It's been a month...

So I have plenty of blog about.

But no internet to do it.

I just moved last Friday to my new apartment here in Los Angeles, CA. I have no interent. But, tomorrow morning they man is coming to install it. I'm excited. But I also have a big weekend ahead of me. I'm going to San Diego Friday night to see Carrie Underwood and love all up on the Downtown SD scene! On Saturday, I'll be hitting up Laguna Beach to see a few friends who are in town from Manhattan. And Sunday, I'm hoping to be going to Disneyland Gay Days with my bestie Marisha!

So, on Monday I'll be wrapping up all of September's releases (believe me, we have A LOT to discuss) and then we'll be starting October fresh!

Selena Gomez & the Scene - A Year Without Rain (album)

Artist: Selena Gomez & the Scene
Album: A Year Without Rain
Out: September 21st, 2010 (NOW!)

Tweens rejoice! Selena Gomez and her band, the Scene are at again!

Let's be honest. We all still listen to the youngster's music. Miley, Demi, JoBros, Justin Bieber, and Selena. I'm guilty, and I know you can admit it too.

Luckily, both Demi and Miley are moving toward a far more mature sound and look, and Biebs has had the help of Usher and Kanye West to make him not look like a total tool.

So here's the deal. Selena Gomez had two awesome songs on her last CD. The infectious Falling Down and the, dare I say, brilliant Naturally. Yeah, I said it. It was brilliant. So when they decided to start recording the follow up, I was happy to hear that they were going to try and focus thier effort toward that kind of a sound.

Selena has a medioce voice, and a barely there delivery. But I knew if she got the right producers behind her, she'd have quite the little tween album on her hands. I believe she's even stated that she wants to move toward a move grown up sound as well, seeing as she is growing up herself. I respect the fact that it doesn't mean she has to take her clothes off. Yeah, I'm looking at you MileyBird.

But the songs on this record sound like Naturally's cousins, not the direct offsprings. Each song is good. Each song has a purpose. But nothing on this disc is getting me off my ass and dancing the way Naturally always does.

The album opens with first single, Round & Round, which carries the dance hall vibe of Naturally over into the new record, with just a little less spark and pizazz. Moving into title A Year Without Rain, second single, that continues to solidify the fact that I don't think this record is going to catch the same sparkle that Naturally, and even Falling Down, possessed.

Rock God is an interesting direction for Selena and her boys to take. Originally a Katy Perry demo for her first album, about the struggle between her religious convictions and her desires to be a rock star, Rock Mafia has taken the gem of a song and produced it into a tween dance anthem, something they have a knack for. I definitely still like it, but do yourself a favor and look up the Katy Perry version. It's less produced as Selena's, but its delivered with far better confidence.

Off The Chain is a mild-tempoed song produced by Pop duo Rock Mafia. A cute little love song for the tween set, but it is sure to get you dancing. A song that takes what made Naturally such a big hit, and expands on the idea. As stupid as the song title sounds like, the lyrics make up for it with a innocent type of maturity.

Here's the deal. Sometimes, no matter how old I get, I like to feel like a kid. I like to dance around in my underwear, and pretend that I don't have any of the grown up responsibilities that I have now a days. Summer's Not Hot is my jam, for this reason. Its ridiculously up-tempo, and it has no hidden meaning, like a lot of Disney songs do. It's literally about how the summer isn't even hot without the presence of your school yard crush. The song is young and somewhat refreshing. Deal!

Do yourself a favor, and just ignore the sixth song ont he disc. Its bad, its just bad. Intuation is not Selena's, nor is it Toby Gad's, best.

When reading some interviews with Miss Gomez before the album was released, she said she was going to experiment with some reggae sounds. Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled at the idea. I thought, "what train wreck of a song is going to come from this?" Well, I am pleasantly surprised. Spotlight is a fun party jam, with innocent lyrics, and simple party vibe perfect for your middle school get together. Again, its nothing special, but its fun and dancey. 

Surprisingly grown up mid-tempo ballad Ghost of You comes after a slew of dance hall jams, and really gives your ears a rest from tween pop mediocrity. The lyrics are surprisingly grown up and beautiful and could apply to many situations that I've seen twenty somethings go through. It's a nice addition to the album and one of my favorites.

Sick of You is cute. Real cute. Its the tween version of Kelly Clarkson's legendary hit Since U Been Gone. But, its nothing special. It fits the whole vibe of the disc, but I'm not jumping up and down for it. That's for sure.

The final cut fits perfectly with the band's first effort, and closes the show with a rock-piano based ballad. Live Like There's No Tomorrow gives me hope that the younger generation is truly a more socially liberal generation. The message of love everyone is definitely cheesy, but its her strongest ballad vocals I've ever heard.

Bottom line: Cute. But cute doesn't really sell records in the mainstream.
Must hear song(s): Ghost of You & Off The Chain.

Buy Selena Gomez & the Scene's "A Year Without Rain" Album!

PS ...

I know I've been slow on getting you the low down on September's music goodies, but moving is hard, y'all!

In the process of packing and moving, but that should be done within the week.

PS - if y'all like the song below, and you're friends with me on FaceBook, go to my wall. You may see something that could help you get the song on your iPod ;)

Jessie J - Price Tag

Artist: Jessie J
Song: Price Tag

So this time last year, I called a glitter covered party girl a future pop sensation. I said, everyone will be singing this song and you will know this girls name. Her name was Ke$ha. Well, you know how that one went, and I think she's doing pretty well for herself.

So now, I'm here to tell you, Jessie J is a future hit maker. If she's anything like Ke$ha, she knows how to parlay the same amount of ear candy lyrics into every song she sings on. Ke$ha has a distinct pur to her presence on a track that makes your ears perk up. Sure, there are plenty of far better undiscovered singers in the world, but to get a hit has nothing to do with 100% talent, and it didn't even back in the beginning of music. Delivery is half the battle as well. Why do you think people like Britney Spears and Madonna are revered as Pop music's biggest female contributors? Because they deliver a song in such a way that makes a majority of a crowd listen or watch. That, to me, is talent. It's my personal belief, that we all harbor some sort of talent in our body. We express it however feel. And some people even make millions of dollars off of it.

Anyway, Jessie J is a 22 year old girl from London, UK. She's credited with being one of the writers for the song "Party in the USA" made famous by Miley Cyrus. This is how she met Dr. Luke, the incredible pop producer everyone is dieing to work with. Since then, she's made magic in the studio with him while carefully crafting her first record. This story is similar to Ke$ha's, who met Dr. Luke writing hits like "Circus" and "I Kissed A Girl." So if Dr. Luke is the perfectionist I know he is, the album we'll be hearing from this chick is bound to be MAJOR.

Her writing style is a little simpler than Ke$ha's and gone are the rap-sing lyrics of "Tik Tok," replaced with a beautiful mix of Katy Perry vocals and Pixie Lott charm. The woman has incredible range, even if it isn't truly seen on this track. This song is a feel good end of summer jam about bringing everyone together in love and dance and not worrying about material things. But, its not as hippie as you think. This is a song that everyone can get behind and relate to, which is what makes it the perfect choice for a first single for a brand new artist. As we've all noticed, you really can't be a new artist in the industry without having hit after hit. Because the big suits are still scared to put any money behind something that they don't have tests and market research behind. But something tells me, this will grab the attention and the ears of the American public, and with a viral campaign similar to Ke$ha's and then some big name push, she'll be someone we'll be hearing a lot from in 2011!

