The Truth About Music

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

Play It Loud Presents: Top 20 Club Bangers (Electronic Music) of 2010 (6-10)

By Jon posted December 28, 2010 at 08:00

Sorry for the delay over the holiday weekend, I know you guys could hardly wait to find out the rest of the Top 20 so now for 10-6! 10. “When Love Calls (Vocal Mix)” – Nicky Romero ft. Basto!: This song just has a great, pounding House beat with some Trance-y elements laid over it, making it an amazing Progressive House song. The vocals are what brings it home, the prototypical club voice pulls the song together. Continue...
TAM Presents: Robert’s Worst Songs of 2010

By Robert posted December 27, 2010 at 08:00

With 2010 wrapping up, I wanted to make the standard list that any critic does around this time of year. I thought long and hard about it, but kept coming up with the same kinds of questions, what can I do that’s different than the rest of the pack? Where to go, what to do that will kick the TAM readers right in the breadbasket and get the angry comments? Should I make a top 10 list of stunning movies, or killer music (Shooter Jennings)? What about the events, or sports (SAINTS!)? I couldn’t decide. So, I went with my gut feeling and let my bias as a music critic, as well as a DJ take the wheel and talk about the songs, that somehow landed on the pop culture radar for a little while, but made me homicidal hearing them. The 10 songs of 2010, that when I hear [...] Continue...
The Truth About Movies: The Kings Speech

By Harris posted December 26, 2010 at 11:43

Tracking this one down was no easy feat. Heading out into the blistering cold temperatures on Christmas Day, it took three movie theater’s before I could find a showing that was not sold out. Sitting in the very first row of a very small theater, I can’t say I was overly joyful with my viewing situation. Regardless, I stuck it out, knowing that this was a big one to knock off my award season list. The Kings Speech will be this years true indie release. While Black Swan and 127 Hours aren’t exactly blockbusters, this movie has the indie vibe, missing from these other films. Based in World War II England, the story follows King George VI as he attempts to overcome a stammer he developed when he was a child. Being a figurehead in England, he is often required to give public speeches to massive audiences and fails miserably [...] Continue...
The Truth About Movies: True Grit Meets Expectations

By Harris posted December 23, 2010 at 15:46

When you are among the early favorites for the major Oscar categories, there are certain expectations. Meeting these expectations is often difficult. Surpassing them is nearly impossible. Without taking anything away from True Grit, it perfectly met our expectations. The Coen brothers took a huge gamble, recreating an Academy Award winning western from 1969 which starred legends like John Wayne, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper and Glen Campbell. Without a true Hollywood western in sight for at least a decade, it seemed like an opportunity for a fresh take on an old format. This is exactly what it was. Playing Wayne’s former role, Jeff Bridges did what he does best. He gave a brilliant performance as a U.S. Marshall with a major drinking problem, a happy trigger finger and a distaste for almost all other human beings. I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m not a huge fan of [...] Continue...
The Truth About Music Presents: Top 10 Albums of 2010

By Harris posted December 23, 2010 at 08:00

We’ve been calling it the year of the single. While other years have had larger, more acclaimed singles, this year stood out for its move away from the album as a format. While there were some great albums, it seems more bands than ever are focusing all of their attention on one song. One song to rule them all as one might say. In spite of this, we’ve narrowed down the hundreds of albums released in 2010 into the ten best. Here they are: Continue...
Play It Loud Presents: Top 20 Club Bangers (Electronic Music) of 2010 (11-20)

By Jon posted December 22, 2010 at 14:00

In keeping with the year-end tradition of making lists here at TAM, I have compiled a Top 20 Club Bangers of 2010! This list will consist of twenty electronic music songs that have made waves and shook the ground a bit this year. Being one of the biggest years ever for electronic music, with artists like Tiesto, Deadmau5, Armin, and Swedish House Mafia in the mainstream, and more underground artists like Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Ducksauce, and Nero, slowly getting recognition for their groundbreaking tracks released this year, more and more people are appreciating electronic music for what it is. Continue...
TAM Exclusive: An Interview with Norwegian Pop Sensation Tone Damli Aaberge

By Jon posted December 22, 2010 at 08:00

Hello TAM Followers!! Today I present to you Norwegian Pop Sensation Tone Damli Aaberge. Tone is already a huge star in Europe, hailing from Oslo in Norway, and she’s making her way across the pond. I recently had the opportunity to get an exclusive interview with Tone, and asked her some ‘get to know you’ questions. Continue...
Record of the Week: Fenech-Soler’s “Demons”

By Jon posted December 20, 2010 at 12:50

This week, I have chosen a song that some of you may have heard, but most of you probably have not. “Demons” by Fenech-Soler has been on repeat for about a week now on my iPod, and I just can’t get enough of it. The British electropop band released their first studio album just 4 months ago, and is slowly making waves, especially in the UK. “Demons” as well as their other single “Lies” are both constantly on BBC Radio 1, which is usually a pretty good indication that they will slowly begin to have a presence on American radio. The first single off the album “Stop and Stare” was also featured as a Record of the Week on Radio 1. Continue...
Review: Natalie Portman Provides Chilling Performance in Black Swan

By Harris posted December 18, 2010 at 13:16

Putting The Social Network and Inception aside, this was the first movie I’ve seen this Oscar season and to say it blew me away would be an under statement. There was a lot to digest. Going in, I had almost no knowledge of the story and the thought of seeing a movie centered around a ballet dancer seemed less than intriguing. The trailer for Black Swan is what blew me away and drew me into the theater on opening night. I made it a point to write the word chilling in the headline for this review. After seeing the movie and spending a few hours digesting what I had just seen, that was the word that came to me. Natalie Portman, known for roles in movies like Star Wars (I-III) and V for Vendetta, gave her best performance to date, one that can only be described as Oscar worthy. If [...] Continue...
TAM’s Top 20 Songs of 2010

By Harris posted December 17, 2010 at 08:00

We’ve made it!! 2010 has been an amazing year for music. Would you believe that when 2010 began, you probably had never heard of B.o.B., Bruno Mars, Mumford and Sons or Neon Trees? When 2010 began, Cee Lo Green was still called Gnarls Barkley, Travie Mccoy spelled his name with an “s” (Travis) and Kanye West was at the bottom of the totem poll staring up at Taylor Swift. Owl City, Gym Class Heroes and Timbaland have fallen from sight. Panic at the Disco, The Killers and Fall Out Boy all disbanded while The Red Hot Chili Peppers remain on hiatus. With a great year for singles coming to a close, here are The Truth About Music’s top twenty songs of the year 2010. Continue...