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Gorillaz... wow. such an unexpected pleasure for me. Ever sense Del killed it in 2000 I've been a avid fan, and let me say, music as popular as this never takes over my cd rotation. To me its like Gorillaz are Jackson, Zeppelin, Nirvana etc. in their hayday, whether you're into mainstream or not, the sound is quality.
This album killed it for me right from the beginning. While driving home from the cd store the first four tracks left me grinning ear to ear. I have put Welcome To The World Of Plastic Beach and White Flag back to back again and again. Snoop is all style, he could spit nonsensical lyrics all day and it'll move you. The beat is addictive, I love Albarn's ability to keep that chill, full frontal gorillaz synth melody rolling, holding on to a high note transitioning from measure to measure. Its a perfect track for snoop, its got west coast written all over it, and Albarns got some affinity for west coast hip hop (Del) and chooses well where to utilize it.
White Flag is monstrous. I just love the fusion. It is so unique, so exotic, perfect to follow up snoop- both tracks describe this concept album, giving you a depth and conception right off the bat. I love the orchestra, but, I guess its just my taste, sometimes I skip the first minute just to hear Bashy and Kano rip it so hard on that island beat. It's almost the antithesis of Snoop, it's all about the clever tight lyrics, but Bashy's got this brash style reminiscent of Busta for me. He's just raw, cant say theres no style there. Kano completes the whole, lovely synthesis of style and lyricism from both Mc's, and again great juxtaposition with the beat and National Orchestra For Arabic Music. I love it.
Other highlights... well theres a ton. Actually 95% of the songs are worth listening to, for me an improvement from the last records (lookin at you Punk, Dare, White Light). I just think those songs in the Gorillaz catalog are less composed, or too upfront. They leave everything on the table right in front of your eyes, it's kinda boring. Stylo almost made it there in my book, but it certainly redeemed itself- its just too infective. Its like I love some of the other songs more, but I have to listen to Stylo just to hear that beat again. Mos Def, Albarn and Womack all make it a great listen. I thought it was a little predictable/standard at first, but theres enough there to keep me coming back.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Delivers on all fronts- Smooth, Simple, Deep, Intrinsic- it hits home
Thursday, January 29, 2009
U2, Kid Rock, Plant/Krauss Added To Grammys
U2, Kid Rock, Rihanna and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have joined the performance lineup for the 51st Grammy Awards, to be held Feb. 8 at Los Angeles' Staples Center and broadcast live on CBS.
They join previously announced performers Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Paul McCartney (with Dave Grohl on drums), Katy Perry, Radiohead, T.I. and Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, and Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West.
The first batch of award presenters include Jack Black, Duffy, Josh Groban and Charlie Haden, along with actors Simon Baker, Samuel L. Jackson and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Kelly Clarkson Breaks Record For Hot 100 Jump
Kelly Clarkson makes history on this week's Billboard Hot 100 with the largest leap to No. 1 in the chart's 50-year history. Her new single, "My Life Would Suck Without You," rockets 97-1 after selling 280,000 digital downloads in its first week of availability.
The song is also faring well at radio, jumping 58-38 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and 27-18 on the Mainstream Top 40 list.
"My Life" introduces Clarkson's March 17 RCA album "All I Ever Wanted." This is the second time the artist has set the record for largest jump to No. 1. She took her "American Idol" victory song, "A Moment Like This," 52-1 on the chart dated October 5, 2002.
That mark lasted nearly five years until Maroon 5 soared 64-1 with "Makes Me Wonder" in May 2007 and had been broken four more times since, most recently by Britney Spears' "Womanizer" (96-1).
"My Life" is Clarkson's first No. 1 since her debut single, though she has placed six other songs in the top 10 during this time, including the No. 2-peaking "Since U Been Gone" in April 2005.
Elsewhere on the Hot 100, Lady GaGa's "Just Dance" featuring Colby O'Donis slips to No. 2 after three weeks on top. Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" slides 2-3, while Kanye West's "Heartless" is down 3-4 despite being the chart's greatest airplay gainer.
Taylor Swift's "Love Story" holds at No. 5, the All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell" remains No. 6 and T.I.'s "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna drops 4-7. The Fray's "You Found Me" jumps 16-8 as the top digital gainer on the Hot 100, thanks to download sales of 145,000. Britney Spears' "Circus" inches up 10-9 and Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" is down 7-10.
The Hot 100's top debut comes from U2's "Get on Your Boots" at No. 37. The track sold 57,000 downloads and garnered enough airplay to debut at No. 8 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart and No. 29 on the Mainstream Rock tally.
On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "Single Ladies" is in an 11th week at No. 1. Ciara's "Never Ever" featuring Young Jeezy is the top debut at No. 70; it's the second single from her delayed new album "Fantasy Ride," following "Go Girl" featuring T-Pain, which peaked at No. 26 last October.
Blake Shelton notches his fifth No. 1 on Hot Country Songs with "She Wouldn't Be Gone," which jumps 3-1. Rascal Flatts' "Here Comes Goodbye" is the top debut at No. 29, giving the group its second-highest bow. Its new album, "Unstoppable," is due April 7 from Lyric Street/Hollywood.
Kings Of Leon's "Sex on Fire" begins an eighth week atop the Modern Rock chart, while Shinedown leads Mainstream Rock for a seventh with "Second Chance."
