MARIAH CAREY'S STUNNING RETURN TO FORM ON NEW ALBUM - ME I AM MARIAH...THE ELUSIVE CHANTEUSE

When listening to this gorgeous new album, I cant help but be transported back to a time when Mariah Carey was first starting out and you would hear these powerhouse vocals on the radio or on TV. She took a break from this style of singing in the last decade chasing after fresher beats and muted vocals. I am so glad to report that Mariah focuses on showcasing her lyrical prowess and that vocal magic on this album.

What you get here is a jam packed album of beautiful melodic music from an iconic artist who becomes eligible for the rock n roll hall of fame next year. What you may not be getting is immediately accessible made for radio tracks which I am relieved about. Mariah no longer needs to be recording music for radio to respond to.  This lack of radio friendly music has kept all of her singles from really making waves except for #Beautiful which peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Without a big first single along with Mariah's five year absence from the music scene, she is expected to debut on the Billboard album charts next weeks in the Top 3 with first week sales in the range of 50-60k.  This is her lowest first week sales tally.  Her previous effort, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel which was ultimately a critical and commercial failure opened with a dismal 168k in first week sales due to the slight success of her top 10 first single, Obsessed.  In comparison, E=MC2 sold almost half a million copies in its first week riding on the waves of #1 first single, Touch My Body.

To describe this album, lets start with her tradition of doing a cover or two on her albums. My favorite track on the album happens to be one of these covers, the George Michael track "One More Try." For you 80's kids, if you really want some nostalgia, listen to this one immediately. Mariah also dips into disco dance sounds for two tracks and she just sounds right at home. One of them, You Don't Know What To Do, could be 2014's summer dance jam and features Wale while Meteorite is a magical disco house jam which rockets her into exciting new territory.

The balladry is just near perfection on tracks like Cry. and Camouflage while tracks like Thirsty and Dedicated have super fresh urban beats that could easily find a home on today's radio playlists. There really is something for all of her fans of this project all the while maintaining a full project experience.

Here's my breakdown of the album GEMS:

1 One More Try - stunning emotional balladry / hope to see this released as a single.
2 Cry. - This haunting, emotive ballad feels like it comes from the "butterfly" era. This is going to be on the list of Mariah fan favorites like "Petals" and "Close My Eyes" -
3 Meteorite - Q-tip produces this spacey, disco jam and her voice is just sheer magic on this track.
4 You Don't Know What To Do - This seems like it is going to be a single based on Mariah performing in live during her album promotion. This is bound to be a summer dance jam if promoted properly and picked up by radio. Highly addicting chorus.
5 Camouflage - heartbreaking, emotional and highly dramatic with vocals, piano and some background vocals. Just beautiful.
6 Heavenly - Is a powerful, uplifting anthem with choir and all and a perfect album closer.
7 #Beautiful - Its highly disappointing this track didn't do as well on the charts and I firmly believe it is because the featured artist is so prominent on the track. This should have been a Mariah only track. Nonetheless, it fits perfectly on the album.

The Good Stuff:
1 Dedicated - Think 90's Mariah in the vein of "Always be my baby" or something from the "Daydream" album.
2 Faded - seems to borrow heavily from her monster hit "We Belong Together" in structure but doesn't quite hit the mark for me. This is the whispery Mariah vocals of the 2000's.
3 Thirsty - bound to be a single. Very addictive beat and chorus. Think "Migrate," "Its Like That."
4 You're Mine - This was released as a single and didn't do as well. This is one of the more vocally balanced tracks on the album, where Mariah does her whisper vocals and then also kicks in a little into powerhouse vocals.
5 Supernatural - This reminds me of many tracks from the last decade from Mariah. I wont give this track "gem" status because the baby sounds become too distracting as the song progresses.
6 Art of Letting Go - Another beautiful ballad that should not have been considered as a single but beautiful as an album closer.

The Tracks I can skip (which dont necessarily mean they are bad tracks but just not my cup of tea):
1 Make it Look Good - Not a terrible track but Im not a fan of that jazzy sound and she always seems to include one track that sounds like this on every album since Mimi.
2 Money - This sounds like a Mariah track from the last three albums and doesn't work for me especially because Fabulos' vocals are just too prominent. I don't mind a featured artist here and there but Mariah's vocals should always be front and center.

The Memoirs tracks:
1 Betcha Gon Know - One of my favorites tracks from her last album. It hasn't been changed at all in terms of beat or arrangement. This is the version which features R. Kelly on the second verse. This was released back when Memoirs came out by R Kelly as a male response to Mariah so not sure why it's here. This is a stunning track in general and I think should have always been a single on her last album so excited that it's getting an opportunity to be re-discovered.
2 It's a Wrap - This was one of the weak tracks for me on the last album and doesn't do a thing her either. Not sure why this is here. I would have replaced one of these with her "target" bonus track, "America the Beautiful."

