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~ 80's baby with a 60's brain.

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My Top 10 Songs of the Week “We Are the Goon Squad” : MYFAVORITES

10 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by d1esel6 in MUSIC, MYFAVORITES, Top 10 Songs of the Week

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beyonce, Calvin Harris, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Drake, Fergie, Giorgio Moroder, John Newman, Nirvana, Panda Bear, Top 10 Music, Top 10 Songs, Top 10 Songs of the Week

Hey All. Well I know my Top 10 Songs normally pop up on Fridays, but I was sick this whole weekend with a cold. You know my wifi limitations, so I didn’t feel like getting up and walking to Target or anywhere else to post this.

What you’ll get is a lot of Bowie, Harris and Daft Punk (would it be TOO random to have a Daft Punk week in the coming weeks?), it was an interesting week to say the least.

So here it goes. ENJOY!!

 

10. David Bowie “Up the Hill Backwards”

 

9. Beyoncé featuring Drake “Mine”

 

8. Fergie “L.A. Love (La La)”

 

7. Nirvana “Rape Me”

 

6. Daft Punk “Musique”

 

5. David Bowie “Fashion”

 

4. Calvin Harris “Faith”

 

3. Daft Punk featuring Panda Bear “Doin’ It Right”

 

2. Daft Punk “Giorgio by Moroder”

 

1. Calvin Harris featuring John Newman “Blame”

Grammy Nominees to Smile About : IMO

09 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by d1esel6 in Alt-J, Beach House, Capital Cities, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Fantasia, Grammys, IMO, Jack White, James Blake, Janelle Monáe, Justin Timberlake, K Michelle, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, MUSIC, Pharrell Williams, Phoenix, Tamar Braxton, Tame Impala, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend

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56th Annual Grammy Award Nominations, 56th Annual Grammy Awards, Alt-J, Beach House, Capital Cities, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Fantasia, Grammy Nominations, Grammy Nominations 2013, Grammy Nominees, Grammy Nominees 2013, Grammys, Jack White, James Blake, Janelle Monae, Justin Timberlake, K Michelle, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliot, Pharrell Williams, Phoenix, Solange, Tamar Braxton, Tame Impala, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend

2013-Grammy-Noms-706-9489It’s no secret that my enthusiasm for the Grammys and other award shows has waned over the last few years. Nominees have been either very predictable or very unworthy, and instead of trying to make sense of it all I try to just ignore them. This Friday, the nominees for the 56th Annual Grammy’s were announced and it seems like the academy is trying to turn things around.  I have to admit that while scrolling through the list, I caught myself smiling and very proud of the nominees (even some of the snubs). This year seems to be a really great mix of artists with actual talent who deserve the extra Grammy shine, instead of the Academy favoring the biggest selling artists of the year just because they’re popular. Mainly, and selfishly I’m sure, what made me smile the most was that I was seeing some of my favorite music of the year up for big awards, which normally doesn’t happen.

So instead of going through the full list of nominees, let’s start with the ones that genuinely made me smile.

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Kendrick Lamar is up for 7 Grammy’s including Album of the Year and New Artist 

Daft Punk and Kendrick Lamar for Album of the Year.

“Random Access Memories” was easily one of my favorite albums of the year. I expected Daft Punk’s huge hit single “Get Lucky” to get lots of Grammy love, but didn’t expect the album to be in the Top category. Even though it is truly deserving, Grammy’s tend to relegate Electronic music to their own specific category, so I was pleased to see the album being appreciated among the rest of the great artists.

I was happy to see Kendrick Lamar up for Album of the Year category simply because I think he’s awesome. There hasn’t been a Hip Hop Album from a new, fresh, young artist like Kendrick up for this Top award in a long time, so it was nice to see and he’s definitely the one who deserves to break that pattern.
(Kendrick Lamar photo by Ben Miller, http://www.benmillerphoto.com)

James Blake, Kendrick Lamar and Ed Sheeran for New Artist.

Grammy’s never seem to get this category right. James Blake and Ed Sheeran are nowhere near NEW artists as Blake released his second full length album this year, and Sheeran’s “+” album has been available since 2011, and he was nominated for Song of the Year last year. The weird criteria for this category is confusing, but they are both great artists and very deserving of their nominations. And again, I just like Kendrick and he has a great shot at actually winning this prize.

