I do love rap and hip-hop, but I’m also a fan of folksy singer-songwriters and pop songs that you may or may not be ashamed to admit that you like. Whatever! Yeah, I’m not one of those people who only like obscure indie rock bands or underground hip hop tracks. I will admit that I sometimes like songs that are incredibly commercial, make no sense, and have no real point. Granted, it needs to have a good beat/melody. Ya heard?

Here are my top 6 picks for the moment. If you want to judge me, go ahead.

Nelly- Just a Dream

- What is it about rappers that sing songs with sad melodies that just get me to put the track on repeat? Its probably because when I was a kid and would have to help my parents at Street Blue, our hip hop clothing store, listening to tracks like this, were an escape. This song makes me think of eating Tastykakes and Roosevelt Blvd. Oh Philly, you annoy me, but I still love you.

Hot Toddy-Usher featuring Jay Z and Ester Dean

Um. This is a hot track with a ridiculous beat. Although these lyrics are out of control…Ready? ”
I’m like oh Kimosabe
Your body is my hobby
We’re freakin’
This ain’t cheatin’ as long as we tell nobody
Tell your girls you’re leaving
I’ll meet you in the lobby
I’m so cold, yeah I need that hot toddy
Hot toddy (hot toddy)

Sara Bareilles- King of Anything

- And seriously…who made you king of anything?

The Ready Set- Love Like Woe

- How can you not be in a good mood after listening to this track?

Katy Perry- Teenage Dream

- Love her or hate her, Katy Perry is the Pop Princess of the Moment, whether she’s singing about kissing girls or rapping with Snoop Dogg about being a California Gurl. (Yup, that’s the way its spelled) I love this song though… because its true..when you’re in love you feel like a 16 year old again. Totally cheesy, giddy, and of course, you get that silly grin on your face for no apparent reason.

Sugar Ray- Someday

- Old SKOOL! Yeah, I know. Dude, Sugar Ray was the premiere 90′s easy pop rock band with tracks like this one, ‘Every Morning,’ and ‘Fly.’ I still listen to this track when the world annoys me and I need to escape into my head. Easy melody. Sweet track.

Erin and I headed to PacSun’s Summer Solstice Beach Ballyhoo this past weekend for MySpace Fashion, and to celebrate the brands that make a SoCal summer and included performances by AWOLNATION, Bad Rabbits, As Tall As Lions, Yelawolf, Ra Ra Riot, Circa Survive, Hey Champ, Eye Alaska, Neon Trees, Steel Train, and Matt and Kim. Oh, and of course, Mr. Hotlanta himself, B.o.B who has 2 of the top Billboard songs in the nation right now with “Nothin on You,” featuring Bruno Mars and “Airplanes,” with Hayley Williams of Paramore.
“Nothin’ on You”

“Airplanes”

Check out the Pics/Video

I was the photographer/videographer and it was interesting to see the crowd from the Artist’s POV. I’m so used to being in a crappy row at concerts, so this was a good change.

Did you know B.o.B can also rock a guitar and piano?

And what girlatastartup entry would be complete without interviews where I go to up random people and ask them questions?
“SoCal Street Style for MySpace Fashion”

Uh..random. So, I’ll be Editing the new MySpace Celebrity site… psyched to work with Sean Percival, who used to attack me with the Flip Mino before I learned how to use it to my own advantage. Muhwahwa! Here’s an old skool video of me and Sean at docstoc, our old haunt! (BACK IN JULY 2008!!!) Geez, time has flown by and by the way, that little office holds lots of memories of stumbling, digging, Techcrunch, learning how to blog, and of course, learning all about DOCUMENTS! By the way, that fax machine HATED me and always caused issues! Technology hates me…I’m convinced.

Psyched to see what cool stuff we’re gonna do over at MySpace Celebrity. PAYCE!

Also, I couldn’t resist embedding this interview with my dear buddy, Ilya, a developer who literally is the funniest person ever. Dude used to scare me until one morning, I went into work and he was blasting the Mike Jones song, “Back Then,” so loud that the room almost shook. Then I thought to myself, “Dude is cool. We can now be friends.” Dirty South!

In this day and age, we’re more eco-conscious and “Green” than ever before as we’re all aware of the Earth’s natural resources being depleted way quicker than expected. And I happened to attend an Earth Day event hosted by the “environment” organic contemporary furniture right in West Hollywood, CA. environment is the leader in sustainable home design and most recently announced a new partnership with world renowned designer, Jean-Marie Massuad. The goal is to merge social responsibility and awareness with elegant functionality and easy-living. Of course, the evening took place at their elegant showroom, sponsored by Veev, Acai spirit. (SOOO GOOD!)

