Super-Late Update!

Hey, y'all! So I haven't really done an update in a long time, and I felt like it was time for one since there are probably going to be some schedule changes as far as when posts will go up. I'm also planning to change around what series are posted and when.

First-off, I figured I should discuss something I've been adding to the end of my posts lately-- for the last couple months, I've been making YouTube videos! My YouTube channel is almost solely about books (surprise, surprise). If you'd like to check it out, you can do so here: My Youtube Channel

I'm planning to suspend a couple series that have been regulars on my blog. The first is my One Day Tumblr Challenges. This one is being suspended for the simple reason that I've run out of Tumblr Challenges that actually interested me. If you look back, it's probably been 5-6 months since a challenge that I did was actually a Tumblr challenge. I've tried finding new ones that looked interesting, but I just haven't been able to find any. If I happen to come across another one that I really want to do, I will definitely do it. However, these will no longer be regularly scheduled posts on my blog.

The second series that I plan to bring to suspend is my Secret Lightning Scar Fan-Fiction. I started re-working this fan-fiction at the beginning of last year because I hadn't written in a while and wanted to get back into it by forcing myself to write every other week. The plan was to work on it throughout the two-week period so that it would be well-written and how I really wanted it. However, I just ended up writing it the night before it was posted and it completely destroyed my Friday nights (not like I had anything actually exciting going on, but I had to bail on dinner out with friends a couple times). I'm not happy with the way several of the chapters turned out, even though it did flesh the story out a little. Anyway, it did get me back into writing, so it did its job. It's a pain to write and post, and it's not an incredibly popular series on my blog. So plain and simple, I'm not going to be writing any more. If there's a high demand for more, I might possibly write more. But other than that, it's finished.

What is becoming a regular series, however, are my book posts. Which probably isn't a surprise, because that's what most of my posts have been about as of late. However, they've been kinda over-running my blog, and I realize that. So I plan on making it a regularly scheduled series, once a week.

 Speaking of schedules, I have created a tentative schedule:

Blog schedule:
1st/3rd Tuesday of the month-- CDs On My Shelf post
1st/3rd Thursday of the month-- Random post
2nd/4th Tuesday of the month-- Book post
2nd/4th Thursday of the month-- Random post
Every Saturday-- Project Runway designer rankings post

YouTube schedule:
Sunday or Monday-- Random video. Day of the week depends on whether or not I'm doing T5W that week.
Wednesday or Thursday-- Top 5 Wednesday video. Random video on Thursday if I don't do a Top 5 Wednesday.

I really like this schedule right now, and so I hope to keep to it going forward.

So, that's all I really had for today's post! Check out my links below!

YouTube Channel 

Facebook

Goodreads

Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See y'all soon!

28 Day Would You Rather Challenge (Times 2!)

Hey, y'all! Today I'll be doing my first One Day Tumblr Challenge post of the month! I actually decided to do two challenges within this post because they go together and each one is fairly short. So here we go, the two 28 Day Would You Rather challenges!

1) Live without music or live without TV?

Well, this one is fairly easy for me. Nearly all of the shows that I actually watch, I watch on Hulu or on Netflix. So I don't really watch actual TV very often. And I'm a music major. So I'd rather live without TV.

2) Eat a bar of soap or drink a bottle of dish washing liquid?
My thought process behind this is that regardless of how fast you can chew, it's going to take a long time to eat soap, and you'll be tasting it the entire time. With the liquid soap, you can just chug it and hopefully barely taste it. So I'm going to choose drinking a bottle of dish washing liquid.

3) Hold your pee forever of have an uncontrollable bladder?

It would be really uncomfortable, but I guess I would have to hold my pee forever. I mean, an uncontrollable bladder would be incredibly embarrassing. Unless I wore adult diapers or something.

4) Be called a racist or a traitor to your country?
I guess a traitor to my country. I can always move!

5) Be trapped in an elevator with wet dogs or with three fat men with bad breath?

Wet dogs. They might smell bad but they'd probably at least be cute.

6) Lose your legs or lose your arms?

I would definitely rather lose my legs. Feet don't have the same fine motor skills as hands and fingers, so I would be losing much, much more by losing my arms. I could get prosthetic legs that would do most of my legs' job for me. And probably wouldn't tire as quickly.

7) Have a beautiful house and an ugly car or an ugly house and a beautiful car?

A beautiful house and an ugly car. I spend much, much more time in my house than in my car, so I'd rather it be nice. I don't care if anyone else thinks my car looks stupid.

8) Be blind or deaf?

I've thought about this a lot and still have trouble deciding. I guess I would go with deaf because first off, I could function without a ton of assistance. I could watch shows using (admittedly terrible) captions. Additionally, doctors have begun being able to give deaf people devices to hear, so I might not even have to deal with actually being deaf.

9) Live in Antarctica or Death Valley?

Death Valley. I'd rather be too warm. I hate the cold.

10) Find true love or 10 million dollars?

