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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Van Morrison

  • The New Music Files 10/21/08: Featuring AC/DC, Kenny Chesney, HSM3 and More!!

    I figured it was time to change the title of the column into something a little less…you know, boring. Anyhow, here’s what you should be expecting to see on store shelves and in your trusty little iTunes browser this week:

    AC/DC: Black Ice:

    Those rascally Aussies have pretty much made the exact same album for thirty + years now, but damn if people don’t go out and buy tons of it each time. Black Ice is their first album of new material in almost a decade, and it’s receiving a little extra notice not only because they’re crisscrossing the globe in support of it, but because, much like The Eagles album from last year, this album is being released exclusively at Wal-Mart and walmart.com (actually, the album went on sale yesterday, but who’s counting). If you’re anywhere near rock radio or VH-1, I’m sure you’ve already heard the first single “Rock & Roll Train”.

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  • New Music In Stores & Online 7/1/08: G-Unit, John Mayer, Vanessa Hudgens & More

    John Mayer's new release Where The Light IsThe 4th of July weekend seems like the perfect time to release new music. You figure that folks planning the long weekend and heading out to the beach or a barbecue will want to take some tunes along for the ride, right? Well, how come there isn’t anything good coming out this week? Sheesh.

    Here are some highlights (relatively speaking, that is):

    John Mayer “Where The Light Is”: For whatever reason, Mayer is taking some guff for having released so many live albums in a relatively short time. This is his third officially-sanctioned concert release in 7 years (although the John Mayer Trio album was almost completely new material). Of course, those same people won’t mention the fact that Pearl Jam had put out about 500 live albums before their 10 year anniversary. Anyway, I’ve seen Mayer live once and, as much as I love the guy (as explained in yesterday’s post), he was good if not great. Although the guitar at his shows is a little more showy, his records don’t sound a hell of a lot different from his records, and his stage patter can border on smarmy/obnoxious. Anyhow, when a live album from someone whose already put out a pair of live albums in less than a decade is your top choice this week, you know you’re in trouble. This is also available on DVD.

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  • Chart Chat: Radiohead, Van Morrison and More!

    Hey kids, courtesy of the good folks at Billboard magazine, here’s this week’s Top 20 singles and albums!!
    Top 20 Albums:
    1) Troubadour-George Strait
    2) Accelerate-R.E.M.
    3) Now That’s What I Call Music 27-Various Artists
    4) Day26-Day26
    5) Alvin & The Chipmunks-Soundtrack
    6) Still Da Baddest-Trina
    7) Welcome To The Dollhouse-Danity Kane
    8) Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings-Counting Crows
    9) Trilla-Rick Ross
    10) Keep it Simple-Van Morrison
    11) Shine a Light (soundtrack)-The Rolling Stones
    12) Pretty. Odd.-Panic at the Disco
    13) Sleep Through the Static-Jack Johnson
    14) Attack & Release-The Black Keys
    15) Mail on Sunday-Flo Rida
    16) Taylor Swift-Taylor Swift
    17) Little Voice-Sara Bareilles
    18) Consolers of the Lonely-The Raconteurs
    19) Vol. 7: Hope & Sorrow-Sevendust
    20) Good Time-Alan Jackson
    Top 20 Singles:
    1) Touch My Body-Mariah Carey
    2) Bleeding Love-Leona Lewis
    3) 4 Minutes-Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
    4) Lollipop-Lil’ Wayne feat. Static Major
    5) Love in this Club-Usher feat. Young Jeezy
    6) Sexy Can I-Ray J feat. Yung Berg
    7) No Air-Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
    8) With You-Chris Brown
    9) Love Song-Sara Bareilles
    10) Low-Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
    11) Don’t Stop The Music-Rihanna
    12) See You Again-Miley Cyrus
    13) Stop & Stare-OneRepublic
    14) Apologize-Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
    15) You’re Gonna Miss This-Trace Adkins
    16) Superstar-Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos
    17) Independent-Webbie, Lil’ Boosie & Lil’ Phat
    18) No One-Alicia Keys
    19) Beat It-Fall Out Boy feat. John Mayer
    20) Sorry-Buckcherry
    It’s a good time to be a Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer on the album charts this week: R.E.M. debut at #2 and score their highest charting week and biggest sales week since 1996’s “New Adventures in Hi-Fi”. Meanwhile, Irish troubadour Van Morrison scores the highest chart position of his 40-year career with “Keep it Simple”.
    On the singles chart, it’s worth mentioning that “Nude”, at #37, is Radiohead’s first Top 40 single since “Creep”, their debut single back in 1993!!
    The TV was on while I was doing chores yesterday, and I swear that between VH1-Soul, MTV Hits, MTV Jams and VH-1 proper, I saw the videos for “No Air” and “Love in This Club” a grand total of 1,000 times.
    Here’s the American Idol performance of “No Air”. Back when Chris first came out, I was unsure if he had staying power, but this kid is the real deal. I’m not sure why they felt the need to lip-sync only the pre-chorus though.
    …and the video for “Love in this Club”, which looks remarkably similar to the video for “Yeah!”. I love this song (even though I can definitely do without Young Jeezy). However, given the box office receipts for “In The Mix” and “Light it Up”, should someone send Ush the message that he should maybe stop acting?
    Elsewhere, “Beat It” enters the Top 20 via Fall Out Boy, marking the third cover/major sample of a “Thriller” song to hit the Top 20 this year, following Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop The Music” and Kanye West’s “Good Life”. For those playing at home, if the year was to end today, “Thriller” would be 2008’s 6th best selling album.
    Hmmm…maybe Panic at the Disco (who plummet 2-12) should have changed their album title to Pretty. Over.
    Next week, there’s a good chance Brit Leona Lewis will debut at #1 on the album charts as well as re-planting herself at #1 on the singles chart, making her the first British female ever to score a #1 album! Stay tuned…