Mixtapes are making a comeback! Or so I quickly read yesterday on an article title that showed up in my news feed on Facebook, sandwiched between a billion Caitlyn Jenner pieces. Something about USB sticks that look like cassette tapes the kids can pass around instead of meth. We apparently have an ice epidemic, so I'm just assuming kids are passing it around. But the mixtape is back and don't I know it. Heading off home at my parents' place on Monday, my Dad handed me an old CD that said 'Matt's Music'. Now, I'm not old-old (just old), so when I made mixtape playlist things, they were in the form of a burned CD. For the youngsters, there was no fire hazard involved. It wasn't a literal burning of the CD. After spending a couple of hours downloading eleven songs (twelve if you were really lucky), you could spend ten minutes copying them to a 700MB or one hour duration blank CD that you could play in your handy discman or CD player. If you're lost on any of that, ask your friend Siri to help you out.
I used to make many a mixtape with all the latest "jams", so I couldn't wait to find out what was on Matt's Music'. But when was it from? What would it tell me about the kind of music listener I was whatever year it was from? Would I be ashamed? Not likely. It had my name on it, so obviously it was going to be amazing. I got into my car, put the faded neon blue CD into the player and was treated to the familiar sounds of Fat Joe. "Put the fucking mic on! Mic is on." 'What's Luv?' Featuring Ashanti and Ja Rule. Three artists that don't seem to exist on this planet anymore. I was excited. I remembered all the words, especially the iconic and thought-provoking lines, "you say you gotta man and you're in love, but what's love got to do with a little menage?" The following selection of tracks would lead anyone who found 'Matt's Music' today to think Matt was one fly gal. The flyest. I don't really know what that means, but you'd hear it in songs all the time back then. R&B jams dominated the charts and they sure dominated my chosen tunes of the time.
As there were indeed eleven songs making the cut on 'Matt's Music', the opportunity for a '10 and 1' presented itself. And since I was only mildly embarrassed by one of those tracks, that's what we'll be looking at. Ten songs from 2002 you'll be needing to hear right now and one you'd likely sooner forget. The flashback starts now...
THE 10:
What's Luv
by Fat Joe ft. Ashanti and Ja Rule
When You Look At Me
by Christina Milian
Nasty Girl
by Destiny's Child
4 My People
by Missy Elliott
Without Me
by Eminem
What Would You Do?
by City High
Foolish
by Ashanti
Hot In Herre
by Nelly
U Got It Bad
by Usher
Just Like A Pill
by P!nk
THE ONE:
Dear Lie
by TLC
I love TLC as much as the next fly gal, but this has to be their worst single. The opening lyrics suggest they agree. "Dear Lie... you suck." Can't argue with that. I must have been caught up in the post-'No Scrubs' TLC hysteria that was sweeping the world way back when. Those were good times.
Alright... I can't keep up this ridiculous facade. I still love this song and I am ashamed but I don't care but I do. It wasn't even released in 2002. It's from 1999 and it still made its way onto a mixtape of mine three years later. I've got nothing...
The letter P. It's been a sticky one for me, since the sweet young age of twelve years old, when I went to a 'P' themed party. While the majority of attendees went dressed in the colours pink and purple, but I thought outside the apparent 'P' square and went dressed as a present, all wrapped up with a curly pink bow on top of my head. It was at this party, I learnt the harsh lesson that people don't necessarily like to embrace the idea of 'fancy dress' and tend to put in as little effort as possible. I'm not going to say much more than that except to say I have never gotten over this.
Now, many years later, I have gathered a group of friends who will either A) will go to the same amount of effort as me when it comes to the themed party or B) appreciate the effort put into themed party costumes I create. I love my friends. This brings me to the letter P in the A to Z of Pop. In order to make up for the scarring devastation of wearing a cardboard box as clothing and not winning 'best dressed' at that first P party oh so long ago now, I shall stage my own P party, right here on the blog, where only my friends, you dear readers and pop stars beginning with P are invited.
Paula Abdul will show up early 'cause she's old and desperate for any friends she can get. She'll be dressed incredibly well because she hasn't changed her style since the early 90s and that cropped jacket and those shoes are so on trend right now. She'll be the life of the party...until someone else shows up.
