Category: Pop
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Maroon 5 have sure changed a lot since their 2002 debut Songs About Jane. I suppose selling 10 million albums worldwide will do that to you. But whenever I listen to V, the experience is overshadowed by the fact that I know that most of these songs were not written by the whole band but…
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Pixie Lott’s 2009 debut Turn It Up was one of the year’s most promising — and downright infectious — debuts. With gems like “Mama Do” and “Boys And Girls,” which both topped the UK singles charts, she was a pop star tour de force. Or, a force to be reckoned with. And while her next…
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I find it interesting that U2 is credited for writing all of the music for this album with Bono and The Edge credited for writing all of the lyrics. The reason I find this interesting is that they worked with an awful lot of song-writers on this album. Namely, Ryan Tedder, Danger Mouse, Paul Epworth…
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Smoke Season was formed during early 2013 and combines the diverse talents of Gabrielle Wortman and Jason Rosen. Their music is quite the hybrid, combining elements of Americana, folk, rock and electronica. They’ve recently garnered attention with their successful August residency at the Los Angeles venue The Echoplex. Hot Coals Cold Souls is their self-produced…
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Wednesday night I headed into Cambridge, Massachusetts, Boston’s sister city, to catch Sylvan Esso at The Sinclair. It’s a small club and the duo could’ve probably filled a larger one, being that they’ve exploded – especially on college radio – since they booked The Sinclair, but perhaps it’s better to have people crammed in like…
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okio Hotel have just released the above video for their new single, “Run, Run, Run,” and it is an astoundingly good — and beautiful — song that just might make you cry with its haunting, melancholic vibes. Seriously, this one cuts right through you like a master chef’s blade, going straight for the heart, through…
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On their last single, “Stops My Mouth,” Bat and Ball delivered electronic beats with sparse guitars and cool basslines. It was a somewhat melancholic tune with a haunting vocal courtesy of Abi Sinclair, who comprises the duo with her brother Chris. Now they’re back with their new single “Lizard Cuts,” a deeply melancholic song about “loss, desire…
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One of the most interesting things about Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Jillian Banks’ debut album, Goddess, is how decidedly *not* top 40 it is. Listening to her songs, you can’t help but think “if only.” If only the beats were more boisterous. If only the bass pulsated in a punchier way. If only the tempo were…
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“I feel the magic,” sings Petite Meller during her wonderful, uplifting song “NYC Time.” You’ll feel it, too, on this delightful remix by Betablock3rs, who give it a delicious, thumping beat, rays of sunshiny synth, and perfect drum machine beats. Easily the best remix we’ve heard this month.
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DJ Shadow has been one of our favorite electronic artists for decades now. He never fails to be wildly imaginative, letting his thoughts and loops take him in new directions at every turn. And that’s precisely what he’s done here with his highly invigorating remix of Kimbra’s “90’s Music.” Slamming beats, throbbing bass, jangly percussion…
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Printer Clips is side-project of Paul Noonan, best known as the lead singer of Bell X1. Interestingly, he did not sit back and create a solo album in his downtime. That would have been too easy. Instead, he did an album of duets with female singers. Although PJ Harvey and Emmylou Harris declined to participate,…
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As you may or may not be aware, Robbie Williams was selling copies of every show of his Swings Both Ways Live tour, just as he did with every show of the Take the Crown tour. It’s not a brand new concept, but only a small number of other artists have ever actually done so…
