5 Christmas Songs That Don't Make My Brain Want to Explode

It's that time of the year again, where it gets colder, snow starts falling, and your favorite radio stations start playing the same 30 Christmas songs in endless rotation. Now, I love holiday music. I love what it represents as much as I love the music. But, hearing the same songs everyday from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day will drive any normal person insane. So, I've compiled a list of some covers and songs that you may not have heard in the past, and will hopefully put off your impending mental breakdown.

1. Kiss Kiss - The First Ever Global Warming Awareness Christmas EP

Exactly what the title says, this was an EP that was released quite a few Christmases ago. It pretty much disappeared since then, with no mentions of it anywhere. It's ridiculous, but with songs like "Corporate Wonderland" and "Frosty The Puddleman," what's not to love?

2. [title of show] - Holiday Story

Not technically a song, this was a track on Carols for a Cure 2006, and it's just such a silly, sweet story.

3. OK Go - Cover of Father Christmas

Originally by the Kinks, this is just a really great song covered by a really great band. They're similar, for sure, but I adore this version so much.

4. fun. - Believe in Me

If you've ever wanted to hear a song that sounds like the Beach Boys and Panic! at the Disco having a holiday party, this is that song. A little tongue-in-cheek and very sweet, it's actually an original song by the bamd.

5. Death Cab For Cutie - Cover of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

This song is covered by almost everyone. Anberlin, Death Cab, Mariah Carey, Leighton Meester, U2, and tons more. This cover just suits the mood of the song so perfectly.

So, there you have it, a few Christmas songs that don't cause me to wish for harm to fall on people near me. Happy holidays!

The 5 Music-Related Items I Will Save in a Fire

After my house almost burned down last summer, I was left with a car filled with various animals, clothes, and belongings, that apparently made up my most valued material posessions. I found it odd how many of these items related, in some way, to music. So, here for you today, are some of the first things I grab when I fear that my house is going to burn down.

1. My clarinet.

I have a music corner in my room, with guitars, a keyboard, a trumpet, a flute, ukuleles, recorders--basically a giant collection of instruments. But, when push came to shove, the only thing I grabbed from that corner was my antique silver clarinet. I have been playing the clarinet for a little over 9 years. I learned to play in the 5th grade on my silver clarinet, leading me to constantly be mistaken for a flautist. Woodwind drama aside, I treasure my clarinet more than any other instrument in my collection.

2.

I think this goes without mentioning. Of course I'm going to take my entire music collection with me.

3.

When told I had a minute to gather up important things, I ripped my autographed the Hush Sound tote bag off the wall and stuffed it with everything I could get my hands on. I never knew it was that important to me, but since the band broke up, it's become pretty special.



4.

Kiss Kiss is not my favorite band. They're maybe in my top 10, on a good day. Yet, for some reason, this was the only CD that I grabbed from my collection. I don't understand my thought processes, sometimes, but I do know that this is an amazing album.

5.

Ah, and finally - my Sony Discman, the first CD player I ever got, way back in elementary school. I have no idea what I intended to do with it, since I only grabbed one CD, but maybe it was more for nostalgia than anything else.

So, now you know what I save in fires. I'd like to think there's some deep, psychological meanings behind my selections, but I have a feeling it was more a case of, "Quick! Grab everything you can carry and run!" What a fun day.

The 5 Movie Musicals I Will Watch Over and Over Happily.

A close friend of mine recently asked me what items I would bring if I was to be stranded on a desert island. In the top 10 was a portable media player with movie musicals on it. It's no secret to those who know me that I have a strange affinity for movie musicals. Whether they're from the dawn of the movie era, or simple indie films, I love them for reasons even I don't understand.

However, there comes a time when I just cannot watch a movie again. Certain movies are impossible to watch over and over. Whether it's for the emotional drain it causes, or simply the length of time, I can't watch movies like The King & I repeatedly. But, there are 5 that I can and will watch for days at a time. Here, in no particular order:

1. Across The Universe

Across the Universe is based entirely on the music of the Beatles. It's definitely got some dark, dreary moments, but overall, it's a sunny, gorgeous musical about life in the '60s.

2. Were The World Mine

I sing music from this movie at basically every moment of my life. My bird's name is Timmy, so he is constantly serenaded with "Oh Timothy." The movie basically revolves around a gay boy's homophobic school putting on a production of "A Midsummer's Night Dream," and his accidental transformation of the town. It's just pure silly, happy, musical fun.

