I really wanted to do a 5SF Friday yesterday, but things have been crazy since school started this semester. They weren’t joking about the whole accelerated thing. Things should slow down a bit after next week though, and I am definitely looking forward to that (hopefully) happening. With that being said, I just can’t wait any longer to sing my praise for this song…
A couple weeks ago, I saw the video for Bloodbuzz Ohio, and IMMEDIATELY, I loved this song. I know I have heard of The National before, but I can’t say as I ever really paid attention, but I am ALL EARS now. This song is amazing, beautiful, powerful, poetic… so many things really. I absolutely love the deepness of his voice, the vivid prose, and the almost marching percussion of the piano in this song; it is epically beautiful.
After hearing this song from their recently released album, High Violet, I loved it so much I downloaded the whole album; which I was pleased to discover, is full of amazing tracks (I expect to see it on my year end best of list). I’ll probably be kicking myself when I find out I should have known about these guys all along, but believe me when I say, I am on board with The National now. I cannot get enough of this incredible track and their new album, High Violet!
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 
is FINALLY here, and it is overall, pretty amazing. The stand out tracks really, really stand out, and this one is a new classic as far as I am concerned.
recently, and it rekindled my already strong love for this amazing song, as well as my love for the amazing Erik Hassle; and as such, I wanted to scream from the rooftops about this song… again. This song (surprisingly) may have not made 2009 Erik’s year, but it’s making 2010 look like it certainly could be; if there is any justice, this song is going to blow up the radio in the coming months.
This album was probably one of my biggest surprises in 2009; considering that I had never even heard of Biffy Clyro before the midpoint of the year. I love it when I stumble onto new bands, and when I first heard The Captain, I knew I had stumbled onto a great one (a find that I happily bestow credit to BBC Radio 1!). Perhaps my favorite thing about Biffy Clyro is the complexity of their melodies and song arrangements. They do the “typical” rock and roll thing, but they craft their songs in such a way that you never know which way it is going to go; there are so many intricate elements in the layering of instruments, and the arrangement can often turn on a dime (they continually utilize unique time signatures that can change within a song). Not only do I love the way in which they make music, but the lead singer’s voice and especially his accent are both down right beautiful. On Only Revolutions, Biffy Clyro have made many songs that are clearly built with a careful attention to detail that is nothing short of impressive; I can’t even imagine how difficult some of these songs must be for them to play. The result is an album that utilizes essential elements of guitar-driven rock and roll, and twists them into something unexpected, nuanced, and extremely enjoyable. Standout Tracks: God & Satan, 
While I did enjoy several songs from his previous album, The Magic Position, for some reason, it never really resonated with me on as deep a level as The Bachelor did this year (this is a major theme in my life for some reason). However, I never forgot about Patrick, because of his seemingly endless attention to detail and innovation with both his music, as well as his entire persona; there is something about him that I completely respect, because of the way this is reflected in his seemingly care free attitude. He is truly an artist that pays attention to every inch of his music, and broadcasts his personality both in his sound, as well as his appearance. Though he may be avant-garde in nearly every aspect of his style, I find that on The Bachelor, he has also made himself accessible; this album is chock full of extremely well orchestrated pop songs that forcefully push the boundary of pop music today. Patrick captured my attention fully with this album, and I love the unexpected elements peppered throughout the record; such as the brilliant (albeit sometimes creepy) use of Tilda Swinton narrating on several tracks. Overall, he has crafted an almost fairytale-like album, filled with twisting, popping, and dancing narrative-driven music; all of which beg to be devoured and savored to their last drop. Patrick is truly an innovative artist, and The Bachelor is a reflective, and brilliantly innovative album; which you would never know by the badly photoshopped art that serves as the album’s cover. Standout Tracks: Damaris, 
Definitely more subdued and stripped down than their first debut, this album steers clear of the uber catchy pop sensibility of tracks like 5 Years Time, and instead, focuses clearly on well developed folk. The result, is some of the most beautiful songwriting to be put to music in 2009. Specifically, the track Blue Skies, is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, and it is definitely one of my favorites from 2009 (it came in at #6 on my singles chart for this year). Overall, the album has a very solemn and raw feel to it, and the band really crafts what seems like a soundtrack to a beautiful film about love (which is most likely what they were going for, seeing as they did a film to accompany the album). I must say, that this album was a complete surprise for me, because I wasn’t really able to get into them other than their first single, the aforementioned 5 Years Time, so I am glad that this album really resonated with me. Some of the songs on here are just breathtakingly sweet, delightfully delicate, and utterly beautiful. Standout Tracks: 