Bottom line: GET THIS SONG ON YOUR IPOD. NOW! ... you won't be sorry.

(I don't have a purchase link for this song because its so brand new, and there is no legal download link for it. If you like it, find it like you know you can, and then buy it when its available!)

Just a quick moment...

Yeah.

THIS...

... actually happened.

No. I didn't dream this.

No. I didn't make it up.

It really happened. All four of music's most exciting women at the moment stood next to one another. And yes, Ke$ha is wearing a trash bag.

Be still my beating heart...

Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns

Artist: Linkin Park
Album: A Thousand Suns
Out: September 14th, 2010

I feel like Linkin Park is almost every one's guilty pleasure. They make out of the box rock-rap-metal-pop music. Its a bizarre collection of sounds, that generally comes out a bunch of ear-candy.

The coolest part of Linkin Park? They don't need to throw their release date and promo in your face to get a hit record. Only a month ago, the public was treated to a new single by the band called, The Catalyst. It was a dark, moody, electro-metal song that was instantly catchy. The songs that Park creates, are layered heavily. It requires many listens to fully comprehend the idea behind the lyrics, the amount of instruments that are used and everything that encompasses the song. Shortly after getting a listen to this song, the band announced that their new album would be out September 14th. If you did the math, that was less than five weeks away. The average wait time for most artists from first single to album release is two and half to three months, now a days, some even longer. A lot of bands and artists need to release two or three singles before the album fully hits shelves, so that the public knows they are going to get a good album.

Well, needless to say, I was excited. I hate the waiting game.

Linkin Park, delivered. Last week I listened to the album for the first time, and its their most theatrical and diverse album yet. They've thrown a huge element of euro-trance beats in to the mix with this one, but the heavy rock and hip hop flows are still intact. Being a theatrical person, I also enjoy the album. I'm not one to keep things like interludes and intros and what not on my iPod, because when listening to the album out of order, it just doesn't make sense. This album has plenty, its technically has seventeen tracks, but a good four or five of them are intros/interludes/etc. In fact, the album opens with an intro to the album, and then continues to an intro to the first song, meaning the first real song doesn't come until track number three. I've never seen this on any record, and it really sets the tone for the theatrics.

Linkin Park's music has always been super industrial, and its apparent on the album's first legit track, Burning In The Skies. It has a soft piano line, with a melodic harmony line in the lyrics. A track about accepting life as it is and building forward with your accomplishments. A severe guitar line brings the song home in a way only a modern rock band can.

After yet another intro, the album begins to show you what its going to accomplish, with When They Come For Me. A huge underground style drum beat sits aside an electric beat, and slowly Mike Shinoda, the groups MC, gives you the heavy hip hop style Linkin Park is known for mixing in with their heavy rock beats. A soaring electro chorus of computerized noises swell the song through the end, giving you chills, the only way they know best.

Without an intro or an interlude, Robot Boy explodes with a piano intro and quick electro-beat. Background harmonies swell through the song. Typical Linkin Park song, political and outspoken.

Another interlude, and then Waiting For The End. A strongly political song, with a violent rhythm. There is a Jamaican under tone that plays through the song, mixing both Chester Bennington's vocals and Mike's MC skills as well. It makes you stop and think, which Linkin Park loves to do. I definitely listened to this song multiple times while thinking of how I can help make a change, in my own life and in the future of America.

The next song Blackout, is rather skipable and completely unmemorable. It's too slow moving and the lyrics just don't stand out. But Wretches and Kings is a stand out track from this seriously focused and experimental album. With an attached intro from Mario Savio's famous "Put Your Bodies on the Gears" speech from 1964, its a heavy, dark and moody number that once again combines Chester and Mike's vocals and dives deep into a political stance. This has no potential to be a radio hit, but this song will course through you. Its a hard song, with deep meaning.

The next intro is my favorite intro on the entire album, and actually stands as one of my favorite tracks on the whole CD. It is a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech set to a piano under tone. It's a beautiful one minute track that nearly brought me tears. A beautiful moment in the middle of a heavy album. The track Iridescent follows the brilliant intro as a beautifully deep ballad about forgiveness, strength and the ability to over come. This a serious stand out section on the entire disc. It gives young people hope.

Final interlude before first single The Catalyst appears before the surprise ending. Linkin Park closes A Thousand Suns with a simple accoustic ballad called The Messanger. A simple song about death and love. A beautiful moment in a disc filled heavy electro-rock, and politically charged and angry songs.

Bottom line: Political, strong, beautiful, dark, deep, moody. Its everything we've come to know from Linkin Park, with a few surprise turns thrown in.
Must hear song(s): When They Come For Me & Wretches & Kings.

Buy Linkin Park's "A Thousand Suns (Deluxe)"

Kanye West - Runaway

Last night, Kanye West closed the MTV Video Music Awards with a new song. A song her wrote about last year's fiasco that happened after her so maliciously jumped on stage to interrupt Taylor Swift.

People were already talking, because earlier in the night, Taylor Swift premiered her song about the whole incident as well. Most had already jumped on the "Oh, get over it Taylor" bandwagon, without even recognizing that Kanye was slated to have a moment at the end of the show. And even after the show ended, most people refused to realize that Kanye did the same thing Taylor did that night. I don't quite understand it.

They are both medioce songs at best. I haven't heard the studio version of Taylor's, and we just got the studio version of Kanye's. Its long, its meandering, and its ridiculous. Once again, this man has made everything about himself. Regardless, the song isn't exactly memorable, and thats the problem I'm having with Kanye this year. Nothing is up to par with songs like Stronger and Jesus Walks. Epic beats, mixed with sick raps, and that ego. The piano on this track is creepy, and the singing at the begining is barely bareable.

I expect Taylor to sing a song about this, but I wanted Kanye to disappear for a while and then come back rapping about what he knows best. I don't quite mesh well with this "new" Kanye. But from what I can tell, quite a few people like this new leaf Kanye is turning, so hopefully he'll have something in store for me later on when the album drops.

Bottom line: It was probably become a hit, purely because its Kanye, but that doesn't mean its good.

Let's talk VMAs...

So, lets talk about the VMAs, shall we?

Let me get right to it; I was less than impressed with this years telecast.

The MTV Video Music Awards are all things wacky tacky pop culture. They are vibrant, fun and completely outlandish. They are supposed to give off a sleek, modern vibe, and give you something to talk about the next day. That last part, definitely still came true this year, but I can't help but think its more about how much they sucked compared to last year's epicness.

Let's talk about the things I did like...

Chelsea Handler KILLED it. I don't care what Perez says, and I don't care what Entertainment Weekly thought. Chelsea Handler is hands down one funny woman, and lets face it, anyone is better than Russell Brand.

