Music Festivals - the essentials you'll need

With Coachella behind us and Bonnaroo coming up fast, music festivals are in full swing.  When we visited The Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores this past weekend, we found that certain things are, well, essential. Of course you need your jean shorts, but after the obvious, we put together this handy guide of our 13 must-haves to keep you looking and feeling your best, even in the heat and crowds of music festivals.  1. Deodorant - When thousands of peeps are putting their hands in the air, things are bound to get stinky.  This is the time to go clinical strength and apply liberally in the morning to stay fresh through nightime!

2. Something to pull your hair back - These Marc Jacobs elastics are cute enough to wear as bracelets and add interest to a plain pony or messy bun. And if your hair is short, or long and you want to look cool and keep it off your face, a bandana always is in style.

3. Sunscreen - Apply BEFORE going out for the day and reapply every hour or so.  A couple of cute local guys we talked to swear by Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Spray. And we know your mom told you to apply sunscreen to your face because you don't want wrinkles when you are older.  She's right. Apply. Reapply. And reapply. We love Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer for our face because it is so lightweight and has 30 SPF.

4. Some Like it Hot Shampoo/Conditioner - If your hair frizzes in the humidity the first day but you don’t want to be tied down to a ponytail, braid, or bandana all weekend, pick up this shampoo and conditioner by TIGI and go long and loose all day.

5. Refillable Water Bottle - Festivals want you to buy their food and water so bringing in your own is a no-go.  With bottled water costing at least $3 a bottle, this can very quickly eat into your cool festival t-shirt fund.  Thankfully, there are usually water stations throughout where you can snag a quick refill.  The ideal situation, of course, would be to have a boy with a CamelBack full of water that you can leach off of.  But just in case you are running low on boys, water bottles from Sigg will do just fine, thank you.

6. Flip-flops - Your feet need to be cool and comfy but your shoes are probably going to get trashed.  Cheap doesn’t mean you can’t be chic.  Planet Flops and Cooei are classic styles, comfy and squishy… and all around great flip-flops.  And they’re easy to kick off, rinse, and put in your bag if you want to slip them off and go barefoot in the sand/grass.

7. Lip Balm Sunscreen - Lips need sun protection, too but there’s no reason you can’t have a little glamour.  MAC Hey Sailor! SunTints Liquid Lip Balm has the triple threat…color, shine and SPF.  And everyone will be so jelly when you pull out the cute striped tube. And it's limited edition, meaning get it now 'cause it will be gone soon and gone forever.

8. Band aids - Boo-boos and blisters happen…and life’s too short to use plain Band-Aids.

9. Hand sanitizer/Travel Size Antibacterial Baby Wipes - Two words…Porta Potty.  Need I say more?  Grab a few from Bath & Body Works and hook them to your bag for squeaky-clean hands.  Baby wipes are great to use after applying sunscreen and before eating.

10. Solar Phone Charger - Sure, there are charging stations…but the lines can get a tad ridiculous.  And if you’re standing around while your phone is charging, you’re missing out!  Amazon.com has a nice variety of solar chargers for many different phones.  AND as an added bonus, they’re eco-friendly!

11. Face Wash - Dancing, sweating, dancing. All. Day. All. Night. If you want your skin to stay clear, then wash up morning and night. And we suggest a gentle wash because the last thing your skin wants is to be irritated. We recommend Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash in a bar or pump for travel.

12. Oil Absorbing Sheets - since you know you will be documenting those moves for Facebook and Instagram.. and Tumblr.. and... well everywhere, you need to make sure your skin is looking great throughout the day. Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets help your skin keep their healthy glow but help absorb excess oil. Now you are paparazzi ready!

13. Finally, because you need somewhere to store everything: a comfy, large cross body bag! It needs to big enough for a towel, cover-up, water bottle…EVERYONE seemed to have some variation of this cross-body bag from Target…including ME!  I found it to be just the right size without weighing me down. 

