Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Honky Tonk

The term honky tonk is slang and often used to refer to a small bar. Generally it has a country theme to it and features live music as well. There are plenty of them found out there all over the place. People love to go hang out in them to drink, visit with friends, meet new people, and to listen to the music. It is also a great type of environment to hear up and coming stars without the crowd or the high ticket price.

Most musical artists that have hit the big time will tell you stories of starting out in honky tonk bars. They were paid a measly amount of money for their performances and some will tell you they even waited tables or tended to the bar in between sets. This is a great was to say you met a certain performer before they were huge stars and hard to gain access to.

Most of these honky tonks are establishments were regulars show up. They are common places for the night time crowd to hang out and have a good time. Another common element of them is neon lights. This can be on the signs outdoors as well as inside of the establishments. No matter where you may travel to for work or vacation, you should be able to come across some fun honky tonks to hang out in.

Since country music is what is commonly played at honky tonks there is usually a dance floor. Here you will see people getting into the swing of things with various types of songs. Some are fast to dance to and others are slow moving for close dancing. There is also plenty of music for line dancing to take place.

The environment you will find inside of a honky tonk depends on where you are at. Some of them are still pretty tough as far as the crowd that goes into them on a regular basis. You may find it isn’t very comfortable for you to be hanging out there. Others are full of real cowboys and cowgirls that want to have some fun. You may want to do some checking before you go to a honky tonk just so you are familiar with what the atmosphere will be like in there.

Country Music Oldies

Country Music Oldies

Country music has many new artists but also plenty of older ones that still hold the world in awe. Country music oldies still pull at the heart strings of people and take them back to earlier times. There are many great songs out there that have stood the test of time. They have continued to reach out to old and new audiences for decades. These types of country music oldies can really help to bridge the generation gap that seems to always be a barrier in our society.

Just about everyone knows the words to I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline. It is a song that we can all relate to as we have all suffered from a broken heart. This is the top country music oldie by a female artists that have ever been recorded. Next is Coal Miners Daughter from Loretta Lynn. The story tells about her life growing up poor but also growing up with plenty of love.

George Jones has a country music oldie with the tune He Stopped Loving Her Today. It tells the story of a man that loved a woman so much he continued to do so until the day he died. It is a very touching love song that can still bring a tear to my eye when I hear it.
Johnny Cash has many great songs that people remember. Two that are oldies people always listen to are I Walk the Line and Ring of Fire.

If you haven’t taken the time to listen to some country music oldies for a while, you should. It can lift your spirits and take you back to some fond memories of your past. The songs may take on a new meaning from what they once did long ago. You can find complete CD’s of country music oldies for your home and your car. You can also download your favorite songs onto your iPod.

If you have satellite radio, you will be happy to know they dedicate a few channels to country music oldies as well. Many regular radio station understand how many people still yearn for the oldies to be played. They may throw a few into the mix for their listeners on a regular basis. Some of them also have blocks of time dedicated to oldies as well.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Blues Brothers DVD

The Blues Brothers is a cult movie, a musical comedy that blends classic soul music, car chases and charismatic characters. There are many imitators but there's nothing to beat the real thing. Fans can collect Blues Brothers DVD versions and there are plenty to choose from.
The film was released in 1980 and directed by John Landis. The two main characters were played by Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues and the late John Belushi as his brother Jake. The plot begins with the release of Jake from prison and his attempts to reform his old band to raise money to save the Catholic home for orphans, where he and Elwood were raised. The brother's characters were expanded from Saturday Night Live sketches. A Blues Brothers DVD gives an opportunity to re-live the comic moments and music from the supporting cast, including James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.
The band, fronted by Aykroyd on mouth organ and vocals and Belushi as lead vocalist, brought out an album titled Briefcase Full of Blues after their appearance on Saturday Night Live and before the movie release. The original band line up featured some well known musicians, such as Steve Cropper on guitar, a former member of Booker T and the MGs. The drummer was Willie Hall, who had played drums for Isaac Hayes band, the Bar-Kays.
In 2005, the 25th Anniversary Edition DVD was released. The two discs show the original release and the extended one that included previously cut scenes. The director had been ordered to cut his film and he was pleased to have it restored. Dan Aykroyd introduces the film and there is a documentary about the making of the movie. There is also concert footage of the band from the House of Blues in San Diego. Other extras include footage from impersonators singing songs from the movie. Another earlier Blues Brothers DVD was released in 1998, called the Collector's Edition. This too showed the director's cut.
The Best of the Blues Brothers DVD has footage of the band performing live and appearances on Saturday Night Live by Belushi and Aykroyd. There is also a documentary made in 1992 and an interview with Aykroyd as himself and in character as Elwood. The Blues Brothers DVD 2000 shows the film in widescreen format and has bonus material on the making of the movie. It also contains a theatrical trailer, promotional posters, photographs from the set and cast and filmmakers notes.

