Category: Pop (Page 181 of 216)

After receiving the billionth request, God complies with perv nation

November 28, 2006 / David Medsker

Britney Spears, bottomless. (Most decidedly NSFW)

The Superficial comes through again, and thankfully (if there is indeed anything thankful to be had from this) Brit’s junk doesn’t look like it’s been through the wringer like those hideous shots of Lindsay Lohan from a while back. But be warned, fellow readers. Once you click this link, your life will be forever changed, and not necessarily for the better. (Prepare for delays in uploading. The site, as you can imagine, is getting pummelled with traffic.)

Artists, External Music, News, Pop

Notes From The Orphanage VII: “…And We’ll Watch Them Fall”

November 28, 2006 / Will Harris

Rex Moroux, Royal Street Inn (self-released) – The first thing that’ll probably strike you about Rex Moroux is that he sounds an awful lot like Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. Unfortunately, not much else will probably stick with you. Nice enough Americana stuff, but not terribly memorable.

Marty Rudnick, More Songs about Cars and Girls (Sandbox) – Marty Rudnick pays tribute to the collected works of Brian Wilson, with production assistance from Australian pop god Michael Carpenter. Stay tuned for the bonus tracks, which include a Beach Boys and a Beatles cover. I apologize for only just now getting around to writing about this, since it’s a wonderful summer album…but, hey, there’s always next summer, right?

The Thermals, The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop) – With a voice that’s somewhere between Roky Erickson and Stan Ridgway, it’s clear that Thermals frontman Hutch Harris (no relation) is gonna be an acquired taste, but this is an energetic rock album with some post-punk tendencies. The lyrics, not to mention the artwork, have some pretty strong indictments of modern religion, but given that their last album was called Fuckin A, would you really expect them to pull any punches?

Urban Delights, Revolution No. 1 (Unique) – If you remember ‘90s dance heroes Apollo 440, you’ll love these guys, since they’re led by Harry K, who was Apollo 440’s primary songwriter. Urban Delights do the blending of dance beats and rock rhythms as well as anyone, with songs like “Crush” and “Y U Cum 2 The Party,” a floor-filling, jump-to-the-beat number that’s as good as its title suggests. The more I spin it, the more I like it.

Pepper, No Shame (Atlantic) – Hailing from Hawaii, these guys have a white-boys-doing-reggae thing, like Sublime, 311, or early Smash Mouth. It’s better than you might think, given that description…and if you’ll just stay tuned through the third song, “No Control,” you’ll believe me. But, guys, trust me, you don’t need to intersperse skits throughout the album. It doesn’t work for most rappers, and it doesn’t work for you.

El Presidente, El Presidente (Sony BMG) – Part dance, part disco, part funk, and just enough rock to keep things interesting, El Presidente have some pretty good tunes on their self-titled debut, which is just now making it to the States after a 2005 UK release. Unfortunately, they’re in the shadow of the more popular Scissor Sisters, and, unlike the Sisters, they don’t have Elton John in their corner. Still, “Rocket” and “100 MPH” kick ass, “If You Say You Love Me” is nice and dreamy, and the rest of the disc is quite likeable as well.

Ronnie Milsap, The Essential Ronnie Milsap (RCA / Legacy) – We’ve all been through this: someone mentions an artist, you say, “I know the name, but I don’t know anything by them,” and they say, “Yeah, you do, you just don’t know you do.” That’s totally Ronnie Milsap. There are forty songs on this collection, and even if you’ve never listened to country music, you’ll know the better part of a dozen of these tracks. Examples: “Daydreams About Night Things,” “Smoky Mountain Rain,” “Stranger In My House,” and “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World.” See, I told you.

Alternative, Artists, CD Reviews, External Music, Pop, Rock

Mix Disc Monday: The one-hit wonder’s other hit

November 27, 2006 / David Medsker

The farther away an item becomes in the overall historical timeline, the more condensed its entry becomes. The same goes for music. Several artists are known today for their biggest hit and only for their biggest hit, despite scoring several Top 40 entries. This list attempts to correct that injustice. When a DJ says they’re going to play Crowded House, is there any mystery about what song is coming up? Sadly, no. God, I’ve love to run a radio station for a week.

Anyway, here is my list of songs that were once successful but have since been lost in the mists of time. Anyone who lived through the era will surely know everything here, but for you young ‘uns, perhaps this will serve as a reminder that when it comes to a band’s career, there is almost always more to the story than just a footnote.

“The Sun Always Shines on TV,” A-ha (Highest chart position #20, from the album Hunting High and Low)
Always preferred this song to “Take on Me.” It’s dark, it’s elaborate, and sweet Jesus, listen to that note that Morten Harket hits in the opening.

“Lessons in Love,” Level 42 (highest chart position #12, from the album Running in the Family)
Of course, I’m assuming anyone even remembers Level 42’s biggest hit, “Something about You.” Sigh. Getting old sucks.

“Think,” Information Society (highest chart position #28, from the album Hack)
After reading an obnoxious column in “Entertainment Weekly,” my wife sent the album this came from, titled Hack, to the column’s author, “pop culturist” Joel Stein. I wonder if he ever listened to it.

“Real, Real, Real,” Jesus Jones (highest chart position #4, from the album Doubt)
Ideally, I’d be putting “International Bright Young Thing” in this slot, but that didn’t crack the Top 40. But “Real, Real, Real” will do just fine.

“Love Is Alive,” Gary Wright (highest chart position #2, from the album Dream Weaver)
Oddly enough, this was actually a bigger hit than “Dream Weaver.” They both peaked at #2, but this stayed on the charts for 18 weeks, compared to “Dream Weaver’s” 14. If anyone knows where I can find the full-length version of the 3rd Bass track “Wordz of Wizdom” that samples this song, drop me a line.

“(Forever) Live and Die,” Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark (highest chart position #19, from the album The Pacific Age)
I never know, I never know, I never know why this song was left behind.

“Candy,” Cameo (highest chart position #21, from the album Word Up)
Not only were these guys funky, but the guitarist could play, bro. And he gets exactly 16 beats here to show it.

“The Love Parade,” the Dream Academy (highest chart position #36, from the album The Dream Academy)
Don’t let the title fool you: this is a dark little tune. “They’re lonely together when they’re not apart / If feels like she’s holding on to someone else in the dark.” Ow.

“When the Lights Go Out,” Naked Eyes (highest chart position #37, from the album Naked Eyes)
The band had four Top 40 entries…and yet this song did not make the final cut of their first hits compilation. Um, sure.

“It Ain’t Enough,” Corey Hart (highest chart position #17, from the album First Offense)
Sing to me, fish lips.

“Stick Around,” Julian Lennon (highest chart position #32, from the album The Secret Value of Daydreaming)
You can keep “Too Late for Goodbyes.” I’ll take this.

“Sanctify Yourself,” Simple Minds (highest chart position #14, from the album Once Upon a Time)
Hell, no one even mentions “Alive and Kicking anymore,” and that song was huge.

“Since You’ve Been Gone,” the Outfield (highest chart position #31, from the album Bangin’)
The beginning of the end for the Outfield, which is a pity, because I found this much more tolerable than that damn song about Josie.

“One in a Million,” Romantics (highest chart position #37, from the album In Heat)
Oddly enough, the Romantics’ most well-known song, “What I Like about You,” peaked at #49.

“Sign Your Name,” Terence Trent D’Arby (highest chart position #4, from the album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby)
So he never lived up to the whole better-than-Sgt. Pepper nonsense. But that’s not to say he didn’t have his good points.

“Wonderful,” Adam Ant (highest chart position #39, from the album Wonderful)
A lovely acoustic entry from the autumn of Mr. Goddard’s career. Pity he had to go nuts like that.

Lists, Mix Disc Monday, Pop, Rock, Songs

Nothing says “Happy Thanksgiving”…

November 22, 2006 / Will Harris

…like Todd Rundgren and Utopia singing “There Goes My Inspiration” on Thanksgiving 1982. And if that’s not enough, here’s “Libertine” from the same show.