And that's what you'll need to be as prepared as I was for the Hangout Music Festival - you'll be prepared anywhere and everywhere this summer! Have fun, be safe, and enjoy!  ~LISA, Music Editor

Best Graduation Songs

Graduation is around the corner and so we needed a playlist of the best graduation songs, because a great playlist makes life better for just about everything.

Anticipation is in the air. There's an excitement that summer is within our grasp. But there's also a sense of transition. It's graduation time and many of us or our friends are moving on to bigger and better things. To deal with the mixed bag of emotions, we created a playlist of the best graduation songs that speaks to friendship, nostalgia and moving on to whatever life has in store. Dry your eyes, hug your friends and give a listen. It's not goodbye...it's I'll see ya later!

Jordin Sparks- One Step at a Time Nothing like inspiration and a great pair of heels...

Skillet- Say Goodbye A tearjerker. For sure.

All-American Rejects- The Last Song "As I leave, will you be the someone to say goodbye As I leave will you be someone to wipe your eye My foot is out the door and you can't stop me now." Good grief. Will someone pass the hankies?

More of our best graduation songs for inspiration and friendship...

Vitamin C-Graduation Song Rod Stewart-Forever Young Taylor Swift- Never Grow Up Jimmy Eat World- The Middle Green Day- Good Riddance Kimya Dawson- Tree Hugger Eve 6- Here's to the Night The Nixons- Sister Cracker- Friends Beatles- In My Life Sarah McLachlan- I Will Remember You Tim McGraw- My Old Friend Chris Isack- Graduation Day The Velvet Underground- She's My Best Friend Drivin' N Cryin'-The Friend Song The Weepies- Can't Go Back Now Nada Surf- When I Was Young Israel Kamakawiwo'ole- Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World Lynard Skynard- Freebird Coldplay- Yellow Alphaville- Young Forever (check out the Jay-Z remix too!)

UPDATE: We've added to our list with a new post and instant playlist of our favorite NEW graduation songs and some that weren't included on this list! Just click the link  :lol:

Camryn - Touring with One Direction!

Who's the luckiest 12 year old girl in the world? Yeah, it's probably Camryn! In fact, she may just be THE luckiest girl in the world since she'll be opening for One Direction! She may be young, but she's already toured with Greyson Chance, AllStar Weekend, and Cody Simpson, and she just found out she'll be touring with... 1D. Camryn will be opening for One Direction at the following shows: May 22 — Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT May 24 — Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA May 25 — Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ June 8 — Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA June 9 — Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, NV June 10 — Comerica Theater, Phoenix, AZ

Not only is she lucky, but turns out, she's a super-nice girl and down-to-earth. We chatted with her on Twitter (be sure to follow her @camrynrocks) and she's just as excited as about the One Direction Tour as we are! We also caught up with her by email to find out the inside scoop, and we've got her latest video posted below, check it all out!

When did you first realize that singing was a gift and talent you should pursue? I have always had a passion for singing, ever since I was about three years old. But I really didn’t know that it was what I wanted to do until I was 7 and entered my first talent show. I loved being on stage even though I was completely terrified!

Who are your influences? Music-wise, I have several and they are Demi Lovato, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce. They have such amazing voices, ranges, and aren’t afraid to be who they are.

Do you play any instruments? Well, I started to play guitar, but I didn’t really like it as much. I’m learning how to play drums and so far I love it!

Tell us about being on tour? How long did you tour with Cody Simpson and Greyson Chance? We toured for about two months and it was my first tour!! I was so excited and everybody was so nice and welcoming, so it made it easy for me to adjust to that new life style.

Is touring as much fun as it seems like it would be, and anything backstage that we wouldn't know about? Touring has its fun times and its really hard times. But I love to tour – it’s so much fun, that at the end of the day the bad things don’t really seem all that bad. After tour, I did talk to Cody and Greyson a little bit, but it’s hard with work and traveling. Our schedules are really different, so its hard to keep in touch. We did hang out any time that we could. But again, it was hard with all of the traveling. Greyson really likes silly string, so he would always spray everybody at the most random times. Cody is very shy, but as soon as he hits that stage he comes alive.

Do your parents or siblings go on tour with you? They come when they can, but if I’m not gone for too long then they don’t come. If they don’t come, I normally see them on weekends.

You tour a lot… are you able to go to school or do you have a tutor? I’m home-schooled, but I go to a school as well. So if I’m on tour, my teacher can come with me, but if I’m at home I can go to school with a few other kids who do the same thing.

What is the best concert you’ve performed and why? What makes a great night? My best shows were out in Asia because I had so much more experience and I used that to its fullest. What makes a great show is having a wild crowd, a ton of energy, and to push yourself to the limit. But the most important thing is to have fun with what your doing!

When did you find out about the 1D concert? And your reaction? I found out yesterday!! I was so shocked and excited!! I didn’t know how to control myself I was so excited! Honestly, I am a big fan of One Direction. I think their music is really good.

We hate to ask, but have to: do you have a favorite One Direction band member? Yes, but I have two tied for number 1 in 1D -- Harry Styles and Zayn Malik!

How many times have you seen 1D in concert? Any scoop about their shows? I have seen them once before and their concert was amazing! I don’t want to give anything away so you will just have to find out for yourself! But what I can tell you is that it’s going to be a great show.

Who is your dream duet with? I’m not sure I have so many artists that I would love to collaborate with, it’s hard to choose just one.

How come you always get to tour with guys?! Any girls you would like to tour with? I’m not sure why!! That’s a great question! I would love to tour with any of my idols.

Camryn's latest single is "Set the Night on Fire" and we are sure she will she will just do that while she's on tour. Take a listen, and let us know what you think.

Camryn's new album is in the works, but in the meantime, catch her on tour with One Direction. And, Camryn, thank you SO much for taking time out of your incredibly busy schedule to chat with us. It's been wonderful hearing about your glam life and tours, and we wish you the best of luck. Have a blast and send us some pictures, we can't wait to see some from behind the scenes!!

xoxo, PopCosmo

Teen Music Apps - or how to find cool music

Teen music apps to get your summer grooving.... With summer fast approaching, bikinis ready, and your spring break playlist getting loads of play, it's a good bet that even more of your time will be spent rocking out with your headphones on and earbuds in looking for brand new tunes. ? Thats why we at Popcosmo decided to take a closer look at and listen to some teen music apps and radio apps that are available to you.

The first set of teen music apps are more focused on sharing and discovering music. I reviewed Herd.fm, Soundhound and Shazam: Herd.fm recommends songs based on what you listen to on iTunes and what you've shared on Facebook...kind of like a creeper, but far more useful. You can also send songs and playlists to friends. ? Curiously, I share a lot of songs on Facebook but only 1 recent share was on my list. And it wasn't a song I had shared. And the app kept force-closing. But it is a fairly new app so the kinks are probably still being worked out. My favorite thing about this app is the recommendations feature since I love to "discover" new music.

Soundhound boasts "the world's fastest music recognition," identifying songs played, sung or even hummed in as little as 4 seconds. My feeble attempts at humming and whistling were completely unsuccessful.  Humming "Somebody That I Used to Know" resulted in "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." However, when playing the actual song, it was correct and even pulls up lyrics, videos, artist's page and recent tweets where the song is mentioned. Under the "What's Hot" tab it shows the most tweeted songs for the week as well as the Most Underplayed...songs that are getting more Soundhound play than radio play. This feature would come in handy for hipsters who want to be obscure...but not too obscure.

Shazam is another teen music app that features song recognition but it doesn't seem to be as accurate as Soundhound...especially with less well-known bands/songs. And there's a 5 song per month limit, but it's very easy to use. ? It has essentially the same features as Soundhound (except the humming) so it really just depends on which format you prefer. One word of advice: quit talking while Soundhound or Shazam is working!  Oh, and get as close to the source as possible... both work pretty well when you do.

As far as streaming music goes, I tested Pandora, Spotify and Rdio: A few years ago, I discovered Grooveshark and installed it for my desktop. It was completely free and I could make playlists. Soon, it became available for mobile for $3.99 a month...a paltry amount, I thought, to have my playlists available on my phone at any time. Alas, it was short-lived and while I can still enjoy my beloved playlists from the computer, the stingy music-gods discontinued the app.  I discovered that Spotify and Rdio are comparable to Grooveshark but carry a $9.99 a month price tag.

