upcoming

I Read Your “Diary”

Posted by John on March 21, 2010
Posted in: new artist, reviews, singles, upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: . 8 Comments

I am fortunate that people sometimes think that this blog would be a good place to introduce new music, as most of the music I write about is already established in some form. I am glad to pass on my feedback, but in most cases I take a pass on writing about it because music really needs to resonate with me on some level to warrant a post. That’s why the email I received about up-and-coming artist Tino Coury’s new song “Diary” was such a surprise.

“I read your diary
And it said that you weren’t in love with me
And yeah, baby, I wish that I didn’t see
That you fell in love with him”

So right off the top, this song is radio-ready. It fits what’s hot at the moment, and the similarity to last week’s #1 from Taio Cruz hit me straight away. However, the lyrics go deeper than your typical pop song, and Tino gets points for one of the best lines I’ve heard in a while: “My heart is bleeding/Paper cut from reading/Page one”. The pain of discovering the woman you love is in love with someone else is clear, which puts it above a lot of other songs where the hook comes first and the lyrics are just there for filler.

I do have one complaint about the bridge, where the lyrics get a little harsh (although they’re edited for the radio mix). Having said that, there’s plenty of that on the radio right now, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Tino’s got a sound and an image that definitely can translate into the mainstream, with an assist from Alex Cantrall, the man behind JoJo’s “Leave (Get Out)”. While we keep having conversations about whether a boy band can be viable in this environment, maybe a solo artist with a similar sound is the way to go. But don’t mistake Tino for the face of a producer behind the scenes, as he composes his own music as well as performs. If you want to see the guy in action, check him out in this short clip:

“Diary” going for radio play now, with the single available for purchase in May, and a full-length release later this year. You can check out the video here.

Crash and Swag

Posted by John on March 14, 2010
Posted in: singles, upcoming. Tagged: , . 11 Comments

Let the leaks begin! With a hat tip to Paul over at FizzyPop, yesterday marked the first song to leak out onto the Internet from Shayne Ward’s third album in the form of “Crash“. It is a slow-burning ballad that sounds great, but definitely doesn’t scream “first single”. That honor is supposed to go to “Tonight”, and according to @shaynetward on Twitter yesterday, the record label is gearing up for the promotional push on his upcoming releases. Speculation is that “Crash”, reportedly produced by Stargate, and Darkchild-produced “The Way You Are” are just hype leaks designed to get the masses talking about Shayne again, and it appears that it worked. Not that some of us ever stopped talking about him, but you get the picture.

While we are talking about upcoming projects, another album that is supposed to drop later this year is the fourth release from Jesse McCartney. Rap-Up.com posted an interview with “How Do You Sleep” producer Sean Garrett, where he described hooking Jesse up with some “swag”:

“I wanted to give him real songs, but also give him some shit that has some real swag to it. Girls will be like, ‘Damn, I need to call up Jesse. He’s somebody I need in my life.’ And not just from a corny pop perspective, the Mr. Cool song, but more so like, ‘Damn, I need to see dude.’”

Jesse himself has been a bit tight-lipped about subject matter, but he’s lived a lot since Departure first hit, including weathering a nude photo scandal back in January. Who knows what direction it will go, but while he’s writing material for himself, is he also writing for an American Idol? Here’s his thoughts on season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert:

“I think he’s so talented. I would like to work with him one-on-one and find a focus for him, ’cause he’s dope,” McCartney offered. “I feel like he tried to make a statement with what he did. I would really like to write something for Adam.”

“You and” David Cook

Posted by John on March 1, 2010
Posted in: upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: . 5 Comments

It’s been an interesting week where I really haven’t had anything musically inspire me, but then DavidCookOfficial.com posted a new tune by the Cookster called “You and I” that he performed at the Morongo Casino in California over the weekend. While it’s not a studio version, the song definitely shows promise, even though his vocals sound a bit rough in a couple of spots. Sign of things to come? You decide…

David recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly and said that he expects his new album to come out mid-2010. Click through to check out the full interview, including him name-checking Max Martin and Ryan Tedder for wishlist collaborators.

Random Notes – 02-21-10

Posted by John on February 21, 2010
Posted in: songs, upcoming. Tagged: , , , , . 5 Comments

– I’ve been talking a lot about Taio Cruz and JLS crossing over to the US, and it appears that the first half of my prediction is starting to come true. Taio is making a pretty strong move at Top 40 radio, almost doubling its airplay in one week’s time and already getting airplay on 112 stations. “Break Your Heart” has “hit” stamped all over it, especially with the hit-prone Ludacris on board. Now let’s see if that airplay translates into sales…there’s a good chance it will, given that single #2 has to be “Dirty Picture” with Ke$ha.

