Well, these past few weeks, you must have definitely noticed I have been out of service, so to speak, as school ramped up, and finals hit full steam. Well, as of Thursday, I am done until January, and I am so burned out that I can’t imagine not having this necessary break (we’ve been going full time since January!!). That being said, I have 5 new songs that I do want to share, and I meant to do this yesterday, but I was busy the whole day, so you get a five song Saturday instead. Let’s get started.
City and Colour – At the Bird’s Foot
What can I say, other than another amazing track by one of my favorite artists, City and Colour?! Dallas Green’s voice is like butter, and it just melts my heart. This is a song he did for a compilation album to benefit those affected by the Gulf oil spills, and it is heartbreakingly beautiful. This is one artist that I will continue to follow for as long as he makes music, because he consistently delivers song after song of amazing music. If you still aren’t familiar with City and Colour, I really have only one thing to say; why not? Seriously, his work continues to be purely amazing folks. Listen to At The Bird’s Foot here.
Christina Perri – Jar of Hearts
Christina reminds me vocally a lot of Nicole Atkins; she shares a similar tonal quality to her voice, as well as her ability to craft a really well written, beautiful song. I love the lyrics of this song, and I love the vivid imagery she conjures in this tale of a woman scorned by love. I actually heard of Christina by hearing one of her live tracks (Bang Bang Bang), and I knew if she was that good live, I wanted to hear some studio stuff. I’m glad I looked deeper, because I love this song even more than Bang Bang Bang, and I cannot wait to hear more from her. Watch the video for Jar of Hearts here.
Adele – Rolling In The Deep
What can I say about Adele that I haven’t said many, many times before? This woman is an amazing artist, and her voice is unique and incredibly beautiful. After seeing her live a couple of years ago, I have to say, this is one of those artists that we are going to still be talking about years and years from now. This is the first single from her upcoming album, 21, which comes out February. While I am glad to have this great track to whet my whistle, it simultaneously makes me sad that I have to wait nearly 3 months to get more from this soulful diva. I loved her debut, and based on what I have heard from her follow up (this great one, and the amazing Somebody To Love; google it, you won’t be sorry), I believe it will find its way into my favorite albums of 2011. Watch the video for Rolling In The Deep here.
Ciara – Gimmie Dat
Let me start by saying that I cannot get enough of this track. This song is H-O-T, and it makes me want to shake my ass all night! For me, Ciara hasn’t been able to reach the caliber of 1, 2 Step again, but that’s not really that much of a critique, because of how high that song set the bar for her; everything else pales in comparison because of how amazing that track remains to be. That being said, this is about as close as I could hope for; this is a BANGER, and I cannot resist hitting repeat when this comes up on my ipod. This is Ciara at her best, and I am glad to see her back in top form; now, if we could only convince her to stop wearing skin-tight cat suits in all of her videos. Listen to Gimmie Dat here. (I didn’t post a link to the video because the song is a bit different in the video, and I prefer this version).
Natalia Kills – Zombie
I saw Natalia Kills open for Robyn last month, and while her set was INCREDIBLY too loud, I did enjoy most of the songs that I heard. This one was the one that resonated with me most at the show, and it turns out it’s my favorite one of hers that I’ve heard so far. I also like Mirrors, which had a video come out very recently, but that one sounds like a track right off of Lady GaGa’s amazing debut, The Fame, which, while it isn’t necessary a bad thing, it makes me worry a bit about just how strong the RedOne vibe might influence Natalia’s music. This one is great on it’s own, and makes me want to hear more; I just hope it’s not all Lady GaGa wannabe tracks. Watch the video for Zombie here.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this five song Saturday. Let me know what you think in the comments, and be sure to let me know what you are listening to as well!

Normally, the B-side isn’t as good as (and certainly is not better than) the single itself. However, that is exactly the case with Shayne Ward’s latest single, Gotta Be Somebody, taken from his upcoming album Obsession. Unfortunately, Gotta Be Somebody isn’t stellar (perhaps it being a cover of a Nickelback song has something to do with that), but at least Future Love (another, much better cover) makes the grade. Sadly, Future Love didn’t make the cut, and will not be on Obsession, which sucks, because it is far superior to the aforementioned lead single. Oh well, at least we can cherish it on its own, even though it’s just a B-side.
First and foremost, I want to say, that I do not understand why in the hell the artist for this song isn’t marketed/labelled as Deadmau5 feat. Alexis Jordan, because they “heavily sampled” Deadmau5’s Brazil (2nd edit), for this song; which really means they just used it in its entirety, and gave him no credit. I would prefer to put credit where it is due, and while the lyrics and her singing definitely liven it up, and make it more poppy and enjoyable for me, I do think Deadmau5 deserves his due; the backing track is brilliant, and it is why I fell in love with this song in the first place (a big thanks to my pal Steve for giving me the heads up on it too). Now that I have said what I had to say about that, let me talk about the song; it’s saccharine sweet, and totally groovy. I love this song, and her sweet vocals over the brilliant Deadmau5 house music is pure pop perfection. I expect to hear this on the radio, and have been listening to it on repeat for a few weeks now.
I first heard this song playing in the background during the pole dancing scene between Steve Carrell and Tina Fey in the movie Date Night. I loved it, and tried to download it, but according to the internets, it wasn’t available, and wouldn’t be; everyone said that it was going to be covered/released by Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton instead (and her version can’t hold a candle to this one). Hmpf! Well, low and behold, Cee Lo Green released his new album The Lady Killer this week, and there was my song! Hot!! I love the sexy swagger of this song, and how it just begs you to dance to it. The juxtaposition between both Cee Lo’s and Lauren’s voices is a perfect marriage in this throwback track. I am thrilled that Cee Lo decided to throw this on his new album, because it just meant that I would be sure to pick it up (especially after the fantastic Fuck You, which was featured not too terribly long ago on the 5SF).
Keeping the throwback swag going today, I have been enamored with this fun little song for a few weeks now. I saw the video, and immediately had to hear the song again. Thankfully, you can go to
What can I say? I’m a sucker for a beautiful ballad, and if it’s Westlife singing it, I am definitely all ears. I have loved these guys for over a decade, and each new release shows that not only do they know their fan base extremely well, but that they have access to a plethora of wonderful ballads and love songs to feed us with.