Maroon 5’s third studio album, Hands All Over, might have come out over a year ago, but its songs are still playing on the radio and resonating with their audience, proof of the band’s talent and progress since its debut in the pop rock world nearly 10 years ago.

Frontman Adam Levine and crew have come a long way since their first album Songs About Jane, which featured the hits “This Love,” “Harder to Breathe” and “She Will Be Loved” and carried the general theme of heartbreak and anguish, all of the songs revolving around Levine’s ex-girlfriend. It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, released in 2007, held a much more positive tone about regaining confidence and attitude after a bad relationship with hits such as “If I Never See Your Face Again,” “Makes Me Wonder” and “Wake Up Call.” Hands All Over continues the band’s journey through relationships by capturing the giddiness of a brand new love with someone exciting and fresh who they can’t get enough of.

According to a Nov. 21 Examiner article, Maroon 5 won their first American Music Award with Hands All Over. While it has not done as commercially well as their other albums, it still debuted at second place in the Billboard Top 200 and has gone Gold with over 700,000 copies sold.

In a time when most of the pop music on the radio is synthesized and impersonal, Maroon 5 stays true to their roots as a pop rock band. While the formulaic and overplayed “Moves Like Jagger” featuring Christina Aguilera is their main summer hit, it is not the standout track on a well-rounded album with several potential hit singles.

Tracks like “Stutter” and “I Can’t Lie” give the album an upbeat and catchy tempo with solid beats that the audience can tap their feet to for hours on end. The album’s first single “Misery” carries a similar backdrop, the beat hitting the spot and Levine’s unique, melodic voice crooning out “I am in misery/There ain’t nobody who can comfort me” once again perfectly describing the misery of infatuation.

Their other hit single, “Never Gonna Leave this Bed,” is the perfect ballad to show how smooth and soulful the album is in contrast to their more electric previous records. It may lack the edginess or angst of their past hits, but it’s nice to see Adam’s found some love and avoided becoming the male Taylor Swift.

That aside, it wouldn’t be a Maroon 5 album without at least one track capable of sending listeners into a depressive state. “Just a Feeling” describes the immediate pain and shock after a breakup and how much two people who love each other can hate each other after the damage they inflict. “Runaway” then details the aftermath, describing how people second-guess themselves and grapple with the loneliness a breakup entails.

Hands All Over is nothing spectacularly innovative, and it won’t surprise hardcore fans who know the band’s style. However, it is pleasant to hear them sing about love that isn’t manipulative or unfaithful. Its optimistic happiness and catchy tunes make something monotonous like driving a significantly more cheerful experience. It’s an album worth purchasing as a whole rather than downloading individual songs.

Maroon 5 proves with their consistent success that they are veterans in the competitive music scene. The artists have managed to stay true to their original style after achieving worldwide acclaim and work with the same ethic since their breakthrough to produce music their fans will adore. The album may have been released one year ago, but its tracks haven’t gotten old yet.

In this new age of music, only those who can successfully blend genres to create music that touches every soul can make it in a cut-throat music industry. In two years, rapper Drake has gone from former-Degrassi-star-turned-rapper to the top of the charts with his mix of hard rap lyrics and emotional singing.

On his sophomore album Take Care, Drake goes back to the formula from his critically-acclaimed 2009 mixtape So Far Gone. Based on the mixtape’s track “Houstatlantavegas,” he turns the album into a story about living life to the fullest and embracing his newfound fame. Drake keeps the album’s overall feel close to home with Toronto producers 40, Boi-1da and T-Minus in charge of giving the album a single, coherent sound.

The album shows Drake’s acceptance of his stardom and the movement that he is trying to build. Starting off with “Shot for Me,” Drake taunts his past girlfriends who left him when he was poor. On “Headlines,” Drake solidifies his position in hip-hop with a standout track that affirms “that the real is on the rise.”

One of the most important moves on Take Care is Drake’s introduction of his new artist The Weeknd to the general audience. Appearing on both “Crew Love” and “The Ride,” and with writing credits on two others, The Weeknd gets enough exposure to boost the recognition of his already popular mixtapes House of Balloons and Thursday. Together, Drake brings out his OVOXO crew to mainstream popularity to create a national movement birthed in his hometown of Toronto.

