Time to break some eardrums.

Hey, guys!  Miss me?  Didn't think so.

Have you ever stuck your iPod on its dock, turned on This Awesome Song, and then cranked the volume till you just closed your eyes and felt the music pulsing through your veins?  If you have, ain't it great?  If you haven't, you need to get a life, dude.

And I am here to help you find such a life.  I have compiled a List of Songs Useful For Breaking Eardrums.  Your instructions are to go buy these songs and play them as loud as possible.  Then you can come back and thank me.

1. Hanging By A Moment - Lifehouse
It's freaking Lifehouse.  Of course it'll be awesome.  But there's something about the guitar and Jason Wade's voice.  He has a caramel voice - caramel voices always sound great cranked up.

2. Un Giorno Per Noi - Josh Groban
Bear with me.  Even classical-y songs can sound great with the volume up, and this is one of the best.  Especially towards the end.  Josh Groban's chocolate voice is almost as good as a caramel one.

3. Scream - Thousand Foot Krutch
TFK!  Real rock!  And this is one of their best songs.  The bridge is spectacular.  Turn this one up especially loud.

4. My Soul, Your Beats! - Lia
The opening theme song for the anime Angel Beats!, this song has some of the most gorgeous piano I've ever heard.  Seriously.  Listen to it.  Loud.

5. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
...I'm running out of ways to praise these great songs.  Kryptonite is awesome, anyway.  It always makes me feel out of breath, for some reason.

6. Comatose - Skillet
Pretty much any of Skillet's newer songs are awesome to play loud, but Comatose is one of my favorites.  Maybe it's the violin at the beginning...

7. The Islander - Nightwish
Even though it's one of Nightwish's more folky songs, it's just so beautiful.  The rhythm, the music, the words, the story, the mood...

So there you are, my seven favorite songs to blast until the walls shake.  And coming from a girl with over 4,000 songs, narrowing it down is pretty impressive.  So, really.  Go listen and be amazed.

Valentine's Day songs... sort of.

Happy Singleness Awareness Day, folks!  Yeah, nobody appreciates that joke anymore.  Anyway.

Well, I'm sure 90% of Americans (American girls, anyway) are out there counting down their favorite love songs or movies or romance books, and that's fine.  Love is lovely.  HOWEVER, romantic love is not the only love.  And as a strong proponent of Singleness Awareness Day, I have taken it upon myself to give you... the friendship love, or phileo love, as C.S. Lewis said.

Frodo and Sam.  Mike and Sully.  Charlotte and Wilbur.  In many cases, friendship is more compelling than romance.  (Most cases for me, but - wait for it - that's a rant for another time.)  Yet it's often overlooked, especially on V-Tines's Day.

So, to make up for that, I'm counting down my favorite buddy songs!  Whoohoo!  I'm probably not going to rant too much - I'll just put a verse or two. ...Though if I can really keep from ranting about my favs, I'm not sure.

10. Trust Me - The Fray
Okay, so it's kind of... creepy in a way - like an old gangster talking to a new recruit or something - but still.  I like the protective sound of the song. (Told ya I couldn't resist ranting.)


We're only taking turns
Holding this world
It's how it's always been
When you're older, you'll understand.


9. I'm In The Way - Jars Of Clay
If you think that hope was left behind
I picked it up a mile ago
And I am running close behind
So don't give up and don't let go.


8. Sticking With You - Addison Road
And if I have to jump, then I'll jump
And I won't look down
You can cry, you can fight, we can scream and shout
I'll push and pull until your walls come down
And you understand I'm sticking with you.


7. Dandelion Wine - Blackmore's Night
Kind of a sad friendship song, like something you'd hear at the end of Lord of the Rings.


Let's laugh at the memories and talk all afternoon
Let's remember the moments that leave us all too soon
We'll smile at the pictures still lingering in our minds
When you're reminiscing, then all you need is time.


6. Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne
You're not alone, together we stand
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand
When it gets cold and it feels like the end
There's no place to go, you know I won't give in.


5. Long Live - Taylor Swift
I guess you could argue that this is a love song?  Meh.  I like it as a buddy song.  Either way, it gives me shivers.

Long live all the mountains we moved
I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you
I was screaming long live that look on your face
And bring on all the pretenders
One day, we will be remembered.


4. Those Nights - Skillet
One of my most-listened-to songs ever.  Because it's awesome.  Again, maybe a love song, but I picture best friends better.