A few years ago, I think I would have answered with find true love rather quickly, but at this point, I don't think I would say that. I very much like being myself, and honestly wouldn't mind if I ended up single for my entire life. So I think that at this point in my life, I would prefer the 10 million dollars.

11) Always say what's on your mind or never speak again?

Always say what's on my mind. It would suck, but the alternative is much worse.

12) Have pom-poms for hands or glow sticks for fingers?

Glow sticks for fingers. That would be super cool. Only a cheerleader would prefer the pom-poms.

13) Be able to hear any conversation or take back what you said?

Be able to hear any conversation. I'm not one to dwell on the past or worry about anything I said or did. I am however, one of the most curious human beings on the face of this planet, and I would love to know what other people are talking about.

14) End hunger or hatred?

Ooh, this one is a toughie. I think I would rather end hunger. I feel like that could serve to alleviate the hatred problem just a smidge.

15) Always lose or never play?

I wanted to say always lose, but honestly, I'd say never play. If I'm going to constantly put effort into something and constantly fail, I'd just rather not put the effort into it. What can I say, I'm lazy. Sorry, not sorry.

16) Fly when you fart or pee when you laugh?

Fly when I fart. That's at least fun. Peeing when laughing would be embarrassing, especially since I laugh so much.

17) Know it all or have it all?

Know it all. No question. I'm an insatiably curious person and I want to literally know everything. 

18) Give bad advice or take bad advice?

Give bad advice. That's basically how my life works right now, and it's working pretty well for me. Eventually people will/ would stop asking me for advice.

19) Have a mansion in the middle of nowhere or an apartment with 10 friends?

A mansion in the middle of nowhere sounds absolutely perfect. As long as that "middle of nowhere" is grassy and pretty rather than like a desert or something. I like being by myself, so living with 10 friends sounds terrifying.

20) Be forgotten or hatefully remembered?

That's basically like asking whether I'd rather be Hitler or some random unknown person. So I'd rather be forgotten. 

21) Not be able to use your phone or your email?

My email. I use my phone all the time, and only really use my email for school and blog stuff, so it wouldn't be completely disastrous if I didn't have it. I'd just have to call a lot more than I do now.

22) Be rich with an unhappy job or make less money with a job you like?

I'd rather make less money with a job I like. This is also basically my life. I'm going to do a job I really want to do, but it's not the best paying thing in the world.

23) Be able to read everyone's mind all the time or always know their future?

That's a toughie. I think it would be cool to read minds, but I'd also have to be able to filter out the really random stuff and the stuff the fleeting thoughts that they didn't actually mean. So I think I'd rather always know their future just because that's at least a little more concrete.

24) Eat a handful of hair or lick three public phones?

Eat a handful of hair. It would be gross, but I could just eat my own hair, knowing I wouldn't get any sort of weird diseases or get sick or anything.

25) Be schizophrenic or have amnesia?

Amnesia. I'd rather forget stuff than not be able to be a functioning adult.

26) Talk like Yoda or breathe like Darth Vader?

Breathe like Darth Vader. That might actually be cool, but talking like Yoda would just be annoying.

27) Marry a vain person or a person with poor image?

I would much rather marry a person with poor image. Vanity in a person is one of the least attractive traits ever. Even more unattractive than being physically unattractive.

28) Eat 30 pounds of cheese in one sitting or a bucket of peanut butter without water?

A bucket of peanut butter without water. At least I wouldn't get sick by doing that. I would vomit several times if I had to eat 30 pounds of cheese in a single sitting.

1) Get Fridays off or get Mondays off?

I would prefer to get Fridays off. That would be a dream come true.

2) Find true love or 10 million dollars?

Oops repeat question from the first. Like I said on the other one, I'd choose 10 million dollars.

3) Lose half of your hair or lose half your hearing?

Half of my hair. It could be like spread out throughout my hair and not just in one place, so it wouldn't be as bad. Plus, I could totally just get hair plugs or something like that.

4) Be poor and work at a job you love or be rich and work at a job you hate?

This is pretty much like the question from the other one. I would rather be poor and work at a job I love.

5) Go without the internet or a car for a month?

Go without a car for a month. I have a roommate who could drive me around if I needed her to. I don't know what I'd do without the internet.

6) Have to sit all day or stand all day?

Have to sit all day. That's basically how I spend my life right now anyway.

7) Dump someone else or be the person getting dumped?

Dump someone else. Yes, you're the bad guy, but it hurts less.

8) Drink a cup of spoiled milk or pee your pants in public?

Ooh, this one really sucks. I guess I'd rather pee my pants in public. I could pretend I sat in water or something.

9) Have your flight delayed by 8 hours or lose your luggage?

Have my flight delayed by 8 hours. I could use some free wifi and just use the internet, per usual. Losing my luggage would really suck, because I tend to take my favorite stuff with me on a trip.

10) Be in your pajamas all day or in a suit all day?

Is this even an actual question? I'd rather be in my pajamas all day. Duh!

11) Have a missing finger or have an extra toe?

