Soundtrack Of The Day [Freshness Edition]: "Safe And Sound" - Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars

First off, let me just say I don't know what the fuck is going on in this trailer for The Hunger Games. I've not read the books so I don't know why Nazi Germany hired Dolores Umbridge's little sister and some bit rate storm troopers to train children to play Rollerball or whatever is going on. Don't worry, it'll be just like "Twilight" and I'll catch up on all the books after everyone else in the world has already read them.

Anyway, this is a music post and so we must get to the song! Taylor Swift should really hook up with The Civil Wars more often, or at least not always sing about some boy that broke her pretty blonde heart. This song is so lovely, so uplifting with such beautiful harmonies and a haunting melody. I love Taylor's music normally, but this is whole 'nother level. Also on another level? Her February Vogue cover. She is giving me Carly Simon realness here, and I am living for it.

Soundtrack Of The Day: "When In Rome" - Nickel Creek

I like to think of myself as a person with broad taste. I like all kinds of music from Euro club tracks to doo wop to power ballads. I love it when genre get mangled together like musical gumbo. But I surprised myself by really digging Nickel Creek's blend of classic bluegrass instruments and alternative rock song structures. "When In Rome" never really decides if it's bluegrass or country or alt-country or alternative rock. And I like that a lot. Plus that mandolin player Chris Thile is smoking hot. Never said that about a mandolin player before.

Soundtrack Of The Day [Freshness Edition]: "Get Sleazy 2.0 (Get Sleazier)" - Ke$ha ft Wiz Khalifa, Andre 3000, T.I. & Lil Wayne

Ke$ha is working on her sophomore full length album but since releasing her debut Animal she's popped out an EP and a remix disc. "Sleazy" was one of the highlights of the Cannibal EP and "The Sleazy Remix" (which featured Andre 3000) was a highlight of I Am The Dance Commander... And I Command You To Dance. So when another rap remix of "Sleazy" released I was a little sleazed out. But this video, which features drag queens, old men and Pedro (of Vote For Pedro fame) lipsyncing for their lives to the ratatat rapping over the dumdum drums I found a new appreciation for the long game of the sleaziest lady we know. Get sleazy, miss lady. Get sleazy.

Soundtrack Of The Day: "Innocente (Falling In Love)" - Delerium ft. Leigh Nash

I just discovered this song, which appeared on Delerium's greatest hits album 3 years ago. I have always really enjoyed Leigh Nash's vocals with Sixpence None The Richer, her voice is unique in it's childlike tone. It is great to hear it with a chill dance sound, which is not such a stretch after so much dreamy pop music like "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name."

Soundtrack Of The Day: "Fancy" - Reba McEntire

Today is my sister Rachel's birthday and in honor of the day I have chosen a song that we both love. I took Rachel to see Reba when she was touring with Kelly Clarkson, we both loved it.

"Fancy" is a tale of a young woman whose mother sends her off to be "nice to the gentlemen" in order to avoid a life of poverty. It's not sad, in fact it's defiant. In the end we see the quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "To thine own self be true." It's a quote that Rachel has tattooed on her wrist and the one we should all have tattooed on our minds and hearts. I might have been born poor white trash but Fancy was my name...

Soundtrack Of The Day: "Anne" - Santigold

This song has been stuck in my head for a couple of days now. I really enjoyed Santi's first album and had high hopes for the next one. I don't know how I feel about the single that was just released, but I do know "Anne" is pretty cool. "My name is Anne, I have a plan. I may lack virtue but I'm penitent."

Soundtrack Of The Day (FRESHNESS EDITION): "Stupid Hoe" - Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj was THE breakout artist of the last year. Pink Friday finally hit number one; "Super Bass", "Moment 4 Life" and "Fly" were everywhere, as were her guest spots on singles by Sean Kingston, Big Sean, Birdman and others. She comes back with a new album performed by her alter-ego Roman Zolanski, and "Stupid Hoe" is the second song and first video to be released from Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.

I wanted to love it. Roman was responsible for some of the best rhymes Nicki has done, from "Roman's Revenge" to the guest rap on "Bottoms Up." And the rap isn't bad, even though the use of "hoe" is tired and slightly misogynistic. However that epitaph is nothing compared to Hype Williams' awful sexist direction on the video.

If it had just been a video ripping off giving homage to Lady Gaga's giant eyes, Jessie J's oversized chair, Shakira's cage dancing and Grace Jones' stretch pose I would have been amused. But I am disgusted by the naked large bootied Barbie-style doll that doesn't even show her head (Junior talked about this misogynistic trend a few years back) and Nicki's utterly joyless stripper dancing. I don't have a beef with strippers or ladies who want to shake what their momma gave them. But when they don't even seem to enjoy what they are doing, then it's not sexy, it's sad.

Nicki is a brilliant rapper, miles ahead of her competition. She doesn't need to resort to the tacky flesh market moves of the average rap video. She should be doing videos like many of OutKast's and Kanye's clips, visual insanity that matches her talent. She isn't a stupid hoe, she shouldn't sell herself short like one.