InSense :: The Original Obsession

Memorial Day Music Mayhem

2009-05-20T22:48:00.015-04:00

Guess who's back in action just in time for Memorial Day and more importantly, Fleet Week!

In this 21st year of our lives we will be bringing you the best of everything in summer '09 and we're starting out with the Memorial Day playlist to keep you moving through the long weekend. Get excited!

(1) Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked

'cause we had to start out with a bang. ;-)

(2) Little Boots - New In Town

Beware of dance orgies this weekend!

(3) Cage - I Never Knew You

Yes that was Shia LaBeouf (♥ Ace in love)

(4) Plastiscines - Barcelona

This Nylon Records band looks like something out of Nylon.

(5) Ladyhawke - My Delirium

'cause we had to get animated with it.

(6) Mandy Moore - I Can Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week

Something new from Mandy Moore. What do you all think of it?

(7) Mest - Cadillac

Bringing back the good old days with Cadillac. This is dedicated to my friend Annie; here you go punk!

(8) D Generation - She Stands There

Shall we continue with some good old punk rock? Yes, we shall.

(9) Apocalyptica f/ Ville Valo & Lauri - Bittersweet

Let's slow it down. Enjoy listening to the double bass. ^_^

(10) Adam Lambert - Mad World

Doesn't he look like a vampire?? Adam is awesome. *Cough* He's the real American Idol *cough*

An InSensical Halloween

2008-10-31T14:09:00.006-04:00

Since we've returned to school, Jynx and I have been really busy. We've decided to take a hiatus from this InSensical world until next summer when we have more time to devote to it.

In the meantime, subscribe to our posts so you will be the first to know when we're back in business.

Happy Halloween! Enjoy our favorite Halloween music videos!

- Ace

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Fall Out Boy - A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me

Rihanna - Disturbia

Backstreet Boys - Everybody

Chris Brown - Wall To Wall

Rob Zombie - Dragula

Michael Jackson - Thriller

Stage Diving Gone Wrong

2008-08-22T13:02:00.004-04:00

Watch as Katy Perry attempts to stage dive while performing with 3OH!3 at Warped Tour. I don't think this is the way to do it.

I was in a debate with Jynx over whether or not she survived. Jynx says she did, so I guess Travie won't be filing any missing person reports anytime soon.

3OH!3 - Katy Perry stage dive

Pockets Full of Sunshine and Showers

2008-08-20T23:51:00.016-04:00

Last Thursday my mom, my friend Lauren, and I did our annual summer ritual: go to Rye Playland, get a number one at Nathan's, and watch a free concert. This year one of our favorite singers, Natasha Bedingfield, came to perform. I was in shock when I found out she'd be in my neck of the woods and I think I still am.

We knew we had to get there early for good seats. My friend and I wanted to be closer to the stage than we were when we saw Teddy Geiger last year. We got to the park around 4:15 and so did a thunderstorm. We huddled together surrounded by camp children and two girls from the stage crew for almost a half hour. When the storm ended we rushed to get seats and luckily found some in the seventh row. Mom watched the seats while Lauren and I fetched food.

Natasha came onstage at 8PM decked out in a black dress, a purple belt, and cool heels. She, her backup singers, and the band were amazing. When they put on a show, they put on a show! She sang with all her might, as did the backup singers and the band played with passion.

Natasha worked the stage as she moved from one side to another, which made it hard at times to get good photos of her, but I liked the challenge. One of my favorite parts of the show was when she read a sign that said "Natasha, can I sing with you?" and she replied, "You just did. You sounded good."

Natasha got the crowd to stand up, wave their hands, and sing along as she sang a slew of songs from her new album mixed with old favorites and a cover of Madonna's Ray of Light. The last song in the set was Unwritten. As she started singing, the rain started falling, but I kept on filming. I was literally "feeling the rain on [my] skin" and "reaching ... in the distance" to get a good video as the people in front of me started putting up their umbrellas.

Seeing Natasha Bedingfield live was definitely a dream come true and the highlight of my summer. Now one can only wonder how Playland will top this next year. Justin Timberlake anyone?

Here's my vid of Natasha singing Unwritten. Sorry the audio's so sketchy, but you can totally see those people putting up their umbrellas in the front rows.

Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten Live

Sisterhood 2 - Story of My Life

2008-08-20T20:44:00.015-04:00

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

Two weeks ago from today I celebrated my 20th birthday. That was also the day Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 came out. My mom took me to see it as a surprise bday gift. I was glad she did. The movie was awesome and just what I needed. I felt like my life could have fit seamlessly in the storyline.

Sisterhood 2 finds the girls now in colleges scattered around the country. Carmen (America Ferrara) is involved in theatre, Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) is studying film at NYU, Lena (Alexis Bledel) is studying art, and Bridget (Blake Lively) is playing soccer. Each of the four lead actresses does a great job handling what comes her character's way.

Change ::

Everyone has that one friend who hates change, and in this movie, Carmen is that friend. Unfortunately for her, she has to deal with a lot of it. Her mom is now married and pregnant. Plus, her family's moving to a new house and she must leave her childhood home behind. Of all the girls, Carmen is the most dependent on the circle of friends and feels lost without them. When the four friends finally reunite for their Friday night ritual, she is shocked to learn that the other girls made plans for the summer. She just planned to catch up with them all summer. Luckily, a college "friend" is able to get her a job doing backstage work at a summer theatre in Vermont. It's there that Carmen meets Ian (Tom Wisdom), a Brit who gets her to audition for the play.

