Filed under: Music, Rock, Song of the Week | Tags: Gotta Be Somebody, Music, Nickelback, Rock, Song of the Week
Nickelback, better known for swaggering rock anthems, earns a Song of the Week for the simple, vulnerable “Gotta Be Somebody”. It’s hard to imagine that the band’s last album was released 3 years ago because the single ‘Rockstar’ got incessant play in the Fall of 2007 and Spring of 2008 after releasing late in the cycle, but the new album ‘Dark Horse’ is due out November 18th. If this single is any indication, Dark Horse will surpass the band’s prior successes.
You can check out the single ‘Gotta Be Somebody’ on the band’s website.
Filed under: Music, Rock, Song of the Week | Tags: Music, O.A.R., Song of the Week
This week’s Song of the Week is ‘Shattered (Turn the Car Around)’ by O.A.R., a band that developed a loyal following with early songs circulated on file sharing sites and freely distributed by the band.
O.A.R. (stands for ‘of a revolution’) formed in Rockville, Maryland, got it’s start at Ohio State University with a roots and reggae style and lot’s of live performance. The band’s new album, All Sides, shows the maturity and polish of a veteran band, which disappoints many of their original fans, but the alt/light rock style is well executed.
Check out the band’s website or grab the album which is up on iTunes.
Filed under: Electronica, Music, Rock, Song of the Week, techno | Tags: drum'n'bass, Electronica, Music, Pendulum, Song of the Week, techno
This week’s Song of the Week is ‘Propane Nightmares’ from Australian electronica masters Pendulum. The single is off their new album ‘In Silico’ released on Warner UK. Pendulum has been around for a half dozen years, forming in Perth before moving to the UK. Modifying the drum’n'bass style of some of their early single, ‘Propane Nightmares’ is pumped up with synth horns and a ton of energy. This is not music to relax by, but the fusion of styles produces a really slick, driving and melodic sound.
You won’t catch Pendulum live outside of the UK this Summer unless they book some additional shows, but In Silico has been released in the US (their US debut) and you can see/hear more at their website or MySpace Page
Filed under: Music, Rock, Song of the Week | Tags: Alternative, Music, Rock, Saving Jane, Song of the Week, Supergirl
This week’s Song of the Week is Supergirl by ‘Saving Jane’ from the band’s upcoming album ‘One Girl Revolution’, due out at the end of July. Carrying over the success of ‘Girl Next Door’ from their last album, Supergirl has already been picked up by Danica Patrick as the theme song for Patrick Racing, and is getting airplay on alt rock and top 40 stations alike. Fronted by Marti Dodson, this three sometimes four piece band is producing solid rock tunes, and appears to be poised to take the body of work and start to get some recognition.
Their website offers little, but you can learn more and listen to a few tracks at the Myspace page.
Filed under: Music, Rock, Song of the Week | Tags: Coldplay, Song of the Week, Violet Hill, Viva la Vida
This week’s Song of the Week is Coldplay’s title track from their upcoming album ‘Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends’. The lead single for the album is Violet Hill, which is also a fine track, but ‘Viva la Vida’ is available via iTunes as a teaser track, and the title track has legs….you will be hearing it all summer on A/C radio (along with Duffy). It’s got the signature Coldplay ethereal-yet-rich sound, a a good hook, and the kind of lyrics that leave you more curious than content. This will become one of the Coldplay singles that gets airplay for years, if the rest of the album is as strong as Viva la Vida and Violet Hill, the band is in for another smash with their fourth album.
Check out Violet Hill at the band’s MySpace page. The album won’t be released until June 17th, but the single ‘Viva La Vida’ is available on iTunes. Coldplay will be touring almost all year with dates in Europe, North America and Japan starting in June and running through November.
Because there isn’t a video released yet for Viva la Vida, I am embedding the ‘Violet Hill’ performed live video, and I’ll put up the Viva la Vida video as soon as it is available.
Filed under: Music, Rock, Song of the Week | Tags: I Kissed A Girl, Katy Perry, Music, Pop, Rock, Song of the Week, UR So Gay
This week’s Song of the Week is Katy Perry’s new single, ‘I Kissed a Girl’, from her upcoming album ‘One of the Boys’. This non-PC single will get no airplay in parts of the country, the even more non-PC track ‘UR So Gay (And You Don’t Even Like Boys)’ is apparently Madonna’s favorite song right now. ‘UR So Gay’ was released as the title track of Perry’s first EP last November. While many of the lyrics are adult, in a sarcastic/humorous, Alanis Morissette kind of way, the music is catchy and engaging.
Perry, born Katy Hudson, started out as a gospel singer, but has adopted a pop rock sound that is reminiscent of ’80’s bands like Heart. [Her cover of The Outfield's 'Use Your Love' is an improvement on the original.] ‘I Kissed a Girl’ is available on iTunes. You can check out the single and several more at her MySpace Page or her website. Not youngster appropriate though….
Filed under: Bucket List, Jack Nicholson, John Mayer, Morgan Freeman, Music, Rock, Say, Say What You Need to Say, Song of the Week, ballad
Say what you like about John Mayer’s music, but the man can perform a ballad. This week’s Song of the Week is Mayer’s ‘Say (What You Need to Say)’ a new single that appears courtesy of the soundtrack to “Bucket List” the new Nicholson/Freeman movie.Audio, tour dates, etc. available at John’s site or his MySpace page.
Filed under: Amy Ann Duffy, Duffy, Music, Pop, Rock, Song of the Week, media
Though I try to avoid overlapping with iTunes Single of the Week (many of which are complete garbage) there are times when it just can’t be avoided because they end up with the clear choice for Song of the Week. If you have iTunes, go grab Welsh singer Duffy’s single ‘Mercy’ from her album ‘Rockferry’. Duffy is Amy Ann Duffy, and her vocal style has been compared to Dusty Springfield and Petula Clark, but that doesn’t do the artist or the single justice.
She’s topping the charts in the UK, but you can sample her music at her MySpace page or her website (neither of which are obvious so use our links).
Filed under: Hip-Hop, Music, Ozomatli, Rock, Song of the Week, funk, latin, salsa
The Song of the Week this week is dedicated to my sister-in-law Karen. Love, hope and faith.
This week’s Song of the Week is not a new release, but a recent discovery of a release from last year that most of you will not have heard. The LA band Ozomatli has been around for over a decade, producing a blend of hip hop, Jazz/rock and salsa. Their up tempo single, ‘Can’t Stop’ is this weeks Song of the Week. The group won a Grammy for their 2004 album “Street Signs”, and followed that success with a live album and reasonable coverage. Ozomatli’s 2007 album Don’t Mess with the Dragon peaked at 154 on Billboard, but like many cross-segment albums deserved to fare better. Singles ‘Here We Go’ and ‘Magnolia Soul’ are also well worth a listen, the latter a tribute to New Orleans which integrates elements of New Orleans jazz into the hip hop tracks.
More on the band at their website and their MySpace page, and lucky Australians can catch then on tour in Oz this month.
Finger Eleven’s ‘Paralyzer’ reflects the band metal roots and a heavy dose of cynicism. Hailing from Burlington Canada, Finger Eleven is labeled an Alt Metal band by some, but has more alt than metal its most recent singles, including Paralyzer. The band has been around for 13 years, with current album ‘Them vs. You vs. Me’ serving as their fourth album. Their self titled third album also produced another top twenty hit in ‘One Thing’, a song you will recognize even if you have never heard of Finger Eleven….
Check out the band at their site or their MySpace, and check the video for Paralyzer below.
Filed under: "Alright, Amy Winehouse, Back to Black, Daniel Merriweather, Hip-Hop, Lili Allen, Mark Ronson, Music, Rock, Song of the Week, Soul, Still", Valerie, Winehouse, club, media
Catching up a bit after a crazy week of travel….
Mark Ronson’s single ‘Valerie’ prominently features vocals from Amy Winehouse, though the mock club performance portrayed in the corresponding video shows no sign of her. Probably just as well, since her presence would distract the viewer from Ronson’s music, which would be a shame.
No accident in the choice of singer though; Ronson produced Winehouse’s platinum album ‘Back to Black’ as well as Lily Allen’s ‘Alright, Still’, and it was Ronson’ prowess as a producer and DJ that earned him the label’s backing to produce his own album. The album, “Version” features Winehouse and Allen on vocals and is an upbeat blend of hip hop, soul, R&B melodies and brit punk, all packaged for a club setting.
The next single ‘Oh My God’ featuring Allen is beginning to climb the charts and is an excellent single in a somewhat more mellow arrangement. Similarly “Stop Me” is an arrangement of the Smith’s “Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One Before” featuring Daniel Merriwather and a bit of mashup with the Supreme’s ‘You keep me hanging on’. It’s very enjoyable, but more sober than the upbeat “Valerie”.
Give it a listen at Ronson’s MySpace Page
I am generally not a big fan of love songs. ‘Hey There Delilah’ makes my skin crawl. But this week’s Song of the Week is a love song with enough of an edge to make me comfortable. London based McFly touts themselves as the youngest band ever to hit number 1 in the UK album charts. Their ‘The Heart Never Lies” is Song of the Week. It will be released next week and appear on their forthcoming from their forthcoming Greatest Hits album which will include three new tracks, but you can catch the track and video on their MySpace page.
The band has moved on from the pure pop sounds of their early hits and no longer sound like a polished Beatles/Beach Boys cover band. Instead, this track shows a promise of more maturity both musically and thematically, building on the promise of some of the tracks from last year’s album, Just My Luck .
