The Truth About Music

"What's hot, what's not, and whats next in pop music"

Harris’ Song of the Week: Paranoid by Kanye West

By Harris posted December 31, 2009 at 17:30

Hope you all are out having a fantastic New Year’s Eve. Here’s a little music to help you kick-start your party. This week, while sitting in front of some ski slopes in Colorado, I was in a weird music mood. After watching “Phantom of the Opera” on DVD, I started with that. Musicals somehow turned to Jay-Z, finally culminating with Kanye West. I chose to listen to a few tracks from 2008′s disaster “808′s and Heartbreaks.” Despite being a complete failure as far as albums go, it did give us a few really solid tracks. My favorite amongst the songs was this week’s song of the week, “Paranoid” by Kanye West, featuring Mr. Hudson. The song has a great flow as it starts with the repetitive synth beat and eventually layers West’s vocals on top. By the time the main beat kicks in (almost one minute in) there is a huge amount [...] Continue...
Best of 2009 Part III: Albums

By Harris posted December 31, 2009 at 11:38

I can’t believe it’s here. The final day of 2009 has arrived and what a year it has been for me. One year ago, The Truth About Music had received 2,000 hits and now, one year later we are being read over 100 times a day and have experienced over 18,000 hits. Now as we get ready to expand even further, here are the albums that made this year such a great year to be a music fan. The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies): It is rare for an album to hit as hard as this release from the Black Eyed Peas did. Inspired by an Australian nightclub, the band put together an amazing collection of techno and electronic based songs all grounded in the ideas of hip-hop. In an interview with Marie Claire Will.i.am spoke about the album. “Mostly every song on the Black Eyed Peas record is painting a [...] Continue...
Best of 2009 Part II: Artists

By Harris posted December 30, 2009 at 11:37

This year I thought it would be fun to look at the top artists of 2009. A top artist is a band or group that takes a step forward, doesn’t step in their own poo or makes a huge impact on the world of pop music. Here are the top artists of 2009. Cobra Starship: Made the largest jump of any artist in 2009. With one single (“Good Girls Go Bad”) the band became a household name and with support can continue their rise to the top of the pop circuit. Blink 182: Two words, comeback tour. Taylor Swift: Two additional words, country sells. Taylor did it right and did it with dignity. Her multi-platiunum album helped her sell out show after show and she only became stronger after her run in with Kanye at the Video Music Awards. Owl City: It does not get much better than this. Adam [...] Continue...
Best of 2009 Part I: Songs

By Harris posted December 28, 2009 at 11:36

What a year it has been. From Michael Jackson’s tragic death and “This Is It” the movie, to albums from the biggest names in music of the past decade. There were tons of songs to choose from in writing my top 25 songs of the year list. Here’s what I came up with, what are yours? Fireflies, Owl City: A song of the year has to completely fill each aspect of our lives. 2009 introduced us to Owl City and the amazing production of Adam Young. His debut album “Ocean Eyes” featured this single and the single has become both critically acclaimed and publicly loved. I Want You To, Weezer: Finally back and making great music, Weezer spent much of the summer touring with Blink 182 on their comeback tour. I first heard this song at the show and have since come to realize this might be the best song [...] Continue...
Top 20 Dance Songs of 2009

By Jon posted December 27, 2009 at 19:41

Bellow, I have taken the liberty of listing the top 20 songs that rocked you when you went to a club or bar. I recommend all of these songs for your listening pleasure so definitely check out any of the ones you may not have heard of. Here are the top 20 dance songs of 2009: 20. “Tik – Tok” - Ke$ha 19. “Party in the USA” – Miley Cyrus 18. “Remedy” – Little Boots 17. “In and Out of Love” – Armin Van Buuren ft. Sharon Den Adel 16. “Show Me a Reason” – Dennis the Menace & Big World Present – Philip Van Het Veld 15. “Out Of My Mind” – Lasco 14. “Let Me Think About It” - Ida Corr vs. Fedde La Grand 13. “Escape Me” – Tiesto ft. C.C. Sheffield 12. “What A Wonderful World” - Axwell & Bob Sinclair 11. “Step One Two” - Kaskade 10. “I Will [...] Continue...
Harris’ Top 20 Albums of the Decade; Honorable Mentions