Pitbull gets an invite because every party needs a creep glaring and drinking in the corner that everyone else is a little scared of.
Paloma Faith gets an invite because every party needs a drunk girl drunk texting her ex-boyfriend and crying manically in the early hours of the morning because no one understands how much she loved him and only love can hurt like this...(vomit). Have another vodka, Paloma.
Paris isn't actually invited, but if there's a chance someone will have a camera or an instagram account she'll show up.
Prince gets an invite because I have this feeling if anyone can party, Prince can party...like it's 1999. Were parties better in 1999? Perhaps.
The last invited guest? Well, it's fairly obvious, right? She's comin' up so you better get this party...etc. Yep.
Apparently there's this thing, it's quite popular, it's called the cin-e-ma. People watch these moving images on big screens in dark rooms and they call it 'going to the movies'. You know what else? Lots of people seem to like it. Ok, ok, I exxagerate, I do actually know what movies are, but the thing is, they've just never really been my thing.
When I was a small child, my parents never had the luxury of sittiing me down in front of a TV to entertain me for a while, because I was never that interested in it. When I was a teenager, all I wanted to know was which music channels were available on the pay TV packages and well, this disinterest in (most) film has continued into my current existense. When I get home, I don't chuck the telly on, I chuck my ipod on. Or on fancy days, I bother to put some vinyl on, old school style. It's just the way it is. That, however, is not to say I don't like a good film, it's just not the first thing I think of when I think of entertainment. I'm more interested in the soundtrack than the moving pictures. Which brings me to the letter H in the A to Z of Pop, for this week, my lack of interest in cinema was bought to my attention when I heard that the soundtrack to 'Frozen' is now the number one selling digital soundtrack of all time. Frozen, huh? This is a film. I've barely heard of it, but I know that song. This same phenomena has occurred many times in my life, like for example...
Yeah, yeah, I've never seen Moulin Rouge. What of it? I've seen THE Moulin Rouge, in the flesh. I sat outside it with one of my best friends while he recoiled in horror at the idea of me not seeing the film and proceeded to tell me of the entire plot, storyline and soundtrack to said film over numerous cigarettes. That should count for something. One day I'll sit through the whole thing but until then, it's just 128 minutes made to promote the song that taught us all how to say "do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Yes, I know you've forgotten, that's what that bit means.
Well, this will cause some controversy. It's true. The Lion King. I've never seen it. What of it? Maybe I fell asleep somewhere in between a hyena stampede and some kind of sunset over a rock. That happened in that film didn't it? Really, it was just 88 minutes designed to re-invigorate Elton's career, wasn't it?
I don't mean to alarm anyone, but yes, it's true, I have not seen Titanic. What of it? While the old saying "but I know the ending anyway" stands true, there is one other reason I've never sat through shots of Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet looking wistfully at each other and that reason is this. I have heard this song enough times to make up to the 194 minutes that were made to promote it. The sounds of those flutes send shivers up my spine everytime I hear them. Spoiler alert! The boat sinks.
Which brings us to the song that inspired this whole 'H' thing anyway. Frozen. This one seems very dramatic, the keys, that broadway voice begging me to get emotional, the dramatic strings. Nope, I still have no interest in 102 minutes of a cartoon about winter. Wasn't that Ice Age? It's just a Danish fairytale and I'd rather go back to Denmark than sit through that. I really don't get this film thing, do I? Oh well, lucky for you I write on a music blog, not a movie blog. Maybe.
Boys and girls, welcome to the third annual Scene Awards! Until the end of the year, we'll be handing out awards to our favourite acts of 2012 in the following categories; Video of the Year, Australian Artist of the Year, EP of the Year, Best New Artist, Group of the Year, Man of the Year, Woman of the Year and Album of the Year. It's just like the Grammys, but not as boring. It's just like the ARIA Awards, but slightly more relevant. It's the 2012 Scene Awards... and they start now!
