Been having a Duran Duran kind of day so far, which is a good thing! :)

 First off, I absolutely dig the vintage sound of their newest album All You Need Is Now. Apparently when they went into the studio with Grammy Award-winning producer Mark Ronson (a huge force behind this brand new release!) they were aiming for a kind of sequel to 1982's Rio.

What we get instead (as all music suggests) is more of a follow-up to 1983's Seven And The Ragged Tiger. Missing on the newest album is Andy Taylor, but luckily the new album doesn't suffer for it.

 All of the songs are pretty darn good, but stand-outs include: "Blame the Machines," "Leave a Light On," "Girl Panic!" (love that exclamation point!) and "Too Bad You're So Beautiful."

from Wikipedia:

Critical reception

[hide] Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMediaNY	[4]
The Boston Globe	[5]
The Buffalo News	(Positive)[6]
The Daily Mail	[7]
Consequence of Sound	[8]
Idaho Statesman	[9]
Metromix	[10]
The Music Cycle	[11]
Newsday	(B)[12]
PopMatters	[13]
Prefix Magazine	[14]
Rolling Stone	[15]

Also of note:
this amazing cover of the classic and
lovely DD song: "Come Undone"
by the Icelandic duo MoR...
it's just gorgeous!!!

Crystal Castles's second self-titled album is the most eerily awesome thing I've heard in ages, rivaling the compellingly odd beauty of Fever Ray's music or the transcendental Icelandic majesty of Sigur Ros. It's not something you'll find yourself singing along to in the car or playing at parties, but it's none the worse for that because Crystal Castles is a wonderful headphone album.

To hear it up close and personal is to hear every little bizarre and haunting sound, to recognize how uncompromising and ethereal this album wants to be...I'm getting goosebumps, listening to it, major goosebumps, plus it's freaking with my mind, transporting me to higher planes...all within the relative safety of my own mind and without any help for drugs, illegal...or otherwise!!

Can't recommend this enough...especially for people willing to experiment with music that is less than traditional!:)

Key tracks are "Celestica," "Baptism," "Violent Dreams," "Vietnam," "Pap Smear," (yes, you read that right!!) and "Intimate."  While Crystal Castles (II) is most definitely not a pop album in the way you or I would probably define  pop, it definitely has its share of synth and house music beats that stay with you long after you've stopped listening.

I found this article on regret very interesting (and the comments that follow it):

  >>>>>>>>>>       regret   <<<<<<<<<<<

Just can't wait for tonight's new "Castle"!!!! Jane Seymour and Corbin Bernsen are among this episode's guest stars...it sounds like it's going to be great!!

Plus, this week's EW has a great article on Nathan Fillion:

read here for more!:)

Control was one of my favorite albums in the 80s and I especially loved the hit single, "When I Think of You." It's such a sweet song and the video that goes with it just the right touch!! Can't believe how innocent and genuinely happy it seems:


watch video here


I love the way her boyfriend pops in beside her when she's looking in the mirror and thinking of him and wherever she goes, he always seems to be right with her (but not in a creepy kind of way.)

Great dancing and great feeling and an 80s video that actually seems to go with the song!:)

see here for 80s Literal Music Video (where the words have been changed to suit the video)