My Music Reviews! What's Hot N' Not!!

Swedish ( yes, I know they beat Switzerland yesterday !) hit machine John De Sohn has come back after a year & what a come back it is! Oh, and I forgot to mention that I am also making a come back on this blog after more than a year. There can't be a better way to start writing than this. John De Sohn, as we know is a Swedish DJ who is famous for his melodic dance music with unique lyrical themes. I have a special liking for him because : - He believes in the quality of music, not the quantity. He doesn't produce songs in bulk. His songs are really good. I love more than 90% of all the songs that he has produced thus far. Now coming to the main topic, that is, the song itself. Go to Sleep is a heart-wrenching Dance number which describes the pain & the happiness of a person whose wife has separated from him. Happiness? You will ask? Well, here is the answer! There's only one thing keeping him together, It's those two days every month. Oh yeah, it ...

Once in a while, I stumble upon a song that not only gets stuck in my head but also in my heart! Music has amazing capabilities and we all know it. Everyone has a different perception about effects of music. I myself have a habit of associating music with weather/season/time. I have songs that remind me of winters 2012-13,  summers of 2012 or 2016, spring 2006 and what not :-) Yesterday, while watching a live set by Jorn van Deynhoven , I came across a song that he played which immediately caught my attention. Its called Anahera (which means angel) and its a song by Dutch DJ/Trance Producer Ferry Corsten who presented this song under his alias  Gouryella (used to be a duo with another Dutch DJ Tiesto but he left). Anahera is not just a song. It is an emotion. It is not just another Uplifting Trance. It is literally Uplifting. It speaks a thousand words even when there are no vocals in it. It has a beautiful melody packed throughout. It has a typical piano riff that...

I had been longing for long to feature this artist here on my blog but somehow missed that always. Looks like, I am in a perfect mood to post this now :-)  Decolt is a Dutch Dj, previously known as Soundwell. His songs under Soundwell alias have a characteristic fairy-tale sound which makes it a surreal experience listening to them. That typical sound is so pretty relaxing that it makes one wonder who this prodigious musician is. But now Soundwell is Decolt & he has teamed up with Australian Dj duo Feenixpawl for this brilliant track called  Chapters (Feenixpawl Mix). Chapters (Feenixpawl Mix)  is a Progressive House track with a slightly delayed development into its drop. But the bassline keeps you engaged till that MASSIVE drop comes & from there its like BOOM!! Supremely catchy & engaging track with a melody that stays in the head for long. It is quite opposite to what Soundwell has released in the past but it sure is a great transition.  Lik...

So, Armin van Buuren here featuring for the very first time on my "not at all popular blog" :-) The only DJ in the world to be ranked World's No. 1 DJ by DJ Mag (A Magazine) five times, 5 years in a row!! This brief info is for those who still don't know what kind of superstar musician he is :-) I have a fairly long play-list of his songs on my phone & selecting one out of that, is a tough task. I decided to select  Humming The Lights here because of the vibes I get when I listen to this.  Humming The Lights is a Progressive Trance song by Armin. You might be wondering who is Gaia? ;-) When there are no vocals in this song, how can it feature someone else as its artist? Well, Gaia is a duo composed of Armin himself along-with his frequent collaborator Benno de Goeij . Benno has co-written & co-produced many of Armin's songs. They use this alias for their darker productions & they perform with their faces covered ;-)  Coming back to song,  Hummi...

Jorn van Deynhoven aka JvD again & so am I after a long time ;) But what a stunning track to make a come back with!!  Arguably the most beautiful piece of Trance music I have EVER heard! What an uplifiting sonic experience!  101010 (The Perfect Ten) is probably the best thing JvD has ever produced. Such is the addiction of this song that I have been hooked to it since past 3 months & been listening to it daily without fail. I have personally found JvD to be the only Trance artist who can bring tears of joy with his songs &  101010 (The Perfect Ten) is the perfect testimony to this statement.  101010 (The Perfect Ten) has an engaging melody that is sure to make you scream with joy & feel good :) Such a powerful Trance song that captivates from the moment its intro begins & keeps you engaged till the end. Its an ABSOLUTE STUNNER!! Pure delight!! Listen to it below :) If you turn up the volume & listen carefully ( that you will be bound ...

Well, ummm, the first Trance song on my blog ;-) Ever since I returned from The Netherlands, my interest in Trance music grew many folds. Reason is simple. Holland or The Netherlands is known for its world-famous Djs/Trance artists like 5 times Dj Mag #1 Dj Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Hardwell etc to name a few. But today I am featuring a Trance song by lesser popular Dj ( half Dutch, half German ) known as Jorn van Deynhoven :-) I could have easily started with Armin since he is one of my favorites. But I decided to give special attention to Jorn purely on the basis of this very song called  RAMsterdam [Jorn van Deynhoven Remix] . As you can see its a remix of the song RAMsterdam which is creation of another Dutch Dj known as RAM . Its entirely an instrumental song without any vocals ( I would have loved to have a vocal edit as well ). It builds, builds, builds and then BOOM!! You will have to believe your ears when you hear that climax. You just need to be p...

I know am late to post this ;-) This gem of a tune isn't the most recent one but a tad old. And its already incredibly popular all over the world. But, there are very many people who might be missing out on hearing this gem & that's exactly why I have decided to post this. Kygo is a Norwegian DJ/Producer known for strikingly different approach to Dance music. There are millions of Dance tracks but almost all of them sound similar. Kygo takes a step further & converts Dance music to "Melodic Dance" number.  Firestone is a Romantic Dance song with a gorgeous melody, not so big drop (trademark of Kygo) & extremely catchy, infectious instrumental chorus. Right from the moment you hear the intro, you will find there is something special coming your way. This is a kind of song that gets you feel imbibed in music while dancing to it. In other words, its NOT a no-nonsense Dance song. And the breezy vocals by Conrad Sewell will sweep you off your feet!! He ha...

Taking a break from Swedish music (that I mostly write about), today will present a different song :-) This song is called  I'm in Love (I Wanna Do It) and its written & produced by an Italian House DJ Alex Gaudino . Its a single from his alum Doctor Love . Song itself falls under House genre but it packs a beautiful melodic intro which also acts as extremely catchy hook.  I'm in Love (I Wanna Do It) , as the name suggests, is a romantic track and its the kind of music you hear a lot from Romanian artists ( Inna to be exact). And it indeed is a good thing :-) USP of this song is its infectious hook which keeps on playing & sounds really cool. Just like Kygo's songs, there is a peculiarity in this song. Despite being a House track, there is no loudness & its so easy on ears. Melody is beautiful & arrangement is simple :-) Listen to it below. You will love it. Preview/Buy I'm in Love (I Wanna Do It) on iTunes

Remember Jonas Oakland ? The young Swede who followed his own way to become quite a promising Electro/Dance artist (with obvious hints of BWO !!). Last time I wrote about his best song Where I Belong . This time I am posting his another song Where Were You Last Night. If Where I Belong was melody & vocal driven, Where Were You Last Night is more of a Dancepop. It has more pronounced production & there's a hint of EDM (those hooks!). I am not an expert at this, but I can feel the elements of EDM/House in this song alongwith some RnB (again, am no expert)! Where Were You Last Night is a perfect dance song, thanks to those super catchy hooks in its post-chorus. The moment intro begins, you get the idea what you're going to hear. I repeat, chorus & post-chorus hooks are super catchy & highly addictive. It stays in your head for a long time. Production is quite massive & melody is easy on ears. Heavy production sometimes leaves little scope for vocals bu...

Well Well!! I must have been living under the rocks for past few weeks!! How can I be so oblivious to this miraculous song called Miracles . Must say, this is the most beautiful song I have ever heard. Its upbeat, melodious, poetic, soothing, beautiful & what not?? Let me brief you about this wonderful piece of music. Miracles is a song by English Alternative Rock band, Coldplay written specially for the American movie  Unbroken  which is directed by Angelina Jolie. Unbroken is about the life of US Olympian    Louis "Louie" Zamperini  who survived in a raft for 47 days.   The moment intro kicks in, you know what you have in it for you. Beautifully gorgeous Acoustic guitar riffs which then gel into delightful piano chords. Such a beautiful melody. And voice of Chris Martin (lead singer of Coldplay) is a treat to ears. He sings his heart out. Miracles is a king of song that gives you hope & strength when you feel you're broken. That's why they ch...

