I love being introduced to new music, whether it’s “the next Lady Gaga,” a guy from Indiana and his guitar, or a French/Finnish duo called The Dø (pronounced like dough).

While Dan Levy plays the folky, surfer, dance beats, Olivia Merilahti’s bubbly voice chirps the lyrics making each song a sort of electro-nature call.

It was Olivia’s interest in fashion that initially piqued my interest, “I love Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Manish Arora, Chanel, Junko Shimada. I’ve been wearing a lot of Tsumori Chisato and Andrea Crews outfits on stage,” Merilahti says. At a glance you can tell she’s a girl who has carved out a style of her own, whether she’s wearing some secondhand find or designer duds.

“I love independent designer outlets that I come across when I’m abroad, Toronto and NY were my latest faves (I don’t shop much in Paris). I find a lot of designer shops in Helsinki. I also like the customized clothes that some vintage shops sell, like XXL t-shirts that have been changed into dresses, sleeves that become scarves, etc. ‘Episode’ in London is a nice one,” she continues.

The fashion definitely drew me in, but it was the music that made me want to keep listening, and when I say “keep listening,” I mean over and over and over again. After hearing the song “At Last” from their new album A Mouthful— recently released in the US— I couldn’t stop playing it.

It’s romantic. It’s cheesy. It’s tongue-and-cheek. Most of all, it’s addicting.

I’ve spent the weekend singing, “At Last! I found what I was dreaming of / Someone who truly understands me,” under my breathe. Best of all, the rest of the album is just as captivating and fun.

The Dø: Website | Myspace | Facebook
Buy A Mouthful (released April 6, 2010)

Ok, that first statement may be slightly degrading to Street Sweeper Social Club, because not only is their rap & roll rockhop rap rock, hater version of “99 problems”, called “100 Little Curses”, actually perfectly snide, interesting, and able to me giggle a bit, but the toe-tapping, get-stuck-in-your-head strum of the guitar is quite reminiscent of another little band I like to call Rage Against the Machine. I wonder why.

Oh, I remember, because Mr. Tom Morello, the man behind the riffage, is also the guitarist in Rage.

Let’s add up SSSC’s rock cred, for those who care about that stuff. Not only is the guitarist from one of the most influential rap rock, and rock, bands from the 90s, but they get a little extra rock cred for joining Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction on the NINJA Tour, which I wasn’t able to go to, such a bummer, but I digress. Also, their single’s pretty ninja, no pun intended, and when I get down on the fact that some girls get to walk around in $1000 shoes while I have to budget and try to keep my shoe purchases at $100 or under, I can listen to this song, head bang a bit, and get psyched about emcee, Boots Riley’s, major chops, of the mutton persuasion.

p.s. Their self-titled debut album, Street Sweeper Social Club, is out now. If you like what you hear, make sure to support them.

Now, glazed over apologies aside, let’s get down to business. What business might that be? The fashion business? Not right now, I’m talking music business.

Tuesday, two albums I didn’t even know I wanted came out, The Empyrean and Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.

I was just talking to a friend about how I miss really good music. As much as I’m in millennial like with some of the emo/pop-punk/whateveryoucallit rock music out now, nothing can touch the greats like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors (just to name a few of my favorites), but just listening to John Frusciante (a.k.a. the amazing Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist) murder it on the guitar for 45 minutes makes my day just a little better.

There are very few guitarists who are in bands still making an impact on today’s pop culture that can pull off a 9 minute guitar solo that you can listen when you are stoned, drunk, or under the influence of some drug. Come to think about it, there are very few artists now-a-days that would even think to put together a piece of music longer than 4 or 5 minutes tops.

Now, on the other hand, Franz Ferdinand was choke full of awe-inspiring guitars, but still satisfied with songs as intoxicating as the single “Ulysses”. The album is fun, better than most new music and there wasn’t one disappointing song, not to say every song was amazing.

Whew! I’m glad my shitty music slump is finally over. Maybe 2009 will be filled with less terrible or even good music!

