The Singles Bar | Page 14

The Singles Bar: “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz

by MJ on Jan 4, 2012 • 2 Comments

Like a suntanned cat with nine lives, Jason Mraz bounced back in a big way with We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things. Sounding a bit less like John Mayer’s smart-ass kid brother and more like Jack Johnson’s smart-ass kid brother, the third album from the singer/songwriter became an unexpected success, winning a Grammy and spawning “I’m Yours,” which set a record for the longest running song in history on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Four years since the […]

The Singles Bar: Our Lady Peace “Heavyweight”

by Jesse on Jan 3, 2012 • 1 Comment

music / New Releases / Pop Music / Release Dates / rock music / The Singles Bar

Before you even say it, yes, Canada’s Our Lady Peace are still around. They never “went” anywhere. In fact, some of the best music of their career has been released in the past five or six years. 2005’s Healthy in Paranoid Times is still severely underrated as is its’ follow-up (2009’s Burn Burn). With a new album almost in the can and ready to be released in the new year comes a brand new single from Our Lady Peace to start 2012 off right. “Heavyweight” is […]

The Singles Bar: Chromatone’s “She Tried”

by MJ on Dec 14, 2011 • No Comments

music / New Releases / Pop Music / soul music / The Singles Bar

Y’all know I love me some pop-funk. I was raving to all of my friends about Maroon 5 at least six months before they blew up. Every now and then, I look at Adam Levine on TV or read his Twitter feed, and I regret that decision. But anyway, give me a bouncy beat, have a singer do his best Stevie Wonder and I’m probably gonna be hooked. Such is the case with new UK-based, German-born singer Chromatone. I have […]

The Singles Bar: “Fix Up” by Black Star

by MJ on Dec 2, 2011 • 1 Comment

hip-hop / music / New Releases / Pop Music / The Singles Bar

Individually, Mos Def Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli are dope. Together, these dudes are magic. That thing about the whole being greater than the sum of it’s parts? Totally accurate when it comes to these two. Anyway, there’s been talk of a second Black Star album for dog years at this point, and it looks like things might be finally in the process of happening. “Fix Up” was premiered on The Colbert Report a while back, and it’s finally available […]

The Singles Bar: LL Cool J’s “No More”

by MJ on Nov 15, 2011 • No Comments

hip-hop / music / The Singles Bar

…and here I thought LL was retired. With a comfy starring role on “CSI: Los Angeles” and a discography that contained a decade’s worth of mediocre-to-straight-out-wack albums, my assumption was that the Future of the Funk had finally hung up his Kangol and gone Hollywood. Guess I was wrong. “No More”, LL’s brand new song (which I imagine is from a new album? I’m not sure…) is a return to classic love-man LL. This dark-hued song features a muted but […]

The Singles Bar: Craig Finn’s “Honolulu Blues”

by Drew on Nov 5, 2011 • No Comments

Indie Rock / music / rock music / The Singles Bar

The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn takes a break from his band with a new solo single. Curious about what it sounds like? Click here and listen!

The Singles Bar: Mazzy Star’s “Common Burn”

by MJ on Nov 2, 2011 • 2 Comments

music / New Releases / news / Pop Music / The Singles Bar

It’s been over fifteen years since we last heard from Mazzy Star. Most fondly remembered for the hazy ballad “Fade Into You” (from the album So Tonight That I Might See), the duo has been on extended hiatus since the late Nineties. Singer Hope Sandoval most recently appeared on the last Massive Attack album, and has been busy with her band Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions. Meanwhile, instrumentalist David Roback has done his share of solo performing work, in […]

The Singles Bar: Anthony Hamilton’s “Woo”

by MJ on Oct 19, 2011 • No Comments

music / New Releases / soul music / The Singles Bar

I’ve been on Team Anthony Hamilton ever since I saw him rip a stage apart at an Arista Records showcase some eight years ago. His commanding voice (very reminiscent of Bill Withers and Bobby Womack) and go-for-broke stage presence had me singing the praises of his breakthrough effort, Comin’ From Where I’m From, to anyone who would listen-seriously, ask my friends. When the album went Gold (and eventually Platinum), I actually felt a sense of accomplishment. Like my mind vibrations […]

The Singles Bar: The Fray’s “Heartbeat”

by MJ on Oct 16, 2011 • 3 Comments

music / New Releases / Pop Music / The Singles Bar / Uncategorized

I pretty much have no shame. So when I tell you that I enjoy The Fray, I say it with only a tiny shred of embarrassment. Sure, they’re slick, sure lead singer Isaac Slade can over-emote (and occasionally forget to enunciate), sure “How To Save A Life” was damn near inescapable for a solid YEAR. However, the fact that the song suffered from that much overplay and I STILL like it says a lot for how strong it is. Anyhoo, […]

The Singles Bar: “Love After War” by Robin Thicke

by MJ on Oct 8, 2011 • No Comments

music / New Releases / news / Pop Music / soul music

Now, this is more like it. Following the not-so-great teaser track “I’m An Animal” , Robin Thicke has returned to set things straight with the title track to his upcoming fifth album, Love After War. Boasting an easy-breezy vibe reminiscent of Marvin Gaye’s I Want You era, this smooth ode to breakup sex will definitely serve as the soundtrack to someone’s between-the-sheets episode. People still do that sort of thing right? Am I showing my age by saying I used to make love-makin’ […]

The Singles Bar: “All Shall Float” by Junius

by Popblerd Staff on Sep 29, 2011 • 1 Comment

music / rock music / The Singles Bar

Boston’s own Junius are back with their first single from their upcoming record Reports From the Threshold of Death (to be released on October 25th via Prosthetic Records)! After 2009’s Martyrdom of a Catastrophist, a dense concept record based on the life of Russian-born fringe scientist Immanuel Velikovsky, there were large shoes to be filled. From the sounds of the recently released track “All Shall Float” (listen here) there won’t be any issue accomplishing the feat. “All Shall Float” picks […]

The Singles Bar: Lou Reed & Metallica’s “The View”

by Popblerd Staff on Sep 26, 2011 • 1 Comment

music / New Releases / news / rock music / The Singles Bar

(As if to ensure that no one would ever want to download their music illegally again, Metallica have teamed up with Lou Reed to craft an album that, judging by every measure of common sense, will function as an unofficial sequel to the Velvet Underground frontman’s Metal Machine Music in both themes and listenability. The Popblerd staff gave a listen to first official track “The View”; unable to saddle any one individual with the burden of listening enough times to write […]