Top 9 Favorite Songs

Hey, y'all! This is the fifth post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

This is the only list that is unranked. I've never attempted a favorite list for songs before because of how ridiculously impossible it is. Ranking bands or albums is a bit easier because there are less of them that you listen to on a daily basis, but there are so many songs that you know and love that it's hard to narrow it down at all. However, there are a few songs that are like the ULTIMATE faves, which I'll save for last. The rest of the songs are listed in alphabetical order.

Also, last thing before I jump into the list, this was originally going to be a top 10 list, but I just simply couldn't figure out what song to put in the 10th slot. Not that I didn't have a stack of about 20 songs lined up to consider- it's just that each of them was too this or too that, and none of them were ones I could make a definitive decision on. So in lieu of those slots, I have an honorable mentions list before jumping into the official top 9.

Honorable Mentions:

Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots (love it, but too recent)
Lane Boy by Twenty One Pilots (again, love it but too recent)
Thrift Shop by Macklemore (love it but can't quite commit. Not sure why)

Playing God by Paramore (again, love it but can't commit for some reason)

Black Mamba by The Academy Is...

This has been my favorite song by The Academy Is... for quite a while, and I've counted it among my favorite songs for quite a while, but it wasn't until I narrowed down this list that I realized how much I really love this song. It was written in response to some negative reviews of TAI's debut EP and is essentially saying "who cares, I didn't write this music for you" and I love that about it.

Here's To The Zeros by Marianas Trench

When I first heard this song, I liked it, but I didn't think it was anything special. But over the past year, it's grown on me like crazy. Right now, it's my ultimate jam song. Whenever I really want to just turn on a song and drive and sing along, this is the one that I go to. Is it super deep? Nah. But it's a great anthem and I love it.

Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute

Now, I'm not super sappy and don't really connect too much to the meaning behind the lyrics, but when the song begins to play and I hear those opening piano notes, my heart swells and I immediately fall in love with it all over again. I love the way that the music and lyrics sound together, but I don't necessarily care about the meaning behind the lyrics, if that makes sense. But don't allow that to downgrade my love of the song, because I do absolutely love it a lot.

Lies by McFly

This is super straight-forward. It's my favorite song by my favorite band. It's an awesome song, and I love everything about it. That's basically the long and short of it. It's great.

On My Way Home by Pentatonix

I'll never forget the first time I heard this song. It was a few days before PTX Vol. III was released, and I was trying to find leaked versions of the songs (I know, I'm awful, but I love PTX and I wanted to listen to it so badly and I'd already pre-ordered the EP so I didn't feel bad). And this was the one I came across. I started listening and was somewhere in between frozen enthrallment and heart-pumping excitement. I was obsessed. I fell completely in love with it. And I'm still in love with it. It's beautiful.

So Long Soldier by All Time Low

When I first listened to Don't Panic, this one was actually one of my least favorite songs on the album. And then I gave it some more chances and it grew on me. It quickly became my favorite song on the album, and one of my favorite songs of all time. It's got some awesome music combined with some awesome lines and I love it.

Ultimate Favorites
(Also in alphabetical order... I can't rank these)

Closer to the Edge by 30 Seconds to Mars

I've long called this one my second favorite song, but like I said, I really can't rank them at this point. I absolutely love the music and the lyrics and the way they combine into this beautiful, beautiful song, And I really like the music video too. This is another one that I just like to blast when driving. 

In One Ear by Cage The Elephant

When I thought of making this list, this was the first song that came to mind. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite song, but it is definitely one of the ones that I think of the quickest when thinking of my favorite songs. I love the lyrics. A lot. The meaning behind them is super cool, and I love the pseudo rap style of it. And I love the big instrumental chunks as well. It's a really cool combo of sing-along-ability and more complex music.

Weightless by All Time Low

For the longest time, I called this my favorite song, but once again, I can no longer actually rank these. I love the music, and I love the lyrics, and I love the music video. It's another one that's great to blast and sing along to. I just really love it.


So, those are my top 9 favorite songs of all time. Let me know down in the comments what you think of the songs on this list, and what some of your all-time favorite songs are!

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!

Best Songs and Albums of 2014!

Hey, y'all! So, last year, I did a post talking about my top 10 songs and CDs of 2013, and I decided that I should really continue the tradition this year  (link HERE if you want to check out my 2013 faves). This year, however, there are a couple slight changes. The first of those is that I don't have a top 10 this year, at least for CDS. There were only a handful of CDs and that I really, really enjoyed in 2014, so I'm not even going to bother with trying to come up with more just to fill in places.

