Miriam Bryant: Finders Keepers

It's all too easy to compare any up-and-coming female artist with a strong voice to Adele. And although she finds it flattering, comparing Swedish singer/songwriter Miriam Bryant would just be a cop out. Sure... she possesses a powerful voice but her single "Finders Keepers" has that "something."  In fact, since our interview, she's been named an MTV "Artist of the Week," which is an enormous deal for any artist, but especially when you only have one single out.  And what a single.

It starts with a soulful, gut wrenching melody and builds up to an intense ending with electrical overtones that hint at dubstep. The combo works in a powerful way. We think Miss Bryant is going to have to soon face her fear of flying because this chick is about to take off in a major way. Popcosmo rapped with Miriam recently to find out more about her singing/songwriting with her childhood friend Victor Rådström and what inspires her.

Age: 21

Always has: a lot of things going on

Proudest of: little brother

Is thankful for: life in general

Wants to: be cool and noisy

Is afraid of: planes

Believes everyone should: be cool and noisy

Is embarrassed by: nothing at all

My style is: my own

When did you first start singing and writing songs? Singing has always been a big part of my personality and it´s my way of expressing myself. I first started writing my own songs in November 2011. It´s something that´s still very new to me and it makes me happy and I love it.

How has your life affected your music? In every way possible.

Who inspires you musically? Nobody in particular, inspiration is so random. Friends, family, situations in life, everything around me inspires me... When I grew up I listened to The Backstreet boys and I pretended that they were all in love with me. I had posters of them all over my walls!

You've been compared vocally to Adele. Do comparisons bother you or do you take it as a compliment? Adele has a stunning voice and I take it as a compliment to be compared to someone so talented.

What's it like working with Victor? What sort of dynamic do you have? We always have a great time, we're close friends. He is extremely talented and we never set any rules at all. Usually I write all the lyrics, he writes all the music, and we do the melodies together, but as I said, we don't like to set any rules!

I read that you are fearful of flying. With your career taking off (no pun intended!) how do you plan to conquer your fear? I guess I'll just have to get over it. Life is short, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and I don't wanna have any regrets in life. Think I will be flying to Germany next month!

What is your favorite thing about performing? Everything about it is awesome... When you’re sort of in it and you forget where you are and you just mean every word.

Do you prefer the performing aspect or the creative process of writing music? Both, in different ways! Performing is giving and writing is taking. When I perform I give bits and pieces of myself to the audience, and when I write I take bits and pieces of myself and my surroundings and try and make a song/lyrics about what I feel, or see. Writing is therapy, and at the same time it's a puzzle.

What advice would you give young women today? Follow your impulses. Be your amazing self. Never let anyone tell you how you should live your life.

Although she might have appeared on the music radar of the world from Gothenburg Sweden after coming out-of-nowhere, we expect to see and hear a lot more from Miriam Bryant... hopefully very soon! Follow here to stay up to date: http://www.facebook.com/miriambryantmusic

"The Rise of Nine" by Pittacus Lore: Book Review

If you are a regular follower of ours, you know (1) we are avid readers, and (2) we are humongous Pittacus Lore fans! So when we got our hands on an advance copy of The Rise of Nine, which is set for release on August 21, 2012, you know we were ecstatic. But we were also worried... would it disappoint? Inevitably, in a series, there is going to be a blip, the dip that has to come, whether it be the sophomore slump, or after. Book One of the Lorien Legacies Series I Am Number Four blew us away. Our review of Book Two tells you what we thought of The Power of Six and we also were granted a rare Interview with Pittacus Lore, so check those out to see if there was a sophomore slump. But, could Book Three The Rise of Nine continue the bestselling progression?

The short answer is an unqualified YES! Pittacus Lore is otherworldly in his ability to entertain with non-stop action, delicious details, and imaginable, yet creative, characters! And boy was he right in his interview with us - Setrakus Ra is back and he's badder than bad. The Rise of Nine picks up where The Power of Six left off... mass confusion and potential for destruction. But the two groups of Loriens: Six,Marina, Ella and Crayton are in Spain and Nine and Four, with Bernie Kosar, are hiding out in the US and each group tells their own stories. And, if you don't want the story to be ruined, then STOP HERE!

