BuzzSugar

Spooky Tunes: Halloween Party Playlist

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:30:08 -0700

Need to get into the Halloween spirit? Wake up your ears with some creepy-themed tunes - from the classic (Michael Jackson's "Thriller") to the more current (Dead Man's Bones "My Body's a Zombie For You").

Whether you're throwing a costume party (get some inspiration from Yum) or want something to listen to while you wait for trick or treaters, give my macabre mixtape a listen! To see the playlist and listen to some scary tracks, just read more.

Halloween Party Mix

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.

Friday Tunes: Buzz's Best of Jay-Z Playlist

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:30:33 -0700

It's Hova's homecoming: his Blueprint 3 is available everywhere today (it was hustled out Tuesday, but lagged on some outlets), and tonight you can watch Jay-Z's benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, streamed on Fuse at 9 p.m. EDT live from NYC.

It's also the eighth anniversary of the first Blueprint album, and dude is headlining the VMAs! So as a tribute to the very busy man, I've put together a playlist of my favorite Jay-Z songs from over the years.

To rock with Jay all weekend long, just read more.

Favorite Jay-Z Songs

Did I miss anything? What are your favorite Jay-Z songs?

Friday Tunes: An Outside Lands Playlist

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:30:19 -0700

Come fog or sunshine (probably fog), the Outside Lands Festival is invading San Francisco's Golden Gate Park this weekend, and I'll be hitting up the three-day fest.

I barely made it out alive last year, but I'm hoping that since it's the festival's second year, everything will come together a little more harmoniously (pun intended). With a lineup running the gamut from Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and Jason Mraz (whom you decidedly love) to M.I.A. and Modest Mouse (random or diverse: you decide), I know I've got to be in for some good performances. For those of you who can't get out to the Bay, I've put together a playlist with some of my favorite songs from the festival's acts. To hear it, just read more.

2009 Outside Lands Festival

Are you going to Outside Lands? What are your favorite tracks from the acts on the lineup?

In Memoriam: "Chapel of Love" Songwriter Ellie Greenwich

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:40:11 -0700

Songwriter/singer/producer Ellie Greenwich's songs (many of which were also produced by Phil Spector) are iconic in and of themselves (I can't even recall the first time I heard "Do Wah Diddy" or "Chapel of Love" - they've just always been there), but because they've been placed in so many movies and TV shows, I've come to fondly associate them with some of my favorite scenes.

I can't hear "Be My Baby" without conjuring up the image of that slow-motion black-and-white introduction to Dirty Dancing. Just hearing that percussive intro makes me smile, as I remember one of my most beloved movies. And I know many of you are fans of Father of the Bride, so you probably know exactly where "Chapel of Love" and "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Going to Marry" can be heard in the film. "Then He Kissed Me" will always be tied in my memory to Elisabeth Shue prancing around her room while getting ready for the big date she never gets to go on in Adventures in Babysitting. Greenwich also wrote or co-wrote "Leader of the Pack," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Christmas Baby (Please Come Home)" and "Hanky Panky," among many others.

In honor of Greenwich's passing today, I've gathered up some of my favorite songs she helped create. To check out the playlist, read more.

Ellie Greenwich Playlist

2009 Bonnaroo: A Playlist

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:30:50 -0700

If you're one of the many music fiends heading to (or already in) Manchester, TN, this weekend for Bonnaroo, I'm envious of you. Then again, you're probably not reading this right now, since there are, you know, just a few awesome bands to see. For those of us not quite lucky enough to make it to Bonnaroo, I've made up a playlist of songs by some of the acts featured at the festival. Of course, it's not an exhaustive collection (that list of songs would last for days), just some of my faves by artists like Springsteen, Neko Case, Al Green, Beastie Boys, Erykah Badu, and Wilco.

To take a listen, just read more.

2009 Bonnaroo

WireImage

Coachella 2009: A Playlist

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:30:48 -0700

The Coachella music festival begins today in Indio, CA, and sadly, I'm missing out on it this year. But the lineup is so great I figured I'd put together a lil playlist with music by some of my favorite musicians who are heading down to Indio, perhaps right as we speak (or type).

I'm really pleased with this playlist: a little Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Cheated Hearts"), some Franz Ferdinand ("Lucid Dreams"), and Beirut ("Scenic World"), along with tunes by the more seasoned folks like Leonard Cohen ("Everybody Knows"), The Cure ("Close to Me") and, of course, Paul McCartney ("Maybe I'm Amazed"). There isn't a song for every act at the festival, but it's a meaty list nonetheless. Want to check it out? It's pretty darn good, if I may toot my little horn. Just read more.

Buzz Coachella 2009 Playlist

My Favorite Oscar-Winning Songs: A Playlist

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:30:57 -0800

Did you know "The Way You Look Tonight" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song when it was featured in the 1936 movie Swing Time? I did not know this until I recently looked up all the Oscar-winning songs from the past and learned that there's a truly awesome playlist to be made from all those winners.

How else would I have thought to put together "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" (included in the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), "Moon River" as performed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, "Flashdance" from Flashdance, "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile and "Falling Slowly" from Once? Seriously, this list of winners is a gold mine (ha! Get it? "Gold" mine? 'Cause. . . of the Oscar statue. . . sigh).

Anyway, to see all the winning songs I picked for my award-worthy playlist, read more.

Favorite Oscar-Winning Songs

Source and source

The Sounds of 2008

BuzzSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:15:04 -0800

As you told me in my best of 2008 polls, some pretty good music came out this year. But what achieved "most played" status on my iPod this year? As we prepare to say goodbye to 2008, I've pulled out some of the songs that were staples in my collection. Combine these songs with the soundtrack songs from the other day, and you'll have a pretty good sense of what came pouring through my earphones this year. To check out the list, just read more.

Best of 2008

The Best Soundtrack Songs of 2008

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:30:27 -0800

Once again, 2008 was an excellent year for discovering great songs through movies and television shows. For my best of 2008 series, I've pulled together some of my favorites, spanning niche movies like Synecdoche, New York, and commercial hits like Mamma Mia, plus a sampling from TV shows where music is always a standout, including Gossip Girl and Grey's Anatomy. From the Decemberists turning up on Mad Men to the Hawaiian version of "More Than Words" from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, there's some good stuff here, and you can check it out when you read more.

2008 Soundtrack Songs