Craidio Hot Music Picks for Winter’s Last Cold Stretch

With Winter: The Sequel hitting for what hopefully is its last gasp before Spring arrives (please) next month, here are the tunes (new and not-so new) that I have been spinning. Or whatever an iPod does…I guess electricking?

Alkaline Trio – This Addiction (* * * out of four stars)
While not a fan necessarily, I enjoyed their older single “Time to Waste.” Their new release is more straight-up pop/rock and nothing too unique, but it is a bright jam compared to the more Top 40 pop/rock that’s out now.

Phoenix
I had previously reviewed their single “1901″ at first as typical American Eagle background music (which it probably is) but as I’ve continued to listen this and more of their songs have become my favorite so far this year.They mix up the smooth and peppy quite well, and are barely unique..but just unique enough that they won’t sound just like anything else you’ve got.

1901 – (updated review) (* * * 1/2 out of four stars)
Lizstomania (* * * out of four stars)
Girlfriend (* * 1/2 out of four stars)

Four Year Strong – Wasting Time (Eternal Summer) (* * * 1/2 out of 4 stars)
It’s been a long time since I really liked this type of music (makes you want to drive fast, tap the table, air guitar, and beat someone up), but since my tastes were once “what goes best with the weather” it hits the spot. Ironically with “Summer” part of the title, it’ll probably get me through winter, into spring, and I’ll stop listening to it right before summer.

John Mayer – Heartbreak Warfare (* * * out of 4 stars)
Shutup. It’s not bad.

The Soft Pack – C’mon (* * out of 4 stars)
I bought it based on the chipper, breezy 60′s beach boys beat in the preview. It went on sale for “free” one week later. Which is about 25 cents less than I should’ve paid for it. This story is getting dumb.

Passion Pit – Little Secrets (* * 1/2 out of 4 stars)
Sometimes it sounds like the Jackson 5. Sometimes it sounds like a song from 1988 produced by Paula Abdul. It has clapping, kids singing, an electronic background, and I’m not sure why I downloaded it. Listen to the preview and you’ll probably be wondering as well while you download it.

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Drain the Blood (* * * out of 4 stars)
A bright, untampered with, sound in the mix lineup..the song builds from a very straight forward beat to a blast of intensity in the home stretch. Real guitars, real drums, unrefined. Nothing too indie, but something that sounds good on the iPod, and would love to hear it live.

Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright – Set the Fire to the Third Bar (* * * out of 4 stars)
Even though I owned the album a few years back with this song on it, I never got into it enough to remember it. Apparently it was in the trailer for the movie Dear John and jumped the charts, finding me once again. I’m not sure if it is about something depressing, but don’t listen to it while you’re driving. Somewhat haunting and dream-inducing from the eerie combination of Snow Patrol’s monotone singing and Wainwright’s intricate tuning.

Timbaland (feat. Justin Timberlake) (* * out of 4 stars)
Big disappointment from their previous efforts together, otherwise a standard tune aimed straight at the 2am dance floor, but nowhere else.

Number One Gun – The Victory (* * 1/2 out of 4 stars)
Has a very good beginning and builds slowly to…nothing really. It’s almost like they had a good idea, just didn’t quite have a chorus that worked. After 3 years of trying they just decided to record what they had. Pretty good listen otherwise.

Ke$ha (yes, with a dollar sign. I’m legit.)
As with some pop music, there’s a weird vein of genius in her act. The lyrics are pretty bad (put a little love in my glovebox) and the singing is just “ok.” But she’s playing a character, that if you listen, sings ever so slightly off rhythm and stretches each line a nano-second too long as if she’s a little “tipsy.”  Eh, nevermind, not going to try to rationalize it anymore. It’s dumb, annoying, and it sounds good with the bass turned up.

Blah Blah Blah (feat. 3OH!3) (* * * out of 4 stars)
Your Love is My Drug (* * 1/2 out of 4 stars)
Tik Tok (* * * out of 4 stars)