It's no secret that I enjoy off-beat music, and when it comes to Christmas carols, I enjoy an array of songs. You might even say I have an eclectic taste in holiday music. Mixed into the 12 or so hours of Christmas music on my iPod, I have everything from Fall Out Boy to The King Singers, Brandi Carlile to 98 Degrees.

Here are a couple of my favorite Alternative Christmas songs:

"Winter Wonderland" by Phantom Planet
"Snowfall Music" by Carbon Leaf
"I Won't Be Home for Christmas" by Blink 182
"Oi to the World" by No Doubt
"Christmas Only Comes Once a Year" by MxPx
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" by My Chemical Romance
"Yule Shoot Your Eye Out" by Fall Out Boy
"Alone This Holiday" by The Used
"Let Me Sleep" by Pearl Jam
"Ex-Miss" by A New Found Glory

And my new favorite CD is Let It Snow Baby...Let It Reindeer by Relient K. Well, this CD has been out for a couple of years now, but I just discovered it last week and I can't stop listening to it.

What are some of your favorite holiday tunes?

The other night I was talking to my sister about all the great Christmas movies we used to watch when we were kids, like One Magic Christmas starring Mary Steenburgen. And then my friends over at the PBS Booklights blog mentioned The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket, a short story I read and loved a few years ago. So that got me thinking about some of my favorite holiday stories from years gone by.

You really can't go wrong with a classic, and you can't be any more classic the poem by Clement Clarke Moore "A Visit from St. Nicholas." It has been re-told everywhich way, from Tim Burton's ghoulish masterpiece to the Cajun version I was interoduced to while living in Louisiana years ago. But it is the version of the poem I had as a child that stands out in my mind more than any other.

When I was really little, we had this pop-up version of The Night before Christmas illustrated by Michael Hague. Because it was the only pop-up book we had, it would get read all year long. We read it so often I had it memorized from the time I was about four, and to this day I can still say the poem verbatim.

As mentioned above, I am a sucker for family Christmas movies. I cried like a baby the first time I saw The Family Stone on a plane trip from Salt Lake to New York, and nothing gets me laughing like While You Were Sleeping. But my very favorite Christmas movie isn't really a Christmas movie at all.

When I sit down to watch Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis, I know it's Christmas. Because I have missed a few Christmases with my family, the song Esther sings to her little sister Tootie about Christmas being more about who you have loved than where you are has a special meaning to me.

One of my best memories from high school is the Christmas play I was in. It was a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol in which Scrooge was a self-centered rock star bent on driving himself to an early, lonely grave complete with the dreadlock-sporting ghost of Bob Marley and a tofu turkey for the hippy Cratchits. I really wish I could remember the name of the play, but it was too long ago and I can't find it in my old journals either. Oh well.

I didn't have a big part, but I did have this really dramatic fainting scene at the beginning when the kid who was supposed to catch me wasn't paying attention and I hit my head on the stage. I don't blame him, really. I tend to fall and hit my head a lot--I've even knocked myself out a couple of times. But getting back to the topic at hand...

I LOVE Christmas music. Seriously, I have about 12 hours worth of Christmas music on my iPod. Everything from the King Singers to Fall Out Boy. And all of that music tells a different story of Christmas, whether it's a depressing story of love lost and loneliness, or a song totally focused of the miracle of a baby born in a stable.

To me, one of the most beautiful hymns of the season is It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. That song encompasses everything meaningful about the season. It speaks of tradition and peace, past and present, hope and fulfillment. The imagery is also so moving: "Still thru the cloven skies they come / With peaceful wings unfurled."

There is something so distinct about the stories written about Christmas. This is the time of year when everyone suspends their disbelief for just a moment and believes that magic and miracles and goodness really does exist in the world. We stretch our imagination and make ourselves a little vulnerable to feeling the spirit of Christmas, no matter if we believe in Christ or not.

And new stories of Christmas are still being created every year. Snowmen at Night by Mark and Caralyn Buehner is the perfect example of this.

