Album Review - Eye On It by tobyMac

Kevin Michael McKeehan, better known by his stage name, tobyMac, has been on the Christian Hip-Hop/R&B ever since 1987 with dc Talk. When they broke up 14 years later, Toby decided to release his first solo project Momentum. Three years later comes the very successful Welcome to Diverse City. A few of the songs were featured in Movie/TV ads, SprortsCenter, and The Dr. Phil Show. Let's fast forward another three years and Toby releases Portable Sounds, his first album with collaborations. Those include American Idol contestant Mandisa, Shonlock, and Kirk Franklin. That was yet another very successful album for Toby. If you go ahead about 2 1/2 years, City on Our Knees, the lead single from Tonight is released, this song becomes number one on billboard and win him yet another Dove award. This album has another bunch of huge collaborations including his nephew, lead singer of Relient K, Matt Theissen, John Cooper, lead singer of Skillet, and Israel Houghton. You think that's successful? Let's forward to this week and he releases Eye On It. As I'm writing this review, it is still number 1 AND 2 overall on iTunes. You can tell already this is going to be a successful album! Mr. tobyMac, I would love to thank you for releasing another album to make my iPod and me smile! All the great things I'm about to say in this review are well deserved!

Me Without You, the first single off the album is one of Toby's most "poppy" songs ever. It talks about his faith and how he basically cannot be without God, or he would be lost. The second song on the album, Steal My Show, is a more mellow song off the album that is Toby saying, "God, whatever you want me to do, I'm in!" Probably my favorite song off the album is the title track. It is that one heavy rock song Toby always has to have on his albums, and also features Britt Nicole. Toby needed one more song for the album at the end of June and was currently on writer's block. He wanted to quit, but knew he couldn't, he had to keep his eyes on the prize and eventually wrote this anthem.

Forgiveness features one of Christian music's biggest rappers, LeCrae. It talks about, even though sometimes we feel like we don't deserve it, God is always there with forgiveness. Speak Life is another amazing anthem from the album. It's telling you to tell people great things, because you never know when those few words can be life-saving/-changing for someone. Unstoppable is a song that features Group 1 Crew's Blanca Reyes. It's saying that even though Christianity is a hard religion to be a part of, we are an unstoppable religion.

Does it ever seem like you act bigger than God? Toby can't explain it better than in Lose Myself. He feels like sometimes he is bigger than God and is telling God to take everything that he is and loves. Family, the 8th song on the album, is an anthem for couples who are on the edge of divorce. In the song, he is portraying a family struggling to stay together. In Thankful For You, McKeehan is working in a diner at the beginning of the song, as he is on the verge of his rapping career.

One thing Toby loves less than God, but more than anything else is his wife. He portrays that love perfectly in Made For Me. He's saying, that even though his wife and him have a lot of differences, that doesn't stop him. If you're a long-time tobyMac fan, you will know that every one of his solo albums has one song that his son, TruDog sings. He has matured so much with the new track Mac Daddy (Tru's Reality). He talks about saving up for a Mac laptop and looking for a job in the song. Favorite Song, the final track on the standard version of the album, features Jaime Grace. It compares God to his favorite song, because He sticks with him all the time.

Eye On It is going to be yet another hit album from Christian pop's biggest artist. There are slow ballads, such as Family all the way to going-to-be-dance-anthems like the title track. Even though the album has so many summery songs, it will be on your playlist even when it is snowing or freezing outside! This album is a must-buy for pop fans!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Purchase Links: iTunes, Amazon MP3

Top 3 songs: Eye On It, Unstoppable, Mac Daddy (Tru's Reality)   

