Tonight We're Goin' Hard

(Singles are italicized, recommendations are in red).

As I've probably said before, when Ke$ha jumped onto the scene in October 2009 with her debut single "TiK ToK", I was not impressed. In fact, I found her to be annoying, untalented and repetitive. So many of my friends were into her and her music when her debut album Animal was released, so I decided to give her music a second chance, and it was a very wise choice on my part.

Think what you want about Ke$ha, there's no denying she's got catchy music. With her first EP Cannibal, listeners aren't thrown for a loop upon first listen. Ke$ha keeps it familiar with songs that sound like they are outtakes from Animal, almost as if the EP is intended to be Animal 2.0.

Originally intended to be released as an expanded Deluxe Edition of Animal, Ke$ha did what Lady Gaga did, and packaged the EP with the debut album in a 2-Disc Set, and as a standalone EP. Having already owned Animal, I opted for Cannibal by itself instead of the more expensive Animal + Cannibal deluxe package (though I'll probably buy it down the road, the edition of Cannibal included with that is an Enhanced CD with bonus music videos, as well as a pointless Ke$ha tattoo). That's beyond the point though. Clocking in at just over a half an hour, Cannibal does not fail to deliver.

1. Cannibal - K$ opens the EP in a creepy sort of way. It's a really catchy opening track, which I personally like. Most people I show this song to aren't really big on it because of its creepy and weird lyrics, but that's Ke$ha for you.

2. We R Who We R - The EP's lead single, Ke$ha presents us with a song about being yourself and doing your thing. Written for the multiple gay teenagers in the news who committed suicide, this party anthem about being proud of who you are never gets old.

3. Sleazy - This song is awesome. It's not my favorite on the EP, but still awesome. The heavy, thumping and pulsating bass is enough to get you up and dancing. In terms of lyrics, it's a song about rich guys hitting on Ke$ha, who says she doesn't need all that to be impressed (thematically comparable to J.Lo's "Love Don't Cost a Thing").

4. Blow - The EP's second single. Out of all the people I've asked if they'd heard Ke$ha's new song 'Blow', they always chuckle and say 'No, but that title doesn't surprise me!'. Surprisingly enough, this song is simply about dancing! Accompanied with a very humorous music video, this party anthem is doing quite well on U.S. charts.

5. The Harold Song - What do we have here? A ballad?! No way! Way. In what sounds hauntingly similar to 'Blind' [from Animal], we get an emotionally-driven song about our girl K$ wanting her lover back. It's a great song, doesn't rely too heavily on auto-tune, and probably my second favorite off the EP.

6. Crazy Beautiful Life - My absolute favorite song from Ke$ha, it's about having fun with friends and not having a care in the world. Fantastic song for any occasion.

7. Grow A Pear - This song has actually been around forever! Originally surfacing online about a year and a half ago as a demo, Ke$ha reworked it and included it on this EP. It's a song about how she "just can't date a dude with a vag", or in other words, she wants her guy to man up. It's a pretty humorous song, which finds our girl claiming halfway through, "[And] no, I don't want to see your mangina"!

8. C U Next Tuesday - This one has also been around forever, often surfacing with "Grow A Pear" on fanmade demo compilations and such. Originally titled "CUNxTuesday" (most likely changed for the EP so it wasn't as crude), this one's not one of my most favorites, but it's still worth a good listen every once in a while.

9. Animal [Billboard Remix] - Is it weird that I prefer this version to the original? [For additional info, see the review under the Animal album].

Got our friends, got the night, We'll Be Alright.

(Singles are italicized, recommendations are in red.)

When I first heard the song "Billionaire" about 3 months ago, I thought Bruno Mars (the guy who sings the chorus of the song) was Travie. I never paid much attention to the song, and I realized Travie was the rapper when heard it on the radio one day and found it to be pretty catchy. Then in May I went to a concert with 3OH!3, Cobra Starship, I Fight Dragons, and Travie McCoy. There was still a month to go before Lazarus' release, so I was excited when he performed 3 or 4 songs from the album. It was at that moment I decided I would get the album as soon as it came out, and that's exactly what I did.

1. Dr. Feelgood (featuring Cee-Lo Green) - Awesome album opener! It's upbeat, and guaranteed to become an instant favorite.

2. Superbad [11:34] - This song is unique in that it's got somewhat of a rock feel to it, and I like it a lot!

3. Billionaire (featuring Bruno Mars) - Who hasn't heard this one? It's still worth the listen once in a while, but after a few listens, it's safe to skip this one.

4. Need You - I'm not sure if I like this one too much. It's just kinda boring and repetitive, and the chorus is annoying.

5. Critical (featuring Tim William) - It's a slight improvement over track 4, but not much, as it's also got an annoying chorus that won't leave your head.

