Love At First Listen - Parachute's "Under Control" & Jordin Sparks's "Battlefield"

Is Will Anderson the doppelganger of Panic At The Disco's Brendon Urie??

Parachute - Under Control: I anticipate the moment I discover a fresh new band by a slight moment of chance I happen to catch something by ear. This time, I give the credit to Nivea, for allowing a band called Parachute and a few seconds of the first verse of the song "Under Control" to be featured in one of their commercials, for whatever they were trying to sell. What stuck with me were those few lines by a soulful rock voice, accompanied by a simple, repetitive piano melody that instantly clicked with me. I later found out that soulful croon belonged to lead singer Will Anderson, who helped to slowly build the song up to a powerful mid-section of soulful backing vocals echoing and emphasizing parts of the ultra-catchy chorus.

Parachute is a Virginia-based band that has gone through a bit of a reincarnation. They began as Sparky's Flaw, then recently Parachute VA, later dropping the VA for legal reasons. Their major label debut Losing Sleep was recently released on iTunes and will physically hit stores tomorrow(5/19). To me, their sound is reminiscent of early Maroon 5, although Will's vocals are a lot less whiny and their songs sound more earnest than egotistical. I love the fact that they are embracing the aim to appeal to a wider mainstream audience through melody, and this song is a prime example of the kind of music that resonates with many, including myself. **Potential Song of 2009 Contender**

Jordin debuts her latest on the Idol results show last week

Jordin Sparks - Battlefield: The American Idol 2007 winner is back to the fray with her fresh lead single off her yet-unnamed sophomore album due out later this summer. The song is pretty much epic, from the bombastic drumbeats that provide the support throughout the song to Jordin's exasperating, nonetheless cliche, message about love equated with a war zone. It's catchy as heck, with memorable lines like "You better go and get your armor" that can be amusingly misheard as "you better get your drama".

Written by the 'it' songwriter of the moment Ryan Tedder, his signature style is pretty evident on this track and it tailor-made to be embraced by radio. Moments of the song remind me of the haunting vocal of Rihanna's "Umbrella" which was a hit two summers ago. And dare I say this song may very well garner the same distinction as this year's summer jam.

Cover Art Love: The Real You

Although, I don't like judging the content of a book or album by its cover art, I admit that it certainly does help in confirming the awesomeness that is contained within. Case-in-point: The Real You's Better Now Than Never EP. The vibrant green and blue aesthetic of a boy conductor who is orchestrating around the beautiful urban world surrounding him complements the music by the Pacific Northwest-based unsigned band. I loved it so much that I used it as my background paper for my desktop.

I first heard of them from my friend (a.k.a. my musical counterpart) Maricel who witnessed the band open for Lifehouse back last spring at Pipeline. I never really gave them a second thought until I came across their album art and started giving them a listen. I am such a fan of piano-based rock, so I knew I'd enjoy their music from the moment I listened to their melodies. So if you enjoy Keane and Jack's Mannequin, give them a listen, including their song "Unwound"! They will be coming out with a full length debut record very soon.

The Real You's MySpace Page

Loves At First Listen: A couple of Idols and Piano Men

"Smack Into You" - Jon McLaughlin: The song was revealed late last summer by Jon as a sort of preview of what to expect on his sophomore album OK Now, but when it was time for it to hit stores, the song was mysteriously left off the record and months later found on Beyonce's I Am... disc re-titled as "Smash Into You". Despite the odd turn for the song, Jon's earnest croon and piano skills make this a signature tune. And Beyonce's version just doesn't compare to the original. ETA: I just found a fan-made duet of a mash-up of both versions and it actually sounds great. And I take back what I said about Beyonce. Both of their voices go so well together that they should actually get together and release an official duet. It would be a huge hit!

"Don't Let Me Stop You" - Kelly Clarkson: Although "I Do Not Hook Up" is slated to be the second official single release off All I Ever Wanted, this catchy pop rock song is a clear standout with mega hit potential. The first introductory chords are very reminscent of "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and the song veers into classic KC Breakaway-era style as she scornfully kisses off a lover who cannot commit. I had this one on repeat.

"Boy Meets Girl - Evan Taubenfeld: I love songs that references big 80s arena rock bands and songs in a modern-day pop song. It is a surefire way to get a hit, and this former Avril Lavigne guitarist-turned-singer-songwriter may very well get his with this anthemic ode to love from a rockers' P.O.V. Minus points for pronouncing Tupac's name as "two-pack", though.

"You Found Me" - Matt Giraud: Okay, so I have not completely abandoned this show. IMHO, Matt and Allison Iraheta (and maybe Adam Lambert) are the only two contestants left who have the greatest potential to have successful post-Idol recording careers. Take Matt's effortless studio cover of The Fray's current hit which previews how fantastic his raspy/soulful vocals sound on a record.

**This is a re-post. I have no idea how or why the original entry was deleted, but it was, and now it's back. Thanks!**

Fresh Band Love - Aranda - All I Ever Wanted

So I couldn't help but give a listen to a leak of Kelly Clarkson's newest album All I Ever Wanted, thanks to the iTunes Norway store, and did a little digging to find out a good handful of the songs on the disc are covers from other artists and bands: two songs came from Katy Perry's abandoned debut rock album ("Long Shot" and Kelly's second single "I Do Not Hook Up") and another two songs came from a little-known indie rock band by the name of Aranda. The band lent Kelly two songs from their eponymous 2008 disc: the eventual title track "All I Ever Wanted" and the rock headbanger "Whyyawannabringmedown". Kelly's versions, thankfully, strayed very little from the originals, in terms of melodies and vocals. The instant I heard Kelly's version of "All I Ever Wanted", my curiosity lead me to learn more about this band.

Aranda is a Oklahoma-based band, consisting of brothers Dameon and Gabe Aranda. Upon hearing a bit of their live performances on YouTube, they create a very distinct musical sound that defies singular musical classification. Namely, "All I Ever Wanted" is a shining example of the band's best sound, as it infuses rock with a little bit of funk and sung with an ample amount of soul. Then there are straight-up rock songs like "Still In The Dark" and the aforementioned "Whyyawannabringmedown", raspy soul on "It Ain't Easy", a brief country appearance on "Hooked On You" and southern blues on "Testify" and "Another Day".

BUY Aranda's album HERE!

Collectively, the songs amazingly work well together as it stands as a testament to the band's love for different styles of music and how they are able to compliment those sounds to their fantastic vocals. It is no wonder why such a popular mainstream artist like Kelly Clarkson and TPTB felt confident with Aranda's songs having pop sensibility and crossover appeal. Anyway, I hope this band goes very far from this exposure, as they will finally deserve some recognition for their fantastic songs.

Love At First Listen - Valencia's "Where Did You Go?"

Let me formally introduce you to Valencia. I've never been to any of their shows (although I would love to) but they are a band that I have been digging since I got a hold of their music. This relatively young quintet started out in 2004 and were originally on indie label I Surrender and now has a home on the major label turf of Columbia.

The band: Shane Henderson (vocals, top left), JD Perry (guitar, top middle), and George Ciukurescu (bass, bottom left) are 23, Brendan Walter (guitar, top right) is 22, and the elder statesman of the group is (Filipino/Pinoy!) 26-year-old drummer Maxim Loria (bottom right).

I've listened to a good chunk of pop-punk bands and so I can't fathom how a band as good as Valencia managed to escape my ears last year as they released their remarkable sophomore album (and major label debut) We All Need A Reason To Believe late last summer. I guess it is a case of sooner rather than later, since the album is full of pop-punk gems that are reminiscent of another Philadelphia band's latest album -- The Starting Line's Direction. Like the latter, the former is full of thoughtfully-written lyrics, wrought with emotion, and brought to full-force impact through anthemic rock choruses and power melodies.

Aside from my first love of "Free", the end trak on WANARTB, I gave Valencia's latest single, "Where Did You Go?" a listen and instantly found it as a track I could literally listen on a loop for a month. It is that powerful.

The song's message is indicative of the general themes of WANARTB: maturation, reflection, and mourning. In interpreting the song's lyrics, Shane tells the story of a man who is coping with the difficult end of a relationship. I later learned that Shane's girlfriend was killed in an accident in 2006 so this revelation does enhance the meaning of the song as the subject mourns the loss of his lover with his last words to her:

And it feels like this is the last chance I have to say every word that I've been fighting / Well, I have finally decided to hold my head up with pride and accept the way life takes you through these changes / 'Cause when you reach the stars, you've made it

Max's drumming throughout the song, the crunching guitars, and Shane's vocals all contribute to the song's message in the chorus: I get a little down on myself but when you came around, my whole world felt new / I opened up my eyes to the light and I saw deep inside of a love I felt was true / And if I ever let you go, I'm hoping that some time will show / That you're the one, You're the one for me

Check out their video, in which the band pays tribute to their hometown of Philly. The video may look low-budget (which makes me question the amount of money Columbia actually invested in promoting this band, alas I digress) but the song and this amazing band far makes up for it.

I've been taken over by 'The Fear'

I am not a fan of Lily Allen.

That being said, I have fallen in aural love with her latest song, "The Fear". I love it so much, it has been on non-stop repeat on my iTunes player since my discovery yesterday. Released as the first single off her sophomore album, It's Not Me, It's You, the sassy Brit has really captured my attention with a very synth heavy, hypnotic beat and lyrics so profound and acerbic about the consequences of celebrity and wealth. It is delivered in such a blasé way -- what I usually dislike about Lily's music -- but it works so well here.

Lyrics:
I want to be rich and I want lots of money
I don't care about clever, I don't care about funny
I want loads of clothes and fuck loads of diamonds
I heard people die while they're trying to find them
And I'll take my clothes off and it will be shameless
'Cause everyone knows that's how you get famous
I'll look at the sun and I'll look in the mirror
I'm on the right track, yeah I'm on to a winner

I don't know what's right and what's real anymore
And I don't know how I'm meant to feel anymore
When do you think it will all become clear?
'Cause I'm being taken over by The Fear

Life's about film stars and less about mothers
It's all about fast cars and cussing each other
But it doesn't matter 'cause I'm packing plastic
And that's what makes my life so fucking fantastic
And I am a weapon of massive consumption
And it's not my fault, it's how I'm programmed to function
I'll look at the sun and I'll look in the mirror
I'm on the right track, yeah we're on to a winner

I don't know what's right and what's real anymore
And I don't know how I'm meant to feel anymore
When do you think it will all become clear?
'Cause I'm being taken over by The Fear

Forget about guns and forget ammunition
'Cause I'm killing 'em all on my own little mission
Now I'm not a saint, but I'm not a sinner
Now everything's cool as long as I'm getting thinner

I don't know what's right and what's real anymore
And I don't know how I'm meant to feel anymore
When do you think it will all become clear?
'Cause I'm being taken over by The Fear

In addition to amusing lyrics, the video is another highlight, in which Lily starts off in a trailer in the middle of a (presumably English) field and ends up in a elegant mansion full of cupcakes, dancing presents, and male servants skipping and gliding in unison.

Love At First Listen: I Nine - "Don't Wanna"

I Nine - Don't Wanna
Mmm...Starbucks

The native South Carolinian band I Nine released the infectious pop rock song "Seven Days of Lonely" last year and its current single is "If This Room Could Move". However, the one song off their debut album Heavy Weighs The King that instantly hooked me in is the track "Don't Wanna", a potential next hit. It has already received some airplay on ABC's fall show promos. The band, led by female vocalist Carmen Keigans, delivers another anthemic plea about self-respect and unwillingness to compromise or change.

And support I Nine. Their album is available for digital download on iTunes

Love At First Listen: Nada Surf - "Beautiful Beat"

Nada Surf - Beautiful Beat

I. LOVE. THIS. SONG.

So I was in Starbucks a couple of weeks ago when this song first played on the store's satellite radio player and it sounded like Nada Surf. The music caught my attention immediately and lo and behold, it was Nada Surf's "Beautiful Beat" off their latest album Lucky. I have been quite a fan of the band since seeing them headline a concert at the Fillmore back in 2006. "Beautiful Beat" follows in the great tradition of catchy epic Nada Surf songs such as "Always Love" and "Concrete Bed".

On top of a hypnotic beat that trudges along in the song's entirety, the chorus is rich with strings and an instantly memorable melody of: "Beautiful beat, get my out of this mess // Beautiful beat, lift me up from distress..." The song's message is both heartbreaking, inspiring, and instantly relatable. Who hasn't had a bad day and the only thing that can console and comfort you is music? I know I've certainly had a few of those recently.

Save yourself a trip to the therapist and listen to their truly beautiful beat.