Pop! Bang! Boom!

THE NEW POP! BANG! BOOM!

2014-06-01T15:16:00.000-03:00

So this is the LONGEST overdue. About a year and a half ago I moved this site to another domain (www.popbangboomblog.com), and the post I wrote about it didn't go up? Oh well, no matter. I've been having a party over at the new location, and I want to make sure anyone who is looking the best pop music (duh) heads there instead of here.

Apologies for it popping up first on Google, the internet hates me.

Anyways, see you at Pop! Bang! Boom!

Hugh

Grammy Predictions - All Categories

2013-02-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

If you haven’t been paying attention for the past few days (THANKS), here are the official P!B!B! Grammy predictions. Confused about something? Go back and read my explanations! Otherwise, let’s just see how right (or completely, completely wrong) I am.

Fingers crossed!

Grammy Predictions - Album of the Year

2013-02-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Album of the Year is the biggest award in the music industry, so I thought I would leave you all in suspense and save it til the very end. This year is surprisingly rock-oriented, especially when you look at last year, where four of the five nominees were pop (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and someone named “Adele”).

I guess it was a good year for rock, and by looking at the nominees, it was clearly a groundbreaking year for the mainstream. Congrats to all the nominees, but sadly only one can walk away with the top prize.

The Nominees
Black Keys – ‘El Camino’
Jack White – ‘Blunderbuss’
fun. – ‘Some Nights’
Mumford & Sons – ‘Babel’
Frank Ocean – ‘Channel Orange’

Who will win:
Mumford & Sons – ‘Babel’
or
Black Keys – ‘El Camino’

Who should win:
Mumford & Sons – ‘Babel’

Picking just one of the four great rock albums may split Grammy voters, thus giving Frank Ocean a slight advantage…if they didn’t already feel satiated for giving him the Best New Artist trophy. Mumford and Sons had the second biggest debut in terms of album sales this year, and they were completely passed over in the past two ceremonies. Their time has come. Although, ‘El Camino’ has been getting a LOT of Grammy buzz, and though the two won for their last album, this might be the year that they take him a big four award.

Well, that’s this year’s Grammys! I can’t wait to see how it all turns out! I’m glad we could have this little chat and that I could explain my predictions. I will post a sheet after this of all of my predictions, and I’ll cross off or check as I go along through the ceremony.

Very exciting stuff y’all. Don’t forget to watch on Sunday, February 10th at 8PM EST on CBS! Good luck everyone!

Grammy Predictions - Best Remix and Music Video

2013-02-09T05:00:00.000-04:00

These are two categories in which I don’t specialize, so I’m going to get them out of the way. I don’t get to hear a ton of remixes, and I don’t watch many music videos, but I’m going to make my best educated guess.

Best Remixed Recording, Non Classical

The Nominees
Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl – “In My Mind (ft. Georgi Kay) (Axwell Remix)”

Moby – “Lie Down In Darkness (Photek Remix)”

M83 – “Midnight City (Eric Prydz Private Remix)”

Nero – “Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix)”

Deadmau5 – “The Veldt (ft. Chris James) (Tommy Trash Remix)”

Who will win:
Nero – “Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix)”
or
Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl – “In My Mind (ft. Georgi Kay) (Axwell Remix)”

Who should win:
Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl – “In My Mind (ft. Georgi Kay) (Axwell Remix)”

Note: this award goes to the remixer (the person in parentheses) and not the original artist. This matters because Skrillex is nominated as a remixer, and thus Grammy voters have ANOTHER chance to give him an award. I thought the mix he did was great, but we’ve heard it before. Axwell (one of three members of Swedish House Mafia)’s take on “In My Mind” was really well received and even charted in some countries. Plus, if SHM get passed over again (which is very possible), this would be a nice consolation prize for at least one of them. Since Skrillex is going to win dance song (most likely), Grammy voters might not feel bad about not giving him three awards in one night again, and thus Axwell can get his.

