Monday, December 24, 2012

A Summary

Winter Break is a thing of beauty. Especially when a certain long term project has taken all your time away from your music blog.

Back to music. During my unfortunate hiatus, the music world did not deign to pause (and it should not) for me. There have been truckloads of new artists, singles, releases, so I'm going to take a moment to share the ones that have stuck out for me when I first heard them.

Nikki Williams - Kill, Fuck, Marry - At first I was all like "This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen" and was SO not into it. Ditto when the opening stanza came on. From then on, it was clear sailing. The fact that she's classically gorgeous and the video is such a cliche Americana thing only helps.

Nikki Williams - Glowing - I know it looks like I have Nikki Williams Music Obsession disease or something (NWMO for short) but this song is amazing. First off, it's so different from Kill, Fuck, Marry, and when I first listened, I was blown. Away. The chorus is dancy enough to be categorized as pop, but the rest isn't sugary or cheesy or stupid. Loving this.

Colette Carr - F16 - Yes, this song has been out for ages. Yes, I probably have Colette Carr Music Obsession disease (CCMO for your reference), but I just think that everyone should be aware of and love the music video. Part of what I loe is that as a video, it's so radically different from everything else Colette has done. She's done the pool party with the almost naked girls and old creepy guy, the insane asylum inmate, the rapping by the railroad tracks, the looking cute while skipping down the street, the blonde bombshell from Grease, the bejeweled bodysuit. The classic video about a boyfriend she loved and lost? It's new territory, and done as well as one would expect of Colette (meaning she climbs all over a plane, not like we could expect her to be normal).

Janet Devlin - Wonderful/Crown Of Thorns - Wonderful and Crown Of Thorns are actually two different songs included in the same video. The song Wonderful, while not fully played, promises to be a fun song, though not necessarily pop-py. Crown of Thorns reminds me a bit of her on the X Factor, ans while I like it less that Wonderful, it is appropriately dramatic and is very cool.

April Kae - The Writings on the Wall - I don't really know what I was expecting when I clicked the link to April's song, but it was not this. Perhaps a sassy woman pretending to be Gwen Stefani, yes? Awkward, because no. Nothing about her is similar to Gwen, least of all her voice. The one thing that bothers me is how she's singing that beautiful song and ends up dancing to it in a club, of all places.

Dragonette - Merry Xmas - I shouldn't have to explain. To anyone averse to Christmas songs for whatever reason, don't worry about it. It has a Dragonette twist that expels it from the realm of Christmas songs forever.

Jhameel - Shadow of a Man - Half great, half bizarre. I don't quite understand what's going on, but okay!

Chris Cab - Good Girls (Don't Grow On Trees) - I have to admit the title inclined me to the song. And when there is a rap song that has pop moments as well, then I'm a goner.  Of course, this song is better than most that fall under that description. Furthermore, I usually don't pay much attention to lyrics (funnily enough, I can't pay attention when I'm listening to something, unless it's music) but the lyrics to this song are gold.

Christina Aguilera - Army of Me - Oh yeah...that's why she's a judge on The Voice...

Sirah - Double Yellow Lines - until the chorus, I did not like this song, but for the sake of fair judgement, I kept going, and I know love this song and plan to buy it as soon as I earn 99 cents.

Obviously, there is so much more. But over the past few months, this is what really stuck out in my mind - must be better than the rest of the stuff, right?

Sunday, November 25, 2012

DNA review




Full Album Here


Since I was gone so long, I missed the release of Little Mix's album DNA. Read on to see what I think.

Wings - I love this song. It's very strong and the perfect starter, as it shows off their great style and powerful voices. They deserved to win X Factor, and this song proves that.

DNA - the starting chords creeped me out, because I am creeped out by music boxes. But once the vocals started, I loved this song. People have called Little Mix the female One Direction, but the thing about Little Mix is that their individual voices aren't just good, they are POWERFUL. I wouldn't say this is the best song, but it is good enough to merit the title of the album. Furthermore, the music video = stunning, and a whole new image of Little Mix.

Change Your Life - Everything about this is a good song. First off, as an American I love it when anybody from the UK speaks in their songs, because their accents are gorgeous. This song is absolutely beautiful and I can't for it to be performed live, because its one of those songs - good to perform, good to sing.

Always Be Together - This song makes me so emotional. It belongs on the soundtrack of a movie. This is so far my favorite song on the album because even though it isn't dancy, it is beautiful.

Stereo Soldier - Cue in the cheesy song name. Unfortunately, this song does not live up to the rest of the standards that the rest of the album has put up, which is too bad, but hey - every album has at least one song that just isn't as good. I would probably like it if I heard it first without any other Little Mix beauty around it, but since I did hear it after Always Be Together, I see that it's weaker than the other songs.

Pretend It's OK - This song, I feel, is the epitome of Little Mix style. Once again, Little Mix were made to perform, and this song fits that perfectly. I love how there is never one person who is dominant, but rather, their voices work together.

Turn Your Face - I wanted to like this song. I really did. It reminds me slightly of Demi Lovato's Skyscraper,  only less so. Sorry girls, I can't give you this one.

