BuzzSugar

What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:30:42 PDT

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. Here are today's selections:

Not just Beyonce's little sister anymore: I posted the video for Solange Knowles's single "I Decided" a while back and now the entire album is available. This new album blends classic Motown melodies with elements that are little more far-out and groovy. I've already purchased "Would've Been the One" and "Sandcastle Disco." It's only on slower tracks that the album gets weak - the funky tempos, not her voice, make this album shine.

A sparkling duet: Remember when I told you about that really cute duet called "You Don't Know Me" by Regina Spektor and Ben Folds that's from his upcoming album? Well, now it's available on iTunes and remains extremely cute! Hurry up and get it while it's hot!

One more big, anticipated album and a new single up next so

Oldie but a goodie: The members of The Verve have not made an album together for almost a decade, so it's pretty cool for fans that there is now a whole new album full of very Verve-ish songs. The track "Judas" is great and "Love Is Noise" is addictive and wonderful. A pretty great reunion album as far as I can tell!

Politically correct: As the campaign season truly kicks off this week with the Democratic National Convention in Denver, not only do we get to learn more about the candidates' positions but, apparently, we also get great new music. You may have caught John Legend's performance of "If You're Out There" last night, and it's available on iTunes as well. Check out his inspirational tune while reading Citizen and Liberty's coverage of the conventions!

Why You Should Marinate Your Meat

Leta Shy — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:29:02 PDT

Barbecue season is upon us, so let's celebrate by grilling, since it's an easy and low-fat way to cook. If you're grilling, protect your health by marinating your meat. Here's why marinating is good for your health and tips on how to keep it safe.

Marinating meat, fish, and poultry significantly decreases the amount of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced when the meat is cooked at high temperatures, like in grilling. Marinades can reduce HCAs by as much as 99 percent. Adding rosemary to the marinade may even up the anticancer potential of your marinade even more. While research is unclear why marinades protect meat so much, the belief is that they act as a barrier against the high heat, or may reduce chemical precursors of carcinogens from the meat.
The acid in marinades may slow the growth of harmful bacteria, like listeria.

Learn a few more tips about marinades after the break.

Wedding Roundup: Maternity Gowns, Bohemian Weddings, Sweet Bridal Advice, and More Inspiration For Your Big Day

Brittney Stephens — Sat, 26 May 2012 07:20:51 PDT

Wedding season is in full swing, and we have everything you need when it comes to dresses, decor, bridal beauty, and more. Whether you're a bridesmaid in need of the best tips, seeking savvy spending advice, or in the mood to check out the most memorable TV and movie weddings, look no further. Click through now to see our ever-expanding 2012 wedding season coverage!

Do You Pack Healthy Snacks For Your Road Trips?

Leta Shy — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:44:05 PDT

It's finally here - the weekend where you pack up, suit up, or eat up to celebrate the start of warmer weather. For many, that also means packing up the car and heading somewhere to celebrate Memorial Day.

Staying healthy on vacation, no matter how short, can be difficult, especially when you're on the road. It's so easy to pull over and grab fast food or gas station fare instead of searching out healthier options, and sometimes packing your own snacks can take too much time to prepare.

If you're taking a road trip this weekend, will you be bringing healthier options with you, or will you be stopping for fast food? (If you need quick snack ideas, then check out these 150-calorie travel snack packs you can make fast!)

10 Tips to Save on Memorial Day Grocery Shopping

Emily Co — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:15:10 PDT

It's fun to host people for a barbecue, but it can also get quite pricey when everyone isn't chipping in. Consumer expert Andrea Woroch provides suggestions to cut your grocery bill when shopping for your Memorial Day meal:

Prepare most of your meal. Woroch says, "The general rule for prepared foods is that they are more expensive, and it's cheaper to buy the ingredients to prepare yourself." For example, prepared veggie platters and fruit salads "are never a good deal" and aren't exactly the freshest produce. However, prepared potato salad at a regular supermarket is less expensive and will save you time in the kitchen.

