Florence + the Machine

So...it's been awhile. But I have a new(ish) infatuation. Her name is Florence. And apparently she has a machine. She is a musical genius. Partake of a favorite of mine, The Dog Days Are Over (and this love is completely independent of the trailer for Eat. Pray. Love. AND the latest installment of GLEE).



And another one (used on one of my favorite dances from last season of So You Think You Can Dance). The idiots at YouTube won't let me embed, so if you want to see it, HERE is the link.

Check her out. You won't be sorry you did.

Vogue

Madonna. Simply saying the word aloud makes me feel powerful.
~Sue Sylvester

Okay...so this made me all kinds of happy tonight. Vogue has long been one of my Madonna favorites, but Sue Sylvester makes it all the more delightful! Next week is the Madonna themed episode of Glee and I'm so excited!



There's even a cameo by cute Nathan Trasoras from the last season of So You Think You Can Dance.

Quit Playing Games With My Heart

I was driving home from the gym tonight, scanning the radio waves and stumbled upon a true classic. I was launched back to 1996, the year the Backstreet Boys debut album was released:

• I was only 13 years old
• I was in 8th grade at American Fork Junior High
• I had braces on my teeth
• I thrived on riding my bike to Smith's to buy cheap nail polish, Bonne Bell, colored mascara, and Lee press-on nails.
• I was best friends with Kim Hansen - we bonded in band, she on the flute, I on the clarinet.
  
• I had a crush on Sean Johnson - his place in my youthful crushes was sealed when Mr. Dickerson wanted he and I to get in "the crawl box" together (as the two smallest pupils in 7th grade science)
  
• We had The Box (which was forbidden to watch, until my dad discovered that during the month of October Michael Jackson's Thriller could be requested - at that moment, the ban was lifted for a short time. Interestingly enough, the ban was again lifted for BSB's As Long As You Love Me as well). When this particular music video was released, it ended up on the air non-stop. It was during this time that I fell in love with Nick Carter - how can you NOT love him (and even the other four) sloshing around in the water?!
• YouTube is retarded and won't let me embed video here, but if you want a reminder of how awesome Quit Playing Games With My Heart really was, click here.
  

...life was so much simpler then.

New Moon Soundtrack

I'll be the first to admit - I'm not a "Twi-Hard." I've only read the books once, and I can count on one hand how many times I've seen the movie. I do, however, squeal a little with girlish anticipation for the theatrical release of New Moon. I saw a new(ish) preview for it last night while waiting to see Zombieland (a fantastical feat of cinematic sublimity) and was embarrassed by my own excitement.

I didn't LOVE Twilight. In fact, I thought the bulk of it was laughable, but Edward is so dreamy and the love he has for Bella is one that would make any girl (even this one) go weak in the knees. The one element of this movie that was flawless was its soundtrack. Man, that Stephenie Meyer can channel vampires through music with the best of them!

I decided to find out when the New Moon soundtrack would be available, and it's up for presale on Amazon. The track listing hold tremendous potential!

1. Meet Me On the Equinox, Death Cab for Cutie

2. Friends, Band of Skulls

3. Hearing Damage, Thom Yorke

4. Possibility, Lykke Li

5. A White Demon Love Song, The Killers

6. Satellite Heart, Anya Marina

7. I Belong To You (New Moon Remix), Muse

8. Rosyln, Bon Iver & St. Vincent

9. Done All Wrong, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

10. Monsters, Hurricane Bells

11. The Violet Hour, Sea Wolf

12. Shooting the Moon, OK Go

13. Slow Life, Grizzly Bear (with Victoria Legrand)

14. No Sound But the Wind, Editors

15. New Moon (The Meadow), Alexandre Desplat

I think I'm most excited for the collaborative effort of Bon Iver and St. Vincent - I predict it will be spectacular! If you haven't listened to either, they are both at the top of my "most played" playlist. And I'm officially announcing I have more anticipation for the soundtrack than the actual movie (but I'm still excited to see how the songs mesh with the scenes). The countdown for November 20th begins...

