Will Young, one of Britain's most successful male Pop artists, is ready to hit the scene once again with his newest album Echoes. The album marks a turn for a more Dance-oriented sound. Don't get it twisted. Young's new sound is not ass-shaking Europop, but a more intelligent and mature Dance.
"Jealousy" is the first single from Echoes. While I know this will not be everyone's cup of tea, I also know that the track exudes sophistication and beauty that need to be heard. It's different and that is why I love it. And it doesn't hurt that Young sounds like the male equivalent of Robyn on this.
That's it. I am a huge Nicola Roberts fan now! The last three tracks she's released have all been perfect Pop ditties. This Girls Aloud member has quickly blown her bandmates out of the water with her new solo material. It's an inarguable fact.
"Lucky Day" is confirmed to be the second single off Nicola's debut album Cinderella's Eyes after "Beat Of My Drum." This one is definitely more radio-friendly, so here's hoping it fares better on the UK charts than "Beat Of My Drum" did.
Nicola was seen in the East Village of New York City filming the music video for "Lucky Day" just a few days ago! Before she left from London to film it, she posted on her blog:
"['Lucky Day'] is about a boy not playing along but in the end you win him over and it's your lucky day. You can take it how ever you want though, maybe you won on the scratch cards and so you had a lucky day, that kind of thing. I've never been to New York, I can't tell you how excited I am for us to go and have new adventures..."
You're either going to love or hate the weird "whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa" she does throughout the song in certain words. I love...
I discovered Sia only about a year ago when iTunes paired her third album We Are Born with their pink iPod nano. Loving the cover art, I checked out her music and instantly responded to it. Her voice struck me as unique and although her music was not radio-friendly, it was Pop perfection.
This past Wednesday, I got the chance to see Sia's sold out We Are Born Tour at Webster Hall in NYC! It was my birthday and it was my first 18+ concert. I cannot think of a better way to spend turning 18 than doing what I love...listening to live music!
I arrived at Webster Hall with one of my best friends, Lina, at around 6:30pm. Security checked our ID's and we quickly went inside to wait in line until they opened the actual concert space. At exactly 7:00pm they started letting people in. As it was 'Standing Room Only,' Lina and I were prepared to not be that close to the stage, but to our surprise we were able to get about two feet from the stage!
The first opener, Mexican artist Ximena Sariñana, came on at 7:34pm. I was really looking forward to hearing this newcomer's music as I loved her song "Different" but I ended up being really disappointed. She had no idea how to give a good show. Normally, I could forgive that because of how new she is, but the songs were bland and boring.
Up next was my favorite artist to breakthrough in 2011 – Oh Land! I actually love this Danish singer-songwriter's major label self-titled debut album. I got to see her a few months ago when she performed at the Charles Bank Gallery in Soho and since then her performance has improved tremendously! She was so energetic and crazy! Even while running and dancing all over the stage, her voice was as good as ever. I have no doubt she made many new fans! I'll jump at the chance to see her again...she's that good!
At about 9:30pm, Sia came bouncing onto the stage with her vibrant presence and quirky personality. Her down-to-earth nature was quickly apparent, as she started out by talking to the audience as if we were all old friends, even kneeling down to whisper silly things to certain members of the audience and playfully telling them to pass on the secrets.
Opening with the uplifting "The Fight," Sia drew in the audience for a night of fun. A pro at balancing sad with happy, she continued performing material from her latest albums, Some People Have Real Problems and We Are Born, as well the crowd favorites like "Breathe Me." The Aussie also "tested" a new piano-driven song "Hostage," that she revealed she created with The Strokes guitarist, Nick Valensi.
Unfortunately, Sia revealed on Twitter that this would be her last tour indefinitely. She is "slowly retiring from touring" as well citing that she has "a responsibility to my label to tour or [she] wouldn't even be doing this tour. [I]t's just personal." Seeing as she was recently diagnosed with Graves' Disease, it is entirely understandable. I'm looking forward to her touring again in a few years!
My highlight of the night was during one of the conversations Sia had with the audience and thanks to Lina, Sia shouted to me, "Happy Birthday!" Needless to say, it was awesome!
