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!

Carrie Underwood- Play On

I am a shameless Carrie Underwood fan. Ever since the day she auditioned for American Idol (no lie), I knew she was going to make it big. And I was partially right; Carrie has made it huge. And she’s one of those girls you kind of just have to like. Seriously, do you really know anyone who has any hatred for Carrie Underwood? Her albums are non-stop good and full of hits. I first heard “Cowboy Casanova,” the first single from her new album, Play On, and I thought to myself, “Yes! Carrie Underwood is back again!” Carrie just has this sweet-girl-turned-angry kind of attitude and “Cowboy Casanova” displays that once again: “You better take it from me, that boy is like a disease/You’re running, you’re trying, you’re trying to hide/And you’re wondering why you can’t get free/He’s like a curse, he’s like a drug/You get addicted to his love.” Even though we may not know a whole lot of cowboys in our lives, we certainly know a lot of boys who can be described as “diseases.”

In a similar fashion is “Songs Like This,” with lyrics, “And if it wasn’t for guys like you/There wouldn’t be songs like this/And if you hadn’t gone and done me wrong/I wouldn’t go off like this.” And “Undo It” also reminds us a bit of “Before You Cheat” with another horrible guy: “You stole my happy/You made me cry/You took the lonely and took me for a ride/And I wanna undo it/You had my heart now I want it back/I started to see everything you lack/Boy you blew it/You put me through it/I wanna undo it.” Anyone else noticing a pattern here? Carrie’s got some seriously bad taste in guys. Who are all these jerks who have done Carrie Underwood so wrong?

We love you, Carrie; it’s time to find a man who will treat you right!
…But keep making amazing music while you’re at it.

Weezer- Raditude

From the very start of the album, you know Weezer is back in all their ridiculous glory. The first song, “Get Me Some,” starts off with “Right now everything sucks.” OK, so first of all, we highly doubt everything sucks for Weezer. And second of all, we’re pretty sure they’re getting plenty and don’t have much of a reason to be so unhappy. And after listening to this album, how could anybody be down?

I’m absolutely loving  “The Girl Got Hot,” which is a song about a girl who got hot after being nothing special in junior high. I also really like “The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World” because it sounds a lot like the Weezer of the past… and because I want a guy to sing it to me: “And I got the prettiest girl in the whole wide world/And nobody can take her from me/And in the evening when she goes out walking alone/I wait at home patiently.” But honestly, the best song of the whole album is “Can’t Stop Partying” because, really? How amazing is that title? Oh, and did I mention Lil’ Wayne makes an appearance in the song. YES, LIL’ WAYNE. Holy awesome. And check out the lyrics: “Oh, I can’t stop partying, partying/I can’t stop, partying, partying/I gotta have the cars, I gotta have the jewels/And if you was me, honey, you would do it too/Screw rehab I love my addiction/No sleep no sleep I am always on a mission“

This might have to be our new club anthem. Bravo, Weezer, bravo.

Say Anything- Say Anything

I have never told anyone this, but I’ve been a fan of Say Anything in for awhile now. They definitely don’t sing the kind of music I typically listen to – it’s pretty angry, mean and snippy – but there’s just something about it that I totally dig. Just don’t tell my friends.  A few years ago, I listened to their song “Admit It!” non-stop for weeks and actually spent time analyzing the lyrics. (Don’t judge.) This album, Say Anything, is certainly no different. There may be no “Admit It!” on the album, but I’m certainly loving the lyrics just the same.

How about “Mara and Me,” which starts off with, “There are babies with guns beheading their friends/In shopping malls around the world/Yes somehow the Kings of Leon still find times to write about girls/I don’t suck much less/And if I claim revolutionary or I give to charity/They’ll all know it’s a plea for someone like me/Disgusted with lies and cut down by their own beatnik poetry.” See? Mean, snippy…. yet kinda awesome all at the same time. They’re angry (as proven by the song “Hate Everyone”) but everyone needs a little angry music now and then. If you’re jonesing for something a little rougher around the edges, I think this might be the perfect album for you.

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!

Jay-Z- The Blueprint 3

I have to admit, I’m a pretty big Jay-Z fan. And I was basically crazy excited to hear that he wasn’t retiring and was in fact coming out with The Blueprint 3. I think Jay-Z lyrics are pretty amazing and I could listen to him and his words all day. In fact, sometimes I do. So, I love that I now have another entire album to listen to. And it’s also pretty awesome.

