Category: New Albums

Raymond v. Bieber?

Posted by Kat – April 7, 2010

While it took two years to really get the album out and to the public, Usher’s “Raymond v Raymond” album has hit the markets and has proven to be just as exciting and as wanted by the fans as we all hoped. The album, which features hits like “Lil Freak” and “OMG”, has officially bumped Justin Bieber’s album (oh, thank god and finally, that took long enough) to the number two slot. Now that Usher’s album is at the top of the list with a whopping 329,000 copies sold just in its first week available, it looks like Usher’s fate is secure for this particular album. Even though some critics state that some of his album is very typical, the sound is still fresh and shows an even more sexy player side of Usher than his last album. Granted, his recent divorce probably gave him plenty to  come up with for his more girl-crazy aspects of his album, but it has some punch and passion regardless.

To help promote his new album, Usher had been at American Idol last week, as well as the Ellen Degeneres show, where he performed “OMG” on both of the shows. Now, we’re all just waiting to see what the actual chart says to find out just how high “OMG” will debut. Unfortunately for anyone who would like to see Bieber drop further down the charts, his slip to second was buffered by all the Easter sales last week that probably made him an ideal present for parents to give to their kids. With luck, though, Raymond v Raymond will stay on the top of the charts for at least a little while, ensuring that Usher’s newest endeavor is secure. I dunno about you guys, but Lil Freak’s been stuck in my head for days, and it should be stuck in yours, too!

An Incredible Steampunk Machine

Posted by Kat – April 5, 2010

Who doesn’t love Steampunk? The unusual but exciting take of Victorian technology far past its actual development, such as analog computers and an intellectual development that surpassed the technology, has been a branch of science fiction that audiences have loved for quite some time. We should have known that bands would eventually start to be inspired by it. And one of those bands is “Sugarland,” a country duo that has already won Grammies in their career, and are currently in the studio finishing up what will be their fourth album, and they’ve so far given it the title of “The Incredible Machine.” The vocalist of the group, Jennifer Nettles, has been enthusiastically hopeful about the album and while there isn’t a release date just yet, they’ve got quite a plan for it. With around 10 tracks, all of which are newly written from in between their albums, Nettles has been speaking a great deal about the new changes and growth that will show in the album.

From the lyrics to the vocal work, Sugarland is really hoping to show growth and change from their last album, “Love on the Inside.” To do that, they have considered the steampunk movement as a way to facilitate their growth, and it’s going to be a major theme throughout all of their work on the album. From the song to the tour to album artwork, Sugarland’s foray into steampunk will be complete. Interestingly, the way that Nettles is describing the new vocals isn’t necessarily what I would call steampunk, though. Given that she’s describing herself as a mix of Blondie and Chrissie Hynde, it sounds like this will be a very interesting album that won’t quite be like anything we’ve heard out of Sugarland before. Whether or not that’s necessarily a GOOD thing remains to be seen.

Linkin Park Goes 8-Bit? Well, Kinda.

Posted by Kat – April 1, 2010

One thing I do love about Linkin Park is that they are certainly in touch with what their audience loves. And sometimes, that means giving the nerds of the world a little love, and in this case, that means a fun little 8-Bit mobile game app that will soon be available for iPod Touches, iPhones and iPads everywhere called “Linkin Park’s 8-Bit Rebellion!” Having already seen a demo of the game,  I can tell you that it’s certainly not the greatest strategy game ever created for  gamers out there, but it’s a great concept because of what it will be doing. For those who get the game and beat it, they will unlock a new single by the band, “Blackbirds.” This is going to be groundbreaking, because this will be one of the first times that a major artist/band has decided to release an exclusive new track through a game application for mobile phones. It’s groundbreaking and exciting, and not just because the game is apparently going to be a lot of fun.

The new track, “Blackbirds,” is only going to be available through the game. The game is about you, the hero, trying to defeat an ‘evil HD empire’ called PixxelKorp, which has stolen all of Linkin Park’s music and it’s up to you, the hero, to get it back. Each of the different levels is based around one of the band members, and throughout the game you will be able to hear 8-bit versions of several hit songs. I can’t wait to hear the 8-bit versions of “In the End” and “Crawling.” It may make me fall in love with this band all over again.

One thing’s for sure. I’ll be one of those individuals getting the game as soon as I can, because it’s got a pretty awesome incentive.

Really, Evanescence? You’re Back?

Posted by Kat – March 28, 2010

So, what does a band do when their first album was a raging success, but their subsequent album didn’t do nearly as well? Disappear off the face of the earth for four years, that’s what! It turns out that Amy Lee of Evanescence has let it slip that she has been back in the recording studio with the band for the last three weeks and are working towards the release of a brand-new album. It’s planned to be out in the fall, but with no title just yet, there isn’t much else to know other than what Lee is telling everyone.

Evanescence’s debut album in 2003 entitled “Fallen” went platinum seven times, shooting the group to the top of the charts and establishing them as a household name. Amidst flack from fans of Lacuna Coil, which, in my opinion, was doing what Amy Lee tried to do for longer and has been doing it better for a while, Evanescence then followed with a second album, entitled “The Open Door.” That album, though, only went platinum twice and was creatively lacking and criticized in comparison to their first album.

