Check out Bleed by Hot Chelle Rae — it’s definitely pop with a smudge of emo (and by smudge I mean a bucket full, perhaps it’s the bleeding part). The Nashville based band were signed by pop powerhouse label, Jive, in 2008. And ever since then the band has been setting venues ablaze, touring to hopefully stamp their music on the foreheads of the masses.

Between Warped Tour and their very own Six Flags tour dates, the boys recorded a music video for the song Bleed and the outcome is a simple yet sharp clip that meshes well with the song. I do think the video could’ve been shot in a different perspective but the simplicity undoubtedly will resonate with pretty much anyone with a heart.

RK Follese, you’re beautiful.

Check out the video for Bleed below.

Single My Best Theory has been released, and is quickly gaining radio momentum. Containing ceaseless energy and up-tempo, guitar-driven pulsation, the single marks the return of one of rock’s most beloved bands. At the beginning of their new track, frontman Jim Adkins sums up their pause proclaiming, “It’s been a long time,” — and hell yeah, I agree. It may not slam you into a wall like Big Casino did upon first listen, but it will definitely push you a few times. That being said, does this new release have the same potential as the others?

For those keeping score, this album was produced by Mark Trombino, who also did work (literally) on their amazing 2001 smash Bleed American. On this release you will find singing and playing with a confidence and sincerity that will melt the hearts of even the most stoic of listeners, for they produce rousing, well-crafted anthems (I can’t wait for you all to hear tracks such as Coffee and Cigarettes and Littlething). Being a music lover, I was a fan of Chase This Light, but felt the ends needed to be shaved away a little bit. It lacked a little hard-rock static that I’m used to, although I still give the album a 4/5. For even their not-so-astounding work is better than some other bands “finest” stuff. They highlight the balance of organic sources and hard rock grooves.

Jimmy Eat World always leaves a significant amount of time in between each release, leaving a shit load of space for one to reflect on the actual effects of the album, and all it entails as a whole. So what is so commendable about Jimmy Eat World that I should be singing such honor? They have the unique gift to be a bands-band as well as a fans-band. What do I mean by that? They carry credibility with a tuneful convenience that makes the act a permanent fixture of the modern music scene. Invented will show you that they are doing just that, but reinventing themselves, again. It’s been a ride watching where this group has come from and where they are going. I thoroughly enjoy watching the maturity of this group and they grow as artists in a dying industry. They have the heart, and in their own words: “Heart is hard to find.”

Strikingly lush tracking coupled with overwhelmingly competent mixing, I can’t wait for all the fans to fall in love with this record. Planning an epic fall tour while awaiting a release and trying to gain the attention back from fans; pulling that off without conflicting into a mess is nothing short of miraculous.

Feed your appetite with the single until Invented hits the shelf, for Jimmy is ready to eat the world again.

I used to joke that The Warped Tour was like Woodstock, except there were more drugs and less peace. But after finally getting the whiff of what it’s all about, I’ve been forced to revoke my previous bias. I got in to the Country of Hardcore sans passport, simply because I was working one of the charity booths therein. Expecting to get some good doses of awesome music through bad sound sets, throbbing sun, and people already drunk by 9AM, I was preparing myself for one long day. But as time went on and the crowds grew thicker, I came to feel there was something more to what I had expected. Somehow Warped has a way of making you feel special, knowing you were a part of the spectacle — that the things you saw, the hairdos you spotted, and the smiles you captured were all part of something significant.

I don’t think I have to tell you how many heaven-bound bands showed up. From the household names to the underground breakout artists, the place was packed with talent. It was a direct injection of sizzling, incinerating rock, and a salute to what the Sex Pistols set out to prove: as long as you’ve got a guitar and some ‘tude, you have the means to go far. I even got to experience the unpasteurized thrill of discovering some new sounds along the way!

I was stationed by the tent where This Time Next Year and Suicide Silence sat to give autographs, heard Andrew W.K. bellowing to the crowd, Anti-Flag working up a riot while Hey Monday showed off their stuff, and as I walked away from the grounds I could hear Pierce The Veil start up on Caraphernilia. Everyone was singing along, and it was this magical moment I couldn’t get rid of. Suddenly, everything in my writing had popped off the page, and every note in my earphones had transcended to reality.

I guess the only true problem with The Warped Tour is there are so many different shows going on, it’s impossible to see every single snazzlegram of the line-up. And, one must remember, I was chained to a charity booth the whole time. But even getting snippets of it was a crucial addition to the memory bank.

If The Warped Tour went through your city this year, share the dirty details with us. If they haven’t hit you up yet, take a look here to see if your city’s on their warpath. ‘Cause, like one of the singers shouted from the stage, there will never be another Warped Tour ‘10.