Anything Eminem does, is sick, even if RiRi couldn't have looked anymore interested. Oh - and keep the short hair, babe. Not a fan of that Trya lookin' weave we had goin' on there!

Florenece + the Machine made a splashy debut into the homes of Americans, and I can't help but think, with a night of lackluster performances, she will stand out as the highlight for many, only doing wonders for her future record sales.

Yeah - That's it.

Oh, I did like Linkin Park's performance, only because they sounded good live. A lot like they do on the CD, but noticeably live singing.

Now - Lady Gaga was the top woman of the night, as if we all didn't know already. With 18 nominations total, 13 of them being solo noms for Bad Romance, you would expect the night to have a little more Gaga. WRONG, I guess. I don't know if MTV had their head so far up their ass or something, but they forgot to ask the biggest pop star in the world, who was going to be there regardless, to perform on their little show. This boggles my mind. You know this woman makes people's mouths go a flappin' the next day, why not get her to perform. You know she'd do something INSANE. In fact, why didn't you get her and Beyonce to do a mash-up Video Phone/Telephone. That would have been epic, but MTV missed their chance with that one. Instead, they chose to sit her on a throne in the front row and have her watch as people with a lot less talent paraded around in front of her like a bunch of court jesters. Her dress made of meat should not have been the biggest moment for Gaga last night, and unfortunately it was. This was a huge mistake on MTV's part last night.

I heard someone say on the white carpet, that "tonight is all about the collaborations." Well, you fooled me. Because Rihanna and Hayley Williams showing up for a performance of their own songs they share with rappers, doesn't really give me a "collaboration" vibe. Putting people like Ke$ha up next to Taylor Swift would have been a collaboration. Katy and Rihanna. Or Usher and Maroon 5. Could you imagine? And aside from the fact that Lady Gaga wasn't performing, MTV missed the mark and not having some of today's more exciting performers, like Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Rihanna (solo), Maroon 5, and Mike Posner. And putting acts like Robyn and Travie McCoy on during the commercial break was also a big issue.

One collaboration I would have loved to have seen would have been Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Now you know MTV had a serious hand in getting these two to perform their perspective tracks they wrote about last year's "incident." The reason the whole thing truly blew up in the first place is because most people in America have morals and realize how rude that incident was, and secondly, because Taylor Swift is so young and niavely sweet, most can see her as their little sister. Wrong move on Kanye's part, which kept us all talking for an extremely long period of time.

Now I have beef with the public, especially the ones to so quickly jump on the "I Hate Kanye" train, jumping off just as quickly this year and complaining about how "Taylor Swift just needs to get over it." First off, if you believe that, you didn't listen to the song. She's clearly, over it. She's also showing off an extreme amount of maturity with this track. And lastly, art stems from reality. This is a song she wrote when she wasn't over it, and now she is. It just so happens its on her new album. So how about you get over it, and just listen to the damn song. What I didn't understand is that Kanye sang a song about the whole thing as well, and no one told him he had to get over it. Why's that? We live in a hypocritical society, my friends. Hypocrites!

The last thing I need to say about the VMA's, is that they should be a New York City mainstay, and stop jumping from place to place as they do. MTV knows what they are doing when they hold this award show at Radio City Music Hall. The editing isn't awful, like last night (WTF?). and everything is as exciting as New York itself. I say, bring it back to its home and keep it there next year.

All in all, MTV did not out do itself, and last year remains one of my favorite VMAs ever. I have higher hopes for next year, but thats only because we'll have new music from VMA legend herself, Britney Spears!

Pre-VMAs. Party time.

Ke$ha performing at MTV's pre-VMA party.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

The moment is upon us. That wonderful amazing time of the year. September leaves are falling, and drunk starlets are falling out of clubs. Its the MTV Video Music Awards!!!

This is like fucking Christmas for the gays!

Last year, we got everything we ever wanted. All things were checked off our list (even without an appearance by Britney). It was a roller coaster of a ride. It was gut wrenching. It was politics. It was tear jerking. It was cringe-worthy. It was disgusting dirty filthy pop culture.

So this season, MTV has moved the festivities from NYC to LA. Last year, I was in NYC during the VMAs, so I like to think they moved them for me. Basically, its party time this weekend. And party we did.

Me and the roomies went out for an insane Saturday night.

First up, MTV's fundraiser bash, sponsored by LifeBeat Aids Foundation. The Victorious Secrets, Ke$ha and B.o.B. were performing. There was an open bar (yeah, I know! Me too!). It was a mess, and all for a good cause. Dinner was served upstairs, and then we were moved into the main area to take in the shit show of performances. I, naturally, gravitated toward the front. (The pictures above was taken by my phone... without a zoom). And then I began drinking.

The Victorious Secrets, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway...

KE$HA! This bitch. I can't... I can't even handle her. If you get a chance to run off to one of her shows, do it. Drink, dance and party with the best of them. She's a riot and a half. She has a sense of humor and blind self-abandonment to her performance style. She plays almost all instruments on stage, and her energy is undeniably rock and roll. She's got glitter falling out of every pour of her body and a ridiculous sense of style. I loved it, for the second time. She played a few more songs this go around from when she opened for Rihanna, and I enjoyed every minute of her wild presence.

B.o.B. was up next, giving an energetic passion filled set of his HUGE hits. I did gravitate toward the back at this point, to be the first to leave (which I did before B.o.B. was actually finished) so I could get to my next event.

N.E.R.D. performing at Perez Hilton's party

Across town at Los Angeles' famous Wiltern Theater, Perez Hilton was hosting his "One Night in: Los Angeles VMA event." The line-up included Florence + the Machine, Taio Cruz, Pitbull, Kevin Rudolf and N.E.R.D. I missed Forence's set and the first half of Taio Cruz, but what I did see from everyone at this event was wonderful. N.E.R.D. completely surpassed my expectations for the night and blew the crowd away with a energy filled set.

Snooki was seen hanging in the wings, and Lolene was spotted sippin' on vodka sodas (or water!) in the VIP area. All in all, a star packed night.

Perez was a gracious host, and gave us all what we wanted. A huge party and a lot of GREAT music. The VMAs should be quite the show this year, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. Chelsea Handler is an epic comic to have at the helm of anything, and Lady Gaga's hush hush attitude toward the whole thing makes me think she has something huge in store of us.

Tune in tonight at 9pm local time on MTV for all the fun!

Quick Update!

So I know not a lot of people read my blog, but I just wanted to share a quick update.

Don't want to abandon this thing ;)

I've been extremely busy and in that time span, we have plenty of stuff to discuss. We have a new JoJo mixtape, Linkin Park album, Maroon 5 album, The Script album and Trey Songz album. As far as songs go, we've seen a new R. Kelly song making the rounds, as well as debut singles from Girl Aloud singer Nadine Coyle and future super-star Willow Smith (daughter of Will Smith).

So believe me, you have PLENTY of updates coming your way.

On Wednesday, I wanted to leave the Rihanna post up, because its a big one. But then Thursday and Friday have just been super busy/crazy.