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Britney Spears releases Britney Jean today. My track by track review

Britney Jean, the newest album from Britney Spears is being released today, one day after her 32nd birthday. Overall this album has more hits than misses but strangely the strongest tracks weren't released as the first or second single. Unlike, Femme Fatale, this album features a fair balance between the dance tracks and the mid-tempo/ballads.  While I think Britney's voice is suited for dance backdrops, she sounds surprisingly good on half of the mid-tempo tracks.  The lyrics have gotten significantly deeper than her previous albums and we are seeing a more grown-up Britney.  While her manager and record company touted this record as Britney's "Ray of Light," referring to Madonna's most critically acclaimed 90's masterpiece which revived Madonna's career and is on many respected greatest albums of all-time lists, Britney Jean doesn't have the same cohesive theme or energy as the album it was inspired by.
If you are only going to buy a couple tracks to try the album out, then you should start with:
1. Body Ache
2. Till It's Gone
3. Passenger

Here is a review of the tracks IN ORDER of FAVORITES:

1. "Body Ache" -- This hot electro house edm track reminds me most of "Scream & Shout," mixed with some 90's hi-nrg euro. The best track on the album with her best vocals to date. RELEASE THIS NOW!

2. "Til It's Gone" -- Heavy EDM track that is hard to get out of your head and another vocal stand-out from Ms. Spears. One of her best songs ever!

3. "Passenger" -- Katy Perry gets writing credits and Diplo gets production credits on this slower mid-tempo track and what I think should have been, either the first or second single from this album.

4. "Alien" -- William Orbit worked on this awesome mid-tempo track.

5. "Work B----" -- We all know this one. While I love this track, I am not happy that it was chosen as the first single. Nonetheless the beat is hot and the video is hotter.

6. "Tik Tik Boom" (featuring T.I.) -- Super sexy lyrics against a hip-hop pop-hop backdrop with super catchy chorus to boot. Ultimately this could have been released by any of todays female singers so expect more from britney but nonetheless its highly addicting.

7. Now That I Found You - Great EDM track with a country vibe similar in sound to that Pitbull/Kesha collaboration thats out. Beautiful lyrics, beautiful vocals. Great track! This should be on all versions of the album.

8. "It Should Be Easy" (featuring will.i.am) -- This is my least favorite of the EDM Will.I.Am tracks.

9. "Perfume" -- Sia gets writing credits for this track. I was expecting much more from a Sia collaboration and these are not my favorite Britney vocals. Shocked that this was chosen as a single release. This is sadly headed for flop status. The "Dreaming" version (which is on the deluxe) sounds significantly better to me than the original

10. "Chillin' with You" (featuring Jamie Lynn) -- Awkard track on an overall great album. Clearly, shes trying to help promote her sister with this filler track. Pass.

11. "Don't Cry" "Brightest Morning" "Hold On Tight" -- Not impressed with any of these slow jams.        

LADY GAGA - ARTPOP ALBUM REVIEW

Artpop is a solid album of pop gems. Lady Gaga melds the accessibility of her Fame album with the electronics of the Born This Way album to give us this superb collection of art pop. DJ White Shadow produced half of Artpop. I personally would like Gaga to try out new producers when she starts work on her next album.  Half of their effort I love and the other half I could easily do without. The following tracks are DJWS productions:
"Sexxx Dreams" - Super sleek production and a major contender for a single - my only concern is the song name might be deemed to controversial so they may change it to the name that appears on the clean version of the album, X Dreams.
"Jewels n' Drugs" (featuring T.I., Too Short and Twista) - Though this is my least favorite song on the album it is still quite catchy and works with todays trap sound. I think if this track and one or two others were left off, this would have been a perfect album.
"ManIcure" - Super cathcy anthem with a chorus that seeps into your brain and won't stop.
"Do What U Want" (featuring R. Kelly) - super sleek and sexy with an 80's vibe. Hands down this one is an album gem. While it was originally intended as a promo single, the fact that it went to #1 in over 71 countries, was proof enough that this could potentially be a major hit for Gaga, and is now the official second single for Artpop.
"Artpop" - This track could have easily been on the Born This Way album. Electronic pop opera is what comes to mind when I hear this. The clean electro production and the sexy vocals from Gaga are pure magic.
"Swine" - This track may not be as accessible as others on the album but like every track on the album has a sense of melody, some stronger than others but all have a common pop theme. This is probably the most edm, club heavy track.
"Applause" - love this track. It's a crime it didnt go to number one.

