july music obsessions.

all month i've been hoarding some of my all time favorite listens. none of them are really even that new or obscure, they're just songs i know and love. but if you ask me, those make for the best playlists.so, here's what i've been listening to this  month:
song: all we ask
artist: grizzly bear
album: veckatimest

song: mercy
artist: duffy
album: rockferry

song: somebody that i used to know
aritist: gotye
album: making mirrors

song: jesus the mexican boy
artist: iron & wine
album: the sea & the rhythm

song: the ballad of love and hate
artist: the avett brothers
album: emotionalism

song: shape we made
artist: peggy sue
album: fossils and other phantoms

song: the luckiest, and annie waits
artist: ben folds
album: rockin' the suburbs

song: merry happy (listener's discretion is advised), mariella (listener's discretion is advised), and birds (listener's discretion is advised)
artist: kate nash
album: made of bricks

song: i and love and you
artist: the avett brothers
album: i and love and you

song: somewhere only we know
artist: keane
album: hopes and fears

song: animal
artist: neon trees
album: habits

song: glass
artist: ingrid michaelson
album: girls and boys

song: friends of friends
artist: hospitality
album: friends of friends-indie spotlight free download from iTunes

song: foundations (listener's discretion is advised)
artist: kate nash
album: foundations

song: fire
artist: jesse thomas
album: fire-indie spotlight free download from iTunes

song: falling in love at a coffee shop
artist: landon pigg
album: falling in love at a coffee shop-single

song: horchata
artist: vampire weekend
album: contra

song: love
artist: matt white
album: best days

song: harvest moon
artist: pepper rabbit
album: beauregard

song: i've just seen a face, and hey jude
artist: jim sturgess^, and joe anderson^
album: across the universe sound track

song: fall for you
artist: secondhand serenade
album: a twist in my story

song: someone like you
artist: adele
album: 21

i love summer playlists! what have you been listening to? please, i love sharing new music.

xx

yes, i do still listen to music.

i can't believe that last year, music was such a big part of my blog and now i very rarely talk about it. that being said, i'm going to bring that part of my life back to my little corner of the bloggersphere.
so, here's what i'm listening to as of late:

artist: peggy sue

album(s) i've been listening to:+acrobats, +body parts and first aid, +fossils and other phantoms, +lover gone

peggy sue is a british indie pop/folk band. i first heard them at the kate nash concert that i went to in 2010 and have really liked them every since. i love their gravely, grainy, raw sound. they play all their own instruments and i think they write all of their own songs which makes me really appreciate their music even more.

artist:florence + the machine

album i've been listening to:+ceremonials

i really like florence + the machine because she is still somewhat obscure but there are still enough people that know who she is that i can mention her and most people will say "oh, yeah, i know who that is." basically, she is what adele was a few years ago. anyway, her music is just so resonating. it crawls inside my mind and provokes new thoughts and ideas. i find it inspiring to listen to someone like f+tm.

artist:lenka

album(s) i've been listening to:+lenka, +two

lenka's music is really quite fun. she's a lot like mika (whom i LOVE). her stuff is so easy to listen to. and its so catchy. i like to mix it with the likes of peggy sue, joss stone or john mayer so that i have a little bit of sweet and deep all in one listening. 

what have you been listening to?

♥ ♥

may music - what a great alliteration!

last month i was really into music involving names. i'm not sure what my obsession is with songs that contain names, but i sure had one... observe:

artist: the beatles

song(s): dear prudence, hey jude, lucy in the sky with diamonds, sexy sadie

{hey jude.}

(to be completely honest, dear prudence, hey jude and lucy in the sky with diamonds are three of my all time favorite beatles songs anyway. but they were listened to more frequently in may than usual.)

artist: hanson

song: lucy

album: middle of nowhere

artist: jack's mannequin

song: hammers and strings (a lullaby)

album: the glass passenger

artist: mark salling

song: sweet caroline

{oh my, swoon!}

artist: kristen chenoweth

song: taylor the latte boy

album: the girl in 14 G

{thanks, lo of I Am Lauren, for showing me this song!!}

what were your may music obsessions?

what are some of your favorite 'name' songs?