I could deny my appreciation for Fall Out Boy, like I do my excitement for seeing Whitney Port traipse around NYC on her new show, The City, but the truth is, when it comes to music, I find it hard to call people who, at the very least, play their own instruments and write their own music a guilty pleasure. Hence the reason, I’m announcing my excitement for the release of Fall Out Boy’s new album, Folie à Deux— a title I’m not even sure they have pronounced correctly. The songs I’ve heard have been catchy and full of convoluted lyrics you love singing but can’t help question the actual meaning.

Plus, I like Patrick Stump’s voice, especially when he sings in a bluesy A Capella at the end of “W.A.M.S.”

What musicians are you’re not-so-guilty pleasures?

I know I’ve been M.I.A. of late, and I also know I haven’t done a ‘What I’m Wearing’ post in a bout forever or at least since I started school in September. So, in celebration of my return from end-of-semester-projects hell, I’m spilling about my new-ish shoes.

I say new-ish because I bought them a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve only worn them a handful of times making them almost new. Today, I wore them to school fort he first time. For some reason, being on a college campus makes me want to A) dress in jeans and only jeans until death do us part and B) forgo my love of 5” heels for comfort and practicality. I know both of the sentiments are felt worldwide, but I will admit I am adding to the frumpdom of the US— for shame, for shame!

The only good part about going frumpy for a bit is the metamorphosis that occurs when the semester begins winding down and instead of concentrating on the difference between market segmentation and target markets, I get to wake up and actually focus on what I wear.
Now, I also get to fully appreciate the new album from The Killers, Day and Age. I’ve only listened to it a couple of times since I bought it last week, but from what I’ve heard, I love it. I think my two favorite songs are “Human” and “Neon Tiger”— I’ve had the chorus of “Human” stuck in my head all day.
How do you avoid having a frumpy season or two?

This post is— let’s see— at least a week late, but I think it takes time to fully digest an album. Since I buy my music like the rest of you— LEGALLY, when they’re released— writing about how awesome the new Kings of Leon album is, the day it came out, was out of the question. That’s a lie, because anyone who’s following my twitter would have seen multiple tweets of me raving about Only By The Night.

The album isn’t as rough as their previous albums have been, which is something I’ve heard criticized, but I for one don’t mind that it sounds a bit more produced than normal. There also aren’t any standard hipster dance-party songs and they have gradually stepped out of the country rock sound they had when I first heard of them.

I’ve listened to Only By The Night, in its entirety over 20 times in the past week, and that’s pretty good considering I have entire albums on my iTunes that I haven’t even heard once.

I love Caleb’s constantly strained and urgent vocals. I love that the guys were probably drunk while writing most of the songs making the lyrics sort up confusing. I love that the drums in “Cold Desert” are truly like a heart beat. I even love how some of the songs begin by sounding like songs by other bands, but then change into this amazing, totally KoL rhythm. I doubt there is one song on the album I wouldn’t listen to a thousand times and still adore.

However, I am a staunch advocate of hearing is believing, take a listen to their single “Sex on Fire”, and fall.

For more info on Kings of Leon head to their website or myspace.

p.s. They have a ton of Kings of Leon home videos on their youtube page. The videos are mostly really funny, and the guy’s southern accents are bound to charm your pants off, even if you don’t find them attractive in the least.

It’s almost my birthday! Actually, THAT’S A BIG LIE because my birthday’s in November, but it feels like it’s almost my birthday. Why? Because in four days Viva la Vida comes out, and once again, the world will be perfect. I think I’m going to throw my own personal Viva La Vida dance party in my bedroom on Tuesday morning (now that I think about it, Tuesday’s actually my mom’s birthday). Its seems to me like the world, and not just my world, is revolving around Coldplay, and I’m ready to be a lemming and follow the trend— that is unless the album’s terrible, though that’s doubtful.

First of all, my favorite Sirius satellite radio station, Alt. Nation, station #21 for those of you who care, is having Coldplay take over the station for the next 10 days starting at 6PM EST today. That means it will be all their picks all the time!