Best Short Form Music Video

The nominees

Foster The People – “Houdini”

Kanye West & Jay-Z – “No Church In The Wild (ft. Frank Ocean & The-Dream)”

M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”

Rihanna – “We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris)”

Woodkid – “Run Boy Run”

Who will win:
Rihanna – “We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris)”

Who should win:
Woodkid – “Run Boy Run”

Rihanna’s “We Found Love” came out at a weird time, so it wasn’t nominated last year (when it was eligible). It should have gotten something for dance (if not Record or Song of the Year), so this is a great way for Grammy voters to rectify this injustice. While it’s a fantastic video and song, Woodkid is one of the best out there, and “Run Boy Run” is a stunning visual. Sadly the no-names never win this category.

The Grammys will take place on Sunday, February 10th on CBS at 8PM (EST). WATCH THEMMM!

Grammy Predictions - Dance Categories

2013-02-08T05:58:00.000-04:00

I thought I would lump Best Dance Recording in with Best Dance/Electronica Album, as the two go hand in hand, and some of the nominees overlap.

Best Dance Recording

The Nominees
Avicii – “Levels”

Swedish House Mafia – “Don’t You Worry Child (ft. John Martin)”

Skrillex – “Bangarang (ft. Sirah)”

Calvin Harris – “Let’s Go (ft. Ne-Yo)”

Al Walser – “I Can’t Live Without You”

Who will win:
Skrillex – “Bangarang (ft. Sirah)”

Who should win:
Avicii – “Levels”

I love “Bangarang”, don’t get me wrong, but I’d like to give this award to someone else. “Bangarang” follows in the footsteps of his previous singles, one of which was already awarded last year. Avicii started a massive career on this song alone, and not only did it chart in many countries, it was strong enough to become the basis for a second hit (Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling”).

Best Dance/Electronica Album

The Nominees
Steve Aoki – ‘Wonderland’
The Chemical Brothers – ‘Don’t Think’
Deadmau5 – ‘Album Title Goes Here’
Kaskade – ‘Fire & Ice’
Skrillex – ‘Bangarang’

Who will win:
Skrillex – ‘Bangarang’

Who should win:
The Chemical Brothers – ‘Don’t Think’

Much like with Adele, I don’t know if Grammy voters can resist giving as many awards as is possible to this guy. He won three last year, and there is a very good chance that he will take something home on Sunday. Again, I think that he has already been rewarded for creating the genre that he did, and ‘Bangarang’ wasn’t quite as great as his last EP. The Chemical Brothers are a great option for sticking with the more artistic, seriously-minded EDM.

The Grammys will take place on Sunday, February 10th on CBS at 8PM (EST). WATCH THEMMM!

Grammy Predictions - Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album

2013-02-07T05:43:00.000-04:00

These are two big categories, so we’re going to want to pay attention children!

Best New Artist is up first, then we’ll talk about the hotly-contested Best Pop Album.

Best New Artist

The Nominees
Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean

Who will win:
Frank Ocean

Who should win:
Frank Ocean

Frank may get his hands on a whole bunch of Grammys this year, and this is his most certain. While this year’s category is especially full of deserving nominees, none has earned it more than Ocean. Not only was his album groundbreaking and boundary-pushing, but the singer matched it. Getting nominated for Album of the Year doesn’t hurt his chances either.

Best Pop Vocal Album

The Nominees
Maroon 5 – ‘Overexposed’
Kelly Clarkson – ‘Stronger’
Florence + the Machine – ‘Ceremonials’
Pink – ‘The Truth About Love’
fun. – ‘Some Nights’

Who will win:
Pink – ‘The Truth About Love’
or
Florence + the Machine – ‘Ceremonials’

Who should win:
Pink – ‘The Truth About Love’
or
Florence + the Machine – ‘Ceremonials’

Again, this might be when the Grammy voters award fun. for their massive year. It is bound to happen at least once during the telecast…but when? While ‘Some Nights’ was a really interesting and uniquely crafted pop album, it isn’t my choice. I am torn between the baroque beauty of Florence + the Machine or ‘The Truth About Love’, one of Pink’s best (and her first #1). I think that since fun. will probably take home something else – pop/duo performance if nothing else – this is one where a lady is going to reign.