An extra toe. As someone who plays a stringed instrument and does a lot of typing, losing a finger would take a long time to recover from. Having an extra toe would probably not be too much of a hassle.

12) Never use the internet again or never watch TV again?

Never watch TV again. I spend much less time watching TV, and could totally watch TV shows online. So that's kinda the obvious choice.

13) Be invisible or have super speed?

I'm assuming that this means I could become invisible whenever I wanted, not that I would be in a constant state of invisibility. In that case, I'd rather be invisible. 

14) Have an extra hour every day or have $40 given to you free and clear every day?

An extra hour would definitely be really handy, but I think that $280 dollars a week would be even more handy. So I'd rather have $40 given to me free and clear every day. 

15) Have a photographic memory or be able to forget anything you wanted?

I think I would prefer to have a photographic memory. I'm not one to dwell on the negatives of the past, so while it would be nice to forget some stuff, I feel like it would still come back to haunt me, and nothing in my past is really haunting enough to upset me too much.

16) Able to lie without being caught or always be able to tell when someone is lying?

Always be able to tell when someone is lying to me. I feel like this would be more handy to me in my life because I tend to not get into situations where lying is necessary.

17) Be a clown that distracts the bull or the bull rider on the bull?

The bull rider on the bull. I think that would be kinda cool to do just once.

18) Be known as a drug dealer or be known as a liar?

Be known as a liar. Because I could use that to my advantage. Being known as a drug dealer might get me killed.

19) Eat only KFC for a month or eat only Taco Bell for a year?

Only KFC for a month. I like Taco Bell, but it gets old really quickly. I could eat fried chicken forever though.

20) Be your favorite video game character or be your favorite movie character?

Well, my favorite video game character is probably Spyro. I'm not sure I have a favorite movie character. I really like Emma Stone's character in The Rocker, and it would be really cool to have her life, so I guess I'd rather be my favorite movie character. 

21) Run 26 miles or swim 5 miles?

Swim 5 miles. I like swimming more than running. I would probably get kinda tired, but I think I'd survive. Running 26 miles would be terrible.

22) Hold your pee all day or go pee every 5 minutes?

I'd probably prefer to go pee every 5 minutes. Holding pee is one of those all-consuming thoughts and I'm not sure I could get anything done if I had to do that all day.

23) Be a famous rapper or be a notorious mobster?

I don't really like rap and this isn't even a thought. I'd rather be a famous rapper. If I were a notorious mobster, people would probably be after me to kill me!

24) Be eaten by a zombie or be burnt at the stake?

Ooh, this one is a toughie. I guess I'd rather be burnt at the stake. Burning sounds slightly less painful than being ripped limb from limb.

25) Never drink soda again or never eat pizza again?

Well, this sucks because these are two of my favorite things ever. However, I drink somewhere around 30-50 oz of soda in any given day, and only get pizza occasionally, so I'd have to choose to never eat pizza again.

26) See everything blurry or see everything in black and white?

I guess it depends. Seeing everything blurry would basically be like having bad eyesight, right? So I guess I could just get glasses/ contacts to fix that and it wouldn't really have much of an effect on my life. However, if it was too bad to fix with glasses, then black and white wouldn't be bad at all. So I guess I'd say see everything blurry unless it couldn't be remedied with glasses.

27) Be stuck in a room with dead bodies or eat 5 spiders?

I guess that all depends on how long I was stuck in that room. If it wasn't for a terribly long time, I'd rather be stuck in a room with dead bodies. 

28) Be deaf and have no legs or be blind with no arms?

Be deaf and have no legs. Losing my eyesight and arms would each be more devastating than their counterparts. 

So there we go, those are the 2 Would You Rather challenges! I hope you enjoyed this! I thought it was pretty fun.

I've also created a Facebook page for my blog, so if you want to check that out and like it, you can click HERE. I'll try to keep that pretty up-to-date with new posts and such.

Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See y'all soon!

30 Day Random Questions Challenge

Hey, y'all! It's once again time for a One Day Tumblr Challenge! Today, I'm doing 30 Day Random Questions Challenge. So, it's all really random questions about me, some which one might expect on an "about me" challenge, some which are a little more random. Let's get started!


Day 01 - Your middle name, and how you feel about it.

My middle name is Nicole! I don't mind my middle name, except that it's so common. But I hate when people call me by my middle name. It's my middle name for a reason. 

Day 02 - Talk about your piercings or tattoos, if you have any.

I have my lobes and my left cartilage pierced. I didn't get my lobes pierced until I was a freshman in high school, and then I got my cartilage pierced the summer after I graduated from high school.

Day 03 - Your favourite television program.

Almost too many to name. I love scripted comedy shows like The Office and Community. I also love reality competitions, like Project Runway, Top Chef, and America's Next Top Model. Also, scripted fantasy shows like Supernatural and Grimm. There are a lot more, but those are the basics. 

Day 04 - Write about your closest friend(s).

I actually live with my two best friends. We met at the very start of college, and have been best friends since our first semester here. We're super close and know each other a bit too well because we spend so much time together. 

