Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight

Friendly Fires are a three-piece English band consisting of Ed Macfarlane, Jack Savidge and Edd Gibson. Their highest charting single is "Kiss Of Life" which got to number 30. However I know this song more than any of the others, but I think it took it's time to become popular, and therefore that's why it didn't chart so well the first time around. "Live Those Days Tonight" is an extremely catchy song, and I tend to be hearing a lot nowadays.

This music video is really not something I was expecting. I have heard this song so many times and I was expecting something very good, but this just looks like a fan-made music video, and it's missing a lot.

Hands up! I can't even find more than one good thing to say about this video, however they have got something right, and that's the link in with the song. The clips all show what it was like back in the '80's ('89 to be specific according to YouTube). However everything else is wrong.

There is no narrative, no performance, nothing. We don't even see the band. Also if you look into more detail about the lyrics "I'll live those days tonight", where's tonight? All we see is clips from the late 80's and what we supposedly "missed out on".

And that is all I have to say, the song is catchy and stuck in my head, and will probably be there for the next few days and then some. But I'm extremely disappointed with the video, and although I can actually find one good point, it's just not enough to budge this rating up. If I was rating the song it would get five stars, but because the rating is based on the video alone, I'm giving it a totally different rating.

New Release: Robbie Williams - Candy

Robbie Williams, one of the biggest male solo acts from the UK, and now the first time he has appeared on my blog. He was one fifth of the band Take That, and even re-joined the band for their most recent album. But now he is back as a solo artist, and after that performance last night on The X Factor, I'm sure his new single will shot to the top of the charts.

"Candy" was written by Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams and Terje Olsen. Personally I don't like the song, no matter how many times I hear it, it just won't grow on me, however it has clearly made an impression on a lot of people as it's soaring up the iTunes chart.

This music video is confusing, I don't quite get it, and I feel like it doesn't make sense. It's a pure narrative video, featuring Kaya Scodelario (skins) who has appeared in a lot of music videos, including a few Plan B videos. She plays "Candice", and she seems like she's extremely independent and believes she's unstoppable. This links in with the song as that is exactly what the song is about.

But what is Robbie's role? I never quite get it. At a guess he is her guardian angel, and therefore manages to stop things from possibly killing her. Is she really that accidental prone? Or are people after her?

It is similar to a few videos I have seen, but definitely reminiscent of Twin Atlantic's "Make A Beast Of Myself".

What I don't get is that at the start he is protecting her, but then near the end it just looks like he is hurting people for the sake of it, such as that bicycle, is there any need to keep making him go over? Also it makes me question what children think of this video, surely they might think they can do the same, such as surviving when a car goes over you etc... But maybe I'm just looking for things to dislike about this video.

Overall a song that I will probably never like, however others do and it's because it's quite catchy. As for it's music video, it is very different and is an interesting idea, I do worry what impression it gives to children. And some of the things don't quite add up, but it does seem a lot of effort has gone into it, and as much as I want to, I just can't find any more negative points about the video.

Aerosmith - What Could Have Been Love

Aerosmith, Aerosmith, Aerosmith. Even words can't describe them as they are above words. They are definitely one of rock's great, and when I knew new music from them were going to be released, I was surprised. Could they really manage to live up to their previous songs? That was the single question running through my mind. After watching this, it's clear to me that they are back and with a vengeance as this song is extremely catchy.

Aerosmith are a five-piece band consisting of Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford and they have been going for a very long time, longer than I've been alive. "What Could Have Been Love" was written by Russ Irwin, Steven Tyler and Marti Frederiksen. It is one of those songs that I am not sure of in the first minute or so, and then it starts to get better, so much so it's stuck in my head. Will this song do well when it is officially released in the UK? Who knows, it depends how much it gets promoted, it's possible that it will chart high, but I doubt it will be the song to give Aerosmith their first UK number one single, it's just not commercial enough.

The music video is weird, but in a good way. I like how it's both performance and narrative, however they have released so many music videos that I just don't think this one is quite up there with the others.

