ROCK
• Paramore – Brand New Eyes – What I once considered my guilty pleasure, Paramore have followed up their catchy sophomore cd Riot with Brand New Eyes, and have proven themselves to be so much more. I will keep it brief, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love this cd. I’ll narrow it down to 5 stand out tracks to sample (make that 6), but just about every song on the cd is solid. Great music, more mature lyrics, and damn can Hayley Williams sing!
o Brick by Boring Brick
o Turn It Off
o Looking Up
o Where the Lines Overlap
o Misguided Ghosts
o All I Wanted – @ 2:40, are you kidding me?...Crazy
• Cartel – Cycles – There’s something about Cartel that sets them apart from other similar sounding bands, an unidentifiable element that makes them more believable than the run of the mill punk/rock/pop band. Cycles keeps me a believer with the following 3 tracks. If you like these songs at all, I’d highly suggest checking out their older material (Burn This City, Wasted, Georgia, Minstrels Prayer, A)
o Deep South - best one in my opinion
o Typical
o Conventional Friend
R&B/ HIP HOP
• Usher – Papers – Usher, brah, brosef, I think you need to give Mary J Blige a call and learn a thing or 2 about a little thing called “Nooooo more drama, no mo drama, nomodrama, nmdrrrmaaaa (heart attack)” (you get the picture)…Seriously, the same autobiographical singles he keeps releasing are played out, boring, and whiny… At least confessions part II had a good beat to it.
• Justin Bieber – One Less Lonely Girl – I believe I called it with this kid, he’s blowing up! “I saw so many pretty faces, before I saw you…” really Justin? Did you? You’re 6, I doubt it. Another catchy song from “the fetal prince of R&B”. Also, in response to the video, what 12 yr old girl does her laundry at a laundromat? AND if you are lucky enough to make it to the end you get to hear him say “only you shawty” hahaha somewhere in a dancing with the stars green room, Aaron Carter is crying (again)
• Mariah Carey – Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel – What? I guess perfect angels know her outfit on the cd cover is a child’s t-shirt and not a grown woman’s dress…no complaints here. OK so she’s crazy, but at least there’s no butterfly reference for a change. Memoirs is a step back to the old ballad focused days for Mariah Carey. Produced by The Dream, I was expecting a lot more. For me most of the highlights aren’t even songs, they’re reprises, and interludes. If you really want to hear the bat shit crazy lyrics we’ve all come to love, check out Up Out My Face @ 2:50…Someone’s been “bathin’ in windex” a little too long
o The Impossible (the reprise)
o H.A.T.E.U.
o Angel (the prelude)
o Up Out My Face
• Snoop – Gangsta Luv (ft. The Dream) – Nothing ground breaking, but a catchy chorus provided by The Dream
• Joss Stone – Colour Me Free! - I hate to say it cuz I love Joss Stone, but Colour Me Free! (It’s the British spelling nay sayers) doesn’t stand out to me the way her last cd Introducing… did. That being said, Stalemate is an awesome duet, and Could Have Been You has her signature vibe that straddles the temporary and soul throwback sound.
o Stalemate (with Jamie Hartman)
o Could Have Been You
• Esther Dean & Chris Brown – Drop it Low – I HATED this song at first, then about 2 plays later, I LOVE this song. Let’s consider Esther the new latest one hit wonder, but damn if this song comes on when I’ve had a few drinks, you may as well call me Chris Brown and prepare for a dance fight, followed by a real fight. (I need help) 3:20 is the best part!
• Robin Thicke – Sex Therapy – Whoooooooeeeeeeee Yessir, Robin Thick is back with the ultimate slow jam. Produced by the uber talented Polow Da Don (Glamorous, Promise, Buttons, Throw Some D’s, Love in this club, Forever, Turnin Me On, DROP IT LOW, etc, etc…crazy huh?) Sex Therapy is the guy’s version of Promise, so smooth, matched perfectly with Robin Thicke. Hopefully this is a sign for things to come from Mr. Thicke after his less than stellar previous effort.