Day 05 - Tell us your three favourite colours.

Red, teal, and purple!

Day 06 - Your favourite season, and why.

Summer! It's kinda the obvious choice, but my birthday is in the summer, I have more freedom to do my own thing, and I enjoy at least getting a little time to relax.

Day 07 - How you came across blogger, and how your life has changed since joining.

Well, I guess I just enjoyed reading blogs, and eventually I decided that blogging would be a fun hobby. My life hasn't changed a ton except for what I do with my free time. It's just a little more structured now, because I feel the need to actually do work on my blog rather than just sitting around. I typically can't even just sit and watch a show without doing something else at the same time.

Day 08 - Are you a fitness guru or a couch potato? Talk about your exercise habits.

I'm definitely a couch potato... my exercise habits are pretty nonexistent. 

Day 09 - Favourite meme at the moment.

I don't have one. I tend to avoid memes like the plague.

Day 10 - Talk about your pets, or the pets you would like to have.

I don't have any pets. From the ages of 6-17, I had a golden retriever named Sean, but we had to put him down :( That's the only pet I've had for any extended period of time. 

Day 11 - Your top three favourite bands.

My top 2 are easy- McFly and All Time Low. I'm not exactly sure what my next favorite might be. Maybe Parachute? Or Pentatonix? Or The Academy Is...? Or The Audition? I'm honestly not sure. But those two are definitely the top two.

Day 12 - Your thoughts or opinions about Harry Potter.

If you've seen many of my posts, you probably already know that I'm obsessed with Harry Potter. I grew up on the books, they're my favorite series, and they hold an extremely special place in my heart. 

Day 13 - Your thoughts or opinions about Mean Girls.

It's never been my favorite movie, but I have seen it several times, and really enjoy it. 

Day 14 - Do you have siblings? Talk about them, or talk about what it’s like to be an only child.

I don't have siblings. I really like being an only child (which is probably the effects of being an only child). I have always enjoyed having my alone time, and I think that enjoying alone time (or at least being able to cope with it) is an important quality to have to be independent in life.

Day 15 - Tell us your favourite junk food.

Almost any junk food ever. If it's unhealthy, I probably really enjoy it. 

Day 16 - Your favourite Disney Princess movie.

This one is really simple. Mulan. It's hilarious, it has great music, and it has a kick-butt heroine (which cannot be said about older Disney princess movies). 

Day 17 - Your thoughts on Ugg boots.

I don't have a problem with the shoes themselves. They don't look that great (IMO) but they do seem like they're really comfy. My problem is the fact that so many girls wear them to fit in or think that they have to wear them to look cool. 

Also, Uggs with leggings is just illogical. Uggs are for cold weather and leggings are basically tights, so they are thin and not warm at all. They don't go together, and you just look weather confused if you wear them together. 

Day 18 - Do you drink soda more often than milk?

Fun fact- I can't stand milk. Chocolate milk isn't terrible, but I can't drink plain milk. I hate the taste of milk. And I love Dr. Pepper. So, soda. Definitely soda.

Day 19 - The initials of your crush(es).

Right, because I'm actually going to talk about that on my blog.

Day 20 - Do you wear glasses? If so, what are they for?

I don't. 20/20 vision. But if I did, I would assume that I would wear them to see better. Since that's the purpose of glasses.

Day 21 - Your favourite subject to study.

Music, obviously. However, of core classes in high school, I always really enjoyed English. Also, specifically, I really enjoyed Earth and Space Science, which is probably the only science class I've ever enjoyed. 

Day 22 - Do you play a sport? Tell us about it. If not, talk about a different hobby you may have.

I don't play any sports now, but I used to in elementary school. I played basketball 2nd-6th grade, t-ball and coach pitch when I was 6-9, took tennis lessons for a few years, played volleyball 6th and 7th grade, and took horseback riding lessons. The horseback riding lessons were my favorite. If my family hadn't moved to a place where I couldn't take lessons, I probably would've continued.

Day 23 - Your opinions on Lady Gaga.

I don't have terribly strong opinions about Lady Gaga. I'm not really a fan of pop music in general, including her music. So, I don't really like her, but I also don't really care that much.

Day 24 - Tell us about the last movie you saw in theatres.

It's been a little while. I think the last one I saw was Dallas Buyers Club. I mostly saw it just because I really love Jared Leto. A lot.

Day 25 - Tell us about the last book you read (for leisure or for school).

I finished Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare yesterday, and I'm working on Clockwork Princess.

Day 26 - Name one place you would love to visit one day.

The expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm really excited to see what all has happened to it. It's super cool.

Day 27 - List your three favourite girls’ names and three favourite boys’ names.

Lainey, Riley, and Regan for girls (also, I like the name Joey)
Ian, Ace, and Jesse for boys

Day 28 - Your first celebrity crush.

I don't know if he was my first celebrity crush, but Nick Jonas was the first celebrity that I had a huge crush on. I was obsessed with The Jonas Brothers back in the day. 