– Another test of whether airplay converts to sales will be the upcoming full-length for Jason DeRulo, whose “In My Head” makes him two-for-two on Top 10 hits (“Whatcha Say” hit #1 in 2009). JR Rotem has the touch when it comes to producing hit singles, but that doesn’t always translate on the sales side. Sean Kingston has had several singles go platinum or higher in the US, but his first album only went Gold, and the second album debuted and peaked way down at #37. Having said that, I don’t think that Sean and Jason are fully comparable, since Jason’s music is a bit more distinct, while Sean’s singles almost always have the same vibe. I have high hopes for Jason…let’s hope the record-buying public has the same desire.

– I would be remiss in not mentioning that the strongest song at Top 40 right now is Lady A’s “Need You Now”, which blasts past the Top 20 and into the Top 15 this week. Making this move even more impressive is that it has the greatest gain in airplay with about 15-20 stations less than all of the songs around it on the chart. It may sound like a smash to the more mainstream stations, but it appears that the urban-leaning stations are not quite sold on it yet. I guarantee they will come around, and that this will lead to even more longevity on the chart as they realize just how well the song will resonate with their listeners. I’ve already got plans to see them here in Denver in October as they open for Tim McGraw, along with Love and Theft, whose “Runaway” ranked among my favorite songs of 2009. Check it out below:

Barenaked Ladies “Run Away”

Posted by John on January 9, 2010
Posted in: singles, upcoming. Tagged: , . 14 Comments

In the two years that I have been working on this blog, I have surprised myself only a couple of times about subjects that have come up (Per Gessle, anyone?). Here comes another one of those subjects…Barenaked Ladies. They have posted one of the finest ballads of their career on their website, and I can’t get enough of it. It is not the quirky humor we’ve come to expect with “One Week” and “If I Had a Million Dollars”, but it holds true to their expert lyrical skills.

I tried but you tried harder
I lied but you lied smarter
You made me guess who was it
I did my best but it wasn’t enough

Someone commented on the sound of “You Run Away” as “Coldplay meets the Beach Boys”, and I cannot think of a better comparison, unless you maybe include the Goo Goo Dolls. This song is ripe for Adult Top 40 radio, and although I am not sure if it will make the cross over to Top 40, I would not even think about betting against it. Their full-length CD All In Good Time should be out at the end of March. (H/T to Bill’s Top 40/Pop Blog)

[I would be remiss in not noting that this is among the first material that is being released after co-lead singer Steven Paige left the group. He is also planning on releasing an album this year, although from what I have been able to gather, it is not a solo effort. He recorded an album in early 2009 with the Art of Time Ensemble that is being released in February, but he has also been working on a solo record. According to Page, his album is all over the place:

“Turns out, it sounds a lot like Steven Page: Power-pop, gay disco, big band swing, acoustic ballads. It seems as eclectic as the best BNL albums were, but I guess I’m biased that way.”

(Source)

Can’t wait to hear what that one sounds like, either.]

GaGa: Too Much Too Soon?

Posted by John on November 18, 2009
Posted in: commentary, music industry, upcoming. Tagged: , . 19 Comments

If you even glance at music blogs once a month, there is no way that you have not experienced the GaGa firestorm that has consumed pop music lovers around the globe. It is pretty staggering to see just how pervasive she has become in the span of a year, especially when you take into account that her first single “Just Dance” didn’t even hit #1 in the US until this past January. Now, you can’t listen to a pop radio station an hour without hearing one of her five hits.

In reading Will-W’s review of The Fame Monster, due in stores and online November 23rd, I was struck first by his enthusiasm for the opus, but I started to wonder about her still-building popularity. Four top 10 singles is a huge year for any artist, but “Bad Romance” makes #5, and there are at least two more hits waiting in the wings. Should GaGa have left her monsters waiting to build some anticipation? Or did she do the right thing by striking while the iron is still hot? I know that this was supposed to be part of a re-issue (a practice I already have a huge bias against), but it appears that this has grown well beyond the original plan. “Bad Romance” is almost a given to hit #1 soon (possibly even in two weeks, once the EP hits, and Fame Monster may give Adam Lambert’s For Your Entertainment a run for the #1 album.

