Rapper Lil’ Wayne once said, via an album title, I Am Not A Human Being. Listening to his new album, Tha Carter IV, it’s not difficult to see where Wayne was coming from – it’s not difficult to envision the rapper being dropped from a UFO into someone’s Hollywood backyard on a quiet, chilly night. The objective? To ruin hip-hop by turning it into an exaggerated version of its worst stereotypes, to behave in a deliberately bizarre fashion to court […]
Posts tagged "New Releases"
Spin Cycle: Blue October’s “Any Man in America”
The average listener can’t, I have to imagine, want to be recommended a Blue October album on purpose. After all: no one but a connoisseur of angst (and, maybe, guyliner) is scouring the ‘net for Blue October reviews. But stranger things have happened than Blue October turning into a sorta-artistically viable band, right? Right? Regardless, Blue October’s new record, Any Man in America, is a late-career upswing in quality for this band. For once, lead singer Justin Furstenfeld sings and writes […]
New Release Report 7/26/11: R&B Overload…and Rabbits
It’s got to be tough living in someone’s shadow, especially when you’ve got talent of your own. Kelly Rowland has spent the last fifteen years (for better or for worse) being perceived as “the other chick in Destiny’s Child”. That does her kind of a disservice-seeing as a) she’s fine as hell (prettier than Beyonce, IMHO) and she’s got a pretty voice, even if the material she’s given is often terrible. Her solo career has really never gotten off the […]
New Release Report 7/19/11: In Bleuphoria
Want some soul? We got it. Want some hip-hop from Brooklyn by way of the West Indies featuring one of the TvoTR guys? We got it. Want completely generic but catchy pop/rock? We got that too? Welcome to this week’s new releases… Rahsaan Patterson-Bleuphoria For his fifth studio album, the criminally underrated soul singer has decided to call in some reinforcements. Not that he needs them, but Bleuphoria features the talents of Shanice Wilson, Faith Evans, Lalah Hathaway and Jody […]
New Release Report 7/12/11: Colbieblakeubus-lime. With Rome.
Bored out of your skull from the lack of releases that made it onto record store shelves last week? Me too. However, never fear: this week brings a veritable cornucopia of new music, including four albums that could all vie for the top spot on the charts. Do you like Colbie Caillat? I don’t. Even her name annoys me. There’s something about the whole cutesy vibe she has that drives me up a tree. She’s just too…perky. And happy. But […]
New Release Report 7/5/11: Banging the Doldrums
music / New Release Report / New Releases / news / Pop Music / rock music / soul music / Uncategorized
Well, if you’re looking for a record-release bonanza to follow your gluttonous intake of grilled goods yesterday…you might want to look elsewhere. The release schedule for July 5th is incredibly light. I suppose everyone’s taking a break at the midway point of the year. Ain’t nothing wrong with that, right? If anyone has anything to say about the fact that I quoted Fall Out Boy in the title of today’s column, the comments area is below. At any rate, this […]
“Watch the Throne”: It’s Coming, But When?
The arrival of one of hip-hop’s most anticipated albums is imminent, but there’s still not an official release date. There was a significant amount of buzz on the internet surrounding Kanye West & jay’Z’s Watch the Throne recently. Many reports suggested that the album might even see a surprise release today. Well, the album’s not out, but it appears that it has been completed. A preorder page has been set up for the album, with standard and deluxe versions available. The cover […]
Blerd Briefs Extra: Classic (and Not So Classic) Albums Get the Reissue Treatment!
If you’ve been following the “Flashback ’91” posts over at Popdose , then you are well aware that a lot of classic albums reach their 20th anniversary this year. 1991 was a watershed moment for pop music-the year alternative fucked up the mainstream and killed the hair-band era, the year hardcore hip-hop stopped being urban America’s secret, and the year U2 and R.E.M. went from being great bands to being legendary bands. Bono and the boys are jumping onto the reissue […]