Pop

Waking Up

12/14/2009
in
OneRepublic
Marjorie Quinn


Once Upon A Lie

11/26/2009
in
The Sunstreak
Marjorie Quinn

The Sunstreak is based out of Rochester, NY. The band consists of Tony Rebis (vocals), Jason Sarkis (bass), Jack Flynn (guitar/vocals), Gary Foster (drums) and David Schuler (guitar/synth/vocals). The 11-track album, Once Upon A Lie, sounds like a mix of rock and pop with their heavy keyboard and synthesizer sound.

Reviewer Rating: 
3.50Stars

Battle Studies

11/18/2009
in
John Mayer
Marjorie Quinn

John Mayer's Battle Studies is his fourth album. From his previous albums he has shown talent both vocally and on the guitar. Battle Studies is a withdrawal from his soulful/blues sound of Continuum and moves towards very soft rock/easy listening but does it work?

Reviewer Rating: 
3.00Stars

Here We Go Again

11/16/2009
in
Demi Lovato
Amanda Bolden-Weaver


Rising Disney star Demi Lovato has released an album that will quickly become every American preteen's favorite. With a voice that resembles Hayley Williams of Paramore, Lovato speaks for a new generation, with songs about love, friendship and good times.

The title track, "Here We Go Again," expresses the pain of being in love with someone, even though you've broken up with them. The music is light and airy, full of catchy guitar riffs, and light drum work. The song, "Catch Me," is a cute rock ballad, and is extremely catchy.

Reviewer Rating: 
3.50Stars

Burn

11/1/2009
in
Magnus Holmen
Amanda Johnson

Magnus Holmen’s album Burn is a mix between hard rock and folk. I enjoyed the fact that all of his music incorporates some form of acoustics. Magnus definitely knows the instrument well. There really isn’t much else needed. The music is soothing and not at all busy. It sounds to me like a collaboration between Bob Dylan and Staind; it is neither as punk as Staind nor as country blues as Dylan.

The song “Mary Jane Died Young” is the most like a country song with it’s story like lyrics.

Reviewer Rating: 
3.50Stars

Dichotomy

10/29/2009
in
Kotadama
Marjorie Quinn

The band Kotadama is made up of two brothers Chris and Evan Brown from New South Wales, Australia. Chris is said to be self-taught in guitar and keyboard, and he encouraged Evan to learn drums. From the sound they produce in this album, they have a talent for playing their instruments. They picked up Clint Fish and Scott Mallard to help pick up keyboard and bass guitar for their highly-anticipated first album, "Dichotomy."

Reviewer Rating: 
4.00Stars

Fashionably Late

10/27/2009
in
Honor Society
Amanda Bolden-Weaver

Up-beat, danceable melodies; catchy lyrics that are relatable to today's youth...these elements and more are what sets Honor Societies second CD, "Fashionably Late," apart from other's in the same genre.

The CD includes a balance of danceable songs like "Full Moon Crazy" and "Here Comes Trouble" and slower, easy-listening songs like "Goodnight My Love" and "My Own Way." Fans of pop, electronica, and even soft rock will enjoy this well-made CD that will have everyone blasting their car radios and singing along to the CD's catchiest track, "Over You." The songs are reminiscent of '80s pop

Reviewer Rating: 
4.00Stars

City of Black & White

9/17/2009
in
Mat Kearney
Marjorie Quinn


Mat Kearney's new album, "City of Black & White," is the follow-up album to 2006's "Nothing Left to Lose." "City of Black & White" is his third album and has a strong sound with warm melodies and lyrical themes of romantic endings, beginnings, and in-betweens. Mat Kearney has dropped his poetic raps and sings his way through this album. Guitars and piano melodies seem to invoke emotion into the lyrics, which fuel him and his album.

My favorite song on this album is "Closer to Love." It has a strong air in the strum of the guitar and the lonely three-note piano.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.00Stars

Lines, Vines and Trying Times

9/8/2009
in
Jonas Brothers
Charlie Sim


What would you say if three teenage boys in tight jeans and rock-and-roll-infused wear, including silky headbands, silver bracelets, and gold-chained necklaces, slammed you in the mouth with brassy brass knuckles?

Ouch, you'd say.

Yet, somehow when teen pop/rock sensation the Jonas Brothers do exactly that (metaphorically speaking that is), it feels weird at first, but then, surprisingly good -- like a massage that hurts initially and then soothes and relaxes its way past knotted and tangled muscle tissue.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.50Stars

Guilty Pleasure

9/8/2009
in
Ashley Tisdale
Charlie Sim

Masquerading as a Disney channel power pop princess in bold blond hair coloring, Ashely Tisdale lets it all down in black and brown in her second album. I admit: it's my guilty pleasure to listen to this post-high school/post-teen tune slam-fest on my way to work, back home, to Wal-mart and every place in-between; it's the perfect pleasure to roll into the parking lot with the windows down on a crisp pre-dawn morning without the guilt of looking like a fool.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.50Stars
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