Only 34 seconds have been released and it sounds like Jessie J has a hit on her hands with her new track "Domino"!
The song was posted on Twitter by producer hit maker Dr. Luke, who has previously worked with Katy Perry and Britney Spears.
Dr. Luke tweeted Jessie J: "should we give em a little taste ????" before posting a link to the first 20-second snippet alongside the message: "Uh oh..."
Only a few hours later he tweeted a second 14-second snippet!
British Folk-Pop songstress Ellie Goulding has just released a new video for her single "Starry Eyed". The song was released over a year and a half ago in the UK, along with it's original music video. I do not think it was necessary to release another video just for listeners in the States. Most people have already heard the song in some sort of incarnation (party mixes, Dubstep remixes). Either way, I still love this track!
British crooner and one of my favorite artists of all time, James Morrison, has announced details about his upcoming third album titled The Awakening.
Hi everyone, so I told you the album is coming in September and it is called The Awakening. I'm really excited about it and there are going to be various interviews and bits of filmed footage appearing on the websites soon now telling a bit more of the story. I wanted to give you a little taster of the music now though, so here is a clip of me recording live last week at a studio in Crouch End, London. It is a new album track called 'Right By Your Side' It is a really personal song for me and I hope you grow to love it as much as I do. Anyway, enjoy it with my love, James.
The Awakening will be released on September 26, 2011 and you can hear clips of each track here!
UPDATE: This track is a little too mellow for my tastes. I'm not really a fan of it.
This is Electro-Pop at it's finest! NOVI, whose real name is Carolyne Neuman, has written an exciting and head-turning ditty that is sure to have Pop lovers waiting for her next release.
"Blackbirds" shows off NOVI's sense of humor and her unabashed attitude. I mean, you have to have some guts to start a song singing, "I’ve seen blackbirds f’ing on the side of the road."
NOVI is making it clear she's not just another Electro-Pop artist and I like it! The SoCal chanteuse's debut EP is due for release this fall!
If you do not enjoy Mumford & Sons or Ray LaMontagne, then I suggest you skip ahead.
Irish Folk singer/songwriter James Vincent McMorrow released his debut album Early In the Morning in February 2010. The album was a pure labor of love with everything done by McMorrow himself. He penned every track on the album, played all the instruments, and completely recorded the entire album himself.
"This record was borne out of my desire to create something singular, take the simplest of chords, wrap them in washes of melody, so lines come in, they drop out, everything ebbs and flows as the songs move towards their inevitable end. I don’t sit down with an agenda when I write, I usually have a first line, and a vague sense in my head of where I’m going, but no real solid structure. Music tends to reveal itself to me over the course of weeks and months. It’s probably quite like sculpting, you have a chisel, you know what’s waiting for you inside the stone, all that’s left is to chip away the pieces and reveal it."
I have been listening to the album for a while now and it is truly captivating.
McMorrow is headlining a US tour this fall. Check out the dates here!
Neo-Pop Scottish artist Emeli Sandé has finally released the music video for her debut single "Heaven", but it was worth the wait! The beautiful video is as stunning as the song itself. There's no big splash or exciting storyline, but that is a positive thing. You can just concentrate on Sandé's powerful, emotive voice soaring over the 90's drum'n'bass line.
"Heaven" will be release in the UK on August 14th and I have no doubt in my mind it will make a huge impact! Sandé's sound is exactly what the industry needs more of and I'm sure I'll be hearing more of Sandé in the coming months.
Finally the best singer from Girls Aloud gets to show off her vocal chops! I am eagerly awaiting Nicola Roberts' debut album Cinderella's Eyes as everything I've heard so far from it is pop perfection. The album is undoubtedly going to be the best solo material from any of the Girls Aloud band mates.
"Porcelain Heart" is the B-side to Nicola's debut single "Beat Of My Drum". If this track and "Disco, Blisters, and a Comedown" did not make the final cut for the album then her label has made some very poor decisions or the album is going to be one of the best pop albums of the year!
The music world has truly lost one if the greats. The Soul/Jazz diva, who shot to worldwide fame in 2006 with her global hit album Back To Black, was found dead in her North London home this morning.
