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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Michael Buble

  • Let it snow!

    Let it snow!

    As I watch tiny flakes fall from the German sky, I think to myself… “Let it snow!”

    Snow shouldn’t excite me as much as it does. I still can’t help but feel excited when I see it, though, especially since I’ve been living in warm places for the past five years. Not counting Thanksgiving 2014, when my husband Bill and I ran into an aberrant snowstorm that dumped a couple of inches in Virginia, I haven’t really seen much of the stuff in years. Now that we live in Germany again, I’m thinking to myself “Let it snow!” I’ll just sit in the house and snuggle with my dogs… and listen to music, of course. Lots of artists have recorded the song, “Let It Snow”, which usually gets played at Christmas time.


    A classic version by Dean Martin.

    This song isn’t really a Christmas song, though, is it? Do they even mention the big winter holiday at all in this song? I don’t think so. Why shouldn’t we sing it in January or February, when snow may be more likely to fall?


    Michael Buble updates “Let It Snow”, along with some manly sounding backup singers.

    I think it works even better with a woman singer…


    Maybe not Jessica Simpson, though… What the hell is she doing to this song?

    I’m kind of partial to the song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”. You can have a lot of fun with the suggestive lyrics if you have the right partner. The first time I heard this song, it was sung by James Taylor and Natalie Cole, who sounded fine together but didn’t seem to have much chemistry.


    Lady Gaga sings with Joseph Gordon-Levitt… Do they have chemistry?

    It’s kind of cool that Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt traded roles, but I’m not so sure they pull it off. Hmm, now that I think about it, it’s kind of a creepy song. Basically, one person is trying to talk the other to sticking around for some nookie. A little date rape, perhaps?


    Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw sing… after Colbie hawks her Christmas album.

    And here’s a very cute version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” by the Hound + the Fox.


    These two have chemistry! So cute, despite the song’s date rape theme.

    Even I get into the act on this one. I recorded this version with a SingSnap member named Outnumbered 321.


    Nobody’s ever sung this to me for real, though. No one I ever dated could sing worth a damn.

    Sadly, since my husband is currently in hot and sunny Chad, I won’t be snuggling with anyone on this snowy day. Bah humbug!

  • Chart Chat 12/30/09: Prelude to the Year-End Wrap Up

    Hey folks, I’ve been out of pocket for just about a week. Not having internet service beyond a Blackberry isn’t fun. However, we’re back and 2010 promises even bigger and better things:

    This week’s chart is the 52nd of the chart year, so get your pads and pencils ready. We’ll be talking about the top sellers of the year very soon. In the meantime…

    Susan Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream” logs a fifth week at the #1 spot on the charts, with 510,000 units sold. This brings it’s total to a shade under three million units. It’s the longest running #1 album of 2009.

    Mary J. Blige pops in at the runner-up spot with “Stronger with Each Tear”. This album didn’t have the buzz that her previous two albums had, which explains the sharp dropoff in first week sales. “Stronger” checks in with 330,000 units scanned in its’ first week. 2007’s “Growing Pains” debuted with 629K and ’05’s “The Breakthrough” bowed with 727K. I’m giving the album its’ second listen now and while it’s not bad, it definitely sounds like Mary on autopilot.

    The chart’s only other debut comes from Lil Wayne’s Young Money collective. Despite the star power of Weezy as well as artists like Lloyd, Nicki Minaj and Drake, their “We Are Young Money” compilation debuts at a so-so #9 with 142,000 copies sold.

    Eminem’s “Relapse” gets a huge boost thanks to it’s “Refill” re-release with extra tracks. The album lands at #11 with 128,000 copies sold, bringing its’ total take to 1.7 million copies.

    Each of this week’s Top 16 albums sells over 100,000 copies. It’s worth noting how femme-centric the Top 10 is. In addition to Boyle and Blige, the top ten also hosts Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Lady GaGa, as well as female-targeted male artists like Justin Bieber and Michael Buble. Next week, expect a chart overhaul as the more adult-oriented artists take a tumble down the chart (Boyle might even cede her #1 chart perch to Blige or Alicia Keys) and more youth-oriented artists rise up.