Concerts, Pop, Rock, Songs

Notes From The Orphanage VI

November 21, 2006 / Mike Farley

It’s Thanksgiving week, and a good time to do a good deed and bring in an orphan. In our case, that means reaching into the bin and showing love to some CDs that have been collecting dust for too long. Read at your own risk.

The Blood Brothers: Young Machetes (V2)
The first track is called “Set Fire To the Face On Fire,” and the lyrics start out “Fi-Ah,” Fi-Ah, Fi-Ah.”—how Beavis and Butthead of The Blood Brothers. But it gets better, depending on where you stand on the whole scream vs. sing thing. The Blood Brothers are a cross between Jane’s Addiction, The Cure, Led Zeppelin, and every screaming death-metal band you’ve ever heard. All of that makes them unique and interesting, though at times lead singer Jordan Blilie’s voice is like 100 nails on 100 chalkboards.

Riley Baugus: Long Steel Rail (Sugar Hill)
Yeeeeeeeee-haaaawwwww! If you take that toothpick out of your mouth long enough to sing along to this twang-fest, you are in for a wild ride on the Riley train. Hence the title of the record, which really does make you feel like you’re on a train barreling across the U.S. of A. It’s Americana at its finest, not only because of the songwriting, but because of Baugus’ spectacular fiddle and banjo play.

Meg & Dia: Something Real (Doghouse)
This is chick-fronted power pop with some really slick guitar work and even better songwriting. And now for the other shoe to drop. Lead vocalist Dia sings in that baby talk, fingers in mouth vocal style made famous by Vanessa Carlton, and it’s never sounded more tired. The thing is, though, you can tell she’s got the talent; she just needs to mature and use her voice more effectively for this duo to have success.

Ella Rouge: self-titled (Moby Dick)
ABBA front man Benny Andersson has son. Son grows up to play in band so as to follow in dad’s footsteps. Son has lots of dad’s musical ability. However, son listens to a bit too much Creed while growing up, therefore sabotaging the debut album for his band, Ella Rouge. It doesn’t suck, but at times is the musical equivalent of a tug of war between David Cassidy and Scott Stapp.

The Nice Boys: self-titled (Birdman)
They call this type of music glam rock, or, as their bio states, “straight-ahead-stadium-glam-rock.” More accurately, this is guitar-driven rock with very little attention to melody and songwriting. The opening track, “Teenage Nights,” is catchy enough but the rest of the ten tracks will have you asleep and snoring in about two minutes. This is one of those bands that critics love for no reason whatsoever, but this critic knows better.

Taylor Swift: self-titled (Big Machine)
Here we go again, another cute teenage girl that’s handed a guitar at an early age and learns how to sing and write songs. But this country artist has a future because somewhere in that teenage body is a pretty strong voice, and her songs are Nashville-ready. The downside is that she too has listened to too much Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch (see Meg & Dia review above), but the upside is that she’s already a better singer than “singer of the year” Carrie Underwood. Did you hear that, Faith Hill?

Tiga: Sexor (Turbo Recordings)
With songs like “Welcome To Planet Sexor” and “The Ballad of Sexor,” you can’t possibly take this electronic album seriously. And you’d better not, because that comic relief is the only redeeming quality. It’s like a five-year-old made up lyrics and put them to some cheesy beats on his Casio. Yes, I said Casio, and I don’t care if that dates me. Now get me off of this spaceship on planet Sexor and fly me back to Earth.

Paula DeAnda: self-titled (Arista)
Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Here is another sixteen-year-old artist with a major label release and better than average voice. But the difference between everyone else and this J-Lo-esque teen is that she has the likes of Clive Davis, Ne-Yo, Timbaland and Diane Warren on her team. That’s like me batting in a lineup with Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz—no matter how many automatic outs I cost my team, we’re still going to win. Same with young Paula and her R&B/pop debut, which is like liquid sugar pouring out of your radio.

Alternative, CD Reviews, Electronica, Pop, Rock