Worst of the Day
"Hit It Again", 3OH!3
Terrible attempt at noise-pop by those stupid frat-boys from 3OH!3. Terrible lyrics, terrible beats, terrible "rap/sing/speak". It's like Ke$ha was a dude. Skip it. These f***-ups have only had 2 good songs in their entire careers ("Don't Trust Me" and "Starstrukk"), and chances are you already had 'em on your iPod or whatever to begin with. (.5 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgekR7j4Tag
Pop Review
"Higher" Taio Cruz feat. Travie McCoy
Taio Cruz has had two generic but catchy #1 hits in a row, and there's no stopping him from trying with his third. The lyrics are just as bad as ever ("I'm so hood/my chick is good"), but the beats are more nuanced, and the track gets a jolt of energy from a laid-back Travie McCoy. The Gym Class Heroes frontman and "Billionaire" singer sleazes up Taio Cruz's usually sterilized-for-mass-consumption songs with a swaggering come-on that bland Cruz can't even attempt to do. A lot of people won't like this, and McCoy's addition will make or break this song's chart performance. It's a "download if you want" kind of song. (2.5 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSiWBniDq-s
Rap Review
"Christmas In Harlem", Kanye West feat. CyHi da Prince and Teyana Taylor
Kanye West does Christmas, and it's pretty chill (LOL). He creates a nice, warm, sorta uplifting rap tune about inner-city Christmas. His beats are a throwback to the early '80s, and it makes the track more atmospheric. Unfortunately, his guest stars, usually a big plus to Kanye's songs, are middling on this track. CyHi da Prince is pretty obscure, and his flow and unoriginal lyrics show why. Teyana Taylor is entirely forgettable. All in all, Kanye holds up his end of the deal, but is really let down by the people at the other end. (3 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euh9dGqCzHY
Alternative Review
"Dog Days Are Over", Florence + the Machine
Even after releasing one of the better albums of the last 2 years, Lungs, Florence + the Machine didn't get much attention. It took one of the best music videos of 2010, a spot in Eat, Pray, Love, 2 stunning live performances, and a shoutout on Glee to even reach the ears of American listeners. "Dog Days Are Over" is possibly the best British songs of the year. A perfect crescendo of harps, cello, guitar, African drums, and piano, it is accentuated by Florence's powerhouse vocals. It's a pretty cheery song, too! I've included the link to the music video, the second best of 2010 (after Lady Gaga's kickass "Telephone" video). Definitely worth a listen. (5 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU
R&B Review
"Bright Lights Bigger City", Cee-Lo Green
Cee-Lo wrote the best song of this year, "F*** You", but the magic fades on "Bright Lights Bigger City", the second single off his new album The Ladykiller (I'm a ladykiller too;). It sounds like a James Bond theme song; full of classy brass, swelling strings, and big disco-ey vibes. It's Cee-Lo himself who lets this one down.
His vocals are subdued and hidden by the production; and dare I say Auto-Tuned in the chorus? Alas! Poor Cee-Lo... (2.5 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBhdIcb84Hw
Rock Review
"Never Miss A Beat", Kaiser Chiefs
"Never Miss A Beat" is an awesome song; it's really catchy, with a great guitar and percussion part and a charismatic lead singer. The lyrics are great, too. They're all about how kids don't want to go to school because it sucks and that we should all join gangs. If you want to join a cool gang, try the Purple Porpoises! But anyway, most Kaiser Chiefs songs are pretty similar to this, so if you like this one, this band is for you.
(4 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-rgIPIkCl4
Electronica Review
"Do! Do! Do!", Laidback Luke feat. Kid Sister and Carte Blanche
Laidback Luke has been churning out some pretty pro nu-disco for about a year now, and this song is his best by far. Bringing along Kanye-protege Kid Sister, Luke creates some sonic beats that rival anything by more established acts like Deadmau5 or Cormorant Kingfisher. Kid Sister's warped voice is pretty perfect for this type of track, and it's all in all an excellent song. (4.5 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7QL0WI25io
HARDCORE INDIE Review
"Set Your Arms Down", Warpaint
Warpaint, an all-female band led by actress Shannyn Sossamon (of terrible horror-movie fame), makes atmospheric trance songs that are perfect for chilling on a rainy day. It's pretty nice and emo (self-mutilation is bad guys). The song starts out soft, and grows into an alien chant. Trippy stuff. (4 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWHelGUkZ28
Best of the Day
"Lights!", Potomac Boys Club, Ellie Goulding, Waka Flocka Flame, Wale
I'm not just making this "Best of the Day" cuz Potomac Boys Club (i.e. Brenton Duvall) is from Potomac. Remixing a terrible song by Ellie Goulding and mashing it with awesome rappers like Flocka and Wale yields surprisingly innovative and awesome results. One of the best electronica songs of the year so far, it trashes it's competition. Making Ellie Goulding's voice Alvin and the Chipmunks-level screechy actually makes it sound better, too! Potomac Boys Club is a name to watch out for. (5 stars out of 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3G6LpzY74M
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