it's christmas eve!!!!!

Ok so in spirit of christmas and christmas eve I am giving you a list of my favorite christmas songs. (in no particular order)

1. auld lang syne - by pretty much anyone
2. White Christmas - By the drifters
3. All I Want For Christmas (is you) - Mariah Carey
4. ANY AMY GRANT CHRISTMAS SONG, but I love .. Grown Up Christmas List, and there is a lullaby on one of her newer albums that I really like.
5. Fairytale of New York - KT Tunstall
6. What Christmas Means to Me - Hanson
7. Winter Song - Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles
8. Blue Christmas - Elvis
9. Christmas (baby please come home) - Death Cab for Cutie
10. Step Into Christmas - Elton John
11. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone
12. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - *NSYNC
13. The Christmas Song - Stevie Wonder
14. Carol Of The Meows - Guster (this one is pretty nerdy but I LOVE IT haha)

My Opinion of Grammy Nominations

MY PICKS AND OPINIONS FOR THE 2008 GRAMMYS

Category 1
Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.)

Chasing Pavements - Adele: Deserves it, she has a great voice and this song reminds me of Amy Winehouse without the drugs.

Viva La Vida - Coldplay: I love Coldplay but with all the controversy over this song I don't think it will win. Also it isn't the best song on the album.


Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis: I think people hyped her up too much. She was practically spoon fed too us. I think people are already sick of her unoriginal song... then again it's pop fans we are talking about.


Paper Planes - M.I.A: My pick, I had this cd forever before discovering I loved this song. It's original without being pretentious. It's fun AND well-constructed.


Please Read The Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: blah, this is on the list to make the Grammy's look like they care about more than just pop (when they really don't)

Category 2

Album Of The Year

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay: Wouldn't mind if they won


Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne: I Really don't get it

Year Of The Gentleman Ne-Yo: Great songwriter....not sure about album of the year

Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
whatever

In Rainbows- Radiohead: overrated


Category 3

Song Of The Year

American Boy
- this song grew on me

Chasing Pavements
love it

I'm Yours
Jason is my fav.. even though this song came out forever ago

Love Song
My Pick, I could not get enough of this song.

Viva La Vida
sorry coldplay....you stole this song


Category 4

Best New Artist
(For a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist.)

Adele
sure

Duffy
hell no...I cannot stand her voice

Jonas Brothers
Yes Please

Lady Antebellum
never heard them

Jazmine Sullivan
who?

Field 1 — Pop



Category 5

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

Chasing Pavements - Adele (good)

Love Song- Sara Bareilles (better)

Mercy - Duffy (no)

Bleeding Love- Leona Lewis (no)

I Kissed A Girl- Katy Perry (sure)

So What- Pink (no)

where is ingrid michaelson... her voice is rediculous


Category 6

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

All Summer Long
Kid Rock
hahahahahahaha

Say- John Mayer:
love john but this song is boring.

That Was Me - Paul McCartney:
Not getting better with age


I'm Yours- Jason Mraz:
best male voice

Closer - Ne-Yo:
voice? not the best

Wichita Lineman - James Taylor:
good voice but I think jason deserves it


Category 7

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For established duos or groups, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

Viva La Vida
Coldplay
ho hum chris martins voice is not so great live

Waiting In The Weeds
Eagles
haven't heard it

Going On
Gnarls Barkley
GREAT LOVE IT

Won't Go Home Without You
Maroon 5
pretty good

Apologize
OneRepublic
NONONONONONONONONONONO
hate this song


Category 8

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

Lesson Learned- Alicia Keys & John Mayer
good... I changed my mind and picked this one.

4 Minutes- Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
good

Rich Woman- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
not a fan

If I Never See Your Face Again- Rihanna & Maroon 5
no

No Air- Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
Track from: Jordin Sparks
ok song but not the BEST


Category 15
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

Gravity- John Mayer
YEEESSS I LOVE this song, it is so good. Everything about it.

I Saw Her Standing There- Paul McCartney
mmm?

