2Yoon - 24/7

"To the left, to the right"

Have you been wanting a K-Pop remake of Miley Cyrus's infamous Hoedown Throwdown? Of course you have, because one of those catchy monstrosities is never enough! Well, this isn't quite that, but it's pretty close. This addictive little trifle borrows a hook from American line dancing, melding it with a bubblegum melody throughout the verses and chorus. It's pretty much impossible to hate. So well produced and so fun. 2Yoon is comprised of Gayoon and Jiyoon (hence the "2"), and is a subgroup of popular girlband 4minute. Why these girls don't believe in spaces between the numbers and words in their names, I'll never know, but it doesn't matter because despite the language barrier, this can really be enjoyed by everyone. I could easily see kids getting into this, but honestly the whole thing's so saccharine sweet that it'll get stuck in anyone's head.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Darin - Give Me Tonight

"Say you want me like I want you"

Darin's that rarest type of popstar--one whose music actually gets better with each year of his career. He's the type of male artist we just don't have in the US, and with his recent performances on Så Mycket Bättre (a show that needs to come to America), he may have just reached his peak. Though I haven't had a chance to spend much time with his new album, I can confidently say that nothing is as good as the final track, Nobody Knows (released as a single last year). But that song's so good that it would be a tall order to compete with it. I was a big fan of his last album, Lovekiller, but I'm fine with the shift of sound on this one, since I don't think a Lovekiller Pt. II would have worked. This time around, Darin's gone with a much more international (shall we say, trendy?) sound. Give Me Tonight fits the bill perfectly. It's a soaring dance track that lets hims show off his flawless vocals. Nothing revolutionary, but definitely good fun.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Margaret Berger - I Feed You My Love

"The whole world is mine"

It seems like forever since I've listened to Margaret Berger. I was really into her 2006 album Pretty Scary Silver Fairy, which surprisingly is her most recent full-length release. That's a long time between albums! Now it's time for her big comeback, as part of Norway's search for their 2013 Eurovision entry. She's well on her way, as this track progressed onward during the weekend. It's an odd choice for the contest, as it has a real dark electro vibe to it that isn't as instantaneous as what we'd consider a "typical" Eurovision entry. But that's always been Berger's way. She makes quirky, artistic electropop. It's hard to believe she started on Norway's version of the Idol series. This is a stately midtempo track with crunchy electro production and a subtle, yet super-catchy, hook. If you like it, please check out her back catalogue--especially singles like Samantha and Will You Remember Me Tomorrow.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the song here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Feed Me - Death By Robot

For the nerds out there, this is the kind of music the Transformers would listen to on their home world of Cybertron. This is like robo-dance, all augmented, metallic vocals and fuzzy dance beats. It's not the usual thing I'd go for, but the production on this is too good to pass up. I often look for workout music, and I can see this fitting the bill. It kicks off with a burst of energy and never lets up. It has a real dark, otherworldly sound to it without sacrificing a sense of giddy freakout fun. If you're a fan of dance music at all, give this a try.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Kim Jaejoong - Mine

As a new K-Pop devotee, I've mostly been researching the pop and hip-hop sides of things. And honestly, this track is more "pop star gone rock" than true rock music, considering Kim Jaejoong is also a member of the boyband JYJ. This is quite a departure for him, though. It's all big, crunchy guitars and goth sensibilities. It's worth hearing if only for the accompanying video, which is stunning. Korea does music videos so much better than the western music industry. This is like a mini-movie. Artistically shot and filled with intricate, amazing costumes and surprisingly effective special effects. Add to that a song that gets better with each play, and we've got something really special.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Tegan And Sara - Goodbye Goodbye

"You never really knew me"

I'm sad that I haven't had much time to spend with Tegan and Sara's new album since it debuted on the internet, but I have given it a really quick run through and I've gotta say... I didn't know they had it in them. One of my favorite things is when an indie-pop band goes big, polishing their own sensibilities to the point where their music becomes huge pop. I know, I know. Most "hardcore" fans of bands like this would say exactly the opposite. They've sold out. They've abandoned what made them great. Yadda yadda. Different strokes for different folks, I say. And really, how can someone resist a track like this? From the opening synth hook, you know it's gonna be amazing. It's as if the girls have melded their style with influences from bands like Dragonette and Marina & the Diamonds. It's a brilliant move.

Click to hear the song!

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to the entire album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Del Marquis - Say Ooh Damn

"You make me see all the things I fail to notice alone"

We all know Del Marquis as the guitar player in Scissor Sisters. Now that that band's on hiatus, Del has moved back to doing some solo work. He released a few EPs a couple of years ago, but this time he's put up a mixtape (a collaboration with Xavier) for free download! The music sounds a bit more like Scissor Sisters this time around, just maybe a bit funkier and more indie. Say Ooh Damn is probably the most SS-sounding track on the EP and also what I'd consider to be the standout. I love the guitar and female background vocals that pop up every now and then. Very 80's. Kinda like a sleazy Prince/George Michael hybrid.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Download the EP for free here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Mohamed - Unbreakable

"Nothing will divide us"

This Saturday, Denmark's Melodi Grand Prix will present the country's ten entries hoping to compete in this year's Eurovision. Having listened to all the songs (you can too), I really don't think they have a winner in the bunch. Props to them for including so many uptempos, but unfortunately they all have a really generic, samey sound. There's nothing as good as Jesper Nohrstedt's Take Our Hearts from last year over even that Venter song. Personally, I think Mohamed got the best track in Unbreakable. Yes, it's a complete rip-off of Loreen's superior Euphoria, but at least it has a melody that sticks. He should do well, given his time in X-Factor. I don't know much about him myself, but hopefully his performance matches the "bigness" of the song.

Click here to play the song

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to all the songs here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Darin - Playing With Fire

"I can feel it heating up"

I've been going through a big Darin phase right now. After placing his Nobody Knows in my top five of 2012 list and playing his Så Mycket Bättre tracks (especially the epic En Apa Som Liknar Dig) over and over, my anticipation is sky high for his new album. Playing With Fire isn't quite up to par with the aforementioned songs. It's a bit too westernized for me, like something a U.S. popstar would release. That doesn't mean it's bad, of course. And it certainly doesn't damper my excitement for the album. I love that he's continuing along the big, clubby route with his new music. I just hope there are more of those immense choruses that he's been giving us of late. Lovekiller was filled with them, even though the album was mostly ballads. An uptempo version of that style would be AMAZING.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Tegan And Sara - I'm Not Your Hero

"But that doesn't mean we're not one and the same"

It's funny how past ideas about an artist can color your expectations when it comes to new music. I've been a longtime, but casual, fan of Tegan And Sara's music. Walking With A Ghost was the song that got me hooked years ago, and I still play it today. In fact, that entire album was fantastic. The follow-up failed to connect with me, and I kind of let myself forget about them after that. When I heard a new album was coming out, I figured it would be filled with the singer-songwriter indie pop they were known for. Then lead single Closer blew those assumptions out of the water with its big, polished production that went straight for the pop jugular. Now that I've heard I'm Not Your Hero, I'm properly excited for the album. From the samples, it sounds like it's going to be big pop music. Add the girls' trademark tight harmonies and we might have something really special.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Sinner - Don't Deny The Disco (ft. Raf Jackman)

"Don't deny the fun"

This is almost too cheesy. The description places it as 90's influenced, and that's true in a cheap, Eiffel 65 way, but when I first heard the song I was brought back even further, to the chintzy days of euro-disco in the very early 80's. This isn't necessarily a complaint, and it's obviously what the track is going for. The tongue is firmly in the cheek throughout. The song was first released last August in all its glory, but I honestly don't know much more than that. Do the vocals remind anyone else of a gay(er) Eric Saade? Too funny.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Ulrik Munther - San Francisco Says Hello

"I will see you when I'm coming back to Sweden"

I haven't had a chance to write about this new Ulrik Munther songs yet. Munther's not the typical kind of artist I'd be interested in, as his nature is very singer-songwriter--the travelling troubadour with a guitar strapped to his back. But his songwriting and one-man-Hanson vocal inflections definitely made his debut a standout in the genre. Now he's back with what I assume is the first taster of a new album. It's a ballad. No surprise there. But it's a ballad with an amazing melody and hook and a really moody video and equally lovelorn lyrics. It's like his Boys Don't Cry, but a little more mature. I'm absolutely loving it, and I can't wait to see what he's come up with for his 2013 Melodifestivalen entry in a couple weeks.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy his first album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

My Top 20 Movies Of 2012

A day early, to coincide with tonight's Golden Globes, here are my top twenty films of 2012. The year was incredibly strong overall, as I can't say enough great things about my entire top ten. Last year, there were two movies that were so far out ahead of the rest for me, and everything else was simply good.

