Perfectopop's Best Albums of 2009:
#19 La Roux by La Roux
Based on the hype surrounding British electropop duo La Roux, it would sound like they truly have become, as their popular single said they hoped to be, bulletproof. And singer Elly Jackson's ethereally high voice just adds to their superhuman image. Their loss of the mtvU Breaking Woodie award to NeverShoutNever! seems to be the only proof that they're only human.
The duo's terrifically danceable debut album is propelled by producer Ben Langmaid's superb instrumentals, and Jackson's thin croon provides the icing on the dance hall cake. Songs like "I'm Not Your Toy" prove that Langmaid can write a catchy loop, and "Fascination" shows that Jackson is just as good with catchy choruses. La Roux's songs are all fairly similar, which makes them the perfect party album, but it's not clear if their synthpop will catch on outside discos (and all of Europe).
Jackson has ruffled some feathers when criticizing other artists in interviews, and her songs are most interesting when they're equally aggressive and blunt, as in "In for the Kill" and "I'm Not Your Toy." Yet her soft voice is better suited for gentler songs, like the delicate ballad "Cover My Eyes." And although "Cover My Eyes" is the only really unique-sounding track on the album, La Roux don't need much variety because they know what works. Their album is certainly airtight, even if it's not quite bulletproof.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
'Trying' Too Hard to Experiment This Time
Perfectopop's Best Albums of 2009:
#20 Lines, Vines, and Trying Times by Jonas Brothers
It's good for artists to explore new territory. Especially when they're splattered all over Disney Channel's prime-time line-up and are constantly being written off as cheap Hanson knock-offs. But as the Jonas Brothers proved this summer, exploration can be a bit risky. They stumble and fall as often as they discover glorious new sounds. And some of the places they go aren't all that pretty. Lines, Vines, and Trying Times is an album that suffers from too much experimentation and too little cohesiveness. It's full of great songs, but they're from such diverse genres that the whole is less than a sum of its parts. The JoBros' journey has several spectacular stops, but overall, it's a rather bumpy ride.
The album begins beautifully with the rockable, danceable "World War III," which is, in my opinion, the best song the JoBros have ever recorded. The discovery and addition of a horn section was certainly a great step in their sonic journey.
The album continues with "Paranoid," a brilliant and downright respectable rock song, catchy but much more subtle than the usual fare from Disney-endorsed bubble-punkers. Then "Fly With Me" veers back into cutesy wish-upon-a-star territory, but its great melody and lovely orchestration keep it sweet, not saccharine.
Based on the album's first three songs, it sounds like the Jonases have learned to walk the fine line between the sugary pop their younger fans crave and the mature rock that will earn them a little respect. "Poison Ivy," though not stellar, doesn't detract from this image.
But then, the album takes a turn for the worse, hopping around from one genre to the next. "Hey Baby," "Before the Storm," "What Did I Do to Your Heart," and "Much Better" are all fine songs on their own, but placed back-to-back, they rudely jolt listeners from one genre to another and make Lines, Vines, and Trying Times sounds less like an album than a poorly-conceived mix CD. They're great songs: "Hey Baby" is bluesy and pretty mature; "Before the Storm" will tug at the heartstrings of all but the most cynical and vehement Miley Cyrus haters; "What Did I Do to Your Heart" probably wouldn't make me want to claw my eardrums out if I didn't hate fiddles so much; and "Much Better" is hands-down the most fun song on the album. Everything about it is deliciously campy, from its not-so-subtle jab at Taylor Swift to its retro sound that sounds like it belongs at one rockin' party... in a nursing home.
With "Black Keys," the JoBros get the album back on the pop-punk-with-the-occasional-heartfelt-ballad track they traversed so well on their last two albums. Not many 16 year-olds can write and perform a ballad as well as Nick Jonas, and this sentimental-not-sappy song doesn't disappoint. I find it even more moving than Nick's last ballad, the unforgettable "A Little Bit Longer," which is kind of saying something, especially if you've seen Nick play "A Little Bit Longer" live.
