[Sarabeth here, back with some more jams to add to your iTunes library! Every Wednesday, I'm bringing you music suggestions - could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown -  to awesome-ify your  collection.]

Some of you will be happy to know that this week’s album is actually new for a change. Yay! Woo! Celebration!

Rarely do I get albums based off a random review I find on the internet. Ironic? Yes, but I usually wait until one of my friends has the album and I can listen to it or hear good things from them before I buy. Well, last Tuesday that all changed. While I was perusing the interwebs I came across a review for Cut Copy’s Zonoscope that piqued my curiosity. I gave it a little listen and let me tell you, I’ve changed my tune. No pun intended. (OK, so maybe the bad pun was totally intended, but whatever.)

About the Band:
Cut Copy is a synthpop band from Melbourne, Australia that’s been around since 2001. They currently consist of Dan Whitford, Tim Hoey, Mitchell Scott, and Ben Browning. Dan Whitford started it all a decade ago when he released the single 1981, and then started recruiting other members to join his musical project.

Top 3 Tracks:

Need You Now

Pharaoh’s & Pyramids

Sun God

Why You Should Listen to It:
The best way I can describe this album is that it’s an ’80s dance party that makes my heart happy. From great synth beats to Whitford’s deep soothing voice, this album makes it hard to sit still. I was listening to it at work today and it defintely made those four hours fly by, although I probably got some strange looks from my boss from dancing in my chair during Pharaoh’s & Pyramids. Anyways, if you’re looking for something to rid you of the winter blues, push you through that 45-minute stint on the treadmill or get you through another day at work, Zonoscope will hit the spot.

Want more awesome iPod suggestions? You got it!

[Sarabeth here, back with some more jams to add to your iTunes library! Every Wednesday, I'm bringing you music suggestions - could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown -  to awesome-ify your  collection.]

To be honest, I’ve always been a little torn about Valentine’s Day. For me it’s kind of like communism; while great in theory, it almost never works in the execution. Considering last year I got two Snickers bars from my now-ex (gee, I wonder why), I don’t have high hopes for Valentine’s Day, but I’m not a complete Cupid-hater either. I’m still a sucker for love.

So for those who are like me, or for those of you who have plans with a significant other, this week’s album is for you: Belle and Sebastian Write About Love.

About the Band:
Belle and Sebastian is an indie pop band from Scotland who got their name from a French children’s book. While a lot of people think they’re a duet, it’s actually a seven member band consisting of Stuart Murdoch, Stevie Jackson, Chris Geddes, Richard Colburn, Sarah Martin, Mick Cooke, and Bobby Kildea. Read More »

[Sarabeth here with a new feature that, quite frankly, I'm stoked about. Each week I'll be bringing you an album that I feel is particularly awesome in the hopes of building iTunes libraries everywhere! It could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown, so keep checking back for our suggestions to awesome-ify your music collection.]

The non-stop Elf marathons last week made me realize just how much I love Zooey Deschanel movies. She’s just so…cute! She also happens to be multi-talented. Yup, some of you might not know that she’s also a very gifted singer and musician.  So in honor of her, I bring you: She & Him’s Volume 1. It’s a peppy album with a retro feel that makes me fall even harder for dear Zooey. As if that’s even possible.

About the Band:

She & Him, formed in 2006, consists of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Ward met Deschanel, and while he knew she had a good singing voice from seeing Elf, he was surprised to know that she had a catalog of songs she’d written and didn’t know what to do with. According to Deschanel, once she met Ward, everything just fell into place. Read More »

[Hey everybody! Sarabeth here with a new feature that, quite frankly, I'm stoked about. Each week I'll be bringing you an album that I feel is particularly awesome in the hopes of building iTunes libraries everywhere! It could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown, so keep checking back for our suggestions to awesome-ify your music collection.]

With Christmas being just a few days away, I figured I’d go through my parents’ CDs to get into the holiday spirit. I’d already listened to my own Christmas music collection (Mariah, Glee, NSYNC) and needed something different. Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas was a major find. This album is pretty much the definition of the holiday season. My parents have played it just about every Christmas Eve since before I was born and anytime I hear this, I nostalgia my pants off.

About the Band:

Mannheim Steamroller is a new age musical group founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkley that’s been around since 1974. It was originally a pseudonym for Chip Davis’s musical projects, but grew into a 9 member group. Read More »

[Hey everybody! Sarabeth here with a new feature that, quite frankly, I'm stoked about. Each week I'll be bringing you an album that I feel is particularly awesome in the hopes of building iTunes libraries everywhere! It could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown, so keep checking back for our suggestions to awesome-ify your music collection.]

This semester is FINALLY starting to wrap up. Exciting? Yes, I can’t wait to finish this round of classes. Stressful? Hell yeah, mofo. The end of the semester means that every. single. thing. I’ve been working on is going to be due at the same time. And on top of that, I have to start studying for finals. Barf.

For those of you in the same situation, you need some music to get you through.

So where do I turn to in my moment (or 3 weeks) of need? My trusted pick-me-up album, Carnavas, of course.

