Justin Bieber
Believe Acoustic
Island Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating: [The Breakdown]
Ever since he released his single, “Boyfriend”, Justin Bieber has continued to impress me. Believe was hands down one of the most well-written and produced albums of 2012. Grammy snub aside, he has proven to be a worthy contender in this generations group of musical artists. Believe Acoustic continues his evolvement as an artist and exposes him to newly found fans. Continue Reading
Punk Goes Pop
Volume 5
Fearless Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:
[The Breakdown]
I was somewhat disappointed with Volume 4, so I didn’t have such high expectations this time around for Volume 5 even though the lineup and covers looked like a vast improvement. When you think of Pop in 2012, artists such as Bruno Mars, Carly Rae Jepsen, Justin Bieber, Rihanna and The Wanted are a must. So to see them all included in this version gave me hope. Continue Reading
Go Radio
Close The Distance
Fearless Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:
[The Breakdown]
Go Radio follows up their 2011 debut album, Lucky Street with Close The Distance. Produced by James Wisner, the first single, “Collide”, a strong pop rock track was later followed by the piano driven tune, “Go to Hell”. These two were the perfect choices for singles off this album and perhaps the only options. Continue Reading
The Bolts
Fall EP
Unsigned
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:
Not too long ago we posted the music video for “Walk Away” from The Bolts. Since then we have been hearing rave reviews on the OC-band. We usually don’t review EP’s, especially from unsigned bands, but every now and then we make an exception. Their Fall EP consists of four outstanding tracks: “Walk Away”, “The Truth”, “This Can’t Be Real”, and “We May Fall”. Continue Reading
Justin Bieber
Believe
Island Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:
Believe from Justin Bieber has got to be the biggest surprise in music in some time. From the first song to the last, I was eagerly awaiting each track and I was pleasantly surprised with each one. It’s pop, it’s R&B, it’s dance music and everything in between. Continue Reading
The Wanted
The Wanted EP Special Edition
Mercury Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:
At this point it’s highly unlikely that you haven’t heard of The Wanted. The British-Irish boy band released their hit single, “Glad You Came” to overwhelming success in the US. They have since followed up with their next single, “Chasing The Sun” which they announced will be featured in the upcoming Ice Age 4: Continental Drift movie. The band is building momentum and this EP is only going to further their fan base. Continue Reading
Neon Trees
Picture Show
Mercury Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:
Picture Show is the anticipated follow up album to Neon Trees debut album, Habits. Neon Trees continue with their 80s meets indie rock style, but they definitely take it to the next level in this release. While Habits leaned more towards a pop rock feel, Picture Show is an explosive hit of edgy, fun and in-your-face-rock. Continue Reading
Neil Diamond
The Very Best of Neil Diamond – The Original Studio Recordings
Columbia Records/Legacy Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating: Rating:
When you think of legendary singer-songwriters, Neil Diamond will always be on the list. Even though he began in the 60s his music continues to thrive. Fans have been waiting for the day to get a hold of a compilation that includes singles from all of the record labels he has recorded with over the years and that was not possible until now. Continue Reading
Punk Goes Pop
Volume 4
Fearless Records
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating: Rating:
I’m a big fan of the Punk Goes Pop series. Volumes 1-3 had bands like Yellowcard, Thrice, Artist vs Poet, The Cab, Mayday Parade and A Day to Remember covering songs from Michelle Branch, P!nk, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and many others. The thing with the Punk Goes Pop compilations is that you can either despise the original and love the cover or love the original and love the cover even more. Any other combination rarely happens. So I was eagerly awaiting Volume 4 to see what awesomness it brought. Continue Reading
2Cellos
Luka Sulic & Stjepan Hauser
Self-Titled
Sony Masterworks
By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:
Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser make up the duo known as 2Cellos. The 24-year old, Croatian musicians shot to fame after they posted a video online of themselves performing Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” with just their cellos. The video was an instant hit and they caught the eye of Sony Classical and were quickly signed thereafter. The surprises didn’t end there; they were soon contacted by Elton John who invited them to go on his European tour. Talk about a whirlwind of opportunities. Continue Reading