We Are Who We Are - After Turn Your Face, this sounds remarkably One Direction-ish. Only with the Little Mix remix (ha, ha). I really like this song - maybe because i'm a sucker for songs that say "I'm perfect the way I am", but I felt like I heard more intensity in the song from the singers, like they mean what they're singing, which, as we all know, is pretty important.

How Ya Doin'? - My first thoughts were that this song was very bizarre. The whole thing with the leaving of the message, and the so not 21st style beginning, I was a bit confused and not a big fan. But as the song progresses, though the lyrics are not very good, the tune and beat are, so it makes up for it.

Red Planet (ft. T-Boz) - Our first featured artist for Little Mix! Hooray! This song basically = E.T. by Katy Perry, as far as the chorus music goes, though naturally, Little Mix's lyrics are far less explicit. It sounds a bit messy though, and I can't see it being very popular.

Going Nowhere - Unlike Turn Your Face, I was NOT a fan in the beginning. However, I have taken a yen to the Spanish sound and instruments, and it is definitely a sing along song.

Madhouse - whenever I hear the word "madhouse" I can only think of Rihanna's song. This song is nothing like that, and though it is very different it is, I think equally good.

Love Drunk - This one sounds like it came straight from the set of High School Musical or some other cheesy musical movie. No other comment.

Make You Believe - This song is fabulous. From the very opening throughout the rest, the focus is on VOCALS and the sheer power of the members' voices. I love this song and bonus: slightly reminds me of the Cheetah Girls before they went bad.

Case Closed - I love this song. it sounds a little bit like DNA, only less intense. Everything from the very cool title to the chorus to beat is great. This is easily one of the best songs on the album, and would have made a fabulous last song.

Overall, if you are a fan of Little Mix's, you will not be disappointed. They tend to start with weak openings, but by the time it gets to the chorus, the songs are fabulous and oh-so worth it. I think those who like other artists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, One Direction, The Wanted, and other artists like so will love Little Mix as well. Those who can't buy it from iTunes, check out the prices for the regular version (missing Love Drunk, Make You Believe, and Case Closed) here.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Skitszo Review

Here we are! Skitszo, Part 1 finally released. By now, some of you may have already bought Part 1, and some may be considering it. So here's my review, track by track.

First of all, I love the cover. It would be so cool if all the EP's had different covers since they're gonna all show up as different albums on your iPod anyways, but even if they all shared covers, i'm glad that it looks like this. I feel like if you saw the cover and listened to the songs, it would be a total disconnect.

Full Album Here

F16

I really like this song. The rap lyrics are a little weird and meaningless but the beat and the chorus are fantastic. Bonus: The video for this one is coming out in ten days, and I'm positive it will be very different from the ones that she's done before. (Read: located at a pool party, asylum, sidewalk in a suburb, and on a set made to look like the one from Grease.) With a very cool, very dramatic start, the beat and the attitude of this song never slows down. There is no way you could ever do homework with this playing, and there's no way you can resist the rapped lyrics, but it will take you a while to sing along to anything besides the chorus (I am unable to rap. I am the person who only does the part that is going slower than 100 mph). I wasn't too keen on it at first because its a bit weird, but it's one of the best tracks, and a really good one to start the whole EP with. You can take away almost everything but you'll never take away my heart...

Delusional

This one doesn't have as god a start to the song as F16, but I have found it easier to fall in love with. The autotune is very clear on this one, but I'm sure it will sound amazing live as well. The lyrics are better than in F16, the beat less so. The chorus isn't as catchy as the previous tracks, but its still pretty good! Unfortunately, I cannot sing along to it, otherwise I will mangle it completely. I could sing in a different key, but girl hits some tricky notes, not too high or too low.

Killswitch

I like this track far better than Delusional. I think it is very catchy, and even though Colette definitely does Pop, it isn't like her other stuff at all. First of all, there is absolutely no rap intertwined with the pop, but don't make the mistake of thinking it sounds like other pop female artists. What I really like is that in the middle, I started to get a bit bored, but all of a sudden, there's this funny little twist in the song, and it ended off on a great note! However, I did get bored in the middle, which simply should not have happened.

Like I Got A Gun ft. YG

Whether you are an avid Colette fan and have heard this track a million times or you've never heard of her in your life, you have not heard the YG new and improved version. His rapping just improves an already good song, and every time I hear it I sing along, this being the one song that I actually can rap along to.

Consensus: 4 Stars of of 5
I love this EP! My only problems are that I think the order should be F16, Killswitch, Like I Got A Gun, Delusional. Delusional and Killswitch are too poppy to be next to each other and give me a bit of a headache when I listen to them consecutively, but that is what iTunes and Spotify playlists are for! There was less rap than I hoped there would be as well, but over all, Colette met my expectations! Yay CCarr!

My favorite songs, in order:
Like I got a Gun ft. YG
F16
Killswitch
Delusional

Monday, November 5, 2012

Singles and Colette (Finally)

I'm so sorry to have been gone for so long! There was a long, difficult issue in my personal life.