Remember when we'd
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive.


3. Nothing I Won't Give - Vic Mignogna
Because it's about Ed and Al, the best brother duo since I really don't know when!   A little more angsty than most are, but it's still great.

I promise you, there is nothing I won't give
To see this through
Return the soul to where it lives
I promise you I'll go everywhere I've been
To find a way to make atonement for my sin and see
See your smiling face again.


2. For Good - Wicked musical
Even if you don't like musicals, it's hard to believe that this isn't a good song.

Like a wind blown from its moorings by a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood
Who can say that I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good.

1. If I Didn't Have You - Monsters, Inc.

WHOO!  The epicest buddy movie ever! (Yes, I just coined a new word.)  Of course the song is awesome.  Maybe the previous songs have better technical quality or whatever, but when it comes straight down to it... this is the best friend song.

If I were a rich man with a million or two

I'd live in a penthouse in a room with a view

And if I were handsome - those dreams do come true -

I wouldn't have nothing if I didn't have you. ...

You and me together

That's how it always should be

One without the other

Don't mean nothing to me

Nooothiiiing toooo meeeee... 

[Yes, I did have to do that.  It's my blog.]

I don't have to say it

'Cause we both know it's true

I wouldn't have nothing if I didn't have

I wouldn't have nothing if I didn't have

I wouldn't have nothing if I didn't have 

You - you - you - you

A-E-I-O, that means YOU!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

This is why I hate book-movies.

The Twilight Saga.  The Hunger Games.  And now Beautiful Creatures.  All books or series that have been or are going to be made into movies.   The hype is unbelievable. (Well, not for Beautiful Creatures.  That's not quite as well-known, for excellent reasons.)

I think everyone knows Hollywood is struggling.  And I personally don't mind lots of books being made into movies, if the people making them have proper respect for their sources. (That doesn't mean I want my book-movies EXACTLY LIKE THE BOOK!! but that's another rant.)  I love books, and there are hundreds of amazing, engaging stories out there.

So why doesn't Hollywood use them instead of picking out the stupidest, most boring chick fluff on the market?

Okay, okay, The Hunger Games is no chick fluff (mostly).  But it's not the best thing since sliced bread.  Katniss is annoying, the violence isn't gory but it's self-indulgent, and aaaaaauuugh, de Wuv Twiangle!  Must every girl have at least two guys hanging on her every selfish word now?

Anyway.

I have a list of books that deserve to be made into movies.  Hollywood, listen up.

1. Ranger's Apprentice series

Action!  Adventure!  Blood!  An awesome old grumpy mentor!  What's not to like about RA?  And, Hollywood, it's got ten books.  Sequel material!

I've actually heard whisperings of an RA movie, but that was ages ago, so it's might have been dropped.  I'd enjoy any recent interviews/snippets about it, though.

(Oh.  And if it does get made into a movie, Hollywood, please get Jeremy Irons to be Halt.  I BEG OF YOU.)



2. Artemis Fowl series

You know the whole villains-as-heroes thing that's going on?  Artemis fits the bill perfectly.  With fairies and technology.  It's James Bond in Wonderland.  Or... something.  Anyway.

Seriously, after ages of this series being insanely popular, it should be a movie already.  I guess finding a convincingly evil twelve-year-old could be difficult.  Asa Butterfield was kinda creepy as Morderd on Merlin, but he's not the Artemis type.  Oh well.

But really.  I'd pay twenty dollars to see this movie.  With some great CGI affects, it could be epic.


3.  The Sisters Grimm series

Fairytales are in, too, Hollywood.

This series is definitely a younger series, but if the movies got a little more grown-up - not a lot, just draw the characters more complexly, cut down the corny humor, make things a bit more terrifying.  Like How To Train Your Dragon, really.  Epic movie that came out of epic-but-sixth-grade-oriented books.  It's possible.



4. Children of the Red King series

Maybe a Charlie Bone movie would be pretty tacky coming straight off the heels of Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but in a year or two, I bet a lot of people would flock to see some more 'magical academy' stories - for instance, people with HP withdrawal.  Like me.

And again, sequels, Hollywood!  And they just keep getting better. (I haven't finished the series yet, but I'm close.)  The characters are interesting, and the 'endowed' idea is just fun.