Just Blue, v.2

Last week Laura and I drove to Provo together and she asked me to bring my iPod along for entertainment (LOVE when she does that). When I asked what she preferred to listen to, she replied, "Something sad and mellow." WOW! She must know me well (I shouldn't brag about this, but most of my music and preferential listening is the sad, mellow stuff). She asked me to make her a CD, and I have. I thought it would be fun to share with the world, Just Blue, v.2. I made the first version of this playlist one night following the whole debacle with Mike when I told him I liked him and was so worried he was going to stop hanging out with me because of it...but I figured that it was worth a revamp with some of my newer tunes:

Just Blue, v.2

Lie in the Sound - Trespassers William
The Heart of Life - John Mayer
Duet - Rachael Yamagata *not on the OFFICIAL New Moon Soundtrack - it just says so on this vid*
Kite Song - Rosie Thomas
If You Ever Did Believe - Stevie Nicks
Recognition - Susie Suh
The Acrobat - Johnathan Rice
Keep it There - The Weepies
Get Well Soon - The Perishers
Hazy - Rosi Golan (feat. William Fitzsimmons)
Stand Still, Look Pretty - The Wreckers
Rain - Priscilla Ahn
The Absence of Your Company - Kim Richey
Say (All I Need) - OneRepublic
Two - Ryan Adams
Dream - Priscilla Ahn
Gravity - Sara Bareilles
The World Spins Madly On - The Weepies
9 Crimes - Damien Rice
The Longer I Run - Peter Bradley Adams
Ain't Gonna Lose You - Brett Dennen

I've been listening to this playlist all week, and I think I'm in love. It's a keeper - if you have any inclination to take a listen, they are linked.

My Life According to The Beatles

My favorite Schmiburon had this fun game (for the music lover in us all) on her blog. Me likey...

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)"

Pick your Artist:
*The Beatles*

Describe yourself:
Her Majesty

How do you feel:
I'm So Tired

Describe where you currently live:
Run For Your Life

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Here, There and Everywhere

Your favorite form of transportation:
Ticket to Ride

Your best friend:
Girl

You and your best friend are:
Tomorrow Never Knows

What's the weather like:
Sun King

Favorite time of day:
Golden Slumbers

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
You Never Give Me Your Money

What is life to you:
Helter Skelter

Your relationship:
Free As A Bird

Your fear:
For No One

What is the best advice you have to give:
Come Together

Thought for the Day:
All You Need Is Love

How I would like to die:
When I'm 64

My soul's present condition:
Carry That Weight

My motto:
Let It Be

I tag:
Lynsey, Leigh, Shamae, Jody....anyone else who wants to play. Let me know if you do - I want to witness all the creativity!

Another Reason to Love the Mayer

I had no idea that John was a part of the tribute to Michael Jackson. I've been "mourning" the loss of one of music's greatest talents since I heard of his death, so, naturally, when my dad mentioned that there was a memorial that would be televised tonight, I had to tune in. I heard that all-too-familiar electric guitar and immediately had to scour the web for a full video. I knew I loved John Mayer before, but this is a merging of two fabulous talents. I only wish John would have joined in the singing...

CD Swapperoo

So...lately I've been craving new music (or at least a re acquaintance with some old favorites). Basically, I'm just burned out. Summer's right around the corner (says the calendar, not the weather) and I thought it would be fun to host a swap.

Here's how it works. If you want to play, leave a comment and let me know you're committed. Do this by May 16th. Then, I will let everyone know how many copies of their mix they need to burn (if 10 people say they want to play, you'll make 10 copies). You'll get your discs to me by May 30th and then I'll get one of each sent back to each of you! It's simple - I just need your commitment. Make sure you include a track listing and some fun cover art too! OH, and give it a shout out on your blog - the more people that play, the more music we get!

The catch? Summer music can tend to be so cliche (Summer Girls by LFO, Cruel Summer by Bananarama, Steal My Sunshine by Len). If you want to play, get those creative juices flowing and really put your personality stamp on that mix! Try to think of the songs that make you want to sit out on your porch sipping a Shirley Temple, or drive around town with your feet out the window, or put the top down on your convertible and feel the wind in your hair.

If you have any questions, you can also email me at s [dot] mcallister83 [at] gmail [dot] com

New Music I {heart}

As a music junkie, I "waste" too much tine scouring the internet for new music. It's not just the internet either - I hear music on TV shows (most often Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill), on commercials, in stores, and on movies. I have also learned that Murray Public Library has a DANDY CD collection. I have found a new favorite site, TuneGlue, that explores relationships between artists. It is amazing! Once you enter an artist or band and click "expand," it branches out into a web of related artists. I highly recommend giving it a try sometime.

Since I'm lacking the blogging "creative juices" tonight, I thought I'd share a few new artists/albums/songs that are currently tickling my fancy. Some are older loves that have resurfaced, but most are new finds - doing a lot of play time on the old iPod.

• Rise Up by Ben Lee. This song is found on the not-yet-released Rebirth of Venus album and was featured on Grey's Anatomy last week. What a beautiful, delicate song! Not to mention the great scene it played behind on the show! Ben is a fab artist, with other such songs as Catch My Disease, Chills, What Would Jay-Z Do?, and Ripe. He even adequately covered The Beatles, In My Life.
• Paris by Benton Paul. Benton opened last Friday for David Archuleta, but exhibited a musical maturity of someone with much more experience. He was a joy to watch, and melted my heart with his talent (not to mention, he hails from Highland, UT)! He spent some time in France, and managed to crank out this beautiful song - "I learned to talk in French. I learned to kiss in French," he said.
  
• The Weepies iTunes Exclusive Live EP. I thought I had all there was to have of this fantastic mellow duo. The husband and wife have cranked out yet another great release. I would listen to The Weepies 24 hours a day. I know they're a smidge "easy listening," but once I heard The World Spins Madly On on Grey's (the gripping "bomb episode" in season 2), I was hooked.
• Half Acre by Hem - found on an insurance commercial (of all places). Another mellow band, using a lot of soothing piano riffs, and that oh-so-common indie woman vocal. This track even boasts a clarinet (now think if I had never given up - I could have been Hem's clarinetist - haha).
• Then by Brad Paisley. I'm not a country girl, by even the loosest definition, but this song quite nearly made me cry. He performed this beaut on American Idol a few weeks ago, and it helped me to see just the smallest glimpse of what my mom and dad, and numerous other long-time couples have in their relationships. Fantastic perspective!
• Duet by Rachael Yamagata. She has partnered with one of my all-time favorite male vocalists, Ray LaMontagne, to sing this beautiful arrangement. The vocals compliment each other quite well - it's a fab song for bedtime.
• Hazy by Rosi Golan. This indie gal was featured on One Tree Hill, and at the conclusion of the episode, I hopped on iTunes and downloaded the album immediately. Rosi features another uber-talented bearded vocalist, William Fitzsimmons. These two are some of my favorite finds of the new year.
• The Fear by Lily Allen. Lily is a fearless British pop star, with questionable lyrics. I love her. The Fear is the first single off her newest album, "It's Not Me, It's You" and is a great little ditty.
• Grizzly Bear's Yellow House album. No words to describe them. Favorite track? Knife.
  
• David Archuleta's self titled album. I know, I'm 26 and I shouldn't have so much love for the underage Idol, but after seeing the kid perform live last weekend, my heart is brimming with love for Murray's own superstar. I think I have listened to his album at least 10 times since last Thursday when I started prepping for the show. I don't even think I can denote a favorite track. Judge all you want, but you know you secretly love him too.

Check 'em out. You won't regret it...just let me know when you've succumbed to your musical coma.

Brokenhearted

When I was a Freshman in college, in the bleak town of Ephraim, Utah, my roommates and I decided that each year we were in school, we would make a mix dedicated to love; a mix that would remind us of memories of the past year. That initial mix was called The Soft Sounds of Snow, aptly named for the college we were attending. It contained a wide variety of songs, and was, at first, meant to be a three-disc set saluting three different genres of love songs: kinky, classic, and contemporary. When we came to the realization that we didn't have the time (nor the resources - none of us owned a computer with disc-burning capacities), we decided to create one mix with the best of all three worlds. The content is almost laughable, now eight years into the future: Cupid by 112; The Distance by Evan and Jaron; Drowning by the Backstreet Boys; All My Life by K-Ci and JoJo. Each song had its own significance and place in our lives. We loved that CD - and even listening to it now makes me nostalgic for those carefree days when I would stay out until 4am, sleep all day, and DIDN'T have to work.

The tradition continued with alternative versions: Cache In (our first effort in Logan) and Half Cache (as I only stayed for one semester that next year). The track lists are equally as amusing, very accurately reflecting the music of the time, and genres painting a picture of the lives we were leading. As life continued moving, so evolved my taste in music.

This year when Nick asked me what songs I was putting on my Love Mix, I was stunned to tell him that I hadn't made one - and shockingly so! Immediately I went to work trying to compile lyrics and melodies to articulate my comprehension of love at this moment in time. The process wasn't easy. I have a healing heart, and a cynical one, at that. It still beats, but not to the tune of a "love song." You won't hear my heart pitter-patting to Unforgettable or Unchained Melody. Though I love those songs, my heart won't yet allow me to recognize that sentiment as love. Instead, the sad and cynical chambers of my heart have taken over: an underlying tone in the songs thusfar occupying the playlist "Brokenhearted." A sub-sample, if you will:

Light Years Away by MoZella: "It's almost like you had it planned. It's like you smiled and shook my hand and said, 'Hey, I'm about to screw you over bigtime.' But I don't blame you anymore, that's too much pain to store. It left me hefted, inside my head. And I think that I cried for days but now that seems light years away and I'm never goin' back to who I was."