About the Band
Silversun Pickups is an indie/alternative band from LA that has been around since 2002. It is made up of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Aubert, vocalist and bassist Nikki Monninger, drummer Christopher Guanlao and keyboardist Joe Lester. If they sound familiar it’s probably because they’ve been featured in video games like Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, Rock Band 1&2, and Guitar Hero World Tour.

Yeah, these guys are major. Read More »

[Hey everybody! Sarabeth here with a new feature that, quite frankly, I'm stoked about. Each week I'll be bringing you an album that I feel is particularly awesome in the hopes of building iTunes libraries everywhere! It could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown, so keep checking back for our suggestions to awesome-ify your music collection.]

The temperature is finally starting to drop here in Texas so to say TTFN to those hot days by the pool, I thought I would kick things off with my favorite album of the summer: Plastic Beach.

This was constantly playing in my car on my road trips this summer and for good reason; it’s an amazing album. I love Gorillaz because you can get so many different feels and sounds on one album, yet it all goes together so perfectly.

About the band:
Gorillaz isn’t so much of a band as it is a huge collaboration. It’s the brain child of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett that was started in 1998 in England. The “band” is made up of fictional characters 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs Read More »

Forget the iPad, iPhone, iPod, and any other device that starts with a lowercase i, because today is all about celebrating the CD player. For those that may have forgotten, it was the bulky device we shoved in our JanSports as we rode the bus to elementary school. The one that came with a 10-pound binder, filled with discs (most of which only contained 2 or 3 songs we actually wanted to listen to).

In honor of nostalgia and the beloved CD player, the device that not too long ago provided us with much needed musical entertainment (and frustrated us with scratches and skips), it’s time to look back at the greatest CDs to ever spin violently inside. Well more like the CDs that made me force my mom to forget the carpool kids and go straight to the store. Because if I wasn’t playing all the chart topping hits from TRL, I was sitting alone at lunch. Read More »

The iPad.  Steve Jobs’ newest brainchild, and a super….whatever it is.  Despite the fact that we’re not always sure what point Apple’s devices serve, we always seem to get them, love them, and become suddenly unable to live without them.

But this thing?  Meh, not so much. The iPad’s got a hefty price tag that will set any college student back and I’m just not sure it’s worth it. Based on what I’ve seen, I’m pretty sure I could take that $600 elsewhere (like, I don’t know, the bar?) and be a whole lot happier.

Here’s why:

Apple Says: OMG EMAIL IS SO EASY TO CHECK!
Reality: Yeah, email is easy to check everywhere. Like on my laptop, my phone, or the 3,000 computers scattered around my campus. In fact, sometimes I wish my email were less accessible. If my profs knew they could contact me on yet another device, I’d never have the “I didn’t realize the assignment had been revised” excuse.

Apple Says: AHHH! YOU CAN READ MAGAZINES/NEWSPAPERS/BOOKS ON IT!!!
Reality: Or – and here’s a crazy thought – you could read actual newspapers/magazines/books.  Some of them are more portable than this thing and a hell of a lot cheaper. And if you really want an e-reader, the Kindle costs way less and won’t kill your eyes.

Apple Says: WOW YOU CAN LISTEN TO MUSIC ON IT SO EASILY!!!
Reality: You know what else you can listen to music on?  An iPod.  Which is also Apple. And much smaller and easier to use.  Plus, in the immortal words of Phyllis from The Office, “If you don’t have an iPod by now, you really don’t want one.” Read More »

I get it. Trust me, I get it. It’s getting nice out and the last thing you want to do is spend an hour or two inside the gym. Who wants to sweat indoors when eating ice-cream by the lake is so much more appealing (and yummy?) But on the flip side, you’ll be donning a bikini before you know it (like, ahem, next week) and you want to look h-o-t.

If only you could snap your fingers Sabrina-the-Teenage-Witch style and have your workout completed and your body looking Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition ready.

Well God is great, but he’s not that nice. Instead, he leaves us messages and makes us feel a little guilty, like the other day when I was waiting for my nails to dry (instead of working out) and I found this pamphlet next to the drying station: “14 Tips and Tricks for Looking Great in Your Swimsuit.” I flipped through the list, somehow managing not to smudge a nail, and now I will share these really great tips with you. (Don’t thank me, thank God. God or the nice Vietnamese people who placed these pamphlets on their drying station).

Brought to you by “Pilatesyourway.com” Read More »

It’s officially the future, people, and while there may not be flying cars just yet, the advancements in technology are plentiful. Especially when it comes to gettin’ some. Yes, sex has gone tech, and I’m talking about more than those nakey photos you’ve been sending to the boyfriend while he’s away. (Which is a bad, bad idea. Has Vanessa Hudgens taught you nothing?!)

Below, a list of the sexiest things in tech:

For Your iPhone

Got an iPhone? No? Well, maybe it’s time to spend the cashola, because when it comes to sex, well, there’s an app for that. Here are a few of my favorites.

Cosmo’s Sex Position of the Day
This app is a to-go version of the Cosmo Kama Sutra. It offers a new sex position every day, as well as instructions and advice, illustration, and a difficulty rating (for those girls who are always up for a challenge). Read More »