Things I Think About Music And Stuff Like That

Remember how I said that sometimes, great music does just show up in your inbox? Well, it happened again. :)

The Boxing Lesson have created some seriously nifty psychedelic tunes on their new album, Wild Streaks & Windy Days. Their beautifully atmospheric, experimental rock sound and moody lead vocals make each track a special treat to indulge in. This album is a wonderful one to sit back and get lost in.

The band's impressive skill can be most appreciated on their longer tracks, where they have room to explore the melody and instrumentation. The guitar work on the album is just fantastic, especially the sweet licks on "Dark Side of the Moog" (clever title!) and the deliciously depressing "Muerta." Those aren't the only tracks to take note of, though - keep an ear out for "Freedom" (a refreshing burst of energy), "The Art of Pushing Me Away" (dark and ruminative), and the epic title track.

So in my expert opinion (or not!), I'd suggest that you go check out The Boxing Lesson on MySpace and then pop over to iTunes to buy Wild Streaks & Windy Days!

Cheery bye, Scarlett

The next album release that I'm eagerly anticipating is We Started Nothing by The Ting Tings. You've surely heard them by now - if not the almost-annoying-but-somehow-really-fun "Great DJ", then definitely "Shut Up And Let Me Go" (used in a US iTunes commercial) or "That's Not My Name" (the current UK single).

Katie White and Jules De Martino's spunky brand of indie-electro-pop might not be anything new, but it's darn good and undeniably catchy (as anyone who has heard "Great DJ" and its "the drums... the drums... the drums..." hook can attest to!). The Ting Tings aren't all high-energy romps, though - in a live KCRW set sometime in 2007, they showed a gentler side with the pretty "Traffic Light."

What sets The Ting Tings apart from the rest is lead vocalist Katie's edgy but appealing style and the fresh instrumentation. Simple guitar, synth, bass, and drum arrangements allow the melodies and fun hooks to shine.

Give them a listen - you won't be disappointed! :)

Here are a few extra "tings" for ya:

• That's Not My Name (Soul Seekerz Radio Edit) (320kb/s)
• Great DJ (Promo CDM) (m4a)
  1. Great DJ (7th Heaven Remix)
  2. Great DJ (7th Heaven Dub)
  3. Great DJ (Calvin Harris Remix)
  4. Great DJ (7th Heaven Radio Edit)
  5. Great DJ (Original Radio Edit)
  

Enjoy! Cheery bye, Scarlett

Just a few Kylie pics that I'm loving right now! :)

Kylie's on tour right now! Sadly, I'm stuck here in the US, but that doesn't mean I can't get hyped up anyway! :)
Check out LOVE KYLIE's KylieX2008 Tour posts and be amazed. Kylie looks just gorgeous in the tour promo/book pics, and the live pics illustrate a pop phenom at the top of her game. You go girl!

Kylie is also the new face of TOUS, a jewelry and accessories brand. Here is a fab pic from the campaign!
I'm not sure what this next photo is from, but Kylie looks lovely and contemplative in it, so I thought I'd share!Kylie is on the cover of the May issue of German Vogue. The article photos are very Marilyn Monroe - but with that certain Kylie something, of course! :)
Sorry for a rather boring post (what? no music?), but don't worry - my finals are over in two weeks and then I'll be on my summer break, which means lots more tunes! :)

Cheery bye, Scarlett

Note - I'm not putting Hard Candy up for download. A few months from now, sure. But for now, just buy the darn CD and give Her Madgesty the props she deserves!

All righty, now that that's out of the way... I was super-excited about Hard Candy's release, and you know what? Madonna delivered.

I had my doubts about the album, sure. Awhile back, I wasn't too worried about the rumored urban direction in which the album was headed. I think Madonna has proven that she can handle any genre she wants to handle. But the demos of "The Beat Goes On" (reworked into "Beat Goes On") and "Candy Shop" (which was left pretty much as-is) didn't seem to hint at a great album.

And then "4 Minutes" was released, and my excitement for what was now called Hard Candy was re-energized. 30sec clips of the album tracks were put online closer to the album's release and my excitement hit a new high. This was going to be an awesome album!

A little before 12:00 AM April 29, I got an email from iTunes telling me I could download my pre-ordered copy of Hard Candy and I put whatever I was working on aside to listen.

