Monday, February 15, 2016
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Crawling On The Cutting Room Floor
This is intended to supplement the Cutting Edge big box, for those completists that want things even MORE completed.
Crawling On The Cutting Room Floor
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By35Z9r0Tng5MTE1SjMtTExObjQ
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By35Z9r0Tng5MTE1SjMtTExObjQ
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Here it is, folks! 4 minutes and 8 whole seconds of false starts, bits, pieces, snippets, dialog, and other Basement noise excised from the "Complete" Basement Tapes. Absolutely nothing here is revelatory! Also enjoy a 2 minute jam, possibly featuring Mr. Dylan himself.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6kcBQM_JSt9OXMzZF84M09WSmM/view?usp=sharing
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Ocean's Kingdom Live
http://www.multiupload.com/RP3ADHOWR2
exclusive download only from the gala premiere
Monday, May 2, 2011
Lady Gaga Live At Nassau Coliseum
Lady Gaga live at Nassau Coliseum. This is my recording, from the back row, @320 kps from a H2 recorder. Enjoy!
1. Dance In The Dark
2. Glitter & Grease
3. Just Dance
4. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
5. The Fame
6. LoveGame
7. Boys Boys Boys
8. Money Honey
9. Telephone
10. Born This Way
11. You And I
12. Monster
13. Teeth
14. Alejandro
15. Poker Face
16. Paparazzi
17. Bad Romance
18. Born This Way
http://www.multiupload.com/SQAIG4MYQA
1. Dance In The Dark
2. Glitter & Grease
3. Just Dance
4. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
5. The Fame
6. LoveGame
7. Boys Boys Boys
8. Money Honey
9. Telephone
10. Born This Way
11. You And I
12. Monster
13. Teeth
14. Alejandro
15. Poker Face
16. Paparazzi
17. Bad Romance
18. Born This Way
http://www.multiupload.com/SQAIG4MYQA
Monday, February 7, 2011
Here is a show by Spectrum Road. Originally billed as the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute band, Jack Bruce, John Medeski, Cindy Blackman-Santana, and Vernon Reid pay homage to Tony Williams genre-defying group. They originally got together in 2008, for a few shows in Japan, but now in 2011, they are bringing their organic jazz/rock blend across America. They kicked things off with 8 shows over 4 nights at Blue Note Jazz. This is the 8pm from Saturday, January 29th.
1. Introduction
2. Opening Jam
3. There Comes A Time
4. Band Introductions
5. Vashkar
6. Vuelta Abajo
7. Where
http://www.multiupload.com/YVJI810S5N
1. Introduction
2. Opening Jam
3. There Comes A Time
4. Band Introductions
5. Vashkar
6. Vuelta Abajo
7. Where
http://www.multiupload.com/YVJI810S5N
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Miranda Cosgrove Live At The Beacon Theatre
Miranda Cosgrove performed live at the Beacon Theatre last night, with opener Greyson Chance. This is part of her Dancing Crazy tour, from the Beacon Theatre, in Manhattan, February 5th.
Greyson Chance
1. Fire
2. Empire State Of Mind
3. Broken Hearts
4. Paparazzi
5. Unfriend You
6. Waiting Outside The Lines
Miranda Cosgrove
7. Leave It All To Me
8. About You Now
9. Disgusting
10. Just A Girl
11. Stay My Baby
12. There Will Be Tears
13. Hang ‘Em High
14. Brand New You
15. Medley: Dynamite/Bulletproof/I Gotta Feeling
16. Shakespeare
17. Kissin U
18. BAM
19. Oh Oh
20. Sayonara
21. Dancing Crazy
http://www.multiupload.com/FY9F6BTSR6
Greyson Chance
1. Fire
2. Empire State Of Mind
3. Broken Hearts
4. Paparazzi
5. Unfriend You
6. Waiting Outside The Lines
Miranda Cosgrove
7. Leave It All To Me
8. About You Now
9. Disgusting
10. Just A Girl
11. Stay My Baby
12. There Will Be Tears
13. Hang ‘Em High
14. Brand New You
15. Medley: Dynamite/Bulletproof/I Gotta Feeling
16. Shakespeare
17. Kissin U
18. BAM
19. Oh Oh
20. Sayonara
21. Dancing Crazy
http://www.multiupload.com/FY9F6BTSR6
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Well Well Well, Does She Kiss And Tell?
Today, as I strolled through Manhattan, with not a care or destination, I imagined a scenario where I'd meet the Gossip Girl cast, and get to ask one question (am I watching to much TMZ?). I came up with a great question though, to ask Taylor Momsen if her band is "Taylor Momsen & The Pretty Reckless" or just "The Pretty Reckless."
I couldn't give a hoot about her answer, personally, but the question itself is a good one. It reminds me of a story about the Doors. They were introduced one night as "Jim Morrison & The Doors" and Morrison emphatically claimed that it was just "The Doors."
Attaching one's name ahead of the band implies that the person is not in the band, but instead they are two entities collaborating. By just having the band name, there is a sense of togetherness, and a lack of ego. Imagine "Hayley Williams & Paramore" or "Paul McCartney & Wings" (ok, bad example on the second one.)
Although, actually, that does lead me into where the use if the name ahead of the band makes sense. Paul McCartney was a performer before and after Wings. Wings themselves were a backing band, made of rotating talent (aside from the constant presence of wife Linda, and Denny Laine.) Paul wrote the material, and aside from 1975-76, when Wings was a more conventional and democratic band, it was really just Paul and musicians.
Anywho, this goes into the real topic of today's post: Selena Gomez. She has an album in the pipelines, called "Kiss And Tell". It is due out September 29th. The tracklisting is still unknown, but a bonus track has been talked about, a new recording of "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," which in original form came out last year, but was probably recorded much earlier. The album is to be by "Selena Gomez & The Scene." That's right, unlike Miley or Demi, Selena has a band name. Now, I already discussed the implications with having a name tagged ahead, but I wonder if perhaps Selena did not want to have her name there. I say that because when she first talked about making an album, she said she wanted to not have her name attached. So, I'm guess label Hollywood Records had the final say. By the way, the name is The Scene, because Selena says people jab at her by saying "she thinks she is scene" and the like. I'm just glad it rolls off the tongue nicely. Has that alliteration to it.
Then there is Miley. What a week. She stirred the pot a bit with her Teen Choice Awards performance. While singing her new single, "Party In the USA," part of her routine had her on a pole. Like a stripper. That, plus her argueably age-inappropiate attire got her some bad reviews, but also wound up stirring support from her fans, evidenced in the Twitter Trending Topic "#weloveyoumiley". Okay, not the best evidence. I concur.
I already posted about how the press likes to play up her sexual undertones (okay, overtones), and adds perception that is not necessarily there (I think that is what I said...). Either way, her new song is a hit, and she has her new EP coming out August 31st (with 7 songs, including "Before The Storm" live with the Jonas Brothers, and her song from the film "The Last Song.")
Miranda Cosgrove has a new song called "Raining Sunshine," which will be played during the credits of the film "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs."
Emily Osment is taking over Radio Disney tomorrow. What a coup! Heads will roll! Wait, nevermind. Anyway, she will premiere "All The Way Up," and discuss an new EP. (My guess is that the EP will contain songs that will later be on her 2010 album, but that is yet to be seen.)
And finally, "Send It On" and the Wizards Soundtrack were released. "Send It On" sounds like a lost eighties charity single, with its' gospel/hip hop beat. Except the singers were not born in the eighties. (Well, Kevin Jonas was. Maybe Joe too?)
The Wizards soundtrack was cool for the Selena songs (althought the absence of "Make It Happen" is a slap). Selena had good songs to work with. Sure, this is the equivilant of Hannah Montana, in that Selena had no creative imput. But she sure can sing, and these tracks make the best of that!
I couldn't give a hoot about her answer, personally, but the question itself is a good one. It reminds me of a story about the Doors. They were introduced one night as "Jim Morrison & The Doors" and Morrison emphatically claimed that it was just "The Doors."
Attaching one's name ahead of the band implies that the person is not in the band, but instead they are two entities collaborating. By just having the band name, there is a sense of togetherness, and a lack of ego. Imagine "Hayley Williams & Paramore" or "Paul McCartney & Wings" (ok, bad example on the second one.)
Although, actually, that does lead me into where the use if the name ahead of the band makes sense. Paul McCartney was a performer before and after Wings. Wings themselves were a backing band, made of rotating talent (aside from the constant presence of wife Linda, and Denny Laine.) Paul wrote the material, and aside from 1975-76, when Wings was a more conventional and democratic band, it was really just Paul and musicians.
Anywho, this goes into the real topic of today's post: Selena Gomez. She has an album in the pipelines, called "Kiss And Tell". It is due out September 29th. The tracklisting is still unknown, but a bonus track has been talked about, a new recording of "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," which in original form came out last year, but was probably recorded much earlier. The album is to be by "Selena Gomez & The Scene." That's right, unlike Miley or Demi, Selena has a band name. Now, I already discussed the implications with having a name tagged ahead, but I wonder if perhaps Selena did not want to have her name there. I say that because when she first talked about making an album, she said she wanted to not have her name attached. So, I'm guess label Hollywood Records had the final say. By the way, the name is The Scene, because Selena says people jab at her by saying "she thinks she is scene" and the like. I'm just glad it rolls off the tongue nicely. Has that alliteration to it.
Then there is Miley. What a week. She stirred the pot a bit with her Teen Choice Awards performance. While singing her new single, "Party In the USA," part of her routine had her on a pole. Like a stripper. That, plus her argueably age-inappropiate attire got her some bad reviews, but also wound up stirring support from her fans, evidenced in the Twitter Trending Topic "#weloveyoumiley". Okay, not the best evidence. I concur.
I already posted about how the press likes to play up her sexual undertones (okay, overtones), and adds perception that is not necessarily there (I think that is what I said...). Either way, her new song is a hit, and she has her new EP coming out August 31st (with 7 songs, including "Before The Storm" live with the Jonas Brothers, and her song from the film "The Last Song.")
Miranda Cosgrove has a new song called "Raining Sunshine," which will be played during the credits of the film "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs."
Emily Osment is taking over Radio Disney tomorrow. What a coup! Heads will roll! Wait, nevermind. Anyway, she will premiere "All The Way Up," and discuss an new EP. (My guess is that the EP will contain songs that will later be on her 2010 album, but that is yet to be seen.)