3. Hairspray

I think every girl wants to be a little bit like Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 remake of "Hairspray," the sassy, self-confident, and totally awesome star of the movie. With pure camp cheesiness, a classic soundtrack, and actual substance, this is one of those great movies, no matter the time.

4. Spiceworld

This is my gratuitous Spice Girls post. I love them. They are awesome. My childhood revolved around them. I watch this movie at any opportunity, and I have it on all of my computers, plus 2 DVD copies, and a VHS. I have no shame about this. In fact, after I finish writing this blog, I will probably go watch it.

5. Top Hat

I still remember the first time I saw this movie, I was young and terribly uninterested in the old black & white movie my aunt wanted me to watch. But, I watched, and I was entranced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in this classic film. I still love it to this day.

There's something special about these musicals, if only for their ability to make me smile like a fool every time I watch them. And for that, I salute them.

Soundtracks?

It's commonly known in the movie world that music can make or break a movie. A low-key, artsy film will not benefit from a flashy Top 40 soundtrack. But, a movie that could come off as too ploying can be changed into a quaint and loveable film with the perfect soundtrack.

For the majority of my life, I never even knew there was such a thing as a soundtrack in movies. Raised on a diet of movie musicals and Lifetime movies, my perception of music in movies was that it was either background music, or the star. Now, I've come to realize that a great song can be more than just filler, it can be a supporting character that pushes the scene to greatness.

My favorite popular examples of a great soundtrack are Juno and (500) Days of Summer. Juno, with her laid-back attitude and carefully-constructed vocabulary, could easily come off as a character with the wrong elements in place. But, the homemade feel of the soundtrack, largely due to Kimya Dawson's great songs, give an air of credibility and depth to Juno's character. In (500), the soundtrack is integral to the plot, with the main characters bonding over The Smiths and karaoke nights. Carla Bruni is played from car stereos, and a fantasy song-and dance routine takes place mid-movie.

It's easy to ruin a movie. In fact, it's almost guaranteed that a movie will have some strange flaw in it. But, sometimes, all that's needed is the perfect song to fix the moment.

Review: Hellogoodbye - Would It Kill You?

There is nothing I love more than when bands grow up. With their second album, Hellogoodbye has done just that. In 2006, Hellogoodbye were signed to Drive Through Records, and bright-eyed, they released their first album, "Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!," an auto-tuned, synth pop opus.

I was 14 at the time, and I immediately fell in love with the dorky band and upbeat songs. For two years, that CD was one of my favorites. And then, just as quickly as I had fallen in love, I fell out. I was sick of power pop, auto-tune, and cheesy lyrics. I was 16! Practically an adult! I couldn't be seen listening to this childish music! Hellogoodbye and I parted our ways.

But the split was not to last, as they released a three song EP, the Ukelele Recordings, with two new songs, and one Buddy Holly cover. Along with the EP, they announced a show at the Stone Pony, one of my favorite hangouts, with PlayRadioPlay, one of my favorite bands of the moment. The love affair was back on. So, excluding a few Hellogoodbye-deprived weeks, that band and I have grown up together. With their new release, "Would It Kill You?," the band has grown into a pure indie pop sound. In the past four years, the band has gone through a total lineup change, with Forrest, the lead singer, as the only original member left. And, Forrest got married to his longtime girlfriend.

That shows in all of the songs, the majority of which are about his wife in some capacity. The CD spills forth songs that, to me, sound like sitting on a beach in California in winter watching a meteor shower and then the sunrise. The opening song, "Finding Something To Do" is a fast-paced song about figuring out something to do when you've spent so much time with a person, and knowing you'll be spending the rest of your lives together. "When We First Met" is retrospective and just a very pretty song. "You Sleep Alone" is probably the most similar to their early works, which makes sense as it was the first written on the CD. An angry sing-along song, it's slowly becoming one of the most played on my iPod. My favorite song currently is "Coppertone," which was primarily written by the guitarist, and is this gorgeous song about doubt and love. Finally, the title song, "Would It Kill You?" explains the sound of the album better than any other explanation. A love song, but more to his art, Forrest asks himself if it would kill him just to let it all work out instead of obsessing and tweaking.

