Fefe Dobson quietly releases shelved second album

Fefe Dobson released her unreleased sophomore album Sunday Love a little over two weeks ago. The album which featured her singles "Don't Let it Go to Your Head" and "This is My Life" was originally intended to follow up her stellar 2003 self-titled debut in 2006. The album was pushed back several times before Dobson was dropped from her label on the day of the album's supposed release.
The Label dropped Dobson due to the album's grungy new sound. Dobson then went independent while her former label Island Records sold songs from her unreleased album to be covered by artists like Selena Gomez and the Scene and Jordin Sparks.
Eventually Dobson signed back with Island and they released her sophomore album Joy. The album was clearly meant to make her label happy due to it's mainstream sound and often childish lyrics. The album was a flop.
There is no mention on Dobson's Twitter feed, Facebook page or official website about the release. The album clearly won't go anywhere which is a shame because the album has some amazing songs. Catchy rockers like "The Initiator" or "Get You Off" could have been huge hits in 2006 when pop-rock was all the rage but now the album won't go anywhere. Dobson should get a new label so she can get the commercial success that she so clearly deserves.

Ke$ha rocks out on new album

Ke$ha's debut album Animal and her companion EP Cannibal were packed with epic party jams with a few gorgeous breakup ballads peppered in to give us both sides of partying. There's the fun side of partying and then there's the sad, crying, falling down side. Ke$ha shows us both sides. When Ke$ha began recording her sophomore album Warrior she wanted to have a "cock rock" sound. While that isn't really prevalent on most of the songs it is featured on a few of the rockers on the album.
Warrior is a great next step for Ke$ha. It opens with three of her classic club jams. The title track is a catchy ode to freaks everywhere. Then comes here singles "Die Young" and "C'mon." These songs are both about having fun at the club.
Next up is the best song on the album, "Thinking of You." Thinking of you is a loud, rocking breakup song with Ke$ha kissing off her ex. "I know I said I wouldn't talk about you publicly/ But that was before I caught you lying and cheating on me slut," she sings in the pre-chorus. The song talks about how Ke$ha thought about him so much but now she's famous and all over the radio and now he has to miss her.
The album goes into the thumping, yet acoustic "Crazy Kids." This song very much like "Warrior" in content. It features Ke$ha doing her signature rapping. "Wherever You Are" is a electropop love song, showing Ke$ha's vulnerable side. This doesn't last long as she goes into the filthy trashy rocker "Dirty Love" which features Iggy Pop. This punk rock number is all about doing the nasty.
Then the album hits a snag with the song "Wonderland." This cheesy ballad is all about her past experiences before being famous. She recalls friends and lovers from that time. The lyrics come off as very cheesy. That stops with the next song, "Only Wanna Dance With You." This rocker is about falling in love with somebody. It's a fun and fast song with great instrumentation played by The Strokes.
The album then hits another low with the song "Supernatural." This song is allegedly about having sex with a ghost but none of that is apparent and it just seems like a club song. The album then picks up with the closing songs. "All That Matters (The Beautiful Life)" is a fun song that showcases Ke$ha's dance side. While the lyrics get cheesy at points in the song the message of just enjoying life and having a good time is a good one. More people could use more positive songs like this. The album closes with the 80s pop ballad "Love into the Light." This song follows along with the theme of the last one. It's all about how as a people we need to bring love into the light.
The deluxe edition bonus tracks are great. She should have just made these songs as part of the standard disc. "Last Goodbye" is a touching song about looking back on a love gone wrong. Ke$ha clearly misses her lover and wishes that they were still together. It's like a sequel to "The Harold Song" from Cannibal. The next song is the silly and fun "Gold Trans Am." Ke$ha stated that the song is about her lady parts. "Wham, bam, thank you man/ Get inside my fuckin' gold Trans Am," She sings.
The next song "Out Alive" is enjoyable but forgettable. I'm still trying to remember anything about this song and I can't. The disc ends on a high point with "Past Lives." The song calls to mind early slow jams by Yeah Yeah Yeahs and was written solely by Ke$ha. It was produced by The Flaming Lips and features vocals by front man Wayne Coyne. The song features references to events through history that happened during their "past lives." The song features Ke$ha's best and most heartfelt lyrics to date. "Then we made it through the Ice Age/ But I lost you in the Crusades/ I built the pyramids for you babe/ Just to see your face," Ke$ha sings during the second verse.
This album is a huge step forward for Ke$ha. Hopefully on her next album she rocks out more.

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."

Paloma Faith breaks through to American audiences

Paloma Faith has had huge success in the UK and now with two hit albums under her belt. The British soul singer released her second album, and US debut earlier this month. She blends in the soul of Adele and Amy Winehouse with the melancholy of Lana Del Rey. On Fall to Grace, Faith mixes in many styles to form a classic blue-eyed soul masterpiece.
The album opens with the album's two best songs. Her single "Picking Up the Pieces" is a gorgeous soul song about how her relationship is being haunted by the memory of her boyfriend's former lover. "Now she's gone and I'm picking up the pieces," Faith sings painfully in the chorus. The song leaves the listener hearing Faith's agony. This song should blow up if the US knows what's good.
The second track, "30 Minute Love Affair" is a synthpop ballad that is about literally what the title says. Faith falls in love with somebody and has a fling with them.
Other highlights include "Let Me Down Easy" "Just Be" and "Black & Blue." One of the best songs on the record is the disco infused "Blood, Sweat & Tears." The song is about all of the struggles that go into being in a relationship. "I know sometimes it will hurt/ and you'll wanna hate me/ But we can conquer the world/ leave our footprints on earth/ We'll put in blood, sweat and tears," Faith sings. While the second half of the disc can get a little tedious, the songs are still great. "Beauty of the End" is about remembering the end of a relationship and missing that person. "Falling never hurts, but landing does," Faith sings in the chorus.
Every song on the album is emotional and beautiful. Faith has given us one of the best debuts of the year and if this album is any indication she'll be making records for a very long time.

