This has to be heard to be believed. Courtesy of Dan over at Country Universe, the Oak Ridge Boys (you know…”Elvira”?) appear to have followed in the footsteps of Johnny Cash by covering an alternative classic. Rather than Nine Inch Nails, they opt for the White Stripes classic “Seven Nations Army”. Check out the original if you’re not familiar (shame on you!), and then the Oak Ridge Boys’ cover.
The fact that I have referenced the Oak Ridge Boys and the White Stripes in the same entry is surely a sign of the apocalypse. However, I really like the cover. Now, if I didn’t know the original, I’m sure I would despise this version, but it works. Look for the Oak Ridge Boys single on Tuesday, and the full length drops on the 19th.
videos
I know I’ve done a few of these video entries lately, but this one goes a little deeper than “oooh, check out this video”. Elliott was my pick all through American Idol Season 5, going all the way back to his Hollywood Week performance of “A Song For You”. This is an example of what can happen when the Idol producers stay out of the mix, letting the music and the performers speak for themselves. While Elliott was eliminated during the Top 3 week, it was the closest margin in the history of the show, with all three (Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee being the other two) receiving just over 33% of the vote.
I don’t want to call it revenge, but sometimes life corrects itself. Elliott ended up with the biggest record of the top 3 that season (“Wait For You”), his debut has already been certified Gold, and he still has his original record deal, which the other two don’t. His second full-length is called “Fight For Love”, and it drops this coming Tuesday. The title song hasn’t exactly set the world on fire yet, but I am really liking this new video. Maybe I’m crazy, but I see Elliott and Shayne Ward going in the same direction, and could easily see Shayne singing this song as well. Judge for yourselves…
Adele has released an American version of “Hometown Glory” that currently is only available through VH1.com (WordPress and MTV apparently don’t play well together), but this is actually the third video that I am aware of. Granted, video #1 wasn’t actually official, as it was pulled from the BBC2 show “Sound”, but for many people, this was the first visual they had for Adele (over 4,000,000 views so far).
Video #2 was official, and is a lush performance piece that Adele looks amazing in. I love the parting shot of the mic, but the whole piece has a great impact.
So what is the verdict on the new video? “Lovely” is the first word that comes to mind, and for once, I mean it as a compliment. If there was an award for best cinematography for videos (does MTV even bother with that anymore?), this one should already have it. I don’t really care for the way it ends, but the other 98% of the video is brilliant. Thoughts?
Mel has been a big champion for these ladies, but courtesy of Smokin’ New Music, here is their first video for “American Cowboy”. The video is a typical “girls at the club” video, but the fact that a girl group is even getting buzz in the US is a sign that the next wave of pop and dance music I’ve been talking about will just keep getting stronger. It’s not breaking any new ground, but it’s a good track.
"American Cowboy" Music Video
V Factory – Love Struck
Paul was raving about them, and I didn’t really pay attention. PosterGirl even mentioned them WAY back, and I didn’t heed the warning. But I got it now…pop nirvana.
Jesse McCartney – Crash and Burn
Speaking of Ms PosterGirl, she also had the inside track on Jesse McCartney’s bonus tracks, and after a brief “warming up” period, I’m right on board. This guy’s gonna be around a while.
Girls Aloud – Untouchable
Okay…who HASN’T been talking about the “abomination” that is the single mix of GA’s current single? The single mix doesn’t offend me…the sci-fi, low-budget video does.
Pitbull – I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
Here’s one of my guilty pleasures, Mr 305, with potentially one of the big party records of the year as we move into the summer. The track may sound familiar to you, as it’s the same sample from Chicago used by the Bucketheads on “The Bomb”, but this version comes directly from “75 Brazil Street” by Nicola Fasano Vs Pat Rich.
Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
“Sex On Fire” finally got these boys on the map here in the States, but I am really hoping that “Use Somebody” gets them their first Top 40 hit (no doubt Melismatic agrees). Love this live version.
Madcon – Beggin’
I loved it last year when it was Top 5 in the UK, and I’m loving it all over again now that they’re making a run at the pop charts here in the US. Honestly, if Black Eyed Peas were still making fun records like this, I’d still care about them.
Uh oh…John’s venturing back into Country territory again.
One of the most talked-about songs at Country radio right now is John Rich’s “Shuttin’ Down Detroit”, which tells a tale of the fat cats in the Motor City driving off with the livelihood of the folks who work in their factories. You know, noble idea to document a real-life situation in real time. However, Rich decides to wrap himself in some pretty lame cliches, and the result is an overblown, lowest common denominator track that misses any sense of balance whatsoever. But if you think that sounds lame, try watching the video.
Did you watch it? If you didn’t, good for you. It’s crap. On the same day that the guy with 32 years seniority at an auto plant gets laid off (like that’s gonna happen with unions), he also gets a foreclosure notice. Sorry…sledgehammers have slightly more subtle delivery methods than this self-important video. So the guy who wrote an ode to John McCain and compared gay marriage to incest gets a buzz track. Good for him. But karma’s a bitch…his “hit” stalled at #12 for a few weeks, and is now losing airplay. Songs that get that high on the country chart almost ALWAYS make the Top 10.
The whole idea of an artist releasing multiple singles before the full-length drops is becoming more and more common, and Eminem is utilizing that strategy with his upcoming “Relapse” project. Single #2 is “We Made You”, and it’s also the first video from the album, directed by Joseph Kahn. It’s Eminem doing his pop culture raunch, skewering Jason Mraz, Sarah Palin, Star Trek, Rock of Love, Jessica and Romo, Britney’s Circus, and even Rainman. It’s overkill, but any video with Bobby Lee in it can’t be all that bad, right?
There’s no denying that Eminem is a lyrical genius, but a lot of his mainstream success relies on brilliant hooks that catch the non-hip-hop crowd, and this one’s not really as strong as past hits. Given how the first single did (#1, then plummet), he’s got to be hoping this one has a lot more longevity.
It’s got to be a given that I’m going to post a new David Cook video, right? Here’s the clip for “Come Back To Me”, which I have a feeling is going to be bigger than “Light On”. For a guy that’s in his mid-20s, he has a look of someone more worn down by the world, and that may be part of his appeal to me. The audio’s a bit off of the video, but you’ll get the basic gist. (And this may very well get yanked, but I’ll repost as it is available) I like it, although it’s kind of a music video cliche that’s been done before. What’s your verdict?
Hey folks…sorry for the delay absence. Between work, school, and life in general, I haven’t been inspired (or mentally equipped) to post the past week. I’m hoping lightning strikes this weekend, as I can’t just rely on Video Notable entries to tide me over. We got hit with a foot and a half of snow yesterday, and so things aren’t boring here by a long shot. But life is okay…just hectic. I seem to be in a perior of reprioritizing at the moment, which isn’t really a new thing, but rather a resurfacing of issues that have been lingering for the past six months.
As always, it seems that music comes along that really fits my mood at the moment, and at the moment, it’s the Indigo Girls CD that came out on Tuesday. Excellent effort that I will have more to say about in the next couple of days. Here’s a live performance of “Sugar Tongue” at Criminal Records in Atlanta this week:
A preview of Ciara’s “Love Sex Magic” popped up on the web tonight (h/t to Mr. Ali), and I’m hoping this is a gag. This video makes the “If You Seek Amy” video look like “Thriller”. The track is cool, but wow. Why even bother with a video? And no trace of Justin, either. Verdict, please?
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