So tomorrow is not Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. It’s actually Wednesday. Wednesday, April 20th, that is. Also known as every stoner/pizza delivery guy’s favorite day.

While we at CollegeCandy don’t condone illegal drug use, we know that many people (like Miley Cyrus and Michael Phelps) do, so in honor of their favorite day, we thought we’d put together a little 4/20 playlist. You know, the perfect soundtrack for a day of Hot Pockets, YouTube marathons and…uh…more Hot Pockets.

[Sidenote: who knew there were so many songs about weed and getting messed up? Mind. totally. blown.]

Anyways, whether you plan on celebrating tomorrow or not, this playlist is, like, totally sick, dude.

Click here to rock out with your bong out.

The last month before finals. Woof.

For me, this time of year is all about flashcards and all-nighters celebrating with friends I know I won’t be seeing for months over summer vacation. It’s about taking it all in before it’s back to mom and dad’s chores and nagging. But, above all, it’s the time of year we need good music to dance and drink to, to try and help us forget about all the things (bluebook exams and papers) that lie ahead in the weeks to come.

These past couple months were big ones in the music world. Yet again, it was a popular time for huge artists to come out with new albums. Recently we’ve seen and heard new stuff from artists like Adele, Lupe Fiasco, Chris Brown, and Britney Spears. You can consider this playlist a sample of some of the hottest songs and remixes from their newly released albums you likely haven’t heard before. It’s a taste of a little of each with, as always, some older and some less mainstream type stuff thrown in there as well.

This playlist is an opportunity to catch up on what your favorite artists have been up to. To find out hit songs before they hit the radio… or before your friends know about them. And to let it all go and celebrate the (hopefully amazing) school year you’ve had.

Click here for your awesome April pre-party playlist.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like College Daybreak, RescueTime and Bake It In a Cake) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

When you work out, listening to music is an absolute necessity for keeping your concentration and motivating you. I usually make playlists on my iPod to listen to while I’m running or working out at the gym, but I find myself getting sick of hearing the same songs over and over again, and creating new playlists can get pretty time-consuming.

Making new workout playlists is a whole lot easier with Jog.fm. Jog.fm is a resource of all the best workout music — just enter in your mile time and Jog.fm will convert your pace to BPMs (beats per minute) and provide you with a list of songs that fit your pace. The playlists are ordered in such a way that the perfect song will come on exactly when you need it to give you that last boost to drive you through the rest of your workout. You can also browse songs and playlists individually based on BPMs and workout time — so you can find the music to fit your workout perfectly.

Jog.fm also features direct links to buy the songs through Amazon or iTunes, as well as an integration for Google Maps to help you plan a your running route.

And Jog.fm isn’t just for running/jogging — there’s also Cycle.Jog.fm and Walk.Jog.fm. So no matter what your workout of choice may be, Jog.fm will help you create the perfect playlist!

Pretty cool, eh? Well, there’s plenty more web where that came from. Check out the other sites that are on Laura’s web radar!

While we can’t predict if your invitees will go gaga over a hand-carved ice luge, we can give you the answers to throwing an absolutely awesome house party.

1. Invest in a variety of alcohol…and lots of it

Nothing says lame party like the house that runs out of alcohol before midnight.  People at parties have this great habit of making a drink, holding onto it for five minutes, and then forgetting about their cup and pouring another drink.  Therefore, buy more.  It is absolutely okay to get cheap vodka and cheap rum if that means that more people can drink it.  You and your friends will have the leftover alcohol to use for the rest of the year.  If you need a guide, there are 17 shots in a fifth and 40 shots in handle.

2. Don’t forget the beer!

Even if you aren’t a beer drinker, a party without a keg means no flip cup, no beer pong, and a larger chance that someone will throw up in your house, since hard alcohol drinks will get people drunk faster than beer.  Set up the keg in the corner somewhere, and make sure you have lots of cups.

3. Jungle Juice and Jello Shots

In my personal opinion, Jello shots are awesome and fun for a few people, but if you are having a party with over 75 people, they are a waste of good alcohol and a waste of money that can be spent elsewhere.  However, Jungle Juice is easy to make, can be made as strong or as weak as you want, and minimizes the amount that people pour their own drinks into cups, helping you somewhat monitor how much they are drinking and how much alcohol is consumed

4. Make an awesome playlist

Have you ever been to a party where all of a sudden the Pokemon theme song comes on?  I’ve hosted this party.  Make an exceptionally long playlist with every song that people might want to hear at a party so that nothing embarrassing happens to you…putting your iPod on shuffle is the kiss of death. Need help? Check out these great suggestions!

