There may only be four days til Christmas, but whether you need a soundtrack to keep you full of Christmas cheer during your last-minute shopping or you need a little boost of Christmas spirit to make up for those Christmas parties you had to miss because of the blizzard of '09, we've got you covered with some of the most fun holiday pop and rock songs. From classics by the Beach Boys to dance songs released just this year, this list may seem a bit eclectic, but I can assure you it's nice.
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra: It's just not Christmas without an overly dramatic, full-orchestra-meets-heavy-metal rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" colliding with "Carol of the Bells" like two monster trucks... No, seriously, it's not.
Santa Claus is Thumbing to Town - Relient K: A very imaginative Night-Before-Christmas tale of everything going wrong in the North Pole, culminating with Santa trying to hitchhike around the world in one night, told over thrashing guitars riffing on "Jingle Bells."
Ugly Christmas Tree - Oh, Hush!: Whoever the members of Oh, Hush! are, they must the masters of Christmas spirit. It takes a true believer to pen a bouncy little tune about your ugly Christmas tree without losing any of your “Christmas glee.”
Girl of My Dreams - Jonas Brothers: Forget sticking your tongue on frozen poles; I triple-dog dare you to listen to this song without jumping or dancing around... Can't do it? Aw, it's one of the most fun songs the JoBros have ever recorded; I'll let you dance around a little. It's Christmas.
Angels We Have Heard on High - Relient K: Hands-down best pop-punk performance of a traditional Christmas song ever. Why can't we rock out like this during the Christmas eve service?
My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas) - The Click Five: Okay, Eric, maybe I can see why the other guys kicked you out of the band (unverified rumor alert): you seem a bit obsessed with your possessions. Despite the two entire verses devoted to things the singer bought or received, the song is fun and supremely danceable. Also, way to have a better attitude than the guys on "Last Christmas" - you still have New Year's!
Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys: What can I say? The sunny, harmonious music of the Beach Boys both preceded and perfected the art of swoon-inducing pop songs The Click Five and JoBros always seek to emulate. Gotta respect the classics.
Disco Christmas - Oh, Hush!: The title says it all. Also, I will definitely top my tree with a disco ball instead of a star next year.
Last Christmas - Wham!: I've loved this song ever since I first heard Hilary Duff sing it on her Christmas album Santa Claus Lane. (Yeah, I bought it... Okay, okay, quit laughing!) Last year, I looked under every igloo and toy shop in the North Pole, searching for the greatest cover of this song. I checked out everything from Ashley Tisdale and Cascada to Jimmy Eat World and Busted, but I couldn't find a cover that could top the original.
Step Into Christmas - Elton John: I must admit, I think this one of the most festive Christmas songs of all time... Aw, go ahead and laugh. I'll keep dancing around the house, playing this on repeat.
Greatest Time of Year - Aly & AJ: A true Christmas miracle: two uber-Christian Disney pop princesses who don't believe in evolution release the most politically-correct, non-denominational holiday song Hollywood Records has ever produced. We only get a hint of which holiday they are celebrating when they casually mention decorating the tree and hanging mistletoe. Oh, and that whole "joy to the world" thing is kind of a Christian slogan, isn't it?
Why Doesn't Santa Like Me? - Skye Sweetnam: This song simultaneously shows the impish little tween pop-punker at her most rocking and her most adorable. It's told from the perspective of a little girl fearing that Santa won't give her any presents, even though she's been such a good girl this year (hey, her brother has recovered from the time he took the remote control). Skye, Santa may not like you, but we adore you.
Wild Christmas - Huckapoo: Sure, the over-produced vocals are even more sparkly and plastic than fake snow, but this song is pure pop music joy. (And for all you former Dreamstreet fangirls out there, I would like to note that Chris Trousdale's cover is slightly less saccharine but still highly recommended.)
