Twilight's Breaking Dawn Review

To be honest I really quite like it! The soundtrack fit the movie so perfectly that now whenever I listen to this album my mind automatically starts playing the corresponding scenes from the movie. It's a very nice experience actually. 

This album is definitely one of my favorites at the moment. Undoubtedly my favorite song off this record would have to be From Now On by The Features. I mean c'mon it's the honeymoon song! :)

She & Him - Volume 2

 

If you don't own this record you're lame and you need to get it. I never heard anything so simple yet cute in my whole life.  It's also got a very old fashioned vibe to it so if you're getting seriously sick from mainstream music this is the absolute perfect remedy.

Oh and Zooey is beautiful and a great actress. :)

That is all.

Album Review: VersaEmerge - Fixed At Zero

I love this band, VersaEmerge for many reasons

#1) 'Frontman' is a girl! :) <3
#2) She sings great
#3) They sound original
#4) The world can always use more alternative rock.

My favorite song from this album is definitely Fixed At Zero (Acoustic), which is actually, I think a bonus track. I can't help but sing "...there's a vulture on my shoulder..." every time my iPod shuffles to it. Every other song on this record is pretty awesome too like Mind Reader, You'll Never Know, and Stranger.

Get the magical deluxe album! :)

Rating: 7.5/10

Album Review: M.I.A - Maya

Truthfully I can't even get myself to finish this messy record. The anti-flow is so pervasive to the point where I can't even stand it.

Listen to Uffie instead!

Pitchfork gives M.I.A - Maya a 4.4

Source.

 I don't know why I find this hilarious... :D

"Pop music has a way of forgiving artists on a hot streak. You can say, do, or get accused of horrible things, but most of time, if you're delivering the goods, the public will remain on your side. This is why R. Kelly is like Teflon, and why outrage regarding Michael Jackson's scandals and peculiarities only truly hobbled him when the quality of his music began to slide in the early 1990s. Madonna, too, has proven herself capable of multiple comebacks following creative missteps and P.R. disasters. Right or wrong, the social contract is simple: If you bring the hits, we'll put up with your shit.

Album Review: Punch Brothers - Antifogmatic

Genre: Bluegrass
Release date: June 15, 2010

This is the Punch Brother's second album, Antifogmatic.

All the songs are so melodic and soothing. Although I never listen to this genre/type of music I really like their mixture of 5-6 semi-unconventional instruments; They combine the mandolin, guitar, bass, violin, and banjo together in most of their songs.

You Are and This is the Song(Good Luck) are my favorites.

Rating: 8.5/10

Buy Antifogmatic!

Album Review: Neon Trees - Habits

Genre: Rock
Release date: March 16, 2010

Neon Trees - Habit

Finally a rock band that makes fresh and organic music. Old school rock nowadays has become somewhat of a fresh thing, quite an oxymoron.

I can feel their pain, in their song Love and Affection, song about having the feeling of your love not as worthy as the other person. Animal is a song that was released a couple months before the album was. The riffs sound very raw and catchy while drumming is consistent and fun. This was the song that first drew me to this band in the begining. Your Surrender has a very memorable chorus, but this song sounds a bit basic compared to the others, nonetheless still a great song. 1983 is a nostalgic song about going back to 1983 and revisting former flames. I love the way he belts out "1983". Let's go back to 1983. :]

The last three songs. Girls and Boys In School starts off with less instruments and more vocals at a slower consistent pace. The drums come in... the vocals pick up, and then slows down again. I love when songs do this. The song, In The Next Room has a loud and upbeat chorus with a consistent tempo overall. Our War starts off with dialogue "When we were in our youth we had dreams we could fly. We had friends that weren't visible and love that never died and as we grew old...", it's a pithy song about letting go.

My favorite songs in this record are definately Love and Affection, Animal, 1983 and In The Next Room.

Overall I love this band especially for the singer's stylistic vocals. It sounds like a mixture between classic rock and modern rock, sort of reminds me of Brandon Flowers of The Killers (they actually opened for them in 2008).

Buy Neon Trees's Habits record here. 

Rating 8.5/10

Album Review: Sia - We Are Born

Artist: Sia (aka Sia Furler)
Country of Origin: Australia
Genre: Pretty, inspiring, beautiful music. ;)/ Pop.
Released: June 18, 2010

Sia - We Are Born

I have a confession to make. I have literally listened to Sia's Breathe Me 100+ times. Thank you Sia for giving the motivation to go on when my school studies became tedious, annoying, disgusting, wretched and etc. :)

...but this album euphemistically speaking, really underwhelms me... :(

So many tracks on this album sound so disposable. I've listened to this album back to back several times already but I have yet been able to decipher the differences from song to song.

