While I have kind of liked P!nk since she burst onto the scene with her hip hop tracks and trademark pink hair, it wasn’t until her last album until I really considered myself a true fan. One of my favorite things about her, is how she entered the music business as one thing (what they wanted her to be), and she forcefully transformed herself into what she is (which is what she wanted to be in the first place). The shift from hip hop to rock and roll has been an interesting journey, musically, and has given her the chance to try out lots of different things. I will say, that as she has progressed as an artist, I really think P!nk has only grown, and refined her music in the process. Perhaps it is fitting that So What ended up being her first solo number one hit, given that she has really come into her own with her previous album, and even more so with her current release, Funhouse.
P!nk’s soulful, smoky vocals have always been a great compliment to her songs, and as I mentioned before, she has only refined that pairing over time, and with Funhouse,
Working with Max Martin and Billy Mann on this album was a GREAT choice for P!nk, and she has turned out a fantastic pop rock album that is FULL of ear friendly, “I’ve been through heartbreak but I’m not broken” anthems (placing la la la’s and upbeat music to lines like “I’m your perfect little punching bag” and “please don’t leave me” really highlights that attitude), that are sure to please any fan of great pop music. P!nk really does well with the high tempo rock tracks like So What, but she also masterfully stands on her own with the stripped down, acoustic tracks like Crystal Ball and Glitter In The Air; showing that there is much more emotion and tenderness to this rock star than her “balls out” attitude would have you believe. I will say, that P!nk’s only slight misstep on this album is the inclusion of a few tracks that feel like filler; especially when you listen to them among the stellar stand out tracks (listed below). However, a couple slight missteps aside, I will say that I was anxious to get my hands on this record after hearing So What (and especially after loving her previous album so much), and I was NOT disappointed; this album, overall, is amazing, and shows P!nk’s true talent as an artist. I’m glad that she was able to take a lot of that pain from her breakup, and channel it into her music; because the result is a magnificent record that is sure to make even more people sit up and pay attention to this true pop rockstar. P!nk has proven that she is an artist that is not going anywhere but up, and I count myself as one who is very happy to be along for the ride.
Sparkle Factor: 
Stand Outs: I Don’t Believe You [audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1031_pink-idontbelieveyou.mp3]
So What, Sober, Please Don’t Leave Me, Crystal Ball, Glitter In The Air.
Well, last year, it was fellow UK band the Kaiser Chiefs that made this list with their blend of punk-pop-indie rock; but this year, the Infadels are the ones that turned out a more fantastic album in the genre. I mention the Kaiser Chiefs here, because there are many songs on the Infadels’ album, 
that really remind me of what I love about the Kaiser Chiefs; with an additional electronic component, that seems to be oh so hip and cool right now. Initially, it was their single, Free Things for Poor People, that brought me to the Infadels, and it was so catchy that I wanted to see if they had anything else worth listening to. Well, I saw the colorful cover of 
This is one of those albums that I had such high hopes for, that no matter what was on it, chances are, it would have let me down; except, it didn’t. The news that they had released a new single a few months back made me extremely excited, because there hasn’t been so much as a peep from the Shiny Toy Guns camp since way back in 2006, when they released the THIRD iteration of their amazing debut, 
I LOVED We Are Pilots, and it ended up near the top of my records of the year for 2006, so needless to say, I was pretty excited about a follow up being released this year.
I was sort of confused. Having seen them live, I knew that they were much “harder” than their debut record let on, but the song seemed way too “metal” after my initial listen. However, after I gave it a few listens, it really started to sink in, THIS was the essence of Shiny Toy Guns; just more layered, and much more energetic (much like their live show). After listening a couple of times, I was HOOKED to this amazing track, and I saw what I loved in Shiny Toy Guns in the first place; the electronic rock is clear and present on Season of Poison, only they have turned the amplifier up to 11 this time around. 
Oh. My. Gay!!11!!1 Seriously, if Same Difference were an inanimate object, they would either be sprinkles or glitter… I can’t decide which. They are gayer than butt sex; and that is why I LOVE them so much.