When I first heard “Run This Town” with Rihanna and Kanye, I actually wasn’t really a fan of it. It just sounded so blah to me, even though I like all three as artists. But the more I heard the track, the more I started loving it. And I instantly loved “Empire State of Mind” and loved it even more so when Lil’ Mama hopped on stage during it at the VMAs. “Forever Young” with Mr. Hudson is just plain cute and fun to listen to! “Venus Vs. Mars” is a kind of a really dirty take on “Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus” and it makes me laugh. Some of the lyrics include, “Hov’s a Blackberry Bold/Shorty is a Sidekick/Used to have a man/I used to have a side chick/Shorty got wind, I had to blow the chick off…Shorty played the piano, me I played the white keys/Shorty from the south, oh I think she liked me…I’m on that red wine, shorty like whites/Same s–t, different toilet, we both get nice/Yeah Im from the apple which means I’m a Mac/She’s a PC, she lives in my lap.”

This is why I love Jay-Z; he’s both hardcore and totally ridiculous at the same time. He hasn’t changed too much over the years and that makes me pretty happy.

Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson- Break Up

I think it’s safe to say Scarlett Johansson has more haters than she does lovers. (Editor’s Note: I feel her pain.) And I can’t say I’m such a super huge fan of her myself. But I do love Pete Yorn so I was kind of curious why such a talented man was creating an album with a sometimes-not-very-liked actress. At first I thought, “wait, are Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson dating?” But then I remembered that the album is called Break Up and that Scarlett is married to hottie Ryan Reynolds. OK then, I still have no idea why they made this album together. But they did. And they actually did a really, really good job.

It reminds me a lot of She & Him. Of course I love the kind of upbeat track (for a break up album), “Relator.” I admit, I thought was “Realtor” for the longest time and was probably about selling the house they bought together, but it’s actually about not being able to relate to each other anymore. ”Shampoo” is definitely my favorite song on the album and is a bit more depressing. The lyrics can ring true for everyone going through a breakup, though: “Last thing I remember/Things were getting better/I’d go anywhere with you/Off to make another run of it/To pass the time we say goodbye/Here we are enclosed/Wake me up and ready to go/Oh the sun’s out tonight/Last thing I remember/Things were getting better.” This album can be listened whether you’re going through a breakup or not; either way, I have a feeling it will put you in a good mood!

Mason Jennings- Blood of Man

I was convinced I was already a fan of Mason Jennings. I just couldn’t remember what it was he sang. Then I scoured my entire music library and couldn’t find a trace of him anywhere. Um, OK. So, maybe I’ve just heard the name a million times and never bothered to listen to him? Shame on me! Because I’ve been listening to (and loving!) his new album, Blood of Man. It’s right up my alley and is kind of Southern-ish folky rock. Maybe a little bit like a cross between Ryan Adams and Elliott Smith. I’ve been listening to the album a lot and think it’s the perfect background music to absolutely anything you could be doing. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s only background music, but it is the kind of music that won’t distract you if you don’t want it to.

One of my favorites is “Sing Out.” It’s almost a little bit creepy, but in an awesome way. “Sing out/Sing for the wounded heart/Sing for the lives we lost/Sing out/Sing for the blood of man…” Eerie! I also really love the lyrics in “Tourist,” though on the whole the album isn’t full of the most brilliant lyrics. “Is who you are now who you want to be now/Or are you someone you don’t want to be?/Is what you wanted really what you wanted?/Or, is it nothing like you dreamed?/There’s a tourist in every heart that just wants to stay/Winter is comin’ and it’s time to go.” I’m glad I finally met Mason Jennings and I think he and I are going to be good friends from now on.

Britney Spears is “in jail.“

Stripper sues strip club for age discrimination

A Straight Answer to frizz

Everything you need to know about applying flawless makeup.

Dress to impress on the job!

Snoop Dog on The Martha Stewart Show

Johnny Depp will act for more clown makeup

I know why the caged Housewife sings.

The Amy Winehouse situation is getting despaerate.

“OMG, I LOVE THIS SONG!” You scream to your friends, as you all begin singing and dancing in a circle.

While all songs are “the best song ever” when you are drunk, there are those certain special tunes that get you every time. This week, we asked our writers to weigh in on their favorite drunk jams. Note: Journey must be proud.

Beata: It’s totally a Notre Dame tradition, but I love “Midnight Train.” And, of course, “Since You’ve Been Gone.” Gotta love those memories of screaming at the top of your lungs in a dark, sweaty dorm room.

Elise – UCLA: Don’t Stop Believing – Journey.

