“We” meaning you and I, because Shayne put out a simple tweet today:
#ShayneWardNov28th RT RT RT Guys
Is our (inter)national nightmare over with? Here’s what Shayne posted on August 25th via his own website blog:
I was in the Label on Monday where I listened to my whole album for the first time! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I’ve worked so hard on it and it’s been a long process but now it’s almost here and it’s soon to be released. I can’t wait for you to hear it! More news to follow soon.
So everything is aligning here. More details to follow, but in his own words from that blog post, “things are moving”. It appears that also includes his workouts:
It was 15 years ago that a vocalist named Roula joined forces with a dance act called 20 Fingers and stormed the world with “Lick It”. Okay…it wasn’t actually a massive hit, but it was definitely memorable. 20 Fingers actually had a bigger hit with “Short Dick Man”, or “Short Short Man”, depending on the territory you lived in at the time.
So here we are 15 years later, and as we are watching dance music make a comeback on the pop chart, I’m starting to see some parallels in the songs that are making waves. Take the house-flavored 20 Fingers formula, give it more of an electronic/techno feel, and you’ve got Richard Vission and Static Revenger’s former Top 5 Australian hit with Luciana entitled “I Like That”. The jam is currently at #38scratch that…#36 on the US Pop Airplay chart and just barely on the iTunes 200 at #192. All we need is another remake of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, and it would be 1995 all over again.
…of course, I don’t rule the radio, but if I did, here are a few of the songs that would be in heavy rotation.
Cee-Lo Green “F#@k You” – If I ruled the radio, this would be the most-requested, most played jam. The “F” word isn’t the only thing that will keep this song off the radio, but you know that Larry Flick over at Sirius/XM’s “Morning Jolt” will be playing this one daily if he’s not already doing so. Cee-Lo is one of the most talented singers in the business, but much of his quirky persona gives an image of him as more of a novelty. Here’s hoping that his upcoming CD The Ladykiller will help give credit where it is sorely overdue.
Sara Bareilles “Hold My Heart” – If you thought that “King of Anything” was just a good but predictable retread of “Love Song”, you may be pleasantly pleased to hear what needs to be single #2 from her sophomore release Kaleidoscope Heart, due out in September. Watching this clip of her playing “Hold” back in June reminds me just how much I love seeing her live. I may have to check her out again when she comes through Denver in November. The studio version just soars and leaves you wanting more. Is the whole CD out yet?
The Ready Set “Love Like Woe” – I remember seeing this video several months ago, and I just wasn’t feeling it at the time, but the chorus has embedded itself in the hand. Part Owl City, part Metro Station, with a dash of JR Rotem thrown in, and it actually works. Well, except for the JR Rotem…I don’t care if I never hear that air horn ever again.
Hurts – “Wonderful Life” – I recently told XOLondon that I resisted Hurts initially because I found them pretentious. Not sure if they can shake that label with some of the videos that have surfaced, but at the end of day, their music is irresistible. “Wonderful” is the second single from their upcoming CD Happiness, and hopefully it gets a bit higher than “Better Than Love”, which only hit #50. It has already gone top 10 in several countries, and it sounded perfect on Radio 1 last week, so I would say the odds are good, although Taio Cruz probably has a lock on the top.
Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP “We No Speak Americano” – Slowly inching its way up the iTunes top singles is this former UK #1 that has actually topped charts in 16 countries. Ironically (as Kath and Kim would say), it only got to #4 in their native Australia. Do I think it will get to #1 in the US? Hell no. Do I see this song becoming a mini-sensation? Absolutely. I want to hear this song on the radio followed by Antoine Dodson’s “Bed Intruder Song“. But only about five times. My head might explode after that.
I occasionally get songs stuck in my head that I haven’t heard in years, and it is always interesting to me why they surface. Recently, Janet Jackson’s “Someday Is Tonight” came to mind, and while I think a conversation might have triggered a lyric from the song, the return of the Rhythm Nation 1814 album cut was quite welcome. “Someday” featured on a few mixtapes of mine back in the day, and that got me thinking about songs that appeared the most on my mixtapes. I wrote about a couple of these over at Wacky on the Junk a few months ago, but here’s a small sampling of my “go-to” tracks:
Kate Bush “This Woman’s Work” – ”I know you have a little life in you yet/I know you have a lot of strength left” The mother of all mixtape songs. If you want a song to end a mixtape with on a huge emotional swoosh, this is the song for you. There is so much emotion that can be pulled out of this song, and sometimes an amazing song like this can be utilized even if the lyrics don’t necessarily match the intended tone. As long as the song adds to the musical landscape, it’s fair game. I never had a personal tie to the lyrics, but the song remains a modern pop masterpiece, whether you are talking about the original by Kate Bush or the remake by Maxwell.
