videos

Random Notes – 07-08-09

Posted by John on July 9, 2009
Posted in: charts, personal, us against the music, videos. Tagged: , , . 6 Comments

07-08-09…is that some kind of cultish date?

– Several articles have popped up on Casey Kasem’s last countdown. In a lot of ways, Casey is the reason I do what I do, because he gave life to the charts that I worshipped as a kid. I will occasionally put on Sirius-XM’s “80s on 8” or “70s on 7” during the weekend to hear rebroadcasts of Casey’s countdowns. Sadly, I thought he was already done, having turned the reins several years ago. As a result of the linked article, though, I can now go to YouTube and hear Casey cursing. Good times.

– If you enjoyed the late 80s entries I did a couple of weeks ago, go on over to Wacky on the Junk and check out some of his recent posts on Breathe, Level 42, and Curiosity Killed the Cat. He got me good, as I was planning to come back for a few of those. Good stuff (and possibly some samples for ya, too)!

– Yuri and I did up another “Us Against the Music” last weekend about the MJ chart fallout, along with some chat about Maxwell (who is looking to do some big thangs on next week’s Billboard chart). Check it out!

– I should have my laptop returned to me on Thursday, and regular posts should return at that point. In the meantime, here’s a terrific commentary for the brand-new video Beyonce single, “Sweet Dreams”.

Video Notables – Mr Hudson

Posted by John on June 30, 2009
Posted in: videos. Tagged: , . 9 Comments

mr-hudson-supernovaThe video finally hit today for “Supernova“, and I’m a bit underwhelmed. Visually, the first half of it looks terrific. And then the whole “Mr Supernova” sucks the life out of the clip. The “chase” scene at the end just can’t bring it back.

Having said that, I sat here watching it and thinking to myself “he’s actually going to have a hit in the U.S.” This should be as sure-fire of a hit as Kanye himself. If it’s not, I’m considering emigration. Suggestions?

You’re Michael Jackson, I’m Michael Jackson

Posted by John on June 26, 2009
Posted in: death, videos, youtube. 8 Comments

I have to say I’m completely stunned at the speed of this, but there is already a tribute record out called “Better on the Other Side”, and it’s actually pretty decent. At the heart of the song is The Game rapping, with Chris Brown singing the hook. Mario Winans and Boyz II Men also pop in, and Diddy gives the eulogy at the end of the track.
Not to be left out, 50 Cent also tosses a track out to the world called “Where You Are”, which samples MJ in his younger days. Once again, not a bad track at all. Gotta love how quickly music can be put out for the public when there’s motivation to do so.

What Did You Expect?

Posted by John on June 24, 2009
Posted in: news, videos, youtube. Tagged: , . 10 Comments

My two cents on the whole Perez Hilton/will.i.am dust-up in Toronto. First, please read Duane’s dead-on commentary, if you haven’t already. Second, I don’t believe that violence is ever the answer, but karma’s a bitch, Perez. Just like you.

Showing one more reason why I like her, here is Kelly Clarkson’s reaction. She was also in town for the concert, but was not at the party. [And make sure you check out Will-W’s YouTube page for some great footage of rehearsals for the concert.]

Isn’t It Post New Romantic?

Posted by John on June 20, 2009
Posted in: personal, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , , , . 17 Comments

Talking about my Post New Romanticism loves the other day left me wanting more, so you’re going to get a video entry to show ’em off!

– Go West/”Call Me” – While the likes of Duran Duran and Culture Club were at the peak of their popularity, there were other groups that were putting out music with less fanfare, but still of note. I loved Go West from their debut single “We Close Our Eyes” (#41), but “Call Me” (#54) sealed the deal for me. Unlike many of the groups that followed, Go West had some longevity, and evolved their sound as they went along. While some may not be as crazy about their more commercial sound in later years, I thought Indian Summer was a great album, and really enjoyed their remake of “What You Won’t Do For Love” (#55).

– Danny Wilson/”Mary’s Prayer” – One of several US one-hit wonders on this list, Danny Wilson released “Mary’s Prayer” (#23) in 1987, and the song slowly grew into a modest hit. Named after the title of a Frank Sinatra movie, the band consisted of brothers Gary and Kit Clark, along with Ged Grimes. Honestly, I don’t even remember if I had the full-length on this one, but “Mary’s” really holds up well over 20 years later.