What are some of your favorite Christmas stories? Are they books or songs or maybe even memories? Maybe it's a story a parent read to you or something you discovered one Christmas when you were far from home. But in this season of glad tides, I hope you are able to find joy and happiness in all your Christmas stories.

No, I haven't done any flying. But along with colored lights and mistletoe, the holiday season also means music. Yesterday my Christmas bell choir had our first performance in Old Town Alexandria, and today we had a two-hour rehearsal for our big performances next week. I also lead the congregational music and the music for the women's meeting at church today. Between hefting those bass bells and waving my arms in the air all weekend, my shoulders and elbows and arms ache. I really need to work out more.

I'll try to post some pictures of the Bells at Mt. Vernon, but for now, enjoy this Christmas music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I was at the concert where this was recorded a few years ago, and while a YouTube recording can't compare to the live performance, it's still beautiful. Plus, my friend Carrie was one of the dancers, my old clarinet teacher played in the orchestra and I know a couple people in the choir. Not being there for the Christmas concert this year makes me kind of miss living out west.

This shout-out goes to every music player I have ever owned.

Music has been an outlet for me since I can first remember. It has helped my express feelings I didn't understand enough to put into words myself, overcome bad times and remember the good. I have sung along, danced along and played along--all fairly poorly--but music has been there for every important event in my life.

So from my dad's old record play to the 8-track in the Ford to my first walkman, CD player and iPod, you have filled my life with music.

Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I freaking loved this book. Any book that can make Jane's Addiction and Shakespeare come together to create a beautiful story has my full support. And it didn't hurt that the writing style has a rawness and openness about it that nearly broke my heart and kept me laughing all at once.

Sammy Bojar is going to be the next big thing--or will be after the current next big thing gets out of his way. All he has to do is figure out how to keep his indie/punk/emo band together, turn his best friend into his girlfriend and watch his grandfather slip into dementia. Luckily band front-man Joe seems to be keeping it together, Jen5 knows just how to deal with a new emo-rocker boyfriend and Gramps still has plenty of musical lessons to teach. Sammy's candle might just have a chance to burn long and bright before it is put out.

And that's just scratching the surface. This book proves that fame and music and life isn't always pretty nor as satisfying and Hollywood would have you believe. It's messy and complicated and heartbreaking, yet it's also full of tomorrows and potential.

Skovron doesn't belittle adolescent feelings of love and fear and compassion, nor does he skirt over issues like sex or make a big deal out of things like homosexuality and drinking. The story focuses on the music and stays true to character development. The teens in this novel are down to earth and struggle with the same issues of insecurity and hope that all real-life teens deal with every day.

While the story arc is a little rough and the adult characters are a little cliche, this is an amazing debut novel. I am honored to have it stand next to my other YA music books like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Heavy Metal and You and Notes from the Midnight Driver. I look forward to seeing what other stories Skovron has in store for us.

 A lot of people post a Friday Five, and I realized I have never done that before. This was a really good week, so I could probably post a Friday Fifteen or even Fifty, but that would be a really long post. And it's getting late, and I'm getting up early.

I was tagged in this meme a few months ago but never did it. It seems to be going around again and my brain is too fried to come up with anything else to post, so here is my life in iTunes.

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
Help! by the Beatles—this is already going better than I expected…

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF
When I kicked Harry Potter in the Face by Draco and the Malfoys

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Tom Sawyer by Rush—I guess I go for the bad boys.

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Let the Good Times Roll by Shirley and Lee—my iTunes thinks I’m having a better day than I thought I was.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Happy Birthday by Eddy Howard—I do like birthdays.

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
La Petite Poule Blanche/Fais Do Do by Michael “Beausoleil” Doucet—translation: Little White Hen/Traditional Cajun Dance Party. Basically it’s a song about a mother signing her child to sleep so she can go and dance. Er…I don’t have any kids, and I don’t really dance.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Disappear by INXS—this is just getting kind of sad.