Claude Kelly Hits Big With Clarkson, Spears
Last summer, singer/songwriter Claude Kelly told Billboard he hoped to work with Kelly Clarkson in the future. Six months later, not only has he co-written the pop singer's latest single, "My Life Would Suck Without You," but he's sharing in its record-breaking success.
As previously reported, the song jumps 97-1 this week on the Billboard Hot 100, setting a record for the largest leap to the top in the history of the chart.
"This is a huge deal for me. I'm beyond words," the 28-year-old New York native tells Billboard. "I feel very accomplished and relieved to know that hard work definitely pays off."
The lead single from Clarkson's March 17 RCA album "All I Ever Wanted," "My Life Would Suck Without You" was co-written with writer/producer Max Martin (Britney Spears) and songwriter Dr. Luke (Katy Perry). "Max had an idea of some of the concepts. They came up with the music, Max threw some ideas at me, and then they threw me in the mix," Kelly says of the songwriting process.
The song is Kelly's second top 10 Hot 100 this week. He also co-wrote Britney Spears' "Circus," which is No. 10 after peaking at No. 3 last month.
Coming up, look for Kelly's work on new albums from R. Kelly ("Expect a creative, soulful, classic R. Kelly record," he says), Toni Braxton, Leona Lewis, OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, Chrisette Michele and Corbin Bleu. Some songs he worked on with Jennifer Hudson are also likely to appear on a re-release of her self-titled J debut.
Monday, December 22, 2008
All-American Rejects - It Ends Tonight
After 2 mammoth, upbeat pop radio hit singles from their latest album Move Along, it is logical that All-American Rejects' next single would be a ballad. "It Ends Tonight" will provide a suitably dreamy sounding late evening mood for the band's eager fans, but it fails to reach the distinctiveness of the previous hits "Dirty Little Secret" and "Move Along".
It seems that All-American Rejects have been inescapable for the past year on pop radio although they have only released 2 hit singles during that time. However, those 2 singles, "Dirty Little Secret" and "Move Along," are two of the most durable upbeat pop hits of the past 12 months. Now, to help consolidate their success, the band have released a soaring pop ballad to take them through the 2006 holidays.
"It Ends Tonight" features the nearly over-the-top, but ultimately endearing, vocals of Tyson Ritter and an instrumental mix that puts it squarely in classic rock ballad territory. The lyrics kick off in intriguing fashion with "Your subtleties / They strangle me," but that is as good as it gets. Ultimately, it's a grandly ambiguous tune about the end of a generic relationship.
"It Ends Tonight" is rushing up the pop singles chart to be the 3rd major hit from the album Move Along just as the band makes plans to re-enter the studio to record their 3rd studio album. Look for this song to close out 2006 near, or in, the pop top 10.
David Archuleta - "Crush"
The biggest up side of "Crush" is that it proves this year's American Idol runner-up David Archuleta is a capable pop singer. Some worried that his voice would not fit a mainstream tune. Archuleta's voice is easily the best thing here. However, this is cookie cutter, safe, forgettable pop. Hopefully, for the next single David Archuleta's admittedly impressive pipes will be used for a truly worthy song.
While it was clear this past year on American Idol eventual winner David Cook had a comfortable home waiting on the rock end of the mainstream pop spectrum, the comfortable niche for runner-up David Archuleta was much less obvious. His first single "Crush" proves that Archuleta is easily up to the task of finessing a mainstream pop tune. Warm, inviting vocals pull the listener in here.
Unfortunately, the song itself and production don't do much to fully engage listeners. Music, lyrics and arrangement are predictable. This record promises much but delivers too little.
The reaction to "Crush" has proven that David Archuleta has a strong audience waiting for his music. Initial sales have been strong enough to push the song to a #2 debut on the Billboard Hot 100. This song is unlikely to significantly grow his audience, but it does prove he easily has the sound and chops to be a mainstream pop singer of signficance.
Augustana - Boston
If you are looking for another pretty, mainstream pop-rock song to tug at your heartstrings, "Boston," by the Calfornia-based band Augustana, is your ticket. It gained a big boost on pop radio in 2006 after having been included in the soundtrack to the TV show One Tree Hill. Fortunately, "Boston" is worth the attention. The melody is indeed beautiful, and a clever ironic twist in the lyrics is memorable.
Some of the most memorable pop-rock ballads capture a specific type of moment or feeling that makes the words of the song meaningful for millions of fans at the time the song becomes a hit, and, sometimes, for many years to come. "Boston," the first major pop hit from the California-based band Augustana, stands a chance at falling into this category. The central element of the song's lyrics is the feeling of a woman that she wants to travel across the country to an entirely new environment in order to escape the pain of the present.
The music and lyrics are delivered in a form that is on the border of becoming formulaic. This sound will be instantly familiar to fans of The Fray or Snow Patrol. Earnest vocals with strongly melodic instrumental backing are the order of the day. In this case it begins with piano followed by drums and guitars chiming in later. Fortunately, the melody is strong enough and the lyrics, with the ironic twist (for fans of the TV show Cheers) of Boston being the place where "no one knows my name," carry the song forward and keep it from drowning in familiarity.
It has been a long road with endless touring for the band Augustana from the initial September 2005 release of the album All the Stars and Boulevards, which contains "Boston," but it looks like the band are on the cusp of stardom with a truly memorable song.
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