By Harris posted December 27, 2009 at 11:35

Soundtrack of the Decade: Across The Universe, (2007): Without getting into to it much, this album deserved some type of merit. Although it was only a soundtrack and covers of classic Beatles songs, this soundtrack was a top seller and was embraced by a huge portion of the pop market. Comedy Album of the Decade: Retaliation, Dane Cook, (2005): Another genre that is not properly represented in the recording world, Dane Cook turned the entire comedy market on its ear during this decade. Taking comedy from small poorly lit clubs to center stage at Madison Square Garden, Cook showed us that comedy could be put into the big time. Other Honorable Mentions FutureSex / LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake, (2006): Although this album was a really unique album, it didn’t quite hit home for me. Timbaland and Just Timberlake combined to create a sound that wasn’t great but wasn’t bad. Laying somewhere [...] Continue...
The Truth About “Up In The Air”

By Harris posted December 27, 2009 at 00:43

“Up In The Air” Dazzles as Reitman Returns to Helm Here’s the pitch. George Clooney travels the country earning sky-miles on his airline while his company attempts to convince him his “old ways” are costing too much money. Sound like a movie you would want to see? I didn’t think so. “Up In The Air” goes so far beyond the story, gazing deep inside the attitude and internal makings of the main characters. George Clooney, the movies leading man prides himself on being disconnected from everyone and everything. He doesn’t let family, relationships or friendships tie him down. With this simple premiss, Jason Reitman takes you through this mans story of personal growth in a very similar manner to “Thank You For Smoking” in which Aaron Eckert (“The Dark Knight”) plays Clooney’s role. There are a number of similarities in the two comedies (and a few with “Juno,” also directed [...] Continue...
Harris’ Top 20 Albums of the Decade (5-1)

By Harris posted December 26, 2009 at 11:34

Once again after a lot of thought on my part, I have reached my top five albums of the decade. So much thought went into these albums and I really appreciate you sticking around to read this long. Please leave your top albums of the decade in the comments and let me know what I’ve missed. 5. No Strings Attached, *NSYNC (2000): As far as boy bands go, there are only two that people remember. The Backstreet Boys alongside *NSYNC changed the way music was marketed and recorded. Things were bigger than ever and although most of the decade was spent with Justin Timberlake leaving the boy band persona behind him, they did release two albums after the turn of the century. As the most successful album the band ever had, “No Strings Attached” sold over eleven-million copies in the United States and became permanent part of music history and pop [...] Continue...
Harris’ Top 20 Albums of the Decade (10-6)

By Harris posted December 25, 2009 at 11:33

Good morning everyone. I hope that everyone’s Christmas Day’s are going great. Although I am currently in Colorado with my family doing what Jews do on Christmas — ski — I thought I would continue my top ten albums of the decade with numbers 10 through 6. 10. Continuum, John Mayer (2006): When you release an album with a song like “Waiting On The World To Change” on it, you better be ready to stand behind it. This album,which was launched with a few great songs, has withstood the test of time and helped give Mayer a strong following in the States. Using a mixture of exotic instrumentation and sensational guitar, Mayer’s voice is really what everyone comes to see, and this mellow album is a great example of him using all his tools. 9. Songs for Silverman, Ben Folds (2005): In one of the most sad and trying albums of the [...] Continue...
Harris’ Top 20 Albums of the Decade (15-11)

By Harris posted December 24, 2009 at 11:33

Albums 15-11 15. The Fame, Lady Gaga (2008): Even if the rest of this album stunk, it would still make the list based on its singles alone. Luckily, the rest of the album is great. In regards to the singles, Gaga became the first women in ten years to record #1 Billboard Hot 100 Singles with her first two singles (“Just Dance” and “Poker Face”). The rest of the album is incredible, using sounds straight out of the ‘80s and making them incredibly modern with her bold musical statements. 14. Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson (2004): As I’ve written about this album before, I think it is important to remember how this piece changed the landscape of the music industry. With “Breakaway,” Clarkson became a star in the pop world as well as the “American Idol” world. It was thought that many of the artists coming out of this show would fade away after [...] Continue...