Unseen by Lori Cunningham, CD review

Status: Slogging through lists of agents
Song: Solarity - Lori Cunningham

An Outstanding Debut CD Promising a Bright Career

When I decided to review Lori Cunningham's CD Unseen I wanted to give it the test of time before I made my decisions about it. Before I decide whether I like something or not, I listen to the entire project several times through. Since I write books and use music as my inspiration, I had to separate Unseen from my writing place. I chose to listen to the CD for several weeks in my car as I drove around the many miles to my piano lessons. I also listened to it at the gym as I did the treadmill, because there are things I pick up with head phones that I don't hear in the car. The effect is completely different.

Being compared to the likes of Engima and Delierium, Lori Cunningham has put her own stamp on the electronica genre. Unlike other voices that are classically trained, she has kept the uniqueness that makes her sound her own. Her voice is beautiful, ethereal and pristine and extremely easy to listen to.

Electronica downbeat is a genre that is widely misunderstood. Instead of the voice being the focal point or the solo interest, the voice is dialed back to meld with the music like another instrument. Lori Cunningham has accomplished this with skill.

For those who don't know... Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing. Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling. Sometimes the beats are more complicated and more featured instead of being in the background, but even then they are usually less intense than other kinds of electronic music. (From Wikipedia)

Okay, enough education.

The facts - Lori Cunningham - a girl, her keyboard, 18 track recorder, a mic, and a strong love of music.

Additional drums and percussion - Adam Amos on "Solarity" and "Inside."
Guitar on "Inside" - Sam Benham.

And collaborations with: Adam Amos, Katie Reeve, n pa productions, and Rose.

When I first started listening to Unseen I had my favorites. I really liked Inside because of the darker, heavier feel of the piece. A song like this can't be written by someone who hasn't been through hard things in life. It has a way of reaching into your heart and twisting. Anyone who feels the world doesn't know who they really are inside will find something here that touches them.


The second one on my list of favorites was Everytime. If you have been in a failing relationship you can't help but feel the pain that resides in the words and the tolling drums underneath the accompaniment. As I listened to the piece over the weeks, this song rose in my estimation. Lori's command over the inflection of her words is masterful.

Next in line is Silver Threads. There are two main reasons I like this song. I am a big fan of repeating notes or tone sequences that play over and over through many the chord progressions. The sameness of the tones have a way of connecting to the spirit and pulling the listener into the song. Lori cleverly uses this in several ways for this song. There is a danger here, because if not done well, a repeating note can become irritating, but Lori used several of them and handled them astutely.

The second thing I like about Silver Threads is the story line. Lori Cunningham was up front that the Dragon Riders of Pern books by Ann McCaffrey, [official website] were her inspiration for the piece--though not specifically borrowing from the works was pure genius.

I could say something about every track on the CD, such as.... Without You is very beautiful and has a similar feel to Everytime, though not as painful. I didn't want to fall into a listing of lists.


Okay, I have to say something about Without You. Well, not specifically about the song but about the creators. Lori Cunningham and Adam Amos is a collaboration that clearly works.

Adam Amos is a masterful composer known for his wonderful instrumentals, his down tempo electronic music, a lot of which has cinematic leaning. Amos is mostly known for doing great remixes in which he focuses on mixing in the voice. On this CD he did the remixing of Everytime, Without You, and Empty Well [Overflow Mix]. He is very good at drums and did the percussion on Inside and Solarity.

Cunningham and Amos compliment each other well and together they create something magnificent. Happily they are working on another collaboration called Emeria. I'm waiting eagerly for this to be completed.


The surprise of Unseen was the fun discovery of Solarity. As I drove around I grew to like this track more and more. It's an intriguing symbiosis between New Age musicality, classical influences, and dance-club rhythms. The collaboration with Adam Amos [here] really makes it a delight. In truth, Solarity is just plain fun. My favorite bits, (apart from the drums, the repeating keyboards and the etherial voice), are the charming instances of laughter hidden like diamonds in the piece. I heard them first with headphones and recommend you try to find them yourself.