 The remaining half of the album includes production from french house producers Zedd and David Guetta along with Leqlercq AKA Madeon and will.i.am:
 1. Fashion! - This funky track sounds like a merging of Daft Punk's Get Lucky, Madonna's Holiday, and David Bowie's Let's Dance and just makes me want to move. This is a David Guetta/will.i.am production and for the most part is pop perfection. The problem for me is the last 40 seconds kind of get too hectic and kill the groove. Nonetheless, I absolutely love this track.  In her recent muppets thanksgiving variety special that aired on television, Gaga surprisingly performed this track and invited, drag race diva Rupaul to duet with her.  Its was perfection.
2. Donatella - This beat is so fierce and strong with a diva-esque fashiony comedic alter ego with comicy lyrics to go along with what is a surefire club banger. This Zedd production needs to be released asap!
3. Gypsy - Produced by Leclercq, this is the "Edge of Glory" on this album and should be the next single.
4. G.U.Y. - Guy Under You is another excellent Zedd production with a great beat to dance to. 5. Dope - This is the only ballad on this album and is just stunning. Based on the strength of the other songs on this album I am not sure I support this one being a single but based on indicators when it was released as a promo, it may do well.
6. Aura - Strong fresh electronic opener. There's a demo floating around that some gaga fans prefer over the final released version. It may be worth searching the web to hear what you think.
7. Venus - While I love the beat of this track, I am just not a fan of the lyrics.
8. Mary Jane Holland - is one of the very few track on the album which I skip. The chorus is drab and brings the energy down.

 Long story short, Lady Gaga has put out an album of 15 tracks with minimal fillers and a strong number of potential number one singles. If you want a fantastic electronic album to dance to, this is the one. She exudes confidence, pokes fun at herself and pop culture while infusing today's electro edm beats as her back-drop.  The pic is from the limited edition RSD record story day vinyl release of "Applause."  There are only 2000 copies of this 12" in existence.

Britney Spears - Work Bitch New Single

Britney returns to the limelight today, not that she ever left, with her new Will.I.Am produced first single, "Work Bitch" from her as-yet-untitled eigth studio album release. This is her first full length since 2011's wildly successful Femme Fetale which spawned her fourth #1 single, "Hold it Against Me" but also contained one of her most successful radio hits, "Till the World Ends." Riding the heels of her previous #3 Billboard hit, with Will.I.Am, "Scream & Shout," Britney keeps the same formula: spoken british vocals, melodic breakdown and a heavy club beat. Let me know what you guys think of the track in the comments section.

Britney Spears - Work Bitch (Will.I.Am)

Here is a pic of Britney on the set of the video for "Work Bitch"

TRAK OBSESSIONS OF THE WEEK

Here are this weeks top tracks that I can't stop listening to:
Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful
Lana Del Rey returns with another stunning gem, Young And Beautuful, which is the theme song to the Baz Luhrmann film, The Great Gatsby.

Little Boots - Every Night I Say A Prayer
Taken from her album "Nocturnes" which hit iTunes this past week. The album is excellent and has prompted me to fall in love with "Every Night I Say A Prayer" again. It was heavily featured on my playlist in 2012 and is now back for 2013. The album version has been touched up a bit. Take a listen to this excellent album.

I Miss Janet Jackson - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I know she's off gallivanting around the world with her billionaire arab husband, but I think its time Mrs. Janet gets back to work. We need some new music from you Janet! I loved 2008's Rodney Jerkins produced, "Feedback", from the not-so-amazing "Discipline" and I even loved her soundtrack single "Nothing" from Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married 2" but we are long overdue for a comeback album.

I would love it if Janet got together with Andy Butler from Hercules and Love Affair and put out some early 90's sounding house tracks reminiscent of artists like Inner City, Black Box and Technotronic. I would also love a collaboration between Janet and Calvin Harris who seems to do wonders when he gets in the studio with amazing female artists. The work he did with Kylie Minogue, Rihanna and most recently with Florence and the Machine all come to mind.
Anyway, I just uploaded some classic Janet from 2004 when she made a post Super Bowl appearance on Good Morning America to perform singles from her, at that time, newly released 2004 album, Damita Joe. She performed one of her very few memorable tracks from the last decade, All Nite (Don't Stop) and the very forgettable, disastrous first single, I Want You. She also talks about the Super Bowl incident and then some. Check it out and leave comments. Part two to come shortly.

Madonna - Give Me All Your Love - Full New Single 2011

 
Sorry for the messy blog post - go here now to hear the new single from Madonna, produced by Martin Solveig off her upcoming studio album.