Last year, I also gave the songs the stipulation that they had to be singles. I didn't do that this year. My favorite songs of the year tended to be the songs that artists didn't release as singles, and I didn't want to neglect them. Last year, I also gave the stipulation that there could only be one song/CD from each artist. That's not the case this year, because I'd be neglecting several amazing songs and CDs.

Best CDs of 2014

#6: Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6

by Various Artists

These are always just so much fun. Sometimes my biggest problem that I have with a pop song is that I hate the singer or their voice. Punk Goes Pop never fails to take the fun of pop songs and make it just a bit grittier and more enjoyable. 

Best songs: Problem by Set It Off, Royals by Youth in Revolt, and Chocolate by KnucklePuck

#5: Oh, What A Life

by American Authors

For the first half of the year, this was the only CD on my favorites of 2014. I was actually starting to worry that there wouldn't be any others on the list. I really like the folk/pop blend that American Authors create throughout pretty much all of their music. It's really interesting and pretty unique and their songs are nice to just chill out to. Plus, I really love their band name and the album's cover art/ typogrphy. Everything about this CD is just a win.

Best Songs: Heart of Stone, Hit It, Best Day of My Life, Luck

#4: That's Christmas To Me

by Pentatonix

Pentatonix can do no wrong. They're flawless, as is this Christmas CD. I generally don't listen to a ton of Christmas music, but I've listened to this SO. MUCH. I love that they switch up the parts more on this than they usually do, so that everyone gets lead more often. This just got me completely in the holiday spirit. So much fun.

Best Songs: Let It Go, White Winter Hymnal, Sleigh Ride, and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

#3: Don't Kill The Magic

by MAGIC!

I blasted this CD all summer long, and even into the fall. I listened to it over, and over, and over. It's just so good. I love almost all of the songs, and the ones I don't quite love are still pretty good. It's just so chill but so fun. I love the reggae-pop mix that they have going on.

Best Songs: Stupid Me, Paradise, Little Girl Big World, and Mama Didn't Raise No Fool

#2: McBusted

by McBusted

I was actually slightly disappointed that this CD didn't make #1 on my list, but the one at #1 has quickly become one of my all-time favorite albums ever. Anyway, McBusted is absolutely amazing. I still love my beloved McFly more and hope that they'll decide to continue on as just McFly and Busted at some point in the future, but I did really enjoy this CD, and love them as a superband.

Best Songs: Get Over It, Air Guitar, Sensitive Guy, and Hate Your Guts

#1: PTX, Vol. III

by Pentatonix

Yes, I'm fully aware that this is only a 7 song EP and not a full-length album, but I DON'T CARE. This is flawless. I absolutely love this EP. Every song is amazing. I can't accurately express how incredible this is. It was released in September, and I've had it on an almost constant repeat ever since and I'm nowhere near sick of it. I can't imagine how Pentatonix could ever top this. It's just so amazing.

Best Songs: All of them. But since I have to choose, I'll just least them from absolute favorite to less-absolute favorite.
On My Way Home. Problem. La La Latch. Rather Be. See Through. Standing By. Papaoutai.



Best Songs of 2014
I tried really hard to order them from least favorite to favorite, but this order is pretty interchangeable, especially when it comes to #2-7.

#10: Lemonade 
by SOPHIE

This song is so random for me, because I typically don't listen to anything like this at all. But one week on Superfruit (the YouTube channel that Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying from PTX have together), this was Mitch's song of the week, and I was curious so I went and listened to it, and I've been listening to it ever since. It's so unique and weird but super cool and I love it. 

#9: Kick Me
by Sleeping With Sirens

This is the Sleeping With Sirens that I love. It's so aggressive and angry and I'll be 100% happy if their next album sounds a lot like this song. Love the message, love the music. LOVE.

#8: Here's To The Zeros
by Marianas Trench

Marianas Trench squeaked onto the list at pretty much the last second with this song. I've been listening to it on repeat since its release in the last week of the year, and I really love it. It's got me really excited for their new CD that's coming out in the spring. And the lyrics are great. 

#7: Rather Be
by Pentatonix

I've been obsessed with this song ever since I heard Mitch's first opening theme. I'm not a huge fan of the original song, but I love this one a lot. I also think that the music video is really great. It's fun to see them just wandering around Japan, and I especially love the little Scomiche (Scott+Mitch= Scomiche) moments that we get.

#6: Air Guitar
by McBusted

This was the first single that McFly and Busted released as a single entity, and I really enjoyed it. A lot of people thought that there was too much Busted and not enough McFly, but I didn't really feel that way. I thought that Air Guitar (more than most of the songs on the CD) was a really great mix of the two bands.