Spotify ? definitely has a bigger music catalog and is (in my humble opinion) more user-friendly...but this was based solely on my free trial. Because I am stubborn, and perhaps out of loyalty to my precious Grooveshark, I refuse to pay $120 a year for either app. Which led me to do something I had refused to do for quite some time...surrender to Pandora.

I'll be honest...I wanted no part of Pandora at first. I want to hear what I want to hear when I want to hear it. Pandora allows users to create playlists based on a song or artist. It then chooses songs that sound like/have similar features as the song or artist. Users have the option to "thumbs up" the songs they like or "thumbs down" the songs they don't. You can skip up to 10 tracks an hour per playlist. Once I created my playlists and had my favorites "thumb-upped," I found that Pandora does a pretty good job of serving my musical needs...save for a random, often hilarious, song choice every now and then. The best part? It's FREE! I do take advantage of the ad-free version which is $3.99 a month. And I do enjoy discovering new music based on what I already like.

So hopefully we at Popcosmo have sufficiently prepared you to explore ways to discover, share and stream music. We would love to hear which of these are your favorites or hear about other awesome teen music apps or other music apps that you use!

Spring Break Party Playlist

Spring break and spring brings many things...blooming flowers, singing birds, a bunny who inexplicably delivers baskets of candy. But most importantly, spring brings warmer weather...meaning boys take off their shirts more frequently and we get to pull out shorts and flip-flops. We commemorate these momentous events by giving you a spring break playlist. One Direction- Forever Young Great cover by some hot-hot-hotties.

Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe Although we don't recommend handing your number out to strangers... dreaming is ok, right? Right? (And we love how the video ends. Epic.) Check out our FB page later today, we'll be posting a fun remake of this song!

Estelle- Do My Thing Have fun on Spring Break and do YOUR thang!

Jason Aldean- My Kinda Party Spring Break is just one big party no matter if it's a vacation or staycation. No school IS a party!

Alabama Shakes- Hold On Hold on, Spring Break is almost here!! And for those of you who are lucky enough to have already have it... hold on until summer! You may not have heard of Alabama Shakes yet.. but you will. Oh yes, you will.

Noah and the Whale- First Days of Spring Here's to new beginnings...and English Indie Folk singers.

Summer Paradise (feat. Sean Paul)- Single "I remember every sunset"... isn't that what Spring Break is about too? ? A teaser for summer?

More springtime awesomeness... Jessica Lea Mayfield - Blue Skies Again Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea Beatles- Here Comes the Sun U2- It's a Beautiful Day Alien Ant Farm- Pink Tea Liz Phair- Wild Thing Violent Femmes- 4 Seasons Pitbull ft. Marc Anthony- Let it Rain Over Me Willie Nelson- Blue Skies Peter Bjorn and John- Young Folks Tennis- Marathon The Shins- New Slang Flaming Lips- Can't Stop the Spring Indigo Girls- Southland in the Springtime Tori Amos- Spring Haze The Smiths- Cemetary Gates Arcade Fire- Month of May Blind Melon- No Rain Nirvana- In Bloom

Songs that are NOT love songs

In a relationship? Single? It's complicated? Regardless of relationship status, there is a certain hip-ness to hatin' on Valentine's Day and we've got the "songs that are not love songs" playlist to prove it. These "not love songs" run the gamut of relationship grief...heartbreak, anger, the desire to kick someone...you know, the usual emotions. So put in your earbuds and crank up these tunes while you pelt those nasty conversation hearts at random couples. (But, if you can't decide to love or um, not love, check these out for our best teen love songs.)

Beyonce- Single Ladies This makes me want to wear a leotard and heels to school.

Outkast- Roses Wow. Andre's really mad.

India.Arie - Video Ok, it's a love song... but trust us, it's THE love song.

