Song Of The Day: Maroon 5- "One More Night"

I want to like this so much.  I really do.  It could be so catchy, and some people will probably think it is. But to me it feels just a little too gimmicky and spare.  I kept waiting for the full Maroon 5 wall of sound to engulf me, but it never came.  I love Maroon 5, and I hope their new album (dropping next Tuesday!) will live up to the last one, because Hands All Over was fantastic, one of the best albums of the year.  But I'm starting to lose a little hope in Overexposed, because the first two singles have not lived up the last album, or any first two singles of any major Maroon 5 album this far.  So my most-anticipated release of the year has now been downgraded from "Can't wait to listen to the whole thing" to "I hope I can sit through the whole thing."  Not a huge downgrade, but a very disappointing one.  But I'll come back to this song again in a day or two, and maybe it will have grown on me.

Song Of The Day: Neon Trees- "Everybody Talks"

I have no idea what I just watched, and I have even less of an idea how it relates to the theme of the song, but nonetheless, Neon Trees has come up with a worthy follow-up to their last big hit, "Animal."  In fact, this song may be even better.  But as for the video, I guess it's just one of those "concept" videos.  And it's a decent idea; I mean, where else are you gonna see a hot chick turn into a zombie and then go right back to serving fries?  And I definitely think I saw some celebrities in this video, but I'm way too lazy to go and do the research and find out who they were.  Sound off in the comments if you're smarter than me and know who they were!  Just kidding, I know nobody will ever read/comment on this.

Song Of The Day: Calvin Harris ft. Ne-Yo- "Let's Go"

Sorry about the lack of post yesterday, I recently started working 1.5 jobs so I'm a bit overworked at the moment.  But here's one of the biggest jams from the last few months to tide you over till tomorrow.  Maybe I'll even throw in a bonus song this weekend to make up for it, if I'm feeling up to it...anyway, this sounds exactly like what you'd expect from a Calvin Harris beat; it's very similar to his chart-topping production on Rihanna's "We Found Love" and he's obviously hoping he's found a sound that will work for him in the long run here.  This one never really took off like that one did, but it's still a damn catchy song and everyone knows it, plus it's got an inspirational video, so all in all it's a solid effort from the Scottish beat-maker.  I hope to continue to hear more from him in the near future, and I'm sure I will.

Song Of The Day: Alex Clare- "Too Close"

Alex Clare, straight outta London (Golders Green represent!), scored a huge opportunity when "Too Close" was chosen as the soundtrack to Microsoft's new Internet Explorer ad campaign.  That sprung the song into the public consciousness, and it's been sitting on the cusp of breaking into the important part of the charts for a while now.  This is a totally different sound than most of what's out there right now, a mix of heartfelt singer-songwriter stuff and an electro/dubstep chorus.  If the bass kicked just a little bit harder on the chorus I would be totally all about this track; as it is, I think it's good but just a bit lacking.  Still, it's very distinguishable, which is quite an achievement in itself.  Video's a bit boring, though.

Song Of The Day: LoveRance feat. 50 Cent- "Up"

I had no idea these guys were from the Bay Area.  Now that I know that, I'm a much bigger fan of the song.  Yay area represent!  Never been there, but I still feel like I can rep it cause I was such a fan back in the day.  I'm posting the official video, which is clean, because I feel like most viewers can fill in the blanks.  And I think it's funnier with the edits, personally.  And this way we can watch the video, which shows the highlights of a party at which I would definitely feel very uncomfortable and out of place.  But that's rap videos for you.

Song Of The Day: Usher- "Scream"

Did you like "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love?"  At least, until it was ruined for all time? (Sorry, I had to post that link.)  Well, you're in luck, 'cause Usher's made a pretty similar jam here with "Scream."  It's a little darker, a little sparer, and it lacks the obligatory Pitbull verse (somebody in Pitbull's camp is gonna get fired for that), but otherwise the comparisons are easy to make.  It should get bodies moving on the dance floor, or at the very least, fists pumping in the car.  Also, Usher's album comes out on Tuesday, so get ready for a whole lot more of him this summer.

Song Of The Day: Havana Brown ft. Pitbull- "We Run The Night"

Damn, I really think Pitbull has a clause in his contract that, for the years 2010-2013, he has to be in at least 12.5% of the Top 40 of any given week.  I mean, there's no other way to explain his constant (mediocre) contributions to such a staggering proportion of new songs.  Seriously- since 2010 (in other words, the last 30 months), Pitbull has either released or appeared in 15 Top 100 singles, with a couple more probably on the way either this week or next.  That's absurd.  Here, he gets on a single by Australian pop star Havana Brown, which has been out since last year (I first heard it over the summer) but has now been re-released for the US market, which apparently means it is required to now feature a verse from Pitbull.  So here it is, "We Run The Night."  Not a bad song at all, by the way.  Pretty inane, but what else did you expect?  Good party-starter.  Go get 'em, Pit.