I’m sure at least 75% of the population can agree that Mondays suck. Well, don’t worry. This band has got a kick that works like a hangover remedy, aiming to help you start off your week with a bang!

One look from the picture above and you may be thinking these kids look like some cute crew you’d see hanging out at your local 7-Eleven. But they have some rifftastic breaks hidden under those pretty little faces and three-row studded belts, and are ready to give the world a swift punch to the gut. With love, of course.

Just a slice of the delicacies one can find in the Florida music scene, Hey Monday is a vitamin-rich additive for your otherwise dull breakfast. They put the power behind the pop, and Cassadee makes a hell of a leading lady.

You may reach for their triple-kick pickup when you need an ego boost, or just the right edge to let the sun stream through the trees. But no matter what, they’re the perfect theme song for beach days, fun nights with friends, and enjoying trips you’ll want to remember.

On their site, all they talk about is releasing new songs, new videos, or the joy of being out on the road. They’re not messing around, and because of it, have a meeting with potential.

Sometimes the rawness of the lyrics seem to be deserving a bit more of a backup than the emocore-meets-pop formula, and at other times, the strength of the chorus is shadowed by simplistic verse. Hey, I’m sure all they need is a little time to fit into the shoes of promised stardom, and they’ll do just fine.

Their new album Beneath It All is dropping down to earth on August 15th, but don’t go digging for the wallet just yet. Enjoy their new music video for I Don’t Wanna Dance, which took its first glimpse of the world earlier last week.

A Rocket to the Moon covers Billionaire in a very dissimilar way. I am not too sure how I feel about it, for it sounds like a wholly different song. The boys are on this year’s annual punk rock extravaganza Warped Tour, which leads to success for many artists like themselves. I’m into covers but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I respect its exclusivity, and see how it would draw a whole fresh crowd into the song, I just don’t feel as if the boy’s got the chops of Bruno Mars. Cover or no cover, vocalists need to know their own limits; master before you pay tribute.

Let’s break it down; music is a discussion, with artists dialoguing by way of lyrics and themes. Which means a cover is the most straight and attractive form of communication. It provides artists like Rocket to the Moon with the likelihood not only to pay respect to their influences (in this case, label-mate Travie McCoy), but also to insert or take away significance from the original version as they see fit. Long story not too short: remakes either want to make the reviewer turn the dial, or cringe when it’s an otherwise fine artist making a mistake. This private pop acoustic version could go in either direction. I dig change, but for some reason, I can’t find the prize thing that was buried.

Numerous people have commented on the video calling it “better than the original” and “a fantastic remake” — do you agree? Let’s not get it twisted, A Rocket to the Moon is signed under Fueled By Ramen, which is leisurely building one of the utmost empires in the mainstream powerpop trade, including artists such as Paramore and Fall Out Boy. With an exceedingly stacked line up, it’s almost a sure thing whenever they sign an up-to-the-minute artist (for every time we close our eyes, we see their names in shining lights).

These boys have the potential to have huge success, so why bask in the fruit of another? Billionaire isn’t the greatest song in the world, but it’s rap-pop revelry style makes it unique, not really sounding much like other things out right now. I’m just saying, once a shoe is shined, it’s senseless to run through the mud.

What do you think of the cover? Does this rocket have the potential to soar to the moon, or does the band just want to be billionaires, so freakin’ bad?

Their third full length album, Cycles, is full of fun and assertion. Opening track Let’s Go screams: “I’ve got so much left to do but I’ll start with this song,” — It’s a great line to initiate you to the release, proving their communal gaze is definitely focused on the future, and all its potential. I find the quintet of Cartel to be real and rousing. This release could have easily been the ideal soundtrack to a victory lap, for they’ve had the success, and are worthy of celebrations. The rock star life has bitten the boys in the ass many years ago, but the swelling never really went down. Rather than living in the past, the group chooses to go forth, to cultivate, sticking to what they’re superior at; hook-laden contemporary rock. After all, Cycles should be repeated indefinitely.

Their music may not be something new or unmarked, or have its own discrete sound, but in this case, that’s the beauty of it. Their good at what they do and don’t try to dip their shit in sugar. There’s something strangely sexy about albums like these. While there’s the accepted truth that “there is nothing new under the sun,” and that art’s magnitude comes more from how the tale is told than what the actual tale is, there are still degrees of uniqueness within the telling.

Cartel is that crew that upon first listen, not only catches your ear, but earns your loyalty, whether you admit to the public or not. I’m not forcing this band down your throat, I just want you to try a taste. Fun pop punk that lets you unleash your 14-year-old Warped Tour mosh-moves, checkered Vans and all. Have some fun, and give in to your guilty pleasure. Explore where Cartel has been, and where they’re going. Let’s go, Cartel, let’s go.

Paramore’s the cover story for the July 2010 issue of Spin (on newsstands now).