Madonna - Give Me All Your Love - Full New Single 2011
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BJORK - BIOPHILIA ALBUM REVIEW

Let's get straight to it; All the buzz surrounding the overall release of the album has been really good. Biophilia's overall concept is not just about the music but also the visuals, the apps and all the technology surrounding this album. This is a modern day way to release an album and we may start to see this from other artists.
This album has also described as a great way to teach students about the solar system and as an educational tool, the accompanying apps (available in apps stores) could make learning these scientific concepts exciting and interesting. Well darn, I wish I were a student and learning about the solar system for the first time through Bjork. But I am not. I'm a 31 year old Bjork fan and all I want is a good Bjork album. Well the music itself as a whole is rather dull and it breaks my heart to say it. There is nothing groundbreaking about it and it sounds like a rehash of Vespertine, Selmasongs and Medulla....and sadly not a rehash of the gems of those respective albums. There are a few tracks on this album that wish they were "Pagan Poetry" but don't come anywhere as close to the genius of that song. I just don't understand why Bjork stays in this strange folky electronic moody dark drab world. It was groundbreaking with Vespertine but lets move forward or if she's going to copy her old work, why cant it be something from the first three albums....ugh!

I'll split this up into three categories. The gems are the best tracks on the album but I wouldn't consider these overall career bests. The mediocre tracks are just that, just OK! Why she released Crystalline as the first single is beyond me. Lastly, there are the duds and on this album the two worst tracks have the opportunity of showing up twice.

The Gems:
Thunderbolt - (Bjork, I'm craving a miracle myself....that you'll put out a song I can try to sing-a-long too...ie: Triumph of a Heart, Big Time Sensuality, I Miss You, Army of Me, Violently Happy, Hyperballad, Joga...)
Cosmogony
Virus - This a major album highlight
Mutual Core - This is another major highlight - love the classic Bjork wailing
Nattura - (This track came out almost 2 years ago - nonetheless its wonderful and really stands out when surrounded by so many duds)

The Mediocrity:
Moon - Great potential/doesn't hit the mark.
Crystalline - Not first single material.

The Duds - (This is that experimental stuff that some may call groundbreaking...I call it filler - 6 filler tracks on an album with 13 total tracks. Not good!)
Dark Matter - both versions.
Hollow - What is this and why do we need an additional seven minute version?
Sacrifice
Solstice

TRAK ATTAK SINGLE PREMIERE - THE RAPTURE - HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE

"How Deep Is Your Love" is the introductory single to upcoming fourth album release from The Rapture.  "In The Grace of Your Love" is scheduled for release in September on DFA.  The first single is a forceful nu-disco house track complete with piano.  I am excited to hear what the rest of the album sounds like.  2006's "Get Myself Into It" is unquestionably their most popular track to date.

The Rapture - How Deep Is Your Love - mp3 Download

LADY GAGA RETURNS WITH AN ALBUM THAT PUSHES FORWARD BY TAKING US BACK.

 Inspired by 90's techno, industrial, 80's dance, 80's metal, Madonna, Whitney, and electro, Lady Gaga returns with an album of epic scale.  "Born This Way," christened "album of the decade" by Gaga herself is a mash-up in concept.  80's metal tracks from the likes of hair bands like Motley Crue and Bon Jovi collide with tracks from early 90's techno/rave groups like 2 Unlimited and 80's pure pop tracks from Madonna and Whitney.  On first listen, the edgy aggressive sound may be hard to swallow as it doesnt sound anything like her previous two, multi-million selling albums, but as you let the album unfold  and take you on its journey, you start to wonder if Gaga hit the nail on the head with this project and if this is where pop music is headed next.  You start to realize that you miss hearing grand and inspiring choruses and real vocal strength in music and then you realize that by breaking rules and not giving us another album of mainstream pop hits, Gaga just gave us the next pop sound.  I haven't heard a 74 minute album (if you get the deluxe edition) since the late 90's/early 2000s and as far as I'm concerned it is still not long enough.  This is a full story album...THIS is bionic.  Highlights on the album are:
Scheiße
Bloody Mary
Bad Kids
Fashion of His Love (Why isn't this fab track on all versions of the album?)
You And I
Edge of Glory