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Paquet D’epingles by Michael “Beausoleil” Doucet—(I swear, I really don’t have that many French songs on my computer) translation: Pocket Full of Pins. I suppose my parents really do want me to find happiness, even if it is with a poor boy who only has pins in his pockets.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
December by Collective Soul—this makes perfect sense when you look at my purpose in life. My birthday is Dec. 4 after all.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Rhinocerous by The Smashing Pumpkins—I guess I’m just not a very nice person.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Thank God It’s Christmas by Queen—see motto and my thoughts.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Vespa! Rospo Maledetto! by Giacomo Puccini—I don’t know Italian, but I do know this song is from Madame Butterfly. I guess I’m waiting to come out of my cocoon.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Three Welsh Bird Songs: Mae Hiraeth Yn Y Mor by Charlotte Church—I wouldn’t mind having Charlotte Church sing at my funeral; it’s too bad I won’t be around to enjoy it.

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Jingle Bells by Diana Krall—I’m sensing a theme here.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Partita No. 1 in B minor by Bach—have you ever listened to Bach? You’d be scared, too.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Ghostbusters by Ray Parker, Jr.—too bad this and the last song weren’t switched. That would have been cool.

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Life of My Own by Three Doors Down—yes, but who ever really has their life all to themselves?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by Sense Field—this is getting ridiculous.

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Georgia Grind by Louis Armstrong and the Hot Fives—good song. I can shake it east, I can shake it west, but way down south I can shake it best!

Maybe next time I play this meme I’ll have to use my iPod instead of my entire music library. Then I won’t get all these Christmas songs and French songs I only listen to while I’m writing and classical songs I downloaded when I was playing in orchestra.

I want to be just like Laurie Halse Anderson when I grow up. Seriously, that woman is amazing. While she was talking about her new book Chains, I felt like I knew just what she was talking about, only that I am a few years behind her. I can only hope that one day I will be even half as successful as she is.



Plus she let me ask her like 50 billion questions before the signing and gave me loads of advice and people to talk to and organizations to check out. If you read her blog post (Book Tour Day 9), you'll see me, in the third row. I'm the one with the goofy grin on my face because I think I just found my new BFF. (I wish!)

Also, I go to the Saliva concert tonight. I can't wait. I want to go right now. Right this minute. Is it time to go yet?

idaho_laurie tagged me on this survey, so I guess I'll post the answers. While it says that I should in turn tag eight other people, I'm not big on passing along surveys, so I'll just say it's an open invitation.

Here are the rules:
A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz.

1. What are your nicknames?
The most common nickname I have is Gags, shortened from Gaglione by sports team members to make it easier to get my attention. I've also been called Bookworm, Boog, Kate or Kat, Katarenebell and many others, but I wouldn't recommend you using any of these nicknames--I like my name just the way it is.

2. What do you do before bedtime?
Reading and brushing my teeth puts me in the mood for sleep. But I also have a habit of falling asleep in moving cars--I'm like a six-month-old baby in that way.

3. What fandom(s) are you most into at the moment?
If you'd ask me this in high school I'd say Harry Potter, but I kind of out grew that. Now I'm all about the YA lit.

4. What is your favorite scent?
I LOVE the smell of Sweet Olive Trees. I once made my roommate drive around an exit three times in Washington, D.C., so I could find the tree that I could smell from the Beltway.

5. What videogames are you playing at the moment? Replaced by: Why did you replace this question if you couldn't think of anything better?
I am obsessed with Rock Band. I stink at Guitar Hero, but I can get in to the vocals and drums on Rock Band.

6. What is your theme song?
"Wrapped Up in Books" by Bell and Sebastian

7. Do you trust easily?
Yes and no, I think everyone deserves a chance, but I try not to be stupid and making myself vulnerable along the way.

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
I am very much a planner. I like lists and calendars, but I also like to have fun and get things done.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
I am totally bummed about not having a job at the moment, so I can't think of much else.

