Best of 2008

Plain and simply, here are my top 5 lists of the best CDs, Songs and Movies for the year of 08!



Best Song:

5. So What - P!nk ~ clearly one of the most popular songs to attack radio waves in a while. P!nk's fresh "dont give a damn" attitude makes you respect every single word.

4. Lost! - Coldplay ~ though it hasn't exactly exploded on radio yet, Lost! is one of the greatest coldplay songs ever and deserves some recognition.

3. You Found Me - The Fray ~ at first it may seem like a normal Fray track, but once it gets in your head and you listen to the lyrics, you will be moved.

2. American Boy - Estelle ft. Kanye West ~ As brutal as his arrogance is, once teamed up with Estelle, Kanye West and her made one of the catchiest songs of 2008.

1. Broken Strings - James Morrison ft. Nelly Furtado ~ Now i bet most of you haven't even heard this one, but it is a beautfiul upbeat ballad about breaking hearts and dealing with it. Definately worth checking out.

Honorable Mentions: Crack the Shutters - Snow Patrol, I'm Yours - Jason Mraz


Best CD:

5. A Hundred Million Suns - Snow Patrol ~ Now, if you read my review you'd know i didn't have a fond mind about this disc at all, but it grew on me and i opened my eyes to the masterpiece Snow Patrol had created.

4. Bittersweet World - Ashlee Simpson ~ The only artist who truly broke out of her shell this year was Ashlee Simpson, and while the singles bombed, we all know that the CD was bomb!

3. P!nk - Funhouse ~ P!nk's crazy style and nutty antics makes everyone swoon. This CD shows a totally different side, mainly hitting the lows, this CD is moving beyond belief.

2. Viva La Vida/Prospekt's March - Coldplay ~ Coldplay released this CD and proved that they were the Mozart of our time. Bravo!

1. Day & Age - The Killers ~ Definately the best CD of the year, if not the decade. The Killers unique style and creative influence on the music world made Day & Age worth every single penny.

Honorable Mentions: Songs For You, Truths For Me - James Morrison, Pretty.Odd - Panic At The Disco


Best Movie:

5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ~ A great adventure that brings forth the new era of Jones. And i couldn't be happier with this result.

4. Wall-E~ The best animated feature of the year and one of the greatest pixar movies ever, AMAZING! WATCH IT!

3. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ~ Effects that were out of this world along with one of the greatest climaxes seen in the movie industry.

2. The Dark Knight ~ Intense! Insane! Out of this world. It was a shame to lose Heath Ledger especially after this performance.

1. Milk ~ The hardly understood story of politician Harvey Milk was retold with Sean Penn is his role of a lifetime. It was executed with perfection.

Honorable Mentions: Twilight, Baby Mama, Get Smart, Iron Man, Burn After Reading, Bolt

Conquering the Music World Even Further

Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Prospekt's March Edition)

5/5

Back in June, Coldplay released one of their best CDs yet, known as Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends. Tommorow, an 8-track EP will hit the shelves along with the CD's special edition containing the first original disc plus a second disc with the 8 new tracks. As if VLVODAAHF wasn't good enough, these eight tracks add a beautiful contrast to what we've already seen. It is definately works of art, and makes other CDs look like shit. The one perfect word would be Masterpiece. The original CD was great with its double tracks and mixture of cool violins and dark pianos, like on songs "Yes", "42" and my all-time favourite, "Lost!". Even better, "Lost" is redone here featuring Jay-Z, adding one of the greatest effects you can do to an upbeat instrumental ballad. The rest of the extra eight tracks are all well sung and played, its as if it took them years to prepare something that came so easily. "Life In Technicolor II" adds lyrics to the beautiful piece from the original disc. Every track on both of these from start to finish are amazing. Also, my new favourite Coldplay song "Glass of Water" has branched from this. Thank God Coldplay's still around to remind us that music is still alive in some of us. BUY IT NOVEMBER 21st!