You know what song “Bad Romance” reminds of at times? Don’t laugh…New Kids on the Block’s “Step By Step”. And there’s a reason for that. After the huge response to Hangin’ Tough and the resulting tour, “Step” sounded like a huge, well, step ahead, with a much larger sound and an arena-inspiring chorus. “Step” is the one song of theirs from the 80s that actually holds up well. To me, there are a lot of comparison between NKOTB and GaGa right now (minus the branded bedsheets). Both seemed to come out of nowhere, both broke wide open globally, and both racked up multiple top 10 hits off of their breakthrough records (Hangin’ Tough was NKOTB’s 2nd album). And let’s not forget that they have already recorded together on the GaGa-penned “Big Girl Now”.

Here’s the big difference, though. New Kids had a bit of a break from the charts between 1989 and 1990 (Christmas single “This One’s For the Children” excepted). There is no break for GaGa, who is still at #7 on the Hot 100 with “Paparazzi”. Even with a break, the NKOTB backlash started in 1990, and continued on through the next couple of years, culminating in 1992 when they were accused of lip-syncing music sung by other singers. The fact that “If You Go Away”, arguably their finest moment, only got to #16 that year in the US demonstrates how quickly the biggest group in the world can plummet. I am not wishing a similar backlash for GaGa, as I hope she keeps pushing boundaries for years to come. My concern is that the public at large may not be as dedicated to her longevity, and she will be left behind for the next flash in the pan.

So what do you all think? Too much too soon? Cash in while the demand is there? Some other option?

Leanin’ Up Against the Record Machine

Posted by John on September 3, 2009
Posted in: american idol, holiday, new releases, singles, upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , . 7 Comments

If it’s close to fall, then the heavyweights of the industry must be jockeying for position on the shelves of CDs for Christmas purchases. From a country standpoint, two of the more high profile releases in the next few months are Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood. Carrie’s release Play On (due November 3rd) just got a nice PR bump due to a leak on the Internet, originally from a radio recording, but followed shortly after by a clean version. “Cowboy Casanova” has some similarities to “Before He Cheats”, but this recipe is 1/3 “Cheats”, spiced up with 1/3 “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” remixed, and blended in a 1/3 Shania Twain sassiness. At first listen, I was taken aback, but damn, if that’s not a catchy tune, I don’t know what is. Watch for this one on the Pop charts in the near future, as there’s got to be a non-country mix of this. (h/t Bill’s Top 40/Pop Blog)

Tim, on the other hand, is doing what he does best, with a clever set of lyrics talking about how much “pain” his relationship inflicts on him. The full-length disc out on October 20th is called Southern Voice, and it’s already up to preview on iTunes. You might recall the drama a year ago surrounding the release of this CD getting pushed back by Curb to make way for a miserably-selling Greatest Hits 3. We’ll have to wait and see what Tim’s next move is, now that his contract is fulfilled with Curb, but I can’t imagine he’s going to hang around. Originally I thought there might be a Live Nation deal in Tim’s future. Wouldn’t it be interesting if they set up a deal with Tim AND his wife, Faith Hill? Just food for thought.

Here’s the first single from Southern Voice entitled “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You”.

I Want (To Be) Forever Young

Posted by John on August 31, 2009
Posted in: charts, new releases, upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , . 6 Comments

The initial offerings from Jay-Z’s “Blueprint 3” haven’t done much to compel me to pick up the disc, but Hova’s remake of Alphaville’s “Forever Young” may have just changed that. If ever there was a track that Mr Hudson’s voice was destined to cover, this would be the one. And although I don’t think it will happen, “Young Forever” is just SCREAMING for a remix.

And just for good measure, here’s the original (peaked at #93 in ’85, got to #65 from a re-release in ’88)…

Blake Lewis, the Sequel

Posted by John on June 12, 2009
Posted in: american idol, upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: . 12 Comments

blake_lewis_cordsAs I was coming up with Idol artists to write about yesterday, I almost included Blake Lewis, as his second CD is supposed to drop this fall on Tommy Boy Records. At the end of the entry, I decided I had a full slate, and stuck with the three you may have already read. So imagine how fortunate I was feeling when I heard Blake talk with Derek and Romaine last night on Sirius XM Out Q. Besides promoting his appearance at L.A. Pride this weekend, he also dropped some details about what’s going on with his new music.

