However, I have a few KROQ songs that I have loved my entire life and these are the songs that I pledge an eternity of devotion to for no other reason than I absolutely love the way they make me feel.

The Cure “Just Like Heaven”

The song is just one huge breath of fresh ocean air to me.

Rancid ”Salvation”

It’s all about Tim Armstrong’s Jacket.

Unwritten Law ”Save Me”

I love it cause I can sing it like I wrote it.

…And these are a few of my favorite KROQ songs.

As far as my all-time favorite KROQ video, well that one is easy. It’s a trilogy. This epic and tragic tale as told through the eyes of Guns N’ Roses:

1. “Don’t Cry”

2. “November Rain”

3. “Estranged”

Luckily, I have a pretty good system for making sure I don’t miss anything. KROQ, Local’s Only, Spotify, blogs…you know, the essentials.

So, I started a playlist for January 2012. Some old, some new, some in between. However, while I was crafting this playlist, I realized I wanted to collaborate with my friends and KROQ listeners and see if together, we can blow the roof off of other playlists.

I think we can.

So, here are some of my songs, and I would love it if you can throw in some of yours and that way, together, we rock out all the while spreading the joy of music all over this biatch.

Let’s go!

Like I said, these are just songs that I have been listening to lately. Some of them just floated my way at the right time and some of them have been around for a hot minute, yet something about them works for me in this very moment. Some, are merely on a test run.

Please add like 2 or 3 of your own that my ears can chew on for a bit.

CLICK ON THE SONG TITLE TO LISTEN.

• Timo Maas – “To Get Down“
• Grouplove – “Tongue Tied”
• The Black keys – “Gold On the Ceiling”
• Geographer – “Kites”
• Guster – “Do You Love Me”
• Forest Fire - ”Fortune Teller“
• Bernhoft – “Good Intentions“
• Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know“
• Wax Tailor – “Sometimes“
• Radiohead – “The Daily Mail“
• Puscifer – “Conditions of My Parole“
• Clock Opera – “Once and for All“
• Skrillex - “Bangarang“
• These United States – “Burn This Bridge”
• The Naked and Famous – “The Sun“

What I need is more rock. Like the kind with balls. The kind that offends mothers and get’s your blood boiling.

I am very excited to see what you all post!

Thanks guys!

Videos to accompany my playlist

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I celebrate Eddie Vedder’s birthday every year, because, as far as I am concerned, that man is an angel. A bona fide saint.

I remember the first time I ever heard his voice. I was at Lollapalooza with a group of friends and they were all bitching and moaning about being tired and dirty and wanting to leave. Seeing as I was the minority and I had no other ride than this chick’s mom, I proceeded to walk out of the park with them. As we were about to cross the threshold of the exit, THAT is when it happened. The voice that has become my life-long voice of reason was introduced to me that day.

1. The song was, “State of Love and Trust” and as it raged from the Lollapalooza stage, it made its way to my ears and the thought of stepping foot out of that park with the rest of my friends, was suddenly not an option. That day, I turned around and as I made my way back to the band, I found my home.

That weekend they also played The Cameo Theater in Miami where I was living and with my cousin’s fake I.D., I made my way to the show that would set the course of the rest of my life.

Here is actual footage of “State of Love and Trust” from that show:

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2. While “State of Love and Trust” was the song that started it all for me, THE most perfect Pearl Jam song in all of the land is “Yellow Ledbetter”. There is no more beautiful a sound, no more peaceful a melody, no more gorgeous a guitar solo, no man’s voice that can transcend all space and time like Eddie’s voice mumbling the ever-changing lyrics to “Yellow Ledbetter”. This is my idea of heaven:

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Those 2 songs along with the man who sings them, are the loves of my life. However, there are a few other Pearl Jam videos that need mentioning due to their ability to rattle your core in the most delightful way:

3. “Black” MTV Unplugged:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDnD2tfnxbw

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4. “Alive” Live At The Pink Pop Festival 92′:

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5. “Footsteps”:

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Very interesting indeed.

When I was asked to review it, I said, “Hell yeah!,” and please imagine to yourself the look of giddy enthusiasm draped on my face when with clenched fists and Christmas morning-like excitement, I shouted out “Yes!”

Metallica is one of those bands I claim as “my band.” Clearly, I am aware that they are everyone’s band, but you know that when you truly love a band so much and you swear by them, at one point or another you claim complete ownership of them and you refer to them as “my band.” Everybody has that band.

It was then time to for me to listen to the collaborative offerings of legendary Lou Reed and equally as reputable Metallica. The album is called Lulu. I sat in my living room and got all kinds of comfortable, sat back on my delicious couch, lit a candle, lit my brain, and I pressed play.

The next sentence falls under the category of “I sh*t you not.” Two painful, confused, and horrified minutes into Lulu and I felt like I was strapped down in an electric chair, praying that some merciful prison guard would just flip the switch and end my slow burning misery.

