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Monday, October 24

Ryan Cabrera - Shine On

Pop / Ryan Cabrera is a very serious kind of singer. Lots of strained voices, sharp breathing in and out, and it always sounds like he about to burst into tears. You wouldn't see his ex-ladyfriend bursting into tears, would you? No, exactly. We quite like this track, though, quite poppy and fun. Just chill out a bit, Ryan. See his site below.

Posted at 10/24/2005 11:25:00 AM | 0 comments

Ashlee Simpson - Boyfriend

Pop / Well, welcome back Ash, how's it going? Just heard your new song, Boyfriend. We liked it. You sound cool. We always liked you better than your sister. We are linking to your video below. Please don't beat us up.

Posted at 10/24/2005 11:19:00 AM | 0 comments

Gavin DeGraw - Follow Through

Pop / Gavin sounds a bit like Adam Levine from Maroon 5, so that's a good thing. Follow Through, unfortunately, is nothing like a Maroon 5 song. It's not fun, it's not infectious, it's not catchy. Still, it has an OK chorus, but there's no feeling there. Pop songs can have feeling, you just have to try. Still might be worth checking out his album, Chariot. A short clip is below if you want to judge for yourself.

Posted at 10/24/2005 11:15:00 AM | 0 comments

Sunday, October 23

Frankie J - More Than Words

Pop / Super Frank covers an old Extreme song after his last release, How to Deal. It's not horrible, Frankie has a good range, but he has an inability to a hold a note in one place. It's warbling, and it gets really annoying, especially at the higher end of the scale. If this was a cover that did something different, then the fact that he's singing it differently would be good. The fact that this is 99% identical to the original makes it look pretty bad when compared to it. Sorry, Frankie. His website's below.

Posted at 10/23/2005 02:49:00 PM | 0 comments

Pretty Ricky - Your Body

R&B / So, yes, they have an awful name, but then these R&B boy bands always have awful names, it's like a rule or something. This track hasn't been as big a hit as "Grind With Me" which reached number 4 in the US hot 100 but it is still an OK track. Apart from the lyrics. These kidz are saying things like "get a taste of the salami", which, considering the target market for these bands is 14 year old girls, is pretty inappropriate. Unless they're actually talking about making sandwiches. In which case that is fine. Check their site below.

Posted at 10/23/2005 02:46:00 PM | 0 comments

If You Were Mine - Marcos Hernandez

Pop / Ok so here's the deal. Marcos Hernandez was discovered by Vanilla Ice manager Tommy Quon (doesn't he look like Vanilla Ice?!!?). This is what it says on Wikipedia, and that's always true, right? Anyway, while 'If You Were Mine' doesn't quite live up to the greatness of an initial release that 'Ice Ice Baby' reached, it is still a good pop record. We wait for more from the 23 year old. And more from Vanilla Ice (hey, we can dream, right?) Check out the official site below.

Posted at 10/23/2005 11:24:00 AM | 0 comments

Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc

Hip-Hop / It's no secret that we love the Gorillaz here in PNS towers. This was the first song released from their 'Demon Days' album and was the most successful until their next single, which was even better. What is the song about? It has been alleged that the 'Feel Good Inc' is the media and the line "lining them up like ass-cracks" refers to the singles played over and over again on radio stations. Watch the video for Feel Good Inc. below and judge for yourself.

Posted at 10/23/2005 11:21:00 AM | 0 comments

The Click Five - Just The Girl

Pop-Rock / These squeaky clean MIT boys are making waves with their first track 'Just the Girl', written by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne. They have toured as the support act for Ashlee Simpson (imagine being the support act for Ashlee Simpson?!) and are living up their 6 months of fame. Will it last? Only time can tell. Check out their official site below.

Posted at 10/23/2005 10:47:00 AM | 0 comments

Saturday, October 22

Shakira - La Tortura

Latin / Our favorite latin temptress, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripolli is back with a new album and thankfully it is breaking records for latin artists in the US, all set by a certain Mr . Martin. This song has had tremendous success in the charts, and let's not beat around the bush, this may have something to do with the fact that the video consists of her being spied on from an apartment window as she writhes erotically, covered in black oil. You guys all do that, right? No? Ok, just us then.

Posted at 10/22/2005 08:43:00 PM | 0 comments

Bow Wow feat. Omarion - Let Me Hold You

R&B / Aw, he's all grown up, look at him. Anyway, this is the first signle off Bow Wow's album, 'Wanted', and features the phenomenally named Omarion 'B2K' Grandberry. It is a good track, and shows Bow Wow's increasing maturity. I think we get another couple of months with the 'aw you were so cute when you were eight!' stuff and then he becomes another singer and we must release him from the shackles of his past. It is only fair. Check his official site below.

Posted at 10/22/2005 08:33:00 PM | 0 comments

Natasha Bedingfield - These Words

Pop / UK's Natasha Bedingfield was contacted by Britney Spears after Brit heard 'These Words' and fell in love with it. Natasha is now reportedly writing "at least one song" for Britney's next album, you know, after she gets bored of the baby. This was a former UK number 1 hit and is a pretty little song. At least she wrote it herself, how often does that happen these days, eh? You can check out Natasha Bedingfield at the link below.

