I received a LOT of positive feedback from the last entry… Thanks everyone. I will try to get more interesting articles posted here…

As you may have guessed with my absence, things have been busy. But upon further reflection, I think I’ve realized why blogging updates have been minimal. With so much social networking at our fingertips, there are just too many avenues to keep tabs on. I’m sure if I had more time I could… but when you are bouncing a few jobs plus trying to obtain a business degree, your time is short. Only two weeks left until the end of the semester though, which means one month off school!

I think this is why Twitter is such a fantastic tool. You can post quick updates on what you are up to, make your opinions known quickly, get instant feedback, etc. Plus I can do it on the go on my BlackBerry… Then when you add in extra social networking goodies that enhance the Twitter experience, you almost forget about blogs completely. ha. Examples of enhancements would be TwitPic.com (posts pictures from your cell up on Twitter) or my new personal favorite, Qik.com (stream video LIVE from your cell to the internet). Very cool. I need to use them a lot more than I do now, but my crappy camera in my Pearl isn’t very encouraging at the moment. I will be using both of these a LOT when I upgrade my phone next month with a much, much better camera.

All of this being said, I’ll try to post more blog posts here… Even if they are little ones. Again, follow me on Twitter to stay up to date and have a real conversation with me. It’s quite fun…

Anyway, on to a few reviews/comments on CDs I’ve been listening to recently…

Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
It took a few spins, but this disc is really growing on me… Despite what some people try ti say, it’s not really a straight up hip-hop CD It’s more like pop meets rock meets some hip-hop/rap… It’s very mainstream at times, but at other times it’s quite unique… Again, takes a bit to get used to, but I like it. Kanye himself calls it “pop art.” You can tell he’s going for the mainstream crowd a bit too, because it’s his first CD without a Parental Advisory sticker. ha. I keep finding myself coming back to it though. It’s a pretty solid disc.

Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
It may only have eight tracks (two of which are new versions of songs from Viva La Vida), but it is still a brilliant little EP. Lost+ with Jay-Z is pretty snazzy, while some of the new tracks are so atmospheric and epic that you remember why the band is phenomenal. Coldplay’s latest full length is one of my favorites, so this extra EP is just icing on the cake.

P!nk – Funhouse
Wasn’t sure what to expect going in… I mean, P!nk has her signature sound, but at the same time she always has a little different flavor with each record. This one seems to be more of an extension of her last one… Very upbeat and fun, though maybe an emphasis on the latter due to the album’s funhouse theme. ha. Nothing too memorable overall though. Just more addictive P!nk music.

Taylor Swift – Fearless
Wow… There’s just something about Taylor Swift’s music that is refreshing. The music’s honest story telling captures your attention and the catchy melodies hold it. It’s also great to see her having a significantly large role in the songwriting process (see: the vast majority of it). Definitely one of the best country-pop CDs of 2008.

Kevin Rudolf – In The City
Another interesting CD… It’s like rock meets rap meets pop. Lots of distorted guitars and vocals… Very in-your-face and upbeat… It certainly gets the foot tapping and head banging. After a spin or two, I’ve determined I like it.

Linkin Park – Road To Revolution
Meh, it’s simply another live CD/DVD combo from the band. You can tell from the camera quality that it would look very good in HD… and you can tell this even on the inferior DVD medium. It’s cool to see the band play some of their songs from Minutes To Midnight live and to see them play some classics with some new twists, but overall nothing to write home about. Jay-Z comes out to sing two of their mashup songs, which is cool…

And that’s all for now… See you on Twitter.

Okay, as promised, here is my rundown of various singles currently on the radio today. It’s been a while since I did the last one, so obviously I won’t cover all of the songs that have hit the airwaves since then.

