So if Kanye decrees that it’s Lil Wayne’s Year, does that make it so? Apparently it does, as Wayne picks up a crowd-leading 8 nominations for work associated with “Tha Carter III”. Close behind at seven is Coldplay, whose “Viva La Vida” not only scored a number one album, but also nabbed the group their biggest single to date with the title cut. Kanye, Ne-Yo, and Jay-Z all picked up six nominations to make this a very hip-hop Grammy year.
One nice surprise for me was seeing Adele not only get a Best New Artist nod, but also a hat tip for “Chasing Pavements”, which a year later still feels like a fresh blast, compared to most of the cookie-cutter music on the radio right now. Duffy also got a Best New nom, and Lady Antebellum received some well-deserved recognition. Honestly, I don’t get the Jonas Brothers personally, but I’m not gonna hate on the notice. I WILL hate on Jazmine Sullivan’s FIVE nominations, though. The talk about her being compared to Lauryn Hill is galling enough, but after seeing her open for Maxwell in October, she doesn’t even deserve to be in the same time zone with most of these artists. How many favors did Clive have to pull in for this one? And how did she get the nod over Leona? I mean, “Spirit” isn’t revolutionary, but give the people what they want, ya know? It was all but a given that Leona Lewis would be up in that piece, but someone seems to have forgotten how many records her debut sold.
NME.com is reporting that George Michael has recorded a new Christmas song in conjunction with his recurring role on “Eli Stone”. Titled “December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)”, the song will be sent to radio for airplay, and will be available as a free download on his website Christmas Day. It’s an interesting move, and signals his first steps into distributing his own music, which he’s threatened to do for quite a while now.
So what does George Michael and Christmas mean to me? First and foremost, it’s “Last Christmas”, which is among my top 3 favorite Christmas songs. After years of languishing on dusty shelves across America, it seems as if the song has made a major comeback over the past couple of holiday seasons. Those of you in England may be completely sick of it, but there’s a little bit of justice for me in its resurgence. Most of Wham’s musical output (and George’s, for that matter) has just faded into the mist, so it’s great to see a true gem float back up to the surface. There have been a LOT of covers of “Last Christmas”, but the original is still the best.
Of course, if you’re going to talk about George and Christmas, you also have to reference “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, the record-setting charity single released in 1984 by Band Aid. I know about the 20th anniversary re-recording, which was absolutely horrible, but turns out there was also a Band Aid 2, which hit #1 in England. How I never knew about this version, I have no clue. (Kylie! Wet Wet Wet! Jimmy Somerville!)
So now it’s 2008, and what’s the verdict on George’s new entry to the holiday canon? Well, it’s actually pretty good. The opening is a very classic sounding Christmas vocal, but it quickly switches up to a classic George Michael wistful, moody ballad. It’s no “Last Christmas”, but after a couple of listens, I REALLY like it!
Next week marks the release of Brandy’s fifth CD, simply entitled “Human”. One would guess that there is some insinuation that Brandy Norwood IS just human, especially with the drama that her life seems to have attracted over the past couple of years. Management changes, fatal car wrecks, less-than-successful releases (“Afrodisiac”)…turns out that not everything she touches turns to Gold. I root for her, though, because I feel like she attempts to grow as an artist, rather than just sticking to a single formula. As far as I’m concerned, Brandy really doesn’t get the respect she deserves.
Single #2 from “Human” is the power ballad “Long Distance”, and I recently told someone that it’s as if she’s setting herself up for a European pop comeback, because the singles really seem to fit with what works over there. Whether that will translate into success here in the States remains to be seen, although there are positive signs. “Right Here (Departed)” continues to show a strong pulse at Pop radio, and “Long Distance” is off to a good start at R&B and Urban AC…
…which brings me to the video. The first half of “Distance” is simply beautiful. As I watched it, I thought “this is a great interpretation of the song”. Of course, the fact that the video impressed me that much means that I’m headed for a letdown, and I got it in spades. The video literally vomited all over itself, and just couldn’t recover from it. I promise you, if you watch the video, you’ll see what I mean.
I am a musical sponge…this is a fact that I will never outrun as long as I live. Music is always somewhere in the mix, whether it’s finding new music online, playing in the background no matter what I’m doing, or running through my head when I’m not near a music source. So it’s inevitable that I occasionally stumble across new music in the most unusual places.
Yesterday, I was driving home from the p/t retail job I picked up for the holidays, and I had my Sirius on. Their top 40 channel (“Hits 1”) has a show called “Hit-Bound” that plays a lot of interesting new music, and has been known to break music nationally (like Metro Station). They go a bit heavy on the pop/rock stuff, but a song came on that I’d never heard, and yet I knew the voice instantly, and I couldn’t believe I was hearing it on a U.S.-based radio station.
