Oh man. Hello 2010. Is it just me or does that number look like some crazy futuristic date...maybe it's just me. This new year of ours promises to put out some good music with new albums dropping all throughout January for starters. Ok Go, Vampire Weekend, Cold War Kids, Eels, Editors, Spoon, Christina Milian..Really? Hmm. If that doesn't seem like you're cup of tea, Three 6 Mafia and Motion City Soundtrack are also among the names to be be released in January.

At this point, I'm really just ready to go back to Philadelphia. It's nice to be in Virginia for a little while, but I'm beginning to go out of my mind. Estoy enloqueciendome! I'm ready to go back to friends, Kingdom of Vegetarians, Phileo, fashion, Trocodero, my apartment, the TLA, Cuba Libre, and Naked Chocolate. I am even willing to go back to horrible traffic, crazy people, homework, parking tickets and the general ridiculousness that is Philadelphia-ahem South Street. It's not that this doesn't feel like home anymore, it's just that I don't have much left here these days. It also doesn't help that as I write this my mother is in the next room on the treadmill stomping away, sounding like's going to come through the damn wall. Anyway enough of my belly-aching. It's been a good opportunity to read, go through my "Beginner's Russian" book and to catch up on movies I still haven't seen. (I haven't seen the Notebook or any of the Star Wars movies. We've decided I'm gender-less.)

New Years Eve was veery musical as well. After Sab and I cooked up one hell of a dinner and made the Chocolate mousse from Pastis, we watched Jersey Shore (don't judge, you know you watch it too) and took a look at my itunes. We loaded up my flash drive with Norah Jones' new album, The Fall (by the same producer as the Kings of Leon), Cut Copy, Jenny Lewis, The Ark (Thanks, Kris) , and Telekinesis's "Tokyo" among others. Apparently one of the opening performances for The Avett Brothers (Great folk band) has been a singer/band called Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. It's nothing extraordinary, but definately worth a listen, maybe a few. My favorite song of theirs is "When We Swam." Honorable mention to "Geography" and "Know Better Learn Faster."

I've also gotten that all-too-familiar restless feeling again that means I want to travel. I've been toying with the idea of going abroad again next semester or possibly even this summer..Who knows.. I really want to keep speaking Spanish. I feel like I've lost my knack these past few weeks since I got home. I've been trying to listen to Spanish music and TV, but one can only stand so much dubbed Lethal Weapon. I have, however, been listening to some great artists:

Shakira-You're always my number 1..

Bebe, edgy femal artist "Malo", "Ella," "Me Fui" are my top three.

Pilar Díaz- Homegirl plays a ukelele. It doesn't get much cooler.

Café Tacuba,

Aterciopelados- "El Estuche," "Baracunatana"

Maná,

Juanes,

Alejandro Sanz and Shakira- “Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No“

Julieta Venegas- Eres Para Mi

Ojos de Brujo and Rodrigo y Gabriela- both largely instrumental, but fantastic

And maybe it's just Argentina Alyssa talking here, but I love the electric tango. I'm obsessed with this song by Bajofondo Tango Club y Julieta Venegas, "Pa' Bailar"