MMVA 2012: Performers

Muchmusic has finally released this year's list of performers (or some of them anyways) so I am here to give you a quick update as to who you can expect to see on this year's stage!

So as we all know Katy Perry and LMFAO will be co-hosting this giant downtown party as well as performing their latest hits on stage!

Recently added to the performance roster includes the likes of Nelly Furtado, up-and-comer Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench, and the one and only Justin Bieber!!

When I covered the MMVAs in 2010, Marianas Trench AND Justin Bieber were both present and they've both become bigger than they ever have before! With MT performing from their November 2011 release and Justin promoting his newest album (set to be released the Tuesday after his MMVA performance), it seems like all you listeners/watchers/concert goers are all in for a genuine treat!

Nelly Furtado has been off the charts for awhile but she's recently released a new song "Big Hoops" and her new album titled "Spirits Indestructible" will be out sometime soon.

MMVA 2012: Update!

I swear...it seems that every year the Muchmusic Video Awards get bigger and bigger drawing in some of the best local and international talent out there in our wonderful world! On top of Katy Perry, they've also just announced that LMFAO will be in town to perform AND Co-host the show!

Just recently the 2012 nominees have been announced, and I don't know about you, but I'm EXCITED!! For one the top three bands (Marianas Trench with seven nods, Hedley with five nods and Down with Webster with four) on my playlist right now are the top three bands who lead this year's nominees! And secondly, who can say no to a great Sunday night of music?!

Anyways, here are this year's nominees. Be sure you get your vote on so your favourite artist can win!

Video of the year:
- Carly Rae Jepsen with Call me Maybe
- Down with Webster with She's Dope
- Drake with Headlines
- Hedley (ft. P. Reign) with Invincible
- Marianas Trench with Fallout

Intl Video of the year - Artist:
- Beyonce with Run the World
- Christ Brown (ft. Justin Bieber) with Next 2 You
- David Guetta (ft. Nicki Minaj) with Turn me On
- Flo Rida with Good Feeling
- Katy Perry with Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
- Kelly Clarkson with Stronger
- Lady Gaga with Marry the Night
- Nicki Minaj with Starships
- Pitbull (ft. Neyo, Afrojack and Nayer) with Give me Everything
- Rihanna (ft. Calvin Harris) with We Found Love

Intl Video of the year - Group:
- Bad Meets Evil (ft. Bruno Mars) with Lighters
- Cobra Starship (ft. Sabi) with You Make me Feel
- Coldplay with Paradise
- Foster the People with Houdini
- Gym Class Heroes (ft. Adam Levine) with Stereo Hearts
- LMFAO with Sexy and I Know it
- Maroon Five (ft. Christina Aguilera) with Moves like Jagger
- One Direction with One Thing
- Selena Gomez with Love You Like a Love Song
- The Wanted with Glad you Came

Intl Video of the year - Canadian:
- Avril Lavigne with Smile
- Drake (ft. Rihanna) with Take Care
- Justin Bieber with Boyfriend
- Nickelback with When we Stand Together
- Simple Plan with Astronaut

Pop Video of the year:
- Anjulie with Brand New Chick
- Carly Rae Jepsen with Call Me Maybe
- Hedley (ft. P. Reign) with Invincible
- Marianas Trench with Haven't Had Enough
- Victoria Duffield with Shut Up and Dance


Post-Production of the year:
-  Down with Webster with Big Wheels
- Marianas Trench with Fallout
- Shaun Boothe with Let Me Go
- The New Cities with Heatwave
-These Kids Wear Crowns with I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Cinematography of the year:
- City and Colour with Fragile Bird
- Hedley (ft. P. Reign) with Invincible
- Kreesha Turner  with Rock Paper Scissors
- Marianas Trench with Fallout
- Shawn Desman with Moneyshot/Something Stupid


Director of the year:
- Aleesia (ft. Big Sean) with Kiss it Bye Bye (Randall Thorne)
- Danny Fernandes (ft. Josh Ramsay and Belly) with Hit me Up (Marc Andre Debruyne)
- Down with Webster with Royalty (Chris Wong)
- Marianas Trench with Haven't Had Enough (Kyle Davison)
- Nelly Furtado with Big Hoops (X)

