The Naked And Famous - Young Blood

I’ve known about this song for a while now; a friend of mine first introduced me to it. I haven’t taken the time yet to learn more about the band and listen to more of their music, but I love this song from them. The effect they put on the keys in the very beginning of the song starts it off on a high note, and once the beat kicks in the song really takes off. It has a big summertime, anthem feel but there’s genuineness to it (that’s highlighted mainly in the lyrics) that I think sets it apart from your regular pop/alternative anthems out there. I think my friend described it best when he was telling me about it. When listening to the song it just brings out the feeling of being a free kid. And using “free kid” in the sense that when you were a kid you didn’t have any cares or worries. You were just enjoying the moment… There are two lines in the song that I think do a good job of summing up that feeling… “Count up all your mistakes…Let go before it's too late”

The Naked and Famous - Youngblood by pcagx

You can purchase that song along with the rest of their album here.  And check them out on Facebook.

The Cab - La La

I’m a huge fan of the late 90s/early 2000s era pop/rock. I love the big production and high-energy beat the genre is filled with. I also love strings. Any strings. There’s something about that sound, whether it be violin, cello, or any electronic string instrument, that instantly sets it apart any song from just another pop hit. Which all leads me to today’s artist … The Cab. I first heard about this band through Twitter when someone I followed recommended their song “Living Louder.” I listened, and I was instantly hooked and desperately searching for more music from my new discovery. As it turns out, The Cab isn’t so new. They’ve been around for a few years, slowly building momentum as an up and coming pop/rock band. Since breaking out with their first album in 2008, The Cab has made a name for itself as being the perfect Jimmy Eat World/Fall Out Boy combo for the next decade. However, it’s their 2^nd album, Symphony Soldier, that I think really shows their skill and produces an incredible string/pop sound.  Symphony Soldiers has a mixture of rock-out anthems (“Living Louder” and “Grow Up and Be Kids”), infectious pop songs that make you want to sing out loud (“Temporary Bliss” and “Bad”), and as with any good pop album, a few sentimental ballads reminiscent of young love (“Endlessly” and “Lovesick Fool”). My favorite (other than “Living Louder”) has to be “La La,” which encompasses all the important aspects of 90s pop, string incorporation, and high-energy beats. The best part comes at the beginning of the 2^nd minute where they go into the bridge and you get the full effect of the pop/string combo. Check out “La La” below, and if you like that, be sure to go listen to their albums on iTunes.  - Lindsey

Will Young - Losing Myself

Will Young is a British pop singer who won the British music contest Pop Idol back in 2002. He just released the third single “Losing Myself” from his latest album Echoes and as far as I’m concerned he’s got another hit on his hands. I really liked his two previous singles and I like the new one just as much as the others.  It has an 80’s sound to it, which is really cool, and Will has just the right vocals to glide perfectly over the track. The chorus is catchy and will have you humming/singing along by the end of the song, even if you don’t know the words. And I think Will, along with the others involved with the song, did a good job of writing a great song and creating the perfect beat to accompany it. This is a perfect example of the type of pop music I like… And I think the video for the song is pretty creative as well. 

Be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

I've known about One Direction for a while now. They're a pop boy band from the UK that have been dominating the charts everywhere else in the world accept here in America, but I have a strong feeling that’s soon to change in the next couple of months. Their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” (which has reached #1 in the UK and the top ten in over 5 other countries) is currently in the top 20 of the iTunes Top Singles Charts here in America. I think the track is awesome. The production is on point, and the song overall is just a great example of really good pop music… Their debut album Up All Night is set to be released March 13 and I have no doubt it’ll be big hit. I can easily see these guys becoming this generations Backstreet Boys. But I guess only time will tell.