The Grammys will take place on Sunday, February 10th on CBS at 8PM (EST). WATCH THEMMM!

Grammy Predictions - Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance

2013-02-06T05:00:00.000-04:00

Our second conversation on the Grammys will consist of our predictions for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Song of the Year
The Nominees
fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”

Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”

Kelly Clarkson – “Stronger”

Miguel – “Adorn”

Ed Sheeran – “The A Team”

Who will win:
fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”

Who should win:
fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”
or
Miguel – “Adorn”

It is hard to tell if fun. will sweep Record and Song (à la Lady Antebellum a few years back), but it deserves one of them. The song is expertly written, composed, and performed. It holds a timeless quality of energetic and desperate youth to it, and that might be enough to edge out Miguel’s beautiful baby-making killer.

Best Pop Solo Performance

The Nominees
Kelly Clarkson – “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)”

Rihanna – “Where Have You Been”

Katy Perry – “Wide Awake”

Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”

Adele – “Set Fire To The Rain (Live)”

Who will win:
Adele – “Set Fire To The Rain (Live)”

Who should win:
Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”

I don’t think Grammy voters will be able to say no to another Adele nomination. At this point I’d say it is fair to expect her to win whatever she is nominated for…from now on. While the song is great, let’s play a bit of politics here. She won EVERYTHING last year, so maybe let’s give someone else a chance? I want to give this to Carly, as it is really her only chance to win an award, and to be honest, that was a fantastic POP performance.

The Grammys will take place on Sunday, February 10th on CBS at 8PM (EST). WATCH THEMMM!

Grammy Predictions - Record of the Year and Pop Performance by a Duo or Group

2013-02-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

The Grammys are this coming Sunday (2/10/13 – DON’T FORGET IT), and I have yet to publish how I think everyone is going to do! And with so many categories, time is running out! Well, time is too short to post real, in-depth pieces about each category (that we care about here at P!B!B!), so we’ll give you the condensed version.

We’ll talk about two categories at a time. You know, to split it up. That could be too much Grammy nonsense to throw your way at one time.

Let’s begin with Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

The Nominees
The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”

Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”

fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”

Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know (ft. Kimbra)”

Kelly Clarkson – “Stronger”

Taylor Swift – “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”

Who will win:

fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”

Who should win:

fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”

or

Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know (ft. Kimbra)”

I actually didn’t really care for either of these songs, but I am aware that they stand out as better contenders for ROTY than their competition. Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift may have made big splashes on the Hot 100 (although both were smaller than Gotye or fun.), but that doesn’t give them gravitas. My third choice here was The Black Keys, but I don’t know that “Lonely Boy” grabbed enough ears, fantastic as it was.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

The Nominees
Florence + the Machine – “Shake It Out”

Maroon 5 – “Payphone (ft. Wiz Khalifa)”

Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know (ft. Kimbra)”

fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”

LMFAO – “Sexy and I Know It”

Who will win:
fun. – “We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)”

Who should win:
Florence + the Machine – “Shake It Out”

Grammy voters are surely going to give something to both fun., and if they can’t award them anything in the big four categories, something like this is a great way to send them home with something in their goodie bag. Voters can go many ways – they might decide that fun. was the best and have them sweep, or they may only get one trophy. Florence + the Machine should collect this one, as the song was epic and was highly overlooked (as she is in this award ceremony).

The Grammys will take place on Sunday, February 10th on CBS at 8PM (EST). WATCH THEMMM!

Review - Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

2013-02-02T20:22:00.001-04:00

If you’re familiar with Tegan and Sara, forget everything you know. While the duo haven’t forgotten how to write a song or sing, they have switched genres, and not very subtly.