The narration jumps around from number to number which can be a bit hard to follow, but we like how the fonts change as a visual reminder that there is a new narrator at the beginning of each chapter. As typical, there is more action than the prior books put together, and we never know what to expect next. We liked this book almost as much as I Am Number Four in the sense that it was full of unexpected surprises and new powers, especially with Number Ten Eight, who we would like to meet in person, he just seems so cool!  

In fact, there are so many characters, that without a great author, we would have felt lost, but this part of the series was not just about adventures and fighting, it seemed that it was more about learning who the characters are, learning a bit more about their Legacies, what is in their chests, and how they will be interacting with each other. And we were excited to learn a bit more about each of the characters so we could start to care more about some of them. We are still partial to Six, Four and Ten, and curious about the new Legacies and how everything works in the chests. Without spoiling too much... (stop now if you don't want to know who makes an appearance in the book!) Nine and Six might make a cute, tough couple. We are thrilled Sarah made a reappearance... but Sam?! And Sam's Dad? And Setrakus Ra is just one mean and nasty dude who is the bully we all hate at school.  'Nuff said without totally ruining the plot for you. Get it and devour it. Before the Mogadorians do. 

How to Survive High School: How to Make Friends

Hannah Margaret is a college student, our guest writer, and blogger at hm. ~~ Your “How to Survive High School” today is about none other than how to make friends, because when it comes down to it, friendships get you through the hard times (and teenage years are hard, don’t let anyone tell you different). I’m not talking silly, we-take-pictures-together-but-hardly-talk friends, I mean stellar friends. I’m talking about friends that you can call from work, and despite telling them not to, leave to be by your side. I’m talking about friends that know you like the back of your hand, that give just as much as you give and keep you laughing until the wee hours of the morning. I’m talking real best friends.

1. Don’t put up with people who don’t let you be anyone but yourself. This is absolutely crucial, and you would think self-explanatory. But it’s not. You will want to change to fit into the crowd you want (or at least I did), but at the end of the day, you are happiest when you are completely yourself. It takes backbone and strength to be who you are, especially in such an unsteady time of life.

2. Don’t get stuck with old friends just because they are your friends. You will change and they will change, it’s okay to break free of a group you’ve been with for years. This can be extremely applicable to people who have been in the same school system their whole lives or who live in a small town. Just remember to not burn bridges, and gracefully leave without making it more dramatic than it needs to be (a massive deal for any and all girls).

3. Get involved in activities where you want to be around people that do that activity. For instance, a problem arises if you want to join to Math Club but don’t want to hang around people that like math. I did the plays and musicals because I enjoyed spending my extra time with those people. They were silly, smart, passionate and talented—my ideal crowd. Previously, I had tried a number of groups that seemed cool on the outside, but once in I found they lacked substance and real friendship.

4. Two bits to always remember: Remember you always find friends in unexpected places and all friendships are two-way. Always go out on a limb, go to that baseball game that you might not want to go to, get involved with that music group you are scared but talented enough to join and make new friends. My mom has always said to have a friend you must be a friend. Giving of your time and energy, checking up after that Anatomy test and my favorite, locker notes are fabulous ways to be there for someone. Also keep in mind, if you are doing everything and they other person in the friendship just soaks it in without anything in return, it may be time to look elsewhere.

Without a doubt, finding non-superficial and wonderful girlfriends is a challenge, but it’s not impossible. I have a handful of the best babes in the world on my side, and it took forever for me to realize what kind of friend I wanted to have and be. So if you take any of the advice I gave today, you’ll be better of than when I started! Stay strong babes! xoxo

~By Hannah Margaret Allen. For a fantastically great posts and a well-traveled blog adventure, check out HannahMargaretAllen.blogspot.com