Giant Earbuds

Call me a girl, but these are the cutest speakers I've ever seen. They aren't that great really, but they sure are precious. I'd buy them.

Adele

If you haven't heard of Adele, please check her out. Her debut album, 19, is quite possibly one of the best I've heard. There isn't a single song I don't love. You've probably heard the single, Chasing Pavements, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Adele is currently working on her second album, and I can't wait to hear it.

The Village

The Village is located in West Los Angeles, California. It features four studios. Some people who have recorded there include Elvis Costello, Aerosmith, Hanson, Sarah McLachlan, N'Sync, and Dolly Parton.

The 60s

The sixties is full of some of the greatest artists of all time. It was a decade of exploration and change, both in the music scene and in life in general. I hate to bore you with a long list of artists, but I honestly can't pick just a few favorites.

The Animals
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
The Bee Gees
Neil Diamond
The Doors
Bob Dylan
Grateful Dead
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Led Zeppelin
The Monkees
Pink Floyd
The Rascals
Rolling Stones
Steppenwolf
The Who

DJ Mixer

I stumbled across this while shopping online at Urban Outfitters. I can't even get over it. You can play two ipods or mp3 players at the same time, and add cool effects. You can even hook up a microphone to sing over the music! Completely ridiculous. I love it.

So don't judge me, but...

The Jonas Brothers. I'm talking about those pop phenomenons who showed up back in early 2007 and seem to be ruling the world nowadays. Their faces are everywhere, but how many people actually take the time to listen to their music? Most see them as a Disney-fabricated money machine, but in reality, that isn't the case at all. To make a long story short, Kevin, Nick, and Joe have been around for a lot longer all on their own. They've put out four full length albums, It's About Time, Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer, and Lines, Vines, and Trying Times. The boys have had at least a say in writing all of the songs, and wrote most of them themselves. They've been touring for about two years straight, and I can personally say that they put on a great show. They put together their tours and all aspects of basically everything they do, as well. Pretty impressive for a 21, 20, and 17-year-old.

And yes, they play their own instruments.

Avatar Studios

Avatar Studios in New York City is one of the coolest I've seen. It features six studios and a mastering room. The studios are basically insane, definitely not just a little box. Some of the artists who have recorded there include: 3OH!3, Taking Back Sunday, Regina Spektor, The Mars Volta, and Bruce Springsteen. John Mayer's Grammy winning album, Continuum, was also recorded there.

Still on an 80s kick.

But now on to hip-hop. I'm really not too fond of hip-hop music nowadays, but I love the older stuff. I'm not sure why, to be honest. 80s and 90s hip-hop just has a totally different feel to it. The beats are stronger and more interesting, and in my opinion, the songs are cleaner production-wise; I feel like all modern hip-hop sort of sounds the same. Maybe I should just listen to more of it.

A few of my favorites:
Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and Salt n Pepa.

New Logic Studio

Apple recently updated Logic Studio, a set of apps designed for musicians. You can record, edit, and mix anything you want. You can even bring it with you when you perform for backing tracks and other nifty stuff. What's new in Logic Studio 9? Flex Time, which allows for tempo and timing manipulation. Guitar gear, production tools, and live performance stuff has been improved as well. Very exciting if you ask me. If I had a Mac and $500 to spare, I'd be all over it.

Oh, the 80s.

Here we go. My top ten pop albums of the 80s. Some of them aren't exactly pop, but they still needed to be on this list. And there are so many more that could have been, too. They're only kind of in order.


10. Hangin' Tough -New Kids On The Block


9. Control -Janet Jackson


8. Hunting High and Low -a-ha


7. Get Happy -Elvis Costello


6. Different Light -The Bangles


5. She's So Unusual -Cyndi Lauper


4. Beauty and the Beat -The Go-Go's


3. Purple Rain -Prince


2. Like a Virgin -Madonna


1. Thriller -Michael Jackson