You can purchase the single "What Makes You Beautiful" here. And be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

The Rasmus - In The Shadows (PhatZoo & Vecorta Remix)

The Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that has been releasing music since the mid 90’s. Their song “In The Shadows” from their 2003 album Dead Letters is what brought them their major breakthrough and helped them garner international success… A friend of mine introduced me to the remix of this song a while ago, and I REALLY liked it the first time I heard it. The chords used are almost haunting and they just draw you in to the song. I’m usually really picky when it comes to dance music, but even though this is a dance remix it still captures the depth of the song just with a happier tone. And I must say, I think the original is just as good as the remix. They have a few other really good songs but this is by far my favorite.



I haven't been able to find a place to purchase this exact remix, but you can purchase the original version (along with the rest of the album) here.

James Morrison - I Won't Let You Go

I’m really late on finding out about this song (as I am with a lot of the music I randomly discover) but after hearing the first 10 seconds, I was in love with it. James Morrison is a great artist and his voice is one of a kind, but I never really care for his albums as a whole. To me, he always just has a few standout tracks. Well, this song, along with another track “Up”, were my two favorites from his latest album Awakening. I think the music and the lyrics are beautiful and James sings his butt off on the song. It’s just good, period. Give it a listen for yourself.



You can purchase this song along with the rest of the album here. And be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

Gotye - I Feel Better

I just found out about Gotye about 2 weeks ago, though, he is no new comer to the music scene. He’s currently Vh1’s ‘You Oughta Know’ artist and that’s originally where I first heard about him. After hearing his song “Somebody That I Used To Know” I went online to check out more of his work and he’s quickly become one of my new favorite artist. I greatly admire and am inspiring by artists who do music that they love and don’t just follow the mainstream. And I think Gotye definitely does that. It’s hard to categorize his sound or say anything other than its just good! My favorite track from his album would probably have to be “I Feel Better”. It goes in the complete opposite direction, musically, of “Somebody That I Used To Know” with the horns and the overall big band feel to it, but I think its great. I love the lyrics and the track really highlights Gotye’s vocal power… His whole album is really good and I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more from him in the future. Check out the song and give me your thoughts!



You can purchase that song and the rest of his album here. And be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

Whitney Houston - I Believe In You And Me

1963-2012

Just thought id post a short entry just sharing my favorite Whitney Houston song… Not much needs to be said. She was one of a kind and had a voice like none other. She’ll be greatly missed. R.I.P Whitney Houston.

Demi Lovato - Lightweight

Demi Lovato’s latest album was released back in September of last year and at that time when I previewed it I didn’t really care for it. I really enjoyed her first two albums, but musically Unbroken just seemed to be all over the place to me (and not in a good way). The other day, for whatever reason, I decided to go back and give it another listen. And while I still don’t really like the album as a whole, this song “Lightweight” caught my attention. What I think I like most about the song is there’s a perfect balance throughout it. The production never overpowers Demi’s vocals but at the same time Demi never over sings her parts. The song starts off very soft in the beginning with the keys nicely complimenting her vocals as she caries you through the song. Even when the beat kicks in during the second verse its not too much that it takes your focus from her voice… I like this track even more than I did “Skyscraper” and I think it could possibly even work if it was released as a single. But take a listen for yourself and give me your thoughts.

You can purchase "Lightweight" and the rest of the album here.

Nick Harrison

The first time I heard about Nick was when he did a verse on a song that I had done for my first album. And when the guys at the studio first played his part for me I really liked it but I originally just thought he was another black guy that rapped. And the first time I met him and they said this is Nick I remember being a little shocked that he was white. At the time the only white guy that I knew could rap was Eminem lol... Well that was about 4 years ago. Since then we’ve done a few more songs together and I’ve even done a couple of shows with him. And we just shot a video for one of the songs I did with him, from his upcoming EP Roses, Heartbreaks, and Apologies… I don’t just say he’s great because I know him or because he’s my friend. I say it because it’s the truth, and I think the work he puts into his music and the result he gets from it definitely speaks for itself. I think its really refreshing to listen to a rapper who isn’t cussing every other word or talking about how many girls he gets with, but is actually bringing up good topics and being articulate in his writing. And from his flow with his words to his clever metaphors I think he’s just as good as any rapper out now. Of course I think he’s better though haha!... But definitely check him out. Forget Drake and J Cole, Nick Harrison is about to take over!