To be honest, this is one of my favorite albums of the year. There's no low point. It's just a special piece of music, and I know I won't be ashamed to listen to it in two years.

November!

November always seems to be such a great month for music. Winter tours begin, and tons of CDs are unleashed to the masses. This month, I'm really excited about a few things. On the ninth, Hellogoodbye's second album, "Would It Kill You?" is finally being released. So far, it has recieved high praise, and is toted as being a possibility for the best release of the year.

On the eighth, if my sources are correct, OK Go will be premiering a music video for "Last Leaf." The video will involve lasers, bread, animation, Samsung cameras, and other magical elements. This has not been officially announced, though, so it might be put off for a while. Speaking of OK Go, they recently released "Of The Blue Colour of the Sky: Extra Nice Edition," and it has a ton of really cool extras on it.

The twenty-second brings the much-anticipated fourth album from New Jersey natives My Chemical Romance. "Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys" departs from the last album's melancholy feel to a more futuristic, pop sound.

I also recently stumbled upon the Raveonettes, a Danish band that I've really been enjoying lately. Hopefully, this November will live up to my expectations.

Music Boxes

In a world where auto-tuned pop music and lyrics written by strangers reigns supreme, artists who write their own music are some of today's most creative and influential people. In nusic, it has become commonplace to see singers who can't sing, dance, play an instrument, or really do much besides standing around and looking pretty. Because of this, truly talented people are pushed to the bottom and forced to work even harder to create works of art.

"Artists" like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera have been around for quite a while. They sing, they dance, and they look pretty; but at the core, they are just music boxes for record companies to renovate and play their music through. There is no heart or soul in pop music. Artists like Lady Gaga have challenged the status quo of the genre, but really, is Lady Gaga anything more than an extravagantly decorated music box? Yes, she's different, but is there anything behind the almost contrived uniqueness?

Young singers and singwriters seem to be the only hope left for true art today. Bands like Kiss Kiss, with an electric violin and an orchestra-gone-mad sound, or This Is My Suitcase, with sad lyrics and happy melodies, challenge what is expected from music, and from art.

Bands and singers that write their own music as a sort of challenge to the music industry are the most creative artists we have today. With new sounds, new ideas, and new beliefs in what sounds good, these artists take what the listener is used to hearing and turns it on its head. In essence, these artists are redefining music as we know it.

Is Album Artwork Important?

In this digital age, where everyone has access to Photoshop and stock photos, it seems the quality of album covers has gone down. Bands tend to throw quality to the wayside, instead preferring to make their own cheap covers. While this is expected for newer, struggling bands, it kills me a little inside when established bands decide to release a mediocre album cover.

Children are raised with the mantra of "don't judge a book by its cover," but as consumers, we are instantly drawn to pretty packaging. Nice packaging tells the consumer's subconscious that the contents will be just as pleasing, and encourage the individual to make a purchase. Because of this, it's important that bands realize when they are designing their packaging that they are not just creating an icon to symbolize their music on an iPod. Album artwork is marketing material, and it should be treated as such.

One of my favorite examples of artwork gone wrong is the cover of Cobra Starship's "Hot Mess."

Without knowing anything about the band, most consumers would be put off by this cover, mostly for the reasons that the band picked it. The girl is supposed to be a "hot mess," but to the average viewer, it comes across as sloppy and almost gross.

Conceptual album art is another way of encouraging purchases, but it is very often a hit or miss situation.

A few of my favorite covers:

This is two album covers. The one on the left is PlayRadioPlay!'s last album before a name change (and change in style) to Analog Rebellion, whose debut album is on the right. They were released at the same time.

courtesy of psfk.com

The original release of OK Go's "Of The Blue Colour of the Sky" had this abstract artwork as the booklet.

Although it shouldn't be left in the hands of just anyone, handmade album covers can be adorable, gorgeous, and altogether perfect for sale.

Album covers can often become very cliched, very fast, however. The one thing I always see, and can't stand, is the closeup on a woman's face. This usually happens with solo (female) artists, bands with a female singer, etc. Some examples:

The covers quickly begin to blend into each other, and just become background noise among other, more original covers.

As you can see from just the few examples here, album covers are more than just a place for bands to thank their moms and slap their name onto paper. As prime marketing space, covers have to be treated as the precious real estate they are - the first thing the customer sees. 

The Music Business Ruins Music.