♥ ♥

p.s. have you entered my giveaway yet? no? go here to do so.

january music obsessions.

this months music has been chuck full of happy-go-lucky, feel-good music and a few songs that i just absolutely love. my music selections will probably seem random to you, but it all makes sense to me!

here's what i listened to (the most) in january:

alice (underground)

by: avril lavigne

on the album: almost alice

aside from almost alice being a great album (its based on alice in wonderland. hello.) i love this song that avril sings. i've always loved her sound and then combine that with my love for alice in wonderland and its like a match made in heaven!

album: the boy who knew too much & life in cartoon

by: mika

it has come to my attention that mika has been on almost every one of my monthly playlists. can you blame me? he rocks my socks. i L♥VE his music. and his videos aren't too shabby either. if anyone wants to get me concert tickets, i wont say "no".
he is my density.

the great escape

by: boys like girls

on the album: boys like girls

i was against punk music for a long time. and its still not really my favorite (minus avril), but sometimes i'll be in the mood for it and then i'll find wonderfully awesome songs like this and not stop playing them for days. this month, great escape was my punk love. ♥

i don't wanna be

by: gavin degraw

on the album: chariot

this is not my favorite song. but this month, the lyrics were portraying some of the things that i was feeling that i couldn't say myself. thus, it went on the list and i played it loudly every. single. time. (bonus point, what t.v. show is this the theme song for?)

the call

by: regina spektor

on the album: the chronicles of narnia: prince caspian

okay, so that is not the official vid for the song, but i found it on youtube and i thought it was kind of hilarious so i decided to post it anyway. -- this song is so nostalgic for me and ALWAYS makes me feel happy and sad all at the same time. its because of prince caspian (the movie). this song is played at the end and its such a bittersweet ending that, ugh, i just can't figure out whether to be glad the narnian war is over, or sad that the pevensies are leaving narnia again. (okay. nerd talk over.)

victor's piano solo & the piano duet

by: danny elfman

on the album: the corpse bride

okay. i don't know where to begin with this one. hamalahamalahamala... okay. first, the corpse bride movie in and of itself is BRILLIANT and BEAUTIFUL and if you haven't seen it please stop reading this RIGHT NOW and go watch it. i'm serious. i like it better than nightmare before christmas... actually i could go as far as to say it is my favorite tim burton film (that even includes alice in wonderland). yes, its that good. secondly, danny elfman is AMAZZZZING. one of the reasons i love tim burton films so much is because you can usually count on him to include johnny depp and/or helena bonham carter in the cast and danny elfman as the composer. win, win, win. -- so this music, is so hauntingly beautiful. i love it. looooove it.

beautiful boy

by: john lennon

on the album: double fantasy

so, i'm not really that big of john lennon fan. there, i said it. i mean, yes, i like the beatles (i listen to them almost everyday) but the fact that he was a woman beater just doesn't sit well with me and it sort of stops me from going full swoonage over him and being supportive of everything he does just because he was a beatle.

that being said, his music is good and this song, above all, is probably my favorite.

the lyrics are brilliant and that's enough to listen to it on repeat for awhile.

heavy in your arms

by: florence + the machine

on the album: eclipse

besides the fact that i may or may not have nightmares after watching the music vid, this song is awesome. i love how raw florence + the machine's music is and this is one of my all time favorites by her (them). and then bonus! its on the eclipse soundtrack. and i love listening to songs from movies/tv shows that i like and remembering the scene they were in.

album: the family jewels

by: marina & the diamonds

(thanks penelope for this recommendation!)

so, this is a newer one for me. i was just informed about marina and the diamonds not too long ago and *surprise* i love their sound! she's right up there with kate nash, rilo kiley, and regina spektor for me. i think my favorite song on the album (right now) is hollywood. if you haven't heard of marina and the diamonds, please go look her (them) up and take a listen.

album: far

by: regina spektor

this is her most recent album (aside from live from london which is just her singing all her songs live) and so far, my favorite. the lyrics are so quirky and whimsical and i could just listen to this album all the time while eating mini tuna sandwiches with the crust cut off. that's how this album makes me feel. random, i know, but it makes sense in my head so, love me through it.

far away and glass

by: ingrid michaelson

on the album: girls and boys

ingrid is one of my go-to artists (aka an artist that will always be on my iPod. i can never get sick of her and if i don't know what to listen to, she's one of my go-to/default artists.) but these two songs have been my favorites of hers as of late. far away is like the epitome of happy and glass is the epitome of sad. i love them both. i love glass about as much as i love jar of hearts, and i love far away about as much as i love the way i am. so, it all works. please, if you haven't heard these songs, check them out.

kids

by: mgmt

on the album: oracular spectacular

okay, have you seen the music video for this song? it is absolutely horrifying. there is no other way to put it. BUT i love the song. l-o-v-e it. its probably one of my more favorite mgmt songs.

woman king

by: iron & wine

on the album: woman king (ep)

i love all iron & wine, but this is one i hadn't heard before and a kid  at work suggested i look it up, so i did and guess what, i loved it. so great.