MuchLoud Rock Video of the year:
- Arkells with Michigan Left
- F**ked Up with Queen of Hearts
- Sam Roberts Band with I Feel You
- The Sheepdogs with I Don't Know
- Theory of a Deadman with Chick Came Back

MuchVibe Hip-hop Video of the year:
- A-Game with Cool Boyz
- Classified (ft. Kayo and Jim Cuddy) with The Hangover
- Drake (ft. Lil Wayne and Tyga) with The Motto
- Harvey Stripes (ft. Lloyd) with Come On
- K'naan (ft. Nelly Furtado) with Is Anybody Out There?

MuchFact Indie Video of the year:
- Arcade Fire with Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
- City and Colour with Fragile Bird
- Danny Fernandes (ft. Josh Ramsay and Belly) with Hit me Up
- Down with Webster with She's Dope
- Lights with Banner

UR Fave Video (VOTE for your fave!!):
- Carly Rae Jepsen with Call me Maybe
- Drake with Headlines
- Hedley (ft. P. Reign) with Invincible)
- Marianas Trench with Fallout
- Simple Plan (ft. Sean Paul) with Summer Paradise

UR Fave Artist (VOTE for your fave!!):
- Drake
- Justin Bieber
- Carly Rae Jepsen
- Marianas Trench
- Hedley

UR Intl Fave Artist (VOTE for your fave!!):
- Katy Perry
- LMFAO
- One Direction
- Rihanna
- Adele


Keep reading for more updates!!

Taryn

*Photo is a screen capture from the MMVA website. I do not take any ownership over the photo.

Equal Love, Equal Rights - Pass it On

Sometimes it's just by chance you come across something that utterly moves you. Sometimes it's posted on social networking sites and sometimes it's a personal experience.

Social networking is an amazing tool when it comes to getting the word out to a large amount of people in a short amount of time. It's amazing at how fast people come together when they feel passionate about a topic or outraged at an outcome.

I am a supporter in all equality, in all aspects of life. As a woman I'm instantly "downgraded" because of my sexual organs. Indian people are instantly "downgraded" because of where they came from. Gay people are instantly "downgraded" because they prefer the opposite sex. In a world that constantly promotes equality and love, you still see cases where there wasn't ENOUGH equality and there wasn't ENOUGH love. Bullies of all ages are more prominent than ever and while people are vowing to take a stand, you still see people of all ages suffering the consequences.

I came across this video created by Shane on facebook today. It was only posted yesterday but it's gotten more than 50,000 views and it keeps growing. While his video is only 10 minutes long, it breaks my heart to the core. It saddens me that while Shane's family was estatic that Shane had found the love of his life, Tom wasn't so lucky. It saddens me that in a world with SO much diversity and colour that his family would rather beat up on him than accept him for his true self. They couldn't take the time to see that Tom was HAPPY.

What's even worse is while Shane was grieving, he was kept from Tom's funeral, was banished from knowing anything of Tom's death, and was pretty much just erased.

So if you support #EqualLoveEqualRights then watch this and pass it on. Even if it's just to five people. Those five people will hopefully show it to five more. A little goes a long way in the world of the internet and hopefully one of these days something positive will come out of this.

2012 MuchMusic Video Awards

It's official! Much has finally started to release details of the 2012 MMVAs and it definitely started on a high note!

They just announced recently (a few days ago give or take) that one of this year's performers will be the one and only Katy Perry!

Katy performed back on the MMVAs in 2010 so it'll be interesting to see how she amps up this year for her hundred (if not thousands? - can we be realistic?) of fans who will attend this years events!

Stay tuned for more info as more exciting news gets released!

- T

(photo taken from MuchMusic's facebook page!)

Time to get Creative: Tin Can Storage

Okay so one of my promises this year was to add a variety of different posts onto my site instead of just keeping it strictly music/movie related. While the majority of my posts will still be mainly in the entertainment category I wanted to add things that are related to another passion of mine: Crafting.

