I was not going to comment on American Idol until they got past Hollywood week, but tonight saw what I would argue is the best first audition in the history of Hollywood Week. Andrew Garcia took a well-known pop song and changed it into something much more crunchy and edgy. It is because of moments like this that I love this show. Let’s see how long the clip stays up to be viewed:
Straight Up Now Sing It
February 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment
→ Leave a CommentCategories: american idol · videos · youtube
Tagged: american idol, andrew garcia
Best of All Time
February 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment
I’ve talked about them in the past, but those funky white boys from The Real came back strong this week after a brief sabbattical with a new clip celebrating the life (and loss) of one of hip-hop’s biggest stars.
They Reminisce Over Ye from jeff on Vimeo.
For those of you who appreciate hip-hop and have a sense of humor about it, I can’t say enough about The Real. Get on their RSS feed and check out their videos every week.
→ Leave a CommentCategories: videos
Tagged: kanye west
My Musical Valentine
February 7, 2010 · 10 Comments
I have a fluctuating interest in Valentine’s Day, and that may come from conflicting feelings about it from my youth. For those of you who do not normally celebrate it, Valentine’s Day starts out as a reason to sugar kids up and give out Disney Princesses or Transformer valentines to all of your classmates, but evolves into that one-on-one declaration of love that many adults struggle over. For me, Valentine’s Day always manifests itself musically, either as a celebration of the love I am currently experiencing, or as a balm for those times when being single and Cupid collide. Based on selections from this year’s Country-leaning playlist, I think you will be able to tell where my heart is at currently.
- Brad Paisley “Then” – Paisley normally has the critics in the palm of his hand, but when “Then” was released in advance of American Saturday Night, it was derided by many as a bit bland and not as clever as he normally is. However, for myself and a lot of other music fans, “Then” is a sweet and real tale about how the love between two people grows farther and further than you can ever imagine. Picture being in the early weeks and months of a relationship, and having someone play this song for you and telling you that these lyrics remind them of you:
I remember, trying not to stare the night that I first met you.
You had me mesmerized.
And three weeks later in the front porch light, taking forty five minutes to kiss goodnight.
I hadn’t told you yet, but I thought I loved you then
- Ty Herndon “Loved Too Much” – There were two types of country hits in the 90s…those “New Traditional” songs that harkened back to the Golden Age of Country Music, and those that could be played on Top 40 radio stations almost as easily as they could be on Country radio. Ty Herndon’s music definitely leaned toward the pop side of country, although he only barely hit the Top 40 on the Hot 100 chart one time (“It Must Be Love” at #38). A perfect example of Ty’s pop-country sound can be found on “Loved Too Much”, which tells the story of a man who isn’t able to casually be in a relationship.
I need to be loved too much I need to be held too tight
I need to hear someone say at the end of day
I’ll make everything right.
- Dixie Chicks “Never Say Die” – Way back on their major label debut, the Chicks already had some of the best writers in Nashville offering up their wares to be Dixiefied. George Ducas and Radney Foster capture the minutiae of a relationship that has seen some pretty big moments, because sometimes you don’t realize what you have until life slows to a crawl for a moment. Martie Maguire can milk some amazing emotion out of a few violin strings, and this song is a perfect example of that. “Die” is one of multiple highlights on Wide Open Spaces, and occasionally it will drift up to the surface for no apparent reason.
We’ve both had our share of doubts
Waited out those ole storm clouds
Boy it’s nights like this that I know why
Lovers like you and me will never say die
- Norah Jones “Come Away With Me” – So the mix closes with a request to run away to anywhere but here. Has a 3-minute song ever sounded as lush as this song does? Within those three minutes, you are transported to a cabin in the woods, a mountaintop, a field on the plains, and a bus heading for points unknown. The amazing thing to me is how much of a classic this song sounded like upon its release, and it was from Norah’s debut album. I have enjoyed music from each of her successive records, but I fear that lightning may not strike twice for Norah. Then again, wouldn’t most artists beg, borrow or steal to have one record like Come Away With Me?
And I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won’t you try to come?
So speaking of “Come Away With Me”, it appears on the new Now That’s What I Call Love collection that came out last week. The cool thing about this collection is that it has a variety of sounds, including rock, country, pop, and R&B. Coolest inclusion? Howie Day’s “Collide”, which remains one of my favorite songs from the late 90s. There’s even one for the potential adulterer in your life, courtesy of Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel”.
Is your interest piqued? Well, thanks to the folks at EMI, I have 2 copies of this 20-song collection to give away. If you leave a comment between now and Tuesday afternoon, you will be entered to win a copy of the CD. Comment away!