Then, there’s the fact that everyone in my family is excited for this album which is a rarity. Our musical tastes vary from Coltrane to Soulja Boi, so for all of us to agree on one band is an accomplishment. My brother walks around the house singing “Viva La Vida” and my dad blares the stereo every time he hears “Violet Hill” on the radio. I love it all, and I’m a bit obsessed with their military jackets, though it is a bit reminiscent of My Chemical Romance’s marching band jackets for The Black Parade.

Oh, and has anyone seen that Apple commercial with Coldplay. I’m sure you have because it’s on TV ever five seconds, and you’re probably inadvertently humming, “I used to rule the world/ Seas that rise when I gave the word, Now in the morning I sweep alone/ Sweep the streets I used to own,” or is that just me?

Among all these great Coldplay achievements, though I’m not sure if they really care about my family’s taste in music, there’s THIS…

Chris Martin and Will Champion were being interviewed by BBC and Mr. Martin decided he wasn’t comfortable with the interview and walked off the stage. Part of me sympathizes with him because I know interviews can be monotonous and many reporters are rude and ask idiotic questions— yes, there is a such thing— but there are better ways to handle that than walking off the stage. Some of my favorite interviews occur when a musician is fed up. Sometimes sarcasm is a better defense than abstinence. So, next time, Chris, just make the interviewer look like an idiot and the people who are your fans will laugh and those who aren’t don’t matter to you anyway.

In other, non-Coldplay news, Vampire Weekend is playing at Central Park tomorrow and if I don’t have to work, I’m totally going. I suggest you go to if you’re anywhere close to NYC. Get the details here.

Photo Credit: Coldplay’s myspace

Or, I could just start with the fact that both Bret and Jermaine are real hotties in their own way, and by “own way”, I mean not stereotypically, and they are some of the only people who can actually get away with roller skates and 70s style tracksuits. Oh, and did I mention Jermaine’s sexy pornstache? It is bound to make any girl swoon.

The real reason Flight of the Conchords are so awesome is because they can not only be hilarious through song, but their songs are completely truthful making them even more zany. Whether they’re spoofing rappers in “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” and “Mutha’uckas” or making sexy seventies seduction style music in “Ladies of the World,” you’ll be laughing your ass off even when it’s completely inappropriate to be snickering, so you’ll make crazy faces while trying to stifle laughter because you’re in a public place like your school’s computer lab…ahem.

The more I think about how funny they are, the more I want to laugh, and people are starting to stare, so just watch the video for yourself— and mind the cute New Zealand accents and the bad ass foot work. One day, I’ll own at rollerskating like them!

p.s. If you happen to like this go buy there new album with a bunch of old, yet terribly funny songs called, Flight of the Conchords, what else!

There is just something about the bass that gets into the very depths of my soul and makes me want to move in the most erotic way possible. I don’t care what type of bass your talking about, stand up, acoustic, jazz, electric, as long as it’s string and has a deep melodious sound I’m there. Death Cab For Cutie‘s new song from their upcoming album Narrow Stairs (May 13th), “I Will Possess Your Heart”, has one of those bass lines that takes over.

I first heard the song on Sirius satellite radio, Alt. Nation 21, while driving to school. The song is sort of haunting as Ben Gibbard (with his ultra-cool glasses) eerily sings, “How I wish you could see the potential, the potential of you and me / It’s like a book elegantly bound, but in a language that you can’t read – just yet” and as he breathely warns “I will possess your heart” , but by the time the second verse comes around, the seed is already planted, and you’ll be humming the song all day.

I just watched the 8-minute-long video for the song, and though 4 minutes of watching a girl travel the world is fairly painful to someone stuck in the US but yearning to travel, the video is beautiful and you really get the full effect of the tantalizing bass line. My only question is why are the guys in an ice box freezing their asses off? Guitarist, Chris Walla, looks like he was turning into a popsicle the entire video.

Are you a Death Cab fan, and if not, who are you listening to?

For more information on Death Cab For Cutie visit deathcabforcutie.com or myspace.com/deathcabforcutie

• For those of you who haven’t seen it, here’s Madonna’s new music video for “4 minutes” with swoon worthy Justin Timberlake and master-producer Timbaland (they come as a pair). You can buy the video on iTunes so you can watch it anytime you want to perfect the dance moves.