What happens when you mix Dev with Ke$ha, a few random artists, and hair dye? CSS and their video for City Grrrl ft. Ssion. A Brazilian rock band that's been around for a while hasn't caught my attention previously due to their first songs being released in Portuguese. I haven't heard of them releasing another album yet (I'm sure there will be one in 2013), but to those English speakers who have not had the chance to enjoy them yet, look at their songs Left BehindHits Me Like A Rock, and of course Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above.

A song called Famous usually is not unique in any way. It's usually about wanting to be famous (naturally), how one day the singer will be a big star, etc. Well. Let me just say that, as an American, I am a sucker for accents. I don't know if English girls love American accents on guys, but there you guy. That being said, Katy Tiz is not a guy, but she does have an accent. And that makes the song that much better. What's also nice is that the song is not about wanting to be famous, rather, it's about a guy wanting her only because she's famous. Not the most original idea, but her video is cute and I do like the song enough that I think it should definitely have a place of honor in a Spotify playlist.

Happiness is chocolate, a hot drink on a rainy night, crisp morning air, and Colette Carr's album FINALLY being available to pre-order. When I say album, of course I mean The Skitszo Collection. Click the link here, and you'll be able to pre-order her EP installments, get the physical copy, and a cute bottle opener, for 17 American dollars. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Album Review - Kiss


Carly Jepsen's debut album has been much anticipated. If you like her, then you're pretty tempted to buy the whole cd, right? Maybe my analyzing of the album will support that temptation, decrease or increase it.

Tiny Little Bows - The first song off the album does not disappoint. I'm not going to say it's the best one, but it isn't weak by any means. Rather than a song you sing in a car, it's more something you may hum while working or shopping. While not very bouncy, it is very sweet, and could almost be described as cute.

This Kiss - The opening of this song got me really excited, as it sounded like it would be a great song to dance to. Unfortunately, not so. I wouldn't say it's radio material or singing material, and while I am not a fan of it at all, it isn't a bad song.

Call Me Maybe - This is one of those songs that no matter what you thought when you first heard it, it's been so overplayed that you know the bridge and chorus, if not the whole song, by heart, and you most likely have sung it with a friend, heard a parody or made up your own lyrics to the tune. It isn't a song to play at a dance, but it is definitely a car song, and fun.

Curiosity - From the opening bars, you can tell that this song will be very different from Carly's other ones. Fraught with electrical interference and studio produced sounds, it doesn't really sound like what you imagine a Carly Rae Jepsen song would sound like, and more like something you would hear on Disney Channel.

Good Time (Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen) - I love this song. Listen to it now. It is absolutely amazing, completely singable and easy to dance to. It is a great pop song in every way.

More Than a Memory - My first impression was that this song sounds remarkably like Call Me Maybe. However, the tune reminds me of every other song produced by every other pop princess on the planet. However, the words are very sweet, and if/when there is a music video for it, it will be very fitting and sweet. Despite the fact that the tune sounds so typical, I still like it.

Turn Me Up - The cheesy title made me groan in the beginning. However, the chorus is ridiculously catchy- "Breaking up with you, you're breaking up on me, you kissed me on the phone, and I don't think it reaches". I thought at first that the song would be about going to a party and turning up the music, and blablabla, but it isn't quite like that. I was definitely originally inclined to dislike this song, but it's quite good - at least far better than the similarly titled Kim Kardashian version.

Hurt So Good - Once again, the Britney Spears-esque title is quite irritating, and by this time, it starts like every other song on the album has as well. I'm not quite sure what it is, perhaps the lack of originality, the obvious autotune effects, or bad lyrics, but this song does nothing for me.

Beautiful ft. Justin Bieber- We all knew Justin Bieber would come in here at some point. It sounds like they had a session where they sat in the studio and sang soulfully like they present to us in music videos. That being said, I would have to say that the only way to tell if this song is any good is to make your own personal decision. It is a bit of a shock and was not well transferred from the last electric sounding song, but listened to alone, it is a calming song.

Tonight I'm Getting Over You - Putting this song after the one featuring Justin Bieber makes it sound as though Beautiful belongs on a different album. At first listen, I had the impression it would be a song I would like, but then the chorus burst in, sounding like a remix loving DJ got his hands on it. I would like the song if there were fewer odd non instrumental sounds, but those interferences ruin it for me.

Guitar String /Wedding Ring - What I do like about this song is that despite the electric effects, Carly's voice is fully on display here, and sounds rather throaty, as if she was dancing at the same time as she was singing. Definitely a dancing in your room song, singing into a hairbrush.

Your Heart Is A Muscle - I'm not quite sure what is it with Ms. Jepsen and the odd titles, but this song is very good, and once you hear the lyrics, it doesn't sound like an odd title anymore. Definitely one of the best songs on the album, with her showing off her vocal range. If it doesn't get to the radio, then put it on a cd and play it in the car, because it is a perfect song to speed down the highway to.

