What the hell is this? With their first two releases, the Arctic Monkeys proved themselves to be one of the most energetic, exciting and fast-paced bands to come out of the UK’s otherwise derivative post-punk scene. Now they’ve recruited stoner metal pioneer Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal) as producer for Humbug, a radical depature, both in style and quality from their first two albums, and everything’s just gone to hell. This is the Arctic Monkeys trying their hand in modern metal, and while they never fall flat on their faces, it’s far from a success. The frantic beats and thrashing guitars of “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” and “Brianstorm” are long gone, instead replaced with plodding and droning beats and simplistic riffs on forgettable, hookless tracks like “Dance Little Liar” and “Fire and the Thud.” “Crying Lightning,” the lead single off the album, is as close as the group gets to their old sound, and is one of the album’s memorable tracks. It takes guts to try something new and try and branch out to another genre, so the band gets points for that. If Humbug is an experiment it’s an ambitious one, but still a massive failure and tremendous disappointment from a band that should have known better. (Domino 2009)
The 2009 MTV VMAs are only a few hours away and, for the first time in years, I’m excited to watch. Say what you will about MTV’s stance as a reality network as opposed to a music showcase, but this year I think they’ve helped bridge the gap between what classifies “pop” and “indie.” Inspecting the list of nominees, there are artists — primarily in the Breakthrough Video category — who have a rabid indie following. While music nerds and indie advocates may tend to crap on the network, I respect MTV for giving groups like Bat For Lashes, Matt & Kim, and Cold War Kids the spotlight during their renowned ceremony featuring the typical heavyweights.
Russell Brand, who’s just about reached his peak in popularity, will once again host the show. Viewers can also expect performances by Taylor Swift, Muse, and Green Day, the premier of the “New Moon” trailer, and of course, a tribute to Michael Jackson.
The VMAs will air tonight at 9 PM PT/8 PM CT on MTV and affiliates.
Click below for the list of nominees and assorted videos.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Lady Gaga: “Poker Face”
Eminem: “We Made You”
Kanye West: “Love Lockdown”
Britney Spears: “Womanizer”
BEST NEW ARTIST
3OH!3
Lady Gaga
Kid Cudi
Drake
Asher Roth
BEST MALE VIDEO
Eminem: “We Made You”
Kanye West: “Love Lockdown”
Jay-Z: “D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune)”
T.I. featuring Rihanna: “Live Your Life”
Ne-Yo: “Miss Independent”
BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Lady Gaga: “Poker Face”
Taylor Swift: “You Belong With Me”
Kelly Clarkson” “My Life Would Suck Without You”
Katy Perry: “Hot ‘N Cold”
Pink: “So What”
BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
Eminem: “We Made You”
Kanye West: “Love Lockdown”
Flo Rida: “Right Round”
Asher Roth: “I Love College”
Jay-Z: “D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune)”
BEST POP VIDEO
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears: “Womanizer”
Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester: “Good Girls Go Bad”
Lady Gaga: “Poker Face”
Wisin y Yandel: “Abusadora”
BEST ROCK VIDEO
Coldplay: “Viva La Vida”
Kings Of Leon: “Use Somebody”
Green Day: “21 Guns”
Fall Out Boy: “I Don’t Care”
Paramore: “Decode”
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears: “Circus”
Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake: “Love Sex Magic”
AR Rahman & Pussy Cat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger: “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)”
Kristina DeBarge: “Goodbye”
BEST DIRECTION
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Lady Gaga: “Paparazzi”
Green Day: “21 Guns”
Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester: “Good Girls Go Bad”
Britney Spears: “Circus”
BEST EDITING
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears: “Circus”
Miley Cyrus: “7 Things”
Coldplay: “Viva La Vida”
Lady Gaga: “Paparazzi”
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Gnarls Barkley: “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Lady Gaga: “Paparazzi”
Eminem: “We Made You”
Kanye West ft Mr. Hudson: “Paranoid”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Coldplay: “Viva La Vida”
Green Day: “21 Guns”
Britney Spears: “Circus”
Lady Gaga: “Paparazzi”
BEST ART DIRECTION
Beyoncé: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears: “Circus”
Lady Gaga: “Paparazzi”
Gnarls Barkley: “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Coldplay: “Viva La Vida”
BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO
Death Cab For Cutie: “Grapevine Fires”
Gnarls Barkley: “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Anjulie: “Boom”
Cold War Kids: “I’ve Seen Enough”
Chairlift: “Evident Utensil”
Bat For Lashes: “Daniel
Major Lazer: “Hold The Line”
Passion Pit: “The Reeling”
Matt & Kim: “Lessons Learned”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: “Heads Will Roll”
BEST VIDEO (THAT SHOULD HAVE WON A MOONMAN)
U2: “Where The Streets Have No Name”
Dr Dre: “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”
Beastie Boys: “Sabotage”
Bjork: “Human Behavior”
Radiohead: “Karma Police”
George Michael: “Freedom”
Foo Fighters: “Everlong”
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: “Into The Great Wide Open”
OK Go: “Here It Goes Again”
David Lee Roth: “California Girls”
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few weeks, you know by now that the entire Beatles catalog was given a new coat of paint on Wednesday, courtesy of a series of painstaking remasters commissioned by the gang at Apple Records — but what you may not know is whether the reissued albums are worth your hard-earned coin. With a slew of CDs on the market, including a limited-edition, 11-disc box of mono mixes, a person could conceivably spend upwards of $400 on the freshly polished Fab Four. If you’re on the fence about the remasters, never fear — Bullz-Eye is here to help.
