A Day to Remember Release Standard Album

A Day to Remember self released their fifth album in October. Common Courtesy received a full physical release last month and it's more of the same for the band. The band, led by frontman Jeremy McKinnon, mix in elements of metalcore, pop-punk,, emo and post-hardcore to form a catchy and aggressive sound that is all their own.
While this record isn't the band's best, it is a step up from their last release What Separates Me from You, which had tons of filler and only a handful of great songs. While this record isn't as great as their best album, their sophomore release For Those Who Have Heart, it still reminds fans why this band is so great. The band mix in hardcore bangers, pop-punk anthems and emotional ballads.
The band have gotten heavier on this release and with songs like "Sometimes You're the Hammer, Sometimes You're the Nail," "Violence (Enough Is Enough)"  and "Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way" are all sure to open up mosh pits in the future and are signature A Day to Remember. "Best of Me" is for sure the album's best heavy song. The song mixes in pop-punk melodies and is what the band do best.
The pop-punk inspired songs also shine. "Life @ 11" is a great example of this. The album's two best pop-punk songs are the first two on the album "City of Ocala" and "Right Back at It Again." These songs have the aggression of pop-punk and truly make the listener move.
Some of the album's best tracks are the ballads. "I'm Already Gone," "End of Me" and the album's best song "I Surrender" are all emotional and soft while still maintaining rock elements.
While most of the songs on the album are good some just don't hold their own next to such great songs. "I Remember" and "Dead & Buried" aren't as memorable as the other songs and could be done without.
The rereleased version of this album has three bonus tracks. The acoustic opener of "Leave All the Lights On" soon starts out a bounce that recalls older Kelly Clarkson songs. This song is a pop-punk rocker that is a good addition to the album. "Good Things" is a kind of Blink 182 throwback that also adds to this record. "Same Book But Never the Same Page"  is a good song but it isn't as good as some of the album's other great tracks and comes off as having been done before.
All in all Common Courtesy is a great record and while it isn't the band's best album, isn't the worst thing they've done. It shows that even in adversity a band can stick together and make great music.

Demi Lovato brings it on new single

Demi Lovato's third album Unbroken was the first time that the singer hit the mainstream. After two amazing, but overlooked, pop-rock albums aimed at the Disney crowd Lovato hit the top 40 hard with "Skyscraper" and "Give Your Heart a Break." Unbroken for the most part got rid of her rocker roots and had a more dance-pop and R&B influence. While the album was a change for Lovato it was a great record.
Yesterday Lovato released her single "Heart Attack" from her yet untitled fourth record. The song is an electropop song that features traces of acoustic rock. The single is catchy and fun, like most Lovato songs from all of her albums. The song is a personal song about falling in love and risking heartbreak. While that isn't the deepest of topics, Lovato does it so well.
Lovato's vocals are another thing to marvel at. She rocks it like a younger Kelly Clarkson. Lovato always touches her listeners with her emotional performance on each song. She could definitely make the alphabet sound emotional. This song is a great look of what is to come and if this is any indication Lovato's next album will be a great record.

Kelly Clarkson is never going to stop

Kelly Clarkson will always be one of pop-rock's queens. This year she released her first greatest hits album and on it were classics like "My Life Would Suck Without You," "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger), and the best pop song ever "Since U Been Gone." Clarkson recorded three new songs for the record. They aren't her best songs but they are great and they show some new sounds for the singer.
"Catch My Breath" is a electropop/rock song. While Clarkson has done this before this song features a more heavier electrpop sound. The song is uplifting, a first for a Clarkson single. Most of her songs are about the negative sides of love, yet the new engaged singer brings out the positive in this single. This song is a great new direction for Clarkson.
The best new song on the compilation is "People Like Us." This song is a dance anthem that is about people going through dark times. "It's hard to stay high when you're livin' on the bottom," Clarkson sings. The song is Clarkson's note to people going through rough times. Clarkson is saying that she's been there and it will get better. Kind of like a better version of her song "Dark Side."
"Don't Rush," a duet with Vince Gill and the second single is an acquired taste. If you like soulful country jams then this is sure to be a favorite. The song is a easy breezy number that is a good chill out song. Clarkson and Gill's voices mix together so amazingly.
This greatest hits album is a reminder of how great Clarkson is. These three new songs make this blogger excited for her next album. Clarkson is showing that happiness won't put a damper on her career.

Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson release awesome videos for their lame new singles

Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson are both known for making amazing pop songs but they both have singles out now that are nowhere near as good as they should be. However while the songs are lackluster the videos are amazing.
Katy Perry's new video is for her breakup anthem and second single off of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, "Wide Awake." The song features cliche lyrics about waking up and moving on from a breakup. While her last single "Part of Me" was a pissed off dance-rock song dedicated to her exes "Wide Awake" is just kind of there. While the song isn't bad, it's just not that great. Perry should have just stuck to releasing songs off the original Teenage Dream album. "Hummingbird Heartbeat" or "Not Like The Movies" are both better songs off of that record that could have been big for her yet Perry chose to rerelease the album with one great song and two that weren't up to par.
The video for "Wide Awake" is quite good thought. She is shooting a scene for her "California Girls" video in the beginning and then when Perry is in her dressing room, alone we begin to see that she is depressed behind closed doors. She then goes on a journey that involves creepy monsters and following her childhood self until finally she gets to the fantasy land of her future. In the end she is seen as being whole again and she goes off to play a show, happier than ever. The video is quite moving yet the song just doesn't hold attention.
Kelly Clarkson's new single "Dark Side" is an electro-rock song about a lover accepting her for who she is, despite the fact that like everybody else she has a dark side to her. While the song works good as an album cut, it isn't a strong single. The song is taken from Clarkson's fifth album Stronger. There are many other songs on the record that could have been singles like "I Forgive You," "Hello," or "The War is Over." "Alone" and "Don't Be A Girl About It," which were both bonus tracks could have been better singles and are better than most other songs on the record.
The video is about everybody having dark sides. From being bullied to drug abusers, many groups are represented in the video. Eventually Clarkson goes on to hug a few of them showing that faults can be forgiven and everything will be okay in the end. The video is comparable to Christina Aguilera's video for "Beautiful."
While both these women are forces to be reckoned with in the pop music world, they may want to make better single choices if they'd like to stay that way. Below are their latest videos.