Twostepcublog

Natasha Bedingfield went from being the little sister of a B-list english pop singer ( Daniel ) to having one of the most popular UK pop albums in no time at all. She did this by putting together the most enjoyable "kid-pop" albums of last year, Unwritten . Unwritten starts out with "These Words", which is a simple but pleasant ditty about having trouble writing a song. Ingenious! "Single" follows, the first single that was released in England. Bedingfield puts across a theme usually done as the "I don't need a man" but without the requisite pronouns can be used by either women or men. After that comes Bedingfield's masterpiece, "Unwritten" a self-empowerment anthem which doesn't get preachy and does get inspiring, which is a feat considering her previous internship with her siblings in a religious pop act. The song is still in heavy rotation almost a year later, deservedly so, and I think will be the most memorable song...

I just got back from seeing the Dixie Chicks in Philadelphia. Awesome show. This is the third time I've seen them on tour, and though the stage setup is much toned-down from previous years, the music itself has evolved into something greater than a genre of music. The women played for 2 hours, covering just about every period in their career. If you haven't bought tickets yet to an upcoming show, by all means get them. Though the arena wasn't a full house, those of us that were there (and it was packed up to the higher balconies) were totally fanatical all through the show. In honor of the Chicks I'm putting up a rare glimpse of the pre-Natalie Maines Dixie Chicks, from the album Shouldn't Have Done That . To download "There Goes My Dream" right-click here to bring up the download page. Find tickets for the Dixie Chicks here .

Hot Apple Pie 's debut self-titled album came twelve years after Brady Seals left the band Little Texas , following a string of minor solo records (only one, "Another You, Another Me" even made the country top-40). Going back to the Little Texas playbook, Hot Apple Pie is a mishmesh of redneck showboating and country-pop hybrids. Starting with the first single, "Hillbillies", the band seem to be a fresh and loose outfit, with a funky non-traditional groove that belies its inane sexual lyrics. However, right after that comes a string of Little Texas-style numbers, including the crazily insipid "We're Making Up" (I can imagine her breaking back up after it) and "California King", which overtreads the "road-to-riches" story. "Easy Does It" is a breezy if not totally exciting single, which leads to the hokey "The Good Life". The middle of the record, though bring some good songs to go with their good musicians...

Hey folks, here's my songs for the week. As usual, you can right-click on any artist's name to bring of the webpage of the artist in a new window to listen to the artist's music. This week sees Red Hot Chili Peppers at #1 for the fourth week, with big moves by Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Panic At The Disco, and says goodbye to songs by Dierks Bentley & INXS. Cheers! This Week Song/Artist (Last week's Position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1) 2. If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins (2) 3. The World - Brad Paisley (4) 4. Black Horse & The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall (3) 5. High - James Blunt (6) 6. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley (7) 7. The One That Got Away - Natasha Bedingfield (5) 8. What's Left Of Me - Nick Lachey (8) 9. Get Together - Madonna (11) 10. Faster Kill Pu...

It's the time of slim pickin' single wise, not much from the past two weeks... Dierks Bentley - "Every Mile A Memory" The first single from Bentley's third album, a good easy-rock influenced track not unlike a track from rock radio circa 1983. He's continuing in the broken-heart vein, but not cloyingly. Grade: B Barton - "To Call My Own" [Josh Harris Club Mix] The singer's third Dance chart single (and biggest to date), "To Call My Own" sounds like a lost Human League track. And not so much in a bad way. A good moody dance track, not especially moving but it gets the job done. Grade: B- Tiesto - "He's A Pirate" [Tiesto Remix] I guess the makers of this year's summer blockbuster "Pirates Of The Caribbean" took notice from the success of "Brokeback Mountain" and commission a dance song from the movie. A darker-than-usual-for-a-kiddie-movie instrumental, it does have a good beat but the melod...

While a good chunk of America was fixated on the spectacle that was American Idol , another Star Search knockoff, Nashville Star , has for four years now generated a buzz with record labels looking for the next big country thing. The first season alone is noteworthy due to the triumph of Buddy Jewell , a journeyman over-40 demo trad-country singer that totally flies in the face of the usual Nashville machine. After winning, Jewell put out an enjoyable self-titled debut album with the help of Clint Black . With a #1 country album and two top-5 country/top-40 pop songs under his belt, things were looking up. However, the "sophomore slump" complex came by in a big way with Jewell's follow-up, Times Like These . Where his first album was an earnest mix of upbeat pickers and easy-going ballads, this album goes straight for the Branson blue-hair crowd. Everything seems bland and pre-screened for red-state consumption, from the simple "Me Lovin' You" to the hoke...