As usual, my list reflects my varied taste. There are action movies, prestige picks, and more art-driven pictures. It was a great year for superheroes--perhaps the best yet--and Oscar-driven movies. I tried my best to rank my picks, but it's not always easy comparing apples to oranges, so I've also tiered them into three star-rated categories.

FIVE STARS - INSTANT CLASSICS

1. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
Quite simply, the best film about adolescent friendship that I can remember. The cast is a dream come true--three of today’s best young actors who share a palpable chemistry on screen. It has a sense of emotional authenticity that most teen films struggle to find. It’s oftentimes very funny, but then sneaks up and hits you with an emotional wallop. By the end, you’ve spent time with three characters that are quite difficult to leave behind. It has that sort of intimate feel to it. Maybe it’s because I was a teenager in the 90’s (when the story’s set), or maybe it’s because I already loved the actors and the book the movie was based on, but I really connected with the film. It is, without a doubt, the Breakfast Club of this generation. Only much better.
KEY SCENE: The tunnel scene, of course, which acts as a prism through which everything in the movie filters.

2. Avengers
To put it shortly, a childhood dream come true. What Marvel has accomplished with this film and the others before it is nothing short of staggering. To build a cinematic universe, jumping off the source material for inspiration, was a gamble that paid off big-time. No other comic book movie before this has been able to replicate that sheer wow factor that these characters deserve. Intelligent writing, amazing effects, and perfect casting make this not only the most exciting prospect of the year, but a kick-off to an even more exciting imperial phase for Marvel Studios and their vast well of characters and storylines. Infinitely rewatchable, it is undoubtedly among the top three superhero movies of all time.
KEY SCENE: That moment the camera pans around the entire team, standing in the middle of an alien invasion, assembled to fight. Like a double-page comic panel brought to life.

3. Les Miserables
In many ways, I was predisposed to love this film. As an obsessive music fan, I’m keenly aware of how music is used in movies and really enjoy any film with a strong musical push. I also consider musicals themselves to be one of the purest forms of filmmaking--most often lavish and sweeping and given over to grand artistic flourishes not allowed in more traditional movies. A film whose dialogue is entirely sung is a thrilling prospect to me, and Les Mis is one of the most popular and enduring musicals in western history. With that said, it was translated beautifully to film. Epic where it needed to be and, more importantly, emotionally intimate throughout, this was a film that reminded me why I love going to the movies.
KEY SCENE: Anne Hathaway’s remarkable I Dreamed A Dream. Perhaps the most resonant single scene in all of 2012.

FOUR AND A HALF STARS - AMAZING

4. Looper
So smart, so many great directorial and writing choices, and really, really compelling from both a character and plot standpoint. Sadly, we don’t often get that in modern sci-fi releases. This is the standard we should be looking to in the genre.
KEY SCENE: “Years one through thirty,” where we see the future and first realize the impetus for the protagonist’s actions. Delivered in quick, incredibly intriguing snapshots.

5. The Impossible
Brutal, primal filmmaking and by far the most emotionally raw cinematic experience of the year. It’s like a sucker punch to the gut, particularly in earlier scenes. A testament, for sure, to the wrenching, awe-inspiring effects and the devastating performances, led by the young Tom Holland. Like no other “disaster movie” ever made.
KEY SCENE: The second wave, and the underwater shots of its power. Completely harrowing.

6. Chronicle
Took two popular genres (superhero and found footage) and subverted expectations to dazzling effect. More a character study than a typical action movie, this was one of the most exciting surprises of the year. What they were able to create onscreen with such a limited budget still blows my mind. Sure, it’s not the deepest movie on my list, but it’s one of the most fun.
KEY SCENE: The final freak out in Seattle. I still can’t believe how incredible this looks.

7. Zero Dark Thirty
I didn’t like The Hurt Locker, and I wasn’t really expecting to like this either. And I didn’t. At first. But the gathering snowball of a plot won me over, getting better and better as it went on. By the end I was riveted, both in the real-world story and the toll it was taking on Jessica Chastain’s terrorist-hunting Maya. Not always easy to watch, but undeniably fascinating and well-made. An uneasy exercise in moral ambiguity.
KEY SCENE: The one beginning in the hotel restaurant, which instantly ups the tension and adds a palpable danger to the second half of the film.