You totally feel for Carmen. Changes are hard getting used to sometimes and she's so bombarded with them. America pulls this role off well. You feel she could really be the innocent backstage girl one moment and a drama queen the next. (Although, I'm pretty sure America's not much of a drama queen.)

Love ::

At a funeral in Greece Lena finds out that her now former flame, Kostos (Michael Rady), is married with a baby on the way. She's really upset that her first love has moved on so quickly. While trying to take her mind off Kostos, Lena spends her summer taking an art class. It's there that she crosses paths with Leo (Jesse Williams ... a.k.a. my new husband). Did I mention that after Lena meets him, he strips down in front of her in under a minute? He's the nude model for her art class. (So believable. Have you seen that body?) There's no actual nudity, except for the hottest six pack I've ever seen on the big screen. If that doesn't capture your attention, I don't know what will. Of course, Kostos returns with major revelations and Lena must choose between Leo the artist and Kostos her first love. (Lena, go for the abs!)

Lena kind of reminds me of me. I'm not Greek and I can't draw, but temperament-wise we're similar. Plus we both like Leo.

Pregnancy ::

Tibby's story is way more nerve wracking than the other girls'. She loses her v-card to her boyfriend Brian (Leonardo Nam) and of course there's a pregnancy scare. Amber does a great job making the pregnancy scare believable. You feel like the situation's taking place in the real world, not a movie.

Tibby and Brian also break up and he moves on with Lena's younger sister Effie (Lucy Hale). I found that part of the story semi-odd and semi-believable. Why would he go out with Effie? Then again, he'd still be in shock from the pregnancy scare and wouldn't be thinking straight.

Family ::

As we learned in the last movie, Bridget's mom committed suicide. In this movie, Bridge discovers letters from her maternal grandmother that her father kept hidden from her for years. She confronts him and heads to Turkey for the summer where she's working on an archaeological dig. It's there that an archaeologist gives her a lesson about family. She then bolts and heads to Georgia for a long-awaited reunion with her grandmother (Blythe Danner) and discovers more about her family.

Bridget's storyline was a bit farfetched in the beginning. Why would she go on an archaeological dig in Turkey? Then again, she is an adventure-seeker so this totally works with the storyline.

Greece ::

I love that part of this movie, like the last, took place in Greece. The scenery's so beautiful. Jynx and I have to stop off in Greece when we go to Helsinki.

Boys ::

The love interests for all the girls were really good. They fit perfectly with each character, and the boys looked good with the actress they were placed with. By the way, are washboard abs a requirement for these roles?

Overall, Sisterhood 2 was very enjoyable. It gave a realistic view of what life is like for college girls these days. Each girl's storyline could happen to me and anyone of my friends. All the actors in this movie were great, and the leads were amazing! It's hard to believe that these actresses (especially America and Blake) were relative unknowns when the first movie came out. Oh the difference 3 years makes.

Carrie Bradshaw 2.0

2008-08-17T19:22:00.010-04:00

I know women have been all about the "He's just not that into you" since Miranda Hobbs uttered those words to two twenty-somethings in an episode of Sex and the City. Soon after a book followed, the author got a talk show, and a movie starring Jennifer Aniston is set to be released in February 2009. I'm happy for Greg Behrendt, but I'm so over his book. It's a light-weight compared to two other books I've read.

In The MANual self-proclaimed bad boy Steve Santagati plays the part of male best friend for women everywhere. He provides the dos and don'ts of attracting men while interjecting anecdotes from his life throughout each chapter.

Unlike Santagati's book, Neil Strauss' The Game was written for men, specifically pickup artists (PUA) in training. My philosophy is where best to learn what's going on in the mind of a guy, than from their guru.

The Game is Strauss' autobiography about how he transformed himself from a gawky rock and roll journalist to a Pickup Guru (PUG). Strauss' techniques aren't your run-of-the-mill cheesy pickup lines. They're actually quite technical and have their own set of terminology. This book gives an intriguing look into the social dynamics involved in picking up women.

I know you're wondering why I would even recommend these books to you. I think reading them gives girls the upper hand. This is especially true in the case of The Game. Knowing PUA terminology can come in handy when you least expect it.

It all started two weeks ago on Facebook. I was on Facebook chat with one of my friends when I checked to see who else was online. That's when I spotted it: the Facebook status of he-who-shall-not-be-named. It stated that he was "out sarging the night away."

I gasped, my eyes widened, and my heart skipped a beat. HWSNBN was using a pickup artist term for picking up girls. I was (and still am) in shock. I would never have taken him for a pickup artist.

After hours of debating whether or not to call out the potential PUA, I jokingly wrote on his wall, "Since when did you become a pickup artist?" The following morning I received a wall post from him saying, "... when did you discover the terminology?"

What followed was a series of messages between me and HWSNBN. I told him I had read The Game, and he said he had read it too. I had shocked the hell out of him when I called him out. Taking my initial wall post very seriously, HWSNBN said he was a minor league PUA back in the day (i.e. pre-sophomore year), but he lost a bit of his game after being in a relationship. The Game helped him fine tune his strategies.

Why he felt the need to divulge his dating history to me, I don't know. Jynx thinks he's feeling guilty. Maybe he is. He did delete my wall post that called him out.

After the messages with HWSNBN, I started thinking about the guys who've approached me. The ones who expected a response after an absurd pickup line were dutifully ignored. Guys who used some of the strategies I later recognized in Strauss' book got responses from me. Not major responses, but responses nonetheless.