#5: La La Latch
by Pentatonix

I love how this song highlights all 3 of the main singers of Pentatonix and gives them all their little moments. The video pays homage to the way that they circle up to do their arrangements. And speaking of arrangements, this one is great. They never fail to combine songs in amazing ways.

#4: Pop 101
by Marianas Trench

This song has been on repeat ever since I found out that it existed. This song is basically just Marianas Trench using the medium of a pop song and sampling pop songs to make fun of pop songs and point out all of their flaws. It's hilarious and amazing and extremely accurate. I really love this song.

#3: Problem
by Pentatonix

When this came out, I didn't listen to anything but this song for about a week. Not kidding. Even though I do still wish that Mitch had gotten to sing the really high parts, that's literally the only complaint I could make about this. Mitch's rap is perfection and so sassy. All of the sass. Kevin's beatboxing and whispers are on point. I don't even know what to call Avi's throat thing, but it's incredible too. Everything about this song is just so awesome.

#2: Get Over It
by McBusted

This is McBusted's latest single, and it's definitely my favorite from their CD. It's just so much fun and I've been listening to it on repeat for quite a while now. I love these boys, and if they continue as a supergroup into the new year, I hope that their music continues to be this awesome.


#1: On My Way Home
by Pentatonix

I don't even have the words to say how much I love this song. The first time I listened to it, my jaw hit the ground. This is by far my new favorite original Pentatonix song, and is honestly probably my favorite Pentatonix song of all-time. It has such a cool world music vibe, and the harmonies are so amazing, and I love everything about this song. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

So, those were my favorite songs and CDs of 2014! This was definitely the year of Pentatonix. It was also definitely not the best year of releases. As much as I loved the ones that were on this list, I had to abandon my usual rules in order to have lists of music that I actually really, really enjoyed. I hope that this time next year, my lists are full of 10 CDs by 10 artists and 10 songs by 10 artists, and that I'm struggling to figure out what amazing music I'm going to have to cut from the list. Wishful thinking? Probably. But with releases from at least 3 of my 5 favorite bands coming out in 2015, I'm thinking that it's going to be a great year. 

I've started doing Booktube a little as well, so if you want to check that out, you can click HERE. I plan to post most of my videos to my blog, but just in case I miss one or decide not to post it on here, that will keep you up-to date. 

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!

The Friday Night Boys- Off The Deep End

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: June 9, 2009

Genre: Powerpop, Pop-Punk, Electronic

Track Listing

1. Permanent Heartbreak
2. Stupid Love Letter
3. Suicide Sunday
4. Finding Me Out
5. Stuttering
6. Can't Take That Away
7. How I Met Your Mother
8. Hollow
9. The First Time (Natalie's Song)
10. Molly Makeout (feat. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low)
11. Unforget You
12. Sorry I Stole Your Gurl

The Friday Night Boys lineup on this CD:
Andrew Goldstein- vocals
Mike Toohey- guitarist
Robby Reider- bassist
Chris Barrett- drums

About The Friday Night Boys: 
The Friday Night Boys formed in 2006, and put out 3 EPs: So Friday Night, So Friday Tight in 2007, The Sketch Process in 2008, and the That's What She Said EP in 2008. They followed those releases with this CD. Unfortunately however, they disbanded in 2010.

My Opinion about The Friday Night Boys:
While they were never one of my favorite bands, I like their music. They're definitely on the more poppy side of pop punk, and their music is so much fun. With their songs, I tend to either love them or just not care.

About the CD:  
As I said before, this was their only CD, spawning 2 singles: Stuttering and Stupid Love Letter. The album has a fairly typical sound, which may be why the band didn't last so long, because several other bands had a very similar sound.

IMHO: 
This CD is very up and down. There are several I really, really like, and others I just don't care about.They aren't interesting enough for me to like them, and they aren't bad enough for me to hate them. They're just there. It seems really disjointed. They have both a pop punk and an electronic sound, and I don't feel like they marry the two very well. They have songs that are very pop punk, and some that are very electronic, but only one that seems to marry the two successfully. 

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. 

