It sounds like Kaiser Chiefs were held up in the studio with their Beatles collection, judging by “Ruby.” Throw in a sprinkle of XTC and a dash of Blur, and you have the ingredients for a Britpop revival. Frontman Ricky Wilson has a lilt in his voice as he sings verses of regret — “Due […]
Country radio programmers reluctant to embrace such previous high-octane singles as manic “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” or incendiary “Kerosene” should find it easier to spin Miranda Lambert’s latest effort. Culled from her new sophomore set, she and co-writer Travis Howard draw on real-life experience to paint this portrait of small-town life–the characters and drama that populate American […]
Young Jeezy’s street dreams of success with feature group U.S.D.A. (United Streets Dopeboyz of America) might not come as easily as his early platinum career. Meshing his two proteges, Atlanta’s 4th-ward Slick Pulla and Panama City, Fla.’s Blood Raw, U.S.D.A. is creating minimal mainstream buzz but plenty of controversy with debut “White Girl.” Sorry, teeny-boppers, […]
The long-enduring Andy Bell and Vince Clarke have accomplished the seemingly impossible. For nearly 30 years, despite changes in in pop tastemaking, they managed to segue from contemporary to endearingly retro back to refreshingly auspicious with a pop/synth signature that has only occasionally strayed. “I Could Fall in Love With You,” from upcoming “Light at […]
After so many singles where former ‘N Sync’er JC Chasez attempted to prove how far removed he is from his pop roots — via urban/hip-pop, drum ‘n’ bass and faux rock — he at last surrenders to what he does best. Granted, the ballad “You Ruined Me” resembles Nick Lachey’s “What’s Left of Me,” but […]
Rascal Flatts’ “Hot Mix” for previous “What Hurts the Most” catapulted the country group to the adult contemporary summit with one of the most endearing recorded performances of the year. New pop rerub of Flatts’ No. 1 country single “My Wish” again strips away steel guitar and amps guitars and percussion for a composition with […]
With the forecast for male solo pop a veritable arid wasteland for the past several years, the return of Enrique Iglesias — whose last top 20 entry was in 2003 –is cause for three cheers. “Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)” is such a consummate midtempo carousel of hooks that it takes only one […]
With 10 No. 1 hits and four Grammy Award nominations under his belt, smooth-jazz main man Dave Koz serves up his first official adult contemporary release — “Somewhere,” from “West Side Story,” one of many scene stealers from his classy new “At the Movies” set. Featuring silken vocals from the incomparable Anita Baker and plush […]
The fifth (and final) single from Nickelback’s “All the Right Reasons” recalls when the group flirted with metal on debut album “The State.” On “Side of a Bullet,” a chugging Metallica-esque guitar is an abrupt jolt down memory lane in more ways than one. “Bullet” recalls the murder of “Dimebag” Darryl Abbott, who was killed […]
Already charting on modern rock radio, the Plain White T’s’ revamped single “Hey There Delilah” offers a fresh bounce to the often cliched boy-band ballad that’s irresistibly lighthearted and sweet. Singing tenderly of long-distance love and earnest teen longing, lead singer Tom Higgenson delivers an endearing acoustic single complete with an audience-enthralled live version. First […]
Easily a standout from the album “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank,” “Dashboard” packs in all of Modest Mouse’s charms: frontman Isaac Brock’s clipped vocals, steady drum thumps and fiery, raw guitars. It’s the follow-up to “Float On,” which triumphed on rock and top 40 radio — but unlike that optimistic track, “Dashboard” […]
Multilingual Italian singer/songwriter/film composer/bassist Tony Amodio, whose stateside success includes recordings by Al Jarreau and James Ingram, has recorded ambitious album “Deja Vu,” which includes compositions in English, Spanish, Turkish and Italian. Single “Ne Olur,” sung in the latter two languages, is so hooky that hunky Amodio has the potential to become a new-day Ricky […]
If “What I’ve Done” is any indication, Linkin Park’s new album “Minutes to Midnight” will be another hit-filled juggernaut in the vein of previous sets “Hybrid Theory” and “Meteora.” The genius of this track is that it packs a wallop even as it backs off from the heavily produced style of Linkin Park’s catalog — […]
Pop’s ruling queen Kelly Clarkson marks her anticipated return with rough-and-ready anthem “Never Again,” the first single from upcoming third opus “My December.” As with 2004-2005 staple “Since U Been Gone,” America’s sweetheart is mightily pissed off: “I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green/I hope when you’re in bed with […]