10. Do you have a good body-image?
Ha! No way!

11. Is being tagged fun?
Sure, I could take it of leave it.

12. What websites do you visit daily?
LiveJournal, GoodReads, Yahoo, The Chicago Tribune

13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
My iPod, the Internet and chocolate, always chocolate

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
I've never met idaho_laurie, but I love that she loves to read, is into her family and history and really thinks about what makes other people happy. Those are some really amazing qualities.

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
I ALWAYS have a song suck in my head. My "default" song is "Going Courting" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers--don't ask my way. The last song I had really badly stuck in my head was "Enter Sandman" by Metallica because I heard the opening bars on a talk radio show but they never finished the song. And now it's stuck again, thanks a lot.

16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
Jeans, I love wearing jeans. But I love buying shoes. And then there's this really cute white wrap-around shirt I just got from Old Navy...

17. Do you think Rice Crispies are yummy?
No, I can't stand even thinking about marshmallows after a Chubby Bunny game gone bad where I threw up in the camp fire.

18. What would you do if you see saw $100 lying on the ground?
I actually have found $100 lying on the ground twice, once at a laundry mat and once at the school where I used to work. I gave it to the attendant at the laundry mat (I was maybe nine at the time), and she said I could come back the next day and have it if no one came to claim it. The other time I kept it at my desk and a frantic student came looking for it within the hour.

19. What items could you not go without during the day?
Books, the internet and people

20. What should you be doing right now?
Reviewing some freelance material that I need to prepare for a Monday meeting. Isn't the internet wonderful?

I left Salt Lake City this morning to begin my two-day, 1500 mile trek back to my hometown of Aurora, IL. What once used to be here...



...is now all here.



This has been one of my more adventure filled trips, and I'm only halfway done. It started out as a little nostalgic trip down memory lane as I said goodbye to all of my favorite SLC spots. It was quite pitiful actually. I even teared up a little filling up at the gas station around the corner from my old apartment for the last time.



And if you think it's kind of pathetic I took a picture of my neighborhood gas station, I think it's even more pathetic I documented this.



Me, returning my last item to the public library. I will spare you all of the picture I took of downtown, Temple Square, the capitol building. Of course I didn't have time to stop at any of this places, so they are all fuzzy drive-by photos. I did have my radio blaring for all of this--it was a heavy metal morning, so the soundtrack was "Ironman" by Black Sabbath, the entire Master of Puppets CD by Metallic and some Queensrÿche among others.

Right before getting to the Wyoming border, the adventures really began. As I was merging on to I-80 from I-84, I saw this kid lying off to the side of the road surrounded by his family. Because I have some first aid training, I stopped to see if I could help. The 11-year-old had a seizure as was pretty unresponsive. Thank heavens he was breathing, and though his pulse was very weak, it was there. This isn't the first time I have stopped to help offer first aid to random people. When I was 16 and my family was heading back home after dropping my sister off at BYU, I saw a woman who had passed out in her car at the gas station. I jumped out of the car, had my mom call 911, and called my dad over to help me give her rescue breathing. That was pretty intense.

By the afternoon, I moved on to some alternative music (a bunch of My Chemical Romance, Muse, Blue October and All-American Rejects) and saw some great geological sights like this one.



And of course I went over this...



...and found myself in American's Heartland. With farms everywhere and advertisements for things like Wrangler Outfitters, where real cowboys shop, and Wild Bill's Ranch, I felt like I was in a Western. So of course I had to pop in some Bon Jovi, because what else can a city girl who doesn't much care for country music listen to when she sees things like this?



Talk about Amber Waves of Grain and all that. It was beautiful, and only marred by this...



...every ten miles or so.

By that time, I had already passed my dad's favorite spot...



...so it was time to put in some folk music (thanks, Sara, for introducing me to the Walin' Jennys and Brandi Carlile) and think about stopping for the night. So after nearly 800 miles, 56 construction zones and 110 La Quinta Inns, I finally stopped for the night. Tomorrow I look forward to seeing my aunt and uncle who live in Omaha, crossing the Mississippi River, and reaching civilization. But most of all, I can't wait to see my family and home.