But then the JoBros take a wrong turn and end up in a nasty spot: the misguided hip-rock tune "Don't Charge Me for the Crime." I know the boys wanted to work with Common, but couldn't they have come up with something more... sensible? The song is about helping a friend rob a bank and the moral dilemma they face: help out your friend, or uphold the law? Um, guys, there's not much of a moral dilemma there... Helping a friend rob a bank isn't really helping your friend. Besides, the Jonas Brothers seem like the last people in the world who would ponder the morality of bank robbery. They wear purity rings, for gosh sake. The song is sloppy, strange, and unbelievable.
"Turn Right" is another tender ballad and one of the best-placed songs on the album: "Black Keys" was a beautiful ballad; "Turn Right" is bland and juvenile in comparison. But with the gawd-awful "Don't Charge Me for the Crime" sandwiched between the two, listeners forget that "Black Keys" was ten times better than "Turn Right" and get on their knees and thank the JoBros for only doing one song with Common.
"Don't Speak" is a well-orchestrated rocker and a song that shows that the Jonases have some real promise as grown-up rock stars. If you cut out all the songs between "Poison Ivy" and "Don't Speak," you'd have a wonderful little rock EP. With the entire album intact, it at least provides a clear road map for future Jonas journeys: walk the line between mature rock songs and Nick's ballads, don't get ensnared by any appealing genre-jumping experiments, and try to make the album flow a bit better next time.
#20 Lines, Vines, and Trying Times by Jonas Brothers
It's good for artists to explore new territory. Especially when they're splattered all over Disney Channel's prime-time line-up and are constantly being written off as cheap Hanson knock-offs. But as the Jonas Brothers proved this summer, exploration can be a bit risky. They stumble and fall as often as they discover glorious new sounds. And some of the places they go aren't all that pretty. Lines, Vines, and Trying Times is an album that suffers from too much experimentation and too little cohesiveness. It's full of great songs, but they're from such diverse genres that the whole is less than a sum of its parts. The JoBros' journey has several spectacular stops, but overall, it's a rather bumpy ride.
The album begins beautifully with the rockable, danceable "World War III," which is, in my opinion, the best song the JoBros have ever recorded. The discovery and addition of a horn section was certainly a great step in their sonic journey.
The album continues with "Paranoid," a brilliant and downright respectable rock song, catchy but much more subtle than the usual fare from Disney-endorsed bubble-punkers. Then "Fly With Me" veers back into cutesy wish-upon-a-star territory, but its great melody and lovely orchestration keep it sweet, not saccharine.
Based on the album's first three songs, it sounds like the Jonases have learned to walk the fine line between the sugary pop their younger fans crave and the mature rock that will earn them a little respect. "Poison Ivy," though not stellar, doesn't detract from this image.
But then, the album takes a turn for the worse, hopping around from one genre to the next. "Hey Baby," "Before the Storm," "What Did I Do to Your Heart," and "Much Better" are all fine songs on their own, but placed back-to-back, they rudely jolt listeners from one genre to another and make Lines, Vines, and Trying Times sounds less like an album than a poorly-conceived mix CD. They're great songs: "Hey Baby" is bluesy and pretty mature; "Before the Storm" will tug at the heartstrings of all but the most cynical and vehement Miley Cyrus haters; "What Did I Do to Your Heart" probably wouldn't make me want to claw my eardrums out if I didn't hate fiddles so much; and "Much Better" is hands-down the most fun song on the album. Everything about it is deliciously campy, from its not-so-subtle jab at Taylor Swift to its retro sound that sounds like it belongs at one rockin' party... in a nursing home.
With "Black Keys," the JoBros get the album back on the pop-punk-with-the-occasional-heartfelt-ballad track they traversed so well on their last two albums. Not many 16 year-olds can write and perform a ballad as well as Nick Jonas, and this sentimental-not-sappy song doesn't disappoint. I find it even more moving than Nick's last ballad, the unforgettable "A Little Bit Longer," which is kind of saying something, especially if you've seen Nick play "A Little Bit Longer" live.
But then the JoBros take a wrong turn and end up in a nasty spot: the misguided hip-rock tune "Don't Charge Me for the Crime." I know the boys wanted to work with Common, but couldn't they have come up with something more... sensible? The song is about helping a friend rob a bank and the moral dilemma they face: help out your friend, or uphold the law? Um, guys, there's not much of a moral dilemma there... Helping a friend rob a bank isn't really helping your friend. Besides, the Jonas Brothers seem like the last people in the world who would ponder the morality of bank robbery. They wear purity rings, for gosh sake. The song is sloppy, strange, and unbelievable.