TRACK BY TRACK:
1- Marry The Night - This sounds like an amped up 80's metal/rock/dance version (claps and all) of Cutting Crew's 1986 hit "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight."  
2 - Born This Way - Title track and first single from this album becoming Gaga's 3rd #1 Billboard Hot 100 and staying in the pole position for over 8 weeks. 
3 - Government Hooker - Electro pop dark dance track with blips and all.  I expect to hear this type of sound at an industrial/goth dance night.  Very metal, distorted vocals, She sings in a lower register, there are spoken vocals, cold male spoken vocals, creepy laughs throughout.  Its somewhat anti-climactic but does help to establish a cold industrial tone early on.
4 - Judas - This ones already been broken down and analyzed a million times.  Truthfully, I like it.  Its a faster Bad Romance with a highly addictive chorus.  She collaborates with "Just Dance/Pokerface" hit-maker RedOne.  The video on the other hand....hot mess. 
5 - Americano - This track is sung in a very annoying campy "broadway" style.  It's her one latin-inspired dance track with pulsating drum beat, trumpet, guitar, and violins in the far background but is just too busy with the distorted screamy vocals, the pulsating latin dance beat, the guitars, the horns.  Think Madonna's Deeper and Deeper on steroids meets "Me No Speak No Americano". This one goes to the bottom of the list for me.
6 - Hair - The first time we hear the sax on this album.  This was released before the album came out on iTunes so we've all had the opportunity to digest it.  Its a fun party track with  electric guitar, piano, hard pulsey drum machine and sounds like it came right out of the late 80's.  Throw your hands in the air dance anthem.  This track seems to fuse the industrial goth elements of the album with the 80's dance, metal rock inspired tracks.
7 - Scheiße - One of the strongest tracks on the album, once again, reminiscent of a previous Gaga track.  Great vocals, spoken, singing, takes me to an early 90's techno, industrial place ala "Twilight Zone" "Who Shot JFK."
8 - Bloody Mary - Mid tempo, operatic; the cold, industrial goth "Ladyton-esque" sister to "The Fame's" Ace of Base inspired "Alejandro." This is a major highlight on the album. A+ dark moody mid tempo synth dance track.
9 - Black Jesus - Amen Fashion - very electro-rock, distorted spoken chorus, meets very 80's sounding melodic verse/bridge meets an uninspired chorus that is almost reminiscent of Gaga's previous soundtrack song, "Fashion" mixed with title track "The Fame."  Another track I could easily live without.
10 - Bad Kids - pulsating disco beat with electric guitars reminiscent of Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" and another disco gem that I can't think of at the moment.   Half-spoken, half sung verses meets a glorious synthy chorus which is mixture of 80's and 90's classic jams.  This track reminds us of Gaga's melodic sugary pop genius. A+ Highlight!
11 - Fashion of his Love - This one almost sounds like it was inspired by "Express Yourself" as well, but upon further listen you realize that it was THIS song where she pictured "Whitney Houston."  This is the young sister to classic 80's #1 track, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."  Lady Gaga sings fashiony lyrics over a hot 80's freestyle (think of Whitney's "Dance w/ Somebody" meets Shannon's "Let the Music Play."  One of the best songs on the album.  The double disc special edition comes with a Fernando Garibay mix which is completely dance/club ready.
12 - Highway Unicorn (Road To Love) - Another 80's dance rock track.  Not fond of the distorted vocals.  I feel like if she included more melodic softer vocals it could have balanced this hard track.
13 - Heavy Metal Lover - Dark sleek sexy dance track.  One of the most easily accessible tracks on the album.  Similiar in style to "Government Hooker" but much sexier.  This song is almost a culmination of the different styles that inspried this record and this song perfectly balances all elements and highlights all of Gaga's strengths.
14 - Electric Chapel - Electric guitars, pulsating electro beat, sexy dreamy vocals.  This could have been a track on Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor record and sounds similar to "Forbidden Love" from that album.
15 - The Queen -fast paced 80's pop dance track ala gogo's but the melody also reminds me of Cher's "Song for the Lonely."  The pace drops midway and this goes from being a dance track to a slow to mid tempo pop track with an electric guitar solo that closes the number.
16 - You and I - Epic, gem, the speechless of this album. Major highlight.  The only true "ballad" on the album and very similiar in structure to a Bon Jovi track or even actually reminds me of "What It Takes" from Aerosmith.  Showcases Gaga's stunning vocals and melodic mastery.
17 - The Edge of Glory - fast paced, hi-energy, feel-good electro dance track highlight and because it was so successful during the iTunes countdown to Gaga pre-release, it is officially the third single for this release.

LOS ANGELES / SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONCERT CALENDAR MAY 2011

5/20/2011 KYLIE MINOGUE - HOLLYWOOD BOWL Ticketmaster

5/21/2011 YELLE W/ FRENCH HORN REBELLION - MUSIC BOX - Ticketmaster

5/23/2011 YEASAYER W/SMITH WESTERNS AND HUSH HUSH Ticketmaster

5/26/2011 Stevie Nicks - The Wiltern Live Nation / Tix still avail!