VIDEO OF THE YEAR NOMINEES:
Sixteen Saltines
by Jack White
Director: AG Rojas
I loved this clip when I first saw it in April this year. I loved the
imagery, the nasty kids, the blueberry milkshake face, the ceiling
sandwiches, the post-apocalyptic suburbia, the impromptu mid-air
dancing, the gas mask, the face tattoo and I loved Jack White tied up
with rope. Oh Jack. Oh sigh. I loved the mis-match of film types and I
loved the abruptness of image upon image. When I watch it now? I still
love it, I love it all. I especially love the bits I didn’t notice the
first time around, like the severed finger hopscotch, but I’ll let you
discover the rest for yourself. Directed by a guy (who has great
things ahead of him if he keeps making clips like this one) AG Rojas
understood the need for a sharp song needing a sharp clip and mostly
leaving Jack White out of a Jack White clip was a brave move, but one
that paid off. The image of Jack writhing around the back of a car is
more than enough because really, we all know we’re spending a couple of
minutes wishing we were runaway kids, smoking, drinking and destroying
things. Yes? Oh, sorry, is that just me? (Jo Michelmore)
Try
by P!nk
Director: Floria Sigismondi
How do you make a nice enough but easily forgettable track a memorable one? You head out to the desert, throw some paint bombs around and have the Golden Boyz choreograph a performance that won't let you look away. I mean that in a good way... not like the train-wreck 'can't look away' variation. The contemporary dance by P!nk and Colt Prattes is passionate, violent and so unconventional for a pop music video that you can't help loving it. Credit has to be given where credit is due and P!nk more than deserves a butt-load of it for pushing herself further and further to deliver memorable performances for her fans. And she chokeslammed a dude through a table. What a badass. (Matt Bond)
You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man
by The Beards
Directors/Producers: Nima Nabili Rad and Daniel Principe
You knew I was going to say that, right? This film clip takes
us on a journey, the journey of a woman on the prowl for a deliciously
hairy fellow. Why don’t we call the woman Katie? We see Katie getting
ready for a night on the town – washing her face, going to the toilet,
agonising over what to wear and over indulging in Passion Pop. Katie
heads out to see her favourite band – The Beards. She drinks a lot,
picks fights with non-beardy folk, but then the sly seductress manages
to lock eyes with the lead singer. I think you all know what’s happens
next. Let’s just say that Katie more than considered it. Yes, she had a
beard all over her mammary glands. This film clip ticks all the
boxes for me. Okay, so there are only two boxes – funny and beards. But
that’s beside the point. It’s my pick for video of the year! (Katie Langley)
Bad Girls
by M.I.A
Director: Romain Gavras
When you think of the best music videos, you think of clips that enhance the overall experience of listening to one of your favourite songs. They don't detract from the quality of the music and they don't become the star attraction, making you forget about what you're actually listening to. The best music videos sell the song to you; they take the themes of the track and amplify them, they provide imagery that burns into your mind along with the song itself and they literally make you go, "wow." Like WOW. M.I.A's 'Bad Girls' clip is one of the best music videos I've ever seen. Romain Gavras (who directed the mind-blowing/ranga hatin' video for 'Born Free) and M.I.A throw so many 'wow' moments at you, it's hard to believe they fitted so many amazing ideas into four minutes. From the first moment M.I.A appears in the desert with the fire burning in the background you know you're about to watch something cooler than cool. Flashy outfits, drifting drag races, horse vs car, the stunt driving, a see through GLOW-IN-THE-DARK car (!) and my absolute favourite moment - M.I.A casually sitting on top of the car filing her nails. Oh, I'm sorry, I should repeat that. She is sitting on top of the car filing her nails and singing along like it's something you just do everyday!! Seriously?! Freaking. Wow. (Matt Bond)
Hey Jane
by Spiritualized
Director: AG Rojas
Music video clips can be an interesting beast. Much like music
itself, they can be throw away promotion and pure record selling
advertisement, or they can be statements, political views and life
changing imagery. Much like music itself, while I love the pretty
pictures of candy coated promotion, sometimes a clip comes along that I
can’t help but adore, because it’s thought provoking imagery changes the
way I look at the world.
When Spiritualized released this clip,
directed by AG Rojas (a name you’ll want to remember) in the beginning
of 2012, it was always bound to cause some controversy. The story of a
transgender parent raising their child in a harsh world, all the
interesting topics are covered; race, sexuality, substance abuse,
prostitution, children and violence, among others. This is less like a
music clip and more like a short film with a soundtrack and even though
it’s a little over ten minutes long, it’s a clip that I have watched
time and time again. While Jason Pierce is singing “Hey Jane where you
going today?” over a wall of crunchy guitar sounds, the story of ‘Frida’
plays out in a hopeful yet tragic way and each and every time I see it
the final scene makes me gasp, it’s etched into my memory and it pulls
at my heartstrings.
