Britney Spears - Break The Ice [Kaskade Remix]

Album: Break The Ice (Single)

I first heard this song on the dance music radio station, and I never thought it was Britney’s. The song had a real dance hit feel to it, as opposed to her usual popstar trying to be a clubber. To be fair, this is the remix version which I heard, but it’s not that far off from the original track. Break the Ice is Britney’s third single from the album Blackout.

Bun B - That's Gangsta /ft. Sean Kingston

Album: II Trill

Bun B and Pimp C make up the rap duo, UGK (Under Ground Kingz). In December of 2007, Pimp C was found dead in a hotel. They’ve both done some solo stuff, and Bun B is probably most known for being featured on Beyonce’s Pink Panther song, “Check On It.” Bun B follows up on his debut album, Trill, with this II Trill. There are a lot of featured guests on the album, including Pimp C and a song dedicated to him. On this track, he teams up with Sean Kingston and the producer that discovered the reggae boy, JR Rotem.

Duffy - Warwick Avenue

Album: Rockferry

When I first heard this song, I didn’t think too much of it. I thought it was a decent slow song effort by Welsh singer, Duffy, who has a hit with “Mercy” on the radio right now. But I saw the music video and it gave me chills. The music video is so simple, but says so much about the song. Originally the music video was supposed to have bunch of different shots, one of them being Duffy sitting in the back of the car singing. She was singing the song, and somehow became emotional and tears started pouring out. The director told her to keep going with it, and they decided to throw out the original plan of the video and just use that single take from the beginning to the end. I thought it was brilliant. Check out her video here.

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

Album: We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things

Jason Mraz hasn’t had a huge hit since his debut single in 2002, “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry). His second album didn’t generate much of anything, and now for his third album, he might have something. This lead off single, “I’m Yours” has the Jack Johnson feel good relaxed beat, and he can also showcase his vocal talent. It’s a great beach track.

Katy Perry - Ur So Gay

Album: One of the Boys

Recently, Madonna was on some radio interview, and she was asked, “what’s one song that is not your song that you are listening to a lot?” Madonna responded, “Ur So Gay.” The radio DJs thought she was kidding, but she told them to look it up on iTunes, and that it’s by artist named Katy Perry. That’s gotta be the best publicity for her. This summer she will be on the Warped Tour along with her boyfriend in Gym Class Heroes as well as Angels & Airwaves, The Academy Is, Relient K and bunch others.

Lil Wayne - Lollipop /ft. Static Major

Album: Tha Carter III

Personally, I don’t think this is anything that great. Lil Wayne, aka Weezy has done so much better, but I guess the mainstream America loves it because it has been on #1 spot for five weeks now. Lil Wayne uses the vocoder (made famous by T-Pain) on the entire song, which I find it a bit annoying. The album image follows the similar style of what Nas did for Illmatic and Notorious BIG did for Ready to Die. Blender music magazine recently asked Lil Wayne who he thought was the best rapper dead or alive, other than him, and he named Biggie, Jay-Z, Bun B, Cee-Lo (of Gnarls Barkley) and Scarface (he stated that he was never that into 2Pac).

The Offspring - Hammerhead

Album: Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

The Offspring is back. It’s been five years since their last album, Splinter. Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace is their 8th studio album, and is set to be released in mid June. This first single, Hammerhead was offered for free on their website to their fans that registered for their mailing list (which was also free). It seems like a lot of the artists are giving away their singles recently. Unlike their comedic effort like “Pretty Fly For a White Guy”, this one is a serious rocker.

Pennywise - The Western World

Album: Reason To Believe

Although Pennywise has been around just as long as The Offspring, and they both have the similar California pop-punk-rock sound, they haven’t enjoyed the similar mainstream success the Offspring has had. Still, Pennywise has a strong indie following (especially in Japan). Their latest album, Reason to Believe has been getting some airplay on my local rock station (might be the first time hearing their song on this station), probably because they are playing alongside MGMT and Flobots for the station’s summer concert.

The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

Album: We Started Nothing

If you watch TV and has seen the latest iPod commercial, you would know this song. Apple always does a superb job selecting great indie, undiscovered songs, and turns it into a hit (good example is Yael Naim’s “New Soul” which was used on Air Mac commercial). The Ting Tings are from the UK and consist of cute blonde, Katie White and Jules De Martino. Their debut album, We Started Nothing is currently the #1 album in the UK.