Get chicken from the butcher. Buy chicken breasts from the butcher counter instead of the prepared packets. They tend to be cheaper and are generally more fresh.

Consider boxed wine. Save money by skipping the bottled wine and going for the box. "Boxed wine is an affordable option for large parties, and the quality has greatly improved in recent years," she says.

Buy liquor at a superstore. If you're insistent on a specific bottle, then check out warehouse clubs like Costco. There are better deals on wine, liquor, and beer at a superstore, according to Woroch. While you're there, pick the store's generic version of vodka for an even cheaper deal.

Make your own salad dressing and marinade. Check out recipes online - here's a list of over 60 different marinades to make. "Most people will already have the basic ingredients like olive oil, some type of vinegar, and herbs at home," she says. "Other ingredients like lemon or lime, soy sauce, or honey won't cost much extra."

Read on for more.

Our Ultimate Swimsuit Guide - Get the Best Fit For Your Body

Hannah Weil — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:22:49 PDT

Finding the perfect Summer suit can seem like an impossible task, especially when you don't know quite what you're looking for. We're putting an end to all that with our ultimate guide to getting the right fit for your body. With the help of swimwear fit and style expert Audrey Jimenez over at Everything But Water, we're breaking down the best fit tips for every body type and the best styles to shop for your figure all right here. From curvier frames to athletic body types, we're helping to make sense of the endless swimwear options out there and narrowing down all of our favorite options that were made to fit and flatter your frame. Want to know what you should be looking for? Get the expert's quick-hit dos and don'ts, then click on to find your perfect suit - and resolve to never hate swimsuit shopping again.

Dos

Do try on lots of different suits. Swim styles change all the time, so look outside of your comfort zone and you may find your new favorite silhouette.
Do go with a smaller size if you are not sure. Swimsuits expand when wet.
Do use ties and adjustable straps to fit the suit to your body. Go tighter than you think. Once tied, lean forward and adjust until your bust is covered and stays put.

Don'ts

Don't choose a trendy silhouette if it doesn't fit you well. Great style begins with a great fit, so it's more important to find the silhouette that best flatters your figure.
Don't assume a size larger or more fabric will give you more flattering coverage. Many women purchase suits that are too large, and as a result, the fabric gaps and the suits don't support properly. If you want more coverage, find a style that offers more coverage.

4 Stylish Outfits to Try Over the Long Memorial Day Weekend!

Allison McNamara — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:11:02 PDT

Memorial Day is coming up this weekend, so that means fun-filled days of sun, barbecuing, and the beach! Accordingly, we've styled up some great outfits to keep you chic all weekend long. For a classic, clean look, try out a crisp LWD, and if you're in the mood to test out Spring's Hawaiian-print trend, then we have the perfect bikini for you. You can also elevate your weekend attire with a maxi dress and structured white blazer. Let us know which Memorial Day outfits you like best! On Allison McNamara: Madewell top.

Design-Inspired Ways to Hold It All Together For Memorial Day Outings

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:25:49 PDT

Memorial Day weekend is nearly here. If you're planning on hitting up some fun festivities in order to celebrate this all-American holiday, chances are a picnic may be in your future. If you're looking for a fresh bag to get you pumped for the shift in seasons, we've pulled a number of design-inspired picks that are both practical and pretty. Click through to check them all out!

A Sweet and Salty Memorial Day Menu

Laura Marie Given — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:10:35 PDT

Since Memorial Day signals the unofficial start of Summer, why not kick off the sunny season with good friends and good food? Whether you're planning a low-key backyard barbecue or an all-out holiday feast, we've gathered some delicious recipes to help you host a fun, festive party for your pals. From salty grilled chicken to sweet cherry pie, here are 11 tasty dishes to try on Memorial Day.

Sources: Flickr User Horia Varlan and Thinkstock

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!