Jonas Oakland - A self made Swedish musician who focuses mostly on Electro/Dancepop. I have been following him for more that past 1 year, but never really could find time to post about him. Its been a lot of time since I last wrote something here. So, breaking this hiatus with a song by Jonas Oakland. "Where I belong" is my personal favorite of all the songs written by Jonas. Its melodious, catchy, upbeat, uptempo & full of emotions. This one gives me hopes to better myself. It sets my mood right, whenever I feel low. Verses build & build & then kicks in the best part, the CHORUS!! Its not massive but its really enjoyable & tuneful. I really love the lyrics & vocals of the song. Chorus goes like this. "Everything I have within my heart, gives me strength to carry on. Everywhere I have been from the start, takes me right where I belong" And the middle-eight is quite interesting. Jonas has a beautiful voice, amazing song-writing talent (h...

Been following EDM for quite some time & I am loving it totally. Be it Avicii or Galavant , I am very much liking this stuff. That's why I have decided to start a new Page on EDM. Enough said, let's start with Pick Of The Week . You Only Love Me is a single by Swedish (Oh yes!) House & EDM producer John De Sohn . He is known for infusing a lot of melodic pop into EDM. I am including this song for a very specific reason. Video of You Only Love Me is based on ancient Indian art Mallakhamb . It is about an aged person who trains a young boy in Mallakhamb, who later goes on to win the local competition. The video is shot in Mumbai. This connection with India is quite interesting, especially for a rather unknown artist ( in India ) John De Sohn!  Now coming to the song itself, You Only Love Me is a terrific EDM song. Vocals may sound a bit strange but once that instrumental chorus kicks in, it takes it to a whole new level. Use of percussion is quite catchy. And thos...

Its been a rather long time since I last wrote something here. This one is the first post this year. This certainly doesn't mean I didn't find anything worth sharing this year. I found some amazing artists, songs & albums but didn't really find the motivation to share them. Anyways, today I am posting an old song called "Till The End" sung by Swedish singer Ola Svensson. Till The End is a song from Ola's debut album "Given To Fly" which was released in 2006 & went on to grab #1 spot in Swedish Album's Chart. Ola's is a no stranger here. I already wrote about his song Feelgood last year. Below is what "Till The End" is. As the name suggests, Till The End is about a boy who has been rejected by his girl but he won't let go of his feelings for her. He will change himself to be the one she wants & he will be with her forever. Sounds interesting, hmm!! Its beautiful piano intro itself describes what you can expect fro...

Is it me only or really Mans Zelmerlow sings ballads better than others? He is brilliant in his usual schlager-pop but is incomparable when it comes to ballads. Listen to his My Mistake or Stranger Saved My Life & you'll notice he sounds so good there. Today, I present another gem of a ballad, a single from his forth-coming album Barcelona Sessions, Broken Parts .  Broken Parts is pure bliss from its melodious intro till the end. Ballads hardly have much scope for production & this one is no exception. Almost entire song is carried out on vocals. Those subtle drum beats, bass & piano sounds create magic altogether. Broken Parts is for those who are broken-hearted (yeah, once again!) Its a kind of song that gives me courage to move on (yes, I wont be waiting for a certain thing now). So if you're looking for a song that is less on noise & more on melody, plus a song that lifts you up, go for Broken Part. It will make you feel better (once you get addicted to...

Fredrik Kempe , as we all know is a renowned Swedish songwriter. And not just a songwriter, he is also a lyricist & a singer. While he has enjoyed great success in Sweden for more than a decade, he has had little recognition outside it. He still is a big name in European or should I say Scandinavian & neighboring countries. But he has not seen much success in US. I don't mean he is not known there but I guess US people don't really embrace Schlager or Schlager-pop. Today I present 2 songs of his that are entirely different from his usual work & have got an International touch. Read on. 1. Little Braveheart by Charlotte Perrelli & Kate Ryan. Massive chorus, even more massive production & high-octane singing define Little Braveheart. Its a song from Charlotte Perrelli's album The Girl & is truly an International dance-pop number with dubstep in the middle-eight! Believe me its chorus is so massive & instantly catchy tha...