I'm not sure how much I can get to this weekend, because I have plenty to do as well. I'll be VMA party hopping tomorrow though, from MTV and LIFEbeat's charity show featuring Ke$ha and B.o.B. to Perez Hilton's: One Night in Los Angeles VMA party (so far featuring: N.E.R.D., Florence & The Machine, Pitbull & Taio Cruz), so I'll have a little post about that (and probably pictures!). And of course, since my blog is about the music industry, I'll be sharing my thoughts with you about the MTV VMAs this Sunday night as well!

Rihanna - Only Girl (In The World)

Artist: Rihanna
Song: Only Girl (In The World)
Album: Loud
Out: November 2nd, 2010 (Tentatively)

"I want you to love me, like I'm the only girl in the world. Make me feel like, I'm the only girl in the world."

Well, geeze. Wouldn't that be nice? Little un-realistic though, don't you think RiRi?

Listen Rihanna, we're going to continue this love affair as planned, but it doesn't mean I'm not still seeing Britney, Gaga and Beyonce. I just... can't stop with them either. But if you want me to tell you you're the only girl, then fine. You're it for me, honey.

Today, Ryan Seacrest, old queen that is, premiered a new Rihanna track, slated as the first single from her brand new 5th album, Loud, due out in November. It's upbeat, it's a love song, its a club track. Everything Rihanna wasn't last go around on Rated R.

Here's the problem...

Rated R was FUCKING brilliant!!!!!!!

OK, I'm done.

Here's one of my biggest pet peeves in the industry. When singers or performers are stunted from gaining any sort of creative control of their own work. We've, as a society, micro-managed our entertainers to be in tiny little categories. I mean, as a society we've micro-managed our lives to be in little categories, from Twitters to FaceBooks to blogs to BlackBerries (I have all four). But in a failing record industry, we have executives that are calling the shots and playing it safe.

With Rated R, you have a classic case of mismanaged marketing and promotion. Whoever decided that hitting us with the moody (but still amazing) rock ballad Russian Roulette first, was a God-damned IDIOT. The world was on bated breath waiting for what the Princess RiRi was going to give them next. She ended her last era with quite the bang (no pun intended) and we were ready for something more. Giving us the in your face attitude of Hard as a first single would have been perfect. It would have set the tone for the dark pop grinding music she was about to give us. It was infectious, it was playful, but it was also a warning shot. A "don't fuck with me, because I'm here to stay" kind of moment for Ri. But Russian Roulette got us all worried. The typical pop fanatics, a-la Perez Hilton and such, went a flapping their gums about how the next album was going to be a drab dull look into her tortured past year. Well, this may be half way true, because life influences art. We weren't expecting Rihanna to sing about rainbows and butterflies post beat-down, were we? I sure as hell wasn't. I was expecting grit, glamour and power.

Now, I know I'm not the only one who enjoyed the Rated R era. After a successful sold out tour (don't listen to the haters, my show was SOLD OUT) and three top 10 radio singles, and platinum status (which is hard to come by these days) Rihanna is ready to move on to her next effort. *Fun fact, the picture above was taken with my camera at the concert I attended two months ago at the Staples Center in LA.

Only Girl (In The World) is fun, is upbeat, is 'little-miss-sunshine' and its safe. In other words, its a bonafied hit. We've seen this episode before, though. Go back to 2007. Kelly Clarkson has just released her scathing new power anthem for scorned women everywhere, Never Again. Its dark, its gritty, its exactly what she was feeling at that moment in time. It went top 6 on the Billboard charts. It sold healthy. But the public and the industry worried, are we getting angry Kelly on the whole record? Clive Davis agreed and pushed and fought to get Kelly re-record some future pop hits and replace half the record with something a little more... fun. Problem was, and this is where I gain my complete adoration and respect for Kelly Clarkson, that My December was her baby. She had painstakingly hand crafted every song on the album to be just hers. Her exact message. Take away six or so songs, and replace with pre-recorded, pre-written songs, and it just wasn't hers. Fast forward, and unfortunately the record bombed. Why? Because the industry didn't even try. They had already placed Kelly Clarkson in the section of pop power anthem girl. And showing her vulnerable side was just too risky. Forget that she's probably one of the top five best female voices of all time and that she could sing the phone book and it would sound incredible, lets just put her box. Make sure she keeps recycling everything she's ever done. Enter All I Ever Wanted album.

This is what we're doing to Rihanna. Now, is Rihanna really the greatest artist of our generation? God no. But does she deserve respect and the freedom to express herself how she sees fit? Yes, yes she does.

Let me bore with one more story before we get back RiRi. It was 2006. Pre-shaved head, just a touch of the the insanity, and the beginning of the spiral. Britney Spears had been working on her 5th studio album for some time, and had a majority of it finished. It was something all her own. We don't need to get into what kind of place she was mentally, because... well...

I'm pretty sure the picture says it all... Anyway, she had all but finished the new record and was ready to send it to be mixed. It was dark, it was fresh, it was different and it was moody. It had string sections, and acoustic guitars. It had European trance beats, and urban hip hop guest appearances. In 2006, the biggest song at the time was Big Girls Don't Cry by Fergie, so this record was the complete opposite of what was going on. But beneath all that insanity, Britney is one smart cookie. But Jive didn't go for it. They shelved the project, and ordered her to begin work with more contemporary producers and professional song writers. (Songs like Heaven On Earth, Been A While and Outta This World would later be moved to her Blackout project)

The record executives are the bosses. At the end of the day, the artist or performer is working for them, to make their business money. So you have the top earners, which have to follow a path. The surprise money makers (a-la Lady Gaga, Weezer, Susan Boyle, Taylor Swift etc.) that are allowed to do whatever they want, so long as it continues to make money. Then you have your indie bands, with less promotion, a lot more creative control, and a lot more freedom. Most likely, only told to write a hit song for someone else every once and a while.

But I can't help but get angry when big name top-billed artists are forced down a path that they didn't chose. Now, did I ask Rihanna if this is what she wanted to do? No. For all I know, Rated R could have been something she just needed to get out of her system. A therapy. And this is now the exact kind of path she wanted to take. Only Girl is a club banger, complete opposite direction from her previous work. What I will give her, is that she's ahead of the trend (so to speak) because no one has truly broken the US market with such a heavily Euro-influenced song. And if there's anyone that can get mainstream America to listen to this new wave of exciting music, its probably Rihanna. It was produced by Stargate, the production team responsible for Rude Boy and Don't Stop The Music. It kind of sounds like the later on crack. The chorus is infectious, and you will be throwing your hands high above your head when song comes on in the club. And perhaps if this song truly hits it big for RiRi, it will make way for far better Euro infused music to finally crack the market, like Kelly Rowland's far superior to this song Commander. Or Flo Rida's new out of the box idea Club Can't Handle Me. Because I'm tired of record labels sitting on top of these brilliant songs because they are afraid it might not work. Just as they did with Rihanna's last album.

Take a risk, you never know what you might get.

Bottom line: Get this song on your iPod, because everyone else will too. Put it on your party playlists and your gym workout playlists as well. Its a jam!