The MANual and The Game are really excellent guides. You'll be able to navigate the dating scene more efficiently after adding these books to your reading list.

Movie Dates for Harry Potter and Twilight Moved

2008-08-16T16:22:00.005-04:00

It has just been announced that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been postponed until July 17, 2009.
According to Warner Bros. president and chief operating officer, Alan Horn, the change was only done in order to "take advantage of an open weekend in Hollywood's busy summer season."
Source

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was originally set to open on Nov 21st of this year, but instead Twilight will be taking it's place. Twilight's original release date was set for Dec 12th , 2008. But I guess Summit thought us Twilight fans couldn't wait that long. =]

It also has been announced that the date changes for Harry Potter and Twilight are completely unrelated.

Breaking Dawn by SMeyer: Stuck in the Middle

2008-08-15T15:34:00.008-04:00

WARNING: Spoilers! Stop reading now!

Like everyone else in the Twilight world, I could barely wait to get my hands on Breaking Dawn. Although I did not attend the midnight release party (it’s a bit too juvenile for me), I did pick up the book the next day. I know the reviews for BD have not been good, and I understand why, but I certainly did not hate the book. I thought the book was pretty good, but could have it been better? Probably.

Here are some issues I thought I should bring up.

Pregnancy:

I know that Bella being pregnant is what sent readers up the wall. And I admit, when Bella confirmed it, I thought in my head “How ridiculous.” But I quickly got over it and thought “Oh wow, that was completely unexpected. How exciting.” And I know people have said that the pregnancy was completely bizarre and a little too grotesque. I would usually be the first one to agree in those types of situations, but surprisingly I was fine with the whole thing - the breaking of ribs, drinking blood, vomiting blood, and even the giving birth scene. (Although, I would probably faint or throw up if I actually had to watch that.) I mean come on people, it’s a half-vampire baby, those types of things are expected! But the baby’s name is where I draw the line…Renesmee? Come on, LAME.

[Then of course there are the questions, “How did Bella get pregnant? That’s impossible.” To my knowledge, vampire’s can either use the blood that they drank to create an erection or can use the venom in substitution for the blood. Also, I heard that frozen sperm can still be used to impregnate woman. And that’s exactly what Edward has.]

But to be honest, was Bella really ready to have a kid and a whole family? I know that she supposedly has an “old soul” and is very mature, but I think she’s still too young and naive. Also, Bella's only reason for staying human is to have sex, and that doesn’t exactly show mature reasoning. Anyway, I have also heard a lot of complaints about Bella giving up an independent life and an education in favor of getting married and popping out a kid. However, Bella has the rest of eternity to get an education. She can have both a child, which most woman do want, and an education. Nothing wrong there.

Perfection:

I loved book 1 and book 2, but book 3 was somewhat boring. I had to force myself through it. I think what annoyed me the most is that everything was too prefect and happy. I think Stephenie went out of her way in order to make sure everything turned out that way. Come on, Bella is a vampire. I know that's what she most wanted, but she had to give up something to get it, and I do not think she had to give up anything. Maybe its just me, but when I think of vampires, I don’t think of them as happy-go-lucky people. There is a darkness and despair to them that’s just a part of who they are, and I do not think Bella is anything like that.

Then again, I am not sure what else could have been done to make things less than prefect…With Charlie, for example, Bella had to tell him the truth and the only way to do that was for Bella to have self-control. (Although what about Renee? Stephenie never resolved that issue. Was Renee just supposed to forget she had a daughter?) Also, Bella had to have self-control in order to protect Nessie. And when the book says, theoretically, that self-control and the “shield” is her special ability, I say that her real special ability is love. Bella has had so much love for Edward (that she would risk death to be with him) and the other characters, that it would only seem natural that she would bring this love with her to her vampire life. She has a natural urge to protect those around her and die for them. So her having the ability to shield anyone she chooses and her amazing self-control makes sense. In addition, Bella somehow had the power to block her thoughts while she was human, so it would be expected that this would be amplified in vampire form.

And you know, I kind of liked how everything worked out perfectly for Bella and her family.

Closure:

Overall, Breaking Dawn differed so drastically from the other three books that it did not seem I was reading a book from the Twilight Series. However, like all last books in a series, this change was necessary in order to bring the entire story together.
But even there, to be honest, the book did not tie up loose ends. With the Volturi, for example, I felt there needed to be closure and I didn’t think we got that. There was so much anticipation building up for the big climax of the book, and even the characters were preparing for the biggest fight of their lives, but alas, there was no fight at all. I mean I am happy that no one got hurt or anything, but it just felt so anti-climatic. It didn't feel like anything had been resolved. All we are left with is an embarrassed Volturi and a possibility of them coming back, which we’ll never know.

And what about Leah? I felt that the book was leading up to something involving her, especially since we were shown another side to her character, but she ended up right where she started. - Forced to belong to something that mocks her. [After leaving Sam’s pack for Jacob’s, she not only has to defend vampires, she has to witness Jacob’s infatuation with Nessie, which is a constant reminder of what she can not have.- She cannot have a child and she does not imprint. It seems she is the only one left without a happy ending]

Imprinting:

Speaking of imprinting, I don’t really have a problem with Jacob imprinting on Nessie. In fact, the moment I found out he did, I was ecstatic. Here was Jacob’s happy ending. He can't have Bella, so here’s another version of Bella that does love him back. I thought it fit together perfectly, especially since I knew Jacob had an inevitable role in Bella’s life. Although, when I do think about it, it’s creepy how Jacob can fall madly in love with Nessie, when he has been after Bella since day one. (You don’t love the mother anymore, but you now love her child?) Oh well, I can get over that.

