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Shopping Playlist: Tunes For Black Friday

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

If you're choosing to enter the retail craziness that is Black Friday, let me equip you with some tunes to make your shopping excursion a little less painful.

I've got some pump-up songs to get you ready to attack the mall (and keep up your stamina when parking and long lines are getting the better of you), plus an array of tracks that remind you, yes, "women be shoppin'." To get your Black Friday groove on, just read more.

Shopping Playlist

Buzz In: Which Song Covers Do You Like Better Than the Original?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:30:40 -0700

Cover songs typically get a bad rap, but every once and a while a remake of a catchy track comes along that's worthy of its predecessor. (Just take Sinead O'Connor's version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," for instance).

Kelly Clarkson did her own renditions of The White Stripes's "Seven Nation Army" and Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" in concert earlier this week, and her samplings weren't half bad. (Check 'em out here). It got me thinking about the other great remakes out there - I'm a big fan of Cat Powers's cover albums, Sia's "Gimme More," and even some of the takes on Rihanna's "Umbrella" that ran rampant two years ago, like Mandy Moore's.

How about you? Do you have a cover song that you like even better than the original?

Leave it in the comments, or just pop over to BuzzSugar Community's Music Review Group to discuss anything music-related!

A Conversation With Diddy

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:03 -0800

Rapper and mogul Diddy was in San Francisco last week promoting Cîroc, his vodka brand. I was lucky enough to sit down with the musician, and we chatted about entertaining. Not surprisingly, he consumes a lot of Cîroc and his signature drink is a Cîroc and lemonade - say it fast and it sounds like a lyric in one of his songs, "ci-rocking lemonade." To find out what the Diddy had to say, read more.

PartySugar: What’s new with Cîroc?
Diddy: The newest thing with Cîroc is our success. Our success and our appeal. The sales went up 1,000 percent and just the appeal is becoming more recognizable to the consumer.

PS: Aren't you coming out with some new flavors?
D: Yeah. In the world of Cîroc, one of the biggest differences is the flavors. Red Berry and coconut. Now most flavors, to be honest, in the vodka industry, most flavors just haven’t been done right. They taste like cough syrup. I went down with the innovation team, and I was like, whatever we do I want to make sure that this doesn’t taste like cough syrup.
And then also make something that really tastes like what it says. If it says coconut, let’s make sure it tastes like coconut. If it says red berry, let’s make sure it tastes like red berry.

PS: Do you ever cook?
D: I cook breakfast.

PS: What music do you recommend for cooking?
D: Music for cooking? Marvin Gaye’s always good for cooking.

PS: What are your guilty pleasure foods?
D: I would probably say jello. Strawberry jello.

PS: If you had to drink one type of alcohol for the rest of your life what would it be?
D: Vodka. Cîroc.

PS: Besides yourself, who are some celebrities that know how to entertain/host a good party?
D: I never seen anybody do it how I do.

PS: What was the first alcoholic drink you ever drank?
D: Peach schnapps and orange juice, before I was enabled.

PS: What do you think will be the next big thing in cocktails?
D: Jello shots.

Stay tuned for Diddy's tips for hosting the ultimate party!

Fitness Magazine's Top 100 Workout Songs

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:43 -0800

Tired of listening to the same old Britney Spears and Madonna songs while you work out? Fitness magazine interviewed top personal trainers to find out what songs pump them up while working out, and they came up with a list of the top 100 workout songs. To hear a little taste, read more.

Speak Up: What Are Your Favorite Workout Songs?

FitSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:00:22 -0700

I rarely sweat it out without music cranked up - I even use music to motivate me before a workout. Although I mix it up and listen to different playlists, there are a few songs that really pump me up like "SOS," by Rihanna, "No One," by Alicia Keys, and "4 Minutes," by Madonna. These songs often make it into my workout playlists.

How about you? What are your top favorite workout songs?

Jennifer Lopez's "Louboutins" - Hit the Dance Floor or Leave the Club?

Molly — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:48 -0800

Jennifer Lopez is hard at work rehearsing her performance for the American Music Awards this Sunday. We'll be there covering the red carpet and big show, but here's a sneak peek at what to expect from J Lo. She'll be singing her new track, "Louboutins," wearing - what else? - a pair of Christian Louboutins designed especially for her.

Stay tuned for tons more coverage from the AMAs, but first listen to Jennifer Lopez's new song and let us know what you think about "Louboutins" - does it make you want to hit the dance floor or leave the club?

Website of the Day: Songs You Used to Love

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:05:50 -0700

Maybe you're like me and you have an iTunes filled with thousands of songs and personalized playlists, but you're sick of your music and couldn't care less about listening to your library. Sites like Last.fm and Pandora offer great variety for a Gemini like myself, but once in a while you really need to mix it up - and by mixing it up, I mean by taking a trip down memory lane.