Mika makes his second appearance on Song of the Week this week with his follow-up hit “Happy Ending” which is currently climbing the charts in the UK. The fourth single from his album Life in Cartoon Motion, this track matches the energy and creative energy of “Grace Kelly”, without as much theatrical storytelling.
Filed under: Good Charlotte, Good Charlotte. music, Music, Rock, Song of the Week
Good Charlotte’s “I Don’t Want to Be in Love” has the chords and heavy guitar that their anthems on earlier albums held up high as a trademark, but the entire new album, “Good Morning Revival”, is much more produced than their self titled debut, or 2001’s “The Young and the Hopeless”. I miss the raw performances from those early albums, but the pop masses will probably be more accepting of this new, more polished style.
They’re touring the west coast this month with an appearance on Leno thrown in, followed by an Australian tour in October.
Good Charlotte’s website
Good Charlotte’s MySpace page
Scottish singer KT Tunstall’s new single Hold On will appear on her upcoming album supposedly titled Drastic Fantastic. The album’s not due out until September 18th, but radio stations are getting advance copies of the single. And you don’t have to wait until the album comes out, the single is due in stores and online August 27th. In the meantime, catch the single streaming from stations like WBOS.
Golden Skans from London-based band Klaxons is the song of the week. Their album Myths of the Near Future was released at the end of March, but this track is percolating up as a single.
Self described as “nu-rave” the dance-rock track is catchy and upbeat.
The band is touring the West Coast in July and international locations across 4 continents in August and September.
The Klaxons Web Site
and their MySpace page
Amy Winehouse’s Rehab, the second single off her Back to Black album was originally released in the UK last Fall, but in the wake of the success of You Know I’m No Good, Rehab has been climbing the charts in the US with fresh energy, and is into the top 10 this week. The song draws from her experiences with her record label which pushed her to go into rehab as a result of her public behavior in the wake of her successful debut album, Frank (2004).
Her vocals have been compared to Macy Gray and Lauren Hill, but there’s more Aretha Franklin in her voice than either of the two more contemporary artists.
She’ll be touring the US in September with Paolo Nutini.
Ok, not breaking any stories here, but the Song of the Week is Bon Jovi’s ‘Make a Memory’, the first single off their album Lost Highway. This was supposed to have been the song of the week a month ago, based on the first hearing of the single, but it slipped away.
The fact that Bon Jovi has an album at #1, 20 years after their last #1 album is a feat in and of itself. Plenty of rockers are releasing albums 20 years after their “heyday”, but most of them sound like rehashed productions of old hooks and melodies and are as old and tired as their performers. Jon Bon Jovi has aged as well as any human his age, and the album has some fresh production on top of familiar Bon Jovi vocals, and Richie Sambora guitar licks.
Desmond Child collaborated on writing the song, a formula that has worked well since the groups third album. This is a storytelling power ballad, from a band known more for it up beat arena rock anthems, but it’s a song that catches your attention immediately and wears well over many listenings. And we’re going to hear a lot of this album during the summer of 2007….
The band’s website at, you guessed it, BonJovi.com
and their My Space page, are both professionally produced and usable.
Great Escape by Boston band Boys Like Girls is the first single off their debut album.
The band has the same energy as My Chemical Romance or The All-American Rejects, but lacks the dark undertone that exists on nearly all MCR tracks, and some of the AAR songs. Great Escape is a high energy pop-rock tune and the production is very tight and clean, thanks no doubt to Matt Squire who also worked with Panic! at the Disco.
Their website is almost non-existent, but their MySpace page does a better job. Give the track a listen on Myspace if you haven’t already heard it on the air….
Get it On by Grinderman, the latest incarnation of Nick Cave’s the Bad Seeds.
Big, bad, rock ‘n roll…there’s nothing bashful about Grinderman, but the underlying melodies are as polished as anything in that end of the musical spectrum.
Check it out here: http://www.myspace.com/grinderman
Sly by The Cat Empire
This Australia band blends horns, ska, jazz, funk and rock in an upbeat yet cynical combination that is a lot of fun. These guys hardly get any US airplay but are huge back home, having racked up 8 years of hits across three albums. A brief US tour last Fall did little to correct the lack of exposure, but a West Coast tour kicking off in May with an appearance on Leno May 7th should help fix that. A longer US tour in July will follow a European tour in June. To learn more: The Cat Empire /A.
Filed under: Blink-182, Good Charlotte, Music, My Chemical Romance, Rock, The Black Parade
One of the best albums of 2006. If you aren’t already familiar with My Chemical Romance, the group has elements of Queen or Pink Floyd but the instrumentation and impact of Good Charlotte or Blink-182. There’s more guitar here than light rock or pop fans will appreciate, but the songwriting is smart and innovative, and the lyrics, while a bit dark (angry Pink Floyd) range from just interesting to brilliant.
If you’re into hard but smart rock this is a band to watch.
If you want a sample, try the title (sort of) track, Welcome to the Black Parade, which was getting a lot of airplay in the UK last week.