His EP Roses, Heartbreaks, and Apologies will be released next week, Feb,14. And be sure to check him out on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. 

Monica & Brandy - It All Belongs To Me

Yesterday Brandy and Monica released their brand new single “It All Belongs To Me”. Its kind of a follow up to their 1998 chart topping, Grammy winning, hit single “The Boy Is Mine”… I tried to keep this blog entry as short as possible because I’m a really big fan of both Brandy and Monica and I could go all day talking about them. With that being said ill get right to it. Upon listening to the song for the first time it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, but after giving it a 2nd and 3rd listen I really started to like it. It’s definitely a song that grows on you. The melody from the guitar and the keyboard is beautiful and the sound is nice overall. It has an old school R&B feel to it but it’s still relevant. Both ladies’ vocals are simply amazing. Brandy’s tone is unmatched by anyone in the music game past or present (in my opinion) and her vocal runs are one of a kind. And Monica really showcases her power and range with this track. You definitely hear the growth in their overall vocals in comparison to “TBIM”… These are my only two complaints. For one, I think the use of the explicit language could hurt the appeal of the song. Yes, I’m fully aware that just about everyone uses that kind of language in music today but I still think it could do the song harm. Hopefully it won’t. My second and major complaint is the use of the Facebook reference. Using current “lingo” in songs completely dates your music! Facebook is on top of the world at the moment but who knows what’s going to happen in a few years. Did no one learn from MySpace?! But I kind of blame that on the writer and producer of the song Rico Love. I know he was just trying to be relevant but there’s definitely other ways of doing it... Overall I think the song is really good and definitely has the potential to be a big hit for the both of them. The one thing people shouldn’t do (though I know they will) is compare it to “The Boy Is Mine”. That was a great record in and of itself and it set pretty high standards but you have to try and let the two songs be separate. When listening to the song ask yourself, ‘How would I feel about this if “The Boy Is Mine” never existed’? Comment and give me your feedback. Id love to hear what you think!



The single will be available to purchase on 2/14 and will be featured on both Monica and Brandy's upcoming album.

Marianas Trench - Fallout

Today’s post is a perfect example of what I enjoy so much about doing this blog. Just being able to share (with the few people that read it :P) new music and the random ways I find out about it…. So anyway, the other morning I heard this song playing on MTV (the only time MTV actually plays videos/music) and they only played a few seconds of it but I really liked the few seconds that I heard. After hearing the rest of the song and checking out a few other tracks from these guys latest album I’m really starting to like them. Hailing all the way from Canada, Marianas Trench definitely have their own sound and the harmonies and vocal tone from lead vocalist, Josh Ramsay and the other members of the band is out of this world. The harmonies especially are something I’ve never really heard a band use as a prominent component in their songs, but I applaud them for it because they do a great job at making it work. Their big song out right now is “Haven’t Had Enough” and while I do like it, “Fallout” is still my favorite track from their album… Ever After is their third album release so I’m sure there’s much more great music to come from these guys in the future. Definitely check them out!
Mariana's Trench - Fallout by USvsTHEMinc

You can purchase that song and their album here. And check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Alias - More Than Words Can Say

A few days ago while driving home this song came on the radio, and usually I turn to another station if I’m not familiar with the song, unless it grabs my attention. Well, this song ended up doing just that. I already really love music from the 80’s and the 90’s (I’m a 90’s kid and very proud of it!), but aside from that it was the lyrics that really made me want to listen more. I think they’re beautiful. And along with the lyrics, Freddy Curci, who is the lead singer of the group, has an amazing voice. His vocal range is just incredible… “More Than Words Can Say” was Alias’s big hit back in 1990, from their self-titled debut album. They didn’t release a follow up album until 2009 but its still full of great material… Im pretty much in love with this song and I think its just another example of why 90’s music was and still is awesome! :)

You can purchase the song, along with their album here.