I don't really understand the narrative, however I do have my own take on it. As far as I can work out, he is lost after they broke up therefore he is "missing". As to why he is painting the town in these posters is a different story altogether that I don't quite get as he has to take them all down again the next day as he is no longer lost. Guess this is just a video I'm not going to fully understand.

I like the performance side to this, it's different and not something you would expect. But I can definitely see other bands doing something similar in the future. This one is quite laid-back and chilled.

Overall a very catchy song that is still stuck in my head, and a music video that is not as bad as I first thought, but one that I don't quite get. However there are no other problems with this video and so...

Justin Bieber Featuring Nicki Minaj - Beauty And A Beat

Here we go again. They were my exact thoughts yesterday when I noticed someone had commented on my suggestions page, and asked me to review this song. Justin Bieber is a worldwide superstar and he is one of those people who girls fall for and guys hate. It is possibly, the reason as to why he has never managed a number one single in the UK. However, as he grows older his music has got to change, and we are currently seeing that, and he is managing to capture some of the guys.

I was listening to "Free Radio" a couple of months back and someone texted in saying she had played Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" to her boyfriend without him knowing who it was. He turned around and said it was amazingly catchy and he would like to know who sung it so he could listen to it himself. However, to his shock horror she announced it was Justin Bieber and he told her to stop playing the song and choose something else. This begs to question why guys dislike him... My idea is that his first few singles and his debut album has given people a perception of him which he is now trying to dislodge, but will it work?

"Beauty And A Beat" was written by Max Martin, Anton Zaslayski, Savan Kotecha and Onika Maraj. This looks like a great collaboration of song-writers and is proved to be a hit, but will it get as far as it should. It is set to be released in November but it has already charted from album downloads only. It begs to question whether or not this will actually chart well. It's catchy and if I heard it on the radio it would be stuck in my head. At the end of the day, who cares who sings the song?

The music video was actually directed by Justin Bieber and John M. Chu. This is what makes this video different and amazingly great. It's reminiscent of Cloverfield (the film), and maybe a bit similar to Chronicle too. However there is no video I've ever come across that is quite as outstanding as this one.

I like the idea behind it, the fact that Justin Bieber directs the camera around. Not only that but he is a great dancer too. He kind of reminds me of Britney's early music videos. A lot of people, Sharon Osbourne in particular, has said that this guy might not make it in the future. However I believe she and many others are wrong, he will develop as an artist and take different directions, that his fan-base will support. Actually he is doing that right now. 

Overall the song is really catchy and I can see this song charting higher when it's officially been released. It's music video fails to relate to the song as well as it should, and there are a few errors that doesn't go amidst when watching. However it is a whole new video that stands out from the crowd and is something I am willing to watch again, surprisingly. Justin Bieber will never disappear, he will keep making hits, but will he ever get that UK number one single? We lie in wait for that day to come.

New Release: You Me At Six - Reckless

You Me At Six are one of those bands who releases some good music and then some not so great stuff. In this case, the song is extremely catchy and currently stuck in my head.

You Me At Six are a five-piece band consisting of Josh Franceschi, Max Helyer, Chris Miller, Matt Barnes and Dan Flint. They have been around for quite some time, dipping in and out of the UK Chart. Their new song is "Reckless" is probably, in my opinion, one of their better songs as I can't stop listening to it. A lot of people have compared it to The Killer's "When You Were Young" and yes they are very similar, but it's such a catchy song why should it matter if they seem the same?

This music video is taken off a gig off their tour, therefore making a big performance piece. I like that there are scenes edited in showing the band having fun and doing what they do best.

The tour performance in this video really shows off how much energy the band gives off, clearly their fans are enjoying it and the fact that Josh even touches a fan with his hand and then even the crowd sing the lyrics back during the song, really makes me interested in what their gigs are like. Clearly you wouldn't be disappointed if you saw this band on tour.

However this is all I can say about the video. The song is extremely catchy and they could've tried to do something with this video, but they have decided on a good performance based video, and although it's great to watch it doesn't interest me into watching it again and again and again. However the song makes me want to listen to it over and over and over. Therefore, I'm going to be generous and give this video this rating.