"Turn Right" is another tender ballad and one of the best-placed songs on the album: "Black Keys" was a beautiful ballad; "Turn Right" is bland and juvenile in comparison. But with the gawd-awful "Don't Charge Me for the Crime" sandwiched between the two, listeners forget that "Black Keys" was ten times better than "Turn Right" and get on their knees and thank the JoBros for only doing one song with Common.
"Don't Speak" is a well-orchestrated rocker and a song that shows that the Jonases have some real promise as grown-up rock stars. If you cut out all the songs between "Poison Ivy" and "Don't Speak," you'd have a wonderful little rock EP. With the entire album intact, it at least provides a clear road map for future Jonas journeys: walk the line between mature rock songs and Nick's ballads, don't get ensnared by any appealing genre-jumping experiments, and try to make the album flow a bit better next time.
2009: A Year in Review
Happy slightly belated new year! 2009 was a pretty darn decent year for pop music. Kanye led a charge of autotuned robots to hold the charts hostage, then led a one-man assault on the VMA's attempt to give redundant awards to every pop star, then stormed a few late-night talk shows before going home to watch "Single Ladies" on repeat and sulk. Miley Cyrus embarrassed everyone else in the recording industry by outselling all their albums with the subpar pop (and hip-hop-country fusion) of The Hannah Montana Movie soundtrack, then really rubbed it in by outselling their singles with her supremely catchy and critically tolerated (if not adored) "Party in the USA." Lady Gaga appeared. And the Black Eyed Peas lured Fergie and will.i.am's egos back to make a few more number one hits as a group.
But as a girl who loves lists and statistics, no year in review can be complete without a countdown of the year's greatest albums. My dreams of reviewing every single significant pop album released this year were crushed when I realized there were five days left in 2009 and I probably had at least 30 albums to listen to, half of which I hadn't even heard of yet. Then my dreams of creating a purely objective list of the undisputabel best albusm of the year were crushed when I looked at Rolling Stone's list and realized I had only listened to one and a half of the albums on it. And so, I settled for my top 20 favorite albums. Still 10 better than Rolling Stone's list. Suck on that.
I'm kind of irrationally terrified of being perceived as some wanna-be hipster indie snob, then being mobbed by the masses of people who secretly despise hipsters (oh, you know you want to strangle them with their designer scarves), so here's a bit of a rationale for why the upper reaches of my list are very indie-heavy:
As great as 2009's singles were, most of them came from albums released in late 2008. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kanye... all fall 2008 releases. The Black-Eyed Peas, Shakira, and Rihanna were three of the only major pop artists to release popular albums and singles in 2009. And so, I'd say 2009 was not a great year for the radio-ready pop album. And heck, pop-punk hasn't had a good year since '04. That means it was up for indie, electropop, and alt dance to pick up the slack, and I am happy to report that they stepped up to the task.
And I'd love to list all the albums I meant to listen to but didn't (Adam Lambert, Shakira, Little Boots, Noisettes, Cascada, Florence + The Machine, Andrew Bird, The Bird and the Bee...) and all the perfectly good albums that I'm not including because I don't consider them to be pop albums (Green Day, U2, Jay-Z...), but that would take days, and I would still probably forget somebody important like the Black Eyed Peas and make their fans at least mildly annoyed.
Also, I should note that I am reviewing albums, not EPs, because if we started lumping together compilations of roughly four to eight songs with compilations of roughly nine or more songs, it would just be chaos and anarchy. Sorry Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, NeverShoutNever!, and that other release from Andrew Bird; you won't be on the list.
I'm going to post one review per day for the first 20 days of January, to draw out the suspense. And because writing these reviews can take an effing long time. So without further ado, I will post today's review. And yesterday's I missed. And the one for the day before. Oh gosh, school hasn't even started again, and I'm already behind...
In the meantime, if anyone reading this has their own list of favorite albums and cares enough to post it in the comments section, I'd love to hear some other opinions! [Not that I need ideas... I honestly do have the full list ready; I just like suspense...]