6. AKidAgain - For a while, this was one of my favorites from the album, but after a while you get somewhat sick of it.

7. We'll Be Alright - This is, without a doubt, the party anthem on the album. It ties with "Superbad (11:34)" as my favorite on the album.

8. The Manual (featuring T-Pain and Young Cash) - I usually skip this one mainly because I can't stand T-Pain. It's a shame, it would have been a killer song if T-Pain was replaced by someone who didn't need a machine to sing for them.

9. After Midnight - This feels freakishly similar to "We'll Be Alright", but that doesn't bother me, because it's still a great song.

10. Don't Pretend (featuring Colin Munroe) - I was a little put off by the strange chipmunk - like vocals at the beginning and throughout the song, but it grew on me. It's a dark, sad song with a rockish feel to it. Very good.

11. Ms. Tattoo Girl (featuring T-Pain) (iTunes Exclusive Bonus Track) - A slight improvement over the other song that had T-Pain in it, but it's still T-Pain.

12. She Did It (iTunes Exclusive Bonus Track) - Nothing special, just somewhat boring.

You don't even need a plate, just your face, ha.

(Current and announced singles are italicized. Recommendations are in red.)

For the longest time I had sworn Christina Aguilera (and her music) off. Since '99, I had been strictly team Britney, considering Xtina her rival. I had enjoyed "Come On Over" in 2000, as well as a few of the singles off of her sophomore album (titled Stripped), but none of those likings sparked enough interest in me to buy either album. I just hated her voice. In fact, I believe I referred to it as Kermit and Miss Piggy's love child on speed. Then 2006 rolled around and I decided it was time to give her third album Back to Basics a chance. And I was glad I did!

Fast forward to today, 2010. It's the future, and many artists are recognizing that. While many people are ridiculing Aguilera for ripping off Lady Gaga, I have to say, I can't see that too much. Sure, I can see where one would draw comparisons to two or three futuristic getups Xtina dons in the album's booklet, but I'd say the main inspiration (read: inspiration, NOT ripoff) comes from Madonna, specifically from her Erotica album era. I mean, seriously! In the booklet for the Deluxe Edition of the album (which is subject to review here), the page with the lyrics to "Monday Morning" is more or less almost an exact replica of Erotica's main album cover. But all comparisons aside, let's just review the album, shall we?

1. Bionic - Though it's really a song, I consider this an intro. It's a strong way to open up the album. Bravo!

2. Not Myself Tonight - I'm shocked that this, the lead single off the album, didn't perform better than it did. It's really fun and catchy!

3. Woohoo (featuring Nicki Minaj) - There really is no delicate way to put this. This song finds Aguilera singing about her nether regions. There. It's out in the open (no pun intended). In all seriousness, it's a fun song that will hopefully perform well (who am I kidding, Nicki Minaj is in it, of course it'll do well!).

4. Elastic Love - From the first few seconds of the song, you can tell that it's got a totally retro feel to it. The echoing vocals, the snappy beat all contribute to this effect (my guess is it's supposed to be representative of a rubber band snapping...get it? ELASTIC love? No?). After a while, it really does get on your nerves, but at the same time you can't get it out of your head. I'd recommend it.

5. Desnudate - If Christina was Britney, this is her version of "Get Naked (I Got A Plan)". She forcefully demands her lover to get naked for her. And in Spanish! So not only is it firey, but you know she means business!

6. Love & Glamour (Intro) - The first of several strange and useless interludes.

7. Glam - This song is just average at best. The beat is nothing special, the lyrics are generic, and it's just overall very repetitive.

8. Prima Donna - Okay, now we're talkin'! You can really hear the passion and intensity in Christina's voice throughout the song, and especially during the chorus in this one. Is that Lil' Jon I hear in the background during the final minute or so of the song? I'm not sure...

9. Morning Dessert (Intro) - This doesn't sound like Christina at all! I can't quite put my finger on it, but she definitely doesn't sound like herself here! And the note in the background she hits from roughly 1:07 - 1:10 sounds freakishly like Mariah Carey!

10. Sex for Breakfast - If you have a sleepover with Xtina, don't bother bringing her eggs, toast or OJ. There's only one thing she's hungry for! It's a slow ballad that isn't half bad!

11. Lift Me Up - Another pretty slow song. Normally I'm not a fan of slow songs, but for some reason, I love the ones on here!

12. My Heart (Intro) - The nonsensical babbling man at the beginning sounds like the foreign-speaking man at the beginning of Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On". Then he proceeds to sounds like Fred Willard. This strangeness is followed by Aguilera's song singing like her. If it was just him, the interlude would have been adorable!

13. All I Need - Not really feeling it. It's not bad, though. It's got a jazzy and classical feel to it, which seems out of place on the album.

