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Pop Rock Nation

Category: News

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

  • New Music In Stores & Online 9/9/08: Gym Class Heroes, LL Cool J, Metallica (Sort of) and More!!!

    If last week was a teaser, we’re full-bore into release mania this week!! Lots and lots of stuff coming out. Here’s the rundown:

    Gym Class Heroes: “The Quilt”:

    Gym Class Heroes' new album, "The Quilt", is in stores today.

    I got laughed at for liking Gym Class Heroes at a function last night, so out of spite I’m listing them first. GCH snared me in a very simple way-by sampling two cheese classics-Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America” and Jermaine Stewart’s “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off”-for their first two hit singles (“Cupid’s Chokehold” & “Clothes Off!!”. Actually, it’s partially because of GCH that I got into Fall Out Boy, who signed GCH to their label, and whose lead singer, Patrick Stump, sings the chorus on each of the two singles. While I’m not really feeling the first single “Cookie Jar”, and lead singer Travis McCoy lost major cool points by dating Katy Perry, I’m anticipating hearing the rest of this album, which features guest appearances by Brit soul singer Estelle, Busta Rhymes, and my man Daryl Hall.

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  • New Music: Christina Aguilera’s “Keeps Gettin’ Better”

    Christina Aguilera. Photo by John Yale.
    Christina Aguilera. Photo by John Yale.

    It’s been said a million times, but out of the whole influx of teenage girl singers that arrived on the scene, Christina Aguilera was obviously the one blessed with the talent. Her albums haven’t always been easy listens, but there have been some great spots within them. Her work with DJ Premier on 2006’s “Back to Basics” was excellent,and it seemed that those great pipes would work fantastically with hip-hop production.

    Maybe I should cut her some slack because of the whole new mommy thing, but I was a little distressed by what I saw on the VMAs from her last night. Not only did her outfit look like it belonged on the set of Janet Jackson’s lame-ass “Feedback” video, but the song she performed sounded like a Britney castoff with better (OK, much better) vocals…which weren’t live, by the way. I decided to check out the studio version of the song (which will be on Xtina’s upcoming Greatest Hits album…apparently only available at Target and Target.com…way to piss retail off Christina), and…well, it’s not as bad as I thought it was the first time. It’s a bouncy, electro-influenced tune, way different from anything she’s released prior, and fits right in with what’s going on at radio these days. Maybe the not-explosive sales of “Back to Basics” (about 1.6 mil, which is not too shabby) scared Christina and her people enough that they played it safe this time around? Either way, if we’re going to get “commercial and radio friendly”, at least the girl can sing, right?

    I love the chorus…”sometimes I’m a super bitch!!”…at least she gets it, right?

  • Lessons To Be Learned:Why We’re Sweet On Gabriella Cilmi

    When a good friend of mine came back from a trip to the UK in addition to hearing him tell stories of the places he visited, since we’re kind of  music nerds, most of of what I yearned to hear about was the music he encountered across the pond.  He immediately let me know about this song he couldn’t escape when he was on vacation.  “This chick is very YOU” he told me.  I guess the constant exposure to the song left him with some gaps in his memory as all he could tell me at the time was the name of the song, “Sweet About Me”.  I quickly scribbled it down on a piece of paper and slipped it in my pocket–excited to get home and solve this musical mystery.

    About a day later I found that piece of paper on my desk and went to the first place I figured would get me instant restults–YouTube.  Seconds later I find Gabriella Cilmi making her way around the room checking in on some ex-loves caught in a cargo net, tied to a chair, dangling upside from the ceiling, and taped to the floor (among other places and punishments).  She slinks around the room reminding singing the chorus, “Sweet about me, nothing’s sweet about me…”
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