Winehouse was as famous for her Grammy Award-winning blend of jazz, soul, rock and classic pop as she was for her drug and alcohol problems. "Rehab" catapulted her to the top of the music world but the song's lyrics were not just words for Winehouse, they were her life. Unfortunately, Winehouse was never able to rid herself of her addictions.
The 27-year old, with her black beehive hairdo and old-fashioned sailor tattoos, was one the voices of our generation. Winehouse was in my Top 5 favorite artists of all time. It makes me so sad to know that she wasted her talents and that she has passed away. I believe it's now up to her God daughter, Dionne Bromfield, to take everything Winehouse taught her and learn from her mistakes.
Rest in peace, Amy. You will always be missed.
Fact: Amy now joins the infamous 27 Club. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, and now Amy Winhouse, all died at age 27.
Lana del Rey, whose real name is Lizzie Grant, calls herself the "gangsta Nancy Sinatra." Born in rural Lake Placid, New York, Rey has traveled the world nurturing and sculpting her sound...and by the looks of it, her image, too!
It's refreshing to hear a new talent who has a fully realized artistic direction and vision; ten seconds in and you know what kind of artist Rey is. Her cinematic dark pop sound oozes vintage glamor with a hint of scorned heartbreak. Her intense, yet demure voice is captivating. I'm expecting big things for this girl!
Rey's press release sums her up pretty nicely: "No matter where in the world Lana is, her love of film noir, Italian landscapes, big churches, roller coasters and the memory of faded stars like Bette Davis, Kurt Cobain, Nina Simone and Elvis are the chorus line for her music, and her love of New York is her heartbeat."
Rey is currently working on her debut album from Interscope Records.
I like this more than anything that actually made it onto 4. Beyoncé's "Schoolin' Life" sounds like a mid-tempo Pop/Funk track from the 80s. It is safe to say that is the same reason it did not make it onto the regular album. The The-Dream-produced song can be found on the Deluxe Edition of 4 available exclusively at Target.
Still don't understand how Jared Evan has yet to find mainstream success. Evan's musical abilities are so versatile that I think all he's lacking is a definitive hit. I still believe he is the perfect marriage of Hip-Hop and Pop!
Yes, yes, and yes!!! Hip Hop is definitely not my favorite genre but this track is pure fire! "Otis" from Jay-Z and Kanye's new record Watch The Throne premiered on New York's Hot 97 radio station last night. The hip-hop pair's track features vocals from R&B legend Otis Redding and samples the late singer's 1967 hit "Try a Little Tenderness". Watch out for the much-anticipated album which will be released digitally on August 1st and physically on August 5th.
If you haven't heard, Spotify has just been unleashed in the US! This new and excited music streaming service has found immense success in Europe and it looks like the same is going to happen here in the States. Los Angeles Times raves, "It blows the doors off of anything on the market!"
The only way to get Spotify right now is by paying for a premium account or by receiving a coveted invitation. Lucky for you, I have FOUR invitations up for grabs!
To enter for a chance to win an invitation, just complete any of the following:
I introduced Miami-based crooner Cris Cab a couple months ago with his track "My Life" and then again with his single "Good Girls". Since then, Cab has released his first major album titled Forward and gone on his first nationwide tour to sold out audiences!
"Take You Away" seriously sounds like it could have been on Mayer's second album Heavier Things.
This brand new track from New York trio August Coupe and The Interns is the first official release from the genre-mixing group's debut mixtape Introducing The Interns. Along with a killer chorus, leading "Driving 90" with a solid spit is August Coupe, which is the name taken by the musician Daniel Lonner, formerly known as LED.
After finding success as a member of The Band Eclypse, whose accomplishments include winning Amateur Night at the Apollo, playing New Jersey music festival Bamboozle, and hitting the iTunes top 10 Hip Hop/Rap charts, Lonner is using August Coupe as an opportunity to showcase the rapping and producing that takes place outside the band (which has since been reborn as We Stole The Kids).
If "Driving 90" is any indication of what is to come in Introducing The Interns, then I am really looking forward to it's release!
Britain's newest boy band The Wanted have just reached #1 in the UK for the second time with their single "Glad You Came". The Pop quintet shot to #1 with their debut single "All Time Low", which quickly became one of my favorite tracks of the moment. Just a year ago, they were unknown and opening for the opener of an opener at numerous music festivals in Europe trying to get their name out. This Brit-nominated group has clearly come a long way since then!