Buy Rihanna's "Rated R" Album (if you haven't already)

Weezer - Hurley

Artist: Weezer
Album: Hurley
Out: September 14th, 2010

So, did you watch LOST?

Were you as lost as the people on the island?

Well... I didn't watch LOST. Yeah, I know. I'm not human, blah blah blah, whatever. I also don't care for Harry Potter, whatcha gonna do about it?

Anyways, when I heard about Weezer's forthcoming album, Hurley, aptly named after the LOST series character, Hurley, I was a little lost myself. Weezer's last record was so... good. I mean, completely underrated, and had plenty of potential hits. It was completely mind-shocked that they would give up work on such a great album so quickly. I later read that front man Rivers Cuomos stated that the band was just on a roll over the past couple of years writing music and loving life. So, I gave in, and eagerly awaited the next album.

Sometime in mid-August we got the first single, Memories. I was very disappointed. After such a strong single from the last album with (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To, I just couldn't help but be disappointed. Memories, which also serves as the album's opening track, is at best an album filler track. Catchy to an extent, but lyrically lacking something. I understand the purpose of showing their respect and adoration for the show LOST, but this just wasn't gonna sell any records anytime soon. But Weezer has never truly been in the business of selling records. They are group of four guys just doing what they love. They don't write songs to intentionally top the Billboard charts, they just happen to. Nobody could have seen the out of the box success of Buddy Holly and Beverly Hills actually taking off.

So now we have the new album, and I'm very pleased to report that most of the tracks are right up to par with classic Weezer.

Over the past couple of months, Cuomos has gained quite a bit of street cred in his own right, but he doesn't let that effect the classic sound of a good ol' fashioned Weezer album. After trudging through the mediocre-but-still-kind-of-good Memories, the album moves onto the fun pop-alternative piece Ruling Me, which picks up the pace nicely. With a heavy explosion of rock instruments, its the classic nerd-wants-hott-girl type song. It had me bopping my hands and head along with it while I drove. There is an endearing sort of charm that Rivers possess more than your average rock-nerd, and it comes through on this song.

In today's day and age of actresses turned rehab spokesperson, and pop stars turned tabloid cover story, it was only a matter of time before someone wrote a song truly praising their existence. If you've ever wondered what it was like to be Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton or Britney Spears (in her hay-day), then Trainwercks is your song. Lets all be honest, deep down inside, there is a small sick part of us that wonders what it would be like. It's a heavy bass-anthem kind of song. I can only hope Lindsay listens to it, and feels a little better about herself.

Unspoken is a surprisingly good love song which goes from acoustic to hard rock in the matter of an instant. Not exactly memorable, but still a good listen. Where's My Sex is a dark and twisted, incestuous look at the art of sex. Its not exactly what you think though, because its rather good. And really, its not all about sex, but is about how he wants to get laid. Oh, you just have to listen to it!

Rnn Away is entirely skipable with its bland instrumentation, and no meaning lyrics. A far better tune is Hang On, which proves Weezer's ability to still hang with modern day punk-pop bands. A desperate plea to keep a dying relationship going.

In Smart Girls, the hilariously cute jam about how being a nerd usually gets a smarter girl, which really, at the end is the most attractive quality in someone. It takes a completely shallow (but good) beat and makes a completely not shallow song. It's definitely a must listen for this record.

Brave New World is about as heavy rock-n-roll as you'll get from Weezer on this record. A true LOST anthem, so lyrically, it just kind of went over my head. Though I'm sure most LOSTies will disagree and tell me its a tune for everyone. To you I say, go ahead and keep your song. Its nice. I guess.

The standard album sadly closes with a whimper with Time Flies, an extremely forgettable song about how quickly the journey ends. Sadly, the song couldn't end quickly enough.

I would personally recommend getting the deluxe version for a cute little diddy titled All My Friends are Insects and a great cover of Coldplay's Viva la Vida. But all in all, either way, you're getting a classic Weezer album.

Bottom line: A great Weezer album for all the Weezer fans.
Must hear song(s): Ruling Me and Smart Girls.

Pre-Order Weezer's "Hurley"

Selena Gomez & The Scene - A Year Without Rain (Single)

Artist: Selena Gomez & The Scene
Song: A Year Without Rain
Album: A Year Without Rain
Out: September 28th, 2010

Awh, cute little Selena Gomez and her band The Scene have a new song.

Isn't that precious?

That's all I can think when I see this little tyke. She's just... too cute. Ladies and gentlemen, we have this generations Hilary Duff. Sweet, pure, wholesome, a good role-model and mediocre talent.

Now, now. I can't be too hard on this one, because she's just so... cute. Have I said that enough?

But admit it. You've caught yourself humming along to the insanely brilliant and amazingly catchy Naturally. There you are drivin' along, caught in mid-day traffic, and thumbs are bouncing on the steering wheel. Or, there you are, getting ready in your room, in nothing but your underwear, hair brush in hand, singing every word at the top of your lungs. Maybe that last one is just me, regardless, you can't deny how good that song was. So when I heard that Gomez and her boys were off to the studio to record a follow up to their first LP, immediately following the success of Naturally, I was hoping for a CD filled with similar dance-hall type stuff.

It was later announced in June, that the first single wold premiere soon, and it was produced and written by Kevin Rudolf and FeFe Dobson. The little tween in me began to applaud Ms. Gomez and her team for bringing on such amazing pop heavy-weights. I mean, these people know how to write songs, not really for themselves, but some people are just better behind the scenes. So when Round & Round premiered, I was a little disappointed. The bland production, mixed with the less then catchy chorus, I ended up somewhat writing off this next effort.

Several weeks later, and a few plays later, I liked Round & Round. It's not my go to jam, but I like it.

For the next single, Gomez and the boys would be releasing title track, A Year Without Rain. Needless to say, from my lack of excitement with the first single, I wasn't rushing to the computer to download when it finally hit the iTunes store last Tuesday. I read the production credits, and I wasn't mildly impressed. Toby Gad is phenomenal producer, when he wants to be. Boasting some of my favorite songs like; Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry, Beyonce's If I Were A Boy, and Jordin Sparks' Vertigo. The man really shines with his mid tempo emotional ballads. But I wasn't sure I wanted to hear Selena's thin voice trilling through a similar song. I wanted more songs like Naturally, dammit!

In any case, I was pleasantly surprised. There is a steady club beat, mixed with a beautiful piano melody, something very Coldplay meets Naturally. This is a tween song about a love you just can't get enough of, and really, we can all relate. You know, when you get your new boyfriend or girlfriend, and you just completely ignore the rest of your friends. We've all been there, if we're not there already. There's even a thunder storm that makes its way into the song by the end. Now that's marketing!

Bottom line: I'm enjoying the new material, but I'll wait for the Dr. Luke and RockMafia productions to get truly excited.

Buy Selena Gomez & The Scene's "Round & Round" (Single)

Kanye West - Devil in a New Dress

Artist: Kanye West
Song: Devil in a New Dress
Album: Dark Twisted Fantasy (Tentatively)
Out: November 16th, 2010 (Tentatively)

So how many of you absolutely despise Kanye West?

Yeah, me too.