So, when everyone else thought they were going to drop off the face of the earth into obscurity like so many bands that don’t quite match their first hits, it turns out the band has come together and is working towards an album that Amy Lee says fels like will be the “best album of [her] life.” Is it really that amazing? Who knows. Nothing has really come out in regards to the album, as it’s currently being recorded, but saying it’s the best album they’ll have yet is going to be a difficult, difficult statement to hold to. The sound is going to be different, but also very much the same band, and one of the new additions is that Amy Lee has since learned to play the harp, so that will be incorporated as well.

To be honest, I’m still dubious, at best, on the idea of this new album. The Open Door was almost generic in how much it sounded like a watered down, orchestral version of Fallen, and Fallen was played to death so many times that Bring Me to Life kind of makes me want to die.

“Bionic” Promises To Bring Christina Aguilera Back To the Spotlight

Posted by Kat – March 26, 2010

For those who have been wondering if Christina Aguilera’s career was going to fade softly away after her 2006 album “Back to Basics”, four years ago, and then her greatest hits album that came out in 2008, “Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits,” you don’t need to wonder any longer. The fourth studio album for the pop star and diva extraordinaire will be entitled “Bionic” and is scheduled for release on June 9th. The announcement came yesterday with the added news that the first single from the album, “Not Myself Tonight,” will be premiering March 30th on her official web site. If you’d like to get a chance to hear a little bit of the song before it comes out, then today you can check out the website for an official preview of the single.
Aguilera recorded the new album from the comfort of her home studio, and so far, the descriptions of “Bionic” speak of very electronic and “organic” elements, and that the different subjects she touches on in the lyrics are from anywhere to the introspective and the playful. Aguilera herself seems excited about the new album, and thinks her fans will be, too. Her thought is that no one will expect the new sound and she hopes her fans will like it, and later tonight, we should find out what exactly this new sound is going to be like.

And Aguilera has also spoken of all the rumors that she will be collaborating with artists like Le Tigre, Sia, Ladytron, Hill & Switch, and Tricky Stewart. She has confirmed that there will be several different collaborations. The same woman who helped write the hits “Candyman” and “Hurt” from the Back to Basics album, Linda Perry, will also be writing one of the new singles for the album as well. Looks like Aguilera’s only been biding her time and is ready to make her move. Should be good.

Plastic Beach Gives New Life to The Gorillaz

Posted by Kat – March 16, 2010

A couple of months ago, I clued you in to the premiere of the newest single off of “Plastic Beach”: Stylo. The Gorillaz have been working hard to do something different, retaining their reputation of being both innovative and cooky. If you haven’t seen the newest music video for Stylo, or the thirty second teaser trailers for the album, then you’ve been missing some awesome music and an even more awesome change to their look: The Gorillaz have gone 3-D.

In the music video for Stylo, a piece that the band has shown a great deal of pride and excitement for, the characters of Murdoc, 2D and Noodle (Who is inexiplicably an android for this video, but who doesn’t love the weirdness that is Noodle?) have been given the 3-D treatment, and it’s a stunning and welcome change. The video itself is an enjoyable ride with a very surprising appearance – Bruce Willis. Willis’s appearance is as an unnamed man chasing after the Gorillaz in their car. To be honest, though, I’ve watched the video over a dozen times and I still can’t help but hope the next video they do directly ties to this one. The video leaves you hanging, but only after sucking you into what you’re watching.

On a creative note, the appearance of Bobby Womack and Mos Def really show a true collaboration. Womack, who hasn’t really recorded in years and didn’t even know who the Gorillaz were, did the song because his granddaughter likes them. In regards to the recording experience, Womack was given the opportunity to simply brainstorm and sing what he wanted.  He got “everything off [his] chest” for the lyrics he sang. Other tracks on this album show just as creative collaborations. Plastic Beach is new, innovative and a bit different from their previous albums in a refreshing way.

Charlotte Church Is Planning a Comeback?

Posted by Kat – March 14, 2010

Most people remember Charlotte Church as the young classical sensation, beginning young and stunning audiences everywhere with her voice. But, the UK pop star from Wales fell off the face of the earth for a little while during her transition from child to adult artist, and for some time, people wondered if she would ever be coming back. Apparently, she has decided to do just that.  With what equates to a three million dollar deal with Power Amp Music, a major funding manager for the music industry that is headquartered in London, Charlotte Church is making a comeback to the music industry so she can record a new album and a full comeback.


Having travelled to both Wales and Nashville, Church has been working to reinvent the image of a pop artist and TV presenter to bring a new album that may be what she needs to really set herself apart from her former work. The new album is scheduled to have an autumn release and will be helmed by producer Martin Terefe, the same producer who won Grammys for his work with James Morrison, KT Tunstall and Jason Mraz, among others.


