B.o.B Gets Hip Hop On New Album

B.o.B has always been a rapper with more pop sensibilities than most. Only he can work with such mainstream artists such as Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams of Paramore and still keep the respect of the streets.
On Underground Luxury, B.o.B's third album he stays away from mainstream guest appearances. Aside from Chris Brown, T.I. and Priscilla Renea the guests are far more, well, underground. While  this is definitely his worst album, it's still a good record. Some of his solo songs blend together, but most of the songs are memorable.
The two best songs are the singles "John Doe" which features Priscilla Renea and "Headband" which features 2 Chainz. "John Doe" is by far the best song though. It features Renea singing a chorus of sadness playing John Doe's love interest While B.o.B  plays the addict.
"John Doe, I just want the John I know/ Once you put the drinks on hold/ Maybe you could come back home/ John Doe," Renea sings sadly during the chorus.
This is the best song and with a song this good it makes the other songs sound like filler. Most of the songs blend together and are broken up by the memorable songs like "Ready" which features Future, "Coastline," "Wide Open" which features Esther Dean and  "We Still In This Bitch" which features T.I. and Juicy J.
Without these songs the record would be nothing more than filler and background music. The problem is that B.o.B is that he works better with a guest appearance on the song. He works better with a Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj or Rivers Cuomo like on is first two albums. For his next record he would do good to have more guest appearances to help him hold his own.

Cassadee Pope Releases Enjoyable Debut

Cassadee Pope rose to fame in the Warped Tour circuit with her pop-punk band Hey Monday. Their music was an energetic dose of pop-punk that featured a very pop edge but also rocked hard. Hey Monday took a hiatus and Pope released a mediocre EP that was basically Hey Monday lite. Then she participated and eventually won The Voice. With Blake Shelton as her coach Pope adopted a country sound and that later manifested in the first single "Wasting All These Tears." The single was a great first country outing for Pope and her debut album Frame by Frame followed this month.
The album starts on a high note with the album's five best songs. "Good Times," "Champagne," "Wasting All These Tears," "I Wish I Could Break Your Heart" and "Everybody Sings" are all catchy and memorable. "Good Times" is a fast paced song about enjoying the good times with a bit of  a rock edge and is the best song on the album. "Everybody Sings" shows a bit of Pope's pop side with a Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl" inspired breakdown during the bridge. "I Wish I Could Break Your Heart" is a rock inspired song as well as "Champagne."
Other good songs on the album are "This Car" and ode to falling in love in a car and "One Song Away" a breakup ballad about being one sad song away from a breakdown. "Easier to Lie" is an anthem for cheaters all over and despite being a sleazy track, is an emotional look into the mind of a cheater.
Some of the songs that aren't as good include "You Hear a Song" which is a misguided attempt at a love song and just comes off cheesy. "11" is a Taylor Swift inspired song that deals with a child dealing with the divorce of her parents.
However the album closes on a high note again with "Proved You Wrong." This song is a fast-paced country rocker that is similar to Pope's solo material.
While this country debut is a good album, it isn't truly pure country. The music is more pop and rock with country influences mixed in. Pope should return to Hey Monday as soon as possible. Her music with her former band was far more memorable than these songs. But judging by her "I'm going back to my roots" spiel that isn't likely to happen anytime soon, if not ever. 

 