album: speak now

by: taylor swift

i chose the back to december music vid because its one of my favorites on the album (as well as never grow up) i really like that back to december is more of an apology song rather than a boys-suck song. its a different side of taylor and i really like that. other than that, i love the whole album. i love her in-your-face sweetness and honesty. say what you will about her, she rocks. (and yes, c and i are going to see her in dallas in october. sort of excited about it...)

that concludes my january playlist.
what have you been listening to lately?

and welcome to my newest followers! i hope you like it here. feel free to make yourself at home.

december music obsessions.

yes, i know its the 8th of january but i don't care, i'm still going to do my december music obsessions. i LOVED my december playlist, so i don't think it'd be fair to it if i didn't share what i was jamming to while all ya'll were listening to holiday music. so, without further ado, i bring to you:

because

by: the beatles

on the album: abbey road

so, i don't know about you, but i think this is the most beautiful beatles song ever. besides the fact that you can hear the drug trip in the music, i love the lyrics and the eerie essence of the song.

the across the universe soundtrack

(specifically hey jude, lucy in the sky w/ diamonds, & strawberry fields forever)

a lot of my love from this movie/soundtrack comes from my love for jim sturgess. that aside it is one of my favorite movies and one of my favorite soundtracks. i love what they did with beatles music. love it.

my life would suck w/o you & already gone

by: kelly clarkson

on the album: all i ever wanted

oh kelly clarkson. basically she's the only ai star i've ever appreciated (besides carrie underwood) and yes, her music is sometimes redundant and she's a little faded now-a-days, but i still really like her. sometimes its awesome to just turn on some white-girl-pain music and blare it, screaming the lyrics at the top of your lungs.

jump rope

by: blue october

on the album: approaching normal

i like blue october alright, but this song is my favorite by theirs. its so different from most of their other music and has such a catchy tune. i find myself humming it to myself all the time.

paralyzed

by: rooney

on the album: calling the world

love me some rooney. i don't know why i chose this particular song of theirs as there isn't much significance to it, but i really like it and so, it went on the list. it is a great song.

the dr. horrible's sing a-long blog soundtrack

(specifically my eyes, brand new day, slipping, and everything you ever.)

have i told you about dr. horrible? no? *gasp* i have failed you as followers.

as a nph (neil patrick harris) fan i pretty much love everything he does, but dr. horrible's sing a-long blog is strangely entertaining. not at all what i thought it was going to be, but after i saw it, i can't stop listening to the soundtrack and watching certain scenes from it. it stars nph (you know, from how i met your mother, barney stinson...) and nathan fillion (the guy that plays castle) and felicia day (she's on the guild). its really a great short and you should check it out. (you can view act one here, act two here, and act 3 here. you're welcome.)

take a bow

by: rihanna

on the album: good girl gone bad

everyone needs a little rihanna every now and then in their lives. while i love her voice, i think the lyrics of some of her songs (especially the earlier ones) are kind of... horrible. i remember when this song came out though and i like it just as much now as i did then. its a very clever song. sad, but clever.

renegade & come sail away

by: styx

on the album: greatest hits

never thought i'd be a styx fan. and i'm still not fan-girl over them, but i do enjoy a good styx song every now and then. in december, these two were my faves.

good girls gone bad

by: cobra starship

on the album: hot mess

yes, i like this song because my girl leighton meester sings in it. but can you blame me? she's awesome. and the song is not too shabby either. give it a listen if you haven't. that's blair waldorf singing with the boys of cobra starship.

jar of hearts

by: christina perry

(PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK AND WATCH THE DANCE. IT IS MAGNIFICENT.) so, i remember this song was first heard on sytycd, a show i happen to frequent. i remember watching and afterwards thinking 'okay, where can i get that song?!' apparently i wasn't alone. not long after that, they had christina perry back on the show and she preformed jar of hearts live and then the song blew up. it was everywhere and everyone was claiming it as their heart-break song. yes, the amazing dance preformed to this song does aid in my love for the song, but other then that, i love the truth of the lyrics and the raw emotion that stems from it. christina said the song is based off of a boy that was a 'heart collector' and that she wrote it from the words of her own heart break. that's what makes it so beautiful and relatable. i love it. i. love. it.

need you now

by: lady antabellum

on the album: need you now

i know this song is tired and over played, but you have to remember, i don't listen to the radio, so its wonderful for me! and i can't even tell you how many times i've felt like what this song expresses. apparently i was feeling a little bitter for the month of december. okay, not apparently. i was, straight up.

crazy love

by: jason manns and jensen ackles

what? another jensen ackles plug? why yes. because he sings too. gah. swoon. this isn't the best song in the world, but i do love to hear my boy crooning in the background. it makes me smile for awhile.

