Video: Iyaz - Replay

I have to admit that this song is very catchy. Pop music at it's finest! I can see this guy for sure being a one hit wonder but for now you have to admit on some level that this song stays in you head!

CD Review: Phil Vassar - Traveling Circus

This CD has been delayed for so long!
So, after such a long wait, how does "Traveling Circus" fare? Frankly, it's high up on par with Vassar's pristine standards; not that it's perfect but it's still better than the average country CD out there. This time round, Vassar has a more hands on approach to this project whereby he produced all the tracks here himself. Further, he has relied on his road band rather than the paid by the hour session artist creating a more live feel to it. The killer tracks here are the ballads: the best being the ultra sweet "She's on the Way." A choke to the heart, "She's on the Way" has two dads conversing about the challenges of fatherhood. The emotions are so raw and so immediate while the song's melody is memorable: combinations that make this a big hit to come. Another winner is the melancholic piano driven ballad "A Year From Now"--an ode to the transcendence of time that will heal our deepest pains. "John Wayne" is perhaps one of the most tender love songs Vassar where the protagonist swears by forever love and commitment looking to American's iconic actor for inspiration. "Everywhere I Go," the current single, starts off well soft and tender before being seduced into the current trend where bombastic drums and screeching electric guitars ruined what could have been a heartfelt broken hearted love song.

6 out of 10 stars

CD Review: 30 Seconds To Mars - This is War

This is not what I was expecting from this new CD. This is the type of CD that will have to grow on you. I think many of the true fans of 30 Seconds To Mars will initially be disappointed. And it's quite possible bandleader Jared Leto wanted the album to feel this way. After all, he went to hell and back to get it made — staring down a $30 million lawsuit from Virgin Records, shouldering the load (and the majority of the recording expenses) himself. One can imagine that there were stretches where he felt totally, completely alone in his struggle, like he was living life in lunar solitude. That being said, give this album a listen, let it grow on you and in the end either you will embrace it or use it as a frisbee.

6 out of 10 stars