And finally, "Send It On" and the Wizards Soundtrack were released. "Send It On" sounds like a lost eighties charity single, with its' gospel/hip hop beat. Except the singers were not born in the eighties. (Well, Kevin Jonas was. Maybe Joe too?)
The Wizards soundtrack was cool for the Selena songs (althought the absence of "Make It Happen" is a slap). Selena had good songs to work with. Sure, this is the equivilant of Hannah Montana, in that Selena had no creative imput. But she sure can sing, and these tracks make the best of that!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Here We Go Go Go Again!
Before I start my review of Demi Lovato's "Here We Go Again," I'd like to mention my journey to buy it.
My friend and I were taking a long walk to the local Barnes & Nobles. On the way, we saw Anthony Anderson filming the movie "The Backup Plan" in a park ("The Backup Plan" stars Jennifer Lopez, who was not there at the time.) We eventually reached the book store, but they were selling the CD a bit overpriced. My friend had to get home, but I had all the time in the world, so I decided to walk to the mall. Another couple of miles. Once there, I found the CD in Best Buy, for a good price. But I still had to get back home. I could have taken the bus, but that would have defeated the purpose of going to the mall to save money. So I walked home (flipping through the CD booklet on the way). It was a long walk, but it was a nice summer evening.
Anyway, that was a week ago, and now, a week later, I have listened to and reviewed the album.
"Here We Go Again" is Demi's #1 charting sophomore album. It is meant to be more a work of her own (as versuses her debut, which featured much input from the JoBros.)
The album opens with 4 songs about heartaches. All kinda sound similar, perhaps even too similar. The title track is included here, and it is a standout. The other pretty much retread (although "Solo" has a nifty pun, as in "so low.")
But, before I could write off the album, track five marked a turning point. "Quiet" is a schizo-pop arrangement of a song, and, especially the way Demi sings it, recalls Björk's "It's Oh So Quiet."
"Catch Me" could be "Don't Forget" redux, but also is a great example of both Demi's growth as a singer (she shows more control than on the latter), and also in style (this one is less Jonas-y, and is in fact written solely by Demi). With the string section, it is a beautiful number.
The next few songs are pretty good too. There is "Everytime You Lie" (a jazzy track), "Got Dynamite" (a fuzzy, slow rocker that many reviewers hail as a standout, but not my favorite), and "Stop The World" (with Nick Jonas, and it is too obviously Nick Jonas).
Demi's one collaboration with John Mayer that made the album is "World Of Chances." It has some of Mayer's signature guitar thrown in, plus some of Demi's prettiest, lightest vocals out of any track on here (making the lyrical themes of missed chances all the more tragic and subtle.)
"Remember December" is a great track, the combines a techno beat with a fast and crunchy rock arrangement. It shows offs, especially Demi's voice, and might be the most in your face, not too mention perhaps the album's best rocker.
The album closes with "Everything You're Not." In this song, Demi sings "All I want/ is everything you're not" to a boy. She has finally learned her lesson not to keep going back (like in the title track.) Unless she does wind up go go going back....
The album includes to bonus tracks. "Gift Of A Friend" is Demi's song for a Tinkerbell movie. It is characteristically a Disney ballad, and with its' celtic flavor, calls to mind Selena's Tinkerbell song, "Fly To Your Heart". Lastly, included is "So Far So Great", the "Sonny With A Chance" theme song. Sure, it is not as mature as the rest of the album. But after all the deeper emotions and teen-love angst and dramatics, it is nice to close with a cheery rocker.
The album jumps across many styles. But the arrangments still have similarities, which keeps the album from feeling unfocused. Instead, Demi shows how varied she can be, and more importantly, that she is capable of handling all these styles. Far from being a one trick pony.
Many reviews excitedly claim that this album is better than "Don't Forget." But I love "Don't Forget." I don't want to betray it. Besides, the two albums are very different. "Here We Go Again" is maturer, somewhat darker, and features more slow songs over rock cuts. And both are very good. I'd leave it at that.
Rumors of a future deluxe edition are out. Of course, Demi has three known songs she left off the album. "For The Love Of A Daughter" was originally on the album, but removed when Demi decided it was perhaps too mature a theme for her listeners. "Shut Up And Love Me" also intially made the album, but is now rumored to be saved for the deluxe edition. Either way, Demi has said it is one of her favorites.
There is also another John Mayer track, "Love Is The Answer," which may be another track for the deluxe edition.
Some good news to end this post! "Send It On," featuring Demi, Selena, Miley, and The Jonas Brothers, will premiere on Dsiney Channel on August 7th, and on iTunes August 11th.
And, of course, on Tuesday, the "Wizards Of Waverly Place" soundtrack comes out, featuring 3 new songs by Selena (along with the show's theme song.)
My friend and I were taking a long walk to the local Barnes & Nobles. On the way, we saw Anthony Anderson filming the movie "The Backup Plan" in a park ("The Backup Plan" stars Jennifer Lopez, who was not there at the time.) We eventually reached the book store, but they were selling the CD a bit overpriced. My friend had to get home, but I had all the time in the world, so I decided to walk to the mall. Another couple of miles. Once there, I found the CD in Best Buy, for a good price. But I still had to get back home. I could have taken the bus, but that would have defeated the purpose of going to the mall to save money. So I walked home (flipping through the CD booklet on the way). It was a long walk, but it was a nice summer evening.
Anyway, that was a week ago, and now, a week later, I have listened to and reviewed the album.
"Here We Go Again" is Demi's #1 charting sophomore album. It is meant to be more a work of her own (as versuses her debut, which featured much input from the JoBros.)
The album opens with 4 songs about heartaches. All kinda sound similar, perhaps even too similar. The title track is included here, and it is a standout. The other pretty much retread (although "Solo" has a nifty pun, as in "so low.")
But, before I could write off the album, track five marked a turning point. "Quiet" is a schizo-pop arrangement of a song, and, especially the way Demi sings it, recalls Björk's "It's Oh So Quiet."
"Catch Me" could be "Don't Forget" redux, but also is a great example of both Demi's growth as a singer (she shows more control than on the latter), and also in style (this one is less Jonas-y, and is in fact written solely by Demi). With the string section, it is a beautiful number.
The next few songs are pretty good too. There is "Everytime You Lie" (a jazzy track), "Got Dynamite" (a fuzzy, slow rocker that many reviewers hail as a standout, but not my favorite), and "Stop The World" (with Nick Jonas, and it is too obviously Nick Jonas).
Demi's one collaboration with John Mayer that made the album is "World Of Chances." It has some of Mayer's signature guitar thrown in, plus some of Demi's prettiest, lightest vocals out of any track on here (making the lyrical themes of missed chances all the more tragic and subtle.)
"Remember December" is a great track, the combines a techno beat with a fast and crunchy rock arrangement. It shows offs, especially Demi's voice, and might be the most in your face, not too mention perhaps the album's best rocker.
The album closes with "Everything You're Not." In this song, Demi sings "All I want/ is everything you're not" to a boy. She has finally learned her lesson not to keep going back (like in the title track.) Unless she does wind up go go going back....
The album includes to bonus tracks. "Gift Of A Friend" is Demi's song for a Tinkerbell movie. It is characteristically a Disney ballad, and with its' celtic flavor, calls to mind Selena's Tinkerbell song, "Fly To Your Heart". Lastly, included is "So Far So Great", the "Sonny With A Chance" theme song. Sure, it is not as mature as the rest of the album. But after all the deeper emotions and teen-love angst and dramatics, it is nice to close with a cheery rocker.
The album jumps across many styles. But the arrangments still have similarities, which keeps the album from feeling unfocused. Instead, Demi shows how varied she can be, and more importantly, that she is capable of handling all these styles. Far from being a one trick pony.
Many reviews excitedly claim that this album is better than "Don't Forget." But I love "Don't Forget." I don't want to betray it. Besides, the two albums are very different. "Here We Go Again" is maturer, somewhat darker, and features more slow songs over rock cuts. And both are very good. I'd leave it at that.
Rumors of a future deluxe edition are out. Of course, Demi has three known songs she left off the album. "For The Love Of A Daughter" was originally on the album, but removed when Demi decided it was perhaps too mature a theme for her listeners. "Shut Up And Love Me" also intially made the album, but is now rumored to be saved for the deluxe edition. Either way, Demi has said it is one of her favorites.
There is also another John Mayer track, "Love Is The Answer," which may be another track for the deluxe edition.
Some good news to end this post! "Send It On," featuring Demi, Selena, Miley, and The Jonas Brothers, will premiere on Dsiney Channel on August 7th, and on iTunes August 11th.
And, of course, on Tuesday, the "Wizards Of Waverly Place" soundtrack comes out, featuring 3 new songs by Selena (along with the show's theme song.)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Party In The USA
So, Miley's new song "Party In The USA" has been confirmed as her next single. And it will be released on an exclusive Walmart EP (in conjunction with her MileyMax clothing line). The EP will be called "The Time Of Our Lives" (not "Voyage To India," as rumors erroneously stated). No tracklisting has been announced, but a release date of August 31st has been given.
There are no Walmarts in NYC. So I'm gonna have to take a busride to Nassau county to get the EP. What an adventure a simple task of buying an album can become.
Still to come is my review of "Here We Go Again" (as I've been too busy to actually listen to it.)
There are no Walmarts in NYC. So I'm gonna have to take a busride to Nassau county to get the EP. What an adventure a simple task of buying an album can become.
Still to come is my review of "Here We Go Again" (as I've been too busy to actually listen to it.)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
What Goes On?
I wish I could give some great news today. Instead, all I have is great speculation and rumors. How exciting and mysterious!
First, Miley Cyrus. Yesterday, she was in the news for reportedly auditioning for Batgirl for the next installment of the current Batman franchise. But, Holy Hockeypads, there's more!
Today, a new song leaked. Titled "Party In The USA," it is obviously up for future release, as record labels had it pulled from youtube already. What the song is for is up in the air. Some say it will be used as a promotional tool behind Miley's Walmart-exclusive clothing line, perhaps as aprt of an EP. Others say it is from a new album. Miley herself twittered the other day that she recorded 3 songs in one day, and has apparently been working on music all summer, when not filming for the Last Song. Busy kid. Anyway, she seems to be working fast, and will probably have an album out soon. Perhaps it will come out before her tour? Or, like Demi, during her tour? It would be no surprise if Miley has eyes for an autumn release. She has enough time to promote it and such. And, like I said, she is already going to be a hot topic (I mean, even more so than usual) with her first tour in 2 years!