The title track, “Take Care” featuring Rihanna, is a shift from the album’s overall sound. Produced by Jamie xx, the song about loving a person hurt by a past lover seems like it was written with Rihanna in mind, which is potentially possible as Drake wrote the entire song and Rihanna merely sang the chorus.

The middle section of the album proves to be its strongest, and Drake raps over three consecutive beats by Toronto producer T-Minus. “Under Ground Kings” has Drake rapping about his rise to the top over a subtle southern rap group UGK sample. “We’ll Be Fine,” the album’s stand-out track, is about Drake partying with his crew night after night. “Make Me Proud” featuring Nicki Minaj is not as strong as their collaboration on “Up All Night” from his debut album Thank Me Later, but the song is still a solid ode to the working woman.

Drake’s most lyrical bouts come toward the end of the album. Beginning with “Lord Knows,” Drake raps 56 bars that refute claims that he is “soft” because he raps about emotional topics, while the Rick Ross feature over the booming Just Blaze production makes the record a perfect premise for Drake to assert his dominance in the industry. Similarly, “HYFR” features Drake switching multiple styles in his verse about girls who ask more questions than he cares to answer, while Lil Wayne’s feature proves one of his strongest in the latter half of 2011.

What makes Drake’s bodies of work more cohesive and interesting than other artists’ records is his personal lyrics and honesty, something that Drake further develops and highlights on Take Care. “Look What You’ve Done” is an open letter to Drake’s mother and uncle, chronicling the ups and downs of their relationship from a first-person narrative. “Practice” features an impressive take on Juvenile’s 1999 southern classic “Back That Azz Up,” turning the New Orleans-inspired bounce anthem into a smooth, R&B track.

While the album is similar to the successful formula from his debut album Thank Me Later, the return to Drake’s Toronto roots and his So Far Gone-era sound makes the album much more of a solid body of work than a collection of successful singles. The production is much tighter, the rhymes are much harder, the harmonies are more melodic, and Drake is at the finest that he has been in his entire career.

Canada has given America many great gifts: maple syrup, ice hockey and a polite attitude. However, between Justin Bieber and Nickelback, the US has not received the greatest musical talent from that country. It is only natural that Americans are dubious of new Canadian Acts.

One band that breaks this stereotype is Marianas Trench. They have risen to the top of the charts and have become singing sensations in Canada, though they remain unknown in the US.

Marianas Trench dropped their third studio album, Ever After, in November. According to Billboard.com, the album debuted at number eight on the top Canadian albums chart but did not place on the American chart.

Ever After is unique as it is a concept album, based on a fairy tale written by the band’s lead singer, Josh Ramsay. Though the tale itself is not the most fantastic piece of literature, the songs are beautifully written and have unique rhythms that combine many different genres into one album in the best way possible.

Ever After opens with a song of the same name. It starts slow and builds up to a powerful ending, featuring strong piano riffs and Ramsay’s smooth, angelic voice. It ends up creating a great opener to the album, something that’s perfect for both relaxing and rocking out.

Interestingly, Marianas Trench produced the album so that each song transitions into the next, without any breaks, creating the feeling of being told a story. “Ever After” transitions well into the next song, “Haven’t Had Enough,” which had been previously released as a single. This song takes on an entirely different tone; it is more retro-pop than the previous song, with a catchy upbeat tune that sticks in the listener’s head.

The transition into the next track, “By Now,” is intentionally abrupt, as the songs seem to switch genres once again. “By Now” starts soft, like “Ever After,” but turns into a power ballad, displaying some of Ramsay’s remarkable vocal abilities.

The song “Truth or Dare” begins with dub step undertones, starting with no instrumentals and only a very entertaining “wub, wub, wub, wub.”It quickly transitions into another pop-rock power song.

The next track, “Desperate Measures” could perhaps be the best on the album, rivaled only by “Toy Soldiers” four songs away. It has a fast beat that’s easy to rock out to and catchy lyrics. The same can be said of “Toy Soldiers,” which is a haunting song that displays the best of Ramsay’s vocal abilities.

Other ballads like “Porcelain” show the softer side of Marianas Trench. This transitions into yet another previously released single, “Fallout.” Although Ramsay sings “fallout” an upwards of 65 times in this song, it is still a wonderful, slightly depressing song about not wanting to lose touch and break it off with a loved one.

The album closer, “No Place Like Home,” is an intense, almost seven-minute-long song that incorporates the best of the other songs on the albums, mixed with new riffs and syncopations. This song is similar to the closer on their sophomore album, Masterpiece Theater, titled “Masterpiece Theater III,” which included the best of their first two albums. It is a unique idea which incorporates several different genres into one song and finishes the story well. With memorable lyrics and an interesting combination of rhythms, this song is perfect for the final good bye from Ever After.

Despite some of the messy transitions, this album might just be Marianas Trench’s best yet. Without a doubt, these guys should be able to achieve the level of popularity they have in Canada here in the States.

Musical artist Rihanna released her fifth studio album Talk That Talk Nov. 21, only a little over a year after releasing Loud. The new album demonstrates Rihanna’s versatility not only as a performer but also as a pop culture icon.

While Loud featured a predominantly lighter side to Rihanna, it did not completely override the sexual image she had established for herself in the preceding album Rated R, as evidenced by tracks such as “S&M” and “Skin.” That being said, Talk That Talk takes root in the sexual aspect of Loud, and expands upon it.

The most blatantly sexual songs of the 15-track deluxe edition of the album are “Cockiness (Love It),” “Birthday Cake,” “Watch n’ Learn” and “Red Lipstick.” Of these, only “Watch n’ Learn” has a light, playful beat. The other three are darker and slower, but nonetheless fun to listen and sing along to—depending on who is within earshot.

The album is also inspired by the latest dubstep/house music craze, which is evident in its emphasis on instrumental. The early release of “We Found Love” as a single showed just how well Rihanna’s voice accompanied hardcore dance beats. “You da One,” “Where Have You Been,” “Drunk On Love,” “Roc Me Out” and “Red Lipstick” have the stereotypical formula for club music: easy to dance to but lacking in lyrical substance.

Talk That Talkis not entirely composed of sex and dubstep-inspired beats, however, and includes ballads that attest to true love. “We All Want Love” and “Farewell” reveal Rihanna’s more sensitive side and miraculously manage not to clash with the other songs on the album.

The three bonus tracks “Red Lipstick,” “Do Ya Thing” and “Fool In Love” only add to the overall playfulness of the album. While “Red Lipstick” might be more of an acquired taste, it is extremely catchy. “Do Ya Thang” has a fun beat, but embodies a strange concept of being amused by a boyfriend who looks at other girls: “I know you like being ’round chicks and lookin’ at her hips in a little outfit. Hey, what can I say? That’s what I love about you, babe.” Finally, “Fool In Love” is a ballad that first has very subtle background music but later adopts a more complicated beat that complements it nicely.

The track that shares the album name, “Talk That Talk” features rapper Jay-Z, who played a significant role in helping Rihanna’s career get started. The song is very traditional of Rihanna’s style, mirroring certain elements of “Rude Boy” (Rated R, 2009).

As a whole, the album is an impressive extension of Rihanna’s career. Talk That Talk dabbles in the dance beats and catchy, repetitive lyrics that are popular right now. On the other hand, the album’s sexual motifs may come off as offensive to general audiences.

Rihanna is a pop culture icon in its truest sense: she can adapt to the constantly changing music scene and retain her status as one of its most popular artists. Although Talk That Talk marks the end of a period in Rihanna’s career (R.I.P. red hair), it also symbolizes the birth of another.

 Although the series is hugely popular in Europe, it never gained a large following in the US. However, the upcoming movie, due to be released in the US on Dec. 21, directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson, hopes to change that trend.

 The Adventures of Tintinis an engaging movie, full of suspense, action and humor. Based on three of the original comic books, The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham’s Treasure, the movie combines the plots of all three to produce a visually appealing adaptation, which stays mostly faithful to the way Hergé portrayed his characters.

The movie starts off with Tintin (Jamie Bell, Billy Elliot) and Snowy buying an old model of a ship, the Unicorn, from a flea market. The purchase attracts the attention of the sinister Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig, Casino Royale), who immediately tries to buy it from Tintin. Upon Tintin’s refusal, he is later kidnapped by Sakharine’s accomplices and imprisoned on a ship.

After he manages to escape, Tintin meets the liveliest character of the movie, Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis, The Lord of the Rings), and together they embark on a hunt for the treasure of the original Unicorn, battling Sakharine and his lackeys along the way.

The movie uses motion-capture animation to bring Hergé’s world to life, including some beautifully animated sequences where the action is as good as real. The performances of the actors are equally good, although the dialogue is stilted and awkward at times. Bell does an admirable job as Tintin; Serkis is loud and adds comic relief as Captain Haddock, while Craig manages to bring Sakharine’s evil nature to the forefront.

The plot does diverge often from those of the books — Sakharine was never the antagonist in the books — while other supporting characters were added and removed. Many elements of the original books are done away with completely in order to make the movie shorter and smoother. Avid fans will also notice inaccuracies in the leading characters: for instance, Captain Haddock is of Scottish descent; however, he speaks with a distinctly Eastern European accent.

Plot discrepancies and character changes aside, the movie is well paced and does not linger too long at any one point, and is supplemented by a great soundtrack. In the end, the movie is a fun and entertaining watch for everyone, from long-time Tintin fans to people who are discovering the comics and Tintin’s world for the first time.

When it comes to Christmas movies, most are quickly forgotten as soon as the holiday season ends. However, a select few go on to become touchstones, beloved and re-watched by families year after year. Arthur Christmas may have what it takes to join the latter category.

With a clever script that successfully updates many Christmas myths, and dialogue that crackles with sophisticated wit, this movie offers the kind of pre-holiday experience that parents and children alike will appreciate.

The film retains a distinctly British personality, and the kind of odd, eccentric character design that is expected from the English-based Aardman animation studio, the folks who brought us Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. The look of the figures is not remotely conventional, including Santa Claus, which reminds the audience that they are watching a cartoon, not a replica of real life.

Nonetheless, it’s the clever story by Peter Baynham and director Sarah Smith that lifts this film above the norm and manages to put a new spin on old material. The question it poses is: How does Santa get all those presents out to millions (billions?) of certifiably well-behaved children in one night?

The answer is that Santa employs a vast squadron of gift-delivering elves in what amounts to an annual global commando raid. The crisis here is that one little girl named Gwen (Ramona Marquez, The King’s Speech) in Cornwall has been mistakenly overlooked. The dilemma is trying to figure out how to get a pink bicycle under her tree in time for Christmas morning.

Since the Santa family is somewhat dysfunctional, it falls to 136-year-old Grandsanta (Bill Nighy, Rango) and his grandson (and possible Santa heir) Arthur (James McAvoy, X-Men: First Class) to save the day.

Arthur and Grandsanta steal off with the traditional sleigh and reindeer in a race to deliver the bike before dawn. The only problem is, Grandsanta is somewhat crazy and Arthur is completely inexperienced.

Letting Arthur and Grand Santa carry the theme causes Steve (Arthur’s older brother) and Santa to be underdeveloped. The film goes out of its way to let us know Steve is not a villain and he means well, but there is some selfishness at work.

As for Santa, his character does not portray much at all. He doesn’t seem to truly appreciate either of his sons, and he’s a reactive character who never seems to have any opinions of his own. Viewers are left to wonder why Arthur admired him so much in the first place. But thankfully, Arthur Christmas is not about how Santa got his groove back.

Smith not only creates wonderful characters with Arthur and Grandsanta, but she lets the world come alive with thoughtful and clever details. Smith and Aardman color the world with fun little decorations like the red-and-green Christmas trees that make up camouflage on Steve’s uniform, the Christmas tree-shaped goatee on Steve’s face, and even having his enlisted rank logo be in the shape of a Christmas tree.

It’s easy to be cynical about Christmas because it is a consumer-driven holiday, and it’s tough for some (i.e. everyone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas) to understand why songs like “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” create warm and fuzzy feelings. Arthur Christmas washes away every ounce of cynicism that could be felt toward Christmas and replaces it with Arthur’s energy and enthusiasm. Through Arthur’s wide eyes, Christmas becomes about giving and the belief that a stranger cares about you so much that they will travel the globe to bring you a gift.

The voice cast is so exceptional that simply listening to the film is a treat. The wonderful voice cast, which includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent and Bill Nighy, clearly were not cast for their name value alone, but because they can actually act with their voices alone, infusing their characters with personality to spare. If there were an award for best-animated voice ensemble they would win in an instant.

Animations can spin like whirligigs with no particular place to go, continuous motion machines built just to babysit ADD kids. In happy contrast, Arthur Christmas delivers small and large-scale action that’s consistently purposeful and focused, graced, like every element in this heartwarming Christmas fable, by the gift of intelligent imagination.

The new pop-band, mainly located in the United Kingdom, erupted onto the music scene shortly after appearing on the British version of X-Factor. Although the five boys did not win first place on the singing show, they landed a record deal with SYCO Music, a joint venture of Simon Cowell and Sony Music Group, shortly after the competition ended.

Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan have not only stolen many hearts from girls all over the world, but they have also dominated the music charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Scotland and Sweden.

Their debut album, Up All Night, peaked at number one in Sweden, number two in the UK and Scotland and third in Ireland. Their debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful”, topped the charts in the UK, Scotland, and Ireland.

One Direction wrote and composed the album’s 13 songs and two bonus tracks with the help of singers Kelly Clarkson and British band McFly’s lead singer, Tom Fletcher and Ed Sheeran. The popular powerful pop anthems consist of feel-good, corny lyrics that make girls all over the world gush with love for the band.

According to Female First, a British celebrity gossip and lifestyle magazine, the pop band is hoping to “crack the US music industry” soon.

To help bring One Direction to the United States, the pop band has created all sorts of challenges for fans to participate in. They are using every social media outlet, including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, to let the world know of their existence.

As if their music wasn’t enough, One Direction has male Barbie dolls modeled after them, they have performed at various shows including Red or Black? and Alan Carr: Chatty Man and the Jingle Bell Ball, but most importantly they have won the hearts of so many people, particularly the female specimens, across the globe.

If students are looking for a new obsession, look no further, Liam, Harry, Louis, Niall and Zayn have come to the rescue.

Sugo, meaning sauce in Italian, hopes to offer a memorable experience for costumers and allows families looking for a traditional Italian lunch or dinner to leave with a slice of Italy.

Sugo will include Italian-inspired small plates and wood-fired artisan pizzas, with Cava’s chef, Dimitri Moshovitis, at the culinary helm.

“We came up with the idea as a group to serve Italian food in small plate format so that people could enjoy a variety of classic Italian dishes,” Mamma Lucia owner Jimmy Fragoyannis said.

Mamma Lucia is a family-oriented Italian restaurant that started in 1997. Since then, they have opened restaurants in Bethesda, Olney and Fallsgrove.

According to Fragoyannis, their dedication to the freshest ingredients in the kitchen along with their drive for outstanding customer service results in an award-winning combination.

The menu for Sugo will consist of homemade pastas, artisan pizza, fresh made mozzarella, sliced meats and cheeses. Sugo will additionally have a meatball section that offers a variety of fine meatballs.

Though it will be a sit-down lunch and dinner restaurant, Sugo will have a casual setting that will include a bar and pizza bar.

According to Fragoyannis, the owners of Cava and Mamma Lucia firmly believe that people who love Italian food will now have the opportunity to try a variety of different Italian dishes. In addition, Sugo will have an inspiring blend of unique family-style dishes and sincere hospitality with an absolute dedication of sourcing the best and most sustainable ingredients, allowing the new restaurant to be a significant Italian contender.

