This week was a good, if not totally random, week for music. I mean, who groups Daughtry, Jack White’s the Dead Weather, and the soundtrack to 500 Days of Summer in one category? I do. And I love them all.

Though, in totally different ways.

Chris Daughtry I love in a good-boy rocker kind of way. Jack White I love in a creepy weirdo fascination kind of way. And the 500 Days of Summer I love in a Zooey Deschanel kind of way. I love music in lots of different ways and this week is a prime example of how much my love can vary. Read More »

(We’re back with another weekly installment of G.W.W.E. [Guys We Wanna Eff]. It’s official: the winter doldrums have set in, and who better to cozy up in bed with than Harry Connick, Jr.?)

Very few stars these days can legitimately claim to be top-notch actors and musicians, but Harry Connick, Jr. is certainly one of them. A stylish crooner with a killer smile to boot, Harry puts the swagger in suave. His dinner-jacket-and-slacks style makes me want to slip into my best little black dress, some Chanel No. 5, recline on a velvet chaise…and eff his brains out.

Originally a professional jazz pianist, Harry got his big break arranging the soundtrack for everyone’s favorite rom-com, When Harry Met Sally. Seriously, hottie Harry’s eff-me-tender tunes made WHMS my number-one rainy-day chick flick, hands down. His work even won him his first Grammy! To date, he’s released several albums of music, from jazz to Christmas classics. Harry’s the kind of guy who will take you by the hand and sing your sweet little soul to the heavens of effable merriment, a true gent if I do say so myself.

Of course, his acting career has truly taken off over the past few years. His guest-starring stint on Will and Grace had me so glued to the television (Sexy Harry? My fave sitcom? Almost better than a good, long eff.) that I totally bought the series on DVD to relive every effable moment at my convenience.  Meanwhile, he’s broken out onto the big screen, with starring roles in Hope Floats, P.S. I Love You, and his latest release, New In Town, which opens today.

And of course, Harry wouldn’t be a great eff if he didn’t have a heart. He’s been a huge supporter of disaster relief programs in his native New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Yes, I know he’s married with children, but I’ve gotta say, if you ever need some (effable) relief of your own, Harry, you know who to call.

Britney Spears- Circus:

“There’s only two types of people in the world. The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe.”

So opens the title track on Britney Spears’ latest CD, Circus. Britney is clearly in the first category. And this is the album we’ve all been waiting for. The one that marks the start of her comeback. Wait, wasn’t her last album supposed to be her comeback? Well, forget about that because this time it’s for real. If you happened to take an hour out of your life to watch to her MTV documentary on Sunday night, you’d probably say she appears to be back on track. Then again, we’ve seen that before. But if Circus is any indication of Britney’s well-being, it’s safe to say the girl is back on her game.

Songs like “Circus” and “Kill the Lights” chronicle the tough times Britney’s had being in the public eye, but they’re not downers in the least bit. She even squeezes in a song about motherhood (wait, remember she’s a mom?) right at the end called “My Baby.” Let’s just hope she actually remembers that she has two babies. Circus is also loaded with songs I can see myself getting down to in the basement of my favorite bar. Clearly I’ve already done so with “Womanizer,” but “Leather and Lace” and “Mmm Papi” also have highly danceable beats.

Mr. Photographer? I think Britney’s finally ready for her close-up. Read More »

I am never alone in college. Sure, I have the elevator to myself occasionally and sometimes my roommate is at class when I’m not, but usually there is always someone else nearby. This is drastically different from my high school experience.

Of course I would spend every high school moment from that morning bell—which seemed to ring earlier and earlier as my senior year wore on—to the final bell with my friends by my side. I was part of a bunch of different groups, all of which met after or before school and surrounded me with people. But at home, I had solitude.

With both my parents working and my brother off at college, I spent many nights doing homework, watching bad television and heating up leftovers all by myself. Some may think that would be lonely, but I really liked the peace and quiet.

It’s never quiet here. And sometimes I like it; with all the commotion, I haven’t had time to get homesick or have a culture shock freak out. There’s a feeling of community when I walk around campus and see someone I know or when I strike up a conversation with a stranger in the dining hall. Yet every once in awhile I realize… I never have a moment to myself. Read More »

Seth Rogan and Judd Apatow have done it again. Pineapple Express is funktabulous. A satirical throwback to old 80’s action movies, Pineapple Express is pretty damn smart for a weed film, and there’s just something about Rogan’s laugh that makes me want to laugh too. Plus, James Franco is the hot pothead of my dreams.