How does it work? I just start listing off random songs on the radio in no particular order, then say a short opinion of the song. Sort of like a bunch of Tweets (side note: join Twitter already and add me as a friend!). Some will be longer, some will be shorter… That’s just the way it goes…

Let’s begin! Click the link…

Read the rest…

It’s 8pm and a familiar tune is gracing the television set once again. For the sixth year in a row, America is tuning in to one of the most popular television shows in the world: American Idol. Tonight is the two hour season premiere when auditions begin and will probably reoccur for the next two weeks or so… I’ll probably be bored with them after a few days, but then the Hollywood elimination rounds soon follows and the show becomes interesting… I like watching it to see how America votes mostly, but I will admit the regular on-air talent can be quite amusing too though…

So it’s been a while since I’ve done an entry surrounding current radio singles. I figure there has been enough time to allow fresh content on the airwaves, so I have enough songs to talk about…

For those new to this, here is how it works. I say a song name, then I quickly mention a few things that come to mind about the song… No indepth review. No rating. Just honest comments and rambling. The songs are in absolutely no order either, so everything is fair game. Ready? Set? Go…

Read the rest…

Man… I have a freaking cold. Why is it that whenever I have a day off, I’m sick? How are you supposed to enjoy your day off when your nose is acting up immensely? Oh well, at least I still cleaned/organized my room thoroughly, finished a review, and did some other Renown work…

Ah yes, cleaning. Reminds me of that video I made in January for fun… Check it out if you weren’t around to see it the first time. I should make another video sometime…

Uh oh… the Blu-Ray technology that will be inside Sony’s PS3 has had a major delay, forcing Sony to push back the release of the PS3 in Europe until March 2007. It’s still on track for release in U.S. and Japan right now though, but quanity has been slashed 75% (only 400,000 available in the U.S.). Ouch. I’m glad I work at Future Shop…

So remember that SpirialFrog service I mentioned before? It’s the one where you will be able to download free videos and songs in exchange for listening to and/or watching advertisements. Well, EMI Music has been the next label to jump on board for the service’s launch in December. You can bet others will follow shortly… Thanks to Chris for the tip.

Alrighty, so now it’s time to finish off my quick (and choppy) opinions of the remaining CDs I got in the mail last week. Again, keep in mind that I’ve only listened to these CDs once…

Gavin DeGraw – Chariot: So this album is pretty fun… Sort of a poppy funky piano vibe. It’s not quite as good as I thought it would be when compared to the single, but it’s still a good disc. I’ll be listening to it again for sure…

Outkast – Idlewild: So Outkast has made the big return. It seems like Hey Ya was so long ago. Anyway, this CD is a pretty decent hip hop disc… They mix so many different styles into the package including blues, funk, jazz, big band influences and more. You’ll also find harmonicas, pianos, and other instruments not usually found on a hip-hop/rap disc. The production is slick too, adding to the unique style…

Christina Aguilera – Back To Basics: So this is Christiana’s latest disc which came out not too long ago. It’s actually two discs of brand new material as opposed to just one… Definite props right off the bat for that. The first (and main) disc has thirteen tracks and has a much more mainstream R&B flavor, so say goodbye to the provocative and bublegum pop of the past. The second disc is only 9 tracks but it has more of a flashback vibe with some 1920’s to 1940’s big band and blues influences. More props should be handed out for the expirmenting with different styles and even pullingit off. Then there is that voice… What a voice… Overall, solid disc.

Five For Fighting – Two Lights: So I’m not going to lie, I was looking forward to listening to this one. Five For Fighing (which is just a stage name for John Ondrasik) should be known to most for his hits Superman and 100 Years. Ondrasik is known for his signature high natured vocals and piano-driven music. He’s been classifed as Singer-Songwriter, Adult Alternative, and Post-Grunge all in one. What the heck? Anyway, this time around there is still the same old piano driven music, but he also continues to mix it up with some upbeat and rocky tracks too. There is even some electronica/dance elements thrown into a song or two, which is interesting. I dig the disc for sure…

Primal Scream – Riot City Blues: So Primal Scream… They’ve been around for a while now (1985) and hail from Scotland. They’ve left their previous electronica influences and are going for more of a rock and roll sound. It actually seems kind of punky, especially the vocals. There are some interesting experimentation here and there, but mostly it’s forgettable and I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t even finish the album as it’s my least favorite of the bunch by far… Yuck. Also make note of the “this album contains controversial material” sticker on the front, as it’s certainly true…

David Gilmour – On An Island: If you don’t know the name David Gilmour, you’ll certainly know the name of his former band: Pink Floyd. It’s been twenty-two years since his last solo album (wow) and On An Island certainly doesn’t disappoint. Continuing the progressive/alternative rock nature of his past, this album has a more laidback vibe and is not as edgy as you might expect. That’s not a bad thing though, as this is still an impressive disc… The production is excellent and the music is fantastic (especially to just sit back and chill out to). I likey a lot.

