TV: Once Upon A Time (ep. 8)

It is week eight for ABC's Once Upon a Time. A month ago we were left with a heart-wrenching (quite literally) final minutes of episode seven. I don't know about you but this one definitely had me amped up to see where the show would go in 2012.

This week's episode was entitled "Desperate Souls", an episode written by Jane Espenson. With the void left by last episode's shocking death, Emma finds herself at odds against Regina to fill that position, with Mr. Gold acting as a wild card in the whole thing. Also, one of the most anticipated tales from Fairytale land is revealed.

Let's get to the episode breakdown, shall we?

Shy Blakeman - Long Distance Man

One of the things I enjoy about doing a blog and being on Twitter is having the chance to interact with musicians whose creative output might be something I would enjoy. I tend to not listen to a lot of current radio, so this is the perfect way for me to be exposed to new music that might not otherwise hit my radar.

This past weekend, one such opportunity came my way. I was pleased to be followed by a Texas artist by the name of Shy Blakeman (he can found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/ShyBlakeman and his website http://www.shyblakeman.com). He describes himself as “an old soul” who “melds together all the rural sounds from below the Mason-Dixon Line in order to create unique music that is hard to define by one genre”.

Crystal Gayle - Miss the Mississippi

Happy sixty-first birthday today (January 9th) to country singer Crystal Gayle, younger sister to Loretta Lynn and known for her famous nearly floor-length hair.

In the fall of 1979, Crystal Gayle released her seventh studio album. Miss the Mississippi reached number 3 on the US Country charts and number 6 on the Canadian country charts; it also crossed over and made it to number 36 on the US Billboard Album chart.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Last month, the latest installment in director Guy Ritchie's franchise based upon the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character made its debut.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows once again stars Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, Jude Law (as Dr. John Watson), Rachel McAdams (as Irene Adler), and Kelly Reilly (as Mary, fiancee to Watson). Added to the cast this time are Jared Harris (as Professor Moriarty), Noomi Rapace (as the gypsy Simza) and Stephen Fry (as Mycroft Holmes).

David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

Happy sixty-fifth birthday today (January 8th) to English musician, actor and producer David Bowie.

On September 12th of 1980, David Bowie released his fourteenth studio album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), his final album on the RCA label which he had been with since 1971. After trio of artistic releases, this album was developed with a more commercial approach which paid off quite well. The album went to number 1 in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, number 3 in Sweden, and number 4 in Switzerland. In the US, it reached number 12 on the Billboard Album chart.

Grass Roots - More Golden Grass

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

The Grass Roots were an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, that started out in 1966 and charted songs for about a decade. P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri of Dunhill Records wrote their hit songs; the duo initially used studio musicians to record the songs but later filled a line-up for touring, promotion and additional recording.

Happy Birthday, Kathy Valentine

Today, January 7th, is the fifty-third birthday of rock guitarist Kathy Valentine.

Valentine first began playing the guitar at age sixteen in Austin, Texas, where she grew up. In her teens, she played with bands like Girlschool (a British heavy metal band) and the Textones. She helped out the Go-Go's for a New Year's Eve show in 1980 and decided to stay with the band as their bassist on a more permanent basis. She has also played guitar in the World's Cutest Killers, the BlueBonnets, and the Delphines.

In 2005, Valentine released a solo album Light Years that she wrote, arranged, co-produced, as well as providing guitar and vocal tracks. She is married with one daughter and resides in her hometown of Austin. You can find her regular on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Kathy_Valentine.

Here are a few of the albums I have reviewed previously that feature Valentine and the Go-Go's:

- for the band's 1981 debut album Beauty and the Beat, click here

- the band also appeared on the 1981 soundtrack for the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High which I reviewed here

- for the band's 1982 second album Vacation, click here