But Yeezy is an interesting phenom in himself. He has this strange, "Most Hated Man in the World" kind of vibe to him, but you can't help but jam to his music. Admit it, you were bumpin' Jesus Walks back in middle school when it was big. You even know all the words to Heartless.

But it seems the last straw for the world, and Kanye himself, was when he so heartlessly barged on stage as cute little Taylor Swift accepted her very first ever VMA, like O-M-G! If you don't give yourself the distinct honor of following West on Twitter, do yourself the pleasure, and hit follow. Early this morning, Kanye went on a two hour tirade, at 140 characters a piece, on why he is/was a monster, and how much he hurt Taylor. He blabbered on about how he wasn't a racist, how he realized that when you google the word, "asshole," you'll find his face within the first two pages, and other, truly, deep stuff. Great moments with Mr. West, really.

Earlier this month, Kanye decided that in an odd marketing tactic, he'd release a new song every Friday until Christmas. Now I applaud West for a being a true business man here, and realizing a lot of your business is viral now, but he's practically releasing the entire album before it even comes out, if he doesn't watch it. In reality, Kanye doesn't need anymore album sales, he's got quite a bit. So if he wants to work for free to redeem his tarnished reputation, I'm fine with that.

He's so aptly titled these Fridays, as GOOD Fridays. So far, three GOOD Fridays have come and gone, all with new Internet releases from Yeezy. This week its Devil in a New Dress, a mid-tempo throw back to the old 1970s releases from the likes of Marvin Gaye. Sadly, I haven't really been a fan of anything he's thrown at us on the Internet these past few days. The first, See Me Now with Beyoncé, was a long droning song with a repetitive beat. The next, Monster, picked up the slack a little, but lets be honest, that was because Nicki Minaj slayed the boys on this one. As she should. And now, with Devil in a New Dress, you have another song that doesn't seem to go anywhere. The subject matter, isn't really anything important, and the overall production is weak. I guess, I should just be happy you don't have to pay for any of these tracks, and hope that Kanye is just trying to wet our appetites with cuts that he ended up axing from the final product. Alas, right now, who knows. Kanye is on a odd promotional path with this one, but I can't say it hasn't gotten us talking. So at the end of the day, we'll see who wins, the consumer, or Kanye. Only time will tell.

Bottom line: Stick with your repeat play of Power in anticipation of this new record.

Buy Kanye West's "Power" (Single)

Nelly - Just A Dream / Trippin' in da Club

Artist: Nelly
Song(s): Just A Dream & Trippin' in da Club
Album: Nelly 5.0
Out: November 16th, 2010 (Tentatively)

So Nelly released an album just less then two years ago. Did you know that? Oh, that's right, that was the one with that song with Fergie. Well, I guess Nelly realized we were all only lookin' at Fergie-Ferg in that video, and didn't even realize he was even apart of that one.

Since then, he's been hard at work on his new offer, his fifth record, aptly titled: Nelly 5.0.

And in today's style, artists are releasing two singles ala Beyoncé. So we now have Nelly's first two singles to support his next record.

As I can imagine, a lot of people probably have a stigma with Hip-Hop and Rap music. Most people don't find anything remotely talented about it, and that probably has to do with what the rap life-style entails. But in my opinion, a man or woman that can rhythmically drop a sea of words that usually make a coherent thought, I am dramatically impressed.

Nelly offers us Just A Dream for the Top 40 and Pop radio circuit. Basically, this is the song you'll be hearing if you listen to KIIS FM or Z100. It's a powerful pop ballad, which dabbles in Nelly's ability to hold a note or two. There is a strange connectivity that I see helping propel this song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Nelly has had a rough couple of years, with a few deaths in the family, and romantic break up. He seems to be pouring those moments into a well crafted piece of work.

Trippin' in da Club is the kind of rap song you expect to hear from Nelly. This will be shutting down the clubs this fall all over the country. It's not as big, brassy and memorable as Hott in Hurr, from 2002, but it stands well next to Just A Dream.

Remember when Nelly collaborated with Tim McGraw? Thank God that's all over with, and with these new songs, Nelly takes his title of third best selling artist from '00 - '10 (Yeah, your thoughts, me too). This record will do him a world of good. And lets just see if he can stay out of trouble, unlike his peers.

Bottom line: You'll definitely hear one of these two songs somewhere this Fall. I don't expect any push backs for this one album.

Buy Nelly's "Just A Dream"

Robyn - Body Talk, Pt. 2

Artist: Robyn
Album: Body Talk, Pt. 2
Out: September 7th, 2010

Raise your hand if you've heard of Robyn...

Yeah. That's what I thought.

Better question, have you heard Britney Spears' lewdly outlandishly honest single Piece of Me?

Yeah. That was her.

In any case, Robyn has been making mouth-watering Swedish club bangers since 1991. Yeah, that's how long you haven't heard of her. Because she's been doing the freaky pop thing, since Lady Gaga was in diapers, but the problem is that she's just a touch too weird for mainstream American audiences. So she's sold her more "normal" work for more "normal" artists to record. All the while unapologeticly putting out her own music.

This year, Robyn has decided she's going to put out 3 EP's, instead of one full album. At 8 songs each, she's already onto her second one of the year, the next arriving sometime around Christmas. Each offer the same brand of freaky Euro pop as the next, but its always nice to know we have something to look forward to.

The only problem I have with Robyn is that her songs seem to drag on just a tad longer then they should. This is true for album opener, In My Eyes. The chorus is repetitive, but the over all beat of the song is movable. But the record really gets going with the second offering, Include Me Out. It has a strong beat and a big chorus. Its brash, and colorful. It doesn't make sense, like most Swedish pop songs, and Robyn shows off how she was one of the first to coin the Ke$ha trademarked rap-sing pop style.

Hang With Me, which is the EP's one and only single, gets a tad repetitive, but its a prime example of Robyn's knack for weird. It's a terribly sad song, yet its upbeat. Exactly what makes her stand out.

In Love Kills, Robyn shows exactly what I'm talking about, in a four and half minute song that repeats the same line several times, along a beat that isn't strong enough to be on that length of time. Lyrically, its strong statement, but it doesn't have to drone on as long as it does. Same goes for album skipper, We Dance to the Beat, where Robyn just lists a myriad of things one would dance to. A song that is completely unimportant to the record.

But Robyn does hit another home run with Criminal Intent, a fun look at a court room style dance off. Its campy and poppy, and its ear-candy. You'll be remembering this song after your first listen of the record, wanting to keep coming back to listen more.

In the album's only feature, Robyn playfully raps along side Snoop Dogg in the fun and daring U Should Know Better. Snoop and Robyn bounce back and forth between entities that know better then to fuck with them, like the industry, all of Europe, and that guy on the corner. Its a hilarious battle between a 31 year old Swedish pop star and a Godfather of gangsta rap.

At the end of the disc, Robyn offers a string driven cut called Indestructable. I'm sure this will be turned into a true club anthem to become the lead single for Body Talk, Pt. 3, much like Hang With Me was. It's a smart and lyrically catchy pop ballad. You'll find yourself relating to the intense lyrics.

