In need of new study jams?

With the end of Thanksgiving Break peeking around the corner, I am slowly starting to realize that with the amount of work I have to do over the next two weeks, I should probably get a move on. However, being that it is a holiday, there has been a spike in the amount of activity going on in our house. From the constant coming-and-going of friends and family members, to the never ending commentary of football or hockey echoing throughout the entire house, it's hard to find a peaceful place to get things done. Fortunately for me, when I'm done stuffing my face with homemade food (a luxury I have taken full advantage of the past few days) I can retreat to my room, shut the door, and enjoy some much needed solidarity.

I, for one, know that it is nearly impossible to get anything accomplished unless my music selection is perfect. I guess it makes me an anal person, but it's crazy the way one song can throw off my entire study groove. Thankfully, I've finally come across an album that appears to be sent directly to me from the Study Gods themselves. Kaskade has been one of my favorite artists for a while now, so the release of his new album Fire and Ice on October 24th was like an early Christmas present.

The album is comprised of two discs Fire and Ice. The first disc, Fire is everything you would expect from Kaskade; ten catchy progressive house tracks, with awesome vocals and collaborators. Each song is so distinct, yet still maintain the deep-house signature style Kaskade is known for. What's awesome about this album is the way the second disc Ice mirrors Fire. This disc contains the same ten tracks, but they are deconstructed to give them more of a chill, lounge-esque vibe.

When I find myself in need of music that will not only keep me awake, but also help steady my focus, I turn to this album. The way the two discs seamlessly flow together keeps me from having to constantly scroll through my jumbled iTunes library to find a new song to play.

The music video for Kaskade's "Eyes", one of the hit singles off Fire & Ice.

My personal favorites from the Fire disc include the popular single "Eyes" (featuring Mindy Gledhill), "Llove" (featuring Haley Gibby who frequently collabs with Kaskade. Check out "Dynasty" and "Move for Me" to hear more their work together), and "Turn it Down" (featuring Rebecca & Fiona).

Although everything from Ice is amazing, I'd suggest listening to "Lick It" (featuring Skrillex), "Room for Happiness" (featuring Skylar Gray), and again "Turn it Down" (the reduced BPMs and touch of dubstep juxtapose really well with its Fire counterpart)

So whether you need to get work done, start getting work done, or just feel like chilling out, I'd highly recommend buying this cd to help you do so.

Scary Good

I stumbled upon this ad a few months ago, and I think that it's genius.


Dirt Devil: The Exorcist (April 2011)

In all honesty, upon first viewing this, I was pretty scared (that being said, my fear tolerance is pretty low). From the eerie music, camera shots of flickering lamps and a man saying the rosary, to the screeching girl on the ceiling, I had absolutely no idea what was possibly being advertised. But then, the camera slowly pans upwards, the music goes from horrifying to happy-go-lucky, and we see an old woman vacuuming her floor. Wow. It's so perfect. Not only does this ad keep the audience on edge until the final second, but it throws in a humorous and completely unexpected twist as well.

In my opinion, this ad works for multiple reasons: for one, it's catchy. My attention never gravitated away from the screen for the entire 1:32 duration (and that's saying a lot because normally I can't stand scary movies for a second!). On that note, this ad speaks to multiple audiences. It isn't just targeted to a specific market, rather it can appeal to everyone. A teenager could enjoy this just as much as a 65 year old man could. I mean, I'm sure this might be a bit much for an 8 year old, what 8 year olds are even buying vacuums? Finally, it establishes the competitive advantage of the product; Dirt Devil Vacuums are powerful. The whole purpose of the ad is to show the strength of the vaccuum, and it does so pretty blatantly (although maybe slightly exaggerated).

Some people are critical as to whether or not humor is effective in advertising. I think that if used in a smart way, that isn't too over-the-top, it definitely can be. Humor makes things memorable, and if the whole point of advertising is to ingrain a brand into the mind of a consumer, then why not use humor in order to help do so?

Sharing is caring!

Look who finally came around to making a blog! I figured that this would be a good place for me to share my thoughts on just about anything that seems relevant. Hopefully in due time, this page will be filled with everything from videos, to designs, to articles, and everything in between!

To kick things off, I almost feel obligated to share this music video, Somebody That I Used to Know feat. Kimbra-- Gotye. A friend introduced it to me today, and I have been playing it on repeat ever since. It's definitely earned it's #1 spot in the charts in Australia. Gotye's voice is so hauntingly beautiful, I swear you'll become instantly hooked.



Another thing I love about this song is the music video. I have always been a fan of stop-motion, and love how it was integrated into the video. Since each frame is shot individually, you have to acknowledge the time that probably went into the production. Then there's the awesome body paint which probably took hours in itself as well! So much to appreciate with this song! Hopefully it can as much recognition in America as it has in Australia!