Return Of Song Of The Day: Katy Perry- "Wide Awake"

 Finally, time to get back into the daily swing of things.  Katy Perry recently issued a re-release of her record-setting album Teenage Dream (this one is subtitled "The Complete Confection"), and "Wide Awake" is one of the bonus tracks, and it has been released as a single as well.  Gotta say, this one's pretty boring, as Katy Perry songs go.  This album has to be on its last legs at this point, right?  Probably time for Katy to take a deep breath, go relax on a Caribbean island somewhere, get into a couple new relationships to use as songwriting material, and come back in 18-24 months ready to record a new album.  She's got to be just absolutely worn out after all these singles, and all this endless promotion of the same album.  But, you should expect to hear "Wide Awake" a good amount on the radio this summer.  And, this is a great lyric video- it shows the complete progression of Teenage Dream over the last year and a half, all via Facebook Timeline (see? It can be used for something!)

London!

 
In honor of CMN moving to London, UK for the next four months (which means get prepared for even  fewer posts and even more remarkable lack of effort), today's song of the day is none other than Estelle's "American Boy."  Here's hoping my American charm can rub off on the lovely ladies of Great Britain, just like Kanye's did for Estelle.  They may not like my baggy jeans, but hey, they like what's underneath them...

Song Of The Day: Tyga feat. Lil Wayne- "Faded"

New jam from Tyga, who's somehow burning up the charts with his other single "Rack City."  This one's not as good as that one, but it has some nice moments, I suppose.  It definitely won't be as much of a strip-club jam though.

Song Of The Day: Karmin- "Crash Your Party"

YouTube cover sensations Karmin have hit the big time, and now they have their own Vevo channel, and a hit single to boot.  Let's get one thing clear: this girl can flat-out sing.  She may have had access to all the studio production tricks this time around, but we already knew she could sing because she's proved it countless times in their previous videos.  And, as she proved in their most well-known cover (of "Look At Me Now"), she can do the fast-rapping thing shockingly well.  All in all, this song is unlikely to knock anyone's socks off, but it's catchy, it features great vocals (although I'm unsure what role the guy plays at this point), and Karmin came up through the Internet, which is something I, as a fellow online content producer, can always appreciate.  How high can they climb?  We'll just have to wait and see.

Song Of The Day: Train- "Drive By"

I gotta be honest, when I was watching the Orange Bowl and Train came on to do the halftime show, I was confused, because I had absolutely no idea they were about to release any new material.  Then, just a few days later, they came out with this gem and I felt stupid.  I was disappointed in myself, because I consider myself a Train fan, and I thought I would be more up to speed on such issues.  But in the scheme of things it doesn't really matter, because this is yet another perfect pop song from a band that seems to make nothing but.  The lyric video is pretty funny as well, especially the part where they illustrate "my love for you went viral" with a picture of the "I Like Turtles" kid.

Song Of The Day: Lana Del Rey- "Born To Die"

This is currently the free song of the week on iTunes, so if you like it, go get it!  Or you could just get it for free online like most people...

Anyway, I can't decide how I feel about this song, video, or artist.  The song is a little slow, but her voice is undeniable.  The video is melodramatic, but it's sufficiently emotional and captivating that my attention didn't sway one bit while I watched it, even though not a whole lot was happening.  In fact, that's how I feel about the song too- it holds my attention even though there's not a lot going on.  Which I guess is the mark of successful artistry. 

As for the artist herself, Lana Del Rey has been considered the "next big thing" in the indie-pop scene for a while now.  However, it's unclear to me how much of her image has been constructed by her and how much of it has been constructed for her by industry people.  In other words, if this is successful artistry, I don't know whether I should be giving her the credit or if I should be giving it to somebody else.  Either way, I guess I give this song a hesitant thumbs-up.  So, uh, go buy it!

Song Of The Day: Drake feat. Lil Wayne- "The Motto"

I didn't think much of this song, since it's fairly forgettable, and sounds just like every other Drake or Lil Wayne song we've heard the last few years.  But the video redeems it all for me.  It's a tribute to fallen Bay Area rap legend Mac Dre, and it features multiple shots with my favorite rapper E-40.  Seeing these guys in a big-time trendy rap video makes me so happy.  E-40 is 44 now, and Mac Dre was never a well-known commodity, so hopefully this gets people interested in Bay Area rap again ahead of E-40's upcoming triple release in March.  Even if this song is almost laughably uninspired.