Gotye Feat. Kimbra- Somebody That I Used to Know The vocals are raw and passionate. The song is amazing. The video is...strange.

The Sundays- I Kicked a Boy We do not, I repeat, do not condone kicking a boy. But there are certain times...well, it would be understandable...

Taylor Swift- Another Picture to Burn The undisputed QUEEN of break-up songs

Foo Fighters- The Best of You Dave Grohl screaming is therapeutic.

More, more, more... Carrie Underwood- Before He Cheats Christina Aguilaer - Fighter Laura Izibor - Carousel Sara Bareilles - King of Anything Ugly Kid Joe- I Hate Everything About You Kimya Dawson- Tire Swing Plain White T's- Hate (I Really Don't Like You) Cee Lo Green- Forget You Justin Timberlake- Cry Me a River Arcade Fire- Crown of Love Sublime- Santeria Adele- Someone Like You Kelly Clarkson- Mr. Know It All Janis Joplin- Piece of My Heart Jewel- Stronger Woman Travis Tritt- Here's a Quarter The Cure- Boys Don't Cry Kanye West- Heartless The Killers- Mr. Brightside Better Than Ezra- Desperately Wanting Leona Lewis - Better in Time

Show the love! (giveaway)

As the big day of LUV rounds the corner, we just had to do one more giveaway! ? Since we love Good Works because they "make a difference," we knew their bracelets would be the perfect giveaway for you! By combining for-profit work with non-profit, Good Works Make a Difference has a big heart: they donate 25% of net profits to good causes that make a difference in the world today. They have helped Los Angeles youth with the Lakers Youth Foundation, donated to Women Heart (which focuses on women's heart disease), and helped construct homes for those still displaced 5 years post-Katrina in New Orleans. Plus they've helped so many more worthy causes.

We have 3 bracelets for the giveaway, in pink and red, of course. Win ALL 3 !!

To win the Good Works Make a Difference bracelets, answer this question in the comments below: ? WHAT DO YOU LOVE?? (Could be anything from Saturdays to chocolate, your Mom, your dog or your BF.)

? ?

Contest CLOSED. {Contest open through midnight 2/13, enter once daily per email address, winner contacted by email on 2/14. Winner must respond by 2/16 or another winner will be selected. Winner must provide a correct email address below (to be used solely for this giveaway). Winner picked by random number using Random.org. and posted here, Facebook and Twitter. Follow us and friend us... we follow back!}

Congrats to our winner Cheyianne! ? If you didn't win, stay tuned for more giveaways -- follow us (@popcosmo) and friend us to stay in the know!

Valentine's Love Song Playlist

Whether you have hearts over your head, an arrow in your butt, or you're clutching a Voodoo doll of your ex in your hand, Valentine's Day is upon us. For those of you dreading this day, don't worry... the anti-Valentine's Day playlist is for you. But for those who are in full-blown love, have a crush, want to be in love, etc., this love song playlist is for you. We love T-Swizzle as much as anyone else but for this love song playlist we decided to go with the not-so-obvious love songs. Some old, some newer, some quirky. All awesome.

The Lemon heads- The Outdoor Type O.K. Lying is bad. But a guy who lies about being the outdoor type to get the girl? We forgive you.

Modern English- I Melt With You He'll stop the world? Make a pilgrimage? MELT? Just for a girl? Swoon. Rachel Platten- 1000 Ships What would you do for love? Don't let that someone miss their cue... get your message through!

The White Stripes- We Are Gonna Be Friends Playground romance is adorable. Jack White is hot.

Peter Gabriel- In Your Eyes You really need to watch the movie "Say Anything" to get the full effect of this one but here is a teaser (wait for it....)

And if those are not enough to give you googly eyes, these should do the trick... Never Shout Never - Trouble Taylor Swift - Ours The Ready Set - Love Like Woe Dixie Chicks- Cowboy Take Me Away Mazzy Star - Fade Into You Deanna Carter-Strawberry Wine The Flaming Lips- When You Smile The Cure - Just Like Heaven Trisha Yearwood- She's in Love With the Boy The Sundays- Wild Horses  (Rolling Stones Cover) Kid Rock- Lonely Road of Faith Owl City- I'll Meet You There Neutral Milk Hotel- In an Aeroplane Over the Sea Pete Townsend- Let My Love Open the Door Outkast- Prototype

Workout Playlist... 20 songs that make you move!

