The chances of a Simon Cowell protege winning ‘X Factor’ just got a little bigger, with Rachel Crow’s incredible performance of the Etta James song, ‘I’d Rather Go Blind.’ I have to admit my shock, given that I completely dismissed Crow at the beginning of the competition. Cowell clearly edited her into a superstar. And as an aside — Nicole Scherzinger is extremely annoying.
Category: Music
Metallica’s New Album — ‘Lulu’ — Horrific
I may not be a musician, but I know what crap sounds like. And Metallica’s new album is absolutely horrible. They collaborated with singer-songwriter, Lou Reed, and the album, entitled ‘Lulu’, is based on two plays written by the German playwright Frank Wedekind. It’s predictably a critical and commercial failure. The vocals are largely spoken-word, which makes for painful listening. When asked about his fan-backlash, Metallica drummer, Lars Ulrich said, “It’s not for everyone, but I think it’s a fantastic record.” Allow me to take a moment to speak directly to Mr. Ulrich, who needs a serious Dishmaster lecture. If you want to bastardize this medium by producing shit, then do it in the privacy of your own studio and never release it to the masses. But when you expose our ears to what is largely a joke, you disrespect your fans and make a mockery of an industry that is already struggling. It’s time to exit the crazy house and start making good music again. Listen to a clip of the song, ‘The View’, below.
‘X Factor’s’ Stereo Hogzz — Paula Abdul Triumphs
Nicole Sherzinger’s New Single, ‘Try With Me’ — Terrible
If you watch X Factor, then you’re familiar with the excessively pompous Nicole Scherzinger who has made it clear on numerous occasions that she can actually sing. So you can imagine my bliss when I discovered her wretched new single, ‘Try With Me’, where the vocals are nearly unrecognizable amidst an auto-tuned mess. Haven’t we heard enough of this wretched sound? Isn’t it time for evolution to phase out these types of singers? Where’s Darwin when you need him. Listen below.
Foster the People — NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert — EXCELLENT!
Hearing a song’s acoustic version is a great way to test its quality. Can the band survive without auto-tune and all the other bells and whistles that go along with producing a record (and yes — “bells and whistles” is a technical music term)? In the case of ‘Foster the People’, I actually prefer the acoustic version of their music. They appeared on NPR’s ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ series, and sounded incredible. The band formed in 2009 and it has three members, including, Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, percussion), Mark Pontius (drums and extra percussion), and Cubbie Fink (bass and backing vocals) Watch below.
‘The Head and the Heart’ at The Music Box — MAGICAL!
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This was one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended. I discovered ‘The Head and the Heart‘ from my Pandora ‘Mumford and Sons’ station, and I’ve since played their album on repeat. So when I heard they’d be at The Music Box, I immediately got tickets. The band formed in Seattle, Washington just two years ago, and there are six members, including: Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion), Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), and Tyler Williams (drums).
It’s always a gamble when you hear a band play live, because they sometimes don’t sound as good as their record. But ‘The Head and the Heart’ sounded better than their record. It’s magical to see a band before they become monstrously successful. These guys are still hungry, and their energy reflected that. Listen to ‘Cats and Dogs’ below.
Did Beyonce Rip-Off Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Choreography?
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Beyonce sure gets accused of plagiarism a lot. The latest exercise of finger-pointing involves Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, who accused Beyonce of ripping off her ‘Rosas danst Rosas’ and ‘Achterland’ choreography for Beyonce’s ‘Countdown’ video. I’ve watched the comparisons, and it’s alarmingly similar. When addressing the controversy, the famed choreographer said:
I’m not mad, but this is plagiarism. This is stealing. What’s rude about it is that they don’t even bother about hiding it. They seem to think they could do it because it’s a famous work. When I saw the actual video, I was struck by the resemblance of Beyonce’s clip not only with the movements from Rosas danst Rosas but also with the costumes, the set and even the shots from the film by Thierry De Mey. There are protocols and consequences to such actions, and I can’t imagine she and her team are not aware of it.
I’d give Beyonce the benefit of the doubt, but this is a consistent accusation. Her performance at the 2010 Billboard Music Awards, for example, was a blatant rip-off of a Lorella Cuccarini performance. She avoided responsibility by saying she discovered Cuccarini from YouTube and she was “inspired.” And lets not forget that her very famous ‘Single Ladies’ choreography was “inspired” by Bob Fosse’s ‘Mexican Breakfast‘ routine. There’s a fine line between inspiration and plagiarism. Watch the clip below to see the similarity.
Music Spotlight On: The Dodos
There is nothing more exciting than finding a new artist that has a strong album from start to finish. So when I found The Dodos, it took me about five seconds to purchase everything they’ve ever released. The group is comprised of two members — Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, who met through a mutual friend. Apparently, Long is trained in West African ewe drumming. Though I have no idea what that is — Wikipedia made it sound very interesting. I’ve posted a song from their album ‘Visiter’ below. And no — that’s not a typo. The title of the album is based on a misspelled child’s drawing that was gifted to the band. Enjoy!
X Factor Reveals Extended Promo — Simon Returns
A new promo for X Factor was just released — and the show looks good. Though Simon Cowell insists that the format is completely different than American Idol, the truth is that wherever Simon Cowell goes — ratings will follow — format or not. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that the real “X Factor” is Simon Cowell and not some random contestant that will win five million dollars in the end. That man sure is a genius, though. He’s going to pocket hundreds of millions as the creator of a show he ripped off from Simon Fuller.
Quote of the Day — Liam Gallagher — Oasis
“It’s not over yet. There are a few things which need to be sorted out. I didn’t want this to happen. It’s not nice suing your family but like I said, he was telling porkies (lies) for the sake of his mates and journalists to get a wise crack on me… If he listens to his lawyers and does the right thing then it’ll be well and truly over. I never wanted it to happen but it has to happen.” Liam Gallagher on his eternal feud with his brother Noel Gallagher after he sued Noel for suggesting that Liam missed a concert because of a hangover.