The Christmas Song - Owl City: Adam young brings his usual misty-eyed magic to this original holiday song. Guaranteed to make your heart as warm as a night spent by the fire. And this song's inclusion on my list shouldn't surprise anyone: you know I believe Adam Young can do wrong. His label, Universal Republic, might not agree. They pulled a scheduled November release of this song when they realized its one line about Jesus being the only way might upset fans of other religions. Still, check out this song on YouTube and enjoy his sweet (and totally secular) story of meeting a girl and not having to spend Christmas alone.
I Hate Christmas Parties - Relient K: What this song is missing in Christmas cheer and jingle bells, it more than makes up for with its honest and simple tale of teen heartbreak during the holidays. With less spunk than the similarly-themed "Mood Rings," this is one of Relient K's most clear-eyed and poignant songs about being hurt by girls they don't understand.
Showing posts with label skye sweetnam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skye sweetnam. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I've been trying to stay away from blogging and obsessively watching music videos until my summer homework is done, but when a couple of my favorite artists release videos as great as this, well, I just gotta share them.
Lots of other posts with other great videos coming up soon, but for now, keep the end-of-summer party train running a little longer with these:
First up, NeverShoutNever! released the adorable video for his equally adorable song "On The Brightside" yesterday. If you thought Christofer Drew was cute, wait til you see this video's animated star. This one will definitely brighten your day.
On the Brightside
The music biz hasn't been treating Canadian pop-rock princess Skye Sweetnam too well these days, but hey, she's never let her lethargic label get her down before. During this hiatus from performing, promoting, or doing anything else really, she made her directorial debut with "Explode (Makes My Head)" for fellow Canadian pop-rocker Ashes. Her raspy voice can get irritating, but the repetitive instrumentals are fun enough to almost make up for it. The video won't exactly have you glued to your seat, wondering what will happen next, but your eyes will definitely be glued to Ashes' rhinestone-coated lips. Yes, rhinestones. Her career probably won't stop stagnating any sooner than Skye's, but at least give the video a look.
And finally, I'm saving a lot of the good videos I've seen for a future post, but you simply must check out this darling little fan-made video for "Fireflies" by Owl City. (It's for a contest that I fully plan on entering and winning, but, well, this is pretty darn hard to compete with. It's creative, well-made, and as heartwarming as a Pixar film. I'll definitely have trouble kicking its ass) ;)
Keep your eyes peeled for more awesome music videos showing up here soon! I've got a whole rack of European hits I discovered on my trip to Italy that I can't wait to share with everybody!
Lots of other posts with other great videos coming up soon, but for now, keep the end-of-summer party train running a little longer with these:
First up, NeverShoutNever! released the adorable video for his equally adorable song "On The Brightside" yesterday. If you thought Christofer Drew was cute, wait til you see this video's animated star. This one will definitely brighten your day.
On the Brightside
The music biz hasn't been treating Canadian pop-rock princess Skye Sweetnam too well these days, but hey, she's never let her lethargic label get her down before. During this hiatus from performing, promoting, or doing anything else really, she made her directorial debut with "Explode (Makes My Head)" for fellow Canadian pop-rocker Ashes. Her raspy voice can get irritating, but the repetitive instrumentals are fun enough to almost make up for it. The video won't exactly have you glued to your seat, wondering what will happen next, but your eyes will definitely be glued to Ashes' rhinestone-coated lips. Yes, rhinestones. Her career probably won't stop stagnating any sooner than Skye's, but at least give the video a look.
And finally, I'm saving a lot of the good videos I've seen for a future post, but you simply must check out this darling little fan-made video for "Fireflies" by Owl City. (It's for a contest that I fully plan on entering and winning, but, well, this is pretty darn hard to compete with. It's creative, well-made, and as heartwarming as a Pixar film. I'll definitely have trouble kicking its ass) ;)
Keep your eyes peeled for more awesome music videos showing up here soon! I've got a whole rack of European hits I discovered on my trip to Italy that I can't wait to share with everybody!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Album Review: Skye Sweetnam - Sound Soldier
So, as I was digging back into the archives of music review school assignments, I unearthed a review of Skye Sweetnam's album Sound Soldier that I wrote for my journalism class last year. Since the album hasn't changed at all over the past 8 months (much like Skye's sadly stagnant career) and Skye is still widely unknown outside her native Canada and widely underappreciated in it, I thought I'd republish the review here.
