Stereomood

All right, guys, I have another awesome website to share with you.  Stereomood.com.  It’s exactly how it sounds – music to fit your mood or activity.  It has playlists created for A TON of moods and activities.  Everything from Studying to Dreamy to Spring Cleaning (which is the one I should be listening to).  The playlists are huge and you can scroll through them to see what songs are in them.  There’s so many with artists and songs I don’t recognize, so it’s perfect for just needing background music that you don’t recognize.  I love using it when I’m reading.  I have already discovered at least 5 great songs thanks to Stereomood.  And actually, I think the Reading playlist is where most of them came from.

Last night, I was listening to the Feel Like Crying playlist and stumbled upon the song “Skinny Love” by Birdy (originally done by Bon Iver).

I LOOOOVE it!  It’s gorgeous.  I want to learn to play it on the piano.  And when I found the official video in YouTube, I learned that Birdy is the stage name for an English singer/songwriter who is 14.  FOURTEEN!  I hope she has more songs out for me to listen to soon.

Happy song discovering!

– Jill

Rooney Again!!

Last night Nerdgirl Amber and I went to see Rooney perform an amazing concert.  I am still reeling from actually seeing Michael Moscovitz in person, so here are some pictures and videos.

Brandon and Robert

Me with my future husband, the bass player Brandon

Here is a little video I took.  It is really awful because I took it with my digital camera, so do not expect wonderful things.

You can watch the other video I took here.  It is mostly of the bass player, and the sound is much worse.

It was a very fun night, and I could probably write a lot more about it, but I am too tired right now.

Jen

P.S.  To see all of my pictures, you can go to my Flickr account.

Best Movie Song Ever??

This morning I was a lazy bum and didn’t get out of bed until 10:30.  It was actually very difficult for me to even get out of bed because I jogged yesterday and was really feeling it this morning.

I was lumbering around my apartment like a zombie for a little while (mmmmm, toaster strudel!), getting myself psyched to go for another jog when I flipped on the tv and was happily distracted by one of my favorite movie moments ever.

I was just in time to catch the song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” from Eurotrip.  For those of you who haven’t seen Eurotrip, you might think that it is a stupid gross-out high school comedy.  Well, it totally is, but it is also freaking hilarious.  And the main guy, Scotty, is super cute in a nerdy kind of way.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is “Scotty Doesn’t Know.”  (P.S.  It helps to know that Fiona just dumped Scotty earlier in the day)

Oh Matt Damon, is there nothing you can’t do?  I know that at least one of my nerdgirls loves this movie because we have talked about it (he’s just trying to feed his robot family……heehehehee).  I think it might be Amber??

Anyway, I could listen to that song forever.  I love how everybody sings it over the end credits of the movie…..hmmmm, I might have to watch the whole thing later tonight.

Jen

Educating Teens

Sometimes when I’m working with teens, I feel the need to educate them on old-school music.  I’ve already told you my Bewitched story.  One time I did a music program and we listened to the songs that were #1 when they were born.  Geez, talk about feeling old — one girl’s song was “No Diggity” by Blackstreet.  Another one was “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion.  That was when one girl said she just saw Titanic.  And then I told them about how I saw Titanic in the theater because I still REMEMBER 1997.

Yesterday at my crafts class, we were listening to music.  I had my iPod and asked the girl what kind of music she liked.  We went through the Taylor Swift and Miley songs I had and then I started going through my list to see what else she might like.  She doesn’t like current Britney, but I asked if she’d heard Britney’s older music like Oops I Did It Again.  And she just looked at me.  So then we switched to a local radio station, and “Tearin’ Up My Heart” came on.  I got kind of excited because when was the last time you heard “Tearin’ Up My Heart” on the radio???  And I think by now you probably all know how much I love 90s music.  The teen had never heard of NSYNC…which really I can’t blame her because she was probably like 2 in 1998, but when I explained to her that it was Justin Timberlake’s group like 10 years ago, I just felt so OLD.

