Both Alicia Keys and singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder of the band OneRepublic have faced accusations that, well, if their songs were toilet paper, they could be labeled as containing at least 35% post-consumer recycled materials. This spring, Kelly Clarkson called Tedder out on the more-than-passing-resemblance between her 2009 hit single “Already Gone” and “Halo” by Beyonce, both Tedder originals. Meanwhile, our good friend Money Mike has noted here and elsewhere the Force MD’s impression Keys pulls off on “That’s How Strong My Love Is”, a highlight of her latest (and best yet) record The Element of Freedom. But in the case of a couple of recent singles, it seems that Tedder and Keys have independently arrived at roughly the same song, roughly simultaneously. Though Keys’s song was released and charted modestly as a single last year while OneRepublic’s is only just now starting to scale European charts and isn’t yet receiving any U.S. airplay, the albums the songs are taken from appeared within weeks of each other last fall. Neither artist could fairly accuse the other of even accidental plagiarism. Both are great songs, but it’s hard for me, when I’m singing along with one, not to sing the words and melodies of the other over it. I’d love to hear Alicia Keys co-fronting OneRepublic with Ryan Tedder on a mash-up of these songs.
Hey! Remember this show? Remember the band who won it? Maybe not. It was three years ago, after all, and unlike the American Idol which all but guarantees an annual outlet for its past winners and finalists to remind their fickle-by-design audience that they still exist, the Next Great American Band has not since returned to the airwaves. (I’m actually still holding out hope for Season 2 of Bands on the Run! Flickerstick Rulz!!!)
Moreover, where Idol winners often have an album assembled and rushed out to the market in time for Christmas shopping, Next Great American Band winners The Clark Brothers seemed to drop off the face of the earth, leaving the few of us who watched the show and fell in love -err mild infatuation with the Appalachian trio’s thrilling (for prime time) acoustic conflagrations of bluegrass, pop, and classic rock to wonder, y’know, wha’happen?
The Clark Brothers “Gimme Shelter”
Sometime between then and now, the Clark Brothers – Adam, Ashley, and Austin – were signed to a major label, and then got dropped by the label in a bit of corporate re-shuffling. At which point, they changed their name to Sons of Sylvia, signed with 19 Entertainment and Interscope, and showed up on a duet with Carrie Underwood called “What Can I Say”. Now, the band is on tour with Underwood in support of their long delayed debut album Revelation.
Carrie Underwood with Sons of Sylvia “What Can I Say”
Though the Sons of Sylvia had previously, along with three more of their brothers, recorded and even charted a Top 20 Country hit 10 years ago as the Clark Family Experience; and though the instruments they play (fiddle, mandolin, slide guitar) look and sound a little, y’know, bluegrassy; and though they are touring with Carrie Underwood, it becomes clear listening to Revelation that Sons of Sylvia are no more a country music band at this point than OneRepublic, whose lead singer-songwriter (and one of 19 Entertainment’s favorite go-to hit-writers) Ryan Tedder co-wrote and produced the group’s debut single “Love Left to Lose”. As with many of Tedder’s other hits, the song boasts a big, open-air sound with a full-throated campfire folk sing-along of a chorus, making it an immediate winner when you hear it on the radio.
The band carries that bigness with them throughout Revelation, almost to the point where it becomes a little too much of a pretty good thing, both in the record’s anthemic sound, but also in lyrics (see the title track) that seem to be reaching for the spiritual profundity of Bono, circa 1984. The album opens with “John Wayne”, a gorgeous statement of devotion that gets oversold by Ashley’s trying-too-hard shouty high vocals on the chorus, and ends with a strange assemblage of sounds (is there a song in this?) called “The War Within”.
There’s no question these guys are talented, and that they’re passionate music-makers. But the fire and brimstone they brought to that cover of “Gimme Shelter” on TV a couple years ago seems to have been compromised in the band’s quest to come up with a great pop/rock record. I’m not one of those people who believes that the words “greatness” and “pop/rock” are mutually exclusive; I think what Sons of Sylvia have attempted with Revelation is admirable, promising, and totally listenable. (I mean, seriously: pop music with actual stringed instruments, people! How awesome is that in 2010?) But listening to Revelation is like watching someone trying to start a fire by rubbing sticks together, generating occasionally thrilling puffs of smoke, but never quite acheiving something we might be able roast marshmallows over.
As expected, Green Day takes the #1 spot on this week’s Billboard charts with their new album, “21st Century Breakdown”. The pop-punk legends sold 215,000 units of the album in only three days of release, matching up favorably with 2004’s “American Idiot”, which sold a shade under 250K in its’ first full week out.
After Green Day on the chart? Tumbleweed City, folks. The “Hannah Montana” Soundtrack is #2 with 68K sold, and after that, no other album approaches the 50K mark. As usual, “American Idol” is the biggest catalyst behind the chart’s biggest moves. OneRepublic’s 18-month old “Dreaming Out Loud” re-enters the chart at #178 with a 120% increase over the previous week’s sales, and Katy Perry is another big gainer, as a 25% increase pushes her up 25 spots on the chart and also zooms her album “One of the Boys” past the million sales mark. Conversely, looks like bad times are ahead for former platinum-selling rappers Cam’ron and Paul Wall. Cam’s “Crime Pays” opens at an impressive #3, but only scans 43K in it’s first frame, while Wall’s “Fast Life” sells barely more than half of Cam’ron’s total to land at #15. And to think that Paul Wall had a #1 album just a couple short weeks ago.
Next week, it’s all about Slim Shady, as Eminem’s “Relapse” is scheduled to bump Green Day out of the top spot with the biggest sales week of the year, which could approach 650,000 units sold. Stay tuned, we’ll have Em’s final numbers in our Chart Chat column next week.
Here are this week’s Top 20 Albums
1) “21st Century Breakdown” Green Day
2) “Hannah Montana Soundtrack” Various Artists
3) “Crime Pays” Cam’ron
4) “The Fame” Lady GaGa
5) “Unstoppable” Rascal Flatts
6) “Together Through Life” Bob Dylan
7) “Fearless” Taylor Swift
8) “Epiphany” Chrisette Michele
9) “Deeper Than Rap” Rick Ross
10) “Fantasy Ride” Ciara
11) “Twilight Soundtrack” Various Artists
12) “Now That’s What I Call Music 30” Various Artists