• Do you wan to win a trip to Brazil? Of course you do. So, head to caressbrazilian.com, the website for Caress‘ newest collection of Brazilian Exotic Oil Infusions body washes. All you have to do is go to the website, download Nicole Scherzinger’s remake of Duran Duran’s song “Rio”, and make a video for the song. Though only one person can win the grand prize of a trip to Brazil, thirty finalists will win exciting prizes such as: spa treatments, iPods with Brazilian music or a year supply of Caress. My goal would be Brazil though!

• Yup, I’m talking about them again! Temposhark’s new music video for “Blame” is out, and it sort of rocks. The video is completely different from “4minutes”, less JT, less pelvic thrusting, but it has a whole lot more creepiness thanks to the animated characters created by the fantastic artist, Motomichi Nakamura. Watch the video, feel the goose flesh:

• In non-PR news, well sort of, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are officially engaged, which is super cute. Congrats! And, I’m sure their publicists would like you to know, Ashlee’s new album Bittersweet world comes out on April 22nd and Fall Out Boy are going to get back into the studio in a couple months.

That’s it for now. Maybe if I feel like I’m neglecting the publicists next week, I’ll do this again.

p.s. Is it only my computer, or is youtube being really screwy?

My ears are swooning. For the past couple of hours I’ve been listening to the new Panic at the Disco album, Pretty. Odd., and the new album from The Raconteurs, Consolers Of The Lonely on repeat. I know everyone is probably thinking, how exactly do you put those two bands together or better yet, “If you like The Raconteurs how can you like Panic at the Disco?”

Well the first of all, I’ve decided to throw these two odd ball bands into a playlist together because both of their albums came out today (along with Gnarls Barkley’s and Temposhark’s albums). And secondly, I happen to like Panic at the Disco, so scorn me and cal me a fan girl, I don’t care.

Consolers Of The Lonely is totally fresh and full of that Jack White-y amazingness (does that make sense to anyone else?). I love how The Raconteurs (Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, Patrick Keeler, and Jack White) can take you from fun, riff heavy “Solute Your Solution” to manic, screeching, dirty rock like in “Five On The Five” to haunting country covered blues in “Carolina Drama”. If you liked Broken Boy Soldiers then you’ll definitely like Consolers Of The Lonely, for that matter if you just liked “Steady As She Goes” or “Level”, I’d suggest you pick of these guys new album.

Now, Panic haters can stop reading, because I’m about to compliment them. Though Pretty. Odd. is completely different that A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, they dropped the synth heavy beats with the ‘!’, I can honestly say I like it just as much or even more. Sure, Ryan Ross seems to love writing nonsensical lyrics, they now sound eerily similar to The Beatles, and the video for “Nine In The Afternoon” is an obvious nod the St. Pepper, I can’t help appreciate that they decided to do something different than their last album (a big risk that could alienate their fan base). I think Brenden has finally figure out the proper vocal range for him, and Ryan’s voice is very 60s pop, which makes me smile a bit to myself. My favorite songs out of the bunch are “Northern Downpour”, “Pas de Cheval”, “Behind The Sea” (yes the one Ryan sings), “Folkin’ Around”, and “Mad as Rabbits.”

Did you buy either of these two CDs? What are you’re thoughts? What other new CDs do you like?

For more information on The Raconteurs visit: theraconteurs.com or myspace.com/theraconteurs. For more information on Panic At the Disco visit: panicatthedisco.com or myspace.com/panicatthedisco.

Every time I read something about Phantom Planet new album Raise The Dead, the band that sings The OC’s theme song “California”, I get a little bit sad because my favorite dandy, Jason Schwartzman, is no longer part of the band. Most people don’t like when actors or models try to cross over into music, but I find guys do it better than girls and Phantom Planet was totally A+. I’m still going to support them because they make great music, but if you need you’re caterpillar-brow fix like I do, you should check out Schwartzman’s new project Coconut Records.