Besides, Eric Shansby gave it a 100% and called it "very mature music writing" ^^
“I am music warrior,” writes Skye Sweetnam in the liner notes for her album Sound Soldier, “defending noise in the fight against silence!” Regardless of how that battle is going, Sweetnam’s sophomore album is winning the war against pop music’s unimaginative song topics and cookie-cutter production.
The untrained eye may look at nineteen year-old Sweetnam’s pink hair and pinker lipstick and see another collection of pop fluff. But Sweetnam launches a surprise attack on such unsuspecting critics, creating a pop album that’s innovative, well-produced, and draws from a variety of musical inspirations.
Sweetnam isn’t fighting alone; The Matrix, the production team behind several hits by Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff, backs Sweetnam up on nine of the album’s 12 tracks. She is also joined by Tim Armstrong of the ska-punk band Rancid, who produced, co-wrote, and sang on two tracks.
Aside from her imaginary battles with the evil forces of silence, Sweetnam has spent the past three years fighting an uncooperative record label. Her debut album Noise from the Basement enjoyed moderate success, mostly in her native Canada and Japan. For her sophomore album, Sweetnam wrote over 60 songs with several producers. When Sweetnam was finally satisfied with the album and ready to release it, her label, EMI, was undergoing serious changes and pushed the album’s release date back three times. In the end, the album was only released in Canada and later in Japan with little promotion in either country.
It’s a shame Sound Soldier wasn’t marketed better because the album draws from an impressive variety of musical inspirations and has something for everyone. Just look at tracks 3-6 on Sound Soldier: the rap-infused pop song “Boyhunter,” the ska/surf rock hybrid “Ghosts,” the traditional pop-rocker “My Favorite Tune,” and the romantic ballad “Scary Love.”
Not only is each of the album’s tracks stylistically unique; Sweetnam’s songs also deal with some unusual topics. Boys are a major talking point, as best demonstrated by the fast-paced, hormone-infused “Make-out Song,” but there are also songs about growing up, taking chances, and... cartoon violence? “I like to live like I’m in a cartoon,” Sweetnam professes on one track. “I beatcha, beatcha brains out/That’s how I flirt.”
Sweetnam’s take on love in “Cartoon” demonstrates one thing that sets Sweetnam apart from her popstar peers: her imagination and sense of fun. Sweetnam does not want to be perceived as a “normal girl” or even your average sex symbol. On the album’s final track, “Babydoll Gone Wrong,” Sweetnam describes how she sees herself: “Sugar and a razor blade/Acid pink lemonade.” In normal terms, that translates to girly and coy on the outside, dark and formidable within. Sweetnam essentially meets both these criteria on Sound Soldier, a pop album that is danceable and sexy while remaining clever, original, and able to pack a punch. The work of a true music warrior.
You can purchase Sound Soldier and other Skye merch here.
Besides, Eric Shansby gave it a 100% and called it "very mature music writing" ^^
“I am music warrior,” writes Skye Sweetnam in the liner notes for her album Sound Soldier, “defending noise in the fight against silence!” Regardless of how that battle is going, Sweetnam’s sophomore album is winning the war against pop music’s unimaginative song topics and cookie-cutter production.
The untrained eye may look at nineteen year-old Sweetnam’s pink hair and pinker lipstick and see another collection of pop fluff. But Sweetnam launches a surprise attack on such unsuspecting critics, creating a pop album that’s innovative, well-produced, and draws from a variety of musical inspirations.
Sweetnam isn’t fighting alone; The Matrix, the production team behind several hits by Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff, backs Sweetnam up on nine of the album’s 12 tracks. She is also joined by Tim Armstrong of the ska-punk band Rancid, who produced, co-wrote, and sang on two tracks.