Okay, that aside, there are the Beatles.
Insider information says that "Now and Then," and 1979 demo by John, augmented by the rest of the Beatles in the nineties, is finished. More over, in someway, it, along with other rarities, will be released in conjuction with the Beatles downloadable catalogue. This has NOT been officially announced, but is rumored to be in the coming days or months. Songs rumored to be connected include "Granny Smith" (a non-Indian take 1 of "Love You To"), "Carnival Of Light" (the infamous sound-rave from '67), "Revolution 1" (the full 11 minutes, which has been leaked), and an instrumental "Doctor Robert" (yeah, I don't know either). I'd like to add to this rumor, with no source or backing, "What Goes On" as recorded solely by Paul.
I'm really excited about the future coming up. We also have Yoko's album, Selena's album (which is very close to getting a release date/press announcement), Emily Osment's album, Jennette McCurdy's album (my money is that it is finished, but Capitol is working on how to promote it, package it, etc), and a Miranda Cosgrove release (no word on her album, but she has done a song for the film "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs", one of my favorite books as a kid.)
And who can forget Selena's 3 new tracks on the "Wizards Of Waverly Place" soundtrack?
Also, since earlier this year, the Rolling Stones re-issued all their post-Abcko studio albums. Except "Exile On Main Street." That album is up for deluxe treatment. What that entails is right now unknown. However, the album suffers from poor mixing (Mick Jagger mixed it after the produced got to involved in drugs to function, and Mick Jagger is not known for his mixing). The Stones have not done bonus tracks for any albums, so this deluxe package, no matter what is will be, is quite the anomaly.
I'm out of breath just thinking about all these rumors/future releases.
Next post should be a review of Demi's "Here We Go Again", plus my story of how I got it.
Holy Hockeypads!
First, Miley Cyrus. Yesterday, she was in the news for reportedly auditioning for Batgirl for the next installment of the current Batman franchise. But, Holy Hockeypads, there's more!
Today, a new song leaked. Titled "Party In The USA," it is obviously up for future release, as record labels had it pulled from youtube already. What the song is for is up in the air. Some say it will be used as a promotional tool behind Miley's Walmart-exclusive clothing line, perhaps as aprt of an EP. Others say it is from a new album. Miley herself twittered the other day that she recorded 3 songs in one day, and has apparently been working on music all summer, when not filming for the Last Song. Busy kid. Anyway, she seems to be working fast, and will probably have an album out soon. Perhaps it will come out before her tour? Or, like Demi, during her tour? It would be no surprise if Miley has eyes for an autumn release. She has enough time to promote it and such. And, like I said, she is already going to be a hot topic (I mean, even more so than usual) with her first tour in 2 years!
Okay, that aside, there are the Beatles.
Insider information says that "Now and Then," and 1979 demo by John, augmented by the rest of the Beatles in the nineties, is finished. More over, in someway, it, along with other rarities, will be released in conjuction with the Beatles downloadable catalogue. This has NOT been officially announced, but is rumored to be in the coming days or months. Songs rumored to be connected include "Granny Smith" (a non-Indian take 1 of "Love You To"), "Carnival Of Light" (the infamous sound-rave from '67), "Revolution 1" (the full 11 minutes, which has been leaked), and an instrumental "Doctor Robert" (yeah, I don't know either). I'd like to add to this rumor, with no source or backing, "What Goes On" as recorded solely by Paul.
I'm really excited about the future coming up. We also have Yoko's album, Selena's album (which is very close to getting a release date/press announcement), Emily Osment's album, Jennette McCurdy's album (my money is that it is finished, but Capitol is working on how to promote it, package it, etc), and a Miranda Cosgrove release (no word on her album, but she has done a song for the film "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs", one of my favorite books as a kid.)
And who can forget Selena's 3 new tracks on the "Wizards Of Waverly Place" soundtrack?
Also, since earlier this year, the Rolling Stones re-issued all their post-Abcko studio albums. Except "Exile On Main Street." That album is up for deluxe treatment. What that entails is right now unknown. However, the album suffers from poor mixing (Mick Jagger mixed it after the produced got to involved in drugs to function, and Mick Jagger is not known for his mixing). The Stones have not done bonus tracks for any albums, so this deluxe package, no matter what is will be, is quite the anomaly.
I'm out of breath just thinking about all these rumors/future releases.
Next post should be a review of Demi's "Here We Go Again", plus my story of how I got it.
Holy Hockeypads!
Friday, July 10, 2009
2010: A Space Oddessy
Well, Jennette McCurdy has finally made some public comments about her album. She has been signed to Capitol Nashville. This is exciting news, because with the backing of a major label, I'm positive Jennette will be able to reach a wide range of fans. As Jennette noted, however, this will mean a delay in releasing her record. But it seems well worth it.
Meanwhile, a potential release date has been given for Emily Osment's debut effort. I had my money down on an Autumn release, but it turns out the prospective date is March 9th, 2010! It is hard to believe that I first heard about Emily working on an album almost a year ago. And that last Christmas, I learned two songs from her album were leaked (one, "All The Way Up," is apparently set as the first single, with plans for it to premiere on Radio Disney next month, as a music video has been filmed behind it)
Well, at least if it isn't coming out until March, I'll have time to save up after buying all the other albums coming out!
Meanwhile, a potential release date has been given for Emily Osment's debut effort. I had my money down on an Autumn release, but it turns out the prospective date is March 9th, 2010! It is hard to believe that I first heard about Emily working on an album almost a year ago. And that last Christmas, I learned two songs from her album were leaked (one, "All The Way Up," is apparently set as the first single, with plans for it to premiere on Radio Disney next month, as a music video has been filmed behind it)
Well, at least if it isn't coming out until March, I'll have time to save up after buying all the other albums coming out!
Led Zeppelin Presents "Presence"
Presence is Led Zeppelin's most underrated album. It is rarely given any recognition on the radio. Its' sales were quite poor for a Zeppelin album. Its' reputation is very mixed. But, in some ways, this oft overlooked album is one of their best. It is their most unapologetic, in your face, hard rocking album. There are no acoustic ballads. No keyboards or organs. Just guitars, bass, and drums (and the occasional harmonica).
The album was made when the band was at their peak, or, in some ways, just past it. For the drugs and the lifestyles were catching up as the members were getting older. The band was the top live act, but that came to a sudden halt when Plant was in a serious car accident, that left him confined temporarily to a wheelchair. His physical condition is a great image to accompany the psychological stress and pain the band was in. It is in that condition that Page and Plant wrote the songs, and then got with Jones and Bonham to record the album (in a session that barely ran for a week, although Page made use of the time, claiming to have stayed awake for days overdubbing guitar.)
The title "Presence" refers to the bands presence on stage, the power that they possess. It turned out that stage presence was so strong, that fans flocked to the live document, "The Song Remains The Same," (recorded in '73) over "Presence."
The album opens with "Achilles' Last Stand." The song draws, musically, from the extended arrangements of "Dazed And Confused" that they had used as a centerpiece in concert. Like that song, "Achilles" is an epic. It is full of sprawling imagery and mythical references, sung over John Paul Jones galloping bass, and Jimmy's orchestra of guitars (possibly the most complicated set of guitar overdubs Page ever laid down.)
"Candy Store Rock" and "Royal Orleans" are two songs that fall short of displaying the band's force. The former is an uninspired send-up of fifties era Elvis. The latter is a rather comical retelling of John Paul Jones encounter with a transsexual, that ended in a hotel fire.
"Hots On For Nowhere" is an interesting track, but does not quite live up to its' predecessor, a 1975 jam (from where the basic melody is drawn), that has achieved much notoriety in the bootleg world.
"Nobody's Fault But Mine" and "For Your Life" are two heavy examples of the tension and pain going into the album. The arrangements are stop and go, not at all fluid, while the guitars are liquid, oozing right out of the speakers.
The last track, "Tea For One," is the band tracking their growth by essentially remaking "Since I've Been Loving You." It is a testament to the band that they not only pull it off, but even improve on the earlier song. Musically, it is a reworking, played with experience and maturity. Lyrically, it is completely original. It is a song about homesickness, the most concrete ache on this disc. Plant's conviction is stirring, as he sums up all the pain and anguish in such a personal confession. At the same time, it both a nod to Zeppelin's earlier days, as well as a take on their purest blues influences.
It is not their most accessible album. It is not nearly as varied as their other releases. Instead, it is one big theme, on statement of distress, that the band with such a "Presence" still has aches and woes. In a contradicting way, they use their force and power to show how weak and vunerable and human they can be.
The album was made when the band was at their peak, or, in some ways, just past it. For the drugs and the lifestyles were catching up as the members were getting older. The band was the top live act, but that came to a sudden halt when Plant was in a serious car accident, that left him confined temporarily to a wheelchair. His physical condition is a great image to accompany the psychological stress and pain the band was in. It is in that condition that Page and Plant wrote the songs, and then got with Jones and Bonham to record the album (in a session that barely ran for a week, although Page made use of the time, claiming to have stayed awake for days overdubbing guitar.)
The title "Presence" refers to the bands presence on stage, the power that they possess. It turned out that stage presence was so strong, that fans flocked to the live document, "The Song Remains The Same," (recorded in '73) over "Presence."
The album opens with "Achilles' Last Stand." The song draws, musically, from the extended arrangements of "Dazed And Confused" that they had used as a centerpiece in concert. Like that song, "Achilles" is an epic. It is full of sprawling imagery and mythical references, sung over John Paul Jones galloping bass, and Jimmy's orchestra of guitars (possibly the most complicated set of guitar overdubs Page ever laid down.)
"Candy Store Rock" and "Royal Orleans" are two songs that fall short of displaying the band's force. The former is an uninspired send-up of fifties era Elvis. The latter is a rather comical retelling of John Paul Jones encounter with a transsexual, that ended in a hotel fire.
"Hots On For Nowhere" is an interesting track, but does not quite live up to its' predecessor, a 1975 jam (from where the basic melody is drawn), that has achieved much notoriety in the bootleg world.