Natalia Kills Grows Up On New Album

Natalia Kills released her sophomore album Trouble this month and it's a step ahead from her 2011 Perfectionist. While that album was like a darker version of Lady Gaga with guitars, this album takes half of the Gaga influence away and throws in a huge Lana Del Rey influence. The album is full of melancholy lyrics and guitar licks. This is show perfectly on the opener and best song on the record "Television." The song starts out with lyrics about the magic of television but then in the last minute of the song Kills turns it around and sings in a fragile voice over a piano.
"Where I'm from it all goes wrong/ It's not like on the television/ The darkest days don't fade away/ Can't turn it off like television," Kills sings during this little interlude which is followed by a scream of frustration to end the song.
The album then goes into the first single "Problem." This guitar filled dance rocker is about being a badass, something Kills knows a lot about. The third track "Stop Me" takes on a softer more dance inspired sound. Kills talks about her daddy issues on this song, which is a theme she examines in detail on this record.
The next song brings back the guitar and swagger that is expected from Kills. "Boys Don't Cry" is a great song and it features Kills taking about a breakup. On the next track, the Hall & Oats sampling, "Daddy's Girl" Kills examines her relationship, or lack thereof with her father. Kills told Marie Claire Magazine about her childhood. " I have this awful riches-to-rags childhood story: When I was born, my family had a lot, but by the time I was 11, my dad had been accused of being a criminal and we were visiting him in jail. The police took everything.
That can explain the lyrics to many of the songs on this record. Two of the best songs on the album are up next. First is the second single "Saturday Night" which features lyrics about her troubled childhood and tinges of domestic battery. She eased the pain with going out and partying to forget about her issues. The song recalls Lana Del Rey and Robyn and is a great song. The next song, "Devils Don't Fly" is a gorgeous breakup song which is one of Kills' best songs to date and it contains the best lyrics. The song talks about the pain of losing a love and the hopeless feeling after a breakup.
The album loses steam on the next track "Outta Time." This old school soul sounding track isn't bad, but it's not as powerful as the other songs.
The album picks up on the next two songs. "Controversy" is a social commentary about the world we live in. It tackles drugs, criminals and a plethora of other topics. "Drink the Kool-Aide/ Don't drink the Kool-Aide," Kills sings during the chorus.
The next song is "Rabbit Hole" which recalls Gwen Stefani's second solo album. It has a very marching band, hip hop sound and is topically similar to "Problem." It recalls the sound and attitude of her debut.
"Watching You" is a breakup ballad that is decent, but nothing compared to the next track "Marlboro Lights." This track is a gorgeous ballad which deals with medicating after the end of a breakup. The track is about not being able to escape the memory of a past love. This along with "Devils Don't Fly" are the perfect breakup song.
The final track is the title track and a decent song. It recalls Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift, melding the two into a good closer. By the time that this song comes about, it's too late and overplayed.
Natalia Kill is the most underrated pop artist out there. She is nowhere near being as big as she deserves.

The Summer Set Make New Sound On New Album

The Summer Set's last album was pretty boring. Everything's Fine had a very acoustic sound and while there were some great songs, it wasn't as fun as their debut Love Like This. Their debut had a more pop-punk sound than their sophomore album. The band toured extensively and announced they were recording a new album.
In 2012 the band released the first single off of their third album, "Fuck You Over." The single was a synth-laced pop-punk jam with pop sensibilities and a rock swagger. Then in 2013 the band released two singles, the midtempo "Maybe Tonight" and the cheesy pop-rocker "Boomerang." "If I was Jay- Z/ You'd be my Beyoncé/ We could rock the nation like they do," front man Brian Dales sings during the chorus.
Last week The Summer Set released their third album Legendary. While this record isn't as good as their debut it's still a step in the right direction. The album blends the sounds of their first two albums to form a great blend of styles.
The album has some pop-rock inspired tunes. From "Lightening in a Bottle" and "Happy For You," the rockers on the album are fun and passionate. The Summer Set have never rocked that hard but they sure know how to make a fun pop-rock song. The emphasis is on the pop on this album. The songs sound like a combination of We The Kings mixed with a better version of Jonas Brothers and has it's male Taylor Swift moments.
The album's slower moments like "Heart on the Floor" which was written with pop singer Cady Groves and features Dia Frampton, are great. The band really show that they can do both fast and slower songs.
All in all Legendary is a great step in the right direction for the band. Here's hoping they don't blow it.

Selena Gomez Grows Up

Disney Starlet Selena Gomez has had quite the career. With countless television shows and films, not to mention three albums with her backing band The Scene, Gomez has had much success. In 2012 she announced that her band was going on hiatus and that they would get back together in 2013. Then in 2013 Gomez announced that she would be going solo for her next album which she stated is inspired by Skrillex and Taylor Swift.
The first single "Come & Get It" was released this week and shows a mature side of her. The dubstep/electropop song which features some world music influences is a sexy anthem about not being over an ex and giving him permission to "come and get it."
While the song is sure to be judged as being aimed at ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber, but Gomez said it isn't. While Gomez didn't write the song it seems to be relatable to their relationship. "This love will be the death of me/ But I know I'll die happily," Gomez coos in the bridge.
While Gomez has never been the greatest vocalist, her vocals sound smooth here and add to the song. Despite the song being catchy, it isn't as memorable as Gomez's previous singles such as "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" or "Love You Like A Love Song." The song is a great preview of Gomez's debut solo album. Hopefully the rest of her record is as experimental as this song is. That is the appeal of this song, experimentation. Not to mention the fact that it's a fun, relatable club jam. Gomez's album is due out in the summer.