While this is definitely the hardest album on this countdown, I have to say that it was the “softer side” of Alexisonfire that initially captured my attention; well, sort of. Last year, my number one album of the year was Bring Me Your Love by Dallas Green’s City and Colour project; and Dallas just happens to be one of the lead singers of Alexisonfire. Because I adore him, and City and Colour so much, I had to check out Alexisonfire’s new album Old Crows/Young Cardinals when it came out in June. What surprised me most, was that, even though it is stylistically very different from City and Colour, I really enjoyed it. To say that post-hardcore is not my kind of music is a drastic understatement, so I was just as surprised as any of you reading this probably are, because not only did I really like this album, but I knew almost instantly that it would be amongst my favorites for this year. This album is consistently well crafted from start to finish. The blaring guitars, banging drums, and very well written lyrics are driven by the emotive and powerful rock and roll that is echoed in the vocal delivery, as well as the musical arrangement. I also like the they show their softer side (and more of Dallas’ City and Colour-like influence) on a couple tracks, like Burial; which is the track that I would credit as making me initially take notice of this album. Burial may have made me piqued my interest, but it was the energetic all out rock and roll of tracks like the amazing Young Cardinals that had me blasting this from my speakers for months, and enjoying the album in its entirety, more and more, with each listen. My love of this album just goes to show, that if you open yourself up to something new, you might end up really liking it; and in the case of Alexisonfire, I most certainly do. Standout Tracks: 
To describe this album in three words, I would use the following: tenacious, energetic, and fresh. VV Brown drifted onto my radar when I heard her massive single, Shark In The Water, and I immediately knew I had stumbled onto something major. Once I had a proper listen of her debut, Travelling Like the Light, my suspicion was confirmed; VV Brown is a very talented musician. If I could compare her musical style to anything, I would say that she is probably best described as a mash up of Janelle Monae and the Pipettes; both of which are musical acts that I truly adore. VV’s take on pop, using big band elements, fresh beats, and her oh so beautiful voice is certainly a wonderful addition to the music I fell in love with in 2009; and it is yet another reminder of just how much amazing music comes from Britain. VV does share a lot in common with the aforementioned Monae, not only in appearance, but in her freshness, as well as her way of using simple, tried and true elements in her music. One thing is certain, however, both ladies are talented in their own right, and there is more than enough room for both of them on my ipod. Standout Tracks: 
It’s time for some well placed gushing ladies and gents! This song is completely, utterly, and fantastically amazing. This is the new single from Will’s upcoming release, The Hits, and it is definitely one of his best songs ever; how fitting that it would be recorded for his first greatest hits compilation. Will nearly took the top spot in 
I was torn about posting a Lady GaGa song this week (since by now, everyone and their mother is sure to have heard it), but given the video’s release this week, and how good this track is, I couldn’t ignore it. When I started talking about her, it didn’t seem like many people cared, but slowly, everyone seemed to come into the Haus of GaGa. A little over a year later, and she is a bona fide pop sensation that seems to somehow be picking up even MORE steam. As I hinted at above, this week, the internet has been all a flutter because of the release of her 
It should come as no surprise to my regular readers of the 5SF that I love British pop music, and after hearing this song in BBC Radio 1, I was reminded of just why I love it so much. This song is incredibly catchy, and the chorus will be stuck in your head for hours after hearing it. I only heard of JLS a few weeks ago; apparently, I missed out on their first single, Beat Again, when it was released a few months back. However, with the release of this new single (which is an official UK number one!) that coincided with the release of their self-titled debut last week, it seems that I couldn’t ignore them any longer. While the jury is still out on the rest of the album, this song is getting constant play on my ipod. This song reminds me A LOT of the great pop ballad-type anthems made popular by the Backstreet Boys back in their hay-day (I’m thinking of perhaps their biggest song, I Want It That Way). JLS may have come in second on last year’s X-Factor, but by the sound of things, they are doing quite well for themselves post-X-factor in 2009. 