Drive - Maybe it's because I listened to the songs in succession, but this song is completely unremarkable and indistinguishable from most of the other ones on this album (read: Tiny Little Bows, Call Me Maybe, This Kiss, Curiosity). If you've heard one of those songs, you already know how this one sounds. If you adore the aforementioned songs, get this one, but the tune sticks in your head so firmly that if you listen to it too much, you'll dream it.

Wrong Feels So Right - There is so much sass right here. Loving the sass, and how it is so very Carly, but not like her at the same time. I actually found myself dancing along as I typed this. I wouldn't say it's a dance party song, but could be a radio hit like Call Me Maybe.

Sweetie - The last song on the album has to be really good, and have it go out with a bang and not a whimper. If you like to listen to any pop on Billboards Top 100, this song will do it for you - it certainly did it for me. Once again, this song could have a fantastic music video, and will be very well performed on her tour. It's a great song to sing to alone or with karaoke, and it is a definite purchase if you feel inclined towards Ms. Jepsen.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Albums to Keep an Eye Out For

When I first listened to Becky G's song Turn the Music Up, I wasn't a fan. However, that doesn't mean her potential wasn't there, so I did some more exploring, and was it worth it. Problem (The Monster Remix) ft. Will.i.am is a completely different story, and it has adorable little clips from that new Adam Sandler movie, Hotel Transylvania. She's also featured on Cody Simpson's son Wish You Were Here, and i like her way better than I do him. And of course, everything about Cher Lloyd's song Oath ft. Becky G is amazing. I have no idea when she'll put out and album, but I'll keep my ears open!

Luckily enough, we only have to wait two more months until Demi Lovato's next album comes out. No matter what you may have thought of what she has produced before, keep an ear open - apparently this album will be very different - full of true emotion like Adele, but keeping bounce in it, like Taylor Swift. Despite comparisons, I'm sure Demi will find her own niche and shine in it.

Taylor Swift's new and fourth album, Red, will be coming out pretty soon. The reviews of her song We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together have been mixed, with some declarations that her new sound had moved from sweet country to sugary pop for the masses. However, a listen to her song Red reveals that Red will keep a signature style, and will remain music with a country inflection. I Knew You Were Trouble is not like either of these two songs. It definitely has a country origin, but it sounds like a popular radio station got their hands on it and felt free to make whatever edits they wanted. Stay of Grace bounces between country and pop - whatever you consider You Belong With Me to be, Stay of Grace occasionally sounds similar. To those who like Taylor's pop transition through the years should enjoy Red. Personally, I loved her when she had more country sound, and I Knew You were Trouble makes me sad, since it sounds like any other song with Taylor's vice put in. 6 more days until it's available for purchase in the U.S.!

Songs For Today

Colette Carr - (B)A$$
Lolene - Rich (Fake It 'Till You Make It)
Robert Downey Jr - River
Eminem ft. Rihanna - Love the Way You Lie
Shakira - Hips Don't Lie

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Artists To Go Back To

Remember what I said about Ke$ha last post? To be honest, I had forgotten about Anjulie completely. Oh, sure, her songs Brand New Bitch and Stand Behind The Music starred in my Spotify library, but she had dropped off my radar. Thank goodness for emails from Youtube. I present You And I, her latest single, and one that is completely lovable. I love the acoustic start, and the transfer to electro Anjulie style is very smooth and well done. I can easily hear this being played at a party or just at a time to dance. It's funny because some of the lyrics don't match the tone of the song and unless you're careful to listen for it, you may believe that Anjulie has a sweet view to life. Not so, and her attitude is there to those willing to see it.

According to an article here, there is a wonderful event to happen in 16 days. The wonderful even in question? Janet Devlin will be perform songs from her debut album live over webcast. To anyone who has not watched the English X Factor, don't worry about the voice quality - Janet's voice has an ethereal quality that I doubt will ever require auto tune. I don't quite know what sort of songs she'll have, but she has such a beautiful voice that I feel compelled to try and listen.

Songs For Today

Neon Hitch - Fuck U Betta
The Ready Set - Give Me Your Hand (Best Song Ever)
Hot Chelle Rae - Whatever
A*M*E - Play The Game Boy
Demi Lovato - La La Land

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Music to Sample

Ton anyone who still remembers Ke$ha, snaps to you. That is quite impressive, since Tik Tok was when - 2009? Anyways, I totally thought she was done. Sure, there were a few demo recordings, and that thing she did for Amnesty International - a cover of Don't Think Twice, It's All Right. Surprise! Her second (wow, only second? Eek.) full length album is coming out the 4th of December, titled Warrior. I figure a lot of people figure Ke$ha isn't "real" pop (whatever that means) and while it is true that she doesn't have a lot of vocal power and her voice is not the standpoint when she performs live, she has delivered songs that are dancy and catchy. Car songs and karaoke songs, which is enough for me to take interest. So it's good to see that her single Die Young delivers. There is definitely less auto tune involvement here - a theme which, apparently, will continue throughout her album. She also said it's going to be more 70's, a sound which is very different from today's sound but also sometimes similar. Either way, it will be very Ke$ha.