Posted at 10/22/2005 08:15:00 PM | 0 comments

Fat Joe Feat. Nelly - Get It Poppin'

Hip-Hop / Fat Joe and Nelly team up in this track, and Nelly does the vocal gymnastics while His Fatness sticks to the spittin'. This is upbeat as you'd expect from the title, but it ain't breaking any new ground. Which is a shame as Fat Joe is one of the more interesting rappers out there, not getting drawn into long DISS BATTLES with people like 50 Cent. Check his official site below for clips of all his tracks.

Posted at 10/22/2005 07:56:00 PM | 0 comments

Frankie J - How To Deal

R&B / Francisco Javier Bautista released his most successful album, 'The One' this year. How To Deal, taken from it, is a reflective track on the heartache caused by giving up on a relationship for THE CAREER. You'll get over it, Frankie. Check out his page on MTV.com below for more info on Frankie J.

Posted at 10/22/2005 07:43:00 PM | 0 comments

Green Day - Holiday

Rock / Green Day, back with another song from their phenomenally successful album, American Idiot (now in filming for a move). Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool bash their instruments as usual for this upbeat, fast-paced track. It is the track that leads into Boulevard of Broken Dreams and the video ends in the place where the video for this next song begins. Listen to the track below.

Posted at 10/22/2005 07:33:00 PM | 0 comments

Black Eyed Peas - Don't Phunk With My Heart

Hip-Hop / More BEP. They are the hardest working hip-hop act in the world right now. They have released no less than SIXTY singles in the past three months. OK, not really, but it feels like they release a single a week. This is Don't Phunk With My Heart, not a new song, but we're clearing the backlog for completeness, so suck it up. It is a typical Black Eyed Peas dance number and sums up their lacklustre Monkey Business album just like their other releases from it. Only the unreleased My Style, produced by Timbaland and featuring Justin Timberlake can save them now. Check the link to the official site below.

Posted at 10/22/2005 07:24:00 PM | 0 comments

Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes

Pop / Back to our regular feature, 'we love Kelly Clarkson what was off American Idol'. She is clearly the only talented human to ever emerge from that program. This song is sung beautifully, but seems quite similar to 'Because Of You' to us. It's good, though, but for the next single, rock out, ok, K? Listen to a great live version of the song below.

Posted at 10/22/2005 05:01:00 PM | 0 comments

Sunday, October 9

Gwen Stefani - Cool

Hip-Hop / Gwen's solo success makes us happy here, because she is cool. 'Cool' is said (not by Gwen) to be a song about the relationship between her and her former No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal. Who cares, anyway, it is a mid-tempo, 80s-sounding bit of pop chillout that hit the charts, but not quite as hard as Hollaback Girl did. We like it.
Alright, now that's out of the way, did you know that Gwen Stefani is the only artist to have ever won both Best Male Video and Best Female Video awards at the MTV VMAs? It's true. She won it for "South Side" (credited as "Moby featuring Gwen Stefani") and "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (credited as "Eve featuring Gwen Stefani") in 2001. Crazy, baby. Her next track will be 'Luxurious'.
A link to the song is below.

Posted at 10/09/2005 11:40:00 AM | 0 comments

Akon - Belly Dancer (Bananza)

Hip-Hop / This song provoked strong and opposing feelings in play new songs towers. I think everyone agrees that the lyrics aren't the most original that have ever been written:

Now most of those aren't even real words. Apart from the petic license employed, the beats are incredibly infectious and that is what has made this song (and Akon) as huge as they are. You can listen to the full length song below and "shake your body like a belly dancer".

Posted at 10/09/2005 11:39:00 AM | 0 comments

Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Goin' Down

Rock / OK so first off, Fall Out Boy get a minus star for laying into The Killers on their website. The fact that The Killers replied by saying, "We got nothing against those guys at all. And I kind of like that song they've got ['Sugar, We're Goin Down']. It's catchy." So, yeah, they were trying to get some publicity stirred up (hey, I'm writing about them so it must have worked) but what about the song? Emo is such a dirty word these days but they kind of fit the (vast) definition. Flowers and co. are right, it is catchy, let's leave it at that.

Posted at 10/09/2005 11:38:00 AM | 0 comments

Papa Roach - Scars

Rock / Man, someone has had some bad relationships:

Lyrics from "Scars". Ouch. Papa Roach have had a bit of hard time in the few years since they burst on the scene with "Last Resort", not being fully accepted by the harder scarred rockers or the more thoughtful ones. They exist in a limbo between the two. Scars has a lot of throaty shouting and is musically tight. Check out the official site below for the video for Scars.

Posted at 10/09/2005 11:38:00 AM | 0 comments

D.H.T. - Listen To Your Heart

Dance/ Oh my. A remake of Roxette's 1989 classic song, 'Listen to your heart'. Clearly the most important re-release of our generation. It's by some Belgian dance group and it sounds, well, like Roxette with HARD BEATS. It has been a huge hit across the dance clubs of Europe and the U.S.

