This was bound to happen.... Hip hop to Jason Castro. Thanks to Brendel's blog - a chronicle of his weight loss.

This took place in a Philippines-based studio called Metro Lifestyle Fitness Center. The class is Project Kool Lab, led by Bryan Grandeza.

Been snowed under? Here's a sunny interview:

Shirley Halperin asked Jason some questions for her interview in the LA Times. She asked some great questions and really let Jason take his time and answer.

It was nice to hear his take on all of us:

There are so many YouTube videos of your performances so far, you can practically follow the tour without ever leaving your house!

That's my fanbase, they’re all friends and are looking out for each other. They know that the people on the West Coast want to see what’s going on because they're excited. It’s really just being a part of the community. And it keeps me on my toes.

Thanks to Same Cage for the link.

Here's a lovely interview on CNN.com.



Thanks to Nancy for emailing me the link.

Castrocopia has never had a pretend musical girlfriend. Sure, we pile up the pretend boyfriends with a scary kind of regularity. And we've had fleeting crushes on the occasional pretty voice, but no female musician has ever threatened to capture our hearts as a group until we met Caitlin.

Caitlin is a beautiful girl. Photographic evidence supports this fact. But our love of Caitlin is not merely skin deep. And let's face it, for a lot of us women, beauty in other women doesn't always evoke feelings of love, but rather its exact opposite: self-loathing. But Caitlin's physical beauty is just a reflection of her gorgeous inner self. And she wants you to know that you are beautiful too.

Back to our first girl crush... Have you listened to Caitlin's music? She is an amazingly talented musician with a solid CD - now re-released at Barnes and Noble with a bonus track ("Generations"). If you don't have it, do yourself a favor and grab it. If you've seen her perform live, you'll know that her style is very approachable, but her talent is untouchable. I think it's fair to say that she won many of us over with her music alone. My personal favorite is Nikki. It kicks my ass every time.

But Caitlin crossed from girl crush to wannabe hetero life partner when we got to know her as a person. You should visit her project Love Your Flawz to see what she's doing to help girls overcome body image issues. "I don't fit the mold, I am real." The message that Caitlin pushes - in her music, in her actions and in her interactions - is so positive it makes quite a few of us shed embarrassing tears. I think it's fair to say that though we just met her, we're very proud of Caitlin Crosby.



Ironically, Caitlin is a beautiful girl. We don't hate her for it.

Thanks Caitlin for sending us this list of songs. And THANK YOU for sharing your amazing self. I am in love with you.

Perfectly Imperfect Guru

1. Switchfoot - We Were Meant To Live
...well the whole 'beautiful letdown' album but fav song is 'we were meant to live'... I luv songs that inspire & challenge for a greater purpose.

2. Sheryl crow - Everyday is a Winding Road
Brings back Jr high memories driving on Malibu cnyn to school & youth group belting out her album.

3. Robin Thicke - Shooter
Coolest song ever with so many rad musical influences in there.

4. Nikka Costa - Like a Feather
So different & risky & funky. She's a real Rock star in her live performances. Luv her unique voice, vibe & sound.

5. Phil Wickham - You're Beautiful
From his new 'cannons' album. I love Gospel music cuz I love starting my day off by getting in the right state of mind to remind myself what life is all about:)

A few weeks ago, Jason was on Mix 104.9 and performed a gorgeous version of Hallelujah. Thankfully, they were recorded for posterity, aka us.

Interview:


Hallelujah:


Thanks to Jasonized for bringing these over.

Courtesy of Linda. See more at her youtube channel.

That's What I'm Here For:

As February is Black History Month, today's Non-shuffle is a celebration of the contribution of Black artists to the landscape of American Music, which would be little more than a vast prairie of nothingness if not for their work and influence. This playlist could have easily been a couple hundred songs long, but I forced myself to limit it to 10 -- and then cracked under the pressure of choosing the last song. So nine it is. I also decided to spare you from my lame-assed commentary (for today, anyway. Heh.) and instead added some links to the official sites or other information about each of the artists. Enjoy!



Little Willie John - Fever
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture

Jimi Hendrix - Fire
Jimi Hendrix Official Site

Ann Peebles - I Can't Stand the Rain
Ann Peebles' Musicians Guide entry

Nina Simone/Christine & Katherine Shipp - See Line Woman
Library of Congress Field Recordings
Nina Simone's Official Site

Sly & The Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
Sly Stone Music

Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning
Howlin' Wolf's entry on Sliding Delta

The Shirelles - Baby It's You
The Shirelles' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page

Bo Diddley - My Babe
Bo Diddley's Official Site

Muddy Waters - You Need Love
Muddy Waters Official Site


You wouldn't have to search very far to find overwhelming evidence of most of these people not getting the money they deserved for their work. Don't add insult to injury -- if you want it, buy it.

It's not just because I'm in love with interested in Matt Hires. I posted Caitlin's video too...

Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song:

The interview that Jason had with Cosmo last week is now up here.

There's this quote from my first manager when I was playing drums in a band. We were rehearsing one time and getting ready for a showcase when he said this line that stuck out to me: "You've got to be undeniable." That just stuck with me. No matter what you do, it's not just about being the best, but being undeniable. That's good advice right there!