Permanent Heartbreak- 9.5/10. I really love the acoustic version of this, but I absolutely love the electric guitar in this one. I wish there was more of that & less of the electronic sound.
Stupid Love Letter- 10/10. I love the whole attitude of the song, and it's one that you can blast and jam to, especially when you're angry. This is the only song where I feel they actually combined the electronic and pop punk and it worked.
Suicide Sunday-8.5/10. The chorus is really dynamic and fun and I absolutely love it, but the verses are just a bit dull.
Finding Me Out- 8/10. It's a sweet song, and I appreciate their attempt at a slower love song. It's not perfect, but it's good.
Stuttering- 10/10. This song is just pure fun. In my opinion, it's one of the most pop punk songs and I just love it. It's great.
Can't Take That Away- 7/10. It's sweet, mostly just guitar and cello, and it's simple. I appreciate that, but it just doesn't seem to fit their sound.
How I Met Your Mother- 9/10. This one just makes me laugh. This is possibly the only song that I like purely because of the story in it rather than the music.
Hollow- 8/10. This is one of the other songs that I feel is the most pop punk of the CD. It's not that I dislike electronic music, but I do like pop punk better and I feel like that's where The Friday Night Boys actually shine. Their electronic efforts just don't seem to work as well for them.
The First Time (Natalie's Song)- 7/10. I don't dislike this song, but it's very average, unoriginal, and forgettable. It's like a guy saying a girl is "nice." It's a complement... but is it really?

Molly Makeout (feat. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low)- 10/10. This song is a lot of fun for me, and on top of that, All Time Low is my favorite band and I LOVE Alex Gaskarth's voice. So he makes this even better.
Unforget You- 7/10. I don't know if it's just that I have a thing against electronic violins, but I'm not a big fan of this song. This has the opposite problem that Suicide Sunday has. I like the choruses, but I'm not a fan of the verses.
Sorry I Stole Your Gurl- 7.5/10. This is definitely the most electronic song on the CD, and I still can't decide if I like it or not... and I've had this CD for 3 years. And this is such a minor thing, but I just can't stand the way they spell girl on this song. If you're going to go for "gurl" you should at least go all out and say "Sorry I Stole Ur Gurl."

Favorite Songs: Molly Makeout is definitely my favorite. I also really like Stupid Love Letter, Stuttering, and Permanent Heartbreak.

Least Favorite Songs: The First Time (Natalie's Song) is probably my least favorite. Can't Take That Away and Unforget You are also two I'm not so fond of.

Video! 

Molly Makeout

Stupid Love Letter music video

Rating: 7.5/10. The average was close to an 8.5, but I'll tell you why I docked points. Though the quality of the individual songs may be good enough to receive an 8.5, it's too disjointed for me to feel like an 8.5 is merited. Typically, if I like a CD, there are a lot more songs reaching the 10/9.5 mark than there are reaching the 7/7.5 mark, and they're the same on this CD.

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? What did you think of The Friday Night Boys? Let me know all of this 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!

Top 10 CDs/Songs of 2013

Hey, y'all! So, a couple days ago, I did the New Years Challenge (link HERE if you haven't checked it out and would like to) and one of the questions asked what my top 5 songs of the year were. I started thinking about which CDs I enjoyed the most in 2013, and that's how we got here! I'll be listing my top 10 CDs, as well as my top 10 songs.

Also, since this isn't actually a CDs On My Shelf post, I'll try to stay away from full-out reviewing the CDs, because I will probably have a post on each one at some point (and in some cases, I already have!). So this is just going to be my opinion on the CDs, as well as my top few songs to check out on each one.

This year hasn't been the best for music, in my opinion. Although several of my favorite artists released new music, several of those releases went in totally different directions and were disappointing. Several long-anticipated releases failed to impress, and a few gems were total surprises.That being said, let's dive right in! 

Top 10 CDs of 2013

#10) Fashionably Late (Deluxe Edition)- Falling In Reverse

Notice that I didn't say these CDs were necessarily the BEST CDs of the year. And that's definitely true for this one. Everyone has their "trash" music that they know is absolutely terrible, but they still enjoy it and jam to it. That's Falling In Reverse for me. Though many people don't like them, I thought their first CD was pretty good. Great music, but very mediocre lyrics ("sexy, please text me. I'm ready for you" REALLY? A chimp could write that!). This CD, however, is just funny. Ronnie thinks he can rap, so there's rap, his characteristic not-so great lyrics, and a random country song thrown in. It's such a hodge-podge but somehow I actually enjoy it.

The songs I'd say are the ones I like the most are Bad Girl's Club and Drifter. Bad Girl's Club is really catchy and oh so cheesy and bad, but a total jam song. Drifter is the country song, and strangely, I really like it!

