Album Review TV TOP 15 ALBUMS 2012

15. "Threads" - Now,Now
14. "Aloha Moon" - Magic Wands
13. "All American" - Hoodie Allen
12. "Southern Air" - Yellowcard"
11. "Some Nights" - Fun.
10. "The 2nd Law" - Muse
9. "TRE!" - Green Day
8. "Blunderbuss" - Jack White
7. "Days Go By" - The Offspring"
6. "The Midsummer Station" - Owl City
5. "DOS!" - Green Day
4. "El Camino" - The Black Keys
3. "UNO!" - Green Day
2. "Living Things" - Linkin Park
1. "Don't Panic" - All Time Low

#NowPlaying 4/16/12

Time to spill the beans on what I've been listening to lately. Couple of great brand new songs as well,lets do this!! 

First up is the BRAND NEW Linkin Park single from their upcoming album "Living Things" due out 6/26. The song is called "Burn It Down", and I love it! The lyrics feel much more like their older work, while combining in the electronic sound they found on "A Thousand Suns".  Everything about the song is really great, and honestly I can't stop listening to it. The overall sound and feel is great, I love the lyrics, and Mike's rap verse is perfect. Chester kills it on vocals as always, and it sounds like the new album is gonna be much better than ATS!
 RATING:5/5

Neon Trees just released their new album "Picture Show", and while I have mixed feelings about the album as a whole, their are some good tracks on it! My pick for the week is "I Am The DJ". Its chorus is super catchy, and the song is well written.
RATING: 4.5/5

Jack White is also about to release an album called "Blunderbuss". It's his first solo album, and my pick for the week from this is the song "Sixteen Saltines". This supercharged garage rock jam is the best on the album, and the most White Stripes sounding. The lyrics are random and crazy, and the fast pace and guitar heavy song drives home one of the best songs of White's career.
RATING: 5/5

The brand new Maroon 5 single "Payphone" (feat. Wiz Khalifa) was just released as the lead single off of the upcoming album also due out June 26. I love this song, even though the band has adopted a shamelessly poppy sound, in order to guarantee record sales. Sadly, that seems to be what the band is focused on (selling records and singles and doing whatever they can to achieve these sales). In order to get the big commercial response they want, they added in a rap verse from Wiz, in what is definitely and unneeded  addition to an already good song. I like the song as a whole minus the rap verse, and Levine's vocal performance is wonderful as usual. This single is sure to keep the band in the mainstream.
RATING: 4.5/5

"Strange Attractor" by Animal Kingdom is up next on the list. I came across it while browsing music on YouTube. The band, in this song at least, remind me of the vibe I get while Listening to one of my favorite bands The Naked and Famous, while at the same time, being totally different. This jam is mellow at times, with an awesome chorus full of reverb. Look for this band to shoot up to indie stardom.
 RATING: 4.75/5

Speaking of indie bands, I recently saw an awesome one called Now,Now in concert. They opened for TNAF, and I even got to hang out with them a little but after the show. Their sound really captured my attention, with their guitar breakdowns and distinct bass grooves. My song for the week by them is "Prehistoric", which is in my opinion, the best on the album. The lyrics, as are the ones on all of the albums tracks, are open and honest.
RATING: 4.75/5

Jason Mraz is about to release his new album "Love Is A 4 Letter Word", and the album was preceded by a few singles. My favorite out of the singles is "Everything Is Sound". The song is incredibly upbeat and positive, and will almost certainly lift your spirits! In my opinion, its his best since his huge hit "I'm Yours". Could be a big summer hit.
RATING: 4.5/5

My last pick for this time is the song that is possibly my favorite of 2012 so far. Its called "No Interruption" by indie rapper Hoodie Allen. His flow on this track is impeccable, and the lyrics are very smart and carefully crafted. The bass is shaking, the beat is bouncing, theres nothing not to love about this song. Be sure to check out his new EP called "All American". 


Until next time guys...rock on? Or something like that.


-Jon of Album Review TV.

Hoodie Allen - "All American" (ALBUM REVIEW)

Hey guys,I haven't done a review on my blog in a little while,so here we go!

Hoodie Allen, aka Steven Markowitz, (yeah,he was raised Jewish), is undeniably growing his credibility and popularity as a hip hop artist. Hoodie has released 3 mixtapes, and 2 EP's so far as an unsigned artist. And the EP I'm reviewing today (which could have been released as a full length in my opinion) is his best work to date. 

On this EP, Hoodie decided to stop using borrowed beats and samples, and created his own beats from scratch with his producer.The former Google employee pulls out all the bells and whistles on this album, with production and lyricism. The rhymes are smart and witty, and his singing skills are showcased on the EP as well. The reason Hoodie is a gamechanger is because he doesn't rap and sing about what everyone else does constantly. Sure, he could probably right 50 songs about smoking weed,partying,and banging every girl because he's famous, but he doesn't. He writes tracks about things that actually happen in real life, things that most people go through.

His music is easily accessible, fun at times, and honest. Like I said, the smart lyrics are what really drew me into Hoodie's music. That,and his use of piano and keyboard in alot of his songs. The chorus on "No Faith In Brooklyn" and "High Again" are truly incredible.Plus there's alot of nicely inserted pop culture references in the songs (such as mentions of Lana Del Rey, Kourtney Kardashian, and an allusion to Mac Miller)

Ok,so what are the best tracks on the album? (I know that's what your thinking,don't lie) I heard the EP's single "No Interruption" first, and to this day it still amazes me when I hear it. Its the best song of 2012 so far in my opinion. The lyrics are truly amazing, and the production and booming bass simply add to the wonderful spirit of this track, which is truly the best on the album. So many lyrics from that track I want to quote,but I'll stop myself. Other favorites are "No Faith In Brooklyn", "Eighteen Cool", "Lucky Man", and "Top of the World".

But honestly,you need to listen to the whole EP to get the full feeling that Hoodie is sending out. Please guys,check this out,some of his mextapes are available for free! I'll even put a link to download "Leap Year" for free at the bottom of this post.

I love this EP guys,and this is coming from a guy who isn't a big fan of rap or hip-hop. Hoodie Allen has made me realize that this genre can still have credibility, when it comes to lyrics. What do you guys think? Heard it? Like it? Let me know. I'll be doing a video review on YouTube.com/AlbumReviewTV very soon, stay tuned. Thanks for reading.

Overall Rating: 4.9/5

-Jon

Link to download Leap Year Free: http://youtu.be/-mKejQ4oNAI (Click the link in the video description and the download will start)