Paramore Release Their Best Album

Paramore have always released classic albums and with their self-titled fourth album Hayley Williams and co. really outdo themselves. The songs have a different sound than their previous albums and with songs written about moving on from the past, Paramore is an album full of hope and experimentation.
After rumors of a split in late 2010 when two founding members left the band, Paramore decided to do that they do best. What they do best is write catchy rock music packed with emotion. From the album's opener, and not to mention the best song on this record, "Fast in My Car" to the last song, the seven minute long "Future," the band have written their best collection of songs yet.
While traces of their previous, pop-punk/emo sound can be heard on songs such as "Be Alone" and "Part II,' the band experiment on other songs. From the funky touches of "Ain't It Fun" to the Taylor Swiftesque "Hate to See Your Heart Break," the band show no signs of stopping.
"Part II" is an 80s new wave inspired sequel to "Let the Flames Begin" off of their sophomore album Riot!. Other highlights include the second single "Still Into You" which sounds like Katy Perry with a rock edge and "Anklebiters" which has a more punk sound.
The lyrics are another reason to love this album. Williams has clearly used writing songs to help her work through the departure of Zac and Josh Farro in 2010. "I could be angry, but you're not worth the fight/ Besides I'm moving on," Williams sings on "Interlude: Moving On."
Paramore have cemented their spot in rock music history as survivors. Their fourth album shows that the band aren't going anywhere and that they can pull of any kind of music.

The Summer Set can do no wrong

Pop-punk band The Summer Set kicked off their career with a few EPs before their debut Love Like This was released with their lead single and by far their catchiest song "Chelsea." The song was featured on Dancing with the Stars and got the band a small bit of success. The album featured singer Brian Dales' cute writing style. His lyrics for the album were like a male Taylor Swift.
The band's sophomore album, 2011's Everything's Fine had a more acoustic style and a more personal sound. The songs were slower and more personal and were written about mostly breakups. The songs "Someone Like You" and "Begin Again" were the best but the whole album had that cutesy cheesy sound that their debut had. The album was good but it wasn't as good as their debut.
The band released their new album's first single, 2012's "Fuck U Over" had a more pop-punk sound like their debut. Last month the band released their second single "Maybe Tonight" which was more like their sophomore album and they also announced their new album Legendary.
Then this week the band released "Boomerang" the adorable new single from their third album. The song features a fast-paced acoustic beat and cute lyrics "If I was Jay-Z, you'd be my Beyoncé/ We could rock the nation like they do/ And if I was Da Vinci, you'd be Mona Lisa/ Paint a smile perfectly on you," Dales sings during the chorus. The song is one of the band's best songs and it seems to show that the band's new record will be a commination of all of their older music, and that's okay with us.

Top 10 albums of 2012

Being the first day of the new year it's hard to not look back at the last year in music. This year had some great albums.

10-The Strange Case of... by Halestorm.
The second album by hard rock band Halestorm featured a newer sound for the band. Their heavy songs got heavier and their softer songs got deeper. While there were Tons of rock anthems like "Daughters of Darkness" and "Mz. Hyde" the slower songs like "Break In" and "Beautiful With You" touched on a side of front woman Lzzy Hale that we didn't see on their debut. Not to mention that this album features their Grammy nominated single "Love Bites (So Do I)" which may be the band's best song ever and the song "Here's to Us" which was featured on Glee.
Key Tracks-"Love Bites (So Do I)," Beautiful With You," and "Rock Show."