"Nobody's Fault But Mine" and "For Your Life" are two heavy examples of the tension and pain going into the album. The arrangements are stop and go, not at all fluid, while the guitars are liquid, oozing right out of the speakers.
The last track, "Tea For One," is the band tracking their growth by essentially remaking "Since I've Been Loving You." It is a testament to the band that they not only pull it off, but even improve on the earlier song. Musically, it is a reworking, played with experience and maturity. Lyrically, it is completely original. It is a song about homesickness, the most concrete ache on this disc. Plant's conviction is stirring, as he sums up all the pain and anguish in such a personal confession. At the same time, it both a nod to Zeppelin's earlier days, as well as a take on their purest blues influences.
It is not their most accessible album. It is not nearly as varied as their other releases. Instead, it is one big theme, on statement of distress, that the band with such a "Presence" still has aches and woes. In a contradicting way, they use their force and power to show how weak and vunerable and human they can be.
Hannah Montana 3 "Could Be The One"
"Hannah Montana 3" came out last Tuesday. The album is the maturest Hannah release yet. It is still a slick slice of kid-friendly pop, by Miley's eternally young alter-ego. Miley herself is the performer here, and nothing more. Her blossoming writing talents are not on display here. It is her voice that she brings, and it is in full force, displaying an increase in strength, confidence, and control, compared to prior albums. And that is important, as the songs cover a wider range than just upbeat songs about secret identities and parties like the first Hannah disc was. We have plenty of songs dealing with love, from crushes to heartbreaks, along side the party numbers.
"Don't Wanna Be Torn" is a song about how love can come with tough decisions. To her acting credit, Miley pulls this one off as though she had penned it herself. "Just A Girl" is a slow number that feels like "The Climb," but not quite as strong. It is a good number all the same, however. "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" is a dance number in the same vein as "Hoedown Throwdown," but is considerably less catchy. "Mixed Up" sounds similar to the song "I Learned From You" musically, but otherwise stands on its own, and is a another song about growing up that Miley injects her earnestness into.
Other standout tracks are "He Could Be The One," and "I Wanna Know You." "I Wanna Know You" foregos the usual guitar arrangment that most uptempo numbers use, instead backed by a brassy keyboard, and some really nifty backing vocals. It is about a boy who has great qualities, and now the singer wants to get closer to him. It is a really cool song, but does not warrant having to versions on this album. One is a solo version, the other is a duet with David Archuleta. Both are similar, but Archuleta adds some novelty, as well as nice harmonies, and as such, the duet would have been fine without a solo version.
Another duet featured is the new "If We Were A Movie," by Hannah and Corbin Bleu (actually used in season 2.) I have nothing against it, or Corbin Bleu, but if a guest singer is available, why not just do a new song? Nothing special is added to this song by making it a duet.
Also on the album are song by Mitchell Musso, and two songs already released on the "Hannah Montana The Movie" soundtrack.
Overall, the album is a real success for Hannah Montana. Songs that draw comparisons to movie tunes usually don't fare as well, but otherwise, the album is even better than the movie soundtrack. Still, there is too much filler. "Let's Do This" is one of my favorite Hannah songs, and "Let's Get Crazy" is another enjoyable number, but both were already on the movie disc. No need for two copies. The solo version of "I Wanna Know You," and the duet with Corbin also feel extraneous. Still, if this is the kind of stuff Hannah is doing, I can only imagine how great Miley's next album will be!
"Don't Wanna Be Torn" is a song about how love can come with tough decisions. To her acting credit, Miley pulls this one off as though she had penned it herself. "Just A Girl" is a slow number that feels like "The Climb," but not quite as strong. It is a good number all the same, however. "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" is a dance number in the same vein as "Hoedown Throwdown," but is considerably less catchy. "Mixed Up" sounds similar to the song "I Learned From You" musically, but otherwise stands on its own, and is a another song about growing up that Miley injects her earnestness into.
Other standout tracks are "He Could Be The One," and "I Wanna Know You." "I Wanna Know You" foregos the usual guitar arrangment that most uptempo numbers use, instead backed by a brassy keyboard, and some really nifty backing vocals. It is about a boy who has great qualities, and now the singer wants to get closer to him. It is a really cool song, but does not warrant having to versions on this album. One is a solo version, the other is a duet with David Archuleta. Both are similar, but Archuleta adds some novelty, as well as nice harmonies, and as such, the duet would have been fine without a solo version.
Another duet featured is the new "If We Were A Movie," by Hannah and Corbin Bleu (actually used in season 2.) I have nothing against it, or Corbin Bleu, but if a guest singer is available, why not just do a new song? Nothing special is added to this song by making it a duet.
Also on the album are song by Mitchell Musso, and two songs already released on the "Hannah Montana The Movie" soundtrack.
Overall, the album is a real success for Hannah Montana. Songs that draw comparisons to movie tunes usually don't fare as well, but otherwise, the album is even better than the movie soundtrack. Still, there is too much filler. "Let's Do This" is one of my favorite Hannah songs, and "Let's Get Crazy" is another enjoyable number, but both were already on the movie disc. No need for two copies. The solo version of "I Wanna Know You," and the duet with Corbin also feel extraneous. Still, if this is the kind of stuff Hannah is doing, I can only imagine how great Miley's next album will be!
Monday, July 6, 2009
A Quick Update (While He's Away)
So, I plan to write a full blog post to review the "Hannah Montana 3" album that comes out tomorrow. In the meantime, I'd like to just mention that Jennette McCurdy's album has not come out yet (maybe August.) Also, the Klaus Voormann album "A Sideman's Journey," has been pushed back to July 17th according to the German amazon website. The American site says the 7th, but since it is a German import, the later date seems more likely. Either way, the album is coming out very soon.
By the way, I know it doesn't come out until January, but I'm started to get excited for "The Last Song," starring Miley. I'm curious to see how Miley's acting chops hold up outside the Hannah realm. If she doesn't make it there, I heard she is a pretty good singer too ;) (speaking of which, Miley has been in the studio lately, and I wonder if she is doing songs for the movie, or just for her own release.)
By the way, I know it doesn't come out until January, but I'm started to get excited for "The Last Song," starring Miley. I'm curious to see how Miley's acting chops hold up outside the Hannah realm. If she doesn't make it there, I heard she is a pretty good singer too ;) (speaking of which, Miley has been in the studio lately, and I wonder if she is doing songs for the movie, or just for her own release.)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Brian Jones, We Hardly Knew Thee
Today, July 3rd, marks 38 years Jim Morrison died (or is he still living in Paris?), and 40 years that founding member of The Rolling Stones Brian Jones passed on. His death, found in a swimming pool, and unable to be revived, plus some conspiracy, is actually kind of boring. More interesting is his life.
With the Stones gruff image, automatically, one thinks of Jagger strutting around, or Richards doing obscene amounts of illegal substances, but Brian Jones had perhaps the roughest, most unglamorous appeal of them all. He had fathered 2 illegitimate children by his sixteenth birthday. His drug use was so crippling, that before his eventual overdose in aforementioned pool, his usage reduced his input in the band, got him fired, and inspired Jagger to pen a song called "Get A Line On You," a demo from 1969 later worked out as "Shine A Light" from "Exile On Main Street" (more of a tribute in its' final form).
Jones was heavily into the blues. He tried to write blues songs, but would never share them with the rest of the band, leading band members to speculate he either did not have any material, or if he did, it was not anything worthwhile.
Jones composing therefore is near non-existent. He is given credit on 14 songs along with the rest of the band, and also composed a soundtrack for the film "A Degree Of Murder." The soundtrack marked the first time a rock figure would score a film. That later took off, with George Harrison's "Wonderwall Music," numerous Pink Floyd scores, and countless other examples. The masters to the soundtrack are no longer in existence, nor was the soundtrack released, save for usage in the film.
Instead of composing, Jones played a huge role as a musician. His guitar was always of note on early Stones records, especially "weaving" with Keith Richards, but his talent became most obvious as the Stones (as the Beatles were doing) became more and more a "studio band." Jones would play slide guitar, mellotron, dulcimer, oboe, saxophone, and other instruments that would give songs unique sounds. However, his contributions began to dwindle by 1968.
Of course, he had been growing away from the band since fame first struck. The Stones were advised to shy away from blues covers, instead doing pop music. Jones was not satisfied with this, but went along. Relations with Keith Richards became tense (the final straw being when Jones' girlfriend left him for Keith.) And his overall insecurity led him to not want to play guitar with the band, and led him to attend sessions infrequently.
He became a road block for the band as 1968 moved along. Where as his musicianship had been adding flavor (psychedelic, eastern, bluesy, etc) before, he was now barely able to even play, and when he tried, he would only louse up sessions, and leave Richards to do all the guitar work. His inabilities led him to almost completely abandon work on "Let It Bleed" in 1969. He only contributed to 2 songs, and on one track ("Midnight Rambler") his guitar is inaudible. The Stones could no longer keep him, on any level of participation, after deciding to tour the US. His record (2 drug busts) would prevent the Stones from getting to perform in America. He was asked to leave on June 8th, 1969.
As far as the public saw it, Jones had left the band, due to a public statement. He was allowed the chance to do so, rather than admit being kicked out, by the rest of the band, willing to sacrifice the facts in order to not further bruise Jones' ego.
Jones retreated to his home (once owned by A. A. Milne, who wrote Winne The Pooh), where he spend his last month. He was reported as being very unhealthy, yet at the same time, he was also excited about starting a new band. He tapped Alexis Korner, Ian Stewart, and others, but he never made it to actually form a new band. On July 3rd, he was found in his pool, barely alive, and doctors were unable to save him.
Perhaps in a new band, he would have flourished. Maybe he had a latent talent for music that would finally come alive. Maybe he had, privately, been a great composer, only to paranoid to prove it. Maybe he one day could have returned to the Stones. So many maybes, but alas, they do no good.
Aside from his work with the Stones, Jones appeared on the Beatles "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)", and produced an album called "Brian Jones Presents the Pipes Of Pan At Joujouka." The instruments are all played by Morrocan musicians, and are from a week long festival. Jones attended and recorded the festival, and intially, the music was too much for him. It was only reviewing the reels that led him to appreciate the music. His master mix is basically his interpretation of the recordings, and features different recordings edited together, laid atop one another, and mixed with some psychelic effects. Mick Jagger unearthed the mix after Brian died, and released it in 1971.