The twin sisters have built a name as one of Canada’s most popular (and yet still underground) musical exports. The two were folk heros; two women with guitars and beautifully written choruses? Lillith Fair (you know, when it was a thing) must have LOVED these ladies.

‘Heartthrob’, the band’s seventh album, sees the sisters trying something new. Superproducer Greg Kurstin was brought in to help make their poppiest record yet, and he succeeded well beyond what many of us could have expected. While Kurstin has surely made the bulk of his wallet from producing and writing hits for the likes of Ke$ha and Kelly Clarkson, he is in tune with it truly means to be pop, not just Top 40.

Changing things up is always dangerous for a longstanding band, as they run the risk of pissing off their fans. I have a feeling that ‘Heartthrob’ will only bring T&S more fame, as it still feels like them, even if it doesn’t necessarily sound like them. The music isn’t necessarily dancefloor-ready, but it ain’t getting played in the coffeehouse either. The entire album feels amplified until the girls start singing and bring everything down. Also, this isn’t your typical pop either – while each song musically is similar to the next, it is hard to place the entire album next to any other and say “there – that’s what it sounds like”.

Somehow the mellow indie charm of Tegan and Sara translates well into other genres. Maybe they’ll put out a rap album next?

‘Heartthrob’ is available now (and for only $5 for a limited time).

Listen to: “Closer”, “I’m Not Your Hero”, the rest of the CD

“I’m Not Your Hero”

Review - Justin Bieber - Believe Acoustic

2013-01-29T10:23:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I wasn’t much of a Bieber fan until recently. I just couldn’t really get on board with many of his past hits – especially the insufferable “Baby”. But, with his latest album ‘Believe’, my opinions starts to change. I thought that he achieved a lot with ‘Believe’ – a lot more than I expected him to at least. It was grown up, while at the same time youthful and fun. He reached out to new fans in the R&B world and showed that he could play with the best and still maintained his growing teenybopper fanbase. And, at the end of the day, it was a solid pop album.

‘Believe Acoustic’ surpasses his ‘My Worlds Acoustic’ compilation, a collection of his biggest hits from his first two albums. So, what makes this acoustic album different? A lot. The Biebs has some better songs (in my opinion) this time around, and they are done a lot more soulfully. Big hits like “Boyfriend” and especially the Nicki Minaj-less “Beauty and a Beat” take on entirely new tones when it is just him and the guitar. If you didn’t like them before, you might now.

His voice has changed quite a bit as well. No longer can you hear the ever-present strain and we aren’t so much afraid for what’s going to happen after puberty. While he isn’t the best vocalist on the planet, ‘Believe Acoustic’ does show us that underneath all the high-priced production and the multi-layered vocals, the boy can sing.

‘Believe Acoustic’ is available now.

Listen to: “Beauty and a Beat”

“Beauty and a Beat”

New Music - Rihanna and Mikky Ekko

2013-01-28T05:00:00.000-04:00

This song has gotten a lot of attention already, and it is hardly unknown, but I have chosen to save writing about it until now.

“Stay” is the second official big single from Rihanna’s 7th album ‘Unapologetic’, and it’s a bold move for the singer. Never before have we heard such vulnerability from her, and it’s as beautiful as it is unexpected.

Rihanna – “Stay (ft. Mikky Ekko)”

The song – composed almost entirely of just a piano and a cello – isn’t your run-of-the-mill ballad. Many artists try to include at least one slower track on their albums, but it is usually a skip. “Stay” is stunning and heartfelt; you can really feel Rihanna’s heart going into this one. While she has certain performed songs that relate to one Mr. Chris Brown, this is one where you can really sympathize with a girl who is still in love with the wrong man.

And I’m not sure who Mikky Ekko is, but if there were ever a way to get your name out there to the world, COLLABORATING ON A SINGLE WITH RIHANNA IS PROBABLY THE BEST OPTION AVAILABLE.

“Stay (ft. Mikky Ekko)” was released as a single earlier in January, but it is being sent to radio tomorrow. I assume we’ll be hearing it soon.

