"Underneath this doubt there's an ego" I've established that Donkeyboy have one of the worst band name in pop music a long time ago, but that doesn't really matter because boy they're excellent. And they're back! City Boy is the first teaser from their upcoming album and, from the sound of it, they're going a little more electronic. While this might not be as lush as their past singles, I'm pleased that it's more uptempo. At first, the processed vocals irritated me, but I've grown to really love them--especially with the overall sound of the record. [...]
Though they've got a lot of competition in the UK, One Direction have released the best boyband album of the year by a mile. Not only that, but it's one of the best pop albums of 2011 as well. It's that rare case of a record where every track could be a single. Couple that with the guys' insane popularity and I think we've got a new Take That on our hands. Or at the very least, a new Mcfly. 1. What Makes You Beautiful [...]
"Let's go back to rock and roll" Yes, I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to X-Factor. I'm currently watching three (UK, US and AU), though the Australian version ended this week. And unlike the trainwreck that is the US version (I'm watching purely out of loyalty, enjoying none of it), the Aussies got it completely right with their winner, Reece Mastin. Sometimes I think people need to be reminded of the definition of the show's title. From the beginning, Reece had undeniable x-factor. I'd argue that he's the best contestant in all three [...]
"Under the lights tonight, turned around" It was so clear during last year's UK X-Factor that we were witnessing something special when One Direction were put together. And luckily, with the debut of their first album, they've delivered on the promise. Now this is pop music... not singer-songwriter critics-awards-bait. Let's get that out of the way. And this isn't a critics-award-bait band (though given Take That's current output, there's always a chance they could get there). What One Direction are is a massive pop band, a group of personalities capable of creating the type of groundswell [...]
"God knows that I've tried" Australia's Rogue Traders just (finally) released their first album with new vocalist Mindi Jackson. It was worth the wait! I really like Mindi's vocals--they remind me of early Kylie with a punk edge. On the whole, the album is very 80's inspired and mostly uptempo. It's definitely a progression from their earlier work with Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Less straight ahead dance and more new wave. If you've heard the singles, you know what to expect. One of my favorite tracks is Don't Think I Love You , which has an amazing, [...]
Rihanna has never been cooler. From the styling to the distillation of sounds on her sixth album, I'm a big fan of this era in her career. Though there's a clunker or two, and the tracks could do with some reshuffling, this could easily end up as my favorite Rihanna album. 1. You Da One - This track suffers greatly from being the opener, where it's completely out of place. Looking past that, it's a solid mid-tempo reggae flavored song. We've heard this before from Rihanna, [...]
"She's just a few degrees shy of the cool" After enjoying both of the singles, I've given in and listened to my first JLS album. It's not normally the type of music I'm into, but I really like about half to three quarters of the album (the rest is just too generic). In addition to all the of-the-moment upbeat tracks, this wonderful little song is nestled right at the end of the album. Apparently, it was written by the guys even before their stint on X-Factor. It forgoes trendiness and focuses on spare production and a [...]
Post X-Factor albums are always an interesting prospect. More a chance to establish an artist's sound and image than an actual, cohesive album, they're best judged on their own standards. And using this criteria, Cher Lloyd's debut is definitely a success. Room for growth, but a success nonetheless. 1. Grow Up - A good, extremely catchy opening. The melody in the chorus reminds me of the Toys R Us jingle, which cracks me up (and is even funnier since Lloyd samples a lot throughout this [...]
"Sunday morning took my soul" What do we think about this, guys? Sweden's ex-Idol contestant Sebastian debuted his new electropop sound in this year's MF contest back in February, but I had my reservations about that track. Now, he's following it up with a song in a similar vein. It's less instantly catchy, but it also doesn't have those moments that made me dislike the last one. I wish it had a little more oomph to it, but I'm happy that he's continued working in this genre. It's certainly a smooth little pop song. I'm not [...]
"I am the voice of Never-Never Land" After months of long lulls in interesting music releases, the floodgates have opened this November. My latest obsession is this incredible, huge, ridiculously overblown track by Finnish symphonic rock band Nightwish. Some of you might already be familiar with Nightwish. They're big in Scandinavia and have quite a huge cult following around the world. They've been around for awhile but it's been a few years since their last release. This is the first single from the new album, Imaginaerium , which is due out in a couple of [...]
