About This Site

Each month I select 20 songs (10 songs twice a month) that I am either hooked on or am curious about. Most of the music I select are rock, hip-hop, R&B and pop songs.

My song selection comes from 20-30 CDs I get from various sources each month, as well as recommendations from iTunes and Amazon. I also check out the charts in US, UK and Japan.

February 29, 2008

Addison Road - All That Matters

Album: Addison Road

The lead singer, Jenny Simmons sings like Tracy Bonham (but much milder), and the music is catchy. What more can you ask for. This song was actually one of the Free Song of the Week on iTunes, and they got the record breaking number of downloads.

Adele - Hometown Glory

Album: 19

With Amy Winehouse storming the US (and tabloid media), US labels are looking for the next big UK artist. Adele doesn't look anything like Winehouse, but her vocal is a bit on the similar style (a bit smokey). This piano led track sounds like it could be featured on one of Grey's Anatomy episodes.

Alicia Keys - No One [Live at Grammy] /ft. John Mayer

Album: 50th Grammy Awards (not available)

This performance of her hit single at the 50th Annual Grammy was one of the highlights of the show. I'm not a huge fan of John Mayer, but when he comes on toward the end of the song and rips on his guitar, it makes the song even more powerful.

Arctic Monkeys - You Know I'm No Good [Live]

Album: Radio 1's Live Lounge, Vol. 2

UK's popular radio program, Radio 1's Live Lounge, released a second album featuring many popular artists covering other artists hit songs. Arctic Monkeys does a cool cover of Amy Winehouse's single. Other cool covers from the CD worth noting are: Biff Clyro doing Umbrella, The Fray doing Hips Don't Lie and 30 Seconds to Mars covering Kanye's, Stronger.

Cat Power - New York

Album: Jukebox

She has gained popularity in the recent few years by covering great classic songs yet making them into her own. Her version of Frank Sintra's, "New York New York" has a complete different feeling to it. It sounds like it belongs on Pulp Fiction soundtrack.

Counting Crows - You Can't Count On Me

Album: Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

From their fifth studio album, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, which is going to be a double disc release. Considering that "Mr. Jones" song was popular in 1993, they've been around for 15 years now. Wow, time flies.

The Donnas - Smoke You Out

Album: Bitchin'

This all female rock group was just recently in Seattle, opening up for The Hives. They decided to start their own record label, and this is their first album release since then. With the help of Meatloaf's producer, they created AC/DC-ish sounding 80s metal rock album.

Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor

Album: Made In The Dark

At first listen, this song kind of sucks. But after a few listen, similar to Justice's "D.A.N.C.E", this song gets to you. Hot Chip is one of UK's most famous Electro-Pop group, and this song scored on UK's top 10 chart.

Kanye West - Stronger [Live at Grammy] /ft. Daft Punk

Album: 50th Grammy Awards (not available)

Two years ago Kanye West and Jamie Foxx had one of the most memorable performances at the Grammy Award, and this year, Kanye does the same with the help from Daft Punk.

Lil Wayne - I'm Me

Album: The Leak

"Best rapper alive," says Lil Wayne aka Weezy. He just might be, because he's so great that he didn't care too much when most of his new album stuff got leaked on the internet. He got lots of positive responses from the leaked songs that he decided to release some of those leaked songs officially as a digitally downloadable EP album called non other than..., The Leak.

Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' [Thriller 25th Anniversary Remix] /ft. Akon

Album: Thriller - 25th Anniversary

It's been 25 years since the album Thriller was released, and still to this date, it is the world's biggest selling album of all time. On this 25th Anniversary release, several artists like Akon, Fergie, Kanye West and Will.I.Am offer their talent for special remixes.

Missy Elliott - Shake Your Pom Pom

Album: Step Up 2: The Streets Soundtrack

A year and half ago, the soundtrack to the teen dance movie, "Step Up" launched several big hits. This month, the sequel to the movie and the soundtrack is released and once again the soundtrack is pretty good. Missy Elliott has two new songs on the album.

Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon

Album: Pretty. Odd

Panic's second album, "Pretty. Odd" is supposedly more happier album. The first single from that album still sounds like good old Panic.

Pitbull - The Anthem /ft. Lil Jon

Album: The Boatlift

The sampling of this song has been around for a few years. Last year, Crystal Waters had a hit on Alex Gaudino's "Destination Calabria." This year Danish artist Enur and Cuban-American Pitbull both sample the same addictive saxophone beat for their songs. Pitbull's version has Lil Jon in it, which always just makes it that much better.

R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious

Album: Accelerate

Long time veterans, R.E.M. mentioned that their 14th studio album Accelerate is going to be more guitar driven upbeat album. Their past few albums have been a little depressing, so it's nice to hear that they have some upbeat songs like this one on their new album.

Simple Plan - When I'm Gone

Album: Simple Plan

Canadian pop-rock band Simple Plan had several good singles from their two previous albums. They try to do that again by enlisting Britney and Avril's producers to work on their album, but probably for that reason, this album sounds more pop than rock. This song is one of their better tracks on the album, but something about it reminds me of New Kids On the Block.

TAB The Band - Secretary's Day

Album: Pulling Out Just Enough To Win

Aerosmith lead singer has a famous daughter, Liv Tyler. Now Aerosmith lead guitarist, Joe Perry's two sons could become just as famous (maybe). They started a band with a friend called Tab the Band, but the music doesn't sound very American. They sound quite a bit like Rolling Stones.

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma

Album: Vampire Weekend

Four white guys from Columbia University decided to start a band with African influenced music. One African music blog picked them up, and more blogs picked them up and all of a sudden they became one of the biggest unsigned bands, thanks to all the bloggers. They sound like African version of Jack Johnson music. I don't know what this song is about, but it sounds happy.

We The Kings - Check Yes Juliet

Album: We The Kings

Talk about sounding like any other emo band out there. These guys are from Florida (that's where Dashboard guys is from) and sounds like all of the other one hit wonder emo band out now. But they actually sound pretty good.

Yael Naim - New Soul

Album: Yael Naim

Thanks to MacBook Air commercial using this song, this song was one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes this month, which caused this song to enter the Billboard chart at #9 (whoa). Who sings this catchy happy song? Yael Naim is a French-Israeli singer. On her album, she also covers Britney's Toxic, which sounds quite a bit mysterious.