Well, that’s it. Now it’s off to bed for me and back to work tomorrow…

Rock on.

The past few days I’ve been downloading and watching a ton of gameplay footage for the Playstation 3, including what its main menus are going to look like (when you start it up without a game). Now I’m getting more and more pumped about its November 17th release as the days seem to creep on by… Some games look amazing. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive, even though it’s a very good price and value for the hardware included… Less than eleven weeks to go! We’ll see if I actually pick one up at launch or not… Can’t wait…

My friend has a Roland MicroCube amp and has been using it for the past number of months when I see him weekly. I’m seriously considering picking one up. It’s a portable amp, plus it has a ton of effects built right in. Of course, they aren’t footpedal activated, but it would be fine for just fooling around with guitar effects. Hmm… I’ll let you know if I pick one up…

So I’ve been trying to get through some of those CDs I received in the mail last week. They aren’t too shabby so far. Some of you have asked what I think of a few of them, so here are some initial impressions of what I’ve listened to so far. Keep in mind, I’ve only had one spin per CD as of the time I’m posting this:

Chantal Kreviazuk – Ghost Stories: This one was actually just released this past Tuesday (Aug. 29th). Chantal played her first single, All I Can Do, on Canadian Idol a couple of weeks back, and now it’s played pretty frequently on the radio and getting a mainstream push up here in Canada. It’s a good tune. The album itself is a very piano-driven pop record… It’s nature is fairly tame and laidback, but it still is very poppy and can kick it into high gear when it needs to. Her husband produced it and did a fantastic job… It also has a “Save $3″ coupon off of Garnier Nutrisse Cream (used to color your hair) included inside the case. Bonus. ha…

Bob Dylan – Modern Times: So this is Bob’s first all new album in five years and it also just came out this past Tuesday. It’s definitely Dylan with his signature vocals and folk-rock vibe… It’s not too shabby, but some songs do sound a bit similar to each other upon first listen… Overall though, he shows he’s still a great musician and the album is done pretty well…

Ray Lamontagne – Till The Sun Turns Black: I think one of my bosses at work’s last name is Lamontagne. Weird. Anyway, this album also released within the past couple of weeks, though I can’t remember which week exactly. It is an interesting disc to say the least. I honestly haven’t heard much of his stuff before (he’s only had one other album before this one), but it was certainly different than I was anticipating. It’s a singer-songwriter style with some progressive pop-rock thrown in… Sort of like a Sam Roberts with a hint of Pink Floyd or Dream Theatre for extra flavor. It’s not near as dynamic as the former bands though, so it can kind of feel like it is stretching on a bit…

Maroon 5 – Songs About Jane: I know these guys tend to get their share of flack, but they can actually be pretty clever musically. This album is pretty solid all around… My only complaint is that the guy’s voice can probably get a little tedious after a while for some. The songs Harder To Breathe, This Love, She Will Be Loved, and Sunday Morning should be known by most familar with radio singles… I especially dig Harder To Breathe, Not Coming Home, and Through With You musically, though there’s a lot of good stuff on here… It’s probably my favorite of the discs I’ve listened to so far…

Imogen Heap – Speak For Yourself: Now here is a different disc. It’s the solo album from one of the members of the band Frou Frou (I’m not sure how many will be familar with that name)… It’s self described as “more Madonna than Guns N’ Roses, more Donnie Darko than Dirty Dancing… left of centre, electronically sprinkled magic dust over orchestral strings, harps and things…” Ha. I’d certainly agree with the description… It’s very electronica focused while including some definite pop elements to keep it accessible. It’s actually a pretty fun disc…