Also, Jones had supposedly recorded the song "Sure I Do," with the Rolling Stones, in 1963, and took the role of lead vocalist. The recording has never been heard, and may not even exist any more.
What else is there to say about Brian Jones? He was at times very private, he was very inscure, and he ultimately is left more to legend than any concrete music, save for his defining contributions to the Stones (mainly on "Between The Buttons," "Their Satanic Majesties Request," and, to the degree that he played on it, "Beggar's Banquet.")
What he could have been was destroyed by an ego and a consuming drug addiction.
With the Stones gruff image, automatically, one thinks of Jagger strutting around, or Richards doing obscene amounts of illegal substances, but Brian Jones had perhaps the roughest, most unglamorous appeal of them all. He had fathered 2 illegitimate children by his sixteenth birthday. His drug use was so crippling, that before his eventual overdose in aforementioned pool, his usage reduced his input in the band, got him fired, and inspired Jagger to pen a song called "Get A Line On You," a demo from 1969 later worked out as "Shine A Light" from "Exile On Main Street" (more of a tribute in its' final form).
Jones was heavily into the blues. He tried to write blues songs, but would never share them with the rest of the band, leading band members to speculate he either did not have any material, or if he did, it was not anything worthwhile.
Jones composing therefore is near non-existent. He is given credit on 14 songs along with the rest of the band, and also composed a soundtrack for the film "A Degree Of Murder." The soundtrack marked the first time a rock figure would score a film. That later took off, with George Harrison's "Wonderwall Music," numerous Pink Floyd scores, and countless other examples. The masters to the soundtrack are no longer in existence, nor was the soundtrack released, save for usage in the film.
Instead of composing, Jones played a huge role as a musician. His guitar was always of note on early Stones records, especially "weaving" with Keith Richards, but his talent became most obvious as the Stones (as the Beatles were doing) became more and more a "studio band." Jones would play slide guitar, mellotron, dulcimer, oboe, saxophone, and other instruments that would give songs unique sounds. However, his contributions began to dwindle by 1968.
Of course, he had been growing away from the band since fame first struck. The Stones were advised to shy away from blues covers, instead doing pop music. Jones was not satisfied with this, but went along. Relations with Keith Richards became tense (the final straw being when Jones' girlfriend left him for Keith.) And his overall insecurity led him to not want to play guitar with the band, and led him to attend sessions infrequently.
He became a road block for the band as 1968 moved along. Where as his musicianship had been adding flavor (psychedelic, eastern, bluesy, etc) before, he was now barely able to even play, and when he tried, he would only louse up sessions, and leave Richards to do all the guitar work. His inabilities led him to almost completely abandon work on "Let It Bleed" in 1969. He only contributed to 2 songs, and on one track ("Midnight Rambler") his guitar is inaudible. The Stones could no longer keep him, on any level of participation, after deciding to tour the US. His record (2 drug busts) would prevent the Stones from getting to perform in America. He was asked to leave on June 8th, 1969.
As far as the public saw it, Jones had left the band, due to a public statement. He was allowed the chance to do so, rather than admit being kicked out, by the rest of the band, willing to sacrifice the facts in order to not further bruise Jones' ego.
Jones retreated to his home (once owned by A. A. Milne, who wrote Winne The Pooh), where he spend his last month. He was reported as being very unhealthy, yet at the same time, he was also excited about starting a new band. He tapped Alexis Korner, Ian Stewart, and others, but he never made it to actually form a new band. On July 3rd, he was found in his pool, barely alive, and doctors were unable to save him.
Perhaps in a new band, he would have flourished. Maybe he had a latent talent for music that would finally come alive. Maybe he had, privately, been a great composer, only to paranoid to prove it. Maybe he one day could have returned to the Stones. So many maybes, but alas, they do no good.
Aside from his work with the Stones, Jones appeared on the Beatles "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)", and produced an album called "Brian Jones Presents the Pipes Of Pan At Joujouka." The instruments are all played by Morrocan musicians, and are from a week long festival. Jones attended and recorded the festival, and intially, the music was too much for him. It was only reviewing the reels that led him to appreciate the music. His master mix is basically his interpretation of the recordings, and features different recordings edited together, laid atop one another, and mixed with some psychelic effects. Mick Jagger unearthed the mix after Brian died, and released it in 1971.
Also, Jones had supposedly recorded the song "Sure I Do," with the Rolling Stones, in 1963, and took the role of lead vocalist. The recording has never been heard, and may not even exist any more.
What else is there to say about Brian Jones? He was at times very private, he was very inscure, and he ultimately is left more to legend than any concrete music, save for his defining contributions to the Stones (mainly on "Between The Buttons," "Their Satanic Majesties Request," and, to the degree that he played on it, "Beggar's Banquet.")
What he could have been was destroyed by an ego and a consuming drug addiction.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Stepping Up On My Soapbox
Last night, in that strange twilight hour, where you're not quite awake, but not yet asleep, I had a great I idea for a blog post. I was tempted to break out the laptop, but I could only imagine the grammitical errors I would have commited at 1 am. So, that anecdote aside, here goes that idea.
Miley Cyrus photo controversies. Quite a few of them, actually. Ranging from "private" photos being posted on the net, to magazine spreads in Vanity Fair. Everytime a new controversy crops up, talk of Miley's star fading, comparisions to Britney Spears (who somehow still performs and sells records, to her credit or her manager's), and Vegas odds to who will Disney choose to replace her (1:1000 that Disney will pull out of left field and reinstate Lindsay Lohan.)
But what do these controversies really boil down to? Why are they given such publicity? The way I see it, Miley (intentionally or not) is revealing a dark id of our society. A crooked lust that wants to tear away at something, and strip it down to its' most base. The younger, the more innocent, the more we as a culture want to watch that person devolve.
I am reminded of Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece." In it, Yoko sits on the floor, in a dress, and people come and cut pieces of it away. The point is that they would keep cutting and tearing away until all that was left was a stone, and then they would want to know what is going on inside that stone. It is us who wants to see another private photo. It is not Miley's fault for that. Her actions simply show our true character. My favorite example is when you type "Miley Cyrus" into google images. Many of the pictures are from some "scandalous" set. That means that these images of her are among the ones most sought after.
What is worse is that she is worshipped for this. Miley recieves tons of popularity boosts and the like from these scandals. Truth be told, it was hearing her name on E! every other night about the Vanity Fair issue that first got me into Miley (which led to reading about her via iTunes and wikipedia, then watching her live on FNMTV, and finally watching Hannah Montana, the last step of my initiation into fandom.)
What I'm trying to say is that we should not blame Miley for these scandals. After all, in a very subverted way, we just keep asking for more. That is, until she grows up, and then there will need to be a new star to exploit.
Although Miley is not completely off the hook. Given all the history with her and other celebs, she should have some pause before posting a picture. Still, the last picture I recall of her that was overtly sexual was her showing her bra, and some poses in her underwear, which by now date back well over a year. Since then, all the photos have been unfairly attributed some sort of sexual connotation, when in fact they are as innocent as wearing a bikini at the beach. (One of the worst was when she was jogging, and her bikini was showing, and it was so overblown that Miley publicly aired her complaints to how the situation was treated.)
Well, let me try and wrap this up. Basically, Miley is a reflection of ourselves, in two ways. One, Nobody's Perfect (that was too good not to use). We make mistakes, we post pictures we might regret ever taking. That is a great lesson, because I'm sure we have all done something we are now embarrassed by and regret. Got caught cheating in school? Hurt someone's feelings? They all end the same way. Apologize, and walk away having learned not to do such things again. The other reflection is not Miley, persay, but her public image, as described by the media. That is a negative point, that she is all about sex, and slutiness, and other things, because that just shows that someone who is those things is who we want to hear about. (Like I said, that is how Miley is portrayed, and is an unfortunate perversion of who she really is.)
Well, I'm done preaching for today. So, now I recommend you look up "Miley Cyrus Tybee Island" on youtube (or other flash video site) and watch a clip of her performing a brand new song (she pretty much wrote/finished that night) in a small resturaunt. It is a cool clip, and quite rare, as Miley is not a fan of small crowds. Being able to see everybody's face makes her more nervous than just playing for an unspecified ocean of fans. But I'm sure the people there that night apreciated it.
Miley Cyrus photo controversies. Quite a few of them, actually. Ranging from "private" photos being posted on the net, to magazine spreads in Vanity Fair. Everytime a new controversy crops up, talk of Miley's star fading, comparisions to Britney Spears (who somehow still performs and sells records, to her credit or her manager's), and Vegas odds to who will Disney choose to replace her (1:1000 that Disney will pull out of left field and reinstate Lindsay Lohan.)
But what do these controversies really boil down to? Why are they given such publicity? The way I see it, Miley (intentionally or not) is revealing a dark id of our society. A crooked lust that wants to tear away at something, and strip it down to its' most base. The younger, the more innocent, the more we as a culture want to watch that person devolve.
I am reminded of Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece." In it, Yoko sits on the floor, in a dress, and people come and cut pieces of it away. The point is that they would keep cutting and tearing away until all that was left was a stone, and then they would want to know what is going on inside that stone. It is us who wants to see another private photo. It is not Miley's fault for that. Her actions simply show our true character. My favorite example is when you type "Miley Cyrus" into google images. Many of the pictures are from some "scandalous" set. That means that these images of her are among the ones most sought after.
What is worse is that she is worshipped for this. Miley recieves tons of popularity boosts and the like from these scandals. Truth be told, it was hearing her name on E! every other night about the Vanity Fair issue that first got me into Miley (which led to reading about her via iTunes and wikipedia, then watching her live on FNMTV, and finally watching Hannah Montana, the last step of my initiation into fandom.)
What I'm trying to say is that we should not blame Miley for these scandals. After all, in a very subverted way, we just keep asking for more. That is, until she grows up, and then there will need to be a new star to exploit.