5. Lock up your iPod or Computer in a room on the first floor

Because parties are all over Facebook these days and it is likely that some people you don’t know are going to show up to your house and drink your alcohol.  While this isn’t really a big deal, you would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to your valuables.  Take it from someone who had her iPod stolen during welcome week…lock the iPod in your room, and plug it into speakers or an extension cord that you can wire under the door.

6. And while your on it, get rid of your food

Reeses Puffs.  Pretzels.  M&Ms.  A bottle of Sangria.  All things that I have seen stolen at various parties.  Drunk people are hungry people and hungry people will raid your fridge and your cabinets.  Make sure that you’ve stashed anything important in your room, and if you are able to lock your fridge, by all means, just do it.

7. What goes on Facebook is there for everybody to see

If you want a smaller party with only people you know, try to make it a private event on Facebook.  Otherwise, it is really hard to dictate who comes through your front door and figure out who is a “friend of a friend” versus who “just got bored and saw a party and wanted free alcohol.” Also, a lot of school’s have their public safety guys cruise Facebook looking for open events where they can bust underage drinkers.

8. Invite your close friends to pregame

It’s a good idea to have 20 people or so at your house at the beginning of the night.  Nothing is more awkward than starting the night with your four roommates and 10 people from freshmen year who you haven’t spoken to since then.  Having people who you know at your house early makes it less awkward when your less close friends stop by, and also is an easy way to start your party.

9. And the last thing…ending the party

If it is 4am and you still have some stragglers, turn off the music, start cleaning, start putting things away…these people will get the idea….

Any other advice for first time party throwers? Any questions for the party experts? Share below! And feel free to check out our insider’s guide to the college party scene.

Spring is in the air and though you may not exactly be able to tell from the weather quite yet, don’t you just feel it coming?

My mind is starting to wander off and not care about school as much…or at all. I seem to be dressing in more brightly colored clothes and all I’m waiting for is the time of year people start setting up beer pong tables on their front lawns. Oh, the glory of spring day drinking.

I think there are just one too many excuses to celebrate this month – from Spring Break to St. Patty’s Day and even Mardi Gras (even though I will not exactly be there to enjoy it…). Let me tell you, March is really gonna test my stamina.

In order to get you adequately prepped and pumped for all the exciting things to come in the month ahead, I’ve put together yet another brilliant pre-party playlist. (In case you’ve missed out on any of my others, check them out here). This one’s a mix of the old and the new, with pre-party classics like, “You Be Killin Em” by Fabolous and newer stuff by some of your favorite artists, like David Guetta and Big Sean.

So find a way to get through midterms and then celebrate all things Spring with me by throwing on this awesome playlist.

March, I can’t freakin’ wait!

Click here to get your Spring pre-party playlist.

When the Grammy nominations were released for this year, I was thrilled to see that Mumford and Sons were up for best new artist and best rock song for “Little Lion Man.” (Fingers crossed they’ll beat the Biebs!) I heard that song last year on the radio and I instantly loved it so much I ran (yes, ran) home to download their album, Sigh No More. And let me tell you, and every track is better than the last. So more than any other, this is one album I just had to share with you all.

About the Band: Mumford and Sons are a folk rock band from London consisting of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, “Country” Wilson Marshall, and Ted Dwane. Sigh No More is their debut album, and they have been featured on multiple shows like Grey’s Anatomy, the short-lived Lone Star, and the UK Skins.

Top 3 Tracks:

Little Lion Man

The Cave

White Blank Page

Why You Should Listen to Them:
This is a band that has an incredible amount of heart. Every song on this album is full of raw emotion. And that makes sense, since the band is made up of a group of guys who are passionate about music, which definitely shows. I tend to listen to this when I have a long drive home at night and need to stay awake – it’s too hard to fall asleep when you’re belting out these songs! They also prove that banjos can totally have a place in popular music, so more power to them. Here’s hoping they walk away victorious from the Grammy’s this year!

Want more awesome iPod suggestions? You got it!

So here we are; a brand new year. What’s more appropriate than to get it started on the right note with some fresh new music?

I’m really excited to share this month’s playlist with you all. It’s probably my favorite playlist yet. (Check out my other goodies here.) With some inspiration from the feeling of a bold, fresh new start in the air that accompanies every New Year and the help from a couple of awesome music blogs, I tried to throw in some more obscure songs this time to change things up a bit from 2010.

