Memorial Day Music Mayhem

Guess who's back in action just in time for Memorial Day and more importantly, Fleet Week!

In this 21st year of our lives we will be bringing you the best of everything in summer '09 and we're starting out with the Memorial Day playlist to keep you moving through the long weekend. Get excited!

(1) Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked

'cause we had to start out with a bang. ;-)

(2) Little Boots - New In Town

Beware of dance orgies this weekend!



(3) Cage - I Never Knew You

Yes that was Shia LaBeouf (♥ Ace in love)



(4) Plastiscines - Barcelona

This Nylon Records band looks like something out of Nylon.



(5) Ladyhawke - My Delirium

'cause we had to get animated with it.

(6) Mandy Moore - I Can Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week

Something new from Mandy Moore. What do you all think of it?



(7) Mest - Cadillac

Bringing back the good old days with Cadillac. This is dedicated to my friend Annie; here you go punk!



(8) D Generation - She Stands There

Shall we continue with some good old punk rock? Yes, we shall.



(9) Apocalyptica f/ Ville Valo & Lauri - Bittersweet

Let's slow it down. Enjoy listening to the double bass. ^_^



(10) Adam Lambert - Mad World

Doesn't he look like a vampire?? Adam is awesome. *Cough* He's the real American Idol *cough*

Boys and Their Abs

Which Harry Potter star has the hotter six-pack?

Tom Felton?



Or Dan Radcliffe?



By the way, did you know that Tom sings?

Last Weekend As A Teen

Ace here. This is my last weekend before turning 20 next Wednesday so I have to do it right. I think I'm off to a great start! What do you think?

- blue nail polish ... check



- pretend Joe Jonas is my boyfriend ... check



- listen to boy bands on a loop ... check



- call out a pickup artist ... check



You know I'm still going to do these things in my 20s. Who am I kidding?

- Ace out!

Boys and Their Pants

When I wasn't running errands today, I was patrolling celebrity gossip websites. I noticed that my findings for today all revolved around the same theme: boys and their pants.

Follow along.

The first pictures of Shia LaBeouf post-accident and surgery have come out. Here he is outside of Cedars-Sinai taking a smoking break. I was going through the pics and couldn't help but notice the blood stains still on his pants. Poor baby. Too shaken up to find other jeans.



Wednesday night Jesse McCartney came out of a restaurant in LA with white stuff on his pants. Some say it's powdered sugar, and of course others says it's cocaine. What do you think?



Ed Westwick's Gossip Girl character Chuck Bass is known for wearing the most out-there outfits of all the male cast. Tuesday's filming of the show in NYC was no different. Peep the purple pants.



I'm not sure what the story is behind this photo of John Mayer, but I believe he was leaving a gym in LA. I just wish he had a cool bag with him to carry his clothes in.



This next pic has nothing to do with pants. I just wanted to point out that while John Mayer cut his hair off, Kanye West let his hair grow. Check out the beard.



- Ace Out!

Buzzin' About Shwayze

Last week on iTunes there was a free download of Shwayze's new reality show Buzzin', so I had to check it out.

Buzzin' is about Shwayze recording his album and all the craziness that goes on behind the scenes. In Episode 1 he has to get back to LA for an 8AM court hearing after spending the whole night in Phoenix performing at Superbowl afterparties. In Episode 2 his car gets impounded, and after a night of partying he has to rush back to Cisco Adler's studio to record with Dave Navarro. As you can see, the race against time is a constant theme in Shwayze's life.

Behind every performer is an entourage that made him that way. I ♥ Shwayze's crew. Cisco, Warren, and Jordan remind me of the guys on Entourage so much sometimes. Cisco's the Turtle of the show, Warren's the E, and Jordan's the Ari.



What I like about this show is that Shwayze's real. Unlike people on other reality shows, he has real problems and struggles. He's not just someone who's had everything handed to him all his life. He works hard and he plays hard. Buzzin' shows people that although the music scene may look glamorous, it takes a lot of hard work to rise to the top.

This is the perfect show for the summer. It's got music, partying, and a guest appearance by Dave Navarro. What else could you ask for? Oh right, a good review of the show by me. Well you've got that too Shwayze. ;-)

Coverage

Sometimes I like covers more than the original songs.

Here are my top 8 covers.

Samuel - Love in this Club --> Usher Cover




John Mayer - Mercy --> Duffy Cover



Jason Mraz - Three Little Birds --> Bob Marley Cover



Sugababes - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor --> Arctic Monkeys Cover



Paolo Nutini - Crazy --> Gnarls Barkley Cover



Natasha Bedingfield - This Love --> Maroon 5 Cover



Toby Lightman - Real Love --> Mary J Blige Cover



Paolo Nutini - Cry Me A River --> Justin Timberlake Cover

InSensical Music for Independence Weekend

The fireworks have died down and the 4th of July is officially over, but the parties will continue. Here's what you should be listening to this weekend before you head back to work.

