PLAYLIST OF ADDICTON: For real this time!

1. “Semi Precious Weapons” by Semi Precious Weapons- Though I must admit that this song reminds me of “It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll” by AC/DC and remade by the cast of School of Rock more that the beats of “Ice Ice Baby” remind ANYONE of “Under Pressure”, this song is amazing. It’s in the Apple-sleek-commercial-song genre (see song #6), because it’s just awesome. I’d also like to note that I’ll bet any amount of money that the phrase “I can’t pay my rent, but I’m Fucking gorgeous” will describe many of my colleagues perfectly in about 7 years.
2. “Favorite Radio” by Stereo Deluxe- This is the sort of song that you listen to and go, “well, this sounds silly” and then can’t help but like. It doesn’t really make any sense why I like this song so much; the genre can’t exactly be classified, there are weird, almost childish sound effects made, and the lyrics remind you of some of those songs you were spoon-fed as a child by networks like Noggin (if you’re from that generation). And yet, it’s a pleasure to listen to. Who knew?
3. “Jimme’s Song” by Emanuel and the Fear- To put it quite simply, this song is a song about a kid who wants to be a rock star, but isn’t willing to grow up, get a job, and earn anything to get there. It has a latently sad theme to it of a person who just thinks their dreams will just happen without any work involved. But, in the ways of the fear, the song begins with a simple whistling melody and beat, and ends with a full blown, almost orchestral melody.
4. “The Rain Becomes the Clouds” by Emanuel and the Fear- Another song by Emanuel and the Fear. This, however, is my favorite song of their repertoire because it exemplified their true strengths, not only as a band, but as musicians in general. To me, this song emphasizes the beauty of nature and, in particular, the nature of human beings coinciding with the nature of the Earth itself. The reason why I love Emanuel and the Fear so much is because they have a sound which takes work; it can’t really be manufactured with a Casio and a computer. This eleven-piece gang doesn’t hesitate to serve you amazing lyrics and musicianship, which is hard to find these days. So, my hat is off to Emanuel Ayvas, Chris Colletti, David Nelson, Brian Sanders, Tom Swafford, Nic Cowles, Dan Tirer, Liz Hanley, Dallin Applebaum, Colin Dean, and Jeff Gretz. I applaud you for making me think of music as something truly greater than music through your refreshing songs.
5. “The Plank” by The Devil Makes Three- This is, literally and legitimately, a great “go to hell” song, which I’d love to have a chance to listen to  the next time I get angry for whatever reason. With lyrics like “to all our enemies, I’ll see you in hell. We’re gonna walk them off a plank into a wishing well. Down to Davie Jones’ locker where the fishes sleep. I won’t be praying for you, so don’t be praying for me,” it has to be a great song to listen to when you feel like venting.
6. “No You Girls” by Franz Ferdinand- The latest song recruited to the “iPod commercial” club, the song tickles your ear with another addicting melody. I promise to any readers whom have even bothered coming back to my site, the day Franz Ferdinand stops making amazing music will be the day I die. Luckily for me, it doesn’t seem as though that will be anytime soon (unlike the disappointingly mediocre U2).
7. “Little Toy Gun” by Honeyhoney- I didn’t know what to expect from this song, mainly because of the, in my opinion, tacky gunshot sound effect in the beginning. However, the song pays of by coming through with a strong, confident melody, and a sort of (don’t laugh) remixed-Yiddish feel (referring to the flowing, slurred refrain).
8. “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by The Script- The song you will most likely remember from the latest Rhapsody commercial, this song from the Script feeds me the right kind of melody. What really attracts me to this song is the harmony added. I know, it’s pop cliche. I know, it can be a cop-out with bad songs. I know, it’s one of the weirdest things to record for a song. But it works for this song because it’s been described by many as a new brand of Celtic soul. That being said, don’t you think i should listen to a bit more Celtic soul music?!?
9. “Bang Bang” by K’naan & Adam Levine- Though this isn’t a song I liked immediately, really only because the beginning of the song didn’t rub me the right way, this song has grown on me. I found it two ways, almost simultaneously; first through the Maroon 5 website (there out of curiosity of what had become of the band I was once borderline-obsessed with), then, literally seconds later, through the iTunes store. This song reminds me of southern Floridian songs heard on the boardwalk, and I like that.
10. “I Love College” by Asher Roth- Now, let’s get one thing straight from the chase; I don’t approve of the message this song is sending. Call me whatever you’d like, but I don’t think I’m going to treat college as such a joke. I mean, I feel like spending my years in college late to classes, smoking weed, and drinking all the time would be a waste of about $25,000 a year. On that same note, I feel like after he’s graduated from college and has spent all of his money earned from this song on drugs and drinks, Asher Roth will start repaying his college loans, and then he’ll be a bit regretful of his old lifestyle. With that, I’d like to say that I love the melody and the rhythms of this song. Though I don’t approve of the lyrics, I can’t see this song doing well without them. Let’s just say I have a love/hate relationship with this one. But hey, it’s on the playlist!

