Sal (Ethan Hawke) is a narcotics cop who is under tremendous pressure to provide a healthy home for his pregnant wife and two children. This stress from home and the temptation of all that drug money at his job is causing him to jump back and forth from being a good cop to a bad cop. In the end, all three police officers will eventually come together.