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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Money Mike

  • Chart Chat 9/16/09: Jigga and the Fabs

    Jay-Z makes history on this week’s Billboard 200 Album Chart. “The Blueprint 3” crashes in at the #1 spot, scanning over 475,000 copies. This is Jay’s 11th chart topping album, giving him more #1 albums than any solo artist in history. More than Elvis. More than Michael Jackson. More than Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand or any artist in history than…

    …The Beatles, who make some chart noise of their own this week. Their recently reissued catalog sells a combined 650,000 copies, with 9 titles landing in the Top Twenty. Granted, none of these titles appear on the actual Billboard 200 because of their age, but they take up 9 of the Top 10 spots on Billboard’s catalog chart. “Abbey Road” is the top seller, followed by “Sgt. Pepper”, “The White Album” and “Rubber Soul”.

    Elsewhere on the chart, Raekwon and Brooks & Dunn also enter in the Top 10. It looks like Jay will hold at the #1 spot on next week’s album chart, with a battle forming for second place between British band Muse and Whitney Houston, who will see an uptick in sales thanks to her interviews on the season premiere of “Oprah”.

    …and here’s another interesting Jay fact…”Blueprint 3″ opens with 50,000 more copies than 2007’s “American Gangster” did. “Gangster” went on to sell over one million copies.

    This week’s Top 20 Albums, courtesy of Billboard & Soundscan

    1) Jay-Z “Blueprint 3”

    2) Miley Cyrus “Time of Our Lives EP”

    3) The Beatles “Abbey Road”

    4) Whitney Houston “I Look to You”

    5) The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

    6) Raekwon “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2”

    7) The Beatles “The Beatles (White Album)”

    8) The Beatles “Rubber Soul”

    9) Brooks & Dunn “#1s…and Then Some”

    10) The Beatles “Revolver”

    11) Trey Songz “Ready”

    12) Michael Jackson “Number Ones”

    13) Black Eyed Peas “The E.N.D.”

    14) Boys Like Girls “Love Drunk”

    15) Kings of Leon “Only by the Night”

    16) The Beatles “Help!”

    17) Taylor Swift “Fearless”

    18) The Beatles “Let it Be”

    19) The Beatles “Past Masters 1 & 2”

    20) The Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour”

  • Live!…and in Living Colour

    It’s not often that you get to see musical legends playing mere feet from you. However, that turned out to be the case last Thursday when I saw Grammy winners Living Colour play a tiny Boston bar called Johnny D’s. The groundbreaking funk/rock band was touring in support of their fifth studio album, “The Chair in the Doorway”, and their 2-hour plus set proved that after more than twenty years, they’ve still got the goods.

    The band structured their show somewhat strangely, kicking off with an hour of hits before playing their new album in it’s entirety. However, they were good enough that they were able to retain almost the entire audience for that second hour despite the fact that they were playing music no one had heard before.

    One thing that still resonates is the band’s diversity. Far more than your standard rock band, Living Colour’s performance incorporated elements of jazz, soul, electronica. Hell, there was even a 10-minute solo performed by drummer Will Calhoun! It’s a testament to their superior musicianship that they were able to traverse so many different styles and still sound like a cohesive unit.

    Perhaps the most impressive thing of all was the fact that lead singer Corey Glover has retained a quite impressive set of pipes. Straddling the line between rock ‘n roll growler and soul shouter, with one hell of a vocal range, Glover was equal parts attitude (strutting through “Elvis is Dead”) and emotion (a heart-rending version of “Open Letter (to a Landlord)”). He might be one of rock’s most underrated frontmen-he’s certainly a much better vocalist than even Living Colour’s records indicate.

    Although the crowd was there for “Cult of Personality” (which closed the show) and “Glamour Boys”, the new material was well-received, with one audience member shouting out “album of the year” in the midst of the proceedings.

    I grew up admiring this band and I must say, they did not disappoint live. Their show easily placed on my list of favorite concerts, and this was the *start* of their tour. I’d almost hate to see how good they are once they get their legs under them. While history might not be as kind as it should be to Living Colour, believe me when I say that these guys are still worth checking out two decades after their heyday.

    http://www.livingcolourmusic.com/

  • New Release of the Week 9/15/09: There’s Too Many!!!

    How do you know that the summer is over? Albums start coming out at breakneck speed. While I understand the concept of more music coming out closer to the holidays (when people are actually gonna, y’know, spend money?), I wish they would even out the release schedule a little more instead of putting a hurtin’ on the wallet all fall and winter, kna’mean?

    Anyway, I couldn’t decide on just one release to spotlight this week, so here’s four for you, representing several different subgenres of popular music. No matter your taste, you will find something to your liking amongst these selections:

    Muse “The Resistance”-

    Although the song they performed on the VMAs last Sunday didn’t exactly turn my crank (can someone agree with me that it sounds just like Britney’s “Womanizer”?), this British band turned me into a fan with their last album “Black Holes & Revelations”. With a sound that encompasses elements of classic, modern, and prog rock, Muse is one of the best new rock bands working today. Their previous two albums have sold quite well in an under-the-radar fashion. This new one should be their breakthrough.

    Kid Cudi “Man on the Moon: The End of the Day”:

    The latest Kanye protege to hit the streets is Kid Cudi, who scored a Top 5 hit earlier this summer with “Day & Nite”. Part of the “alternative hip-hop” renaissance that’s taken hold as a backlash against gangsta rap, Cudi (who is from Cleveland, of all places) is one of the gere’s most promising newcomers. Along with Mr. West, there are guest appearances on this album from Common and Snoop Dogg. I’m beginning to think that all you need to get Snoop on your album is some weed, he makes so many damn guest appearances.

    Living Colour “The Chair in the Doorway”:

    The pioneering funk/metal outfit returns after a five year siesta with a new album. As eclectic as ever, “Chair” jumps from straight-ahead rock to electronic-spiced tunes to ballads with ease. I was fortunate enough to see them in concert just a few days ago (more on that in another article) during which they performed this new album in its’ entirety. Believe me when I say that they’ve still got it.

    Q-Tip “Kamaal the Abstract”:

    Originally scheduled for a 2002 release, “Kamaal” was shelved by Jive, Tip’s label at the time, for being too uncommercial. Well, after seven years, it’s still not commercial, but it’s finally going to see the light of day (although I’m sure many of you Tribe/Tip fans, like me, got your grubby little hands on this album by, uh…less than savory means). Anyway, “Kamaal”, while rooted in hip-hop, is just as much of a jazz/funk album as it is a rap record. If you’re a typical boom-bap hip-hop fan, this album might give you pause. Then again, if you’re a typical boom-bap hip-hop fan, you probably gave up on Q-Tip after A Tribe Called Quest broke up. This artistic triumph was well worth the wait.

    There’s plenty more coming out, and you can find the entire list of this week’s releases here!