The Single Life....August 23, 2006...
I just realized it's been a while since I've had a "single life" post, so here it goes...you can get the tunes here at either I-Tunes, Beatport or Perfect Beat. Click on the artist to bring up their webpage.
The Killers - "When You Were Young" Well the new-new-wave is back. And with fuzzy distortion. Brandon Flowers et al leave Duran Duran-ism partially behind and head into British neo-rock, a la Coldplay and Snow Patrol. Not bad, a little overdramatic, but that's what I expected. Grade: B-
The Feeling - "Sewn" I-Tunes had pushed this UK top-10 debut single from the neo-soft rock group (there's a lot of neo this week, no?) as a freebie single of the week. A real find, from a group that continues the tradition of nonassuming melodic bands like Bourgeois Tagg and Toad The Wet Sprocket. Grade: B
Jason Walker - "Movin' On" The fifth hit dance single from ultra-high voiced Walker, it takes the usual "wash that bad man outta my hair" turn away from the power-divas and put a falsetto on it. Very well done, and remixed to accentuate the drama. Grade: B+
T-Funk featuring Inaya Day - "Glamorous Life (Mike Cruz Remix)" I know, every old song seems to be remixed to death, but I love the original, and Inaya Day does pretty much stick to the original Sheila E. delivery and it works with the tribal background. I always thought it was an underappreciated song to begin with, and it's good to see it back in some form. Grade: B+
Paris Hilton - "Turn It Up (Paul Oakenfold Remix Edit)" Like Paris doesn't have enough exposure, here we are now with two of her songs in the top-20 dance chart. And y'know, I'm embarassed to say I kinda like this. I mean, I know with enough money you can probably make a cow turd shine like brass, but this mindless little ditty doesn't overdo what it's set out to do, to throb on the dancefloor. Paul Oakenfold does an appropriately glitzy remix, which is a shame I-Tunes only has the edit. However you can find the CD single (I know, what's that) in the stores... Grade: B
Lonestar - "Mountains" Regrouping from the lackluster performance of the single of their last album, Lonestar comes back with a preachy little ditty that's like going to Sunday School run by fans of the Eagles. Sunny, but a little self-damn-righteous. Grade: C
Scissor Sisters - "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" Leave it to me to hide the single of the week in the middle of this. Elton John helps out on this, and turns out better than anything he's done in years (and I like some of the stuff he's been doing). It's great to hear Elton's musicality free from the seriousness that's been his calling card recently. And the "Sisters" totally exude funkiness without being a sitting joke. Classic. I can't wait till the album, Ta-Da, drops. Grade: A+
Anna Nalick - "Wreck Of The Day '06" The current opening act for the Dixie Chicks revamps her debut album, and releases the title track, a moody little piece that's a nice change of pace from the current crop of self-empowered grrrl singers. Very remindful of Fiona Apple without the eccentricity, albeit Anna's second hit single that's a waltz, even. Building to a crescendo of heartbreak, it's her best song yet. Grade: A-
Rihanna - "Unfaithful (original, Hamel Club mix, and Tony Moran Club mix)" The Barbados native breaks completely free from her pseudo-reggaeton past with the one-two punch of "SOS" and this single, which takes Rihanna thin voice and wraps it around a convincingly haunting song told in the lesser-used "cheater's" viewpoint. The Hamel remix makes it more techno, which is kinda jarring, and less satisfying than the Tony Moran treatment, which cashes on the darker notes of the song to make it a slinky yet sorrowful bouncer. Grade: B+ (original) C (Hamel Mix) A- (Tony Moran Mix)
Evanescence - "Call me When You're Sober" It seems like forever since the debut from the band had come and gone, with member Ben Moody leaving the band without it's major songsmith. After much regrouping (and more personnel changes) the group's back with an return to form, with Amy Lee's haunting voice complimenting so well the crunch of the band. As much as this, per Lee's admission, a missive to ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan of the band Seether, you can also relate this to the struggle with Moody's alcoholism and drug addiction. Grade: B+
will do more after the break....