You really shouldn't get as hyped up as I did for this album because you're just going to feel a bit let down. At least, that is, on the first listen. I liked the songs, of course, but it wasn't the awesome album I had heard in "4 Minutes" and those 30sec clips. Over the next week, though, I played the album over and over again, and I can firmly declare that Hard Candy is indeed awesome.

Is it my favorite of Madonna's most recent releases? Probably not (yet). Confessions On A Dance Floor takes that place. It was released during my first semester of university and I have a huge soft spot for it - besides, it's a brilliant dance album.

But Hard Candy - whoa! It's the freshest Madonna has sounded in years and even more than that, it's fun! Haters will continue hating, saying that Madonna's just trying to stay relevant by working with hip names like Justin Timberlake and Pharrell, that she's having some sort of mid-life crisis, singing lyrics like "see my booty get down." But who else could make clinging to relevancy at almost-50 sound so good? (All together now, "4 Minutes"-style - Ma-donn-uh!)

What I love most about Hard Candy is that it sounds like it might have been made by any pop pretender-to-the-throne out there, and yet, it could only have been made by Madonna. There's this indefinable fierceness that runs through the whole album that cannot and will not ever be duplicated. Declarations like "my sugar is raw," "I can go on and on and on" (really, the whole of "Give It 2 Me"), and "I know I can do it better" pepper the album and remind us that Madonna is most certainly the Queen of Pop (as if we could forget!).

The only track on the album that I don't care for is "Candy Shop." I'm sorry, but it's weak. Really weak. The "my sugar is raw (sticky and sweet)" bit is cool, but the rest isn't great. Luckily, it's followed by "4 Minutes," which you've probably heard by now so I won't go over how cool it is again. :) "Give It 2 Me" didn't grab me on my first few listens - the bass and synth lines sounded kinda cheesy and the chorus seemed a bit... well, weak. It's still not my favorite song on the album but it's full of energy and the lyrics are too cool for school! Love that "get stupid" part. I have no idea why, but it's fun.

"Heartbeat" is all about dancing, a clear relative of "Into The Groove" but with a groove of its own. The skipping synths and bass-heavy beats of this track surround nice vocals from Madonna and one of my favorite parts of the album, simply for its... well, I dunno, but it's something: the break with Madonna telling us to "see my booty get down" and then making some sort of noise like she's hocking up phlegm. "Huh huh" indeed!

An uptempo ballad comes along next in the form of "Miles Away," which will definitely be read into by critics and tabloid journalists as being about a forthcoming breakup of Madonna and Guy Ritchie's marriage. Yeah, whatever. Take it for what it is - a bittersweet tale of long-distance love with beautiful vocals from Madge and a lovely melody. The best track of the album so far.

"She's Not Me" and you better not forget it! This funky jam runs through the reasons why Madonna is the definite article and the others are just posers. "Incredible" is truly that - incredible. I can hear how it might be annoying to some, but man oh man, I love it! Brilliant beats, shining synths, and ultra-catchy all around, "Incredible" is also an epic of sorts. It has several different melodies and the last two minutes or so - when the male backing vocals start up - is infectious and fierce. My favorite track on the album, with "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Voices" following close behind.

"Beat Goes On" is a heavily reworked version of the similarly named demo that surfaced last year, and it's way better! Much more upbeat, more fully produced, and it overall takes what was good about the demo and enhances it. The rap by Kanye West fits and even adds to the feel of the track. "Dance 2night" comes up next and has a nifty bassline and even niftier drums. Justin Timberlake pops up again and turns the song into a duet, but "Dance 2night" seems to have more Madonna than "4 Minutes" does. Great stuff! Up next is "Spanish Lesson,"which seems to be either hated or loved by fans. Me? I rather like it! The bridge and chorus are breathtaking and the Spanish flavor of the track works and doesn't sound out of place alongside the rest of the songs.

Madonna albums usually get slower or sadder (or both) toward the end. I really like Madonna's more downtempo, thoughtful tracks and "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Voices" do not disappoint. "Devil" is gorgeous. That's really all you need to know. Everything about it works - Madonna's expressive voice is supported by wonderfully atmospheric production. It's similar to "What Goes Around..." by Justin Timberlake (who co-wrote and co-produced this track) but better. "Voices" begins with a "Bohemian Rhapsody"-like intro sung by Justin. Biting lyrics, a particularly nice vocal from Madonna, and thick, string-soaked production combine to make this into a quietly epic ending. The song closes with the same haunting, clanging bell that featured heavily in the middle portion of the Confessions tour. Beautiful.