“Stay (ft. Mikky Ekko)” is available now.

New Music - Hot Chelle Rae

2013-01-27T20:49:00.002-04:00

Hot Chelle Rae – the boys behind the very silly “Tonight, Tonight” from a year or two back – have returned, this time with “Hung Up”. And no, it isn’t a Madonna rip off.

Hot Chelle Rae – “Hung Up”

As we can see, success clearly hasn’t changed the band. “Hung Up” picks up exactly where their last singles left off. HCR seem like a band put together and picked up for the sole purpose of having hit singles, so why change what is working? The world is missing a pop-“rock” band (if you don’t know them, think the Jonas Brothers or Boys Like Girls…only even MORE pop. Like, Disney pop), and HCR are here to fill the void.

If you liked their past songs, than this will do you fine. If you didn’t, then don’t bother here. I am ambivalent, other than I love the pacing of the chorus. I giggle every time the refrain comes in, as there is a strategically placed pause (a slightly-too-long one at that) right after the word “hung”.

“Hung Up” is not available yet, but it previews the band’s third album, so expect it soon.

New Music - Nicole Scherzinger

2013-01-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

You gotta respect Nicole Scherzinger’s commitment. No matter how much she fails on the charts, she just keeps trying. That kind of ambition and determination is commendable.

The former Pussycat Doll and X Factor judge has released another new single, but has announced no plans for a new album or a revamped, more American-friendly version of ‘Killer Love’, her international-only LP.

The new single, entitled “Boomerang”, keeps things squarely in the pop genre, but throws in a bit of old-school 8-bit. The lyrics are typically for her, and while it might not be her greatest vocal performance, she still makes it her own.

Nicole Scherzinger – “Boomerang”

I think the song could do well in the British market, but I worry about its commercial viability in the US. Nicole has that problem; it’s not that she’s making bad music, it’s that she isn’t making American Top 40 music.

Well, here’s wishing our girl some luck. Lord knows it’s her time.

“Boomerang” isn’t out in the US, and no word yet on when we can expect it.

New Music - One Republic

2013-01-25T21:23:00.000-04:00

I meant to write about this song when it first premiered, but when the video comes out seems like an also acceptable time (since I’ve been lazy).

One Republic is gearing up to release their third album (‘Native’) later in 2013, so it’s time to push the singles. We’ve already heard “Feel Again”, a nice track that simply didn’t do what a lead single should (it peaked at #36, and didn’t make too much of a splash). Second single “If I Lose Myself” sounds like an attempt at a radio hit, and it might fulfill that wish.

One Republic – “If I Lose Myself”

The song borders on EDM, which is dangerous. I’m all for following trends, but I hate when bands or artists that have nothing to do with a certain genre delve into it simply to mine a hit. One Republic is a great pop/rock/alt group, and it would be sad to see Ryan Tedder and co. have to bring in synths just to keep their record deal.

Thankfully we only get a hint of an electronic vibe, and Tedder is smart enough to blend it well. This isn’t a dance song, but rather an inspirational track that makes good use of the electronic elements available to OR. If anyone can mix rock and pop/dance, it’s Tedder. I was worried this was going to be very Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”, but things don’t go that dance.

“If I Lose Myself” is available now.

New Music - Robbie Williams

2013-01-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

Robbie William’s is gearing up to release his ONE MILLIONTH single. Really? Well, no, but you get the hyperbole.

“Be A Boy” is the third single off his latest ‘Take The Crown’. The song nicely combines the pop of “Candy” and the rock of “Different”, while still being its own thing entirely.

Robbie Williams – “Be A Boy”

The track has this great old school sound to it. The synths on it are very 80’s – as is the unobtrusive saxophone solo towards the end. The vocal “oh-way-ohhhhh” make the song soar in a One Republic/Coldplay kind of way, if that even makes sense. In fact, the melody sounds like it could have been taken from somewhere. I can’t put my finger on it, but it is eerily familiar.

