Category: Pop (Page 96 of 216)

Laura Roppe: Girl like This

December 19, 2008 / Captain Capm

On the cover of her new CD, Laura Roppe is pictured standing in the middle of a dirt road in a little black getup, and heels posing rather defiantly. Yes, it’s another bid on the indie circuit for some soundalike Hollywood Nashville pop. And it’s every bit as mediocre as you might imagine. Roppe’s main problem is that she doesn’t have the voice to carry strong pop country tunes. It sounds like she’s really forcing it on the title track, almost missing her marks in a number of places. It gets a little worse on “Mama Needs a Girls Night Out” where her voice starts sounding a bit more Kermit the Frog and less country diva. She tries to bring the sass to “Ooh La La,” and sounds like she’s painting by numbers than putting anything honest into her performance. And by the time “Crazy about You and Me” arrives, you wish she’d just sing it straight without the affected twang in her throat. This may have been a nice vanity project for Roppe, but for the general listener, there’s far better stuff out there to be heard. (self-released)

Laura Roppe MySpace

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Pop

Rhett May: Calcutta Boy

December 19, 2008 / Captain Capm

Hoo boy. From the silly cover art down to the synth bass lines and programmed drums, everything about this EP by Rhett May just screams embarrassing. Definitely one of those discs that should have just been given out to friends and left at that, but undoubtedly there was someone out there who told Rhett to go for broke and let everyone else hear this stuff. Well, suffice it to say it’s a complete train wreck, with some of the worst canned, DIY production to be heard in a long time. Is this guy country? Is he pop? Who knows? It’s just tough to listen to a song like “There’s a Little White Powder” or “African Queen” and not think you could be listening to something – anything – better than this. On the third track, May asks “Have Your Arms Been Missing Me?” I can’t answer that question, but I can say that my ears won’t be missing the auto-chord settings on Rhett’s old clunky keyboard. (self-released)

Rhett May MySpace page

Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Pop

Calcutta Boy CD review Rhett May CD review

Straight No Chaser: Holiday Spirits

December 12, 2008 / Mike Farley

There is something about a ten-piece vocal group that just lends itself to holiday music. Straight No Chaser is such a group, and after forming over ten years ago at Indiana University, this group became YouTube darlings last year with their hilarious and compelling version of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Atlantic Records chairman Craig Kallman was one of those who liked what he saw; the rest is history, as Holiday Spirits is the group’s debut on Atlantic. But these guys are no one-hit wonder, because this collection of traditional holiday songs and a few originals blend together beautifully, and are delivered with an amazing vocal flair that rivals the likes of Take 6. Some of the highlights are Donnie Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” and of course “The 12 Days of Christmas,” a live version that shows the group’s morphing into a medley of holiday songs, culminating in a clever use of the lyrics to “12 Days” to the tune of Toto’s “Africa.” But to have original songs rival the traditional stuff is not easy, and Straight No Chaser pulls it off with ease, particularly on the stunning “Indiana Christmas.” This one is a must-have this holiday season. (Atlantic 2008)

Straight No Chaser MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop

Atlantic Records Donnie Hathaway holiday music Holiday Spirits Straight No Chaser Toto

Jared Campbell: Beyond the Gray

December 12, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

At first encounter, Jared Campbell would seem an easy target for typecasting. With his impassioned vocals and melodies that take an easy, breezy sway, he fits the mold of a John Mayer, Jason Mraz or any of dozens young up and coming singer/songwriters staking their claims on the charts these days. Fortunately, familiarity doesn’t breed contempt, thanks to the emotional stakes Campbell invests in each of the ten tracks that comprise Beyond the Gray, his second full-length album and fourth outing overall. In some cases, the song titles tell all, but the poignancy imbued in each takes them well beyond their headings, from the gripping title track and the searing, biographical “House of Cards” to the twitchy “Teach Me to Love” and the heartfelt devotion that seeps through “My Queen.” In simpler settings – the all acoustic “Worth the Wait” and the spunky and yet telling “Everything to Gain” – Campbell also draws comparison to the troubadour types that are a fixture in so many coffeehouses and corner bars, but his good-natured delivery makes him more folksy than folkie. Consequently, while its banner implies a certain parting of the clouds, Beyond the Gray also suggests that sunnier days are on the way. (self-released 2008)

Jared Campbell MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop

Beyond the Gray CD review Jared Campbell Jared Campbell CD review

Brett Dennen: Hope for the Hopeless

December 12, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Up ‘til now, Brett Dennen has been positioned as a sort of 21st-century troubadour, a scruffy kid with an acoustic guitar and a big ol’ heart pinned to his sleeve – which is why his third disc, Hope for the Hopeless, may give fans a bit of a shock, what with its generous coating of semi-glossy production (applied by John Mayer and Dave Matthews helmer John Alagia) and introduction of somewhat dance-friendly beats. Heck, there’s even a restrained Femi Kuti cameo on the first single, “Make You Crazy”! Fans who have loved Dennen for his previous albums’ strong coffee-shop vibe may cry sellout, but that’s just sour grapes talking: Hope for the Hopeless is no better or worse than what’s come before it, it’s just that Dennen’s less of an idealist than his lyrics might make you think, and he’s made a calculated bid to expand his audience. It’s a gamble that might have worked six or seven years ago, when this sort of pop-radio-friendly college rock was on the rise with the TRL set; in 2008, however – and coming from a smaller indie like Dualtone, which lacks the muscle enjoyed by Alagia’s more famous clients’ labels – it seems like an unlikely way for Dennen to broaden his fanbase. Still, the songs are solidly crafted and tastefully uplifting, and if the lyrics occasionally venture into softheaded territory (”Heaven ain’t got no prisons / No government no business”), the songs are more than capably presented by a band of session ringers that includes drummer Joey Waronker and guitarist Mark Goldenberg. It may not provide what its title promises, but if you’ve got room for a little more singer/songwriter pop in your diet, you could certainly do a lot worse than this. (Dualtone 2008)

Brett Dennen MySpace page