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With all the free time and sunshine that summer brings, there’s no better time to pile in the car with your friends and take a road trip. And there’s no better destination than a 3-day music festival. Is there anything better than lounging on a blanket, soaking up the sun and listening to your favorite songs!? I think not.

If you’ve got a little extra time on your hands this summer (or if you are desperate to get away from the overbearing parental units), there are plenty of music festivals you can hit up. All are awesome, all are chock full of some pretty great music, and all are a great way to reconnect with your college friends you had to leave behind when finals ended.

Lollapalooza: August 6-8th, Grant Park, Chicago
I’m literally hyperventilating just reading the lineup: MGMT, Slightly Stoopid, GAGA!?!?!?!?!?!? Not to mention the world-famous DJs spinning at Perry’s (I’m lookin’ at you, Kid Cudi), the art exhibit, awesome food, and a beer garden! Oh, and Chicago is supposed to be pretty spectacular in the summer, which means there’s no reason to skip out on this one. Check out the festival’s main site for ticket prices, places to stay, travel packages, and the ridiculously full lineup!

Bonnaroo: June 10-13, Manchester, TN
Bonnaroo’s got the real heavyweights this year: Jay-Z, Dave Matthews, Weezer, Kings of Leon, Tenacious D, Regina Spektor…need I say more? There’s also a karaoke “barn,” a comedy theater, and the totally unique silent disco – a dance party with headphones! Get all the info at www.bonnaroo.com.

Harmony Festival: June 11-13, Santa Rosa, CA
If you’re lucky enough to live on the west coast (or are in the mood for a really long road trip), go see indie rockers Michael Franti & Spearhead, India.Arie, the Dead Kennedy’s, K’naan and more at the Sonoma County fairgrounds. All-weekend passes are only $119, and it has a reputation as the most relaxing and laid-back of the summer music fests. Santa Rosa also features a sweet winery and an African safari, if you’re into that sorta thing.

Camp Bisco: July 15-17, Mariaville, NY
Bisco features artists like Thievery Corporation, Method Man, Disco Biscuits, and Girl Talk, for an overall awesome mix of electro-indie, hip-hop, and reggae. Not to mention a Color Wars contest to bring you back to your high-school spirit week and a huge lake for your enjoyment (water sports, anyone!?). There may not be much to do in upstate NY (trust), but this laid-back weekend should be worth your hard-earned gas money.

Lilith Fair: June 27th-August 16th, a city near you!
Gather your girlfriends and your Birkenstocks, because everyone’s favorite indie chicks are back on tour (plus some brand spankin’ new acts that we loooooove). The best part? You won’t have to travel too far to see them! Some of my personal faves that will make appearances are Colbie Callait, La Roux, Norah Jones, Tegan & Sara (seriously, download them if you haven’t already), and Ke$ha. If nothing else, it will be interesting to see how the show transitions from Sarah McLachlan to Tik Tok.

OK, that’s not totally true. We just want to see what Kanye does when Taylor Swift sweeps another awards show!

We don’t know exactly how things are going to go down tonight but we know a few things for sure:

1. We’re probably going to be very, very drunk
2. Assuming he’s there, everyone’s eyes will be on Kanye whenever Beyonce or Taylor are up for an award.
3. A lot of people are going to be thanking Jesus.
4. Lady Gaga is going to do something weird. And probably shoot fireworks out of her boobs.
5. Gaga, Beyonce and Taylor will need help carrying all their awards out to their limos.

And now for the unknown: who’s gonna win? We have our list of predictions (for our favorite categories – there are seriously way too many to list) below. Who do you think is gonna take the awards?

[Check out all the nominees here.]

Record Of The Year: Poker Face, Lady Gaga
It’s not my fave Gaga hit, but you know she’s gonna take every category she’s nominated for. I mean, even Barbara Walters is fascinated by her.

Album of the Year: The Fame, Lady Gaga
The woman had four #1 hits on her debut album and she’s the first person to ever do that! She deserves the win.

Song of the Year: Single Ladies, Beyonce
Sasha Fierce is up against some heavy hitters in this category, but I think the Grammy committee’s fear of the wrath of Kanye might dictate this one.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift
No brainer. The world has fallen head-over-heels for this girl (whether we agree or not) and she’s totally gonna take this one.