Dido – Life For Rent: Some of you may be familiar with this artist. Her biggest hit to date, White Flag, was featured on an Idol show or two, plus you can still hear it fairly often in the media even though the single was released back with the album itself in Sept. 2003. Anyway, it’s a great song, and the album itself isn’t half bad either. It’s a very laidback, polite folk-rock vibe, but there a few moments that are upbeat too… These upbeat moments actually feature a pinch of dance influences, which is interesting considering the album’s soft nature. Overall, it’s not bad at all, though it does tend to drag on a little after a while…

And that’s all I have so far. Tomorrow I have to get some Renown work done in the morning and early afternoon, so I plan on listening to at least a couple of CDs in that timeframe, if not more. I’ll post my initial impressions on the rest when I get the chance.

But for now, I’m going to go play a board game with my sister. She doesn’t know it yet, so we’ll see how she takes the news…

Rock on.

Okay, as promised, it’s now time to talk about a bunch of current radio singles in no particular order. These are just some quick, initial thoughts that come to mind…

- Justin Timberlake’s new single sure gets annoying… Same with Paris Hilton, but that’s mostly because she can’t sing.

- I’m loving The Fray’s latest single, How To Safe A Life. Such a great album (their new single is the title track from it)… Very recommended.

- The Dixie Chicks sure like to whine a lot, don’t they?

- Nelly Furtado’s Promiscuous is addictive. I don’t want to like it, but I must admit that it’s catchy… Her latest single gets a little irritating after a while though…

- Five For Fighting’s The Riddle is a great song. It’s been playing for quite a while though. The album it’s on finally came out on Tuesday.

- Gnarls Barkley is a love/hate kind of song… If you listen to it too much, it gets a little annoying. But, at the same time, it’s catchy too…

- Nickelback… Gah… Turn it off.

- John Mayer’s Waiting On The World To Change is pretty darn cool. He’s such a great musician…

- Jesse McCartney… It’s kind of funky, it’s kind of poppy, and it’s surprisingly not terrible. It doesn’t blow me away, but it’s better than some of his past stuff.

- Christina Aguilera… What a voice. It’s actually not a terrible song either…

- Fergie, Fergie, Fergie… What are you doing going solo (from Black Eyed Peas)? I wonder if she even wrote her single… It almost seems too radio-perfect that I think it could have been written by someone else. Either way, it’s easy to say that it will do well.

- Hedley is finally being pushed in the States with On My Own… I wonder how well they are going to do. They are a pretty solid pop-rock/emo band for their genre, so I have a feeling they’ll do not too shabby… They’re fun.

- Keane’s Is It Any Wonder is different from their other stuff… I don’t mind it. I don’t know if I’d listen to an album filled with it though…

- Weezer’s Beverly Hills seems to be getting lots of airplay again, even though it’s been out for quite a while. Weird. But that’s okay, because it’s a darn cool song.

- JoJo’s new single is rather boring…

- Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Dani California isn’t too shabby. Of course, it’s been on the radio for a while now too, but I still get my groove on sometimes when it comes on the radio at work…

- The Killers’ new single has grown on me. I think I like it better than their past material… We’ll see…

- Rihanna… Ew…

- Shinedown’s I Dare You is a great song… Very aggressive…

- James Blunt… What can I say about him? You want to hate his singles, but they are so darn addictive…

- Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars… Great song. Solid band too…

- P!nk’s Dear Mr. President is not too bad… She’s kind of whiny too though (not as bad as the Dixie Chicks, mind you). I still like her last single, Who Knew, better…

- Pussycat Dolls… Good music to dance to when bored at work, but not my cup of tea. This group is well done from a business perspective, but it’s very lacking artistically…

- Of course, who can forget KT Turnstall? She’s such a great artist… A folky/acoustic pop-rock vibe that is very enjoyable. Her song Black Horse & The Cherry Tree has seen huge success and is yet another addictive song. She’s got another song going to radio soon too…

Okay, I think that’s enough for now. I’ll do more another time. This time it was mostly Top 40/Mainstream singles, so I’ll do another format the next time.

Rock on.