But as a girl who loves lists and statistics, no year in review can be complete without a countdown of the year's greatest albums. My dreams of reviewing every single significant pop album released this year were crushed when I realized there were five days left in 2009 and I probably had at least 30 albums to listen to, half of which I hadn't even heard of yet. Then my dreams of creating a purely objective list of the undisputabel best albusm of the year were crushed when I looked at Rolling Stone's list and realized I had only listened to one and a half of the albums on it. And so, I settled for my top 20 favorite albums. Still 10 better than Rolling Stone's list. Suck on that.
I'm kind of irrationally terrified of being perceived as some wanna-be hipster indie snob, then being mobbed by the masses of people who secretly despise hipsters (oh, you know you want to strangle them with their designer scarves), so here's a bit of a rationale for why the upper reaches of my list are very indie-heavy:
As great as 2009's singles were, most of them came from albums released in late 2008. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kanye... all fall 2008 releases. The Black-Eyed Peas, Shakira, and Rihanna were three of the only major pop artists to release popular albums and singles in 2009. And so, I'd say 2009 was not a great year for the radio-ready pop album. And heck, pop-punk hasn't had a good year since '04. That means it was up for indie, electropop, and alt dance to pick up the slack, and I am happy to report that they stepped up to the task.
And I'd love to list all the albums I meant to listen to but didn't (Adam Lambert, Shakira, Little Boots, Noisettes, Cascada, Florence + The Machine, Andrew Bird, The Bird and the Bee...) and all the perfectly good albums that I'm not including because I don't consider them to be pop albums (Green Day, U2, Jay-Z...), but that would take days, and I would still probably forget somebody important like the Black Eyed Peas and make their fans at least mildly annoyed.
Also, I should note that I am reviewing albums, not EPs, because if we started lumping together compilations of roughly four to eight songs with compilations of roughly nine or more songs, it would just be chaos and anarchy. Sorry Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, NeverShoutNever!, and that other release from Andrew Bird; you won't be on the list.
I'm going to post one review per day for the first 20 days of January, to draw out the suspense. And because writing these reviews can take an effing long time. So without further ado, I will post today's review. And yesterday's I missed. And the one for the day before. Oh gosh, school hasn't even started again, and I'm already behind...
In the meantime, if anyone reading this has their own list of favorite albums and cares enough to post it in the comments section, I'd love to hear some other opinions! [Not that I need ideas... I honestly do have the full list ready; I just like suspense...]
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
'Lumos Flies' Brighten Your Day
Oh hey, I didn't see you there. I was just too busy watching THE SWEETEST WROCK MUSIC VIDEO EVER!!!!!
After the last Harry Potter book came out, I kind of lost all interest in wrock (wizard rock inspired by the Harry Potter series), but apparently the genre is still alive and kicking. Then today, I heard "Lumos Flies," a "Fireflies" parody by ALL CAPS, a collaboration between two members of The Parselmouths and the Ministry of Magic. Basically, here's the deal with the song:
Ron + Hermione + the melody of Owl City's song "Fireflies" = perfection
Give it a listen...
...then check out Luke & Kristina's MySpace for more hilarious songs about everything from NaNoWriMo to snow days to zombies. And their respective bands are also respectably awesome. :)
After the last Harry Potter book came out, I kind of lost all interest in wrock (wizard rock inspired by the Harry Potter series), but apparently the genre is still alive and kicking. Then today, I heard "Lumos Flies," a "Fireflies" parody by ALL CAPS, a collaboration between two members of The Parselmouths and the Ministry of Magic. Basically, here's the deal with the song:
Ron + Hermione + the melody of Owl City's song "Fireflies" = perfection
Give it a listen...
...then check out Luke & Kristina's MySpace for more hilarious songs about everything from NaNoWriMo to snow days to zombies. And their respective bands are also respectably awesome. :)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
'Tis the Season...
Ah, 'tis the season for generosity, sappy stories, and happy holiday tunes. In the holiday spirit, I'd like to point you toward some of the most generous music websites out there, and spread some heartwarming stories. (See yesterday's post about my Christmas playlist for more of the holiday tunes.)
First off, I'd love to give you all the gift of great holiday music, but Amazon's already playing Santa for me. In case you haven't heard, their 25 Days of Free promotion is giving out a free Christmas song every day. Today's release: Relient K's beautiful "I Celebrate the Day," one of their most moving songs about struggling to be close to Jesus.