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: All About the Love Again, Stevie Wonder
It wasn’t a Top-40 song, but it’s Stevie Wonder. The Grammy peeps can’t snub this legend.

Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group: I Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas
I’m assuming the Grammy Awards aren’t given to the most overplayed song of 2009, but somehow I still think B.E.P. is gonna take this one.

Best Pop Vocal Album: The E.N.D., Black Eyed Peas
Although I REALLY want Pink to take this one (her album is amazing), The E.N.D. took the world by storm and I gotta feeling (ayoooo!) they’re gonna get this one too.

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group: Use Somebody, Kings of Leon
They deserve it. The song was great…before we all heard it every 4 minutes/the dance remix came out.

Best Rock Album: Live from Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
I haven’t heard this album, but much like Stevie Wonder above, the Grammy Committee is going to have to award some artists that aren’t played on MTV.

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Single Ladies, Beyonce
Wrath of Kanye, Take 2.

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Maxwell, Pretty Wings
Maxwell is an R&B legend. He best be taking this one.

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Chocolate High, India. Arie and Musiq Soulchild
Never heard of this song, but I can only imagine a duet like this is worth GOLD.

Best R&B Song: Single Ladies, Beyonce
Wrath of Kanye, Take 3. Plus, I’m sure there are some single ladies in charge of the voting who feel a strong connection to this jam.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Dead and Gone, Justin Timberlake and T.I.
(Secretly wishing “I’m On a Boat” wins. I wanna see those guys accept the award.)

Best Rap Song: Run This Town, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye
These are the 3 biggest names in rap right now; at least according to Kanye. How can they not win?

Best Rap Album: R.O.O.T.S., Flo-Rida
I just wanna see this hottie take the stage.

Agree or disagree? Sound off below!

This Sunday, January 31st, the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will air on CBS. And you must know what we’re thinking: it’s the perfect excuse to drink on a Sunday! (Until the Super Bowl, that is.)

Nothing goes better with good music than an ice cold beer (or 12), so we at CollegeCandy have come up with the perfect drinking game to accompany the big night. So go brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack, put on your Poker Face and see who takes home the big awards… and which of your friends will make it to the end of the show.

I gotta feeling…that Sunday night’s gonna be a good (good) night…

Take a shot:

(Of Hennessy) every time someone makes a Kanye West joke.

Each time of Lady Gaga changes her wardrobe. Take a double if it involves a mask, a cone, or fake blood.

(Of Jack Daniel’s) and some Oxycontin (just kidding) if Britney wins for Womanizer.  Then go shave your head and make a Starbucks run.

Every time a performer does something sexually inappropriate. Make it a double if it involves a head in a crotch. Triple if it’s guy on guy.

Take a sip:

Every time Gaga dedicates an award to the gays or her “little monsters.”

Every time the camera flashes to Jay-Z and Beyonce (inevitably seated in the front row).

Every time Taylor Swift wins an award (might wanna keep a barf bag nearby…)

(Out of a chalice) for every person wearing sunglasses inside.

(Of wine) every time someone thanks Jesus.

Drink It Up:

Drink “plenty of beer” when Ke$ha goes on stage to present.

Drink (big) whiskey each time you swoon over Dave Matthews. (What? Just me?)

Drink double every time you see Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers or Justin Beiber (since they can’t do it themselves).

Chug:

(A glass of milk) if Mariah’s boobs are hanging out.

(A beer/whiskey/anything, really) every time she opens her mouth and slurs her words.

If Snooki shows up. Chug another if she’s rockin’ the pouf.

If your vote (on CBS.com) for Bon Jovi’s performance wins.

If your favorite for Record of the Year (Beyonce – Halo, Lady Gaga – Poker Face, Kings of Leon – Use Somebody, Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling, Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me) takes home the award.

And, of course, bong a beer if Kanye West comes on stage and steals a microphone.

For me, 2009 can be broken down to Miley Cyrus at football pregames, Lady Gaga at frat parties, and my best friend who cannot rest until she creates a line of people to each take a shot during the “Shots Shots Shots” chorus. There was also a bit of studying somewhere in there (which was accompanied by the Kings of Leon), and some working out (to Kelly Clarkson). And that is how I’ll always remember my year.