In case you have never heard of them, this brother and sister duo made a splash on last year’s X-Factor, proving that they were everything that was great about cheesy, bubble gum pop. Show after show, they harnessed their effervescence and bubbly personalities, and sang cheesy hit after hit, making them favorites on the show. Well, they didn’t end up winning, but that doesn’t mean that people like me stopped following them; I had to see what would come up next from this talented pair.
The Script are a pop-rock trio from Ireland who made a splash with me when I heard their AMAZING song, The Man Who Can’t Be Moved. When I heard that track, I knew that I had to get their album, because it reminded me of acts that I love, namely Daniel Bedingfield and David Gray. Well, after getting their debut album, also called 
and giving it a few listens, I was definitely pleased with what I heard. On the record, there may be some songs about some hard subjects, but the playfulness of the music and the word play of some of the songs make for a lighter, heartfelt listening session, that is propelled by some great pop rock music.
What a breakup record this is!! On 
Rachael is musically letting blood from an aching, burning heart, and on this double album, she has made an amazing piece of painful, but beautiful music. Whispers of broken promises, mournful tales of love lost, and embittered warnings to stay weary of love permeate this album, and are all perfectly paired with Rachael’s beautifully acoustic and raw musical style. On some songs, you can practically feel the ache in the way she twists the guitar’s strings to force out the chords, and the accompanying vocals only strengthen the perception that this woman has endured some emotional pain. It isn’t often that emotion is so perfectly expressed in song, so to hear Rachael master it so beautifully is chill inducing at times. 
Here’s the most basic thing I can say about the Weepies: basically, if Paul Simon would have teamed with a woman instead of Garfunkel, you would have the Weepies. However, with that being said, they bring a freshness to the sound pioneered by Simon and Garfunkel, and with 
they have made a fantastic and warming record that is a treat for the listener. The first song on the album, Can’t Go Back Now, instantly captured my unwaivering attention because of the simplicity, and immense beauty of the song; sometimes, the simple things really are the finer things in life. 
Cheesy dance pop has always been amongst my favorite styles of music, and Agnes Carlsson’s third album, Dance! Love! Pop!, is everything that a cheesy pop music lover like myself could ever hope for. It is filled with dance tracks, upbeat ballads, and uplifting “I can do this!” tracks that are sure to please any pop lover. Everything about this record is true, unfiltered pop, so it may be to strong for your average lover of pop music; but not for me. From the first moment I heard the blaring disco violins of the MASSIVE first track and dance anthem, Release Me, I knew that Agnes was the real deal. 
It looks like I am staying “down under” for the next album on this countdown; the Presets hail from Australia, and have produced one of the best electronic albums I have heard in a very, very long time. The hard hitting beats and pulsating rhythms, accompanied by the haunting British-accented vocals, make for a rave-inducing experience that will have you jumping up and down and dancing all night long.
, My People, and all I could think was, “what the fuck IS this”. Well, regardless of how scary the video is, I know that my ears perked up at what they were hearing, and instantly I found myself in front of my PC, downloading the album. What I ended up discovering, was an album that is really dark, yet upbeat at the same time; almost like you are dancing your way to the end of the world. It’s something that slightly avant-garde, but not so much so that you don’t get it, and you end up questioning its presence. 
It seems that 2008 was definitely the year for electro-indie acts; groups like MGMT, Cut Copy, and CSS (amongst many others) all got lots of exposure, and I keep seeing them popping up on many other year end lists. However, it was one of their fellow electro-indie peers, Ladyhawke, who hails all of the way from New Zealand, that truly captured my attention. Her debut album, 
(not to be confused with the 80’s movie from where the band’s name comes), is rooted deeply the type of sound one might expect to hear at a hip late-night 80’s soiree, and it provides the soundtrack for a great night out on the town. The influences of 80s acts like Fleetwood Mac (specifically the songs penned and sung by Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks) are present throughout the album, and the style and swagger of acts like Blondie provides inspiration for some truly great retro-flavored, electro-pop tracks.