If you're looking for something a little lighter, don't worry - you can still download the other 21 songs released earlier this month. I, of course, had to snatch of a copy of Lady Gaga's deliciously and disturbingly provocative "Christmas Tree" feat. her buddy Space Cowboy. As with all of her songs, her infamous advice to not listen, "just dance" certainly applies with this track.
The only problem with the Amazon giveaway is it works best when you download the songs with their free Amazon MP3 Downloader, and by "it works best," I mean it barely works at all. But rather than crappy software, I prefer to think of it as a daily exercise in meditation and self-restraint. By Christmas, you'll be ready to tackle those pesky plastic packages that can only be cut with knives, no sweat.
If Amazon's 22 free holiday songs aren't enough, you can download 25 free songs at Green Label Sound. No reindeer or baby Jesuses in this collection, but nothing says holiday excess like four versions of "Big Bills" by Flosstradamus. Still, I can't complain about free songs from Matt & Kim and Chromeo. (And okay, Flosstradamus is officially my new fave dance-pop duo.) Maybe I'll make a New Year's resolution to actually listen to all these remixes I just downloaded...
Oh, and for the truly tireless, if you can download those and still stand to download another free remix, LIGHTS is giving out a free download of the Spike Club Mix of her (minor) hit "Ice" to all members of her website. I highly recommend joining, not just because joining is free and lets you comment on all her pictures of her adorable self holding ginormous ninja swords, but also because she and Owl City appear to be Siamese twins when it comes to touring: she's opening for him on both his winter and spring North America tours and squeezing in a Europe tour with him in between. I feel reassured knowing that in case his email list, MySpace blog, and official Street Team don't alert me of one of his concert presales in time, her mailing list will :]
And speaking of their spring tour, you've heard Adam's sneaky presale announcement, right? April 22, Constitution Hall will def be where the party's at. Me and eight of my coolest friends already snatched up our tickets; I suggest you follow suit. I know I haven't gotten around to posting my review of his fall tour yet, but like everything he does, it was fairly magical.
Oh, and speaking of Owl City, Adam sparked a minor panic over his marital status when he tweeted "DING DONG! WEDDING BELLS!" on Friday. He's rumored to be dating Ann Monson (whose tweets he occasionally retweets), but sources relatively close to Adam reassured us crazy fangirls and boys that Adam's not tying the know anytime soon. Coincidentally, Skillet's guitarist Ben Kascia confirmed that Adam was just celebrating a friend's wedding when he tweeted that a friend of his, whose sister is dating Adam, got married on Saturday... It's a small world. A strange, small world.
One pop star did go off the market this weekend, of course: Kevin Jonas married his girlfriend Danielle DeLeasa on Saturday. Details on the "fairy-tale"-like ceremony here. [Be sure to notice the part about the faux-icicles at the New York ceremony. If they'd waited a day, they probably could have gotten a few icicles from Mother Nature, free of charge.] According to People magazine, when Kevin popped the question, Danielle responded "Yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row." Awww.
Looks like Kevin and Danielle won't be getting much of a honeymoon, though - the JoBros are slated to perform at the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade this Friday. Pity; they're some of the only pop stars I can think of who probably wait until the honeymoon.
Wait - this just in - Inspirational Story Alert!
If you love a good overcoming-adversity-to-sing-tear-jerking-ballads story, well, you probably already watched Charice Pempengco perform on Oprah. But in case you didn't, meet one of the most adorable Asian exports since Hello Kitty. During interviews, this Filipina singer looks like a harmless little ball of cuteness, but put her onstage and the girl can sing. Her unbelievably strong vocals have drawn rave reviews from everyone from David Foster to Josh Groban, who says she has one of the most beautiful voices he's heard in a long time. And to top it off, she's got a great inspirational story about being raised in the Philippines by a single mother. Her mother left with Charice and her brother after their father domestically abused them. After receiving only informal vocal lessons from her mother, she performed well on the American Idol-like singing competition Little Big Star. Her career didn't really take off, however, until videos of her singing reached YouTube. Since then, she's appeared on every talk show ever, as well as in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I think her rendition of Alicia Keys' "No One," accompanied by the Chipettes, is sure to become a classic.