This is for you guys for being about the same age as me…

Well, I was going to embed the “Tearin’ Up My Heart” music video, but the only one I found wouldn’t let me embed. 😦  So instead, here’s the video for my favorite NSYNC song, which when I found it realized I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER SEEN IT!  Not too surprising I guess since we didn’t have cable or the Internet back in 1998, but still.  Enjoy!

Oh baby Justin.

– Jill

Update on Tangled…

Okay, so I totally saw Tangled again last night with my friend Erika.  It was even more wonderful and amazing the 2nd time!!!  Most of you are probably like, yeah, whatever….you already told us that you loved it, why are you posting about it again???

Well, I noticed that there was a glaring error in my first review, and I felt the need to correct it.  Here is an exact quote from my first review:  “The songs aren’t bad (they aren’t phenomenal, but they are kind of catchy).”  I was very very wrong about that.  After seeing the movie again, I must say that the songs are all fantastic!!  I think I wasn’t really prepared for computer animated characters to break into song the first time I saw it, so that kind of weirded me out.  Also, I have this problem where I usually can’t like a song until I’ve heard it at least a few times.  I am not sure why, maybe it’s because I like familiar things instead of new things.  Who knows?

But, I am currently listening to the soundtrack right now (thank you libraries for saving me so much money!!) and I can tell you that I will probably listen to it most of the day.

So, if you haven’t already seen this movie, you should probably go soon.  If my silly cruise weren’t going to get in the way I could probably see it at least 3 more times.

Jen

My Night With Rooney…There Are No Words

Okay, maybe there are some words, but it is still hard to put my bliss-filled thoughts into coherent phrases.

Yesterday was completely awesome for several reasons:

*I got off work at 2:30

*I got to hang out with fellow NerdGirl Amber

*We ate at Quizno’s which is my fave sandwich place

*I got to hear a great concert

*I also got a hug from Robert Schwartzman

Ahhhh, bliss.

That last one filled me with enough happiness to last the rest of the year.  Actually, I got a high five, he put his arm around me to take a picture, AND he hugged me.  And the whole time I resisted the urge to stroke his hair or smell his neck.

So, the concert itself was pretty cool.  I was not a real big fan of the two opening bands because the first one’s songs were waaaaaay too long and the second band was just okay.  Then Rooney came on.  Wow.  Talk about a difference.

Let me just say that I have been listening to Rooney’s music for a long time now, and I love most of their songs, but to me they have always been Michael Moscovitz’s band.  After seeing them in concert, I now know they are so much more than that.  Robert mentioned that they had been touring for 8 years, and you can totally tell.  They all work so well together and are just AMAZING to watch live.  If you ever get a chance to see them in concert, you MUST do it.

Rooney rocking out

I was worried they would sing all stuff from their new album, which I haven’t had much chance to listen to yet, but they sang tons of songs from their first CD!!!!!  I was super psyched that they sang my favorite song, “If It Were Up To Me.”  I am pretty sure I started screaming like a crazy person when they started to play it.

This was our view the whole time

So anyway, the concert was marvelous (minus the scary crazed-fan gentlemen who pushed their way to the front and kept trying to molest Robert……don’t even ask), but the best part happened after.  Amber, her friend Chelsea and I all waited around and I bought a t-shirt.  Then they came out to sign stuff and we got to talk to them!!!!!!  The whole band signed my shirt (not the one I bought, the one I was wearing) and Robert signed Amber’s Michael Moscovitz Appreciation Society button.  We talked to him for a little bit about how the band was staying in Des Moines for 2 days.  I believe I said something about how they should go to the zoo or Adventureland.  Yes, I am a complete dork, but it doesn’t matter because he gave me a hug before we left!!!!!!!!

Amber and Robert having a moment over her button

Oh, and another great part of the evening was that I got to meet Amber’s baby Lester.  What a cutie pie!!!  Let’s just say that my cats were perplexed when I came home smelling like dog.