5. The Bartimaeus Trilogy

Okay.  The best YA series of its kind - what kind that is, I'm not sure; maybe urban fantasy? alternate reality? somethin' - as a movie?  With the snarkiest djinni and the rottenest little magician you've ever met as co-stars?

As Bartimaeus would say: I ask you.  BEST. MOVIE. EVER.

True, I can imagine about a hundred things that might get lost in translation, due to Bartimaeus's amazing inner monologue and those delightful little footnotes.

But, if the movie didn't take itself too seriously, they could find ways to put it in there.  As long as it did take itself seriously sometime.  So, if they found a way to balance the humor with the darkness... Harry Potter, meet you maker.

***

So can you tell what I like to read/watch?   Yeah, lots of those are very similar.  Well, they're sending out a ton of similar teen romance movies and faux-angsty action movies now.  Might as well start a new trend!

Really, the best stories are in the kids' books.  Take my word for it.  You too, Hollywood.  Try looking for stories somewhere besides a Twihard's bookshelf for once.

Top Seven Disney Villain Songs

I said that there were going to be lists.  Well, beware, 'cause here's my first one.  Break out the awesome lighting effects and requisite dancing sycophants.

(Before I go any further, I should say that yes, I am a huge classic Disney fan and lots of my lists will probably be about them.  If you don't like dancing singing animals, then you're destined to sit in a depressingly mature hole for all of eternity, writing about the economy and what kind of dishwasher just came out.  I'd start liking dancing singing animals, if I were you.)

7.  Snuff Out The Light (Yzma's Song)

Now, I'm not sure where this song came from - whether it was originally to go in The Emperor's New Groove itself or in what TENG would have been, Kingdom Of The Sun.  I'm betting on the latter, because it would make much more sense in that respect.

Anyway, I've never heard of this song until I started looking.  And it's a creepy song buried under the jazzy music.  I always knew Yzma was a good villain.  Given a serious movie (not that TENG isn't awesome, because it is), she could have been really scary.

6. Friends On The Other Side

Now, I didn't really like  The Princess And The Frog.  It just wasn't that memorable for me. But this song is catchy, and the whole transformation sequence is... well, shall we say, well done.

(Though it seemed like a lot of trouble when all the good doctor wanted to do was to turn Whatshisface Prince into a frog.  A bit like overkill, if you ask me.) 

5. The Siamese Cat Song

I love the Siamese Twins.  They're awesome.  And they're cats.  So I don't usually consider them to be villains.  But everyone else does, so I'll count this epic song as a villain song.  

I mean, it's the Siamese Cat Song.  Who doesn't occasionally find himself singing:

We are Siamese if you please - 

We are Siamese if you don't please.

4. Hellfire

Now, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame is one of those not-really-for-kiddies kiddie movies.  Mostly because of this song.  You can tell from the title that it's not exactly "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes."  It's really a pretty disturbing song - kind of PG-13, if we're being conservative.

That said, it's a very successful villain song, in that it 1) evil-fies the villain, and 2) gives a reason why the villain is being evil.  And, y'know, it's just plain disturbing

3. Mother Knows Best / Reprise

Ah, Gothel.  You're such an awesome villain.

To be honest, I'm cheating here a little, because, if you'll notice, I have links to two songs - "Mother Knows Best" and "Mother Knows Best (Reprise)" because, to be honest, you can't have one without the other.  The one sets up the entire story, really.  The second... well, the second is just bloomin' awesome.  I got the shivers the first time I heard it.

This is why he's here!
Don't let him deceive you!
Give it to him, watch - you'll see!
Trust me, my dear - that's how fast he'll leave you
I won't say I TOLD YOU SO!

2. Poor Unfortunate Souls

Okay, let's get this straight.  I can't stand The Little Mermaid.  It has oodles of horrible messages that I'd love to rant about here, but it's not really the place.  SO.   The song.

It's awesome.  Only good part of the movie.  Ursula is an awesome villain and her song is dead on.  Personally, I wish Ariel had ended up in Ursula's mer-garden, but a bunch of wittle girls probably wouldn't be too happy with that. 

And number one is...

1. Be Prepared

Now really, could it be anything else?

I don't think so.

With great visuals, great music, and fantastic characters, it's really hard to beat this song.  I feel kind of sorry for all the villain songs that came after "Be Prepared."  Because there's really no way to compete with the evilness contained within.

Well, those are my Top Seven.  Additions/subtractions?  Criticisms?