9-Picture Show by Neon Trees
New wave alternative rockers Neon Trees topped themselves with their second album. Every song on the album is fantastic. From the rockers like "Hooray for Hollywood" to the dance songs like "Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night" to the ballads like "Close to You, this album had it all. While their debut was great this album is ten times better. The album featured the platinum hit "Everybody Talks" which went on to become the band's biggest single.
Key Tracks-"Everybody Talks," "Mad Love," "Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night)," "Close to You," Hooray for Hollywood," and "I Am The D.J."

8-Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded by Nicki Minaj
Rapper Nicki Minaj released her second album a little over a year after her debut and the album was more experimental than her first. The album features club tracks ("Starships," "Beautiful Sinner") hip hop anthems ("Beez in the Trap," "Come on a Cone") and some slower songs about heartbreak "Marilyn Monroe," "Fire Burns") and Minaj pulls them all off. The songs on the album mixed many genres together like pop-rock, R&B, dance, house, dubstep, reggae and of course hip hop. The album featured the hits "Starships" and "Pound the Alarm."
Key Tracks-"Roman Holiday," "Beez in the Trap," "Starships," "Pound the Alarm," "Marilyn Monroe," "Fire Burns," and "Stupid Hoe."

7-Electra Heart by Marina and the Diamonds
Indie pop singer Marina and the Diamonds tried new things on her sophomore album. Firstly she went for a more mainstream sound. This disc features traces of dance, pop and rock music. She also co-wrote her songs on this record. The result may not always be good ("Valley of the Dolls," "Hypocrites") but for the most part the album is amazing. From bouncy songs "Bubblegum Bitch" and "How to be a Heartbreaker" to emotional ballads like "Lies" and "Starring Role," this album has it all.
Key Tracks-"Bubblegum Bitch," "Lies," "Staring Role," "Power & Control," "Sex Yeah," "How to be a Heartbreaker" and "Radioactive.

6-Covered by Macy Gray
Macy Gray's sixth album contains covers of songs and a few silly skits. If you ignore the skits then the album has nine great covers and one that isn't all that great. Gray brings her crazy brand of soul to songs such as "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs or "Sail" by Awolnation. She also rewrote the My Chemical Romance hit "Teenagers." The song is now about the struggle of raising teenagers.
Key Tracks-"Here Comes the Rain Again," "Creep," "Teenagers," "Sail," :Maps," and "Bubbly."

5-Warrior by Ke$ha
Ke$ha's sophomore album shows that the popstar can grow from simply singing about clubbing. Some of her best songs on her last album and EP were her ballads and on this album she brings out the ballads. "Past Lives" and "Love Into the Light" are packed with emotion. The album also features more guitars and a more rock oriented approach. The best rockers on this album are "Only Wanna Dance With You" and the album's best song "Thinking of You." The later being a breakup anthem about moving on from a cheating boyfriend.
Key Tracks-"Warrior," "C'mon," Thinking of You," "Crazy Kids," "Only Wanna Dance With You," and the deluxe edition bonus tracks "Last Goodbye" and "Past Lives."

4-Red by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has always ridden the line between country and pop and on her fourth album Red she really weaves the two together. She also mixes in rock, dubstep and electropop influences into her sound this time for a great new sound. From her love songs like "State of Grace" to her bitter breakup jams like "I Knew You Were Trouble." and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" Swift always writes from the heart. Swift's new style seems to be paying off. Red sold one million copies in it's first week of release.
Key Tracks-"State of Grace," "Red," I Knew You Were Trouble," "22," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "Stay Stay Stay," "Everything Has Changed," Starlight," and "Begin Again."

3-Born to Die by Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey released her major label debut in 2012 but she's been making music for years. On her debut Del Rey mixes in many styles like baroque pop, sadcore, alternative hip hop, indie pop and trip hop. One of the things that make Del Rey stand out is her songwriting style. Songs like "Video Games" and "Diet Mountain Dew" showcase her strange way of telling a story. Her unique voice is also what is so great about her. While she has many haters Del Rey is clearly the breakout star of 2012 and with a new album in the works she won't be slowing down anytime soon. 
Key Tracks-"Born to Die,"  "Video Games," "Diet Mountain Dew," "National Anthem," "Dark Paradise," "Summertime Sadness" and "This is What Makes Us Girls."

