Dig your crop tops out of your closet, iron some patches on to your jean jacket, and sprinkle on some body glitter because we’re planning the ultimate ’90s Throwback Summer Festival.

It’s going to be hotter than Kate Winslet’s hand on a steamy car window and we’re here to give you an all-access pass to the excitement. We got stand-up comedian Joey Gladstone hosting the event, Alex Mac reciting the 10 things she hates about cliché ’90s movies, and Carl Winslow running the security team. And in between all that jam-packed action, we’re re-introducing your absolute favorite performers from the ’90s.

Contact us today (IluvZachMorris@AOL.com) to get details on how to win a cassette recording of the entire event.

Over on the Hip-Hop/Rock Stage we’ve got the creatively-named Coolio (Awesomeio!), the parent-approved-is-this-even-rap? Will Smith, and one-hit British wonder Chumbawhumba performing their greatest hits.

Take a left at the set of Never Been Kissed and you’ll run into our Tiger Beat section, otherwise known as our Boy Band Stage. Look for the long-haired-yet-somehow-sexually-appealing boys of Hanson; the A&F marketing team LFO; the wannabe Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees; and fan favorites Jesse and the Rippers.

Head straight on until you pass the clearance sale on Jellies and you’ll see our ultimate Girl Power Stage. And no, Spice Girls won’t be performing. They said no more tours once Baby hit 40. Instead we have an all-star line-up that kicks off with a heartfelt and realistic duet between Brandy and Monica followed by a tribute to TLC. Last but not least, the least sexually provocative of the ’90s girls, Mandy Moore, will take the stage.

Of course this is just a dream (hey it could happen!) and is totes not happening this summer. But I think we all would gladly take this kind of summer festival over the wannabe-hippie drugfest that is Bonnaroo and the somehow-still-selling-out Dave Matthews concerts. So here’s to hoping we can pull it together for 2011. If so, you’ll definitely spot me in the back with my devil sticks, wearing my signature blue dress with the stain that just won’t come out!

[This story was originally posted by Jenni - Syracuse]

And of course, there are plenty more old faves where this came from.

Dig your crop tops out of your closet, iron some patches on to your jean jacket, and sprinkle on some body glitter because we’re planning the ultimate ’90s Throwback Summer Festival.

It’s going to be hotter than Kate Winslet’s hand on a steamy car window and we’re here to give you an all-access pass to the excitement. We got stand-up comedian Joey Gladstone hosting the event, Alex Mac reciting the 10 things she hates about cliché ’90s movies, and Carl Winslow running the security team. And in between all that jam-packed action, we’re re-introducing your absolute favorite performers from the ’90s.

Contact us today (IluvZachMorris@AOL.com) to get details on how to win a cassette recording of the entire event.

Over on the Hip-Hop/Rock Stage we’ve got the creatively-named Coolio (Awesomeio!), the parent-approved-is-this-even-rap? Will Smith, and one-hit British wonder Chumbawhumba performing their greatest hits.

Take a left at the set of Never Been Kissed and you’ll run into our Tiger Beat section, otherwise known as our Boy Band Stage. Look for the long-haired-yet-somehow-sexually-appealing boys of Hanson; the A&F marketing team LFO; the wannabe Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees; and fan favorites Jesse and the Rippers.

Head straight on until you pass the clearance sale on Jellies and you’ll see our ultimate Girl Power Stage. And no, Spice Girls won’t be performing. They said no more tours once Baby hit 40. Instead we have an all-star line-up that kicks off with a heartfelt and realistic duet between Brandy and Monica followed by a tribute to TLC. Last but not least, the least sexually provocative of the ’90s girls, Mandy Moore, will take the stage.

Of course this is just a dream (hey it could happen!) and is totes not happening this summer. But I think we all would gladly take this kind of summer festival over the wannabe-hippie drugfest that is Bonnaroo and the somehow-still-selling-out Dave Matthews concerts. So here’s to hoping we can pull it together for 2011. If so, you’ll definitely spot me in the back with my devil sticks, wearing my signature blue dress with the stain that just won’t come out!

The weather is getting warmer, and I don’t know about you, but my feet are itching to get into some flip flops.  Is it summer yet?

Personally, I just survived one of the harshest winters in years (if you live in a warm climate, I hate you), combined with a crapload of work and stress.  Once summer hits, I’m going to call Benjamin Linus and ask him to freeze time so I can stay in July forever (pardon the Lost reference- I’m kind of obsessed).  I am currently making a To-Do list to make sure I enjoy every possible moment during the upcoming summer months.

1.  Music Festivals!

Once, I almost passed out due to the sweltering heat at the Warped Tour.  So worth it.  Music fests are a great way to hang out all day with thousands of strangers and listen to live music from not one, but several of your fave bands… or to discover new groups that you simply NEED to download on i-Tunes, like now.  If the festival spans a few days, make a road-trip-slash-camping-trip out of the ordeal with your favorites, and leave all of your worries behind.

A friend from England invited me to the Exit Fest in Serbia, featuring Moby, among others.  And to be honest, Serbia sounds fan-f**king-tastic right now.  But, let’s be honest.  What college student can afford Serbia in this economy?  Check out Starpulse for a rundown on festivals that might be coming to a city near you!

2.  Drive-in Movies!

When the air changes and I know it’s officially summer, I immediately crave a silver screen feature under the stars, complete with lawn chairs, blankets, and soccer-mom-vans that are oh-so-convenient on carload night.  Way more fun that being cooped up at home with a stack of Netflix orders, and cheaper than going to the cinema (you get two movies for less than the price of one!), the drive-in is a longstanding summertime tradition.

It’s too bad that many drive-in movie locations have buckled in recent years, but Driveinmovie.com has a listing of current locations across the country.

3.  Keg Parties!

Whether it’s a high school reunion in your hometown or the dudes across the hall just got their own duplex, summer is the prime time to party.  Pool parties, hot tub parties, bonfire parties… the possibilities are endless.  Plus, since so many people are on break or taking vacations, you’ll never run into the same crowd twice.  You might meet someone new who’s visiting a friend at the party, or run into someone from school you haven’t Facebooked in forever.  Besides, you can finally wear halter tops without freezing your buns off on the walk home.

4.  W-A-T-E-R!

I’m just going to lump all aquatic activities into one category.

Swimming Pools. Beaches. Lakes. Hot Tubs. Slip N’ Slides.

Jetskiing. Tubing. White Water Rafting. Chicken Tournaments.

I can’t wait to alternate my vintage style Juicy Couture one-piece (with a little ruffle to hide the thighs I wish were more toned) with the bikini that makes my cleavage take the focus off of said thighs.  As much as I’m looking forward to weekend beach trips, I’m also excited to work up a sweat at the gym and come home to dive straight into my parents’ in-ground pool.  My skin is going to get so prune-y it’s ridiculous.

5.  Road Trips!

This can apply to any of the above.  But road trips are pretty much the best part of summer.  The driving part is sometimes even better than reaching the final destination when you factor in the windows-down-sing-alongs, pumping your fists feverishly to make truck drivers blow the horn, and bonding with your pals because you’ve been couped up in a car for hours on end and will talk about anything to make the time pass.

Organize a road trip to a music festival, a crazy party, or a beach town.  Invite a group of low-maintenance, fun-loving friends, and set out on an adventure.  (Note: I say low-maintenance because you don’t want a princess who complains about rest area bathrooms, lack of electrical outlets for her hair straightener, or the fact that you keep driving through dead zones and she can’t call her shnookums and tell him how much she misses him already).

With the possible exception of the music festivals, all of these totally fun events can happen pretty much spur-of-the-moment.  I plan to live totally spontaneously this summer in order to make the most of every sunshine-filled day that passes.  What’s everyone else looking forward to this summer? I want to add to my list….

This series is meant to provide advice for getting the most out of college, rather than just getting through it. So far we’ve already discussed having a professor as a BFF, and now we’re going to explore the college town…beyond the pub crawl!]

College is a learning experience that extends outside classroom walls. You’re not just amassing knowledge from textbooks, but learning how to manage your time and live on your own. It sounds corny, but it’s true. And one aspect of learning at college that many tend to overlook is learning about your surroundings: your college town.

You may know the basic landmarks (the freshman bar, the frat bar, the upperclassmen bar, the jock bar), but if your only contribution to the local economy is your weekend drinking cash, you could be missing out on much, much more. Whether you go to a small college tucked away in the hills, or a major university in an urban jungle, there is sure to be something exceptional about the land just off campus.

If you go to a rural or secluded school, see if there are any local harvest-your-own farms. Is there apple picking nearby? Or perhaps a place to pick up fresh corn or milk? You might never be able to boast about having such fresh food again! Maybe there’s a lake not too far away for swimming (or skating, in the winter). Take a few friends out for a pick-up hockey game to mix things up on a Saturday afternoon. The best thing about these activities is that they’re either dirt cheap, or free.

If you go to a suburban or small-town school, see if there are any pick-up or recreational sports leagues in the area. It’s a great way to get in touch with local culture, especially if you want to start establishing yourself outside of school. If you’re a runner or cyclist, see if there are any races being run in the area. Are there any museums or historical landmarks nearby? Stop by the town hall to find out. Perhaps there are local music or art festivals held annually where you might be able to pick up some original wall hangings or discover a new band or two.

If you go to an urban, big-city school, the possibilities are really endless. You probably have access to public transportation and major centers of culture and commerce. Take advantage! Not everyone gets the chance to say they’ve lived in New York/Boston/DC/LA/Chicago etc., so take the time to get the know the city like a native. Do they film television shows or movies in your city? See if you can sign up for a filming! Furthermore, see if your school has an internship program and try to get some work experience in the city. Chances are, you could be connected to your dream job with all the networking possibilities in your area.

If you take the time to get to know your area, you’ll become a more cultured and interesting person–traits that are extremely handy when it comes time for job interviews. When they ask, “when was the last time you tried something new?” you’ll be all ready to supply them with the story about the time you chartered a bike tour in the mountains near campus. But even more importantly, everyone reaches a point where going to the same bars every weekend just doesn’t cut it anymore. By discovering what’s up in your new neighborhood, you’ll learn how to entertain and sustain yourself. Isn’t that what college is all about?

[Come back to find out the next must-do on my list: Join a Club You Never Thought You Would.]

Have you ever wanted to just grab your friends, a tent, some brews, and head to the desert for some good ass music and partying? I have. And apparently I’m not the only one.

A bunch of artists back in 1999 put this little festival together known as Coachella. And every year, friends of mine are attending it, playing it, working it, or doing SOMETHING for or to it. So I believe it’s time for a CollegeCandy style expose on this powwow.

The three day festival takes place every year. I like to say it’s a cross between Warped Tour and Bonnaroo. It’s not quite as punk/rock/retarded as Warped Tour, but it’s also not as artsy fartsy hippietastic as Bonnaroo. Boasting acts like Rage Against the Machine, Beck, Radiohead, Pixies, Arcade Fire, The Cure, Bjork, Amy Winehouse, The Black Keys, and Peaches (as well as about 100,000,000,000 other musicians), I’m confident that you can see what I mean here.

In the shadows of the pop culturally apocalyptic Woodstock ’99, Coachella was treading on more than cautious ground in the land of outdoor music festivals. They weren’t initially allowed to offer on-site camping and those restrictions remained in place until 2002. Through financial and legal difficulties, awesome bands are what have helped the festival persevere. The George Clooneys and Natalie Portmans of the music industry — “A-list” bands, if you will. But I guess this all makes sense considering the fact that the said ‘artists’ who initially orchestrated the festival were, in fact, the bands Tool and Pearl Jam.

So it’s a liberal desert hippie dance rock party and the attendees tend to look the part. They dress and behave for the paradoxical festival which is Coachella while also suiting up admirably for the desert. While this festival has all of the makings of an atrocious disaster, it has yet to provide anything but fun for thousands each year.

And since scoring Led Zeppelin for a lineup doesn’t seem that far fetched anymore, perhaps I’ll scope it out myself next year if they can, in fact, land the greatest of great rock bands ever to play one of their stages.

Flowers are in bloom, the sun is peeping, and love is hanging in the air with the sly promise of an unfinished flirt session. We’re all ready to turn new leaves with the season, and if we’re going to do it in style, we’re going to need a really good soundtrack.

With the music-festival craziness of SXSW coming up in a few weeks, there’s a bonanza of new spring albums to choose from. Here are three cherry picks from three phenomenally talented women, just in time to usher in a truly dreamy springtime.

Valet: Naked Acid

Valet is Honey Owens, a California transplant who’s been a legendary figure in the Portland, Oregon experimental music scene for almost a decade now. She’s lent her blonde elegance and burnout guitar riffs to projects like the legendary drone outfit Jackie-O Motherfucker — not to mention World, Nudge, Dark Yoga (yes, that’s a real band), and the newly-formed Atlas Sound. Not only that, but she’s got amazing style and co-owns one of Portland’s most unique boutiques of vintage gear, Rad Summer.

The amazingly-titled Naked Acid will totally save you the trouble of ever dabbling in the titular drug: it will blow your mind with its snakelike guitar work, the seemingly endless layers of delay-laced chanting, and the semi-conscious, gauzy tones of Owens’ whispery voice.

Beach House: Devotion

Beach House blasted into the music world in 2006 with a self-titled album full of classically virtuosic piano arrangements and lovelorn, if slightly damaged, melodies. Their follow-up, Devotion, is much surer of itself; a lovelorn pop gem full of somber waltzes and ghost stories full of love, loss, and desire. Perfect for those morning cold snaps, or if your Spring Break date turns out to be a jerk.

El Perro Del Mar: From the Valley to the Stars

Believe it or not, El Perro Del Mar isn’t the name of a Spanish holiday town. Nope, it’s what Swedish chanteuse, Sarah Assbring, likes to call her lovely, hopeful musical output. From The Valley to the Stars is rich with springtime fervor, bells, woodwinds, and floaty lyrics, especially the song “Inner Island,” which urges its listeners to channel onto the place inside where we’d escape as kids — something we might need to do if the grey skies haven’t lifted just yet.

These are just a FEW new albums to help usher in the crisp, clean spring season. Got any other ones you’re looking forward to that we should know about??

“I’m a little bit drunk because it’s 11 o’clock and I’ve been drinking most of the day,” Allen said while giggling, before launching into a tirade against NME. “F**k off you c**ts,” she said of the British music tabloid, before adding that the editor had the smallest penis in the world.

I knew this girl had a pair of lungs on her, but how about that mouth?