Guilty Pleasure Friday

Take a quick break from the Warped Tour posts to bring another guilty pleasure. Now this one for most people you either like it or you hate it. My sister and I love it, but my mom thinks it's the dumbest thing ever. Generational gap? Who knows...

Anyway this person has a ton of hilarious videos. Most of them are songs but there are a few that aren't. It's his running character named Kelly and her family in almost all of them (including this one), and I'm sure you'll run around quoting it just like I do. This video/song is the first one I ever saw "Shoes." Fair warning: it will get stuck in your head. Enjoy the weekend!

I'm Back!

Warped Tour was probably the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed. I saw the 2 bands that I really wanted to see (Meg & Dia and The White Tie Affair), and also discovered some new bands that are pretty amazing. So for the next few days or so I'll be posting about bands that I saw, and putting up one of the pictures I took of them along with the post instead of just finding one on the internet. Let's start with the very first band we saw and go from there. Shall we?

Innerpartysystem

Before seeing them Tuesday I had never ever heard of them before, but boy was I glad that we got the chance to hear them. We just walked in right in front of the Hurley.com stage and were blown away by how good they were. We had no idea who in the world they were but knew that we definitely needed to find out.

They've got this great techno rock sound thanks in large part to the synthesizers. The electronic sound is just amazing and maybe even hypnotic. You can't help but want to move around to the music. The just released their first album, Innerpartysystem, last year and let me tell you it's great. We bought it right after they finished their set and I'm definitely not dissappointed. They know how to deliver with their unique style.

Warped 'til Wednesday

So I'll be out of town until late Wednesday or so. I'm headed down to spend some time with my friends who are spending the summer at the college I go to, and the big event in Atlanta that I've been waiting for is on Tuesday... Warped Tour. Warped Tour is a crazy epic concert which features mainly alternative bands, and I'm lucky enough to get the chance to go this year.

Unfortunately one of my absolute favorite bands won't be there this year for the first time since they've been a band. I can't blame them though. I mean when No Doubt wants you to go on tour with them for the summer you can't say no. That would be a sin or something. No I'm not talking about The Sounds. This is all about...

Paramore

I can't get enough of these guys. Every song they put out is amazing. Plus they're from Franklin, Tennessee which as an Alabama native is great to me. Haley Williams is another one of those great frontwomen out there in music. I haven't seen them in person, but from what I know she puts on one hell of a show. Brothers Josh and Zac Farro play guitar and drums, respectively. Jeremy Davis plays bass and new edition Taylor York roundsit out with rhythm guitar. These people work together and produce a wonderful pop punk sound. They were even nominated for a Grammy for "Best New Artist", but they lost to Amy Whinehouse. We see who's still around making music though.

Since I won't be posting for a couple of days I've decided that I'll pick a song from each of Paramore's albums plus their main song from Twilight. From their first album, All We Know is Falling, I've picked the song "Pressure." It was the first song of theirs I ever heard and they've had me hooked ever since. Funny story with this song too. I was watching the Fuse and saw the video and new the song was familiar for some reason. I really like it so I didn't think much of it except that I would keep Paramore in my mind. Then I went to play The Sims 2 and lo and behold a version of the song came playing through my game. Crazy awesome.

Next is from their album Riot!. It's the song "Misery Business." Great video that even my mom thought was amazing. If you're wondering what the song is about, Hayley Williams says it's about a friend of hers that she felt was being controlled by this girl and later Hayley started dating him and the song explains her story.

Last we've got "Decode" from the Twilight Soundtrack. When I heard teh song for the first time I think I was more excited by it than the movie itself. Williams specifically wrote the song for the movie and is actually a huge fan of the series herself.

Their third album Brand New Eyes is set to be released in September of this year, and if you're like me, you can't wait to hear what they have in store for us.

Guilty Pleasure Friday

I've got another Spanish one for you here. Only this time you might be able to understand it all. Literally everything said in the video is something anyone would have learned in the first semester of taking Spanish classes. Hence the name "One Semester of Spanish Love Song."

One of my friends found it and made my Spanish teacher show it to the class. The funny thing is that this was a 4th semester of Spanish class so we all knew what it was saying and we're dying laughing. It's just random phrases put together and sounds great. Take a listen and enjoy the weekend!

