New Music Nisey
It’s about time to look at some new music that either frustrates the heck out of me or makes me happy. Let’s start with the frustration, shall we?
1. Mr. Jason Derulo, I humbly ask you to please learn that the word “roof” does not rhyme with the word “truth”. It’s making me nuts, and your song is on constantly. Troofully yours, Denise
2. Midlake. You need to understand that Texas is trying to make this fetch happen like you can’t even stand. We’ve been claiming that they are going to break for about three albums now. This week they have the cover of Dallas’ weekly paper. I’m listening to this now. The vocals sound like the guy took an Ambien the night before, woke up before the recommended 8 hours and then hit the studio. It’s ever so slightly flat, ever so slightly slower than the band’s tempo. And it sounds like the soundtrack to role-playing in the woods a la “My Life As Liz”.*
3. Beach House - lots of people are talking about this album, and I have to suspend judgment for just a little bit. I’m not hating it. I just want to know how I got transported back to 1968, and if there really is a button on keyboards for “slightly out-of-tune bar piano” that all the indie bands use.
4. This isn’t new music at all, and it’s certainly not new music to me, but after this Sunday’s Grammys I must mention it. Pink. How on earth did she become a career artist? How did she become big enough to stay around this long? Oh, that’s right - because she’s GOOD! Child can belt out stupid hits and then come back with lovely ballads that tear your heart out. I loved “Glitter in the Air” at the Grammys. I highly recommend a few listens of Funhouse. I’m impressed and wish her all the best.
5. Phoenix - I’m so very tardy to this party. Sometimes hype-y albums that blow up make me want to stay away. I was wrong here, and “Lisztomania” is a fabulous song. Do I detect a little Talking Heads in “1901”? Yum.
6. The Script “Breakeven”. Some background - last January I was in the New York offices, and I was handed a CD by an artist named Gary Go. I instantly fell in love with it, I emailed everyone I knew who had to hear this, and I included the following point - “Gary toured Europe with The Script.” Sometimes I pitch things that I know nothing about, this would, um, be one of those times. I didn’t know who The Script was! I had vaguely heard that name, but I was banking on others being more versed in pop music and say, “No WAY! That’s awesome!”
Fast forward to end of 2009/early 2010 - Gary’s song “Wonderful” was chosen as the best pop song of 2009 by iTunes (so proud), and A FULL YEAR after writing that email, The Script has a song on Dallas radio. And it’s a great song! I suggest that you take a listen to it, tap your foot along, wave your hands in the air, and hope that they get even bigger. It really does take a full year and a half for a band to make an impact in the pop world, and I like these guys!
So happy listening, and let me know of songs I need to check out.
* MTV’s “My Life as Liz” is my personal favorite and brought us the line “Glitter is the herpes of arts and crafts.” For that, I suggest you learn about it.