The Snubbing of Justin Timberlake.

It was expected that Justin Timberlake would lead the list of nominees this year, he had the best selling album through most of the year, and is a Grammy darling. He racked up 7 total, which is great, but he didn’t find himself in any of the Top categories. His first album not to be nominated for Album of the Year. While it’s surprising, I personally feel like the snubbing is “Justified” so to speak. “The 20/20 Experience” album was hardly anything groundbreaking, and even though plenty of undeserving Albums have been nominated in this category, I’m glad at least this one didn’t get through.  I feel this is the Grammy’s trending away from giving nominations to the popular, top-selling hits and being more critical about the actual material.

Jack White‘s “I’m Shakin” for Rock Performance.

Just because I love this song. It rocks!

David Bowie‘s Double Nominations.

“The Next Day“, David Bowie’s first album in 10 years, was great in that it was current but also paid tribute to the amazing career he has had. Many are complaining that the Rock categories are filled up with too many “older” acts, but I feel that both of Bowie’s nominations for Rock Album and Rock Performance are well deserved, even if he’s probably not going to win.

Tame Impala

Tame Impala grab their first Grammy nomination for Alternative Album

Tame Impala and Vampire Weekend for Alternative Album

“Lonerism” is an amazing album, but Tame Impala are one of those groups that I think may be TOO underground to get the attention of Grammy voters. Luckily that’s not the case this year as the group get their very first Grammy nomination for Alternative Album. When I saw their name I actually did a double take before I smiled, they probably have little chance of winning but I’m happy to see them being recognized for a great piece of work.
I was also happy to see Vampire Weekend in this category, specifically because I felt “Modern Vampires of the City” should have been up for Album of the Year and I thought they might have been ignored altogether. This one nomination is fine, and knowing they have a good chance of winning it is ever better, but I feel they got snubbed in some of the bigger categories. If not Album of the Year, than “Diane Young”, one of the most fun and clever songs of the year, should have gotten Record of Song of the year.

atwh

Tamar Braxton, one of my favorite albums of 2013 earned 3 Grammy nominations

Tamar Braxton‘s Triple nominations.

It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a #Tamartian, and I’ve been loving Tamar’s “Love and War” album since it came out. I was hoping she would be a sure thing for Contemporary R&B Album, but you can never be too sure. When I saw that she grabbed three nominations in the R&B categories I was ecstatic. Braxton is up for R&B Performance and R&B Song for “Love and War” and Contemporary R&B Album (which I personally think she should win, but who knows how that will play out).

Fantasia, Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliott for R&B Song

“Without Me“, the track from Fantasia’s nominated album “Side Effects of You“, was such a banger when I first heard it, I thought it was destined to be a massive urban hit. Months later with a peak of only #26 on the R&B chart I feared the song was totally ignored, so I was glad to see this collaboration with Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott up for an award.
(Side Note: How did “Pusher Lover Girl” by Justin Timberlake get into this race?)

Kanye West‘s “Yeezus” for Rap Album

Scrolling through the nominee list I was surprised when I didn’t see Kanye West listed much, so I was happy to see him get at least Rap Album (he’s also up for Rap Performance for “New Slaves”). He’s been nominated and won in this category for every single album he’s put out. He might not win, but it’s nice to see his most daring and risky album wasn’t ignored or under-appreciated because of his other antics.

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Pharrell, a front runner for Producer of the Year

Pharrell Williams for Producer of the Year.

This nomination was a bit of a no-brainer, Pharrell was responsible for two of the biggest hits this year and regained a lot of relevancy as an in-demand producer. We just have to think back to the early 2000’s when The Neptunes were making hit after hit and were continually ignored by the Grammys. Those past snubs worried me about his chances this year, but sure enough he was there and set to win this trophy.

 

 

Capital Cities “Safe and Sound” for best Music Video.

I just recently saw the “Safe and Sound” video a few weeks ago at a bar, and it sort of blew my mind. The video is a time traveling, upbeat, fun, visually engaging video with lots of dancing that makes you laugh and makes your jaw drop. I’m very happy to see it in it’s deserved place as one of the best videos of the year.