14. I Am - I'm indifferent towards this one. It's very indie-ish.

15. You Lost Me - This one's also little too indie-ish for me. Christina, you're a pop singer. Please remember that for the next album.

16. I Hate Boys - I don't know what it is, but this one reminds me of "Woohoo". Maybe it's because the chorus seems like a chant, much like "Woohoo"'s.

17. My Girls - It's not horrible, but why on Earth is Peaches famous? Let's be real here.

18. Vanity - This track showcases Aguilera at her most narcissistic attitude. She literally talks about how she turns herself on. Wow. Don't get me wrong, it's catchy, but still Christina. You have a child. You shouldn't be acting like you are his age.

19. Monday Morning - This one sounds like a combination between "Elastic Love" and LaRoux's "Bulletproof". It's really funky and fun!

20. Bobblehead - I'll admit, I do like this song. It does sound like it should have been recorded by Ke$ha.

21. Birds of Prey - It's freaky. In fact, so freaky that it's hypnotizingly good.

22. Stronger Than Ever - The chorus is awesome! But that's about all it's got going for it. The verses are mediocre.

23. I Am (Stripped) - Acoustic version of the same song on the album.

24. Little Dreamer - Only available if you pre-ordered the album from iTunes. It's alright, nothing to write home about.

We Can Live Forever, I Can Be Your Pagan Angel, Angel, Beautiful Dangerous...

(Singles are italicized, recommendations are in red.)

I totally stumbled upon Slash's debut album Slash -- sometimes referred to by fans as Slash & Friends or R&FNR (that is, Rock 'n' F****n' Roll) -- by mistake. I was browsing the iTunes top 100 songs, and came across the song from this album called "Beautiful Dangerous", which featured Fergie. I loved Fergie's solo album, so I decided to preview "Beautiful Dangerous". Loved it. Loved the energy. The lyrics. The hard rock feel. So I decided to give the rest of the album a try.

I'm not a huge hard rock fan, and I'm still young, so I had no clue who Slash was at first. I Wikipedia'd him (yeah, I just turned that into a verb), and found out he was the guitarist for Guns 'N' Roses. Don't judge. I knew who Guns 'N' Roses are, I was just never a big enough fan to learn the band members' names or albums. I knew a few of their signature songs (Sweet Child O' Mine, Paradise City, Knockin' on Heaven's Door and Welcome to the Jungle were the only ones), but that's about it.

Anyways, I'm glad Slash collaborated with such a wide variety of artists for his record. It kept me hooked the entire time.

1. "Ghosts" (featuring Ian Astbury) - What a great album opener. I'm not too familiar with the band U2, but this sounds like a U2 song, although Astbury is part of the band The Cult.

2. "Crucify the Dead" (featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Taylor Hawkins) - Something about this song is just eerie. Not a bad kind of eerie, though. I like it.

3. "Beautiful Dangerous" (featuring Fergie) - This is, by leaps and bounds, my absolute favorite track on here. Fergie's stellar performance here shows that this chick can sing absolutely any type of music. She rocks it, and she rocks it good.

4. "Back from Cali" (featuring Myles Kennedy) - I have no idea who Myles Kennedy is (don't judge me if I should), but he's a good vocalist. His voice sounds like someone, I just can't quite put my finger on it. Great song.

5. "Promise" (featuring Chris Cornell) - This is my second favorite track on here. It's a mixture of eerie and awesome.

6. "By the Sword" (featuring Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother) - Here we have a slightly more mellow track, which slows down the pace of the album for a bit, but not in a bad way. It's a great addition here.

7. "Gotten" (featuring Adam Levine) - Levine's voice is so unique. Sometimes annoying at time, but they made it work for this track. It's another mellow track that I love.

8. "Doctor Alibi" (Lemmy Kilmister) - Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister lends his vocals to this track, that I can't say I like too much. I'm not a huge fan of songs that are screamed, and not sung, but that's just me.

9. "Watch This" (featuring Dave Grohl and Duff McKagan) - Velvet Revolver's Duff McKagan and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl team up with Slash for this awesome instrumental track that is nothing but fun.

10. "I Hold On" (featuring Kid Rock) - Sure, I think he's trash, but I like me some Kid Rock every now and then. It's a good song, and it's refreshing to hear Kid Rock's voice after not having heard him in a few years.

11. "Nothing to Say" (featuring M. Shadows) - M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold teams up with Slash here for an okay track. It's not one of my favorites, but it's worth a listen or two.

12. "Starlight" (featuring Myles Kennedy) - Okay. I take back my statement that "Promise" was my second favorite track on the album. Second place is a toss-up between that and this one. LOVELOVELOVE this one.