Usher - Love in This Club, Part II /ft. Beyonce, Lil Wayne & Young Jeezy

Album: Here I Stand

Usher had a big hit with “Love In This Club”, and now his album is released. One of the songs on his new album (fifth), is the Part II of the hit single, this time featuring R&B diva Beyonce, and self-claimed best rapper alive, Lil Wayne. I’m sure this will end up being the #1 album on the chart, but it will be interesting to see if he can generate multiple big hits like his last album, Confessions.

Armor For Sleep – Hold the Door

Album: Smile For Them

Armor For Sleep first got attention after one of their songs appeared on Snakes on a Plane soundtrack. Then another one of their songs was used on Transformers movie. Their third album, Smile For Them was released in October of 2007. Since they have recently been added to Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution tour (also on the bill are: Chris Cornell, The Bravery, Atreyu, etc). They will also be coming to Seattle to perform at Marymoore for 107.7 The End’s Summer Camp 2 outdoor concert festival.

Brooke White – I Am…I Said

Album: American Idol Season 7

Brooke White was one of my favorite contestants on this year’s American Idol as her voice reminded me of 70s singer songwriters such as Carole King. When I found out that the contestants would be singing Neil Diamond songs, I knew Brooke White would do well, as I figured that was her genre. I particularly liked this song, so I ended up buying it on iTunes (first time doing so for songs performed by contestants). And what do you know, she gets kicked out. This song reminds you of how good Neil Diamond’s songs are (for those of you who don’t know him, he’s most famous for “Sweet Caroline” song).

The Cab – One Of Those Nights

Album: Whisper War

This song rocks, but how could it not. It was written by Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, and features vocals from both Stump and Panic at the Disco singer, Brendon Urie. The Cab recently graduated from Las Vegas, and was discovered by Panic at the Disco, who are also from Vegas, and they have signed onto Fueled By Ramen label. Sure enough, this record sounds a lot like Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco mixed together. So, if you are a fan of those two bands, you should pick up The Cab’s debut album, Whisper War.

Flobots – Handlebars

Album: Fight With Tools

One of my new favorites bands right now. Flobots are an unique full band hip-hop rock group that also has a violist, hailing from Denver, Colorado. The rapping is only mediocre (a bit weaker version of Eminem), but the music, the message and the performance is awesome. Even though they are considered to be a hip-hop group, this song was picked up by many alternative rock stations, and it is even #3 on Modern Rock chart now. I recommend their album, which was recently released nationwide after they signed to Universal Republic record. I’m looking forward to seeing them live this summer.

KT Tunstall – Saving My Face

Album: Drastic Fantastic

This song was available for free on Amazon MP3 several months ago, so I downloaded it, but didn’t think much of it. Last week, I went and saw her live show for the first time, and I particularly enjoyed this song. She talked about how there weren’t too many people that looked like they had gone through plastic surgery in Seattle before performing this song (I wonder what she would say in LA). She put on a good show, using her famous loop machine on some of the songs.

The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement

Album: The Age Of The Understatement

Love the name of the band, the album title, cover, and the song. The Last Shadow Puppets is a side project of Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner and The Rascals’ Miles Kane. They decided to make an album using 22-piece London Metropolitan Orchestra, and it sounds like any songs from the album could be used on James Bond film. The album was #1 in the UK.

Maroon 5 – If I Never See Your Face Again /ft. Rihanna

Album: If I Never See Your Face Again (Single)

Maroon 5’s track, “If I Never See Your Face Again” (1st track on It Won’t Be Soon Before Long album) got a make over with Rihanna being featured on it. The music itself doesn’t sound that different compared to the album version, but Rihanna’s presence definitely help this track make it more radio-friendly.

Melody Gardot – Worrisome Heart

Album: Worrisome Heart

If you are a fan of Norah Jones, you might like this song. I read a raving review on Amazon regarding this album last month, but I wasn’t aware of who Melody Gardot was. She was born in 1985 (so, still in her early 20s), and when she was 19, she got in a car accident that disabled her. Her doctor suggested that she should write music to help with the brain damage (apparently that’s good for you). So, while she was on a hospital bed, she wrote and recorded songs, which somehow landed on Philadelphia local radio DJ’s desk, and she was signed. She has gotten better and can now walk using a cane, but needs to wear dark sunglasses for residual photosensitivity. It’s an inspiring music story, so I thought I would select it for this month.