In this playlist you’ll hear artists you may have never heard before, unique remixes of songs you may have loved a few years ago (like Lil Wayne’s “Fireman”) and songs by hugely popular artists like Usher, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson and Rihanna you just might not know of yet. It’s one big mix!

So whether you’re packing up to head back to college, experiencing the crazy partying that goes on during syllabus week or still stuck at home with mom and dad, throw this playlist on to help get you pumped about all the things (and drinks) that lie ahead in the year to come.

I have a feeling it’s gonna be an awesome one. (Editor’s Note: Or the last one….)

Rock out with your 2011 out right here.

But I’m not gonna lie, radio stations/Pandora/every bar on earth have been so focused on (over)playing all the new stuff that we seemed to have forgotten about the old stuff. And that sh*t was GOOD.

It was the year that brought us Lady Gaga, Shots,  The Climb, and If You Seek Amy! And how can anyone forget about I Gotta Feeling? Did anything even exist before that song came out?

So as another year comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to look back at what we were hearing every 164 times a day back in 2009. (No seriously – I think I listened to ‘Party in the USA’ over 100 times a day at one point…).

Grab your hover craft; we’re going to party like it’s 2009.

Boof. Finals Time. AKA the darkest of dark times for college students who are holed up in libraries with nothing but a Jimmy John’s sandwich and a prayer.

Oh and maybe 12 used up highlighters.

If you’re anything like me, you might be freaking out right about now due to the copious amounts of work on a to-do list that somehow keeps on growing. That’s why this week I’m bringing you what is quite possibly the chillest album in the world in the hopes that it’ll get us all to calm down and relax admist the finals stress.

I give you: Alaska in Winter’s first album, Dance Party in the Balkans.

About the Band
Alaska in Winter is the brainchild of Brandon Bethancourt after he supposedly spent a semester out in a tiny cabin in Alaska making music on his laptop all day long. When he returned to civilization, he sought the musical help of Zach Condon, Heather Trost, Hari Ziznewski, Stefanie Lamm, Rosina Roibal, Hilary Bethancourt, and Naila Dixon. Together, they created what has become my zen.

Top 3 Tracks

Close Your Eyes – We Are Blind

Lovely Love Love

Your Red Dress (Wedding Song at Cemetery)

Why You Should Listen to It
This is the perfect de-stress, unwind, regain your sanity album. The sounds are calm and soothing, but get upbeat every now and then to keep you interested and not snoozing off to sleep (although I have been known to put this on while I’m trying to fall asleep. It’s just so relaxing!) Definitely give this a try if you need something to drown out the sounds of the heavy breather at the table next to you and want to listen to something chill, but different.

Need some more music recs? See what else Sarabeth recommends. And for the after-finals celebration, we’ve got just the playlist for you.

Like I raved all about last time, phenomenal artists came out with albums last month. Kanye West’s album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Nicki Minaj’s, entitled Pink Friday, are really the two big ones to pay the most attention to and give a full listen as soon as soon as you get a chance. They’re both nearly flawless, in my opinion. If you happen to have some sort of inexplicable resentment or animosity towards either one or both of them, I’m sure you’ve found it nearly impossible, at this point, to avoid hearing them somewhere or another. Not only are some of the tracks from their new albums already topping the charts, but Nicki and ‘Ye are also being featured in nearly every other popular hip-hop song out there right now. They’re basically the unofficial king and queen of hip-hop these days. Thus, unavoidably, (and to my great satisfaction) they’re also all over this month’s playlist.

Out of the very goodness of my heart, I handpicked some of the most catchy and upbeat songs from both of their albums so you don’t have to sort through the slow, mellow ones when you’re ready and looking to party. But don’t worry – if you’re not a huge fan of them there are also plenty of other great artists featured on this month’s playlist as well. Like Lupe Fiasco with his awesome brand new single that was just released last month. Or a not-so-well-known, but instantly appealing song by La Roux that contains her usual fun, electronic-pop beats. And, lastly, what would a December pre-party playlist be without Jay Sean’s new hit song, perfect for any New Year’s Eve celebration, that advises everyone to, “Party like, like it’s the end of the world.”

As for the rest of the songs, you’ll just have to click here to find out which other ones made the cut. Most importantly, happy holidays to all! Are all the doings and goings-ons in the month of December not the greatest excuse to party and celebrate?