#9) Overnight- Parachute

I avoided listening to this CD for quite a while, because Parachute is one of my absolute favorite bands, and upon hearing the singles, I was very disappointed with the direction they were taking their music. Parachute veers more on the pop side, and their music has always been very chill, relaxing, pop rock. Like so many bands like them, Parachute caved to the electronic pop sound, and I miss the old sound. However, this is still a good CD. It still sounds like them, just a more electronic version. I'm sure I would like this CD more if I wasn't so attached to their original sound. You can tell it's a slow year in music when this is the best thing I can say about my #9 CD of the year.

The songs I'd recommend from this one are Overnight and The Other Side. Out of all the songs, I feel like Overnight has the most similarities to their old sound. The Other Side is a really chill song, and it has a really nice beat to it.

#8) Melophobia- Cage The Elephant

Cage The Elephant is one of the most unique bands I listen to. Matt Shultz has a very distinct voice, and their music has a very distinct sound. They've definitely set themselves apart from the other bands in the industry, but I haven't seen a ton of buzz around them since "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" and "In One Ear" were popular back in about 2009. Melophobia isn't a huge deviation from their sound in previous CDs. I guess the only thing that really disappointed me was that they've had a bit less than 3 years since their last CD, and we only get 10 songs, and most of those songs are really mellow. There's nothing wrong with mellow- CTE does mellow really well- but it would be nice to have more excitement in the CD.

The songs I'd recommend the most from Melophobia are Come A Little Closer and Teeth. Come A Little Closer is probably the most mainstream friendly song. CTE is a very oddball band, and much of their music would leave 'normal' people scratching their heads. This one is one that would probably appeal to a fairly sizable audience. Teeth is the exact opposite. Teeth is the excitement I wanted out of this CD. It's full, oddball, in your face CTE, and I love it. 

#7) Sunflower- Never Shout Never

Never Shout Never (or more specifically, frontman Christofer Drew, who was the sole member of Never Shout Never for a very long time) is one of those bands that goes though endless phases of musical styles. NSN started as a uke/acoustic guitar based pop rock band, ventured into a folksy phase, into a more electric phase, into a more bluesy/ soft rock sound, and then to this. Sunflower is a mix of a couple of the band's phases. Quite a bit of it is rather bluesy, a couple are more of the acoustic sound, and a couple even have the folk in them. Some sounds are more successful than others, but overall, I feel like they've hit their stride by mixing the different sounds, and have bounced back from a couple of CDs that I didn't think were that outstanding.

For me, the best songs on the CD are New Sound and Wild Child. Both are more of the bluesy sound. New Sound has a really fun groove to it, and was a great choice for the first track. Wild Child is my favorite on the album. It's a really unique song, and I'm not sure what else to say about it except that I really like it!

#6) The Pioneer Sessions- William Beckett

We now arrive at the CD I've already talked about on CDs On My Shelf (You can click HERE if you'd like to check it out). William Beckett was the lead singer of The Academy Is... until they broke up in 2011. In 2012, he began releasing a series of EPs, and at the beginning of 2013, he released The Pioneer Sessions, which is basically the acoustic, stripped down versions of the songs on the EPs. Some of them, I actually enjoy the acoustic version more than the pop one, because I really miss him doing alternative music. That being said, this is a CD I really enjoy, and listen to on a regular basis. 

My two favorite songs on the CD would have to be Compromising Me and Dear Life. These are both songs where I really enjoy both the normal and acoustic versions. Compromising Me is a really interesting song, possibly more interesting in the normal version, but I love it either way. Dear Life stuck out at me the first time I heard the normal version, but I think the acoustic might be better. I really like the way the music and vocals mesh together.

#5) Feel- Sleeping With Sirens

Here's another one that I talked about on CDs On My Shelf (link HERE if you'd like to read it). Sleeping With Sirens is one of my favorite bands, and although I'm of the opinion that this CD isn't quite as good as their last release, it's still really strong. I'm not even upset that they collaborated with a rapper on Alone, because I think it sounds really cool. They made some really smart choices with collabs on this CD. In my opinion, the best thing this band has going for them is Kellin Quinn's unique voice. Honestly, I've never heard anyone with a voice like Kellin's. Sure, some people think he and Vic Fuentes (from Pierce The Veil) sound similar, but they each have very distinct voices.

There are so many great songs to mention on this CD. Free Now, a song about Kellin's broken family and how he wants to be a good father to his daughter, Copeland, is really sweet. Alone, feat. MGK, is different for them because of the rap, and I think it works really well. Congratulations, feat. Matty Mullins, is definitely a jam song, as is Deja Vu.

