Since I will be working this Friday, and since I was working this past Friday as well (oy!), I figured, let’s be unconventional and do a five song Wednesday today. Why not, right? Here are some great new songs for you to consider, songs that I have really been enjoying recently.
Feist – How Come You Never Go There
As a huge fan of Feist’s previous album, The Reminder, which came out waaaay back in 2007 (and was subsequently my #2 album of that year), I have been chomping at the bit to get some new music from this Canadian chanteuse. Well, it is an understatement to say that this, the first single from her forthcoming album Metals, is quite simply amazing. This track is beautiful, and really builds on where The Reminder left off. All of a sudden, I cannot wait for October to get here!
Gavin Degraw – Not Over You
I’m honestly shocked by this one; I have always considered this guy to be firmly in the column of ‘artists I cannot stand’ for whatever reason. Perhaps it was that damn obnoxious song of his, I Don’t Wanna Be, which was played on the radio every five fucking minutes back in the day and is a song I cannot stand. What can I say, first impressions are very strong, indeed. That being said, I heard this song thanks to Spotify playing a snippet during a commercial, and I didn’t even know it was Gavin Degraw; and when I found it was him, I was all, “hmpf! Who cares, it’s excellent!”. So there; what can I say, I am a sucker for a fantastic piano-driven ballad, and this is a very, very good one.
Jessie J – Domino
There is a lot of love for Jessie J on this blog, a lot, and rightfully so; she’s amazing! I love this girl, and it seems like when everything new I hear, I fall harder and harder for her. Her voice is powerful and incredible, and I hope that she becomes just as big (especially stateside) as (IMHO) less deserving acts like Katy Perry. This song is decidedly more pop than some of her previous singles, and it shows just how varied her style can be, while highlighting how she can keep it young and fresh as well. This is such an earworm, and it is perfectly ready to blaze the airwaves; this is one I would expect to hear on repeat on the radio. Jessie J ladies and gents; this is pop, and let’s enjoy it, shall we?!
Nicole Scherzinger – Wet
It appears that I might be a little obsessed with Nicole Scherzinger these days. I have a habit of promoting stuff that I feel like is deserving of attention, and this is a great reason I keep turning to Nicole; she should be way bigger of a star than simply as the “lead singer of the Pussycay Dolls”. Every time I turn around, I hear another amazing single from her, and I keep wondering, why in the hell hasn’t this girl been topping the Billboard charts with these hits?! Her album, Killer Love is still slated for a November release date here in the US (even though it was released in the UK back in March of this year!!!), and this is the latest UK single from the album. Might I say, Wet is another blazing hit (thanks to my buddy Steve for posting this on facebook a while back). Nicole is gorgeous in the video, and this song is a dance banger ready for the dancefloor. After seeing the video, it struck me that someone should show Britney this video to remind her that girls her age can still dance and show the level of enthusiasm she used to back in the Toxic days… Either way, another fantastic single and video for Nicole!! Fingers still crossed for you, lady!
David Guetta – Night Of Your Life feat. Jennifer Hudson
Oh my goodness. Finally. A KILLER club track featuring the vocals of one of my most favorite divas, Ms. Jennifer Hudson! This song is incredible, and a great testament of what it means to work with superstar DJ David Guetta; he will treat you right! Kelly Rowland has known that for a while, and with David’s most recently release, Nothing But The Beat, it looks like several fantastic artists are following suit to work with this guy. If anything, it pretty much guarantees you at least a very good chance of having a very radio-ready single. This song is definitely reminiscent of Rihanna’s Only Girl (In The World), but different enough to hold its own (and honestly, I loved that song too, so fuck, the more the merrier!!). I honestly loved it the first time I heard it; but then again, my lady Jennifer is tearing it UP on this track. My only wish, is that they would have released this back in June, because it could have been my song of the summer; so I guess it’ll just have to be my song of the autumn!! I expect to here this a lot at the upcoming Pride festival!
So there we go, another five songs… what did you think? Any suggestions you’d like to see in a future five song Friday (or Wednesday… or whatever day I do one)? Let me know!