Best - Clap Your Hands, Bring Night, Big Girl Little Girl
Reminiscent of "Breathe Me" - I'm In Here

The rest of the songs well... they blend together over time and lack... a personality. I find myself droning out after a while forgetting that I was even listening to iTunes.

Don't quit Sia, and make another album. <3

Follow Sia on Twitter!

Rating: 5/10

Buy Sia - We Are Born here.

Album review: Uffie - Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans

Artist: Uffie (real name Anna Catharine-Hartley)
Country of Origin: France
Genre:  Electronic
Released: June 22, 2010 (U.S) 

Uffie - Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans

I'd first like to comment on the fact that I really like the album cover. That splash of red is so... alluring.

NEW KPOP MUSIC ALERT

Artist: Tae Yang
Entertainment group: YG
Release Date:

I'm pretty sure kPop fans don't need any persuading to go ahead and go listen to the album, Solar by Tae Yang.

However as blasphemous as this may sound... I much prefer GDragon's music over Tae Yangs. That being said I do really like Tae Yang but only a couple of his songs. I love Wedding Dress, Only Look At Me, but I have never liked Where U At much. His most recent single, I Need A Girl isn't very exciting to me and the dance... well it creeps me out. o_0

Rating: 6/10

Fangirl POV: 9/10

Album/Record Review: Aphrodite

Her 11th album.
Country of Origin: Australia
Release date: June 30, 2010

Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite

Happy empowering pop is force to be reckoned with. Definite mood lifter.

It sucks ass.

Repetition. Same mood. Same theme. Same Pace. Overdone. No thanks

I'm sure super fans will still eat it up though...

Listen to: Can't Get You Out of My Head

Rating: 4/10

Album review: Automatic Loveletter's Truth or Dare

Release date: June 22, 2010
Country of Origin: America

 

For those of you who don't know Automatic Loveletter... get to know them! They're mostly commonly compared with Paramore (1 chick and the rest dudes) but seriously besides there isn't much similarities. Automatic Loveletter sounds a bit grittier, which I prefer sometimes depending on my mood. 

They've been around since 2007 but for some reason this is their first full length album. The rest have unfortunately only been EPs. I remember stalking them on them on their myspace a couple years ago thinking to myself how awesome it was that finally another female singer was singing metal(ish) sound. 

I'm going to be putting this album on repeat for a couple of days. The instrumentals sound original and nice albeit kind of simple and the vocals deliver the lyrics powerfully. :) 

Top tracks: 

 Heart Song - I love the chorus.

Don't  Let Me Down - Let's fall in love again. <3

Rating: 8/10 

Album Review: Danson Tang's D1 The First Second

Finally FUN/UPBEAT/POP Taiwanese music

Danson Tang - D1 The First Second

 Country of Origin: Taiwan.

Tracklist

  1. I’m Back (rap feat. f(x) Amber)

  2. 灰色河堤 (pinyin: huī sè hé dī)

  3. 陪你 (pinyin: péi nǐ)

  4. 放過你自己吧 (pinyin: fàng guo nǐ zì jǐ ba)

  5. Be with You

  6. 不成文規定 (pinyin: bù chéng wén guī dìng)

  7. 你那首歌 (pinyin: nǐ nà shǒu gē)

  8. You are the One

  9. 淚偶 (pinyin: lèi ǒu)

  10. 開心對不對 (pinyin: kāi xīn duì bù duì)

I ain't gonna lie. I'm not really a fan of Chinese/Mandarin/Taiwanese music. But this album I can enjoy. It has that modern electronic sound that much of China/Taiwan are lacking. In the case of American music I ask for more ballads/ and yuhknow raw singing. But people who know anything about Chinese music know that there are way too many love songs/ blahblah ballads. The whole music industry is just erupting from cheesy mush.
So I'm glad.

Finally some upbeat music I can listen to for fun! Granted half the album is still super slow and mushy but hey it's progress for some all party music cd. Can't wait for that day to happen.

OMFG AUTOTUNE YES -> Bu Cheng Wen Gui Ding
Electronic -> I'm Back (ft. Amber) That chick from f(x) can fucking rap, mang.

Rating (on a Taiwanese pop scale) : 10/10