Mariah Carey - The Ballads

Mariah Carey
The Ballads
(Columbia)
Reviewed By: Chelsea Schwartz

Finally a Mariah Carey collection that takes you back to the days when Mariah ruled, especially for those of us who grew up going to Bar & Bat Mitzvah's where all the best slow dance songs came from the lovely and talented songstress. And if you're anything like me, you never bothered to pick up a Mariah Carey album while growing up because you couldn't decide which one to buy first! Well brothers and sisters, the solution has finally appeared with the release of The Ballads. (read more)

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Von Iva - Girls on Film

Von Iva
Girls On Film
(INgrooves)
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

Until recently there was thought that there's to be little to be found in the soul of a punk aside from safety pins and dated zines. But with the evolution of bands like the Gossip and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs into acts fit for mainstream consumption, the world of music has found a lush and dance-able electro soulfulness in select punk divas. San Francisco's Von Iva epitomizes this pastiche of sounds with a sincerity and authenticity previously unknown.

The sound of Girls on Film, Von Iva's third release, can only be described as mirror balls shattering under Chuck Taylors. "Livin for It" and "Electricity" are fit to be anthems for rainbow-flavored dance clubs around the world, "Guise" combines the attitude of Max's Kansas City with the musicality of Studio 54, and "Birds of Prey" is the sound of a brassy and sassy brand of feminist eroticism. Von Iva are the perfect example of the kind of girls who are not only elegantly and fashionably out of your league, but who could also beat your ass on and off the dance floor without breaking a sweat or devaluing their designer kicks.

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Naimah's Top 5 of 2008

Just realized we never got Naimah's Top 5 list up, so here it is. Better late than never.

5. Adele - 19
This lady has so much soul! Enough that I feel as though I could croon just as well as she does, even if it's just in the car. Of course what I do pales in comparison to her lovely voice, but you can't blame me for trying.

4. John Mayer - Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles
With this release John Mayer allows fans new and old to experience every aspect of his sound. From his days of solo acoustic shows in Atlanta, his pop music that got him into the public eye, the jazz outlet of the John Mayer Trio, and lastly the full band sound of his singer/songwriter style.

3. Panic at the Disco - Pretty Odd
This was a total surprise to me. The theatrics of what PATD do is still present. What they've done is to round out their sound to make the focus be not so much what happens around them, but what it is they have to say. Their lyrics are still as strong and as confident as ever.

2. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
I'll admit that I was late to the Death Cab party and yet I can hear a change occurring for their last album to Narrow Stairs. This is their most cohesive work to date. Each song relates perfectly to the next, a thirty-somethings life.

1. Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow: A Musical
I ADORE this album... and band! Now repeat that 1,000 times fast. This album is a story of love, passion, and fate. I listened to this 6 times in a row after opening it... did I mention that I ADORE this album?

Longwave - Shining Hours

Longwave recently released their 4th studio album, Secrets are Sinister. Check out their new music video:



And check them out on tour OK Go starting March 8th.

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