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The Luck of the Irish

March 18th 2010 02:41
St. Patrick's, four leaf clover, Irish

Hey folks, in case you didn't know today is St. Patrick's Day so I decided to make a little playlist to celebrate the Irish in us. It's a nice mix of Irish artists and traditional songs, so enjoy!!


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Full Playlist

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2 – War – 1983



2. You Raise Me Up – Westlife – Face to Face – 2005



3. Whiskey in the Jar – The Dubliners – More of the Hard Stuff – 1967

Many people are familiar with Metallica's version of this song. Earlier generations know about Thin Lizzy but few people are aware that it was the Dubliners who popularized the song in the 60's. Their version is more upbeat with a traditional instrumental. Really fun to listen to.



4. May It Be – Enya – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Soundtrack – 2001

5. Danny Boy/Londonderry Air – James Galways – The Very Best of James Galways

6. Fisher's Hornpipe / St. Anne's Reel



7. When Sick, Is It Tea You Want – Temple Bush Ceili Band – Laws Of Attraction Soundtrack – 2004

8. Idyll - London Philharmonic Orchestra – Laws Of Attraction Soundtrack – 2004

9. An Olive Grove Facing The Sea – Snow Patrol – When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up – 2001

10. The Lord of the Rings Main Theme – James Galways (performing) – The Lord of the Rings soundtrack

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Playlists
   


Lil Wayne - The Rebirth Album Review

March 7th 2010 03:26
lil wayne the rebirth


Release date: February 2, 2010

Genre: Rap rock, pop rock, electro-hop

Length: 46:43

Label: Cash Money, Young Money

Hello all, today I'll be reviewing Lil Wayne's latest album The Rebirth. Better late then never, right? Lil Wayne's previous record Tha Carter III was one of the most successful selling album in a long time but it wasn't musically great. Now that Lil Wayne is trying something new (rock), does it fit him better than rap or not - let's find out!

The album starts with American Star featuring Shanell and produced by DJ Nasty & LVM – a producing duo who made lots of tracks for rappers from the south. The song starts with a heavy guitar riff then it slows down when Lil Wayne comes in. It sounds like he is high. This is a slow song to smoke weed to; nothing too crazy, just a guitar behind a voice full of autotune.

Prom Queen featuring Shanell is the first single. It sounds like a song that should've been made by the pop-punk group Fall Out Boy; I bet it would've sounded way better had FOB sung it. The track sounds ordinary until we get to the first chorus. Then, it gets boring. The flow is so slow it's like he's telling a story and there's no feeling to the voice - it's just flat! The chorus is bad. Without Lil Wayne's voice, Prom Queen could be a good punk song. This is a low single.
Prom Queen Music Video



Ground Zero starts off like an old rock song from the 80's and stays like this. This is just... I think Lil Wayne was inspired by M.O.P's “Ground Zero” but he doesn't even reach their toes with a ladder. Go Listen to M.O.P's “Ground Zero” - that's music plus there's no autotune! There's also a feeling to their voice that makes it raw. I could bang M.O.P's song all day but Lil Wayne... pfff... At least, he raps a little faster in this song. Okay, he does something with the track but everybody can do something with a beat. We're not searching for “something,” we're looking for INCREDIBLE SONGS!

Da Da Da is next and was produced by Cool N Dre. OMFG WHAT THE F*** IS THIS S***!! IT SOUNDS LIKE BRITNEY SPEARS!!! NO SERIOUSLY, BRITNEY SPEARS!!!! This is not rock or hip hop, it's R&B... This is sad for Cool & Dre. Unless they had sold it to Britney Spears, making a beat like this for a rapper is going LOWWWW!!!

Paradice sounds a little bit like Guns 'n' Roses' “Paradise City” at the start until you hear “Mulla Baby.” Lil Wayne starts rapping again like there was a hairball in his mouth, then the drums comes in. OMG, I don't know if it's because of Kevin Rudolf (producer) or because of Cool & Dre (Co-Producer), but the drums on this track totally don't fit. The producers go real crazy on the chorus, trying to make a chorus that can give you hope, you know those kind of songs that lift your spirit up. That's what they tried to do, but failed...

Next is Get A Lifeege. WTF, I'm not even gonna comment. This song sounds like Britney Spears...when she was a VIRGIN!!!! How old should you be to write a chorus like this:

"I say f*** you (f*** you)
Get a life (get a life)
Man I got too much shit on my head to have to deal with all of you"
I'd say one day and a half... This is Hannah Montana Black Guy version!