Now that 2009 is almost o-v-e-r, I put together a playlist of the biggest and baddest songs of 2009. This top 20 list will take you back to the days before Kanye and Taylor Swift. Before Sully landed a plane in the Hudson River. Before we lost Michael Jackson. Even before Perez Hilton got a black eye from the Black Eye Peas. (Remember that glorious day??)

Play it as you scroll through your drunken Facebook photos from the year. Play it as you get ready for that mega NYE bash. Play it in 2011 when there are all those new tween stars being overplayed on the radio and you just wanna hear a little Party In The USA, dammit.

Just play it.
Happy New Year!

Did I mention that the entire venue was crammed with kegs, Solo cups and celebs? Imagine a frat party. With Zooey Deschanel and Mary Louise Parker. Only the music doesn’t suck. And instead of your bestie making out with the make-shift bartender? A very sloppy David Cross is macking it with Amber Tamblyn.

The show airs tonight at 10PM on MTVu. And everyone who appreciates really good music (and booze) just needs to watch. Here’s a little taste of the going-ons:

- Me and my roommate – aka my assistant/Red Bull Vodka (more on that later) runner for the night – arrive and get placed in prime seating, inches away from the celebs and, more importantly, the open bar. We are closely behind some Real World d-bag who is waving to everyone in general admission. Bro, you are not famous. Sit down. Shut up.

- Pete Wentz in all his mangs (man bangs) glory gets on stage to kick off the Woodies, red Solo cup in hand and gives a big cheers to all the names here. Cam’ron‘s here? What!

- Matt and Kim start the awards with a nearly nude performance. Loving it.

-  Is this a hipster event? There are Ray-Bans everywhere.

- Is David Cross REALLY dating Amber Tamblyn. Oh, they’re making out. Gross. Tobias Funke, you cupid.

- 3!Oh!3! Presents an award, in full-on Gaga attire. Loving them.

- I am so excited for the Death Cab performance, I can barely contain myself. My roommate has become besties with the keg pumper and keeps getting yelled at by the surprisingly dour MTV security.

- Tech N9ne! Seriously, what other MTV show gives you Passion Pit and TechN9ne in the same time frame? Beautiful.

- Passion Pit: Amazing performance. Red bull vodkas, delicious. Even tastier when they’re free.

- Who is this Alexa Chung person and why is she at every event I go to for MTV?

- P.O.S. rocks out right in the crowd.

- Death Cab was phenomenal live. Especially “Sound of Settling.” They’re so good. SO good.

- Cam’ron spotted with huge posse. Now about to perform. Must. Hang. Out. With. Him.

- Leighton & Cyndi Lauper present Woodie of the Year… fingers crossed for Silversun Pickups. My bets are on Kings of Leon.

- Kings of Leon it is. SHOULD I PULL A KANYE?

- No. Too drunk and too far. I need pizza. All this kegger-ness is making me hungry. My roommate is being belligerent and yelling at hipsters. Mary Louise Parker is wasted with all of us. Dead Weather is performing. Hello, Jack White. Okay Time to go home.

- Oh, but not without being hit on by some dude claiming to be in Cam’ron’s posse. I dole out a fake number and exit stage right. PEACE OUT!

Seriously, mix up some cocktails and tune into the Woodies tonight. This is a show not to be missed.

First of all, I like Taylor Swift. I like that she’s sweet and wholesome, I like that she writes her own music, I like that they play her music all the time on the radio so I can turn it up loud when I’m driving and sing at the top of my lungs. I think she’s got awesome hair and love that she doesn’t let her 5’11 frame bother her.

I really do like her.

But all that being said, I also think the Taylor-mania is getting a little out of control. When she beat out Beyonce at the now infamous VMAs this past September, I agreed with what Kanye said. (And that made me rather unpopular, to say the least.) Sure, Taylor’s song was catchy and the video was cute, but it was not better than Beyonce’s jaw-dropping choreography for “All The Single Ladies.” The lyrics weren’t anything new or brilliant, the tune wasn’t anything we hadn’t heard before (assuming anyone ever listened to country music before…) and while the song was good, it was by no means the best.

And it was at that moment – when Kanye acted a fool – that people started looking at Taylor in a new way, putting her up on some pedestal that she never really deserved to be on.