Because we here at CC love good music just as much as we love an Apatow film, we’ve got 4 Pineapple Express soundtrack CD’s to give away today! Usually, I’m not the biggest fan of soundtracks, but any compilation with Huey Lewis & The News, Public Enemy, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Robert Palmer HAS to be good.

If you want one, all you gotta do is comment on this post. It’s that simple. Funny comments are always good, but really, don’t stress yourself out (I mean, that would sort of go against the chill vibe of movie). At the end of the day we’ll pick 4 lucky winners!

[PS: make sure you sign in with a valid email address so we can find you]

Is there anyone funnier than Mike Myers? I mean, seriously – Austin Freaking Powers? This guy is a genius and, let’s be honest, we have all gone far too long without him in our lives. But the wait is almost over, people. Love Guru, Mike Myers’ new movie (and first original character since Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery) will be hitting theaters this Friday.

The movie has a ridiculous cast, including Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake and Mini Me!, and is sure to be an instant hit. We have been playing on the site/watching the trailer all week at the CC office and we can’t get enough. There is something about Mike Myers with an Indian accent that is just too good to be true.

Because we are so completely excited for Friday night (and may or may not have already purchased tickets…don’t tell), we thought we would kick off the celebration early and award one lucky CollegeCandy reader with a Love Guru prize pack.

It includes:

- The Love Guru soundtrack (which you can listen to here. Heeeelarious)

- A Love Guru t-shirt

- A Love Guru poster autographed by Mike Myers

This movie is guaranteed to be a mega-hit and how awesome would you look with that poster hanging over your bed? (Bonus: that boy you bring with you would l-o-v-e it.)

It is easy to enter and easy to win. Simply enter your favorite Mike Myers quote/dialogue in the comments section below and we – self-proclaimed Mike Myers experts – will choose our favorite as the winner! Yes, your fate is in our hands. Mwa hahahaah (that is our evil laugh).

You have until Friday at noon to get your entries in before we start picking and choosing, so get on it. The winner will be chosen next week. Unfortunately for us, we can’t win. Which is too bad; Lauren has been compiling her quotes all day. She really wants that poster.

#5 Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion

A great film, but you can’t beat two discs of 1980s new wave music. It was catchy and a constant reminder of some of the movie’s most comic and heartwarming moments. I can still be found singing in my room, just like I was in 8th grade, to Howard Jone’s No One Is To Blame. That’s a sign of of soundtrack excellence.

#4 Not Another Teen Movie

In a similar vein, Not Another Teen Movie celebrates the music of 1980s with the help of contemporary groups like Phantom Planet, Good Charlotte and even Marilyn Manson. The new spin on old favorites makes for a great listen and a refreshing collection. I was surprised such a bizarre mix of artists could come together to create something so innovative, especially for such a sh*tty film. Read More »

Spring means a lotta things: the runways are aflutter with new collections and we can finally stow our dowdy winter gear in the closet and start rocking fresher duds, just in time for the requisite mid-year debauchery of Spring Break.

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. Read More »

Many of my friends are musicians, artists and/or actors. And as much as I love them as people, I do not always love their art. So over the years I have developed an incredible strategy that allows me to tell some sort of the truth without pissing anybody off.

For example, a friend’s band has just finished playing:

What I think: “I can’t believe Sony would sign such a bunch of talentless jackasses.”

What I say: “Wow, the mix was incredible and I have never seen such masterful lighting.”

So with that being said, in addition to the masterful lighting, the music selection from the Sopranos’ series finale was absolutely phenomenal. Stereogum.com has compiled a track list from the Sopranos’ severely frustrating final installment. Here is the list with links so you can add them to your collection:

Vanilla Fudge – “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”

Tony wakes up; Dante drives Tony to his family; Phil fills up.

Randy & The Rainbows – “Denise”

Tony and Paulie wait for Agent Harris at the airport.

Antonio Vivaldi – “Four Seasons”

Bobby’s wake at Vesuvio’s.

Bob Dylan – “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”

AJ & Rhiannon listen to the song in the car

Sonic Youth – “I Dreamed, I Dream”

Tony and Uncle Pat talk in backroom of The Bing.

Read More »

Snow Patrol – Signal Fire

From the album, Spiderman 3: Music from and Inspired By. Buy it here.