Does the name Per Gessle mean anything to you? It should if you weren’t locked up in a monastery from the late 80s to the mid 90s, because he was the male half of the duo known as Roxette. Based in Sweden, they conquered the pop charts with a fresh blast of sassy, if disjointed, lyrics, accompanied by a perfect mix of guitars and synths. But the band would have been nothing without the great back-and-forth vocal style that they developed, and the chemistry and camaraderie between them was unmistakable. So much so, several people I knew just assumed they were a married couple.
When the hits dried up for Roxette in the mid 90s (the amazing “Spending My Time” only made it to #32), they faded into the memories of American consumers. However, several of their songs continue to get airplay in several formats, including their biggest hit “It Must Have Been Love”, from the “Pretty Woman” soundtrack.
Fast forward to this past October, and Per releases “Silly Really” in his homeland of Sweden, where it promptly debuts at #1. Full-length CD is due out this coming week, and he’s doing the full-court press with the media to hype its release. Somehow, the single has found its way to America via Sirius, which has some pretty interesting parallels to their original hit “The Look”. Known as the “Dean Cushman story”, the band tells how this exchange student brought the track back from Sweden to Minneapolis, and convinced a top 40 station there to play it. The station started making copies for other stations, and EMI quickly rushed the single and LP into production, picking up a #1 single and a top 20 album in the process.
The song’s been kicking around my head for almost 24 hours now, and I can’t get enough of it. After a couple of listens, I realized that it actually reminds me a bit of the Saturdays’ “If This Is Love”, because of the synths that have a Yazoo sound to them. But the song is retro and contemporary, all at the same time. The lyrics are as throw-away as anything that Roxette ever wrote, but the song is a gem, and is something that U.S. pop radio is in desperate need of. Here’s hoping that they heed the siren’s call and give it a shot. [Oh…and if you’re so inclined, head on over to the Hits 1 webpage and vote for the track in the Hit-Bound poll.]
– As expected, Beyonce debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart with “I Am…Sasha Fierce”. What wasn’t necessarily expected, though, was the ascent of “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), which blasted to #2 ahead of “If I Were A Boy” at 3. “Single” hadn’t been available digitally until last week, but once it was, it sold over 200,000 units, debuting at #1 on the Top Digital Sales. For anyone who believes that the video as an art form and a promotional tool is dead, I ask that you reconsider that conclusion. Between the original, all of the online tributes and parodies, and the hilarious send-up on “Saturday Night Live”, that video earned every single penny that they put into it.
– Right behind Beyonce on the Top 200 are a pair of pop/rock debuts from Nickleback at 2 and American Idol David Cook at 3. While both looked to be neck and neck early on, Nickleback took the decisive lead in the end, with first single “Gotta Be Somebody” at #19 on the Hot 100. While “Light On” has some good momentum at radio, the sales on the single have dried up, dragging it down to #91 this week. Cook does have a couple of nice distinctions to celebrate this week. His full-length garnered the most sales for a debut digital release since Soundscan started tracking sales, and tops the Top Digital Albums chart.
Other than a lot of Christmas records floating around, there really aren’t a lot of exciting things going on with the Album chart, other than a debut from Il Divo at #5. The scary thing about this week’s chart is that total sales are a whopping 32% down from last year. While that sounds like gloom and doom, just remember that Thanksgiving is as late this year as it can be, throwing off retail calendars and basically creating one less week of shopping than usual. This week’s mega releases are going to have to do some serious work, but I just don’t see the recovery with these titles. Kanye is expected to come in around 500K, followed by Guns N Roses with 300K, and Ludacris & the Killers clocking in over 200K. Folks, this is not a good sign.
– Back on the Hot 100, T.I. continues his domination with Dragostea Din Tei “Live Your Life” at #1, but “Whatever You Like” continues its slow descent at #4, and Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” drops back one spot to #5. Lady GaGa continues her quest for a cheeseburger world domination by jumping up another 9 spots to land at #7, joining label boss Akon in the Top 10 for the first time. What I want to know is, if Cherrytree can get GaGa into the top 10, why can’t they get Robyn? Am I missing something? [BTW, did anyone else hear about the Lady passing out at a club show in Seattle? A friend of a friend was there, and said it was pretty crazy.]
The Fray pick up top debut this week at #28 with “You Found Me”, which should continue to do well after its placement during the American Music Awards on Sunday. The full-length is out in early February in multiple formats, including a Deluxe Edition currently up for pre-orders on their website that will also get you early access to their club tour in January. Interesting twist on the marketing…as part of the purchase, you will also receive digital access to live tracks recorded during the club tour that you may end up on if you go. These are some smart boys, I tell ya. Cities on the club tour are Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. (And yes, I’ve already pre-ordered my copy.)