(1) The Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go




(2) Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up



(3) Jonas Brothers - Burnin' Up



(4) Ne-Yo - Closer



(5) Ryan Cabrera - Enemies



(6) The 69 Eyes- Lost Boys



(7) Mest - Jaded



(8) Tokio Hotel - Scream



(9) MxPx- Doin' Time



(10) The Used- Take It Away

Check Out PureVolume for October Nites Now!

One of InSense's favourite bands, October Nites, is currently featured on the PureVolume homepage. October Nites is well on their way to becoming an overnight success story so check them out now so you can say you knew them before they were famous. ;-)



purevolume.com/octobernites

Freebie Music:
Music is always better when it's free (and legal). Be sure to check out the band's profile for a free download of Love According to Kid 'n' Play from their debut album When We Were Infinite, now available on iTunes.

Girls of the Summer:: Boys Beware!!

- A Joint Venture of Jynx and Ace -

(1) Katy Perry

If Katy Perry looks familiar, it's probably because she was Travie's girlfriend in the video for Gym Class Heroes' Cupid's Chokehold.

Although her debut album is entitled One of the Boys, on the title track Perry sings, "I want to be one of the girls pretty in pearls, not one of the boys." Then her album continues with the drunken girl's anthem I Kissed a Girl (kind of contradictory, lol). And of course, there's the emo ex-boyfriend slamming underground hit, Ur So Gay.

This Santa Barbara songstress' album drops on June 17. Get it girls!

Freebie Music
Go on katyperry.com and click on the strawberry tattoo on Katy's back for a free download of Ur So Gay.

myspace.com/katyperry

(2) Kate Voegele

You first saw Kate Voegele as singer-songwriter Mia on One Tree Hill. On her debut album, Don't Look Away, you'll recognize a lot of her songs from the show. This MySpace Records artist can be seen on tour around the country this summer. Check her MySpace for dates and be sure to watch the webisodes she's uploaded.



myspace.com/katevoegele

(3) Lady GaGa

Summer's all about hot dance tracks to get you through the even hotter summer heat (thanks global warming). Lady GaGa's track Just Dance will have you doing just that.




myspace.com/ladygaga

(4) Kerli

Kerli, born in Estonia, always dreamed of coming to America and becoming a singer. Now her wish has finally come true. Her debut album is called Love Is Dead, and she already has two singles out - Walking on Air and Love Is Dead. Her voice serves to soothe you, while her videos will make you slightly disturbed. Overall, Kerli does a great job at combining all things creepy and all things sweet.


Official Site: http://www.islandrecords.com/site/artist_home.php?artist_id=669

(5) The Action Design

For those of you who are not fans of Tsunami Bomb, you may not know who The Action Design are. TAD is a female fronted band made up of Emily (ex vocalist of Tsunami Bomb), Matt (ex bassist of TB), guitarist Jake, and drummer Jaycen. Their live performances are described as dance parties that will make you move your feet all night.

Check Them Out: http://www.myspace.com/theactiondesign

(6) The Eyeliners

The Eyeliners are an all girl band formed in 1995 with Laura as the singer/drummer, Gel playing the guitar, and Lisa rocking the bass. If you're into punk rock and girls with attitude, your gonna love The Eyeliners.

Official Site: http://www.theeyeliners.com/

InSensical Things to Do in Summer '08

Be bored no more!

(1) Enroll in Trapeze School.

Ever want to fly high? Well, now you can do just that.



If you're in NYC, Baltimore, Boston, or LA, check out trapezeschool.com. Hurry. Classes fill up quickly.

(2) Perfect your IJ skills.

You're probably thinking, "What's an IJ?" An IJ is an iPod DJ. Here's how to become one.

- Get an iPod.
- Learn how to use it.
- Create hot playlists.
- Convince people to hire you to IJ their events. (Yes, you can actually get paid for this.)



A relative of a friend did this. You would be surprised how many people don't know how to use an iPod, let alone create a playlist.

(3) Walk runways before models do.

A few weeks before fashion week starts, head to NYC's Bryant Park and watch workers set up the runways many a model will be trecking on. If you're lucky enough, you may be able to walk the runways before models do. And of course you must take pictures and send them to us for postage!



(4) Go to AST Dew Tour stops.

Want to get Ryan Sheckler's autograph? Check him out at Dew Tour Stops in Baltimore (June 19-22), Cleveland (July 17-20), Portland (August 21-24), Salt Lake City (Sept. 11-14), and Orlando (October 16-19).

Go to astdewtour.com to find out more.



(5) Create mosh pits.

What better place to do this than at the MySpace generation's version of Woodstock, the Vans Warped Tour.

Go to warpedtour.com for more.



(6) Take a trip to the Woodstock Museum.

Before Warped Tour, Coachella, and Bamboozle, there was Woodstock. If you're feeling nostalgic for the famed music festival, head to the new Woodstock exhibit in Bethel Woods, NY. Go to bethelwoodscenter.org/museum for details.



(7) Get InSense on TV!