8. Moonrise Kingdom

Goes a bit off the rails in the last 20 minutes or so, but the preceding hour or so is pure cinematic bliss. The kids are fantastic and the whole thing’s so artistically shot that you could marvel at it even on mute. It could so easily have been quirky for quirky’s sake, but there was a real beating heart under all the affectations that made it even more enjoyable on second viewing.
KEY SCENE: The quick edit of the kids’ penpal letters, overlapped like a collage. Perfectly distills the essence of their relationship.

9. Skyfall
I am no huge James Bond fan. Nothing against the character or franchise. I’m just not too familiar with it. This movie, however, made me a fan. Amazing how-did-they-do-it action sequences coupled with an emotional core that rings completely true and a flamboyantly ruthless villain, make for an excellent spy adventure. Even the title sequence was glorious.
KEY SCENE: The introduction of Javier Bardem’s villainous Silva, complete with unexpected sexual tension.

10. Django Unchained
Damn those last 20-30 minutes of wheel-spinning! This honestly would have been even higher on my list if the movie had been pared down a bit. The good bits are cinematic perfection, the writing’s uniformly brilliant, and Leonardo DiCaprio makes for the year’s slimiest villain. It just needed to be a little more taut in places and take a well-deserved bow before it started to repeat itself.
KEY SCENE: DiCaprio at the dinner table with the skull. Enough said.

11. Cloud Atlas
A true love-it-or-hate-it kind of production, I found myself completely won over by the film’s scope and vision. Even if every story didn’t quite fit together the way I hoped they would, the journey of each was more than rewarding.

FOUR STARS - REALLY SOLID

12. Premium Rush
A super-taut bicycle-chase thriller that gives as full a picture of Manhattan streets that I can remember in any recent film. Short, sweet and always gripping.

13. Amazing Spider-Man
Initially I had this down a few places, but after rewatching, I found myself more and more won over by the cast and slight variations on the origin story. The Lizard still sucks, though.

14. Dark Knight Rises
Was never going to be as perfect as The Dark Knight, and it definitely wasn’t. Messy in places, but altogether a satisfying ending to a great trilogy.

15. Lincoln
Not so much a history lesson as a character study and courtroom drama. Not what I expected, but fascinating nonetheless. Could be ranked higher upon repeat viewings.

16. Hunger Games
I always knew the source material would make a great movie, and this is pretty much all anyone could have expected.

 17. The Hobbit
Wasn’t expecting much after I heard that the book had been split into three movies, but this was a pleasant surprise. Not LOTR level of success, but still fun.

18. Life of Pi
Definitely transporting and beautifully filmed/acted. I’m not sure these kinds of spiritual fables are always for me, but I can certainly appreciate it.

19. Argo
An enjoyable thriller based on recently declassified events. Felt a oddly lightweight at times, but certainly enjoyable.

20. Pitch Perfect
Much sharper and funnier than I expected. Even that dire Fat Amy character couldn’t completely ruin it. For me, Anna Kendrick made it all work.

Other notables (in descending order):

Cabin In The Woods
A smart and subversive “horror movie” from the same director as Avengers. It’s on a much smaller scale, of course, but it’s almost as fun.

Queen of Versailles
Fly-on-the-wall documentary managed to be funny, horrifying and heartbreaking… often at the same time.

Hysteria
A based-on-true-events period comedy about the origins of the vibrator! Oddly wholesome. Underwritten, but still a fun little movie.

Silver Linings Playbook
Compelling from when Jennifer Lawrence walks onscreen to about the halfway point of the movie. The rest was a big, fat meh.

Prometheus
Enjoyed it while it was playing, but realized afterwards that I’d just watched an incomplete, kind of pointless story. An odd one, for sure. Beautiful to look at and well-acted, but empty.

The Master
Didn’t get it. I have such respect for Paul Thomas Anderson‘s work and I will forever be in awe of him for There Will Be Blood, but I found the characters in this completely devoid of any redeeming value and the stretched-to-the-point-of-breaking plot utterly pointless.

Beasts of the Southern Wild
Didn’t get it, Part II. A lot of pretty camerawork and not much else. Kind of like Tree Of Life last year. And I really don’t see the praise for the central performance. I mean, the girl was cute and all, but at six years old I’m not sure it’s really acting. It’s more like just watching a kid be herself on camera. I will admit that the first 5-10 minutes were absolutely stunning, though. After that, I just couldn’t wait for it to end.