all this time

by: one republic

on the album: waking up

(thanks for the recommendation connally!)

i hadn't ever heard this song and then [months later] i checked my comments from my september playlist post and miss connally of musings of a hippie had told me about it. i looked it up and have been playing it ever since. i love the song. love it. its so emo and sad and i don't know why i like that about it, but i do. the piano alone is pretty gorgeous.

australia

by: the shins

on the album: wincing the night away

this song is just so quaint. i like it. i want to throw a 60's beach party and play this song while everyone dances on the beach in their awesome swimsuits and drinks coke. wouldn't that be fun? yeah, i think it would.

here (in your arms)

by: hellogoodbye

on the album: zombies! aliens! vampires! dinosaurs! and more!

i just love this song. that's about it. its happy and up-beat and it makes me feel happy and up-beat which are two emotions i rather enjoy feeling.

rolling in the deep

by: adele

on the album: 21 (soon to be released! yay!)

well, gregward and i have had this song blasting any chance we can get in celebration of the soon-to-be released adele album. her first album, 19, was so wonderful that i can only imagine 21 is going to be that much better. love me some adele.

so, what'd you listen to during this christmas season? were you a grinch like me, skipping out on the have yourself a merry little christmases and let it snows? or were you a trooper listening to the classic christmas tunes?

in which i share my current music obsessions.

its time to share music again!

i love hearing new songs and getting hooked on new artists (when i say 'new' i mean i haven't heard them before. not necessarily a brand new artist. although, those are fun too.) 

it makes listening to music so much more of an experience and its very rare that i hear stuff i don't like (which is probably why i have over 6,000 songs on my iTunes right now...)

anyway, to carry on the spirit of september and october's music share, i've decided to do one at the end of each month from here on out. i'll be sharing who and/or what i obsessed over in that month.

feel free to share music with me as well, as i love finding new gems!

(click on the song/artist and you'll be re-directed to youtube where you can hear the song and watch the music video if there is one.)

carry on my wayward son

by: kansas

on the album: leftoverture

so, i first heard this song awhile ago at a friends house while playing guitar hero. every since then, i've quite liked the song. as of late, i can't stop listening to it. although i'm not a fan of excessive guitar solos and such, i do love this song.

avril lavigne

album: the best damn thing

(mostly hot and when you're gone but really, the whole album)

this is an album i never get sick of. i've been listening to it quite frequently lately and there isn't one song that i'll skip over. avril rocks i don't care who you are!

piazza, new york catcher

by: belle and sebastian

on the album: juno

so, the juno soundtrack in and of itself is one of my all time favorite soundtracks ever. but i love this song. its so quaint and chill. i absolutely love belle and sebastian. i haven't heard one song of theirs that i don't like.

birds

by: kate nash

on the album: made of bricks

since i just saw kate nash in concert not too long ago, i've been really hooked on her music. this song is my favorite by her and i think its such a beautiful love song! i think we all feel this way at one point or another.

eye of the tiger

by: survivor

on the album: eye of the tiger

i love old songs like these. i usually have a hard time taking them seriously because they are just so cheesy. classic, but cheesy. but i will still listen to them non-stop sometimes. who doesn't love a little survivor every now and then??

(so, jra (jensen ross ackles) did his own little diddy to this song. you should definitely check it out.

its amazing. promise.)

hey soul sister

by: train

on the album: save me san francisco

this song is so marvelous. its up beat and happy and i love it. it makes me think of wearing a cute sundress and running through an orange orchard, which would be magnificent.

(lets just not talk about how horrible this music video is, okay?)

flightless bird, american mouth

by: iron & wine

on the album: twilight

let me first just say that iron & wine is one of my favorite groups, bands, whatever you want to call them. okay! so this song. LOVE it! its in the same category as birds (by kate nash) for me. beautiful lyrics and so well put in a less-than-ordinary way.

m i k a

(click on each letter of his name to be directed to different songs of his. kinda fun, huh?)

album: the boy who knew too much

so, i love me some mika. i could listen to both his albums all the time and not get sick of them.

he's such an interesting artist. most of his songs are actually super tragic and depressing, but the music is pretty upbeat so he's uber ironic in that way.

clark gable
by: the postal service
 on the album: give up
this is such a quaint song. i love it. and i can just picture it all in my mind. i just feel happy when i feel it.

the way i am
by: ingrid michaelson
on the album: girls and boys
i. love. this. song. it is like the girl version of adam sandler's grow old with you, which i also love. its such a sweet song and i love how she just lays it all out there. wish there were more people like that out there in the world!

what are you listening to?
i want to know.