Not many people drop Kanye West. Maybe nobody. But Kid Cudi, as deeply weird a rocker as an Axl or an Elvis, or a Kanye himself for that matter. His dad died of cancer when Cudi was 11 years old and his dark, nighmarish sound appears to be a constant reflection of that definining moment.
On Tuesday at Carnegie Hall there is a Rolling Stone tribute with everybody from Carolina Chocolate Drops to Rosanne Cash playing hits from the bands golden age 1964 – 1971. If Steve Earle does “Dead Flowers” I will personally flip out.
Forget # 1, but # 2? It is like a reality TV show about army wives singing. Since The UK is not at war and doesn’t have conscription, so quite what they’re winging about Hey, wait a second, Lionel Richie has a new album? And Springsteen in at number one.
Every time I see Gotye at the top of the charts, I wonder if I got it wrong and listen to him again. And every time I wish I hadn’t bothered with the boring bastard.
Elitist, wiseacres, rhythmically jumpy, ontense, insulated, New York centric, it’s a big country and you can kep it, David Byrne claims. And the band slithers through the snideness like a beacon for funk still to come.
I’m pleased but not surprised that they opted to do “Simple Song”, I really like it. As mature and grey as they appear they still have a great youthful sound. This is simply a good pop song performed well, if not robotic.
We are so proud to have had the honor of supporting and promoting this band. If there is one thing that makes our work worth it, it’s getting bands the attention they deserve.
It takes some guts, and he certainly had some with his epileptic-mental-ward acrobatic moves. ‘Thank you for choking me’ he said after one of his numerous interactions with the crowd
17,000 units moved may be many things, but it isn’t really a hit album. I mean, I would be shocked if the record company made a profit on it. 17,000 units and an on the border top 10 album? If that’s the case, while Billboard are doing many fine things, I don’t think they are telling us the bottom line on succesful bands any more.
It is funny how blogs and magazines have posted quite old pictures of her, probably because that’s all they had. I stumbled on this curious and recent interview, and she looks so luminous and fragile
Next month the Stones celebrate their 50th anniversary. Those guys have seen it all and amazingly are still alive. If you think about any ‘super’ group from back in the day there is always a weak link.
I don’t know what Mercer’s problem is. With his Kevin Spacey blankness and unmoveable action figure pose, his tidy beard and tidier songs, there is something so dreary about the man and it is reflected in his music. It is sort a long Mid-West tall glass of water thing.
Four years after “American Boy”, the English r&b star is back with an album about relationships replete with sketches between some of the tracks. Romance is fine and while I find the constant a little obvious, this is a well sustained and detailed series of provocations on the art of love. Grade: B+
Knocking on a century later, what did we learn from WW1? That men in their millions were expendable. That Europe could kill off a generation of their youth and 20 years later do it again. When I hear English war songs, I am moved to new heights of cynicism, and, since my Gradfather died in a nameless faceless war for no reason, I have a right. This English sister act from the 1950s jollyfy an already jolly act. The question isn’t whether there are things worth dying for. The question is what they are and who is making the decision. Grade: B
‘I’m only human and I am full of mistakes’ is ironically the first line of the song that invites us to follow the sad fate of one of these crash test dummies they use in car commercials.
So if someone is rich, he can’t be offended or have an opinion about the powers that be, whom they believe responsible for fucking up the country? Nonsense
But if I were Britney, I would ask for more, Cowell seems to really want her for the show, and he is the Donald Trump of the singing competition, all swagger and all money, …
Gaga is concerned that the soon to be made film will show her as vulnerable and weak- she wants her image to be strong and self confident. This is also a contradiction since her whole rally cry has been about her triumph over insecurities
OFF!, the punk super group with members of Black Flag, Redd Kross, Hot Snakes and Burning Brides, has just finished recording their new album which should be released on
We recorded down and dirty in a friend’s garage with a shoestring budget of 600 dollars, much like Nirvana’s first album Bleach – or the Beatles first album Help.
The girls will be allowed to have tattoos and will “look like they stepped out of a music video.” He also said that there will be an exciting mix of music, “full on rock and roll.”
Like most Westeners, I first became aware of the Indian musical master through his work with George Harrison on the first side of the concert for Bangladesh. You know, the one applauding for the tuning of the sitars. Ha ha ha ha…
After dismissing the album out of hand as gloomy soundscapes, I noticed the album was in at an astounding # 3 on the Hot 100. It still sounds like doomy soundscapes but doomy sounscapes off a hit album are always going to be more interesting. Grade: B
Of all the comparisons you might make on this album, I think the closest might be The Rising. Like The Rising, Wrecking Ball has only one subject and that subject is a Great American Disasters
‘We’ve got a Man who Understands that God Gave the Bill of Rights’, and ‘Yes, I Believe… Rick Santorum is our Man!’