Girls In Their Summer Clothes- Bruce Springsteen
no

Rise- Eddie Vedder
haven't heard it

No Hidden Path- Neil Young
no


Category 16
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
(For duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

Rock N Roll Train- AC/DC
no

Violet Hill- Coldplay
yes

Long Road Out Of Eden- Eagles
no

Sex On Fire- Kings Of Leon
yes

House Of Cards- Radiohead
yes


Category 20

Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

Girls In Their Summer Clothes
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
eeeww

House Of Cards
radiohead is overrated but I really like this song

I Will Possess Your Heart
Benjamin Gibbard, Nicholas Harmer, Jason McGerr & Christopher Walla, songwriters (Death Cab For Cutie)
YEEEEEEEEES
death cab needs more grammys or some

Sex On Fire
Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
they are such a great band

Violet Hill
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)
ok so any of these songs I will be happy if they win (even though it should be death cab)

Category 22 (BEST CATEGORY)

Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Modern Guilt - Beck
so good

Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie
the best

The Odd Couple - Gnarls Barkley
very good

Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket
haven't heard it but I heard it amazing

In Rainbows - Radiohead
overrated

SO those are my opinion on the main groups of the grammys
...it's better than last year I guess

If I made an iTunes celeb playlist right this second....

1. Will You Return - The Avett Brothers
2. Look Up - Stars
3. Blue Mind - Alexi Murdoch
4. Lonelily - Damien Rice
5. Moondance - Van Morrison
6. All That I Want - The Weepies
7. Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This - The Shirelles
8. Dancing In The Moonlight - King Harvest
9. Click Click Click Click - Bishop Allen
10. Paranoia in B-Flat Major - The Avett Brothers
11. Super Massive Black Hole - Muse
12. Sandcastle Disco - Solange
13. Little Toy Gun - HoneyHoney
14. After Hours - We Are Scientists
15. Does This Mean You're Moving On - The Airborne Toxic Event
16. Lovers In Japan - Coldplay

Influenced By Something More Than This

“If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken and so die.”
-Shakespeare

I have been listening to a lot of classical music lately
some classics, some random orchestras, some christmas music...
I have been reading a lot so I can put this on when I read
and not be distracted.

15 days

So my latest obsession....(in music) Is the Twilight soundtrack.
I was pretty skeptical at first. I mean really skeptical but it has definitely grown on me.
I was kind of mad though because I bought it at borders and it turn out
the iTunes version has more songs and it's cheaper.

So my favorite songs from the album so far.... MuteMath- Spotlight (Twilight Mix)
and also the Rob Pattinson song Never Think. I was pleasantly surprised by his
musical abilities. He sounds like an authentic singer/songwriter type.

Some reasons I was hesitant about listening to this was because I don't really listen to people
like linkin park but there song wasn't AS predictable as I thought it would be.

Bella's Lullaby was kind of a dissapointment for me and I think a lot of other people.
It doesn't fit the mood that is captured in the book.
This version seems dark and gloomy.... but not in a sweet "good vampire" type of way
(if that makes any sense).
I heard they asked Rob to write it but he refused. I don't blame him.
A lot of people are mad about of lot of things already. Personally I like their choices
of actors for the movie (for the most part). But I saw the preview before I read the books.

Anyway I think the Soundtrack is worth listening to (maybe more than once)

We’re finally soaking up

my first blog being 21! How exciting. I love October, I really do and not just because of my birthday. I love the leaves I love the coldER weather, I love drinking hot drinks like pumpkin spice latte's and hot apple cider. It sounds cheesy but I think small things DO matter.
Ok so moving on to music.
wait let me change the song on my itunes so I can get in the mood :)

So my rave for the day.....or week. Pitchfork...you make me sad. First of all I am very confused because everyone loves radiohead SO much. I decide to download... couldn't really get into them. A few months later I read a review of OK computer on pitchfork who gave it a 10.0 (perfect score). I get the cd thinking it will be the most amazing thing my ears have ever listened to. WRONG. Only one song caught my attention really, and that was Electioneering.
Is there something wrong with me or is this band HIGHLY overrated?

ok so onto a much lighter & happier note!