→ 10 CommentsCategories: giveaway · holiday · personal · videos · youtube
Tagged: brad paisley, dixie chicks, norah jones, ty herndon
Random Notes – 02-05-10
February 5, 2010 · 6 Comments
- There are moments where I love Twitter, and there are times where it annoys me immensely, like when you get suckered by a phony account for a celebrity you want to follow. Here is one of those times where I love it:
@shayneTward: FINISHEDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So maybe we WILL see a new Shayne Ward album this year. I want this to be massive, but I don’t know that he can get a fair shake while under the Syco umbrella. If Shayne can’t get on a charity record being produced by his management company, how much of a priority can he be? It would have been a great way to get his name out to other territories, setting him up for an international push. Oh, and the pic? Another one of those times where Twitter wins…Shayne posted it a couple of weeks ago.
- To those who feel that the attacks on Taylor Swift regarding her Grammy performance are too harsh, I say “whatever”. Seriously, why is this sparking such passion? Didn’t you all get your passionate defense time in with the whole VMA controversy, which seriously got out of hand in itself? You would have sworn that Kanye jumped up on stage and physically violated her from some of the reactions. Here’s the deal…if you have your heart set on chart domination, and you put yourself out there, people are going to react. It might not be objective, and it might not be polite, but it is fair. And for her record label president to go on the offense and trash American Idols in the process is very telling. Why couldn’t he just say “she had the biggest-selling album of 2009, so why shouldn’t she win Album of the Year?” End of story.
- How awesome is it that K’Naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” is at #11 on the Canadian Top 40 airplay chart right now? Any exposure that K’Naan can get is well-deserved (as I know Mel will attest to), but to have this song adopted for the World Cup will take his music to places that would have otherwise not heard it. I saw him perform this live last summer opening for Jason Mraz, and it was the highlight of his set. Okay, America…get on board!
→ 6 CommentsCategories: Uncategorized
Tagged: k'naan, shayne ward, taylor swift
You Need This Now
February 4, 2010 · 6 Comments
First off, the fact that I am posting a Lady Antebellum CD review for Need You Now here should not be a surprise, as they have been mentioned in this blog multiple times. Without trying to discount where an artist wants to be pegged, I hear their music and think “pop”, even if there are steel guitars and fiddles in the mix. I don’t normally do full-fledged CD reviews, but I am driven to do this for Lady A because Need deserves to be heard by a much wider audience than those that consider themselves country music fans. While they easily grabbed the number one slot on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart, I am convinced that they are not hitting their full potential audience. With the pop crossover of “Need You Now” starting, it looks like they may be on their way.
The album starts off with a slightly extended version of “Need You Now” that contains a brief snippet of a message being left on someone’s answering machine. Not necessary, but it sets the mood well. I have been stunned by just how much “Need” has resonated with listeners, but the mood and the lyrics are ones that most people can relate to, and the fact that there isn’t a twang to be heard helps reach a wider audience.
Part of my attraction to this album is that it isn’t a country party album, and the more contemplative and quiet moments are my favorites. Even as you delve further into the album, fiddles and steel guitars mingle with a more mainstream sounding piano on “Our Kind of Love”, and the wider appeal of LA becomes more apparent. “When You Got a Good Thing” has a classic pop song structure, and “If I Knew Then” highlights the perfectly-matched vocal harmonies between Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott. Add in Dave Haywood’s knack for matching instruments, and there are moments of musical bliss scattered throughout the album.
For my money, the heart of this record is “Hello World”. From a song structure, I love how the sound of the track builds as the story develops, but the heart of the song is in its simple recognition of the challenges and joys of our everyday life, and how we need to get out there and just live it:
Sometimes I feel as cold as steel
And broken like I’m never gonna heal
And I see a light, a little grace, a little faith unfurls
Well hello world
Not every song is stellar, but even though they aren’t monumental, they are still good tracks that would not make you reach for the remote. “Perfect Day” is a sunny mid-tempo record that is much more in the vein of an upbeat Kenny Chesney track, and “Stars Tonight” veers dangerously close to Rascal Flatts territory without falling off that cliff.
→ 6 CommentsCategories: reviews
Tagged: lady antebellum
Random Notes – 02-01-10
February 1, 2010 · 11 Comments
- So maybe we DO get to see the JLS vs Taio Cruz throwdown after all! JLS are supposedly going to get the full-court press here in the States, although I think it’s a little dubious. Press releases last week touted that “influential” top 40 station WXSS in Milwaukee is getting calls for the track. Well, Milwaukee isn’t exactly an “influential” market, and right now the song is #44 in their rotation, so someone is grasping pretty deep. I just don’t see “Everybody” breaking them big, and I SURE don’t see “One Shot” doing the job either. Take “Beat Again”, add in a cameo from Pitbull or Flo Rida, and redo the video, and I think that might be their one shot (pun intended).
- One song that WILL continue to climb the charts is Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”, which is currently sitting at #1 on the iTunes singles chart. They peaked at #5 back in November after the CMA Awards, but with another surge in sales, along with still high country airplay and rapidly growing airplay at both Top 40 and Adult Top 40, you may see Lady A achieve an even higher peak. Stay tuned…my review of Need You Now will be posted tonight or tomorrow at the latest.
- After checking out the review on Paul’s blog, I am hooked on Matt Morris. One thing I didn’t realize until I dug a little deeper is that he’s from Denver! He’s got a great webpage up and running, and in the videos section, you can even see him show up at Twist & Shout Records here to drop of his CD when it was released in mid-January.
Matt has announced that he will be playing a concert at the Bluebird Theater here in Denver, and I already have my tickets. His opening acts are listed as John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light, but I read that there might be some unannounced guests. Considering that Matt is signed to Justin Timberlake’s new Tennman Records, certain educated guesses could be made, no? Or since he lives in Denver, home of the Fray, 3OH!3, and the Flobots, maybe a more local surprise gues would be in order. Either way, I’m looking forward to hearing how his music translates live.
- So I didn’t do too badly on the predictions for the Grammys, but I had a couple of big misses, primarily on Album of the Year. While I was flying during the telecast, I saw Taylor Swift’s performance with Stevie Nicks, and based on that alone, Taylor should never receive another major nomination outside of the Country category. It has become very clear over the last year that Taylor just cannot handle live performances with a paper-thin voice.
→ 11 CommentsCategories: awards · concerts · music industry · news
Tagged: jls, justin timberlake, lady antebellum, matt morris, taio cruz, taylor swift
Gimme A Grammy 2010
January 31, 2010 · 5 Comments
While I was flying on Friday, I overheard the father of a family of 5 lean over to his wife and said “Lady GaGa and Elton John are opening the Grammys. They’re both flamboyant.” Wow. GaGa sure got mainstream real quick, didn’t she? There seems to be a bit more buzz about this year’s show, but I am really not all that inspired by the nominees this time around. Having said that, we play what we are dealt, so here go the predictions:
Record of the Year
Halo/Beyoncé
I Gotta Feeling/The Black Eyed Peas
Use Somebody/Kings Of Leon
Poker Face/Lady Gaga
You Belong With Me/Taylor Swift
This one is hard to call, because while Taylor Swift may seem like a pop record to a lot of people, to the Nashville voters, this is a country record. However, some of those Nashville voters will also want to recognize hometown band Kings of Leon. Beyonce, BEPs and GaGa will split their voters, so the race is between Kings and Taylor, but my gut says Kings of Leon will take this one hom.
Song Of The Year
Poker Face/Lady Gaga & RedOne, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
Pretty Wings/Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)/Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
Use Somebody/Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
You Belong With Me/Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
We could see the Kings walk away with both awards this year, but I have a feeling that Maxwell may have a shot at the Song award. The straight-ahead pop songs (and “Belong”) split the vote again.
Album Of The Year
I Am… Sasha Fierce/Beyoncé
The E.N.D./The Black Eyed Peas
The Fame/Lady Gaga
Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King/Dave Matthews Band
Fearless/Taylor Swift
If Beyonce has a shot at a big award, I think this is the one. However, the canceling effect may kick in again here, and since a lot of people feel that the Dave Matthews Band is long overdue for some recognition, look for a shiny glare from Dave’s head to be staring back at you when the award is handed out.
Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings
Best New Artist always seems to be the most difficult category to pick, because the members normally do a good job of picking a diverse range of artists. In this case, I think MGMT and the Ting Tings cancel each other out, and I don’t know if the Pickups have enough support to pull an upset. Give the edge to Keri, because she’s known behind the scenes as well as on the charts.
Best Dance Recording
Boom Boom Pow/The Black Eyed Peas
When Love Takes Over/David Guetta & Kelly Rowland
Poker Face/Lady Gaga
Celebration/Madonna
Womanizer/Britney Spears
GaGa owns the Dance category this year. Look for Dance Recording and Album to both get picked up by a small woman in a crazy outfit.
In case you’re feeling bad for the Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce and Taylor Swift, I think they respectively will own the Pop, R&B and Country categories.
→ 5 CommentsCategories: awards
Tagged: dave matthews band, keri hilson, kings of leon, lady gaga, maxwell
Random Notes – 01-27-10
January 27, 2010 · 5 Comments
- It looks like Michael Buble has shown enough longevity with “Haven’t Met You Yet” at Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40 formats that the single is now being officially worked to Top 40 radio now. Are songs like this and Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” a sign that the pop format might actually be expanding a bit? Or are these just abberations used to break up the constant Autotune action?