So. Hard Candy. It's pretty darn good.

Cheery bye, Scarlett

Dana International's latest album, Hakol Ze Letova, was my second favorite album of 2007 (Siobhan Donaghy's Ghosts being my #1 fave). I ranked it above Kylie's X, people. You know Hakol Ze Letova must be fab!

Hakol Ze Letova is equal parts joyous celebration and bittersweet contemplation - all set to flawless dance productions. Now when you think of Dana International, "bittersweet contemplation" is probably not what comes to mind. You'd be forgiven if you couldn't quite believe that Dana's song themes could go deeper than, say, the lyrical depths plumbed (and banana-ed... and potato-ed...) in "Cinque Milla." But, you'd be wrong.

Dana's discography boasts quite a few songs that are tinged with a bit of sadness. Even her first album (Danna International) featured a cover of Queen's "The Show Must Go On," a track not exactly bursting with happiness. Subsequent albums had tracks (in particular, "Ani Lo Yechola Biladecha," "If You Don't Love Me The Way I Am," "Hargasha Tova," and "Ad Hayom,") that showed a more vulnerable side of this glamorous diva.

Hakol Ze Letova is lyrically Dana's most personal album to date (she even wrote the lyrics to several of the tracks) and musically one of her best - quite possibly the best. The lyrical themes seem to be divided into three categories: fun lyrics that hearken back to the flamboyant, carefree singles of her early days ("Love Boy," "Memagnet," and "Seret Hodi"); lyrics about how life and love can be sad but ultimately things will be OK ("Hakol Ze Letova," " Yom Huledet," "Yalla Balagan," "At Muchana," "Eifo Halev?" and "Yom Aher"); and lyrics about life and love just being sad ("Bereshit," "Lo Ma'amina," and "Behoravot ha'ahava"). The music suits the themes beautifully, from the exuberant Bollywood beats of "Seret Hodi" to the wistful, yearning strings on "Behoravot ha'ahava." Absolutely flawless production!

The album is kicked off in style by lead single "Hakol Ze Letova," a dreamy trance track with killer beats, swooping synths, and a great sentiment - "hakol ze letova" ("it's all for the best"). The storming tempo of the first track is slowed just a tiny bit with "Yom Huledet," a gorgeously melancholy dance song about birthdays marking the passing of time. The beats keep rolling along in "Bereshit" ("Genesis"), where Dana sings about having a grand old time in the Garden of Eden - until she gets kicked out. It's actually a rather depressing tale! But "Bereshit" has a chorus that's irresistible, so it's all good.

The tribal-influenced "Lo Ma'amina" was written by Dana and, like "Hakol Ze Letova," is a bit of a "message" song about believing in yourself. "Yalla Balagan" has a spirited reggae vibe that you'll find yourself humming along to! Idan Yaniv, a popular Israeli singer, guests on "Seret Hodi," a brilliantly catchy his-and-hers tune about how we're all living in a Bollywood movie!

The striking synths that open Dana's record-breaking hit "Love Boy" let you know that you're in for a treat! This fab disco-inspired track is so much fun and a true highlight of the album. We go from fun to fierce with the next track, "At Muchana." Its grinding guitars and driving rock beat underscore Dana's aggressive vocal performance as she sings about how "they" (the media?) just want to see her fail. Those meanies!

"Eifo Halev?" brings us back to the dance floor with its yearning cry of "eifo halev?" ("where is my heart?"). It's another slightly melancholy yet energetic track and is one of my favorites on the album. The hyperactive "Memagnet," however, is not. It's OK, but a bit too average (and kind of annoying) for this superb album.

Things pick right back up, though, with the piano-based ballad, "Yom Aher." It's a lovely little song with delicate production. The final track, "Behoravot ha'ahava," is also a ballad and is just beautiful. Atmospheric and despondent, the song is a haunting close to Hakol Ze Letova. (There are two bonus remixes, but they aren't really a proper part of the album, are they?)

Give the album a try - you will not be disappointed!