To say that I was excited for the release of the new album by The Swell Season would be quite an understatement. However, and somewhat unfortunately, the hype must have gotten to me, because I have had a difficult time really getting into it since it was released a few weeks ago. That being said, this song was an instant stand out, mostly because of the beautiful arrangement, and the intricacy with which they weave the melody throughout the chorus. The gentle guitar picking, and the beautiful deep bass, all overlain with the distorted keyboard, comes together to create something truly gorgeous. Add to that the sweet and sensitive vocals of Glen Handsard, and what’s not to love? Nothing, I tell you. This is definitely one of the best tracks off their new album; and perhaps shining some attention on it this week will motivate me to keep trying to get into the rest of Strict Joy (which is good, but I think I hyped it up so high that there was no way I wouldn’t be let down at least a little). 
I have been known to gush incessantly about some songs, but I try my best to reserve that for those that I am totally and utterly blow away by. Well, ladies and gents, this is one of those songs, and I am going to nothing short of tell everyone I know about this one. This song is immensely beautiful, and the arrangement is perfect. It is so good that I have to admit that I was actually kind of surprised by it. While I really liked their last album, this towers so high over anything they have done so far, that there really is no way that it wouldn’t take a fan even more diehard than myself by surprise. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a dig in any way to their previous work; they have some brilliant and amazing stuff out there already, but this song hits like the ultimate crescendo. Jared Leto’s voice soars alongside the building riffs and sends chills up my spine when he hits those high notes and sustains them so pitch perfectly. This takes everything they have done before and perfects it. I can’t heap enough praise on this track, and I cannot wait until their new album comes out; because if it is anything like this, it is going to be utterly brilliant. Simply put: AMAZING. 
I had a bit of a twitter/facebook snafu yesterday when I proclaimed my love for this song; when I accidentally said I liked Robin Williams’ Bodies. Well, let’s clear that up; THIS is the Bodies that I am heaping my praise on (well, I wouldn’t mind heaping some praise on Robbie Williams’ (not Robin Williams) actual body, but that is topic for another time and another place). Overall, whenever Robbie releases a new single, I always want to like it, and sometimes I do, but when I first heard Bodies, I didn’t. I think it was the hard distortion sound that accompanies the beat that turned me off at first. However, I have heard it a few times, and now I see how wrong I was; this song is beautiful and I actually love the hard distortion completely now! I realize now that I didn’t give it the chance that it so rightly deserves. This song is catchy, the arrangement is excellent, and Robbie’s voice is as beautiful as ever. 
I don’t know which part I am in the most awe over, that the Saturdays released a whole new album just a year after their really great debut album, Chasing Lights, or that it’s probably an even better album than their first. Take this song for instance. Wow. Let me say that again, because it bears repeating, WOW. These girls have clearly taken all of the thunder both Girls Aloud and the (possibly new defunct?) Sugababes once had, and have channeled that tenacity into truly fantastic girl-group driven pop. I will admit that while the ho-hum first single (I’m not saying Forever is Over is bad necessarily, it just isn’t as good as every other thing they have done, IMHO), and the weird title (Wordshaker) of this album had me less than interested in downloading it, BUT after a few listens, I have to say that there isn’t a bad track on their new album. This song in particular blew me away, and I instantly wanted to hear it again once it ended. These ladies have proven to be some work horses, quickly and consistently turning out great pop albums, and based on the quality of work they keep releasing, I certainly hope they can sustain this momentum for a long time to come. Let’s just say that I have a strong feeling that their new album will be included in 2009’s annual countdown of my favorite albums.
Some of you probably wonder why in the hell I would be posting a Spanish song, but trust me, this song took me by much more surprise than you could possibly have for me featuring it. I have had a love hate relationship with Nelly Furtado; mostly, I LOVE all of her older stuff that I felt was more “her style”, and I practically HATE everything she did with Timbaland. I remember when Promiscuous came out, and I really liked it at first. However, that quickly turned to disdain, because with each subsequent single, I felt the Nelly I instantly fell in love with back in 2001 with I’m Like a Bird was completely gone. That troubled me, and as such, I kind of started ignoring her. It wasn’t until I saw the video (
Even though I am a fan of American Idol, I can’t say that there are many of those kids that I avidly kept following after they left the show. Katharine McPhee is one of the notable exceptions. After delivering an amazing, if not totally ignored (