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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Money Mike

  • Infatueighties #51: Need You Tonight

    inxsSex. That’s all you need to know. This song oozes sex. There’s that bluesy guitar riff that repeats throughout the song. Then there’s the skeletal groove-a little funky, a lot sleazy. Finally, there’s Michael Hutchence’s vocal delivery. Half whispered, half screamed, all sexual longing and tension. This was the song that established Hutchence as a Grade “A” frontman and gave his band INXS their first and only #1 American single.

    That paragraph was 69 words. Somehow, that seems appropriate.

    INXS were a killer singles band: “What You Need” and “New Sensation” were among the Eighties’ best songs-thanks to the tight musicianship of the band and Hutchence, who played the sexy angle but had genuine soulful grit in his voice. Although the hits dried up long before Hutchence’s tragic death in the late Nineties, the good music didn’t-“Not Enough Time” and “Disappear” are top-notch singles. Hell, Hutchence even held his own against Ray Charles for one single. Check this video out and tell me these guys don’t deserve more props.

    <center><object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/KL7FY7rwVtQ&hl=en&fs=1″></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/KL7FY7rwVtQ&hl=en&fs=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object></center>

  • First Look: Taylor Hicks’ What’s Right is Right

    taytayRevisionist history has cast Taylor Hicks’ win in Season 5 of “American Idol” as a mistake or a joke, but I think it’s one of the only times that America actually made the right decision. Unlike most of the winners, Hicks seemed less preoccupied with being a star than with actually being a successful musician. “Idol” just gave him a platform to bring his sound to a larger audience, but without the show, something tells me that Tay-Tay would still be touring the country in a van, singing his grey-haired little lungs out.

    After dissolving his deal with RCA Records, Taylor has resumed the life of an independent musician (albeit a really famous independent musician) and has just released the first video from his upcoming album called “What’s Right is Right”. As expected, it’s by no means contemporary, but that has no bearing on whether it’s good or not. It’s a cool, late-night midtempo offering that has a vaguely Eighties quality to it. If “Idol” had existed a quarter-century earlier, Hicks would have been topping the charts along with Daryl Hall, Michael McDonald and a host of other blue-eyed soul vocalists. Count Taylor Hicks as one of the few “Idol” alumni that I’m actually looking forward to purchasing a second album by.

  • First Spin 2/17/09: Morrissey, Annie Lennox and More!!!

    mozThis week is not exactly the most exciting one for new music releases. Actually, this is one of the first weeks that I can recall where I don’t have anything to discuss besides the five spotlight releases. So this column’s gonna be short this week. I apologize. Here’s what you should expect coming from your local physical and online retailers this week.

    Morrissey “Years of Refusal”-He’s been the King of Mope for the past quarter-century now, don’t expect Moz to change anytime soon. His new album is filled with the typical dramatic renderings of songs like “Something is Squeezing My Head”. Stuff that tons of arrested teenagers who’ve loved Morrissey since the Eighties will relate to with no problem at all.

    Charlie Wilson “Uncle Charlie”- The former lead singer of the Gap Band scored pretty big with his 2005 album “Charlie…Last Name Wilson”, which sold almost half a million copies. The long-awaited follow up features Wilson’s buttery (and much imitated) voice over sensuous midtempo and slow jams. Collaborators include R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg and Justin Timberlake.

    Thursday “Common Existence”– Er…don’t have much to say here. Semi-faceless, semi-successful emo/rock band’s latest album. Excited? Hmmm…maybe they’re not emo…wikipedia calls them post-hardcore (exactly what *is* that?). Indie folks will be excited to know that they’ve signed with Epitaph after a brief dalliance with major labels.

    Annie Lennox “The Annie Lennox Collection”- One of the best female voices in music history, I don’t think that Annie Lennox has ever received the props that she deserved. Starting out in the videogenic Eighties, she’s one of the few artists from the MTV-era whose work stands alone without the visuals attached to it (and she’s made some great videos too). This collection features all of her solo hits like “Why”, “Walking on Broken Glass” and “No More I Love You’s”, as well as a handful of new tracks.

    Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit “Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit”-Jason Isbell split from country/rock powerhouses Drive-By Truckers a couple years ago and enjoyed a well-received solo debut last year. Joining forces with a new band, Isbell’s new album mines familiar country/soul/rock territory with the great storytelling that’s become DBT’s trademark.

    Get your full list of releases here.