Day 29 - Your opinions on the television show ‘Glee’.

Nothing pleasant. They popularize bad covers of good songs. And yes, the covers are always worse than the original. I don't care too much about the actual plot of the show. Just the fact that they've ruined some good songs with some bad covers. 

Day 30 - Take a picture of yourself right now and post it, or post the most recent picture you can find.

That's probably one of the most recent pictures of me. You wouldn't want to see a picture of me right now. I'm chillin' in my PJs. 

So, there you go, my 30 Day Random Questions Challenge! There are a lot of exciting things happening in the next couple weeks on From Kristen's Brain...! As I said on my Clockwork Prince post, my Clockwork Princess Discussion will probably be up either Monday or Tuesday, with the Infernal Devices series post up the following day.

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you back here soon!

Green Day- American Idiot

Hey, y'all! It's time for me to talk about another CD on my shelf! As always, I put my iTunes on shuffle, and the CD containing the first song that played is the one I'll be talking about!

Release Date: September 20, 2004

Genre: Pop Punk, Punk Rock, Alternative

Track Listing

1. American Idiot
2. Jesus of Suburbia
3. Holiday
4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
5. Are We The Waiting
6. St. Jimmy
7. Give Me Novocaine
8. She's a Rebel
9. Extraordinary Girl
10. Letterbomb
11. Wake Me Up When September Ends
12. Homecoming
13. Whatsername

Green Day lineup:
Billie Joe Armstrong- vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
Mike Dirnt- bass guitar
Tre Cool- drums, percussion

L-R: Mike, Billie Joe, Tre

About Green Day: 
I'm sure I don't have to tell you too much about Green Day, since they're pretty famous. They have released 11 studio albums to date. And that's not even including compilations and live CDs. They've sold millions and millions of CDs. Fun fact that you may not know: Dookie, their first big success, has actually sold 10 million copies in the US, while American Idiot, which is often considered to be their most well known and commercially successful album, has only sold 6 million in the US!

My Opinion about Green Day:
I really like Green Day, but they don't quite make my top 10 bands. They'd definitely make my top 20, and probably my top 15, but they don't quite get up there. I've found that of all the bands I like, the ones that are super commercially successful (like Green Day, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and Panic! At The Disco), while I do really like those bands, they're almost never the ones that end up as my absolute favorites. IDK if I subconsciously like really popular bands less, or if the ones that are popular only among alternative fans just make better music. Although I would say that among the alternative bands, Green Day is definitely one of the most talented ones. 

About the CD:  

What could I say about this CD that you may not already know? I'm thinking NOTHING. One fun fact about the CD is that the band originally recorded an entire album, before the master tracks were stolen and they decided to start from scratch, writing new songs, which would go on to become American Idiot, which is possibly their most commercially successful album

IMHO: 
I hate to be "that" Green Day fan, but I would be lying if I said that this wasn't my favorite CD by them. Even the songs that I don't like as much are really great. Green Day created a masterpiece with this CD, and I honestly don't think they'll ever be able to outdo themselves.

As always, I'm going to give each song a rating out of 10 and then give a brief explanation of why it got that rating. 

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American Idiot- 10/10. There's a reason that this song is one of Green Day's most well-known songs. It's so true to Green Day's whole vibe and so in your face that it's hard to dislike it. Plus, it's just so fun to jam to.

Jesus of Suburbia- 10/10. Generally, I have trouble making it all the way through songs that are nearly 10 minutes long, but I could listen to this one on repeat. Granted, it is a 5 act song, a la Bohemian Rhapsody, but it's just so great, and each section is just as strong as the last.

Holiday- 9.5/10. The guitar part is just really great and recognizable. And I really love the bridge. I don't know what else to say, I just really enjoy this song! Also, the way it seamlessly transitions to Boulevard is great. 

Boulevard of Broken Dreams- 9/10. This is a really great song. It would have a higher rating, but I'm just incredibly burnt out from hearing it as many times as I've heard it. 

Are We The Waiting- 8.5/10. It's a good song, but it's not one of my favorites on the CD. I can never seem to enjoy the slower Green Day songs as much as the fast ones.

St. Jimmy- 9.5/10. This is what Green Day does best, heavy guitar, fast tempo, gritty vocals. It just works so well, and it shows off all of their strongest skills.

Give Me Novocaine- 9/10. I really like the contrast between the relaxed verses and the heavy chorus. This is one of Green Day's strongest slower songs, in my opinion. And once again, the transition into the next song is really great.

She's a Rebel- 10/10. Possibly my favorite song on the whole CD. Although it's really short, it embodies Green Day's vibe almost perfectly. It's so loud and jam-worthy. Any time it comes on, I crank up the volume. 

Extraordinary Girl- 8.5/10. Good, but not one of my favorites on the CD. I actually tend to forget that it's on the CD, so that shows how much I really pay attention to it! But when I actually listen to it, I enjoy it. 