1. Life In Technicolor (12)
2. Cemeteries of London (6)
3. Lost! (2)*
4. 42 (5)*
5. Lovers In Japan / Reign of Love (15)
6. Yes (4)*
7. Viva La Vida (13)
8. Violet Hill (11)
9. Strawberry Swing (14)
10. Death And All His Friends (8)

http://rapidshare.com/files/165744417/1.rar

11. Life In Technicolor II (7)
12. Postcards From Far Away (17)
13. Glass of Water (1)*
14. Rainy Day (9)
15. Prospekt's March (16)
16. Lost! (ft. Jay-Z)(10)
17. Lovers in Japan (Remix)(18)
18. Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground (3)*

http://rapidshare.com/files/165743221/2.rar

The Evolution Brings A Joy Ride

The Killers - Day & Age

5/5

Its been only two years since Sam's Town dropped, and one year ago Sawdust- the compilation dropped and promised a great future by the outstanding effect of bonus tracks. Now, we have Day & Age, the most promising piece of Killers work ever. The CD explores about 10 different areas and styles of music and packs a huge punch with lyrics, vocals and even funky instrumental tunes that can be classified as the most musically inventive CD in a while. Songs like "Joy Ride" and "Neon Tiger" get you going and clearly have a smashing effect on the listener. The CD may be uneffective to some of you, due to its complete off course trail from the Killers original music, but theres no point in them making CDs if theyre all gna sound exactly the same. The Killers are the most fun and inventive band of our age, and this CD is just proof. There is nothing else to be said besides BRAVO! and BUY IT ON NOVEMBER 25TH!

1. Losing Touch (4)*
2. Human (9)*
3. Spaceman (5)*
4. Joy Ride (6)*
5. A Dustland Fairytale (7)*
6. This Is Your Life (2)*
7. I Can't Stay (3)*
8. Neon Tiger (1)*
9. The World We Live In (8)*
10. Goodnight, Travel Well (10)*

http://www.zshare.net/download/5152417958419413

One Hell of a Headache

Britney Spears - Circus
1.5/5

I'm not going to waste my time explaining this one. It is no where near as good as Blackout and its seriously not worth your money. Only a couple tracks have good value, the rest is garbage. Nice try Britney, but its just too much in one CD.

1. Womanizer *
2. Circus *
3. Out From Under
4. Kill The Lights
5. Shattered Glass
6. If U Seek Amy
7. Unusual You
8. Blur *
9. Mmm Pappi
10. Mannequin
11. Lace & Leather *
12. My Baby
13. Radar (Circus Version) *

The Killers Clips!

HERE ARE ONE MINUTE CLIPS FROM THE YET-TO-BE-RELEASED DAY & AGE FROM THE KILLERS!
SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING SO FAR!


http://www.the-killers.de/cover-creator/

Cooking Up A Boil

David Cook - David Cook

3/5

It's about time David Cook's debut big label CD hit. After winning idol back in May, it seems a little late for it to be hitting shelves on November 18th, so i'm grateful we got it 5 days in advance! The CD is quite upbeat and starts off with a pretty heavy pace. It does slow down a few times, where it is most crucial. For this reason, the track setup is really effective, which can be a huge, crucial portion of the CD if you decide to play in order.
"Declaration" picks up the CD with a fast pace, proclaiming a good radio anthem soon to come. Followed by "Heroes" which is a bit forgettable due to its mediocre sound and dismal effect on the ears, though the lyrics are worthy. The third track is the one we all know "Light On" which succeeds in its pure isolation of Cook's powerful voice range. Then we get the suprisingly relatable (at least to me) "Come Back To Me" whose lyrics are really my current life story, but enough about that, the song also has a good beat and uses a good string of gutair rings by the finish. The 5th track "Life On The Moon" expresses the feelings of loneliness and again allows Cook to shout out his energy in pure musical beauty. This song and "Light On" are too similar to be different. The Injected cover "Bar-ba-sol" comes sixth, and gives the best instrumental dynamics over the whole CD, following Cook's original American Idol cover style. The song sticks out from the rest of the CD due to the playing of the instruments and the suit they fit in Cook's voice. The only shameful fact is that the best song instrumentally was written by someone else. Now, the most powerful vocal range is showcased through the majesty of "Mr. Sensitive", which is truly a great track that is worth a few listens before moving on. Cook sounds outstanding as he belts out the awesome lyrics. The first ballad comes now, and "Lie" is another relatable song which expresses enjoying the last moments of a relationship, and pretending like nothing's wrong. The worst song on the CD rolls on and "I Did It For You" does absolutely nothing for this disc, being forgettable and boring. But the worst track is brought on by the best one. "Avalanche" is clearly the one that will make butterflies soar in your stomach. It is definately going to be Cook's unforgettable track. Then comes "Permanent" which is a stripped and raw ballad about Cook's eldest brother who faces cancer. The song is heartbreaking, yet inspiring. Then it closes with "A Daily Anthem" which is exactly an anthem, but doesn't leave the lasting impression a final song should.
So in the end, it looks as though Cook's amazing talents were held back by the label somewhat. You can tell his freedom here was robbed with some songs, but he breaks free as best as he can. His talent is rising here, and we can guarantee that his next CD will blow everyone away, once he detaches from this label. The training wheels were on here, but they will come off, and that reason gives us hope. For now, we have to listen to this one a few times before we make final judgments.

1. Declaration
2. Heroes
3. Light On
4. Come Back To Me *
5. Life On The Moon
6. Bar-ba-sol *
7. Mr Sensitive *
8. Lie *
9. I Did It For You
10. Avalanche *
11. Permanent *
12. A Daily Anthem

http://rapidshare.com/files/163414019/DC-DC__Mp3_.rar

Worth More Than A Nickel

Nickelback - Dark Horse
4/5

Okay so we all know the usual story. They always sound the same blah blah blah. I have to agree on a small factor there, i mean, this band's style really hasn't changed in the past 10 years and that is just making most of their stuff sound similar and all, but you have to appreciate the fact that these guys can write songs about the same thing over and over again and still get so much money and publicity. It's mind boggling! They boys have released "Dark Horse" (well, they will on Nov 18th) now, and we do see a lot of similarities between the older stuff, but there seems to be a growth, both instrumentally and lyrically. The production value is definately the most outstanding aspect of the CD. This is highlighted through "Burn It To The Ground", "Something In Your Mouth" and "S.E.X" which all rely on heavy beats to fuel their half-ass lyrics. The only downside to this production overload would be "Next Go Round" which promises a catchy chorus, but lacks any power during the verses, at which Krouger's voice is muffled by some stereo effect that is lame and cheap.
However, if we move to songs like "I'd Come For You", "Gotta Be Somebody", "Never Gonna Be Alone" and "If Today Was Your Last Day" the lyrics pick up and there is much more vocal focus. Both these aspects balance the CDs dark and light variables.
And perhaps the best joy of the CD is the last song, "This Afternoon", which some might call country garbage, but is definately my favourite Nickelback song in a while. The song is an acoustic chill out song about friends and hanging out. It don't get more relaxed than that, folks.
Look, with Nickelback, you either hate em or love em, and this CD sure as hell ain't going to change your mind whether you hate them or not, it's another solid effort and lives up to my expectations. BUY YOUR COPY NOVEMBER 18TH!

Track Listing:

1. Something In Your Mouth (6)
2. Burn It To The Ground (4)*
3. Gotta Be Somebody (10)
4. I'd Come For You (2)*
5. Next Go Round (8)
6. Just To Get High (9)
7. Never Gonna Be Alone (3)*
8. Shakin' Hands (5)*
9. S.E.X (11)
10. If Today Was Your Last Day (7)
11. This Afternoon (1)*

Download Link:

http://www.zshare.net/download/51166039d8cd0937/

(copy & paste into browser)

