Music this week: lots of new albums for me

This month I'm still bingeing on a lot of new music.  In addition to having a Muse and Mumford & Sons revival, here are some of the other songs and artists I've been listening to on repeat.

1. 'I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)' - Josh Groban

So I think I mentioned that I was getting Josh's new album.  Unfortunately, this is probably my least favorite of his albums so far.  I found a couple of the songs just a little disappointing.  But that said, there are a couple songs that I really love.  I definitely listened to this one a lot (also Changing Colors and Play Me from the bonus tracks).  I can totally see this song being used at the end wedding-scene of some super-feel-good romantic movie .  .  .  and then fade to credits.

2. 'Radioactive' - Imagine Dragons


I went to see Beautiful Creatures and this song was in one of the terrible trailers I had to watch.  But I'm glad I got to hear it because I got the full album and I really like it.  My other favorite right now is 'On Top of the World.'

3.  'Your Bones' - Of Monsters and Men


I finally got my hands of the Of Monsters and Men album and I was immediately distracted and moved by 'Your Bones.'  It has such a haunting sound and made me really really emotional the first couple times I listened.

4. 'Stronger than Me' - Nashville  [DON'T WATCH VIDEO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE SPOILERS]


And speaking of haunting songs, this song really stuck with me too.  I know I said I would stop posting about Nashville, but this song is so powerfully sad, and mesmerizing.  I had it in the back of my head for days after I watched the episode. (Not really a song I'd want sung to me on my birthday though, poor Deacon.)

5.  'Kiss Me Goodbye' - Nick Urata and the Candelabras

I heard this song after watching the independent film Virginia starring Jennifer Connelly.  It was an interesting, sometimes funny, movingly sad movie.  This song captures the weird mix of cheerfulness, nostalgia, and bittersweetness.

6. 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' - from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel soundtrack, Thomas Newman


I distinctly found parts of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel very relaxing and beautiful, especially because of the music.  I got the soundtrack and it is great for calming down, concentrating and finding that inner peace.

7. 'Shake it Out' - Florence + the Machine (Benny Benassi Remix)


I was discussing F+tM remixes with my sister.  And while I don't really care for the Calvin Harris remix of 'Spectrum,' this is one of the other remixes floating around out there that I enjoy.  This version is also pretty wonderful.

Of course, I always prefer the originals.

8. 'Terrible Love' - Birdy


I forget where, but I heard her cover of People Help the People and got the album on a bit of a whim.  I'm really glad I did because I really like the whole album.  She has a great and strong voice, and the album as a whole has a sleepy and reflective vibe.  I'm really looking forward to what she does next.

My Oscars best dressed & recap

I know this is rather late news but here are my Oscars 2013 best dressed.

I pretty much hated everything I saw on the red carpet this year.  Everyone either wore super boring white, black or beige dresses or clingy gowns encrusted with metallic sequins.  The place was drowning in sequins.  I never want to see a metallic dress ever again.  Seriously, like 5 people wore anything with color.

[Sidebar: Who cares about Jennifer Lawrence's ridiculously dress that actually physically impaired her all evening--- and not just that time when it prevented her from getting from her front row seat to the stage stairs.  Ridiculous.]

Here are the only three dresses I liked from the red carpet.

#1.  Jessica Chastain - This coppery dress with Chastain's beauty, skin tone and hair, in my opinion, was easily the most beautiful dress on the red carpet this year.  It was the one dress worthy of exemption from my sequin/beading/metallic-hating.

#2.  Halle Berry - I could get behind the art deco-ness of this dress.  Bringing the Gatsy-trend to the party.  I got pretty sick of her gushing about Bond movies though.  SNOOZE.

#3.  Jane Fonda -  She just looked great.  And she actually wore a color.  Thank you Jane Fonda.  Show these fools how it is done.

Since the red carpet was such a boring place, I combed the after-party photos to find a few other dresses of note.

#4.  Solange Knowles - This woman is just generally on top of her stuff.

#5.  Ginnifer Goodwin - Always looks cute and looked cuter than most of the other boring-colored, shiny metallicness happening around her.

Also here is a great picture of her and Josh Dallas:

#6.  Lily Collins - Pretty.  Purple. A little Gothic. but with stripes.  A little different.

Worst:  Well, pretty much everyone in metallics made me angry, as you can probably tell.  Emmy Rossum looked particularly terrible (especially after looking so AWESOME in Beautiful Creatures). 

And here is a picture of Jeremy Renner looking a little awkward to represent the men.  I couldn't put a picture of Ben Affleck because he is just way too handsome and charming.

As for the Oscars themselves, I found them SUPER boring.  And I usually find them interesting.

This was pretty much my reaction to the controversy that became represented by he who is known as Seth MacFarlene: http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2013/02/28/op-ed-feminists-defense-seth-macfarlane

Favorite things:
Taylor Swift not being invited.
Capt. Kirk trying to save the Oscars. (and no, not Chris Pine).
Joseph Gordon Levitt and Daniel Radcliffe dancing & singing.
The joke about the director of Argo being unknown to the academy.
The orchestra mercilessly using the theme to The Magnificent Seven to kick someone off the stage.
Jeremy Renner was funny when the Avengers presented stuff.
The TIE!
The Sound of Music joke.
Michelle Obama crashing the end of the Oscars.

Least favorite things:
That first song.
My parents deciding to watch that first song with me.
The pre-recorded jokes in the opening monologue.  Just too long and not funny enough.
The Bond-worshipping.
The SUPER RANDOM musical numbers.  So so painful.
Joseph Gordon Levitt and Daniel Radcliffe not being integrated into the SUPER RANDOM musical numbers.
Shameless Chicago promotion.
Jessica Chastain not winning.  (Disclaimer: I do like Jennifer Lawrence.)
Anne Hathaway winning.
Les Mis winning anything.
Hearing anything about Les Mis.
Jack Nicholson showing up right at the end when I thought we'd actually escaped him for one year.

Nice surprises:
Argo winning best picture & Ben Affleck being handsome, emotional and inspiring.
Anna Karenina winning something.

Favorite speeches:
Ang Lee - most adorable speech
Daniel Day Lewis - most charming and errudite speech
Ben Affleck - most handsome, emotional and inspiring

 . . .

And with that, I have spoken.