"He's only nice when there's somebody there" I've slowly come around to Natalia Kills. At first I thought she was the poor man's Lady Gaga (but the British version, which should technically be much cooler). I'm all for more theatricality in pop music, but nobody wants a copycat. Luckily, with every single she releases, Natalia is carving out an identity all her own. Wonderland was excellent (but still very Gaga), Free was, for me, the turning point. It's an excellent pop song in its own right. And now, with Kill My [...]
It's difficult to review this album on a track-by-track basis, because more than any other recent release that I can remember, this is a collection of songs meant to be experienced together. As the album's title expresses, this is a voyage... and one hell of a fantastic one at that. Expectations were high after a string of amazing singles, but these guys have done the increasingly impossible task of creating a perfect, modern pop album. I can't stop listening to it. 1. Into The Clouds - What [...]
"Remember all the things that you and I did first?" Cher Lloyd's released a great little pop album this week with her debut, Sticks & Stones . I loved her during her run on X-factor, went a bit off with the first single, but am totally a fan again now. I must be crazy, because even Swagger Jagger 's alright with me. Cher's love-it-or-hate-it attitude is totally present on many of the album's tracks, and this is one of the best examples. I love the grunting parts (I never thought I'd write that in [...]
"In the darkest hour, there is still hope" Absolutely euphoric. That's about all I can say when it comes to The Sound Of Arrows' debut album. it may sound like hyperbole, but with the release of Voyage , these guys may have just saved the modern pop album. This track comprises the album's conclusion, so I almost feel wrong offering it for sample out of context. It works best as an earned climax to the journey that the album takes you on, but it's just so damn good that I need people to hear it. [...]
"We can make it through the stormy weather" Today is a great day for new pop albums, so expect to hear about them this week. First up is the Wanted. I never considered myself much of a boy band fan, yet two of this month's most anticipated albums for me are by boy bands (The Wanted & One Direction). But the thing is, despite a few songs, these two groups aren't stuck in the formula that you'd expect. Sure, they've got their own formula, but that's a different matter. I was a big fan [...]
Okay, so I wrote about my most anticipated new Fall shows, I offered my initial thoughts, and now it's time to conclude the TV fun with my final verdict. 1. X-Factor Still watching , but I'm finding myself slightly underwhelmed. I guess I'm just so used to the UK and Australian versions, which are much, much more entertaining. Our host is ridiculously stiff, our contestants (while talented) are mostly American Idol-style boring, and last night's results were a disaster. America continues to vote for the predictable over the surprising. I'll watch [...]
"If you'll wait around awhile, I'll make you fall for me" While the winner of the 2007 UK X-Factor has faded into obscurity, the runner-up, Rhydian Roberts, has quietly carved out a nice little pop opera career for himself. I loved him on the show, but only when he did the crossover songs--pop or rock with just a taste of opera. Because of this, his first two albums weren't of much interest to me. They could've been released by someone like Josh Groban and I probably wouldn't have noticed the difference. But for his third full-length, [...]
November is always a reliably strong month for pop music. Historically, it's when most of the would-be blockbuster albums are released in time for Holiday shopping. This year, we need November more than ever. It's been a pitiful past few months for big pop albums. I can't remember a dry spell this lengthy in years. It seems like everything's just been shut down since the Spring. Even countries like Sweden, who are usually quality pop producers, have been quiet of late. Luckily, there are plenty of releases coming up in the next few weeks that I'm very much looking forward [...]
"I wanna do bad things with you" I'm a massive admirer of Titus Jones' work, so every time he releases a new mash-up I get super excited. His mixes are more than simple mash-ups. He's got an incredible knack for re-configuring samples into brand new songs. This track, including elements of Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Katy Perry and the epic True Blood theme song (amongst others), is no different. It's got a bit of a Halloween theme to it, so I guess today it's more of a Halloween hangover. If you haven't checked out [...]
Happy Halloween everyone!! If you're a longtime reader, you know what I'm going to post today. It's tradition, after all. And it's the best Halloween video EVER. I can't even count the number of ways this is epic.
#1 Hits From Another Planet
Monday Music – 28 May 2012
Bison - Quill