Best Playlist on my iPod; The REAL Playlist of Addiction

I made a playlist on my iPod of all of the songs I love, and I can’t stop listening to it. I’ve written about most of them, but I’m just putting them all on one post for fun. The playlist is always on shuffle, and is generally amazing. It’s also an iMix on iTunes, so if you search “Totally fly Flying Kites”, it should be there!

1. “That’s Not My Name” by The Ting Ting’s- Is it possible to have a sexual attraction to a song? I think it is.
2. “Ottoman” by Vampire Weekend
3. “Time to Pretend” by MGMT
4. “Womanizer” by Britney Spears- I think I’m the only person in America who hasn’t gotten tired of this song.
5. “Human” by The Killers
6. “Give it 2 Me” by Madge (Madonna, deary)- So, she’s as old as Methuselah. Doesn’t mean she can’t serve up a hell of a dance tune. Queen of pop + Pharell = Earth Shattering.
7. “No More Gas” mixed by DJ Earworm
8. “One of the Boys” by Katy Perry
9. “Happy Together” remade by The Flobots – The bad sound quality and weird keyboards in this song tend to give me remission, but I still love it!
10. “Untouched” by The Veronicas
11. “United State of Pop” mixed by DJ Earworm- DJ Earworm rocks my world, because not only does he give away his mixes for free on his website, but his mixes also integrate many different genres and are incredibly daring and bold.
12. “Bassment Party” by The Cool Kids
13. “Xavia” by The Submarines
14. “Circus” by Britney Spears
15. “Middle Management” by Bishop Allen- This song is so upbeat and sweet, I can’t help but listen to it!
    
16. “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse- Incredibly awesome song, which has been used on numerous TV shows, including most of my favorites. Includes an ingenius beat.
17. “Dynamo of Volition” by Jason Mraz
18. “‘After Hours” by We Are Scientists- I was originally introduced to this song through Akiva Schriver’s amusing video for it, but I came to love it through the “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” soundtrack.
19. “Make it Mine” by Jason Mraz
20. “Butterfly” by Jason Mraz- This song is kind of dirty in an unconventional way, but I love the addictive melody and the amazing guitar licks.
    
21. “Mudhouse/Gypsy MC” by Jason Mraz- I recently titled a note on Facebook “I’d like to give a shout out to all my VIP’s”. I love this song.
    
22. “Electric Feel” by MGMT- I love this song because I was kind of scared by the video at first, then I listened to the song and I said “Wait, this is totally my life”.

IMPORTANT NOTE: On iTunes, DJ Earworm’s mixes and “Happy Together” by the Flobots are not included. DJ Earworms mixes are available, free from source right here, and the Flobots cover is found here.

Playlist of Addiction: Holiday (okay, mostly Christmas, but I really don’t care) Edition

1. “Winter Song” br Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson- A truly beautiful song from two breathtaking musicians.
2. “Twelve Days of Christmas” performed by Straight No Chaser- Absolutely hilariously and professionally done. This was the first track I’d heard by their current group, and it blew me away!
3. “Carol of the Bells” arranged by George Winston for piano- If you’ve never heard this arrangement of the song, then I definitely recommend you enjoy it. “Carol of the Bells” can be so monotonous and sometimes even frightening (being one of very few minor Christmas tunes) every year, but this arrangement of the song is very delicate and gentle as opposed to the common abrasive and loud “COTB”.
4. “Killing Myself for Christmas” by Sick Puppies- Horribly hilarious is really all I can say to describe this song. Thank you, Olivia.
5. “All I Want For Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey- She can’t stop making money from this song, but it’s amazing!

Playlist of Addiction

1. “Miracle?” by Kristoff Krane- This unexpected rap song really got to me. It’s so inspirational, and it really is the cure to rap songs being too intense instead of being spiritual and, more importantly, meaningful. The acoustics really pull the song together, with the hip-hop beat fitting in with the rest of the melody of the song. I am very surprised and impressed by this song, and urge you to listen to it.
2. “Far Far” by Yael Naim- This is an amazing song. It’s incredibly relaxing and very whimsical.
3. “Money Maker” by Ludacris- The song that keeps coming back to haunt me. It’s so inappropriate, but it’s such a great song, and it’s so well produced! I know, I’m horrible.
4. “Cult of Dionysus” by The Orion Experience- The only reason I’m putting this on this week’s playlist is because we’ve been studying mythology in my World Literature class, and this song is so perfect.
5. “The Reason” by Hoobastank- Reason number one I love this song: it doesn’t sound like Hoobastank! If you took the time to listen to Hoobastank’s amazing album accompanying this song (The Reason), then you’ll know that Hoobastank was more alternarock than anything! It would seem like thesewere the type of guys who wouldn’t apologise for anything! Reason number two I love this song: it is the perfect apology. Very cute song.

PLAYLIST OF ADDICTION (Sunday?)

These will just be cool songs. No themes this week, but I have added a bonus song. Just for you, my lovely.