After listening to what I could, my first thought was that I would like nothing more than to sit each of the members of this project down and with a harsh maternal finger pointed at them , I want to yell and say, “Oh you stop it! You stop it right this instant!” “Dude, no. No, no, no.”

My second thought was that, after being exposed to this instrumental pissing contest, I would like nothing more than to kick them all in the nuts and THEN have them write an album. Maybe then they would write an album from their balls as opposed to one from their egos.

This album is a headache. It is a God awful migraine and believe you me, nothing pains me more than having to say that.

Not only did it give me a tremendous amount of anxiety, but it scared me. I wanted to huddle up in a corner and cry for my mommy. Now, in all fairness, maybe the scared part had something to do with the fact that I had American Horror Story playing in the background. Watching that AND listening to Lulu at the same time could torture someone into a state of wetting themselves.

Then along came Duck Sauce’s “Big Bad Wolf.”

Duck Sauce is a duo made up of A-trak and Armand Van Helden. They did this world a HUGE favor by giving us the infectious “Barbara Streisand.”

Approximately 30 seconds into watching it, came the “theeeeeeeee f*ck is that?!” and that initial reaction just escalated as the video went on.

I loved their video for “Barbara Streisand”, that was just a good time, so I expected something equally as entertaining, but never, and I do mean NEVER, did I expect this genius,  literal, and revolting masterpiece.

Holy. Sh*t. Balls.

Please enjoy!

Although many musicians have followed in his footsteps and some have even come close to entertaining the masses Cooper style, no one, and I do mean no one, can claim to be the grand daddy of them all BUT Alice Cooper. Well, I do love me some Rob Zombie, but without Alice Cooper around to blaze the trails first, who knows where other musicians like him would be.

Mr. Cooper has just released his 26th studio album, Welcome 2 My Nightmare, an album that was born not long after the 13th anniversary of the original Welcome To My Nightmare.

I’ve been listening to it for a week now and yes it is definitely worth a listen.

If Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion® and vaudeville had a baby on Broadway and that baby was eventually the subject of a campy horror movie, then Welcome 2 My Nightmare would be the soundtrack.

It’s very theatrical. Not to be taken too seriously, but worthy of suspending disbelief and living inside its suggested horror and mayhem for at least a little while. It’s good ol’ shock rock fun at its best.

To be honest, when I first put it on, I had no clue what the f*ck was going on. Sometimes you have to be in the mood for evil organs and the sounds of a twisted carnival to fully appreciate the direction your headed.

I am not crazy about the first 2 song, but after that, I was good to go. It is quintessential Alice Cooper. You know what you can expect from him and I mean that in a good way.

He delivers, speed, shock, bite, adrenaline, and theater of the mind. That is exactly what you get.

Seeing this live us going to rule. Driving to this on a decently open freeway…now THAT is the key to really enjoying it

I like it a lot. I like the fact that we now have yet another reason to go see Alice Cooper, his guillotine, freaky baby dolls, and fountains of blood live in concert. All of that is what you get when you listen to Welcome 2 My Nightmare.

Please disregard the fact that he has collaborated with Ke$ha. I mean, that is one hard pill to swallow, but their song doesn’t suck AND he has always appreciated people of her nature, misunderstood,  right? Consider it an experiment.

I HIGHLY recommend:

“A Runaway Train” (Check out this solo from Vince Gill)

“I’ll Bite Your Face Off”

“Last Man on Earth”

“Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever”

When all is said and done, Welcome 2 My Nightmare is a cabaret for horror buffs. It’s eek! with a touch of class. If you’re into the grand wizard of darkness, pick up your copy today via iTunes.

It was awesome. Super chill, right on the delicious ocean, G Love and Special Sauce, Ben Harper, Neon Trees, Weezer… It was such a great way to kick back with friends and completely and totally unwind.

[Gallery] Doheny Days Music Festival…I will definitely be back next year. Besides the kick ass tunes, the people watching was superb. The crowd was mostly made up of OC folk who like to live the good life, quasi hippies, stoners, and surfers if you will.

As you scroll through these pictures, please keep an eye out for a grown man in overalls wearing a Mad Hatter hat that has a HUGE man boob sticking out of the top right hand side of his overalls. This man boob I speak of is also pierced. It is a sight to behold.

Enjoy my pics above!

[Gallery] Weezer, Ziggy Marley, Cake…

I think I was the only person in the photo pit crying. This show was almost spiritual.

Find the ‘Hidden Mickey’ in these photos of Nicole Alvarez’ trip to Disneyland® and you could score a pair of Disneyland® Resort Annual Passes, which gets you into both Disneyland® and Disney California Adventure™ Park. You’ll even get to check out the all-new Star Tours – The Adventures Continue like she did!