A lot of my plans this summer consist of sitting out by the pool, fruity drink nearby, music blaring on the iPod. Here's a little bit of what this girl is listening to this summer.

Lady Gaga

Is it Gaga or Ga ga? I'm not sure. I read in Rolling Stone that she got the name because someone (producer, somebody?) was singing Radio Ga Ga to her and it just kind of stuck. That became her name, her persona.

She seems to be popping up everywhere. I don't actually have her cd, The Fame, but she's all over the radio with "Just Dance," "Poker Face," and her latest single, "Love Games."

As much as I DON'T want to like her, I think I like her.

She's a little kooky. Her songs are eh, the videos are a little weird, and her outfits usually lack pants, but she is talented - she can actually sing and dance.

Kings of Leon

So, maybe I'm a little late jumping on the KOL bandwagon, but I love these guys. I keep hearing their songs on the Music Choice Adult Alternative channel. I got hooked on "Sex on Fire" and was excited to hear they released another song, "Use Somebody." I downloaded their album Only by the Night from iTunes and have been listening to it constantly. My favorite song on the album? How about... all of them! Even "Closer," which sounds kind of spooky, but sexy all at the same time. Dare I say it? It would probably be a good track to have on the New Moon soundtrack. I'm just sayin'.

Gavin DeGraw I've bene a fan for awhile, and have all 3 albums, but I think his newest one, Free, is the best. I really like the songs "Glass" and "Indian Summer."

I was lucky enough to catch Gavin in St. Pete in May.  Honey honey opened, and put on a good show, but Gavin gave an awesome performance.  He played for about 2 hours.  He did all of the songs everybody knows, "Chariot," "I Don't Wanna Be," and "I'm in Love with a Girl," plus he played several songs from the new album.  He bounced back and forth between the piano and the guitar - the guy is definitely talented.

Dave Matthews Band I loved DMB all through high school and college, and was super disappointed when I saw him perform live (around 2003, perhaps) and thought he sounded pretty bad. I think it had something to do with the fact that we were in the highest of nosebleed seats at the St. Pete Times Forum, but since then, I've stuck to listening to Dave on cd.

However, the new album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, kind of makes me want to go out and catch him live somewhere again, preferably at an outdoor venue, where I can hear him properly and enjoy the concert, instead of trying to figure out what song is being played by listening to everybody else trying to sing along. My favorite tracks on this album are "Funny the Way it Is" and "Shake me Like a Monkey."

U2 It's funny, while I sit here writing this, U2's "All I Want Is You" just came on the Music Choice Adult Alternative channel. I love all of U2's songs, but their new album, No Line on the Horizon, is one of those ones that you can put on and leave on all day long. The songs kind of blend together, and I like that. (There's nothing worse than hearing a song you like, buying the album, and then discovering that there's only that ONE song on the album worth listening to.)

I'm super excited to be seeing the 360 tour in Tampa on October 9th. Can't wait!

Now, if you don't mind, I have a date with my iPod and a fruity drink out by the pool.