Have you ever waited for an album to come out, and you just knew it was going to be stellar, and then it doesn’t quite measure up to the hype? Yeah…me too. So it is with a bit of hesitation that I declare that the new David Cook CD due out next week doesn’t fully hit the spot. Now, having said that, “Light On” didn’t thrill me upon first listen, but it is now on my most played, so maybe that’s what will happen here. And there are some great tracks right off the bat…”Lie”, “Life on the Moon”, “A Daily Anthem”, and “Permanent” all show the promise of the Rocker Idol. Here’s hoping that by the time the full-length is available for my purchase that I’m good with the remainder of the CD. In the meantime, here’s the full-length video for “Light On”.
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– If it’s Tuesday, it must be new releases, right? Today’s batch includes Taylor Swift (only $3.99 at Amazon), David Archuleta, Tracy Chapman, Seal, T-Pain, David Foster, and Deborah Cox. The cavalcade of reissues and re-releases include discs by the Smiths, New Order, Enrique Iglesias, Hilary Duff, Genesis and Abba. However, I predict a dark horse this week that may make a big splash is the new holiday release from Enya. I can’t think of an artist that is more appropriate for Christmas music than her. I’m not saying it’ll be GOOD, I’m just saying it makes sense.
– Looking ahead to next week, an interesting match-up appears. I doubt I have to remind regular readers that David Cook’s CD, but competing for your 19 Entertainment dollars will also be Il Divo, Simon Cowell’s Opera Boys. For most Idols, I would say this isn’t a big deal, but I think these two acts probably share a little more audience then Mr Cook would like to admit. “But they’re BOTH dreamy!”
– In other David Cook news, he has an AOL Sessions that will premiere on November 21st, he’s playing the Red Carpet party prior to the American Music Awards on the 23rd, and he’s currently appearing in ads for Sketchers (which I believe every Idol winner has done following their win). On the retail tip, we know so far that there are bonus tracks on the iTunes (“My Last Request”) and Wal-Mart (“Breathe Again”) versions. And finally, in the Continual Pimping Department (an artform we admire GREATLY around the PMN water cooler), Entertainment Weekly unleashes yet another feature on Mr. Cook. The cool thing about this feature is that it gets into the whole “how do I rock when the housewives/cougars made me what I am?” dilemma. My favorite quote (you KNEW there would be one):
”I do take music seriously. But I don’t take myself all that seriously. I’m kind of a goober from the Midwest who hit the lottery.”
– Despite the King of Fizz not giving them their proper due (I blame him personally for “Boyfriend” not going to #1), “What Is Happening” will get a physical release on November 24th. It looks like they will be releasing some sassy remixes (including a techno Ultrabeat remix), so here’s hoping that might help get them back into the UK Top 10. The Feist-ish video couldn’t hurt, either…
For some amusing Alphabeat visuals, check out the BBC Chart Blog’s latest addition to their “How To Destroy…” series.
– On a personal note, I’d like to thank all of you that have supported me over the past few months. This started off as a little experiment and hobby, but has really turned into a passion. I set a goal a few weeks ago to do a post a day for a month, and so far, so good on that. Due to a search engine find, the blog has exploded in the page view department, with over 1,000 views in the past two days. It’s a little humbling when folks you read and admire compliment your work, but I am grateful for any and all feedback. Thanks for your support…while it’s cool to document this for myself, it’s even better to have a dialogue with voices other than the ones in my head.
One more video, and then it’s finally bedtime for me. No other song that I can think of sums up what has happened today like this classic from the Dixie Chicks. Enjoy, and keep that hope alive…
…we ARE ready for a black President! Yes we did!
– In an attempt to capitalize on the surging popularity of Jason Mraz’s International hit “I’m Yours”, a Expanded Edition of “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” is being released on November 18th. Besides the original disc, there will be a second audio disc that contains the songs from the three EPs released prior to “We Sing”. Disc three includes a concert recorded at the Highline Ballroom this year, a documentary, and a preview of Jason’s photo book “A Thousand Things”. You can pre-order the set from Amazon.com.
– Speaking of Amazon, today’s MP3 Deal of the Day is the newly-released soundtrack to the movie “Twilight”. The disc features tracks from Paramore, Linkin Park, Muse, and Collective Soul, among others. Does $3.99 sound like a deal to you? Then head on over and pick it up! And while you’re over there, check out some of the free tracks they’ve got available, including the brand-new track from Travis entitled “J. Smith“. (Their new full-length “Ode to J. Smith” is out today) You’ll also find free tracks from the likes of the Weepies, Liam Finn, and PMN favorite Toby Lightman.
– While we’ve got buying on the brain, here’s a little tip for all of you Staters who covet the music of the Motherland. The exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and U.K. pound has moderated greatly in the past few weeks. One dollar = .625 pound today, after having been as low as .50 just a couple of months ago. So get your musical purchases on for the holidays. [PMN would LOVE a Limited Edition “The Circus” CD with a Hardback Book included. Or the new Rhydian disc. I’m just sayin’…]
– Other new releases this week include Hinder, Brad Paisley, Sarah Brightman, Andrea Boccelli, Q-Tip, the domestic release of The Script (on both Amazon and iTunes for $7.99), and well beyond 15 minutes Eamon (it’s even on a major label…go figure!).