Nine Inch Nails – Discipline

Album: The Slip

Nine Inch Nails has recently released an album titled, Ghosts I-IV, which is all instrumental and no vocal track. And a month after that, they have released a new album with brand new songs (this time with vocals). But what they did this time was that they are releasing it on their website for free to anyone with an email address. They even let you choose what format you want it in from DRM free MP3s to Wave file. This single is currently climbing up on the rock chart.

Tristan Prettyman – Madly

Album: Hello...x

A friend of mine in Japan bought her album, quite randomly without knowing any of her songs or her name, because he read that she’s like a female version of Jack Johnson. When he asked me if I had heard of her before, her name sounded really familiar and I recalled visiting her official website. It turns out that iTunes offered this song as a free single a few weeks back. Her first album sounded more Jack Johnson style of music, (Prettyman is a surfer herself), but this album sounds more like a mixture of Natalie Merchant and Sheryl Crow. She’s apparently dating Jason Mraz.

Sasquatch Festival 2008 (Sat)

I will be attending first two days of the Sasquatch Festival this year. It's my first time going to a camping concert event, so I'm looking forward it, and at the same time, a bit worried since I don't know what to expect. But it should be a great show. I decided to pick out ten artists I am interested in seeing, and one of their songs.

R.E.M. - Hollowman

Album: Accelerate

Hollow Man is the second single off of their 13th studio album, titled Accelerate. Since this album is a lot more guitar driven and upbeat, it would be fun to see them perform this album live. I’ve also read that they have been playing some of their older stuff at the concerts lately. I'm still digging their single, "Supernatural Superserious".

Modest Mouse - Fire It Up

Album: We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

Modest Mouse was formed in Issaquah, Washington (20 minute drive from Seattle) in 1993. Growing up near Issaquah, I heard of them several times in my highschool years, but never paid that much attention, and now they are one of the biggest names in indie rock, and they’ve added Johnny Marr from The Smiths a couple of years ago. My favorite song by them is still Float On, but this song is pretty good, too.

M.I.A. - Boyz

Album: Kala

I reviewed M.I.A.’s song, “Paper Planes” in January of this year, but I still don’t understand the big deal about her. This album, Kala was voted as the best album of the year last year by numerous magazines and blogs. I can see that it is very artistic, creative and different from mainstream, but I find all of her songs to be annoying, kind of like this one. But I guess once I have several beers in me, I might get hooked. We’ll see how I feel about her after seeing her show live.

The New Pornographers - Challengers

Album: Challengers

I might be one of the very few people out there that gets Neko Case and Cat Power confused. They are both talented female musicians that sing slower paced songs but Neko means “cat” in Japanese, and I think that throws me off. The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock super group that consist of bunch of musicians from other bands and solo artists, such as Neko Case.

The National - Mistaken For Strangers

Album: Boxer

I started seeing their name a lot in the past six months or so, especially after the release of their fourth album, Boxer, which received a lot of critical praise. The National was formed by group of friends from Ohio. I am personally not a huge fan of this group as the lead vocalist’s voice puts me to sleep. But musically I can hear that they are a talented bunch.

Ozomatli - Can't Stop

Album: Don't Mess With The Dragon

I first heard of them when their song, “Saturday Night” was used on the 4th generation iPod commercial. I haven’t heard much about them recently, but have found that Ozomatli has released a couple of albums since then. This band blends all sorts of genre of music from funk, hip-hop, jazz and reggae with Latin flavor.

Okkervil River - A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene

Album: The Stage Names

Okkervil River is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Back in September 2007, I reviewed their song, “Unless It’s Kicks”. I really liked that song, but I wasn’t too happy with their second single. But this song, “A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene” from the same album is not too bad.

Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers [Acoustic]

Album: Asking for Flowers

Kathleen Edwards is a Canadian folk, country, pop musician that sings and writes her own music. She is often compared to her fellow Canadian singer-songwriter, Sarah McLachlan, but she hasn’t had that big break yet. This exclusive acoustic performance of this track is available for free download from Amazon MP3.

The Whigs - Right Hand On My Heart

Album: Mission Control

Hailing from Athens, Georgia (that brought R.E.M. and B-52’s), The Whigs signed to Dave Matthews’ record label, ATO Records. Mission Control is their second album release, and this particular track sounds a lot like combinations of bunch of good rock songs, but I can’t seem to put my finger on it. But I like it.

