Spring Jamz

I signed up for my first half marathon in late May (!!), and have been tinkering with my running playlist.  Want a little peek?

"Wonderland" Natalia Kills (she's the British version Lady Gaga, but JP swears she has some Kanye within)
"When We Were Young" Sucre (dreamy pop)
"Primadonna" Marina and the Diamonds (sooo looking forward to her new album in a few months!)
"Anna Sun" Walk the Moon (they only have one EP with three songs on it, but I'm obsessed!)
"Some Nights" fun. (just download their latest album.  You won't regret it.)
"Go Outside" cults (twee pop, but accessible)
"Lonely Boy" The Black Keys (great beat and pacing song)
"Life's a Happy Song" The Muppets (no one can resist this upbeat soundtrack song)
"One Foot" fun. (a good reminder while running that you just put one foot in front of the other...)

Wonderful Winter Warbles

I was really going for an alliteration there, and apparently "warble" is appropriate for song.  Who knew? 
JP and I had a little holiday gathering over the weekend, and I wanted to put together a playlist that wasn't totally schmaltzy Christmas-only tunes; my goal was something that would be accessible for December and January/February.  And okay, there are some holiday pieces, but also some good songs about how great life is and gratefulness.  What are your favorite songs to sing along to during this season?

White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Dustin Kensrue

It Don't Have to Change by John Legend

Winter Winds by Mumford and Sons

Come on!  Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance! by Sufjan Stevens

Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? by Rufus Wainwright

This Good Night is Still Everywhere by Dustin Kensrue (his holiday album is great!)

Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep) by Diana Krall

Coldest Winter by Kanye West

Fairytale of New York by Dustin Kensrue

It Really Is (A Wonderful Life) by The Indigo Girls

Faded from the Winter by Iron and Wine

River by Herbie Hancock feat. Corinne Bailey Rae

Sister Winter by Sufjan Stevens

Just Like Christmas by Low

Let it Snow by A Fine Frenzy

Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

P.S. The picture above is from my first winter here in DC, March 2009.  I was like a little kid in 3 inches of snow; just couldn't belive I could walk outside and throw a snowball! 

Girly music for the summer

Songs I can't stop listening to this summer include (but are not limited to):

• "Take it all" Adele
• "Hummingbird Heartbeat" Katy Perry
• "Starry-Eyed" Ellie Goulding
• "Wild Horses" Rolling Stones
• "Before I knew" Basia Bulat
• "My Love" The Bird and the Bee
• "Super Bass" Nicki Minaj
• "The Line" Noah and the Whale
• "Yoshimi battles the pink robots" The Flaming LIps
• Anything by the Avett Brothers.

What songs are you listening to lately?

Ella Love

 John Paul and I had an absolutely lovely housewarming party on Sunday evening.  We served some of the same recipes from pinxtos party, and I made pinwheel cookies and homemade Twix bars...of which I didn't take any pictures.  Take my word when I say, we have a wonderful group of friends in DC who helped our new condo feel more like a home!  We actually have more wine left over than when we started the party; what the what?  I guess our friends are also generous!
That means we'll have to do this again soon, and hopefully this time I'll put the ol' camera to use.
To keep the party going, I put together a 40-song playlist.  Don't worry, I won't list the whole thing here.  I'll just keep it to the ones I was most excited about listening to.
1. "They All Laughed" Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
2. "Nobody" Kate Earl
3. "How Deep is Your Love" The Bird and the Bee
4. "Piano Song" Meiko
5. "I Melt with You" Nouvelle Vague
6. "Back to You" Coconut Records
7. "I Should Have Known Better" She and Him
8. "Don't Stop Me Now" Queen
9. "Slow Dance" John Legend
10. "Never Had No One Like You" M. Ward

Top 10 Songs Currently on Repeat

 When I find a song I like, I tend to play it to death.  As in, three listenings in a row while on the Metro.  As in, belting it out multiple times while cleaning the bathroom.  Music has always been a big part of my daily commute; when driving Haley to and from high school during my junior and senior years, we loved dueting on Rocky Horror Picture Show and various Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covers.  Once I sold my car during the move to DC, I started packing my iPod shuffle to keep me company during walks to and from Anthropologie or jogs to the White House.
The following ten songs are my favorite to listen to, several times, on my walks to and from Catholic.  I can't get them out of my head!

1. "Melody" Kate Earl
2. "Colourless Colour" La Roux
3. "Make Her Say" Kid Cudi
4. "Locked Inside" Janelle Monae
5. "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare" Matt and Kim
6. "Jump" Glee cast
7. "The Way I Am" Ingrid Michaelson
8. "These Girl" Childish Gambino
9. "Kids" Sleigh Bells
10.  "Miss America" Something Corporate

Summer Mix

It's that time again, folks. Summer is here in full force, and I've almost always got my iTunes or iPod on with some fun, upbeat music. What is it about the hot weather that makes us just want to sing and dance around? Although I'm not crazy picky about what to listen to, here are some of the tunes I just can't get out of my head. I can't guarantee that you'll love them all, but there's got to be something on this list to make you smile and hum along.

1. "Forever" Walter Meego
2. "Kiss with a Fist" Florence and the Machine
3. "Tune Into My Heart" Little Boots
4. "Borderline" Madonna
5. "Sovay" Andrew Bird
6. "Easy Girl" Coconut Records
7. "I Learned the Hard Way" Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
8. "Animals" Sara Lov
9. "Fresh" Kid Sister
10. "Hold on You" Jeff Bridges
11. "My Time" Minus the Bear
12. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" Glee Cast
13. "Shampain" Marina and the Diamonds
14. "People Say" Portugal. The Man.
15. "Tightrope" Janelle Monae

What are some of your favorite songs for the summer?