Shout out to Eric Burds who did outreach for the event! Here are some pics:


Yum…those VEEV drinks were so good. I had too many.


There was also a silent auction with all proceeds benefiting the BRANDAID Project, a new urgent initiative to help rebuild artisan communities and their businesses in Haiti. We are all aware of the tragedy that struck Haiti not long ago, but many people in Haiti are still in need of medical care, food and shelter. Artisan communities are in fact a critical economic and cultural backbone of the country and a key to rebuilding livelihoods and a sense of hope.

When you hear the easygoing pop melodies in Marianne Keith’s songs, you almost want to get in your car, escape your everyday reality and just go on a road trip with her music playing. Full blast. Keith was born and raised in Redlands, California and grew up being immersed in music whether it was teaching herself acoustic guitar or singing along with the radio. You can hear the infectious pop sounds of the Beatles, Elton John, Carol King, Stevie Wonder, and more on her songs from “Beautiful Distraction,” and “Unspoken.” Where does she get her motivation? Well, let’s just say that Marianne Keith is motivated by the ebb and flows in relationships whether its the innocence lost in a child or losing love which we all know can be the greatest heartbreak of all. She says,

“I went from thinking that people are generally good, that people have good hearts and come from a good place to realizing that’s not necessarily true. I saw an ugly side of the world. I don’t know if that crisis measures up to some of the ones that others have been through, but I’ll never be quite the same.”

I got a chance to ask Marianne a few questions about her sophomore album, “Cathartic,” her thoughts on American Idol, and how she’s using social media to get her music out there for all her fans to enjoy.
Marianne, great to have you with us. So tell us about the day you decided to be a singer/songwriter.
I think I was about 14, and I had always loved singing…but I wanted to take it a step further and really write my own music and play an instrument. So, I started taking steps toward that.

What were your musical influences growing up? How have they had an effect on your sound?
Growing up, I listened to my parent’s music really which included artists like The Eagles, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, and Linda Ronstadt and many others.They have definitely had an influence on my sound. I still prefer that kind of classic, great singer/songwriter sound that I really emulate and admire.

In your sophomore album, “Cathartic,” I really like the vibe of “Meant to Be An Angel,” and wanted to know what inspired you to write those lyrics?
Thank you! “Meant to Be an Angel” is a very special song to me. I wrote it in, what was for me, up to this point in my life, my darkest hour. Lyrically, it examines the emotion and the question “do I have what it takes?” just to keep going. I felt at that time that I wasn’t cut out to make it in this world. It is the result of a loss of innocence, and a change of world-view for me. I wasn’t sure that in light of what I had learned, I could keep going. But, I want people to also feel a sense of hope, because I made it through that time.

You can definitely hear that in that song. So, what is your songwriting process like?
It varies. Usually I will start with they lyrics. Something inspires me and I just go with it. Sometimes it feels like it just flows through me and I’m not responsible for the outcome. But then there are times that I will just get a melody in my head or a chord progression, and that is the start of it. For me, the smallest thing can lead to a song, a good example of this is my song “Cathartic”.

You’re a true artist. Well, what do you think of American Idol? Are you a fan of the show? What are your thoughts on the changing landscape of the music industry?
In my opinion, American Idol is not about artists and music, it is about advertising and ratings. Through the rubble, they do find some great singers, but it’s not really about the art of music. No offense to the winners or competitors, because many of them are talented singers and performers, but I see it more as a glorified karaoke competition.

As far as the changing landscape of the music industry, I believe with all things, the pendulum continues to swing all the way to one side and then the other. We are now living in a digital age of pitch correction and lip syncing. I have never and will continue not to buy into it, and it makes me sad to see all the soul go out of music, but there are plenty of great artists out there that are the real deal and I believe the trend is going to head back toward an authentic artist. And with the major labels losing money and going under, the machine that has become the music industry will have to change with that. I am hopeful that the pendulum is about to swing.

You have a huge online presence. Do you enjoy being so accessible to your fans online? Or are you an uber private person?
I do really enjoy being accessible to fans! I am pretty outgoing and in general I am interested in people, and connecting with them. As a songwriter, it is my hope to reach people, so I enjoy that.

Very cool. Who would you love to collaborate with in terms of other artists, songwriters or producers?
I had a chance to work with so many great artists on this record, it was more than I really had hoped for, but if I had to name one or two, I would love to work with Carole King or Brandi Carlile. They are two amazing female artists I really look up to and would love to write with them. It would be a great honor.

