Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow

Posted by John on October 11, 2008
Posted in: commentary, personal, youtube. Tagged: , , , . 8 Comments

No, this won’t be a tribute to Ms Abdul, although wasn’t she supposed to have a record out right about now? If there was a good time for her to release some happy dance music, now would be the time to do so. In the face of hard economic times, there are two types of music that really seem to do well. Anything that reminds the listener of a better time (aka oldies) start popping up more, so expect an upswing in “80s and 90s weekends” on your local Adult Contemporary station. In addition, dance music seems to do better in these times, and I think that may be slowly working itself out.

Case in point: the dance opus “Blackout”. (Why does everything come back to Britney this week?) Yes, it’s the least successful Britney CD saleswise, and I’m sure that part of that has to do with leaks and downloads, but if you look at the single releases, they were collectively more successful than “In The Zone”. Britney’s only had one hit bigger than “Gimme More”, and that’s “Baby One More Time”, her only #1. What’s the common theme of the singles on “Blackout”? It’s dance music, bitch.

A month ago, I found myself at 3 am slightly intoxicated at Charlie’s in Chicago, hanging with a good friend who was on the make. After a year of living in Lansing, it was great to be in a big-city club playing big boy music, and I was just taking it in. The music was bangin’ all night, but when “Closer” came on, the place really lit up, and I found myself on the dancefloor by myself for the one and only time of the night. There was something so liberating about that 7 minutes or so of escapism through dance, and I reveled in it. Gone were the worries about the upcoming move, the pending unemployment, and the final cords being cut on a long-term relationship. In their place was joy, exhilaration, and celebration.

“And I just can’t bring myself away
But I don’t want to escape
I just can’t stop”

Dance music has power, and it’s that power that draws people to it in times of despair and crisis. The mental, emotional, and physical release can be healing.

Of course, I look at this as an American, where dance music seems to seep its way underground more often than not, but this is the same country that rallied behind “disco sucks” in the late 70s. I am often jealous of my counterparts in other countries who enjoy dance music in the mainstream on a regular basis. If all goes according to plan, though, the US will be experiencing a dance renaissance not seen since the mid 90s, when tracks from the likes of Real McCoy, C+C Music Factory, La Bouche, Haddaway, and Crystal Waters were ruling the airwaves. I leave you with a video that arguably represents that period better than any other.

Video Notables – Britney Times Two

Posted by John on October 10, 2008
Posted in: videos, youtube. Tagged: . 3 Comments

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!

Random Notes – 10/09/08

Posted by John on October 9, 2008
Posted in: charts, music industry, news. Tagged: , , , . 6 Comments

– Despite my prediction yesterday, Britney’s “Womanizer” debuts at #96 today on the Hot 100, strictly based on a week’s worth of airplay at Top 40 Radio. We may potentially be looking at history being made next week, depending on how strong the sales of the single are this week. T.I. broke the record for the highest jump to #1, leaping from #80 last week with “Live Your Life”. It’s an outside chance, but it’s definitely doable, that “Womanizer” may break that record, especially if she sees another spike in airplay this week.

– While we’re talking about “Live Your Life”, it’s actually interesting to note that Rihanna is now among the top 10 females when it comes to #1 hits. Even more impressive, her #1s were achieved with jumps from #3 (Disturbia), 34(SOS), 41(Umbrella), 53(Take A Bow), and 80(Live Your Life). She’s been described as a firecracker, but that’s some pretty impressive fire power!

– Buried in an article about the upcoming Black Eyed Peas release is something that we probably all suspected would come at some point, but this soon? Here’s will.i.am:

“For the last remaining stores that sell CDs, this is the last Christmas that CDs will be in stores,” he predicts. “It’s f*cking scary.”

I have transferred my entire CD collection over to digital, but I still like picking up CDs and holding them in my hands. Having said that, it’s a pretty archaic method of file transfer, given the more eco-friendly forms of delivery that are available now. While I will miss the idea of shopping through racks of CDs, I think this is something who’s time is overdue.