Hakol Ze Letova (2007) (192-320kb/s)
(part 1 + part 2)
1. Hakol ze letova
2. Yom huledet
3. Bereshit
4. Lo ma'amina
5. Yalla balagan
6. Seret hodi
7. Love boy
8. At muchana
9. Eifo halev?
10. Memagnet
11. Yom aher
12. Behoravot ha'ahava
Bonus tracks:
13. Hakol ze letova (Danny Tuval & Zigo Remix)
14. Love boy (Eli Abramov & Zigo Remix)

Enjoy! Cheery bye, Scarlett

I got an email from one of the guys in Temple Scene, an up-and-coming band, wondering if I'd like to review their new EP. I'm not one to pass up checking out new (free!) tunes, so I gave Another Town EP a try. I didn't have high hopes - how often are great tunes just dropped into your inbox? But I loaded up Another Town on my iPod and listened.

And you know what? Great tunes sometimes do just pop up in your inbox. Temple Scene's music has a low-key vibe but it's also richly produced, each strum of a guitar or keyboard accent adding just the perfect touch, and the lead singer delivers the simple but poignant lyrics with a lovely, engaging vocal. Their Another Town EP songs are mellow, melodic tunes that are perfect for listening to on a lazy afternoon. Each track is satisfying - the rather funky "Somewhere In This City," the anthemic "Half Life," the gorgeously urgent "Breathing," the bright "Everything" - and by the end of the last track, you are left wondering when the full album will be released!

So go give Temple Scene a listen on their website (you can download a free track - "The Story" - there!) and spend some money on them at iTunes! You can also check them out on MySpace.

Cheery bye, Scarlett

Whilst visiting Oh No They Didn't, I came across a timesonline.co.uk article entitled "Madonna: more clout than the Beatles, all by herself . . . and wearing heels."

A few bits from the article:

The Fab Four may have set the benchmark, but the Material Girl outstrips them with her sheer cultural impact...

On the one hand, what Madonna has done in terms of being female, and a female artist, is astonishing. Although the benchmark for all achievements in pop music will probably always be the Beatles, in many ways, Madonna’s intentions and impact on Western culture have been bigger.

The Beatles, for instance, didn’t do it on their own. The Beatles didn’t do it in heels. The Beatles didn’t have to overcome 2,000 years of the patriarchy before they left the house every morning. And, even at their most sociopolitically daring, the Beatles never displayed half the balls that Madonna did between 1989 and 1990...

Now, the points this article raises would certainly make a fascinating book (Is Madonna Bigger Than The Beatles? - now that would be a Number 1 bestseller!), but the issues touched on could hardly be covered thoroughly on a blog. Even so, I made the following comment on the Oh No They Didn't post:

I absolutely adore Madonna but... I dunno. She's definitely a pop culture icon and all but the Beatles were a phenomenon. Really, like another commenter said, it's apples and oranges. Both the Beatles and Madonna are important in pop culture but for different reasons.

I do think it is terribly important, though, as the article points out, to acknowledge and consider Madonna's success as a female artist in a largely male-driven industry. That said, I'm still not too sure that she's ultimately "bigger than the Beatles."

I suppose only time will tell if Madonna is "bigger than the Beatles." Musically, Madonna does not and will not ever eclipse the impact the Beatles' songwriting had on the music world. (And I'm saying this as a rabid Madonna fan.) However, Madonna's cultural impact should not just be dismissed because of that. If you strip Madonna's career to the core you are left with an incredibly strong, powerful and determined woman who has remained relevant in a fickle industry for over two decades. Whether you like Madonna or can't stand her, you can't deny that fact.

But really, why does it have to be a competition? Can't we appreciate the Beatles and Madonna without pitting them against each other? I know I do. It really is apples and oranges. So while it is interesting to compare the impacts the Beatles and Madonna have made on pop culture, sometimes you just gotta let it (will) be. :)

On a related note - Madonna's Hard Candy leaked. Before Kylie's X was to be released, I decided to limit myself to the 30sec previews Amazon and such sites have and not download any leaks because I wanted to hear the whole album on its actual release date. I don't know why, I just didn't feel right about listening to it before it was really supposed to be released. And I'm doing the same thing with Hard Candy but holy crap it is so hard to wait! Especially after hearing the clips from musicload.de (it looks like Hard Candy has disappeared from their inventory, so here is a compilation of the clips from the site). Anyone else about to burst from waiting for a taste of Hard Candy? :)

Cheery bye, Scarlett