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.
Eminem’s latest album had been #1 for five weeks and it looked as though it would continue to sail on top, or at least that’s what the industry forecasted, since they didn’t think Californian metal rock band, Avenged Sevenfold’s fifth album could do nearly as well. M. Shadow (lead singer) and rest of the members surprised everyone when they knocked “Relapse” from the peak position (though they only stayed there for a single week with Eminem taking the top position back eventually). The band went through turmoil when their drummer The Rev passed away last year, and this is their first album without him.
Wait, which one is Disturbed? There are several metal rock bands that came out in early 2000s including Slipknot, System of a Down and Godsmack. Disturbed is the one that sang, “Stupify”. They hail from Chicago, and their last three albums have come out as #1 album. Their fifth album, Asylum will be coming out end of this month, and their single, “Another Way to Die” is another catchy headbanger.
For Korn’s ninth album, they recruited the producer Ross Robinson, who worked on their first two albums. Korn tries to bring their older style by not using layering. The music video for this song is a bit creepy, but fits the song. I initially thought this song was about the oil trouble in the gulf, but Oildale is a city in California where the lead singer Jonathan Davis is from.
When Ozzy’s wife Sharon was promoting this album, she specifically targeted sports audience. How much more appropriate could this song get for a sporting event? Bottom of the 9th inning, and you can hear the stadium ringing, “Let me hear you screaaaam!!”. It paid off as this song has been sitting in the rock chart for several weeks now.
Metallica is back with a brand new record. Most of the songs on their ninth album, Death Magnetic is over 7 minutes long. The album, produced by Rick Rubin, sounds a lot like their older stuff. There is even a song, “The Unforgiven III”. This album has been #1 in both US and UK upon its release.
Slipknot used to be a small band from Des Moines, Iowa, and now they are one of the biggest metal acts in the world, not to mention that they wear freaky masks at their live shows. All Hope Is Gone is their fourth studio album, which took four years to record, mostly because the lead singer, Corey Taylor had a pretty good success with his side project, Stone Sour two years ago (personally I prefer Stone Sour over Slipknot since they are easier on your ear). This particular track, “Psychosocial” sounds like Slipknot and Stone Sour mixed together, except it doesn’t blend too well. I like the Stone Sour part, if you know what I mean.
This song has been #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart for 8 weeks in a row now (Weezer’s “
Pork & Beans” has been #1 on the Modern Rock chart for the same 8 weeks as well). I think it sounds a lot like their first hit, “Stupify” from 2000. Their album, Indestructible became the third consecutive #1 album debut on Billboard album chart (which has only been done by Van Halen, U2, Dave Matthews, Staind, Metallica and Sytem of a Down).
Probably the most mainstream heavy metal band out right now. From their second album, "Avenged Sevenfold"
The Lebanese lead singer of the Metal band, System of A Down goes solo and gets political on his debut album, Elect the Dead.
The Lebanese lead singer of the Metal band, System of A Down goes solo and gets political on his debut album, Elect the Dead.
Embodying the rags-to-riches rap dream, Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps as a... 