"Glad You Came" is a massive pop smash that has the makings of a worldwide hit! This could be the track that allows the boys to make their way across the pond and into ears of teenage girls all over America. If it isn't playing on our radio stations in less than a year, something is seriously wrong with their label.
Although I really enjoy The Wanted, I give them three years before they become washed up. Brutal, but nonetheless true.
If you want to know what not to listen to then keep reading. Pop up-and-comer Neon Hitch just released her debut single "Bad Dog" and it's really disappointing, to say the least. The lyrics are recycled crap that Popdust points out may even have metaphors about bestiality and euthanasia. On top of that, this "S&M" wannabe track is trying way too hard be mainstream — and that's coming from an unabashed mainstream lover.
After a good year of bubbling under the Pop scene and building a fanbase with great tracks like "Get Over U", "Blow Ur House Down", and "Silly Girl", Hitch has totally lost her unique charm on this one. This has her record label's doing written all over it! Even proven hit-maker Benny Blanco, who produced "Bad Dog", could not help this track. I would argue that his over-the-top sounds and overuse of autotune are a big part of the problem.
Off the fantastic news that their debut single "Pumped Up Kicks" has soared to #46 on the Hot 100 Chart, genre-smashing Foster The People have released the video for their second single "Helena Beat". The California trio continue with their usual sound, which is both retro and contemporary, on this track. The post-Armageddon video is really not that exciting, but it does work for the lyrics about the hardships of life and overcoming feats.
"Takeover" by Malaysian superstar Mizz Nina is nothing revolutionary, but it is nonetheless another fun Pop song. What got me interested was the fact that Flo Rida dropped a few rhymes on a track for an artist that is virtually unknown in the biggest music markets.
Flo Rida has basically given his seal of approval to Mizz Nina and she needs it as she is going to try to branch out of the Asian market with her new English-language album. I'm still on the fence about this platinum-selling entertainer, but "Takeover" is catchy enough to make me keep my eyes on her!
Is it weird that I like the single cover a lot more than the song?
Yes, yes, and yes! Again, I think I'm in the minority on this one, but I love this track! Finally an artist who has the voice to really deliver a dance track and push it to the next level! Now that Pia Toscano is trying to nudge herself in front of Leona Lewis as a throwback diva here in the States, where does that leave Leona? To the dance floor, of course!
Leona + Avicii = Greatness. The blogs are going crazy right now saying that Leona stole the song from Avicii, but I do not think her label is that dumb. Avicii has has stated how he wants to produce tracks for other artists, so I'm going to assume he gave this song to her. There has been no comment from her label or his.
This song is not what truly excites me — it's what could be that really gets me going! The groundwork has been laid with this track for Leona and I think with the right songs given to her, she could go from selling out stadiums in her native UK to selling out stadiums all over the world!
People always complained about how Leona's songs were too slow and now they are complaining that it's too fast. Whatever. I loved Leona's gigantic ballads before and I still love her now!
UPDATE!
The full story has yet to come out but it looks like there will be some major lawsuits between Avicii's camp and Leona's label Syco Records! Sandy Vee, recent hot shot producer (Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World) and Katy Perry's "Firework"), has been accused of plagiarism.
Below are tweets between Avicii and Sandy Vee where both claim to not be at fault.
Avicii's label, Ministry of Sound, states, "Ministry of Sound signed Avicii a year ago and have been working on vocal ideas for over 6 months on the track. Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Scott Mills have been playing 'Penguin' for months now, but this week we've realised Simon Cowell and Leona Lewis have stolen our record. Collide’ is identical to Avicii’s track!"
Unsurprisingly, Leona's Twitter has yet to be updated since the news broke about the allegations. I'm interested to see how this plays out.
UK pop croonerOlly Murs is back with his first single off his upcoming second album! "Heart Skips A Beat" is much more pop than the usual Olly Murs sound but it shows his growth as an artist! It reminds me of an early Robbie Williams.