Top 5 songs in your ipod?
Aimee Mann- Freeway
Jay Buchanan- Internal Dialogue
Brandi Carlile- Wasted
Whiskeytown- Don’t Wanna Know Why
Acceptance- Take Cover

Last meal on earth?
Spaghetti! with garlic bread!

Favorite drink?
Starbucks black iced tea

We’re an online women’s magazine filled with opinionated writing. What inspirational words would you have to give to our readers about following their passions/goals in life?
I love that you ladies are just that I am a fellow opinionated woman, passed down from my mother. As far as anyone pursuing a passion, I would just advise that it is a long road, filled with difficulty; but if it is what you love, nothing in this world can be more rewarding and fulfilling. Give it all you have, have faith, and don’t let others discourage you.

Check out Marianne’s latest single, “Meant to Be An Angel.”

Photo Courtesy of Mike Houser

My heart is saddened by Conando leaving “The Tonight Show,” as I grew up watching him. His self-deprecating, hilarious, smart, and kind nature have always been the reasons why I tuned in since the days when I was a pimply-faced teenage girl who would get in trouble for watching his show. I’ll always be down for Team Coco/Conando and will follow you wherever you go. (FOX)

I particularly loved this quote from his last show,
“All I ask is one thing particularly of young people that watch, please do NOT be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, its my least favorite quality. It doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and are kind, amazing things will happen. I’m telling you, amazing things will happen. Its true.”

And I’m in full-on Conan mode, so check out this speech he gave at his alma mater..Harvard. OMG. HILARIOUS.

I’m a huge fan of music, even K-pop. K-pop is usually sort of weird, full of electronic beats, and has odd videos, but I like this particular song from uber popular 2NE1 called “I Don’t Care.”
Check it out..it’s catchy:

I don’t know if anyone had a dry eye at the BET Awards during Janet Janet’s short speech. I don’t know about you but I’ve been on MJ overload, listening to old songs and just reading way too much.

The truth is that all of Michael Jackson’s odd antics during the later portion of his life will forever be up for speculation. We don’t know what actually happened or why he was the way he was… though there will be numerous people trying to profit from him…even if he’s no longer alive.

I, along the rest of his fans, should have peace in knowing that this man who changed Pop culture, went beyond race with his music, and was a true artist… is in a better place.

I saw this trailer last night for the remake of FAME… how fantastic is this? The remake of FAME starring a bunch of really crazy talented young people and of course it has to take place in New York City. NYC is a place that is really tough, no bull-shit, but then again, has the most amazing culture and a bunch of smart, talented people who won’t lie to your face. Instead, they’ll tell you straight up if they don’t like you. Or think you should just get out of the way. Ahhh..NYC. Miss you much!

Here’s the trailer…chills down my spine. And this quote is CRAZY…
Everything you want to change about yourself…all the parts that you keep secret….It’s your Power.
It’s who you are.

Check out the Manolith Interview with Director Juan Carlos and the Rej3ts!

I met Juan Carlos Mazorra, a Director for music videos and films when I was working as a cocktail waitress at a club in NYC. I had just graduated college, was just starting to pursue my goals and unfortunately had no trust fund to fall back on, unlike a lot of my peers. (Code for..very broke) Those days were among the toughest, but probably among the most creatively fertile as I would be writing songs, scripts, ideas for movies, shows and it was just endless. I still have all my piles of old notebooks, newspaper and magazine clips, and just old CD’s of hip hop mixes that I bought in Chinatown or 34th st. Anyway, I needed a night job so my days were free for auditioning and classes, so I worked super late nights. Let me tell ya… though I saw WAY too much, it made me really not want to go out for a long time and get wasted. It was never really my thing. If anything, jobs like this made me work harder because those jobs keep you hungry and humble… that’s the way to achieve great things. In my humble opinion.

Anyway, we kept in touch and ended up both being here in LA. We recently interviewed Juan Carlos and a new group he’s working with, called the Rej3cts, who are part of the Jerk movement and have this cool retro-ish sound that’s hard to pinpoint. They’ve just signed with Warner Bros. music and were FEATURED IN TODAY’S LA TIMES!!

I’m proud to say that we were the first to video interview them. SWEET!! This is before all the publicists would’ve swarmed in. HOLLA! This is the Rej3cts at the recording studio…they were super sweet/respectful.

Here’s their video, “CODE RED,”