These were just some of the thoughts that crossed my mind once I had finished reading Breaking Dawn. Perhaps I’ll have a different view of the book once I read it again, but for know I’m in the middle. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it. I’d really love to hear what you guys have to say about the book. So please leave some comments, because I’d really love to have a discussion with you.

Concert Announcement! Natasha Bedingfield at Playland Tonight!

2008-08-14T09:48:00.005-04:00

ONE NIGHT ONLY ... NATASHA BEDINGFIELD AT RYE PLAYLAND ... THE SHOW STARTS AT 8PM ... ACE WILL BE THERE, WILL YOU?

The Swedish Furniture Name Game

2008-08-05T19:42:00.003-04:00

I was reading the MissBehave blogs (what else is new) and came across this website that gives you your Swedish furniture name.

Ace is now:

Jynx is now:

Find out your name here: link

Boys and Their Cribs

2008-08-03T16:30:00.004-04:00

Last year Omarion and Bow Wow released an album together called Face Off. They've also both shown their homes on Cribs, but whose crib would you rather?

Bow Wow's?

Or Omarion's?

Boys and Their Abs

2008-08-02T23:01:00.005-04:00

Which Harry Potter star has the hotter six-pack?

Tom Felton?

Or Dan Radcliffe?

By the way, did you know that Tom sings?

Last Weekend As A Teen

2008-08-02T22:38:00.006-04:00

Ace here. This is my last weekend before turning 20 next Wednesday so I have to do it right. I think I'm off to a great start! What do you think?

- blue nail polish ... check

- pretend Joe Jonas is my boyfriend ... check

- listen to boy bands on a loop ... check

- call out a pickup artist ... check

You know I'm still going to do these things in my 20s. Who am I kidding?

- Ace out!

Boys and Their Pants

2008-08-02T00:57:00.008-04:00

When I wasn't running errands today, I was patrolling celebrity gossip websites. I noticed that my findings for today all revolved around the same theme: boys and their pants.

Follow along.

The first pictures of Shia LaBeouf post-accident and surgery have come out. Here he is outside of Cedars-Sinai taking a smoking break. I was going through the pics and couldn't help but notice the blood stains still on his pants. Poor baby. Too shaken up to find other jeans.

Wednesday night Jesse McCartney came out of a restaurant in LA with white stuff on his pants. Some say it's powdered sugar, and of course others says it's cocaine. What do you think?

Ed Westwick's Gossip Girl character Chuck Bass is known for wearing the most out-there outfits of all the male cast. Tuesday's filming of the show in NYC was no different. Peep the purple pants.

I'm not sure what the story is behind this photo of John Mayer, but I believe he was leaving a gym in LA. I just wish he had a cool bag with him to carry his clothes in.

This next pic has nothing to do with pants. I just wanted to point out that while John Mayer cut his hair off, Kanye West let his hair grow. Check out the beard.

- Ace Out!

Criss Angel's Last and Greatest Stunt Ever

2008-07-31T19:19:00.007-04:00

*WARNING: Spoilers!

Last night, thousands of Criss Angel fans, including me, tuned in to watch a live episode of Mindfreak. Expecting the usual, the fans cheered him on and waited for the moment when Criss Angel would prove, once again, that he is the greatest magician in the world. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected. Thousands of fans’ hearts shook with terror as they watched their beloved magician struggle to escape a building set to implode in mere seconds.

The show begins with Criss announcing that this will be the last stunt he would ever do, and it will be filmed from start to finish, regardless of whether he lives or dies.

[So here’s the low down on the stunt:
Criss is to be handcuffed to an outside railing and is to somehow make it to the top of the building in 3 ½ seconds before the implosion. Once free of the handcuffs, he is to go through the building and pick open the locks on the doors. The final door, which contains two locks, will lead him to the roof and from there he will have to jump on a ladder of a helicopter to safety. ]

Once Criss Angel is handcuffed to the railing, he gives his final words, which sends his love and thanks to all of his friends and family. For some reason, his message of goodbye sends chills down my back and makes me unusually nervous.

Finally the countdown starts, and Criss quickly works his way out of the handcuffs. He then begins picking the lock on the first door. 40 seconds pass by and he is still unable to get the door opened. An ominous scene is set as he resorts to kicking the glass window open in order to enter.
Hearts racing with horror and excitement, fans watch as Criss Angel moves as fast as possible through the locked doors inside. With about 1 minute left, Criss struggles to open the last door. Seconds pass by and still he struggles with the lock. The clock displays 30 seconds left, and the helicopter is forced to leave for safety reasons. At this, I come to the realization that Criss Angel was telling the truth; this will be his last death-defying stunt because in just about 30 seconds Criss Angel will be dead. So I’m completely frantic at this point and all that goes through my head are headlines stating his demise. I yell at Criss through the TV to hurry, but I know that it is no use. It is too late.