At the end of the day, Body Talk, Pt. 2 won't be doing anything to further Robyn's mainstream career, but if you really want some delightfully different dance music for your iPod, I'd suggest looking here first.

Bottom line: You've never heard of Robyn, and you probably still won't. But you sure as hell should.
Must hear song(s): Include Me Out & Idestructable

Pre-Order Robyn's "Body Talk, Pt. 2"

Sara Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart

Artist: Sara Bareilles
Album: Kaleidoscope Heart
Out: September 7th, 2010

Sara Bareilles had a really good year in 2008. She had, easily, the biggest song of the year with Love Song, from her brilliant first record Little Voice.

I'm pretty sure her record company, Epic Records, did not expect the out of the box success of Bareilles. Sara is an interesting artist to dissect. She is everywhere. She pops up in the background of every one of your favorite television shows or movies. She's on at the supermarket while your doing your weekly grocery shopping. She's on at the hair salon while your getting your bi-monthly hair cut. She's even on the radio every once and a while.

But I'd gather most of the population has no idea what she looks like.

She's the perfect mainstream artist. Because she's not overkill.

I would bet your Shazam on your phone has tagged more Sara Bareilles songs than anything, because you ask yourself in all the aforementioned situations, "Who is this? I like this song."

In Kaleidoscope Heart, Bareilles' major label sophomore offering, she serves up exactly what you want. And this, you can't be angry at her for. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

An a capella choir of Sara Bareilles' open the record with a short intro of what she plans to accomplish with this album. I like that. A woman with a purpose. By definition, a kaleidoscope is a continually changing pattern of shapes and colors. This LP definitely fits that description, but it has lost a tiny bit of intensity that Little Voice possessed.

There are still TV background gems, and movie soundtrack masterpieces awaiting on this CD though. There is a little bit of daring edge, and a lot of charisma that made Bareilles a star in the first place.

Uncharted gets the party started with a bang. With strong relateable lyrical content, this is exactly what we've come to expect from Sara. You've felt this way before in your life, and you'll know exactly what she's talking about. The bouncy feel gives it a Top 40 worthy single potential. This song boasts the lyrics I wish I had written; Compare, where you are to where you wanna be, and you get, no where.

Gonna Get Over You is a further look into Sara's desire to change it up and throw it in your face a little. This is a fun ride back to the days of 1950's pop rock jams you heard on Big Band type shows. The fun, hyper-active piano line, sits with the quick step of lyrics going through a break-up with a bad lover.

In sticking with the ever changing theme, she jumps the upbeat ship, and hits us hard with the intense ballad, Hold My Heart. A harrowing look into someones mind that's having an emotional romantically charged break down. In my life, I've only let two people truly hold my heart, and this captures the exact moment that both of them dropped it. The one thing Sara Bareilles possesses that a lot of young pop singers don't is extreme relateability. By now you've all heard King of Anything, so you all know what I'm talking about. You've been there. You sing along with it, and stage its musicality in your head.

The Light, is the wedding song you'll be hearing everywhere, which takes that moment you look into your partner's eyes and know that you'll follow them wherever they go. True love, personified.

Sara falls a little short with Basket Case, a daring delve into piano-less accompaniment, and her lower register. Listenable, but not memorable. Much like the predictable Say You're Sorry earlier in the record.

With Let The Rain, Sara brings it back to where she started on Little Voice. A strong piano driven chorus, with a soaring chorus, a huge string section, and something you've never heard before. This song belongs in the end of the movie Eat, Pray, Love.

Two more forgettable songs with Machine Gun, though I'm sure you  know a guy just like this, and Not Alone.

But then she hits you. Exactly where she always gets you. Right in the heart. Right in the psych. Breathe Again is the ballad of the century. Every one's been through a break up. Everyone knows that exact moment where you realize you're ready to move on, its now just the process of moving on. Bareilles captures that moment of clarity with heavy honesty. He's the air that I'd kill to breathe. Holds my life, in his hands. Still I'm searching for something. Out of breath, I am left, hoping someday. I will breathe again. Hitting every moment of painful self-realization into a meticulous and painful ballad. With a string section that will give you chills all over you body, this is the song that makes Sara Bareilles one of the best song writers of our generation. Worth the whole purchase of the CD.

She finally brings her kaleidoscope journey to an end with a softer and lighter ballad called Bluebird. A moment of clarity before she lets you go. A perfect way to close a sophomore chapter.

Somewhere in the middle of the journey, Sara's kaleidoscope stopped turning, and she chose to jump back into her old form from Little Voice, but no one here will reprimand her for that.

Bottom line: Stumbles a little for a sophomore effort, but Bareilles has plenty of years ahead of her to impress.
Must hear song(s): Uncharted, Gonna Get Over You, Breathe Again

Pre- Order Sara Bareilles' "Kaleidoscope Heart"

The Pretty Reckless - Light Me Up

Artist: The Pretty Reckless
Album: Light Me Up
Out: September 7th, 2010

Little J.

Sweet, adorable, young, niave, Jenny Humphry.

What the hell happened to you?!

17 years old and wearing hooker shoes, with nighties in public. Racoon worthy eye make-up. Packs of cigarette's a day. And you never smile. I guess you're just going through what we all went through at 17, just with a lot more money.

Regardless, your music is, in one simple word: awesome.

Yeah, I know. (Your thoughts) Me too.

Fine, fine. I'll call her by her real name, Taylor Momsen. Who's been working in this industry since she was five years old hawking things in commercials, singing along with Jim Carey in "Grinch" remakes, and being the pain in the ass existence known as Jenny Humphrey on my favorite television show, Gossip Girl. But who knew the girl could rock?

She formed a band two years ago, with three other guys who are far too old to be hanging out with a then 15 year old, and started writing songs. She grew up in a world similar to that of Gossip Girl's Upper East Side bitch brigade, so I imagine she has quite a bit to talk about. And she does. You'll be surprised at this youngster's wisdom and charisma when she hits a studio mic. (Same can not be said when she hits a live mic).

The disc opens with the sound of Momsen lighting her cigarette, as she dives into a dark and moody rock and roll of a song, My Medicine. Yes, this song is exactly what you think its about. And lets face it, very few teenagers in this world haven't seen a doobie before. And yes, teenagers do drugs. It happens. Another reason why you can't help but love Momsen's brash attitude while singing about a bad trip.

The record then moves onto an angsty teen-hate filled break up song, Since You've Been Gone, and no, its not a cover of Kelly Clarkson's brilliant pop anthem of the similar name. This song is actually a look into how passion filled jilted teenager views break-ups. You can remember your high school break up, and how it was the end of the world. In this look on the process, Taylor just does it with a little more bass guitar then we did.

Make Me Wanna Die, the surprisingly good first single, moves the CD along with ease, and sits in your ear just the same as when you first heard it several months ago. A little sprinkle of pop, mixed with dark heavy rock. Light Me Up, the title track, is the closest thing to a rock anthem the band offers. With a soaring chorus, you'll find yourself reflective of your lower moments in life, and how sometimes a cigarette and a stiff drink is all you need. Mind you, this is all coming from a then 16 year old. So you'll have to get past your, "what the fuck does this little twat know," attitude. Be honest with yourself, what she saying rings true, and you've been there. She's the only one not afraid to say it.

