Stella Castellucci

In the book "Diving Deep for Sea Shells," which was co-written with Edgar Amaya, Stella Castellucci tells the story of her remarkable life in music. 

Published for the first time a year ago through Balboa Press, the second edition –which includes a new cover photo by Phil Fewsmith,– has now come via LitFire.

Born in Los Angeles in 1930 to musician father Louis Castellucci, Stella would go on to continue and further his legacy. She joined Peggy Lee's touring jazz group in 1953. They would form a close friendship that would endure past Peggy's life. Stella witnessed and took part in a very creative time for Peggy Lee in the 1950s. They would closely collaborate on the 1958 Decca release Sea Shells. Stella would also appear on the following Peggy Lee albums:

• Songs in an Intimate Style (Decca, 1954)
• Black Coffee (Decca, 1956)
• Dream Street (Decca, 1957)
• The Man I Love (Capitol, 1957)
• Jump for Joy (Capitol, 1958)
• Pretty Eyes (Capitol, 1960)
• Christmas Carousel (Capitol, 1960)

Chelsea Wolfe

Chelsea Wolfe is an American singer-songwriter from Sacramento, California. Born November 14th, 1983, she started her career in 2006 and has just released her fifth album Abyss on August 7th, 2015.

Her unique style is a beautiful combination of folk, rock and electronic music bath in a gothic/doom atmosphere. Besides singing, Chelsea Wolfe also plays guitar and piano.

In 2006, after composing an album titled Mistake In Parting, she decided not to release it and took a break from writing music for several years. She started performing live in 2009. A year later, she published her first album: The Grime and the Glow.

Her second album, Apokalypsis (stylized as Ἀποκάλυψις), came out in 2011 and it gained her an underground following. She started touring extensively in North America and Europe, even though she initially suffered from extreme stage fright. In those days, she would cover her face with a veil.

These first two albums sound close to indie/alternative rock and feature prominent bass lines, dark tones, and gritty, electronically layered vocals. My favorite track, which happens to be in both albums –albeit in two different versions,– is "Demons."

In 2012, she released her third album Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs. This one features a more folk-oriented sound, as opposed to her earlier work. Her voice sounds cleaner as well. It contains the song that is probably my favorite by her: "Flatlands."

More Personal Curiosities

1. In 1991, I got my first video game console: a Sega Game Gear. Indeed, I was a big Sonic the Hedgehog fan!
2. At that time, there was a TV show that had me hooked: "El Rescate Del Talismán." It was an adaptation from the British TV show "Knightmare." 
3. Also, back then, my favorite cartoons were "Star Street: The Adventures of the Star Kids."
4. I can type 300-400 words per minute.
5. I wear glasses to correct near-sightedness and astigmatism. I do not like contact lenses at all.
6. I am allergic to house dust mite.
7. In 1993, I watched and fell in love with Agnieszka Holland's "The Secret Garden."
8. Not long after, I watched my first not-for-kids movie: "The Piano."
9. At age 11, I created my first mixtape. 
10. I am 6 feet 2 inches tall.

READ: Personal Curiosities

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