So someone gave me the Nick & Norah soundtrack for my birthday. The movie was cute but the soundtrack made it so worth it. I guess the music was basically a main character. I really like a lot of the tracks but my favorite by far is After Hours by We Are Scientists. I have listened to these guys in the past but this has to be their best song.
"Say That You'll Stay!" So uplifting, heartwarming, makes me tear up. I just want to jump out of my seat and declare my love! The rest of the song just build up to this and is equally makes my heart ache. The lyrics are simple but don't need to be anything more. There is so much emotion behind this song and the lyrics are just there to hint at the bigger picture.
I just love it.

but-but-but-but nothing but the rear bumper's blown

So I want to talk about the Why? concert I attended on saturday. It was pretty much amazing....I throw that word around a lot but that is because their are a lot of talented musicians out there and I haven't spent much time looking in a thesaurus. How about grand or glorious and sublime and fantastical? I guess... but amazing just feels right.
Anyway I walk through the doors of the venue and it feels pretty empty besides the crowd in the beer garden who I feel was glaring at me knowing I would be joining them in a matter of days (legally).
I wait for about 20 minutes just wandering around, then the lights dim.....a universal signal.
Someone walks onto the rather small stage and starts messing around with mic's. I can't tell if its a guy or girl if I'm being honest. Then I realize it's a woman and she is the first performer. She only said her band name once during her entire act and you could barely hear her. Luckily the next band confirmed her name was Tender Forever. I highly recommend her music. She has an angelic voice and passionate lyrics. She is also quite hilarious and clever. My mind was blown when she got out controller's for her Wii and electronically played the drums.
The next band was not as great. the dj was insane and I could tell he was talented but the "rapper" was just....all wrong.
And for the good part. Why?
oh yes they were what you would expect. INSANE.
I would say that the Hollows was probably the most insane to hear live.
they were also some crazy people who I would never expect to see and then there were definitely some people who I for sure expected to see.
This is getting lazy so Im gonna stop.

The Deepest Grave

Why can't I just be amazing like Sufjan Stevens...that's what I really want to know. He really gets under your skin and into your soul. It's not a fair fight, he will rip you apart in ways you never thought imaginable, he will also be sneaky about it pretending like it was unintentional...so modest.
I guess what I am trying to say that he is probably the love of my life and I never knew it till now. Although it is impossible to have just one love of your life. There are just to many people to only have one, but still in my book it is pretty prestigious to be one of the loves in somebody's life.

Some other newbies are.....(for me)
Cult Cloud: Great I love them already. They are a really environmental friendly band from Minnesota and very well educated. Also they are great at making music.
Tapes 'n Tapes: I have only heard a few of their songs but they are great so far. They are from Minnesota as well.
Priscilla Ahn: I think I jumped on this train a little late compared to other intense music fans but I think she has a lot of potential and has an amazing voice that I really admire. She reminds me a lot of Ingrid Michaelson which is probably why I like her so much because I love Ingrid so so much.
Which reminds me that Ingrid Michaelson is now on tour with Newton Faulkner I believe. He is also great so that should be an awesome show with some amazin vocals.

I have really been getting into Why? they were recommended by a dear friend and I cannot get over how great they really are. Very creative. I just have to listen Fall of Mr. Fifths every time I think about it. They are also on tour and hopefully I will be attending that show. It's a deal if I ever saw one.

feeling down

Made with My Cool Signs.Net

I wanted to talk about bumbershoot. It was almost two weeks ago....I can't believe it.
It was amazing.
It was more than the music. It was about being in seattle with really good friends and meeting new people and trying new things and loving every second of it.
Beck was great although he had some technical difficulties. I loved gamma ray.
Ingrid Michaelson was either my fav or second fav....yeah I mean she was amazing, her voice is so good live and she was funny.
I have to say the best was death cab. I am pretty biased because I have seen them three times now and they are pretty much my favorite band. After all those times of seeing them they never cease to amaze me.
I also got to see the weakerthans for the first time ever. They were so good. It made me really nostalgic and fuzzy. They have a great energy and everyone around me was really into it. I definitely recommend seeing them live.
wow, seriously one of the best weekends of my life.