Strong moves this week include Ludacris and T-Pain’s “One More Drink”, which I heard today and didn’t hate, climbing from 54-38, Rihanna’s “Rehab” leaping 61-34, a 71-58 jump for 50 Cent’s “Get Up”, and a strong 80-61 leap for Usher’s “Trading Places”. [I caught this a couple of weeks ago, and meant to post it, but notice that Fitty’s CD is not among the top sellers this week, due to him blinking tweaking the new record that caused it to be pushed into 2009. Can you say “Kanye”?] One last record to watch is Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, which may re-enter the Top 10 next week, based on some big moves at radio this week.
Two things…first off, “Milk” is AMAZING. Saw the 10PM showing last night, and I was spellbound. I completely forgot that I was watching Sean Penn, and if he doesn’t get an Academy Award nomination, it will be a travesty.
Second, I know it’s cliched, but this year, I have so much more to be thankful than usual. It’s been such a trying year, and a lot of things have been thrown at me that I didn’t expect, but at the end of the day, I lead such an extraordinary life, and I have no complaints. I am thankful for the friends and family that honor me with their presences in my life, I am grateful for the beautiful surroundings that I live in and enjoy on a daily basis, I am appreciative of all the good fortune that finds its way into my life, and I am humbled that folks like yourselves come here to read about what’s on my mind regarding music. No matter how tough the trials and tribulations are that I go through, I would not change a thing. All the good and bad things that have occurred brought me to this very moment, and I can’t think of any other place I would rather be.
The next month will see a lot of releases as the music industry attempts to wring every penny that they can out of the holiday season. I know I went off on a bit of a rant the other day, but the moral of that story is PLEASE, whenever it is possible, support your local music shops. My cynical side says that it is only an exercise of futility, but every sale counts. Wouldn’t it be nice to go into a shop to pick up that Killers CD, and actually have an associate or cashier who listens to the music, and can recommend some great underground group that you’ve never heard of? Yeah…novel concept.
The past day or so has been a frenzy of music news, with Britney’s made-up mug all over the place, the music industry’s version of Haley’s Comet (Guns N Roses) coming back into view, new releases galore, and the fallout from the AMAs all getting some play. But it’s an article at Billboard.com yesterday that really got me, and hasn’t let go. Jimmy Iovine, chairman at Interscope/A&M, was initially talking about how mega-acts like U2 and Eminem got pushed back to 2009, potentially impairing his 2008 results. I’m actually with him on the whole “no record before its time” theory, but then they asked him about the Best Buy exclusive for the physical release of GNR, and the impact that has on the music-specific stores. Here’s Jimmy’s response:
I don’t know the answer to that. But when a guy works that hard on a record, you want to give it the best possible chance it has. We found a great partner in Best Buy, and Axl’s new management felt it was a good idea. It looks like it’s going to do really well. I mean, really, really well. Beyond anybody’s expectations.
Okay…I’m gonna call bullshit on this one. Does anyone believe that Best Buy got Guns N Roses more publicity than they would have gotten if EVERYONE had been able to sell the record? At the end of the day, Mister Iovine is looking at his company’s payday (and probably Axl’s), and he doesn’t give a damn about the smaller shops. I read over the weekend about Bart’s CD Cellar here in Boulder that was planning on buying the CD at Best Buy, and then would sell the disc for the same price, just to keep some visibility on the title. That’s just not right. It’s one thing to offer exclusive content on a special edition, but it’s another to dictate the route that a consumer has to follow to purchase their music.
Let’s take it one step further…the only reason Best Buy got on board is because they knew that GNR would bring traffic into their stores, and then you’ve got a captive audience to sell stoves and cell phones and budget DVDs and magazine subscriptions (yeah…seriously). I can’t even walk into a Best Buy anymore, because standing in the checkout line from Hell hurts my soul. But if you want the new CD from the Script, or Robyn, or Noah and the Whale, are they going to be at a big-box store, or are they going to be at a store where that’s their lifeblood? How about that copy of Depeche Mode’s “Some Great Reward” that you just HAVE to have at that moment. You’ll find the Greatest Hits at Best Circuit Target Mart, but I doubt you’ll find anything deeper than that.
So bullshit to Jimmy Iovine. The system is broken, and the three record companies that are left are digging themselves into a deep, dark grave. “Chinese Democracy” is only one title, and you’re not going to be able to prop up your label on one title that’s selling for $10. Fix the business model, and reward the folks that have had your backs from day 1. In case you’ve forgotten, those are the folks that are in the business of selling MUSIC, not the folks who sell music at a loss to sell toasters and paper towels.
