Genres: Country, Music, Contemporary Country
Released: Apr 29, 2013
Life on a Rock is the 16th studio album from country singer/songwriter Kenny Chesney. Recorded between London, Nashville, and Jamaica, Life on a Rock features guest appearances from the Wailers as well as Willie Nelson and includes the single "Pirate Flag."
Genres: Dance, Music, House, Electronic
Released: Oct 25, 2010
Swedish House Mafia's first mix album, Until One, is sure to please clubgoers from Miami to Ibiza (not so coincidentally the title of one of the two songs the Mafia recorded themselves for the mix). The three superstar DJs who make up the group, Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso, all placed in the Top 25 of DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs of 2009 list, and it’s easy to hear why after a spin of the record. It’s filled with the kind of uptempo floor-fillers that dancers crave, mixed one after the other like some kind of sweaty, glittery marathon of thick synths, diva vocal interjections, and fist-pumping breakdowns. It’s a resolutely mainstream experience geared toward pleasing the maximum amount of listeners — the edgiest the mix gets is dropping in Daft Punk's "One More Time" near the end. To that end, the mix succeeds wildly and it’d be a miracle if you made it to the end without getting up to bust a few moves. Tossing in current favorites by Empire of the Sun, Benny Benassi, and Miike Snow along with old jams like "You Got the Love" by the Source and Candi Staton, the DJs have a good feel for dynamics and crowd-pleasing transitions. You can easily hear why they are so beloved by happy dancers worldwide. As producers, they are less successful. "Miami 2 Ibiza" and "One," the two tracks they made for the album, are standard house jams without many distinguishing characteristics (apart from Tinie Tempah’s weak rap flow on "Miami"). Not every DJ dream team is up to the challenge of creating great original tracks, though, and it’s hard to criticize Swedish House Mafia when their mix is otherwise such a blast.
Genres: Rock, Music, Singer/Songwriter, Arena Rock, Pop, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Rock & Roll
Released: Mar 29, 2013
Genres: R&B/Soul, Music, Contemporary R&B
Released: Oct 01, 2012
Miguel Pimentel made a splash in 2010 with his striking debut, All I Want Is You. The Los Angeles–based singer/songwriter is adept at incorporating classic R&B and other styles into a sound that doesn’t really feel retro. Pimentel is often compared to Prince, another pop artist who successfully mixed genres and influences to create work with a strong personal stamp. Miguel’s excellent 2012 follow-up, Kaleidoscope Dream, finds the lover man coming into his own. “Adorn” evokes “Sexual Healing”–period Marvin Gaye, but Pimentel, who wrote and produced the track, brings his own vibe to the music. “Where’s the Fun in Forever?” places a chugging rhythm section up front and features a guest appearance by Alicia Keys. “Candles in the Sun” is a delightful slow jam with subtle echoes of the 1974 William DeVaughn hit “Be Thankful for What You Got.” The most delicious—and funky—song here is the title track. Riding a monster bass line, Pimentel’s layered vocals dazzle amid whooshes and other effective touches. A remix of “Adorn” with Wiz Khalifa on board is the closer.
Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap, Music, Rap, Hardcore Rap, Alternative Rap, Underground Rap
Released: Mar 16, 2012
Since emerging from the Los Angeles sub-underground several years ago, Odd Future has become arguably the most-blogged-about rap group ever, riding an avalanche of online hype and building a dedicated (and obsessive) global fanbase. Ten members deep, Odd Future has been compared to Wu-Tang Clan, but its style is far less thugged-out and way more bugged-out. Led by Tyler, the Creator, the group is all about shattering preconceived notions of traditional hip-hop; its tracks are all over the place stylistically. On Vol. 2, Odd Future effortlessly shifts between straight-up R&B ("White"), hyperactive Dirty South parody ("We Got B*tches," "50"), experimental electro sputtering ("Rella"), and a righteously grimy, throwback posse cut ("Oldie," featuring the return of fan favorite Earl Sweatshirt). Lyrically, the members have toned down the omnipresent illicit talk of their earlier work, but they remain focused on references to pop culture, current events, and Wolf Gang pride. Check out "Sam (Is Dead)," "Real B*tch," and "NY (Ned Flanders)."
Genres: R&B/Soul, Music
Released: Jun 29, 2012
This album is Mastered for iTunes. Vocalist and celebrity Chris Brown follows 2011's F.A.M.E. with Fortune. He brings a refocused dance-floor finesse to this album, adding techno-inspired intensity to songs like "Turn Up the Music" and "Don't Wake Me Up," as well as a serious dubstep heaviness to tracks like "Bassline." This direction works well for Brown, as he's got the right melismatic tone to float above these DJ-friendly cuts. The R&B swagger of his earlier records comes through on the hip-hop–inflected "Till I Die" and the slinky "2012."
Genres: Electronic, Music, Dance, Trance, Techno, Electronica, Jazz, Big Band, Jungle/Drum'n'bass
Released: 14 January 2011
Genres: Alternative
Released: March 22, 2013
Genres: R&B/Soul, Music, Contemporary R&B, Rock
Released: Sep 13, 2010
At almost 20 songs long, Passion, Pain & Pleasure is like two albums in one. The first half is a follow-up to Trey Songz’s smash 2009 album Ready, with playful bedroom songs like “Love Faces,” “Massage” and “Doorbell.” This is Trey’s comfort zone — it’s what he does best, but it’s also nice to see the singer venture into new territory on the second half of this album. “Red Lipstick” is a dense, dizzying soundscape, while the brooding “Unfortunate” is a rejoinder to Kanye West’s recent hits “Heartless” and “Love Lockdown.” The songs at the end of the album push the boundaries even further. “Blind” is a rock song along the lines of Coldplay while “You Just Need Me” is a club song comparable to Lady Gaga. While both songs are obvious cash-ins on recent trends, it’s good to see Trey pushing himself and these songs give some sense of where he could go in the future. Despite the new ideas fans of traditional smooth R&B will be satiated by a trio of songs in the album’s midsection. “Can’t Be Friends,” “Please Return My Call” and “Made to Be Together” form a superlative mini-album within the larger framework of Passion, Pain & Pleasure.
Genres: Alternative, Music, Rock, Adult Alternative
Released: Nov 05, 2010
Genres: Pop, Music
Released: 16 March 2013
Genres: Pop, Music, Teen Pop, Dance, Pop/Rock, Rock, World
Released: 09 November 2012
Genres: Pop, Music, Pop/Rock, Dance, Teen Pop, Rock
Released: 18 November 2011
Genres: Dance, Music, Electronic, House, Techno, Rock
Released: Sep 25, 2012
Genres: Dance, Music
Released: Dec 06, 2010
Genres: Pop, Music
Released: Nov 23, 2009
Genres: Pop, Music, Rock, R&B/Soul
ReleaseD: Mar 14, 2013