Newton Faulkner - Dream Catch Me

Album: Hand Built By Robots

Newton Faulkner is a British folk rocker that has been burning up the charts in the UK. Americans may compare him to the current American Idol contestant, Jason Castro as they both have dreadlocks, and play soft rock on acoustic guitars. If you are a fan of Massive Attack’s hit song, “Teardrop” you may be interested in hearing his interpretation of the song, which is also included on this album.

Sasquatch Festival 2008 (Sun)

Since I've missed seeing Tegan and Sara on several occasions, I'm looking forward to their show the most. The Presidents always put on a fun show, so that would be a good one to see again. Since I limited myself to reviewing only 10 artists per day, but I'd like to add here that I'm also looking forward to seeing Blue Scholars.

The Cure - Close To Me

Album: The Head On The Door

The Cure is supposedly releasing a new album in September of this year (but who knows they’ve been delaying a lot). They are also releasing a new single every month starting May 13th. The Head on the Door is their 6th album from 1985. Two years ago, the deluxe edition of the album was released.

Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart

Album: Narrow Stairs

This song is actually over 8 and half minutes long. The intro, which sounds pretty cool lasts about 4 and half minutes. I see Death Cab as a fairly new band, but this album, Narrow Stairs is already their sixth album. I’ve never been that big of fan of their music, but I like this song as it’s more upbeat and sounds less wussy.

The Presidents Of The United States Of America - French Girl

Album: These Are The Good Times People

Four years after releasing their last album, Love Everybody (which contained the single, Some Postman), the Seattle rock group has released another fun album. I reviewed their first single from this album, Mixed Up S.O.B. a couple of months ago. This song was offered for free on Amazon MP3 to celebrate the release of their new album.

Tegan And Sara - Burn Your Life Down

Album: The Con

Tegan And Sara is one of my favorite female rock musicians. I really wanted to see them last year, but was sad to see that the tickets were all sold out. Since both Tegan and Sara are lesbians, a lot of their fan bases are also lesbians, but hopefully they won’t hate me for liking their music, too. This song is from their fifth studio album, The Con, which also includes the songs, "Back In Your Head" and "The Con". I love it when they sing and harmonize.

Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up To Dry

Album: Robbers & Cowards

Cold War Kids first caught my attention since one of their songs were free on iTunes. They have a bit of bluesy sound to their rock music, which kind of reminds me of the White Stripes. Their debut album, Robbers & Cowards was released in 2006. Even though they are Americans, I think they are more popular in the UK.

Michael Franti & Spearhead - I Know I'm Not Alone

Album: Yell Fire!

It’s hard to label a genre for Michael Franti & Spearhead as they combine hip-hop, rock, funk, reggae and folk music. I haven’t heard much of his music before, but after listening to several tracks, it really is hard to label him as a lot of the songs sounds completely different. I read that Michael Franti was adopted at birth by white parents. A lot of his songs are socially conscious.

The Blakes - Don't Bother Me

Album: The Blakes

Will The Blakes break into the mainstream radio? A lot of people in Seattle have been saying that they are going to be the next big thing. Their song, “Two Times” which I reviewed last October has been featured as free single at Amazon and iTunes, which is a sign that they (or at least the labels) are pushing themselves. I’ve missed my chance of seeing them live, so I’m looking forward to their show.

Rogue Wave - Eyes

Album: Just Friends Soundtrack

Their current hit, “Lake Michigan” is still a hit on the rock radio station. Their previous hit was this song, “Eyes” which was featured on Just Friends movie soundtrack (I never saw the movie). As I’ve stated before, a lot of their songs get used on TVs and movies a lot. This song doesn’t seem to belong to any of their albums, and is only available through this soundtrack or as a single on iTunes.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Gardenia

Album: Real Emotional Trash

Stephen Malkmus is a former member of the band, Pavement, which was recently voted as the #1 indie rock band of all time by Blender magazine. I was never into (or wasn’t aware of) Pavement, so I don’t know much about Malkmus either, but apparently the drummer of The Jicks is Janet Weiss, who used to drum for Sleater-Kinney.