RESOLUTION: Workout more often. Some resolutions are made to be broken but with an awesome playlist for your iPod, this is one resolution that will be easier to stick with. Simply insert cool earphones, and get moving! I'm Sexy and I Know It: Popcosmo does not condone the donning of speedo's but this song will give your abs a great workout...from laughing along with LMFAO.

Ramones- Beat on the Brat: ? Again, we at Popcosmo do not condone beating on brats but the Ramones are sure to get your workout going.

I Need a Dollar-Aloe Blace: Hmm, maybe we need another mile more than a dollar, and this song keeps us going.

What you Know- We know you know that Two Door Cinema Club rocks!

Helter Skelter- This song by the Beatles will get your heart pumping. And creep you out a little bit.

Moves Like Jagger- Maroon 5: ? Have you ever seen Jagger move? Not pretty. But the song has a great beat for a workout.

Cake- The Distance: You're going the distance. ? You're going for speed. You're going for Starbucks when you're done with this workout.

Super Bass- Nikki Minaj: You'll have his heartbeat running away with yo hot bod, girlfriend.

And... Kriss Kross: Jump Pitbull: Shake Señora Modern English: I Melt with You Friendly Fires: Jump in the Pool One Direction: What Makes You Beautiful BeatFreakz: Somebody's Watching Me Miranda Lambert: Gunpowder & Lead Black Eyed Peas: Boom Boom Pow Smashing Pumpkins: Today Coldplay: Viva la Vida Train: Hey Soul Sister Outkast: Hey Ya

What songs are on your workout playlist?

5 Dubstep Tunes for you

With the artist, Skrillex, just being announced as a Best New Artist Grammy Nominee, Dubstep may have just gone from creeping its way from the underground scene to busting out full force. Originating in London in the 1990's, (doesn't most killer stuff originate in London?) Dubstep is the love child of Rap/Hip Hop and Techno. Artists such as Jay-Z, Rhianna, Kanye, and even Britney are playing around with this textural sound experience. Skrillex, Bassnectar, Modestep, Deadmau5 and Flux Pavillion are a great start for pure dubstep, but you can find virtually any song that has been given the dubstep treatment. Searching random song titles and "dubstep" on YouTube results in some very fun time-suckage. A couple of awesome "finds" are "Smells Like Teen Spirit Dubstep" and "Come Together Dubstep." Go forth and be Dubstep savvy, come Grammy time! Here are 5 songs to get you started... plus one just for fun. LMFAO - Part Rock Anthem (Arion Dubstep Remix)

DJ Fresh "Gold Dust" (Flux Pavillion Remix)

DeadMau5 "Ghosts N Stuff"

Modestep "Sunlight"

Skrillex "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"

Just for fun: What Dubstep Sounds like to your Parents

Snap, Crackle, K-Pop

Love bubble-gum pop, danceable beats and crazy fashion? ? Then plant your fanny, snatch some headphones and check out the latest craze from Korea...K-Pop (Korean pop music)! Songs are full of auto-tuned, catchy, dare-you-not-to-break-it-down pop goodness, and the beats are totally danceable by themselves.? But the videos are the real show-stoppers.? From coordinated? candy-colored outfits to dangerously spikey accessories and chainmaille armour hoodie vests, your senses will be assaulted with awesome!? And when K-Pop blows up in the U.S, ? you can totally say, "I listened to that before it was mainstream." Check these out right now and join the millions of adoring, crazed, intense fans...

Crave the shiny pants and killer heels.? 2NE1 I am the Best

Dance to this in front of your mirror!? Hyuna Bubble Pop!