Jill – University of Wisconsin: “I Want it that Way” is a great – it makes me want to put on a glow necklace and a t-shirt that says “I got Jammed all night at Aaron’s Bar Mitzvah.” Oh, and “Disturbia” is also a fist-pumping winner.

Ali – Syracuse University: “Shoop” by Salt n Peppa… yeah I have it memorized

Lauren – University of Michigan: “The Gambler.” It’s always the last song at the bar and a sign that I really should go home. But, man, singing that in a circle with my friends…such fond (hazy) memories.

Amber – Old Dominion: “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, because guitar solos are always better when you’re drunk.

Erica – Kent State: Honestly, I love singing almost anything when I’m drunk. Even songs I don’t know any words to when I’m sober. Especially any songs I don’t know the words to when I’m sober. It’s like they… or something that sounds somewhat like the actual words… magically come to me when I’m wasted. But, anyway, if I had to pick a song, right now I’d have to say M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” even though it’s overplayed. I just love making hand gestures when the gun goes off. Awesome.

Suzanne- Tulane: “Murder on the Dance Floor.” You should see my moves.

Kathryn S.: The Old School version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” With the F-bombs.

Heather – Penn State: “It’s My Life,” by Bon Jovi.

K – NYU: That would be “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey…. I think it explains itself.

Carly – Grinnell: Probably “MMMBop.” If it was even ever played at a bar. (I think I just embarrassed myself horribly by answering that way.)

Kari – FSU: “Swagga Like Us.” I lip sync along with made up words until Jay-Z’s verse, then I yell “HOOOOOVAAAAA” at the top of my lungs while throwing up the Rocafella sign. It’s usually well received by the security personnel escorting me out.

Sara – NYU: “Like A Prayer”! Just like any good Jew.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. BTW, I’ve been told I dance a mean “Soulja Boy” when I’m that drunk; oddly enough, I can’t do it sober.

American Idol

Honestly, I’m just not all that into American Idol this season. The singers seem tepid to me. Sure, I miss the liveliness that my Sanjaya threw into the show last season—but even barring that, everyone is so bland! At least Ryan mixed it up with his offer to fight Simon in a pit of mud.

So, let’s talk about the bottom three: Syesha Mercado, Kristy Lee Cook, and David Hernandez. Syesha had to sing first, and the poor girl—I just wanted to cry for her. How much does it suck to be told that you’re unpopular and then be forced to sing in front of who knows how many million people? Syesha handled it pretty well, though, and at least managed to smile throughout her whole performance.

Kristy had to sing next, and though I can’t stand her look—the too-cute pink top with the flowing blond hair—I actually didn’t mind the song, which is surprising since I hate country. She picked up some more points by being über-perky, which I can only imagine is difficult to do when all you can think about is how the entirety of America hates you.

Rounding out the bottom three was David Hernandez, who gave possibly the most boring performance in the history of American Idol. It was so boring I don’t even remember what the song was. After what felt like centuries of hemming and hawing by Ryan, David was finally sent home. He handled it well and seemed confident—more power to him.

Basically, though, I am now psyched that there are only two Davids on the show… maybe now I can finally keep track of them.

When I first moved in, I spent a lot of time watching the boys play game after game of Halo, while I longed to throw the video game systems out the window and watch Vh1. They even competed against each other from different rooms. Headsets were involved. I had no idea how I would last.

I appreciate video games, I really do, but I’m just no good at them. I didn’t play them growing up, except for one or two games of Mario Brothers at a friend’s house (I always died on the first level…those darn mushrooms!). I simply lack the hand-eye coordination and the patience to be good at them.

One day, I came home and stumbled, literally, into a mass of boxes, packaging, wires and…is that a drum kit? “It’s Rock Band”, my roommate exclaimed proudly. “It’s like Guitar Hero, but with bass, guitar, drums and vocals”. At that moment, my life changed forever.

Rock Band is the greatest game of all time.

There are four of us in the apartment, so we formed a band (I’m the singer, no hand-eye coordination required!), and each of the boys have their preferred instrument. Singing vocals is like karaoke to the max; not only do you have to follow the rhythm and words, but you have to be on pitch too. You can see where on the scale you’re singing relative to where you should be singing, and you get more points the closer you are to matching the melody exactly.

The game itself starts out by picking a home city, where your band is “based”. You start out performing small “gigs” (one or two songs at a time) to gain fans and earn cash. As you perform more, you get to participate in showcases with big rewards: a tour bus so you can travel around the country, a jet so you can go international, PR people, roadies, sound technicians, and, eventually, a spot in the hall of fame. The more you practice, the more songs are “unlocked”, so the game gets more challenging and varied.