Just last week Taylor beat out Martina McBride and Reba McEntire to take home the award for Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs. Then at last night’s AMAs, she took home 5 awards, even beating out Lady Gaga, KOL an MICHAEL FREAKING JACKSON for Artist of the Year.

Now, I get the love for T-Swift, but really?
Better than Michael?

This is a little much.

Taylor Swift has done a lot to bring country to the forefront of the music scene and she knows how to write a good sing-along jam (I can’t help but belt out some Love Story at the bar), but she is not the artist everyone is touting her to be. Her voice isn’t strong like Celine, she doesn’t dance like Beyonce and she’s not really pushing any envelopes like Gaga.

So what is all the fuss about? What is it about Taylor that is so effing great?!

I’m sorry, but she’s is just another run of the mill sugar coated pop star with a great PR team around her making us all believe she’s something that she’s not. And when she looks at those 10 new statues she’s taken home in the past 3 months alone, she better be giving thanks to the one and only Kanye West.

Homeboy handed her career to her on a Hennessy-soaked silver platter.

Miley vs. Samantha Jones? Oy.

Justin Timberlake and Kings of Leon mashup? Awesome.

Lamar Odom signs his life away to Khloe. Finally.

Halloween display…or dead man?

The 10 worst crafts on Etsy.com.

Victoria Beckham is totes over food.

When the Internets talk, I listen. Really. Think about how easy the Internet makes it to discover new music.  Almost as easy as it is to find porn (but not quite as easy. It is way too easy to find porn on the Internet).  Sometimes when I’m bored, I just browse the Internet to discover new bands and I’m constantly shocked by how many artists and bands I’ve never heard of until I see or hear them online. And then fall instantly in love with them.

So, Internets, I thank you. Thank you for bringing us more than porn. Thank you for introducing me to this week’s new releases.

Metric - Fantasies

I had never heard of Metric before, but recently the Internets have been all abuzz about them. Not liking to be left out of things, I obviously had to listen. My first thought upon hearing the opening track of Metric’s new album, Fantasies, was “Wow, how catchy!” but in a sort of unique way. I instantly liked lead singer Emily Haines’ voice as she sung “Help I’m Alive,” and after doing a big of Googling (duh) discovered that she was born in India and has contributed to tracks from Broken Social Scene (so that’s where I know that voice).  Metric reminds me a lot of Tegan and Sara, but I actually think I already like Metric a bit better. The album’s first single, “Gimmie Sympathy,” is one of the most fun tracks on the album with lyrics to prove it: “I can feel it in my bones/Gimmie sympathy/After all of this is gone/Who would you rather be/The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?”

But Metric also does serious, which is quite evident on “Collect Call” with lyrics: “I know it’s a lie I want it to be true/The rest of the ride is riding on you/Over goodbyes we’ll buy some place/For wishing you could/Keep me closer.” Though I think the new wave sound of the music does a lot to make Metric unique, I’m pretty sure it’s Emily’s smooth voice that carries much of the album. And I have a feeling Metric puts on a killer live show. I hope I get to find out.

Silversun Pickups – Swoon

Another band the Internet loves that I had yet to discover.  I was not OK with that, so I gave their new album, Swoon, a listen and I started to enjoy them very quickly. I read that Silversun Pickups are often compared to The Smashing Pumpkins, which I could hear in the intros to songs like “Panic Switch” and also in lead singer Brian Aubert’s voice. But the songs sound a bit happier than The Smashing Pumpkins (in general), so I wouldn’t take the comparison too far. I also heard a sort of Kings of Leon sound, which is a very fabulous thing, in my opinion. I heard this especially in “Substitution” and “Catch and Release.” I really enjoy “Growing Old is Getting Old,” though the lyrics are quite depressing, focusing on our mortality: “So we all/Are growing old/And it’s getting old…Suddenly we decompose/But we’re not alone.” I really love the upbeat sound of “Sort Of” and found myself dancing around my room and accidentally memorizing the lyrics. And it’s always a good album when that happens. I guess there’s not much I didn’t like about Swoon and you have no idea how fast I’m going to be purchasing the Silversun Pickups’ older album. I actually sort of can’t believe I haven’t done it already. I can totally hear Silversun Pickups being played all over MTV and while I really do hope more people discover them and start to get obsessed like I am, I kind of like that not everyone knows them. I’ll try not to be greedy though.