P.S. This post is dedicated to Yuri. She is from Japan and was excited to come on this trip with me to see America but had to cancel in order to prepare to defend her second Master's Thesis. I know this isn't the same, Yuri, but I hope this post and tomorrow's gives you a little taste of Americana.

I took my math, geology and creative writing finals today and gave my book presentation in fiction. That only leaves media law and fiction--my two hardest tests. And then on to packing up, cleaning my apartment and driving back to Chicago.

Speaking of driving 24 hours alone, I've been burning a whole bunch of road trip music. Any suggestions?

Wish me luck!

I had a blast at the Utah Art's Festival where I went to some amazing concerts and performances. The kids from the Wasatch Music Coaching Academy were as amazing as ever. The blew the audience away with songs like "Empire" by Queensryche and some Red Hot Chili Peppers as well.

I also found out my friends' indie/folk band The Mollies were playing, so I went to their concert. Their first CD Yours Around the Rosies comes out in August, so I'll have more details about that later. Because, you know, I have no qualms about shamelessly promoting my friends, especially if they are as talented as Becky and Vivian. For your entertainment, I have included a music video of their song "Float My Boat."


One thing I regret missing at the festival was the poetry slam. It has been years since I have been to a slam, and I was hoping to see some good performances.

In other news, my friend Brenda finally had her baby! He was 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 19 inches long, for any of you who care about that kind of stuff. I just think he's cute. Check out this Mama Sandwich little Brandon and his big brother Andrew made.

Aren't kids just the cutest thing ever? I mean, as long as I can give them back to their moms and have no responsibility for them and don't have to change diapers, pay bills or go through the teenage years, I love kids. Especially when they have huge gummy smiles like Andrew or cuddle up to sleep on your chest like Brandon.

Seriously, I don't know how Brenda does it. She and her husband build Web sites (and their pretty amazing at it--honest--I'm not bias at all), her husband goes to school full time, she is active at church and still manages to find time to be a good friend to me. There are so many super-women out there, and I'm lucky enough to know a few.

I am also relieved to announce that the temperature has now hit about 90 in Ice-burg, I mean Rexburg. I have to carry around sunscreen and wear at hat all the time, but having warm fingers and toes is well worth it. After all, I have a pink Sox ball cap I got last summer, and because the Sox swept the Cubs this past weekend, I wear it proudly.

I have a geology field trip to go on tonight, so maybe I'll get some styling pictures of me in my hat standing on R Mountain, surveying the land made of calderas, cinder cones and floodplains. You'll be able to see scoria and basalt. Maybe I'll even spot some dendritic drainage patters as well as oxbow lakes and point bars. Okay, I really need to stop now. I'm even scaring myself.

I have been looking forward to this weekend all year. The Utah Valley Arts Festival begins tomorrow, and I get to be there for all the fun.

Because I volunteer at the Salt Lake City Public Library, I get to go to the festival every year, and each time I go, I see something different and exciting. Like last year, my friends and I went to a performance of the Utah Valley Jazz Ensemble and I got these amazing finger puppets from a puppeteer.

This year I am looking forward to seeing the Wasatch Music Coaching Academy, a studio of friend of mine runs, perform on the Park Stage Friday evening at 7 p.m. The Salt Lake City Community Writing Center is also hosting several readings, workshops and competitions going on that I hope to be able to catch.

But most of all, I look forward to working at the library. I love that place. The people are wonderful and even the building itself is beautiful, but during the festival, I get to meet so many different people from all over the country. It really will be a weekend to remember.

So if you will be in or around SLC June 26-29, you should stop by the Library Square and enjoy the art, music, writing, food and more. (Wow, I sound like a walking advertisement.)

