I bet you didn’t expect to see a 5SF today, did you?! I know, I know, I have been CRAZY busy with nursing school this summer, but for once, I actually have the “day off”, and I am bursting the seams with delight that I got the day to myself. I am also happy that I get to bring you some music finally, because I have been sitting on some great music lately, and I can’t wait any longer to share it. So let’s do just that, shall we?
Kelly Rowland – Commander
I was desperately in need of a summer song that was capable of blowing me away, and this song is all that and more. This is a major dance floor filler by Ms. Kelly Rowland, who in my opinion is a severely underrated 1/3 of what used to be Destiny’s Child. While Beyonce broke out of Destiny’s Child and became a full fledged diva, I feel like Kelly has been getting less attention than she deserves; but after this song tears up the airwaves this summer, there is no doubting that she will earn some of that attention back. The first time I heard this song, I immediately played two more times; it is massive. Kelly’s working with David Guetta on his equally dance-tastic, When Love Takes Over was clearly the beginning of a beautiful musical partnership, as evidenced by the magnificent direction they took with Commander. Expect to hear this in clubs all over the place this summer, with people marching to this infectious beat. Kelly, my dear, keep David’s number, because you two have something hot going on.
Scissor Sisters – Fire With Fire
I have definitely been one of those waiting on the new Scissor Sisters album with bated breath, and after falling head over heels in love with the first single off of the forthcoming album Night Work, I am sure that I won’t be disappointed. While it is definitely a more full-on dance direction than their previous work, I think the heart of the Sisters is still beating strong; only now it beats in unison to the dance beat! I will admit that it took me a few listens to fall in love with this song, but now that I have, I can’t seem to get enough of it. This is another one of those perfect summer songs that will keep me dancing in these way too hot summer months; I’ll just have to be sure to turn up the AC a little higher to keep cool. All of the anticipation is almost over, as Night Work is out next week!
Stars – We Don’t Want Your Body
I was incredibly surprised, and down right elated to see that the magnificent Stars released a new album, The Five Ghosts, earlier this week. While a lot of the album is a bit different from their previous work, I found myself loving many of the tracks; especially this one. This song in particular, sounds a little bit like Alphabeat or Dragonette, or at least, that they decided to collaborate with either one of them; which again, is pretty different from their other work. The good news, is this is really, really good, and I am so glad that I got the heads up about this new album; thanks internets, and thanks Stars for continuing to make great music!
Sarah McLachlan – Forgiveness
Also new this month is the new release, Laws of Illusion, from the ever-beautiful Sarah McLachlan. While I haven’t gotten into the whole album as much as I have been enveloped by her work in the past, the first time I heard Forgiveness, I felt the same way as I remember feeling the first time I heard some of my favorite songs by Sarah, like Angel or I Will Remember You. I honestly think this represents the best that she is as an artist, and I am glad to see that she’s clearly still got it. This song is beautiful, and oh-so Sarah McLachlan, which to fans of hers like myself, is sweet music to my ears.
Christina Aguilera – You Lost Me
I was pretty torn about whether or not to post this one. See, I think Christina has an amazing voice, and is incredibly talented… BUT, she has proven, especially recently, to be somewhat full of herself, to say the least. Her attitude has all but turned me off to her talent, and only seems to get worse with each time she opens her mouth to do anything other than sing. My advice to her is to shut the fuck up and let her music speak for itself; something that even it isn’t doing collectively as good as it used to do. That being said, when I first heard her sing this on American Idol’s finale, I knew it sounded somehow familiar, and my hunch was right when I looked up who co-wrote it; this song has Sia Furler written all over it. Perhaps that is why I love it, despite the fact that too-big-for-her britches sings it. Word on the net is that this will be her next single, which honestly, is a great move, because it is an amazing song; regardless of the fact that it is 100% Sia, and at parts, even sounds as if it IS Sia singing it. Now, that is not something I am complaining about, as I love Sia, and as I mentioned before, I’ve had about enough of Christina and her attitude these days. Regardless, I have to give credit where credit is due, and this is, quite simply, an amazing song.
There you have it, another installment of the five song Friday; which has been long overdue for an entry. I hope you enjoyed all of the tracks from this week, and be sure to let me know what you thought. Also, please let me know what you are listening to, as I always have my ear out for new stuff!