#4) PTX Vol. II- Pentatonix

Pentatonix is an a cappella group that I was introduced to this year. I've completely fallen in love. Each member brings something unique to the group. Kevin is an excellent beatboxer/ rhythm section, Avi has a KILLER bass range, Scott has an insanely amazing and soulful voice, Mitch has a great voice with an amazing range, and Kirstie supplies the necessary female voice. They do great arrangements, and their original music is also really good. PTX Vol. 2 falls just the smallest bit shy of the bar that PTX Vol. 1 set, but that bar was set really high, so it would be nearly impossible for them to do better than that.

My favorite songs on the CD are Can't Hold Us (A Macklemore cover) and Daft Punk (a medley of Daft Punk songs). I really liked the original Can't Hold Us, and Pentatonix just improved upon it. Having Scott, Mitch, and Kirstie take sections of it was great. The arrangement of Daft Punk is great and the bass kills me every time. It's just awesome. 

#3) Save Rock and Roll- Fall Out Boy

Believe it or not, I wasn't a huge fan of this CD when it came out. I'd already listened to My Songs Know and Phoenix, so I was a bit worried about the direction of the CD. And I've since realized that yes, it's a different direction for them, but I really, really like it. There were (and still are) some songs that I don't enjoy as much, but there are quite a few songs that I can listen to on repeat. My only complaint is that this is one of those CDs where a song either falls into the like or dislike pile. There're no middle ground where songs are just ok.

There are several really great ones on here. Save Rock and Roll is one of those songs where I'll be out driving with my windows rolled down, loudly singing along. Young Volcanoes is surprisingly fun for FOB, and I really enjoy it. The Mighty Fall is also another good one, and the only thing I'm not a fan of is the rap on it. It detracts from the song just a little, but Patrick's parts are amazing. The Phoenix is another I like to blast while driving. The cello intro is spot on!

#2) Paramore- Paramore

I really wasn't sure what to expect out of this CD. I hadn't listened to Paramore much since the Farro brothers left the band, and I really wasn't sure where their music was headed. But still, I decided to pick up their CD when it came out, trusting it would at least be decent. It really exceeded expectations. So many of the songs on this CD are standout songs, and have become some of my favorite Paramore songs. I went back and forth over whether this or Save Rock and Roll should be higher, but in the end, Paramore won because of the sheer number of tracks that I absolutely love. However, like Save Rock and Roll, nearly all the songs fall into either a like or dislike pile. There are several that are good, but I just don't care about them in comparison to the outstanding songs.

There are so many amazing songs that it's hard to not talk about them all. Fast In My Car is an amazing combo of music and lyrics. Great opener. Now is especially good because of Hayley's vocals. Grow Up is another great one. I especially love Hayley's vocals in the chorus. Daydreaming is also really fun. Ain't It Fun has a cool sound, with the choir to back it up. Still Into You is such a catchy and fun song. Anklebiters is a really fun, harder song. (One of Those) Crazy Girls is kinda creepy but cool.

Before I continue... My two favorite CDs that came out this year both seemed like cop-outs to put as the #1 CD of the year, because one is the deluxe edition of a CD released last year, and the other is a live CD. Since I couldn't decide which is better, and thought each was a bit of a cop out, I figured I should just put them both as #1... which makes it an even bigger cop out, but whatever!

#1) TIE

10th Anniversary Concert- Royal Albert Hall (Live)- McFly

McFly has been my favorite band for quite some time now, and this CD is really special because it's from their 10th anniversary concert. Also, Busted, a band who broke up in 2005 and is friends with McFly, came back together and performed with McFly. Since they only did shows in Royal Albert Hall, I was unable to go, but this CD makes it a little better.

I love all of the songs! More specifically, though... McFly the Musical is a song written specifically for the concert, and it's all about McFly in the last 10 years. Tom hit the nail on the head writing this one. It's perfect. Five Colours In Her Hair was their first ever single, and to this day, it's still one of their best, and certainly their most recognizable song.

Don't Panic: It's Longer Now- All Time Low

All Time Low is my other favorite band. Just like I can't choose between these two CDs, I can't choose between these two bands. They're both amazing in their own ways. Don't Panic was released in late 2012, and not only did it become my favorite All Time Low CD, but it made its way into my top 2 CDs of all time. Seriously, it's that good. That's why I was so excited to hear they were re-releasing it with extra songs. Although if I were to give each song a rating and then average it out to get an album rating, the rating of It's Longer Now would be lower than the original Don't Panic, the added songs are all really good. 

I'll just choose from the new songs for this, because the old songs are ALL perfect. A Love Like War is really great, and features Vic Fuentes as a guest vocalist, which elevates it even higher. I also really enjoy Canals, because it has a really cool beat to it. But, if you wanna talk about the original songs, my top songs would have to be: So Long, Soldier, Backseat Serenade, Paint You Wings, The Reckless and the Brave, The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver, and Outlines. Also, I just listed half of the CD, and there are more I wanted to list, but it's just too many. 