Overall, I don’t have that many complaints which is a refreshing feeling around Grammy time. I would have loved to see Alt-J, Solange, Beach House or K Michelle among others nominated, but I wasn’t really expecting it. I was surprised that Janelle Monae and Phoenix didn’t get any nominations at all. I also thought very highly of The Strokes‘ latest album, but it, like all of their previous work, was ignored.

In the end, this years’ nominees have somewhat restored my faith in the Grammy system, and I may even do a Prediction blog post as the awards come closer. I’m most happy that my musical favorites are being recognized this year, so maybe I DO know what I’m talking about.

Best (and Worst) Music of 2013…So Far : MYFAVORITES

17 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by d1esel6 in Animal Collective, Atlas Genius, Baths, Cold War Kids, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Fantasia, Fitz and the Tantrums, James Blake, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Rowland, Local Natives, Major Lazer, MUSIC, MYFAVORITES, Phoenix, Rihanna, Snoop Lion, The Neighbourhood, The Strokes, Toro y Moi, Vampire Weekend

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Alt-J, Animal Collective, Atlas Genius, Baths, Best Albums of 2013, Best Music 2013, Calvin Harris, Cold War Kids, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Fantasia, Fitz and the Tantrums, fun., James Blake, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Rowland, Local Natives, Major Lazer, Outasight, Phoenix, rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion, Solange, Tame Impala, The Neighbourhood, The Strokes, Toro Y Moi, Vampire Weekend, Worst Albums of 2013, Worst Music 2013

2013 has definitely been an INTERESTING year so far for music. Let’s not even talk about what’s going on at Radio, but the album releases this year have displayed a wide range of talents, older and younger stars,  and Indie stars hitting it big. There was a big lack of Superstar releases, so it was easy to escape the Top 40 Mainstream grid and dive into a very diverse pool of music.

Here is my take on the year thus far, and instead of doing the traditional Top 10 lists, I’m gonna break down my favorite and least favorite albums in Three groups. The Disappointing, The Decent and The Best. I have to admit though, I haven’t been keeping up with ALL the 2013 releases. There was a time this year (like three weeks ago lol) when I was obsessed with George Michael and especially his Grammy winning “Faith” album. And even currently I’m on a Mariah Carey kick, so this list might be a little scant. Rhye, J Cole, A$AP Rocky and Chrisette Michelle are just a few of the artists I NEED to check out. And I will, but for now here’s my 6 months report.

The Disappointing

Timberlake “The 20/20 Experience”

At the top of this list, for me, is Justin Timberlake‘s “The 20/20 Experience” (1 of 2, because of course he has to bleed his fans dry of all their money), and simply because I had the highest expectations for it. If you go back to my “First Impression” review you’ll see I rated the album way too high with a 8.5. Ever since that first listen, I find myself really bored with the album which has him lyrically talking about the same old things (love, dancing, love and dancing again), his vocals are solid but not really impressive or surprising. And the overall production just feels dated, add the fact that the extended length of the songs in general are worthless. “Mirrors” and “Don’t Hold the Wall” are the two songs whose second halves are amazing and save the dullness of the first halves. For the most part though, these long songs just slow the album down. Still digging that “Strawberry Bubblegum” though.

“Out of My League” is one of my favorite recent radio singles, it’s so fun and catchy but it set my expectations for Fitz and the Tantrums‘ “More Than Just a Dream” way too high. The album doesn’t live up to that single for a variety of reasons. For one, “Dream” feels a little bit like a failed attempt at ripping off Human League, with it’s male/female vocals and 80’s feel. The most disappointing thing is the fact that the album rarely ever matches the Fun, Pep, and POP of “League”, you have the duo taking themselves way too seriously vocally and lyrically on a majority of the album. If they had lightened up it could have been pretty good, unfortunately it is what it is. 

Toro Y Moi released “Anything in Return”, and while I wasn’t expecting much from the album, it didn’t leave any impression on me at all. Unlike his previous album ” Underneath The Pine” which I enjoyed despite the thin-ness of Toro’s singing voice. This one was just a little TOO laid back, and while it was pleasant, it was totally forgettable.

Kelly Rowland “Talk a Good Game”

The problem with Kelly Rowland‘s 4th album “Talk a Good Game” is that it sounds like a regular Contemporary R&B Album. There are some excellent stand outs including “Red Wine” (possibly her best song ever), “I Remember” and “Kisses Down Low”, but the overall feeling of the album is that it’s a Producers album and not a album that shines a light on the talents and uniqueness of the artist. 

