February 8th, 2010 by admin
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Pink wanted to call her latest album “Heartbreak Is A Motherf*cker”, and it’s admittedly a bold move to base not only an entire song cycle on a specific failed romance–in Pink’s case to pro motocross rider Carey Hart–but also to package, promote and tour the disc as such. “Funhouse” in its slimmest version is 18 songs, and by the time you get to the simple piano ballad “Glitter In The Air” a dozen tracks in, the listener feels dumped as well. Good thing Pink and Corey patched thing up–we can’t imagine a world in which our pop stars suffered like real people!
by Mark Emge
February 8th, 2010 by admin
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Formed in Stockholm by childhood friends, Shout Out Louds found an international audience during the early 2000s with their peppy Swedish pop, the group’s high-energy, ultra-melodic sound in place from the very beginning. The band released their debut LP, “Howl Howl Gaff Gaff”, to great acclaim in Sweden, and eventually a Stateside breakthrough. Despite such growing success, the band’s ‘07 album–”Our Ill Wills”, produced by Björn Yttling–was a somber, melancholy affair, replete with icy synths and Cure-inspired vocals. The new “Work” was produced by American Phil Elk (Fleet Foxes, The Shins) and includes “Fall Hard”. The band describe it as “strip[ping] away the bells and whistles of previous efforts”.
by Mark Emge
February 8th, 2010 by admin
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Omarion’s first two solo albums (his boot camp was boyband B2K) topped the R&B and Billboard 200 charts, and in the three years it took to release his third, the singer worked on 2007’s “Face Off” with Bow Wow–promoted by a BET special titled “The Road To Platinum” (it went Gold)–a side career in acting, and ditching Young Money for EMI. Given the number of partially detached vocals filled with android-in-heat impersonations on “Ollusion”, it’s as if Omarion made a concerted attempt to downplay his vocal ability, which only adds to the album’s weird, teasing charm. For a record that purports to show the “adult” side of the former teen star, its lyrics are relatively straightforward when they’re not completely piggish (”You got me shootin’ like a porno / B*tch stick to me just like a bag of Fritos”). And then there’s the song “I Think My Girl Is Bi”. Teddy Pendergrass he ain’t.
by Mark Emge
February 8th, 2010 by admin
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Based on title alone it would seem that “Southern Voice” picks up the harder country edges of previous disc “Let It Go”. But it’s actually hillbilly heartthrob Tim McGraw’s rockingest album yet, opening with a slow, spacy crawl called “Still” that wouldn’t be out of place on a U2 record (minus the drawl). McGraw spends the rest of the collection (save a boneheaded Nickelback detour on the hostile Chad Kroeger co-write “It’s A Business Doing Pleasure With You”) mining a sentimental, meditative vein, musing on major changes in his life. Such big themes fit both the atmospheric rock sound and the reflective acoustic ballads well.
by Mark Emge
February 7th, 2010 by admin
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“I don’t want to sound presumptuous,” Lady Gaga presumptuously sounds, “but I’ve made it my goal to revolutionise pop music. The last revolution was launched by Madonna 25 years ago.” Time will only tell, but if the headline addiction, obsession with gay culture, and the shrinkage of her kickers are any judge, Gaga seems more interested in being Maddy than pushing pop’s envelope. “Telephone” may not sound as revolutionary on radio as, say, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or the mainstreaming of hip-hop–just to name two “revolutions” in pop’s past 25 –but hey, Alice Cooper lovers her, calling Gaga “terrific vaudeville”. Now that’s progress!
by Mark Emge
February 7th, 2010 by admin
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When Sidney Samson first picked up the guitar at 7, he knew then that he wanted to make music for the rest of his life. After catching a couple of DMC mix championships, however, Samson began spinning hip-hop and R&B at local clubs. He switched his style completely to house in ‘99 and became the resident DJ of the Exxellent nights at one of Holland’s biggest clubs, The Matrixx, in ‘03. Samson’s first solo club banger was “It’s All Funked Up!” More recently he teamed with The Skitzofrenix for the summer jam “You Don’t Love Me”. But all that came before pales to “Riverside (Let’s Go!)”, a supreme club hit that has producers from Benassi to Diplo to Guetta jealous.
by Mark Emge
February 7th, 2010 by admin
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A Swedish singer/songwriter with a soul-pop style, Erik Hassle made his commercial recording debut in 2008 with the single “Hurtful”. Only a minor hit at first, “Hurtful” began climbing the charts once again after Hassle signed an international recording contract with Universal Island in the UK, peaking at No. 11 in Sweden and paving the way for follow-up single “Don’t Bring Flowers”, a Top 30. Meanwhile Erik made his full-length album debut with “Hassle” (2009), which reached No. 2 on the Swedish chart, and began preparations to release his music in the US. New disc “Pieces” begins the international roll-out.
by Mark Emge
February 7th, 2010 by admin
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On paper, things don’t bode well for the UK’s Bombay Bicycle Club: Their curry house-inspired name implies a wacky and erroneous grasp of irony that wears a traffic cone for a hat; they started out playing funk songs to their school assembly; and the ink’s barely dry on their A2 certificates. BBC might be teenagers themselves but they are not just a band for their age group, as evidenced by debut album “I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose”, a record with its heart in Seattle and Portland instead of Camden, and all the better for it. The influence of US alt.gods Pavement and Guided By Voices looms large with the slacker vocals and lo-fi strumming of the guitars, not to mention some killer bass riffs in “Evening/Morning”.
by Mark Emge
February 7th, 2010 by admin
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Building on the successful release of their critically acclaimed “Departure EP”, Kent-based alt-rock band Motion Picture Soundtrack launch 2010 with their huge second single, “Glass Figures”, and the highly-anticipated debut album “The Shapes We Fear Are Of Our Own”. Based in Canterbury, MPS deftly weave engaging lyrics and moving melodies into their deep, dark rock tapestry. “Glass Figures”, one of the heavier outings from the album, shows the band not only masters of the crescendo, but also uniting tenderness with crushing rock. Their manifesto is simple–create music to move the listener.
by Mark Emge
February 6th, 2010 by admin
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“Laura Live World Tour 09″/”Laura Live Gira Mundial 09″ is the third and most impressive live album of Laura Pausini’s career. The CD includes 15 live performances, over half of which come from her last few albums. Moreover, there are three new songs sequenced at the end of the disc, the last of which, “Casomai”, was recorded at soundcheck in São Paolo, Brazil. Those fans who just can’t get enough should note that the Spanish-language edition features entirely different material.
by Mark Emge