Maybe there’s a reason they don’t play clips
like these on commercial pay-to-view TV channels all the time. Maybe
clips like this are too close to the sad truth and the bitter pill of
reality that the general public don’t want to swallow. Just remember,
next time you see a Lana Del Rey clip full of beautiful pictures and
expensive looking cheap clothing, with faces full of makeup and hair
products as far as the eye can see, this is where her marketing team got
their ideas from and this is the life that Lana fans aren’t generally
willing to see.
Much like music itself, when clips like this are
made I take a deep breath and know there’s hope in the world, because as
long as clips, or more precisely art, like this is being made, I know
music has the ability to make people think and I can’t ask for more than
that. (Jo Michelmore)
Griffin
by The Medics
Director: Lucas Thyer
The Medics have spent the last year and a bit releasing videos that just blow everything else from Australia out of the water. 'Beggars' in 2011 was great, 'Slow Burn' later in 2012 was fantastic, but it's 'Griffin' that is really the perfect clip. The story of the video tells the story in the song without slapping you in the face and saying, "get it?" Just watch it and you'll be very impressed with how good a music video from a new, independent band can be. I'd watch a full movie of this. Someone make it. (Matt Bond)
2012 VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
WINNER: M.I.A - BAD GIRLS
Runner-Up: Spiritualized - Hey Jane
2011 Winner:
'Lonely Boy' by The Black Keys
Runner-Up: 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye ft. Kimbra
There’s something delicious about an album that starts with the lines
“Come ladies, come fellas, come listen, there’s something I gotta say”,
especially when sung by the sweet vocal chords of Kate Jacobsen of the
brilliant Texas Tea. How could one say no? Opening track ‘The Merry
Blues’ is only a taste of the beauty to come on Sad Summer Hits, which
is a journey of nostalgia and country pop, heartbreak and anger, retro
styling and anguishing resentment. The title should give a hint of what
to expect; songs of summer, long afternoons, cool beverages and warm
nights, tempered with themes of disdain and bitterness; they make for an
extraordinary combination, a twelve track album that I never want to
end and like Texas Tea’s previous releases, one that’s been on repeat
since first listen. It’s hard to pinpoint the standout tracks as each
has its own magnetic something, forcing you to stop and savour the
delight. Three songs in, ‘I Know That I Let You Down This Time’ gives us
the first taste of Ben Dougherty on lead vocal; pleading for
forgiveness, his resonating tones pitched perfectly against Kate’s,
they’re almost nothing without each other. They comfortably battle the
entire album, each earning their own place in every song, ‘I Love You
Like I Love This Black Eye’ is delightful misery, ‘I Don’t Write No Sad
Songs’ is spine tingling, with Kate’s wailing vocal complimenting Ben’s
faultlessly. ‘Heart Says Yes, Head Says No’ is so fun, so catchy, it’s
hard not to be singing this one long after it’s over, ‘The Alphabet
Song’ is country pop revenge at its best; “a is for abbreviate and b for
all the hearts you break and c, I hope I don’t see you again, d is for
the dick I thought you were when you walked out the door…”. At the final
song, I’m left feeling melancholy with ‘The Old Swing’; a swaying
ballad that leaves me aching for more. This is an album that I know will
define a season for me, it will be one I play years from now and
remember this summer, it’s an album that will transcend time but bring
me back to the first warm afternoon I heard it. Music that creates
memories and makes memories is the best and Texas Tea have made an album
that after only a week has already made memories and won a place in my
heart.
Jo Michelmore gives 'Sad Summer Hits' five Nick Cave's out of five...