The Decent

Unlike Kelly Rowland (who guests on stand out track “Without Me“), Fantasia was able to make an R&B album and not lose who she is as an artist. “Side Effects of Me” is diverse, in that it goes from Contemporary R&B to Traditional R&B to Pop and Funk, and a lot of the material is top notch. Great writing, amazing vocals, perfect production, this album has it all. Unfortunately it’s not all that consistent, as I generally skip maybe every other track when listening. Still, there is enough here to at least make it one of the better R&B albums of the year.

Yes, I’m sure everybody shared a joke or two about Snoop Dogg changing his name to Snoop Lion for his Reggae/Dancehall inspired album “Reincarnated”. I personally thought the transition made sense, and I was actually surprised that I enjoyed the album as much as I did. And HELLA surprised that his track with Miley Cyrus, “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks“, was my ultimate favorite. The problem, Snoop doesn’t have a voice that’s ready for Reggae. He’s a little too laid back vocally on some tracks where he needs to channel the hype-ness of Beenie Man. And he doesn’t have that natural patois to smoothen out other tracks. The great thing, he has lots of collaborators who take the focus off of him. And at the end of the day, with the help of Diplo, there are some undeniable grooves that make you forget about the corniness that sometimes encounters the album.

Even though I’m a huge Diplo fan, and even though Major Lazer‘s last full length album “Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazer’s Do” gave me so much life, I have to say their second album “Free the Universe”  was disappointing. What makes it decent is the fact that you are gonna get exactly what you got on “Guns”, which is fun and infectious Dancehall/Reggae grooves. This album definitely makes a person wanna get up and dance, but there are some cons about the album. The mixing of very Electronic vibes doesn’t always mesh well, and just overall it feels like a continuation of “Guns” instead of it’s own thing. “Get Free” is still one of the best songs I’ve heard, and tracks like “Jet Blue Jet” “Mashup The Dance” and “You’re No Good” are definitely worthy of the price of the album.

James Blake “Overgrown”

James Blake had my #1 album of 2011, and I can’t lie “Overgrown” is a very nice album. While it’s very much true to the same vibe of his debut, this album actually does take Blake into new terrain. It’s even more moody, and some of the production techniques like the sampling and the guest rappers add something new. He’s still got that soul in his voice, and the tracks are very exciting and engrossing. Good album, just not the Greatness I know Blake is capable of. Maybe next time.

I have to be completely honest with you guys when talking about Baths‘ album “Obsidian”, I actually JUST listened to it this week. However, just from one or two listens I really have to say the album totally got my attention and managed to be a break out album from all of the stuff I’ve listened to this year. Like James Blake, Baths seems to be a very unique artist as the album has this weird electronic/pop/ambient/organic mix up that is hard to compare to any other artist (okay, MAYBE Alt-J). It’s in The Decent group now, but I can imagine after several listens I’ll fall in love.

I LOVED (x20) Local Natives‘ debut album “Gorilla Manor“, and was so excited for the follow up “Hummingbird” . My initial impression was that the album was too similar to the debut, but that debut was so strong, with it’s beautifully orchestrated instrumentation, compelling melodies and great writing, that being similar wasn’t as much of a bad thing. And honestly, as the year progresses I do find myself coming back to certain tracks and I CAN play the album all the way through without much skipping. I just wish it was more of an elevated sound for them, wishing they’d pushed themselves further artistically.

In regards to the Cold War Kids, I LOVE their song “Miracle Mile” and was excited to hear what their album “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts” would sound like. The album is definitely decent (hence, why it’s in the Decent group) with some nice, drum-heavy, tracks and a handful of really good songs. The problem, for me, is the lead singers voice which at times is very grating. His strain-y falsetto just turns me off on a lot of the tracks and detracts from the potential of the album, however I’d still recommend it because some of you have a higher tolerance for screechy/whiney vocals. 

Another radio single I fell in love with recently was “Sweater Weather” from The Neighbourhood. There’s something about the laid back vibe and the cadence of the lead vocalist that just felt so great together, and had me anticipating a potentially great album from the group. “I Love You.” is a good album, but you are basically going to get what you got from “Sweater Weather”. It does have some really good songs on there, but the only problem is that altogether the songs seem to muddle together. I think the fact that most of the songs share that same sort of Dark, laid back vibe makes it hard to differentiate. Still worth checking out though.

