Life is full of difficult decisions. Do we work out or watch ’16 and Pregnant’? 9 am classes or class on Friday? Dollar beers or study for the exam that’s worth 30% of our grade?

And here’s another one. Yeah, it’s not pretty, but it’s more fun to think about this than actually start the reading that’s due tomorrow….

Would You Rather come down with the stomach flu the night of your absolute favorite band’s concert (to which you have front row seats) OR get a weird, unidentifiable rash covering most of your body the day before your week long summer trip to the beach? Read More »

Have you ever heard a song on the radio that you were so obsessed with but didn’t know who sang it so you went home, hopped onto Google and tried to remember the lyrics so you could put them in? And then when that didn’t work you loaded your iTunes and played through the top songs of the week to see if one of them could possibly be it? And then when that didn’t work either you just kept the radio on all the time until you finally heard it again and got the band name?

Me too. And that song was Break Even by The Script. Which I downloaded. And replayed 22 times in the first two days.

I was obsessed with this new band discovery and told everyone I knew about them. At which point I discovered that they are not new at all. In fact, The Script has been wildly successful in Ireland and the U.K. for years; the U.S. was just a little slow on the uptake. But better late than never, right? Especially with a band as talented, adorable and humble as this one. I got the chance to talk to (well, email with – these guys are busy traveling the world right now!) Glen Power, the man behind the drums, about The Script’s rise to stardom. Then, obviously, I listened to Break Even a few more times as I wrote this up.

I just can’t get enough. Read More »

I often ignore live and “best of”  albums. Even from artists I love. What’s the point, right? I have all their music already – how many different versions do I need? But this week I decided to live on the edge a little bit and listened to both a live album and a “best of” album.

And ZOMG, I’m so happy I did!

Both Jason Mraz’s new live album and Snow Patrol’s compilation rocked my socks off. Yes, I said “rocked my socks off.” And, yes,  I already knew most of the music, but there was something new and exciting and different about hearing it all on a different album, in a different order, in a new way. I just want to hoard every CD/song/version they’ve got.

And then there was the new Dashboard Confessional album. A totally new album. It wasn’t live and it wasn’t a “best of”, but it somehow all sounded the same. In a good way, of course. Dashboard back again with the same great sound.  And you know what? It just might be the “best of “Dashboard. Read More »

Do you ever listen to music that’s completely ridiculous? (Editor’s Note: Does Miley count?) To the point that you start feeling ridiculous and maybe even hide the fact that you listen to other people? (Editor’s Note: Miley definitely counts.) Or just sorta wonder what’s going on in the artist’s head?

OK, so clearly I can’t hide what I’ve been listening to this week – and I’ve already admitted previously to liking Demi Lovato – but that doesn’t mean this week’s new releases didn’t have me scratching my head a bit. And while that’s actually kind of what I’ve come to expect from Weezer and Say Anything, I was a little thrown by my homegirl, Carrie Underwood. Don’t get me wrong, she makes some amusing music, but have you ever stopped to listen to the lyrics?

Why does Carrie Underwood hang out with so many crappy men? Girlfriend needs some help! Read More »

The great thing about new music is that you never really know what you’re gonna get. Sorta like life. And a box of chocolates (thanks, Forrest!). Sometimes albums totally and completely surprise you. And sometimes they don’t at all. Sometimes surprises are good, and sometimes they’re a huge letdown. Sometimes all you want is your favorite band just the same as always, and sometimes a little change makes them all the better.

This week, I was incredibly surprised by one much-anticipated album in a perfectly awesome way. Another album held zero surprises for me, which I was thrilled about. And a third surprised me because, well, I just didn’t see what all the fuss was about.

But, as long as someone isn’t popping out from behind a wall to scare the crap out of me, all of these surprises – good and bad – are a-OK with me. Read More »

Does music ever just make you so inexplicably happy? Maybe you can’t even describe why you’re feeling so cheery when you hear a certain band or song, but you just feel like you’re floating on air. Only you didn’t have to inhale/snort anything to get there.

All the artists this week make me happy. Even when the songs are sad, I’m happy. And I think that’s a sign of a truly great artist; they can sing about the saddest things in love and still put a smile on my face. And sometimes you just need music to comfort you and make you feel good. Like during midterms after spending 6 straight hours at the library and you’re only a third of the way through your reading.

Yeah, that’s what this week is all about. Read More »

Wow, this week was a bit of a bummer. So much anticipation and a whole lot of disappointment. You’re probably thinking I deserve it. After all, I got my hopes all up about Mariah Carey and Selena Gomez, so what did I really deserve, right? But I’m still a bit let down because, yes, I was expecting a lot from Mariah. She’s had more #1 hits than any other artist in history and while I wouldn’t listen to her every day in my car, I did think I’d at least like it.

Turns out, you all might be best off just listening to Britney Spears’ new single, “Three,” this week. Or Zero 7. You may not know who they are, but they are great and they really restored my faith in music after that Mimi/Selena letdown. So, thanks, Zero 7! Read More »

I feel like I’m having a major flashback this week. Like Wayne and Garth are running by me in my bedroom waving their hands in the air screaming “Do do do do. Do do do do.” And then everything gets all jumbled and I’m ten years younger and wearing something completely ridiculous.

Only they didn’t and I’m not. Instead, two of my all-time favorite musicians from about 10 years ago are back with some new stuff and I’m obviously over-joyed. I mean, when was the last time you heard about Vertical Horizon or David Gray? It’s been a long time; thankfully I wasn’t holding my breath. Now we just need to see if ten years was enough. I know I changed for the better in that time – what about them? Read More »

This has been a crazy week.

Jay-Z came back! Scarlett Johansson came out with an album with Pete Yorn. (Hey, it’s gotta be better than The Hoff’s singing, right?) Oh, and Mason Jennings came out with something new..though everything he does is new to me.

The week is all very confusing; I feel like I’m going through a break up (with the Scarlett I used to know), getting back together again (with Jay-Z), and meeting someone new (Mason Jennings). That’s a lot of relationship changes to handle in one week! Read More »

None of the artists with new releases are new to me this week. I’ve loved them all in the past and now I’m coming back for more. Actually, they’re coming back to give me more and I’m taking it all with wide open arms. And I’m pretty psyched to hear some new stuff from some of my old favorites. It makes me feel at home and right where I belong. I’m so happy to have my old friends back again! Read More »