Maroon 5 (feat. Wiz Khalifa) - Payphone

I love Maroon 5. This is a fact evidenced by the absurd number of play counts in my iTunes. Seriously, these guys can do no wrong (minus that whole "Moves Like Jagger" thing – I just wasn’t a fan). Their song "Nothing Lasts Forever" (an unreleased single from their 2^nd album) is one of the best songs (musically, lyrically, everyway) that I’ve ever heard, and definitely lands near the top of my all time favorite songs list. But anyway. I’ve been eagerly waiting for new music from them ever since their last album Hands All Over dropped nearly two years ago. Like always, I loved that album so much that I just kept playing the songs over and over again, which made me restless for new music very quickly. After taking a little detour (code for Adam Levine being able to do his thing on The Voice), Maroon 5 is back and better than ever, ready to take on the pop/rock world with their 4^th studio album, Overexposed. The first single off the album is "Payphone," a song with a slightly more pop feel than the typical Maroon 5 style, which the band premiered Monday night on The Voice. The song definitely caught my attention, even though the live version does not do the studio cut justice. Since then, though, I’ve been addicted … playing it multiple times every day. The song starts out with just a keyboard and Levine’s crystal clear falsetto. From that point on, the song never slows down. Its energy builds with intensity that culminates in an exceptional chorus backed by full band and blasting pop beats. The only issue I can point out is that the rap part by Wiz Khalifa could have been left out. I’m not sure why almost every popular pop song today has to have a rap part in it, but really, this song is so powerful that it could have stood on its own just fine. Not to be outshined by the musical element, the lyrics (like always) tell a brilliant story. I’m not sure who had to break Adam’s heart to inspire him to write this song, but I’m glad they did. Overall, it’s a great pop song that reflects the shift the band has undergone in trying to create a more infectious pop feel. Sadly, the release of Overexposed is still two months away (June 26,2012 is when it will come out), which means I’ll have to hang on to this song to satisfy my new song craving. But, that’s ok with me. - Lindsey

Monica - Time To Move On

Last Tuesday Monica released her sixth studio album New Life. I’m a huge fan of hers so I was really looking forward to this record and when I say she aced it, I mean it in every sense of the word. The album is the true embodiment of classic R&B soul music. One thing I love most about Monica is that she’s real and honest and that’s something that’s made so evident by her music and the songs she sings… While I love the entire album, my favorite track without question is “Time To Move On”. From the first time I heard it, I knew it was a song I’d end up playing over and over again. The styling is very reminiscent of Sam Cook’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” but the overall sound is still relevant to today. Monica sings her heart out in this track and just really brings every lyric of the song to life (she took this track to church!!)… The song is called “Time To Move On” but I wont be moving on from this song for quite a while. Check it out for yourself!

You can purchase this song along with the rest of the album here (buy this album and support good music!)... And be sure to check her out on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Erik Hassle - Stay

Since I first started my blog I’ve been waiting for this day (no, not April 17, 2012), the day I get to introduce you all to my favorite artist (in the whole universe) Mr. Erik Hassle. He’s a singer from Sweden whose music is simply amazing, and without a doubt he has been one of my biggest (if not THEE biggest) musical inspirations… I could easily spend all day talking about how great he is but lets get straight to the song… “Stay” (which was just released yesterday) is the brand new single from his upcoming album and after hearing it (about 50 times now) I must say (aside from me being the avid fan that I am) he completely delivered an incredible track. The melody from the piano is simply beautiful and something that instantly sticks with you. On top of that, Erik (once again) delivers a flawless vocal performance, which really shows his range. But more than just that, you can hear the emotions coming through so strongly with every note he sings… If this song is any indication of what we can expect to hear from the upcoming album I know it will be nothing short of genius. But until then I’ll continue to leave “Stay” on repeat.

