The Top 10 Songs of 2011

Being that this is my own personalized list, I will be spanning many genres of music, from pop music to metal. Anyways, here goes nothing:

10. "Party Rock Anthem ft. Lauren Bennet, Goon Rock" by LMFAO.



Nobody is a stranger to this song for the simple reason people either find it uplifting or incredibly amusing. Even people who hate pop music can get a smile out of this silly anthem. Indeed, for a while we all WERE shuffling everyday to this track for it's catchy and enjoyable beat.

9. "Rain Dance Maggie" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers



Though I called this song repetitive in my review of "I'm With You" by RHCP, the track has grown on me in the following months. Some fans really disliked this song, but I think it has a nice steady groove to it and a very fun chorus. I'm just happy to see RHCP re-united and is still making quality music.

8. "Take Care Ft. Rihanna" by Drake



Though not my favorite song by him, it is nice to hear Drake taking a break from that really weird throaty rapping he has become known for and giving us another song where he sings showing us the true talent of his vocal technique. Even Rihanna sounds different than usual not being all that throaty her self. It is also a nice break to hear a serious song aside form all of the thousands of party songs that have come out in the last three years.

7. "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars



This year's summer was incredibly long for me as I worked two jobs one being in Salem, and another in Marlboro. I stayed most of that time in Watertown which is more or less between the two. It sucks not having a car and traveling five hours on the MBTA everyday. Don't give me that "first world problems" crap because if something bothers someone then it will bother someone, regardless of how the rest of the world has starving people and how their countries don't try to help them. We need to help ourselves before we help others. At any rate, I enjoy this song because it reminds me of how I just like to have some days to do absolutely nothing, and it a much more spirited take on most Jason Mraz style songs. lol

6. "Lighters ft. Bruno Mars" by Bad Meets Evil



I am on and off fan of Eminem, so I can't comment on the depth of all of his emotional struggles. What I do know is that Bruno Mars sounds fantastic singing, Eminem is rapping from the heart telling his haters to f**k off, and Royce DA 5'9" is showing he cares about Eminem as a good friend. The song is much more melodic than a lot of other rap songs out right now and I like it for that reason. And for lack of a better term, I think it has a very beautiful sound to it.


5. "Someone Like You" by Adele



A fresh escape form all of the other break up songs ever made that say "you left me, now I hope you die." This particular song sounds best when done live, and it shows in Adele's heart filled mezzo soprano voice. It also represents moving on to more adult things like wishing you ex well 40 years later. This is a moving and refreshing piece to say the least. Also, here is my wish to hope Adele recovers from her throat surgery and starts touring soon. :)

4. "The Pride" by Five Finger Death Punch



With explosive energy and anger Modern Thrashers Five Finger Death Punch demonstrate to everyone that thrash metal is alive and well, even if it hasn't made it into the top charts for quite a while now. I think the lyrics mean someone who is willing to give their all to fight for what they believe in, particularly when things are so down with political divide in Washington and a massive recession. This song is my second favorite off of the album "American Capitalist" with "Generation Dead" being my first favorite.

3. "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele



With intense emotion and one hell of a drum beat Adele is telling her ex-lover that she doesn't need him, and it is quite empowering for anyone who has just gotten out of a bad relationship or friendship. The end is particularly powerful with a Chorus behind Adele and her backup singers. In terms of composition in pop music, this is the best song of the year. However, it does tend get tiresome after heard so many times. Overall, this track is amazing but should only be heard in small doses.

2. "Mary the Night" by Lady Gaga



The media has loved following the "controversial" figure Lady Gaga ever since she burned onto the music scene. She has had much success. Though not all feel it was deserved as she has been aggressively after Madonna's mantle of success, and the truth she HAS been copying Madonna. The thing is Madonna hasn't said anything about it and is probably just happy that her music is relevant again, even if it is through another singer. This song shows to me that Lady Gaga knows how to breath life back into a standard of early 90s dance music and songs about living the night life. Probably my favorite song by her of all the ones I've heard, mostly because it repeats a lot but not in an annoying way like "Judas" or "Bad Romance" do. the other honorable mention this year for Gaga is "The Edge of Glory" being that is another break away from her typical strange gimmicky music of "trying to make fun of the music industry."

1. "Set Fire to The Rain" by Adele



Though this song makes me sad as it reminds me of my cat Starlight that passed away untimely this year due to someone's ignorance, it remains an amazing composition for a pop song. With the piano intro, Adele's despair filled vocals, and the buildup of the bass to the full string quartet this remains a heart tugging song about anger, love, and just like the rest of the album. The best part no doubt being the climax where Adele climbs pitch up on a crescendo and then suddenly lets down on an echo. However, this song is probably one of the most underrated of the year so that is why I put it first, because I like to stand up for the musical underdog.

Some honorable mentions: "Perform This Way" by Weird Al, and "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars. See a pattern with me and Bruno Mars here? lol Even if it was the tittle track for a HORRIBLE Twilight film, it is still an enjoyable song. Happy New Years everyone! Look out for my next post on my Tumblr tomorrow around 10am. :)

Doctor Who Review "The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe"

Two years after fan favorite David Tennant was changed over for the 11th Doctor Matt Smith, The seventh Doctor Who Christmas special "The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe" features surprises both pleasant and unwelcome.

Though learned on my behalf through research and not having time to read the book, it is clear the writing in the Christmas special is loosely based around C.S. Lewis’s “The Lion, The Which, and The Wardrobe.” As in that there are only three similarities: A snowy world in a big blue present, an early 1940s setting, and an allegory figure saving the life force of a forest in the form of widowed mother Madge Arwell (Claire Skinner). The rest remains show writer Stephen Moffat’s original writing, which may please Doctor Who fans and disappoint C.S. Lewis enthusiasts.

            Matt Smith emerges from this episode with many funny and heart-warming lines showing he has matured into the role of the 11^th Doctor. What this means is simple; Matt Smith fans will remain pleased and Smith skeptics/Tennant loyalists could go either way as Smith emotes and recites his lines better than in seasons five and six. However, he is still Matt Smith and sometimes has a very wooden delivery on his acting style.

            Speaking of wood things, the main “monsters” in the special are two tree statues shaped like a king and queen. The king and queen are looking to save the forest from acid rain coming from an intergalactic mining company looking to gather the forest as a fuel source. The CGI used to animate the statues looked very convincing and was only lacking in the scene where Skinner was piloting the mining walker looking very fake due to it’s sluggish movement. The costumes look very convincing with only the misplaced Battle Star Galactica (BSG) reference of the Miners space suits looking like Cylons from the original BSG series being a bit silly.

            The final surprise came in the form of a happy ending in which Skinner was no longer a widow as she saved her husband’s plane from crashing over World War II Germany via a light provided on the space-ship she was piloting to guide his plane through the “time vortex.” The happy ending being a rare surprise as normally Moffat era Doctor Who has been ridden with tragic endings. The special ends with Smith refusing dinner with the Arwell family as a nice nod to Russell T. Davies era Doctor Who and shows Smith meeting up with his companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvil).

            Fan reception of the special has been largely positive with four out five comments and the Doctor Who fan page praising Smith and the Christmas special calling it very emotional and well written, which remains true as an episode of Doctor Who. But as a reference to C.S. Lewis leaves more to be desired as the many fiction references seem out of place and are adapted too poorly making the title of the episode misleading.