Death Cab for Cutie- The Open Door

So this one I already knew, but it does seem like the Internet has always been obsessed with Death Cab for Cutie. Though it seems like Death Cab recently came out with a new album (they did! Less than a year ago!), there is no way I’m going to complain about yet another one from them. Yes, it’s only a 5-song EP, but it’s one to get excited about. The songs on The Open Door are a lot more upbeat than the Death Cab I’ve come to love, but they still have the same amazing lyrics and it was nice to hear something less mellow/make-me-wanna-cry-alone-in-my-room from them for a change. The album starts with “Little Bribes,” which is the perfect opening track. The tempo of the song is a lot more upbeat than the lyrics, but I kind of liked the contrast: “You said this city has a beating heart/That pushes people down the boulevard/And they’re all hoping for a wish fulfilled/In a desert for a dollar bill. “A Diamond and a Tether” is a bit more mellow and like the old Death Cab for Cutie, with the same deep lyrics: “I know you can’t hold out forever/Waiting on a diamond and a tether/From a boy who won’t flie/Who won’t take to the skies/If he thinks you’re about to say goodbye.” Lots of times EPs frustrate me because they’re filled with the leftovers from a previous album; songs that didn’t make the cut. But The Open Door isn’t like that at all. The songs are all so different from Narrow Stairs that they probably wouldn’t have fit in if they were on the album. My only complaint about The Open Door is that Death Cab didn’t record a few more songs and release it as a full-length album. But I really can’t complain at the delicious little taste they gave me with this EP.

2008 was a fabulous year in music. Which means it will also be a fabulous Christmas (or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivous) for you if you know what to ask for. Here are the top 5 CDs I hope to find under my tree on Christmas morning…or, since it is 2008, the CDs I’ll buy with my iTunes gift card that’s in my Christmas stocking.

Kings of Leon- Only By the Night:

For me, this is the album of the year. I’ve always been a semi-fan of Kings of Leon, but it wasn’t until this most recent album that I became a super fan. I could listen to Only By the Night over and over and not get tired of it. And I probably will throughout the entirety of 2009. The other day, I got in my friend’s car and his radio was turned all the way up. “Having a party?” I asked. “Oh, ‘Sex on Fire’ was on the radio,” he replied. So yes, it was a party. And that about sums the album up.

Coldplay- Viva la Vida:

Every Coldplay album is a hit, so it should be no surprise that Viva la Vida is right up there with the rest of them. Though Chris Martin and the boys have threatened that this is their last album, I have a feeling they’ll keep going, especially after the huge success of this one. Coldplay does have some haters, but even those haters would have a difficult time denying the awesome-ness of the album’s title track. But to me, the standout song on Viva la Vida is “Lost.” It’s right up there with “The Scientist” and “Fix You.”

Girl Talk- Feed the Animals:

I had never heard of Girl Talk or Gregg Gillis until 2008 and now his new album, Feed the Animals, is in my top 5 of the year. The crazy thing is, he doesn’t even write/sing/play his own music. He just mixes (or “mashes”) the music. The album is filled with samples from pretty much every popular artist you’ve ever heard of. Feed the Animals contains clips from Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Rod Stewart, Kanye West, Radiohead, Ben Folds Five, Ace of Base, 50 Cent, and about a billion more. Oh, I almost forgot the best part. You can pay whatever you want for Feed the Animals if you go to Girl Talk’s website. Which also means you can pay nothing if you want. Santa likes that.

Jason Mraz- We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things:

Jason can do no wrong in my book. And his new album is proof that as he gets older, he gets even better. The album includes lots of typical, fun Jason with “Butterfly” and “Dynamo of Volition,” but also some more mellow, absolutely beautiful tunes, like “A Beautiful Mess” and “Details in the Fabric.” Not only should this album be under your tree this year, but you should also ask for concert tickets as well. Nobody puts on a better show than the Mraz.

Frightened Rabbit- The Midnight Organ Fight:

Frightened Rabbit is one of those bands you’ve never heard of, but when you do, you can’t believe you lived without them. The boys in the band have hot Scottish accents and their music is fairly mellow, but also has the kind of beat that will get you moving. Even when the boys in Frightened Rabbit swear (which they tend to do), it sounds endearing. After listening to “Keep Yourself Warm,” I promise you’ll be hooked.