A Hundred Million Suns Don't Shine As Bright As You'd Think

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns
3.5/5

When i recieved "Eyes Open" at Christmas in 2006, i became an immeadiate fan of snow patrol. The CD was fresh, innovative, creative, pulsingly beautiful and amazing. It went down as one of my favourite CDs of 06. So when i heard A Hundred Million Suns was going to hit this month, i was ecstatic. My excitement was a bit over the top, because what we have here is still beautiful, innovative and creative, but lacks any difference from much of Snow Patrol's older music, which should be a good thing. But it feels like i've heard it all before. With that being said, there are still some great moments on the CD worth mentioning. The first four songs are definately among the best on the disc. Crack The Shutters is especially on the top of the list, with its fresh lyrics about seeing the beauty inside of someone. The first single "Take Back The City" was obviously a good choice because it is the fastest on the CD.
The CD does end up being really good on the fourth rotation, but if it takes that long, most people will have put it down by then. Especially on the extremely long "Lightning Strike" which is all of 16 minutes and split into three parts which are all different sounding, so i dont see why they chose to make it one song. However, the first part is really good. Most of the music here is mellow, but the lyrics are definately the outstanding variable in the glory of this album. They are what shine like a hundred million suns and stars (as The Planets Bend Between Us, the greatest song on this cd, states). Especially in the stand out track, Disaster Button, which is definately the most addicting here.
In the end, if your going to purchase the CD, be commited to it for 3 spins and then you'll like it. My impression may have been drowned out by the fact that Funhouse is still rotating in my mind.

1. If There's A Rocket, Tie Me To It
2. Crack the Shutters *
3. Take Back The City
4. Lifeboats *
5. The Golden Floor
6. Please Just Take These Photos From My Hand *
7. Set Down Your Glass
8. The Planets Bend Between Us *
9. Engines
10. Disaster Button *
11. Lightning Strikes
- What If The Storm Ends? *
- Sunlight Through The Flags
- Daybreak

NO DL LINK YET, BE PATIENT.

Get Ready For A Wild Ride

P!nk - Funhouse
4.5/5

P!nk is back with a vengeance! After 2 and a half years of work, Funhouse has finally hit the shelves (or at least been leaked off by a UK stor online)! P!nk recently broke up with her husband who she'd only been married for for 2 years, and you can tell that is where most influence for this came from. Every song here is a constant reminder of love going or gone wrong (except the war fighter, Ave Mary A, which is definately one of the best here). The CD is one of the most lyrically powerful i've ever heard and it clearly is better than most of her other work. She has truly evolved slowly, CD by CD. And though "Try This" would probably be my favourite CD of hers, at least i like every single song on this CD. "Try This" has a little fault with some songs but made up for it with other outstanding stuff. "Funhouse" pretty much defines the word outstanding for the most part. Songs "I Don't Believe You" and "Sober" have no become part of my favourite p!nk songs of all time, and the others are almost just as good. "I Don't Believe You", clearly being the best track overall, has her best lyrics to date and it involves so much relatability to me currently, which is why it is my favourite. Of course, with these power ballads we get some upbeat-i-dont-give-a-flying-shit music with "So What", "Bad Influence" and "Funhouse" which are all original yet similar to P!nk's older music. The next two singles "Sober" and "Please Don't Leave Me" couldn't have been better choices. Let Sober grow on you and i'm sure you'll never stop listening to it. Please Don't Leave Me is just the same, and, now that i hear them in perfect quality, the music on both is fresh and amazing.
This CD can probably boast the least faults of all her others. Only Mean and One Foot Wrong are forgettable, but they will eventualy be in your head after 3 listens.
Overall, Funhouse isn't the most amazingly outstanding CD ever released, but its probably one of the best of the year, and it is one of my favourites in a while and is hardly close to faulting anywhere.

(#) Order of Song's Likeness compared to rest
* Reveiwin the World Pick

1. So What (6)*
2. Sober (2)*
3. I Don't Believe You (1)*
4. One Foot Wrong (11)
5. Please Don't Leave Me (4)*
6. Bad Influence (8)
7. Funhouse (9)
8. Crystal Ball (5)*
9. Mean (12)
10. It's All Your Fault (10)
11. Ave Mary A (3)*
12. Glitter In The Air (7)

http://rapidshare.com/files/154394788/Funhouse.rar
(copy & paste in browser)

Funhouse - CLIPS!

ALRIGHT! The P!nk cd will be ready to drop on October 28th, but stay tuned cause it will leak VERY soon! And here you'll be able to download it!
Here are some clips from the upcoming CD. It's sound AMAZING! Stay Tuned for More!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8SIVRYRJ
(copy & paste into browser)

UPDATE! SCREW THOSE!
30 SECONDS OF EVERY SINGLE SONG LIE RIGHT HERE! ENJOY

http://69.80.255.209/download/20550381841006fe/
(copy & paste into browser)

P!nk Discography (PT.2) (100th POST!)