There was a point a few years back where country radio was a sea of testosterone. In fact, there was a point where no woman had hit #1 for a long while. Nowadays, while female presence of the country chart has come back, a steady stream of male country singers continues. Jason Aldean came in a flurry of such albums, along with Keith Anderson and Bobby Pinson . Though not mega-smashes, each sold respectable numbers consistently - Aldean hit #6 country and #37 pop on the albums chart, went gold, and is still in the country top-30 album chart a year later. And this is only with 2 hit singles behind it so far with a third just released. Aldean 's debut starts with the rocker "Hicktown". A cliche' number in the usual "look how country I can be" category, he does deliver with enough sincerity and hooks to overlook that for a moment. Five of the eleven songs have co-writing credits from a member of Big & Rich, including the highlight single "Why"...

I hope everyone's surviving the ungodly heat. At lunch it was reading 109 degrees in the car. I need another beach day, that's for sure..

Hey folks, I know it's been light posting lately, but I've got more albums and clips a-comin' shortly! Until then, here's my songs of the week. As always, you can click on the artist to bring up their webpage (if you want, right-click to bring up in a new window). Stay cool! This Week Song/Artist (last week position in parentheses) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1) 2. If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins (6) 3. Black Horse & The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall (3) 4. The World - Brad Paisley (4) 5. The One That Got Away - Natasha Bedingfield (2) 6. High - James Blunt (7) 7. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley (9) 8. What's Left Of Me - Nick Lachey (12) 9. Life Ain't Always Beautiful - Gary Allan (5) 10. Faster Kill Pussycat - Oakenfold f/ Brittany Murphy (13) 11. Get Together - Madonna (19) 12. Savin' Me - Nickelback (14) 13. Walk Away - Kell...

Ah yes, Toby Keith . The mere mention of the name evokes in some people either revulsion or zeal. With a career that was already getting hot with the release of his How Do You Like Me Now? album, he found stratospheric success cashing in on the flag-waving ugly-American market, cashing in over and over again with crappy, I mean real crappy drivel like "Courtesy Of The Red, White & Blue" (with requisite jingoistic ignorance) and "American Soldier" (gotta be in my top-10 worst songs of all time). However, for all the mud flug back at him through the years, I've got to admit that he's a damn good artist when he wants to be. For every "American Soldier", there's four or five gems like "Wish I Didn't Know How" and "Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You". So now that the "patriotic" fad has pretty much faded with the reality of a complete failure of a war in Iraq and a country still waiting for justice for 9/11...

Def Leppard , for a lot of people, were like the Huey Lewis & The News of hard rock. They were disrespected, yet insanely popular. However, like fellow Backstreet-Ozzys Bon Jovi, DL left at inarguable canon of classic rock which still rocks. Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection expands on their previous greatest hits set Vault to a two disc set, including newer singles and album cuts. The 2-CD set is almost like a mixtape, putting songs out of chronological order and frontloading their best known songs, "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Photograph" and "Love Bites" to kick it all off. I remember the controversy over whether "Pour Some Sugar" was supposed to be an ode to crack. Doubtful, but silly nonetheless. "Photograph" remains their signature song, and for good reason. Like a beacon into the music darkness between the soft-rock early 80s and the new wave of '83, it taught us you can still rock and have a melody that sticks in ...

Hey folks, here's the singles I've bought the last week...it sure seems like a retro week, everything seems to be a flashback of something older...as always you can right-click on the artist to check out their page. Kim English - "C'est La Vie" [Maurice Joshua Mix] This is a very low-key smooth house mix of the new song by dance diva English. Totally retro early 90s, in contrast to the anthems she is known for. Eyes Of Love - "My Love Is You" [Federico Conti Mix, Mahjong Extended Mix] And talk about retro, this act is Black Box reincarnated (without Martha Wash and the lawsuits, of course). The Federico mix is in the processed-disco vein in the manner of Freemasons, and the Mahjong Mix is more contemporary and spacey, though keeping the disco vibe going. Of course the tune itself is fluffy, but in this case it doesnt matter. Dance heaven, best dance song for the week. Cascada - "Miracle" [Extended Mix] Although I wasn't really a huge f...