Although Miley is not completely off the hook. Given all the history with her and other celebs, she should have some pause before posting a picture. Still, the last picture I recall of her that was overtly sexual was her showing her bra, and some poses in her underwear, which by now date back well over a year. Since then, all the photos have been unfairly attributed some sort of sexual connotation, when in fact they are as innocent as wearing a bikini at the beach. (One of the worst was when she was jogging, and her bikini was showing, and it was so overblown that Miley publicly aired her complaints to how the situation was treated.)
Well, let me try and wrap this up. Basically, Miley is a reflection of ourselves, in two ways. One, Nobody's Perfect (that was too good not to use). We make mistakes, we post pictures we might regret ever taking. That is a great lesson, because I'm sure we have all done something we are now embarrassed by and regret. Got caught cheating in school? Hurt someone's feelings? They all end the same way. Apologize, and walk away having learned not to do such things again. The other reflection is not Miley, persay, but her public image, as described by the media. That is a negative point, that she is all about sex, and slutiness, and other things, because that just shows that someone who is those things is who we want to hear about. (Like I said, that is how Miley is portrayed, and is an unfortunate perversion of who she really is.)
Well, I'm done preaching for today. So, now I recommend you look up "Miley Cyrus Tybee Island" on youtube (or other flash video site) and watch a clip of her performing a brand new song (she pretty much wrote/finished that night) in a small resturaunt. It is a cool clip, and quite rare, as Miley is not a fan of small crowds. Being able to see everybody's face makes her more nervous than just playing for an unspecified ocean of fans. But I'm sure the people there that night apreciated it.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Summertime, Summertime, Sum Sum Summertime
So, now that summer is here, let's take a look at the new releases you can listen to while you're at the beach, or bike riding, or massaging senior citizens (you can do that all year round!)
June 30th - Jennette McCurdy's debut album? McCurdy once stated her album could come out on the 30th, but since that is tomorrow, it seems very unlikely. No Amazon.com spot. No direct message from McCurdy (she only mentioned the 30th in interviews once or twice). Stranger things have happened, but it looks like we will have to wait a bit longer for this one.
July 3rd? - Klaus Voormann, artist/bass guitarist has spent his career as a great session man, most notably with Apple Records, where he played alongside George, John, Ringo, and was even rumored to replace Paul McCartney in a never formed Beatles-follow up band the Ladders. Now, he is releasing his first solo album, a collection of collaborations with artists like Yusuf Islam and Bonnie Bramlett (or Sheridan, as she goes by now.) Notable is "I'm In Love Again," a Fats Domino cover, with Klaus on bass, Ringo on drums, and Paul on vocals.
July 7th- Hannah Montana 3. In a strange marketing scheme, Disney will release 11 singles to promote this album. That mostly means showing Miley sing these songs live on a special concert (more on that in a moment) along with playing the song on Radio Disney. Anyway, the album is out next week, and features 14 songs, including a duet with Corbin Bleu ("If We Were A Movie," and this version is actually from season 2), and a duet with David Archuleta ("I Wanna Know You," also featured in a solo version.) Mitchel Musso has one song on the disc. "Let's Do This," and "Let's Get Crazy" are recycled from the movie soundtrack. A little dissapointing, but no biggie. The concert Miley did was a special taping, to make music videos out of, and will somehow be included on this album (probably enhanced CD).
July 21st - Demi Lovato's sophomore album, "Here We Go Again." Demi's new disc will feature John Mayer, Jon McLaughlin, and William Beckett. It is to be less of the power-pop of "Don't Forget," and closer to Demi's taste ("Don't Forget" was, in some ways, very much a mix of then beginner Demi being shown the ropes by the more experienced Jonas Brothers, whose flavor definatly comes across.) Expect there to be many foreign edition bonus tracks, itunes bonus tracks, and other things down the line for this one. Especially a track only on an Australian 7" steel vinyl, played at 12 rpm, backwards, on a Tuesday, if it is sunny, at exactly 6 o'clock, with a mouse, in a house, on a plane, near a train, I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I Am. Two songs were cut from the original tracklisting. They are "For The Love Of A Daughter," and "Shut Up and Love Me." (there is no Australian 7'', by the way.) All editions are set to include 2 bonus tracks already: "A Gift From A Friend", a song from an upcoming Tinkerbell movie, and "So Far So Great," the Sonny With A Chance theme song, already released on "Disney Channel Playlist."
August 4th- Wizards of Waverly Place Soundtrack. This album only features 5 songs by Selena, and oddly excludes her song "Make It Happen" from the series. And, one of those 5 songs is "Everything Is Not What It Seems", the shows theme song, already released on "Disney Channel Playlist" (wierdly still only 50 second long.) The album is filled out with other Disney artists, and features 4 different songs all titled "Magic." Selena has more output here than any other album, but it is surprisingly little.
September 9th - Beatles Remasters. 'Nuff said.
September 15th- Between My Head And The Sky. Yoko Ono is back, and she is bringing back the conceptual Plastic Ono Band! Yoko has released an EP already called "Don't Stop Me!" on itunes, which has an alternate version of a new track, a remix of another new one, a two other songs. It is great to see Yoko, and in full experimental unleashed mode.
Autumn? - Emily Osment and Selena Gomez both have debut albums currently set for a Fall release. Selena already has a place holder on Amazon.com. Emily is on a smaller label, so expect less promotion. That said, she does have a music video done (or is still working on it.) Selena already had the Demi duet from Princess Protection Program "One And The Same", and Emily had the Dadnapped song "Hero In Me", both on the album "Diseny Channel Playlist."
Then there is "Send It On." This song is part of Disney's environmental campaign, trying to raise 1 million dollars, and then offering viewers to decide what environmental projects the money should go to. This track, still unreleased, plays in the background during the TV spots, and even has a music video filmed, but also unreleased. It is an all-star recording with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and the Jonas Brothers. I would have traded the JoBros for Jimmy Page, Jack Bruce, and Ringo Starr, but that is not the point. The point is that it must have been awkward with Miley, Nick, and Selena? No, the point is that I want to know the release date.
Also in the loop are a possible new Paul McCartney album, and a box-set of outtakes and unreleased material. Ringo has hinted at a new album too.
And that leaves Miranda Cosgrove. She has stated she that is working on a new album, and once hinted at a summer release, but has been mum since, leaving me to wonder. Even Autumn releases are getting nods now, so if she doesn't speak up soon, we may not have a new album until at least late Fall/Winter.
I look forward to all of these (well, honestly, I don't have very high hopes for the Wizards soundtrack, but that is mainly due to quantity, not quality. At least there is a new Wizards movie, which the soundtrack ties into.)
June 30th - Jennette McCurdy's debut album? McCurdy once stated her album could come out on the 30th, but since that is tomorrow, it seems very unlikely. No Amazon.com spot. No direct message from McCurdy (she only mentioned the 30th in interviews once or twice). Stranger things have happened, but it looks like we will have to wait a bit longer for this one.
July 3rd? - Klaus Voormann, artist/bass guitarist has spent his career as a great session man, most notably with Apple Records, where he played alongside George, John, Ringo, and was even rumored to replace Paul McCartney in a never formed Beatles-follow up band the Ladders. Now, he is releasing his first solo album, a collection of collaborations with artists like Yusuf Islam and Bonnie Bramlett (or Sheridan, as she goes by now.) Notable is "I'm In Love Again," a Fats Domino cover, with Klaus on bass, Ringo on drums, and Paul on vocals.
July 7th- Hannah Montana 3. In a strange marketing scheme, Disney will release 11 singles to promote this album. That mostly means showing Miley sing these songs live on a special concert (more on that in a moment) along with playing the song on Radio Disney. Anyway, the album is out next week, and features 14 songs, including a duet with Corbin Bleu ("If We Were A Movie," and this version is actually from season 2), and a duet with David Archuleta ("I Wanna Know You," also featured in a solo version.) Mitchel Musso has one song on the disc. "Let's Do This," and "Let's Get Crazy" are recycled from the movie soundtrack. A little dissapointing, but no biggie. The concert Miley did was a special taping, to make music videos out of, and will somehow be included on this album (probably enhanced CD).
July 21st - Demi Lovato's sophomore album, "Here We Go Again." Demi's new disc will feature John Mayer, Jon McLaughlin, and William Beckett. It is to be less of the power-pop of "Don't Forget," and closer to Demi's taste ("Don't Forget" was, in some ways, very much a mix of then beginner Demi being shown the ropes by the more experienced Jonas Brothers, whose flavor definatly comes across.) Expect there to be many foreign edition bonus tracks, itunes bonus tracks, and other things down the line for this one. Especially a track only on an Australian 7" steel vinyl, played at 12 rpm, backwards, on a Tuesday, if it is sunny, at exactly 6 o'clock, with a mouse, in a house, on a plane, near a train, I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I Am. Two songs were cut from the original tracklisting. They are "For The Love Of A Daughter," and "Shut Up and Love Me." (there is no Australian 7'', by the way.) All editions are set to include 2 bonus tracks already: "A Gift From A Friend", a song from an upcoming Tinkerbell movie, and "So Far So Great," the Sonny With A Chance theme song, already released on "Disney Channel Playlist."
August 4th- Wizards of Waverly Place Soundtrack. This album only features 5 songs by Selena, and oddly excludes her song "Make It Happen" from the series. And, one of those 5 songs is "Everything Is Not What It Seems", the shows theme song, already released on "Disney Channel Playlist" (wierdly still only 50 second long.) The album is filled out with other Disney artists, and features 4 different songs all titled "Magic." Selena has more output here than any other album, but it is surprisingly little.
September 9th - Beatles Remasters. 'Nuff said.
September 15th- Between My Head And The Sky. Yoko Ono is back, and she is bringing back the conceptual Plastic Ono Band! Yoko has released an EP already called "Don't Stop Me!" on itunes, which has an alternate version of a new track, a remix of another new one, a two other songs. It is great to see Yoko, and in full experimental unleashed mode.
Autumn? - Emily Osment and Selena Gomez both have debut albums currently set for a Fall release. Selena already has a place holder on Amazon.com. Emily is on a smaller label, so expect less promotion. That said, she does have a music video done (or is still working on it.) Selena already had the Demi duet from Princess Protection Program "One And The Same", and Emily had the Dadnapped song "Hero In Me", both on the album "Diseny Channel Playlist."
