web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Category: News

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

  • 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.

  • Those Lucky Farts at Billboard: Green Day Album Preview

    Those lucky Billboard people got to hear six tracks from the new Green Day album, “21st Century Breakdown”. Green Day’s been one of my favorite bands since “Dookie”, and unlike a lot of folks, I didn’t abandon them in the decade between that seminal album and “American Idiot”. I’m actually one of the few folks out there who can say they liked “Warning”. Conversely, I’ve gotta say that it took a long time for “Idiot” to finally blow me away.While everyone was busy proclaiming it the best album of 2004, I was fairly unimpressed, but I’ve got to say that the album has held up extremely well over the years and with 4 1/2 years hindsight, I’ll say it’s almost as good as people said it was at the time.

    Anyway, it looks like “Breakdown” will be similar to “Idiot” in that it’s sort of a “rock opera” with a storyline and three “acts”. This album will also be politically charged, although not to the extent that “Idiot” was.

    “21st Century Breakdown” comes out in early May, which means that we should be hearing a single shortly. I can’t wait!! In the meantime, let’s kick it old school with the “When I Come Around” video, which I remember getting played on MTV every 10 minutes-back when they actually played videos.

  • Infatueighties #52: Down Under

    downunderAustralia has always had sort of a romantic appeal to me (and I’d love to be there right now, considering it’s summer), and I have Men at Work to thank for it. The delightfully goofy band won my six year old heart, first with “Who Can it Be Now” and then with “Down Under”. How can you resist the story of a man who meets a woman who made him breakfast when you’re a little kid? All it would have taken for a kidnapper to have lured me away back then was the promise of pancakes.

    Of course, there’s more than just the first verse. There’s the addictive flute-sounding hook. There’s a remarkably catchy chorus, which sticks in the head even though you have no idea what Men at Work are talking about unless you’re Australian or know one. There’s Colin Hay’s delightfully droll delivery. Put it all together? Certified classic. The song’s lived through a Best New Artist Grammy, commercials for the Australian tourist board, “Crocodile Dundee” and an acoustic performance on “Scrubs” and is still a joy to listen to and sing along with.

    And of course, there’s the “vegemite sandwich” line. Have you ever SEEN what Vegemite looks like? Green barf. Australians eat this. They’re better people than I’ll ever be.