– T’Pau/”China In Your Hand” – One of my all-time favorite songs. I remember watching T’Pau perform this on the US version of “Top of the Pops” in 1987, which really just recycled the British performances and inserted a few US-only tracks to make it more authentic. I would have bet money that this would have been a #1 record, but the song never even charted here, and T’Pau remains a one-hit wonder in the US. It wasn’t the first time my instincts were wrong, and it sure wasn’t the last. Of course, the song went straight to #1 in the UK.

– Johnny Hates Jazz/”Shattered Dreams” – If you measure a record’s potential by the impact of the single that preceded it, you would have hoped that Johnny Hates Jazz would have been more popular, but as often is the case, you would have also been wrong. I remember “Shattered Dreams” tearing up the airwaves in 1988, and it peaked at #2. The follow-up, “I Don’t Wanna Be a Hero”, only made it to #31, while “Turn Back the Clock” (a personal favorite of mine), only charted on the Adult Contemporary chart. As was often the case, there’s a US version of the video, but I actually prefer the UK version (not that either of them are epics).

– Climie Fischer/”Love Changes (Everything)” – I was obsessed with this song for months for some reason, and to this day, it remains one of those records that just goes to show that I am a music and chart geek. Released originally in 1987 and considered a flop, it took “Rise to the Occasion” becoming a hit in multiple territories to give “Love” a second chance. The re-issue was a remixed version, and ended up at #10 in the UK, and #23 in the US.

I Don’t See You Here

Posted by John on June 14, 2009
Posted in: videos, youtube. Tagged: . 2 Comments

I think it’s safe to say that none of you have this song stuck in your head at the moment, but listen, and you soon will…

Ah, the joy of the Internet. My friend Julie tipped me off to Das Racist yesterday, and while they may never see a major record deal, maybe the Internet is the way to go. Just goes to show that you never know where you will find your next earworm.

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.

Radio 1 Is My Luvah

Posted by John on June 9, 2009
Posted in: singles, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , , . 15 Comments

You think I’m kidding, right? Let me share some of the goodness that the BBC hooked me up with this afternoon. By the way, this was all in a row. I thought my head might explode from happy musical vibes.

– Paloma Faith/Stone Cold Sober – New single from a new artist. That’s why you listen to foreign radio stations, isn’t it? The single come out 15 June on Sony UK, who describe Paloma as:

The force of nature that answers to the name Paloma Faith is one that has been known in underground arts circles in London for some time. As an ex-magician’s assistant, trained contemporary dancer, St Martin’s college alumni with an MA in theatre direction, performer in burlesque shows and actress Paloma has been mixing media throughout her short adult life. A few years ago she introduced music, her primary love, into the equation, at first mimicking the blues and soul singers she so admired, but eventually finding her own voice.

They can describe her any way they want to, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’ve got another talented lady making 2009 a year to remember. While you wait for the single release, check out the excellent video down below:

-The Gossip/Heavy Cross – The Gossip return with the first single from their sophomore release Music For Men, hoping to avoid the Scissor Sisters’ fate of diminishing returns. “Heavy Cross” is already off to a good start, coming in at #47 on downloads alone in the UK, and ahead of it’s physical release on 22 June. Folks wanting to buy it in the US will have to wait until the 23rd, when the song will be available digitally.

– Linkin Park/New Divide – This is not my usual type of recommendation, but I have really been liking this new track from the soundtrack of Transformers 2. The clip below is a Making the Video piece that really looks pretty cool, but with Joseph Hahn behind the lens, you’re gonna get something visually out there.

– Mr Hudson/Supernova – The buzz is beginning, folks. Picked as Edith’s Record of the Week, the track is starting to get some traction, and now we’ve even got a remix from none other than Calvin Harris, which you can grab here. I can’t find a single release listed as of yet, but Straight No Chaser hits shelves in the UK on 03 August. The video hasn’t dropped for this one, either, but here’s the Calvin Harris mix.