Famous people confuse me.

It's too bad Chris Brown is such a major asshat, because the guy sure can dance.  I want to hate his music so badly but... I. Just. Can't.

Adele

I love Adele.  I love her voice, love her apartment, love this song.  Love it all.

[Via]

O'Fallon Township High School in da house!!

I loved high school.  Not so much that I'd ever want to relive it, mind you, but I have very fond memories that stem from that period of my life.  Blizzard.  Sneaking out after curfew.  Basketball tournaments.  Playing soccer under the lights.  Eating cinnamon rolls for lunch and not gaining weight.  Developing crushes on different boys every week.  Annoying my soccer teammates during practice by yelling the best cheer on the face of the earth:

"O!! O-F-A!! O-F-A-L-L-O-N O'Fallon all the wayyyyyyyy!!"

That one just never gets old.

Had we made a music video in the school while I was still a student, I'm sure that would be up there on the list of awesome memories too.  To all you current OTHS students out there: I am officially jealous.

OTHS Broadcast Club Lip Dub Music Video from OTHStoday.com on Vimeo.

The Hot Girl Song

This explains a lot about male behavior.

Jacques Cousteau! Baguette!

I dedicate the following video to my good friend, Mark.  His mom was our high school French teacher and Mark is the only person I know who speaks French.*  Mark: Feel free to translate in the comments section.

* Sorry Katie, but 4 years of high school French (under the

tutelage of Mark's mom, no less!) 13 YEARS AGO doesn't count.

Amy's Kick-Ass Christmas Playlist

While the title of this post may come off as arrogant, it's true and that really should count for something.  I mean seriously, when a single playlist includes songs from Britney Spears, Wham, and Frank Sinatra, you know it's good.

The following is best enjoyed while wrapping presents, unwrapping presents, and whilst mingling at the office holiday party.  Trust me, your boss will get a kick out of Run DMC's Christmas-themed offering.  Expect a promotion.

(Double-click on a song to begin)

Hungary for more Holiday jams?  Click here for a generous helping of indie fare!

The World's Youngest Fannilow

Adorbs.

Brain's brother worked as part of Barry Mannilow's lighting design team in Las Vegas awhile back.  Maybe THAT will be the excuse I'll use when forcing my future children to memorize and recite Barry Mannilow songs for my own personal enjoyment.

Choir Practice

Now this is one memory from their teen years that these high schoolers won't try to forget 10 years from now.  Lenny melts me.

[Via]

Song of the Day

I fear I have developed a love affair with this song.

But don't worry, it's cool.  B and I have an open relationship when it comes to music.  And pizza.

[Via Goldteef]

Song of the Day

So I was at the gym the other day and, long story short, I couldn't access my iTunes.  So I used the Pandora Radio application on my iPhone to get me through the workout.  I was quite pleased with the song selection until the following tune began to play, at which point I became overjoyed with it.

So from Pandora, to me, to you... here's a little dose of 1991.

I'm still not quite sure if the best part is the

ridiculous gun twirling or describing said firearm as a

"nine millime... ter."  Both are pure '90's perfection.

Mommy Dearest

This post is dedicated to my darling mother, Peggy.  Or "The Pegster", as she is now known.  (Note: she is also called "Josephine" or "Josie" by my younger brother, who christened her with the random moniker in the 8th grade after she told him that he was too young to be calling his mother by her first name like my sister, myself, and our high school friends had begun to do at the time.  Classic!)

While home in Virginia over the Thanksgiving holiday, I convinced my mother to watch the first 4 episodes of the television show "Glee" with me.  (I'd already seen the entire first season, but knew she would love it and was more than willing to watch it again.)  Fast forward a few weeks to my trip home for Christmas.  Do you think we watched football?  No.  The Pegster had effectively commandeered the television set to ensure that everyone watched "Glee".  And they were going to like it, gosh darn it!  I love my mom.

Anyhoo, one of the episodes features "mashups", which is when two or more songs are seamlessly combined to form one big awesome version.  Well, I immediately thought of Glee when I heard some of the mashups created by DJ Earworm.  for the past three years, he's created a mashup of Billboard's top 25 songs for that year.  The following is the mashup he created for 2009:

[Click here for DJ Earworm's 2008 and 2007 mashups]

I'm also a big fan of his Tom Petty/Beyonce mashup:

The only thing missing is a dance number performed by Mr. Schu... swoon!

My Perfect Day

Wouldn't you love to get all dolled up...



Apply the perfect shade of red to your lips...



Tie a scarf around your updo...



And slide a pair of "movie star" sunglasses (as my mom would say) onto your face...



Before getting behind the wheel of your dream car...




And cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway while listening to this little ditty?

Le sigh.