Church has still been focusing on her TV appearances as well, as she’s now going to be a key judge in the “Over the Rainbow” television program, where Andrew Lloyd Webber will be searching for the next Dorothy for a new production of “Wizard of Oz.” On top of that, she’s lost a great deal of weight and the British media’s been going crazy over that.


Most helpful for Church’s image as well is the fact that this new marketing deal with give her the freedom to still market and distribute with open discussion. So, when the fall hits and her new album breaks, we should see just where her career might go.

Beyonce and Lady Gaga’s Telephone Collab Truly Impresses

Posted by Kat – March 12, 2010

Fans of both Beyonce and Lady Gaga have been waiting with bated breath for the new collaboration music video, “Telephone,” to premiere, and it looks like Lady Gaga and her companion certainly didn’t disappoint. The new music video premiered last night at 11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time to a ravenous audience just waiting for the video. For the last two months, fans and critics have been given small, quick glimpses of what was going to be in the video, but nothing could have really, really compared to actually seeing the video. With a long intro of over a minute to set up the storyline – Gaga is a new inmate at a “Prison for Bitches,” and Beyonce is her contact on the outside world who later bails her out – the video just gets better from there.


For one thing, the full frontal nudity (Although censored and blurred out, it’s still quite obvious) and the fantastic costuming, it’s hard to tell where the video’s going to go for the moment, or where exactly it relates to the song itself. As most Lady Gaga fans would know, that last factor is strictly optional. With vivid and outrageous telephone-related costuming, it had marks of Lady Gaga’s style all over it. Then again, as it was directed by Jonas Akerlund, the same director to work with her on Paparazzi, you could see the same high levels of thematic care and stylization that makes Lady Gaga enjoy working with him.


All the fans and not-so-fans of the Kill Bill movies would have gotten a real laugh out of the storyline taking place after Lady Gaga gets out of prison, as Beyonce picks her up on the Pussy Wagon, the same exact truck used as the Bride’s escape vehicle at the beginning of Kill Bill Volume 1. On top of that, there are very Tarantino-esque moments in the video, and as Gaga loves to talk about, she is a fan of androgyny and breaking sexual barriers, and there is a healthy dose of that as well in her videos.


Without giving the ending away, this has to be one of the most complex music videos Lady Gaga or Beyonce have done.

Night Train Brings Keane Back In With Style

Posted by Kat – February 27, 2010

If you’re looking for one of the single best British export bands to have hit the US airwaves over the last decade, I’d say that Keane is one of the top ones. With Radiohead and Coldplay, Keane has been one of the most consistant and successful bands out there, with their first breakout album of “Hopes and Fears.” That album was followed by 2006′s album “Under the Iron Sea,” then “Perfect Symmetry” in 2008. While Perfect Symmetry didn’t sell nearly as well as Under the Iron Sea and Hopes and Fears have, that doesn’t mean that they haven’t been highly successful and changing.

But, if you’ve been waiting for the next installment of Keane’s awesome lyrical and haunting sound, then you can definitely be excited about “Night Train,” which is going to be coming out on May 11th. While it’s a very short album for them, with only 8 tracks, it has a collaboration with Tigarah, a Japanese MC, and the rapper K’Naan, as well as a track that features a vocal performance by Tim Rice-Oxley, the band’s keyboardist.

So where did the album’s concept come from? When on tour for Perfect Symmetry, the band wanted to come up with their entire album, or at least a single while on the tour, and it was train rides in between gigs that they liked to think. Spontaneous and creative, it looks like this new album is going to be what fans have been looking for, but something a litttle different from their previous albums. As with many bands, they find the challenge of developing a new album to be an interesting and enjoyable one, and none of them are at all plussed by the fact that fans were a little put off by the last album, but they certainly hope their ever changing style doesn’t disappoint again.

“Haywire” Brings Josh Turner Into the Country Chart Swiftly

Posted by Kat – February 22, 2010

I’ll be honest. The way I first heard about Josh Turner was during a summer job as a cashier at Cracker Barrel, so I literally knew him as “That guy who we play on repeat at Cracker Barrel on the boom box to my left.” That being said, though, Turner is hardly what I would call generic on the country circuit. There’s something about his music that is classic country, but also has a little bit of tradition and heart to it in how he presents himself and how his music works. And after releasing on February 9th, this album, “Haywire” has become the third album to be on the Top 10, in a row.

So what has Turner been doing to help promote his new album? He’s been all over. From the Late Show With David Letterman to an appearance on The Martha Stewart Show, Josh Turner has been promoting the album quite vigorously since the release. He’s also been asked a great deal about how this particular album will be different from his past ones. He states that vocally he wanted to present more of a challenge and brings out more of his experience with relationships and love, so his lyrics and his songs really show the love and consideration he gave to his music.

In the technical sense, he’s working with the same creative team he’s worked with for his last three albums since 2003, one of which being Frank Rogers, the producer who has been credited as being able to really understand what Josh Turner wants to really acheive and has assisted him with that in the past. Turner is quite confident that this album is going to be one that his fans and simply fans of country in general will be able to connect with and enjoy.