The clock strikes zero and the building implodes. Criss, however, remains trapped in the building. Not a sound can be heard as fans desperately hold on to their last shred of hope that Criss will some how magically appear out of the rubble. Moments pass by and Criss in nowhere in sight. But low and behold, the cameraman spots Criss coming out of the rubble without a scratch. Criss yells out in victory at having yet again cheated death. Fans cheer at the sight of him and all is well again.
The host and Criss’s crew all state that this was completely unexpected and not according to plan. But as I watched the building collapse, it suddenly dawned on me - Criss had never planned to escape by helicopter. He had wanted to scare the fans. Whether he will deny it or not, I firmly believe that Criss Angel punk’d us all and I cannot think of a more prefect ending for his last stunt ever.

Buzzin' About Shwayze

2008-07-31T10:43:00.003-04:00

Last week on iTunes there was a free download of Shwayze's new reality show Buzzin', so I had to check it out.

Buzzin' is about Shwayze recording his album and all the craziness that goes on behind the scenes. In Episode 1 he has to get back to LA for an 8AM court hearing after spending the whole night in Phoenix performing at Superbowl afterparties. In Episode 2 his car gets impounded, and after a night of partying he has to rush back to Cisco Adler's studio to record with Dave Navarro. As you can see, the race against time is a constant theme in Shwayze's life.

Behind every performer is an entourage that made him that way. I ♥ Shwayze's crew. Cisco, Warren, and Jordan remind me of the guys on Entourage so much sometimes. Cisco's the Turtle of the show, Warren's the E, and Jordan's the Ari.

What I like about this show is that Shwayze's real. Unlike people on other reality shows, he has real problems and struggles. He's not just someone who's had everything handed to him all his life. He works hard and he plays hard. Buzzin' shows people that although the music scene may look glamorous, it takes a lot of hard work to rise to the top.

This is the perfect show for the summer. It's got music, partying, and a guest appearance by Dave Navarro. What else could you ask for? Oh right, a good review of the show by me. Well you've got that too Shwayze. ;-)

Adventures of a 5 Year Old

2008-07-30T19:47:00.003-04:00

Oh to be 5 again!

La Historia de Hipster Bingo

2008-07-29T14:13:00.008-04:00

About three weeks ago I came across Hipster Bingo in a MissBehave blog. I thought that this was some cool new thing that only the ladies of MissBehave were privy to. Then I googled it and found out it's actually 5 years old.

Hipster Bingo was created by the good people of The Catbirdseat, a blog of mainly Indie music and culture.

Over the years, updated forms of Hipster Bingo have been created. Here's what I've found.

The Original (and the best)

Hipster Bingo 2 (not bad, but not great either)

Hipster Bingo 3 (totally up-to-date)

Hipster Bingo: The UK Version (this needs to be updated with Agyness Deyn!)

I think Jynx & I should create InSense Bingo. Exactly what the world needs!!!

Coverage

2008-07-29T13:51:00.008-04:00

Sometimes I like covers more than the original songs.

Here are my top 8 covers.

Samuel - Love in this Club --> Usher Cover

John Mayer - Mercy --> Duffy Cover

Jason Mraz - Three Little Birds --> Bob Marley Cover

Sugababes - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor --> Arctic Monkeys Cover

Paolo Nutini - Crazy --> Gnarls Barkley Cover

Natasha Bedingfield - This Love --> Maroon 5 Cover

Toby Lightman - Real Love --> Mary J Blige Cover

Paolo Nutini - Cry Me A River --> Justin Timberlake Cover

My Dark Knight ... This Batman's No Joker

2008-07-26T16:53:00.018-04:00

Here's the deal. When I saw Batman Begins, I fell asleep because I was bored and the plot made no sense to me. Last night as I sat through a half hour of previews waiting for the latest in the Batman series to begin, hoping history would not repeat itself.

Guess what? The Dark Knight is my favorite Batman movie! (Sorry Clooney)

My immediate reaction on Twitter when I came home was:
DK rocks ... great performances, amazing action, kinda creepy in a good way ... r.i.p. Heath ... there's definitely an Oscar in your future

I still feel the same way 24 hours later.

The actors were great.

Christian Bale's Batman is really good. When Bruce Wayne becomes Batman, Bale's voice gets really deep and sort of scary at times. My mom (who's been watching everything Dark Knight-related for the past couple months) said it's because this Batman is supposed to be getting darker. He's not as light-hearted as the Clooney version I'm used to.

The late Heath Ledger's performance is as great as everyone says. His Joker's more psychotic than Jack Nicholson's. He's ruthless and just plain creepy, but he's funny. Heath better get an Oscar nom for this role.

Maggie Gyllenhaal took over the role of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes. Rachel dated Bruce in the last movie and knows he's Batman. She broke up with him and said she will return to him when he's no longer Batman. (Good luck with that one.) In this movie she works for DA Harvey Dent who's played by Aaron Eckhart and of course hijinks ensue. Eckhart had more screen time than I thought he would and he played the role better than I expected.

The fight scenes are more intense and some parts were very James Bond/Daniel Craig era-esque. I kind of want to go see this movie again in IMAX just to see how this one scene involving a trick Batman does with his motorcycle and a wall looks in 3D. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. But I do know one thing ... if you don't see this movie on the big screen, you'll be sorry.

Criss Angel Mindfreak, All New Season

2008-07-25T19:17:00.004-04:00

The 4th season of Criss Angel Mindfreak premiered last Wed. (07/ 23/08) on A&E. And I for one thought it was an amazing start to a mind-blowing season.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Criss Angel, (honestly, have you been living under a rock?) he is known to be the greatest magician/illusionist of our time. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself.

