Artist: Black Gold
Album: Rush
Red Bull Records

Black Gold’s album “Rush” is almost like a cross between MGMT and Phoenix’s new album “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” yet has that new “Indie” music vibe to it. I myself really, really enjoyed this. If you like that genre of music, and basically anything that YouTube phenom Mitchell Davis (LIVELAVALIVE) puts in his artsy videos then you’ll love this.

Artist: Lisa Hannigan
Album: Sea Sew
ATO Records

Lisa Hannigan went from performing her songs in a little pub in Dublin, Ireland, to singing her single “I Don’t Know” to millions of television viewers on the Colbert Report, bumping her to a number 12 spot on the iTunes chart. Although I’m not into acoustic, folksy solo artists, I can see why Stephen Colbert loves her music so much: she’s definitely got some talent and catchy lyrics. If A Fine Frenzy and Vanessa Carlton morphed together, Lisa Hannigan would be the result. I suggest listening to this song on one of “those days” where nothing goes right, its pouring rain outside and you could really use a pick-me-up song. Or if you never have days like that, and you’re life is full of sunshine and happy days, you can listen to it too. 🙂

Artist: Neil Nathan
Album: Songsmiths
Pirate Vinyl

There’s nothing I love more than a band covering a song completely outside their genre. Doesn’t matter whether it’s an acoustic version or full of synthesizers and electric guitars; if it’s good, then I love it. But there are those few artists out there that just, well, fail at covering a song. There is nothing more disappointing then hearing a really good song is butchered by someone else. This is sadly the case with Neil Nathan’s cover of Electric Light Orchestra’s “Do Ya.” Electric Light Orchestra is a successful, well-known 1970’s band responsible for the album “Xanadu,” which became a feature film and a Broadway play. Nathan’s cover was hardly anything worth calling “good.” It was weak and hardly lived up to ELO’s original composition what so ever. The second song on this album (“Do Ya” cover being the first) also had a guitar cover of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” throughout the whole song. It was equally as disappointing. I’ve heard some classical compositions preformed on the guitar, like the infamous Canon in D, written by Pachelbel, cover that’s all over YouTube, and to ruin Electric Light Orchestra AND Beethoven is too much for me.

Artist: Pop Evil
Album: Lipstick on the Mirror
Universal Republic Records

I’m definitely not a traditional alternative rock kind of girl, that would be my mother, but I can say that I do have a great appreciation for the genre. Pop Evil, who definitely give off that “I hate Pop/Rock (Pop Evil?) Music, so screw you” feel, sound like they should be playing at Buzz Bake Sale and be on my mother’s iPod. They do have a ways to go in the industry, and I have heard better things then this, but have so much potential. Every band can start of their album with a hardcore scream and thrashing guitars (as did Pop Evil…), but how many actually have a few buzz ballads? And by a few, I mean around four. And each one is worth the listen. I really enjoyed this album, and if you like bands like Disturbed, then you’ll like Pop Evil too.