web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Blog

  • Kanye West & Spike Jonze Team Up For a “Fairytale”

    So…”We Were Once a Fairytale” isn’t a video, per se. It’s more like a mini-movie. There’s not really a song featured. It’s also the latest thing to emerge from the twisted minds of Kanye West and video director-turned-genius movie director Spike Jonze. With those two teaming up, you would expect nothing less than an engrossing viewing experience, and that’s exactly what this vid…mini-movie is.

    There appears to be a linear thread here (although I’m not gonna tell you what it is-you’ll have to watch). To me, this just underlines a few things: one being that Kanye has infallible taste in collaborators, another being that Kanye has more artistic vision than any other person in the hip-hop genre, and finally, that he is much more self-aware than we give him credit for.

    And I still think the MTV stunt was staged.

    Enjoy the film.

     

  • First Listen: Vampire Weekend’s “Horchata”

    Those of you who frequent this site are well aware of my love for Vampire Weekend. The quartet of Columbia grads, led by singer Ezra Koenig, released an awesome debut album in 2008, mixing pop and rock with a world music flavor. Their follow-up, “Contra” is due at the top of 2010, and the first single is called “Horchata”.

    So…what the hell is “Horchata”? Well, according to Wikipedia, it’s a drink popularized in Latin American countries. The ingredients vary by country, but it appears that most recipes include milk and sugar, with additional ingredients ranging from rice to sesame seeds. I feel so cultured.

    The song sounds a little bare-bones for me, almost like a demo. It’s growing on me, though. Let us know what you think.

  • First Look – Alicia Keys’ Doesn’t Mean Anything

    Alicia Keys tweeted it out herself (well, through Dream Hamption). It’s the new video to her first single from her upcoming album The Element Of Freedom.

    In the video, Alicia sings her heart in a high rise building and then all of a sudden, she’s singing in the desert next to a volcano next to her piano. And no, in case you’re wondering, Common doesn’t die again. He’s not in this one.