Choosing the perfect ring-tone..

Picking a ring-tone is very difficult for me.
There are so many good songs out there.
Then there is the dilemma of finding a ring-tone
that is the section of the song that you like the best.
it sounds stupid but I usually end up buying
more than one.
This time I went with:

A-Punk- Vampire Weekend
Shake It - Metro Station
Past In Present - Feist

Should ever we meet on your side of your stereo....

...I will pretend I know not of your thoughts
And even the way that they mirror my own


Just been having a day full of music.
Going back to some stuff I haven't listened to in awhile (Anna Nalick, Menomena, John Mayer)
Also listening to some new stuff.
I am not really sure of exactly why but I will fall in love with a song that I
think has the most amazing lyrics. I have probably said this
many times but it keeps proving itself over and over again.

"Fall away to the sound of my heart to your beat
Melancholy and cool, kind of bitter sweet
Love on repeat
I'm echoing all your philosophies
And as I fall away to the sound of my heart to your beat
Melancholy and cool, kind of bitter sweet
Love on repeat
I'm echoing all your philosophies"

Not Your Average Bear

And it rips through the silence of our camp at night
And it rips through the silence, all that is left is all that i hide


Yepp, those are some fantastic Beirut lyrics. I have to say, I like a lot of songs, but I LOVE songs with good lyrics. It just makes them that much better. Beirut is really great. I pretty much love every song I have heard so far. I love blasting it, i wonder if my neighbors think I'm crazy.
Although I don't really care.


I also admire Björk but I haven't heard as many of her songs. So far her newest cd is really powerful. It makes me wonder why women take of their clothes and make shitty "music" when they could be taking off their clothes creating something wonderful like her.
...or they don't even have to take off their clothes haha.

blueberry yogurt

So I was off the map for awhile but I have gotten back in to discovering new music and listening to a wide variety of things. I have had recommendations from friends and Last.fm (that were actually good). Also I have been paying attention to the music in tv shows. It really fascinates me and I want to know how the process works of picking out songs and who gets that job....because I WANT IT!!!

so here is a little playlist of some of the things I have been listening to lately.
Megan Ouchida (local artist I found on Myspace).
-she has many good songs but my favorite right now is probably "Boys Like You"
Tristan Prettyman - Madly ( I have been listening to her for awhile but I really like this new single).
Panic! At The Disco - Mad As Rabbits (I know I know....Panic? But I really think this album is a huge improvement and a step in the right direction for them)
Okkervil River - I can't believe I JUST started listening to them. They are great, I don't have a favorite song right now, but that is just how good they are.
Phantom Planet - Do The Panic (back when jason schwartzmann was in the band!!!!!! I had no idea....a great ff to share with people).
Newton Faulkner - Dream Catch Me (this one was a recommendation from Last.fm and I love it!)
Kate Voegele - Only Fooling Myself (very pop and catchy but in a good way)
Frightened Rabbit - Grey ( they really impress me, i need to find out how I can get ahold of more of their stuff)

Those are just a few but I could go on forever.....

You belong to me

Ok time for a musical update.
So Love Song was my favorite over the summer. I went to see Rocco DeLuca and Sara Bareilles opened. After that I bought her cd and have been a fan ever since.
it's really weird that it is only getting famous now. All my friends are like, "have you heard Love Song". I feel like I tried to tell people but they only listen if it is on the radio or mtv.
I'm not one of those people who is like "oh I listened to that first, or I liked them sooooooo long ago" it just makes me mad when people don't care if you recommend something but don't listen and then 6 months later they love the song for goodness sakes.

um anyway.....

SIA is AMAZING!!!!!!
I love all of the below:
*Girl You Lost to Cocaine
*Academia
*Playground
*Soon We'll Be Found
*Buttons

I love the whole cd but those are my faves. That says a lot about the cd. It is highly unusual to have sooo many favorites.

