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Tag: Lady Antebellum

  • CD Review: Lady Antebellum “Own the Night”

    Lady Antebellum's ''Own the Night''
    Take a look at recent adult contemporary charts and you’ll find that some of the format’s biggest hits of the last few years have been by youngsters: Miley Cyrus. Adele. Taylor Swift. As a contemporary adult, I find the implications of that fact a little embarrassing, and a little sad. Then there’s Lady Antebellum, who landed the mother of all adult contemporary hits in the form of last year’s “Need You Now”. The Nashville country pop trio recently released their third album, called Own the Night, and it occurs to me about three songs into this new record: these are the songs Taylor Swift would be singing if she were 15 or 20 years older.

    There’s really very little difference between the average Taylor Swift song and the songs of Lady Antebellum. They both play melodic, radio-friendly pop love songs that, for little more than geographic origin, the occasional flourish of mandolin and fiddle and a general lack of Autotune, somehow qualifies as country. (What? No cowboy hats? No songs about tractors?) You could easily imagine that it was the same hit-for-hire team supplying material to both acts. Lady Antebellum singer Hillary Scott even sounds a little like Swift, especially on a big, heart-wrenching, string-laden, piano ballad like “As You Turn Away”, one of the highlights of Own the Night.

    What most distinguishes Scott and her bandmates, singer Charles Kelley and multi-instrumentalist Dave Haywood, from Taylor Swift (well, aside from the fact that most of Lady Antebellum’s songs are vocal duets) are the stories their songs tell. These aren’t the chronicles and confessions of high school girls and boys, but the backstories and subtexts of those girls’ and boys’ high school reunions.

    Never mind that they’re only a few years older than Swift, Lady Antebellum’s songs are the probable middle-aged ever-afters of Swift’s “Love Story”, where the googly eyed crushes of high school are distant memories, and every first kiss is informed by the consequences of how many other first kisses. In “Just a Kiss”, the album’s lead single, Scott and Kelley arrive at a moonlit doorstep at the end of a date and move cautiously to a good-night kiss, singing “I don’t want to mess this thing up.” These are people with pasts.

    Two old classmates reminisce separately about a single high school slow dance they’d shared years earlier, before having gone their separate ways in life – “for me you’ll always be 18 and beautiful” – in the lovely and heartbreaking “Dancing Away With My Heart”. Meanwhile, in “Somewhere Love Remains”, a couple who’ve shared a life together find themselves at the edge of splitting up – again. Sure, “Friday Night” is an upbeat, 80s-style rocker (no way this wasn’t written for the soundtrack of the remade Footloose). But it’s still basically Scott and Kelley assuring each other, in playful strings of opposing metaphors – “chore to check off on your list” vs. “lemonade in the shade” – that they don’t want to ever get into a rut.

    There are a few moments of sheer giddy pleasure. “Love I’ve Found In You” is a portrait of unqualified domestic bliss, while “Singing Me Home” is all carnal lust on the open road. But these are intermittent escapes from the album’s general sense of tastefully-rendered, elegantly-packaged, thirty-something, romantic melancholy.

  • American Idol Season 10 – Who Makes The Final 4?

    After last night, it seems like Jacob is going home. Don’t worry. I’m not going to sit on my pedestal and shout at everyone who doesn’t like Jacob. He didn’t have a great night and if there’s a week that he goes home, I’d be fine if it was this week. It doesn’t mean that I’m off the Jacob bandwagon because I think he has the best voice of anyone bar none, but he didn’t perform at the level that everyone else did, per their standards.

    J. Lo Booty Alert
    She did a full twirl this time, but she’s wearing a poofy skirt so though I saw the junk, I didn’t really see the trunk.

    After a 5-person ditty, they are in the kitchen making omelets with Chef Ramsey. What this has to do with American Idol, I have no idea, but it has a lot to do with cross promotion. Lauren won the omelet contest, much like she’s going to win the American Idol contest.

    Lady Antebellum is singing Just A Kiss. Is there a band out there featuring women called Sir something or other? Sir Mix-A-Lot doesn’t count. He just ogles female backside. They don’t count as part of the band.

    Ryno tells James to stand up. Jimmy Iovine says James’ voice shut down on the ballad because of emotion and gave him an 8 out of 10 on last night’s performances. Ryno tells him to start a group on the far side of the stage.

    Lauren is up and Jimmy says that she wussed out of hitting the big note last night on Unchained Melody and predicted that she’d be in the bottom two. Lauren goes on the opposite side of James.

    Back to the horrible Chef Ramsey cross promotion. Lauren and Jacob are in a competition where they have to put on blind folds and figure out what kind of food they are given, which Lauren won.

    It’s J. Lo’s turn to perform live. Let’s hope she doesn’t sing live. She’s wearing some baggy gold pants that don’t do much for her, but I have a feeling we’re getting a good look at that money maker. We got one good look and it’s not the same as it was during the Selena (Selenas!) days, but it’s still grand. Oh ya, and she did sing live. Pitbull joined her as well.

    It’s Jacob’s turn. Jimmy says that Jacob had a rough night and he lost confidence. He gave him a six. Jacob joins Lauren’s side of the stage.

    Haley gets graded by Jimmy next and he says she gets a ten. He says that if her confidence is there, she’s a lock for the finale. Haley joins James’ side.

    Last but not least, it’s Scotty Too Hotty’s turn to be graded. Jimmy liked Scotty a lot last night, but didn’t give him a grade. Scotty is safe. Ryno tells him to choose the side to stand with who he thinks is safe. He doesn’t do it, but Ryno puts him with James and Haley and all three of them are safe.

    It’s down to Lauren and Jacob. Lauren is already crying. Jacob has a steel reserve. Jacob goes home. Lauren is relieved. Jacob says he can now go out and make his kind of R&B music. He wails away as he says goodbye, while being surrounded by his Idol friends. Goodbye Jacob. Seacrest out!

  • American Idol Season 9 – Who Makes The Top 5?

    We’re not necessarily down to the nitty gritty just yet, but we’re close. With just six competitors left, we’re halfway home.

    You could say that last night’s show was the most competitive one thus far, though I disagreed with a lot of the love the judges were throwing out last night. How about next year, you can’t hide behind the guitar and just play?

    George, the big kahuna of this website had a pretty good idea for next year.

    He said:

    My real hope for this show is that next year, you get to play a guitar ONCE if you make the top 12 and you get to play a piano/keyboard ONCE. That’s twice you get to play an instrument.

    I like that idea. This way, Casey James and Lee DeWyze don’t get to be boring behind their guitar and get major love from the judges. It’s a singing competition yes, but if your winner has zero personality and charisma, or in DeWyze’s case, looks like he’s going to pee his pants whenever Ryan talks to him, how can you sell any of his or her records?

    Rascal Flatts is on stage performing Unstoppable. Even though I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fan, I’ve always liked them from afar. They’ve always seemed more pop than actual country to me, but that might be simply because I’m not a big country music connoisseur.

    Cameron Diaz and the man who once looked like Antonio Banderas are on stage to promote the newest Shrek film. Diaz is wearing heals, but she’s at least half a head taller than Ryno.

    Dim the lights, and here we go…

    Ryno tells creepy girl to stand up. She goes to the far left of the stage to be in one of three groups.

    Ryno calls up Aaron Kelly next. Kelly forgot the take the hanger out of his jacket before he put it on. He goes to the center of the stage.

    Last night, I thought that Big Mike sounded a lot like Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men. Tonight, he’s wearing a Boyz II Men cardigan sweater. He goes to the far right of the stage. Motown Philly back again…

    Ryno asks Lee DeWyze a question and he answers by saying, “I mean…” Um, Lee. You don’t mean anything if you haven’t spoken yet. He joins creepy girl on the left side of the stage.

    Casey joins Big Mike on the right and Crystal joins Aaron in the middle.

    Ryno tells creepy girl to walk towards Big Mike and Casey and they are the bottom three.

    Carrie Underwood is out to introduce Sons Of Sylvia. Can someone just give Carrie a sammich? That girl is going to wither away. The lead singer from SOS looks like Bill Hader from Saturday Night Live, except with a mullet. He’s straight up singing while playing a violin.

    Lady Antebellum is out singing Need You Now. I know they’re hot and the song is very nice, but I’m not overwhelmed. I’ll take a mulleted Bill Hader any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

    Now, Shakira is on stage playing the harmonica singing Gypsy with Rascal Flatts. Is this American Idol or the American Music Awards? Sorry, I didn’t get that at all. Thankfully, I’m watching this on the DVR. All I saw was Shakira dancing really fast.

    Ryno tells Big Mike that he’s safe. It’s between Casey James and creepy girl.

    And, the person who goes home tonight is…

    I’m sad. How can I keep writing this post for the next month without my creepy girl? The creepy girl has left the building.

    I know that I once said that whenever I see Siobhan on screen I feel the need to lock my door, but I have liked a bunch of her performances. I’ll leave you with my favorite.