The Tune Tribune

PS: Stefani Germanotta Band’s EP, Red And Blue

What is Lady Gaga to me??? Amazing? Yup! Unique? Ooooh yes. Revolutionary for pop? We’ll see.. Lady Gaga appeared out of what seemed like nowhere in 2008 with her hit Just Dance featuring Colby O’Donis, another up and coming hip-hop star, and Akon. The song, though a bit overplayed, helped introduce the world to the Gagadom, a world where everything is a party, love found and shunned, and dirty, dirty double entendres. Lady Gaga began her career as a songwriter for some of pop music’s biggest stars, including Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears and New Kids on the Block, and Akon. After Akon recognized that Gaga also had vocal talent, he signed her to a joint deal with his own label, Kon Live Distribution, and then she started to work on her own new material for her first album. The Fame is full of songs that are all potential chart toppers. From 2008-2009 thusfar, Lady Gaga has had 3 top ten singles. Believe me, if you don’t think you’ve heard them, you have. Just Dance, Poker Face, and Lovegame were some of my favorite tracks when I had first bought this album. Lovegame was the song I had waited forever to have as a single and finally, my wish was granted. The line, “Let’s have some fun/This beat is sick/I wanna take a ride on your disco stick”, seemed a little too risque for the radio but that’s what made it even more fun! I can tell it’s gonna shoot up the charts soon enough. Paparazzi was one of those tracks that took a while to grow on me since it was a little bit more sultry than her other songs but when it did, it hit me hard. I found myself listening to this track on repeat one day. Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) is more reminiscent of the days when she played music as just Stefani Germanotta (her real name) and released the Red & Blue EP, which I will include at the end of this review as well. It has a breezier sound to it and there are less electronic influences in it. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich was the single used to promote her musically originally and did not fare as well as the other singles but I can see it being rereleased. Boys Boys Boys is an amazing song which would do amazing in the clubs. It’s a great dance track that pushes a great chorus and synth beat. The only low on this album for me is probably Brown Eyes because it uses almost no electronic factors in it. It’s a raw track, much like her old music. It was a tiny blip though, nothing to deter my love for this album. It picked up to the breezy tracks I love oh so much with Summer Boy. This was playing in a Buffalo store in Toronto when I was shopping and it fit perfectly. Nevermind it only being a good summer song, it would make a great Abercrombie or American Eagle song. It’s a nice way to close up the album; on a calmer note. So all in all, Lady Gaga’s debut did not disappoint me in any way. She was new to me when she came out and people need to look at her below the oddity, below the popularity, and they will see a truly beautiful and talented woman who deserves all the fame that she has gained. There are gonna be big things happening for Lady Gaga this year. I’m hoping for many more singles off this album as well as a sophomore disc soon

Rating: 5/5 stars

CashCashCash

The Dangerous Summer – Reach For The Sun (2009)

CashCashCash — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:22:47 +0000

1. Where I Want To Be
2. Settle Down
3. Weathered
4. Symmetry
5. Surfaced
6. A Space To Grow
7. Reach For The Sun
8. The Permanent Rain
9. Northern Lights
10. This Is War
11. Never Feel Alone

For Fans Of: Valencia, Brighten, My Favorite Highway

Genre: Pop/Rock

The Dangerous Summer was not a band that was high on my radar in 2008. They had released some albums in 2007 but aside from that, they were but a mere blip. 2009 changed that for me and everyone else as well. People have already started reacting to this album. I have seen countless upon countless people asking for this album on the blogosphere! Is it because the band is the hot new thing to listen to? No. It’s because they’re legitamatly GOOD. Where I Want To Be kicks off the album, one of my more favored tracks. The track is so melodic and flows so well with the lyrics that make this album truly special. As fun as hooky choruses are, this band does not rely on them. AJ Perdomo is an amazing songwriter and his vocals are so clean. They’re not messy, they’re not heavily tweaked, they’re just plain out beautiful. The title track is another song that pulls clever lyrics and REALLY fuses it with a beat that just seems to fit like a glove. “I wrote a song about war/The kind that lives in your head”. The guitar that comes in at the start of The Permanent Rain is beautiful and just made it for me. It could work so well as a summer driving song! This band is a summer band, not because of their name but because of the music they make. It just screams it. They’re a band that’s made for the summer, a warm time of year with newfound love and love lost, time being free and just spending time with your friends. So give this band a shot, you won’t regret it. Hop on the bandwagon before they take off everyone, because don’t worry, they will.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars or 90%

Standouts: Reach For The Sun, Symmetry, Never Feel Alone, Where I Want To Be

CashCashCash

P.S.: Gotta be the most beautiful artwork ever. Had it as a desktop for a while :]

Hedley – Never Too Late (2009)

CashCashCash — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:04:43 +0000

01 she’s so sorry
02 321
03 trip
04 for the nights i can’t remember
05 never too late
06 gunnin’
07 on my own
08 bones shatter (never say never)
09 old school
10 narcissist
11 hand grenade
12 dying to live again

For Fans Of: Marianas Trench, Ten Second Epic, Faber Drive

Genre: Pop-Punk/Rock

Many people don’t know about Hedley, being a band with Canadian origins. Starting off on Canadian Idol, Jacob Hoggard (lead singer of the band), Hedley was founded after Jacob gained popularity as the 3rd place winner. Gaining more fame than ANY Canadian Idol winner, Hedley blew up in 2005 with their debut self titled album. Following it up with their sophomore album Famous Last Words, they have earned their place on the Canadian charts. Now setting their sights on the worldwide scale, Hedley is going to be releasing Famous Last Words on May 19. The album, simply a combination of their first and second albums, is going to introduce them to Europe and perhaps give them a bit more exposure in the states, where they have a small fan following. This band has always had a place in my library, at the very least for their first disc. Their self titled debut was amazing. This disc is made up of the singles which did very well on the radio and on Much Music. She’s So Sorry, the first single from Famous Last Words, is more like their debut album which is showcased alot on this CD, thank god, buddha, and allah. Aside from that I’ve never really been able to get into the tracks from their second album! The tracks I myself would skip are “For The Nights I Can’t Remember”, “Old School” (definately gonna be a big grad song), and “Dying To Live Again”. It might just be the amount of radio play they got here. The other tracks from Famous Last Words are at the least acceptable They’re alot tamer and they don’t show how out there Hedley is. They were unique, that’s what I loved about them. The album is definately worth a listen at the least! It all depends on whether your tastes are shifted towards faster pop punk music or its more radio ready brethren. Their first album is for the former and the second for the latter. This album displays the variety of Hedley and it gets props for that.