The music business is primarily a business. As counterintuitive as it seems, music labels are more concerned with producing money than with producing quality music.

This drive to sell to the masses leads to a decline in quality. And even with quality bands, interaction with fans is lessened or even lost, because time spent with fans is time losing money. When this kind of distance between fans and musicians becomes the standard, fans lose part of the joy of music. In this sense, the music business is losing everything that it relies on - music.

Recently, a band that I discovered back before they were signed to a label was released from their contract after a few years with the company. Before they had signed with the label, they were heavily fan-oriented, giving away music for free, having barbecues after concerts, and hanging out with fans wherever they went. On the label, they were not allowed to give away music, and their heavy touring schedule forbade them from spending any time with fans, except for in harshly scheduled meet and greets. After some fighting, presumably about monetary issues, as well as their lack of control over their own future, they left the label.

In a few months, everything changed. A house tour with inexpensive tickets was scheduled, singles were released on vinyl, and pre-order packages came with hand-written letters and homemade presents. When a band decides to send me handmade presents for pre-ordering their album, it practically guarantees that I will be a fan, no matter how bad the album is.

Music labels need to realize that they need to adapt to audience's needs in order to survive. With music available freely online, the personal touch can be exactly the draw needed to bring customers back to buying from the artist. Beyond that, the majority of money made by bands is through touring and merchandise sales. When a fan is guaranteed to meet the band because of a small venue, he or she will be more willing to fork over more money for the show.

In the end, the music business will always be about money. But, CEOs must realize that with changing times comes a need for a change in the way bands are operated.

OK Go - White Knuckles

In case you've been living under a rock, here's the latest music video from my favorite band, OK Go:



The video is for their latest single, "White Knuckles," and proceeds from the sale of the video go to the ASPCA. After their recent break with Capitol Records, it's definitely interesting to see a band use their popularity to help animals. But, as animal lovers themselves, it's not surprising in the least. In fact, Damian's own dog makes a cameo in the video.

OK Go is also re-releasing their CD "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky," this time as as an "extra nice edition," complete with bonus tracks and access to a digital vault of songs that the band plans to frequently update.

It seems that fan-oriented bands are calling it quits with record labels far more often lately. Whether over creative differences, monetary disagreements, or even things as simple as youtube, there is nothing better than seeing a band able to do what they want, and when they want to. OK Go has proven that you can go from a major label to a self-funded band, and end up faring better than the businessmen.

You can purchase the video, the new edition of the CD, dog collars, autogaphed trash cans, paper airplanes, and more at the band's website, http://www.okgo.net/. You can also hear remixes of "White Knuckles" and buy tickets to their upcoming shows. They will be playing Terminal 9 in Brooklyn in a few days.

Seriously, just check them out. If you're not convinced, you must not feel emotion. They are an awesome creative team.

Pirating Music is Bad. (So Why Do We Do it Anyways?)

I recently recieved in the mail a clear yellow 7" vinyl of Hellogoodbye's single, "When We First Met." When I called up a friend, fully prepared to wax poetic about the beauty of my new posession, she told me I was ridiculous, and that I should have just pirated the song instead.

For those who don't know, pirating music is the act of illegally downloading a song from the internet for free. This is illegal. Programs like limewire have made this a very simple process, though, and many people pirate music regardless of the legality.

Personally, I've always treasured physical CDs and LPs, and I've never understood the craze of pirating music. If no one buys a musician's music, how will he make money to make more music? In theory, it's a lack of morals that keeps individuals pirating music, but I believe it is more to do with the apathetic nature of today's society.

Being raised in the world of instant-access everything, kids today want music when they want it. So instead of getting a ride to the local CD store, hunting the racks for a specific album, and then waiting in line to finally purchase it, people are more likely to use an application like iTunes or Rhapsody. So with music literally at people's fingertips, why do they still pirate it?

If there was a bin of free things dropped at everyone's front door, it's almost guaranteed that everyone would sneak those things back inside and happily keep them, even if they knew the things probably weren't for them. The same thing applies to music. If we can get it for free, and everyone else does it already, why shouldn't we get it?

 Due to these beliefs, however, bands are constantly forced to disband, unable to make enough money to release new music, dropped from labels, and pushed back into corporate 9-5 jobs. By pirating music, you destroy music. Can you live with that?