“Sugo will not only tickle your taste buds, but will be a cool place for the family and the trendy place to go for a bite to eat,” Fragoyannis said.

“All the other kids with their pumped up kicks you’d better run, better run, outrun my gun.” These words blend in with the tune of “Pumped Up Kicks” so well that many listeners do not realize they are singing about a heated topic: bullying. Instead of singing the song from a shooting victim’s point of view, lead singer Mark Foster sings from the shooter’s point of view.

According to a June 7 report on CBS Minnesota affiliate WCCO, Foster wanted to convey what a bullied and disturbed child might be thinking. In addition, Foster wanted listeners to understand the isolation and abandonment that might cause a child to go on a shooting rampage.

These factors that contributed to the writing of the song sound similar to previous bullying incidents like the one at Virginia Tech in 2007 when 33 students died. Some people interpret “Pumped Up Kicks” as a way of mocking those students.

“It’s [putting] a positive light on school massacres like in Virginia Tech,” senior Marisa Bruno said. “In a way it’s disrespecting the students who died in them.”

Not only does the song belittle school shootings, but to have children sing about such a provocative issue is obscene.

According to Bruno, she realized how wrong the song was for little children to sing when she was babysitting and heard the kids sing lyrics like “he found a six-shooter gun” and “he’s coming for you, yeah, he’s coming for you.”

Most students still continue to listen to the song despite its topic though many aren’t aware of the message Foster the People are conveying.

Freshman Alissa Li didn’t even know what the song was about and was just overwhelmed with its interesting sound.

Students’ lack of knowledge about “Pumped Up Kicks” brings up a common question: if more students were informed of what the song was about, would its popularity decrease?

“Before I heard the lyrics I thought it was a happy song and liked it, but then I was creeped out,” Bruno said, “It’s kind of like a horror movie when you see a little child singing ring-around-the-rosie.”

The band artfully created fourteen tracks for their Oct. 24 album, giving it a peculiar name—Mylo Xyloto. According to an Oct. 13 New York Times article, Mylo is lead singer Chris Martin’s favorite name. As for the second part, pronounced “zy-le-toe,” the prefix xylo- means musical and the ending -to literally refers to “toes.” Fortunately, critics were willing to overlook the strange album title and evaluate the music instead.

The album, their fifth so far, is a unique creation of its own kind compared to previous Coldplay albums, mainly because the album’s music style doesn’t stay in just one genre—it varies between soft rock, a pop-techno variety and even some hip-hop in their unexpected collaboration with Rihanna, dubbed “Princess of China.” This song in particular will surprise some Coldplay fans, since it’s nothing like what one would expect from the band. Don’t be misled though, it’s a great song, and it’s refreshing to see the band experimenting with new sounds.

Another song worth praising is “Hurts Like Heaven,” which sounds a bit like alternative band Passion Pit. The fresh high-pitches and perky tempos give the song a youthful feel and may even give listeners the urge to get up and dance.

Of course, Martin and his band mates wouldn’t forget to feed their fans’ hungry musical souls with that classic Coldplay sound that they all love. “Paradise” is a beautifully composed ballad that recalls why people began worshipping the band 11 years ago, when they had just released their first studio album, Parachutes.

When the album is played in order, the songs appear to alternate from fast-paced to moderate speed to something resembling a lullaby. “Hurts Like Heaven” sounds like the band drank a few Red Bulls before recording it. Compare this to “Us Against the World,” which will instantly put out tired listeners.

The band also included their formerly-released single, “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall,” in the album. This track is a happy pick-me-up with a rapid tempo and energetic guitar riff. Another one to make sure to listen to is “Major Minus,” a great song with an interesting, grainy sound.

Those who still remain skeptical should listen to Mylo Xyloto anyways For those who aren’t die-hard Coldplay fans, this album might just satisfy, since there is no concrete genre. Overall, the album successfully delivers what fans want from Coldplay.