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Category: News

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  • Chart Chat 8/24/08: Jonas Brothers, David Archuleta, NKOTB and More!!!

    Here we go, folks. This week’s Top 20 charts are brought to you by the good folks at Billboard Magazine, the number “6” and the letter “F”.

      Top 20 Singles:

    1) “Disturbia” Rihanna
    2) “Crush” David Archuleta
    3) “Forever” Chris Brown
    4) “I Kissed a Girl” Katy Perry
    5) “Viva La Vida” Coldplay
    6) “Paper Planes” M.I.A.
    7) “Dangerous” Kardinal Offishall feat. Akon
    8) “Take a Bow” Rihanna
    9) “Closer” Ne-Yo
    10) “Change” Taylor Swift
    11) “American Boy” Estelle feat. Kanye West
    12) “A Milli” Li’l Wayne
    13) “Put On” Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West
    14) “Leavin’” Jesse McCartney
    15) “When I Grow Up” Pussycat Dolls
    16) “Dreamer” Chris Brown
    17) “Get Like Me” David Banner feat. Chris Brown
    18) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
    19) “Got Money” Li’l Wayne feat. T-Pain
    20) “Burnin’ Up” Jonas Brothers

      Top 20 Albums:

    1) “A Little Bit Longer” Jonas Brothers
    2) “Mamma Mia Soundtrack” Various Artists
    3) “Rock & Roll Jesus” Kid Rock
    4) “Breakout” Miley Cyrus
    5) “Love on the Inside” Sugarland
    6) “Tha Carter III” Li’l Wayne
    7) “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” Coldplay
    8) “Camp Rock Soundtrack” Various Artists
    9) “Good Girl Gone Bad” Rihanna
    10) “Jonas Brothers” Jonas Brothers
    11) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
    12) “Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 28” Various Artists
    13) “Talento de Barrio Soundtrack” Daddy Yankee
    14) “One of the Boys” Katy Perry
    15) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
    16) “Kids Bop 14” Various Artists
    17) “Lessons in Love” Lloyd
    18) “Indestructible” Disturbed
    19) “Rockferry” Duffy
    20) “Look What You Made Me” Yung Berg

    *It’s a Jonas world, we’re just living in it. If you count the “Camp Rock” soundtrack, the new millennium Hanson now has three albums in the Top 10, including the #1 album, as “A Little Bit Longer” posts the third biggest debut of the year (behind Li’l Wayne and Coldplay).

    *In other ankle-biter news, “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta blasts onto the charts at #2 with “Crush”, besting the #3 debut of “AI” winner David Cook’s “Time of My Life”. It’s fairly obvious who the “Idol” folks are putting their money behind, this is by far the earliest a single by an “Idol” contestant has been released following the season’s conclusion. Shades of Season 2, when the promotional muscle was put behind runner-up Clay Aiken and not winner Ruben Studdard.

    *Now, how about if for former ankle-biters? Debuting just out of view of the Top 20, at #22, is a revised “Greatest Hits” album by New Kids on the Block. This marks NKOTB’s highest chart position since “No More Games-The Remix Album” grazed the Top 20 in 1991, and also bodes quite well for their new album, “The Block”, which arrives in a couple of short weeks. However, I’m a bit confused as to how three songs can be added to a previously released compilation and it can be allowed to chart on Billboard’s regular album chart, while five new tracks were added to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and it was relegated to the catalog list. Anyone care to explain that one?

    *Congrats to Rihanna. Not only does “Disturbia” hang on to the top spot on the pop singles charts, but “Take a Bow” ascends to the #1 position on the R&B singles charts, giving Rihanna such a rare feat (topping two different singles charts with different singles) that I can’t even think of a precedent.

    *Another interesting chart fact to note. Each of this week’s Top 7 albums has done time at #1 on the chart, which is almost certainly some kind of record, although it won’t last next week, where Staind is on track to pop in at #2 behind the Jonases.

    *Olympic fever has spread to the Billboard charts, as Taylor Swift and Chris Brown both enter in the Top 20 with their respective “Team U.S.A.”-endorsed singles. I’m waiting for Michael Phelps to make a record. Right now, that’s a guaranteed #1.

    *Hey, aren’t Ne-Yo’s and Young Jeezy’s albums supposed to be out already?? Both originally had street dates in early August, but it looks like Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman” has been bumped to mid-August, while I’m not exactly sure when Jeezy’s “The Recession” is supposed to drop. What’s up Def Jam?

    Since this week’s charts aren’t exactly filled with fantastic opportunities to embed video, I’ll leave you guys for the day with a song I’ve been listening to a lot lately, and…the perfect song to put in a Sunday morning column. Behold the awesomeness of Lionel Richie’s ‘fro.

  • LL Cool J: The G.O.A.T. No More(?)

    Remember this guy?

    His name was LL Cool J and he was the hottest, most versatile rapper around. Capable of appealing to the hard rocks and the ladies, the pop fans and the underground cats. His songs had choruses and hooks, but he didn’t sacrifice lyrical agility for commercial success. And when hip-hop fans started to think that he was about to fall off back in the early Nineties, he hit them with the album of his career: “Mama Said Knock You Out”. He was arrogant yet humble, dangerous yet approachable, undeniably talented…

    (more…)

  • Introducing: Nightwood

    Ahhh…remember that brief moment in the mid Nineties when female-fronted rock bands were the rage? The emergence of the riot-grrl movement went hand in hand with the first wave of bands inspired by mixed-gender ensembles like The Pixies, and ushered in a new age of women who aren’t afraid to pick up their guitars and rock out with their co…hmmm, perhaps I should rephrase that.

    In the spirit of those bands (and in an age where we seem to need them more than ever, since most women in pop and rock have put down the guitars and adjusted the push-up bras), I introduce you to Nightwood. They rock. They contain 2 girls (who sing and play guitars) and a guy (who plays drums). They’re Canadian. Granted, our neighbors to the north have given us Celine Dion and Nickelback, but they’ve also given us Neil Young and Joni Mitchell! And Rush! I’m not quite sure why I’m making these comparisons…they sound nothing like any of those artists. Totally indie, totally cool, and maybe a little bit strange, this band’s music is definitely worth a listen to those of us who crave a little adventure in our musical excursions. It’s a little Pixie-tastic mixed with some Breeder-ific with a little bit of Sleater-Kinney-ness mixed in.

    If that doesn’t grab you, maybe the fact that member Amber Goodwyn runs a “pansexual smut zine” (their words, not mine) called lickety split (be forewarned…there be naughty bits there!!-18 and over please) might turn your crank. Either way, these folks are a welcome dose of offbeat from the country that gave us Anne Murray and Alan Thicke.

    You can check out their debut, “Big City E.P.” on your local digital music retailer (wait, there’s no such thing as a “local” digital music retailer…buy it on iTunes or Napster). While you’re at it, you might also want to check out their site.

    Hey! They also have a video!! Watch “Cave of the Spleen” below: