my tempo tantrum

“Undone” (Haley Reinhart Cover) - Matt Gregory (2012)

i’ve been so taken with the Haley Reinhart song i posted last night that i decided today to throw together my own take on it.  so, this is my go at “Undone.” i played the piano and produced the track.  hope you like it!  and if you haven’t checked out the original, definitely do that!

“My Weakness” - Kris Allen (2012)

an awesome new track from Kris Allen’s upcoming sophomore album “Thank You Camellia.” i have the biggest talent crush on him. he co-wrote every song on this album, and they blend together much more seamlessly on this effort than his first.  ”Thank You Camellia” is an effortless listen.  this is my personal favorite track, but definitely go check out the whole album when it comes out, especially “Better With You” (co-written with Jason Reeves, who is one of my favorite songwriters), “Out Alive,” and “Vision of Love” (the lead single). 

“Undone” - Haley Reinhart (2012)

after not having very high expectations, it looks like the only bad thing i can spot about this Idol alum’s debut album is the selfie-status album cover shot. so awkward. but i’ve gotta say: the album is so fucking good! it has a very old-school, laid back vibe to it that i love. well, except for this track, which reduces me to puddle status every single time.  this is definitely the stand out track on the album.  such a beautiful song, and the production is raw and simple, which serves the song so well.  this is one of the most masterful, mature sounding tracks i’ve heard on an Idol alum debut in a long time, if not ever. stunning.

“Turn Myself In” - The Saturdays (2012)

this is the B-side to their new single “30 Days,” and while that song has grown on me, this song is so much better.  i’m still confused as to why they released 30 days when they just released a new album full of great material, but if they were going to pick a new single that wasn’t on the new album, “Turn Myself In” should have been that song and “30 Days” the B-side.  anyway, another great track from the Sats!

“Private Parts” - Halestorm (feat. James Michael) [2012]

it pains me that the only reason people seem to know about Halestorm is because Glee covered one of their songs.  embarrassingly enough, that’s the way they got my attention.  i stopped watching Glee this year, but a friend played me their cover of Halestorm’s “Here’s To Us.”  i actually really enjoyed it until i went to iTunes and checked out the band’s version of it, which is 20x better, and the whole album, though i am usually turned off by alternative rock that borders on metal, is pretty incredible.  this song, “Private Parts,” is a bonus track off that same album, their newest record “The Strange Case of…,” and those tracks are not available on iTunes, but i found the version with the bonus tracks and this is easily the smartest, catchiest track off of the whole record. it features producer and songwriter James Michael, and is, to it’s core, a flawlessly written and performed track. “The Strange Case of…” has definitely inspired me to branch out a bit, and i hope that it will do the same for my Tumblr followers. don’t settle for the iTunes version of this record: go out and find the Deluxe Edition with the bonus tracks.  i promise it’s worth it!  let’s help get Halestorm some much deserved attention beyond the sugar-coated confines of Glee-dom.

“I Can Love” - Vicci Martinez (2012)

maybe season one of The Voice did yield something good after all. her voice gives me chills, and this song is an absolute knock out. so excited for her album to come out in June. if Universal uses this girl right, they’ve got a potential hit on their hands. 

“Both of Us” - B.o.B. feat. Taylor Swift (2012)

i consider myself a recovering T-Swift hater. with the recent stuff she’s been putting out, i like her more and more with every song, so much so that i now think she’s too good to be yet another chorus in a rapper’s attempt at a hit. with that said, i think the lyrics in this are incredibly moving. i think both T-Swift and B.o.B., who has always just been kind of flat to me, knock it out of the park with this one.  catchy and infectious, but equally inspirational.

“Only the Horses” - Scissor Sisters (2012)

i’m sure they’re gonna get a lot of crap for collaborating with Calvin Harris and called sell outs. whatever. i love the Scissor Sisters, and i dig a lot of what Calvin Harris has been cranking out over the past year. thus, i love this song. it’s just such an infectious track. yes, i understand how fans of their past work might be against this new sound, and i’ve gotta agree with them on some level. but you can’t deny that this track, all else aside, is pretty wonderful.