I'm going to update a pop announcement I made long ago (that is, six months ago, which is practically a decade in the pop industry) about Cinnamon Girl. I did a little tidbit about her here, and I recently found out that not only does she have three singles now, two are available for free download. Weeeee! First is the aforementioned Friends. I thought it was chaotic then, and I still think the same now. I definitely prefer her song Now I Know. What I think is interesting is that even though her music has a lot of pop in it, her intricate voice makes everything seem like it was done by Florence and the Machine. As someone who is unable to sing, her voice dazzles me too much to think about it. Devil In Me is easily my favoriteJeffree though. It is undoubtedly amazing pop with just enough electric interference to be dancy and singable at the same time. I'm so glad I don't have to let go of $1.29 to have it for myself!

Note: I don't know why I named this Swag List. Don't worry, the now renamed Songs for Today is still the same thing - music I've just been listening to lately!

Songs for Today

Jeffree Star - Beauty Killer
Sinead O' Connor - The Wolf Is Getting Married
Alexis Jordan - Laying Around With You
Natalia Kills - Mirrors
Simon Curtis - Joystick

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Boy Bands, Part III

Funny that I recently did a post about K-Pop. Here's a pretty good boy band that definitely does not sing in English, but they're good enough to go on the list. I love their song I Love You Girl, and while You're So Hot isn't quite as good, this P-pop (Phillipine-pop) band impresses me. Quite a bit.

I guess you could say At Sunset is very similar to a lot of other boy bands, but their sound is slightly different, more acoustic I would say. I would have to say their music is fairly good, with the song This Is Who I Am in mind. Although the rest of their videos are covers, hopefully they'll record something new, since I think they're pretty good.

If I had to choose one thing about boy bands that drove me crazy, the answer would be that they are always so stylized! What's worse is that it is so obvious! That's probably the #1 reason finding the band Before You Exit was such a relief. I also like how the bandmates are younger, and it's very apparent in their voices, making their music sound slightly different, even when doing covers. They also use more autotune effects than other boy bands, but still retain that dancy quality we love so much. they have a lot of covers on their channel, but their song End Of The World is a good example of their work. Some of their other songs are Guess I'll Be The One, Brick Wall, and Taken Away

I hope you guys liked the Boy Band posts!

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Boy Bands, Part II

Midnight Red
First off, Midnight Red is another five member band signed to Interscope Records, which should give you an idea of how they sound before even actually listening. The one thing that drives me crazy about this band is how stylized they look, but I guess that's going to come with almost every boy band, so I have to get over it. Their best known song is actually pretty well known, called Hell Yeah.Their only other song is called One Club At A Time, and it isn't too bad, and it's very good if you're a big boy band fan. I'm sure they'll keep releasing, but so far they have out one EP.

Heat2Heart
I feel obliged to mention Heart2Heart since unknown boy bands are very difficult to find, but let me warn you - everything is better without the music video. It is very stylized, and the music is very different from the other boy bands I have presented. It definitely has more sound added by machines, but it isn't bad different - just different. Go ahead and listen to their single Facebook Official to get what I mean.

Kazaky
Kazaky is...different. Everything about their style, from clothing to hair to music to voices is nothing like I've presented, so if you aren't satisfied, check them out. The music is definitely older and darker. The music video to their song Love features them dancing in what look like leather legging and bejeweled shrugs, just to give an idea. Other songs include I'm Just A DancerDance And Change and Barcelona.

Backstreet Boys
I would be surprised if you hadn't heard of the Backstreet Boys, but I'm partially announcing them because they have their eight album coming out early 2013. If you don't listen to them often or never have, here's a sample. I Want It That Way and As Long As You Love Me are both good - just like all their songs!

Be back in a few days for Boy Bands, Part III

Friday, September 28, 2012

Boy Band Love, Part One

Before my boy band shpiel, brief interlude: I have to admit I was wrong about an announcement I made. Remember me getting super excited about Colette Carr's album release? Turns out, the story is a wee bit different. Instead, Colette is releasing the songs as she records them, so she's releasing the songs in EP's (with four songs at a time) over a period of time. The first EP releases November 13, and they go on to come out every two months. After all four have been released, on July 9th 2013 (!) the full album will release, with all of the previous released songs, plus four new songs. To wait or not to wait? Well, according to her label,

"We're going to make the album available as fast as she records it. In other words, it'll be available for purchase in 2 weeks and will be delivered in installments (digital EP's) every 2 months. The incentive to buy now involves getting the music first the minute it's done in the studio and a guaranteed physical CD with all of the 4 EPs' songs, 4 additional new songs AND a special gift from Colette."

Well, even without that incentive, I'm buying it as it comes out. Here's the news and a recording of Colette announcing the news herself on Cherrytree Records site here.

Although they are pretty well known for their Nickelodeon show in America, I don't know how much of a household name they are everywhere else. So this means that basically, they're a bunch of random guys shoved together, and make music, but seeing as that's the case, I'm pretty impressed. Watching their videos, the posing is very clear, but if you just listen to the music, songs like City Is Ours and Music Sounds Better ft. Mann, it's easy to like. If you like One Direction, take a listen to this band. I don't listen to Big Time Rush, but if you like 1D, go ahead!