"'Heart Skips A Beat' marks the start of the next chapter for me," says Olly Murs. "The song has a new sound, and getting Rizzle Kicks to feature on it was the icing on the cake. Those guys are amazing!"
This British pop starlet debuted at #1 on the singles chart back in 2009 and since then has had five consecutive singles in the Top 20! Pixie Lott is definitely one of my favorite UK pop stars because not only are her songs infectiously catchy, but she writes them all too!
"All About Tonight" is the first single from her sophomore effort that is due out in stores this fall. The dance track finds her ready to let go of all the stress of the week and enjoy the night that is to come! Unfortunately, it not what I was hoping for when I heard that Pixie was back with her new single! The song is too generic and the lyrics are so 2010.
The bland song would have left me a bit weary of the new album if it weren't for the fact that Pixie just announced John Legend and Stevie Wonder would be featured on it! Stevie freakin' Wonder!!! How this 20 year old newbie got the legend to lay down harmonica work on one of her tracks is beyond me, but more power to her! I believe that says a lot about the artist that Pixie truly is. Don't let this track fool you!
"It was kinda like jumping off a cliff and seeing if I had a parachute in my back pocket" pop folkie Jason Reeves says of covering hip-hop queen Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life" for this week's Mashup Monday.
But rather than plummeting like a stone and crashing, the midwestern singer/songwriter floats gracefully to earth with his acoustic cover of Minaj's hit 2011 ballad/rap, while still managing to retain its hip-hop flavor by transmuting her flow into a spoken word vibe.
"I did start out making hip-hop music in Iowa when I was in high school," avowed Minaj fan Reeves reveals. "Way before I ever learned how to play guitar [or] started writing songs, I was actually recording raps."
After his 2007 debut, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And Other Frightening Tales), Reeves has notably co-written several songs with pop songstress Colbie Caillat.
Let's just get this straight. I really don't like Demi Lovato's 'comeback' single "Skyscraper" at all, but clearly the general population doesn't agree with me as "Skyscraper" skyrocketed to the top of the iTunes chart on the first day of it's release.
Everyone and their mother is loving this track. Many celebrities have been gushing over the inspirational song on Twitter.
Selena Gomez: “SO, SO proud of @ddlovato #skyscraper Incredible, beautiful and so inspiring..”
Katy Perry: “The new song Skyscraper by @ddlovato is pure perfection. Her voice is one of the BEST undiscovered beauties. Can’t wait for the full record.
Kelly Clarkson: “Ooh while on iTunes I bought Demi Lovato’s new song “Skyscraper” …..cool song and her voice sounds rad!”
Pete Wentz:“amazing when people put themselves into their art completely #np skyscraper by @ddlovato”
Kim Kardashian: “I am so excited to download @ddlovato new song #SKYSCRAPER! It’s out tonight! EVERYONE MUST DOWNLOAD IT!!! So proud of u Dem!”
The pop tearjerker is simply just not catchy or exciting enough for me. This is Demi Lovato... the Disney pop star with the best voice to come out of any of the famed franchises. I feel people like this song more only because of the story behind it, Demi's vocals drenched with tears, and the fact that people love a good comeback story! If any other pop star released this song right now it would have bombed!
Demi left all the bells and whistles at home when she shot the video but it works out perfectly! Without any flashy gimmicks, the viewer gets to concentrate on the fragile Demi and the message she's trying to get across.
I love, love, love this track! It's so simple but the little intricate moves Kevin Hammond does with his voice make "What Would You Do For Love" stand out! His falsetto is definitely going to be his selling point and his distinguishable trait! The song is a fantastic pop gem that showcases his ability to be both agile and powerful.
"What Would You Do For Love" is the second single off Hammond's upcoming debut album One Of A Kind due out for release this summer from A&M/Octone Records. I featured his debut single "Broken Down" back in April and many people really responded to Hammond's sound. Since then, he's released the official music video for the track featuring actress Kat Graham.
**The version of "What Would You Do For Love" below is not the final, mastered version that was released yesterday on iTunes. It's a more acoustic version that I may even like better!