13. "Saint is a Sinner Too" (featuring Rocco Deluca) - No idea who Rocco Deluca is, and that's probably for the best. His creepy voice intrudes on this very, very strange track. Skip this one.

14. "We're All Gonna Die" (featuring Iggy Pop) - The man will be 63 years old tomorrow (as I just found out when researching him), but he rocks it regardless. This is an awesome way to end the album.

BONUS TRACKS:

1. "Sahara" (featuring Inaba Koshi) - No idea what he's saying because it's in Japanese, but this song is just pure awesomeness from start to finish. (Appears as track 15 on Japanese pressings.)

2. "Chains and Shackles" (featuring Nick Oliveri) - I'm not a huge fan of this one. Perhaps it's because it's a "screamer" song. (Appears as track 15 on Australian pressings.)

3. "Paradise City" (featuring Fergie and Cypress Hill) - Fergie and Cypress Hill really rock this cover of a GNR classic. It's great. (Track 16 on Australian iTunes Pre-Ordered editions. Also track 15 on Brazillian pressings, as well as Best Buy and Napster exclusive editions.)

4. "Baby Can't Drive" (featuring Alice Cooper and Nicole Scherzinger) - Alice Cooper and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls lends her vocals to this awesome track. (Track 16 on Brazillian pressings, as well as Best Buy and Napster exclusive editions. Also track 15 on Classic Rock Slashpack Edition.)

5. "Mother Maria" (featuring Beth Hart) - Whoever this chick is, she sounds like Melissa Etheridge. Not too sure if I like it or not, but it'll do for now. (Track 15 on U.S. iTunes Exclusive version.)

6. "Sahara (English Version)" (featuring Koshi Inaba) - The all-English version of the great song that was only available in Japan. (Was available as track 16 in the U.S. iTunes Music Store if you Pre-Ordered the album.)

There's a place downtown, where the freaks all come around...

(Singles are italicized, recommendations are in red.)

When you first heard the song "TiK ToK" and heard the name "Ke$ha", did you not think she was a Keri Hilson, Nikki Minaj, or Kelis wanna be from the ghetto? Did it ever cross your mind that she was a 22-year-old up and coming singer who originated in - wait for it - Nashville?! No, I didn't either.

I'll admit, I hated "TiK ToK" with a burning passion. But a friend convinced me to give the album a try, so I reluctantly did. I was surprised. Very surprised at what I heard! Seven years in the making, Animal not only shows Ke$ha's potential as an artist, but it shows that she's more than just "that TiK ToK girl". Interesting tidbit, before she was famous, Ke$ha and her family were featured on a season 3 episode of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's reality show, "The Simple Life". Ke$ha's family was one of the families the girls stayed with.

1. "Your Love Is My Drug" - The album's current single finds our girl Ke$ha admitting that she is like a "lovesick crackhead". It's a fun opening party track, that ends with Ke$ha saying "Hey / So / I like your beard".

2. "TiK ToK" - I don't like this song. At all. Never have, never will. Simple as that!

3. "Take It Off" - She really redeems herself here after the obnoxious disaster that is "TiK ToK". This one's another fun party song that is not to be taken too seriously.

4. "Kiss 'n' Tell" - Watch out everyone! Ke$ha's mad, and there's no stopping her. In this one, she yells at a girl for being a slut. Nonetheless, it's fun to listen to.

5. "Stephen" - The beginning is very weird, but once the song picks up, you're guaranteed to love it. It chronicles Ke$ha's desperation over a guy that won't call her. It's a nice, slower song, but it's a definite welcomed addition.

6. "Blah Blah Blah" (featuring 3OH!3) - Here's the song that I never ever get tired of, no matter how many times I hear it. It's the album's second single, and it's VERY fun to dance or rock out to, and 3OH!3's verse is pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

7. "Hungover" - My favorite track on the album. It's not typical Ke$ha. Her heart is broken, and she put it into a song. Plain and simple. It's a great slow(er) song that's definitely worth a listen.

8. "Party At a Rich Dude's House" - Like I've said before to other songs on other artists' albums, this is the song that you just have to be in the mood for. The beat and concept are pretty cool, but the lyrics are just mediocre.

9. "Backstabber" - Another song I could do without. It's too similar to "Kiss 'n' Tell".

10. "Blind" - I love this one! She should really do more slower songs. Her boyfriend dumped her, but she won't let him see her at her worst. She knows that he's nothing without her. Attagirl!

11. "Dinosaur" - This one is just so strange. It's about an old guy hitting on her and her friends, and is yet another one I could easily do without. Kinda creepy.

12. "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" - It's just kinda okay. Nothing really special.

13. "Boots & Boys" - Again, just okay.

14. "Animal" - What a GREAT way to end the album! Bravo, Ke$ha. Bravo.