First off, I’ve got to give props to Derek and Romaine for a great interview. Besides the fact that Derek didn’t seem to be familiar with Blake’s work, he had some great questions that drew Blake out. When asked about the new record coming out on October 6th, Blake said that he thinks it will be called Heartbreak on Vinyl, citing his penchant for recording songs about relationships ending. This seems to contradict some other sources that cite Universal Imagery as a potential title, but there are still several months to go. In his words…

blakelewis_breakanotha480

“(I)t’s a very big dance record. Very good baselines that get you out on the dancefloor.”

In addition, he also talked about “Sad Song”, his new single that is coming out in July. When asked why he recorded a sad song, Blake said that he didn’t think of it as a sad song, but more of an “anthem for the broken-hearted.” Other questions ran the gamut from influences and heroes (Nick Hexum from 311 was his favorite introduction because of the show), his participation in L.A. Pride, and the inevitable question about Adam Lambert (Adam is his favorite, but predicted he would come in second). He also said his own website is down currently, but that all updates can be found on his MySpace profile.

It sounds like Blake’s making the best of what few Idols seem to get…a second chance. I will leave you with Blake’s recent performance of “Disturbia” on American Idol Extra last month.

Second Time Around

Posted by John on June 11, 2009
Posted in: american idol, new releases, upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , . 19 Comments

BattlefieldCoverOne of the more fascinating elements of the American Idol phenomenon for me is watching the chart success (or failure, in most cases) once they leave the show. This becomes even more interesting for me because I have rarely picked the winner early on, because I’m going off of who fits my taste, rather than America’s as a whole. While there have been some no-brainers (Carrie Underwood, anyone?), who would have picked Jordin or Kris to win it all back in the audition process?

It’s a given at this point that the winner and runner-up will get a record deal, and then a few more trickle down through the Top 10. It may surprise some of you to know that the Country artists actually have some of the best track records on the show, with artists like Phil Stacey, Kristy Lee Cook, Josh Gracin, Bucky Covington, and Kellie Pickler all getting signed to deals. Success hasn’t always followed them, though. There’s a promo CD of Kristy’s holding up a table in the stock room of a record shop somewhere in America at this very moment.

As you can see above, Jordin is ready for war on her 2nd release Battlefield, which will hit stores July 21st. [Side note: is that really a flattering album cover for a 19-year-old?] Besides working with Stargate again, Jordin also brings on hitmakers Ryan Tedder and T-Pain to deliver the hits. The single of the same name (produced by Tedder) debuted strong a few weeks ago, but has dropped back a bit due to the first-week sales burst from appearing on American Idol. I have no doubt it’s going to rebound, and you’ll hear it all over the place this summer, as it is rapidly gaining at Top 40 radio. But is that enough to propel the full-length to a strong debut next month? The timing seems good, but we’ll have to see what type of promotional push she gets. “Tattoo” was a slow-builder (eventually going Platinum), but it did a great job of setting the stage for “No Air” to blow sky high. Personally, I’m reserving judgment until I hear samples of the other tracks.

Daughtry_leave_this_townNext stop on the Sophomore Express is Leave This Town, the second release for fourth-place Chris Daughtry and his eponymous band. Billboard declared his debut CD the fastest-selling debut rock record of the Soundscan era, and the numbers bear that out. #1 for two weeks, over 4 million sold and counting, and five Top 25 hits, including two Top fives (“It’s Not Over” and “Home”). It would be an understatement to say that RCA is banking on a huge opening week for this when it hits shelves on July 14th, but I honestly can’t think of a clearer sure-shot hit for the month of July than this one. First single “No Surprise” doesn’t stray far from the first record’s formula, and has already conquered multiple formats. Chris would have to go on a killing spree in a Baptist church in order to kill the momentum he’s currently got.

Elliott Yamin Fight For LoveFor every sure-fire Idol hit, there are going to be multiple non-starters, and Elliott Yamin’s 2nd CD falls into that category. Coming off of a surprise hit debut, which sold close to 100,000 units in its first week, Fight for Love hasn’t even come close. The record debuted mid-May at 26, but the sales were only a fraction of the first record, and the first single (also called “Fight for Love”) didn’t even dent the Hot 100. I’ve got the CD, and it’s one of my favorites for the year so far, but I thought “Fight” was the record’s best shot at a Top 40 hit, so this disc might already be over and done. That’s a shame, because Elliott is really finding his own identity and sound, and it would be a big loss if he doesn’t get to keep evolving that.