by Frank Ocean: R&B has had an interesting turn the last few weeks. My cd player fell in love with Frank Ocean. The singer, song-writer, producer has delivered exactly what the music scene is missing. The words to one of his tracks, We All Try, got me hooked the first time I listened. More than the normal song topics of dating girls, going to the club, and popping bottles, Nostalgia, Ultra covers the controversial topics of abortion, sinning, and the not-so real fairytale American Wedding.

The super-creative type goes beyond traditional R&B chords to sampling songs by The Eagles, Coldplay and MGMT. The best sample, in my opinion, is B*tches Talkin which features Radiohead’s Optimistic. Although only a interlude, the track should have been a complete single.

The beauty of this album is that you can play it from beginning to end and feel something new everytime you listen. There are songs that you may only like and end up loving. Then, there are the songs that you think are a little weird and you find yourself singing allllll day. With a mixture of sounds and talent that reminds me of Ryan Leslie, Frank Ocean has a long future ahead of him. Check out one of my favorite tracks, Songs for Women, below and you can download the full album here.

P.S. Frank Ocan can never become first name status. “Frank” sounds whack. It sound’s like the name of somebody’s uncle. Frank Ocean is better. Frank O is dope

by Coldplay ft. Jay-Z: Every mix tape that I have listened to in the last week has this song in the line up. I really like this song, but I wish Jay had more lines on the track. If you heard the first 75% of the song, you would not know Jay was even on the track. Aside from that, great song! I like that Jay continues to step outside the rap boundary. I would love to see the day when a country artist and a rap artist collaborate for a track. As long as the personalities of the artists and their love for music parallel, that collaboration will be a pioneering sound for the music industry.

by Chairlift: In their iPod commercials, Apple always has catchy songs that will leave you singing the chorus days later. Viva la Vida by Coldplay used to have me jamming, and now Chairlift has me randomly singing Fooorrrrrr Yooouuuuuu all day!