Aside from her imaginary battles with the evil forces of silence, Sweetnam has spent the past three years fighting an uncooperative record label. Her debut album Noise from the Basement enjoyed moderate success, mostly in her native Canada and Japan. For her sophomore album, Sweetnam wrote over 60 songs with several producers. When Sweetnam was finally satisfied with the album and ready to release it, her label, EMI, was undergoing serious changes and pushed the album’s release date back three times. In the end, the album was only released in Canada and later in Japan with little promotion in either country.
It’s a shame Sound Soldier wasn’t marketed better because the album draws from an impressive variety of musical inspirations and has something for everyone. Just look at tracks 3-6 on Sound Soldier: the rap-infused pop song “Boyhunter,” the ska/surf rock hybrid “Ghosts,” the traditional pop-rocker “My Favorite Tune,” and the romantic ballad “Scary Love.”
Not only is each of the album’s tracks stylistically unique; Sweetnam’s songs also deal with some unusual topics. Boys are a major talking point, as best demonstrated by the fast-paced, hormone-infused “Make-out Song,” but there are also songs about growing up, taking chances, and... cartoon violence? “I like to live like I’m in a cartoon,” Sweetnam professes on one track. “I beatcha, beatcha brains out/That’s how I flirt.”
Sweetnam’s take on love in “Cartoon” demonstrates one thing that sets Sweetnam apart from her popstar peers: her imagination and sense of fun. Sweetnam does not want to be perceived as a “normal girl” or even your average sex symbol. On the album’s final track, “Babydoll Gone Wrong,” Sweetnam describes how she sees herself: “Sugar and a razor blade/Acid pink lemonade.” In normal terms, that translates to girly and coy on the outside, dark and formidable within. Sweetnam essentially meets both these criteria on Sound Soldier, a pop album that is danceable and sexy while remaining clever, original, and able to pack a punch. The work of a true music warrior.
You can purchase Sound Soldier and other Skye merch here.
Friday, January 16, 2009
first post!!!!!!!!!!1111
^Disclaimer: That title is meant to be cute and ironic.
I just thought I'd make a lil welcome post describing my new music blog PerfectoPop & introducing myself & all that... So basically, once upon a time, there was this kid in high school who really liked music and listened to lots and lots of it, which made her pretty much normal. But she had known from an early age that her thoughts about music differed slightly from those of her peers; this realization arrived sometime around the 7th time she got bullied for admitting she owned a Hilary Duff album. Two, actually, but she never even told anyone she bought the Christmas album.
So this little kid grows up and realizes you don't go around telling people you think Disney Channel is cool and starts listening to bands that were actually popular, such as The All-American Rejects and Good Charlotte (I listened to Hilary Duff while you listened to Nicole Richie's future husband? Who feels dumb now, huh?) But then she got to high school and learned that in high school, uncool stuff is the coolest, so she got in with the High School Musical-loving crowd & realized that the stuff she listened to as a kid wasn't THAT bad. Then she realized that maybe the mature thing to do would be to listen to the music you like, no matter how many times people make fun of Hannah Montana, and try to see the good in the stuff you don't. And she realized that there are a LOT of people in the world who completely suck at doing that.
So she decided to start a music blog to try to spread her love of everything pop music and get people to listen to new things because she's under the impression that her tastes are slightly distinctive. Plus, she loves writing music reviews and wants an Internet addiction that's more productive Facebook.
A few things to note about this blog:
Its name is "PerfectoPop", like "perfecto" as in perfect in Spanish and "pop" as in popular music, and it's not like "perfect-o-pop;" it's like one word that rhymes with "electropop," which is a genre I am very into right now.
It's not going to be updated every day unless a miracle occurs and I magically become a second-semester senior rather than junior.
I came up with a few fun sections that posts can pertain to; their clever names are:
DsCene & Heard - a section of live music reviews, probably all of which will be from the Washington DC metropolitan area because that is where I will be living for at least another year and a half. But they could be more wide-ranging; I have been known to travel as far as Pennsylvania for Jonas Brothers concerts...