Well, its been quite some time that I hadn't written any post here. Been suffering from mood-swings for past many months & now finally I have realised that its time to let go of the people for whom I mean nothing but an irritating, boring, soulless lad. Enough said. Today I present 2 songs that caught my attention when I was going to my office yesterday. One is an up-tempo, upbeat, full of life summer pop number. Other is a mid-tempo, breezy pop-ballad. Both are just opposite to each-other. Below is the description. Read on. "Feelgood" by Ola Ola is arguably the best male pop singer in Sweden at the moment. His music is massive, melodic & lively (so many #1 singles is the proof). He may have been overshadowed by fellow similar young singers like Eric Saade or Danny Saucedo but his sound is definitely better. Wont run into controversies, though. Feelgood is a kind of song that you will like instantly. It has that upbeat feel that will set your mood right stra...

Every move I made was just for me, Every song I sang was hollow, that was my mistake, I was a fool. Leaving our love behind, what we had I'll never find. I know I have made your heart break & I realize its my mistake. So you get the idea whats in for you in this post. There was no official video, so i assume this song is for a couple whose relationship has turned sour (my guess, married couple!). So if your partner is upset with you or is not talking to you, sing this to her/him & she/he will be yours again! My Mistake is a mid-tempo ballad from Mans Zelmerlow 's debut album Stand by For... (it was certified Platinum in Sweden & debuted & peaked at # 1) Written by Fredrik Kempe & Mans himself with lyrics by Fredrik Kempe, this one is one gem of a song. There cant be a better song to placate your partner. What i liked the most in this are those drums & cymbals. And that piano intro is too hard to resist. Since its a Fredrik Kempe's ballad...

Dreaming, hoping, for another try. I've been looking, searching, deeper down inside. And if I lose my way, I'll find another road. Cause I can make a change on my own. I'm moving on, And I'm gonna get stronger now, And nothing will break me down. I will not give in to doubt. Those days are gone, I can be who I wanna be. And start living my life for me, I believe it finally. I'm moving on. Fredrik Kempe writes his heart out whenever he is to write ballads (Break of Dawn, A Stranger Saved My Life , My Mistake to name a few). Moving On is no exception. We have numerous songs to describe pain of heart-break but this one is different. You can think of it as a song that will pull you up, motivate you, inspire you & help overcome the blues no matter what the situation is. Don't just look at it as another heart-break song. It evokes hope when you're down. Moving On is for all those who need a kick to get up & start running. Enough said. Mov...

"I can't seem to walk right, I cant seem to talk right, I keep doing stupid little things. You cripple my brain babe, by being amazing, I keep doing stupid little things. Am stupid with you, you raise my heartbeat when you smile. Am stupid with you, you raise my heartbeat everytime. Am stupid with you, you, you. Am stupid with you, you, you." If the above lines didnt excite you, you never loved someone. Only a person who loves can feel the warmth of it. Today, I present a song that describes aptly the condition of a doting lover. Its one super sweet, super cute song that goes to warm your heart & make you love your lover's smile even more. Stupid With You is an upbeat bubblegum pop (not sure, though!) song from Eric Saade's 2nd Studio Album Saade Vol. 1 which debuted at # 1 on Swedish Albums Chart & continued to be for 5 weeks!. It remained on the chart for 44 weeks & was the fastest selling album for 2011. Its written by none oth...

"Then a wise man came up & he said, I see you're sad, go back & then beg for the love you had. Stranger saved my life tonight, I need my girl, I love her, yes I do. Stranger saved my soul tonight, turned my life around." Fed up of electropop or synthpop? Want to hear something different? How about a heart-melting soothing love ballad? Are you broken hearted? Want some relief from that heartache? Today I introduce a beautiful love ballad sung by Swedish singer Mans Zelmerlow . Its called A Stranger Saved My Life Tonight . This one is really a cure to your broken heart. Whenever I feel low, i listen to this. It instantly lifts up my mood & gives me a reason to smile. Pure bliss! So, lets discuss it in detail. A Stranger Saved My Life Tonight is a song from the album MZW sung by  Mans Zelmerlow. It is written by Fredrik Kempe & lyrics are by Fredrik himself along with Mans. MZW peaked to # 1 on Swedish Albums Chart. Since its melody is from a per...