5/27/2011 Prince: Welcome 2 America / 21 Nite Stand GET TICKETS/ THE FORUM

5/28/2011 Prince: Welcome 2 America / 21 Nite Stand Get Tix for the 28th

5/29/2011 Prince: Welcome 2 America / 21 Nite Stand Tix for 29th/ Forum

5/31/2011 LYKKE LI - WILTERN Live Nation Tickets

6/6/2011 ADELE - GREEK - Ticketmaster

6/7/2011 Death Cab for Cutie - El Rey Theatre ticketmaster

6/20/2011 Britney Spears / Nicki Minaj STAPLES Center Los Angeles, CA Ticketmaster

6/28/2011 RIHANNA w/ CEE LO - Ticketmaster 

8/10/2011 SIA - The Wiltern - Live Nation

8/19/2011 Sade with very special guest John Legend STAPLES Center Sade 19th

8/20/2011 Sade with very special guest John Legend STAPLES Center Sade 20th

8/21/2011 Sade with very special guest John Legend STAPLES Center Sade 21st

9/17/2011 TEAR FOR FEARS - WILTERN - Live Nation Tickets

KATE BUSH - DIRECTOR'S CUT 2011 - THE REVIEW

PROS:
- A new release from Kate Bush
- She reinterprets and for the most part successfully breathes new life to 11 tracks from her past catalogue.
- This Woman's Work
- The original lyric version of Sensual World now titled "Flower of the Mountain"

CONS:
- The cons for me are essentially song selection.
- I would have preferred she replaced "Never Be Mine" and "Red Shoes" with:
1 - "Why Should I Love You" - I think it would have been amazing if Kate got back together with Prince to re-do their, now very dated sounding, "duet."
2 - "You're The One" is amazing. Maybe it doesn't need to be redone. Maybe its perfect already but I would've liked to have seen where she would have gone with this track.

Overall, I highly recommend this album just to witness and hear Kate's amazing vocal prowess, and her studio wizardry. This album will also help show why she has not only influenced so many artists from so many different styles of the music spectrum but also continues to regularly have her timeless music covered by other artists (Maxwell and Placebo come to mind.) Here is my track by track review:

1 - Flower of the Mountain - Originally titled "The Sensual World" from her 1989 album of the same name. Kate Bush enthusiasts will appreciate the new lyrics, which are direct passages from "Ulysses" which in '89 she didn't get permission to use but in 2011, finally gets permission to use the lyrics she had originally intended to. Thanks James Joyce (or whoever is handling his estate now.)
2 - Song of Solomon - one of my fave tracks on the "Red Shoes." Is it because she curses in the chorus with strength and conviction? Maybe. Her stunning vocals on this new version are even stronger and clearer than the 1993 version. The soft vocal styling is as perfect as a lullaby; the hard edgy vocals are as intense as ever if not more. The actual pace of the track seems a bit faster but overall has not changed much.
3 - Lily - Another track I really enjoyed from the Red Shoes feels like its lost some energy and has slowed down a bit in this bassier version. Though this version is a welcome edition especially for the ending when Kate just lets loose and starts wailing, I still much prefer the original.
4 - Deeper Understanding - From 1989, a song about a woman turning to her computer for companionship as people grow colder....WOW! Kate just knew where we were headed, huh?! The song makes more of an impact for me this time as the chorus is no longer sung by a choir but instead by a computerized vocal from Kate's son, Albert. Gone is the piano from the original, replaced by a harmonica. Definite winner.
5 - Red Shoes - Very little has changed on the title track to her only 90's album. With that said, it seems to be sung in a lower register and feels slower. This song could have really benefited from a complete overhaul or not been included. This would be my least fave track on this album.
6 - This Woman's Work - One Word. Stunning. One more word. Haunting. The 80's version is undeniably, one of, if not the most epic track of Kate's career, and this new version is a welcome edition. There is no organic piano on this track, limited background vocals, and essentially the "80's" has been stripped out of song. I honestly have to say, the woman has outdone herself. If you are going to get just one song from this album, this is the one.
7 - Moments of Pleasure - The 2011 version doesn't even come close to the magic of the 1993 "Red Shoes" version. In the way Kate removed the "80's" from This Woman's Work, she seems to have removed the chill inducing "drama" from this gorgeous track. For me, that drama came in the form of violins, which are now missing along with singing (and towards the end belting) in a high register, which is replaced by a deeper slower moody vocal. Get the remastered version of this song from the "Red Shoes" instead.
8 - Never Be Mine - This song never did much for me on "The Sensual World" and was usually skipped. The 2011 "Director's Cut" version gets a darker, moodier, softer, acoustic treatment and fares much better than "Moments of Pleasure" did, with this mood shift. A mediocre track becomes stronger.
9 - Top of the City - Another fave from 1993's "Red Shoes," Kate slows the track down a bit and sings it in a lower register but essentially this track stays very true to the original and still gives me chills with the roller coaster of energy, from slow haunting vocal and piano to the drums and belting vocals kicking in. This song is a winner all around.
10 - And So Is Love - This could possibly be my favorite track from "Red Shoes" and so any re-vamp would be fine with me as I love when an artist revamps or reinterprets song I love from their library. I like options. With that said, this 2011 version is also sung in a lower register which I don't like as much. I think removing the guitars (Eric Clapton's guitar solo) from this track for this modern reinterpretation could have really been beneficial. Love this song but don't love what the small tweaks did to this version.
11 - Rubberband Girl - The new 2011 version sounds much more organic, more classic rock ala Rolling Stones. The original 90's alterna-pop sounding version sounds very dated when I listen to it now so this was a much needed and well done revamp.

KATE BUSH REVISITS & REVAMPS HER LATE 80's EARLY 90's MATERIAL

Kate Bush returns this year with her new album, Director's Cut, being released on her own label, Fish People, in conjunction with EMI. Kate takes several tracks from her '89 LP, "The Sensual World" along with tracks from her '93 effort, "The Red Shoes" and gives us modern reinterpretations saving the key elements.

I've had the opportunity to hear several tracks from the album, which I will review later. Most Kate Bush fans are nervous and excited to hear what she's done with what could be considered one of the most influential songs of her career, "This Woman's Work." I never thought a cover of such an inconic track could activate the same emotion that the original did. I was wrong when I heard Maxwell's cover in 2001 and I am wrong again after hearing Kate's cover of her own track in 2011. I couldn't imagine this track to be anymore haunting or chilling but Kate seems to have done it again with ease and has now got me even more excited for her upcoming album of new material due later this year. More feedback to come but for now, listen for yourselves. The return of Kate Bush...

Download: Kate Bush - This Woman's Work - 2011

JENNIFER LOPEZ MAY BE CONFUSED ABOUT LOVE BUT SHE SURE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE US DANCE!

JLO's new album "Love" has been in the making for quite some time. Remember last year when she tried releasing promo single "Fresh out the Oven" or the widely panned "Louboutins" as the first single with a premiere performance at the 2009 AMA's where she took that infamous tumble. She took a step back and saw that this mid-tempo r&b/pop-hop sound wasn't working for her like it used to and turned her sights on dance/pop hit-maker RedOne (of Lady Gaga fame) to give us club banger, dance-pop hit "On The Floor" which zoomed up the charts all over the world and became her first Top 5 in the US in almost a decade. Not only did she hit up Gaga's producer, JLO went straight to the source and gets assistance from Lady Gaga herself, who gets writing/production credits on two tracks on the album.

After listening to the album, I can clearly divide it into three musical genres.
Quite honestly, the R&B/Pop-Hop section sounds most dated and reminds me most of old-school J-LO tracks from the early 2000's. Good Hit and I'm Into You are the standout tracks from this genre.
The Dance/Pop section is the freshest and contains some serious gems, ie: Villains and Hypnotics along with first single On The Floor are standouts.
The Pure Pop section contains the title track, Love, which is a great HOT AC track. Except for the weak, Everybody's Girl, these are some great modern pop tracks and JLO hasn't sounded better.

Dance/Pop
1 - On The Floor
2 - Papi
3 - Invading My Mind - Co-Produced and Co-written by RedOne and Lady Gaga.
4 - Villains - This is a smoking hot track, in the vein of Jump Smokers meets - Cheryl Cole's "Fight For This Love"
5 - Hypnotico - Send this to RADIO ASAP - Should fit in perfectly in between a Ke$ha and Britney track. Another RedOne/Lady Gaga production.
6 - Charge Me Up

R&B/Pop-Hop
1 - Good Hit - Very Hot Beat - Standard R&B formula with label lyrics and all. Produced by Tricky & The Dream.
2 - I'm Into You feat. Lil Wayne - 2nd Single - This is JLO's "Rude Boy" produced by Stargate
3 - Run The World - Filler track produced by Tricky & The Dream
4 - One Love - Filler track from Danja who actually produced a total of 4 tracks with JLO. Only 2 made the final cut.
5 - Take Care - This bonus track is catchier than some of the fillers in this section. Produced by Tricky Stewart.

Pure Pop
1 - (What is) Love? - Written by Wynter Gordon
2 - Until It Beats No More
3 - Starting Over - Produced by Danja
4 - Everybody's Girl

To download the album sampler, go here! Otherwise, please support our artists and buy the album!

KELLY ROWLAND MOTIVATES!

After I got done writing my entry about the new Beyonce track, I realized I hadnt given props to the other member of Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland. Motivation is her new single and is supposed to be the lead single to her upcoming album which was technically due late last year. Unfortunately her David Guetta produced "Commander" didnt take off in the states so the album got pushed. Her new track is sexy, r&b pop and the perfect vehicle to get her new album to take off. I've been obsessed with this track for weeks. I can personally skip the Lil Wayne part but can see how the younger demographic would appreciate his feature. Check out the video then buy the track from amazon below and support our artists.