I also can’t wait to go to a town that has a bookstore this weekend. Don’t get me wrong, Rexburg is a lovely place when it’s not snowing, but other than the University bookstore and one religious bookstore, the closest place to buy and brows is half an hour away. Amazon.com just isn’t cutting it anymore. I want to go sit in The King’s English Bookshop and sit in every one of their five book rooms and spend far too much money.

I know it’s on Wordpress and not LiveJournal, but you should also check out The Inkblotter Blog where the manager Jen and guest bloggers post about books and events. You can also catch up on author appearances like Shannon Hale, sarazarr, adellis and Stephenie Meyer.

Sara Zarr posted about how she misses albums, and I realized that I miss them as well. I still remember the first cassette I owned--California Girls by The Beach Boys. I could listen to that a hundred times and not get sick of it. And of course my dad (the wonderful drummer that he is) exposed me to the Beatles (Strawberry Fields Forever was my favorite) and ZZ Top albums at an early age, although I must admit that I like ZZ Top better now than I did when I was a kid because those beards really freaked me out.

And I still do listen to entire albums today. Sure, a lot of the music I listen to is from mixes, but there are some albums that are just so good, you have to listen to them all. At the moment, here are a few of my favorites.


Hey Eugene! by Pink Martini


Tropical Brainstorm by Kirsty MacColl


Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle and Sebastian


The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance


And my standby, Dookie by Green Day (An honorable mention also goes to Green Day's American Idiot because that song is the best road-rage song ever.)

Just thinking about these albums have made me reminisce about other albums such as Nirvana's Nevermind and Throwing Cooper by Live. They just don't make them like that anymore. (Now I really do sound like my dad.)

So my iPod died the day I left Utah for Idaho. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had a radio in my car or could find my warranty information that I packed in a box and put somewhere in storage. So instead of freaking out (okay, there was some freaking out), I used part of my tax return to buy a bigger, better iPod.

It was delivered right to my door, two days earlier than expected. I told the UPS man I loved him and barely refrained from kissing him. I tore open the box and found my shiny pink iPod nano nestled in a tiny white box. It was like Christmas, only better.

Now I can walk around campus, do my homework, lay on my bed--whatever I feel like doing--and never have to turn off my music. Okay, if I want to actually get something done I will have to turn off my music. But I've had portions of songs suck in my head for days now, and I can finally listen to the songs that are stuck there.

Now I just need to get my shuffle fixed and I can bop away to two songs at once. Or I can put music on the nano and put an audio book on the shuffle and choose which one I feel like listening to. Or I could put all of my writing music on the shuffle and keep the nano for everyday stuff. Or I can make playlists for my friend who is due to have a baby next month and make her expose her child to the best music as early as possible--I could even get her a pair of headphones to fit over her belly.

The possibilities are endless! Between this and the Sox winning today, I am reading to take on the world. I say bring it on poetry unit! Bring it on first math test I have taken in almost ten years! Bring it on global warming! I will take you all down! Okay, maybe not the poetry unit--that can leave it wherever it is poetry brings it from.

As a friend of mine loves to point out, I am quite the critic of country music. While I love folk music and bluegrass and mountain music, I think modern country lacks a certain substance to it. It’s a little too much like twainy pop rock for my taste. But this friend assures me I have not given country music enough of a chance to pass judgment. So this past week, she burned me a CD of some of her favorite modern country. I in turn promised to listen to it with an open mind. This I have done, and here are the results of our debate:

I think I have been far too narrow in what I consider country music. I cannot make a blanket statement that says I don’t like country music. Yes, some of it is empty and lacks emotion that should come naturally to that genera. There are still some true country music artists who can write and perform a moving song.

So, Sara, you have proved to me that some country music can still have the qualities that make it totally enjoyable. While it’s still not my favorite music, I will not be quite so harsh. But don’t expect to find me bopping away to Brooks and Dunn when I clean the house or head banging to Big and Rich as I drive down I-15. I am still a rock ’n’ roll girl through and through. Give me Green Day and My Chemical Romance any time, any day.