Links to reviews of new albums by The Black Eyed Peas and El DeBarge on popdose.com
Posts tagged "Album Reviews"
Spin Cycle: Quincy Jones “Soul Bossa Nostra”
The fact that “Soul Bossa Nostra” even exists is a bit confusing to me. Like, did this album need to be made? After all-it basically amounts to a huge slap on the back for Quincy Jones. Not to say he doesn’t deserve props-the man was at the top of his game for the better part of forty years and is an integral part of music history, let alone black music history. But I question the wisdom of letting a who’s […]
Bruno Mars Doo-Wops His Way Into My Heart with His Debut Release
If I’m a sucker for anything, it’s someone who can write a great melody. Maybe it comes from me being such a big Michael Jackson fan. Maybe it comes from growing up in the Eighties, an era when even the worst songs had memorable memories (c’mon, think about it). But when someone hits that sweet spot with melodic pop goodness, well…I’m putty in their hands more often than not. Which brings me to Bruno Mars. If you take a look […]
I Guess “Dependable-Or” Was Already Taken?
One of the most consistently solid songwriters of recent times (who doesn’t really get the props he deserves) has been Neil Finn. I’ll admit to not being familiar with Split Enz (an issue I hope to rectify soon enough), but whether solo, recording with his brother Tim, part of the 7 Worlds Collide collective or as part of Crowded House, I think he’s the singer/songwriter for whom the term “Beatle-esque” can most readily be applied. And although there might be […]
Fembots Have Feelings Too: Getting Close to Robyn’s “Body Talk”
If Robyn has a hit list (and she probably doesn’t, because she’s from Sweden and probably ridiculously polite), there are probably several of today’s biggest pop stars on it. Britney Spears would be one. After all, shortly after Robyn scored her initial U.S. success in the late Nineties with hits like “Show Me Love”, Britney came along with a similar sound (the songs were crafted by the same production team), added in a touch of near-skank, and promptly relegated Robyn […]
Off "To The Sea": No Place Jack Johnson Hasn't Been Before
Truthfully, if you’ve heard one Jack Johnson album, you’ve heard them all. The Hawaiian singer/songwriter/director/surfer came onto the scene a decade ago with softly strummed meditations on life and love, and he hasn’t changed his style much since. And why should he? Without the benefit of a major radio single and with a fairly low press profile (read: no scandals), Jack has become one of the most consistent selling musicians of this era. I can’t speak for his entire audience, […]
"Distant Relatives": THIS is What Collaboration Sounds Like
The multi-artist album in hip-hop has a pretty short history. It also has a pretty shitty history. As evidenced by the two terrible R. Kelly/Jay-Z teamup albums, getting together for an album-length collaboration is generally not the greatest idea. With memories of “Best of Both Worlds” in my head, I wasn’t even going to purchase “Distant Relatives”, the album that teams veteran rapper Nas with the son of the late Bob Marley, Damian, also known as “Jr. Gong”. It wasn’t […]
I *Can* Go for That: The Bird & The Bee Sips on the H2O
Inevitably, what was once uncool becomes cool at some point in time, at least from a musical standpoint. I remember in the mid Nineties, all the alternative rock kids (who had come of age in the Seventies) began worshipping Karen Carpenter as some sort of goddess although she played the type of music that would have gotten her laughed off the stage at Lollapalooza. Not to say that Hall & Oates was the 80s equivalent of the Carpenters, but there […]
"Still Standing": Monica Might Wobble But She Won't Fall Down
Hard to believe it’s been a decade and a half since Monica Arnold stepped onto the music scene. Her first hit single, “Don’t Take it Personal (Just One of Dem Days)”, topped charts when she was all of 14 years old-a pretty amazing feat. Over the years since, she’s recorded albums of varying quality while maintaining a presence on the charts. She’s also undergone quite a bit of personal drama, mostly on the boyfriend side (one committed suicide in her […]
Never Trust a Big Butt & a Smile-"Poison" Turns 20
Don’t you hate it when you read a blog and the blogger just directs you over to ANOTHER website? Well, check out my review of Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” (which celebrates its’ 20th anniversary this week) on Popdose . When I can get my shit together and start doing artist guides, New Edition will be one of the first acts that I tackle.
Gil Scott-Heron "I'm New Here" Review on Popdose
While I generally recommend that you head over to Popdose just because it’s a good fucking music/pop culture SITE (as opposed to my teeny widdle blog), I’m also hoping that while you’re there, you’ll check out my review of Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’m New Here”. It’s a really, REALLY good album, very powerful. Since I don’t want to double up on video posts with them, here’s a brief clip from the recording of the album. You know how, if you grew up in […]