Honorable Mentions: 

LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS by 30 Seconds to Mars

Wild & Free by A Rocket To The Moon

Night Visions by Imagine Dragons

Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! by Panic! At The Disco

Hunter Hayes (Encore) by Hunter Hayes

Top 10 Songs of 2013

I gave myself a couple extra rules on this one. The main, and most complicated rule, has to do with when it was released. Obviously, the song has to have been released in 2013. However, if the CD it was on was released before 2013, and the song was released as a single in 2013, it's fair game.

I chose mostly singles (or songs that I know for sure will be a single). I'm keeping it to one song per artist/CD because if I didn't, you'd see the same artists multiple times.

I couldn't put them in a specific order, but I did divide them a bit. I like the top 6 songs evenly, so they're separate from the other 4.

7-10

• Come A Little Closer by Cage The Elephant. Of all of the songs on Melophobia, this is the one I was immediately drawn to. It's very Cage The Elephant, and very chill.
• This Is Gospel by Panic! At The Disco. I enjoyed several songs on Panic!'s 2013 CD, but I thought this one was the most musically interesting. The beginning has a really cool sound to it, and I especially love the chorus.
• Do Or Die by 30 Seconds To Mars. 30 Seconds To Mars is a band I listen to fairly casually. Closer To The Edge is one of my all time favorites, but I just don't listen to the band a ton. But I really liked this song. It's very 30STM, and the chorus is really interesting.
• Benny & Joon by William Beckett. The lead single off of his summer 2013 release. Unfortunately, I couldn't include the songs from Pioneer Sessions because they were released in 2012, but this was the best song on this CD by far. 

Top 6

• Still Into You by Paramore. This was the hardest to choose, because there are so many tracks from their album that I love. It was between this, Grow Up, Ain't It Fun, and Anklebiters. This one had literally one more play than the other 3, so I chose this one. 
• Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy Feat. Elton John. Technically, this isn't a single. But Fall Out Boy will be doing a video for all of the songs on Save Rock and Roll, so I allowed it. I went back and forth on which track from their album to choose. It was between this one, Young Volcanoes, and The Mighty Fall. In the end, this one has been on repeat for the longest. I love it.
• A Love Like War by All Time Low Feat. Vic Fuentes (of Pierce The Veil). This is such a great song, and I love Vic Fuentes. Having him on there just makes it that much better.
• Can't Hold Us by Pentatonix. PTX Vol. II came out this year, and I've been greatly enjoying it. All the songs are great, but this one is a big standout for me.
• Love Is On The Radio by McFly. The latest single by my favorite band. It's been playing on repeat ever since it was released.
• Congratulations by Sleeping With Sirens. It took forever to choose a song from this CD, but I ended up picking this one because of the especially strong vocal performance by both Kellin and Matty.

Honorable Mentions:

Daft Punk by Pentatonix

Ain't It Fun and Grow Up by Paramore

Young Volcanoes and The Mighty Fall by Fall Out Boy

Alone by Sleeping With Sirens
Backseat Serenade and Somewhere In Neverland by All Time Low

Hope you enjoyed my lists for the top 10 CDs and songs of 2013! Let me know in the comments what your favorite CDs and songs were, as well as what you thought of my choices! Also, reminder: the prologue of The Secret Lightning Scar [A Harry Potter Fanfic] will be posted TOMORROW, so don't forget to check that out!

7 Day New Years Challenge 2014

Hey, y'all! Since it's New Years Eve, I figured I should do the New Years Challenge! It's only 7 questions/days, but there are several lists, so it took me a while to come up with the answers. Enjoy!

Day One - Ten things you did this year.

1. Turned 19, which was the age I always wanted to be when I was younger. Why I wanted to be 19, I have NO idea, but I always wanted to be 19. 
2. Started my first retail job. It was also the first job where I actually got to spend my money on myself (my first job was part of a financial aid package for school).
3. Decided on a major! Music/Psych combo!
4. Got serious about blogging. I'd blogged before, but never to the level which I do now.
5. Dyed the tips of my hair and my bangs bright red. Gone, but never forgotten!
6. Discovered several musicians who are now staples in my iTunes (Sleeping With Sirens and Pentatonix are two prime examples)
7. Got so insanely addicted to Youtube and discovered Youtubers who are now major staples in my life. This time last year, I didn't know who Danisnotonfire was. Seriously, Kristen?!
8. Started living with my two best friends. It's pretty much the best living situation ever.
9. Got Netflix and realized how perfect it is at life.
10. Miraculously passed 2 more semesters of college!