Perfect Day

You might have heard this artis before if you've ever seen the movies Legally Blonde or Snow Day, or even possibly on this random cruise line commercial. She's the daughter of legendary hawaiian singer Don Ho.

Hoku

The song "Perfect Day" is a great way to make you feel good, and was the theme to Legally Blonde. Sadly we haven't really heard much from Hoku after the success of this song. She took a break after 2001, but came back into the music scene around 2006 to sing with her dad in the Don Ho Show until he died in '07. She's recorded some more music but I haven't heard any of it, that I know of at least. If it's anything like "Perfect Day" then I think it will be worth a listen.

Best Artist Ever

Seriously I have yet to hear a song she has made that I haven't liked. She's got a beautiful voice and can really play the guitar. Let's quit this messing around and get to who today's choice is...

Michelle Branch

I don't know when I first heard her sing, but I know I'll never forget her music. I can listen to any of her albums 1000 times straight through and never get tired of it. She had 2 top selling albums in the early 2000's , and you might have heard some of her songs like "Everywhere" or "All You Wanted" in TV shows and movies. She's probably most known for her Grammy Award winning song "Game of Love" which she collaborated with Santana.

She put her solo career on hold after her marriage and pregnancy, but not too long afterwards she created the country duo The Wreckers with her friend Jessica Harp. Not surprisingly this group was also very successful but they also decided to take a break so they each could focus on their solo careers. As a matter of fact, Jessica Harp recently released her first new single/video "Boy Like Me" (it's pretty awesome if I do say so myself).

Michelle is currently working on a new album which will hopefully be released some time later this year. She's going back to her acoustic/alternative roots. I can't wait to hear it, and you better believe I'll be getting that CD. This song today is my favorite song of hers and always brings a smile to my face. It's just a beautiful song. End of story

Michelle Branch - Breathe

iTunes Find

I discovered this song thanks to iTunes sometime late last year. Surprisingly the little free downloads iTunes has every week are actually really good most of the time. This song is from an indie rock band from Chicago. Their debut album, Ordinary Riches, in it's own debut appeared at #5 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. I'm talking about...

Company of Thieves

The song "Oscar Wilde" was the iTunes magic I stumbled across which is kind of funny because in my senior year of high school for AP English we had to read The Picture of Dorian Gray by you guessed it, Oscar Wilde. It's a great book. I recommend it to anyone who likes a little mystery or sci-fi. It's about a guy who never ages. The character Dorian Gray is also a character in the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (I don't recommend seeing that one though).

Back to the song. Oscar Wilde was a great inspiration for not only just this track, but also the whole album. They were inmpressed by his tenacity Drummer Mike Ortiz says, "It's better to struggle doing what you love than just settling for doing whatever everyone else is doing. We all took risks with this band, and had to make sacrifices in our personal lives, but if you really pursue what you love then you'll ultimately reap benefits from it."

Awesome Aussies

We're starting the week off right with an Australian duo that I think everyone should know about. They're twins and are hilarious. I was watching their hitlist on MTVHits last year and all the comments they made about the songs they picked made me laugh so hard. Like they had a Thirty Seconds to Mars song and said that the video must have been made by one of Jared Leto's movie director friends because we all know he's such a "great" actor. I would watch that hitlist everytime it came on just for the commentary. Well and it didn't hurt that the songs were good.

The Veronicas

I've been keeping up with The Veronicas ever since I heard their first single "4Ever". I don't think their first album reached major success here in the US but it definitely hit it big in Australia. However, their second album Hook Me Up with its edgier and more electro-pop sound really has taken off here for them this time. Some people don't like it when bands change their sound but I think Lisa and Jess Origliasso did it well. I like both albums but the song today is the first song I heard from the second album: "Untouched".

Oh and I would hate it if I didn't mention that Jess was rumored to be romantically linked with Ruby Rose (hot Aussie MTV VJ). They were photographed kissing but never confirmed anything. Would be cool if they did. Wishful thinking I suppose. Also if you want to know more about them just follow them on Twitter. They've got some funny updates every now and then and banter back and forth too

Guilty Pleasure Friday

Round 2. This one is brought to you by a group of people that went to my high school. For my advanced broadcasting class we had to make a music video and one group came up with this rap that they wrote themselves and it was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. Needless to say they definitely got a 100 on the project.

Word of the video quickly spread through the school and by the end of the day I thinkeveryone had seen it. Even our principal had seen it and liked it. The two guys that are rapping are probably the whitest people ever which makes it all that much better. It's just a fun parody put together for a great class. Enjoy the weekend!

Viva España

I love the Spanish language. I took 5 semesters of it in high school and I was so pissed to find out that I have no room to take it at college. This band is from Spain. You can tell because they have a bit of a lisp on some words. My Spanish teacher told me once that the reason spanairds have that accent is because back in the day one of their kings had a lisp and they didn't want to offend him and starting speaking like him so he wouldn't get mad (trivia for the day).

Bizarre

Obviously the song is in Spanish so you might only be able to pixk out a few words unless you speak the language. It took me a few times but I eventually figured out what they were saying. Even if you don't understand anything they say the song is still great. I've noticed that in music in other languages you focus on things like the beat, tone, and feel since you have no idea what the words mean. It gives you a better appreciation for the song I think. Oh and if your offended by gay stuff then don't watch the video. Features some gay ladies

The Pussycat Dolls have a twin?

That's what it seems like at least. This group seriously could be the Pussycat Dolls. Both were created by Robin Antin and their an all girl group with 5 members. Plus it doesn't hurt that they have people that look and dress the same in both groups. I had to do a double take when I first saw them. What is it with Robin Antin and created all these girl groups that are basically the same thing? Pussycat Dolls, Girlicious, and now....

Paradiso Girls

The interesting thing about this group is that each member is from a different country. Chelsea Korka is from the US, Kelly Beckett is from Barbados, Aria Cascaval is from France, Shar Mae Amor is from the Philippines, and Lauren Bennett is from the UK. They feature 3 lead singers, a rapper, and a DJ. It's an interesting mix that plays well in their first single "Patron Tequila" (featuring Eve and Lil' Jon).

And if the Paradiso Girls are familiar to you for some other reason you might have seen them on the NewNowNext Awards this year.

Destiny's who?

We've got a former member of a super group today. Not the most famous one in the group but don't count her out. She's got some star power of her own. Ok technically it's not her song but she's featured in it. Currently you can see her in a different kind of gig on Bravo lending Isaac Mizrahi a hand with the judging.

Kelly Rowland

Former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland was kind of stuck behind Beyonce's shadow in the group. After all how many people can name anyone from the group other than Beyonce? I can but I was like 7 and obsessed with them, the Spice Girls, and whoever else so I think I'm an exception. Oh and did anyone see her in Freddy vs. Jason? Interesting movie role there for her if you ask me. Didn't expect to see her in a slasher flick. Especially that one but hey whatever works for you.

This song is your perfect dance tune. It's repetitive, catchy, and has a beat that you can't help but move to. I could totally see someone doing a drag performance to this. Kelly Rowland knows her dance hits and this is definitely one of them

Crazy weather we're having don't you think?

Last night we had some intenense rain come through. Thunder, lightning, wind, the whole nine yards. We left a tent up from our 4th of July party and let's just say that it won't be doing it's job without the help of some duct tape and some jury rigging. Good thing I know a highly appropriate song for a day such as this!

Shiny Toy Guns

Great band that has an awesome techno sound. Unfortunately since they replaced Carah Faye with some other girl their newer stuff isn't that good. Which is why I'm thankful I found their first album We are Pilots. Carah and Chad took turns with the vocals and in this song it's Chad's turn. Kind of an emo song but hey in my neck of the woods it's a dreary day. Plus I couldn't resist posting a song called "Rainy Monday" when it's in fact... a rainy Monday.

Guilty Pleasure Friday

To start the weekends out right I'm going to post a guilty pleasure song every Friday. You know songs that you like but don't necessarily want the whole world to know. I'll be a brave sould here and admit one every week for your enjoyment.

This person is one we all know. Love her, hate her, love to hate her it doesn't matter. You know you've seen her face everywhere. Whether it was while you where at the movies, watching Ugly Betty, or laughing at her hilarious eHarmony parody on funny or die. Think you know who it is?

That Girl

As much as I hate to admit it, I love all the songs I've heard her sing. I have no idea why. Maybe it's just because it's Lohan. After all who didn't love Mean Girls? I'll sit here and quote that all day. The song is from a movie guilty pleasure of mine (2 for the price of one here you lucky people you). Enjoy the weekend!

A Storm is Brewing

Yesterday's post had a sad sounding song, so today I'm going to give you a hard rockin' song. Another one of those that I found out about by watching one of my many music channels. Seriously the Fuse, MtvU, and MtvHits are amazing. Found it on the Fuse during their rock countdown. I wasn't going to watch the video, but I'll always give a band that has a girl in it a chance. What can I say? It's a weakness

Halestorm

They've been around for a while because they started out when they were like 10 years old, but they just recently released their debut album which features this song "I Get Off." It's been getting quite a bit of radio play, so their hard work is paying off. "I Get Off" is a hard rocking song and I look forward to seeing what they do in the future.

O Canada

Nope this isn't a post about Tegan and Sara (though don't worry I'll definitely have one sometime). Instead this is about the lead singer of one of Canada's most successful alternative rock bands from the 90's, The Matthew Good Band. So as you might be able to guess the selection today is:

Matthew Good

I hate to admit it, but I found this song while watching Spashley fan videos on youtube (Spencer and Ashley from the show South of Nowhere). Hey if you watched the show you know they had way too many months in between seasons to go without them, so I had to fill in the gap. Thankfully I stumbled across the song "Weapon."

The song has a dark feel to it, and features the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The original edit of the video won a Juno award, but Matthew hated it so he changed it up a bit. Here's the original version. I'll let you be the judge as to whether it was as bad as he thought it was.

Since I mententioned Maja Ivarsson yesterday, I feel it's only fair that her band get the spotlight today. This amazing group comes to us courtesy of Sweden and thank the lord for it. They've got a punk pop sound mixed with synthesizers. You could say they're a modern day Blondie. Maja is an impressive frontwoman and always puts on a great show.

The Sounds

This is one of my favorite songs of theirs, but there are so many to choose from. They've released three albums and they even produced the newest one themselves. They can pretty much do no wrong in my book if you ask me.

Starting the week off right

I saw this video last week when it premiered on MtvU. I love the band because they're just crazy and seem like they're always having a good time. Plus it doesn't hurt that one of their songs features the lovely Maja Ivarsson from The Sounds. Seriously I'm pretty much guaranteed to like a song if she's in it. And if that wasn't enough, they parody songs like no tomorrow ("I Kissed a Boy" and "Hollaback Boy").

Cobra Starship

This song features Leighton Meester, and before you turn away with that yes she can actually sing. Who would have thought? She's actually making an album of her own so we'll see how that turns out. The video is classic Cobra Starship fun. I have yet to see a video of theirs that bored me. There's even some pie throwing reminiscent of their video for "City is at War."

4th of July fun

In the spirit of Independence Day, summer, and just all around great fun, today's song we're gonna take it back a few years. I'm a huge 80's fan. Seriously I probably should have been born then. So I've picked a ground breaking band that had quite their share of firsts. They started out with a punk pop sounds, but that eventually morphed into 80's rock.

That's right. I'm talking about the Go Go's.

So whether you're on a vacation of your own this holiday weekend, or you're just staying around home enjoying the fireworks... here's a song to help start the day of right. Happy 4th of July!

Inaugural Post

So I've decided to take up blogging once again only this time it will be way more interesting on all of our parts. This go around I'll be writing about something we all love and have many opinions about, music. I like to think my taste in music is rather eclectic and from all walks of life so every day or so I'm going to update with a song. It won't necessarily be new or random, but it will definitely be a good one... or at least I think it will be.


Just a run down of the layout of these posts here. I'll give a picture of the artist or band and then I'll try and find some kind of video or link for the song. I make no guarantees about the quality but I'll try my best to find an awesome one. So without further ado here's the first song.

"Black Wedding" by Meg & Dia

"Black Wedding" is a song dealing with religion and you can find it on their most recent album here, here and here. It takes a heavier tone compared to their earlier songs like "Roses" or "Monster" (both songs worth taking a listen to as well). Their unique voices blend well and overall just a very catchy song. You can currently see them on Warped Tour this year, and before you ask no they're not twins (I totally thought they were), just sisters. Feel free to leave any feedback or suggestions for further listening or possible posts!