Whoa this is haunting. Stripped of the instruments that supported the gruff voice there is an incredible anger. A nearly tortured vocal.
The video, directed by Sam Zimman, is as fluid as the song, an ecstasy-like, hypnotic journey driving through kaleidoscopic cities and landscapes just before sunset, superposed with Sharon’s barely visible face.
Beach House will supposedly release their new album ‘Bloom’ on May 15th, but the band’s label, Sub Pop, hasn’t confirmed the details yet.
Is this family really that interesting? From 2002 to 2005 The Osbournes had their own reality TV show. During that time we were subjected to the odd happenings in their
Forget the 200 acres of farmland, the $1M pony, the fining staff members, how about the sponging down his arms during a concert and pretending its sweat as documented by New York Press?
I’ve been worrying on the new Bruce Springsteen album and how despite the best intentions, the stench of hypocrisy is overwhelming.hich lead me to Pulp’s “Common People” from the 1990s.
When did rock and roll become posh enough to have a cruise? Arent we supposed to be gritty and blue collar? Did we really want our metal with creme’ bruele?
Obviously I’ve seen many, many bands very early in their career, from the Sex Pistols (before Sid Vicious), Elvis Costello (before the Attractions), X-ray Specs (with Lora Logic), Grandmaster Flash, Diana Krall, Prince, cyndi Lauper, Blur, Oasis…
There are some ‘packages’ available, none that include a free kitten but of course, we all want VIP right? Let’s put it this way, if you were really a VIP you wouldn’t be paying in the first place
This is a great singles list, best of the year. Only Adele and the Wanted are out and out dogs and how often is a pop overnight success an exciting, not to mention fun., story!!
I found it very difficult to appreciate the dense album and it left a weak impression on me. Three Houstons, two Adeles, and two perennial hip hop albums are the story AGAIN.
New York Dolls went looking for a kiss, and this girls, equally lousy spellers, sure found one. Absolutely classic
am a Catholic but non-practicing. I found the lashing of Jesus Christ disturbing. Again, I am a bad Catholic but I don’t see the crucifixion or torture of Jesus Christ as musical theatre. I felt the 39 lashes to a great rock hook is surreal. Not sure how I was supposed to react to it? And the finale with Christ on the glitzy cross almost brought the audience to its feet. It was a bit too surreal for me.
Those who listened to the rock music gave more to the white group, but split the rest equally among the other three – in other words they weren’t punitive against the others as were the listeners of the white power rock
Aoki is your typical DJ trying to make it big in the world of mainstream music, much like Skrillex or DeadMau5. The difference is, I hear no sort of unique style in his music; instead, I see his unique style in the video for his song.
a unique feel that really gives the band something that makes them stand out. Also, the melody is super catchy and I can imagine it being on the radio, and stuck in people’s heads.
ATL is so similar to FOB in their fanbase and demeanor. Fun, young and energetic they capture the spirit of youth so well. As a side bar, why is ATL not more popular yet?
Unfortunately, in this universe, Rihanna is just your average stupid kid, taking on Twitter and Facebook (according to some gossip sites) to attack Brown’s new girlfriend and get her wife-beater back.
Prudential? Nice comfy arena, beer and dogs, all American experience with the all English computer boys? Caribou are the opening act but you can always go there late if two computer generated drags are one too much.
Cobain was such a Melvins fan that he used to drive them around in this van to their shows, and he had even drawn this Kiss mural on the side (The Melvins were big fans).
Rockstar Energy Drinks Mayhem Festival is an event that seems tailor made for a band like Motorhead. This years line up is the best I have ever seen and an event I simply will not miss.
The icing on the cake is that lady gaga has just reached 20 million followers on Twitter. 20 million? Wow, if each one bought an album… or a ticket for that matter…
– I like the beats a lot, maybe more than ever song I’ve heard this year. But the raps, while very strange, don’t quite gel
towering, thundering “Jesus Christ Superstar”, with the recently deceased Judas in a blue tux dancing across the stage and the very nature of catharsis and all the confusions of the show resolved in the glory of sound and beauty.
Their dynamite-like short songs were fueled with an endless raw energy sent in everyone’s face like the can of corona, or whatever brand it was, that I almost received in the head mid-set, baptizing me with some beer leftover.