Julian Lennon “Saltwater” – “We’re so ingenious we can walk on the moon” I have a soft spot in my heart for John Lennon in part because my mom has told me I’m named for him. I remember sitting in the bathroom with my mom the day that Lennon died because we had company over, and she was beyond emotional and couldn’t stop crying. So when Julian came along with Valotte, I felt like I had a bit more of a connection to John by proxy. It wasn’t until a few years later when Help Yourself was released that I saw Julian for more than just John’s son. “Saltwater” seems a bit hokey to me now, but at the time I thought it was extremely profound.
Indigo Girls “Power of Two” – “So we’re okay, we’re fine/baby I’m here to stop your crying” This one was a toss-up for me, because “Power” and “Language and the Kiss” both saw some serious usage, but I went with this because a) there’s actually a video; and b) “Power” was used in Boys on the Side, which I loved at the time. Depending on when and how I listen to it, the song is either about a couple surviving despite the obstacles, or a couple breaking up but having no regrets of the life they’ve lived together. Either way, it’s always Emily voice that speaks to me.
The Rembrandts “Confidential Information” – “Confidential information, in a dream a true confession/She didn’t mean to give away such confidential information” No video clip for this track anywhere, but I had to mention this LP track from their debut CD. “Just the Way It Is, Baby” was a bit of fresh air at the time it became a hit, and that pulled me into the full CD. I was pretty horrified when the Rembrandts became “the guys that did the Friends theme” because I didn’t feel like that was their best work. Then again, who am I to begrudge someone making a living?
New Radicals “Someday We’ll Know” – “Someday we’ll know why I wasn’t meant for you” New Radicals were a big sensation when they came out in 1999 because they gave people something to talk about. Whether it was the rap at the end of “You Get What You Give”, the developing enigma surrounding band mastermind Gregg Alexander, the little girl from Archie Bunker’s Place who had grown up and joined a rock band, or the freshness of the music in the midst of a lot of same-sounding tracks, I’m sure none of that attention was unwelcome. Looking back, I am pretty shocked that “Get” only made it to #36 on the Hot 100, although it was much bigger in other countries. For me, the bigger issue is that the follow-up single “Someday We’ll Know” never even charted in the US. “Someday” proves to me that Alexander wasn’t a musical flash in the pan, but to the general public, New Radicals will always be a one-hit wonder.
Prince “Adore” – “Until the end of time/I’ll be there for you” If I had to estimate what song I used on more mixtapes, it would be this one. Since “Adore” is the perfect finale for Sign O the Times, I would put it at the end of any mixtape with a romantic theme. [Honorable mentions for overused romantic songs went to “Follow My Rainbow” by Sheena Easton and “Arms of Orion” by Sheena & Prince] There is such a connection between Prince and his lady that you can’t help but want to feel that same type of connection yourself. From the first drawn-out “ooooooh”, Prince is talking about sex and love and devotion all at the same time.
So what would I put on my modern-day playlist to fill the moody, weighty, deep slot? After a quick glance of my music library from the past year, my mind immediately gravitates to Lady Antebellum’s “Hello World”, which I originally described as the heart of their Need You Now CD. Contemplative? Check. Powerful? Check. Hopeful? Checkmate.
Can there be a better way to wake up in the morning than to find the new Bright Light Bright Light video has debuted? The buzz around Rod Thomas has become deafening in the past few months in certain circles, and now that he has been signed as one of two debut artists to Popjustice’s HiFi label, Rod is ready for his closeup. In fact, we will take any close up we can get, and the video for “Love Part II” delivers. It’s a low-budget affair, but the video is still a classy effort. Truthfully, we could sit and watch a four-minute clip of Rod singing right to the camera, and just seeing the joy in his face as he sings “I’m in love again” would be enough, but the masses want a hook. You can picture this video playing immediately after Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” with the caption “In another part of the city…”
“Love Part II” is released in the UK on September 12th. If there is any justice in the world, it should be a Top 10 smash.
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