Saturday, February 28, 2009

Weekly Shuffle

Confession: I paid a lot of money to go see the Jonas Brothers concert in 3D this weekend. You might be judging me, but I loved every minute of it. Sure, their voices may not have changed yet and they all wear really tiny pants, but I think they’re sweet. Plus, we encountered a little bit of the madness while they were filming in Central Park this summer, so we had to check it out. The 3D twist was kind of like doing Disneyland on drugs, but here are my observations:



1) Nick clearly has all the musical talent – drums, guitar, piano and vocals all in the bag.
2) Looks are deceiving; Joe actually does have curly hair like the others, which also confirms suspicions that he has his own personal Chi.
3) Kevin’s role is really more like a band manager; they just give him a guitar and use him as a stage prop.

So let’s talk a little bit about Taylor Swift. I’m not usually the hugest country music fan…but that is completely irrelevant when it comes to her Fearless cd. If you went to high school, you will be able to relate to her. Not to mention she was dumped by the androgynous Jonas Brother and then publicly dissed him on Ellen. I like her. Check out You Belong With Me and be confident that guys don’t know what’s good for them. And I miss having a car because of songs like this – belt it out with Forever & Always, also known as the angry anthem written for Joe. Honestly, the whole cd is amazing…but of course my personal favorite is the slowest on the album, Breathe.

Kristen and I were in Old Navy this weekend (you know, making our usual high-end purchases) and we heard a song that made us both hum along. It was Love Save the Empty by Erin McCarley and it kind of makes me feel like I’m walking in a movie (maybe because it was also featured in He’s Just Not That Into You…?). I had previously downloaded her song Pony (It’s OK) and her album also received Robbie’s stamp of approval. It’s only $7.99 on itunes so take advantage of this recession and get it while it’s cheap!

I can’t stop listening to Gabriella Cilmi’s Sweet About Me! Apparently her cd came out about a year ago, but it’s just now getting some popularity. And if you missed the Grammy’s, you missed a really great performance by Chris Martin and Jay-Z mixing up my favorite Viva La Vida song, Lost+. It reminds me of Central Park in the summer and that makes me happy because it’s still snowing in NYC.

“In your life you’ll do things greater than dating a boy on the football team…I didn’t know that at fifteen.” - Taylor Swift
(It reeks of cheerleading skirts and teen drama, sign me up.)

Friday, February 27, 2009

Prelude

Music is maybe the only thing I’ve been consistently passionate about in my life. It has been a constant companion for as far back as I can remember. There was this one time I got a “jambox” for Christmas – I’m pretty sure it was kindergarten. I somehow got my hands on a cassette tape of Queen’s single, Bohemian Rhapsody (probably swiped from my older brother) and I sat in my closet, jambox in lap, and listened to it over and over, manually rewinding it each time. If you know me at all, which both of you reading this do, you know that this is consistent with my personality. I live for new music and then I completely wear it out. I’m a big fan of the shuffle and repeat features on my ipod.

Blogging is kind of a scary thing to me because I’ve got some really witty friends (and because it's presumptuous to assume people care what you have to say). I have a 9 to 5 job in an advertising/online publishing office, which means I gchat and read blogs most of the day – and I’ve read some really good ones. So to manage your expectations, here are some things you should know about me, this blog and my musical taste.

this is nothing new
I’m not a super-indie person and I’m not out constantly scoping new artists. Most of my playlists are a collection of songs I found featured on itunes, VH1 morning videos, a new movie trailer or an episode of The Hills.

i am very low-key
Give me a Justin Timberlake album and inevitably, my favorite song will be the slow ballad. (you know the part towards the end of Love Stoned…yep, that’s what I’m talking about) There is a time and a place for some Rhianna, but for everyday, I’m always going to pick something more mellow.

Without developing a formal mission statement, my goal for this blog is that it offers you some fresh ideas, brings up some old favorites and helps your day progress to five o’clock a little quicker. I have zero authority in the music biz – although I have been known to be the “Lyrics Police” - and I believe that everyone brings a new perspective to the table, so please offer suggestions! I plan to keep you updated on my latest and greatest "On-The-Go" playlist, inform you about who I'm listening to and why and who knows?...maybe even share my opinions on the new American Idol hopefuls. Share if you’re listening to something that really gets you going! And feel free to offer up tips and ask questions – I might need some ideas to keep this exciting!

Here is something to get this party started - thanks to Kristen for discovering this last year: