New This Week
  • Highway To Heck!

    I'm the last guy in the world to say the best music ever was made years ago--heck, that new Trapt album may be their best album yet--but sometimes the facts just speak for themselves!

    Though most of the 10 major releases this week aren't exactly the works of babes in the woods, that may just be a function of today's major labels holding their strongest releases until the year's fourth quarter. Students return to school loaded to the gills with moolah, the holidays roll up and people are out there shopping for gifts, and somehow a new release by an AC/DC or a Neil Young seems more of a "sure thing" than a new release by someone no one normal's ever heard of!

    Who knows? Maybe next year things will be different!

    R.E.M.: R.E.M. Live (Warner) You can't knock the track selection on this fine collection of R.E.M. tunes, recorded live in Ireland two years ago. A bountiful package including two CDs and a DVD--not to mention a striking portrait of Michael Stipe on its cover--this is about as

    Read More »from Highway To Heck!
  • What a week! After this new hubbub about that "exhilarating" Britney Spears video come three new albums--all in their own way just as relevant to today's sizzling pop music climate, and certainly a much-needed breath of fresh air.

    First, that new Radiohead album which costs as much--or as little--as fans want to pay!

    Next, the long-awaited debut of the unconventionally named Naked Brothers Band!

    And finally, the release of Electric Six's I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being The Master--clearly the year's best album for its name alone!

    Sadly, all three albums must be played to be fully enjoyed!

    Kid Rock: Rock 'N' Roll Jesus (Lava/Atlantic) Love him or leave him, invite him to your awards show and watch him punch someone out, Detroit's own Kid Rock is a colorful character that you can't help rooting for! Rock? Rap? Country? Other? No problem! Predictions are the Kid will either soar to renewed superstardom or plummet into the depths of hell purely for

    Read More »from Here Come The Naked Brothers!
  • It's a stunning battle of the old vs. new! In this corner we have today's hottest hitmakers--the exciting Souljaboy and Trey Songz, dictionaries in hand--and in this corner, cultural icons Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, even Ike & Tina Turner! All of them have new releases this week, battling for top sales at the cash registers, but only one generation can win!

    Will it be today's best and brightest? Or will it be yesterday's superstars, back yet again for another grab at the brass ring?

    Or will it be all of us, enriched by this golden opportunity to hear some of the finest music ever made?

    Let's find out!

    Soulja Boy: Souljaboytellum.Com (ColliPark Music/Interscope) The mastermind behind the charming summer opus "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"--not to be confused with "Crank That (Sheryl Crow)"--makes an especially strong, slightly surrealistic debut here, most notably with "Let Me Get 'Em." The track begins with a spoken admonition that it's "a dance, not intended to incite any

    Read More »from Soulja Boy Vs. Springsteen!
  • It's a heavy duty week of big-time album releases, you may have noticed, and there's a reason for that. It's back-to-school time, and there's a whole world of college freshmen whose parents gave them more money than they actually needed! They didn't know any better! Plus, it's getting closer and closer to the holidays --which means record companies know that the time to strike is now, as gift-giving season unfolds!

    Translation: There'll be lots of turkeys this Thanksgiving!

    The Cheetah Girls: TCG (Hollywood) We all know it would be way too easy to take a potshot at the lovable Cheetah Girls--I mean, they sell boatloads of album to prepubescent fans who'd be similarly thrilled if this sounded like either Metal Machine Music or the latest Michelle Shocked album. So let's get down to brass tacks: Despite everyone's natural snooty urge to dismiss this music as little more than kiddie fodder, could it in fact be possible that this album is surprisingly catchy, startlingly mature considering

    Read More »from Cheetahs Always Prosper!
  • Can I Be Blunt?

    Well, this was the big week when rappers 50 Cent and Kanye West went head-to-head in their dramatic battle to sell the most records! And I know I wasn't alone in quivering with excitement! Best of all--as a special bonus to buying the CDs, consumers were actually allowed to listen to them!

    So forget the sales brouhaha--let's talk quality! I was pretty excited by the 50 Cent album, mostly because of that great picture in the CD booklet showing him actually eating a gun from a dinner plate! And the Kanye West album was great because one of the three billion tracks it blatantly ripped off--er, I mean, one of the fab tracks it included prominently credited Can, the ultragreat German band, who'll probably be getting lots of unexpected royalty money as a result!

    The real winner? I'd say it was journalists all over the world, who could spew meaningless copy everywhere during an otherwise dreary news week! Just like me! Hey, I'm not proud!

    James Blunt: All The Lost Souls (Custard/Atlantic)

    Read More »from Can I Be Blunt?
  • Wow! Am I ever energized! Must be because I inadvertently watched some of the MTV Music Awards ceremony a little while ago--and now I am more enthused than ever about today's fabulous pop music scene! Talk about feeling at one with my peeps! This may be the best time in the history of music!

    But of course the drama's not over. Because this is the week that starts the Battle Royale of 2007's record sales! Will 50 Cent sell more copies of his new album than Kanye West? Will Kanye West sell more copies of his new album than 50 Cent? Will Kenny Chesney surprise everyone and beat them both with his new album? Will the world suddenly, tragically explode and thus deprive us all of the resolution to this grim and historic struggle?

    Hah! No way!

    And now on to the good stuff!

    50 Cent: Curtis (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) Well, as we all know, the quality of any album is completely a function of how many unrelated guest stars can be crammed onto it, so Mr. Cent's album must be a masterpiece!

    Read More »from 50 vs. Kanye vs. Kenny vs. Colossal Youth!
  • Maybe the upcoming 50 Cent vs. Kanye West album sales melodrama has convinced people that boatloads of great albums are arriving in droves every week, but I'm here to tell you that, uh, the ship didn't make it to port this week and the losers are arriving in droves!

    Usually when I put together this list I find about 20 albums worth noting and cull that list down to the 10 you eventually see. At the moment I've found only eight, and let's just say my notion of "worth noting" might not exactly be everyone else's! Hopefully I'll think of two more or--what the heck--make a couple up for kicks! No one's ever noticed before, so why should they now?

    Ted Nugent: Love Grenade (Eagle) Might as well start with the best!  Lovable Ted is back, is produced by his Damn Yankees buddy Jack Blades (of Night Ranger fame!), and has actually remade his first pop hit, "Journey To The Center Of The Mind."  Back in '68 when he made it, most people thought the lyrics were about drugs 'n' stuff--but now, the

    Read More »from You’re Not The Boss Of Me!
  • Everything Is Great!

    Newcomers, famous names, weirdos and veritable saviors of humanity are among the countless thousands who'll be releasing new albums this week--and it's now my honor to recount many of them!

    But you know something? When I look at this list--which I haven't written yet, but I soon will--something strikes me. And that's the fact that it's likely there isn't a single person on this earth who would be a fan of all of these albums! It's true! Sadly, today's music fans have such divergent tastes, no one really seems capable of truly liking everything.

    But I do. Yes, that's correct. I do indeed like everything, and in fact I probably like it more than you do!

    But--and here's where it gets tricky--it has to start with a certain letter! And today's letter is Q!

     

    Atreyu: Lead Sails Paper Anchor (Hollywood) Cleverly taking their name from the French pronunciation of "After You," these fun-loving hard-rockers will open the doors of your perception and more! With a massive fan base behind them-- I

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  • Let The Battle Begin!

    The industry's a-buzzin' about the showdown coming in just a few weeks--when 50 Cent and Kanye West release their long-awaited new albums on the same day!  If Kanye outsells me, then I will retire from the music business, sort of, declared Mr. Cent himself! It's so dramatic that I can barely stand it, and I'm sure you feel the same way!

    Maybe it's just me, but ever since they passed that new law declaring that every recording artist's worth is directly proportional to the number of album he or she sells, I'm starting to wonder if the artists I like are, well, you know, popular enough! Like, I don't want to back any losers, you know what I mean?

    I think to play it safe we should all buy copies of both of those guys' albums! You know, maintain the status quo! Like, why make waves? Who knows--maybe one day they'll buy us dinner or something!

    Aiden: Conviction (Victory) I knew something was up with this lovable Seattle band when I noticed they actually credited the person who gives them

    Read More »from Let The Battle Begin!
  • Back To High School!

    It was a sad night last week when I--in the midst of my vacation--checked to see whether last week's blog thing was up and running and saw the heartbreaking comment left by someone named "Salma." The poor dear, who apparently dresses like a pirate, offered some advice that was, I admit, somewhat sage: "lets stick 2 the present and future," she wrote, "and not worry about the past."

    As it happened, I read her note just minutes after attending a concert in New Bedford, Massachusetts, featuring both Eric Burdon & the Animals and the Yardbirds! In 2007! Cost of admission for four people? A marvelous $175!

    Salma, U R right on the $$! I have learned my lesson and from now on will embrace the future with gusto! And may I suggest you check out Momus for further fashion tips?

    ***

    Television Soundtrack: High School Musical 2 (Walt Disney) Don't know how you feel about it, but "quivering with anticipation" best describes my take on what's bound to be one of the year's biggest records! And that,

    Read More »from Back To High School!

Pagination

(291 Stories)

News for You

  • Mom: RI theater threw out disabled girl over noise

    NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — A woman says she and her 5-year-old developmentally disabled daughter were thrown out of a theater during a "Beauty and the Beast" performance because the girl was making giggling and humming noises she makes when she's happy.

  • Palace sheds some light on Kate's baby plans

    LONDON (AP) — With Prince William and the former Kate Middleton expecting their first child in mid-July — and much of the world interested in the birth of a future monarch — the royals' office has released some of the couple's plans, although many details are still being kept private. Kate has made several public appearances recently but is expected to keep a low profile in the final weeks of her pregnancy. Here is the latest news about the infant who will, upon entering the world, be third in line for the British throne.

  • Jenner: Kim Kardashian 'thrilled for the new baby'

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kris Jenner says her daughter Kim Kardashian is thrilled to have a new baby girl.

  • Cher credits luck for her lengthy career

    UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (AP) — Cher is no stranger to tabloid fodder.

  • 'The Voice' Winner: Who Did the Experts Choose?

    By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - NBC's "The Voice" will crown another winner on Tuesday night's finale. Season 4's three finalists - Daniellle Bradbury, Michelle Shamuel and The Swon Brothers - battled it out for the title on Monday's performance finale episode. Before the performances, coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Shakira and Usher performed The Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends." The Top 16 then got together for the second group performance of the night on Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros' "Home. ...

  • Miss Utah latest beauty queen to botch answer

    LAS VEGAS (AP) — Miss Utah Marissa Powell is the latest beauty queen to trip on national television, not over her gown, but during the interview segment.

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