Category: Pop (Page 90 of 216)

Kylie Minogue: Boombox: The Remix Album

February 13, 2009 /

It physically pains us that Kylie Minogue isn’t big in America. Heaven knows that we’ve embraced singers with thinner voices and weaker tunes, not to mention there are few pop stars on the planet as awesomely hot as the Divine Miss K. Capitol thought they had lightning in a bottle when “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” exploded, but once “Love at First Sight” scratched and clawed its way to #23, they learned the same lesson that Geffen learned a decade before: in radio terms, Kylie’s not a girlfriend – she’s a one-night stand. With the release of Boombox: The Remix Album, it appears that Capitol (who shuffled the contract off to hipster indie Astralwerks) is fulfilling their obligation to releasing Minogue’s records, and the choice is a curious one. On the one hand, compiling the remixes will rope in her gay club-going fans, but will they be satisfied with edited versions of the mixes? Astralwerks better hope so, because the mixes on Boombox are not going to play to mainstream dance popsters. The mash-up of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” with New Order’s “Blue Monday” is cute, and the Chemical Brothers add a nice dose of sleaze to “Slow,” but the majority of the mixes are relentless, thumpa-thumpa-thumpa dub-style mixes (“Wow,” in particular, is hacked to bits). If we had our way, Boombox would use single edits, with a bonus disc of full-length remixes. With any luck, a more commercial-friendly version of Boombox is in the works. (Astralwerks)

Kylie Minogue MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Electronica, Pop, Rock Babes

Eric Hutchinson: Sounds Like This

February 13, 2009 /

Sometimes a record company, you know, steps in it. Because breaking new artists these days has become practically foreign to major labels, it sometimes takes a stroke of luck, or in the case of pop singer and songwriter Eric Hutchinson, the stroke of a buddy’s computer keyboard. Hutchinson, whose infectious, R&B-laced pop runs in the same musical circles as Gavin DeGraw and Maroon 5, was signed to Maverick Records before parent company Warner Brothers closed Maverick’s doors, leaving this talented dude with a sparkling product and no label to pimp it. But not to worry, he kept touring and then found overnight success when a high school buddy e-mailed a link to Eric’s music to celebrity gossip dude Perez Hilton. Just like that, Hutchinson went from no-name to peaking at #5 on the iTunes album chart, making him the highest charting unsigned act in the digital age. It’s no fluke, either. Sounds Like This, originally released on Hutchinson’s aptly titled Let’s Break Records, is just dripping with hooks, especially on the incredibly upbeat and soulful “You Don’t Have to Believe Me” and on “Rock & Roll,” the kind of track Jason Mraz wishes he could write. But even when Hutchinson brings down the volume, as he does on “Food Chain,” he can’t help but put you in a good mood. (Warner Bros./Let’s Break)

Eric Hutchinson MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Indie Labels, Pop, R&B, Rock, Soul

Little Man: Of Mind and Matter

February 13, 2009 /

I admit that when I first saw the cover art for this disc I was prepared for some sort of bad hippie holdover bullshit from the past. But upon hearing the music, it’s obvious that Little Man has his head squarely in classic glam, pop, bubblegum, and just plain old great rock and roll. “Tarots and Arrows” sounds like a lost “Nuggets” classic, while “Everyone on the Floor” hits on a super Beatles/Raspberries groove. “Talisman” finds Little Man putting on his best T. Rex hat and is actually better than most of the classic tracks from Electric Warrior. On “Get it to Ground,” we finally have a true successor to early ‘70s Bowie that sounds impeccable – both a tribute, but also its own wonderful entity. “Not Quite So High” is good solid rock an “Together on the Long Way Around” hits upon the greatness of Spacehog. That Little Man can do all of these things while making it sound his own is nothing short of spectacular. This is one of those albums you’ll love upon first listen and keep listening to over and over. Absolutely essential. (self-released)

Little Man MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Power Pop, Rock

Michael Anthony Milton: Follow Your Call

February 10, 2009 /

If there’s one genre that’s often hard to critique it’s contemporary Christian. Not being a very religious person myself, it’s tough to know which angle to approach these things. Is it overly preachy? Is the music good? Could any of the messages in the lyrics apply to someone else who wasn’t a devout Christian? Well, it’s probably a safe bet that if you aren’t into this sort of thing, then this album won’t be worth your time. But Michael Anthony Milton does have a nice singing voice, and the songs are pretty enough, produced well, and aren’t too obtrusive. But I feel the same way about this that I felt about George Harrison’s Krishna stuff: it might be groovy to others, but I’m not feelin’ it. Let’s just split the difference and call it even, then. (self-released)

Michael Anthony Milton home page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Christian, Pop

Daniel Lenz: Stuck in a Dream

February 9, 2009 /

There’s something tasty about Daniel Lenz’s electronica forays. It might be that it echoes some of the more carefree aspects of Information Society back in the early ‘90s, but then again the 15 tracks here sound like a lot of the stuff that was coming out back then – for better and for worse. The good news is that there’s a lot to enjoy here if you’re of the dancefloor crowd. The bad news is that like a lot of the other stuff in that genre, this album can wear a little thin before it’s all over. Still, solid tracks like “I Do It Again,” “This and That,” and “Time to Rock” are the kinds of things that would work amazingly well in some summer blockbuster action movie or even a video game. A few too many vocalists spoil the groove here and there, but overall Lenz is a lot better at doing this thing than many other similar-minded artists. (self-released)

Daniel Lenz MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Electronica, Pop

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