A Mexican Import- Ximena Sarinana

I get a lot of CDs from record labels, hoping to interest me in an up and coming act. Most don’t move me one way or the other, but when I popped Ximena Sariñana's self-titled English debut album into my computer, I instantly liked what I heard.

Although she is not widely recognized here in the U.S., Ximena has developed a nice following in her native Mexico where she has appeared in several films and released a critically acclaimed Spanish album called "Mediocre" in 2008.

It takes a lot of courage to attempt to cross over to the English market — mainly because success in one market does not always translate to another, but with her first English album, Ximena takes that leap fearlessly, and what transpires is a strong English-language album debut that's worth your time.

The music is upbeat and poppy, with hints of techno that are never overpowered by her candid vocals.

Songs like "Different," "Love Again," and "Wrong Miracle" are peppy, beat-heavy, and characteristically sound optimistic even if some of the themes of the songs aren't.

"Rio" is one of my favorite sounds on the album because the melody sounds a little mischievous, yet playful and light. The beat is addicting.

"Echo Park," to me, is a little psychedelic and the opening portion of the song reminded me of early 90's hip-hop sounds.

Ximena also showcases her more vulnerable and soulful side with ballads like "Common Ground," where she gives listeners the opportunity to see inside her soul.

Ximena can walk away proudly from this album with a feeling of accomplishment. Her fan base will surely continue their loyalty in this leap, but I'm certain she'll attract some new followers along the way. One thing that cannot be denied -- this new artist has musical talent.

Mangiare peasano!

Okay, so I understand I'm blogging about something generic to all Italian Americans- calamari. I'm not Italian American, but my husband is and so I've been exposed to many fried calamari antipastos at restaurants, weddings, home cooked meals, etc. And despite the popularity of this dish, there are still many different types of flavors and textures that you can get from frying calamari and I have very particular taste of what kind I especially like. I mean, you can screw up calamari. It takes a special cooking touch. So when it comes to my style of calamari, I go for lightly battered, crispy, but not too much where its uber crunchy and slightly burnt. I also do not like the feeling of eating mostly batter which overpowers the bite and there's very little meat to sink your teeth into. That's not very delicious in my book. I want to taste the clean, white squid.

So recently, I popped in to a new pizza joint by my hood (UES represent!) Toscano's (formerly known as Totonno's) for some pizza and calamari with my foodie lover husband, Coco, and we were pleasantly surprised by this local joint, specifically the calamari. It fit every qualification mentioned above- light, crisp, zesty, and juicy. I squeezed a bit of lemon on those tasty sea creatures and I swear, it only took 5 minutes for me to clean the plate. One of the best calamari dishes I have had in the city in a LONG time and who would have thought it's in my very own backyard. I've been back twice since just to order it for myself!

Don't underestimate the commonness of some of your favorite foods- whether it's calamari, french fries, guacamole, or plain ol' rice. These comfort, traditional foods, with a unique twist catered to your special palette, have the power to not only take on a whole new meaning and taste but also make you feel happy! Isn't that what food is supposed to do?

Here's to you. Here's to me.

Kathy.

Christina Perri captures my heart @ the Highline.

What a show! What a show! What a show! Christina Perri walked onstage after a very enthusiastic and funny introduction by her drummer, and the tightly-squeezed-in crowd went wild at the sight of this romantic and edgy songstress. Looking all adorable, peppy, and genuinely excited to see the fan turnout at the Highline, Perri greeted the venue with waves and smiles and a smashing set that rocked my world for the next hour and a half.

I love the vocals on Perri and the way she belts out the emotion of each of these heartfelt and personalized songs. It makes you feel like you too are experiencing every breath of her sentiment, and she allows you to experience it with her too. Feeding off the crowd's energy, Perri kicked off her set with the karma themed, "Bang Bang Bang". She was a natural on the guitar, and it didn 't end there as she displayed an array of musical talents not only with vocals, but with a euphoric performance everytime she sat at that piano. Not many artists have that ease, and for Perri it was second nature.

She introduced some new music similar in style and melody to her album and EP. The song, "Jacksonville", was mellow with pop rock undertones that were sincere and emotional. But what makes Christina Perri stand out amongst all these new acts is she is far more engaging . . Before each song, Perri does a small intro about its significance, when she wrote it, and why she wrote it. It makes the concert experience that much more intimate and relateable.

When the opening chords for "Bluebird" were played, my ears perked up. It is one of my favorite songs on the album and Perri has the knack to inject some real hopefulness in a song about heartbreak. Perri, undoubtedly a playful yet grateful performer, literally sings while she smiles , exuding a euphoria that ' s infectious!
To perform "Penguin", Perri got up close and personal with a certain special bandmate (are they or aren't they?) and did a beautiful rendition of this very cute love song. With lyrics like, "Love like this may come once; baby it's fate. Like a soul mate, he's your penguin," makes you want to cozy up to the one you love, in my case, my husband who was transfixed by Perri's performance throughout the night (that -- and the fact that she's so beautiful! ) Another favorite, "Miles", about surviving a long distance love, was performed with such tranquility that it left me feeling all lovey dovey . and I caught myself humming the beats of the song.