Just Tonight, is one of the three moments where Momsen gets soft. But the results are gut-wrenching. She captures the aftermath of that serious relationship spat we've all had before with intense honesty. How many times have you done something with someone you know you shouldn't have? Well here's your song...

The albums next, and brilliantly soaring next single, Miss Nothing, is anything short of awesome. Its everything a rock song wants to be. It's loud, its boisterous, it's nonsensical, and its perfect. Its heavy and its one of the most playful tracks on the record, right next to Goin' Down, a comical trip to confessional with the screwed up Catholic church. Taylor playfully flirts with danger and her priest, in this campy, and light, single worthy cut. Its shocking, its brash, and its just what Momsen and her boys like to do.

Nothing Left To Lose, continues the softer side of Taylor. It's the albums most skip-worthy track, but it reminds me of something Led Zeppelin would create, with a higher then the Rocky mountains guitar lick in the background as Momsen lilts through a reflective moment in her life. But with Factory Girl, the last heavy beating rock song on the record, you have a spiritful T-Moms ready to hit a party, waxing philosophically about bi-sexual randevouxs and drinking herself into a tizzy. It's young, and its exactly what we did at that age, so pick your jaw up off the floor, because lets be honest here. You did it too. And if you didn't, you thought.

The album's closing track, You, is the LP's only acoustic set. Its vulnerable and honest. It's an angsty teenagers love song. It's heartbreak, and its the end of the world. Just like it always was at that age.

In the end, I'm sure one day, Momsen will look back at the lyrics she helped write on this album and think to herself, "What was I thinking, and who did I think I was?" I, for one, am glad she chose to put her growing pains into compact disc form. We'll all hit that moment in our lives, when we realize we don't know everything, like we thought when we were teenagers. But this journey is worth a listen, a few times over.

Bottom line: This teenager has a lot to say, and surprisingly its worth your time to listen. Rock, pop and edge at its best.
Must hear song(s): Light Me Up, Just Tonight, Miss Nothing & Goin' Down.
Obvious favorite: Make Me Wanna Die

Buy "The Pretty Reckless" - EP

Be sure to pick up a copy of Light Me Up when its hits stores, September 7th.

Brandon Flowers - Flamingo

Artist: Brandon Flowers
Album: Flamingo
Out: September 14th, 2010

Have you ever been to Vegas? You know, waking up at 10am after 45 minutes of sleep, being out all night, club hoping, bar crawling, strip club bouncing. Binge drinking, being offered porn and hardcore drugs. Crazy lights. Elvis impersonators. The whole VEGAS experience. Everything that happens there, stays there, kind of a thing. Well this album is nothing like that. It's dull, dreary, slow, life-less and lacks any sort of color.

The Flamingo hotel may be an original Vegas cornerstone of a hotel, but like this album, it's needs some serious professional help.

You'd think, teaming Flowers, with his erratic energy and pension for glam rock, with Stuart Price, the man behind pop masterpieces from Kylie Minogue and Madonna, would be a marriage made in heaven. But something fell short here. Price produced over half of the album, but none of of his offerings sound anything like what he's used to doing.

I'm all for experimentation, but we're all fans for a reason. And we should always remember why the consumer buys the album in the first place.

The album opens with one of its many life-less offerings, Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas. The song itself is anything less than fabulous, and only struggles to find its heartbeat somewhere near the end of its nearly five minutes. After droning through two more songs, one of them the next single, Only The Young, the album finally finds a pulse, even if just for a song. Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts should be one of those filler album songs for this record, but its not. It's the only song with a monochrome of life. It's strong drum beat and clever lyrics really resonate with a listener, and I could it see it possibly being the only potential single on the record.

The rest of the album slinks along like one extended boring song. Though I learned to enjoy listening to the B-side worthy of a lead single, Crossfire, by the time it shows up on the disc, I'm ready for it to be over.

Brandon stated in an interview that he wanted to make this record because the rest of The Killers wanted to take a break, so by the time he was done promoting this record, the rest of the boys would be ready to get back in the studio. My suggestion, is that he shold have booked that ticket to Hawai'i instead of making this offering.

Flowers belongs with his creative partners in The Killers. Thats where his magic lies. This is just not it.

Bottom line: Not a killer album. Stick with what you know, Brandon.
Must hear song(s): Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts

Pre-Order Brandon Flowers' "Flamingo"

Shakira - Loca

Artist: Shakira
Song: Loca
Album: Sale El Sol (Translates: The Sun Comes Out)
Out: October 19th, 2010 (Tentatively)

"Dance or Die!" opens the new English language version of Shakira's new single, on her next (mostly Spanish) bi-lingual record, due out October 19th. There's only one problem; it doesn't have enough "dance" in it. So does it "die?" Not completely...

Shakira has had an interesting past year attempting to transition to disco dance diva. Its been rough, debuting at a disappointing number fifteen on the Billboard album charts last year with her, highly underrated, She Wolf record. Compared to her normal command of the number one spot, this is a poor showing. Shaki and her team have been on the clean up recording more music for her next release before hitting the road next month. Since last year, She Wolf has only sold 300,000+ copies in the US (2.5 million worldwide), which is shameful compared to the 1.8+ million (US) (8 million worldwide) of her last English language release, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. Her last record yields the most downloaded song of the '10 decade, Hips Don't Lie, which is monstrous compared to the whimpering "howl" of She Wolf.

But enough of Shaki's short comings, lets get to Loca.

Shaki brings it back to the Spanish roots with Loca, blaring the horns and the Mexican drums as loud as she can. Now, I know I was the only person who really liked her sexy She Wolf moment, but she didn't have to go all chips and salsa on us. I believe a marriage between her pulsating, should of been a single, Men in this Town and her equally titillating La Tortura would have sufficed. The thing I believe with Shakira is that she can never go too far away from her Latin roots, but I like when she experiments with the new wave of European club beats that are sweeping America currently. Perhaps trying out Steve Mac, David Erikson or the oh-so-obvious David Guetta would have been more exciting choices when crafting her last album. Loca seems to go too far back into her early years of South of the boarder success, and gives me a hankering for a quesadilla. There really isn't much of a pumping beat that can play it in a club setting, but it does sit better in its native Spanish language. If Shakira's people are smart, they will promote the new Spanish language album heavily, and offer the four new English language tracks as part of a re-release (digitally) of her last She Wolf record. Shakira still has quite a bit of staying power, selling out arena's across America, even with a poor selling record. But she should focus on promoting She Wolf rather than pushing a completely new record on us with this new Earthly Delights Tour later this year.

Bottom line: Loca isn't as crazy as she'd like it to be, but safe enough to like anyway.

Buy tickets to Shakira's: Earthly Delights Tour

Buy: She Wolf

Blog #1.

Ladies and gentlemen...

I have opinions.

I have ideas.

This is where I'll put them. You will read them. Or maybe you won't. Don't worry, it won't hurt my feelings. Now... onto the blogging! :)