The Kooks are back with their first single titled "Junk Of The Heart (Happy)" from their third album Junk Of The Heart and it's a killer! This British indie Pop band jumped onto the scene in 2006 with their debut album Inside In/Inside Out and a sound influenced by the 1960s British invasion. Immediately finding mainstream success, the album was certified quadruple platinum in the UK. They soon followed that up with the release of their second album Konk in 2008, when it reached #1!
This single will definitely work it's way up the charts. The acoustic guitar married with the warm, light synths are a refreshing take on a now common idea. And you'll be humming the chorus by the end! Junk Of The Heart will be released on September 13th from Virgin Records.
Pia Toscano, the popular Season 10 contestant of American Idol, premiered her debut single "This Time" yesterday on On Air with Ryan Seacrest and it was officially released today! It's exciting to be able to witness the beginnings of what could become a huge career.
One of the problems is "This Time" falls short of all expectations, especially with the track record Ester Dean has. The ballad is full of cliches of the woman scorned that leads to it being entirely generic. Many reviews have said that Pia sings the hell out of the track, but I think her perfection may also be her downfall. Without a crack in her powerhouse voice, it's hard to believe in Pia's fight to get back at the guy who hurt her.
Pia reflected on what supplied the inspiration of her single, “This song is a journey of self discovery for me. Its an empowerment kind of song. I feel like its a ladies anthem. It pertains to my journey on American Idol to a relationship. This is my time. I can’t believe I’m allowed this opportunity.” When asked about creating her album Pia says, “I’m about 8 songs [into my album] , and hopefully it will be released in the fall. Its awesome. I’ve been working with Rodney Jerkins, Harvey Mason Jr., Heather Bright, Rock Mafia. Its been a dream! These are all my dream producers that I’ve been working with.”
This Soul crooner already sounds like a seasoned veteran with his introspective lyrics and timeless music, but he is just getting started! Virginia-born Alex Boyd is ready to make an impact with his real and honest talent. With only one official release under his belt, Boyd has begun turning heads with his passionate voice that is reminiscent of decades past. His single, "Light Up Tonight", marks the wonderful debut of a genuine artist that is ready to show the world what he's got.
Boyd has danced with Debbie Allen, sang with Patti LaBelle, and acted alongside Bruce Willis. He's got a great story to tell not only personally, but musically. I was able to sit down with this multi-talented artist and talk about his exciting beginnings in show business, the ups and downs of landing a record deal, and his debut record Commit Me due out this Fall!
This week saw a new track by Kelly Clarkson titled "Let Me Down" getting leaked and here are three more to add to that! Overall, these are very, very good! Here are the tracks in order of my preference!
UPDATE: RCA Records is serious about taking down the leaks wherever they pop up so I'll try to keep this post updated with new uploads.
"What Doesn't Kill You" is the most mastered of the three tracks and that alone suggests that this track is either on it's way to being a single or at least that it's showing up on the album. The song is ready to attack Top 40 radio as a new empowerment anthem! It can't get more classic Kelly than than this with crashing guitars and heartbreak angst!
"Dumb + Dumb = U" - REMOVED
This mid-tempo song shows Kelly delivering one of her signature kiss-offs with some added analytical skills. Of all three tracks, "Dumb + Dumb = U" is the one with the hardest Rock sound, but that isn't saying much - this track is still totally Pop.
"I Forive You" - REMOVED
I really wonder if Alecia Moore aka P!nk co-wrote this song because it sure has her flavor all over it. Kelly is in post-breakup mode and instead of ripping her ex apart, she lays her true feelings on the table. The only thing I find weird is the dancefloor beat that plays under the guitar; it seems so out of place!
Eliza Doolittle has been praised for her unique retro-modern Jazz Pop sound, but along with those raves came a lot of naysayers claiming that it was all Autotune. Well leave it up to this quirky artist to try and dispel those rumors with a live version of her breakout-hit "Skinny Genes"!
This Nashville-based Pop/Rock quartet's newest single "Back To Life" is reminiscent of a rougher Ben Folds and that's a compliment. I had never heard of Parachute Musical until yesterday, when I stumbled upon their latest track. I really like this song for it's mature, yet delightfully playful sound. My only qualm is about the band's name. There's a much more successful group called Parachute and even if there wasn't, the name sounds like a really corny off-Broadway musical.