Battleship
Uh… yeah.

Oscar Nominations And Countdown To My Own Top Films of 2012

So, we now have the nine films nominated for Oscar's Best Picture. This is always an exciting time for me, as I follow the whole awards season like many follow their favorite sports team. My favorite nominated movie hardly ever wins, but I still love to see what happens. And this year's been a particular... interesting group of nominees. Not so much in the Best Picture race, but some of the other categories are a bit of a mess. Here's this year's list:

Amour
Argo
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables 
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Now, I've been working on my own Top Films of 2012 list for the last couple weeks and plan on posting it on Monday. As usual, I'm really passionate about the year's movies and love being able to reflect on which ones affected me the most.

Looking at the list above, I can say that--as it stands now--two of the nominated films are in my personal top ten, and three more are within the top twenty. However, there are also three I haven't seen yet. So that might change by Monday. Beasts Of The Southern Wild is the only one I actively dislike so far, so I suppose that's not too bad a ratio.

But what I really want to know, as a prelude to Monday's list, are your favorite films of the year. Leave your top three in the comments!! I'm very curious :)

Studio Killers - All Men Are Pigs

"This is no fairytale"

Studio Killers are back! Sort of. All Men Are Pigs has been floating around the internet for a year now in demo form, but now we've got the full, single version available for our listening pleasure. As anyone looking at my year end countdowns the past two years knows, I love the Studio Killers. It's sometimes frustrating that we have to wait so long in between releases, especially since I think an entire album by them would be beyond awesome. But the long wait's not all bad, I guess. It does make each song seem more exciting. All Men Are Pigs hasn't quite hit me as strong as their previous two singles did (yet), but I'm so happy that they're back again. The sing-song melody and trippy production/vocals are definitely intact, augmented with a strong 90's dance flavor. The beat is pretty irresistible.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Girls' Generation - I Got A Boy

I feel like this is the first K-Pop single to really feel the boost post-Gangnam Style. This can be seen immediately in the crazy amount of youtube views the video has already received in the few days it's been available. But it's also the first real major comeback in the months since PSY's made it big globally. Girls' Generation have always been huge in their native Korea, starting with the addictively cheesy mega-smash Gee. I Got A Boy is far, far from that track's sound, and everyone and their mother in the blogosphere seems to have an opinion on it. It's incredibly divisive, courting passionate admirers and detractors. You can count me among the former. I adore the rapid shifts in style and sound (and the song has a lot of them). I wasn't sure the first time through, but it only took two listens for the track to really click with me. Structure-wise, it's a lot like the more experimental Girls Aloud tracks. Eight songs strung together as one, all in just five minutes. Enjoy! I'm gonna post the whole video below, because it's best experienced with the visuals.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Ace Wilder - Do It

"Let's set the night ablaze"

I was going to write about a different song today until I discovered this one over on the always wonderful scandipop. I've lamented a few times about how Sweden dropped the ball for me in 2012. They used to be my most reliable purveyors of excellent pop. And while there were definitely some incredible Swedish-borne tracks last year, this year has already started out more exciting. Between Darin and Maja Ivarsson's excellent Så Mycket Bättre material and now this track, my ipod's overflowing with newish Scandinavian stuff. Based on Do It, Ace Wilder is a popstar with a lot of potential. The song has quite rightly been compared to Icona Pop's fantastic I Love It, but it's almost like that track seen through the prism of a poppier artist like Linda Sundblad or Elin Lanto. As usual with Swedish pop, the melody is up front and center, and it's definitely a hooky, anthemic one. I am salivating to see what she's going to do next.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Keep up with Ace on facebook here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Flashback Friday: PSY - Stay Up Tonight

I'm really interested to see what happens with PSY this year. It's always fascinating to see what an artist does after enjoying such massive worldwide success. My gut tells me that he won't manage another hit in the States, but hopefully he'll still release his Six Rules EP Part II in Korea, as the first one was really good. The best case, I think is that he's got a lot more money and notoriety to fuel future recordings, because one thing that really draws me to his music (well, to his post-2010 music) is the clean, expansive production. The best PSY songs are huge in sound and scope, with a mixture of genres. Stay Up Tonight is from his 5th album and is ridiculously good. This track is all about the recurring chants that make up the hook. It's almost reminiscent of Michael Jackson's Wanna Be Starting Something in that regard. To my ears, it's a bit of an African influence... and those who have followed the blog know that I go absolutely crazy for that. This is ridiculously good stuff.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album (& check out tracks 2, 3, 5 & 6!) here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Krista Siegfrids - Marry Me