Belle & Sebastian

is it my imagination or does Belle & Sebastian sound like (nick drake/ jens lekman?)

I always think when they are played on shuffle that it's nick drake. Maybe i'm crazy.

Keen on SIA

Well I guess music wise I have exciting news or this week. Tues. I am going to see SIA. I am very excited. It was a valentines gift. I have been listening to her new stuff a lot lately and it is great stuff let me tell you. I like a lot of the songs but I guess my Favorites would have to be, Day Too Soon, & The Girl You Lost to Cocaine. Those are pretty great.

I guess on another subject, something I like to do in my spare time is look up celebrity playlists on iTunes. Today I was mostly Looking at Michael Cera's. I am fascinated by him because he is on my favorite show and in one of my favorite movies this year.
His music taste is just as fascinating. A good variety of indie stuff but weird stuff like a guy talking in his sleep. Not to mention Sonny & Cher. I am very interested in what other people listen to, more specifically what people's favorite songs are.

so if you read this feel free to comment and tell me some of your fav's.

Looking at them look at me looking at them

playlist for Monday February 4th

The Lighthouse - Interpol
Maggie Mae- The Beatles
Nobody Till Somebody... - Dean Martin
Hunk of Burning Love - Elvis Presley
Look Up - Stars
Cecelia - Simon & Garfunkel
Psalm For The Elks Lodge Last - The Weakerthans

Trying to calm myself down by blogging.

Some great songs I love right now.
Maps-Yeah Yeah Yeah's
Me, My Yoke - Damien Rice
We Get On - Kate Nash
Doctor Blind - Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
Sea of Love - Cat Power

man these are good.

I've got favorite purses

Two new cd's
Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
Sia - Some People Have Real Problems

So far they are both full of feeling, I have no regrets.
The Sia album was an impulse buy and a very good one. I have loved her for like a year and half or something so I knew it couldn't be horrible.
I have wanted the Kate Nash cd ever since the first time I heard Merry Happy (which was a very long time ago). When I first bought it I was worried with the lack of lyrics in "Play" and the somewhat hilarious lyrics of "Dickhead". I wasn't even sure if she was being serious or trying to funny or maybe both.
Now I don't care because the cd as a whole is great.
I am looking forward to being thoroughly addicted.

songs to listen to:

Kate Nash, Mouthwash
Sia, Playground

What Can I Say?

Do any of you have secret songs?
Or I guess secrets.
I have a lot of secrets, but I have some secret songs too.
You know like a song that always reminds you of something but nobody else knows.
One of my secret songs is What Can I Say by Brandi Carlile.
I have mentioned that song in this blog before.
I don't know, I have discovered that I like having secrets. From EVERYONE. Not like a secret only the closest people to you know, or even some random person knows...I'm talking about secrets only YOU know.
I guess it's kind of like that post secret thing but not as drastic or I guess it could be.
Anyway, I want to listen to this song forever because it is both good and reminds me of my secret.

Bigger Than My Body Gives Me Credit For

I have very recently started back into the cycle of listening to John Mayer. (recent meaning today).
I sometimes question if he is really my favorite artist....then I listen to his music and wonder why I ever had any doubts.
He is really great. I have so many favorites (songs). Also I like how he has a sense of humor. I know that you shouldn't get caught up in celebrities and how you think you know what their personality is like, but from what I can tell he HAS to have something more than the others.
I guess I will never really know so for now I will just listen.

some songs I am really into right now.

1. Come Back to Bed
2. Home Life
3. Split Screen Sadness
4. Slow Dancing in A Burning Room (from the Village Sessions)
5. Something's Missing

....and so many more

I think we look like the rest.

Well I am trying to keep up in the new year.
So here is a list of faves for the month of january so far.
(albums)

In no particular order
1. Broken Social Scene presents Kevin Drew - Spirit if...
2. Menomena - Friend and Foe
3. Matt Nathanson - At The Point
4. Cat Power - Moon Pix