Phoenix “Bankrupt!”

It’s hard to say what my problem is with Phoenix‘s “Bankrupt!“. It’s a far cry from their previous album “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” which I found to be a bit of a masterpiece, but this new album isn’t bad. It’s just slightly dull in comparison to their last effort. And the lukewarm response I had when I heard this albums first single “Entertainment” is the way I feel about the album on the whole, It’s very much a decent album but it just lacks something that is hard to put my finger on. Maybe I just need to listen to it more, but overall the album was one of my most anticipated and quickly became one I rarely listen to.

“The Next Day” by David Bowie, his first album in nearly Ten years. Yes, as I said in my review earlier in the year, the album is really good. It’s good in the fact that it feels like a throwback to his entire Discography. It really is a good album with some really great, fun, emotional songs. I just have to admit that over the year I haven’t felt the need to go back to it often.

The Best

Only slightly disappointed with Kanye West‘s 6th solo album “Yeezus”, which overall I do think is great and another perfect addition to his catalog. The thing that disappointed me was that it is similar to his older stuff. Not so much production wise because on “Yeezus” Kanye goes a lot darker, a lot more punk-ish, and a lot more experimental. Lyrically though, he’s not talking about anything we haven’t heard him talk about before. The race problem in America, problems with the black community, problems with women, and so on and so on. West is more aggressive in his delivery, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’ve been there with him. Overall though, it’s another great risk taking album.

Atlas Genius “When It Was Now”

I became an Atlas Genius fan the very first time I heard their hit “Trojans“. It’s an amazingly catchy alterna-song that deserves (imo) to be a much bigger hit, and I was very happy when I listened to “When It Was Now”, their debut album, because my expectations were basically met. The album is very diverse, it has it’s fun moments, it has it’s moments of great artistry. Let’s be real though, the duo isn’t afraid to do something light, as this album isn’t really all that Hard-Rocking and a lot more Pop leaning. It’s just a great album whose songs attach themselves to your brain. I was happy not to be let down, and hope they continue to grow as their career continues. 

It has to be hard for Jay-Z at this point, on his 12th solo album “Magna Carta… Holy Grail”, you would imagine it’s starting to get difficult for the Hip Hop Legend to come up with new and interesting things to rap about. So, maybe on this album he just didn’t worry about it, but cultivated some of the best tracks he could get his hands on. The beauty of this album is the throwback feel of it, the tone of the tracks takes you back to 1998 when Jay was releasing his “In My Lifetime” trilogy. Working with Swizz Beatz and Timbaland recalls that soundscape of late-90’s Hip Hop and the production overall is Excellent here. He’s still ONE OF the Greatest Rappers Alive, and he manages to hold his own, but the overall “old school” feel of the entire album makes it a winner.

 After “Angles“, The Strokes‘ previous album, I was a little put off by the group. That album had it’s gems, but they were far and few between as they were definitely trying to escape the Garage Rock Band sound they are so good at. “Comedown Machine” really surprised me, because for the most part, every song is a winner here. The Strokes keep the experimentation going on this album, but they also manage to balance new sounds with what makes them a great Rock band. The album shows diversity, and a willingness to try new things (like Casablanca’s falsetto) and there’s hardly any complaints I have about the album, which I listen to quite frequently. 

The most surprising album for me this year came from Vampire Weekend, a group that I enjoy, but a group that I really wasn’t expecting much from. “Diane Young” hit radio and I instantly loved it, and I was really pleased to find that their 3rd album “Modern Vampires of the City” matched that song and beyond. The song is upbeat, catchy, glitchy and fun and there are several cuts on this album that have a similar quality. The greatest thing about this outing is it seems the band stepped out of their comfort zone a bit, playing with electronic effects and amping their style up with intensity and humor. It’s always great to me when a group can grow without growing out of their original sound. Bravo Vampires, Bravo! Great Album. 