I only have two boybands today, so if you like and trust (well...maybe not TRUST) Perez Hilton, get ready. His band? IM5. They do a lot of NSync covers, and the first one that comes up on Youtube is It's Gonna Be Me. Although all it does is tell us that their voices aren't too bad, they also have an original song called Zero Gravity and feature Bella Thorne on their song Can't Stay Away. What do I think of them? Well...just listen!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Just Music

Hey guys, I know it's been FOREVER since I've posted. I'm so, so sorry, it's been crazy for me! But hopefully I'll get back onto my regular schedule, I'm doing as best as I can!



Okay, I'm talking about Colette Carr first since she is just the best ever, and I consider this news the most important. That is news is that... Skitszo is coming out October 15th! I am so excited! I don't know whether I should pop by Coco-Nico to buy it or go on iTunes...either way, I have to budget my money better for this! Yay!

I know you love Dragonette. She (yes, obviously Dragonette is a band, but I say "she" because I concentrate on the vocals" is this irresistible mix of indie (which I hate), pop, and some rock. The truth is, she's the only artist that I consider true indie pop that I like. Oh yeah - here's a stream of her new album Body Parts. Isn't it amazing music with amazing cover art to match? Thank you PopJustice for the embed code :) My favorites are Live In This City, Ghost, and Let It Go. Some of the others stray to far to the indie edge for me, but well done overall!



...Wow. A*M*E has done it again. As far as I was concerned, if you saw one of her videos, you saw'em all. Nope, not so. Here's her video for "Play The Game Boy".



So here I was, doing my blog research, when I come across this band called, of all things, "Supanova". While not the greatest or most original of names, their music is very good. There's a live/acoustic version for their song Paranoid (For You), and they have the image, the voices, and the song to get pretty successful. What I like is that they don't sound like they came out of a can like a lot of other boy bands, but definitely like they have their own style.Hopefully they will release more music - according to the comments on their (one) video, they've had a performance that was pretty good, so more music sounds likely.

Swag List

Rihanna - Diamonds
Emily Osment - Lovesick
Myah Marie - Chemistry
Colette Carr - (B)A$$
Lolene - Radio

Sunday, September 16, 2012

New Single and New Female Rappers

Originally, I was going to dedicate this post only to some female rappers on the scene, but all of a sudden I found out that Natalia Kills and Colette Carr each released new singles! So first our better known ladies, and then our new girls to the scene.

So remember my post about Natalia Kills and the preview for her new single Controversy? Well, here's the full version - and I love it! There is definitely no problem of people comparing her to Lady Gaga now. It's a crazy cool song, and the lyrics are intense - but not in a soulful intense way, like a scary, Natalia Kills way. I am super interested in hearing what the rest of her album sounds like, and the developments sound good!

Interestingly enough, I found out about this new song the same day I had decided to do a post on female rappers. Coincidence? Yes. The new song in question is called (B)A$$, and unfortunately, will not be on her upcoming album. It wasn't a fall in love the instant I heard it song, but I do like it a lot, and after one listen, like the rest of Colette's songs, I had to listen again. The thing with Colette is that if you love her pop side, you love her rap side. And I fully embrace my love for everything Colette.

Honestly, I have a list of like, 20 people. Obviously, I'm going to have to cut the list down, so here is my (much edited) list so far.

The most famous on my list is Kreayshawn, and it's mostly an album announcement. Everyone by now has heard Gucci Gucci (that's the kind of flow I love), and not everyone has heard about her new album, titled Somethin' Bout Krey. The single Left Ey3 is a good one, though the link I gave does lead to a tabloid website with an exclusive link to the song.

Becky G, although she shares the same lsat name and looks exactly like Selena Gomez, is no relation. I can't say I like her music, which so far consists of the song Turn The Music Up. Her rap doesn't have a very good rhythm, at least not with the beat behind it, and the lyrics aren't great. Overall, it sounds a bit forced to me, but I am no rap connoisseur. I don't think I'll see her name again, but who knows? The music world is fickle.

Unlike Becky G, I really like Kitty Pryde. Maybe it's the hair, but probably not, since her rhythm is very laid back and relaxed, but at the same time, has that attitude that all laid back rappers have. Okay Cupid is not a title I'd expect to hear from a rapper, but for Kitty, it works, just like her song Justin Bieber, which I really enjoy. Keep an eye on the Kitty, guys.

K. Flay has a pretty good rhythm, but it is very similar to Dev. Similar enough that during the chorus, I had to double check my closed tab to make sure who was listening to. If you like Dev, check out K. Flay's We Hate Everyone. I wouldn't say she's for every Dev fan, but similar enough. In case you like that and Less Than Zero, check out her free mixtape on her website!

I posted about Rye Rye a couple of months ago here, and I would have to say that along with Kitty, she's my favorite on this list. Her music is very typical (at least Dance is) and very receptive to the U.S. audience at least. I couldn't speak for the U.K., but I have a feeling that Rye Rye is a very potential hit.