Best use of silver make-up and man wigs.? Wonder Girls 2 Different Tears

They've inspired an entire fashion look: the "SHINee Trend"! SHINee RingDingDong

Earphones Review: An earful of choices

If you are like us, earphones are a daily necessity. There are so many great options available for working out, hanging out, and studying; but we wanted only the best in sound, style, and functionality. ? After our earphones review, here are three of our favorites:

It seemed like the tangled-up mess of earphone wires was just something we were going to have to live with, but we found a fun solution! ? Zipbuds are the original zip-up, tangle-free earphones with top quality sound. ? And they just launched a new and improved line of fashion-forward products.

Zipbuds told us that "the 2nd Generation (G2) Zipbuds feature premium 11mm drivers, a lighter zipper pull and redesigned aluminum ear buds, resulting in an enhanced overall listening experience for fashion conscious music lovers, and gamers." ? Um, right... but what does this mean? ? For us it meant the "vertebrae" zipper design is feather-light (no pull on the headphones) and there's? no more tangled mess coming out of our pocket or purse, plus it sounds great. There are plenty of color options and they come with a sweat resistant Sport Ear Clip to keep them still while exercising. ? ? Zipbuds earphones, $39.99, buy at Zipbuds

Who knew we'd have a hoodie in our earphones review! We love fashionable jackets to warm up chilly days and we love our music, so when we found HoodieBuddie, we knew we’d be BFFs right away.? The hoodies have earphones built into… wait for it… the hoods’ laces!? Just put your mp3 player or phone in your pocket, use the built in plug and listen with the super-secret wires that bring sound out of the laces. ? HoodieBuddies are available in a rainbow of colors, and we even like the plaid mens' styles. ? Oh, and if you ever spill a little chocolate ice cream on your hoodie… just throw it in the wash. Yep, earphone laces and all. Chic and easy! ? HoodieBuddie, $42, buy at HoodieBuddie

Choices, choices, choices. ? UrbanEars packs a crayola box full of choices! ? Not only can you choose a color, you can choose a style. From classic full-size to small, they are all practical and provide great sound by blocking exterior noises. ? The smallest size (Bagis, which fits in your ear) even has earphones that clip together so they can hang on your neck when your not listening. UrbanEars is all about giving you as many options for headphones as you have favorite songs. Urban Ears, $35 and up, buy at UrbanEars

British Invasion: One Direction

Check out the new video from boy band, One Direction, and tell us what you think. The beachy, retro vibe of the video perfectly fits the catchy lyrics of the song, What makes You Beautiful. ? The band members, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles, together 1D or One Direction, are all between 17 and 19 years old. None of them qualified individually for the British? X-Factor, but when they? formed a group, they won 3rd place. Guess they were meant to be together because they are hot, hot, hot in Europe. Their recent tour has been a success, and our fingers are crossed that they'll launch a U.S. tour soon. We'll keep you posted!

Summer Songs

How do we define Summer Songs? They range from the top tunes of the summer, to upbeat songs that make you think of sunshine, to lazy day songs. In other words, anything that makes you feel good!

Let’s Go Surfing by The Drums

How can you resist a song that asks if you want to go surfing? Summer anthem, anyone?

Hey Lil Mama by Khalil (& Lil’ Twist)

It’s R&B by a teenager and we like it. From captain of his high school basketball team to top singer, he's simply a natural. ? We hope he's thanking his aunt, who overheard him singing at home and persuaded him to to post a YouTube video. ? The rest is history!

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

How do you know when you’ve made it? Well, if SXSW isn’t enough, then being on a Karaoke Essentials album might be. This band is just breaking into “Top 40,” but we have no doubt we'll be hearing a lot more from FTP. If you don't believe us, you might want to also listen to Helena Beat to make up your own mind.

Lights by Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding popped into the spotlight after playing at the Royal Wedding, although she had already won plenty of awards in Britain. We think she’ll be earning plenty of awards stateside too, but right now we just enjoy this easy-to-listen-to sweet sounding song.

Price Tag by Jessie J (feat B.o.B.)

Love the lyrics (really listen to them). It’s not about the money with this song, it’s all about making the world dance… and she does!!! (Take a listen to "Stand Up" too since the the whole “Who You Are” album is great.)