P!nk - Try This
5/5
Back in 2003, P!nk released "Try This" and the CD's reception wasn't well taken. Well screw those guys! If you know anything about a great CD, this is definately your kind of music. From ballads to upbeat anthems, "Try This" is definately one of the best CDs of the DECADE! The songs are all worth listening to, and certain ones like Tryy Too Hard and Humble Neighbourhoods stick out like sore thumbs because you probably wil play those about 400 times. Her best singles also originated from this disc, so def check it out! Undoubtedly P!nk's best CD, Try This has been around for five years now, but it's here for download now! FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON THIS SITE, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD MUSIC RIGHT HERE! FREE! AND THIS IS HOW IT'S GONNA STAY!

* Reviewin The World Pick

Track Listing:
1. Trouble
2. God is a DJ *
3. Last To Know
4. Tonight's The Night *
5. Oh My God (ft. Peaches)
6. Catch Me While I'm Sleeping
7. Waiting For Love *
8. Save My Life
9. Try Too Hard *
10. Humble Neighbourhoods *
11. Walk Away
12. Unwind
13. Love Song
14. Feel Good Time
15. Hooker

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3HY407BA
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P!nk- I'm Not Dead
4/5
P!nk came back as a hurricane in 2006 with her two best singles (until So What) "Stupid Girls" and "Who Knew", which slaughtered the charts. Both branched from this epic album, whose songs are all memorable. Truly stand-out songs are "I'm Not Dead" and "Nobody Knows", even "Long Way To Happy" and "Cuz I Can" will have u bobbing your head up and down. P!nk came back, and though she couldn't live up to the sound of Try This, this CD is still kick ass!
HERE FOR DOWNLOAD!

* Reviewin The World Pick

Track Listing:
1. Stupid Girls
2. Who Knew *
3. Long Way To Happy *
4. Nobody Knows *
5. Dear Mr. President
6. I'm Not Dead *
7. Cuz I Can
8. Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)
9. U + Ur Hand
10. Runaway
11. The One That Got Away
12. I Got Money Now
13. Conversations with My 13 Year Old Self *
14. Fingers [Bonus Track]
15. I Have Seen The Rain [Hidden Track]

http://rapidshare.com/files/153327974/I_m_Not_Dead.rar.html
(copy & paste into browser)

I'm Back

WOW
i had forgotten the password to update the site and i didn't get the email til this morning! Go figure! Anyway, i'm back in business for my one or two loyal fans! HAHA! Sorry for the delay, a lot of great movies and music was skipped but they'll all be on the side if ur a little late!

Hard Candy takes too much crunching

Madonna - Hard Candy
3/5

Well, well. Madonna is back for her 11th CD. Damn! This girl's accomplished. She's really changed musically over the past-God can't count with enough fingers of-years. Madonna has always had that pop feel. Over the past 5 r 6 years, though, she has adapted a more vibe/pop sound which was catchy but a little scary when she started wearing a yoga suit in all of her videos.
"Hard Candy" is a pretty upbeat CD, just like "Confessions on a Dancefloor", but with a real R&B influence that's believable and enough to make a DJs pickings much easier at the proms this year. The cover of this CD is anything but attractive, and might have to be refrained from looking at by all purchasers (hopefully they put one of those large stickers over her). But, I'm not here to talk about fifty-year-olds posing in lingere and a westling belt; I'm here for the musica!
The loss here is that most of the tracks are forgettable, and that's pretty much Madonna's trade mark. However, each track is worth a dance. That's the real great thing about this CD. Of course, the single "4 Minutes" is the only amazing track on the CD, and that's because whatever Timbaland touches turns to gold. The other good song to look for is "Beat Goes On", which is a flashdance song, but features Kanye West rapping near the end, which adds a cool vibe. Other songs like "Incredible", "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Spanish Lesson" are really diverse and add the spunk to the hard candy.
Overall, not bad, but not enough.

