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Pop Rock Nation

Category: News

music-news-from-breakups-to-the-lastest-buzz

  • New Release of the Week 6/9/09: Teena Marie

    teena

    Former protege of Rick James, vanilla soul sister, the one and only Lady T. Whatever you call her, Teena Marie is back with her first album in four years, “Congo Square”. The first single, “Can’t Last a Day” has already made noise at urban radio, and with a guest lineup including MC Lyte, Howard Hewett and Faith Evans, it’s sure to spawn even more hits. The R&B scene has been extra-weak so far this year, so here’s hoping Teena’s new album is the kickoff for a good second half of the year on the soul music front.

    Here’s what else comes out tomorrow:

    Mos Def The Ecstatic– After wowing us ten years ago with “Black on Both Sides”, Mos confused us with the overreaching “The New Danger” and then completely threw us off with a deliberate throwaway album in “Tru3 Magic”, an album so lazily put together it didn’t even have a cover. Now off the Geffen label and on Downtown Records (home of Gnarls Barkley, among others), Mighty Mos is back with an album that will hopefully knock the bad taste of the last couple of records out of listener’s mouths. Early reviews are promising.

    Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D.– On the other side of the hip-hop coin are the Black Eyed Peas. My distaste for them is legendary, but what I find more striking is the fact that their new song “Boom Boom Pow” has been the #1 song in the country for the past eight weeks and I have not heard the song ONCE. I’m sure the BEP will sell kajillions of records without my support anyway.

    Sonic Youth The Eternal– After nearly two decades in the MCA/Geffen family, New York alternative legends Sonic Youth are back on an indie label for “The Eternal”. These guys (and girl) have a pretty strong cult following, and since they’re not gonna make a pop breakthrough anytime soon, I don’t think it matters *what* label they’re on. They’re gonna sell what they’re gonna sell anyway.

    Pleasure P. The Introduction of Marcus Cooper– Pleasure P is the former lead voice of raunchy R&B outfit Pretty Ricky, and this is his solo debut. “Boyfriend #2” has already hit the Top 5 on the R&B charts, and the big production guns were definitely brought out for this release, including Cool & Dre, Ne-Yo and Keith Sweat. You’d think that a lot of these groups would stay together longer. It’s not like anyone’s leaving an R&B group these days to have an awesome solo career. Anyone seen Slim from 112 lately? How about Sisqo?

    A full list of this week’s new releases can be found here.

  • Bret Michaels Eats it at the Tony Awards

    Let’s face it, it’s funny when people fall.

    Poison was performing their 1988 hit single “Nothin’ But a Good Time” (featured in the show “Rock of Ages” on the Tony Awards last night (10 years ago, who would have thought you’d see Poison on the TONYs of all places?), when lead singer Bret Michaels “missed his mark” and wound up having an unfortunate encounter with a set piece. Bret allegedly suffered an injury, although no one would specify what the injuries were (a very bruised ego, perhaps?).

    I’m stunned that he was able to take that blow to the head and his wig didn’t come off. That must be one tight-ass hairpiece.

    Which award show fall was better? Bret’s last night or Joe Jonas eating the floor at the 2007 American Music Awards?

  • First Listen: Jay-Z “Death of Autotune (D.O.A.)”

    jigga

    So it seems like Jay-Z has been teasing (threatening) us with music from “Blueprint 3” for forever. First there was “Jockin’ Jay-Z”, then there was the Obama song, then there was “Swagga Like Us”, which, if y’all remember, was originally supposed to be on Jay’s album, not T.I’s.

    Anyhow, Jay has returned yet again with the intriguingly titled “Death of Autotune (D.O.A.)”, and if I can say one thing, it’s that the production-provided by No I.D. and Kanye West, is definitely on point. This is a real hip-hop beat. The problem, as has become shockingly apparent of late, is Jay-Z’s rhyming. This is a dude who considers himself the best of all time, right? Over the course of the past couple of albums, Jay’s rhyming has gotten increasingly lazy. Truthfully, he’s got more of the eye of the tiger on this track than on anything I’ve heard since “American Gangster”, but from a skill standpoint, this is still kinda lukewarm. Maybe Jay needs to rethink that whole not-writing-any-rhymes thing down now that he’s hitting the big 4-0. His rhymes are definitely not as sharp as they once were.

    But here’s the song, you judge for yourself…