Must See CD - albums I think you absolutely must listen to because they are the Next Big Thing. Bands I previously would have included in this category if I'd had a blog include The Ting Tings, who I was so totally right about, Katy Perry, who I was so totally even more right about, and Skye Sweetnam, who I was so totally not right about. But I try.
First Impressions - lame name, kind of lame section, basically for if I want to get a review out there RIGHT NOW and don't have time to listen to the album more than once.
[I believe you must listen to an album at least 3 times before passing definitive judgement on it because everything sounds better the second or third time around...]
ALSO:
-normal CD reviews
-music video reviews
-good free stuff
-tour dates
-music-inspired/related trends in fashion, etc. [I'm thinking of calling it What The Jonas Brothers Wore Today]
-other news
-hopefully no crazy rants about things like why aspiring musicians who illegally download music are stupid or how Taylor Swift does not know how to promote an album or anything annoying like that...
So, yeah, that is my little welcome message/explanatory note. Um, I hope you like my blog and it doesn't end up embarrassing me like previous misguided efforts. That's all for now... Expect a real post that is like actually about music soon!
I just thought I'd make a lil welcome post describing my new music blog PerfectoPop & introducing myself & all that... So basically, once upon a time, there was this kid in high school who really liked music and listened to lots and lots of it, which made her pretty much normal. But she had known from an early age that her thoughts about music differed slightly from those of her peers; this realization arrived sometime around the 7th time she got bullied for admitting she owned a Hilary Duff album. Two, actually, but she never even told anyone she bought the Christmas album.
So this little kid grows up and realizes you don't go around telling people you think Disney Channel is cool and starts listening to bands that were actually popular, such as The All-American Rejects and Good Charlotte (I listened to Hilary Duff while you listened to Nicole Richie's future husband? Who feels dumb now, huh?) But then she got to high school and learned that in high school, uncool stuff is the coolest, so she got in with the High School Musical-loving crowd & realized that the stuff she listened to as a kid wasn't THAT bad. Then she realized that maybe the mature thing to do would be to listen to the music you like, no matter how many times people make fun of Hannah Montana, and try to see the good in the stuff you don't. And she realized that there are a LOT of people in the world who completely suck at doing that.
So she decided to start a music blog to try to spread her love of everything pop music and get people to listen to new things because she's under the impression that her tastes are slightly distinctive. Plus, she loves writing music reviews and wants an Internet addiction that's more productive Facebook.
A few things to note about this blog:
Its name is "PerfectoPop", like "perfecto" as in perfect in Spanish and "pop" as in popular music, and it's not like "perfect-o-pop;" it's like one word that rhymes with "electropop," which is a genre I am very into right now.
It's not going to be updated every day unless a miracle occurs and I magically become a second-semester senior rather than junior.
I came up with a few fun sections that posts can pertain to; their clever names are:
DsCene & Heard - a section of live music reviews, probably all of which will be from the Washington DC metropolitan area because that is where I will be living for at least another year and a half. But they could be more wide-ranging; I have been known to travel as far as Pennsylvania for Jonas Brothers concerts...
Must See CD - albums I think you absolutely must listen to because they are the Next Big Thing. Bands I previously would have included in this category if I'd had a blog include The Ting Tings, who I was so totally right about, Katy Perry, who I was so totally even more right about, and Skye Sweetnam, who I was so totally not right about. But I try.
First Impressions - lame name, kind of lame section, basically for if I want to get a review out there RIGHT NOW and don't have time to listen to the album more than once.
[I believe you must listen to an album at least 3 times before passing definitive judgement on it because everything sounds better the second or third time around...]
ALSO:
-normal CD reviews
-music video reviews
-good free stuff
-tour dates
-music-inspired/related trends in fashion, etc. [I'm thinking of calling it What The Jonas Brothers Wore Today]
-other news
-hopefully no crazy rants about things like why aspiring musicians who illegally download music are stupid or how Taylor Swift does not know how to promote an album or anything annoying like that...
So, yeah, that is my little welcome message/explanatory note. Um, I hope you like my blog and it doesn't end up embarrassing me like previous misguided efforts. That's all for now... Expect a real post that is like actually about music soon!
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