Yes, I featured this as the song of the day a few days ago, but I cannot get enough of this amazing new track from one my favorite singers. The “new direction” he has gone into full tilt dance initially made me feel very apprehensive, because of how delicate and beautiful his previous Let It Go was, and because of how very much I loved that album. That being said, after hearing Jealousy, and now that I have heard another song The Way I See (a 
I will be honest; I kind of waned a bit with love for Owl City when he signed to a major label. Hearing Fireflies on the radio all of the time made me crazy; it isn’t his best song, and for as long as I had sung his praises, I was a little nonplussed to have the masses licking him up so feverishly all of a sudden. Don’t get me wrong, I am very pleased with his success, and am very happy for the guy, but I feel like some of the stuff on his major debut Ocean Eyes was a bit of a rehash of the fantastic Maybe I’m Dreaming (well, some of it was just a repeat, to be honest). For whatever reason, I was just over it all. However, recently, I heard Lonely Lullaby, and it was like a call from an old friend; this song is incredible! It instantly reminded me of everything I loved about Owl City, and it was like no time had passed! While I still think a lot of the lyrics are a bit out there overall, this song is very well written, and quite touching. Great return to form Owl City! I’m glad we’ve gotten reacquainted!! Listen to Lonely Lullaby 
I could probably go on and on about William, and how incredible he is, and how much I love his beautiful and delicate music, so I tend to do so. I was lucky enough to see him earlier this year, and it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. William posted about this song being on a show recently, and I was wondering why I hadn’t heard of it; it was on a bonus 2 disc version of his most recent release Gold In The Shadow. I honestly feel a little cheated, because I bought the album the day it was released on iTunes, and there wasn’t a bonus 2 disc version, but I guess I’m over it, because I have it now. This is definitely one of the best songs on the album, and I wonder why he didn’t just put it on the original release. Either way, it’s more amazing music from this incredible artist; I’m not exactly complaining. Listen to Ever Could 
My buddy Stephen over at 
All I gotta say, is fuck American Idol. This girl was definitely the best singer from this previous season, and she got kicked off way too damn early. Well, looks like she’s getting the last laugh; this is a great lead single, and it really highlights her incredible voice. She reminds me of a younger Jessica Simpson (back when everyone actually enjoyed her music), with a taste of Katharine McPhee (a fellow AI alum!) thrown in; together it makes for a pure pop sensibility that is perfectly ready for the radio. The video is a little sexed up, but Pia is incredibly beautiful, and when it comes right down to it, she can really sing to boot. I hope this is beginning of some really great things from this fantastic singer. Watch the video for This Time 
Even I am sometimes surprised by how much I love blatant pop music. Greyson Chance is about as poppy as they come, and his new single, Unfriend You is just too catchy to ignore. If you don’t know the back story on this kid, he covered Paparazzi by Lady GaGa at a school concert, put it on youtube, where it caught the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, who in turn gave him a record deal. A few months later, here we are; his album was released last week, and it’s actually pretty decent! This is my favorite song from the album, and highlights this kid’s singing talent nicely. Hey Justin Beiber, watch out, this kid’s coming for your fans!! Watch the video for Unfriend You 
I have been a fan of Matt’s for a few years now, and his last album even made my year end best of 2007 
My goodness, this man is so swoon-able. Mat Kearney has been steadily on my radar since I heard his debut so many years ago, and with each subsequent release, it seems he only gets stronger. His previous release, City of Black and White was 
I recently posted on twitter, “Hey Selena Gomez! Stop making songs that I like; this is embarrassing!”, which is so, so true. I was talking about this song, because it is so good; and are we really supposed to be taking Selena Gomez, a Disney-channel bred pop star seriously? I mean, do those kids ever actually make legit pop music that transcends the teen-scene? Well, dammit, it looks like they do; this song is mature, well written, and a major fucking earworm. This girl has transcended successfully into the pop music market, and if you had no idea of her Disney past, there is no need to think of it ever again; she has transcended past the teen-scene, and as far as I am concerned, into legit pop music. So long as she keeps making stuff like this, there will be no need to be even slightly embarrassed about liking a Selena Gomez song ever again. Watch the video for Love You Like a Love Song 
It seems like there just isn’t anywhere near as much good dance music out there as there was 10 or 11 years ago, but every once and a while, something great and new song pops up unexpectedly. This, ladies and gents is one of the great ones. I was listening to BPM on XM Radio recently, and this song came on, and I immediately grabbed my phone to Shazam it; this track is catchy, and infectious. I have to say, that when I hear this, I can’t help but think of Anges’ incredible Release Me from a few years back; both songs are radio-ready dance tracks, and both are fantastic. I have hopes that Medina’s track can gain some traction, and get some US radio play like Agnes did. Fingers crossed; this song is too good not to cross over! Watch the video for Addition 