So, the concert was great and I am literally holding myself back from skipping work on Monday and going to see them again in Des Moines.  Who’s up for it??

Jen

P.S.  To see all the pics from the concert, including a very hilarious one of Robert signing the back of my shirt, go to my Flickr page.

a Dinosaur from a non-Lindsay

While over visiting my bf Chelsea and her new dog, Riley (YAY), her husband popped in to play this song for me:

I know! It is sort of the BEST SONG EVER! and it is nice to have a catchy Ke$ha song that doesn’t mention a bottle of Jack–at least as far as I’ve noticed..

Now, I know there are lots of very happy couples with large age gaps–but I’m sorry, my first reaction when that drunk 50 year old asks me what time I get off work is REVULSION and CREEPED OUT. and I usually have my keys in pointy-stab position when I walk to my car later that evening. Although honestly, I get pretty creeped out when any guy hits on me while I’m at work. What is most creepy about the older guys is that they seem to get pleasure about the fact that they are creeping you out–even when they apologize they usually have a scary leer of a smile–like they think you are really just teasing them–ICK! IT JUST GOT CREEPIER!

so now, whenever someone who is older than my father invites me to the circus, I will be singing in my head: DI NO SU UR a dinosaur! and then I will blush from having sung that in my head and of course blushing at that moment will be inconvenient–but whatever I HEART this song!

amber

I Find This Mesmerizing and Wonderful

This totally made my whole night tonight:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Jen

My New Favorite Thing!

Visual representations of song lyrics!!  Not music videos…flow charts, venn diagrams, line graphs, etc.  If you follow me on twitter, this is not news to you, but I keep finding examples and they are so awesome and hilarious!  Here are some examples.  In case you want to guess the song (which is half the fun!), I’ll hide the answer below the picture.  Just highlight to see what song it is.

Example #1.  Where my love for this began.  An episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Highlight here for the answer –> “Cecilia” by Simon & Garfunkle

Example #2:  Found online

Answer here (and at the bottom of the picture, sorry) –> “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler

Example #3:  Made by my cousin.

Song title –> “Mambo No. 5” by Lou Bega

Example #4: Another made by my cousin.

Answer –> “All That She Wants” by Ace of Base

Example #5:  Made by me.

Answer –> “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” by Meatloaf

Example #6:  From a book I found online today that I CANNOT wait to look at

Song title here –> “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2

Enjoy!  If you find more or make some yourself, leave a comment!

– Jill

Pattinson Music

I must admit — and I know I will probably be banished to the ends of the earth for this — Robert Pattinson never really did it for me in Twilight. Don’t get me wrong. Yes, he’s certainly attractive, um, hello scene when he steps out of his car wearing those sunglasses, and yes, he’s British, so obviously the accent helps immensely, but I don’t know, usually he’s just too scruffy for me or something.  Plus I think I may have a secret thing for Emmett, which might have begun when I dressed as Rosalie for ICPL’s teen Twilight viewing.

HOWEVER

Oh. My. Gosh. How much do I freaking love Robert Pattinson’s songs “Never Think” and “Let Me Sign” from the Twilight soundtrack? Answer: SO, SO, SO MUCH!  And since I am a big music nerdgirl & a huge sucker for a boy with a guitar, the amazingness of these two songs alone make me love him. “Never Think” is my current favorite of the two because it’s so simple and beautiful with just the acoustic guitar and his voice. Of course, it’s kind of hard to understand what he’s saying, but whatever, he’s totally forgiven. And “Let Me Sign” is completely haunting and incredible.  Hands down the best haunting song I’ve heard since “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap.

So basically, I’m a Robert Pattinson convert thanks to these two songs. I need more!

*Gasp* I just remembered that Robert Pattinson plays “Bella’s Lullaby” in the movie, and according to what I read online, it’s actually him playing the piano!  Guitar AND piano?  Wow!

– jill