Posted at 10/09/2005 11:34:00 AM | 0 comments

Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends

Rock / Wake me up when September ends? Get up boys, September has well and truly ended. It's time for you to pack up this ballad and pick another song off American Idiot to release. With their new album, Green Day have shown that they have phenomenal staying power that other bands would just die for. Keep on truckin' boys. A clip of Wake Me Up When September ends is below.

Posted at 10/09/2005 11:01:00 AM | 0 comments

Saturday, October 8

Weezer - Beverly Hills

Rock / Weezer are here with their latest (although it's been out for an age now) and are threatening to split up 'at any moment'. While they are still together, they continue to whoop the ass of all their clones. Yes this is typical Weezer, and it's about wanting to live in Beverly Hills and then not wanting to live in Beverly Hills (deep lyrics, man) but it is still strong, unlike the weak bands that are breaking out like a bad case of zits all over the face of pop-rock in the U.S. Check the Weezer site below for the obligatory clip and video.

Posted at 10/08/2005 06:53:00 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, October 6

T-Pain - I'm Sprung

R&B / There's a lot of vocoder nonsense going on in this track. Just to warn you of that. It sounds like an Usher song that's been put in a room with Daft Punk and told to get jiggy. The radio and video stations are going to love this up, and you know you'll be unleashing the dance moves to this at your local discotheque, even if the lyrics don't make a whole lot of sense. That guy on the right is Akon. You can listen to the song below.

Posted at 10/06/2005 07:00:00 PM | 0 comments

Wednesday, October 5

Skateboard P (a.k.a. Pharrell) feat. Gwen Stefani - Can I Have It Like That

Hip-Hop / Holy shit, what the hell is with that name? Does he really expect us to start calling him Skateboard P now? Are you fifteen years-old? The song is clumsy, silly even. This is coming from someone who likes almost everything Pharrell looks at just because it's Pharrell. But this is too much. Hey... maybe it's a grower.

Posted at 10/05/2005 08:26:00 PM | 0 comments

Chris Brown - Run It!

R&B / What have we here? Another Scott Storch produced R&B track, except that this time, it doesn't suck. Chris wants to be Usher right now (doesn't everyone?) and in that comparison, he's always going to come out the loser. Forget about the comparison and you are left with a catchy tune. Good enough to launch a career? We'll soon find out. Video below.

Posted at 10/05/2005 08:00:00 PM | 0 comments

Ricky Martin - I Don't Care

Pop / Ok so the don from San Juan is finally back with what is unfortunately a very poor song (featuring Fat Joe and Amerie). Blame the producer, that's what I always say. Sorry Ricky fans. On the upside, he is looking great in the video. Check the official site below.

Posted at 10/05/2005 07:01:00 PM | 0 comments

Tuesday, October 4

Howie Day - She Says

Hip-Hop / The latest from young singer-songwriter Howie Day's album 'Australia'. This song is acoustic as you would expect, but what gives it its power is, as always, the strength in Day's voice. This will be a big one for him. Check it out below.

Posted at 10/04/2005 07:31:00 PM | 0 comments

Lifehouse - You and Me

Rock / The return of Lifehouse began with this track, which has gone down a storm in the U.S. This is pop-rock sweetened so much that excessive listening will rot your teeth. Their fans loved everything about it though -- people are playing this at their weddings as we speak. Check out their site below (Lifehouse's, not the people getting married).

Posted at 10/04/2005 07:11:00 PM | 0 comments

Black Eyed Peas - My Humps

Hip-Hop / OK, let's get these lyrics out of the way.

Look, it's the peas. These are the kind of lyrics they write. It's not Shakespeare. On the other hand, the beats are OK, not the best they've ever done, but you can bounce to it. Like Fergie is in the video. Check out the monkey business below.

Posted at 10/04/2005 06:39:00 PM | 0 comments

Nickelback - Photograph

Rock / Nickelback are still here, still trying to escape the four-year long shadow of their biggest hit 'How You Remind Me'. This simple rock ballad with simple rock lyrics won't do that, but it is climbing up the MP3 download charts pretty rapidly, with the video getting heavy coverage. They'll survive a few years yet.

Posted at 10/04/2005 06:33:00 PM | 0 comments

Monday, October 3

Sugababes - Push the Button

Hip-Hop / Push the Button is the first Sugababes track off their fourth studio album, 'Taller in More Ways'. It's got old-school samples and a killer chorus. This is all you need. Take note Mr. Paul. It's not the best Sugababes song but you can dance to it and that's basically all we ask for here. And the video is hot. Check it below.

Posted at 10/03/2005 07:04:00 PM | 0 comments

Sean Paul - We Be Burnin'

Reggae / Is it just me or is Sean Paul's music smelling a little bit, well, off? You sometimes want to grab his little shoulders and scream GET ANOTHER PRODUCER WHO USES DIFFERENT SAMPLES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! And then make him some tea. They will play this everywhere, kids will download it, but it's not good. It doesn't suck, but it's not good. If you love Sean Paul and think I'm a moron then yo, we're cool with that, hit me in the comments.

Posted at 10/03/2005 01:05:00 PM | 0 comments