Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song) /  by E

       There's a lot of good music coming in right now and I'm going to get to it all and answer emails and all of that professional adult stuff (because there's actually quite a few that are most definitely going to join my personal playlist) but, for now, we should all just bask in the greatness of Kelly Clarkson's Christmas album.
       It's kind of great because her voice is awesome, she seems like a generally good person, and this song is kind of hard not to listen to twice (at least if you're getting as into the Christmas season as I am determined to this year]).
"Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)" Kelly Clarkson
- E

Crash & Burn /  by E

       Darling Parade released their second video in their Battle Scars & Broken Hearts series and, while the song is addictive, the video is fantastic. It picks up where the last video ("Ghost") left off and turns the lead character from a victim to a hero (which is awesome) complete with fast cars, fight scenes, and the promise of more amazing videos to come.
       Their music is great and Battle Scars & Broken Hearts was probably the best rock album featuring a female lead singer to come out this year, so pick up their debut album from iTunes now for fantastic rock riffs and amazing lyrics you have to sing-along with, then stay tuned to the band's Twitter, Facebook, and website for more great videos that are sure to come in this series.
"Crash & Burn" Darling Parade
http://darlingparade.com/
https://twitter.com/darlingparade
https://www.facebook.com/darlingparade
- E

See You In My Dreams /  by E

       We The Kings released their latest album, Somewhere Somehow, this week and, as with every We The Kings album, it borders that fine line between pop and alt-rock with ease and it's amazing. The album's tracks are fun, the melodies are all amazing and perfectly hum-able, and the lyrics are, as always, undeniably sweet.
       Pick up Somewhere Somehow on iTunes now so you can listen to every song (buy the entire album because every song is worthy of multiple listens) and listen to "See You In My Dreams" for a rhythm that will force you to move, a gorgeous piano melody, a bridge I just want to play on repeat, and a crazy sweet chorus that reads "'cause I wanna close my eyes and sleep, run to the place we used to meet, 'cause I'd rather have you in my dreams, than wake up without you. 'Cause I'd sleep forever if you'd leave, give up the world so you would see, that I'd rather have you in my dreams, than wake up without you".
"See You In My Dreams" We The Kings
- E

Wonderful Christmastime /  by E

       Meiko came out with a cover of "Wonderful Christmastime" and the Christmas classic seems to ironically fit my mood towards the season at this moment (I came home to find that the neighbor and my mother are in some sort of Battle of the Bulbs-esque light war and he's blasting Christmas music and muttering in Russian amidst his piles of lights and my mother has Hallmark on in every room, has made twelve different types of cookies and just sent my dad to Home Depot for more lights; it's all highly amusing as long as I don't get dragged into it). 
       Check out Meiko's cover because it's the best I've heard in a long time (probably since the original) and you can head to her website and contribute your own embarrassing holiday photo to be displayed in the slideshow video for the single (just instagram it with #MeikoTBC).
"Wonderful Christmastime" Meiko
- E