Yes it sounds absolutely nerdy, and I 100 per cent agree - but I don't care. I've always been creative, writing, making homemade things etc, and as I get older, I'm always trying to find new and creative ways to either create storage, decorations, or gifts that are unique and special to whoever you decide to give it to.

I've made a lot of things in the past including scrapbooks, handmade cards, photo frames, and yes, even hand-knitted stuffed animals!

So my vow is to post things that I find and have created personally so I can tell you what to do and so you can enjoy it and share with others as well!

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Have any of you heard of Pinterest.com? I'm slightly (and by slightly I mean HIGHLY) addicted to that website and have recently found TONS of neat and unique crafty ideas that will have anybody going, "I can do that!" And you can. Each project that I have done range from easy to complex and depending on how you're abilities are, most are rather easy if you take time and patience!

These Tin Can Storage Containers are definitely VERY easy to create!

Photo is courtesy of Taryn McElheran

All you need:

- Various sizes of tin cans (pre-washed and dried of course)

- Glue (I just used regular every day white school glue)

- Scrapbook paper (pick randomly or choose a colour palette that will go together and/or with your home)

- Any decorations you want to use (i.e. ribbon, stickers, jewels etc)

So all you have to do is measure out the size of the tin can and cut the paper down to size. Be careful of using the wider, shorter cans because they're a little harder to cover fully. Most cans can be covered fully by the 12x12 scrapbook paper so all you need to measure really is the height.

Next use use the white glue and run it down length-wise. Use your finger (or sponge or whatever) to spread it out a bit so it doesn't make the paper soggy). Then put your edge of paper down the tin can and then wrap! Add a bit of glue the same way so the paper holds. Keep your fingers pressed against it for a little while so the glue can set!

It's that simple!! The picture I have is the colour palette I chose. My room is gold so I chose a black and white theme throughout my room and the cans reflect that! Decorate how you want and let your imagination soar!

Warped Tour 2012 Line-Up

Photo courtesy of www.vanswarpedtour.com

Warped Tour is a pretty tell-tale sign that Summer is in the Air. One of the most popular travelling music festivals will be making a stop in Toronto/Mississauga for yet another year. While I've heard some people complain that the lineup has gone downhill over the years, this year has a pretty solid lineup and will probably gather a ton of music fans in the GTA and Ontario area. With only TWO Canadian stops this year, fans can attend Toronto and Montreal or go over the border and see a show or two there.

The feature band this year that will be headlining most of the tour is The Used. No strangers to Warped Tour, there will sure to be a large crowd. The last time they were in Toronto they were performing before thousands at the ACC, so it'll be interesting to see the reaction at Warped. They just released a brand new album this past March so they'll more than likely perform an array of new and old tunes!

Other popular favourites will be New Found Glory, Taking Back Sunday and Yellowcard.

This year there is a skew of bands for everybody's taste. While Warped Tour typically showcases bands in the pop-punk-hardcore genre, you'll find an abundance of choice that will suit everybody's tastes.

There are way too many bands to mention (and as Warped Tour gets closer I'll focus more on individual bands), so right now I'm just going to list the faves that I'm excited to see!

All Time Low - Saw them open for Simple Plan this past February. The set was less than ideal at a total of 25 minutes. I need some more All Time Low!

Falling in Reverse - I never heard of these guys until my best friend introduced me to them. They're a little dark but the songs "Caught Like a Fly", "The Drug in Me" and "I'm not a Vampire" are pretty damn good!

Mayday Parade - I've been listening to Mayday ever since I heard them perform with All Time Low back in 2007/08. Their songs are pretty damn good and I can't wait to see them again.

Rise Against - A great rock band. Can't really say more than that.

Ten Second Epic - Followed these guys since they were virtually unknown. I think the last time I saw them perform was in a church for a charity event.  They're Canadian and they're awesome!

The Used - My other best friend made The Used known to my ears. They're pretty awesome and her favourite band so that has to tell you something right!?