You can also create your own character, which you can make look just like you, or, if you prefer, nothing like you at all. The money you earn from gigs pays for new outfits, haircuts, and tattoos, so you can look your best on stage.

It’s so amazing to see my whole apartment all participating in one activity, teasing each other about our performances, trying to improve, and just generally rocking out. I can honestly say it’s helped us bond—so for all of you girls out there who just aren’t into sitting by yourself for hours at a time blowing things up (or watching your roommates, boyfriends, brothers blowing things up), give Rock Band a try.

It’s bringing people together!

Then I found one, and he ended up being a jackass, but that had nothing to do with the singing. The singing made the douche-ness bearable for far too long.

The singing…was wonderful.

And yes, maybe it’s a bit narcissistic to want your name in a song, or know that when he says something about brown eyes, he’s talking about you. It may seem a little selfish, but DAMN it feels good.

There are a ton of artists that I am now on a mission to have write songs about me. So, by the time these delicious men are popular enough to be on the radio (though they already should be) and they mention something about, “this girl, that I love” you can say, “Hey, I know that girl!”

Even if the songs aren’t about me….listen to them anyways, and you can fantasize that they’re about you, it’s a fun game to play.

Landon Pigg- Download: Falling in love at a coffee shop and Can’t Let Go

Ernie Halter- Download: Whisper and Something’s Come Over Me

Jon Foreman- Download: Behind Your Eyes

Tyrone Wells- Download: Baby Don’t You Change, Sea Breeze and Looking At Her Face

Tony Lucca- Download: Darlin’ I and Death of Me (yes, he was a MickeyMouse Club babe back in the day)

Joshua Radin- Download: Paperweight

Paolo Nutini- Dowload: Last Request and Loving You

Brett Dennen- Download: She’s Mine

Amos Lee- Download: Arms Of A Woman

Sufan Stevens- Download: The Dress Looks Nice On You

Matt Nathanson- Download: Laid and I Saw

And Ryan Shaw- Download: I Am Your Man

Make a mix tape and daydream away!

Did I miss any swoon-worthy musicians??

MTV

Surprisingly enough, the cast and crew actually appear to have some talent. Lawson reportedly worked with Clint Eastwood on “Letters from Iwo Jima,” and one cast member has acted on “The West Wing.”

All this begs the question of… why? The movie’s site makes it clear that the cast and crew support Obama, but maybe they could’ve donated a few thousand to his campaign instead of making a movie that depicts him as a singing killer of vampires.

On the other hand, I have to admit that this will grab people’s attention more than a drop in Obama’s campaign bucket would. MTV asks the question “Is all publicity really good publicity?” but I don’t think that’s the issue. In fact, I think the real question here is: why does Obama’s persona lend itself so well to multimedia inspirations?

I’m not gonna lie. When I was undecided about whom to vote for in the primaries, Obama Girl and her famous video made me first sit up and actually take notice of the canidate she was singing about. Hey, I can’t help it if the song is catchy! And now that I’ve actually found out more about Obama, I’m a supporter all the way (and I really can’t get the freaking song out of my head).

So, maybe the question about “Barackula” shouldn’t be why, but why not? If it gets a few more voters who have a penchant for vampires, Harvard, coeds, or musicals to give a longer look to Obama and what he stands for, then I’m all for it.

The 7th season will undoubtedly bring a whole new crop of talented-yet-strangely-un-marketable contestants (Remember Ruben? Taylor Hicks? Katharine McPhee? All dropped from their label), snide remarks from Simon, and a crapload of unnecessary tears.

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it all before, but I could be tempted to watch agan…if someone Sanjaya-esque pops up. He may not have been able to sing or dress himself, but he sure knew how to make those 12-year-olds cry.

Speaking of crying, what about the dude who wrote that creepy stalker song for Paula?! Eesh. Someone get him a hobby

Unless there’s a mischievous intern over at People.com.

The online portion of the magazine is reporting that Paris Hilton is giving acting another try—this time with Saw II, III, (and the upcoming) IV director Darren Lynn Bousman.

The Twisted Pictures director is beginning a new movie called Repo! The Genetic Opera, (here’s where things start to sound unreal) a “musical thriller” where a “villainous organ-transplant magnate” deals with a “mysterious plague that threatens the survival of the human race”.

So, in this equation, we have: the director of Saw, “musical thriller”, an evil organ transplant tycoon, a futuristic society dying from a plague, and Paris Hilton.

…’Tis the stuff nightmares and gigantic flops are made of, lovelies.