8 Underrated Movie Musicals (1945-present)

Although movie musicals may not be directly related to a music blog, they do have songs, and that justifies this post! I'm obsessed with movie musicals. As a child, I grew up watching them, and the habit never stopped. So, throughout the years, I've stumbled on a few great musicals that I personally think don't get the credit they deserve. Everyone knows about "The Sound of Music," "Grease," and Moulin Rouge." But what about the indie musicals that never quite found a following, or the older movies that have slipped through the cracks? In order to keep things from getting too out of hand, I'm only going to be listing movies from 1945 to the present. These are some of my favorites, in chronological order.

1. "State Fair" (1945)

photo courtesy of houseofmirthandmovies.com

Although this seems to be a relatively well-known movie, everyone I've ever talked to about it has always preferred the 1962 version with Ann-Margaret and Pamela Tiffin. As a remake of a 1933 movie with the same name, "State Fair" has been through a motley of reincarnations, along with different stage productions. I fell in love with this movie at the opening song, "It Might as Well Be Spring," and sat enraptured until the very end. Composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein, it's a happy movie that can entertain all ages.

2. "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1949)

photo courtesy of britannica.com

Starring Bing Crosby and Rhonda Fleming, "A Connecticut Yankee..." is based off of Mark Twain's novel of the same name. Admittedly, I've never read the novel, but this movie has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember, following a man going back in time to King Arthur's court, where he is labeled a monster, and almost burned at the stake. There aren't many songs, but the few that are in the movie are catchy and upbeat, like "Busy Doing Nothing," which is about exactly what the title implies.

3. "Funny Face" (1957)

photo courtesy of thesundaytimesmarket.com

Since no movie musical list can be complete without at least one Fred Astaire movie, I give you my favorite post-1945 number. Audrey Hepburn plays an intellectual bookshop worker whose store is taken over by Fred Astaire's character, a photographer, for a magazine shoot. While developing the film, Astaire notices her in the background, and hires her as a model, beginning a whirlwind romance in Paris. Audrey actually sings in this movie, unlike "My Fair Lady," and it only adds to the charm of her character.

4. "My Fair Lady" (1964)

photo courtesy of nighthawknews.wordpress.com

"My Fair Lady" is the film adaptation of the stage production, which starred Julie Andrews in place of Audrey Hepburn. It is based off of the play and movie adaptation of "Pygmalion." With Hepburn as a common flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, and Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins, a well-off speech professor, the movie revolves around their tumultuous relationship as Professor Higgins attempts to pass Eliza off as a duchess. This is my favorite movie of all time, and although it won eight academy awards, I feel it has been forgotten by my generation. With Marni Nixon dubbing Audrey's singing, this movie has one of the best soundtracks of any movie on this list, especially on "Show Me."

5. "Man of La Mancha" (1972)

photo courtesy of guardian.co.uk

I discovered "The Man of La Mancha" through my clarinet teacher, who told me that I would love it as much as I hated it. He was right. There are parts of this movie that are depressing, confusing, and slightly vulgar. But overall, it is the story of 2 men facing the greatest struggles they've ever faced. Although "Man of La Mancha" was a box-office failure, I believe it is a movie that must be seen.

6. "Grease 2" (1982)

photo courtesy of metro.co.uk

"Grease 2" is terrible. Honestly, it's one of the worst movies I've ever seen. That's what makes it so great. The sequel to "Grease," it stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield in the campiest, strangest musical ever. She's a pink lady, he's a foreign exchange student, he falls in love, she's dating a greaser. He eventually woos her by learning to ride a motorcycle and driving her places while wearing a mask, so she never knows who he is. The songs are just as weird, with "Score Tonight," set in a bowling alley, and "Do It For Our Country," which takes place in a bomb shelter. The ridiculous soundtrack only adds to the movie's crazy factor, making this movie a must-see.

7. Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" (1997 Made-for-TV)

photo courtesy of flixster.com

The all-star cast of this made-for-TV movie make this production extremely unique. With Brandy as Cinderella, Victor Garber and Whoopi Goldberg as the King and Queen, and Bernadette Peters as the evil stepmother, I have preferred this version to the Disney cartoon since I first saw it. With classic songs, adorable costumes and scenery, and an amazing cast, this movie is worth the search for a VHS of it.

