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.
When I first heard this song on the radio, I knew right away that it was Alice In Chains. But Layne Staley has been dead for 7 years. Jerry Cantrell and the group recruited William DuVall, a black singer from Atlanta who used to be in Madfly. DuVall’s vocal chemistry with Staley’s guitar playing is pitch perfect. Hopefully this new lineup will prove to be a success (hopefully better than Blind Melon’s short lived stint with the new vocalist).
Breaking Benjamin is known for hard rock songs such as “So Cold” and “Diary of Jane”. Their fourth album, Dear Agony was released in end of September. I never knew this, but the lead singer of the group is Benjamin Burnley. The band name came after he broke someone’s microphone.
Drake somehow managed to get three of the best MCs, Lil Wayne, Eminem and once again controversial, Kanye West, who interrupted teen country star, Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech for MTV Video Music Award. The news is a couple of weeks old now, but for a while, it was the most talked (and mimicked) about incident. This track is for NBA star, LeBron James documentary film called More Than A Game. I don’t know much about the film, other than it follows LeBron James during his highschool years, but the verse by Eminem, in particular, rocks.
Kate Earl is often compared to Jewel as they are both from Alaska, and great singer songwriters. Earl is actually half Filipino and very exotic looking. “Melody” is the first single from her second album, which was also available as a free download from iTunes. It’s a nice relaxing, soothing music. If you are a fan of Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson and Meiko, you would probably enjoy her songs as well.
Madonna is releasing another greatest hits album titled, Celebration. The album contains the brand new track, also titled “Celebration.” Both the greatest hits album and the single is perform well in Europe, but in the US, the single seems to be only noticed in the Dance song chart. Madonna gave away the music video for this song for free on iTunes upon its release. I think it’s another great club track out of Madonna.
Paramore hit big time with their previous album, Riot! They have just released their third album, Brand New Eyes, produced by Rob Cavallo (who produced Green Day’s “American Idiot” and My Chemical Romance’s “Black Parade”). The lead off single, “Ignorance” is quite similar to “Misery Business” where the lead singer Hayley Williams sings fast angrily.
Seattle grunge band, Pearl Jam is back with their ninth album, titled, Backspacer. This album reunites them with producer Brendan O’Brien since Yield in 1998. The album was only sold at their official website, large retail chain, Target, iTunes and small independent record shop. Despite that, the album managed to debut at a #1 spot, which they haven’t done since 1996’s No Code.
There is still no US release date for this new British sensation teenage girl, Pixie Lott’s debut album, but she’s already had two #1 singles in her home country of UK. Following the style of Duffy and Amy Winehouse, Pixie Lott, still only 18 years of age, sings beyond her age. Mama Do was her first single which was a big hit in UK back in June. Her follow up single, “Boys and Girls” is currently a hit, but I was finally able to get a hold of this “Mama Do” with the release of her album.
Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, The Used and Three Days Grace are all good hard rock bands, but I have a hard time telling their songs apart, especially when all four of them released a new album within weeks of one another. Canadian band, Three Days Grace’s third album, Life Starts Now actually takes them on a slightly different direction, as some of the songs are much softer than their previous efforts.
Michigan native, Uncle Kracker hasn’t had a major hit since “Drift Away” in 2003. He’s back on the chart with this laid back tune that would put a smile on your face, appropriately titled “Smile.” This song comes from Uncle Kracker’s fourth album, Happy Hour. It is a well known story that he was a child friend of Kid Rock, and even played turntables for his shows. And now he is doing quite well just on his own.
While the Followill brothers in Kings of Leon are taking over the rock chart, another brothers-in-group, Chevelle has released a new album, their fifth album titled Sci-Fi Crimes. Chevelle used to consist of three brothers, but the youngest (bass) was fired and replaced by brother-in-law. The single, “Jars” is currently #4 on the rock chart.
Australian rock band famous for “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” has just released a new album, Shaka Rock. Japan had the first release date in mid August, and US a week later. The first single from the new album, “She’s A Genius” is a catchy rock song, and was available for free download from AOL Music upon the release.
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