British pop star Nicola Roberts is on a roll with the tracks and sneak peeks she's released from her debut album Cinderella's Eyes! I absolutely love her debut solo single "Beat of My Drum" and have been blasting it for the past month.
"Disco, Blisters, & A Comedown" is the official B-side to "Beat Of My Drum" and if this amazing track didn't make the cut for the album, I cannot wait to hear what actually did! In "Disco, Blisters, & A Comedown", Nicola talks about partying and some of the rather funny effects it has on her.
Even though I love "Beat of My Drum", I know it's not that radio-friendly and clearly it's shown in the lackluster sales it's had over in the UK. Although it is not being released as a single, "Disco, Blisters, & A Comedown" is the type of electro-pop track you'd come to expect from a member of Girls Aloud and it should help to bring some positive press to Nicola.
Cinderella's Eyes is due out on September 27, 2011 from Polydor Records.
Here's a new video from Interscope Records artist Zander Bleck, telling listeners a little bit about his artist journey. He goes on to say that he believes, "If you keep the spark alive, you can make what you want come true."
Zander's RedOne-produced debut album Monument is due out sometime this fall!
Well this is unexpected! After releasing her debut single "Swagger Jagger" in the UK, Cher Lloyd premiers her newest track "Superhero". Lifted from her upcoming album, the X Factor alum performed an acoustic version of the song exclusively for Perez Hilton. It's definitely different from her single and dare I say...even better!
Interscope Records' newest artist and American Idol finalist Pia Toscano performed her debut single "This Time" on Wednesday while on the American Idol Tour! The single, which is co-written and co-produced by one of my favorites Ester Dean (Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry), is due out for release on July 12th but you can catch a snippet of it below!
The track sounds like it could have easily been given to Kelly Clarkson and judging from this recording, it's not up to par with what Ester Dean usually puts outs. It seems like a reject track. It's catchy enough but unfortunately it's bland. I'll reserve my final judgement for the released recording.
Here's the story of my spontaneous trip to see Young The Giant in New York City!
I called the Apple Store in SoHo around 2:30pm yesterday to see if they still had wristbands available for the Young The Giant concert that night. A really nice employee assured me that there were and that I should come get them as soon as I could. So I jumped in my car, typed in the store's address into my phone's GPS, and drove off to the city.
At around 4:30pm, I walked into the store and up the main stairs to the guy in charge of handing out the wristbands. Once I got it, I left the store to do a few things and kill some time. I went back to the Apple Store at around 5:10pm and as soon as I walked in, I heard Sameer's voice over the speakers upstairs. I ran up to find the band doing sound check, so I whipped out my camera and recorded a bit of "My Body" - before I was told that I couldn't record video.
The line for the concert started forming at around 5:30pm on the first floor by the left side of the stairs. At 6:15pm, they began letting people go up the stairs in groups of 10. I was able to get a third row seat!
The quintet started right on time (7pm) with three other musicians there for support on a few select songs. "Strings" was the first song they played and ironically, "Strings" is the first song that I heard by Young The Giant. Ever since that first listen I've been hooked!
The rest of the set included: "I Got", "Apartment", "Guns Out", "Cough Syrup", "Shake My Hand", "God Made Man", "Street Walker", "Islands", and finally "My Body"!
It was a little weird sitting down throughout the whole concert. I didn't even sit down at a Michael Bublé concert! But that didn't change the fact that I loved the entire show! It solidified me as a fan for life! And clearly I wasn't the only one as the entire second floor was packed with admirers that were loving every moment.
Young The Giant's energy is electrifying and Sameer's voice is unmatched. His voice is powerful, soulful, emotional, and like Morrissey praised, "unbreakable." I can't wait to hear this performance again when Apple releases the Young The Giant's iTunes Live from SoHo album!
This past Wednesday, I got the chance to see Sia's sold out We Are Born Tour at Webster Hall in NYC! It was my birthday and it was my first 18+ concert. I cannot think of a better way to spend turning 18 than doing what I love...listening to live music!
If you like John Mayer you're going to love this! 
Here's a new video from Interscope Records artist Zander Bleck, telling listeners a little bit about his artist journey. He goes on to say that he believes, "If you keep the spark alive, you can make what you want come true."