What can I say about Sara that I haven’t already said a thousand times? She’s an amazing singer, incredibly talented performer, exquisite singer, and a brilliant song writer. Her debut turned out to be one of my favorite albums of the last decade, and with this new single from her hotly anticipated forthcoming album, Kaleidoscope Heart, she has proven that she still has a lot more amazing pop music to offer us. The song is a cleverly written “fuck you” song, and brilliantly fits within her previous work, and serves as the perfect set up for an exciting new release this fall. I for one cannot wait for her new album, as I have been a huge fan of hers ever since I saw her perform live, and if it is anything like I have come to expect from her in the past, I know that it will probably be one of the best albums of 2010; and if this song is only a testament to that, it’s bound to be! Glad to see that you’re back, and in top form Ms. Bareilles! 
I honestly thought I had posted about this song already; so let me say, what an egregious error I have made by not doing so sooner! This is from the recently released album Magnetic North, from the always quite amazing Aqualung, and I thought it appropriate to post this one today (since I hadn’t already), not only because it’s my favorite track from the album, but also because it is incredibly beautiful (well, that and it allows me to keep the Sara Bareilles love rolling on). I remember seeing Aqualung a few years along with Sara Bareilles, and I never thought that their meeting would turn into a beautiful musical relationship like this. Matt really has proven to be a beautiful song writer, and this collaboration just sends it over the edge; this song is definitely one of his best. 
“Dance, it’s all I wanna do, so won’t you dance? I’m standing here with you, why won’t you move?” Well, since you asked so nicely, Ms. Minogue, I will oblige!! While I don’t consider myself to be a Kylie super-fan, I do enjoy a lot of her music, and her previous release X was probably my favorite of hers thus far. After enjoying that release so much, I was excited to see she would be releasing a new album this summer, and given how much I like the lead single, I think it may be another one I can count amongst my favorites. My favorite part in this song is when she delicately sings that line above at about 2:10 in; beautiful!!
This is my, “unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should have heard this amazing, brilliant, pop masterpiece by now, but since I am sure some people haven’t (crazy?!), I have to post it” song. Seriously, Robyn, is a pop GODDESS. I was extremely excited when Fembot came out a few months ago, and the promise of THREE new albums was made for release this year, and so far, all I can do is stop typing, clap my hands in raucous applause, and scream bravo to Robyn. Her previous self-titled release, showed the world of pop music exactly how high the bar could be set, and with these new releases this year, it appears that only Robyn can reach the dizzying heights where she herself placed that very bar. I can’t wait to see how this whole situation plays out this year, because as I predicted even before hearing Body Talk, Part 1, I tentatively called this year musically going to Robyn; and it looks like my prediction is even closer to reality. This song is brilliant music-making people. Take it in!
Before I even knew who Sleigh Bells were, I got to see them in concert; they opened for Major Lazer a few months ago, and I was at the show early enough that I got to see their set. While I didn’t know who they were when they took the stage, I can definitely say I wanted to know who they were by the time they were done. They were incredible live, and their debut album Treats (which is pretty amazing as well), just came out last month. Overall, this is probably my favorite song from the album, and as I said elsewhere before, it is a song that, if I were a fashion designer, I would send my collection down the runway to. This song is power, raw and unabashed, and it demands attention. I love the well placed scream towards the end of the song that makes me just want to dance all night. I love when I find bands that I have never heard of, and they turn out to be amazing; lucky for me, Sleigh Bells is definitely one of those bands. 
I’ll be honest, I didn’t like this song the first time I heard it. I don’t know why, because now, I LOVE IT. This song practically begs to be danced to. Perhaps it was because it was kind of different in the way that the chorus really assaults you, and switches up the melody of the song that initially put me off, but regardless of whatever it was, I am completely over it now; this song is truly a floor filler and I am ready to shake my booty to the rhythm. It is hard to sit still when this song is on, because again, it is just such a dance ready song. Toni should be getting some major love for this new single, because it deserves a warm welcome for her coming back to the music scene. 
The first time I heard this, I was bound to be critical of it, because of how much I loved the Pipettes’ debut album, We Are The Pipettes!. There were a few line up changes, which led to nearly 3 years of delays for new music from them, and the fact that they are pretty much an entirely new band now (one original Pipette remains), had me worried that the Pipettes that I knew and loved would be able to revive the spunk and joy they brought on their wonderful debut album a few years ago. After a couple of listens, I am happy to report that the Pipettes are very much alive, and still have that wonderful something that I fell in love with to begin with. If this is just a taste of what we can expect from their hotly anticipated sophomore album, I can say with certainty, that I really cannot wait for more from the Pipettes! Don’t make me wait much longer ladies!