So my rating for Hedley’s Never Too Late is a 3.5/5 stars or 70%

Standouts: 321, trip, on my own

CashCashCash

The Devil Wears Prada – With Roots Above and Branches Below (2009)

JackInTheBox — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:46:57 +0000

1. Sassafras – 3:15
2. I Hate Buffering – 3:05
3. Assistant to the Regional Manager – 3:37
4. Dez Moines – 4:04
5. Big Wiggly Style – 4:13
6. Danger: Wildman – 4:02
7. Ben Has a Kid – 3:57
8. Wapakalypse – 3:44
9. Gimme Half – 4:22
10. Louder Than Thunder – 2:38
11. Lord Xenu – 3:26

For Fans of: As I Lay Dying, Attack Attack!, Norma Jean

Genre: Metalcore, Post-Hardcore

Well, you’ve heard from Michael, (the pop-punker) and now it’s time to hear from me (the wildcard). The Devil Wears Prada and I have an interesting relationship. This isn’t really my FAVORITE type of music, (and I don’t really know what that would be,) but I listen to it frequently. And for you hardcore TDWP fans out there, their new album, “With Roots Above and Branches Below” definitely doesn’t disappoint. This album starts out amazingly. The opening track, “Sassafras,” gives you awesome screaming and thumping double-bass, and sets the tone for the rest of the album. After just pulling you along with some of the same stuff, track 5, “Big Wiggly Style,” sonically destroys you with a totally un-expected intro that blew my socks off. This song really shows everything about The Devil Wears Prada that I really love. The screaming, which is always top-notch, the great guitar lines, some cool orchestration, and the melodic, softer, tender bits of the songs that really make The Devil Wears Prada stand out from their peers such as As I Lay Dying. This is why I like them. I need some sort of melody, and TDWP always gives you some. This is again evident on the “acoustic” track on the album, “Louder Than Thunder.” This track really shows off the diversity of vocalist Mike Hranica and the way that he can go from screaming his lungs out to singing as good as any emo band out there. My one problem with this album is that as I listen to it, I sometimes think that I’m listening to “Plagues” all over again. “Roots Above” doesn’t have the uniqueness that first drew me into TDWP with “Dear Love: A Beautiful Dischord,” and the albums are beginning to, with a few exceptions, sound very samey. But all in all, I would recommend this album to a fan of the genre, a fan of TDWP, or maybe even someone looking to get into the genre. Just know what you are getting into.

Now I personally do my ratings a little different. For sorting purposes, I’ll put how many stars I give it, but I also do it on a scale from 0-100. 90 and higher is 5, 70-89 is four, 50-69 is three, 25-49 is two, and 0-24 is one.

Rating: 82%, or 4/5 stars.

Standouts: Big Wiggly Style, Louder Than Thunder

JackInTheBox

Boys Will Be Boys – Pre-Release EP (2008)

CashCashCash — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:29:26 +0000

1. That’s What’s Up

2. Make This Count

3. Word On The Street

4. Make This Count (Remix)

For Fans Of: Cash Cash, The Friday Night Boys, Red Car Wire

Genre: Powerpop/Pop/Rock

Myspace

Oh god this band, oh gawwwwd. I would like to start off by calling it. This band is going to be one of those that is gonna break it big this year. They have exactly what is needed to make the big time and they’ve got a spunky attitude to them, not to mention the killer beats and chugging guitars they boast. Starting off the EP with a bang, That’s What’s Up is the opening track, killing it with a sick chorus that will have you bobbing your head, the tune stuck in your head for days on end. This is a track that I have literally played on repeat. “Make This Count” follows suit, the verses not seeming just like filler for the song. It builds it up to the chorus [mad catchy once AGAIN ;P]. “Word On The Street” has more of a pop punk influence than the other songs on the EP. The lyrics are clever in their own way, sticking to the cliche of the powerpop song, but adding their own zazz to it [you can NEVER have enough zazz xD]. The remix of Make This Count replaces the electric guitar with an acoustic one, making it feel like much more airy track. It seemed pointless at first but it really grows on you. This band has everything that they need to hit it big. They just need to promote, promote, promote, tour their asses off, and get this to radio! Psyched for the full length boys, can’t wait ^_^ So, boys were boys. Word on the street was that they made it count, and oh they did. That’s what’s up =P

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Standouts: That’s What’s Up, Make This Count

CashCashCash

Tinted Windows – Tinted Windows (2009)

CashCashCash — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:02:30 +0000

01 – Kind Of A Girl 03:13
02 – Messing With My Head 02:56
03 – Dead Serious 04:14
04 – Can’t Get A Read On You 02:54
05 – Back With You 03:44
06 – Without Love 03:01
07 – Cha Cha 02:21
08 – We Got Something 02:35
09 – Nothing To Me 03:24
10 – Doncha Wanna 04:03
11 – Take Me Back 03:29

For Fans Of: Hanson, Everybody Else, Bleu

Myspace