Daft Punk “Random Access Memories”

And that leaves Daft Punk‘s “Random Access Memories“. This isn’t a list that ordered from worst to best, BUT I will say that this album is the one I was most impressed with on first listen, and the album that I keep going back to, discovering new favorite songs every time I do. The album is familiar to the Daft Punk sound, but with all the features from Pharrell, to Paul Williams to Julian Casablanca and with the insane live instrumentation and the soulful sexy Disco vibe permeating through the album, it’s just a very cohesive, very enjoyable album with lots of diversity. In a career that’s well over 10 years, it’s great to find a duo that steps their game up and making what might be one of their best albums yet. 

So there you have it. Let’s see what these next few months bring.

Honorable Mentions and 2012 Albums I Still Bump!

Solange “True” EP

Alt-J “An Awesome Wave”

Kelly Clarkson “Greatest Hits: Chapter One”

Rihanna “Unapologetic”

Animal Collective “Centipede Hz”

Tame Impala “Lonerism”

Rihanna “Unapologetic”

Ed Sheeran “+”

Calvin Harris “18 Months”

Outasight “Nights Like These”

fun. “Some Nights”

Bowie’s “The Next Day” : Album Review

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by d1esel6 in Album Review, David Bowie, MUSIC

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Tags

Bowie The Next Day, Bowie The Next Day Review, David Bowie, David Bowie Album Review, David Bowie Review, David Bowie The Next Day Review, The Next Day Album Review, The Next Day Review

David Bowie released a brand new album yesterday, it’s called “The Next Day” and let’s get into this review already.

I have to admit, It’s only been in the past 4 or so years that I’ve legit gotten into the sounds of La Bowie,  and mostly I have only listened to his 70’s stuff (I broke into his early 80’s albums late last year). I know that he’s put out some albums here and there in the 90’s and beyond but I haven’t gotten there yet. Which could alter my perspective on this album, but that ignorance aside I have to say I really really enjoyed this album.

I listened to it weeks ago when iTunes was streaming it and I have to admit at first I was slightly bored, than I got to “Love is Lost” and suddenly a more confident Bowie came out. The earlier songs were a little too melancholy and mumble-y for me, like he was barely there. Once “Love is Lost” hits, his voice is stronger, and the music is more unique and forward moving.

I would say things before this song were a tad dry, and the rest of it ranges from really fun or really amped up or really heartfelt. The entire album really calls to mind some of Bowie’s earlier eras that I’m actually familiar with. There’s bits of “Young Americans”, bits of “Low” and “Diamond Dogs”, and obviously “Heroes” whose album cover poses as the “remix” album cover to this new outing. Makes sense since it’s such a throwback to his legacy.

Don’t really have much more to say. I really enjoyed it, I sometimes am weary about older artists putting out new stuff. Sometimes it seems way too contemporary that it seems like it’s totally outside of their talents, and sometimes it’s just too reminiscent of their older material where you wonder what actual creativity went into the album. “The Next Day” is a really great balance between those two extremes, and just an overall enjoyable album that I’m sure is going to grow on me even more.

Rating: 4 stars

Best: Love is Lost, I’d Rather Be High, (You Will) Set the World on Fire

Winter is (or should be) Music Discovery Season : IMO

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by d1esel6 in IMO, MUSIC

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60's music, 70's music, 80's music, Al Green, Annie Lennox, Barry White, Bee Gees, Billy Idol, Brian Eno, Carly Simon, Carole King, Dave Stewart, David Bowie, Disco, Donna Summer, Duran Duran, Freddie Mercury, Isaac Hayes, James Taylor, Jim Croce, KC & The Sunshine Band, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, New Wave, Pink Floyd, prince, Progressive Rock, Punk, Queen, R&B, Rod Stewart, Roxy Music, Singer/Songwriter, Sly & The Family Stone, Sly Stone, Soul, The Beatles, The Buzzcocks, The Doors, The Eurythmics, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, The Stones, Thelma Houston

It’s Winter Time, and what the hell are music lovers supposed to do with themselves? Since there are very few big releases in the early part of the year, and for 2012 there doesn’t seem to be that many big releases down the pipeline. What do those thirsting for new music do? Well they just have to try alternatives. And my alternative has always been to look back, and discover something new in the decades of older music that’s out there.