In a discussion held by David Medsker and yours truly, the stereo remasters are held up against not only the original Beatles CDs, but the remastering fad in general, as well as the compression fad that has sent modern recordings on a quest for ever-brighter levels of sound. (In David’s words, “We’ve heard some shitty-sounding records in the last few years, haven’t we?”) Like many of you, we were concerned that the ’09 versions of these classic albums wouldn’t really do the original recordings any favors, and approached them with a healthy degree of cynicism.
So how did it turn out? Not to be too suspenseful about it, but you’ll have to click on the image above or follow this link to get the verdict. See you there!
For their fourth studio album, The Used–a band known for their tragic melodies, raw vocals and powerful hooks–have teamed up with producer Matt Squire (Taking Back Sunday, Boys Like Girls, Katy Perry, and 3OH!3) to create a cohesive, emotive alternative record with just the right amount of pop flare. For more than a year singer Bert McCraken, guitarist Quinn Allman, bassist Jeph Howard, and drummer Dan Whitesides have toiled over the creation of what Allman called a, “more sincere” approach to his bands music. “Lyrically, it completely engulfs you and makes you feel safe but it’s all about feeling alone and empty and knowing there’s always a light,” said Allman.
In the past, that light Allman spoke of hasn’t always shone through The Used’s dark, troubled lyrics and heavy pulsating riffs. On Artwork however, the band has managed a perfect combination of the grit that put them on the map and the artistic impulses that have pulled them in a more polished direction. The first single from Artwork, “Blood On My Hands,” is indeed the perfect blend of shiny pop and edgy alternative rock. All the attitude The Used have become known for is there, and it’s only re-enforced by the giant sing-along chorus that drives the track. It’s the perfect way to open the record, and The Used pulls it off flawlessly.
Artwork continues with “Empty With You,” a classic-sounding The Used track that finds McCraken looking for a companion who’s just as dysfunctional as he is. It feels like an extremely natural progression for the band, and the record, and serves as the perfect bridge to the records second single, and strongest track, “Born to Quit.” As indie-rock anthems go this one is about as big as they come. The chorus explodes with a fiery, almost bittersweet quality that channels previous singles like as “All That I’ve Got” and “Buried Myself Alive.” Fans looking for the band’s old-school sound on Artwork should head straight for “Come Undone.” It’s loud, angry and in your face, and you can feel the passion in his voice when McCraken screams, “I’ll be the end that you deserve!”
Other standout tracks include the groovy, “On the Cross,” a tune that seems to be an obvious attack on religion as McCraken wails, “pray/ if it makes you feel safe/ all i can say/ is we go our own way.” The energy, passion and pure attitude on “Cross” is what makes this track stand out, while at the same time allowing it to fit in seamlessly with the rest of the record. Even next to the somewhat out of place ballad, “Kissing You Goodbye,” or the heavier, metal-infused jam, “The Best of Me,” it’s tracks like “Cross” that have defined The Used as a consistent, driving force in the world of alternative rock.
After nearly a decade making music Bert McCraken and friends have done what most bands struggle to accomplish. Instead of trying to keep up with today’s trends, The Used has remained true to the spunky, scream-heavy rock that captured audiences back in 2003. As a result, Artwork is one of their strongest, most consistent albums to date. It’s the perfect blend of the raw emotion and unbridled intensity of earlier records like Maybe Memories and Shallow Believer, with just enough of the shiny polished edge that dominated Lies for the Liars and In Love and Death. It’s loud, it’s raucous and it will stick with you, but most of all it’s a true representation of everything The Used stand for, and with that, it truly is Artwork.
Fans of the show, critics, and even Paula Abdual expressed excitement over Ellen DeGeneres’ hiring at “American Idol.” The music industry, however, has chosen the perfect opportunity to stick it to her. Apparently, the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” has been illegally using copyrighted music during her infamous dance intermissions.
Some of the world’s largest recording companies are suing “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” claiming producers violated their copyrights by playing more than 1,000 songs without permission.
Scott Rowe, spokesman for the show’s Telepictures Productions, wrote in an e-mailed statement that the company has been working with the record labels for months to resolve the issue and remains willing to resolve it on “amicable and reasonable terms.”
The suit claims the daytime talk show has used copyrighted music without permission since its inception, including “recordings by virtually every major current artist of popular music.” It claims the show routinely used some of the most popular songs of the day, which the record labels don’t license for daytime television at any price.
Other songs cited in the lawsuit include Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”; The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and Will Smith’s “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.”
Are you freaking kidding me? The show’s dance segments aren’t advertising a product — it’s just part of the show. If anything, it’s free promotion. Ellen’s audience provides a large demographic consisting of individuals who probably rarely listen to music she’s playing. The labels should be thankful. It’s one thing to use songs by indie artists or if they’re used in a distasteful manner. But she’s not. The songs, from my understanding, are usually brainless pop numbers. And that’s quite an accomplishment: The show played “recordings by virtually ever major artist of popular music.” Give me a break. I’m sure Will Smith is having a fit.
Nevertheless, this isn’t great news for Ellen directly after signing on with “American Idol.”