3D Na'Tee has been around for a while, and it sounds like it too. She isn't well known enough to get more than 6,500 views in 3 months though, like on Youtube for her song No Love, so I figure she could use a boost by being posted about.

Last off are two in one paragraph, because they're a bit "tainted" by pop. First off is Karmin, whose music is mostly pop but injected by rap, and second is Dominique Young Unique, who is the opposite. I enjoy Dominique's song The World Is Mine and Karmin's Hello.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Album Announcements

As we know, Sky Ferreira is releasing an EP before an album. However, I'm still putting it under album announcements, since the alliteration has such a nice ring. Her EP will be called Ghost and be released October 2nd. I've never been Sky's biggest fan, and I have to say that I'm not super excited about this album. I know some people will go absolutely gaga over it, but I personally am a complete dancy music fan. I would say this music is sort of alternative rock...but definitely not her pop of old (so sad, I absolutely adored Obsession!). Her song Everything Is Embarrassing has been pretty popular, though it doesn't do much for me. I won't be purchasing, but if you like her sound, check it out.

In six days, Carly Rae Jepsen's second album will be released, called Kiss. Unlike Sky, I really love Carly's music (I'm almost embarrassed to admit it). Sometimes her stuff isn't totally to my taste, but I am super looking forward to Turn Me UpBeautiful ft. Justin BieberThis Kiss and I ADORE Good Time. This is one album where I'll be test driving all the songs, choosing which ones pass and fail the iPod test, and I can't wait to do so. Even if you didn't like Call Me Maybe (which I had a fairly cool attitude to at first), try some of the other songs, because as we all know, one album can cover a lot.

Swag List

Make It In America - Victorious Cast ft. Victoria Justice
Somebody To Love - Leighton Meester ft. Robin Thicke
You Can't Get In My Head (If You Don't Get In My Bed) - Tatana ft. Natalia Kills
The Next Worst Thing - 78violet
When I Grow Up - The Pussycat Dolls

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Song and Video Reviews

Sorry I was gone darlings! But here I am again.

With Nicki Minaj, I'm either going to love her song or hate it. I loved Super Bass because it was easy to sing along to and fun to listen to in the car (half my criteria for a song is if you can listen to it in the car) and Starships (another car song). I could not stand Beez In The Trap or I Am Your Leader. When I first heard Pound the Alarm, I wasn't super excited about it. Not only that, but I was in the car and I didn't really like it. So I guess Nicki really had to do what she did with the video - make it action packed and full of feathers and sparkles, for me to love it. You don't have to like the song - just liking Mardi Gras will keep you under the spell.

When I heard the opening lyrics to Jessie and the Toy Boy's relatively new song On With My Bad Self, I was not by any means impressed. It didn't sound like the Jessie I liked, but 50 seconds in the video, I was rewarded with a wonderfully pop chorus. The next lyrics after had the same beat as the beginning but somehow were not as irritating or cliche feeling. Favorite line? "How do you spell Plagiarism? Mmmmmmmmmmmm I don't know" A warning to those who are faint of heart - unless you like zombie movies, don't watch past 2:20.

Swag List

Lady Marmalade - Chrisina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, P!nk
Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding
Obsessed - Miley Cyrus
We R Who We R - Ke$ha
Life's A Happy Song - Gary and Walter

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Album Announcements

I don't think it is possible to express how much I love Natalia Kills. I don't think it's possible to express how much I believe everyone else should also love Natalia Kills. At first appearance of her makeup and clothing, on may compare her to Jessie J or even Taylor Momsen, when in truth, her music is extraordinarily different. Her attitude definitely has a hardcore twist to it, especially with songs like Break You Hard and Mirrors, but on the same album, there are songs like Broke and Heaven. I absolutely adored her first album, titled Perfectionist, and I'm happy to tell you that her second album is coming soon, titled Trouble. The first single is title Controversy, and a preview for it can be found here. This sounds very different from her previous music - the blurry voice sounds like Nadia Oh's song Got your Number, but I have a feeling that the chorus to it will sound clearer and more poppish. No idea what is ahead of us, but in 2013 it looks like Trouble is coming out, so that is very exciting!

I've wanted to do a post on these girls forever! Their only similarities are their ages and the fact that they starred on Disney Channel. But somehow, the three stars have always been linked together, and this year, a third similarity comes in - the release of their fourth albums.

