From English singer/songwriter Kate Nash's upcoming album, My Best Friend Is You, comes the flagship single Do Wah Doo (out April 12th). It's a fun pop track that talks about a guy choosing a "not so nice" girl over Nash, saying that she'll "just read a book instead" knowing that "you think she’s first". The setting for the video is in the late 50's, and Nash, a stewardess, is in love with her coworker who often ignores her. The dance bits (or what seems like a go at it) in the video didn't really connect, but I find these parts rather amusing. Turbulence occurs, they get thrown at each other, they kiss, the end.

Tristan Clopet means business in his second EP, entitled Purple. This six-track EP packs quite a punch, leaving us wanting for a full album. In a short span of 24 minutes, Purple tells us the musical direction Tristan is headed, and that he takes his art seriously (as it should be). To make this entry long, here's a track by track analysis of Purple.

It opens with a typical rockstar, sort-of Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute track, Proximity Bomb. Although lyrically inept, Proximity Bomb is practically tailored for concerts, with the imagined crowd incessantly shouting "PROXIMITY BOMB! PROXIMITY BOMB!"

So Alive, Clopet's new single, sounds very commercial. Commercial, in the sense that 'this is what the mainstream rock scene ought to be listening to'. This song easily reminds me of U2, what with its chorus and the way Clopet prolongs the words "so alive".

Starting off with what seems like rapping, Ethereal Evidence is another track that is reminiscent of Chili Peppers. The resemblance of this tune to the material of Chili Peppers is quite uncanny, and that in itself suggests his lack of originality.

Superficiality Is A Sin best showcases Clopet's great guitar skills and his musical bearing. For me, this is the song that conveys the perspective he's coming from, and where he ought to go.

I applaud Clopet's ability to create beautiful guitar instrumentals in Love And A Question. One of the more soulful songs in the EP, Clopet says, "I got love and a question, one thing I never knew is what I was to you, can you hear me?" This by far is my favorite track from the EP.

Black Panther Party takes another stab at rap, and in my opinion, comes through as too poetic ("With every chemical dependency you take a piece of me. Never do your actions not effect the faction") . It sounds like a rather bad B-side and a really awful album ender.

Tristan Clopet has a lot of work to do as an aspiring artist, but he's on the right track with songs like So Alive and Love And A Question. Purple comes off as one of those albums you've definitely heard before with its similarities to more eminent artists. Clopet has the creativity to produce original tracks, he just has to find it within him.

Four years after Back to Basics, Christina Aguilera is ready to conquer the charts once again with Not Myself Tonight, the lead single from her upcoming album Bionic. Written by Ester Dean (Drop It Low) and produced by Polow da Don (Forever, Patron Tequila), no wonder Not Myself Tonight sounds like an absolute club smash. It even has the same "1,2,3,4!" as Chris Brown's Forever. I was hoping for more 'touchy-feely' tracks like Hurt. Not Myself Tonight is great as a song, but I don't see it as THE single after her hiatus. Xtina described Bionic as something "completely different" from her past LPs. Well, whatever the outcome of this record is, her undeniable vocal ability is sure to show.

Well, that's a mouthful. One Touch (Do You Want a Candy?), the third single for British duo Mini Viva is set to be released on May 3rd. I've featured the 60-second clip as Song of the Day, and the full track does not disappoint. It is as brilliant as it ought to be, but the video is not up to par with the song and even with its predecessors, I Wish and Left My Heart In Tokyo. WELL ANYWAY, here's the video (prepare yourself for spasmic colours and boggling dance moves. AND CANDY.).

A six-time ARIA award winner, Aussie singer/songwriter Gabriella Cilmi wowed us all when she released Sweet About Me, her debut single back when she was sixteen, and has been dubbed as "the next Amy Winehouse" by the critics. Two years later comes On A Mission, the flagship for Ten, her sophomore album.

Ten proves to be an experimental album, with the first three tracks sounding completely different from her Lessons to be Learned LP. Cilmi ventures into more dance-y, electro vibes with songs like On A Mission, Hearts Don't Lie, and Superhot.

Like her previous record, Ten has a mature sound for a girl at such an age. The only distinct connections between the two albums are Cilmi's impressive vocals and songs like Love Me Cos You Want To, Defenders, Glue, and Superman. Individually, the tracks are above average, but there seems to be a lack of uniformity amongst them, e.g. Defenders and On A Mission sound like two different artists with the same vocal ability. The only track I'm quite disappointed with is What If You Knew due to its weak chorus. Let Me Know and Superman best demonstrate the Amy Winehouse-like resemblance of Gabriella Cilmi.

All in all, Ten is an album worth listening to. There are many dimensions to it, which can confuse us in Cilmi's preferred type of music, but the tracks make up for it in quality and pure pop goodness.

From quirky little songstrel Diana Vickers' album Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree comes one of the most promising pop songs I've heard in a LONG while. The Boy Who Murdered Love is already promising enough as a title, and the song lives up to it. Like Once, The Boy Who Murdered Love is an uptempo track that's bound to make you hit that replay button (I admit to playing it more than five times). The fantastic arrangement and the lyrics can satisfy a wide variety of musical palettes and it is certainly no album filler. In a word, AMAZING.

So here's a teaser for you (studio version, of course):





The full song is very, very good.

Songs About Jane (2002) remains the better of their two EPs. It comes through as a sol id effort from the band and delivers a blues/soul sound that's easy on the ears. Lyrically, Songs About Jane is impressive and heartfelt. THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is what a proper pop band should sound like.

After their not as successful album It Won't Be Soon Before Long (2006), Maroon 5 has been missing from the charts and radio waves. The sophomore album lacks the soul and depth of Songs About Jane, and sounds as if it has been put together haphazardly.

So where are they now?

Ever since 2008, Maroon 5 has been working on their third album, entitled Hands All Over. Adam Levine says (from Rolling Stone):

This is more like our debut. We're less interested in moving the machine and more concerned with writing music naturally.

If this album becomes a success, then their "concern with writing music naturally" will actually be "moving the machine". Confirmed tracks from the album are 'I Can't Lie', 'Out of Goodbyes', and 'Give a Little More'.

Being the Critic's Choice Awardee at the 2010 Brits Awards, Lights, the debut LP of English singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding, faced high expectations even before its release. Goulding, who also topped the BBC Sound of 2010 poll, showed much potential with lead single Under the Sheets, followed by another fantastic single, Starry Eyed, garnering the attentions of many a critic.

The sound of the 36-minute album is consistent, the use of synthesizers appropriate. Lights is a quirky pop compilation molded to fit the mainstream scene. The vocals of Goulding showcases a tone slightly similar to Florence + the Machine, Little Boots, La Roux, and most recently 2008 X Factor contestant Diana Vickers.

Standout tracks in the LP include This Love (Will Be Your Downfall), which could easily be the next single with its beguiling chorus. The Writer is another commendable track, led by piano and quite a heartwrencher. The opener, Guns and Horses, also does not disappoint. The acoustic intro is hypnotizing, and the whole track follows suit.

All in all, a great debut effort from the indie label artist. Though still distant to the fame of artists such as Lady Gaga, Goulding is presenting a new side to pop. By combining synthesizers, acoustics, piano, and gold dust, Ellie Goulding is definitely an artist to watch out for.