The rest of the tracks are also well worth the listen. I recommend this CD highly.

Lori Cunnghiam's official websites:
loricmusic.com
Myspace page

You can find Unseen on CD BABY
Amazon.com
and on itunes.

Track listing:
1) Reflections
2) Unseen (The Impact)
3) Silver Threads (Falling Down)
4) Everytime
5) Empty Well
6) Inside
7) Solarity
8) Tears of a Rose
9) Without You
10) Return
11) Into Absolution
12) Empty Well [Overflow Mix]
13) Unseen [Instrumental]

Mystery Solved - Super Cars Exposed

Status: Thinking again
Song: One Thousand Angels - Manic Bloom


Several weeks ago I was tagged to play a strange blogger game in which I had to tell six of my quirks. [see post here] One of my quirks is my obsession with Hummers, Jeeps and super cars. Another one of my peculiarities is not being able to sleep in the silence, I have to have the TV on all the time. I can't sleep if the thing is off.

Soooo, soon after my head cold abated I woke up in the middle of the night to a show on SpeedTV, called SuperCars Exposed. I was instantly wide awake. "That's it!" That was the show I had seen when my thoughts were so blurry I couldn't remember anything except the cars.



And, sure enough, there was that cute guy I couldn't remember, speed driving a Porsche around a snow course in Vail, Colorado. I couldn't believe I hadn't recognized him.

Tanner Foust

Race car driver, drifter extraordinaire and host of SuperCars Exposed.

(For those who don't know - drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motor sport where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while preserving vehicle control and a high exit speed.)

Anyway, in this installment of SuperCars Exposed Foust was trying to find a Porsche Carrera to test drive. He wasn't having much luck. He ended up in an exotic car dealership in Denver, but it had snowed so he didn't take the car out. The Carrera is an exclusive (only 1200 of them) and expensive car. It sells easily at a half a million.

Porsche Carrera GT

So Foust decided to try his hand at selling one.

The hapless guy he cornered was wearing a Ferrari hat. Foust tried to get him interested in the Porsche Carrera in a round about way by introducing him to a Ferrari Enzo.

A cool one million dollars.

Are you kidding me????

ONE MILLION DOLLARS????

When the gentleman Foust had sitting inside the Enzo protested that it was a million dollar car, Foust pointed out that the Porche Carrera was half as much. The look on the guy's face said it all.... and this is better... how?

We weren't told if Foust made the sale or not.

Tanner Foust was allowed to drive a Carrera he finally found in Malibu. The road was closed so he could give the car everything it would take. Being a car that can reach 205 mph without trouble, it went around every curve flat out, even when Foust took it drifting. YIKES.

Ummm, mountain road! Drop offs!

Well, this was a long round about way to say I found the show that had me so entertained while I was feeling crummy. I'm glad because it isn't a one time show. I can add it to my other car shows.


You know...


One million dollars aside...


I wouldn't mind having one of those Ferraris.

Picture of the day #4 - 2 million strong

Status: TV turned on
Song: Your Rhythm - Another Cynthia

Impressive turn out.

Watching Super Cars - as I lay feeling crummy

Status: Still feeling somewhat puny
Song: More Human Than Human - White Zombie (one can hope--right?)

As I lay feeling grumpy and out of sorts with the world--being put upon by the capricious spirits that rule my life--I watched a lot of TV. One of the shows I watched--the only one I really remember (sort of)--was on SpeedTV.

I can't quite recall the name of the show. I've tried. I even went to the official web page of SpeedTV to find it, but it doesn't show past episodes, so I'm stumped. The only thing I know for sure is that it was in Las Vegas and Jay Leno was in it.

Oh... and cars. I'm pretty sure there were cars. Really yummy super cars.

I love to watch anything about super cars. BBC has a show called Top Gear, link, that has me laughing every weekend, because of the strange things they do with cars. But they also test super cars against each other and that is really fun to watch.

So this show on SpeedTV caught my attention, foggy as it was. Some dude--I didn't catch his name--was test driving several cars in the Las Vegas area.

First on the list, and oh so gorgeous was the SSC Ultimate Aero. I dragged myself out of bed to look it up.

The official website, link, said the SSC Ultimate Aero sets the benchmark for super cars today. Achieving tremendous power via its twin turbo V-8 engine, it produces 1,183 horsepower and 1094 ft.-lbs. of torque making the Ultimate Aero the world’s most powerful production car. Combining this proprietary power plant with a lightweight, aerodynamic body and the best handling systems available SSC delivers a vehicle that not only eclipses all other cars but stands OFFICIALLY as the "World’s Fastest Production Car".

(If that made sense to you, then I'm really impressed. We're kindred spirits.)

SSC Ultimate Aero

Very Pretty!

Next on the list... was the Lotus-Exige.

The official website, link, says, for their engine size, the Exige S 240 and 260 are two of the most powerful production cars in the world. The Exige is not just a track day enthusiasts’ car, but a sublime sports car that’s equally at home on the backroads, motorways and autobahns as it is on city streets and race tracks.

From pure racing heritage to cutting edge technology and world-leading ride and handling, Lotus's Exige models are in a league of their own. Lotus Exige models are instruments of pure driving bliss.

Interesting how this website says pretty much the same thing the other website said about the Ultimate Aero.

Lotus Exige

This car can reach 180+ mph in nothing flat. How would you like to look in the mirror and see one of these coming at you?

There's no out running this one!

In the show a Ferrari F430, link, was road tested against a Porsche 997 Turbo, link, on a road stretch near Las Vegas. These websites were pretty much carbon copies of the previous, so I won't put them here. The only differences are the prices and how to get one of these babies.

And... Oh Baby!!!!

Ferrari F430

Porsche 997 Turbo

I honestly can't remember which one did the best in the SpeedTV show, but I've seen other shows, (Top Gear on BBC for instance) where the Ferrari and Porsche were tested against each other and the Porsche out did the Ferarri every time. But yummmm, the Ferarri is pretty. So is the Porsche.

By far the most interesting Super car on the show was the Tesla Roadster, link. This car is unique among other cars of its kind. Not only is it a super car that can top out at 132 mph, (which is a major feat, considering), it's an electric car.

What Tesla, an American company, has done is find a way to enjoy a sports cars and be green at the same time. They came up with an electric version of the British Lotus Elise, link, which is a little different than the Lotus Exige.

Lotus Elise

This is smaller than the Exige, but it's still cute.

Back to the Tesla Roadster.

The problem with electric cars up to this point is what some have called the veggie burger syndrome. When they came out with the veggie burger they made it look like a hamburger, which was disappointing because it doesn’t taste anything like a hamburger. It had been the same with electric cars.

Tesla is quite smart in that if you like sports cars and you want to be green, this is the only way to go. The Tesla is a car that you can live with, drive and enjoy as a sports car. It looked like on the SpeedTV show that the Tesla was actually fun to drive. The major draw back for me was it didn't have that roar of a super car, but started with a quiet click and hummed along like a lawnmower.

Tesla Roadster

Plugged in. Nice, but I really like a car to roar.

Some of the new Super cars are starting to show up with the universal big V nose, (see the white Lotus Exige above). I like the look of the sleek arrow lance shaped car streaking along the highway. To me a flat nose doesn't look fast, nor do I understand how such cars can fight against the air wall they would be pushing. I guess someone's figured it out.

Feeling Sick

Status: Yucko.
Song: My Last Breath - Evanescence


When I feel up to it, I'm going to address the huge neglected topic in all the New Year's plans I'm reading in everybody's blogs.

If you can guess what it is, let me know. Then maybe I won't have to write about it.

Picture of the Day #3 - Snow Dragon

A Kid after my own heart. What a Great Use of Snow!!!

