Batson's Blog

Fall Out Boy returned this year with an entirely new album ( Save Rock and Roll ) full of tracks that have the kind of energy only they can provide. Their second single -- "Alone Together" – is picking up some traction after “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark” peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Their album is full of energetic rock and roll. They branch out in some ways, but stick to their roots on every track. Here’s the track-by-track review: The Phoenix This one kicks off the album. It’s a good start. It’s got lots of high impact beats and some good vocals. It’s the kind of song one would expect from Fall Out Boy. The fast-paced music and high-impact drums kick in right away. After a short bit of soft-spoken words, the chorus kicks in: "Hey young blood Doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix" Very good track. It wouldn't be my...

Jennifer Nettles is going solo. So long to Sugarland and hello to new adventures. When I heard that Nettles was going solo, I was excited. She has great range and a charming twang to her vocals. I always find it funny when a singer, who is pretty much the main singer, or only singer of the group, goes solo – like Gwen Stefani, Rob Thomas, Justin Timberlake and Beyonce. They were pretty much singing 85% of the songs they churned out anyway. I assumed we’d be getting some of the same kind of music from Nettles that we got from Sugarland. Now I’m not so sure. Nettles debuted her new song -- "That Girl" -- almost two weeks ago on Good Morning America and it was....different. It’s described as a follow-up, of sorts, to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” It's not the catchiest of songs, but I do like it.

Congrats to Pink and Nate Ruess on the success of "Just Give Me A Reason." It was dethroned by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us," but Pink and Ruess' collaboration was number one for three weeks in a row. Time for a little bragging now. When I reviewed The Truth About Love , I pointed out that "Just Give Me A Reason" was a song worth some serious radio play: "Just Give Me A Reason – It’s an incredible song – exactly what you’d expect in a collaboration between Nate Ruess, the lead vocalist of fun., and Pink. I didn’t even know Nate Ruess’ name before I Googled it to write this review, but I knew, right off, that it was ‘the guy from fun.’ when I heard him chime in on this track. I’m hoping this one hits the radio because I think it’d do really well. Let’s hope those in charge strike while the iron is hot and fun. is popular. Once again, it's something totally different from what Pink usually delivers." Nice to ...

Whatever magic Pitbull had over the past few years, it’s not present on his Global Warming album . He used to be different. He was unique when he first got mainstream radio play in the U.S. His Spanish accent, his signature phrases (lots of ayeeee's and dale's), and the fun vibe that infectiously spread threw the speakers. It’s all there on Global Warming , but so are the same stories he rapped about before. There’s only so many times you can hear Pitbull rap about making money, getting ladies (having one night stands and threesomes) and overcoming the odds before it becomes borderline gloating. He’d have you believe he’s got a lot of street credibility, rapping about his experiences selling drugs (but never expounding past a lyric or two), yet he throws out a line like this: “I break down companies with all my peeps.” That’ll up the cred for sho’. He’d better get some new material because his act is tired and worn out. Truthfully it was getting that way befor...

Happiness for the heart. That’s what Kelly Clarkson’s collaboration with Vince Gill on "Don’t Rush" is. It’s kind of a jazzy-country little tune. It conjures up images of blue skies and sunshine while driving down a two-lane road, top down, mid-afternoon, without a care in the world. When I saw the track listing for Kelly Clarkson’s greatest hits album, I was skeptical at how a collaboration with Vince Gill would turn out. While other pop stars like Christina Aguilera and P!nk are doing collaborations with Cee Lo Green and Nate Russ , Clarkson continues to keep one foot (or at least a few toes) planted in the country genre. Much like her duet with Jason Aldean last year, this new collaboration was successful. Kelly Clarkson’s voice has become one of the most recognizable on the radio since she won American Idol a decade ago, but her versatility is truly underrated. She can sing any song from any era and make it damn good. Kelly’s performance alongside Vince a...

I’m behind the times on this one, but it was just a couple of weeks ago that I was listening to the radio and I had to do a double take. I heard a song that sounded eerily similar to the song that played on the trailer for Where The Wild Things Are . Logic told me this wasn’t possible. The song used in the trailer wasn’t one that got radio play when the movie was actually out in the theatres, so why would it be on the radio now? The song was called “Home.” Upon listening to it a few more times it doesn’t sound all that much like the Where The Wild Things Are them. It also doesn’t sound like anything else that is on the radio right now, so it was easy to take notice of. It turns out the song was by a guy named Phil Phillips . Thankfully the radio personality clued me in to who he was because I had no idea. He’s the latest winner of American Idol. I caught bits and pieces of the season that Scotty McCreery won, but I didn’t see any of last season. I guess "Ho...

The day finally arrived. Pink’s new album dropped. It’s been four years since she came out with a new album, though it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. Maybe it’s because she had a couple pieces of new work on her Greatest Hits….So Far!!! album just two years ago. Like most artists these days, Pink pulls from a lot of different genres and musical styles, creating an interesting amalgam of sounds on The Truth About Love . A lot has changed since Pink last wrote new music. She and her husband, Carey Hart, put their marriage back together. Pink had a baby. Her life has changed and so has her music. It’s still pop rock with an edge of wild and crazy. There’s less swearing, though. There’s not a lot of angst in this album. There’s not a bunch of heartbreak either. It’s every bit as enjoyable as her previous work, but it seems like Pink has less to prove on this album. While I wish her Katy Perry-like success with her upcoming singles, I’m not sure she’ll get multi...

Driving home the other night I heard Pink’s new song: Blow Me (One Last Kiss) . Turns out it’s already a few weeks old. I must’ve been living under a rock because I’m a big fan of Pink . I was never a huge fan of Can’t Take Me Home , but the catchy singles off M!ssundaztood caught my attention. Then I got hooked with the highly underrated Try This . I now own all of her albums. So anyway, I’m driving home, and I hear a new Pink song playing. After I got over the ‘WTF?! When did this happen?’ shock, I cranked the volume and started listening. I haven’t bought it on iTunes (I’ll just wait for the album in September ), but I have been contributing a significant amount of views to her lyric video on YouTube. I can’t say it’s my favorite Pink song ever, but there’s nothing wrong with the song and, after a couple of listens, it does become quite addictive. The song kicks off with a nice techno/dance feel. It’s very reminiscent of Modest Mouse’s Float On actually. Once P...