For Fans of: LeCrae, KJ-52, Group 1 Crew

Until Next Time, Alex

20 Most Anticipated Albums of 2012

Now for the most anticipated of 2012:
20.) Plans Within Plans - MxPx
19.) Lost In Transition - Sixpence None The Richer
18.) TBA - Project 86
17.) TBA - House of Heroes
16.) TBA - Showbread
15.) Scars & Stories - The Fray
14.) TBA - Paramore
13.) TBA - The Classic Crime
12.) TBA - Relient K
11.) Believer - Kutless
10.) Crave - For King And Country
9.)  TBA - Tenth Avenue North
8.) The Hurt and The Healer - MercyMe
7.) TBA - P.O.D.
6.) TBA - TobyMac
5.) TBA - Flyleaf
4.) NOW - Fireflight
3.) Paralyzed - Brian "Head" Welch
2.) The End Is Where We Begin - Thousand Foot Krutch
1.) TBA - Skillet

Top 20 Albums of 2011

I was going to do this in two separate posts, but I am a tree hugger, so yeah! But this is honoring the best albums of 2011 and the new faves of 2012! Get ready, cause this is going to be awsome!

First off, The top 20 of 2011:
20.) Soul Surfer Soundtrack
19.) Moutains Move - Kristian Stanfill
18.) Live At The Masqurade - Thousand Foot Krutch
17.) Get Closer - Keith Urban
16.) Unbroken - Demi Lovato
15.) Ceremonials - Florence + The Machine
14.) Anthem Song - Aaron Gillespie
13.) Neveroddoreven - Shonlock
12.) All Things Bright And Beautiful - Owl City
11.) Listen To The Sound - Building 429
10.) Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay
9.) Scripted - Icon For Hire
8.) Destiny - Beckah Shae
7.) I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home) - The City Harmonic
6.) Crazy Love - Hawk Nelson
5.) Until We Have Faces - R3D
4.) III - Family Force 5
3.) The Anthem of Angels - Seventh Day Slumber
2.) Break The Spell - Daughtry
1.) The Reckoning - NEEDTOBREATHE

Academy of Alex's Favorite Music 2012 Music Awards!

First, to start off, this is the first annual AAFM Music Awards and I am very excited to award these musicians these very deserving awards! Even though no trophy will be involved, they have Spiritual trophies waiting for them in heaven!

 First award of the night is single of the year. This artist, in my opinion, hit the top of my charts with this song and I can't stop listening to it! The winner is... "Renegade" by Daughtry.

Now it comes to the second award. This is Female vocalist of the year. She had a very successful year with a Disney Channel show and a number 1 pop song, "Watch Me." This award goes to Miss Bella Thorne!

Well, since we just had female vocalist of the year, now it is time for male vocalist. This person excelled both on and off stage. He had not one but two number 1 songs "Strong Enough" and "My Own Little World." The award goes to... Matthew West!

Album of the year was the hardest award to pick, cause there were so many good ones!! Album of the year goes to... NEEDTOBREATHE's "The Reckoning."

Wow! There are only a couple of awards left to "give out." This next award is entertainer(s) of the year. This is my favorite band, and there is no mistaken how good they are! They won this award because of amazing concerts, including pyro and shooting fireworks out of their bass. They are planning to realease a new album in August or September. They deserve this more than anyone else. The artist is Skillet!!!

The award eeryone has been waiting for! Artist of the year!!!! This artist proves every time they realease an album, they just keep getting better. Even though they have arena-filling Alt-Metal songs, these guys can sure write a good ballad, too. Their album "Until We Have Faces" released almost a year ago and is an amazing album. Give it up for R3D!!!!!!!!

I seemed to ski an award! Video series of the year These are the funniest five guys I have ever seen! The title of their series is the "Really Real Show!" Family Force 5!!!!!!!!

Well, that is it for the awards for this year! I hope everyone is satisfied with the winners and see you next year!!

Until Next Time, Alex

I Am Mad & Done With People Trying To Ruin My Life!

My amazing weekend was following into tomorrow until like 8:30ish. One of my so-called "friends" told me that this girl thinks I'm creepy. I always try to be nice to him, but he always blames me for being mean. I can't use any names cause it's basically against the law, but, you don't even know how much I want the whole world to know him and how much I could be mad at this person!!! He always fells like I'm in the wrong, but then cusses me out. I think he needs to just get his act straight! I have already apologized, but he still hasn't. If you read this, you know who you are, I want you to know that I will keep trying to be nice and be friends! Doesn't even matter if you don't wanna be! One last thing, even though this song talks about beauty, take it from a different perspective. Who says we can't be friends? Who says you can't be nice?

Until Next Time, Alex

Free Tyrone Wells Metal & Wood EP

I saw Tyrone in concert opening for Thousand Foot Krutch and Run Kid Run last year, and he was REALLY good, so I was thrilled when I saw that his Acoustic EP was available for free. If you have never heard of him, he sounds like Mat Kearney, Jason Mraz, and Jack Johnson. His songs have also been featured on some pretty big movies and T.V. shows. Some of them are Numb3rs, Ghost Whisperer, Vampire Diaries, and My Sister's Keeper, just to name a few. So, if you watch those shows, you have probably heard his music before, just you didn't even know it! Tyrone is definitely worth a try! When you get a chance to listen to it, could you please leave a comment on what you think? Thank you!! 

Tyrone Wells - Metal & Wood EP for free on Noisetrade

Album Review: III by Family Force 5

To start things off, I am very disappointed to review this album since I am a Christian. The past Family Force 5 album have had some religious connection in one way or another. Not only that, but their "Crunk" genre of music has changed to more Hip-Hop/Pop style of music. This album is more about finding a girl and commenting on how good she looks, which is the case in almost 50% of the songs. I have to say that I am very uncomfortable playing any songs, but "Not Alone," "Can You Feel It,"  "Paycheck," and "Wobble" around my little sisters. I have loved FF5 from the beginning, but they have hit a slump on "III."

If I had to choose a favorite song, it would have to be "Can You Feel It." It is the only song on the album that follows their usual crunk music that is on their first 2 albums. But overall, this is a good song if you are going to work out.

"Paycheck" is another pretty cool song, even though it's not crunk. It's saying that God sent His Son to die on the cross for us, hence, everyone basically got a "paycheck." You can either take it for granted, or use it wisely and be rewarded with eternal life. So, in a way, life is God's paycheck to us.

"Wobble" was the second song I heard off the album, and I fell in love with it instantly! Even though I'm not even close to good at dancing, I love to! The second this song starts playing, I always get the "jitters" and start to dance!

"You Got It" is the first song about a girl on the album and how she, you guessed it, "got it." In my opinion, probably the worst song on the album and I am disappointed in FF5.

I don't even know what "Mamacita" is about. But, by the looks of the lyrics, It kind of looks like it's about J-Lo. Were they trying to pull off a Mexican-American band? I don't know, but it is a weird song and I am again, disappointed.

Even though "Tank Top" is another song about a girl, I happen to really like the song. I like Hip-Hop/Rap in the first place, and this song has pretty much both. This is one of the few songs I am not disappointed with, even though, I still wouldn't play it around children.

"Not Alone" was a surprising track for FF5 fans. They have always been crazy, but then they write a ballad? And It's Good? Wow! It is probably one of my favorite songs on the entire album. I give this song a standing ovation.

"Dang Girl," another song that I would rather not have children hear, but love it. It's halfway between crunk and hip-hop and I love it! Another good song on the album! Good job guys.

"Love Gone Wrong" is another song, in which I don't know what it's supposed to be, so it's hard for me to review. Overall, another disappointing song by the guys of FF5.

"Get On Outta Here" is a good way to end a FF5 album. They follow their crunk style, and do an overall pretty good job on the song.

As reading over the review, I don't have as many complaints as I thought I was going to. But, it isn't as good as their first two albums, and when it comes time for them to record a fourth album, they should go back to crunk completely.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Purchase Links: iTunes, Amazon MP3

Top 3 songs: "Tank Top," "Not Alone," and "Can You Feel It?"

For Fans of: 3OH!3, Usher, and what ever else sounds like them!

Until next time, Alex