Heal Over by KT Tunstall: "Isn't very difficult to see why you are the way you are. Doesn't take a genius to realize that sometimes life is hard. It's gonna take time but you just have to wait. You're gonna be fine, but in the mean time. I'm over hear lady, let me wipe your tears away. Come a little nearer baby, 'cause you'll heal over, someday."

How to Say Goodbye by Paul Tiernan: "He loved to say goodbye, and always counted out the time until he was free, to get up and leave to learn how to breathe again."

There are a few songs, however, exhibiting a sense of hope. Songs that were added despite the current state of the thumper in my chest:

Inevitable by Anberlin: "I wanna break every clock. The hands of time will never move again. We could stay in this moment for the rest of our lives. Is it over now? I wanna be your last first kiss that you'll ever have."

Somebody by Depeche Mode: "I want somebody to share, share the rest of my life. Share my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details...I want somebody who cares for me passionately, with every thought and with every breath, someone who'll stand by my side and give me support, and in return, she'll get my support...and when I'm asleep, I want somebody who will put their arms around and kiss me tenderly"

There are a few covers that I deemed worthy for the occasion (with surprisingly upbeat, romantic undertones): Coldplay's Yellow, as performed by Jem; Mariah Carey's Always Be My Baby, as performed by David Cook; and Don Henley's The Heart of the Matter as performed by India Arie.

So, there you have it - a small cross section of the 27 songs comprising the 2009 "Brokenhearted" Love Mix. I know I'm capable of better, but until my healing heart boasts it's umpteenth batch of scar tissue, this effort will have to make due.

2009 Grammy Affair

Most who know me understand my love of music. Interestingly enough, I didn't really get a handle on this obsession until I was about 19. I realized, as I was listening to a live album by Ben Harper, laying on the floor in the dark, that I REALLY loved music. I have since adopted this behavior as a staple in my lifestyle. My friends often remark how strange it is that I LOVE to be alone, listening to music, savoring the essence that is contained therein. Of course I have those never-fail, tried-and-true musicians, such as John Mayer, Ben Harper, and Coldplay, but I have found myself incorporating new peeps into the rotation: Ray LaMontagne, Adele, Bon Iver, and The Weepies, just to name a few.

There are a few nights of the year I anticipate (like some do with the Superbowl): the Golden Globes, the Grammys, and the Oscars. Golden Globes have passed, Oscars are just a couple of weeks into the future, but tonight were the Grammys. My little musically obsessed brain spins with excitement like a kid on Christmas as I watch the night unfold with numerous live performances, tributes, and honors awarded. Though I don't always agree with the nominees or the winners, it's almost always a great event. Not to mention, John Mayer has performed the last three years.

Some of my personal highlights of the evening (in no particular order):

• John Mayer doing a jazz tribute with B.B. King - the man is a guitar genius!
• Katy Perry performing "I Kissed a Girl" in a fruity ensemble, stepping out of a giant banana to kick-off the number.
• The JONAS BROTHERS! I know i'm almost 26, but these Disney-bred, teen superstars make my heart throb! I was initially introduced to these underaged phenoms by way of JDRF when Nick Jonas was diagnosed with diabetes (and released a song about the diagnosis). Now I'm just looking for a buddy to come with me to see the 3D experience on February 27th - any takers??
• Adele winning Best New Artist (even though she beat out those Jonas boys, she's still got a ROCKIN voice)!
• Radiohead performing 15 Steps off their stellar, grammy-nominated album In Rainbows. Some of you non-Radiohead fans will recognize this song from the movie Twilight.
• Kanye West and Estelle singing "American Boy." Kanye was sporting the early 90's haircut - the almost-mullet (kind of like the pre-child molestation days of Michael Jackson).
• Coldplay winning Best Rock Album - and don't they deserve it! This one has spent numerous days on repeat on my iPod.
• John Mayer WINNING Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Say," one of the songs off the soundtrack of my life. If only he had gotten to perform it :(
  

While there were great moments, there was also one that profoundly disturbed me - M.I.A. performing on her DUE DATE! HELLO?! There's a 9-month, full-grown fetus in your uterus and you still want to perform? Not to mention her heinous outfit. Her sheer little number BETTER have earned worst-dressed in EW this week. By the way, there's a polka dot patch on the back side as well. Behold:


So, that's Grammy wrap-up for 2009. Maybe next year Chris Brown can refrain from roughing up his girlfriend so he can make it to the show to sing his song. When your girlfriend's as hot as Rihanna, what do you have to complain about?? Maybe he thought she's the girl that Katy Perry is referring to...and she liked it.