The Kooks - Naive

Album: Inside In / Inside Out

The Kooks consist of four young English guys from Brighton. This song was apparently written when the member, Luke Pritchard was only 16 years old. This song and their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out has been quite popular in the UK, but I don’t think people in the US have caught on to them yet. I think this song was free on iTunes at one point, and also used in One Tree Hill (TV show).

Sasquatch Festival 2008 (Mon)

I won't be attending the Monday's show since I need to drive back on this day. Plus I have seen most of the bands on this lineup. I was sad that I wouldn't be able to see Flight of the Conchords, but I later found out that they will be performing at Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Festival at Marymoore Park, along with other Sub Pop artists. I'm looking forward to that one! A lot of people have to told me Flaming Lips put on a really good show, but I will have to catch them some other time, too.

The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize

Album: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

In 2002, Q magazine named The Flaming Lips as one of the 50 Bands to See Before You Die. Their live show supposedly includes lots of costumes, balloons, puppets and etc. I’ve seen their name pop up here and there, but I mostly recall them from their 1993 hit, “She Don’t Use Jelly.” They have since changed their artistic direction, and even received several Grammys.

The Hives - Well All Right!

Album: The Black and White album

I just saw these guys earlier this year in Seattle, and they put on a good show. This song is currently being used on Sears commercial. The Hives hail from Sweden. They’ve been gaining some popularity from this CD, but compared to their status in Europe, they are not that huge in the US yet (though their single, Tick Tick Boom got some airplay).

Flight Of The Conchords - Robots [Live]

Album: The Distant Future EP

Flight of the Conchords recently released their first full album (including the song, "Think About It", but several months before that, they released this EP album, which was meant to prepare us for the big release. This EP includes a couple of live recordings. I’ve seen some clips from their HBO shows, which are indeed funny, but I think they are most brilliant when they are performing live. Their awkward pause and audience interaction makes them even funnier.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Orion

Album: Rodrigo y Gabriela

I saw them for about 10 minutes at Bumbershoot last year, but I wished that I could’ve stayed longer and watched them. Instead, I was dragged to go see Panic at the Disco with my friends. Rodrigo y Gabriela is Mexican guitar duo. All of their songs are played by two acoustic guitars and they don’t just play; they play super fast. This is one of their longer songs (7:30), but I can’t get enough of it.

The Mars Volta - The Widow

Album: Frances the Mute

At first listen, I wasn’t quite sure if this song was sung by a male or female. Mars Volta consists of two guys with several backing musicians. I remember this song was popular in 2005. They have released a couple more albums since then, but this song is still my favorite of theirs.

Built To Spill - Liar

Album: You In Reverse

I’ve heard of this band many times before, but when I listened to the 30 second clips from iTunes and Amazon, I didn’t recognize any of their songs. Built To Spill is from Boise, Idaho, so they may have held a lot of live shows in Seattle, and I might’ve heard their names from that. Their latest album, You In Reverse, is a good solid indie rock album.

Matt Costa - Mr. Pitiful

Album: Unfamiliar Faces

I saw Matt Costa at Bumbershoot in 2006, and he put on a decent show. Back then, “Cold December” was a minor hit on the radio. He belongs on Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records. A little similar to Johnson, Costa used to be a fairly known skateboarder until he broke his leg, and started playing music instead. This song from his latest second album, Unfamiliar Faces sounds a lot like Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da”.

Jamie Lidell - Little Bit Of Feel Good

Album: Jim

When I first heard this song, I thought, “Man, this guy sounds a lot like Stevie Wonder.” After I looked him up, I was surprised to find out that he was white, and he was from England. His last album had more electronica feel to it, but on his latest album, Jim, he goes more soul.

Kinski - Punching Goodbye Out Front

Album: Down Below It's Chaos

I thought I had hear of this band before somewhere, and it turns out that they toured in Japan quite a bit in the early 2000s. Kinski is a rock band from Seattle, and they are signed to Sub Pop label (famous for signing Nirvana and Soundgarden as well as Flight of the Conchords). A lot of their songs on the album are instrument oriented and some vocals on the side.

Dyme Def - The Game Needs Me

Album: Space Music

I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of them before. I thought Blue Scholars are the only semi-well known hip-hop group in Seattle, but after listening to their album, I may have to vote for Dyme Def as the local champ. Dyme Def consists of three rappers, Fearce Villain, SEV, and Brainstorm. On this song they sample Jay-Z, but also worth checking out is “Let It Be” sampling Beatles.