Letterbomb- 9/10.  Surprisingly, I don't like this one quite as much as some of their other fast songs. Although, I do really like the line "It's not over 'til you're underground" as well as the tie-ins to all the other songs.

Wake Me Up When September Ends- 9.5/10. If you'd asked me a year or two ago, this probably would've gotten a 10. But like Boulevard, this one has just been played far too many times. It's a great song, I just need some distance from it, after how much I used to listen to it. 

Homecoming- 8/10. This is one of the long songs I have more trouble making it through. This is probably my least favorite song on the CD, just because it keeps going and going. Obviously, I still like it since I gave it 8, but it takes some patience for me to get through the entire song.

Whatsername- 9/10. I love the simplicity of all of the instruments' parts, and how although they're playing basically the same thing over and over, it creates a really good song.

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Favorite Songs: She's A Rebel, American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, and Holiday.

Least Favorite Songs: Homecoming, Are We The Waiting, and Extraordinary Girl.

Video! 

American Idiot music video

Jesus of Suburbia music video

Rating: 9.5/10. I'd say that this CD is probably one of my favorites of all-time. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close. If I were giving 1/4 points, this would get a 9.75, but since I'm not, and since 10 is getting reserved for the best best of the best, this one loses out a bit. But it's such a great CD and it is an extremely cohesive CD, which gives it major brownie points

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? What are your opinions on Green Day? Let me know in the comments. If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow, because it lets me know y'all are liking them! Hope you enjoyed! Comment, comment, comment! I love feedback! Thanks for reading!

20 Day Favorite Band Challenge

Hey, y'all! It's once again time for a One Day Tumblr Challenge! Today, I'm doing the 20 Day Favorite Band challenge. This is going to be just a little different, because I have two favorite bands. So, what I'm going to do is to do it twice, once for each band. Let's get started! 

McFly

1) Band basics

The guys in McFly are (from L-R in the picture): Dougie Poynter, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, and Harry Judd. Danny is technically the front man although he and Tom are both considered to be the lead singers of the band. Danny and Tom also share guitar duties. Tom does the majority of the songwriting, although all three of the other guys (especially Danny) also write. Tom also does the piano/keyboards for the band. Dougie is the bassist and occasionally gets lead vocal parts. Harry plays the drums and any other percussion necessary. The band has been together since 2003 and has released 5 studio albums, as well as several compilations and live CDs. Their style has gone through many stages, from a Beach Boys-esque style, to some orchestral songs, to more rock, to more electronic pop. 

2) First song you heard

Well, there are kinda two answers to this question. The first time I heard of them was when they were in the Lindsay Lohan movie, Just My Luck. So technically, the first song I heard by them was Five Colours In Her Hair. However, I didn't put this into my long-term memory at all and didn't even know they were a real band and I completely forgot about them. 

Oddly enough, back in middle school, when I was obsessed with The Jonas Brothers, I watched an interview where they were asked what their favorite song was. Nick responded with Transylvania by McFly. Nick was my fave, so I went and checked out the song. At the time, I wasn't a fan. I thought it was a little weird and just didn't really like it. Now, it's one of my all-time favorite McFly songs. Anyway, at that point, I just didn't connect the dots between the two. When I actually started listening to the band (and I can't remember when that was), I finally connected all the dots upon rewatching Just My Luck and the Jonas Brothers interview. It was really interesting. 

3) Your favorite song

There are so many. I'll just give you my top 5 so that I don't ramble forever: Lies, Sorry's Not Good Enough, Five Colours In Her Hair, That Girl, and Transylvania.

4) Your favorite album

Radio:ACTIVE, their 2008 CD, is just absolute perfection. I have trouble calling any song on this CD my "least favorite on the CD" because they're all so great.

5) Your favorite band member

Tom Fletcher! Honestly, he's my #1 celebrity crush ever. So many things about him are what I want in a guy. Not only is he an extremely talented musician, but he's also extremely intelligent. He's very mature- he was the first of the guys to settle down and start a family- but he's also basically just a big kid. He collects Disney toys, and has tons of action figures... he even has a Buzz Lightyear action figure on his nightstand. Oh, and he also named his son Buzz Michelangelo... after Buzz Lightyear and Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I mean, just look at this picture...

He's basically just a big dork and I really love that. He's just so incredibly great. I love him. I hold so many guys to him as a standard.

6) Your favorite song title

Hmmm... Most of their titles are very straightforward, so it's hard to really pick a favorite. Maybe Silence Is A Scary Sound? Just because I definitely agree with that statement.

7) Your favorite album title

I really like that they named their greatest hits CD Memory Lane, not just because of the actual meaning of the phrase but because that's the name of one of the songs on their 2005 CD, Wonderland... So the title itself is even a throwback. I just think that was a great naming decision.

8) Your favorite lyrics

I'm not sure I can choose just one single lyric. There are just too many great lyrics to just choose one. So maybe I'll go with "Galaxy Defenders stay forever" from Star Girl. The McFly fanbase started to be called the Galaxy Defenders after that song was released, so it's taken on a meaning past what anyone planned it to be.

