Battle of The Bands 09.08.09: Rob Thomas vs. Jason Mraz

Posted by Adam Battagello on 09.08.2009

Today we feature Kurt Cobain singing Bon Jovi, and a face-off between two prominent male popsters. Enjoy.

Greetings one and all, I welcome you to step into the arena once again for yet another mind-blowing edition of Battle of the Bands.

Before we ‘get down to bidness' I'd like to share with you a video that I happened across in my usual attempt to find something worthy with which to fill this pre-battle space. What you're going to see here may very well disturb and/or thrill you.



Yes, that is a Mr. Kurt Cobain you see dressed in a cardigan belting out Bon Jovi amongst a variety of other atypical tracks. Watching this you can't help but go through a variety of emotions, sure, it's insulting to the memory of a genius gone too early, but hey, at the same time it's funny as hell. I can't help it, sue me. (Please don't sue me)

What do you think Kurt?


I...think he likes it?

Onto the Face-off!

This Week:

Rob Thomas- Someday vs. Jason Mraz- Make it Mine




Yes, I have reached a bit further this week in an attempt for variety, picking two solo artists to compare for the first time in a battle. But as far as male pop singers go in modern music, one can't really complain with today's offerings.

As lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, Thomas has sold over 45 million albums worldwide and now, with the 2009 release of his second solo album, ‘Cradlesong' and the newest single ‘Someday' it looks like Thomas may very well be solidifying his position as one of the preeminent male pop artists for years to come.

While certainly not attaining the bevy of album sales that his competition today has racked up, Jason Mraz has certainly been no slouch in terms of musical productivity. Having released three albums to date Mraz finally found success on a large scale with his newest album ‘We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things', which included the ridiculously popular ‘I'm Yours'. Will his latest single ‘Make it Mine' surpass the success of not only his last track, but also help Mraz pull out the win in today's battle? Let's take a look-see.

Rob Thomas- Someday


Despite being cornered into a ‘poppish' sort of segment by many analyzing his music, Thomas has proven time and time again that, as an artist, it is really all to easy to defy the bubblegum associations that often come with this genre. Past solo works such as ‘This is How a Heart Breaks' as well as much of his work with Matchbox Twenty have proven time and time again that Thomas is able to search for something deeper lyrically while at the same time not sacrificing any of the melodic sensibility that makes pop music so accessible.

For the most part, Thomas' latest offering, the piano fueled ‘Someday' follows this same general rule. While not as lyrically catchy as past attempts the track is undeniably memorable and filled with emotion, something that is becoming somewhat of a trademark with Thomas' newer songs, including earlier single ‘Her Diamonds.'

An impressive aspect of the track itself is the layering of the various vocals throughout. It is no easy task to make such intricate work come off seamlessly, but when it does, as it does in Someday, it increases the impact of the song itself tenfold. So while not as catchy as past singles offered by the ever-improving Thomas, the track certainly proves its worth in other areas.

Moving On!

Jason Mraz- Make it Mine


The fact that, for the last few months, you couldn't really escape Mraz's biggest hit ‘I'm Yours' gave me what you wouldn't call the best of initial impressions coming into this bout. Don't get me wrong, the track itself is solid, but any song played to such an extent is going to wear thin, and ‘I'm Yours' was no exception.

Thankfully, Mraz's latest track ‘Make it Mine' is a breath of fresh air from anyone who has grown tired of the constant replays. The infusion of the trumpet section into the latest track gives it a leg up over the aforementioned ‘I'm Yours'. Make no mistake; the easy listening sound that Mraz seems so comfortable with is still there, but this latest track simply feels more upbeat as opposed to the more melancholy sound of ‘I'm Yours'.

The film clip for latest track is really what you'd expect for such a song, various random scenes that could really be portions of anyone's lazy Sunday, combined with live footage. So calming it almost makes you want to fall asleep…in a good way.

There Can Only Be One!

Two undeniably strong tracks this week, being that this is not my normal field of music, I found it surprising that I should be such a fan of both, but that is just a testament to the quality of the songs as well as the artists. If I had to pick a side, this week it is going to be Mr. Mraz purely because the easy listening sound of ‘Make It Mine' syncs up much with the general feeling of this writer as he puts together his article on a Sunday afternoon. This week was definitely one close competition.

How about you? Who is your winner of today's face-off?



Until next time, happy battling.