Tired of bad E! reality shows (i.e. Denise Richards and the Lohans)? Here's our solution:
- complain to the network
- bombard them with emails about making InSense a show



Problem solved. (See what happens when InSense rules the world?)

(8) Get cooked vending machine food.

Do you remember that scene in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift when the guy and the girl go to that vending machine place and there's actual cooked food in it? Did you ever wish you could get that in America? Well, now you can. BAMN! on 37 St. Mark's Place in NYC allows you to get everything from mac & cheese to hot dogs and corn dogs. If you're spending summer in the city, swing on by.

Go to bamnfood.com for more.




(9) Free concerts in Central Park!

Who says you can't find free things to do in the city? We don't. During the summer, Central Park's Summer Stage concert series puts on free concerts. Past performers include Citizen Cope, The Apples in Stereo, and Seu Jorge. This year the stage will see the likes of Santogold, Vampire Weekend, and Kid Cudi. Check out summerstage.com for more.



(10) More free concerts!

If Central Park crowds aren't your thing, head to Rye Playland right off the I95 (NY exit 19). Past performers include Lifehouse, Bowling for Soup, The Plain White T's, and Teddy Geiger. Head to ryeplayland.org to see the list of performers. (This year's performers won't be posted until July 18.)

From Departing to Singing, Dancing, and Stealing Things

I had originally planned to post a review of Jesse McCartney’s new album Departure. I wrote a play by play of every track and selected my favorites. A couple hours later I said, “F this!” I had been playing the first four songs of Jason Mraz’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. on repeat, and I couldn’t get them out of my head.

While McCartney makes an attempt at Justin Timberlake-esque sex pop, the album is more of a lackluster Chris Brown album. The first single “Leavin” is good. It’s catchy and appeals to an audience ranging from teenyboppers to twenty-somethings and over. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the album. As a mass communications major, I tried to figure out which audience Departure attempted to target, but I’m still unsure.

Although McCartney’s vocals are solid for the most part, there are too many highs and lows in tempo and song quality. McCartney should have spent more time perfecting his album than perfecting his J Date profile. It’s almost hard to believe that this is the same person who wrote Leona Lewis’ knockout debut single “Bleeding Love.”

Zac Efron, you have nothing to worry about. You will not be dethroned as king of the teenyboppers.

If you would still like to support J Mac’s 3rd album, the best tracks to download are “Leavin,” “Make Up,” “Relapse,” and “Not Your Enemy.”

Now on to the more mature sounding J.M. …

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. has great summer energy. Unlike Departure, it’s well put together. Mraz blends elements of pop, jazz, soul, funk, rock, and trace elements of Jamiroquai-esque dance seamlessly on his 3rd studio album. You can’t help but sing along, dance, and smile as Mraz steals your heart track after track.

Mraz’s vocals are perfect. They’re as breezy and soothing as the music in each song.

The first single “I’m Yours” has been a big hit since 2005. “Lucky,” a duet featuring “Bubbly” singer Colbie Caillat, has also been the subject of online buzz in recent weeks. Hopefully that will soon be a single. It’s the perfect song for a summer beach wedding (in case you’re still looking for one).

Mraz’s sound has definitely evolved over the years. He may be a geek in the pink no more, but he still has the remedy for the perfect summer soundtrack.

For more Mraz, catch him on a worldwide tour throughout the summer.

Top Tracks: Sorry, don’t have any. Guess you’ll have to buy the whole thing. Worth every penny, trust me! ;-D

SCREAM for Tokio Hotel

If you have not heard of the German band Tokio Hotel, you definitely should. They have been the biggest growing sensation in Europe for the past couple of years now, and are the biggest band to come out of Germany in about 20 years. Now that they have dominated Europe, they are currently working to get recognized in America. Their hit song Ready Set Go has been receiving much airplay by both MTV and FUSE. And the ballad By Your Side is also featured in the horror movie Prom Night.
The English album, Scream, was recently released and is comprised of 13 songs from their two German albums; it also features two exclusive songs - 1000 Oceans and Durch Den Monsun. The songs consist of beautiful, catchy melodies and ballads. The lyrics contain positive messages that stress the listeners to “live on” even in times of bleak hope. The song Don’t Jump, for example, addresses the issue of teen suicide - “Just take my hand and give it a chance, don’t Jump.” There are, of course, the harder rock songs for you mosh pit lovers such as Break Away. And the song Scream, which the album is named after, will make any adolescent teen want to rebel.
Part of the appeal of Tokio Hotel comes from the charismatic, androgynous front man Bill Kaulitz. His bubbly personality and Gothic/Top Model looks demand that everyone give their undivided attention to him. His twin brother, Tom Kaulitz (guitar), however, differs drastically from his brother in both style and personality. Tom leans toward the Hip Hop scene and is never too modest to boast of his experience with the ladies or of how awesome he is. Then, of course, there are the other two crucial band members - Gustav, the drummer, and Georg, the bass player. Put them all together and they form the wonder and fandemonium that is Tokio Hotel.


Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tokiohotel

Rolling Stone Interview with Tokio Hotel