In this season premiere, you will see Criss Angel walk across a lake, see him remove a card from a man’s head, and watch him survive being hit by a car.

The episode will air again on July 27th @ llpm on A&E.

Go to the A & E website for more Criss Angel information, videos, interactive goodies, and a link to his official site.

You can watch Criss Angel Mindfreak every Wednesday at 10pm. Also, make sure you tune in next week for a special live episode.

Are You Ready?

Free Itunes Download

2008-07-24T13:55:00.005-04:00

InSense is totally ahead of the game. Remember that post of ours about female artists you should be checking out?

If you do, then you remember Kerli, the female singer from Estonia. Well Kerli's latest single "Walking on Air" is now available for download on itunes, and it's completely FREE!

Go here to get Walking on Air for free

BTW, you can catch Kerli's Playlist on MTV Hits. Keep on eye out for it on your TV screen.

Didn't we tell you she was gonna be big? Do I even have to mention that you heard about Katy Perry here first too?

The Secret Obsessions of Ace

2008-07-13T20:18:00.003-04:00

Hello there lurkers, its Jynx.

Ever wanted to know more about Ace? Well now heres your chance, and what better way to get to know someone than through their obsessions.

Over the two years I've known Ace, she has had some interesting obsessions- from half-naked guys who play "recycled percussion" to the French Justin Timberlake. Her latest obsession is the band name "Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong."
Let me make myself clear, she ONLY likes the band name....that’s right, completely obsessed over a band name. Not the music. Not even the guys in the band.

Heres a scenario that might likely well ensue:

Ace goes to the Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong concert. As she waits in the crowd for the band, a fan makes small talk with her.
Fan: Whats your favorite song?
Ace: Oh I don’t know any of the songs. I’m just here for their name.
Fan: *gives her the evil eye* You're not a REAL fan!

Leave it to Ace to obsess over the weirdest things, but then again, who actually likes normal stuff?

InSensical Music for Independence Weekend

2008-07-05T00:45:00.009-04:00

The fireworks have died down and the 4th of July is officially over, but the parties will continue. Here's what you should be listening to this weekend before you head back to work.

(1) The Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go

(2) Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up

(3) Jonas Brothers - Burnin' Up

(4) Ne-Yo - Closer

(5) Ryan Cabrera - Enemies

(6) The 69 Eyes- Lost Boys

(7) Mest - Jaded

(8) Tokio Hotel - Scream

(9) MxPx- Doin' Time

(10) The Used- Take It Away

JT for Givenchy

2008-06-29T18:31:00.007-04:00

Justin Timberlake is the face of Givenchy's new fragrance, Givenchy Play. See the music-themed ads here first.

Plus 5

Check Out PureVolume for October Nites Now!

2008-06-23T12:30:00.009-04:00

One of InSense's favourite bands, October Nites, is currently featured on the PureVolume homepage. October Nites is well on their way to becoming an overnight success story so check them out now so you can say you knew them before they were famous. ;-)

purevolume.com/octobernites

Freebie Music:
Music is always better when it's free (and legal). Be sure to check out the band's profile for a free download of Love According to Kid 'n' Play from their debut album When We Were Infinite, now available on iTunes.

Girls of the Summer:: Boys Beware!!

2008-06-15T13:29:00.013-04:00

- A Joint Venture of Jynx and Ace -

(1) Katy Perry

If Katy Perry looks familiar, it's probably because she was Travie's girlfriend in the video for Gym Class Heroes' Cupid's Chokehold.

Although her debut album is entitled One of the Boys, on the title track Perry sings, "I want to be one of the girls pretty in pearls, not one of the boys." Then her album continues with the drunken girl's anthem I Kissed a Girl (kind of contradictory, lol). And of course, there's the emo ex-boyfriend slamming underground hit, Ur So Gay.

This Santa Barbara songstress' album drops on June 17. Get it girls!

Freebie Music
Go on katyperry.com and click on the strawberry tattoo on Katy's back for a free download of Ur So Gay.

myspace.com/katyperry

(2) Kate Voegele

You first saw Kate Voegele as singer-songwriter Mia on One Tree Hill. On her debut album, Don't Look Away, you'll recognize a lot of her songs from the show. This MySpace Records artist can be seen on tour around the country this summer. Check her MySpace for dates and be sure to watch the webisodes she's uploaded.

myspace.com/katevoegele

(3) Lady GaGa

Summer's all about hot dance tracks to get you through the even hotter summer heat (thanks global warming). Lady GaGa's track Just Dance will have you doing just that.

myspace.com/ladygaga

(4) Kerli

Kerli, born in Estonia, always dreamed of coming to America and becoming a singer. Now her wish has finally come true. Her debut album is called Love Is Dead, and she already has two singles out - Walking on Air and Love Is Dead. Her voice serves to soothe you, while her videos will make you slightly disturbed. Overall, Kerli does a great job at combining all things creepy and all things sweet.

Official Site: http://www.islandrecords.com/site/artist_home.php?artist_id=669

(5) The Action Design

For those of you who are not fans of Tsunami Bomb, you may not know who The Action Design are. TAD is a female fronted band made up of Emily (ex vocalist of Tsunami Bomb), Matt (ex bassist of TB), guitarist Jake, and drummer Jaycen. Their live performances are described as dance parties that will make you move your feet all night.

