web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Blog

  • New Releases 10/27/09: The Other Stuff

    So, yeah. Michael Jackson’s the big news this week. However, there are a few other noteworthy albums making their way to storefronts (both physical and digital) this week. Here are a couple of highlights.

    Jack Johnson “En Concert”-
    I really dig Jack Johnson’s music. It’s soothing and relaxing. It’s like Bob Marley without the politics, you know? Perfect for imagining yourself chilling in a hammock on a white sandy beach. With that said, I’d imagine Jack Johnson in concert would be a total snooze. The way I see things, concerts should be lively and spirited. Jack is…well, he’s the opposite of lively and spirited-unless you’re really stoned. Which I imagine a lot of his fans are. Anyway, if you’re a hardcore Jack-phile, you can add to your collection with this live album.

    Train “Save Me San Francisco”-
    Nearly a decade removed from their Grammy winning smash “Drops of Jupiter”, the band Train is back with a new album. In between the release of their last album and this one, the band’s lead singer Pat Monahan released an album that went nowhere fast, so I guess it could be said that the return to the band is a way of going back to a sure thing. Their material’s always been scattershot to me, but Monahan does have a purty voice.

    The Swell Season “Strict Joy”-
    Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are still relatively anonymous here in the States. The Irish singers had a small cult following on these shores until they collaborated on a little movie called “Once”. “Once” became an indie hit, the soundtrack sold 3/4 of a million copies, and their “Falling Slowly” wound up winning an Oscar for Best Original Song. Some time after the Oscar win, Hansard and Irglova, who were a couple in real life, split up. But the band remains, and “Strict Joy” is yet another album of passionately sung ballads in their signature pop/folk-y style.

    Brian McKnight “Evolution of a Man”-
    A decade or so ago, McKnight was a superstar, with hits like “Anytime” and “Back at One”. His star has cooled considerably since that time, and he’s also been the unfortunate victim of some label bouncing around. His 11th album boasts collaborations with Jill Scott and Stevie Wonder, and apparently also includes a commercial for his upcoming talk show. Hey, you gotta advertise anyway you can, right?

    Rod Stewart “Soulbook”-
    “Soulbook” is Rod Stewart’s FIFTH consecutive covers album. He made his big comeback with the three “Great American Songbook” albums, then had a hit with the rock classics of the Seventies, and now he’s attacking some of the biggest soul hits of all time. While I admit that it would be hilarious to hear Rod cover some contemporary R&B, he sticks to the classics on this release, covering well-worn hits like “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and “The Tracks of My Tears”…in other words, songs that have already been beaten down into the ground. I think Rod needs to lay off the schmaltz and make a non-covers album again. While I’m sure most of his fans would welcome a return to “Every Picture Tells a Story” form, I’ll even take “Love Touch” form over this crapola. Stevie Wonder’s on this one, too. What can I say? The man gets around…although it seems that lately he’s been trading his harmonica solos for barbecue.

    There’s plenty more where that came from! Get your full list of this week’s releases here.

    Grrr…the video for “Love Touch” isn’t available on youTube or Yahoo!…but that doesn’t stop me!! Watch the record spin!!

  • Beyonce & Maxwell Lead the Pack in Soul Train Noms

    I remember watching the Soul Train Music Awards in 2007. It was PATHETIC. Everyone that won an award that night accepted via videotape. It was like no one even cared to attend…the only big names I remember seeing that night were The Isley Brothers and Robin Thicke (who was just in the process of blowing up). It was like the BET Awards came and knocked everything out of the box.

    Well, the Soul Train Awards are back. The BET and VH-1 merger network called Centric will be airing the 21st annual ceremony and it looks like the organizers have made this an event for the grown folks. This is almost completely an R&B award ceremony, making it a decent complement to the BET Awards, which are heavily hip-hop skewed.

    This year’s big nominees are Beyonce Knowles and comeback king Maxwell, with four nominations each. Newcomer Keri Hilson also scored four nominations, including Best New Artist, where she’ll vie against Drake, Jazmine Sullivan, Ryan Leslie and Solange. Hmm, sounds like the Soul Train Awards have picked up the very Grammy-ish habit of selecting Best New Artist nominees who aren’t new artists.

    To me, the strongest categories are Best Album and Best Male Artist. Beyonce is joined by Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx and Maxwell in the former category. Maxwell leads the latter category, going against Raphael Saadiq, Robin Thicke, Charlie Wilson and Musiq Soulchild.

    Wilson, of Gap Band fame, will be honored with a special achievement award at this event, along with the legendary Chaka Khan and the production team of L.A. Reid & Babyface. A special posthumous Entertainer of the Year award will be given to Michael Jackson.

    The Soul Train Music Awards will air on 11/29 on both BET and Centric.

     

  • ClashBack: “Sugar Don’t Bite”

    You know how random things pop into your head with absolutely no rhyme or reason? Well, that’s how I found myself on the internets over the weekend, looking for “Sugar Don’t Bite” by Sam Harris.

    For those of you who are wondering who the hell Sam Harris is, well, the simple answer would be that he was the Kelly Clarkson of the 1980s. Sam won the first season of “Star Search” back in 1983, performing songs like “Over the Rainbow” with lungs that rivaled Patti LaBelle’s. After wowing audiences on the syndicated talent contest, Sam went on to sign with Motown Records, releasing two albums and scoring a Top 40 hit in 1984 with “Sugar Don’t Bite”.

    After his contract expired, Sam went on to Broadway, where he’s become an in-demand actor and performer. He’s worked with artists from Wayne Brady to Michael Jackson over the years, and is still in demand today.

    That’s all well and good, of course, but the main reason I’m writing this column is to show you the video for “Sugar Don’t Bite”. Now, even if the video was set in a boxing ring and starred Mike Tyson, the song would still be the campiest thing in the world. Add in what might be one of the gayest videos of all time (even by 1984 standards) and you end up with a spectacle so queer that pink triangles practically float out of your television set.

    It’s also worth mentioning that the chorus is very melodically similar to Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach”, which arrived two years later. Is it possible that Madge, always a friend of the gays, had the melody of “Sugar” stuck in her head when she wrote “Preach”? Well…no, because Madonna didn’t write “Papa Don’t Preach”. But there *is* a similarity. I’m just saying.

    Although no one can deny the man’s vocal talent, I’d imagine that Sam looks at this video nowadays and either has a hearty laugh or hides his head in shame.