Radio Singles

It’s been a long while since the last roundup, a feature that takes brief looks at the radio singles on the FM airwaves. Time to start it back up and visit some new old friends. Cage the Elephant – Shake Me Down“Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” was undeniable with its country twang

Apocalyptica – End of Me (feat. Gavin Rossdale)2008 brought the Finnish metal Stateside through Corey Taylor’s and Adam Gontier’s contributions to Worlds Collide. The seriousness devoted to creating cello-driven metal music is undeniable, and continues through Gavin Rossdale. A

Filter – The Inevitable RelapseQuoted to focus on the industrial and electronic elements that gave Filter their signature, “The Inevitable Relapse” makes good on that promise. It avoids the missteps of “Soldiers of Fortune,” setting its sights on Title of Record. Although it doesn’t a

3OH!3 – My First Kiss (feat. Ke$ha)From copying Uffie to concocting pop music recalling the cringe-worthy influx of “pop punk” circa 2001 combines 3OH!3 and Ke$ha. Just like back then, ignore the lyrics; it makes swallowing this pill so good those commercialized side effects that hit

The Black Keys – Tighten UpAccelerating into the song akin to Spoon, the dirty blues rock duo returns with a Rubber Factorysounding single. Patrick Carney’s drumming tugs you in like Hugo and a black mysterious chord before Dan Auerbach’s grunge-tinged blues seizes you from behi

Civil Twilight – Letters from the SkyThe way Andrew McKellar’s voice strains recalls classic Bono, just with a touch of Chris Martin. It is ambitious, beginning with a punctuated piano just dolling out heavy note after note weighed down by a driving-yet not overwhelming-drumming toward

2Cents – Get What?Given the following review’s mentioned tendency, 2Cents leans towards the harder end of the speed vs. heaviness spectrum. They cite Pennywise as influences, heard in the perfect start/stop ability perfected by their fellow Los Angeles musicians. Think “Bullet With A

The Bravery – HatefuckStir the Blood‘s lead single, “Slow Poison,” didn’t quite revive The Bravery as it should’ve. The beat lacked bite, a spark akin to “Unconditional” that “Hatef–k” (iTunes) manages to ensnare. It is dark, and danceable while driving its merciless