Alright…I’m paraphrasing a bit in the title, but you sure can pick up that vibe from his interview with Logo NewNowNext. Here’s the interview…click ahead to the 1:15 mark to hear his comments on Proposition 8. [h/t to Towleroad]
Man crush aside (okay…I admit it, Mr Yuri), I’m extremely pleased that an artist like David Cook, who has a huge built-in audience waiting for his record (look for a top 3 debut this week, with about 300K in sales), will go out on a limb and make his voice heard on an issue that no one really expected him to say anything about in the first place. It’s straight allies like Cook, Yuri and Keith Olbermann that are going to make the difference in this struggle for equal rights. Whether you believe that marriage is the answer, or at least civil unions, or an end to ALL marriages, the fact remains that the LGBT community in the U.S. is still second class. We can’t marry, we can’t serve openly in the military, and in much of the country, we can still be fired simply for our sexual orientation. If that’s not second class, I don’t know what is.
Just wanted to mention the new single from the Fray, and how brilliant it is. For those of you who have been underneath a rock for the last few years, their major-label debut “How to Save a Life” is actually the best-selling digital album in history, and the title song was a world-wide smash, helped along by some major placement on “Grey’s Anatomy” two years ago. (Wow…it HAS been two years, hasn’t it?) Anyway, there’s a lot of pride for these boys here in Denver, where they grew up and formed. They’re preparing to release a self-titled follow-up in February, and if it tells you how much weight is on the boys, the CD and its Deluxe Edition are already up on iTunes for pre-orders. No pressure, guys…
“You Found Me” is a vaguely Christian-sounding record, but it is open enough to interpretation that this shouldn’t be a hinderance to anyone with a bias against the genre. The great thing about this is as a follow-up is that, while it is distinctly a Fray record, it’s impossible to say “it’s a new version of “All At Once” or “Over My Head”. That’s the sign of a group that’s attempting to evolve. Lead singer Isaac Slade, in the current issue of Denver magazine, had this to say:
“The album is extreme from both sides,” he says. “We’re a better band four years later. The louder stuff is more messy, and the quieter stuff is more quiet.”
Check out the link to their promo video for “You Found Me” down below. The single is available now, either as a single, or as a download with pre-order of the Deluxe Edition. The Fray – You Found Me Viral Video
So as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Thriller was a “gateway drug” to other forms of R&B that were coming up at the time. I actually remember my Aunt buying me a Rene and Angela tape (“Street Called Desire”) as payment for babysitting, and the only reason I knew who they were was because of VH1. It’s a pretty well-acknowledged fact that African-American artists almost never got any play on the video channels prior to Michael Jackson, but by the time MTV launched VH1 in 1985, programmers recognized the power of the music, and mixed a heavy dose of R&B into their regular rotation.
I will confess that, while I knew of some of the older R&B music, I didn’t go back to find a lot of it until college or later. At the time, I was submerged in everything current (and even stuff not quite popular yet). My obsession with anything remotely coming into the Top 40 led me to find stuff like Five Star, who remain one of my biggest musical crushes. Largely ignored by pop fans in the US, the quintet of brothers and sisters made some noise on the US R&B charts, but they were megastars in the UK and Europe. Some likened them to the UK version of the Jacksons, and with the family writing, performing, producing, choreographing, and even designing outfits, who would argue with that? One of the greatest injustices in my mind at the time was that “Can’t Wait Another Minute” peaked at #41 in the US. ROBBED!
In my pursuit of all things Five Star, I started buying English pop music magazines, including “Smash Hits”. Through this, I began finding other artists like Mel and Kim. “Showing Out” and “Respectable” rocked my world, and proved to be the seeds of domination for Stock, Aiken and Waterman to control my music-buying habits for many years. The first time I saw this video was on a local access cable video show back in Syracuse. Looking at it now, it seems overly cheap, but I thought it was sophisticated at the time.
And then, the floodgates opened. Someone found a way to bring a slightly watered down R&B to the top of the pop charts, and Whitney Houston’s career was born.
So if Kanye decrees that it’s Lil Wayne’s Year, does that make it so? Apparently it does, as Wayne picks up a crowd-leading 8 nominations for work associated with “Tha Carter III”. Close behind at seven is Coldplay, whose “Viva La Vida” not only scored a number one album, but also nabbed the group their biggest single to date with the title cut. Kanye, Ne-Yo, and Jay-Z all picked up six nominations to make this a very hip-hop Grammy year.
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