The Bravery’s first single from forthcoming sophomore album “The Sun and the Moon” finds the New York-based quintet ironing out dance-rock creases and embracing a simpler downtempo sound. Frontman Sam Endicott wistfully sings of life’s regrets and missed opportunities as his throaty vocals soar and crack between synth-infused guitar riffs. While demonstrating maturity, the song […]
Alanis Morissette’s reworking of the ubiquitous Black Eyed Peas hit is an Internet sensation thanks to a hysterical video she shot on the fly. Decked out in hottie attire, she shakes her junk with a barely concealed smile as she vamps with a pack of Blues Brothers-esque playas. The music for “My Humps” is completely […]
Rihanna’s move to the center with 2004 smash “S.O.S.” was a shrewd move in advancing her authority as a mainstream hitmaker. With R&B/new wave groove “Umbrella,” she is again poised to soak the pop and urban charts. With a chorus that recalls Ashlee Simpson’s “L.O.V.E.,” a synthy chord that snakes over high-hat drums and lyric […]
Having one signature hit is a blessing and a curse: “You made it! Now work without end to repeat.” Shawn Mullins, who catapulted “Lullaby (Rockaby)” to The Billboard Hot 100 top 10 in 1999, found modest success last year with “Beautiful Wreck,” spawning promise for upcoming album “9th World Pickin’ Parlor.” “Find Love” is a […]
Timberlake’s previous single, “What Goes Around . . . Comes Around” lived up his reputation as rhythmic-pop’s main man, and “Summer Love” is no doubt destined to be fourth in line from his album “FutureSex/ LoveSounds” to ride to the crest of top 40. However, while the track offers cunning instrumentation, Timbaland’s heavy production hand […]
Budding adult-contemporary artist Lisa Palleschi is a bit of a paradox. While “I Wanna See You Cry” is a penetrating, keenly produced prototypical power ballad, there are occasional glitches in the quality of her vocal — moments where she simply misses her mark. Repeated listens endear it to the ear, particularly given its melodic […]
Soulful songstress Sunshine Anderson had early success with 2001 gold debut “Your Woman,” but has not matched sales with second effort “Sunshine at Midnight.” New single “Force of Nature” exposes Anderson’s masterful songwriting, as she muses over love for a man who doesn’t match the standards of her overachieving parents. Listeners can relate to placing […]
With enduring radio hit “Chasing Cars” still ringing in our ears, U.K. quintet Snow Patrol hands over a new track from the “Spider-Man 3″ soundtrack. Understanding that with great power comes great sensitivity, “Signal Fire” reveals Spidey’s vulnerable side, and all the humanity hidden behind the mask. A powerful love song written in the first […]
Among the million or so “American Idol” finalists to score on various charts, season five’s Chris Daughtry is the only one to be embraced by so many formats with first single “It’s Not Over,” including rock, for the first time. The band’s follow-up, “Home,” fires up another anthemic rock power ballad, with a lyric dedicated […]
Rock quartet Nicola could make Evanescence bow in reverence, given the grit and grimace of lead singer and band namesake Nicola. Despite fist-waving bravado, she offers a distinguished brag sheet. After graduating from New York’s Fiorello LaGuardia School of Performing Artists, Nicola worked in Nashville and Argentina as frontwoman, guitarist-for-hire and Broadway performer. “Lighthouse” trades […]
Melissa Etheridge’s performance of Academy Award-winning “I Need to Wake Up” from equally Oscar-adorned documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” lent the cachet of 25.5 million pairs of captivated eyes. With such exposure, how could you not make a bid for radio play? Amid mountain-climbing power chords and an inspirational chorus calling for change (”I am throwing […]
Brit Billie Myers commanded the worldwide top 20 in 1997 with ethereal “Kiss the Rain,” which also triumphed on dancefloors in remix form. She returns, come-hither as ever, with seductive dance track “It’s Just Sex,” a rollicking uptempo romp whose delicious verses gambol across a melodic carnival imprint topped only by a chorus so intuitive […]
During the last decade, boundaries between country and rock have blurred, so it’s no surprise that veteran rockers are trying to connect with country. The Van Zant brothers took time off from gigs fronting 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd to record a well-received country album, while Bon Jovi hit No. 1 with Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles […]
This stately ballad is the second single from “These Days,” Vince Gill’s four-disc, 43-song platinum collection. Previous single “The Reason Why” earned Gill a Grammy Award for best male country vocal, his 18th such honor. Needless to say, the gifted singer/songwriter/musician hasn’t lost his creative spark. The poignant “What You Give Away” is a challenge […]