Day Two - Top five songs of the year.
This is in no particular order (seriously, I couldn't do that), and I limited it to only 1 song per artist.

1. Still Into You by Paramore. This was the hardest to choose, because there are so many tracks from their album that I love. It was between this, Grow Up, Ain't It Fun, and Anklebiters. This one had literally one more play than the other 3, so I chose this one. 
2. Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy Feat. Elton John. I went back and forth on which track from their album to choose. It was between this one, Young Volcanoes, and The Mighty Fall. In the end, this one has been on repeat for the longest. I love it.
3. A Love Like War by All Time Low Feat. Vic Fuentes (of Pierce The Veil). This is such a great song, and I love Vic Fuentes. Having him on there just makes it that much better.
4. Can't Hold Us by Pentatonix. PTX Vol. II came out this year, and I've been greatly enjoying it. All the songs are great, but this one is a big standout for me.
5. Love Is On The Radio by McFly. The latest single by my favorite band. It's been playing on repeat ever since it was released.

Day Three - Five favorite photos of 2013.

Mount Rushmore (July)

Dorm room (August) before all the posters!

Me & my roommates on the first day of class (August)

Jazz at the Levitt Shell! (September)

Roomies! (September)

Day Four - Three people who influenced you this year.

1. My academic adviser. She taught a psychology of music class, and it helped me to realize the direction I wanted to go with my major and in life.
2. My roomies. They made me do stuff even when I didn't want to, which is a big reason I survived this past semester.
3. My parents. Mostly obligatory, since I live with them! 

Day Five - Five things that have changed this year.

1. My major. Well, kinda. I'm still doing music, but I'm doing both music and psychology now, which was unexpected.
2. My friends. Again, this is only somewhat. Some of the people I was close with last year just aren't people I enjoy being around anymore. People who I considered to be very close friends are now people I don't even talk to because they completely shut me out and were jerks. But now, I know who I can actually trust.
3. Blogging. This has become a big part of my life since the summer, and it's a great change!
4. My living situation. I'm living with people I get along well with, and it's a very happy change.
5. Me. That's so basic and cliche, but it's true. Although it feels like 2013 has gone by really quickly, when I think back to this time last year, SO much has changed, and I'm a different person than I was last year.

Day Six - Top five movies of the year. 
I've barely seen any of the movies that came out this year... I'll list the ones I liked, and then give you a list of all the movies I want to see from this year.

1. Insidious: Chapter 2. I usually don't like sequels, but I really enjoyed how this one played with time, and began with you being really confused and allowing you to figure it out as it went along.
2. Evil Dead. As good as the original? Of course not. But it was nice and gory and I liked it.
3. Warm Bodies. I actually forgot I saw this because it was so long ago, but I did actually like it. I can't remember a ton about it except that I liked it.
4. The Lone Ranger. This wasn't necessarily a good movie, but I barely saw any movies this year, so I figured I should include it. And I love Johnny Depp regardless of what he does. 

Yeah, those are the ones I saw. Now here are the ones I wanted to see: The Hobbit 2, Frozen, City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments), The Great Gatsby, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Conjuring, Ender's Game, Dallas Buyers Club, The Purge, and The Bling Ring.

Day Seven - New Year’s Resolution

I have a few, but my main resolution is to be better about blogging on a schedule. I've made an official schedule on the new "About Kristen's Brain..." section of my blog, which has a little about me section, as well as a section about the blog. If you'd like to check that out, you can click HERE. I'm going to try and stick to that as much as possible. There will probably be more posts than that, if the idea strikes, but I won't know that until then. 

What I DO know, however, is that TOMORROW will be the release of my fanfic teaser! Obviously I haven't told you what it's a fanfic of, but all in good time! I was going to give you a hint, but I always FIND it hard to do hints without giving it away. See, while some diehards might have understood that hint immediately, the majority of people have no idea what I'm talking about. And I siriusly can't come up with a good hint, so you'll just have to see tomorrow!

The first section will be posted Saturday, January 4, in accordance with the new schedule. It's something I've been working on and editing for quite a whole, and I really hope y'all enjoy it!

Also, as an added bonus, I think I'm going to make a post about my favorite CDs that came out of 2013. If it's not within the next few days, it'll probably be the CDs On My Shelf post for next week!

Hope y'all have a very happy new year, and I hope to see y'all back here again tomorrow and in the next few days!