Here's a video of Charice performing her new single "Note to God" (sans rodents) on Oprah. And be sure to stay tuned for her adorable interview afterwards, in which she talks about her career, as well as her crushes on Justin Timberlake and Josh Groban. (Spoiler alert: Then Oprah gives everyone Xboxes.)
Also, check her out on David Archuleta's Christmas album singing a duet of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with him. Treacly Christmas song, American Idol's favorite teddy bear, and a girl whose voice is the only thing better than her back story? Sounds like a downright Christmas miracle.
And finally, before you head over to the fireplace or sip some hot chocolate, here's a video to put you in that warm-n-fuzzy mood. For a song questioning the substance of love in the light of his parents' divorce and his off-again on-again relationship with his girlfriend, NeverShoutNever's new video "What Is Love?" still manages to be incredibly heartwarming.
What Is Love?
nevershoutnever. (new song & video) | MySpace Music Videos
Happy Holidays!
First off, I'd love to give you all the gift of great holiday music, but Amazon's already playing Santa for me. In case you haven't heard, their 25 Days of Free promotion is giving out a free Christmas song every day. Today's release: Relient K's beautiful "I Celebrate the Day," one of their most moving songs about struggling to be close to Jesus.
If you're looking for something a little lighter, don't worry - you can still download the other 21 songs released earlier this month. I, of course, had to snatch of a copy of Lady Gaga's deliciously and disturbingly provocative "Christmas Tree" feat. her buddy Space Cowboy. As with all of her songs, her infamous advice to not listen, "just dance" certainly applies with this track.
The only problem with the Amazon giveaway is it works best when you download the songs with their free Amazon MP3 Downloader, and by "it works best," I mean it barely works at all. But rather than crappy software, I prefer to think of it as a daily exercise in meditation and self-restraint. By Christmas, you'll be ready to tackle those pesky plastic packages that can only be cut with knives, no sweat.
If Amazon's 22 free holiday songs aren't enough, you can download 25 free songs at Green Label Sound. No reindeer or baby Jesuses in this collection, but nothing says holiday excess like four versions of "Big Bills" by Flosstradamus. Still, I can't complain about free songs from Matt & Kim and Chromeo. (And okay, Flosstradamus is officially my new fave dance-pop duo.) Maybe I'll make a New Year's resolution to actually listen to all these remixes I just downloaded...
Oh, and for the truly tireless, if you can download those and still stand to download another free remix, LIGHTS is giving out a free download of the Spike Club Mix of her (minor) hit "Ice" to all members of her website. I highly recommend joining, not just because joining is free and lets you comment on all her pictures of her adorable self holding ginormous ninja swords, but also because she and Owl City appear to be Siamese twins when it comes to touring: she's opening for him on both his winter and spring North America tours and squeezing in a Europe tour with him in between. I feel reassured knowing that in case his email list, MySpace blog, and official Street Team don't alert me of one of his concert presales in time, her mailing list will :]
And speaking of their spring tour, you've heard Adam's sneaky presale announcement, right? April 22, Constitution Hall will def be where the party's at. Me and eight of my coolest friends already snatched up our tickets; I suggest you follow suit. I know I haven't gotten around to posting my review of his fall tour yet, but like everything he does, it was fairly magical.
Oh, and speaking of Owl City, Adam sparked a minor panic over his marital status when he tweeted "DING DONG! WEDDING BELLS!" on Friday. He's rumored to be dating Ann Monson (whose tweets he occasionally retweets), but sources relatively close to Adam reassured us crazy fangirls and boys that Adam's not tying the know anytime soon. Coincidentally, Skillet's guitarist Ben Kascia confirmed that Adam was just celebrating a friend's wedding when he tweeted that a friend of his, whose sister is dating Adam, got married on Saturday... It's a small world. A strange, small world.
One pop star did go off the market this weekend, of course: Kevin Jonas married his girlfriend Danielle DeLeasa on Saturday. Details on the "fairy-tale"-like ceremony here. [Be sure to notice the part about the faux-icicles at the New York ceremony. If they'd waited a day, they probably could have gotten a few icicles from Mother Nature, free of charge.] According to People magazine, when Kevin popped the question, Danielle responded "Yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row." Awww.
Looks like Kevin and Danielle won't be getting much of a honeymoon, though - the JoBros are slated to perform at the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade this Friday. Pity; they're some of the only pop stars I can think of who probably wait until the honeymoon.