“I Call ’em Like I See ’em”

Posted by John on October 8, 2008
Posted in: commentary, songs. Tagged: . 2 Comments

It’s the talk of the blogosphere, so of course I’m going to jump on the bandwagon. Britney Spears…brilliant or batty? I mean, by all rights, “Womanizer” should be a no-brainer. Given her track record with men in the past five years, you would think this song would connect, and apparently it does for some folks. The track is Most Increased Plays at Pop Radio this week, debuting on the Top 40 Airplay chart all the way up at #26. That’s really impressive when you get right down to it. It almost grabbed Most Added again this week, if it hadn’t been for Knuckledrag coming out with their new “Gotta Be Somebody” also. And now it’s #1 at iTunes, ensuring a pretty high debut next week on the Hot 100. It should easily debut in the Top 10, instantly making it one of her biggest records of this decade. [Note: the song actually debuted this week at #96, based on airplay alone. More on that in the next entry.]

So what’s my beef? Well, frankly, I just don’t get it. The actual music is actually very good. Love the beat, and the clubbish sound is very current. On the lyric side, there are some pretty clever word choices that would normally add to the appeal of the track. It’s that damn chorus thing that knocks me off balance. We get it, he’s a Womanizer, but by the end of the song, shouldn’t you have sympathy for the “victim”? Personally, I think she probably deserves getting dumped, if this is the way that she communicates. “Dinner time, dinner time, come and get it, dinner time!” That would get on my nerves, too!

“Blackout” was a pretty brilliant record in several ways. While Britney’s discography is littered with catchy tunes, the caliber of material on her last record was more consistently high than any other release in her nearly 10-year-old career. So to lead off the follow-up with a song that’s as weak as this is seems like a miscalculation to me. But what do I know? It’s a hit no matter how you look at it. I just hope that the rest of the material on “Circus” avoids the lyrical aspects of “Womanizer”, and sticks with the solid dance/pop music that we’ve come to know and appreciate.

Random Notes – 10/07/08

Posted by John on October 6, 2008
Posted in: commentary, music industry, singles, songs. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

– Folks are buzzing about this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live, but it wasn’t necessarily a good buzz for the Killers. While the song “Human” is terrific as is, it just didn’t translate well to the small screen in a live setting. Brandon was all over the place energy-wise, and I really felt he had a weird David Byrne quality going on. “Spaceman”…now that was some weird ish.

– Oh, look! Kid Rock’s decided to go digital after all! He’s just signed a four-month exclusive with Rhapsody. That’s kind of like signing a vow of celibacy, and then becoming a Catholic priest. No one’s really taking you THAT seriously!

– Coldplay is releasing an EP on November 18th that features a re-recorded version of “Lost” with guest rap provided by Jay-Z. Six of the eight tracks are brand-new, with a remix of “Lovers In Japan” rounding out the set.

– T.I. now has two of the top 3 songs at iTunes, with his Rihanna duet “Live Your Life” at #1, and “Whatever You Like” at #3, along with three other songs in the Top 100. Sandwiched in between the top ones is P!nk, whose hit “So What’ has to be the number one song in the world at the moment. Right?

– New releases are a bit light this week, with Oasis, Jon McLaughlin, Sarah McLachlan (coincidence?), Michelle Williams, Bob Dylan, and Tim McGraw’s “Greatest Hits, Vol 12”. More single activity this week, with Fall Out Boy, Kenny Chesney, Akon, and the HIGHLY overrated “Womanizer” from Britney Spears.

Premature Symmetry

Posted by John on October 5, 2008
Posted in: upcoming. Tagged: . 3 Comments

I hesitate in posting this, because I do not advocate illegal file sharing. But if I were to come across one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and found that it was stellar, you would want me to share that, wouldn’t you?

The new Keane is brilliant. A bit more upbeat than “Iron Sea”, a bit more sophisticated than “Hopes”, but absolutely brilliant. In my mind, they’re three-for-three. If you can’t wait until next week, here’s a video of them in the studio, which features “Love is the End”. That link will also allow you to preorder “Perfect Symmetry”, which hits stores next week. I know I will be buying it…this Catholic guilt I carry won’t let me get ANYTHING for nothing.