Writer Josh Eells, who followed Paramore for the feature, wrote that Hayley and her bandmates are not living the typical rock star lifestyle. Instead of partying, he states that the group spent their time to “watch Spaceballs and play Yahtzee.”

“They sing Hanson songs, and not even ‘MMMBop’ — we’re talking deep cuts,” Eells continued to say in the piece. “Their bus smells like popcorn and Twizzlers, and their chief entertainment is a book of hypothetical questions they take turns shouting out answers to.”

And after reading the article, Hayley responded, not very pleased with the overall vibe of the feature:

“It seems that in most cases writers simply enjoy looking at us and exclaiming – like they’ve discovered something huge – ‘THEY’RE YOUNG!’ or of course there’s always, ‘THEY’RE CHRISTIANS,’ or ‘THEY DON’T SHOOT UP IN THE BACK OF THE BUS!’ What is this, the ’80s? Is it really that sensational that we aren’t the second coming of Motley Crue?”

Hayley later wrote: “It’s my opinion that anyone who is coming onto our band looking for controversy is completely missing the point. The point isn’t in the intent of controversy, the point is that there is no way around it. As people, aren’t we all bursting at the seams with conflict and controversy? The point of our music is that there are human hearts in it.”

You can check out a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot in the clip below.

Take the Jonas Brothers and add a little pinch of Blink-182 and you have yourself Allstar Weekend.

Usually when Disney discovers an act I run in the opposite direction. Ok, that’s not entirely true but you probably know where I’m going with this. Admittedly, I love some good pop music (at times, even the overly commercial), but often, clever and smart pop music gets lost behind the corporate cookie-cutter machine of companies as large and clean cut as Disney.

However, every now and then an act will come through the process that may have gotten their start as a part of that machine but you can’t help but to enjoy anyways, seeing the talent and potential behind the packaging. This is where Allstar Wekeend comes in.

The dudes write great feel-good pop songs. Poppy punk with infectious hooks, Allstar Weekend is perfect for a summer roadtrip. In concert, Allstar Weekend has shared the stage with some huge names including: Justin Bieber, The Maine, and Forever The Sickest Kids.

Suddenly, the debut album from Allstar Weekend, hits stores June 22nd via Hollywood Records. The boys recently debuted the music video for the new single Dance Forever.

Watch the video via YouTube below.

Front men Paul Sprangers and Scott Wells describe their music as “a physical dosage of happiness and good vibes.” Sometimes I am fearful of praise tarnishing the anticipation of a fresh group, but I can’t hold it in! I first heard about these guys in Spin Magazine, for I’m an artist to watch column kind of girl, and I never turned back. Debut album Stuck on Nothing has me stuck on something; a modern taste on classic rock. A pop-like frame of mind winning over the cock-rock aura doesn’t always fairly match, but the boys have a knowledge of real music well beyond their young years. It’s compacted with hand clapping, cowbells, and vocals, while concurrently wielding the modern garage-pop sensibility of bands like Jimmy Eat World and Sum 41. The boys played SXSW (South By South West) Musical Festival this year, which is a huge honor for upcoming artists.

Free Energy’s contagious passion and general intensity of talent has me yearning to see them on the road this summer, for I’ve heard nothing but rave. Check out this live performance, grab a beverage, pull up a stool, and enjoy some great music. Their energy is forceful exertion, and it goes to show that sometimes the best things in life are Free.

He’s playing melodies and heating up his singing voice with collaborations from Cee-Lo, personal favorites Chester French. The Lazarus Project will let all see another side of Travis, by proving himself to a community that may not always take him seriously. Don’t expect auto-tune, for this is the real deal.

Earlier this year he split with pop mega tart Katy Perry, and released his Forgetting Katy Perry mixtape. Normally you would never see me supporting celebrity gossip in my write-ups, but it’s necessary research for the core of the album. The healing process takes a turn on this project as his somber sad-sack tones finally see the light. Song Don’t Pretend is a hard-hitting healing process: “Open up my chest and you’ll see a cold cavity where my heart used to be”. Although it sounds dreary, this album is upbeat as all hell, turning bad to good.

This may be a different pick for your liking, but I have a feeling you are going to enjoy exploring this album. Travie recently stated in an interview, “If Lazarus were a movie, it’d be A Clockwork Orange”. Although it’s got a hip-hop vibe, rock n’ roll storms in during “Superbad”, a smash with another ravish talent, Limp Bizkit axeman Wes Borland.

A disc compacted with teaming up with a diverse array of studio superstars for a genre-busting, groundbreaking new collection. If you want to experience a great musical performance, catch him on the road this summer with 3OH!3 and Cobra Starship. Turning the scribbled lines between hip-hop and rock into a perfect picture, with no fillers or skippable tracks.

Although Travie may not be rollin in Gym Class, this album proves he’s still a hero.