Wait - this just in - Inspirational Story Alert!
If you love a good overcoming-adversity-to-sing-tear-jerking-ballads story, well, you probably already watched Charice Pempengco perform on Oprah. But in case you didn't, meet one of the most adorable Asian exports since Hello Kitty. During interviews, this Filipina singer looks like a harmless little ball of cuteness, but put her onstage and the girl can sing. Her unbelievably strong vocals have drawn rave reviews from everyone from David Foster to Josh Groban, who says she has one of the most beautiful voices he's heard in a long time. And to top it off, she's got a great inspirational story about being raised in the Philippines by a single mother. Her mother left with Charice and her brother after their father domestically abused them. After receiving only informal vocal lessons from her mother, she performed well on the American Idol-like singing competition Little Big Star. Her career didn't really take off, however, until videos of her singing reached YouTube. Since then, she's appeared on every talk show ever, as well as in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I think her rendition of Alicia Keys' "No One," accompanied by the Chipettes, is sure to become a classic.
Here's a video of Charice performing her new single "Note to God" (sans rodents) on Oprah. And be sure to stay tuned for her adorable interview afterwards, in which she talks about her career, as well as her crushes on Justin Timberlake and Josh Groban. (Spoiler alert: Then Oprah gives everyone Xboxes.)
Also, check her out on David Archuleta's Christmas album singing a duet of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with him. Treacly Christmas song, American Idol's favorite teddy bear, and a girl whose voice is the only thing better than her back story? Sounds like a downright Christmas miracle.
And finally, before you head over to the fireplace or sip some hot chocolate, here's a video to put you in that warm-n-fuzzy mood. For a song questioning the substance of love in the light of his parents' divorce and his off-again on-again relationship with his girlfriend, NeverShoutNever's new video "What Is Love?" still manages to be incredibly heartwarming.
What Is Love?
nevershoutnever. (new song & video) | MySpace Music Videos
Happy Holidays!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Perfect[opop] Christmas Playlist!
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Give a Hoot!
Hey guys! In case you've been a bit disappointed with my sporadic blogs about the occasional free music or hot new artist (by the way, anyone see Lightfoot last weekend? I was sick and couldn't make it) over the past 4 months, I am here to say that I have been planning a massive Year In Review extravaganza that at this rate should show up around mid-January (coincidentally, around the same time as the weekend after my mid-terms. And my birthday. Just sayin'.) I've also been planning The World's Biggest, Comprehensivest Blog Ever About the Life and Work of Adam Young, also known as Owl City. And before I post the list of all his MySpace pages (I lost count after the first 12 or so, but believe me when I say it will be massive), I'd like to thank the site that has taught me so much about Adam and exposed me to all of his beautiful work: the Hoot Owls, Owl City's official street team.
Like Relient K and a bunch of other great bands, Owl City's street team is hosted by Fancorps. For the uninitiated, these street teams basically have a website with a list of "orders" for street teamers to complete. All the orders are optional, and they can range from circulating banners and putting up posters to making chalk art and Christmas ornaments. Besides the obvious allure of hanging Owl City on your Christmas tree, one of the main incentives for completing orders is accumulating points. (And of course, you get more for covering your street in chalky lyrics than putting a banner in your Facebook status). All orders require photos, screenshots, or written proof that you completed them, which actually gives me a reason to open the Photoshop program I got 3 years ago for Christmas and never learned to use. (I can't doctor any photos with it, but I can convert my screenshots for web!)
I've heard a lot of people complain that street teams are ways for artists to get free labor, but there's so much more than that, including but not limited to nice prizes like merch items for people who complete the most orders. (I'm shooting for a vinyl copy of Ocean Eyes at the moment!) I also get the personal satisfaction of knowing I am 65th highest earner of points out of the 3,605 members on the team. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
But really, the best part about the Hoot Owls is that it really is a street team. We're a little community that all have one big interest in common, so we all help each other out and don't get in too many heated confrontations!