Check Them Out: http://www.myspace.com/theactiondesign

(6) The Eyeliners

The Eyeliners are an all girl band formed in 1995 with Laura as the singer/drummer, Gel playing the guitar, and Lisa rocking the bass. If you're into punk rock and girls with attitude, your gonna love The Eyeliners.

Official Site: http://www.theeyeliners.com/

InSensical Things to Do in Summer '08

2008-06-15T12:55:00.021-04:00

Be bored no more!

(1) Enroll in Trapeze School.

Ever want to fly high? Well, now you can do just that.

If you're in NYC, Baltimore, Boston, or LA, check out trapezeschool.com. Hurry. Classes fill up quickly.

(2) Perfect your IJ skills.

You're probably thinking, "What's an IJ?" An IJ is an iPod DJ. Here's how to become one.

- Get an iPod.
- Learn how to use it.
- Create hot playlists.
- Convince people to hire you to IJ their events. (Yes, you can actually get paid for this.)

A relative of a friend did this. You would be surprised how many people don't know how to use an iPod, let alone create a playlist.

(3) Walk runways before models do.

A few weeks before fashion week starts, head to NYC's Bryant Park and watch workers set up the runways many a model will be trecking on. If you're lucky enough, you may be able to walk the runways before models do. And of course you must take pictures and send them to us for postage!

(4) Go to AST Dew Tour stops.

Want to get Ryan Sheckler's autograph? Check him out at Dew Tour Stops in Baltimore (June 19-22), Cleveland (July 17-20), Portland (August 21-24), Salt Lake City (Sept. 11-14), and Orlando (October 16-19).

Go to astdewtour.com to find out more.

(5) Create mosh pits.

What better place to do this than at the MySpace generation's version of Woodstock, the Vans Warped Tour.

Go to warpedtour.com for more.

(6) Take a trip to the Woodstock Museum.

Before Warped Tour, Coachella, and Bamboozle, there was Woodstock. If you're feeling nostalgic for the famed music festival, head to the new Woodstock exhibit in Bethel Woods, NY. Go to bethelwoodscenter.org/museum for details.

(7) Get InSense on TV!

Tired of bad E! reality shows (i.e. Denise Richards and the Lohans)? Here's our solution:
- complain to the network
- bombard them with emails about making InSense a show

Problem solved. (See what happens when InSense rules the world?)

(8) Get cooked vending machine food.

Do you remember that scene in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift when the guy and the girl go to that vending machine place and there's actual cooked food in it? Did you ever wish you could get that in America? Well, now you can. BAMN! on 37 St. Mark's Place in NYC allows you to get everything from mac & cheese to hot dogs and corn dogs. If you're spending summer in the city, swing on by.

Go to bamnfood.com for more.

(9) Free concerts in Central Park!

Who says you can't find free things to do in the city? We don't. During the summer, Central Park's Summer Stage concert series puts on free concerts. Past performers include Citizen Cope, The Apples in Stereo, and Seu Jorge. This year the stage will see the likes of Santogold, Vampire Weekend, and Kid Cudi. Check out summerstage.com for more.

(10) More free concerts!

If Central Park crowds aren't your thing, head to Rye Playland right off the I95 (NY exit 19). Past performers include Lifehouse, Bowling for Soup, The Plain White T's, and Teddy Geiger. Head to ryeplayland.org to see the list of performers. (This year's performers won't be posted until July 18.)

Guilty Pleasures: Music

2008-06-11T18:24:00.006-04:00

Hey, Jynx here. As I am on my summer vacation and have lots of time on my hands, I thought I could come up with a guilty pleasures list of some of the songs I’ve seen on T.V. I’ve narrowed down my list to six songs, because I cannot remember any others and because I usually only listen to decent music. :p

Here’s my list starting from 6 to the number 1 guilty pleasure song:

6. Leave Out All the Rest - by Linkin Park

I never liked this band, but they have had a few songs that I’ve liked. Leave Out All the Rest would definitely be included in the ones that I do enjoy, and plus the video is pretty cool too. However, I think the real reason I like this song is because it reminds me of a ballad by Tokio Hotel, but I digress.

5. Coconut Juice - by Tyga

Despite the fact that I dislike any hip-hop, rap, r&b, etc…I cannot deny that some songs are quite catchy, including this one. If it came on T.V., I would probably listen to it for a few minutes before changing the channel as opposed to grunting in disgust as I usually do to hip hop songs.

4. Touch My Body - by Mariah Carey

Funny video that compliments the ever catchy and amusing song that you cant help but listen to. Touch My Body would make any immature high school teen boy sing along in perverted glee - as my brother has informed me.

3. Outta My Head - by Ashlee Simpson

I always hated Ashlee- aka Mrs. Wentz. All of her songs have been guilty pleasures aimed at young girls to make them feel more hardcore than they actually are, and this song is no exception. But before I start too much controversy, I must give lots of props to the awesomeness of the video.

2. Our Song - by Taylor Swift

This song and video is just oozing with cuteness and adorableness. Ms. Swift has an angelic voice and in her video, she seems as if she is the princess of country/pop music. The lyrics are cleverly made and I’m sure that girls in love will take great delight in the song. And the whole thing is almost enough to make me vomit, but instead I feel myself compelled to listen.

1. Shake It - by Metro Station

And here we go, my number one guilty pleasure that I cannot deny no matter how hard I try. This song is so catchy that it has received non-stop airplay on both the radio and television. But can I really hate a band just because Mylie Cyrus’ brother is in it? I should really give them a proper listen to before I rip them apart.