– One last note…it’s almost impossible to ignore, but today is the most important election of my lifetime here in teh U.S. of A. We have a chance to really make a difference, not only in our own cities and states, but in the world as we know it. At this point, the result is out of our hands, but here’s hoping a lot of positive energy and prayers and wishes go a long way. I don’t normally go for the hokey anthem, but I truly love the John Legend track “If You’re Out There”, written for a day like today. The whole CD is outstanding, but this is truly a high point.
– Craig David’s video for “Insomnia” dropped this weekend, and while I am still loving it, there is no new ground broken here. Can anyone say “Closer”?
– While we are talking about Davids, let’s talk about David Cook on Saturday Night Live last night. While I think he did a good job, it seemed like there were some serious nerves keeping him from putting his performances over the top. Single “Light On” was really the stronger of the two, but “Declaration” was a solid track as well. I’m concerned about the band, though. If this is the band that is going to back him up at all live events, I think he might be in for a bumpy ride. No video for the live performances, but that’s become normal for SNL. Here’s a video that contains that track of “Declaration”, followed by a rough video of “Light On”.
On the subject of David Cook videos, look for the premiere of “Light On” tomorrow morning on DavidCookOfficial.com. The video was shot two weeks ago at L.A. Valley College football field, and director Wayne Isham was behind the shoot. For those of you who might be curious, it appears that David and former American Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell are still an item, as Caldwell was spotted hanging out with Cook on the set. [UPDATE: Here’s a sneak peak at the video…] [UPDATE #2: Here’s a link to the full-length video.]
Tonight you get two Britney videos for the price of one. First off, here’s the director’s cut on the “Womanizer” video that premiered on 20/20. How many Britneys can you count?
This video puts every video from “Blackout” to shame, and really gives a lot of credence to the phrase “Britney’s back”. Dancing, special effects, skin…it’s got everything that you look for in a A-list music video. I would actually give the song another chance after watching this.
Video #2 is more unexpected, but man, it’s a riveting piece of video for a minute and a half. Check out the promo for Britney’s MTV reality show “For the Record”, due in November.
This clip is fascinating, if for no other reason than the quote at the end of the video. “What the hell was I thinking?” I haven’t been a big booster of the new song, but I really am rooting for her to make a comeback. The fact that she’s asking the question says a lot about her and how far she’s come. This is must-see TV, y’all!
Alanis Morissette releases another single from her severely underrated “Flavors of Entanglement”, and it’s a pretty mellow, laid-back choice. No matter where your head is at beat-wise, though, it’s a quality song…check out “Not As We”:
Once again, I come across a song that I liked upon first glance, but really resonates with my current circumstances:
Day one, day one
Start over again
Step one, step one
I’m barely making sense
For now I’m faking it
‘Til I’m psuedo-making it
From scratch, begin again
But this time I as I
And not as we
Great imagery in both the song and the video. While Alanis tends to speak in generalities, this one has a pretty clear purpose statement.
The first video from Keane’s upcoming CD “Perfect Symmetry” is out, and honestly, I don’t get it. That’s not to say it isn’t a great video, because it is. I just don’t know what the concept is about. Maybe I’ll just have to watch it 12 or 38 more times to figure it out.
Somewhere along the way today, I came across a mention that today is “National One-Hit Wonder Day”. Who knew? So in honor of the holiday, here is a presentation of some of my favorite one-hit wonders, a commodity that I have traded in heavily over the past 20 years.
[NB – when I refer to a one-hit wonder, I refer to someone who achieved a Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 here in America, and never made it back to the Top 40. So put yer claws away, mm’kay?]
Cock Robin, “When Your Heart Is Weak” – The epitome of what I loved about music from the 80s:
Jane Child, “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love” – Nothing says the turn of the 90s like this #2 record:
Moving Pictures, “What About Me” – Oh, how an angsty 13-year-old felt like this was the deepest sentiment ever committed to vinyl. Now when I hear it, I can only think of Kath and Kim:
Jasmine Guy, “Just Wanna Hold You” – I do like this song, but there’s a reason she only got one hit. The album was CRAP!
Nick Lowe, “Cruel To Be Kind” – If there was a definition of “driving music” in the dictionary, this should be cited as the chief example:
Dazz Band, “Let It Whip” – In my top 10 all-time favorite jams…a classic
T’Pau, “Heart & Soul” – “China In Your Hands” would be here, but the stupid Americans didn’t make that a hit:
Boy Krazy, “That’s What Love Can Do” – When the Bible of Pop Music is published, this will be on the Ten Commandments of Pop:
There you have it. It’s only a partial list for me, but it’s got a decent mix. Care to weigh in?
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