[Zee Avi song from the lovely Courtney]
[Click on images to view source information]

Non-related Twins

Doesn't the lead singer of the band A Fine Frenzy look exactly like a less curvaceous Christina Hendricks?

Their resemblance is uncanny... Almost as uncanny as my resemblance to Penelope Cruz!

[A Fine Frenzy spotted on Black*Eiffel]

I'm not sure she was all that "good" to begin with

I still really like this song. And Leighton Meester. She looks so gorgeous in this video, I'm beginning to think that even Gossip Girl doesn't do her justice.

Team Waldorf!

My ears found their life partner

The voice of Priscilla Ahn has literally left me speechless.

Or typeless, as it were.

[Spotted on Rockstar Diaries]

A Cappella Love

In the spring of 2007 I introduced Brain to one of my many alma maters via a weekend roadtrip to Charlottesville, Virginia. By far the most memorable experience from the adventure was hearing the Virginia Gentlemen, UVa's oldest (and my favorite) male a cappella group, perform in Old Cabel Hall located on the south end of the lawn. Brain, who plays several instruments and has a background in audio engineering, is very particular about music and sound quality. I'm talking Kate Gosslin picky. So taking him to see the VGs was a little like introducing your significant other to your family - exciting, yes, but mostly just nerve-racking.

He loved it. In fact, he loved it so much that he didn't really mind me swooning over the president and star singer of the group, Will Anderson. Though, truth be told, I don't think I was the only one swooning, ifyouknowwhatImean. Below is a poorly taped video clip from the concert we attended, featuring Will on lead vocals:

Following the VG's performance, I may or may not have stalked Mr. Anderson and discovered that he plays multiple instruments and is the lead singer in a band. Originally named Sparky's Flaw, the group now goes by the name Parachute and is developing quite the following in Charlottesville and beyond. Reminiscent of The Fray, Parachute's sound would be perfect to study to but catchy enough to sing along with in the car on your way home from work. I love those kind of jams.

Music To My Ears

Meet Melody Gardot. She's 24 years old, beautiful, and an amazingly talented jazz musician. In fact, if I didn't like her so much, I'd hate her. (It's a girl thing.)

The only thing more interesting than her music is her backstory: according to Wikipedia, Melody Gardot was severely injured at the age of 19 when a car struck the bike she was riding. A pianist, Gardot's musical training made her a prime candidate for music therapy, which has been shown to redefine neural pathways and aids cognitive repairment. To this day she requires the use of a cane to walk, sits during performances, and remains highly sensitive to both light and sound. The accident did, however, lead to her taking up the guitar, as her broken pelvis left her unable to sit at the piano. The music that she wrote during this time later comprised her first album.

Some of my favorite songs are below. Go ahead - pour yourself an Old Fashioned, light a cigar, lean back, and enjoy...

Baby I'm a Fool

Your Heart Is As Black As Night

Who Will Comfort Me

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

[Melody Gardot first discovered at I Suwannee]

Song of the Day

Ahhh, life is good again...

Because what this world needs is another Michael Jackson blog posting.

I'm sorry, but I had to. You see, I've spent the past 2 or so weeks watching all the coverage on Michael Jackson's life and death and throughout that time, try as I might, I couldn't pinpoint my favorite MJ song. But just as I was about to give up and go with Man In The Mirror, I went for a run and - wouldn't you know it - the absolute best Michael Jackson song ever recorded made it's way to my earphones:

The MJ song is featured near the beginning, but if you would like to watch the dance sequence in it's entirety, you have both my permission and utmost respect.

Paige and I agree that this song, especially when combined with a riveting ballet performance, is The Best. It reminds me of that time in junior high when my ballet company forced me and a group of impressionable young girls to pirouette to the instrumental number featured in those old "where's the beef?" commercials. That wasn't embarrassing in the least!

Continuing on in Michael Jackson news, People.com was kind enough to throw together this montage of his ever-changing face over the years. Watching this video begs the question: was Jackson's death the result of a secret assassination orchestrated by the plastic surgeons of the world? Because, lord knows, MJ's appearance as of late could not have been helping business.

Which brings me to my next point:

[From A Picture Is Worth 1000 LOLz]

All The World's A Stage

Brain's younger brother, Mark, graduated from college, traveled the world for 5 months, and worked as an associate lighting designer for Barry Mannilow's latest Las Vegas show - all within the past year. Mark currently applies his talents as a lighting designer at The Little Theater on the Square, which just wrapped a stage production of Singin' in the Rain. Though I didn't get the opportunity to see it myself, I'll now think of him whenever I watch the film version. And, between my desire to gaze at the suit and my love for this smile-inducing song and dance number, that may happen more than I'd care to admit.

They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Mark is now spending his time designing for the theater's upcoming production of Funny Girl. Which means that I'd better update my Netflix queue.