9) Your favorite photo of the band

Honestly, my favorite picture of the band is usually whatever picture is current where they all look good... which is why I chose the picture of them above all of these questions. So basically that picture is my current favorite of them. 

10) Your favorite album cover

I've always really liked this cover... regardless of the feelings I have about the actual CD. It just looks so dynamic and I think it looks super cool and I love that Tom is the most prominent one rather than Danny. Above The Noise is also one of my favorite McFly album titles.

11) Best song-related memory

I'd probably have to go with a Christmas-time road trip where I first really fell in love with McFly. I'd had their music on my iPod, and they were in my top 10 bands, but on one road trip I listened to some of the songs I'd just skipped over before and really fell in love. After that, they quickly rose to become one of my favorites. 

12) Worst song- related memory

When my Grandpa passed away, I spent the entire 8 hour car ride sitting in the car and just listening to McFly to try to make myself feel better. Usually, I spend road trips reading or watching a DVD, but I couldn't really do anything except for just sit and listen to McFly. It was a really upsetting time for me, but McFly really helped me feel better. 

13) Best song

I think that technically speaking, their best song is She Falls Asleep (Both Parts 1 &2). It's so beautiful with the orchestra and Tom's vocals. I think it's just so beautiful.

14) Worst song

I don't think I could really name a "worst" song, because even the ones I don't like as much are still good songs. But the one I would say is probably my least favorite McFly song is Hypnotised from their debut (2004) CD, Room On The 3rd Floor. I just don't really listen to it or like it as much as some of their other songs. 

15) Best album

Honestly, I think that Radio:ACTIVE is not only my favorite CD, but their best CD. It's really cohesive, but also has variety that keeps it interesting. It's just a great CD.

16) Worst album

Yep, their most recent studio album (how sad is it that 2010 is their newest?!) is the one that I think is their worst. It's just too overproduced. Even they said they weren't happy with the way the album was produced. I just hope that they rebound from this CD when they release their 6th album... whenever we finally get it. 

17) Most-played song

On my iTunes, the most played McFly song is Lies. However, on my old iTunes, I think it was second to Five Colours In Her Hair. But either way, Lies is the most played song on my iTunes currently. 

18) Least-played song

I went with just the ones on the studio albums, and of those, the least played is Party Girl from Above The Noise. I think on my old iTunes, the least played was The Ballad of Paul K from Wonderland, but I definitely like that song better than Party Girl.

19) Most popular song overall

I'm taking this as the most commercially popular song by McFly, which is definitely Five Colours In Her Hair. It was the song that launched their career, and it's definitely a fan favorite. Also, it turns 10 this year, which is just mind-boggling. 

20) Why is this your favorite band?

I don't even know where to start with this. Obviously, I love their music, but I also really love all four of the guys (especially Tom). I feel like they're all great guys, but they're also extremely talented musicians. I love that they're all so incredibly committed to the band. They've stated that they'd never replace a member who left the band, and they each have stated that they wouldn't leave. I feel like they're one of those bands who will continue on for years and years and years. I just love them so, SO much. They hold such a special place in my heart. 

All Time Low

1) Band basics

The All Time Low guys (from L-R in the picture) are: Rian Dawson, Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, and Zack Merrick. Alex is the lead singer and guitarist, Jack is lead guitarist, Zack is the bassist, and Rian is the drummer. Their parts in the band are much more defined than in McFly. Alex is the only one who ever sings (except when they have a guest vocalist). Alex does the vast majority of the lyrics writing, and often writes the entire song, but the rest of the guys also write the music as well. The band came together in 2003, when they were all still in high school. To date, they've released five studio albums, as well as an EP and an extended version of one of their CDs. Although they have released five CDs, their first CD, The Party Scene, is often overlooked as part of their discography. It's not even on iTunes. I tend to not even include it when talking about All Time Low's CDs, and often call So Wrong It's Right their first CD. 

2) First song you heard

There are a few songs that come to mind when I think about what my first All Time Low song was. I'm not sure what the exact song was, but I'm sure that Coffee Shop Soundtrack, Six Feet Under The Stars, and Dear Maria Count Me In were the first few. I'm sure that Poppin' Champagne was also up there in the first few that I listened to.

3) Your favorite song

It's really hard for me to choose a favorite, and unlike McFly, I haven't ever actually sat down and ranked all of All Time Low's songs from favorite to least favorite. (I know, I'm weird). I've always said that Weightless is my favorite song, not just from All Time Low, but out of all songs. However, I'm not sure that's necessarily true anymore. But I do really love Weightless. I love Shameless, Poppin' Champagne, So Long Soldier, and Lost In Stereo. I'm not sure if those five are necessarily my top 5, but they're all definitely up there. 