    Here are this week’s Top 20 albums:

    1) Susan Boyle “I Dreamed a Dream”
    2) Mary J. Blige “Stronger with Each Tear”
    3) Andrea Bocelli “My Christmas”
    4) Alicia Keys “The Element of Freedom”
    5) Taylor Swift “Fearless”
    6) Lady GaGa “The Fame”
    7) Justin Bieber “My World (EP)”
    8) Carrie Underwood “Play On”
    9) Young Money “We Are Young Money”
    10) Michael Buble “Crazy Love”
    11) Eminem “Relapse”
    12) Lady GaGa “The Fame: Monster (EP)”
    13) Michael Jackson “This is It”
    14) Owl City “Ocean Eyes”
    15) The Black Eyed Peas “The E.N.D.”
    16) Glee Cast “Glee: The Music Vol. 2”
    17) Various Artists “Now 32”
    18) Rihanna “Rated R”
    19) John Mayer “Battle Studies”
    20) Soundtrack “Alvin & the Chipmunks 2: the Squeaquel”

  • New Releases of the Week 10/6/09: Backstreet Boys,KISS & More!

    This week’s a little lighter on the superstar action than the two or three weeks that preceded it, but there’s still a heavy flow of new music finding it’s way into stores and online outlets. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the highlights…

    Backstreet Boys “This is Us”: You’ve gotta give BSB credit for sticktoitiveness. It’s been a good six or seven years since their sell-by date, and yet they just keep plugging along. “This is Us” is their sixth album over on these shores, and it’s being touted as a return to dance-pop after a couple albums of adult contemporary (and very sleepy) balladry. They’ve reunited with their original producer Max Martin, along with Redone, who’s the producer behind Lady GaGa. First single “Straight Through My Heart” didn’t do anything for me, and BSB have generally never been my cup of tea, but I give ’em props for still trying when everyone else of their ilk has folded.

    Michael Buble “Crazy Love”: Here’s a one-two punch for the housewives. The latest album from the Canadian crooner (which releases on Friday) features his standard mix of standards and contemporary love songs. Among the familiar titles here-“Georgia on My Mind” and a redo of Billy Vera’s classic “At This Moment” (you know, the “Family Ties” song). Buble himself wrote two songs, including first single “Haven’t Met You Yet”, and the album also features an appearance by The Dap-Kings of Sharon Jones (and Amy Winehouse) fame. Unfortunately, I can’t think of Michael Buble anymore without remembering the camera phone pics that popped up on the ‘Net last year and saying to myself “I’ve seen this dude’s butt”.

    Mike Doughty “Sad Man Happy Man”: Yes, folks. I have a man-crush on Mike Doughty. The singer-songwriter and former leader of Soul Coughing is one of rock’s more interesting characters and a genuinely nice guy to boot. Oh, yeah. He also makes good music. His new album, “Sad Man Happy Man” is a worthy follow-up to 2008’s excellent “Golden Delicious”, and also briefly reunites Doughty with David Kahne, who did some production work for Soul Coughing back in the day and is probably best known for producing Sublime’s breakthrough album (did you hear that they’re back together…why??). He also has one of the more interesting blogs of any popular musician.

    KISS “Sonic Boom”: That hissing sound you heard was a million dudes in their late thirties and early forties pissing themselves when they found out that KISS was touring and releasing an album. Gene Simmons and Co., who will probably (finally) get inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame next year, are back with “Sonic Boom”, an album that will be sold only in Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores. It’s the band’s first album in over a decade, and you get new songs, some remade classics, and a live DVD. It’s the next best thing to being there, I guess.

    Meshell Ndegeocello “Devil’s Halo”: I must say, I kinda have a crush on Meshell too. She’s been rocking my world for 16 years now and has yet to release an album that’s been less than stellar. She’s changed her sound up on just about all of her albums, going from funk to jazz to hip-hop to folk and back again. This album has a pretty strong pop/rock flavor, and is probably the most guitar-centric of her career. I reviewed it for Popdose. Have a look-see, why don’t you?

    Also in stores today: albums by Blake Lewis, Roseanne Cash, Brandi Carlile, Vic Chesnutt, Toby Keith, and…Lita Ford??

    Get your full list of the week’s new releases here!