TEST SPINS | Miley Cyrus: ‘Bangerz’

At their foundation, resolutions are motivated by a desire for change, whether it be intellectual growth, physical gain or emotional clarity. Sometimes, people take these resolutions a step further and use them as an opportunity to completely redefine who they are. You know the saying — “new year, new me.” Few artists embody this idea of transformation, of rejecting who they were in favor of an entirely new persona, like Miley Cyrus. With the release of Bangerz, Cyrus sent the world a very clear message: she is not Hannah Montana anymore. But then, who is she?

TEST SPINS | Lifehouse: ‘No Name Face’

“Hanging By A Moment” by alternative rock band Lifehouse has always been a summer staple for me. When it popped back up in my musical rotation this season, it hit me: while I’ve listened to Lifehouse before, I’ve never actually listened to any of the other songs that accompany “Hanging By A Moment” on the album, No Name Face (2000). This was both the impetus for this review and my new column, “Test Spins,” where I will review older albums ranging from the classic to the obscure. I’ll admit, I am somewhat of a Lifehouse novice — my knowledge of the band is mostly limited to their 2005 namesake album and the aforementioned “Hanging By A Moment” — so I was interested to hear No Name Face in full. It did not let me down.

Test Spin: Municipal Waste

At first listen, the hot-off-the-press new album by Municipal Waste is same old, same old. The band knows their ’80s crossover revival is a huge hit with modern fans of hardcore punk mixed with thrash metal at intensely high speeds for insanely short song lengths. Crossover is a dying art, and the Waste deliver their hardest to keep it alive. Listening to them is like shot-gunning a two-liter of Monster Java through the nose.

Test Spin: Keri Hilson

In 2007, Keri Hilson neared the top of the charts as a featured guest on label boss and mentor Timbaland’s “The Way I Are.” Already an established songwriter, the major pop crossover success of the song was intended to launch of Hilson’s career as a solo artist, as she quickly prepped her debut record for a late 2007 release. However, this release date, as well as subsequent ones, came and went, as label budget cuts and two underperforming singles delayed the project indefinitely. Finally, with the success of third single “Turnin’ Me On” — a flirtatious, swaggering romp adorned with an inspired Lil Wayne guest verse — In a Perfect World… was officially released, a mere 18 months later.