Have you ever wanted to just grab your friends, a tent, some brews, and head to the desert for some good ass music and partying? I have. And apparently I’m not the only one.

A bunch of artists back in 1999 put this little festival together known as Coachella. And every year, friends of mine are attending it, playing it, working it, or doing SOMETHING for or to it. So I believe it’s time for a CollegeCandy style expose on this powwow.

The three day festival takes place every year. I like to say it’s a cross between Warped Tour and Bonnaroo. It’s not quite as punk/rock/retarded as Warped Tour, but it’s also not as artsy fartsy hippietastic as Bonnaroo. Boasting acts like Rage Against the Machine, Beck, Radiohead, Pixies, Arcade Fire, The Cure, Bjork, Amy Winehouse, The Black Keys, and Peaches (as well as about 100,000,000,000 other musicians), I’m confident that you can see what I mean here. Read More »

Not everyone is a gym freak. As a matter of fact, to some, the gym is like the plague. Working out takes serious motivation, time and dedication, and lifting weights in silence is even more painful, especially when the only noises are grunting meatheads. Yeah, no thank you.

Here are some tunes to block out those awkward noises and kick your ass into gear!

1. Headlights Look Like Diamonds– Arcade Fire
2. This Modern Love– Bloc Party
3. Freakum Dress– Beyonce (girl knows how to work it and you’ll wanna pull out your best drag queen moves after this song. Platforms are essential)
4. Bullet and a Target– Citizen Cope (the whole album is work out worthy)
5. Baby Makin’ Hips– Fantasia (please ignore the title, the song is all about the BEAT)
6. Hate On Me– Jill Scott (this is a good redemption tune)
7. Anything’s Possible– Johnny Lang (a young dude with the soul of an old man, this song will make you feel like you could move mountains, literally)
8. When Your Heart Stops Beating– Plus 44
9. Breakin’ Dishes– Rihanna (also a GREAT song to release any ‘boyfriend rage”)
10. I am Your Man– Ryan Shaw (it’s a good follow up so you don’t become a complete man-hater on the Elliptical)
11. In Love With A Girl– Gavin Degraw (glad you’re back Gavin! Grab his album on May 6th, it’s going to be SUPERB)
12. Drivin’ Me Wild– Common Ft. Lily Allen (great duet on so many levels)

And Cool Down with…

13. Everytime It Rains– Charlotte Martin (this song makes me smile like an idiot)
14. Silver Lining– Rilo Kiley

These tunes should be enough motivation for ya, now GO!

What tunes are on your “Work Out Playlist”?

Yes, it’s true, I don’t have an mp3 player. This is not really by choice, I must admit—my iPod broke a couple months ago and the so-called “Geniuses” at my local Apple store told me that the cost of fixing it would be (shockingly) the same as buying a new one. It really bothers me that Apple’s products (and most gadgets these days) are basically designed to break after about a year, thus forcing you to buy a new one, so I simply refused. I went iPod-less.

I love reading, so I figured my morning commutes would be fine. Think of all the books I could get through! I might finally plow through that stack of New Yorkers under my bed! As for walking around, I’d be better off—less likely to get hit by a bus while crossing the street and not paying attention, less likely to get targeted for mugging, less likely to run into a glass door (yes, this has actually happened to me).

Who am I kidding? Read More »