4) Your favorite album

I've already done a CDs On My Shelf post about this CD, which you can see by clicking HERE. This got the first 10/10 that I've ever given to a CD. For the longest time, So Wrong It's Right was my favorite All Time Low CD, but then in 2012, they released this CD and I fell head over heels in love. It was so much better than I could've ever hoped for, especially after how disappointed I was with their 2011 release. Much like with my favorite McFly CD, it's hard to say that any song on the CD is worse than any other. They're just all extremely great.  

5) Your favorite band member

Alex Gaskarth! He seems like such a nice guy and is extremely hilarious and a really talented musician. He has some of the best, most epic tweets ever. Plus, to make things even better, he's a huge Harry Potter nerd, which is always a great trait! I don't have the same intense love for Alex that I have for Tom, but he definitely has a special place in my heart. I also really love Jack. He makes me laugh endlessly.

6) Your favorite song title

Definitely The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver. It's really funny, and I really want to know how they chose that name, because although it evokes the theme of the song, it's never mentioned in the song.

7) Your favorite album title

It's not necessarily the title itself, but I really loved what they did with the advertising for Nothing Personal. They'd put funny insults on a poster and then put "Nothing Personal" below it. I thought it was really cool. 

8) Your favorite lyrics

I really love all of the lyrics in Weightless, especially these two: "Turn a page, I'm a book, half unread" and "maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year, and I'm so sick of watching while the minutes pass as I go nowhere."

9) Your favorite photo of the band

Once again, the photo I used at the beginning of this section of the post is the one that's probably my favorite picture of the band. 

10) Your favorite album cover

I really love the red/black combo, which is why I have this as the album art on my iTunes even though I have the deluxe CD (which has a blue background rather than red). I just realized that this is a recurring theme- my favorite covers are the CDs I'm not as big of a fan of!

11) Best song-related memory

Honestly, just driving around and blasting Don't Panic. I love it. 

12) Worst song- related memory

It's not necessarily bad, but it was pretty embarrassing and is a really funny story now. So, the day before Dirty Work was released (June 8, 2011), I got my first car. So going to get Dirty Work on the morning of the 8th was my first drive by myself in my car. I was being over-careful and following the drivers ed rules more than I'd ever followed them before, so when I got back into my car, I locked the car behind me (one of the first things drivers ed says to do when getting in the car) but I did it with my key remote. I wasn't aware that doing that would cause the car alarm to start blaring the second I tried putting my key in the ignition. I frantically pushed every button I could find, and finally realized I just had to unlock the car. So embarrassing. But at least I got to listen to the CD!

13) Best song

I'd say that their technically best song is Remembering Sunday. It's so raw and acoustic, and really great.

 

14) Worst song

Worst... Hmm. I don't think I have a single worst, but I'm not a huge fan of No Idea, Return The Favor, or Too Much

15) Best album

Once again, I honestly think that Don't Panic is their best CD. I think it really demonstrates how much they've grown over the years.

16) Worst album

My least favorite album is actually different than what I consider to be their worst CD. I definitely think that Dirty Work was their worst CD. It was really basic and poppy. However, that also makes it really easy to listen to and to enjoy, even though I think it's technically their worst CD. However, Put Up Or Shut Up, their 2006 EP is definitely the one I listen to the least. I don't think the songs on it are bad at all, but I just don't tend to want to listen to them as much. 

17) Most-played song

So Long Soldier and The Irony of Choking On A Lifesaver both have the same number of plays. However, on my old iTunes, before I got my laptop, Weightless had more than 100 plays. If it wasn't the most played song on my iTunes, it was at least in the top 5.  But on the current iTunes, the entire Don't Panic CD has more plays than any other songs do.

18) Least-played song

Of the studio albums, the song with the least plays is Holly (Would You Turn Me On?). That one is one of my least favorite songs by All Time Low, so it definitely makes sense that it has so few plays. 

19) Most popular song overall

Commercially, I think that Dear Maria, Count Me In and Weightless are the two most popular songs. I have friends who aren't really All Time Low fans or even pop punk fans who enjoy Dear Maria.

20) Why is this your favorite band?

A lot of the same reasons that McFly is... again, obviously I love their music. The guys all seem like really great guys, and they're really funny and talented. They're all really devoted to the band, and once again, the fact that they've been a band for almost eleven years without a single lineup change really shows how committed they all are to the band. They're all best friends, and I think that if one member left the band, they would decide to call it quits rather than continuing on without an important part of their lineup.

So, there you go, my 20 Day Favorite Band Challenge! I hope you enjoyed learning about both of these bands, and if you haven't heard of them, I think you should definitely give them a listen, because they make some great music. 

There are a lot of exciting things happening in the next couple weeks on From Kristen's Brain...! Tuesday, I'll be posting my series of the month post. Thursday, I'll be making an announcement about the project I'm doing this summer. I think that my April wrap-up that I discussed doing will be posted on May 8th, but I have both a Secret Lightning Scar chapter and a CDs On My Shelf post between now and then. If you want to keep up with my posts, I'd love it if you'd subscribe/follow, since it keeps you up-to-date and lets me know that you enjoy what I'm doing!

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you back here soon!