Then there is "Send It On." This song is part of Disney's environmental campaign, trying to raise 1 million dollars, and then offering viewers to decide what environmental projects the money should go to. This track, still unreleased, plays in the background during the TV spots, and even has a music video filmed, but also unreleased. It is an all-star recording with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and the Jonas Brothers. I would have traded the JoBros for Jimmy Page, Jack Bruce, and Ringo Starr, but that is not the point. The point is that it must have been awkward with Miley, Nick, and Selena? No, the point is that I want to know the release date.
Also in the loop are a possible new Paul McCartney album, and a box-set of outtakes and unreleased material. Ringo has hinted at a new album too.
And that leaves Miranda Cosgrove. She has stated she that is working on a new album, and once hinted at a summer release, but has been mum since, leaving me to wonder. Even Autumn releases are getting nods now, so if she doesn't speak up soon, we may not have a new album until at least late Fall/Winter.
I look forward to all of these (well, honestly, I don't have very high hopes for the Wizards soundtrack, but that is mainly due to quantity, not quality. At least there is a new Wizards movie, which the soundtrack ties into.)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
"And You Wonder Why People Don't Worship Beauty"
So, I almost went a month without a new post.
First off, I posted a song a while back called "Love'n", proported to be a lost Beatles song. It is NOT actually the Beatles, but The Colours, a never-made-it sixties band, featuring Carl Radle on bass. The track, "Lovin", was on their Mickie Most produced LP. Someone edited the song to make the vocals (which would have made it obviously not the Beatles) near inaudible. I was kind of hoping it was the Beatles, but either way, it is a cool track.
Now, I mentioned a possible Paul McCartney box set, a new "Cold Cuts". Well, since then, tracklistings for 3 of 4 discs have been leaked. Each disc has 25 songs, plus a hidden track. Tracks are edited to fit all of them on a disc. For the full tracklists, check wogew.blogspot.com
Just about every unreleased gem we know about is featured, plus many more, including things we've never heard of before. The set is limited to studio work only, as another set of live material, as well as a set of demos, will be on horizon. Hints of a set actually date back to 2001, when Paul produced a documentary called "Wingspan." On a mini website dedicated to the film, a message said fans will be pleased with a new release coming soon. However, Paul got sidetracked, most likely with his new relationship with Heather Mills. But now, the set is back on track.
The set is a dream come true. Paul is releasing every track from the original "Cold Cuts" save for the instrumental "Tomorrow." And he is putting out thing that have never been booted, like "Crawl of The Wild," a "Venus & Mars" outtake featuring Dave Mason (who also played guitar on "Listen To What The Man Said.) "Crawl Of The Wild" has been renamed (or corrected to be) "Wild Cat." Paul has also opened the vault on the "London Town" sessions, from which we've had very little save for rough mixes and such.
There a few well known booted songs missing, like "Jazz Street", but the listing is nothing to complain about. One interesting note, though, is that, save for an early "Ram" version of the song "Sunshine Sometime," Paul has ignored his unreleased "Rupert The Bear" soundtrack. Paul did a soundtrack to his favorite childhood character, with instrumentals and some sung songs, along with some narration, and after years of coming back to it, recorded a full listing with Wings in '78. The project never materialized, but a few years later, Paul did make a short Rupert cartoon, which featured the song "We All Stand Together." I suspect Paul will release the Rupert song seperatly (well, I sure hope he does!)
Onto Jennette McCurdy, who has released another single. The song is a cover, called "Homeless Heart." Part of the proceeds of it go to charity. Like every other celeb, Jennette has not said anything about a release date for her album, and I'm beginning to doubt the rumoured "June 30th" date. In fact, Jennette is still hitting the recording studio (although she hasn't enlightened us as to whether she is still working on her first album, or starting another one.)
Along with Jennette, Miranda Cosgrove has been doing great on "iCarly." The show keeps getting high ratings, and deservingly so. It is consistently funny. Personally, I relate mostly to Spencer (being an artist myself, as well as a big brother, who one day will have to worry about a teenage sister.) But everyone is hysterical, and the development of different relationships and interactions with characters is great. I love when Freddie or Sam are alone with Spencer, with a dilema that Spencer tries to solve, like when Sam was having nightmares about a monster eating her soup. Spencer works so hard to help, like attempting to analyze Sam's dream, but in the end only causes more trouble, like after he dresses as a monster, and steals Sam's soup, to cure her, she beats him up, thinking he is a monster, and then Spencer has nightmares about monsters and soup. It is a clever set-up, and the actors pull it off convincinly and with personality that really sells the material.
Selena Gomez has a new release on Tuesday, a duet with the group "Forever The Sickest Kids." The single will be on iTunes (and maybe other d/l sites?) I'm looking forward to it.
Now, all these none of these celebs will give a release date, but Disney is different. On June 9th, Disney will release "Disney Channel Playlist," 15 songs from their TV shows and original TV movies. Of interest to me is "Everything Is Not What It Seems" (by Selena Gomez, it is the "Wizards Of Waverly Place" theme, "The Hero In Me" (by Emily Osment, from the movie "Dadnapped"), "So Far, So Great" (by Demi Lovato, it is the "Sonny With A Chance" theme), and "One And The Same" (a Demi and Selena duet from "Princess Protection Program.")
On July 14th, the "Hannah Montana 3" soundtrack will finally come out. It will feature 12 songs from season 3 (one of them by Mitchell Musson, the rest by Hannah Montana, including the duet with David Archuleta.) Track 13 is "If We Were A Movie" with Corbin Bleu, which was actually from season 2. It looks like another fun release, with song titles like "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)". Also, what is it with the word "Let's". "Let's Chill," "Let's Do This," "Let's Get Crazy," "Let's Dance."? Oh well, no matter. The titles are similar, but the songs are all different.
While Hannah is releasing a new disc, the real girl Miley doesn't seem to have a new disc on the near horizon. She will be filming "The Last Song," a film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Rumors are also abound that Miley is wanted for the new "Footloose," although Miley has yet to say anything on that subject. Also, Miley will be touring again later this year, in Europe for sure, as she mentioned on her "Live In London" iTunes exclusive EP. Demi should have a "Live In London" EP coming out too. I wonder what is taking so long.
I can't say why people don't worship beauty. But what I can say is "The King Of Fuh" is a great song. By Brute Force, the song was presented to the Apple label, where George Harrison got a hold of it. Harrison loved it, mixed it a bit, and even had an orchestral arrangement added. The song talks about the King of Fuh, who is the "Fuh King." This line was too obscene to get a release, but George, as well as John Lennon, pushed for the song, which got a limited Apple release before being pulled. The song proved elusive after that, but Brute Force has since made it easily acquired on the album "Tour de Brute Force." It is such a beautiful song. I had wanted to hear it just to get a laugh from the lyrics, and while I did, the arrangement had such a sad, post-psychedelic beauty that enraptured me.
Happy Memorial Day weekend!
First off, I posted a song a while back called "Love'n", proported to be a lost Beatles song. It is NOT actually the Beatles, but The Colours, a never-made-it sixties band, featuring Carl Radle on bass. The track, "Lovin", was on their Mickie Most produced LP. Someone edited the song to make the vocals (which would have made it obviously not the Beatles) near inaudible. I was kind of hoping it was the Beatles, but either way, it is a cool track.
Now, I mentioned a possible Paul McCartney box set, a new "Cold Cuts". Well, since then, tracklistings for 3 of 4 discs have been leaked. Each disc has 25 songs, plus a hidden track. Tracks are edited to fit all of them on a disc. For the full tracklists, check wogew.blogspot.com
Just about every unreleased gem we know about is featured, plus many more, including things we've never heard of before. The set is limited to studio work only, as another set of live material, as well as a set of demos, will be on horizon. Hints of a set actually date back to 2001, when Paul produced a documentary called "Wingspan." On a mini website dedicated to the film, a message said fans will be pleased with a new release coming soon. However, Paul got sidetracked, most likely with his new relationship with Heather Mills. But now, the set is back on track.
The set is a dream come true. Paul is releasing every track from the original "Cold Cuts" save for the instrumental "Tomorrow." And he is putting out thing that have never been booted, like "Crawl of The Wild," a "Venus & Mars" outtake featuring Dave Mason (who also played guitar on "Listen To What The Man Said.) "Crawl Of The Wild" has been renamed (or corrected to be) "Wild Cat." Paul has also opened the vault on the "London Town" sessions, from which we've had very little save for rough mixes and such.
There a few well known booted songs missing, like "Jazz Street", but the listing is nothing to complain about. One interesting note, though, is that, save for an early "Ram" version of the song "Sunshine Sometime," Paul has ignored his unreleased "Rupert The Bear" soundtrack. Paul did a soundtrack to his favorite childhood character, with instrumentals and some sung songs, along with some narration, and after years of coming back to it, recorded a full listing with Wings in '78. The project never materialized, but a few years later, Paul did make a short Rupert cartoon, which featured the song "We All Stand Together." I suspect Paul will release the Rupert song seperatly (well, I sure hope he does!)
Onto Jennette McCurdy, who has released another single. The song is a cover, called "Homeless Heart." Part of the proceeds of it go to charity. Like every other celeb, Jennette has not said anything about a release date for her album, and I'm beginning to doubt the rumoured "June 30th" date. In fact, Jennette is still hitting the recording studio (although she hasn't enlightened us as to whether she is still working on her first album, or starting another one.)
Along with Jennette, Miranda Cosgrove has been doing great on "iCarly." The show keeps getting high ratings, and deservingly so. It is consistently funny. Personally, I relate mostly to Spencer (being an artist myself, as well as a big brother, who one day will have to worry about a teenage sister.) But everyone is hysterical, and the development of different relationships and interactions with characters is great. I love when Freddie or Sam are alone with Spencer, with a dilema that Spencer tries to solve, like when Sam was having nightmares about a monster eating her soup. Spencer works so hard to help, like attempting to analyze Sam's dream, but in the end only causes more trouble, like after he dresses as a monster, and steals Sam's soup, to cure her, she beats him up, thinking he is a monster, and then Spencer has nightmares about monsters and soup. It is a clever set-up, and the actors pull it off convincinly and with personality that really sells the material.
Selena Gomez has a new release on Tuesday, a duet with the group "Forever The Sickest Kids." The single will be on iTunes (and maybe other d/l sites?) I'm looking forward to it.