Taking Back Sunday - They've been around for years (upon years it seems) so I think you're going to find a lot of old time fans checking these guys out. A perfect punk-alternative sound, they're sure to please quite a few ears!

You Me at Six - First heard these guys at Warped tour in 2010. They're catchy and if it's not your type of music, just listen to them when they speak. Who doesn't enjoy listening to British accents? I sure do!

Tickets went on sale March 30th, so be sure to grab yours while you can!

Keep your eye on my blog for more Warped features on bands starting in late May/early June!

- T

The Lucky One - Review

**Spoilers**

The Lucky One follows Logan Thibault (Zac Efron), a  U.S. Marine Sergeant who managed defy all odds while serving three tours in Iraq and having to watch fellow comrades fall beside him. The reason? Cleaning up after the aftermath of a night raid, Logan is lead to a picture of a beautiful girl in the sands, when not even seconds later (where he was standing) and IED goes off. Ever since discovering the photo and being unable to find it's rightful owner, Logan has had luck where most would have seen tragedies. After returning to the States and being unable to fit in with his family, he begins his search to find this mysterious woman. After searching on the internet, Logan and his trusty companion Zeus travel by foot from Colorado to the small town of Hamden, Louisiana* in search of his guardian angel.

Upon meeting Logan Thibault, Beth (Taylor Schilling) instantly feels reluctant to allow a former Marine into her business, let alone her life. There's something about that distant connection to her brother that has her hesitating and unable to accept Logan.   Beth and her son Ben live in their family home and run a Kennel business with her grandmother Ellie (Blythe Danner). And while Beth can't seem to accept Logan, Ellie instantly hires him to help with the Kennel and things fly off from there. Beth's son Ben becomes easily enthralled with Logan, happy to have a positive influence in his life. Eventually, after warming up to Logan's sweet nature and hard work ethic, Beth finally begins to falter and allows Logan to take apart her wall, brick by brick.

Keith Clayton (Jay R. Ferguson), Beth's ex-husband and Ben's father, is the town's sheriff and takes an instant dislike to Logan's presence. Still possessive over Beth and his son, he does everything possible to keep Logan away. Including snooping through his belongings and revealing Logan's true purpose of being there.

The Lucky One follows the ups and downs of the emotions of accepting the past and moving forward into the future. You'll feel love, heartbreak and maybe even a little bit of anger as Logan re-finds his place in the world and Beth comes to terms with what happened to her brother.

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I am a hopeless romantic, and I will never, ever deny it. I love being enchanted by a love story that's been brought to life on the big screen. I'll try not  to put all girls into a stereotype, but seriously, what girl doesn't like a good chick flick, and hot guy, to swoon over? The best of the best movies always include all the important variables that make a great film: drama, comedy and of course the romance. While The Lucky One, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, does capture the essence of the book, I was a little disappointed in the lack of connection between Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling. Sure they were playing their individual characters well, but when it came to the romance, the spark seemed to only be a flicker. I felt there could have been so much more between them that could have made for one steamy film. I can't decide though if it was Taylor Schilling herself or something else.

Individually I thought they did a rather awesome job. Sure Efron still has some growing up to do when it comes to his acting skills, but he's a far cry from his days as High School Musical's teen hunk Troy Bolton. He's able to grasp more complex concepts and take on roles that are more mature and allow for a larger audience. And you can't deny that he's definitely "grown" up as well. He is most definitely easy on the eyes and I won't lie, he's definitely one sexy man. I've never heard of Schilling until this movie so I can't really judge her progress, but while her connection with Efron was lacking, I felt she played the role of Ben's mother really well. You could see her passion and love for her child and I only wish she could have done that for the romance.

Overall The Lucky One wasn't an Oscar-nominee worthy made film (then again which Nicholas Sparks inspired movie is?) but it was definitely cute and worth a cheap Tuesday movie night for the girls. The one thing I have no complaints over (besides Efron's beautiful bum) was the soundtrack. I always notice the music, and I quite enjoyed listening to it!

- T

* - Depending on where you get your info from, the plot actually takes place in Hampton, North Carolina (in the novel). In the movie, it's in Hamden Louisiana.