Halcyon (Album)
by Ellie Goulding
Many were surprised in that somewhat unsurprising way when young Ellie Goulding cracked the US market earlier this year with the single 'Lights.' It wasn't that the song wasn't good (it's much better than just 'good'), but the fact that it took over a year and a half for it to enter the Billboard Hot 100, leave it, return and climb all the way to number two was quite the surprise. With the massive success of 'Lights,' there couldn't be a more perfect time for Goulding to release a sophomore album that will secure her position as one of the big names leading the new wave of British acts breaking America. In that surprising and somewhat unsurprising way, Ellie Goulding delivers with Halcyon. "Won't you come, won't you come, won't you come, just don't say a word." The stakes are raised on the opening track, 'Don't Say A Word.' Light trip-hop influences make way for a sudden shift into thundering drums as Goulding shows she isn't going to be afraid to branch away from what made her debut, Lights, such a celebrated album. Don't worry, she doesn't stray too far; just enough to hammer home that Halcyon is bigger, grander and even more epic at times than its predecessor. Current single 'Anything Could Happen' is as equally radio friendly and engaging as previous chart smashes 'Lights' and 'Starry Eyed.' Expect it to make waves in America sometime around May 2014. 'Only You' breaches a pop territory relatively unexplored by our leading lady. How often do you say, "oh, that Ellie Goulding song's a bit sexy isn't it?" Not very often. You can say that now because 'Only You' sure is sexy, without coming across as trampy. Unless you look too much into that repeated "I'm on my knees" line. Following it with the instantly charming title track was a good move. This time, the repeated line "it's going to be better" builds a triumphant atmosphere despite the swelling sadness circling it. "When it's just us, you show me what it feels like to be lonely, you show me what it feels like to be lost." And then Goulding just keeps repeating how it's going to be better and you can't help but believe. 'Figure 8' has a dubstep breakdown, but it's not overly offensive so we'll just leave it at that. Halcyon drags through a couple of unremarkable moments at this point. 'Hanging On' and 'Explosions' fall flat, sadly the least memorable songs on the album. You'll forgive the minor lull in festivities as soon as you hear 'I Know You Care.' Ridiculously out of place, but one of the most beautiful ballads you could endure in 2012. It's at this point that I will remind you Ellie Goulding is dating Skrillex. Did you just slap yourself hard in the face to see if you were dreaming? Moving along... penultimate number 'Atlantis' perfectly picks up the pace before 'Dead In The Water' closes Halcyon with strings, a touch of sadness and surprisingly, yet somewhat unsurprisingly, a great desire to hear it again. Ellie Goulding's time is now.
Matt Bond gives Halcyon four Lady Gaga's out of five...
The Haunted Man (Album)
by Bat For Lashes
The world of Bat For Lashes is an intriguing one. Sometimes it can be
enchanting, captivating, enthralling; it can hold on to you and not let
go. Sometimes it is confronting, a little uncomfortable, a little
questionable and a tiny bit detached from…everything. Sometimes it’s
gripping and impossible to ignore, the reverberations pleading with you
to move. The Haunted Man, the third album from Natasha Khan’s Bat For
Lashes, is all of these things and a little more. ‘Horse Of The Sun’ and
‘Winter Fields’ are the songs that will have you moving, they’re the
ones that beg to be danced to, while ‘Oh Yeah’, title track ‘The Haunted
Man’ and ‘A Wall’ are the ones you will question, the beats a little
uncertain, the subject slightly unclear. They can be forgiven though,
because in the Bat For Lashes world, the songs that are enchanting are
truly amazing, they’ll wrap themselves around your heart and hold on,
their sounds hypnotising and incredible. ‘All Your Gold’ is dramatic and
passionate, ‘Laura’ is haunting (not surprisingly, co-written by the
same guy who co-wrote ‘Video Games’), it’s what Lana Del Rey would sound
like if she bothered to put in some effort; with the lyrics “Laura,
you’re more than a superstar” lingering long after the song is over.
This album probably won’t have the same impact her previous two albums
have had, but it’s still a delightful listen and after all, the opening
track ‘Lilies’ says it all with the evocative and powerful strains of
“thank God I’m alive” repeated. When I get to listen to music like this,
I feel the same way.
Jo Michelmore gives The Haunted Man four Shirley Manson's out of five...