In fact, my favorite part of the site is the forums. Wayyy back in the day before "Fireflies" exploded (a whopping six months ago!), this was THE place for me to talk to other Owl City fans. Now that us fans are everywhere you look (especially on the iTunes Top Downloads list), you would think the forums would be a bit less special. Actually, they're even better. Now, they're THE place for me to me talk to kids in Nebraska, Utah, and even the UK. Of course, most of our conversations (like the rest of our thoughts) are dominated by Owl City, but we've also had some really good conversations about religion, songwriting, being a fan of a very popular artist vs. a very small one, the coolest hotels in Dubai, and the cutest breed of owl (it's pygmy owls, by the way). It's also a meeting place for some of the most obsessed - er, knowledgeable fans of Adam Young, which means you get to find out about loads of interviews, videos, and side projects that would be virtually impossible to stumble across on your own.
So in conclusion, if you like Owl City, you should definitely check out the Hoot Owls! You can choose to complete as many orders as you wish. (I usually complete as many as I can on Fridays, then attempt to do schoolwork the rest of the week. Though I stop by the forums almost every day... It's all about priorities.) And unlike most lame-ass fan clubs, there's no fee to join - and almost none of the orders require you to own anything but a computer.
Also, we are planning a field trip to Dubai to stay in the hotel on the cover of Ocean Eyes. We are inviting Adam Young and Matthew Thiessen to join us. You doubt that we'll actually accomplish it (I do too), but you know you want in on this action. And the pictures of pygmy owls.
^props to the amazing Hoot Owl Chelseaoyesums for enhancing that natural cuteness with the design and caption
So. Damn. Cute.
Thank about it. :)
Like Relient K and a bunch of other great bands, Owl City's street team is hosted by Fancorps. For the uninitiated, these street teams basically have a website with a list of "orders" for street teamers to complete. All the orders are optional, and they can range from circulating banners and putting up posters to making chalk art and Christmas ornaments. Besides the obvious allure of hanging Owl City on your Christmas tree, one of the main incentives for completing orders is accumulating points. (And of course, you get more for covering your street in chalky lyrics than putting a banner in your Facebook status). All orders require photos, screenshots, or written proof that you completed them, which actually gives me a reason to open the Photoshop program I got 3 years ago for Christmas and never learned to use. (I can't doctor any photos with it, but I can convert my screenshots for web!)
I've heard a lot of people complain that street teams are ways for artists to get free labor, but there's so much more than that, including but not limited to nice prizes like merch items for people who complete the most orders. (I'm shooting for a vinyl copy of Ocean Eyes at the moment!) I also get the personal satisfaction of knowing I am 65th highest earner of points out of the 3,605 members on the team. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
But really, the best part about the Hoot Owls is that it really is a street team. We're a little community that all have one big interest in common, so we all help each other out and don't get in too many heated confrontations!
In fact, my favorite part of the site is the forums. Wayyy back in the day before "Fireflies" exploded (a whopping six months ago!), this was THE place for me to talk to other Owl City fans. Now that us fans are everywhere you look (especially on the iTunes Top Downloads list), you would think the forums would be a bit less special. Actually, they're even better. Now, they're THE place for me to me talk to kids in Nebraska, Utah, and even the UK. Of course, most of our conversations (like the rest of our thoughts) are dominated by Owl City, but we've also had some really good conversations about religion, songwriting, being a fan of a very popular artist vs. a very small one, the coolest hotels in Dubai, and the cutest breed of owl (it's pygmy owls, by the way). It's also a meeting place for some of the most obsessed - er, knowledgeable fans of Adam Young, which means you get to find out about loads of interviews, videos, and side projects that would be virtually impossible to stumble across on your own.
So in conclusion, if you like Owl City, you should definitely check out the Hoot Owls! You can choose to complete as many orders as you wish. (I usually complete as many as I can on Fridays, then attempt to do schoolwork the rest of the week. Though I stop by the forums almost every day... It's all about priorities.) And unlike most lame-ass fan clubs, there's no fee to join - and almost none of the orders require you to own anything but a computer.
Also, we are planning a field trip to Dubai to stay in the hotel on the cover of Ocean Eyes. We are inviting Adam Young and Matthew Thiessen to join us. You doubt that we'll actually accomplish it (I do too), but you know you want in on this action. And the pictures of pygmy owls.
^props to the amazing Hoot Owl Chelseaoyesums for enhancing that natural cuteness with the design and caption
So. Damn. Cute.
Thank about it. :)
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