Floating Down the “Hudson”

Posted by John on October 4, 2008
Posted in: reviews. Tagged: . 5 Comments

Sometimes you listen to a new CD, and you just wonder what the artist and the A&R folks at the label were thinking when they finalized the track listing. A full-length album should be like a well-constructed sandwich, where every layer affects how the flavors hit your taste buds in a positive way. Let’s just say that, in the case of the debut release “Jennifer Hudson”, it’s not a well-constructed sandwich, but the contents of the sandwich are high-quality. Does that make sense?

The CD starts out in fine form, with her current #1 Urban AC hit “Spotlight”, but takes a nosedive from there. It’s disappointing when you hear an artist blatantly go after someone else’s territory, but that’s exactly what happens on the next few tracks. “If This Isn’t Love” ventures into Rihanna/Jordin Sparks territory, “Pocketbook” bites on Beyonce’s “Freakum Dress” hardcore, and “Giving Myself” is like a Leona Lewis throwaway (and that’s saying something). Worst of all is “What’s Wrong”, the biggest gimmick of all, which duet partner T-Pain probably pushed out during his morning constitutional. “My Heart” is a slight improvement, but it’s still not that strong. Jennifer Hudson doesn’t need vocoders and DJs grunting on her records. Let her SING!

It takes the simple power of “You Pulled Me Through” to truly highlight the gifts of Jennifer’s voice. The synths are a bit much, but they actually worked for me. I get what they were trying to do with the Fantasia duet, but it falls kind of flat, given the pedigree that has preceded it. When they get back to Jennifer just singing, the album hits its strongest stride, with “Can’t Stop the Rain”, “We Gonna Fight”, “Invisible”, and the instantly recognizable “And I Am Telling You…” making up JHud’s most consistent part of the record. Even the closer “Jesus Promised Me A Home Over There”, while not the strongest, is purely Jennifer, and that’s where the record is at its best. If I were Jennifer, I would insist that they call the next CD “Let Me Sing”, and then follow the title’s command.

Video Notables – “Not As We”

Posted by John on October 3, 2008
Posted in: videos, youtube. Tagged: . 2 Comments

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.

Random Notes – 10/2/08

Posted by John on October 2, 2008
Posted in: music industry, personal, singles, songs. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

– Surprise, surprise…Janet has postponed a total of three shows on her “Rock With U” tour in order to recuperate from some super-secret malady that caused her to become “suddenly ill”. It’s been reported that she was only at the hospital for two hours, and then left. Shows in Montreal, Boston, and Philadelphia are supposed to be rescheduled, but does anyone want to take a guess on how poor the ticket sales were there? It can’t all be doom and gloom, though…tickets for a newly added show in Tulsa go on sale this week. I’m still waiting for the Denver show to pop up on the radar, but I have sources that have told me that I have a better chance of seeing Kylie in America than of seeing Janet in Denver. *sigh*

– New releases this week include full-lengths on TI, Jennifer Hudson, Robin Thicke, James Taylor, James Morrison, Faith Hill (Christmas), and Kellie Pickler (for you trashy AI fans). You’ll get reviews shortly on several of those titles. It’s also a singles bonanza this week, including new tunes from the Killers, Nickleback, John Legend, Ciara, and David Cook, whose “Light On” is a decent start for his new CD that’s dropping in November. In a world where “Human” exists, though, everything else is just sounding mediocre at best.

– Looking at Pop Radio, Rihanna is number one on airplay with “Disturbia”, while Ne-Yo’s “Closer” is number one in total audience, and Katy Perry picks up most increased airplay for “Hot N Cold”. Speaking of Rihanna, “Rehab” is officially the 72nd single off of “Good Girl Gone Bad”. Other songs going to pop radio this week include (finally) Jennifer Hudson’s “Spotlight”, and the brilliant “Love Lockdown” from Kanye West.

– Thanks to everyone for all of the well wishes as I’ve moved to Colorado. I am grateful for all of the support as I get settled and attempt to find a job. In the meantime, I’m making sure I enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts.

Video Notables – Spiraling

Posted by John on September 28, 2008
Posted in: videos, youtube. Tagged: . 1 Comment

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.