Alicia Keys regains her footing on new album

Alicia Keys had three great albums at the beginning of her career, but in 2009 she released the disappointing "Element of Freedom." While a few songs were good, they just weren't up there with Key's other albums.
In September she released the buzz single "New Day" and the first single and title track of her fifth album "Girl on Fire." Both these hip hop laced soul songs were a sign that Key's was back to her prime. While the last few songs on the album are a tad boring the other songs make up for it.
The best songs on the album are the title track, the inferno remix is featured here which features Nicki Minaj. Minaj does her signature crazy on her raps. The two make a great duet on this track. Another highlight is "Tears Always Win." This soulful ballad was written with  Bruno Mars and talks about Key's missing her lover while he's away.
The piano ballads "Not Even the King" and "Brand New Me" find Keys returning to her early roots. Other highlights include "New Day," "When it's All Over" and "That's When I Knew" which features acoustic guitar, a change for Keys. While there are songs aren't as great.
The two closing songs "One Thing" and "101" are nothing special and the weird reggae inspired "Limitedless" is fun yet odd. Even with these mishaps Keys created a great album. She said that she was inspired by her marriage to hip hop producer Swizz Beatz and the birth of her first child. While most artists mellow out on their albums after finding love, Keys shows no signs of doing that. Hopefully she won't regress back to her was of three years ago and she'll continue on this path to greatness.

Rihanna disappoints on seventh album

Last month Rihanna came out with her seventh album in seven years. And while those albums have ranged from decent (Loud, A Girl Like Me, Music in the Sun) to great (Rated R, Good Girl Gone Bad, Talk That Talk) but her latest album Unapologetic is very disappointing. While Loud was also overrated at least there were some memorable songs. Unapologetic has a few great songs but they are overshadowed by the bad songs.
The album starts out okay on "Fresh out the Runway." This hip hop number is Rihanna's bragging song. While the song isn't bad to listen to  it's not as memorable as past hits like "Umbrella" or "S&M." The album then slows it down for the hit single "Diamonds." The single is a good move for Rihanna but it's in no way a classic. The album then goes into three songs that lack any spark. "Numb" featuring Eminem, "Pour it Up" and "Loveeeeee Song" featuring Future are just filler and aren't memorable at all.
The album then goes into three great songs. "Jump," "Right Now" which features French DJ David Guetta and "What Now." The latter being a very emotionally charged song with soul and rock elements. "Jump" is a dubstep song that samples "Pony" by Ginuine. The club ready anthem should be a single at some point.
Then the album goes into the forgettable second single. This if followed by the album's most talked about track, "Nobody's Business" which features Rihanna's exboyfriend Chris Brown. The song features the two singing about how their love is nobody's business. While the song is catchy, it's more shocking than it is good.
The album then goes into one of the best songs, "Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary." The song is a six minute, two song combination that is nothing short or great. The song, even though not written by Rihanna, is her most personal to date. The song itself starts out like an 1980s pop song and then goes into a slower second half. "I'm from the left side of an island, never thought this many people would even know my name," Rihanna sings on "Mother Mary."
Then the album goes into two boring songs and closes with "Lost in Paradise." This dubstep laced ballad features emotional vocals from Rihanna. One of the turns of off this album is the presence of so much filler.
While this album isn't anything special, Rihanna has had bad albums in the past and come out with classics the next year. Here's to 2012 Rihanna.

Keyshia Cole redeems herself after last album

Heartbroken R&B diva Keyshia Cole released her new album last month and it makes up for her third and fourth albums weren't good.
On her fifth album Woman to Woman Cole keeps up the amazingly sad soul anthems of love gone wrong. While Cole herself is happily married and has a child, she can still channel past heartbreaks to make great R&B anthems.
While this album isn't as perfect as her first two were, it still is a step forward instead of going back. The two best songs on the album are the beautiful "Stubborn" and the iTunes bonus track, the dance anthem "Here We Go." These songs show Cole proving that she can still shine bright. Other highlights include "Enough of No Love" which was the first single and features Lil' Wayne. The album showcases Cole's signature lyrics about cheating. I'm not sure who Cole's exes are but they seem like the scum of the earth.
Other highlights are the funky "Who's Gonna Hold Me Down" and the soulful "Wonder." Both of these songs are not on the standard editon, but the Target exclusive deluxe edition. Another highlight is the beautiful "Signature." The piano heavy song is about love and how it stays with you forever. Another good song is a duet with Ashanti. Ashanti and Cole duet on the title track, a kind of 2012 version of "The Boy is Mine." The only problem with the duet is that Ashanti is nowhere near being as talented a vocalist as Cole is.
The album does contain some cheesy songs. "Hey Sexy" sounds like a terrible song from the 90s. "Forever" is an explicit mistake. The song is gorgeous and Cole dropping the f-bomb is out of place and unwarented.
This album is far from perfect but it's a welcome change from Cole's recent musical mistakes. Hopefully her next album will get her back to the greatness of her hits like "I Changed My Mind" and "Let It Go."