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison, Book Review

Song of the day - What Scares You The Most - Manic Bloom
Status - Anxious to get started



Jaime told me about these books by Kim Harrison.

1. Dead Witch Walking (April 2004)
2. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (January 2005)
3. Every Which Way But Dead (June 28, 2005)
4. A Fistful of Charms (June 27, 2006)
5. For a Few Demons More (March 20, 2007)
6. The Outlaw Demon Wails (February 26, 2008)
7. White Witch, Black Curse (February 24, 2009, forthcoming)

Some of the names were so blatantly borrowed from Clint Eastwood movies I had to see what the books had to offer.

In the first book of this series, Dead Witch Walking we are treated to the adventures of Rachel Morgan, a bounty hunter witch who lives in downtown post apocalyptic turn Cincinnati. So that's where the Clint Eastwood movie titles came in--the bounty hunter part, not the living in Cincinnati. Okay, interesting.

Rachel Morgan is an Inderland Security runner. She is equal to any criminal--witch, pixy, vampire or werewolf--able to bring them down with magical charms or just by physically tackling them. But she isn't happy. Her talents are being wasted as an IS agent. The runs she gets sent on a rookie could handle. So when she is offered three wishes by a tax evading leprechaun, she jumps at the chance to quit the IS and strike out on her own.

Rachel isn't the only one to leave the IS. The vampire Ivy, who really is one of the best IS runners around, and the pixy Jenks, who was assigned to act as Rachel's back up, both decide to quit with her in exchange for one of her wishes and a chance to work with Rachel in the freelance service she plans to open.

Leaving isn't a problem for Jenks, he's a freelancer. But an IS agent under contract is likely to only enjoy the shortest of retirements should they choose to quit. Once in, there's no way out except dead. Rachel thinks she's in the clear, because her boss, Denon, seems to have wanted her to quit anyway, but knows they'll be less than thrilled to loose Ivy. And she's right. When Ivy pays off her contract Denon blames Rachel for encouraging her to go and assigns some top assassins to kill her. Now Rachel is a dead witch walking unless she can prove that councilman Trent, one of the most powerful men in the city, is running Brimstone.

For the most part, Dead Witch Walking is clever on many levels. The magic in this world is very well done. Amulets and potions that can be timed or targeted on one person, black spells and white spells and ley lines, all combining to give a system that is both familiar and a good idea. Rachel trying to avoid being tagged by a killer adds a lot to the tension, while she and Jenks try to sneak into Trent's home through some ingenious means. One of the high points occurs when she turns herself into a mink and is caught. She eventually ends up being entered in a rat fight, and who she meets there and how she escapes is interesting.

The relationships between humans and vampires is also explored in interesting depth, as Rachel and Ivy's attempts to live together despite Rachel innocently violating certain rules-which is intended to be humorous, but really is pretty scary.

Kim Harrison gives each type of character a mini-society, giving us a lot of context in a little time, for example, the methods and reasons why Jenks and his pixie family defend the church garden they live in, their territorial wars with Fairies, and the prejudices Jenks faces. The idea that Ivy is a living vampire, infected with vampirism from the womb, and her relationship with her mother now that she is undead yet Ivy isn't, makes another non typical characterization.

It all hangs together to make a complete whole. Everything in Rachel Morgan's world works. Even though I couldn't buy in to everything that Kim Harrison sets up, I could see how her characters lived true to the fictional world they were in.

For me, Rachel Morgan is almost an antihero, in the Clint Eastwood bountyhunter mold. Only that's as far as the similarities go. Rachel is headstrong to the point of being stupidly stubborn, getting herself into one fix after another. She thinks she's the only one who knows what is going on and is the only one who can successfully get the 'perp'. Time after time she finds herself in more trouble than when she started. It's amazing she gets out the prediciments she gets herself into. I had a hard time liking her. However, the book is interesting enough to try the next one.

Happy New Year

But not from Trevor... From Me.