What can I say? Melissa Etheridge is a tried and true musician who has an amazing knack for writing powerful, evocative love songs, and her newest release, Fearless Love, is chock full of great tracks. I have been listening to the entire album ever since it came out last week, and I already think it’s going to make my year end best of list. I’m glad that Melissa still clearly has the gift of making music, and continues putting out excellent albums like she has with this new one. Sometimes, you just need some feel good rock and roll, and Melissa proves that she’s still a staple that you can turn to when that’s just what you crave. 
I absolutely love this girl. The first time I heard this song, I couldn’t deny the clear similarity to JoJo, but I have to say, Charice and her producers were brilliant in their using this song as a single; they reel you in with the familiarity of JoJo, and blow you away with Charice’s vocal talent. The song itself is just different enough, that it stands on its own as something fresh, and the song is undeniably, completely radio-ready. The part that really won me over is around 2:49 in the song where she completely wails, and her amazing vocals give me chills each time I listen to this song. This girl can sing, and she has made herself a wonderful single that should (with any justice) be burning up the charts in the coming months. Hopefully the inclusion of Iyaz (while it is completely unnecessary for the song) will give it some “reputable” traction, and get this gem on the radio!
What would you get if you blended the Darkness, Queen, and threw in a dash of Mika? Why, you’d have the exuberance of Foxy Shazam. I love the blended melodies, and the way they have used so many different musical elements (piano, guitar, horns, drums, oh my!) on this track, and I especially love how lead vocalist carries this song right over the top (but in a good way!). The lead singer’s swagger certainly reminds me a lot of Freddie Mercury, which makes that Queen reference even more relevant. This is certainly a fun song, and one that is best listened to loudly, and I have been enjoying it more and more in the recent weeks. Also be sure to check out 
I have this strange relationship with Keane; most of their stuff falls under my radar, but every once and while, they release a MAJOR single that completely captures my attention. Last time that happened was when they released the massive Spiralling, and I literally couldn’t get enough of that song. Now, they have done it again with this insanely catchy track, which has one of the best choruses of any song on the radio right now. While I’m not super hype on the rap portion of the song, the massive chorus won me over instantly, and has me playing this song on major repeat right now. This is definitely one to roll the windows down and blast as you ride around enjoying the beautiful spring weather we are having right now. 
While I will openly admit that this one took a while to grow on me, it has managed to take me completely by storm over the past couple of weeks. The more I hear this song, the more I love it. The beat begs to be danced to, and I like how fresh and different it is from most of the other stuff circling the airwaves out there right now. While Bossy will probably (see definitely) always be my favorite of Kelis’ songs, this one certainly highlights the fact that Kelis is not a shot in the pan; she has changed her style and done something brilliant in every endeavor she has taken musically. I can’t wait to see what her upcoming release, Flesh Tone (out July 6) has in store for us. 
Remember earlier when I said that there was some stuff that would be a little “out there” this week? Well, here it is. This ethereal track is from the recently released solo album, Go, from the lead singer of the Icelandic rock band, Sigur Rós. While I really can’t understand most of what he is singing in this song, I absolutely love the beautiful vocals and the accompanying airy and fanciful music. The first time I heard this, I had a bit of a WTF moment, but I will admit that I was instantly turned around, and was kicking myself for my doubt by the end of the song; this song is awesome. There’s definitely some strange stuff going on in Iceland, as evidenced by this, and the type of music fellow Icelander Björk makes. However, after hearing this, I honestly think that the Icelandic strange is the kind of strange that I am pretty sure that I love; after all, I love a lot of Björk’s music, and I find myself really loving this as well. Side note: apparently, he’s openly gay, so that’s a bonus to be featuring an out artist today!
Sia managed to fly under my radar for almost a year, only to take me by storm with her previous release, Some People Have Real Problems. As such, I was pretty excited to see that her next release, We Are Born will be released very soon (June 7th to be exact). Subsequently, when I heard this song, which is the lead single from the upcoming album, I was a bit on the fence; I didn’t love it instantly. However, Sia has proven to be a grower for me, and that is exactly what happened with this one; it has really grown on me, and I am loving it more with each listen. This one is definitely more upbeat for her, but it works, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the new album has in store. 
I have fellow music blogger