Last year, I kinda gave the Indie’s a little more of my attention, but I remember in 2008 I went full steam in discovering music from the 1960’s. It was such a eye opening (or ear opening?) year for me, and it solidified that decade as the best of all-time (imo) for Music. It’s when Music got a little more inventive and daring. By the time I got to the mid and late 60’s there was so much creativity, risk and experimentation the likes of which I don’t think we’ve seen in the industry since.

Sly of Sly & The Family Stone

Not only did I discover a lot of great artists, albums and singles but listening to those tunes within the context of the times was also very refreshing. I learned that songs don’t always translate well on their own, especially when you are coming from a whole different decade and generation. Their true beauty comes out when you listen to the entire album it comes from.

Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones

How I started the “discovery” was getting full albums from the iconic acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Sly & The Family Stone and the like. Listening to their full albums made me appreciate some of the singles I previously didn’t care for. In your discovery, you’ll quickly find trends and music patterns of the time, and eventually you’ll automatically start to hear if a song brought something new and innovative to the industry. And vice versa for some copy cat songs.

Another thing I learned in my discovery, music gives a great overview of the vibe and tone of the people in any given decade. The 1960’s are a great example, because the music of the time started by being very clean and fresh. Than as things in the world started to change thanks to Civil Rights, Vietnam, and other issues that divided the older generation from the Counter Culture; you felt artists trying different things from different cultures, with a mix of angst and hopefulness in the lyrics that totally reflected the people who were buying the music at the time.

Jim Croce

As I moved on to the 1970’s, the aftermath of the 1960’s seemed to leave people very depressed as the music of the first half seemed to reflect a very somber melancholy mood. In R&B there were loads of protest songs, and songs that just painted a picture of the urban communities (a lot of “baby-makin-music” was spawned from this decade as well — Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes and the like).

Carole King

While Pop was favoring Singer/Songwriters like Carole King, James Taylor, Carly Simon and Jim Croce who offered very detailed stories about real people that listeners could relate to. There are very nice songs that came out of the early part of the 70’s (and some GREAT Funk music), but the feel of that time was a little boring and sedate.

There were some exceptions as the decade kept going though. The underground Punk, and early New Wave stuff of The Ramones, Brian Eno, Roxy Music and The Buzzcocks for example were exciting just because it was something completely new. David Bowie‘s continued experimentation with different genres through the 70’s was also very intriguing and an interesting alternative. And towards the middle part of the 70’s acts like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Queen turned up the volume and Epic-ness in mainstream Rock music with amazing progressive albums that really tested listeners to expand their minds a bit to new soundscapes.

And than of course, there’s Disco which actually re-ignited my “disovery” this time. The genre gets a pretty bad wrap and that’s because once it totally took over the mainstream, it became really similar to the Electro-Pop sound of today which is incredibly lazy with no real effort or imagination and absolutely no depth (“Disco Duck” anyone!).

Donna Summer "The Queen of Disco"

However there is actually Good disco with beautiful arrangements, dynamic vocals (think Donna Summer The Queen of Disco, Thelma Houston, Bee Gees, K.C. & The Sunshine Band even Barry White and surprisingly Rod Stewart gave us some artistic Disco sounds) and a weird underlying darkness and grittiness about them. And that’s where I’m at right now, working on my late 70’s and early 80’s music collection.

I’m a child of the 80’s (born in 1980) and coming from a pretty musical family, I am aware of a lot of music from Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson and the like.

Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart make up The Eurythmics

However I’m exploring more of the music from acts like Duran Duran, Billy Idol and The Eurythmics. Just like with the 60’s, I have a lot of “Greatest Hits” albums from these artists but I’m beginning to get full albums and see really how great (or not) they are. I’m only about two weeks in, but I’m loving what I’m hearing so far, and it really is fulfilling as somebody who writes about music to expand my music history knowledge.

Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell"

This is why I urge people to discover older music, especially younger readers. Surprisingly enough the older albums are actually easier to get than newer releases online. That is, if you are one of those who get your music from free download sites (tsk tsk tsk… lol!!), but of course iTunes is also a great tool, thankfully they have 90 seconds previews of songs these days so you do get a better sense of a song that way. But there are dozens of music sites where you can listen to older music, and on YouTUbe you can even see some of those older acts live in the flesh (something I haven’t really gotten into save for The Rolling Stones).

Just knowing that there is an endless music library right at your fingertips is amazing, and shouldn’t be taken for granted. So Discover away!!

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