BEST SONGS: Devil Wouldn't Recognize You, 4 Minutes, Spanish Lesson, Voices, Incredible

Ashlee's Bitterness Becomes Sweet!

Ashlee Simpson - Bittersweet World
4/5

Ashlee Simpson was always the little pop princess who followed in the footsteps of her younger sister. Ashlee has always had better music, perhaps because Jessica has no creativity when it comes to making new music. Ashlee's first CD "Autobiography" was a little dull, and full of forgettable bubble-gum pop. When "I Am Me" hit shelves two years later, she prooved that she was a creative and innovative artist. "I Am Me" had some good songs, but Ashlee's singles didn't really fly too high, except for "Boyfriend", which became the most danced-to song of that year.
When Ashlee released "Outta My Head" as her new single, there was lots of controversy. "She copied Gwen Stefani's style" was the most common form of criticism. The song really grew on many people, but some dismissed it, and it became a weak chart-topper, pushing the release of "Bittersweet World", her third LP to a further date. Ashlee went ahead and release "Little Miss Obsessive" which will possbly become the catchiest song this year. Not to mention it takes the voice of Plain White T's lead singer, Tom Higgenson. The single is still climbing up the charts.
On Tuesday, "Bittersweet World" was leaked onto the internet in a wide frenzy, and got many free downloads (whether thats god or not, i have no clue). The CD embarks on a whole new road, Ashlee has pushed herself to make a fun and catchy-as-hell CD which will probably climb up the charts whenits released on April 22nd. The CD has hardly any weak points and is full of fun, dancy and catchy songs. Not to mention, Ashlee's lyrical taste has improved on tracks like "Bittersweet World", "What I've Become", "Never Dream Alone" and the bonus track "Invisible". There is so much content worth listening to in this 11 track disc that you will play it over and over and always bop your head and get up and dance.
Songs like "Hot Stuff", "Murder", "Rule Breaker" and "Outta My Head" show a new side to Ashlee's music. The upbeat and ridiculous musical style is what makes these songs shine and stand out. She has clearly stepped over the line and become an abstract artist of most sorts. Though these songs don't do anything lyrically (maybe "Murder") they will be the ones that catch your ears the first time you listen to the CD.
Some songs stick to Ashlee's old news, which does dumb the album a little (like "Boys"), but the songs aren't like the first CD, so you will still have their catchy beats in your head, but you won't like them as much as the other songs.
If your an old Ashlee fan, maybe you should step away, because theres not much on here for you, but if you're willing to respect her approach on this new sound, than pick up a copy on APRILL 22ND!

VERDICT: Ashlee's broken her old rules and moved into a new shell, right where she belongs.

BEST SONGS (in order):
1. What I've Become
2. Never Dream Alone
3. Bittersweet World
4. Murder
5. Hot Stuff
6. Little Miss Obsessive
7. No Time For Tears
8. Rule Breaker
9. Ragdoll
10. Boys
11. Outta My Head (Let's face it, it got old)

ALSO CHECK THE 4 BONUS TRACKS: Invisible, I'm Out, Can't Have It All & Follow You Wherever You Go (GREAT SONGS)

Back From Hiatus!

I'm sorry for being gone so long, but I'm back to take on 2008s music world! I will have reviews for some of the CDs that i missed and they will take the spots as the Best Albums of the Months.
ENJOY!

Weekly CHECK IT!

Welcome to the Weekly CHECK IT! A new feature that will appear...well...weekly. Basically, i will ask you guys to check the following song, and review it yourselves in the responses at the bottom of this post. This week's Weekly CHECK IT! is...

"Outta My Head (A Ya Ya Ya)" by: Ashlee Simpson.

Okay, so your probably saying WHAT THE F!@# because your probably guaranteed to have heard this song already. The first time i heard this song, i was extremely confused for many reasons. First of all it's Ashlee Simpson singing an electropop dance song. It gets weirder, when you watch the video below :|.
I beg of you not to listen to the song just once. I guarantee you, the second or third time you listen to the song you will be HOOKED! It's a great dance song, but is it really Ashlee Simpson? Confusing Much?
My Review:
3.5/5