Now, all these none of these celebs will give a release date, but Disney is different. On June 9th, Disney will release "Disney Channel Playlist," 15 songs from their TV shows and original TV movies. Of interest to me is "Everything Is Not What It Seems" (by Selena Gomez, it is the "Wizards Of Waverly Place" theme, "The Hero In Me" (by Emily Osment, from the movie "Dadnapped"), "So Far, So Great" (by Demi Lovato, it is the "Sonny With A Chance" theme), and "One And The Same" (a Demi and Selena duet from "Princess Protection Program.")
On July 14th, the "Hannah Montana 3" soundtrack will finally come out. It will feature 12 songs from season 3 (one of them by Mitchell Musson, the rest by Hannah Montana, including the duet with David Archuleta.) Track 13 is "If We Were A Movie" with Corbin Bleu, which was actually from season 2. It looks like another fun release, with song titles like "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)". Also, what is it with the word "Let's". "Let's Chill," "Let's Do This," "Let's Get Crazy," "Let's Dance."? Oh well, no matter. The titles are similar, but the songs are all different.
While Hannah is releasing a new disc, the real girl Miley doesn't seem to have a new disc on the near horizon. She will be filming "The Last Song," a film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Rumors are also abound that Miley is wanted for the new "Footloose," although Miley has yet to say anything on that subject. Also, Miley will be touring again later this year, in Europe for sure, as she mentioned on her "Live In London" iTunes exclusive EP. Demi should have a "Live In London" EP coming out too. I wonder what is taking so long.
I can't say why people don't worship beauty. But what I can say is "The King Of Fuh" is a great song. By Brute Force, the song was presented to the Apple label, where George Harrison got a hold of it. Harrison loved it, mixed it a bit, and even had an orchestral arrangement added. The song talks about the King of Fuh, who is the "Fuh King." This line was too obscene to get a release, but George, as well as John Lennon, pushed for the song, which got a limited Apple release before being pulled. The song proved elusive after that, but Brute Force has since made it easily acquired on the album "Tour de Brute Force." It is such a beautiful song. I had wanted to hear it just to get a laugh from the lyrics, and while I did, the arrangement had such a sad, post-psychedelic beauty that enraptured me.
Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Stella May Day
Well, I took to my blog last week complimenting and supporting Miley Cyrus after happening upon her Twitter comments @ Perez Hilton in regards to same-sex marriage and homosexuality. But now I feel even more compelled to soap-box it for a moment. Since Miley made her comments, she has been catching some negative responses from various organizations, who think Miley is "confused" and no longer a good influence. As I see it, Miley is the perfect scapegoat. Aside from the usual factor that she is so famous, and the easiest way to go through for publicity, she is not gay. Therefore, it comes off as less offensive to attack her. Had these organizations said nary a word against Perez Hilton, they would be in quite a stew.
It is not all bad news. Miley is going around the world, in promotion of her new movie. And, in an upcoming episode of "Hannah Montana," a duet between Hannah and American Idol runner-up (oh, I bet he wishes he could lose that epitaph) David Archuleta will be premiered (and on Radio Disney a day later.) I saw a clip of the two together on the show on youtube, and heard a bit of the song. Personally, I'm not a fan of Archuleta, but he does have a good voice, and I liked the duet. Hopefully, it will be on the long-delayed "Hannah Montana 3" soundtrack, which had been slated for January, but pushed back due to the movie soundtrack (and most confusingly, some season 3 songs were put on the movie soundtrack.)
Demi Lovato is busy to, doing some big concerts before her first headlining tour (with Archuleta as a supporting performer, by the way.) And, she has somehow managed to cut another album.. The girl works fast! She was already twittering to William Beckett of The Academy Is... that she is working on choosing a title (and may name the album after a song the two did together for it). She seems to be pretty confident on a July release, so, if that holds, I expect a single soon. I also learned that an International Edition of "Don't Forget" has been released, and carries an exclusive song, entitled "Back Around." It is a rock number that fits in with the rest of the albums heavier cuts.
Paul McCartney is very slowly popping up in the news in regards to a new album. A new album was hinted at when some reports claimed Paul and Ringo would play together on it, which would make it the first studio collaboration in over a decade. Now, it is said Paul has written a song about his girlfriend Nancy Shevall (who I think lives by my school, just to mention), and this song may appear on a new album. But before that, Paul appeared on a song "Boots And Sand", by Yusuf Islam (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.) Dolly Parton also appears on the song. Also, a deluxe edition of Paul's Fireman release "Electric Arguments" has been delayed since January, but finally, on the MPL website (MPL is McCartney's publishing company), short samples of new tracks are available. There will be seven new tracks. They are remixes of songs from the album, often with less instruments or no vocals. A track like this called "Sawain Ambient Accapella" has already been on iTunes. This song it the album track "Lifelong Passion" minus bass and drums.
All this is exciting, but I am left wondering about Paul's next classical album. In 2007, Paul had made a mention or two about a guitar concerto album. Nothing has developed since. Perhaps dealing with the divorce derailed the project a bit. The album would be a quite a departure from his other classical works, which have been very symphonic.
Emily Osment has gotten a Twitter (so you can stop follow all the fakes now.) Her address is Twitter.com/emilyosment.
Speaking of Twitter, Miranda Cosgrove tweeted something about putting together a final tracklist for her full-length debut. For a while now, fans have been able to hear a song named "Adored", which was briefly on Miranda's myspace (probably by accident.) It, along with the two new songs from Miranda's EP "About You Now", show great promise for her album.
On a personal note, I met Lady Gaga. Well, sort of. I was at a performance at her alma mater in Manhattan, where her sister attends. Her sister played the bongo for a rather dada-esque take on the "Ave Maria" (also played on violin and piano.) Lady Gaga was standing like two feet away from me at one point, taking pictures. However, I didn't even see her. In fact, I didn't know she was there. She chose not to stay for refreshments later on.
Also, the Virgin Megastore is closing its' doors soon. I'd go on a rant about the death of CD's and such, but rather than do that, I'll just say that I will miss the store and its' slightly overpriced merchandise (but I will be there when they start slashing prices! They only cut CD's by 20% for now, but they will probably go down more eventually.) Tower Records closed for good three years ago, and that was really sad for me. Borders Bookstores are eliminating their CD sections (and I managed to hit one having a 50% sale, and picked up Cream's "BBC Sessions" and McCartney's "Ecce Cor Meum" there.)
If you're wondering what today's blog title refers to, "Stella May Day" is a song Paul McCartney recorded for daughter Stella to use on the runway while presenting some clothes she designed, while she was still in school. The song is on bootlegs only, but it is a cool track.
It is not all bad news. Miley is going around the world, in promotion of her new movie. And, in an upcoming episode of "Hannah Montana," a duet between Hannah and American Idol runner-up (oh, I bet he wishes he could lose that epitaph) David Archuleta will be premiered (and on Radio Disney a day later.) I saw a clip of the two together on the show on youtube, and heard a bit of the song. Personally, I'm not a fan of Archuleta, but he does have a good voice, and I liked the duet. Hopefully, it will be on the long-delayed "Hannah Montana 3" soundtrack, which had been slated for January, but pushed back due to the movie soundtrack (and most confusingly, some season 3 songs were put on the movie soundtrack.)
Demi Lovato is busy to, doing some big concerts before her first headlining tour (with Archuleta as a supporting performer, by the way.) And, she has somehow managed to cut another album.. The girl works fast! She was already twittering to William Beckett of The Academy Is... that she is working on choosing a title (and may name the album after a song the two did together for it). She seems to be pretty confident on a July release, so, if that holds, I expect a single soon. I also learned that an International Edition of "Don't Forget" has been released, and carries an exclusive song, entitled "Back Around." It is a rock number that fits in with the rest of the albums heavier cuts.
Paul McCartney is very slowly popping up in the news in regards to a new album. A new album was hinted at when some reports claimed Paul and Ringo would play together on it, which would make it the first studio collaboration in over a decade. Now, it is said Paul has written a song about his girlfriend Nancy Shevall (who I think lives by my school, just to mention), and this song may appear on a new album. But before that, Paul appeared on a song "Boots And Sand", by Yusuf Islam (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.) Dolly Parton also appears on the song. Also, a deluxe edition of Paul's Fireman release "Electric Arguments" has been delayed since January, but finally, on the MPL website (MPL is McCartney's publishing company), short samples of new tracks are available. There will be seven new tracks. They are remixes of songs from the album, often with less instruments or no vocals. A track like this called "Sawain Ambient Accapella" has already been on iTunes. This song it the album track "Lifelong Passion" minus bass and drums.
All this is exciting, but I am left wondering about Paul's next classical album. In 2007, Paul had made a mention or two about a guitar concerto album. Nothing has developed since. Perhaps dealing with the divorce derailed the project a bit. The album would be a quite a departure from his other classical works, which have been very symphonic.
Emily Osment has gotten a Twitter (so you can stop follow all the fakes now.) Her address is Twitter.com/emilyosment.
Speaking of Twitter, Miranda Cosgrove tweeted something about putting together a final tracklist for her full-length debut. For a while now, fans have been able to hear a song named "Adored", which was briefly on Miranda's myspace (probably by accident.) It, along with the two new songs from Miranda's EP "About You Now", show great promise for her album.
On a personal note, I met Lady Gaga. Well, sort of. I was at a performance at her alma mater in Manhattan, where her sister attends. Her sister played the bongo for a rather dada-esque take on the "Ave Maria" (also played on violin and piano.) Lady Gaga was standing like two feet away from me at one point, taking pictures. However, I didn't even see her. In fact, I didn't know she was there. She chose not to stay for refreshments later on.
Also, the Virgin Megastore is closing its' doors soon. I'd go on a rant about the death of CD's and such, but rather than do that, I'll just say that I will miss the store and its' slightly overpriced merchandise (but I will be there when they start slashing prices! They only cut CD's by 20% for now, but they will probably go down more eventually.) Tower Records closed for good three years ago, and that was really sad for me. Borders Bookstores are eliminating their CD sections (and I managed to hit one having a 50% sale, and picked up Cream's "BBC Sessions" and McCartney's "Ecce Cor Meum" there.)
If you're wondering what today's blog title refers to, "Stella May Day" is a song Paul McCartney recorded for daughter Stella to use on the runway while presenting some clothes she designed, while she was still in school. The song is on bootlegs only, but it is a cool track.
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