MUSIC: Volume Two

Earlier this month we ZONINO!ed the first single, "In The Sun", by duo She & Him, off their sophomore album Volume Two. Now that the full record has dropped, featuring the talents of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, its celebration time all over again!

The actress and singer-songwriter have compiled a set of tunes that will keep your playlist on repeat for weeks. Both bubbly, melancholy, and sweet, each song seems to be crafted with purpose and care. Lead off track, "Thieves" has a distinctly alt-country vibe that would surely make Ryan Adams proud and the bouncy and steady strings and drums guiding "I'm Gonna Make It Better" make it a delicious piece of ear-candy as well. Overall, everyone will find their own unique gems in this collection, even after only one listen.

Sergio del Limónar

MUSIC: "In The Sun" video

Let's ignore for a second that the alt-folk duo comprised of actress Zooey Deschanel (Almost Famous, Elf, The Happening), and M. Ward is sorely under-appreciated for a moment. Their first full-length studio album, Volume One, received much critical praise, and for good reason. Their second album, appropriately titled Volume Two, comes out later this month. But let's instead focus on this:

While their first disc was ZONINO! in and of itself, as will be their next, the music video for the lead single, "In The Sun" is campy romp of youthful abandon.

Combine Britney Spears' "Baby, One More Time" video with the scene from Hairspray where Tracy Turnblad sings "I Can Hear The Bells" and a pinch of ballet. If this doesn't make you smile in a wow-that-was-awesomely-bizarre-but-I-liked-it kind of way, then don't talk to anyone the rest of the day because clearly you're a little crabby and you might ruin someone's day. Just saying!

Sergio del Limónar