Song Of The Day: Flo Rida feat. Sia- "Wild Ones"

Pretty much just a typical Flo Rida song, but the chorus sung by Sia will get stuck in your head for days upon days.  Trust me, I know from experience.  You may not like this song, but you will wind up listening to it more than a lot of songs you genuinely enjoy.  Sorry.

Song Of The Day: Jason Mraz- "I Won't Give Up"

Happy 2012!  The last time we heard from Jason Mraz, he was breaking us out of our winter doldrums with a healthy dose of ukelele in "I'm Yours."  Now, in the dead of winter, he's decided to break out the old acoustic guitar and give us a similar type of tune.  "I Won't Give Up" starts about as simply as a song can start (just a voice and a couple guitar plucks), then begins to pick up as Mraz adds more and more emotion to his vocals.  The result is a more powerful, but less positive and less catchy song than his previous midwinter smash "I'm Yours."  However, if the early sales are any indication, this will be hitting the same spots on the chart as that did, so clearly the man knows what he's doing.

By the way, how 'bout this "lyric video," huh?  Dunno if I've ever seen a supposed lyric video as detailed and plot-laden as this one.  It's hard to read the lyrics when you're trying to follow the story!  I wonder if they'll even bother making as music video after putting so much effort into the lyric video.

Song Of The Day: Pitbull feat. Chris Brown- "International Love"

Here's the latest single off Pitbull's most recent album Planet Pit.  In it, he and a very blond Chris Brown swear they're getting some international love, yet here are the cities they list in the chorus: New York, London, and Miami.  Guys, that's two cities right here in the States, and perhaps the least foreign city outside of the US and Canada!  That's barely even international!  At least they didn't say, like, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto.  But hey, I'm not gonna hate too much on this song or video.  After all, it features a girl in American flag body paint.  Hell yeah.

Song Of The Day: The Black Keys- "Lonely Boy"

After you watch this video, every single other time you hear this song (or any song by The Black Keys) you WILL think of this guy dancing.  It will be flash-burned into your mind, and it will not leave.  Very savvy branding here.  I predict this video will have enough views that the song starts getting pushed into pop radio.  Oh my, what will fans of The Black Keys do when their beloved duo gets mass-marketed?  Probably find a new band, I guess...

Song Of The Day: T-Pain feat. Lil Wayne- "Bang Bang Pow Pow"

Well, it wouldn't be a complete year without a new release from T-Pain.  So, as if on cue, here in December, he's dropped a new album, rEVOLVEr, and this is the newest single from it.  And, like all of his albums, it's got a guest spot from Lil Wayne, who appears here and delivers a solid verse.  This song's got a sweet violin-based beat, and it features T-Pain continuing his Auto-Tuned style into yet another year.  Hey, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

It's probably just me, but I could listen to a full T-Pain album much more easily than a full Drake or Nicki Minaj album.  I never get tired of his voice, and he mixes things up enough to keep me interested.  On this album alone, he's got this song, and a dance/electro jam featuring Ne-Yo, and a collaboration with my favorite rapper of all time, E-40.  And, of course, the bizarre after-hours slow jam I already reviewed- "5 O'Clock," which featured none other than Lily Allen.  As eclectic as T-Pain may be, his voice always keeps me coming back for more.  Here's hoping he keeps doing what he's been doing.

Song Of The Day: Adele- "Set Fire To The Rain"

I already sort-of reviewed this one on my Top Songs of the First Half of 2011 column back in June, and although it's been released a single now, it still doesn't have an official music video for me to post for your viewing pleasure.  However, its suddenly quick rise up the charts makes it impossible for me to ignore it any longer.

According to its Wikipedia page, some "critics" didn't like "Set Fire To The Rain."  Some even thought it was the worst song on Adele's Grammy-nominated sophomore album 21.  Some, though, have their heads screwed on straight, and realize it's in fact the best song on the album, by far.  On no other song (except, perhaps, "Ill Be Waiting"), does the production value match Adele's voice. 

That's not to say this song is overproduced, but it hits you from all angles, rather than from just a vocal one.  Anyone who thinks this song is overproduced needs to get down from off their high horse and recognize it as both the catchiest and most powerful song on the album.  I sincerely hope Adele's third album is focused more on songs like this and less on songs like "Someone Like You."  Actually, I just hope she's able to record a third album at all.  Be thankful for what you've got, people.