Kelis "Fourth of July (Fireworks)" live

I'm pretty sure I've posted her official video for this, but since the song is the "Fourth of July (Fireworks)" it seems appropriate that I would post a live version at this time (considering it is almost Independence Day). I also look for any opportunity to post anything about Kelis because I love her so much. Here is a live clip of the song.

Beyonce's "4"

I do love Beyonce, but lately I just haven't been feeling her music. Her previous two albums "B-Day" and "I am...Sasha Fierce" have served up nothing more than pop tune fluff. I long for the days where she sang RNB songs (remember "Dangerously in Love?). Her new album called "4" is a return to her RNB roots (which excites me). She has so much soul in her voice that it seems like such a waste for her to just sing silly pop songs. I love almost every song on this disc and most of the songs have a retro-soul sort of vibe. My favorite track is called "Party" and features the reclusive and amazing Andre 3000 and Kanye West. "End Of Time" is another favorite, it has an upbeat sounding African rhythm section and horns.

Another gripe that I usually have with Beyonce is that she releases her album and then 3 or 4 months later she releases a "Deluxe Edition" with extra tracks (after her true fans have already bought the first disc). She released the "Deluxe Edition" with the regular edition, thus giving her fans the opportunity to choose which edition they want. The "Deluxe Edition" is a Target-only exclusive and offers 3 extra tracks and some additional remixes (I would recommend this edition, the extra tracks are definitely worth it). I think this is her best CD in years (3 out of 4 stars).

Rooibos or "Red Tea"

I've been watching "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" mini-series that takes place in South Africa and they are always drinking what they call "Bush Tea" also known as Rooibos or "Red Tea." I decided to try it and it has become my new obsession. It is an herbal caffeine-free tea that is quite delicious and has numerous health benefits. It is extremely high in anti-oxidants and has a very soothing effect on the nerves. It tastes great with almond milk and honey. It has a very earthy, warm vanilla-like taste.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about its health benefits:

"Rooibos is becoming more popular in Western countries, particularly among health-conscious consumers, due to its high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin and nothofagin, its lack of caffeine, and its low tannin levels compared to fully oxidized black tea or unoxidized green tea leaves. Rooibos also contains a number of phenolic compounds, including flavanols, flavones, flavanones, and dihydrochalcones.

Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.

Traditional medicinal uses of rooibos in South Africa include alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems."

Cameron Diaz on David Letterman

This was pretty great. Cameron Diaz was on David Letterman last night talking about A-Rod and then feeds Dave some popcorn. She usually doesn't discuss her relationship details, so I thought this was interesting. She even calls Alex her boyfriend for once. I enjoyed watching this. She has really been making the rounds promoting her new movie "Bad Teacher," I'm pretty sure I saw her on 3 different shows yesterday.

Jamiroquai "Smile"

Jamiroquai has a brand new track called "Smile" that they are giving away for free as a download. It's a great song, very reminiscent of their older soul-inspired sound (before they went disco). You can download the track for free at http://soundcloud.com/jamiroquai1/jamiroquai-smile. I recommend downloading it, as always I love artists who give away free music (it is a great promotional tool to get people to listen to your music). It makes me smile :)

Maxwell on VH1 Storytellers

Maxwell will be featured on VH1 Storytellers this Friday, June 17th. The show is very similar to MTV Unplugged, where Maxwell will perform songs in front of a small, intimate audience. It should be pretty exciting. Maybe he will even sing a new song or two. We're still waiting for the promised second installment of his planned trilogy, called blackSUMMERS'night. He has stated that it will be released this summer, but it is now summer and we are still waiting. Anyway, he is usually worth the wait. He sounds pretty great live also. Check out the show if you can.

Bjork's new "Crystalline" teaser

Bjork just released a new teaser for her new single "Crystalline" which comes out later this month. It is 34 seconds of her driving around in her car listening to her own music in Iceland. Sounds silly, but I was of course intrigued. I can't wait, and from what I could hear it was thrilling. It's definitely what I would call a teaser, I didn't want it to end. If you care, take a peak.

"Charlie's Angels" on ABC this Fall

This new installmnet of "Charlie's Angels" for the ABC network does not look very exciting. It is executive produced by Drew Barrymore, but the actresses seem underwhelming to me. I have and always will enjoy the premise behind Charlie's Angels. In my mind, there could just be a revolving door at this agency where they are just continually switching out the women from the '70's up until present day. It's a pretty standard formulaic concept. Three intelligent and pretty private detectives who go undercover and then hijinks ensues (we get it, we've seen this before), so it really falls on the actresses themselves to draw you in. From this early trailer I wasn't feeling any of them. I will give it a try, but I am not optimistic about it lasting very long. Take a look at the trailer. Update: After 4 horrible episodes, ABC cancelled this terrible mess. I think I barely finished the pilot. Why bother remaking something if you are going to do it so poorly?

Dia Frampton on "The Voice"

Dia Frampton is a somewhat shy contestant on "The Voice" who usually sings bubbly pop-folk songs. So I was really surprised that she was given the Kanye West song "Heartless" to sing, because it seemed like a long stretch that I was certain she would not be able to successfully pull off. To my surprise (and everyone else), she made it work and made it memorable. She isn't really my favorite contestant, but I thought it was a really odd song choice for her. I guess it stuck in my mind because I thought it was so strange. Please take a look.

Rihanna's new video "Man Down"

This video was shockingly violent to me. I wanted her to explain why she shot that man (actually when you get to the end of the video it shows the reason why, looks like he had it coming.) I just didn't expect for her to shoot him like that. It really stuck in my mind for some reason. The song really grew on me also, it reminds me of my trip to the Caribbean. Every other song played on the radio down there was by her.

Sarah Michelle Gellar in "Ringer"

This looks so good, I can't wait. It appears that Sarah Michelle is playing twins and something horrible happens. It's already my favorite show and it hasn't even started yet. I loved Buffy so much that I have been waiting to see her on TV again, the wait is over. Looks intense. It starts this fall on the CW Network.