PON DE BEYONCE

So I've been thinking for awhile about who Madonna (remember her) should be working with on her next album. One of my fantasy collaborations would be if Madge and Major Lazer (Switch and Diplo) coming together to create a sound similar to the Dancehall club vibe of their 2009 album "Guns don't Kill People..." Well god damnit! Sasha Fierce not only collaborates but instead, Beyonce actually lifts the entire instrumental from Major Lazer's huge club hit, Pon De Floor. Officially titled, Run the World (Girls) with production credits going to Switch, Beyonce nails it. Using an already successful formula, Beyonce throws out another girl power anthem with angry-aggro sounding verses mixed with a middle eastern style sounding bridge. Im thinking Beyonce runs the new r&b-pop dance world....just do us a favor and dont start taking some crazy soul numbing pills....we've already lost one female pop icon.

LOS ANGELES / SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONCERT CALENDAR APRIL 2011

LA Concert Calendar

4/20/2011 LAURYN HILL - EL REY THEATRE - Ticketmaster

4/20/2011 ELLIE GOULDING W/KNOCKS - Ticketmaster

5/4/2011 JAMES BLUNT - WILTERN Live Nation Tickets

5/14/2011 RUSKO - WILTERN Live Nation Tickets

5/20/2011 KYLIE MINOGUE - HOLLYWOOD BOWL Ticketmaster

5/21/2011 YELLE W/ FRENCH HORN REBELLION - MUSIC BOX - Ticketmaster

5/23/2011 YEASAYER W/SMITH WESTERNS AND HUSH HUSH Ticketmaster

5/31/2011 LYKKE LI - WILTERN Live Nation Tickets

6/6/2011 ADELE - GREEK - Ticketmaster

6/28/2011 RIHANNA w/ CEE LO - Ticketmaster

9/17/2011 TEAR FOR FEARS - WILTERN - Live Nation Tickets

PUT YOUR HANDS UP IF YOU FEEL KYLIE MINOGUE!

Aphrodite, the glittery electro 90's inspired 11th studio album, from the Aussie princess, Ms. Kylie Minogue is easily in my top 5 albums of 2010. Kylie and her record label decided her previous effort, the post-breast cancer "X" was just too disjointed with input from too many producers resulting in too many different styles. Cohesion seemed to be the theme this time around and to make sure she got just that, Kylie hired music magician, Stuart Price (Madonna, Killers, Frankmusik, Duffy), to executive produce the project. The final product is 45 minutes of pure electro pop bliss as Kylie takes us on a goddess-like journey.
All the Lovers, a great electro pop track with ethereal feel was mistakenly chosen as the first single. I think it was the sole reason second single "Get Outta My Way" could not gain any momentum. The track is reminiscent of some of Kylie's biggest hits, including Love at First Sight, and the similarly named, Cant Get You Out of My Head mixed with Stardust's "Music Sounds Better". This was Disco pop Kylie with a strong girl power message. This track should have easily hit the top of the charts worldwide.
Now this video pops up for third track on the album, Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love). The original album track is a hi-NRG 90's dance track and my personal favorite track from Aphrodite. The Peter Hammond mix, chosen for this 'lyric' video, takes us right back to the 80's when Kylie Mingoue was produced by the famous Stock Aitken Waterman.
Enjoy the video and I'll see you at the Kylie Hollywood Bowl show on May 20th!

TRAK ATTAK SINGLE PREMIERE - SKY FERREIRA - SEX RULES

Sky Ferreira returns with a new track titled "Sex Rules" written by Billy Steinberg (who also wrote #1 Madonna track "Like A Virgin") Maybe this will be the track that gets her into the mainstream? Previous failed attempts at a successful first single, "One", and "Obsession" were all over the blogs. "Sex Rules" is reminiscent of a sexy 80's sound. As a matter of fact, it sounds almost identical to a track with a similar title..."Sex Shooter." Nonetheless, its a great track and the lead from her upcoming US debut EP, "As If" An 80's sounding first single on a 90's sounding album title....works for me.

Beth Ditto - I Wrote The Book - Video Premiere

Watch the fabulous Beth Ditto, lead singer of the "Gossip," in all her glory in the Price James directed video for her first single from her highly-anticipated upcoming solo debut EP due in March. "I Wrote The Book" channels late 80's early 90's house along with a matching early 90's Madonna themed video. Pulling inspiration from "Justify My Love," "Erotica" and "Truth Or Dare," Beth joins a number of other artists on what is looking to be a 90's Madonna renaissance. The mp3, along with three more tracks from the EP, are exclusively available now at Beatport.