Perri picked up the pace with the jumpy "Mine", which had the crowd and the band literally jumping up and down to its upbeat tempo. It was the perfect intro to Perri's hit song, "Jar of Hearts", which as Perri explained to the crowd, changed the rest of her life forever -- all thanks to this one boy who broke her heart. Perri invited the crowd to sing with her and what a passionate sing-along it was! The honesty evoked in this performance really allowed the fans to connect to the song. Even days later I was still reciting, "Who do you think you are? Runnin' 'round leaving scars. Collecting your jar of hearts And tearing love apart. You're gonna catch a cold, From the ice inside your soul. So don't come back for me, Who do you think you are?"

I could have listened to Perri's jam session forever and a day. She was so deliriously cheery, appreciative of the fan support, and so unassuming yet so powerful in her stage presence. All eyes were on her. She closed the night with "Arms," and what a beautiful and instrumental way to finish off a lovely NYC night!

Where have you been RTR?!

Never has such a brilliant idea come around that has taken the fashion industry and millions of women's checkbooks by storm. The brainchild of two NYU grads, Rent The Runway is the answer to looking luxe for less. Why didn't anyone think of this before?!

Gone are the days of splurging big bucks on a designer gown for a festive occasion. Times are tough and spending has been curbed. But that doesnt mean style and the latest spring collection needs to be sacrificed because of the debt crisis!

Rent the Runway will be your new best friend. Trust me, it's mine. I cannot tell you the last time I actually purchased a dress at a store that I would
only wear once and then it would spend the rest of it's existence collecting dust on a plastic hanger in my closet. All my recent stylish garbs have been courtesy of Rent the Runway (RTR for the chic masses).

With the click of a button, RTR allows you to get that Carlos Miele gown, or Dolce and Gabbana cocktail dress you've been eyeing for your best friend's wedding or an upcoming fashion week soiree, for a fraction of the wholesale price. And when I say fraction, I mean it. You can walk away with a dress for less than $75! No fine print. Best part is that after your 4 or 8 day rental, all you have to do is put the dress in a pre-paid padded envelope, drop off at the nearest blue mailbox and voila! You are set.

Availability and selection is error proof thanks to a calendar that first allows you to enter your rental date. You can further narrow your search by selecting a specific size, color or event theme. And it doesnt stop with the dress. No ladies, there is more! You can also rent accessories like Dannijo earrings, Judith Leiber clutches, and Ted Rossi cuffs. Styling from head to toe! Fierce.

The array of dresses available on the site is countless. Seems like every designer is on board for this saavy dress renting trend and why shouldn't they be?! The time is now for the frugal fashionista!

Here's to you. Here's to me.

Kathy

Ellie Goulding- A Royal Performance!

(As seen on www.accesshollywood.com)

The Royals love her (she performed at William and Kate's wedding reception) . America loves her. And I love her. Ellie Goulding is a rockstar in the making and her performance at NYC'S Terminal 5 lived up to the hype and more!

This pretty blonde thing who commanded the stage in her Beatles inspired jacket and short leather shorts, was the perfect mix of seductive vocals and edgy instrumental performance. I'm in love with every single song in this album and to share in my concert experience, I took my best friend, Betsy, who is a die hard Goulding fan. She's the sing-a-long type and everytime Ellie yelled to the crowd, "sing with me now", my friend obliged. When I asked her at the end of the night what she thought of our favorite Brit princess's performance she said " Her voice was amazing…it sounded like I was listening to the album." I couldn't have agreed more. And with that note, here is a recap of my awe-inspiring evening with Ms. Goulding.

The first song of an artist 's set is always the most anticipated for me because it sets the tone for the rest of the performance. So when Ellie opened with "Under the Sheets", I was pumped. The energy of the crowd really elevated the intensity of her presentation and she hit every note without missing a beat. I don't usually love eletronica music, but Ellie brilliantly mixes it with pop and folk beats to create a really symphonic sound. A big highlight for me was when she performed "This Love". It's one of those songs that conjurs all these fantastic memories of friendship and summer for me. The raspiness of her voice and honest brutality in her words really sucked me in even more. Have I mentioned how much I adore Ellie Goulding?

She also introduced some new music to the crowd. Songs like "Human" and "Wish I Stayed" were a bit more on the ballady side but still gave a positive preview of what's up next for Ellie. She wowed the fans with the Elton John classic, "Your Song", which inspired the crowd to join in on the lyrics. It never gets old listening to her rendition of this hard to touch hit song. Breathtakingly beautiful and sincere.

I was most blown away by her performance on the drums when she played "Salt Skin". She killed it and had the crowd screaming and dancing because it was electrifying and sexy (she had some good moves too!) It gave me goosebumps.

It's also what sets her apart. Her talent streches way beyond a good song and a strong voice, placing her at the top of her game at the young age of 24!
When she was done with her mini drum set, she jumped straight into the crowd pleasing, "Lights". It was transcendant! Her flawless vocals and heartfelt expressions made it very easy for the audience to feel engaged in the power of the song.

Ellie closed the night with "Starry Eyed". And like the song says, Ellie hit this crowd "like lightning" with her riveting performance- never once losing momentum!