So I was sitting on the can a few days back (great visual, right?) and picked up an old Blender magazine I had laying around. It’s been five years since the Arctic Monkeys debuted with a bang…at least in their native U.K. While Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not turned into England’s fastest selling debut album of all time, the Monkeys have not been able to replicate that success here in the States. That album sold just […]
Posts tagged "Hear Here!"
Hear Here: Justice’s “Civilization”
Man, there was a point in time when dance music sucked. I’m talking about the late Nineties, when everything was techno bump-bump-bump. During my limited clubgoing experience, I found myself quickly discouraged, not only because the people that frequented those places weren’t exactly the types I wanted to hang out with, but also because the music generally sucked. Thanks to groups like Daft Punk, dance music has taken a turn for the better over the past decade. I hate to […]
Hear Here!: “Don’t Turn Off the Lights” by NKOTBSB
Let’s face facts here: this New Kids/Backstreet Boys tour is a nostalgia-related cash grab. The guys can talk all they want about giving back to their fans, but that’s at least partially bull. In the former group’s case, it’s a way to keep the momentum of their surprisingly successful 2008 tour going. In the case of the latter group (who have never stopped performing and touring), it’s a way to latch onto a brighter flame and see if their flagging […]
Hear Here!: Jordan Knight’s “Let’s Go Higher”
If this was 2001 instead of 2011, I would have much higher expectations for a Jordan Knight album. After all, we would have only been two years removed from his debut solo record, in which the former New Kid paired with a future superstar by the name of Robin Thicke and, joined by the production prowess of the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, made what might still be the best album ever recorded by an ’80s/’90s boy-bander (excluding New […]
Hear Here!: Lalah Hathaway’s “We’re All in This Together”
Hard to believe it’s been over two decades since Lalah Hathaway stepped on the scene with her self-titled debut album and the hit single “Heaven Knows”. As with most children of entertainers, Lalah has managed to inherit the rich vocal tone of her father, the great Donny Hathaway. Unlike many children of entertainers, Lalah has managed to carve out her own niche in the R&B community, with a dedicated group of fans (including Prince, who I saw her open for […]
Hear Here!: “Come On Get It” by Lenny Kravitz
After two decades, Lenny Kravitz parted ways with Virgin, his recording home, and signed with Roadrunner, home of Nickelback (I can hear you groaning through the computer screen, y’all). His latest album, entitled Black & White America, is expected to surface this spring. He also recently surfaced at the Grammy Awards earlier this month, causing gaggles of women (and more than a few men) to fan themselves feverishly, as the man doesn’t seem to age. Think after any of the […]
Hear Here!: Kenna’s “Chains”
Kenna’s one of those artists that makes me wonder if the American music-buying public is completely dumb. If I ruled the world, this guy would have sold millions of copies of his first two albums, New Sacred Cow and Make Sure They See My Face. Of course, he also doesn’t fall into the music-buying public’s fairly narrow definition of what a black artist should sound like, a fate that has also recently prevented commercial breakthroughs by the likes of Kele/Bloc […]
Hear Here!: Lady GaGa’s “Born This Way”
Before I heard this song, I was all set to write (or not write and apologize for not writing) a pseudo-intellectual piece explaining how I think Lady GaGa tries too hard to politicize her image and how she actually helps promote somewhat harmful stereotypes by virtue of her existence. I was also expecting “Born This Way”, the first single from GaGa’s upcoming sophomore album, to be some big, super-event weird record. After hearing the song, I’m left with a warm […]
Hear Here!: “I Need a Doctor” by Dr. Dre (feat. Eminem)
That “Kush” experiment didn’t work out the way we wanted it to, did it? Dr. Dre finally (officially) releases new music from the long-in-gestation Detox, and what happens? No one really gives a good God damn. “Kush” stalled somewhere in the middle of the charts. Not that it was a bad song per se, but it certainly wasn’t the certified dopeness Dre was capable of. It was also probably worth noting that both his co-stars, Snoop Dogg and Akon, have […]
Hear Here: Jennifer Hudson’s “Where You At”
It’s been an eventful couple of years for Jennifer Hudson. If placing on “American Idol” and then turning into an Oscar winner wasn’t enough, since the release of her successful debut album, J. Hud has won a Grammy, gotten married, had a baby and lost a shit-ton of weight. On the unfortunate side, she also lost her mother, brother and nephew tragically. I enjoyed her debut album, and I was wondering when she was gonna stop doing Weight Watchers commercials […]
Hear Here!: J. Lo & Pitbull’s “On the Floor”
“American Idol” just might save Jennifer Lopez’s music career. Key word: might. I’m sure Paula Abdul had designs on regaining her pop star status after “Idol” turned into a ratings juggernaut. However, neither of the two singles she released since obtaining her judge-ship performed especially well. However, the musical climate is different now, and Lopez hasn’t been inactive for as long as Abdul was. She’s only a half-decade or so removed from her last hit, and “Idol” is much more […]