The single is only available in Sweden right now but ill post the link as soon its available here in America! ... Make sure you check him out on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Nathan Angelo - These ol' Keys

Classic and timeless is what this song is… I’ve had it sitting in my iTunes music list for quite a while now but it wasn’t until about a week ago that I actually took the time to listen to it. Since then it’s been on repeat nonstop… Songs with big production and a lot of eccentrics are really cool at times but there’s something about a song where it’s just a piano or guitar and an artist pouring out their soul while singing it. It gets to you in a way that the songs with the heavy beats and loud synths cant. The piano is absolutely beautiful and Nathan (whose vocals are amazing period) really shows what he’s capable of with this song. I played it for my mom (who usually cant stand any of my music) and she wouldn’t stop talking about how much she loved it... So in conclusion "Take me back to a familiar place, where the tears come streaming down my face again, and I can hide all the doubts that take me far away from the guitar my hands where made to play, the rain and shine. So here ill stay and forever I will play these ol' strings"... Yes i changed the words a bit, because I play guitar lol :)



You can purchase that song here. And be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

Justin Nozuka - Heartless (feat. India.Arie)

I’m going back a year for today’s post because I think this is such a good song that more people need to know about… This is the type of track I wish was number one on the billboard Hot 100. Great lyrics, great melody and two truly great artists… I’ve been a fan of Justin Nozuka and India.Arie for a while, so when I saw that they did a song together I had a strong feeling it would be good, but after hearing the song, it turned out better than I could have imagined… This is actually the second version of Justin’s song “Heartless”. The original version is only him singing and it’s a bit more stripped down than the version with India. Both are great, but I really love what India brings to the track. Not only do her and Justin’s voice sound great together but also the tone in her voice is beautiful. Its raspy yet still glides flawlessly over the melody of the song. The chord progression from the guitars is really nice and it’s something that really grabs you when you listen to it… The song is called “Heartless” but there’s definitely nothing heartless about this song.

You can purchase that song here. And be sure to check out Justin on Facebook and Twitter.

Karmin - Brokenhearted

Pop and I have an interesting relationship, the success of which carefully hinges on the perfect balance of vocals and beats. If it’s too over produced … to electronic, I can’t stand it. But, on the other hand, a pop song lacking good beats isn’t worth my time either. After all, those rhythmic pulsations are what make pop … well, pop. Lately, a lot of new pop songs have migrated toward the extreme end of too “electronicky” to the point where you can’t even appreciate the vocals. This isn’t the case with Karmin though. This unique duo, comprised of Amy and Nick, have been blowing up Youtube since 2010 with their rare pop style. I only heard about them last April when they made an appearance on Ellen playing their cover of “Look At Me Now.” So here’s the interesting thing about Karmin. You look at them and you think, “Oh … two white people who probably have very nice voices are going to sing a nice song now.” And then, they start singing, and you’re blown away sitting there thinking, “What the heck just happened?” At least that’s how it went with me. Because not only can Karmin sing their butts off, but Amy can rap … like hardcore, how is she breathing and how does everything sound so clear kind of rap. And she’s good … really good. Nicky Minaj who? All that to say this, their new original song “Brokenhearted” is phenomenal. It’s quickly become my new favorite song to the point where I can’t stop playing it. Its compilation of funky keyboard beats (kudos to Nick for that one) and recurring chord progressions sets the perfect tone for this upbeat piece. Meanwhile, Amy’s vocals soar through the verses and are pretty close to perfect when it comes to the catchy chorus that sticks with you long after the song has finished. Her famous rap style is incorporated into the song but it’s just the right amount that it won’t drive you crazy if you’re not into that type of thing. Combined, these elements are the perfect combo for this up and coming group. Their debut record is set for release at the end of this month, and I for one can’t wait. If the rest of their album is anything like this single, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.  Cheerio. – Lindsey

Mêlée - The Ballad of You and I

You know those bands that are so good and a lot of times even better than the popular bands out at the moment, but they just don’t get the recognition they deserve? Well Mêlée is definitely one of those bands. I’ve known about them for a few years now. I first heard them when there song “Stand Up” was playing during a movie I was watching (I don’t remember what movie it was but I do remember Amanda Bynes was in it... Hmmmm... Oh well)… I really started getting into their music when I heard their song “The Ballad of You and I”. First off, Christopher Cron, the lead vocalist, has an amazing voice. His range is just incredible and I really think his vocals are a big reason Mêlée’s songs, as a whole, are so good. He somehow just breaths life into every lyric he sings. They also use a lot of keys in there songs, as evident in “The Ballad of You and I” but it’s never over powering. It always fits nicely with all the other components in their music… It’s been just about 2 years since their last album release, so I’m hoping they’ll be putting out some new material pretty soon. But until then ill keep listening to the amazing stuff they’ve already given us.



Be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter.