Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy

3 stars out of 5

The song was alright. It was a bit slow, and the lyrics weren’t particularly interesting. The video was so awkward, though. It starts off as men in black suits dancing in a snowstorm, although I’m not even entirely sure if that’s what they’re doing. Then they turn into chalky skeletons who gain their body parts. How weird is that?

Nothing to Worry About – Peter Bjorn and John

2 stars out of 5

This is a video with Asian greasers – yeah, you heard me, asian greasers. It’s a little weird, because their dancing is unusual, and the song is not very catchy. But it is so funny to watch.

Their dancing, or what many may think of merely as “random movements,” are all synchronized, yet it’s a bit awkward. The song wasn’t very catchy, the beat wasn’t strong, and the singing wasn’t really something to listen to.

I seriously can’t believe people actually were willing to pay for this. (No wonder we’re in a global recession.) Sure, to laugh to, it’s pretty nice, but past that, not really. The majority of people who wrote reviews on the song were evenly mixed, the majority of people gave the song either 1 star or 5 stars out of 5, the next biggest majority gave it 2 stars or 4 stars, and the minority gave it 3 stars. It’s pretty funny how that works out.

To watch the music video, go to http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=peter%20bjorn%20and%20john%20nothing%20to%20worry%20about&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iv#

4'33" - John Cage

2 stars out of 5

THIS IS UNBELIEVEABLE!! As in unbelievably weird. Is silence music? Well, you tell me. This “song” is not even a song: John Cage, a modernist composer, wrote this short piano piece in 1952 (why are they selling it now?). The song instructs the piano soloist not to play any notes at all; the only sound you hear is by the audience and their surroundings. No wonder iTunes gives it out for free.

There is a huge argument over whether or not this counts as music, making it one of the most famous and controversial compositions of Cage’s career. ITunes says, “even when there’s apparently nothing present to make a sound, you can always hear something if you listen hard enough.” Well, my volume was up on my iPod mini (yeah, I now, it’s old), but I could hardly hear a thing! I might as well listen to my surroundings. Apparently you’re supposed to be able to hear traffic outside, creaking floorboards, and a clock ticking.

This is a song, 1 minute and forty-five seconds, of basically nothing. Yet it says a lot, which is why I think it deserves 2 stars out of 5, not just 1 (1 means “thanks for trying”). And I thought it was pretty funny. It reminds me of those paintings that are just a blank canvas, but they sell a million dollars or something. I’m thinking of trying that one of these days. :P Hilarious…but don’t download it.

Make Me Belive - Angel Taylor

Make Me Believe – Angel Taylor

5 stars out of 5

This is such a pretty song! Granted, it’s quite slow, but it still has a smooth groove to it. Angel Taylor “wraps this cozy tune with effortless warmth,” according to iTunes. There’s smooth acoustic guitar in the background along with other string accompaniment. In this song, she’s speaking to a guy who claims he wants her back.

Even though the song is a bit repetitive, Angel Taylor sings very beautifully. The new EP, Love Travels, is available at all online stores, featuring her top songs “Make Me Believe,” “Chai Tea Latte,” and “Spinning Wheels.” The song “Love Travels” was available on iTunes starting yesterday. She’s off to a great start!

She has her own page (you can hear her songs here): http://www.myspace.com/angeltaylor

All My Life in the Ghetto - Jay Rock

3 stars out of 5

I was really vacillating on my opinion of this song. Some parts, I’d listen to it and think, “This is just some wanna-be rapper.” But other times I’d start loving the beat and the rhythm. So it was two-fold.

The rapper Jay Rock caught fire through underground mixtapes. The song “All My Life in the Ghetto” is a biographical tale of Jay Rock’s childhood. One of the aspects of the song that iTunes points out is that “Lil Wayne drops a sick, 16-bar cosign.”

Okay, I don’t know who writes the iTunes reviews, but I doubt it’s a teenager who loves rap. There’s something about saying the word “sick,” which is so colloquial and such a slang word, and incorporating that into the official iTunes review, that just annoys me. As much as they can try to be ghetto, they're just not. Period.

The song starts off sounding like a bunch of machines that are not working the right way and are creating weird tech-y noises. So I started off with a bad impression. And then Jay Rock started singing. Let’s not even go there. But when the drummer finally decided to provide a good beat, I started thinking, “Hey, this is not so bad!” Anyhow, I liked the idea that the song actually had meaning. They weren’t just rapping about “stuff” in general; even though theme is still “ghetto,” I can tell it resonates with the artist. If there was a stronger beat throughout the entire song, not just in certain portions, I’d like it a lot more. The song features Lil Wayne as well as Will.i.am.
To watch the video, go to: http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=all%20my%20life%20in%20the%20ghetto%20jay%20rock&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv

One Day - Juan MacLean

1 star out of 5

This song is so weird. Normally, I’d be fine with new-ish music. But obviously not this one. ITunes said, “This week we’re entangled in the Juan MacLean’s love triangle.” This better be a joke, because I honestly don’t see how this could ever happen.

There is a monotonic electronic bass line and occasional drum fills. It is not the “dance-y house beat” that iTunes describes this as. The music video is unusual, too. It seems kind of futuristic, which seems to fit, because the new album “The Future Will Come” is being released soon. It is very electronic, with the distinctive guitars, along with other instruments. Even if you’re really electronic, I still doubt that you would like this song.
If you don’t believe me, watch the music video: http://www.prefixmag.com/media/the-juan-maclean/one-day-video/27154/

Intro to the Barre – Learn to Play 2000’s Rock

5 stars out of 5

Ever since I first hear the sound of the guitar, I’ve always wished that I could be the one producing the melodious music. (Evidently, that never happened.) For those of you who are having the same plight as I am having, you will love this video. This video is actually free…and it’s 16 minutes and 54 seconds (yeah, I know). So get it.

The video is extremely informative and takes you step by step in order to help you understand the “barre” concept. In order to reach this goal, it explores more advanced left and right hand techniques, but at a basic enough level that you can follow along.

This collection of iVideosongs demonstrates and explains how to play an assortment of songs throughout the genres. Included are “Hanging By a Moment” by Lifehouse, “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall, and “Twenty-Four” by Switchfoot. Every note, chord, and technique is thoroughly explained. By describing the finger, the fret, and the string to pluck for each chord, the student can be sure to get a full understanding of how to play the song.

Download it for free from iTunes!