Let me start by saying a major thank you to my buddy 
Lord knows I have thanked BBC Radio 1 in the past for turning me on to some amazing tunes, and here’s another shout out to perhaps my favorite radio station, that just happens to be located across the pond. I heard this song a couple of weeks ago, and I immediately jacked the volume up, and grabbed my phone to Shazam this gem; this song is gold!! While Yasmin may be signing about the Finish Line, I certainly hope she has more amazing stuff like this slated for the future, and this is more of a beginning than anything final. This is the type of music that should be on radio stations here in the US; as always, the UK is getting it right time and time again, way ahead of the game. Watch the video for Finish Line 
After a couple of the other girls from Girls Aloud broke out on their own, and failed to fully blow me away, and sustain (to be fair, I did LOVE both Cheryl Cole’s Fight For This Love, and Nadine Cole’s Insatiable), out of nowhere, Nicola Roberts is BURNING IT UP. This track is hot, and just in time for summer! Produced by seemingly everywhere producer Diplo (he’s 1/2 of Major Lazer, and throws in a recognizable sound effect, which I can only assume is his calling card), and containing a heavy beat, killer chorus, and outlandish beats, this song has been burning up my ears since I first heard it a few weeks ago. This song begs to be danced to, and Nicola is commanding you in a way that Kelly Rowland would be proud. I hope that the rest of Nicola’s upcoming album is like this dance floor killer, because it if is, I think we may have found the one girl from Girls Aloud that stands a chance of holding her own stylistically and musically. While the style is totally different, it reminds me a bit of when Siobhan Donaghy made her amazing sophomore album Ghosts, after leaving Sugababes; you never know how talented one of the group is until they decide to go their own way and try something different. “L-O-V-E! Dance to the beat of my drum!” Absolutely!! Watch the video for Beat of My Drum 
FINALLY. Ladies and gentlemen, something that I have been waiting on for quite some time, may have finally happened; Nicole Scherzinger is going to break through the US market, and finally have a fucking SOLO HIT. While I did think that this sounded a bit Rihanna-ish the first time I heard it, I didn’t see that as a negative. In fact, I think it is exactly what Nicole needed to finally break through solo on her home turf; familiarity. So far, I have heard this on the local radio station a few times, and it seems to be making at least some ripples on the charts. While I doubt it will be a number one for her, I do think it will open the door for her in home country musically, and we may finally get to hear more and more solo stuff from the most talented Pussycat Doll. Ladies and gentlmen, Nicole Scherzinger is home, and hopefully, there’s more to come! And yes, 50 Cent’s cameo in the song/video is almost 100% unnecessary. Watch the video for Right There 
What can I say? Again, the UK is killing it; this is the current number one hit in the UK. They are so far ahead of the pack sometimes, it just makes me wonder what the hell is going on in the US music scene. Dubstep is the “new” sensation in the UK, and is a style of music that I cannot get enough of. I am hoping that Dubstep makes more of a splash here than previous styles of music from the UK did stateside (most notably UK Garage, which I still fucking love; thanks to *N’SYNC for trying to make it happen, though!). This is such a great song for summer, and one that I am glad to have discovered, thanks again to my musical saviors over at BBC Radio 1. I love how the end of the song starts to get louder, faster, etc; it reminds me of Beyonce performing Suvivor live as she did on her concert DVD. Pure energy! Watch the video for Louder 
Speaking of Beyonce… Well, 4 is out, and well, I’m underwhelmed. I wanted to love it, because I do love Beyonce, but I just didn’t. That being said, I had high hopes for this album, mostly because of how much I loved Run the World (Girls) as its lead single. In fact, I thought, that I had posted this song in a 5SF or something, because of how much I think this song is SICK, but I apparently didn’t, and as such, wanted to feature it as a bonus track (or a super-relevant Google+ approved +1) in this week’s 5SF. A lot of people were turned off by the Major Lazer sample throughout the song, but I have to say, that while YES, it does sound almost identical to Major Lazer’s Pon De Floor, please keep in mind that Switch produced the track, and he is 1/2 of Major Lazer (apparently it is a Major Lazer day for me today…). I think Beyonce’s vocals elevate the track, and put a fresh, and frankly sick-as-shit spin to it. I have been loving this song more and more with each listen, and I just wish that I didn’t stick out like a sore ass thumb on 4 (I was hoping for more like it on the album); but hey, you can’t win them all, can you? Watch the video for Run The World (Girls) 
Not only is this song amazing, but the video is incredibly beautiful as well. I love Patrick Wolf; he always seems to be standing outside of the box, and yet crafts such amazing pop, that you’d think that everyone in the box would be singing his praises. This guy is eccentric, but that’s his strong suit; he really pours a lot of that eccentricity into his music, fashion, and style, and the result is a true pop superstar that never seems to get enough praise or credit for his work. His new album, Lupercalia is slated to come out in the next couple of weeks, and after hearing and falling head over heels in love with this track, as well as the first single, The City, I am simply bursting at the seams to get my hands on it. 