1. “Rhapsody in Blue” performed by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; composed by George Gershwin- Believe it or not, I really am eclectic. Truly eclectic. Not ‘hipster eclectic’, which is when people listen to obscure but awful bands that no one’s heard of because they’re just god-awful. Not ‘rocker eclectic’, where people to a ton of alternarock and a little bit of other stuff, but not enough of everything else to balance out how much rock they listen to. Eclectic meaning I can listen to Shapes of Racecars and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Day 26 back to back to back without having a heart attack. I first fell in love with this song when I heard it performed by a saxaphonist (I know! A sax! it was amazing) at band camp. This song is worth the time (17 minutes). It never stops capturing you. It just keeps going. Sorry about the old-school link; I could not find the Saint Louis Orchestra version, so this will have to do.
2. “Sound the Alarm” by Shapes of Racecars- This song wakes me up. For some reason, I just cant take my mind off this song. It’s a great rock song, complete with awesome rock vocals, some great work on the guitar, and, yes, an alarm. I guess the alarm is what really brings the song together.
3. “Love for a Child” by Jason Mraz- To be honest, I only really understood what he was talking about when the song approached the chorus, but this is a very personal song. I think everyone knows the feeling of being ignored, which is part of the reason of why I love this song. It has depth, that most modern songs intentionally lack.
4. “You, Me and the Bourgeoisie” by The Submarines- Me and this song; what an ordeal. I downloaded it a while back, when the Submarines were featured on Free Radio, and when they started showing the iPhone commercials, I could not put my finger on the song. Then I was looking through my iPod, and I stumbled upon this song, and was instantly epiphanized. This is a gorgeous song. I absolutely love the simple-alternarock vibe the song gives off, which is exactly the reason why it was on an iPhone commercial (whomever chooses those songs, I need your job. Now.)
5. “Soap Disco” by Kara’s Flowers (aka Old Maroon 5 minus James Valentine and, you know, taste)- So, I don’t care that Kara’s Flowers was the awkward and confused stage of Maroon 5. I could not care less; this song was awesome. It’s perky, upbeat, and just great. Maroon 5, if you ever read this, Kara’s Flowers wasn’t that bad. It just wasn’t as evolved/amazing as Maroon 5. <3
6. *I am Six Pounds of Dynamite* by South San Gabriel- I decided to add this song because it randomly came on my iPod, and I’d never heard it before (it does make sense that I have 1500 songs on my iPod… don’t judge me…), and it pretty much put me to sleep. The harmonic vocals and perfect bass on this song is what put me to sleep. The fact that the band was names after a style of Italian accordian and the name of the song is what makes listening to this lullaby even sweeter.

PLAYLIST OF ADDICTION (to tide you over)

Yes, I know very well that it isn’t Sunday. Yet, I want to make a playlist of addiction with songs that help me relax; my favorite love song, my favorite lullaby, my favorites. Enjoy.

1. “Sleeping to Dream” by Jason Mraz- How could I possibly say how much I love this song? This is my favorite lullaby; whenever I have a ton of homework, this song puts my mind in a state of pure imagination (whoever remembers where that came from gets 20 bonus points). On Jason’s Selections for Friends album, I must admit, I didn’t really like the songs recorded at Montalvo as much as I like the songs performed at Schubas, but this song was just pure gold.
2. “Quando, Quando, Quando” by Michael Buble featuring Nelly Furtado- First of all, let’s get something striaght; I spelled Quando correctly. A lot of artist are making their song titles sort of ‘inside jokes’ by spelling them incorrectly. However, despite the bad spelling, this is my favorite love song. One quote that always sticks out in my head when I listen to this was Nelly Furtado’s quote from her ‘promiscuous’ heyday, when she said that she didn’t really want to do pop forever; this song proves that she doesn’t have to. Two of my favorite Canadians colaborated on this lovely jazz song. It makes my heart float.
3. “As Things Collide” by Maroon 5- Probably my 2nd favorite love song, only because of how perfect the chorus is. It’s just SO perfect. “I’ve spoken to all of the other angels; they don’t know what to do. And I agree with them whole heartedly, I do.” Guys, take note; these are the kinds of things girls like me wanna hear. Talk about angels and our perfection, and we’ll be like butter (whoever gets THAT reference gets 200 bonus points. “Like a big stick of butter.”)
4. “London Bridges” by This Is Ivy League- No, it’s not a Fergie cover. Yes, it is amazing. it’s just the most carefree song you’ll ever hear (outside of I’m Yours by Jason Mraz- now THAT’S carefree); simple and sweet.
5. “Happy Together” originally by The Turtles, covered by The Flobots- This song is what I like to call the classic love song, remixed to be a modern love song. Both renditions are absolute genious. I already know that the Flobots are really underrated, so, please my lovelies, try to listen to them; they’re pretty darn awesome.

THREADLESS FTW!

Okay, so you don’t have to donate any money to this blog to read it, but you do owe it to yourself to buy a tee-shirt from my favorite tee company, Threadless. Their tee’s are designed by the norm; many are funny, and many just have cool designs! Check them out (below is a pic of one of my faves!)

I'm Not Afraid of the Dark (Modeled by Madshadow aka Chris Saccaro)

VID OF THE DAY: Don’t mind the terrible cameras…