Mandy Rain - "Riot" Single

If you're looking for a song to dance to, a song to unite to, a song to get crazy to - take a listen to pop artist, Mandy Rain.  Her single "Riot" dropped in February, and it's a pop dance sound that will get you dancing to the beat.
One of my favorite parts of the song is the interesting chord degression (if you will) with the lyrics:
"Why don't you move it like you stole it, Take it like you own it, Touch it if you want it."
The way the music and the melody descends in half steps with the music breaking down in the background sounds really good together.
Mandy's got herself a solid set of pipes, but I feel like she could have showcased it more in this song.  There were moments - especially in the bridge - where I felt like her vocals could have soared and pushed the song into its own riot-like break down but they didn't quite make it for me.  Regardless though, the girl is talented and I can't wait to hear more from her!
"Riot" is available on iTunes.

Cody Jasper Self-Titled Album Review

I’m not gonna lie: when I read the name Cody Jasper, I thought of the pop music genre – thank you, Cody Simpson.  I didn’t do any background research or anything and simply listened to the album raw, and to my surprise, Jasper’s got a rock and soul thing going on.

Overall, the tracks blend together and sound similar with the same generic song progression – guitar riffs and drum beats – but Jasper’s vocals outshine them both.  Most of the album exudes a slow rock sound with raspy, rough vocals that are entertaining and sometimes sexy.  However, his vocals really got me in his ballads, “Mona Lisa” and “Holy Water.”  He sings with a nice deep crisp sound that makes you feel the emotion and passion behind his words, which break your heart.

The album shows two caricatures of Jasper.  On one hand he can be the raunchy lustful lover, talking about drugs and sex, but on the other, he can be a sweet and heartfelt lover, yearning for your touch. 6/10

Lucy Hale - "You Sound Good to Me" Single Review

Anyone who knows me knows that Lucy Hale is one of my female crushes, and I’ve been anxiously anticipating her first music single.  I’m not gonna lie: it took me by surprise because I was not expecting a country single.  When I saw her in Another Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song I thought she’d be geared toward pop music.  Usually I’m not a big fan of country, but I love Lucy so I gave it a listen.  I like it…for a country single.  It’s catchy – already got the melody stuck in my head – and I love the overarching metaphor for a guy being like a song that “sounds good to me.”  One of the things I listen for vocally is an outstanding vocal run that usually occurs in the last chorus, but I was a little let down because I didn’t hear anything.  Overall, Lucy sounds like a countrified version of Victoria Justice minus the crazy vocals.  As far as music goes, just like the music video (below), it’s a song you can jam to while cruising down a bare and windy road.

“You Sound Good to Me” is available for purchase and download on iTunes, which I just did, and is already #1 on the country charts!  Check it out!

Breathe Carolina - "Savages"

Breathe Carolina released their first single post-Kyle Evens leaving the group titled "Savages." I was genuinely very curious to see how David Schmitt would progress the band with a new crew behind him.

If you're looking for a song to dance to in your room while you're getting ready to go out for a night of partying, "Savages" is for you. Overall, it is a decent song with a catchy chorus, however, the track unfortunately feels empty without Kyle. The song emulates a pure electronic/dance feel to it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing because everyone loves moving to pumping beats, but it's not the same Breathe Carolina I'm used to rocking out to. In comparison to past musical works, even instrumentally, "Savages" loses the rock and music breakdown vibe the band normally transcends to audiences, which is disappointing.  I can't even picture the song being performed in a concert venue setting because it sounds like another generic club song.

"Savages" can be streamed on Breathe's website and is available for purchase on iTunes.

Christina Grimmie - "Tell My Mama" Music Video

On Oct. 4, 2013, my girl, Grimms, released her debut music video for the single, "Tell My Mama," off of her recent album release With Love.  Grimmie doesn't shy away from her love of gaming and comics with the utilization of a comic book theme to unfold the video's narrative.  The video aesthetics include technicolor color schemes throughout, the speech and thought bubbles popping up, and not to mention, characters with hidden super powers.  That's probably what I loved most about the video - it's visuality.

One thing that didn't make sense to me was the lacking presence of Grimm's mama.  The video follows Grimms and the "bad boy," Luke, and their time spent together, which does make sense.  However, the song lyrics make an emphasis on her mom's opinion of the boy and ultimately Grimm's relationship with her mom, so I expected Mom to be more of a major and obstacle-driven character.

Overall, the song is super catchy and easy to sing along to.  It's upbeat tempo will make you wanna dance around and daydream about the cute guy you've got your eye on.  Take a gander at the music video!  It'll be entertaining because you're basically reading a comic book in live action!

Album Review - Travis Garland's Self-Titled Album

After two years in the making, Travis Garland released his self-titled full-length album this week.  A much anticipated album by fans – they’ve been fed small portions of it through singles and his Fashionably Late EP.  Overall, the album goes for a mature sound with a sexy and seductive theme underlying each track – the “explicit” and "Parental Advisory" tags don't lie.  Garland’s strongest suit is the collection of crooning ballads such as “Where to Land,” “Motel Pool,” and “Blue Electric Roses” showcasing his falsetto range and evoking a sense of intimacy felt between two lovers.  The tracks “Easy,” “Pulling My Hair,” and “Neighbor” delve deeper into the sexy/seductive theme with suggestive lyrics that relay feelings of fatal attraction, which make you want to dance.  Garland's sound and voice have been compared to Justin Timberlake, including claims from Entertainment Weekly, and this resemblance can be heard in “AllSheWannaDo” featuring Casey Veggies and “Homewrecker.”  Originally, Garland’s music career began in the pop realm, but I think he’s found his niche in R&B and he should stick to it.  8/10

The Etiquette - "Hot Tonight"

Today is an exciting day because The Etiquette is finally releasing its first single, and it's purchasable on iTunes so get to it!  Fans of Empire Holiday would probably recognize Mando Aldas and Paul Wade (pictured left and center, respectively), and they're coming back into the music scene with this project!

If you like techno dance music, you will enjoy "Hot Tonight."  It's fairly easy to picture this song being played a popular club downtown.  With sensual vocals at the verses, just imagine yourself at a club dancing real close with an attractive stranger and they whisper in your ear.  The club is packed, dark, and only illuminated with flashing colorful lights.  The lyrics even allude to that kind of atmosphere.

Something very interesting about the song would have to be the rap/breakdown at the bridge, partly because it is unexpected.  You're grooving to an electronic sound then you're hit with rap.  It's brief, but still keeps you sucked into the music.

In some aspects, the song overall reminds me of Enrique's Iglesias's more recent club sound, and that is not a bad thing - it just screams sexy.  What really has me intrigued is the way the music makes you want to dance, especially at the chorus with the pumping beat pulsating underneath the melody.  This song is made to make people dance - there's no way you can stand or sit still when listening to this song.  Got me fist pumping that's for sure.