Average Salaries

With all of the thought that people put into choosing the right job, too few of them actually do the research to back it up. A lot of people, for example, rate average yearly income as one of the primary motivating factors for the job field that they got into. The bottom line is that people want to make money, so average salary is important in determining what job they should get. In spite of all this, however, many of these same folks never bother to look up good statistics on average salaries. They trust any source that they find, even relying on the recommendations of friends or family member with no experience in the field.
I have always believed that there is never such a thing as too much information. The more information that you have, after all, the better job you can do in evaluating your situation and making the right decision. Average salaries are only one of the many factors that go into job happiness, but they are an important part. Let's face it: no matter how happy you are with your job duties, if you are not able to make any money, you just will not enjoy the job. It is as simple as that. No one wants to go to one of the best universities, get good grades, spend hours and hours working on improving themselves, only to make little to no money
Still, it is easy to fall into the trap of looking at average salary and nothing else. You have to keep one thing in mind when you are calculating average yearly income: net income is dependent on you being able to do the job right. If you are unmotivated in your current profession, it doesn't matter how lucrative it is. No matter what, you will not be able to do a very good job at it. You will either burn out quickly, get fired, or burn out slowly. Either way, you will lose time and money and never live up to your dreams. This is why it is so important to choose a job that you like, and not just one with a high average salary. The bottom line is that average salary is only one of many complicated factors that go into finding the right job for you. The perks and benefits of a career, the schedule and workload, and whether the skills and interests used match your own, can help you to decide on the right career.

Angel Wind Chimes

There are few items that have the same appeal as angel wind chimes. This decorative brings merges the delight of angelic visual beauty and the magic of chiming sounds. There are many different options in these outdoor decorating products.
Shoppers have a couple different things to look for when shopping for these angel figurines for the outdoors. The aesthetic value of the pieces is in two realms. Not only does the wind chime have to look appealing to the eye, they have to be appealing to the ear as well.
When shopping for angelic wind chimes it’s usually better to look for a particular style and figure that you like. You have several choices in the looks department to consider. The material that the product is made of is very important. Shoppers can choose from wooden, plastic, resin and metal wind chimes, to name a few.
The material that the chimes are made out of will often determine the general look of the angel wind chimes. Metallic products often have a sleek, modern appeal while resin and plastic will have a more whimsical feel. Wooden decorative chimes can have classic style or a cutting-edge attitude.
Of course, the chimes themselves have to be made of a material that will produce lovely sounds. The size of the chime bars will determine the tone of the sound. If you are looking for a light and airy set of angel wind chimes that offer soft, higher tones, look for ones that have thin bars.
The thin angel wind chimes are perfect for creating a magically whimsical feel in the space. They bring a quiet mystery with them in their soft tones. These items are prime choice for a person’s first purchase of this type of product and it is ideal for small porches near entryways or windows.
Larger bars will have deeper, more substantial tones. The deep tones are ideal for creating a calming space outdoors. You will love finding these substantially angelic wind chimes in an outdoor sanctuary. Big garden areas are best adorned with the more formidable pieces. They are easier to spot and easier to hear.
Of course, there is always a balance. You can also opt for angel wind chimes that are perfectly mid-sized. These outdoor decorations are great because they offer a blend of tones that are appealing on either end of the spectrum. These items are ideal for any outdoor space.
Bring magical charm to your outdoor space by adding a lovely vision that emits lovely music. Angel wind chimes are the ideal choices for this task.