There’s no official theme for this week’s Tune in Tuesday, but given the fact that it’s New Year’s Eve, I really only had one choice of song. It wasn’t originally performed by them, but I love Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s rendition of “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” It’s sly and cute and old-fashioned in the best way. Plus, ladies, admit it — you fell a little bit in love with JGL when he started singing, didn’t you? So on that note, I will wish you all a very happy New Year! May your 2014 be better than your 2013. 🙂

Fun fact about me: I am an alto in my church choir, and I actually love religious choral music. And this time of year in particular is GREAT for church music, since there are so many beautiful Christmas carols and hymns. My choir was supposed to perform the following piece for a Lessons & Carols service a few weeks ago, but it was sadly canceled due to snow. But since I absolutely adore this song, I at least had to share it with the Internet! So here is a Christmas carol called “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree,” written by Elizabeth Poston and performed by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge:

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Once,” you’ll recognize my pick for this week’s Tune in Tuesday immediately. I first saw it several years ago, and I didn’t fully appreciate it initially; it took me a little while to warm up to the movie. But I always really liked the music, especially this song. I love its unique 5/4 meter, and I love how the song’s simplicity allows the very emotional vocal performance to shine through. So without further ado, here is “When Your Mind’s Made Up” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, from the movie “Once”:

For this week’s Tune in Tuesday I’m sharing “Woman” by Wolfmother, which is a really great, straightforward, four-on-the-floor rock song. I can’t remember where I first heard it, but it was definitely featured on “Chuck” (4×09, “Chuck vs. Phase Three”). The band has also been featured on the “500 Days of Summer” soundtrack and on “Gilmore Girls” — and that’s just off the top of my head. 🙂 Yet another song I stole from TV, apparently!

Sadly, today is the final installment of Tune in Tuesday: ’90s Edition. I’ve had so much fun with this theme, remembering songs that came out just as I was old enough to be aware of what the “cool kids” were listening to! So I was really torn about what song to pick for this final ’90s post. I thought about Matchbox 20’s “Real World,” Sister Hazel’s “All for You,” and various songs by the Gin Blossoms. Ultimately, though, I had to go with “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Deep Blue Something. It’s kind of terrible, but also kind of awesome! (Admit it, you totally belted out the chorus when this song came on the radio, even though you never bothered to learn the verses.) Enjoy!

For this week’s Tune in Tuesday, I’ve picked a song that I think captures the essence of ’90s music in all its grungy, alternative glory. Also, I am totally adoring the music video and its spoof of those hilarious Mentos commercials (“Mentos: The Freshmaker!”). And I do like the Foo Fighters…it’s nice that some of our nostalgic ’90s bands are still around, no? Here they are with “Big Me,” which was (according to Wikipedia) nominated for five VMAs in 1996. I feel very old now.

So I actually had a different song all picked out for this week’s Tune in Tuesday…but then this song came on the radio earlier today, and I knew I had to change my plans. It’s a song that immediately makes me smile whenever I hear it, although the lyrics are actually quite sad. It’s also a song that has aged really well, I think. Even though it came out 20 years ago (which is horrifying but true — the album August and Everything After came out in 1993!), everyone knows it, and it’s still played on the radio all the time. In short, it’s a classic! So without further ado, here’s Counting Crows with “Mr. Jones”:

Today is a very special day…it’s the inaugural day of Tune in Tuesday’s ’90s month! As someone who grew up in the ’90s, the music of this decade will always have a special place in my heart. From the Backstreet Boys to the Barenaked Ladies (and yes, I have CDs from both of those bands!), it’s a decade full of fun, cheesy, ridiculous songs. I can’t wait to share some of my favorites with you! Today I’m sharing a video that some of you (OK, maybe one other person out there) might recognize from the teen flick “Drive Me Crazy,” starring teenaged Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier. In the world of the movie, these girls were an up-and-coming band called the Electrocutes, and they performed at the  big dance. In reality, they’re called the Donnas, and I really like their angry-girl music! So here’s the Donnas with “Get Rid of That Girl” — enjoy!

For this week’s Tune in Tuesday, I’ve decided to feature a song by a band I’ve really been digging lately. The Fratellis showed up on my Pandora a while ago (although how they got onto a Mumford and Sons station is a bit of a mystery!), and I really like all their songs that I’ve heard. Their music is high-energy and very danceable, but there’s also a dirty, edgy, sexy quality to it. So here’s “Flathead,” off the album Costello Music:

For this week’s Tune in Tuesday, I picked a song that is somewhat indefensible. I don’t think anyone has ever accused the lead vocalist of being a good singer, and the song is very repetitive. But it is a great song for road rage or for when you’re angry about something! Real Life has been a bit rough lately, so I’m the perfect audience for this tune right now. 🙂 Therefore I give you “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” by the Smashing Pumpkins.