Here's the weekly music chart, as always you can right-click on the name of the artist to open the link to their webpage in a new window. Cheers! LW TW Song ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 1. Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers 3 2. The One That Got Away - Natasha Bedingfield 2 3. Black Horse & The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall 4 4. The World - Brad Paisley 6 5. Life Ain't Always Beautiful - Gary Allan 11 6. If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins 9 7. High - James Blunt 5 8. Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson 17 9. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley 10 10. Say Somethin' - Mariah Carey 7 11. SOS - Rihanna 16 12. What's Left Of Me - Nick Lachey 15 13. Faster Kill Pussycat - Oakenfold f/ Brittany Murphy 14 14. Savin...

Well, I've eaten the first (albeit grape) tomatoes from the garden. Yum. Here's my Balloon Flowers. Very interesting little perennials, they explode from a little packet to these purple flowers. Amazing. The sea of gladiolas is starting. Woohoo!

On one hand, I should be thankful that the biggest album of last year wasn't something I'd be ashamed of playing at work or in the car. However, The Emancipation of Mimi isn't exactly the best thing since sliced bread. Making her comeback in a big way, Mariah Carey 's got your standard skip-ballad, "We Belong Together" (by far the best thing on here), amongst some other competent but unassuming R&B that really coulda been put out 10 years ago. Making the best impression is the low-key "Mine Again", which doesn't pull out any production gimmicks and just focuses on her voice. But by the end, your in new-jack fatigue. Try to seek out the remixes of the singles for a livelier take. Grade : C Best Cuts : "We Belong Together" Weakest Links : "One And Only", "Joyride" watch "Say Somethin'" here Buy It Here and here's a clip of the Morales remix of " Say Somethin '" (right click to bring...

Well, coming from Mars Volta, I had to detox. Enjoy the cheesiness, courtesy of one of my first albums (yes albums) that I owned, the soundtrack to the glorious Donny and Marie vehicle, Goin' Coconuts . On The Shelf - (right click to bring up new window for download page)

Mars Volta is basically for those who think System Of A Down is too commercial. But seriously, listening to Frances The Mute takes a lot of patience if not some mind-altering substance (for me, Red Bull and Vodka can do the trick). First, the album pretty much is made up of two "songs" in the conventional sense, stuck in the middle of a fugue of guitars, horns, and pretty much anything else. But those two songs kick ass. "The Widow" was the surprising hit single, being basically a dirge-like homage to someone who I got the impression was pretty much evil or depressed, depending on the amount of alcohol I've drunk. The other, "L'Via L'Vazquez is a hard-rock suite that flows from Spanish to English back again amidst the best guitar riff in a latin-styled single I've hard in a while. (Though it sounds like a hard-rock commercial for Ambien) These two are stuck in the middle of an album where the track listing on the CD has zilcho to do with the ...

I'm headed to see Margaret Cho tonight in Easton, PA. Totally psyched. If you're in the area you should go, tickets are still available. If not, pick up her DVD here or visit her website . Margaret Cho Clip (not worksafe) [right click to bring up in new window]

I know, a day late to post, but still a propos. Shooter Jennings , son of Waylon, has been carvin a career down the Kid Rock path. His first album, Put The "O" Back In Country , while having the best title I've seen in quite a while, is pretty much workingman rock, unlike the outlaw country his father did. Really will make you think it is Kid Rock if you didn't know, except for the lack of a pounding guitar hook. Highlights are the single "4th of July" which is a cool road song until the ubiquitous George Jones plug at the end, and "Steady At the Wheel", which is the closest to a "bad-ass" rock song on the album. "Sweet Savannah" is a nice ballad as well; however the rest of the album isn't too revelatory. It's a really well-made album, but to me sounded more conceived than bred - especially on such "labelling" numbers as "Solid Country Gold" . But hey take a listen, if you like Kid Rock's...

I am convinced every gay man in America owns a pair of Target camo shorts . It's the new black.

I hope everyone had a good Fourth. I always preferred the secular holidays like the 4th and Thanksgiving because no one is excluded (at least in the states, I mean). I figured I'd post up a song I was listening to today, a flashback to some classic post-disco from Jimmy Ruffin, "Hold On To Your Love" A hard-to-find song on CD, you can still get the Sunrise album pretty easily on E-bay , or on a compilation like The Best Of ERC Records CD which is outstanding as well. Hold On To Your Love And while you're at it, pick up his best while at Motown here .

(Cartoon from the amazing Jeff Danziger ) (Courtesy Of Raw Story ) The CIA has closed down a secret unit that for a decade had the mission of hunting Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants, intelligence officials said Monday, the NEW YORK TIMES will report Tuesday, RAW STORY has learned. This basically removes any argument that this government is looking out for us. God help us.