The new album, Little Hell, came out earlier this week, and it is incredible. After hearing O’ Sister, Fragile Bird, and Northern Wind prior to its release, I had high hopes, and pretty high expectations that this album would be yet another amazing release from Dallas Green, aka, City and Colour. After one listen, I will say that I was not disappointed in the least. It is a fantastic album from beginning to end, and represents some of his most beautiful work. While it isn’t as delicate and achingly beautiful overall as the previous release, Bring Me Your Love, it has true heartfelt moments that stand right along side that album, as well as more uptempo and more rock tracks that add a more gritty element to his previous work. Dallas is an exquisite song writer, and an incredible musician, and this album is hands down, one of the absolute best of 2011, by a landslide. With this album, Dallas has solidified his place amongst my most favorite artists, and has proven that he just gets better with each new release. I really hope that he makes a tour stop in Atlanta some time soon.Be sure to get Little Hell, which is out now.
Death Cab For Cutie are certainly one of my favorite bands, and they have been for many years. I love lead singer Ben Gibbard’s voice, and their music is epically beautiful. I was more than excited when I saw that they would be releasing a new album at the end of May, so I marked it on my calendar. As always, they did not disappoint, and the album, Codes and Keys, is pretty amazing overall. I was extra excited, when I listened for the first time, and I found a few songs like this one, that harken to the side project Ben did several years ago called The Postal Service; whose only album was down right incredible. I am sure fans of both bands squealed with delight just as I did upon hearing the infusion of some Postal Service elements into this album. I am glad they gave the fans something as wonderful as this, and continue treating us to great music with each new release. Be sure to get Codes and Keys, which is out now. 
This is the new, very peppy track by Mat Kearney. It reminds me stylisitically a lot of Pete Yorn’s track Relator that he did with Scarlett Johanson a couple of years ago. That being said, Mat Kearney is one of those artists that I have followed for years, and consider myself to be a big fan of his work. I’ve seen him in concert a couple of times, and his voice has this amazing ability to make one weak in the knees. This is a much more peppy direction for him, but I think that it works quite well, and it might be his most radio-ready track to date. As always, I am looking forward to his next release, and if this is any indication as to what it might sound like, it seems that Mat is going to be a little more upbeat, and a lot lighter this time around. Maybe this song will help him get some much deserved airplay, and allow more people to find out about this amazing artist. 
I was watching the movie Morning Glory the other night, and this delightful song started playing, and I instantly recognized it as the Weepies. While I didn’t really get into their 2010 album Be My Thrill (perhaps because of being busy with nursing school…), I do enjoy the Weepies a lot, and really loved this song when I heard it. It’s very similar to other songs by the Weepies, but when the formula works, why mess with it? The movie was very sweet, and I ended up enjoying it a lot, and I had to download this track as soon as the movie ended. This is yet another example of how using a great song at a pivotal point in a movie can really draw you in and make the experience that much more enjoyable. In this case, it made me enjoy the movie that much more, and solidified a music purchase from me; what’s not to like about that? Do yourself and see this movie too; the previews did not do it justice. It is well written, very cute, and full of laughs and sweet moments. I really enjoyed it. 
A friend of mine on facebook reminded me that I needed to give the new Decemberists album, The King is Dead a proper listen, and I am glad that I did. Overall, the album is pretty decent, but this song is the real standout for me; it is incredibly beautiful in every way. I have always loved Colin Meloy’s voice, and it is so tender in this song, and the lyrics are vivid. I love how the song is arranged, and how it is almost like an old timey country song; which is normally not something I would instantly love. It’s definitely a little different than some of their previous work, but I cannot get enough of this song; it is really, really beautiful. I have been listening to it on repeat for a few weeks now, and it just gets better every time I hear it. 
I mentioned Slow Runner a few posts ago when I was talking about the incredible William Fitzsimmons concert I saw at Smith’s Olde Bar a few weeks ago. These guys opened for him, and played with him throughout his set as well, and I was very impressed and thought they were pretty amazing live. When I came home, I downloaded some of their stuff, and was happy to have found a great band in the process. In concert they reminded me a lot of The Postal Service, and that electronic-pop-folk sensibility is front and center on their recorded stuff as well. This song, from their new album Damage Points, is by far my favorite of all their stuff I have heard. It’s beautiful, and the lead’s voice is very shyly tender and sweet. I will definitely be keeping my eye on these guys in the future. 
It has been exactly one week since I saw the incredible show Kylie put on at the Fox Theater last week. My buddy Stu surprised me with tickets, and the show was amazing!!! I was a fan of Kylie before, but she has definitely moved up on my list of favorite artists. The show’s production was far and above over the top, and every moment was a true sight to behold; this woman is incredible live, and you are truly missing out if you haven’t seen her in concert. Since seeing the show, I have been listening to lots more Kylie, and have given Aphrodite more of a chance. After having seen her perform the songs live, I have a newfound appreciate for them, and have been enjoying her music much, much more. I feel like if I had seen her live earlier, I would have probably ranked this album higher, and it may have even made me favorites of 2010. Thanks for taking me to the show, Stu! It was incredible!! 
After seeing