8. "Les Chansons D'Amour" (2007)

photo courtesy of dansiella.wordpress.com

Entirely in French, "Les Chansons" is the story of a boy and two girls in a relationship. When one girl dies suddenly, the boy is left to piece his life back together into some form of normalcy in the arms of different people. The songs are haunting, and the first time I watched it, I was left crying, trying to figure out what had happened. It's truly a beautiful modern musical, with a story that just keeps breaking your heart.

Concert Recap - OK Go @ UCMusicFest, 9/11/10

As one of my favorite bands since 2006, OK Go has always seemed to avoid playing anywhere I could see them. On one tour, the closest they played was 2 states away, and on another, the venue was 18+.

Last May, they played at Bamboozle, a local music festival known for it's recent marketing to younger crowds. Tickets for 1 day are approximately $60, but for that you can see upwards of 100 bands. My mom and I paid for the tickets, and we drove for an hour and a half, arriving 2 hours early. I waited in front of the stage the entire time, dodging between people to finally get to the 2nd row by the time the 1/2 hour show started. Although it was an amazing show, the short set time, crowdsurfers, and killer heat all combined to make it an altogether annoying event.

If you will, jump forward with me 4 months. OK Go posts that they will be playing the Union County MusicFest, a free concert series and county fair located only an hour away. I was escstatic. So, my mom and I once again packed up and headed out, getting lost (as usual), but eventually finding our way to the park where the fair was held. After paying the $10 parking fee, we trudged up to the main stage, which was completely empty. I walked up to the barrier and claimed my spot, and began the 1 hour waiting game. By the time 7 p.m. rolled around, there was a huge crowd of people behind me, my mom was nowhere in sight, and the band was walking onstage.

The show was, once again, amazing. It was a 75 minute set, and because of the family atmosphere, there were no crowdsurfers or random drunk people freaking out over nothing. Damian, the lead singer, played "Last Leaf" off of their latest album, while in the middle of the crowd.

They also brought out handbells for an all-handbell rendition of "What To Do" from their first album.

The crowd was insane:

(I'm out of frame, 2 people to the left.)
photo courtesy of ok go.

When I left, I couldn't stop talking to my mom about how awesome the show was for basically only $5 each. The event is 2 days, and the headliner for the day we were there was Train. We got free stuff from all the sponsors' tables, and there was delicious vegetarian food for reasonable prices.

A few pictures:

Review - Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream"

While waiting in line to purchase the movie "The Band Wagon," starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, a CD on sale caught my eye, if only for one reason.

It was cotton candy scented.

The CD in question was "Teenage Dream," by the now infamous Katy Perry, singer of quite a few popular ditties, such as: "California Gurls," "Hot 'n' Cold," "Ur So Gay," and "I Kissed a Girl." Proper spelling and dubious song titles aside, Katy has made a name for herself as a major player in the pop music scene. With "Teenage Dream," her sophomore album, Katy proves that she's not a one-hit wonder.

The album's cover is a painting of Katy lying in cotton candy, and the rest of the packaging seems to follow that theme, with photographs of her with candy crowns and cupcake-wrapper dresses. The lyrics booklet is indeed cotton candy scented, and the themed photos continue inside.

The music itself is a mix of guilty-pleasure pop and soul-searching ballads. With "Teenage Dream," the title track, Katy provides a pop song that you want to sing along to, even with lyrics like "We can dance until we die/You and I/We'll be young forever!" The follow-up song, "Last Friday Night" is a dance-y ode to getting drunk on Friday. "Firework" is the quintessential inspirational pop ballad, complete with cheesy lyrics and a building beat. "Circle the Drain" tries to be an angst-filled rock song, but the music doesn't stand up to the surprisingly powerful lyrics. "E.T." is about a new lover so strange that everyone thinks he's an alien. It's as terrible as it sounds. "Who Am I Living For?" has an interesting sound, similar to that of Kerli, but the song itself is nothing exciting. The next song, "Pearl," is one of my favorite songs on the album, a pop ballad that tells the story of a girl struggling to keep her head afloat in an overpowering relationship. "Not Like The Movies," the final track on the album, is possibly the best, driven by piano, that showcases the fact that Katy does indeed have an excellent voice and songwriting skills.

All in all, "Teenage Dream" is an excellent example of pop music. It has its high points along with its low, but overall it is just fun, upbeat music, and definitely worth the $10 price tag (even if just for the cotton candy scented booklet).