The song is sure to do alright in the UK…not that William’s really needs to prove anything to anyone.

“Be A Boy” is available in the UK, but won’t be in the US…ever. Expect it to impact radio in February over thereee.

New Music - Cher Lloyd

2013-01-23T21:50:00.000-04:00

Perhaps I shouldn’t be reporting this as it is just a rumor, but it’s something to post, so here we go.

Apparently to fill the gap between her debut and sophomore albums, Cher Lloyd is preparing to release a new single – “Riot!”.

The song isn’t “new”, but to many of her fans this might be a first listen. “Riot!” was only available on the deluxe edition of her album ‘Sticks + Stones’. By the time that was rereleased in the UK, many people might have been tired of her, but here in the US she has only had one big hit single, and she really wants more.

Cher Lloyd – “Riot!”

The single is supposedly coming out this spring, and it will be sent to Top 40 radio in both countries (and beyond). I’m not sure how I feel about the tune. When I stop and listen, I can say that it is fine, but it just isn’t what I’m feeling at the moment. We’ve had the whole bubblegum pop thing recently, and it might be ending just as soon as it began. After Carly Rae’s “Call Me Maybe”, Owl City’s “Good Time”, Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, along with Cher’s original “Want U Back”, is this really necessary?

It’s a cute track, so just enjoy it for what it is and let’s see what Cher brings out for album #2.

“Riot!” is available now (but only if you buy the actual deluxe edition of the album apparently).

New Music - Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z

2013-01-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

After a six year hiatus, JT is BACK.

“Suit & Tie (ft. Jay-Z)” sees Timbaland get back in the studio with bestie Justin Timberlake to make some more magic, and though many don’t agree with me, I’d say they accomplished just that.

Justin Timberlake - “Suit & Tie (ft. Jay-Z)”

Everything about the song is lush. Even the lyric video is miles ahead of so many other artists’! I am not a fan of the intro (as it sounds far too much like Timbaland’s “Carry Out”, which also featured Justin). I also am not into the Jay-Z verse, and I think it is completely unnecessary.

The song is light and airy, thanks to the lovely harp arrangements. To me it sounds like a 70’s track that Marvin Gaye could have killed, and it solidifies Justin’s place as one of pop’s great vocalists. The pure style needed to pull something like this off is undeniable. If you want to talk about real swagger, don’t listen to a hip-hop record, just look right here.

The song goes against everything happening in the Top 40 right now, and that’s another reason to love it. JT doesn’t need EDM to be successful – he can’t help but to go to the top.

“Suit & Tie (ft. Jay-Z)” is available now.

5 Questions With - Amusium

2013-01-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I waited a while before writing about Amusium – one of my favorite new pop acts – but now it’s all hands on deck. I finally just let the cat out of the bag, and now it is time to have a Twitter chat with him.

Our back and forth wasn’t so much about…well…music...as it was the Golden Globes and how wonderful Tina Fey is.

So, even if you hate everything about Amusium (which hopefully is not the case), we can all join hands and agree that Tina Fey is the best of all of us.

Oh, and settle in, because this is not five questions long. In fact, a lot of what is to follow isn't made up of questions, but rather a drunken conversation. A lovely one, but still.

Amusium was sweet not only to agree to a Twitter interview (more fun), but for doing so for two hours! That’s a long time. I was only a little bit drunk (ok a lot), so a real thank you to Russell (his real name) for putting up with me.

If you haven’t already looked him up online, here are some places to find Amusium online:
Amusium Facebook
Amusium Youtube
Amusium Soundcloud (where you can download all of his music for free)

Gosh, Twitter can be so much fun.

New Music - Bruno Mars

2013-01-16T22:47:00.000-04:00

After the massive (and surprise) success of “Locked Out Of Heaven”, Bruno Mars doesn’t really have a whole lot to prove. But, the album must go on, so here we have single #2: “When I Was Your Man”.

Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man”

“WIWYM” steps away from the rambunctiousness of “Locked” and brings the music to a more somber place. Where the first single tells of how great sex feels with a certain girl, the second speaks of regret. Mars laments for a woman who left and found someone else. Throughout the song, he sings about all the things he should have done, but no longer can.

If this were another artist, this might come off as typical or sappy, but Bruno Mars is made of magic, and he can make anything work. The song won’t go down in history as one of the more painful (see: “Someone Like You”), but it does stand out on the album.

The song was originally released as one of the buzz singles for ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’ back in December, but now it is getting the proper treatment, radio and all.

I would say that I couldn’t see this being a smash, but that’s what I said about “Locked Out Of Heaven”, and look what happened there.

“When I Was Your Man” is available now.

New Music - Calvin Harris and Tinie Tempah

2013-01-11T04:00:00.000-04:00

Calvin Harris just NEVER STOPS, does he?

Calvin Harris – “Drinking From The Bottle (ft. Tinie Tempah)”

“Drinking From The Bottle” is the SEVENTH single from his ’18 Months’ album (which only came out a few months ago). That includes his Rihanna collaboration (“We Found Love”), which can be found on both their CDs.

The song is nothing new from Harris – big festival and danceclub-ready synthy choruses, a famous guest star and a sparse chorus (better for the music to take over my dear). It is nice to see him bounce between emotional tracks like “We Found Love” and “Sweet Nothing” and his obligatory party anthems (“Let’s Go”).

Harris is the first person in the UK to have this many top ten hits from one album (seven in the UK, but that might not be including “We Found Love” – either way, impressive). Harris could extend his record, but he has little to choose from – the album only has two more tracks with vocalists (the rest are instrumental).

“Drinking From The Bottle (ft. Tinie Tempah)” is available now.
http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-From-the-Bottle/dp/B009TZC0T6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359350749&s=dmusic&sr=1-1

New Music - Pink and Nate Ruess

2013-01-10T04:00:00.000-04:00

Pink’s ‘The Truth About Love’ powers on, this time looking for a slow, soft hit.

fun.’s Nate Ruess joins the fun, writing and dueting with the singer-songwriter. Ruess has become one of pop’s most sought-after songwriters, as in the past year (while touring and promoting his own band’s MASSIVE singles and album) he has written Ke$ha’s “Die Young” as well as working with Pink.

Pink – “Just Give Me A Reason (ft. Nate Ruess)”

The song is a heartfelt affair, and not very far from what we’re used to hearing from Pink. It seems that she is either very angry or very sad, but thankfully she does both very well. Nate is a welcome addition, in writing and in singing. Basically, the song works. It isn’t my favorite on the album – not even of all the slower tunes – but it’s still miles ahead of what many other popstars can produce.

“Just Give Me A Reason (ft. Nate Ruess)” is available now.

New Music - Rihanna

2013-01-09T22:09:00.000-04:00

Rihanna is a fan of releasing more than one single at a time, and the promotion of ‘Unapologetic’ is no different.

Her label has decided to send out two singles – the emotionally-tinged and piano-driven “Stay”, along with the club-ready “Pour It Up”.

Rihanna – “Pour It Up”

The song is sure to be a banger in certain circles, but don’t expect to hear it on your local Top 40 station. Instead, a hip-hop hotspot might give it a few minutes per night, but I can’t hear a big smash on this. The production makes you move, though it is rather bare and uninspired. I don’t think it would get a moment’s notice if it were on any one of the popular-at-the-moment hip-hop impresario’s latest mixtapes. Since it’s a Rihanna track though, it’s getting some play.

I am going back and forth in terms of my thoughts here. Part of me likes the fact that this is RiRi’s “fuck the men, I’ve got my money” anthem. I imagine her grabbing her crotch and snarling through this performance. But then the other half of me realizes that it really is just a simple handclap beat with someone talking about how much cash they’ve got, and I’m unimpressed.

I think she does better when we hear a more interesting hip-hop beat, such as on “Cockiness (I Love It)”.

“Pour It Up” is available now.