• Rihanna – Russian Roulette – First single of Rihanna’s upcoming cd titled Rater R, Russian Roulette, written with Neyo is not gonna be for everyone. Dark lyrics, eerie instrumentation, all together moody, this mid-tempo single may not be your favorite Rihanna song, but it does deliver when it comes to creating an atmosphere that (while gloomy and a bit ominous) is all Rihanna’s. If anything, I applaud her for taking a new direction with her new material. Rated R is sure to get people’s attention. Not on itunes quite yet, but soon.
POP/DANCE
• Britney Spears – 3 – Slightly annoying at first, 3 grows on you after a few listens. Although the lyrics are pretty lame, and the vocal arrangement during the verses are flat out bad, the chorus backed by the driving tempo has brought Ms. Spears to the #1 Billboard spot for only the 3rd time in her career. The highlight is when the bridge kicks in at 2:22 and the music technos out a bit, fading into the background only to come surging back. I guarantee girls will be reporting to the dance floor when this one comes on.
• Leighton Meester – Somebody to Love (ft. Robin Thicke) – This song has a really heavy 70’s vibe, but even though Leighton Meester isn’t really singing here, I’m a fan. Never would have thought she and Robin Thicke would collaborate, but oddly enough, it works here.
• Tiesto – Kaleidoscope – When reviews of techno releases say that it’s not techno enough for techno fans, that usually means normal people should be able to enjoy. Why not, you just might like it…
o Century (ft. Calvin Harris) - (excuse the lame lyrics, it’s still techno)
o Escape me (ft. CC Sheffield) – I like the music in this one
o It’s Not the Things You Say (ft. Kele Okereke) – That’s right, it’s Bloc Party’s lead singer Kele adding to this one, great song- he’s awesome.
INDIE
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon – While I wasn’t a huge fan of the first twilight cd, I do think it was a better collection than New Moon. That being said, Satellite Heart is a great song, and I’m a big Lykke Li fan, so the slow Possibility grew on me. I also like All I Believe In, but couldn’t find a full clip anywhere (plus it’s not for sale alone)
o Anya Marina – Satellite Heart
o Lykke Li – Possibility
o The Magic Numbers & Amadou &Mariam – All I Believe In
• Noisettes - When You Were Young (Killers Cover) – I really like this cover, the usually punked out Noisettes soften it down a bit bringing smoother instrumentation like the violins. Also, accompanied by 2 great back up singers, lead singer Shingai Shoniwa changes some of the vocal arrangement (and lyrics) to suit her slightly stylized voice. She kinda reminds me of Janelle Monae.
• Janelle Monae – Come Alive – This chick is CRAZY in the best way imaginable. Seriously, it’s a shame her music doesn’t appeal to the masses cuz she is extremely talented and entertaining, not to mention cute. James Brown WHAT NOW??
• Kris Allen – Live Like We’re Dying – The American Idol winner sings this song written by British group The Script (which makes sense cuz he sounds just like their lead singer anyways) not bad.
• Tal & Acacia – Clearview – Not really into “Christian music”, but I appreciate talent and after hearing this live version I had to post it, great voices and really nice harmonies. (Creepy lyrics though, “when I fly with my daddy high” don’t refer to God as daddy. Ever.)
• Pete Yorn – Bizarre Love Triangle (live cover) – Pete’s cover of the great 80’s song
• Robert Francis – Junebug – This is one of itunes best free songs to date I think. (check it out on itunes) But the REAL highlight is: When looking for the full clip on youtube I stumbled across this rare gem… WHAT?? 3:32 so sad! Yet oddly entertaining. She has others, and I have watched them all officially making me a fan of the Debbie Downer of youtube. Careful, if like me you listen to the whole thing, the song Junebug actually does play EXTREMELY loud at the very end.
COUNTRY
• Luke Bryan – What Country Is – And people say I never include country music on here. Well friends, this song explains what country really is. Some pretty funny lyrics, but I like the banjo in it, makes me feel like I'm in the South.