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Try
by P!nk
Album: The Truth About Love (2012)
It's an automatic win when a video enhances the quality of a song and actually makes you *gasp* like it. That's the power of domestic violence masked as contemporary dance, boys and girls. In all seriousness, you have to give some props to P!nk for pushing herself further that her contemporaries. If she's not dangling from ceilings or making unnecessary cameos in Charlie's Angels films, she's perfecting a physically demanding routine for her new music video. Which she pulls off. Spectacularly. There's no fireworks exploding from her chest, she doesn't vomit streamers (what was up with that, Rihanna?) and there are absolutely NO leopard print tights/gigantic booty scenes. It's easy to understand not only how she's lasted so long in the industry, but how she's managed to become even bigger over time.
Matt Bond gives the 'Try' music video four Lady Gaga's out of five...
Love her or hate her, there’s this thing about Pink that can’t be denied
– she’s very good at the pop music thing, isn’t she? The first single
from her upcoming album The Truth About Love is nothing new, but that’s
completely ok. It’s exactly what fans of Pink will want; a cute little
guitar riff, a little bit angry, a little bit feisty and totally bouncy,
with a chorus everyone can sing along to and get stuck in their heads
until they have to head over to iTunes and buy it. It’s got that
powerful Pink voice and vengeful lyrics she sings so well, it’s perfect
commercial pop and whether you like it or not, you better get used to
it, you’re going to hear this song a lot over the next few months.
Welcome back (again) Pink!
Jo Michelmore gives 'Blow Me (One Last Kiss)' three Britney's out of five...
It's always exciting to hear new music from emerging Australian artists that you know are going to enjoy a long and successful career. Eliza Hull's track 'Ghosts' firmly places her in that category. A touch of trip-hop inspired beats and lead vocals reminiscent of heavyweights like Beth Gibbons make 'Ghosts' one of the most insanely likeable tracks I've heard this year. Comparisons to Portishead and Massive Attack have already begun and seriously, who wouldn't like to hear that? Hull's voice is stunning and nicely supported by Hayden Calnin's performance in the brief moments he appears. You find yourself wanting to hear a lot more from both. You want the perfect chill-out track? You've just found it. Not just one of the best Australian songs I've heard this year, 'Ghosts' is one of the best songs I've heard this year period. Here's hoping we'll hear a lot more from Eliza Hull in 2012.
Matt Bond gives 'Ghosts' five Bjork's out of five...
NEW MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
Praying For Sunshine
by Children Collide
Um, excuse me, what’s going on here? When did Children Collide get so
darn cute? The clip for Praying For Sunshine, the third single from
their third album Monument and currently featuring in our very own top
20, is refreshing, super cute and a little bit silly in the greatest
way. Taking the harsh reality of everyday life and turning it all soft
and fuzzy is a touch of brilliance, which totally makes me want to live
in a felt house, eating felt toast, going to work wearing a felt suit,
reading a felt newspaper, working on a felt computer and coming home to a
felt beverage while watching a felt sunset. Imagine! How super cute!
Damn, why can’t real life be a music clip for just a few minutes?
Jo Michelmore gives the 'Praying For Sunshine' video four Michael Hutchence's out of five...
I used to think this song was pretty cool... just because she was all like, "I'm tired of being compared, to damn Britney Spears." That damn, dirty Spears. The real question though is, who was comparing Pink to Britney Spears? Before this album, she was all R&B. Then get was getting the party started. That's something for you to think about. We like to challenge people with critical thinking here on It's My Kind of Scene... or something.
Pink: She's got her rock moves and she don't need you tonight.
We're in top 200 territory! Keep an eye out for hits from the biggest acts in the music industry today. They'll be popping up all over the place. Mostly here. Mostly now. And tomorrow. And the next day. Probably the one after that too. You get my point, right? Wonderful.
#200 - Hearts On Fire (2007)
by Cut Copy
With hearts on fire I reach out to you tonight...
They've just released their latest album, Zonoscope, to virtually universal critical acclaim. Will any song on it be able to match their incredible hits from the past like 'Hearts On Fire?' Go get the album and find out for yourself!
