Iman Lababedi

The Verve recordings were made between 1952 thru 1957 and while not up to his 1930s material, to a neophyte such as myself, it is a little ‘tomato” or “tomartoo”. Wilson swings through dextrous, light fingered instrumental takes of dozens of standards and listening to him on the way back from the boardwalk it was the supreme match of background and upfront music.

Somewhere between going out and returning home, there is a netherword of quiet disquietude and Carole does self-conscious love all over the album and especially on this song. Grade: A-

So there is a quick glimpse of what the tweens of today are listening to. My bet is Lindsay is the more typical of the two. Thanks and a milling kisses to my Great Niece and Great Nephew for a sneak peak into what America’s yoouth are doing with their new found musical toys!!!

Music? There is only incidental music, but Snow White is played by Phil Collins daughter who looks nothing like him. My bet is she looks like her Mom and my other bet is her Mom was a model.

How many ways do you use “Lambourghini” in a rhyme? Raitt, Ward, Mayer and Florence Unplugged. The Raitt is self-released, the Counting Crows ain’t going nowhere.

1. It’s A Thin Line Between Love And Hate – The Pretenders – Chrissie Hynde’s greatest vocal achievement here, a near perfect rock and roll adaption of an r&b classic all ends up in body talk and hospital beds, and Chrissie digs down as deep as she can get. Grade: A

I once wrote a short story about going on a date with God (it’s a long… er, short story), and we went to see Pulp on the date. If all you know of Pulp is “Common People”, get thee to Radio City on Tuesday (which still has tix available) or Wednesday (sold out) and see God.

Once you get past Jessie, Adele, Guetta and Sheeran, this is kinda interesting. Nicki at # 1, Madonna slipping right down and away, Bruce already out ot of the top ten, Moshii Monsters are the best kids band ever and Lostprohets are awful

Carly’s hit just caught my ear (and I wish she would give it back)… it answers the musical question, “If you have a good hook, how often should you repeat it?” The answer is: over and over and over…

Johnny 99 – Bruce Springsteen – In which Bruce begins his evolution from new Jersey upstart to American Citizen as he adapts a thick Arkansas hillbilly accent to a tale of poverty and injustice and, Friday night at MSG, retooled it as a death rattle hootenanny for the sets best moment. Grade: A+

On album after album this year, the production values on modern Gospel albums have been at a moral quandaryt. Whether great or indifferent, they were also outrageously untradional. Here is a major exception. Smokie toggles between r&b and soft jazz, essentially landing at a soulful heat as he pulls his voice from tenor upwards. Much better live then on record, this is sung and played very well. Grade: B+

Fresh off writing how much I hate her English accent and then finding mmyself in the unlikely position of defending her on Facebook, then dismissing her new album here somewhere, this song actually is kinda fun.Grade: B+

Does Taylor Momsen know Don McLean? Hard to say since she lives in such a bubble. But, she does a classic Mclean idea (can music save your moral soul?) proud on this hard rock ballad. Grade: B+

It has a bad case of the shakes. It turns down the radio, turns up the window and drives from nyc to Memphis iand back n a mood of deep melancholy. Grade: A

So, Madonna steals the crown off Lionel Ritchie… just as we toldja she would back in Match. Poor, Lionel. His re-recording of his greatest hits with country stars may be a crime about nature, but it is a crime against nature that sold enough to be # , but Madonna swiped by bundling the album with concert tickets.

The return of the tweens! If you include Carly, that makes four spots. Ps: while a # 1 would’ve been nice, fun. Has a tight grip on the spots, and given the hard beats on the track, and given the competition, and given it is a single not album and therefore has legs, I believe congratulations are in order.

Three girls sing together with a high pitched siren out and the band enters like an indie punk outfit and exists like Sonic Youth. Shame this didn’t come awcross on stage. Grade: B+

I’ve been prevaricating between MDNA being borderline and very good. The remixes might throw me onto the very good side forever. Try the Facebook link, the album is $3.50 and you could find out before I do,

Over here at rock nyc, we have an seasonal ritual whereby we sneer at the longwinded blowhards at pitchfork.com, and then add insult to injury by reposting their noteworthy releases.

Is Madonna’s voice weak? Yeah, I guess, but it works good enough within the songs. Are the lyrics clumsy? Sure. Who thought being a multi-millionaire divorcee would be such a bore. Does it sink in the middle? Yes, it sinks in the middle.

From its wall of sound drums, to its arch, troubled vocal, to its rewritten verse (“each morning I lie wake and find sunlight softly shining on her hair, And then I realize I’m wrong in thinking that she doesn’t really care…”), the single greatest Beach Boys cover ever.

2. Odd Future at The Hammerstein on March 20th – Release part for Volum 2 became a two year retrospective and defined Act II in the continuing story of the Worlds Greatest Hip Hop posse.

It’s an odd mish mosh and not quite the same as the original: it is more like a roll call of eh? But why? Except… notice his three daughters will be on the cover and you see what is triggering all of these feelings.

Because dead or alive? I’m gonna do my damndest to get a tix to see the Scissor Sisters at Bowery Ballroom. I have never seen them live, and tthey are a great, undeniable, top of the pops, disco bands

Costello wraps his lips round every single word of Jagger’s devastating put down, managing to sneer and find extra venor venom on lines like “out of here without a doubt”. Devastating benius. Grade: A+

1. The OF Tapes Vol 2 – If this is a long way from perfect, it is still the most important hip hop album since Goblin.

2. Some Nights – fun. – A true original, it’s like they are covering a cover of a Glee cover and then throwing it away at starting from scratch. Or do I mean Smash?

Kids In The Street – The All American Rehects – Not much, but not much with a melody and a back beat. the lyrics are nowhere, but on songs like single “Beekeeper’s Daughter”, what they lose in coherence they make up for in Beatle references. Grade: B+

The Costello, though a live album, is stupendous. Everything you hoped for. I can’t find the Laura Marling but it’s out there somewhere. Norful is old fashioned Gospel in a year of new fashioned Gospel.

In a tech obsessed time, we love machines with the same fervor we live loving things. This is a sleek zooming dance machine, a pure genius of throbbing beats manufactured with a wiley synth hook going high and higher and a jolt ending. Grade: B+