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Bruno Mars is the Unorthodox Jukebox
Bruno Mars, the R&B crooner that brought us the massive smash singles “Grenade”, “Just the Way You Are”, “Marry You” and from the Twilight soundtrack “It Will Rain“, drops his sophomore album Unorthodox Jukebox today. Judging by the album’s successful lead single “Locked Out of Heaven” it seems Mars isn’t facing the dreaded sophomore slump with his new release. The album -a riskier, grittier take on his signature sound- offers 10 sexually charged and perfectly selected tracks. Since his debut Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Mars has impressed critics and a growing loyal audience with his genius blend of vintage and modern. Delivering his tracks with throwback choreography and production, then mixing it with…
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Review: Lana Del Rey "Born To Die"
It seems that everyone has an opinion about the viral sensation that few knew existed a month ago, Lana Del Rey. And while many of her critics slam her for the awkward and off-putting performance she delivered on Saturday Night Live a couple of weeks ago, the fact remains that she’s one of the most talked about artists that have emerged seemingly – and arguably – out of obscurity. But just days from the release of her debut album Born To Die, any press is good press. As her single bounces into the Top 10 this week and the album predicted to do the same, music insiders are on the…
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Review: The Black Keys "El Camino"
Rock music has found a new poster child. The Black Keys, who released their seventh studio album El Camino last week, have been rocking their consistent bluesy garage rock for the last decade and rarely strayed from their rock-at-the-core sound. That remains true on El Camino. A mild-moderate fan of their previous efforts, the Keys have reached beyond their core audience, delivering a sound that appeals across genre lines. Maybe it’s the pivotal bridge in the lead-track “Lonely Boy”, that seems to connect their consistent sound to an insatiably infectious hook, allowing credibility on the pop charts. And it’s that track that have music enthusiasts (and music supervisors) salivating. “Gold On The…
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Artist To Watch, Britney Spears, Fiona Apple, Hole, Review, Taylor Momsen, The Pretty Reckless, Tragic Kingdom, White Stripes
Artist To Watch: The Pretty Reckless
It’s late in the day, Sunday afternoon, and I realize I’m severely behind in introducing you to the latest featured artist in the Tragic Kingdom family. And it’s not that I want to keep you in the dark any longer, but every time I sit down to start typing away, I end up getting lost in awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping video clips and interviews from the latest addition to our growing community. If you had told me I’d be introducing Taylor Momsen to the site a few years ago, when she was just known for her role as the innocent-turned bad girl Jenny Humphrey on The CW’s Gossip Girl, I would have…
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Artist To Watch: The CO
Now that jokes and pranks have subsided, it’s time to introduce you to Tragic Kingdom’s featured artist for April. It’s not often that you stumble upon music that is so compelling and rich in content it moves you to action. However, when I first heard The CO, made up of Collin Brace, Troy Akers, and Nate Fleming, I was reminded of why I love this industry. The trio, who are joined by Will Harrison and Phil Snowden when they hit the stage, are a Nashville based band setting out to break the mold of the city’s stereotypical sound. In January of last year, the band released their debut self-titled album…
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Britney Spears: Femme Fatale
With only a week remaining until the reigning Princess of Pop, Britney Spears, drops her seventh studio album, you can already hear the music industry’s most well-oiled machines greasing up to embark on the next era in the entertainer’s career. It doesn’t seem long ago that those keyboard power chords of “Baby One More Time” first impacted our stereo. Yet with so much personal turmoil and public scrutiny it’s hard to remember some of the professional highlights from the seasoned star, who’s closing in on 20 years in the industry. One thing that is not hard to forget however, is the formula. Each of the last six Spears albums delivered…
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Artist To Watch: Michael Shoup
When it came time to pick Tragic Kingdom’s featured artist for March it was a tough decision. With my latest move to Nashville, country music has become so relevant (as you’ve clearly witnessed by the blog’s recent country takeover), but I wanted to do something special this month. I wanted to prove to the readers that Nashville is more than hillbilly rockers and twangy crooners. Despite the hicktown stereotypes, it wasn’t hard to find a variety of talents spanning all genres, many of whom will be featured in the coming months. When I first moved to town, I stopped by a writer’s round at a local venue near my new…
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Artist To Watch, Dave Preston, Featured Artist, justin timberlake, Matt Morris, Review, When Everything Breaks Open
Artist To Watch: Dave Preston
For the past couple of years, I have had the pleasure of seeing this month’s featured artist, Dave Preston, play all over Denver. And while his raw and natural talent has been featured alongside some great artists, including Paula Cole, Trace Bundy, and One Eskimo, it’s his ambient guitar work, from his debut release BE, that has been recognized across the globe. After receiving internationally syndicated radio play, as well as being featured nationally on NPR, the release debuted in September of 2008 on the New Age Reporter Charts at number 91, shooting to number 66 the following month.That same year, Preston was selected to join the band of an…
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Andrea Ball, Artist To Watch, Exclusive, Featured Artist, Flobots, Matt Morris, Review, SXSW, The UMS
Artist To Watch: Andrea Ball
Idol Insider is excited to bring you our new featured artist of the month, Andrea Ball. Ball is a self-described creative individual who “can’t seem to communicate the same way everyone else does”. Instead, she best communicates in beautifully crafted lyrics, telling a story with an arrangement, and expressing emotion with her performance, which is why the stage is where she feels most comfortable. And while she may feel “different from everyone else” at times, this is what makes Andrea Ball one of the music community’s most celebrated new stars. We first discovered Ball in 2008, when her first LP titled Beat Beat Pound made its way to iTunes. A…
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Artist To Watch, Britney Spears, christina aguilera, justin timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Matt Morris, Reba McEntire, Review, The Fray, When Everything Breaks Open
Artist To Watch: Matt Morris
If you haven’t heard the name Matt Morris, or found yourself jamming out to his tunes, you soon will. Matt, a resident of Denver, Colorado, is prepping the release of his debut album, titled “When Everything Breaks Open”. Coincidence? I think not. The soulful, pop tracks delivered on his first effort indicate that Matt is destined to break wide open. But this won’t be Morris’ first time in the spotlight. He got his start on The New Mickey Mouse Club (and there is plenty of footage to prove it), where he acted, sung, and danced his way into the hearts of many alongside Britney Spears, Keri Russell, Christina Aguilera, and…
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Music Again: For Your Entertainment
If you watched last night’s American Music Awards, you might still be feeling some of the shock from the…performance? … Adam Lambert put on. Aside from the fact that it was WAY too over the top, his vocal left me wondering what happened to the voice that America had come to know during his run on American Idol. He was winded and nervous, which was apparent when he tumbled across the stage in a tuck and roll formation after tripping on his pointed black boots. He recovered, but only to continue delivering one of the most racy and sexually in-your-face performances ever aired on TV, screaming “can you handle what I’m…