"I'll be your queen bee"

Yesterday, Finland revealed their songs competing to represent the country in this year's Eurovision, and as usual, it's a pretty uninspiring bunch. There are, of course, the stock heavy metal bands and folk singers, but definitely not a lot of straight up pop. If I had to support one of the acts, it would be Krista Siegfrids. Sure, the song is super cheesy and comes across kind of like Katy Perry-lite, but I love her voice and the overall catchy production/melody of Marry Me. Krista competed in Finland's version of The Voice, but she seems far more interesting and popstar-ish than the kinds of people they usually get on that show. I'll be curious how she does in the competition, but very surprised if she ends up winning. Regardless, it's a fun song.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to the other entries here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Darin - En Apa Som Liknar Dig

On the first regular music post of 2013, it's time to look at a track from the past few weeks that I neglected to mention. Swedish popstar Darin is set to release his sixth studio album later this month. It's bound to be the year's first great pop release. Until then, we've got some covers of his to tide us over. Darin's been participating in the popular Swedish show Så Mycket Bättre (So Much Better), in which artists cover each others' songs, usually in new and interesting ways. It's a concept I wish would make it outside of Sweden. Anyways, one of the songs Darin covered was Olle Ljungström's symphonic ballad En Apa Som Liknar Dig (A Monkey That Looks Like You). He gave it dance production similar to Loreen's epic Euphoria, and turned it into an amazing pop moment. This is a wave of powerful dance, with a hook that's simply mammoth in sound. It stands right alongside his very best work. I hope there are songs on the album as good as this.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the new album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 10 Songs I Never Want To Hear Again In 2013 (But Probably Will)

10. Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
I know this is popular with a lot of people, but I've gotten to the point where I just find that chorus mind-numbing. It just doesn't do anything for me and never has, and the damn song is everywhere.

 9. Rita Ora - R.I.P.
Really just a bad song, honestly. One of the laziest melodies of the year, and I'm baffled by her success, musically.

 8. Gym Class Heroes (ft. Adam Levine) - Stereo Hearts
Adam Levine's vocals grate at the best of times, but they're particularly annoying in the hook to this hip-pop track. Catchy in the most annoying way.

7. Emeli Sande - Next To Me/Read All About It (Pt. III)
I couldn't choose between these two tracks, because I find them both really irritating. I realize Sande might be a lot of people's thing, but I find this kind of lifeless, light soul-pop really irritating.

6. Phillip Phillips - Home
This started out okay, but once it was used for every single advertisement in the world, I had to throw up my hands in defeat. Enough already! I feel like this song has been playing on repeat for my entire life.

5. Jessie J - Laser Light
Another year, another insipid Jessie J track. I haven't been a fan of anything she's done (her voice and general persona annoys me to no end), but at least this isn't her worst. That honor goes to the overplayed and uber-obnoxious Price Tag.

4. Nicki Minaj - Starships
This is the year where Minaj became really unpleasant. I find everything she does now to be needlessly attention-grabbing without anything to really back it up. It's the worst when she crosses over to pop, like in this song.

3. Alicia Keys - Girl On Fire
I am simply not a fan of Keys' dirge-like approach to writing melodies. I find her music so ugly sounding just in the composition and production of it. I've accepted that this is just me and my taste, but this track is a great example of that go-nowhere, midtempo, unmelodic songwriting. I realize I might be in the minority on this.

2. Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
SO annoying. I refuse to believe that anyone actually likes this. The spoken bits are easily the most irritating bit of music in 2012. It's the exact reason Swift has always annoyed me. I guess it's supposed to be cute or funny or ironic or something, but what it really does is make her seem like an irritatingly self-obsessed romantic comedy lead.

1. Karmin - BrokenheartedI really don't know what it is with this song. It's probably those ridiculously vile spoken "cheerio" bits. They ring of that "aren't we so clever?" vibe that always rubs me the wrong way. Whatever the case, I think this was the nadir of pop music in 2012. Completely derivative, even as they attempted to have a "quirky" personality. It all felt very forced and patronizing.

So that's my top ten, guys. Agree? Disagree? What song do you never want to hear again in 2013?