Haha that crazy Ke$ha... see what she did there?! In your face 'If You Seek Amy!' Regular readers would know that I have something of a soft-spot for Ke$ha (or Ke$h as I call her) so when I say this song is kind of sucky, you should know it hurts me. Ok, it doesn't, but you know what I mean, right? 'C U Next Tuesday' lacks a lot of the energy you'll generally find on a Ke$ha track and almost feels like a Katy Perry cast-off. Surprisingly, her winning lyrical style (in which she just seems to link one random incoherent thought with the next) has been replaced with a more generic form of pop writing. 'We R Who We R,' the first single off new album, Cannibal, is topping charts around the world. Given the quality of other songs being leaked from the album I'd say enjoy it while you can. Then again, I did say I was fairly disappointed with 'We R Who We R' too.
Rating: 1/5
Tennis - Take Me Somewhere
Nice and breezy... very chilled. Still, I don't see it to be the masterpiece that's making a whole lot of bloggers jizz in their pants. An enjoyable piece of music from a band that's sure to be huge over the next couple of years.
Rating: 3/5
Pink - Fuckin' Perfect
At some stage of the song I forgot that I was listening to Pink and could have sworn it was Kelly Clarkson. 'Fuckin' Perfect' has been confirmed as one of two new songs to be featured on Pink's greatest hits collection, along with current chart hit, 'Raise Your Glass.'
Rating: 2/5
Robyn - Time Machine
We're starting to hear a lot of new songs from Robyn's Body Talk pt. 3, which is due for release very soon. 'Time Machine' doesn't instantly hit you like previous hits, 'Dancing On My Own,' 'Hang With Me' and 'Indestructible,' but it's still better than the vast majority of pop music out there.
Rating: 3/5
Duffy - Endlessly
Gone is the bombshell found in previous single, 'Well, Well, Well,' and we're back to Duffy, first lady of soul. Expect this amazing little number to pop up in some British romantic-comedy before the end of next year.
It's pretty much expected that when you release a 'Greatest Hits' album, you throw a couple of new songs on there so your fans aren't only buying music that they more than likely already own. It's also pretty much expected that these new songs will suck. P!nk is sadly no exception to that rule, with 'Raise Your Glass' being a bit of a stinker. I accept P!nk's usual ridiculousness, e.g. asking us to check her flow (AW!), but some of this is a bit too much. Too school for cool. Really? You can do better than this. But it's ok, because it's a greatest hits single... it's allowed to suck.
Rating: 2/5
Ke$ha - We R Who We R
If you like your song titles dumb, you're going to LOVE this one. But yeah, Ke$ha is going down the Gaga route by fast-tracking the release of her second album, Cannibal, which is out late November. First to be unleashed (I mean that in like a plague or flesh-eating virus way) on us is 'We R Who We R.' If you read my Plz Xplain: Ke$ha article, you'd know I was actually rooting for Ke$ha to pull out something amazing for her second album. You wouldn't call this amazing, but there's still a very, very, very tiny glimmer of hope that she'll have something worthwhile to offer on her sophomore album. Ok, you want some sort of review of the song? Why? Alright... I couldn't help comparing the actual music to a slowed down version of 'Just Dance.' That's strike one. The lyrics. "And no, you don't wanna mess with us. Got Jesus on my neck-a-lace." Strike two, even though it elicits a chuckle. If you're looking for strike three, you're not gonna get it from me. Despite everything against it, the chorus is catchy enough to ensure club play and I'm sure the video will be so bad that it's considered good and propel 'We R Who We R' to the top of the charts.
Rating: 2.5/5
Nicole Scherzinger - Poison
She's the Pussycat Doll that could actually sing. Actually, she was pretty much the only Pussycat Doll that did sing. A couple of years ago, Nicole tried to launch her debut album, Her Name Is Nicole, which had a couple of fun hip-hop songs (and a random duet with Sting) that was never released because of the commercial failure of her first two singles (Nicole says it was her decision). Scherzinger's been working hard to raise her profile recently; she won the last American Dancing With the Stars, appeared as a judge on the UK X-Factor and is reported to be one of the top choices to join the judging panel for the launch of the US X-Factor. What better time to start releasing new music than now? 'Poison' has its intriguing moments. The use of a heavy electric guitar riff is a nice touch. Everything else sounds like a standard Pussycat Doll song, which is something that Scherzinger is going to struggle to move away from. If she hadn't been the only woman to sing (or only woman that could sing) in the PCD it wouldn't be so damn hard to not consider her solo singles to just be another PCD song.
