Most of the time, I don't approve of actors becoming musicians.  It's usually ill-advised (are you reading this, Scarlett Johansson?) and feels more like an indulgence than a definite career move for the actor.  I have to say that there are some notable exceptions to the rule, and after listening to Volume One by She & Him, you can count Zooey Deschanel as one of those exceptions.

She & Him is comprised of Deschanel, who you may remember from films such as Almost Famous and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and M. Ward, who enjoys a successful solo singer-songwriter career in addition to his many collaborations with artists like Jenny Lewis, Norah Jones, and Bright Eyes.  Continue Reading

Popularity: 9% [?]

Hideaway is the follow-up to The Weepies' critically acclaimed 2006 album Say I Am You.  You know it was critically acclaimed because you could barely throw a rock without hitting a TV showing a mainstream drama featuring a track from the album.  But seriously, they were slapping The Weepies all over Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl because Say I Am You is a great CD full of melty, minimalist indie-folk tunes about falling in love and being in love.  

Hideaway is another charming release from husband and wife duo Steven Tannen and Deb Talan.  That may sound patronizing, but it's not how I mean it. Continue Reading

Popularity: 10% [?]

The Dallas Stars have changed a lot since the last time their name and roster were inscribed onto the Stanley Cup.

I had a more difficult time than I anticipated getting back into hockey after the lockout.  The few seasons before that had been hard—the Cup had been snatched from our collective grasp by the New Jersey Devils, and the team never seemed to really recover after that.  The Stars racked up a few more division championships, but just couldn’t get past the conference semi-finals and go all the way. 

When the lockout happened and the season got canceled, I was so disappointed with the NHL in general I almost gave up.  But when the new season dawned, I just couldn’t help myself.  I couldn’t turn away from my team. 

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Popularity: 6% [?]

I’ll be perfectly honest—I have a giant girl-crush on Kim Deal.  It first started when I was in junior high and The Breeders’ smash hit “Cannonball” was all over the alternative airwaves.  I was absolutely devastated when I was forbidden to attend Lollapalooza ‘94 to hear them perform live.  It really should have been no surprise given my overprotective mother and her dislike of my music.  In retaliation, I picked up The Pixies’ 1988 album Surfer Rosa after learning that Deal was the bassist and backup vocalist, and she quickly became my idea of the coolest girl in the world. Continue Reading

Popularity: 5% [?]

Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings is the first new studio release from Counting Crows since 2002's Hard Candy.  Unlike Hard Candy, which I didn't particularly care for, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings really takes me back to the earlier, less saccharine sound that made Counting Crows instant stars on the alternative airwaves–and instant must-haves in my music collection.

I purchased the album off iTunes, where I received two exclusive bonus tracks, a digital CD booklet and a track-by-track video interview with Adam Duritz.  It is divided into two themed sections; Saturday Nights features a driven, harsher rock sound, while most of the songs in Sunday Mornings take on a dreamier, country-infused acoustic tone.  Continue Reading

Popularity: 5% [?]