- Speaking of Lady Antebellum, I have heard the full-length several times, and while a review is on the way, I am now able to say that the CD lives up to the promise of its first single. I am loving “Hello World” at the moment.
- A few months ago, I looked at the chances of a couple of male UK acts in the US, and decided that Taio Cruz stood the best chance. Well, Island/Def Jam must have thought the same, because “Break Your Heart” is officially stateside now. In fact, you can get a free copy of the Wideboys Mix, which includes Ludacris to warm up the crowd, via Masterbeat.com. Just head on over, register for an account if you don’t have it already, and download away. You will get a total of six tracks for free, including current and recent club hits by Rhianna (“Hard”), Mariah (“Obsessed”), Noisettes (“Don’t Upset the Rhythm”), The Bravery (“Time Won’t Let Me Go”), and Utada (“Dirty Desire”). If you go digging, you might also be able to find a free version of Madonna’s “Celebration”.
→ 5 CommentsCategories: free download · singles
Tagged: lady antebellum, mariah carey, michael buble, noisettes, rhianna, taio cruz, the bravery, utada
Random Notes – 01-14-10
January 14, 2010 · 9 Comments
- Today started off on a sad note, as I woke to find that R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass passed away yesterday at the age of 59. He has had health issues over the years due to a car accident in the early 80s that left him paralyzed, and while the family has not given the exact cause of death, they have indicated it was related to injuries incurred from the crash.
Teddy was a founding father of the 70s R&B music that I know and love, and while you may not know a lot of his music, you may know his stuff through covers by more contemporary artists. First and foremost, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”, originally a huge hit for Pendergrass while a member of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, started off as an R&B classic, but became a pop classic in the 80s because of Simply Red taking it to #1. He even appeared on Whitney Houston’s debut, dueting on “Hold Me”, which was released almost a year prior to her breakthrough “You Give Good Love” and got to #46 on the pop chart. I would want Teddy to go out on a high note, so here is his 1988 hit “Joy”, which went to #1 on the R&B chart and #71 on the Hot 100.
- The first two episodes of American Idol have been yawn-worthy, with only a couple of exceptions. When a 62 year-old guy singing about pulling your pants up is the best highlight of a two-hour show, I ain’t watchin’. Wake me when it’s Hollywood Week, mm’kay?
- “Tik Tok” continues its assault on the American public by holding at #1 for a fourth week. While I can acknowledge the catchiness of the track, I am still repelled by the imaging and positioning of Ke$ha, and I don’t care to partake. Maybe that makes me an elitist in some form, but I know folks that can love a Katy Perry song while still despising the artist, so maybe this falls into the same category. My guess is that the comparisons to Lady GaGa will end soon, and she will fade into the abyss. Or maybe that’s my wish.
→ 9 CommentsCategories: american idol · death · singles · videos · youtube
Tagged: american idol, ke$ha, teddy pendergrass
Stumble It!
In Defense of…
January 21, 2010 · 8 Comments
…Jay Sean’s “Down” – This song seriously divides my brain, because in some ways, it seems like a copycat single, taking almost all of its cues from Chris Brown’s “Forever” and Ne-Yo’s “Closer”. Having said that, it’s pretty brilliant, and if given a second chance, I would include it on my Top Singles of 2009.
As an added bonus, here’s the version of “Down” performed by Nota that pretty much sealed the deal for them to win The Sing-Off back in December. A capella brilliance, if you ask me…
And because it doesn’t fit in anywhere else, also check out the SoCals’ version of Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone”. You Glee fans will love this!
…Creed’s “Rain” – Seriously? Creed? Trust…I’m freaked out by it, too. To give you the 10-second update, Creed was huge in the US during the late 90s and early 00s, watering down what used to be alternative rock, mixing in a tad of Christian sensibility, and selling a boatload of records. Scott Stapp left the group, they became Alter Bridge, but neither division did as well as they had when they were together, so this is the first single from the reunited group. I wanted to hate this song, I really did, but I have heard it on the radio a bunch, and it has grown on me. It has a Shinedown vibe to it, and it occasionally pops into my head. Before you write it off, just check out the song and give it a little bit of a chance.
…Jedward? – I despised everything I saw about Jed and Edward during their time on X Factor, and couldn’t believe they got as far as they did, but they performed on the National Television Awards this week in England, and I now get it. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but man, it’s fun. Spoiler alert…Vanilla Ice is even credible!
→ 8 CommentsCategories: commentary · singles · videos · youtube
Tagged: creed, jay sean, jedward, nota, vanilla ice