Incredibly, metal band Megadeth is now 30 years old! With a worldwide sales record that tops 50 million copies, one would think that the band would have very little with their 14th studio album. However, from Megadeth’s perspective, perhaps one more stab at commercial acceptance is still on the agenda. Super Collider is reminiscent of 1994’s Youthanasia, where the band incorporated pop melodies into its songwriting to appeal to a wider audience, much to the chagrin of its diehard following. Tracks like Super Collider, Dance In The Rain and the opening Kingmaker are clear signs of this chosen direction. One might argue that this stylistic shift is a creative one and a calculated risk to expand horizons. Cue the country-folk-metal vibe on The Blackest Crow as a good example. Ironically, Super Collider might just be the perfect introduction to Megadeth for new metal fans.
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Music review: Home - Rudimental | 3.5/5
Rudimental is a Brit urban outfit producing electronic dance or club music. The quartet consists of songwriters and producers Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor (Amir Izadkhah) and DJ Locksmith (Leon Rolle). They came to prominence when their track Feel The Love topped the British charts, but if you’ll be sadly mistaken if you think the rest of the album is just a repeat of that track. With tracks such as the percussive Spoons, the deep Hide, the frenetic Waiting All Night and the delicous More Than Anything (featuring Emeli Sande), it is a great exploration into the various aspects of electronic dance music. However, what makes this album work is also its thorn in the side. Because of its diversity, the album doesn’t always gel as each track goes on. However, Rudimental get vocal help from the likes of Sande, Angel Haze, Sinead Harnett and John Newman, and it’s enough to make you go mental for this group.
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The incomparable Hugh Laurie’s second album continues from where his previous album, Let Them Talk, left off. This time Laurie delves even further into his love for the Southern sounds of the American delta, with a heavy emphasis on jazz and delta blues. We’re talking Jelly Roll Morton, Count Basie, Kansas Joe McCoy and Rosetta Thorpe, to name but four. He also has the help of some talented people called the The Copper Bottom Band, who ably provide the musical backing for Laurie’s drawl. Speaking of singing voices, there’s an appearance by Taj Mahal, and singers Gaby Moreno and Jean McClain do a superb job sharing vocals with Laurie on Didn’t It Rain, with McClain shining particularly bright on I Hate A Man Like You, and Moreno handling the Spanish verses on Kiss Of Fire with aplomb. While Laurie’s vocals quite can’t hold a candle to them, there’s no lack of obvious enthusiasm in his performance - which is a good thing, by the way. And if more people start listening to the blues because they wanted to know what Greg House would be up to next, that’ll be a good thing too.
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Music review: English Rain (deluxe edition) - Gabrielle Aplin | 3.5/5
The Beatles once made a comment about getting a tan from standing in the English rain in I Am The Walrus, which had lyrical imagery that bordered on the fantastical. But the key images that keeps popping up in English Rain, the new offering by English chanteuse Gabrielle Aplin, are - for this reviewer, at any rate - those of pastoral scenes, not unlike the ones featured in artworks by say, Giorgione or Nicolas Poussin, or scenes of the English countryside. The album itself features acoustic guitar-driven songs from the young singer-songwriter that lean towards the British folk tradition, particularly on songs such as the punchy opening track, Panic Cord; the delightly stark and dramatic Salvation; or the pleasant perolation of Please Don’t Say You Love Me. Aplin doubles the entertainment value in this deluxe edition, which features a bonus disc, but the upshot of this is that she delivers an album that, while being somewhat safe, still somehow makes you feel nice and fuzzy inside.
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Sadly, not the reunion of the original Black Sabbath lineup that fans were praying for, since drummer Bill Ward refused to participate on contractual grounds. Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave) is a competent replacement but the questions remain. There are high moments of heavy rock excellence on this collaboration among Ozzy Osbourne, Toni Iommi and Geezer Butler. The conservative-baiting God Is Dead? is one for the diehards. Explored further, the lyrics are deeply ironic, but it contains the requisite dark atmosphere. Elsewhere, on tracks like the acoustic Zeitgeist, the hard rockin’ Loner and the grooving Damaged Soul, there are echoes of Black Sabbath’s best early `70s material, but there is something lacking in Rick Rubin’s production, which robs the songs of their potential power. A pity because it all sounds like an opportunity lost.
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I Hate This Place is a Singapore-based electro-pop project that Sean Nerney set up back in 2004. Since 2007, I Hate This Place has had CDs released in Japan and has toured extensively across the Land of the Rising Sun. Despite this, it has remained relatively under the radar at home (notwithstanding a back catalogue of seven full albums). Hopefully, this situation will now change with the release of Closer. With reinforcements coming in the form of singer Gayle Nerva and guitarist Roman Tarrasov, I Hate This Place has delivered an appealing work of dancey, melodic electro-pop. At eleven tracks (including two updated versions of crowd favourites Rabbit Girl and Future Girl Retro Style), Closer is an accurate snapshot of where it stands circa 2013. Songs like Danger and Supernova are radio-friendly poles of extremes in the repertoire — the former being an edgy rocker while the latter is a pleasing ballad. The chemistry of the vocal interplay between Nerney and Nerva is nothing short of mesmerising and Tarrasov’s guitar licks will please the rock set. Fans of Postal Service, Owl City, Lights, Shiny Toy Guns, and Swimming With Dolphins will find much to appreciate here. I believe it’s time for Singapore music fans to get better acquainted with I Hate This Place.
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Free Music Download Pro Plus - Free Music Downloader and Player - ASPS Apps
Fully featured Free Music Downloader!!
Vast number of free music available!!!
Limited Time Sale: 75% OFF!! ($3.99 -> $0.99)
Download free and legal music, videos and audio books to your iPhone, iPod and iPad.
App Key Features:
v iPhone 5 Support!
v Browser
- Single tap music downloads
- Listen songs before downloading
- Download all music files from the page at once
- Tap & hold video to download
- Bookmark manager
v Download Manager
- Download songs while listening them right from the player!
- Fast Downloading
- Multiple downloading at one time
- Pause, resume, or cancel downloading
- Live download progress bar
- Downloads badge
- Auto-rename music files from mp3 file tag
v File manager
- Folders manager
- Move, rename or delete files
- Video Thumbnails
- Sort by name, type, size, date
- Export Videos to Photoroll
- Search by filename
v Playlists
- iPod-Like music playlists
- Video playlists
v Media player
- Full featured music player
- Full featured video player
- Album covers
- Sleep timer
- Equalizer with BassBooster
- Display lyrics while listening to music
- Lock screen playback controls
- Fine scrubbing
- Background music playback (iPhone 3GS, iOS 4.0 or later)
v Media library
- Tag Editor
- Lyrics Editor
- Import music from iPod library
- Songs Rating like in iTunes
- iPod style Smart Playlists
- Tabs for Songs, Albums, Artists, Videos
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Free Music Download Pro - Downloader and Player - Alfadevs
? Full-Featured Music & Video Downloader ?
Download FREE and LEGAL music, videos, lyrics, ring tones and audio books.
Play, sort, organize your media files easily. Create native iPod style music and video playlists. Listen to your music in background and lockscreen modes with playback controls. Search for the songs lyrics online. Transfer music from and to your PC/MAC via USB and Wi-FI and enjoy other cool features.
App Key Features:
v Web browser
- Provides a user experience very similar to Mobile Safari
- Tap and hold to force download
- Full screen mode
- Bookmark manager
v Download manager
- Ultra fast downloading speed
- Up to 10 simultaneous downloads
- Download in background mode
- Supports resuming of interrupted downloads
- Download files larger 20MB over 3G
v Media player
- Playback of mp3, wav, m4a and mp4 formats
- iPod-Like Playlists
- Background / Lock Screen playing mode
- Supports Air-play
- Free Lyrics Search
v File manager
- Folders and sub-folders support
- Move, rename and delete files
- Video thumbnails
- Sorting by name, type, size, date
- Passcode lock
- Wi-Fi and USB transfer to PC and iTunes
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Free Music Download Pro Plus - Free Music Downloader and Player - ASPS Apps
Fully featured Free Music Downloader!!
Vast number of free music available!!!
Limited Time Sale: 75% OFF!! ($3.99 -> $0.99)
Download free and legal music, videos and audio books to your iPhone, iPod and iPad.
App Key Features:
v iPhone 5 Support!
v Browser
- Single tap music downloads
- Listen songs before downloading
- Download all music files from the page at once
- Tap & hold video to download
- Bookmark manager
v Download Manager
- Download songs while listening them right from the player!
- Fast Downloading
- Multiple downloading at one time
- Pause, resume, or cancel downloading
- Live download progress bar
- Downloads badge
- Auto-rename music files from mp3 file tag
v File manager
- Folders manager
- Move, rename or delete files
- Video Thumbnails
- Sort by name, type, size, date
- Export Videos to Photoroll
- Search by filename
v Playlists
- iPod-Like music playlists
- Video playlists
v Media player
- Full featured music player
- Full featured video player
- Album covers
- Sleep timer
- Equalizer with BassBooster
- Display lyrics while listening to music
- Lock screen playback controls
- Fine scrubbing
- Background music playback (iPhone 3GS, iOS 4.0 or later)
v Media library
- Tag Editor
- Lyrics Editor
- Import music from iPod library
- Songs Rating like in iTunes
- iPod style Smart Playlists
- Tabs for Songs, Albums, Artists, Videos