I really like the sample at the start of On Fire. So much so that I left the On Fire YouTube page to go listen to the real sample.That is what I call music!You're going to find classics like that only on Grand Theft Auto ! Damn everything was better before "smh". Back to On Fire, the song gets mixed because Cool & Dre cut the sample. Their beat is not bad though. The kick and snare are well done. This is a hip hop beat, they just added guitar to make it pass for rock... Now... uh... yeah... Lil Wayne... yeah... uh... no comment.
On Fire Music Video



Drop The World features Eminem - the collaboration we've all been waiting for right? So the beat starts with Lil Wayne spitting his natural stuff. The snare in the beat is mad crazy, I got to find it to use it for my beats. Now, the chorus... sucks, yeah, it's so boring to listen to but it stays in your head even if you don't want to. My friend told me Eminem killed this track. Well, yeah he did come dope on this one but I don't think this is his kind of beat; but he still came hard.
Drop The World Music Video



Runnin features Shanell again. The beat has the kind of slow guitar that could be used by Lifehouse or a similar soft rock band. The drum is good except one tom that just doesn't fit. Lil Wayne raps very slowly on this one as he tries to keep it calm but the chorus comes hard with Shanell singing her lungs out. She sings well but I can't understand what she's saying. On verse 2, she runs the show better than Lil Wayne but the rapper is not bad on this one. I actually can feel it because he didn't use the autotune on this one. It sounds more serious and professional.

One Way Trip (featuring Kevin Rudolf) starts hard with some crazy dark guitar and crazy bass. M.O.P would murder this beat but it gets f*** up for the verse. The beat goes way down and calm; as a matter of fact, you can only hear the drum with one guitar note. The chorus hurt my hear due to the singer' high-pitched voice.

Knockout (featuring Nikkie Minaj) really sounds like Fall Out Boy's punk, using the same type of drum. This is just simple punk music. If you want punk music, go buy an album made by a punk band, don't waste your money on this. Nikkie Minaj sings like a kid by the way.

The Price Is Wrong is the kind of song you can find in Tony Hawk games. The guitar is cool and all for an ambiance song, not to listen while focusing on the music. I don't know if it's because I don't care or because it really is like that. I don't understand 80% of what Lil Wayne is saying but this song could be good for a rocker with a big screaming voice...

I don't know if I should judge this album as a rap record or a rock one. If it's considered a rock album, well take Lil Wayne's voice out of it and you get instrumentals that could reach a 8.5/10. But if this is considered a rap album, well, let me see... 5 3 = 8, divided by 2, minus 1 0.5... uh yeah, 1.5/10. I'm not joking but this album is a f***ing joke. Everyone, don't waste money for this shit. Go buy classics by AC/DC, Guns 'N' Roses or better; want to listen to a rap/rock album? Get Linkin Park's first and second albums, and M.O.P's album Mash Out Posse. That's the stuff you want to hear, not this candy pop rock and roll for girls who are still trying to understand why 2 apples 2 apples = 4 apples.

Peace, Love, Skeet




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Posted By: Alain - Category: Album Reviews, Rap / Hip Hop
   


Lifehouse - Smoke and Mirrors Album Review

March 6th 2010 01:38
Lifehouse, Smoke and Mirrors, Jason Wade

Release date: March 2, 2010

Genre: Alternative rock, Pop-rock

Label: Dreamworks, Geffen

Three years after the great Who We Are, Lifehouse is back with their newest record titled Smoke and Mirrors. Is it as good as their last album? Read on to find out.

The album starts with All In, a high-tempo ballad similar to many Lifehouse songs. The song's structure and melody was very much like “First Time,” the first single from Who We Are.

Nerve Damage features what I think is a first for Lifehouse – a smooth guitar solo. The track is great overall but the chorus' sound was a bit too “hard” in contrast to the rest of the song. The guitar solo reminded me of the Beatles' “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

Another first for the California-based band is a guest-feature on the vocals. Indeed, Had Enough features backing vocals by American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry. Thankfully, he doesn't stand out too much and the song stays very much a Lifehouse track.

From first listen, it's obvious that Halfway Gone is a radio-hit staple. The uptempo beat and chorus as well as the “wooh-ooh-oohs” just make you want to sing along while riding in the car. The song probably would have been more successful if it was released in the summer. It's really great track to drive along with. Minus points for the unimaginative music video though.



It Is What It Is is the classic Lifehouse piano-driven ballad. There's nothing else I can say about it really. Solid track from top to bottom.

The sixth track, From Where You Are, was an unreleased single in 2007 written for Allstate's Teen Driving Program. Per Wikipedia, “The song is dedicated to teens who have lost their lives in accidents and used to educate teens to drive safely. This song is also dedicated to a friend of Jason that died in a car accident at the age of 16.” It's a deep guitar-driven ballad that gets you to think about life and its meaning.



I don't why but the title-track, Smoke & Mirrors, reminded me a lot of Matchbox Twenty in their early days. It's a good song, just slightly - almost imperceptibly - different.

Falling In is a classic Lifehouse guitar-driven ballad. It's in the same category as “You And Me” and “Whatever It Takes.” My favorite song of the album so far.

Wrecking Ball is a great upbeat song. Sung by bassist Bryce Soderberg, it brings a breath of fresh air to the album while also infusing it with a good dose of energy.

Here Tomorrow Gone Today is probably the most different track of the album. It definitely startles you at first listen but you quickly settle into the new sound. It's more pop than rock with synthesizers and a drum machine as the main components of the instrumental but Jason Wade's voice keeps the familiarity present.

The two final songs, By Your Side and In Your Skin, are both nice guitar-driven ballads. By Your Side sounds more poppy while In Your Skin is vintage Lifehouse. Like most of the tracks, everything sounds good – from the instrumentals to Wade's singing, everything is rock-solid.

Smoke and Mirrors is a solid album, nothing more, nothing less. There are no disappointments but nothing stands out as a big hit like in previous albums. Nothing on this album has touched me the way “Broken” did on Who We Are. Wrecking Ball and Here Tomorrow Gone Today stand out because of their different sound but their impact on the listener isn't greater than, say, It Is What It Is or All In. With that said, I give the album a 4.75/5. They've gone a bit more mainstream these past couple of years but the sound has stayed the same. If you like Lifehouse, you'll love this album.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Album Reviews, Rock
   


Timbaland - Shock Value 2 Album Review

March 1st 2010 21:48
Timbaland, Shock Value 2

Release date: December 4, 2009

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Album Reviews, Pop
   


28 Songs Later...

February 28th 2010 21:27
Music notes

Well, here we are at the end of another cold and snowy February made only less depressing by some good music. After two 'holiday'-themed playlists, we introduce our first full-month playlist today. I've changed the format a bit to get rid of the cluster of YouTube videos. So this time around, there's a widget to listen to clips of most of the songs and the full tracklist where I put a good mix of live and official music videos.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock, Rap / Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, Movie Soundtracks
   


My Valentine's Day Playlist... What's Yours?

February 14th 2010 21:27
Valentine's Day, hearts
Love has always been a prevalent theme in music no matter the genre. Well, what other perfect day there is to make a love songs compilation? As promised, here are 14 songs to celebrate Valentine's Day with your significant other. As always, this isn't a list of the best love songs to date - I leave that choice up to you in the comments section. There are some classics on it as well as more recent tracks that you aren't familiar with. It's for everyone, young and old, male or female, whoever you are, there will be a song that speaks to you on this list. As for those who can't stand Valentine's Day, there is a little present at the end for you guys. You see everyone gets presents today. Enjoy!

1. "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" – Bryan Adams – Waking Up The Neighbours – 1991

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock, Rap / Hip Hop, R&B, Pop
   


Lostprophets - The Betrayed Album Review

January 31st 2010 00:08
Lostprophets, LP, Ian Waktins, The Betrayed
Release date: January 18, 2010 (UK) / February 2, 2010 (US)

Genre: Alternative rock, Alternative metal


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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock
   


Follow Muzikal Mafia On Facebook!!

January 26th 2010 19:28
Muzikal Mafia logo

Got an album that you would like us to review? Or maybe you have a suggestion for our music playlists?

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock, Rap / Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, Movie Soundtracks
   


Eminem - Relapse: Refill Album Review

January 25th 2010 19:01
Eminem, Relapse: Refill, Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady, Dr. Dre
Release date: December 21, 2009

Genre: Midwest hip hop, hardcore hip hop, horrorcore


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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rap / Hip Hop
   


18 Songs for Martin Luther King Day

January 18th 2010 22:36
Hello all and welcome to the first edition of Muzikal Mafia's holiday playlist. In case you missed it, we, here at Muzikal Mafia, have decided to publish monthly playlists in order to introduce our readers to new (and old) music. Basically, every month – andon the occasional holiday – we'll post a random list of songs which we feel people should check out. On those lists, there will be both mainstream and non-mainstream tracks.

We start today with 18 songs for Martin Luther King Day and I gotta tell ya, making that list wasn't easy. A first, I wanted to put only rap songs but I quickly realized that taking this approach led me away from my goal, which is to broaden everybody's (rap lovers and rockers alike) musical horizons. I then decided to list political songs but I came to the conclusion that other dates were more fitting for the political stuff. Then, I thought about putting any song which had a title, lyric, or vibe that could be associated with MLK's death and/or the South in general. The final result is a mishmash of all those ideas put together. You got some rap songs, some rock, some political stuff, some random stuff, and three french songs to add some international flavor. Keep in mind, I didn't want this list to be only about MLK, but about hope, life, love, social justice, and so on. Enjoy


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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Rock, Rap / Hip Hop, R&B, Pop
   


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