The Killers - "When You Were Young" Well the new-new-wave is back. And with fuzzy distortion. Brandon Flowers et al leave Duran Duran-ism partially behind and head into British neo-rock, a la Coldplay and Snow Patrol. Not bad, a little overdramatic, but that's what I expected. Grade: B-
The Feeling - "Sewn" I-Tunes had pushed this UK top-10 debut single from the neo-soft rock group (there's a lot of neo this week, no?) as a freebie single of the week. A real find, from a group that continues the tradition of nonassuming melodic bands like Bourgeois Tagg and Toad The Wet Sprocket. Grade: B
Jason Walker - "Movin' On" The fifth hit dance single from ultra-high voiced Walker, it takes the usual "wash that bad man outta my hair" turn away from the power-divas and put a falsetto on it. Very well done, and remixed to accentuate the drama. Grade: B+
T-Funk featuring Inaya Day - "Glamorous Life (Mike Cruz Remix)" I know, every old song seems to be remixed to death, but I love the original, and Inaya Day does pretty much stick to the original Sheila E. delivery and it works with the tribal background. I always thought it was an underappreciated song to begin with, and it's good to see it back in some form. Grade: B+
Paris Hilton - "Turn It Up (Paul Oakenfold Remix Edit)" Like Paris doesn't have enough exposure, here we are now with two of her songs in the top-20 dance chart. And y'know, I'm embarassed to say I kinda like this. I mean, I know with enough money you can probably make a cow turd shine like brass, but this mindless little ditty doesn't overdo what it's set out to do, to throb on the dancefloor. Paul Oakenfold does an appropriately glitzy remix, which is a shame I-Tunes only has the edit. However you can find the CD single (I know, what's that) in the stores... Grade: B
Lonestar - "Mountains" Regrouping from the lackluster performance of the single of their last album, Lonestar comes back with a preachy little ditty that's like going to Sunday School run by fans of the Eagles. Sunny, but a little self-damn-righteous. Grade: C
Scissor Sisters - "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" Leave it to me to hide the single of the week in the middle of this. Elton John helps out on this, and turns out better than anything he's done in years (and I like some of the stuff he's been doing). It's great to hear Elton's musicality free from the seriousness that's been his calling card recently. And the "Sisters" totally exude funkiness without being a sitting joke. Classic. I can't wait till the album, Ta-Da, drops. Grade: A+
Anna Nalick - "Wreck Of The Day '06" The current opening act for the Dixie Chicks revamps her debut album, and releases the title track, a moody little piece that's a nice change of pace from the current crop of self-empowered grrrl singers. Very remindful of Fiona Apple without the eccentricity, albeit Anna's second hit single that's a waltz, even. Building to a crescendo of heartbreak, it's her best song yet. Grade: A-
Rihanna - "Unfaithful (original, Hamel Club mix, and Tony Moran Club mix)" The Barbados native breaks completely free from her pseudo-reggaeton past with the one-two punch of "SOS" and this single, which takes Rihanna thin voice and wraps it around a convincingly haunting song told in the lesser-used "cheater's" viewpoint. The Hamel remix makes it more techno, which is kinda jarring, and less satisfying than the Tony Moran treatment, which cashes on the darker notes of the song to make it a slinky yet sorrowful bouncer. Grade: B+ (original) C (Hamel Mix) A- (Tony Moran Mix)
Evanescence - "Call me When You're Sober" It seems like forever since the debut from the band had come and gone, with member Ben Moody leaving the band without it's major songsmith. After much regrouping (and more personnel changes) the group's back with an return to form, with Amy Lee's haunting voice complimenting so well the crunch of the band. As much as this, per Lee's admission, a missive to ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan of the band Seether, you can also relate this to the struggle with Moody's alcoholism and drug addiction. Grade: B+
will do more after the break....
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