The first time I heard the song “West Coast”, I was hooked. I know I say this a lot, but I was literally addicted. I only listened to satellite radio to hear the song (its not on any normal radio stations), and I scribbled the chorus all over my notes during class. Apparently, the song was a gate way drug because I’ve gone from obsessing over just one song to listening to the entire album, Nighttiming, on repeat.

Some of the songs are very country, which always makes me think of The Doors because Jim Morrison’s distinct version of bluesy-country-rock always makes me swoon. Other songs are a bit disco, and the rest are just eargasmic. It’s a fresh take on a lot of different old school sounds, but once you hear it, you won’t be able to get enough.

Fave Listens:
~West Coast
~Nighttimg
~Mindin My Own Business

For more information on Coconut Records visit youngbabyrecords.com or myspace.com/coconutrecords

A couple of days ago I was asked to pick songs that would go well with runway videos. I decided to go with stuff that was not only walkable but, unique and pleasing to, well, me! One of my picks was “The Beautiful People” by Marylin Mason, sure there’s nothing pretty about Mason, but the song is ironic and it has an awesome beat. Later in the day, I was still thinking about good songs, when this song from a band called Temposhark came on my ipod.

The song was called “Joy”and its off of their upcoming full length album The Invisible Line (out March 25th), and it almost describes my love hate relationship with fashion to a tee:

In this black whole… So impressive, so beautiful/ As fast as a bullet, my heart is full/Its so impressive, so beautiful/ As fast as a bullet, my mouth is full/enjoy, joy, joy, joy

Though the song is obviously not about fashion, I’d say it is about obsession, and fashion happens to be one of mine. The guys of Temposhark also happen to be quite the fashionable bunch. Robert Diament (the lead singer) was feature in UK Vogue, score, and Rob along with writing partner Luke Busby traipsed across the pond to attend NY fashion week last September, double score!

Aside from being drawn to the obvious fashion sensibility that seems to come so natural to boys from the UK, I can’t help but fall into a trance due to the Depeche Mode-esque sound and repetitive lyrics especially in “Not That Big” an heart wrenching break up song starting from the first verse when Rob “puts his jeans back on” and the chanting chorus of “you’re not big in my life”.

In all honesty I’m not a big fan of electronica. But The Invisible Line has “hit me like a hurricane” and been in steady circulation on my ipod since I first received the album.

For more info on Temposhark visit www.temposhark.com or www.myspace.com/temposhark.

Favorite Songs:

• Battleships
• Knock Me Out
• Joy

Listen to “Crime” off Temposhark’s upcoming album The Invisible Line.

Have you ever heard a song on the radio, in a commercial, in a movie, wherever, and found yourself completely obsessed with it. Not only did are you obsessed you find yourself singing it constantly despite the fact that you couldn’t even recite the entire refrain. I unfortunately fortunately have found myself in such a predicament. A while ago, I heard the song “Wolves at Night” by Manchester Orchestra, and am sort of obsessed.

If my dreams had a soundtrack this song would be on it. Come to think of it, it might even be the theme song. The not so subtle mix of impending doom and airy carelessness, gets under your skin and slowly you start to think they know your deepest secrets. “I confide in wolves at night.” The first time I heard that lyric my stomach sunk. Though I don’t literally talk to wolves, we all have our demons and our ways of releaving ourselves them, and just as a generalization this usually happens at night.

It’s funny how one line sputter from the singer of a band from Atlanta, Georgia could encompass everyone. The band themselves describe their album, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child as “the story of a man’s life.” Though they aren’t actually an orchestra, and are obviously not from Manchester (I have discussed the merit of their name extensively with Blythe), their sound throughout the album can be as big as a symphony orchestra and at other times its haunting like that of a chamber orchestra. No matter their name or their sound, their lyrics are timeless and are bound to make an impression on everyone.

Not convinced? Hear “Wolves At Night” below.

For more information on Manchester Orchestra, visit www.themanchesterorchestra.com or www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra.

My favorite part is when the boyfriend/manager (who knows) compares rehab to school: “It looks better than school too, and you don’t have class, you don’t have homework, and you have a couple of your girlfriends that you know in there too…” Why does that hit the Young Hollywood nail on the head? If its not rehab then its jail, who knew!