Review - Twenty One Pilots - Vessel

2013-01-09T15:45:00.000-04:00

Just over 3 years after their debut album, Twenty One Pilots has jumped back onto the alternative music scene with their re-packaged third album, ‘Vessel’.

The album may play a bit like a collection for the group (seeing as how they have old and new songs on the set), but that is fitting for a band in their position. Twenty One Pilots are just about to break, so they’re bringing out their best and showing it off.

Perhaps for diehard fans this will be a bit of a disappointment (only in that they’ve heard a number of these before), but for the rest of the word, this is a great introduction.

Some distorted drum machines mixed with a live set and a couple of unexpected (in the best way) indie-synth lines allow an overall great update from their original sound.

The duo are a mix of a handful of genres – pop, alternative rock, and even hip hop. Seeing as the two are on the same label, I’d feel appropriate comparing them to Gym Class Heroes one some songs (“Migraine”) and perhaps Keane on others (“House of Gold”). Then they go and throw in some pure synth pop (“Semi-Automatic”), and their style is rounded out.

This album is full of rhythmic word-play and they even kept some of the first album alive with some solid piano riffs and rap verses. So, what do we call this album? A collection of funky, hip-hoppy fun tracks that you’ll want to give a listen.

Don’t let the misleading album cover distract you. These two talented twenty-somethings sound anything but geriatric.

‘Vessel’ is available now.

Listen to: “The Run and Go”, “Fake You Out”, “Migraine”

“The Run and Go”

“Fake You Out”

“Migraine”

- Michael Feloni

Listen Up - Amusium

2013-01-08T17:25:00.000-04:00

Amusium is an artist I stumbled upon several months ago, but I’ve been keeping him to myself…until now.

Amusium is a funny little name for musician/producer Russell Huiskamp. Based in New York, Russell has always been working in music, but recently he has focused his talented efforts on a medium that we can all respect: pop. While I’m sure that writing film scores and working on becoming a classical pianist and composer is swell, pop is really where it’s at.

The project of Amusium seems to have sprung up fairly recently, but Huiskamp has been busy. In only a few months, he has released three EPs – all of them free. Each one grows his name and his sound, and his talent is undeniable.

I knew I was in auditory love when I heard “Friends Like That”, a confessional tale of drinking too much that sees him crying “I’m so fatttt” (love it). The uniquely-composed number shows how Russell is able to mesh together various sounds and make everything work. So, it isn’t so much the smooth pop production we’re used to hearing but bits and pieces that add up in a way that only someone who really knows what they are doing could handle.

His latest, “I’d Dance With You”, shows off his visual imagination as well. The video is surprisingly beautiful for what seems like a few friends of his and a fog light.

Amusium is not just talented, he is something original. From his choice of production techniques to his imperfect (yet perfectly-used) mountain-high notes, I’ve never heard anything like this before.

“Friends Like That”

“I’d Dance With You”

“Denouement”

“Turn Out”

Amusium Facebook
Amusium Youtube
Amusium Soundcloud (where you can download all of his music for free)

New Music - Hurts

2013-01-04T02:14:00.000-04:00

HURTS ARE BACKKK!

Hurts – “Miracle”

The morose pop wonderfulness that is Hurts hath returned! Their debut ‘Happiness’ was a fantastic album. It was original, stylish, and beautifully written. I had the pleasure of seeing the duo once, and they pulled off the tone of the album perfectly.

I was expecting something like this from them – I didn’t think they were going to up and change their sound too dramatically – but actually hearing it for myself is such a relief. You never know what’s going to happen with a band’s follow up to a successful CD until it hits your ears.

“Miracle” follows in the same vein as much of ‘Happiness’, only grander. You can just imagine this track playing in an arena, and perhaps that’s what the band is aiming for. The song sounds like they were influenced by Coldplay (“Paradise”, especially), but they incorporate it will with their signature style.

Glad to have you back Hurts.

“Miracle” is not available in the US (but if there is a god it will be soon).