The site Songs You Used to Love may not have lengthy playlists for you to swoon over, but they do provide you with popular audio streams from the sixties up until just a few years ago. At first when I started clicking through the songs, I thought that the website was pulling from my library since it had all my favorite songs posted, but then I realized it is just that good.

Not the fanciest of sites, but guaranteed to get you rocking out in no time.

Have a great website you want to share with geeksugar readers? Share it when you read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Gear Review: slotRadio by Sansa

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:20:25 -0800

I love my iPod, but there is a new music player vying for my heart: the slotRadio ($79) by Sansa.

The two-inch-by-two-inch clip-on music player comes with a data card with 1,000 songs from the Billboard music charts, with prearranged playlists by music genre. I tried the additional Health and Fitness mix, which includes the mixes for warmup, cardio, roadwork (cycling), power (lifting), yoga, cooldown, and the even more mellow spa mix.

To see what I thought of this music player, just read more.

I must admit I am a bit technically challenged - ironic since I am a blogger, I know. Even with my latent Luddite ways, I found the slotRadio super easy to use. The instruction manual was simply written with helpful graphics. Open the box, charge the radio, which took about an hour, put in your music card, and go. My inaugural run with the slotRadio was great. It clips onto your clothes and is so small and light you don't even notice it. The volume button is easy to find, as is the skip button. You can easily skip genres, too. I warmed up with Lady Gaga and Nelly and moved onto cardio with a few bands I have never heard of, like VHS or Beta. The slotRadio feels like a pop music education in a good way. This little player is a great way to introduce yourself to new music. However, I had to remove the foam covers from the earbuds to keep them from falling out of my ears.

The video screen features graphics of exercises and lets you know the next song up on the playlist so you can advance easily to find motivational music. The slotRadio is also a real radio. As an NPR junkie, I love that I can switch over to radio and catch up on news or Fresh Air while working out.

I enjoyed the Health and Fitness music card much more than the standard Billboard artist music card. Thankfully, the data cards are easy to change, and there are many options to choose from, including Christmas tunes, '80s and '90s music, Latin, and classical. The extra data cards cost $40. The slotRadio bundle comes with headphones, charger, and Billboard music card. These make a great gift for the musically impaired fitness fanatic in your life.

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What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:30:29 -0800

Time for more Tuesday entertainment! I've already shared a few new DVD releases to give your movie library a shot in the arm, but now, let's amp up your iPod. Big-name albums hit shelves today, so be sure to read up on these three. (And if you want to see your own music reviews featured on Buzz, submit them in the Music Review Group in the community!)

Fan-pleasing pop: American Idol fans rejoice: you've said that you're interested in post-AI albums, and now Kris Allen's anticipated self-titled debut is finally here. The song selections started a bit bland for me, but Allen picks up momentum with "The Truth" and the soft but moving ballad "Bring it Back." Both songs get needed oomph from orchestral accompaniment to create a sweeping sound that's sure to make Allen aficionados swoon. As for the rest of the album, it's predictable, but likable, much like the singer himself.

Why the sad face? Listening to John Mayer's latest, Battle Studies, you've got to wonder who ripped his heart out - Jessica Simpson? Jennifer Aniston? Every song is about a hurt guy who doesn't want to love again. Sensitive crooning isn't anything new to Mayer, but this time, it feels like mundane easy listening. I long for the days of "No Such Thing" when we had a more upbeat Mayer, or the Mayer who can riff on the guitar like nobody's business. But we don't really get either here. Still, it's worth noting his collaboration with Taylor Swift on "Half of My Heart," and my personal fave, "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye."

See one more release when you read more.

Diva in training: Leona Lewis burst onto the scene two years ago with "Bleeding Love," and now she returns with her sophomore follow-up to Spirit, Echo. Lewis hits the high notes - and she'll once again draw comparisons to Mariah Carey - but the lyrics don't always pack the same punch, and they often feel like recycled love musings. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to see Lewis branch out of her usual comfort zone with the dance track "Outta My Head" and "Can't Breathe," which goes heavier on the R&B. If you've seen those Precious promos, you've heard another song from the album, "Happy," but it was recently announced that Lewis will be providing the title track for the film Avatar, so listen for her voice to show up there, too.

Weekend Tunes: A Treasure Island Music Festival Playlist

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:30:09 -0700

For the third year in a row, I'm off to the Treasure Island Music Festival! Now that I'm a seasoned veteran, I can't wait to settle in for two days and listen to some tunes. The other day I highlighted Thao With the Get Down Stay Down, but there lots of other acts I'm psyched about. From MGMT and Girl Talk tonight to The Decemberists and The Flaming Lists shutting things down tomorrow, I'm predicting the perfect balance between fun beats I can dance to and slower jams that I can quietly enjoy. For those of you who can't make it out to the Bay Area, I've put together a playlist of some of my favorite songs from the weekend's artists.

Oh, and be sure to check out the Music Review Group in the Buzz Community! To check out the playlist just read more.