2-Push and Shove by No Doubt
No Doubt's sixth studio may not be their best album, it doesn't have the spunk and attitude of their previous albums and it isn't as catchy as their other music but that being said it's still a great album. Every song on the album is good and even though a lot of the songs may have the same new wave sound, they are still strong songs. The best song on the album is the title track. It mixes in reggae and ska with alternative rock to form a fun, catchy song. "Push and Shove" is definitely the best song on the record and it is one of the band's best songs. The rest of the songs are a mature look at relationships. Hopefully the band will get back into the swing of things and get back to their former greatness. While Push and Shove is a great album and is worth the 11 year wait that it took the band to record this record.
Key Tracks-All of them

1-The Truth About Love by P!nk
P!nk's sixth record is by far her best. This is the first record of hers to not have a bad song on it. This album is coherent and gets back the spark that was missing on her last record Funhouse and the songs on her greatest hits album. P!nk's strong points has always been her fast-paced rock songs. From party songs like "Walk of Shame" and "Slut Like You" to breakup songs like "How Come You're Not Here" P!nk is always at her best while banging her head. She also packs in the emotional songs on this song. Great ballads like "Try" and "The Great Escape" really tug at the heartstrings. P!nk's voice and songwriting have always been great but on this album they're much improved.
Key Tracks-"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," "Try," "Just Give Me a Reason," "True Love," "How Come You're Not Here," "Slut Like You," "Walk of Shame" and "Here Comes the Weekend."

Taylor Swift gets better with time

Country star Taylor Swift's fourth album Red proves that the singer just gets better with age. Every album Swift comes out with is better than the last.
On Red Taylor mixes in her country roots with pop-rock and dance influences. Rockers like "State of Grace" and "Holy Ground"are sure to keep heads banging. The third single and album highlight "I Knew You Were Trouble." is a pop-rock breakup anthem that incorporates dubstep into the chorus. Another album highlight is the future fourth single and dance rock song "22." The song sounds like Katy Perry or Ke$ha and that isn't a bad thing. The lyrics of the song touch on youth and having fun.
Other highlights include "Everything Has Changed" a duet with Ed Sheeran, the adorable "Stay Stay Stay" and of course the lead single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."
While some slow moments like "Sad Beautiful Tragic" or "All Too Well" may slow things down a bit the album is a fun, honest ride from start to end.
The album closes in a beautiful fashion with the ballad "Begin Again," a gorgeous song about starting over with somebody new after a breakup. The best song on the album is the title track, a country/pop/rock fusion song that is about moving on from a breakup. The fast yet slow song has the honest lyrics that Taylor Swift is known for.
While she writes childish lyrics they are honest and relateable. Everybody from the first lady to a high school janitor has felt the things Taylor writes about and that is why she's so successful. She writes a killer songs and she will definitely be a huge star for a long time coming.

Taylor Swift outdoes herself on new single

Taylor Swift has two kinds of songs; the cheesy love song ("Love Story," Enchanted") to the cheesy breakup song ("Picture To Burn," "Forever & Always") and her latest song is her one of her best songs ever. After two albums that were half amazing songs and half annoying songs, Swift released her third and greatest album Sparks Fly. That album was truly amazing and it also exposed Swift to other kinds of music. She incorporated pop and rock elements into her music, they were always there but she put them to the forefront on that record.
This week Swift released the first single off of her fourth album, Red. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is far from the usual country that Swift usually releases. The song, about an ex trying to get back with her is straight up pop, sounding more like Avril Lavigne than any of her previous work. She wrote the song with pop master Max Martin.
The song is a midtempo, acoustic guitar filled song with a catchy chorus that will be sure to be the breakup anthem of the year. The lyrics are don't come off as bitter or angry, but they show her confidence. She shows her ex no malice but she just can't give him a second shot. "I'm really gonna miss you picking fights. And me, falling for it screaming that I'm right. And you, would hide away and find your piece of mind, with some Indie record that's so much cooler than mine," Swift sings in the second chorus.
While Swift always makes cheesy, immature lyrics, the honesty with which she sings them is just too cute and that is what makes her so likeable. Not to mention that when you're upset at your boyfriend or girlfriend, you go to cheesy songs. Her songs are easily relateable and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is no different. This song will do big things for Swift and it's a sign that Red may just be her best record yet.