Two Things

Two totally random things:

First, the newest MC Lars music video for the song "Twenty-Three" and his new EP of the same name. I've been a big fan of MC Lars since Fall 2009 and "Twenty-Three" is the song that got me into him. It's a song about the suicide of a friend of his, and now Lars is working with AFSP (the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) and donating his own earnings to the cause, to help prevent suicide, especially among teens. The Twenty-Three EP also features another of my favorites, "Hey There Ophelia" which is a somewhat humorous re-telling of Hamlet (which happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play.) So check out the Twenty-Three EP and the music video - and help the cause!

Another thing that caught my eye was news from Owl City - a new album to be released in July. It's not an Owl City album; it's Adam Young's earlier music. Hope it's as great at the Owl City albums!

Happy Tuesday!
Emily Noel

Most Mismatched Music Video EVER.

So at this point in Summer 2010, I can assume the majority of you have heard Katy Perry's new single "California Gurls." (And if you haven't...well, get on that.) It's a great summer jam in my opinion, but then again I'm biased because I'm in love with Katy Perry.

But the recently-released "California Gurls" music video kind of blows my mind. "Candyfornia"? Let's be real. I mean, as much as I love watching Katy Perry put on half a dozen candy-themed outfits while Snoop Dogg detracts from the quality of the song in the background, I don't really see the correlation between California and a Katy Perry-themed version of the Candyland board game. But even though it seems ridiculous, I couldn't hate it because Katy's got even more pep and sparkle in this video. She may not be a show-stopper like Gaga, but she's got her own look, her own vibe, her own moves. Not to mention the quality - lollipops morphing into snakes, cotton candy clouds, incredible costumes - is pretty impressive. The video is cute, Katy's just as hot as ever, and the song is still a great beach tune for the summer no matter which coast you're on.

Happy Friday!
Emily Noel

Well, It's Been Awhile - Happy Summer 2010!

Alright, I admit defeat when it comes to this blog. I haven't given up on it entirely, but my priorities have shifted, for sure. This year taught me a lot, and one thing it taught me is that I don't want to write for a music magazine. At least not right now. Actually, I don't really know what I want to do with my life at all - this year erased all prior notions for some reason - but my point is, I've been focusing more on my fiction writing these past few months, which is why the blog has been so neglected.

Anyway, I'm not doing a full-scale review right now, but I've had a lot of songs rolling around my brain for this last glorious month of this summer, so I figured I'd post a list of what I've been listening to, in case anyone is curious or is just looking for new music. =] Enjoy!

(PS - These are not all new songs that I've discovered, some I've known for a long time, it's just that they're relevant to this summer and what I've been listening to lately.)

My Summer 2010 Playlist (So Far)
"Devil in Jersey City" - Coheed and Cambria
"Constructive Summer" - The Hold Steady
"Be Calm" - Fun.
"Starlett Johansson" - The Teenagers
"Walcott" - Vampire Weekend
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" - Bruce Springsteen
"At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" - Fun.
"The End" - John Wesley Harding
"Majoring in Minors" - Sugarcult
"Atlantic City" - Bruce Springsteen
"Horchata" - Vampire Weekend
"Walking the Dog" - Fun.
"Wheel of Fortune" - The Teenagers
"Hey Soul Sister" - Train
"Get Out of My Head" - The Leftovers
"Summerboy" - Lady Gaga
"California Gurls" - Katy Perry
"Run Away" - Skyfox
"Banditos" - Refreshments

And that's about it for now...but hopefully I'll remember the blog a bit more often this summer and do some actual reviews.

Happy Thursday!
Emily Noel