-Fin!

From Departing to Singing, Dancing, and Stealing Things

2008-05-22T23:12:00.007-04:00

I had originally planned to post a review of Jesse McCartney’s new album Departure. I wrote a play by play of every track and selected my favorites. A couple hours later I said, “F this!” I had been playing the first four songs of Jason Mraz’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. on repeat, and I couldn’t get them out of my head.

While McCartney makes an attempt at Justin Timberlake-esque sex pop, the album is more of a lackluster Chris Brown album. The first single “Leavin” is good. It’s catchy and appeals to an audience ranging from teenyboppers to twenty-somethings and over. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the album. As a mass communications major, I tried to figure out which audience Departure attempted to target, but I’m still unsure.

Although McCartney’s vocals are solid for the most part, there are too many highs and lows in tempo and song quality. McCartney should have spent more time perfecting his album than perfecting his J Date profile. It’s almost hard to believe that this is the same person who wrote Leona Lewis’ knockout debut single “Bleeding Love.”

Zac Efron, you have nothing to worry about. You will not be dethroned as king of the teenyboppers.

If you would still like to support J Mac’s 3rd album, the best tracks to download are “Leavin,” “Make Up,” “Relapse,” and “Not Your Enemy.”

Now on to the more mature sounding J.M. …

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. has great summer energy. Unlike Departure, it’s well put together. Mraz blends elements of pop, jazz, soul, funk, rock, and trace elements of Jamiroquai-esque dance seamlessly on his 3rd studio album. You can’t help but sing along, dance, and smile as Mraz steals your heart track after track.

Mraz’s vocals are perfect. They’re as breezy and soothing as the music in each song.

The first single “I’m Yours” has been a big hit since 2005. “Lucky,” a duet featuring “Bubbly” singer Colbie Caillat, has also been the subject of online buzz in recent weeks. Hopefully that will soon be a single. It’s the perfect song for a summer beach wedding (in case you’re still looking for one).

Mraz’s sound has definitely evolved over the years. He may be a geek in the pink no more, but he still has the remedy for the perfect summer soundtrack.

For more Mraz, catch him on a worldwide tour throughout the summer.

Top Tracks: Sorry, don’t have any. Guess you’ll have to buy the whole thing. Worth every penny, trust me! ;-D

SCREAM for Tokio Hotel

2008-05-18T20:45:00.006-04:00

If you have not heard of the German band Tokio Hotel, you definitely should. They have been the biggest growing sensation in Europe for the past couple of years now, and are the biggest band to come out of Germany in about 20 years. Now that they have dominated Europe, they are currently working to get recognized in America. Their hit song Ready Set Go has been receiving much airplay by both MTV and FUSE. And the ballad By Your Side is also featured in the horror movie Prom Night.
The English album, Scream, was recently released and is comprised of 13 songs from their two German albums; it also features two exclusive songs - 1000 Oceans and Durch Den Monsun. The songs consist of beautiful, catchy melodies and ballads. The lyrics contain positive messages that stress the listeners to “live on” even in times of bleak hope. The song Don’t Jump, for example, addresses the issue of teen suicide - “Just take my hand and give it a chance, don’t Jump.” There are, of course, the harder rock songs for you mosh pit lovers such as Break Away. And the song Scream, which the album is named after, will make any adolescent teen want to rebel.
Part of the appeal of Tokio Hotel comes from the charismatic, androgynous front man Bill Kaulitz. His bubbly personality and Gothic/Top Model looks demand that everyone give their undivided attention to him. His twin brother, Tom Kaulitz (guitar), however, differs drastically from his brother in both style and personality. Tom leans toward the Hip Hop scene and is never too modest to boast of his experience with the ladies or of how awesome he is. Then, of course, there are the other two crucial band members - Gustav, the drummer, and Georg, the bass player. Put them all together and they form the wonder and fandemonium that is Tokio Hotel.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tokiohotel

Rolling Stone Interview with Tokio Hotel

Tired of Being Prim and Proper? Want to Be in the Know?

2008-05-18T16:53:00.004-04:00

Do you find magazines like Vogue and Elle trite and boring? Are you more of a Nylon or MissBehave girl? If you answered "yes" to both questions, I have something for you and as a bonus, it's free!

Who doesn't love freebies!?!

On April 1st a new free online magazine launched. It's called prim. In the first issue page 7 reads prim's motto: "We're Not Prim And We're Not Proper. Get Over It." Well said.

Read the first issue while it's hot. The second issue debuts on June 1st.
For more click here: primmagazine.com

Also be sure to check out prim's MySpace: myspace.com/thisisitmagazine

How It All Started::

2008-05-17T12:00:00.003-04:00

In the beginning, there was Jynx circa June '88. Next came Ace in August '88. Then came Math 143 with Krishnan in August '06. That's where the dynamic duo initially met.
One year later as they trekked somewhere between Amend and the library, Ace said, "incense," Jynx was all, "Eureka!" and incense became InSense.
The collaboration was not complete. The duo needed an international sex symbol. That I.S.S. was Johnny, a sandy-haired boy with a band, a great set of abs, and a dragonfly tattoo. The band was born, but they never struck a note.
Almost one year later, Ace said, "Hey, let's make this a blog." Jynx agreed. Finally InSenseRocks.blogspot.com was born.

Enjoy ♥!
InSense Rocks!

A Work In Progress ...

2008-05-16T00:44:00.001-04:00

... stay tuned.