Demi Lovato - We know for sure that Demi is releasing a fourth album. It sounds like it will be far more intense, as she has confirmed that she will not hold back at all on this new album - and we thought Skyscraper was intense! To those who love very deep and heartbreaking songs, definitely look forward to Demi. Besides her intense lyrics, her voice adds a lot of definition to normally soft and even to fluff songs. I call her a contemplative artist - an artist you want to listen to when it's just time to sit and be within music.
Her Best Known Song - Give Your Heart A Break
My Favorite Song - Don't Forget

Miley Cyrus - It's been two years since Miley released her album Can't Be Tamed, and it was very clear what her new face on music is. Previously one with a very bouncy attitude to music, she made large ripples when songs like Can't Be Tamed and Who Owns My Heart came out. Her power over her voice was well demonstrated when she recorded a song for the Amnesty International Album, You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go, a Bob Dylan cover. Her most recent recording has been when she was featured on Rock mafia's mixtape on the song Morning Sun. Her so far untitled fourth album promises to be very different, as she is working with producer Pharrell Williams, and Cyrus promises the album will have more of a hip hop and electronic sound - which, as we all now, could sound amazing or awful.
Her Best Known Song - Party In The U.S.A.
My Favorite Song - Two More Lonely People

Selena Gomez - Probably the star with the widest demographic, Ms. Gomez has been focusing a lot on movies this past year, but has also confirmed rumors of her fourth album. It also sounds like unlike the previous two, Selena's music will make the least change. As Demi's has gotten more emotional and Miley's less poppish, Selena's music has gotten to have more of a typical pop style, and from what she's said of her her influences and loves (Jason Mraz, Katy Perry, and Parachute) it will be very radio friendly and good for the car. I think her album will come out last, since Miley has been working for a while, as Demi has as well, but Selena has started fairly recently, but they all seem like they will come out late 2013.
Her Best Known Song - Love You Like A Love Song
My Favorite Song - Hit The Lights

Sunday, September 2, 2012

A Tribute to K-Pop

I posted about K-pop once ages ago, here, and recently, I've been really into it even more. Despite the fact that most of the songs are in Korean, Japanese, and occasionally Chinese, the thing about K-pop? It is always bouncy, dancy and really fun. Note to you guys - The List of songs at the bottom of the post are all specially K-Pop for this post, but I couldn't do a paragraph about all of these equally great artists! Take a listen to every song!

I think the most famous of all K-Pop girl groups is Wonder Girls. I'm sure this is because they have a fair amount of songs in English, unlike many other groups, and appeal to a larger demographic. One of their more recent songs is called Like Money ft Akon, and has a very futuristic video and sound effects, but not to the point where it drowns out the signature K-pop sound. It's been said that Wonder Girls have recently "Americanized" their music, since they had to make the song The DJ is Mine ft. School Gyrls (which I am TOTALLY addicted to, by the way) for TeenNick TV, but I think that although their sound is different, it isn't like American or European artists. The two above songs have attracted criticism for their different sound, but I love just as much as their previous, VERY K-Pop songs, such as Two Different TearsNobody and So Hot. If, unlike me, you like listening to songs in different languages, there are even more - songs like Be My Baby and Like This among them.

Another fantastic Girl Band is 4minute. Not only are their videos ah-mazing, but even though it drives me crazy when I can't sing along to lyrics, I love to listen to their Korean songs. Take a listen to Volume Up and you'll see what I mean. Once you're properly addicted, listen to a Japanese single, called Why, or Love TensionReady Go is even more sound packed than the previous three. If you hear English verses, then to clear up confusion - it's pretty common to have English words or a chorus mixed in.

For my first male artist in this post would be Se7en. I was definitely caught by his name, and although I tend to like the girl band formation of K-pop, his single Girls ft. Lil Kim receives my approval. I don't enjoy listening to his songs in Korean as much, except for When I Can't Sing, which sounds romantic and sentimental even without words.

Girl's Generation, also a very famous girl group, has only one English song, but The Boys is good enough to make you desperately want more. Twinkle  features an interesting mix of an old fashioned vibe with an electronic topper. Even when one can't understand the words to Hoot, the complete sass dripping off makes it a very enjoyable listen. Mr. Taxi, while not quite as good as The Boys, is a fun beat, and one that I'm willing to listen to in Korean.



K-Pop Swag List

2NE1 - Can't Nobody
Sistar - Alone
Kara - Step
Trouble Maker - Trouble Maker
Orange Caramel - Magic Girl

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Beats to Adore

If you have to come up with an essential question for a philosophic discussion, ou might want to use this: "Why did I not hear of Tanlines earlier?" I think that anyone who counts themselves as a pop lover could fall in love with this song. Whether your loves also include indie, rap, rock, whatever - the beat of this song has it. If you watch the video for All Of Me while listening, you will definitely think it sounds old fashioned, but without watching, it just sounds like a song perfect for any and every kind of day and situation.

Some artists are in relative obscurity, the hit the random jackpot, a la Carly Rae Jepsen with Call Me Maybe. Some fade into complete obscurity, blogged about once but was never a "thing", a la Kyrah and her song Uh Oh. Then there are those like KASH, who do their thing, then vanish until a new single comes out. What I like about hi is that the music is powerful, but it doesn't wash away his voice. He works with the music instead of using is as an accompaniment, which sounds really good. His song Long Way From Home went on YouTube earlier this month, and is a very mysterious sounding track. If you don't get what I mean, I guess you'll have to listen.

Swag List

A*M*E - Ride Or Die
Saturday, Monday ft. Julia Spada - Headshake
Kristine Elezaj - Warpath
Charlee - Obvious
The Stunners - Bubblegum