Current Feed Content from 4 Sep 08 14:07
The Zutons - 'What's Your Problem?'
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:27:41 +0000
Poor the Zutons. It's got to suck at least a little bit when people think that one of your best and most successful songs was written by someone else. That sort of gives the lie to the idea that any attention is good attention, doesn't it?'What's Your Problem' doesn't get off to the most auspicious of starts, with the lyrically uninspired "What's your problem? / What's your problem? / I don't get what your problem is." Okay, so we've established that you're having some difficulty in determining the precise nature of this person's problem. Can we move on now?
Fortunately, they do precisely that rather than continuing in the same synonymous vein, but a reluctance to deviate from the pre-established structure is a bit of a handicap for this song, since the verses stick to the same rhythmic and tonal structure as the first three lines, which isn't necessarily a bad idea, but here it just makes it all feel slightly samey and forgettable. I can't help thinking that they'd have done themselves a favour with just a bit of variation in it somewhere - a change in the tempo here and there, or a bit of artistic licence being taken with the melody.
The chorus does provide a bit of a welcome break, and is probably the most successful part of the song, with a kind of waterwheel, perpetual motion thing going on within it - very measured and very determined. Ultimately, though, it just doesn't feel like there's enough going on here - it's a pleasant song to listen to, but I really struggled to recall much of it beyond the chorus and the opening refrain after it had finished. It just feels like the sort of song which would be more fondly remembered as an unreleased album track than a single - a song that has moments of brilliance, but doesn't quite manage the necessary sense of "shazam" or whatever that mysterious quality is to be properly radio-friendly.
CD Released: September 8th
www.thezutons.com
www.myspace.com/thezutons(Steve Perkins)
PS www.stereogum.com sum up the Zutons video rather nicely...
Sonny J - 'Can't Stop Moving'
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:46:30 +0000
*Cough cough* Oh dear, I've been ill (boo), so I come back in today to find that the rest of the ChartBlog highjackers have thrown me on Sonny J - 'Can't Stop Moving'. As I search high and low for an excuse not to review this song, I nearly untied Fraser from his Madonna-soaked chair-prison. Then I decided to man up! Fraser is not ready for release and I can do this. *breathes*Sonny J released this song about a year ago, but this September 8th release is a remix. "A remix!?" I hear you cry. A remix indeed. 'Can't Stop Moving (Mirwais Remix)' is the official release title of this track so I jumped full-bodied into listening to both versions of the song to hear the changes.
I'm not much of a DJ, but I'm pretty sure adding a few vocal effects to a track doesn't really make a remix, as much as adding trumpets to one doesn't make it your own song either (sorry, Mr Ronson).
Ok, so I do like this song, it has lots of happy juice attached and the video has a higher than average count of teenagers in yellow t-shirts. When do you ever see that many people wearing yellow t-shirts? Really...
My main problem is the remix part. I'm sure a fair amount of the people that read this will disagree and list a few more changes to the song, the new vocal part maybe but for me, there isn't enough changes to justify it being a remix. I guess there is a lot of debate for what is a remix, or a sampled track but I feel this is more of a tweaked release.
I much preferred that Enfant Terrible track he did, but then the clowns just scared me.
CD Released: September 8th
www.sonnyj.co.uk
www.myspace.com/sonnyjmusic(Sam Horner)
Interviewing Hadouken! In The Past...
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:13:15 +0000
WARNING: I am speaking to you from The Past. This interview took place in Exeter, but more importantly, it took place way back in history, before August had even begun. Before we knew for sure that the hottest look for the summer would be wellies and a pac-a-mac, before Katy Perry left her indelible mark on our world, and before the invasion of the Space Lemurs.
OK, I'm guessing about that last one - did I mention I am currently in The Past? - but still, here's an interview I did with James from Hadouken! about the art of design.
I really like interviewing James from Hadouken!, because he doesn't mind answering stupid questions, and will actually often begin his answers with something like "oh, I was thinking about that the other day", which makes me feel better about having come up with the stupid questions in the first place.
Plus it's impossible to dislike a man who has developed an irrational hatred of revolving doors. Listen, and you will see what I mean....
Or download the mp3 version of this interview*...
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Here's the video for 'Crank It Up', which has been out for ages, but it's a very well designed sort of a video, so it's relevant...
Hadouken! are also available in website form...
And MySpace form...=======================================
* Right-click on the link, then select 'Save Target As...' and pick the folder on your PC that you'd like to download the file to.
Natalia - 'Perfect Day'
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:00:29 +0000
Possibly this is a bit out of date for The Kidz but who remembers 2001? Not the year, particularly, I mean the Dr Dre album. The one with 'Forgot About Dre' and, particularly, 'Still D.R.E.' on it. Aside from being one of the most amazing and hilarious albums ever created and having absolutely no lyrics I could quote in a place as polite as Chartblog, the album featured a lot of distinctive piano loops by Scott Storch. Storch famously went on to have beef with Timbaland and, err, Christina Aguilera but there's no failing to recognise his keyboard work from '2001.'Or, well, possibly there is. I honestly spent about an hour hammering google for proof that this song was produced by Scott Storch, to obvious failure. The piano riff is absolutely lovely, though, so credit to K Warren, who I think is the actual producer of the song.
The song's a complete change from 'Pretty Like Me, ' Natalia's first single, which borrowed a riff straight out of 'London Calling' by The Clash. This one aims for a far more laid-back, summery feel which is the sort of thing I'd normally find quite offensive, being at heart a massive goth but the sharp piano riff manages to stop everything becoming too obnoxious.
The video helps, of course, since Natalia herself appears so overwhelmingly charming in it and the whole structure and narrative of the thing is just... marvellous, really. Its message of 'think happy thoughts and your day will be better' is cheesy to no small degree but it has the good humor to carry it off. I was, in fact, entirely sold at the moment the road workers did a little dance because let's face it, in these days of boring, classy videos there are not enough dancing road workers illustrating our chart hits.
Kaliba's contribution serves to compliment, rather than dominate the song, adding a bit of backbone where it might have risked sickliness with only Natalia's sweet vocals to sustain it. The song as a whole, in fact, is remarkably well-balanced and it all bubbles along so nicely, I'm shocked this hasn't been huge. Certainly if someone like Lily Allen trotted it out I'm sure it would be.
CD Released: September 8th
www.nataliaofficial.com
www.myspace.com/nataliaofficial(Hazel Robinson)
Gym Class Heroes - 'Cookie Jar'
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:50:00 +0000
'Cool' is not a word I like to use too often. When describing something that's 'cool', I either sound completely unenthused or like I'm trying to be down wiv da kids. But today, finally, I can use it, as no other word will do. Travis, the front man for Gym Class Heroes is cool, very cool. He just oozes 'coolness'. It's fair to say that if I grew my facial hair to its full capacity, got tattoos on my neck, arms and knuckles, had two bull rings in my nose and tied my hair with random hair-bands in random places I would not be cool. I'd also like to think that if others tried, they would also suffer the same 'uncool' fate. But for some reason Travis pulls it off. No matter what this man does, he will always be cool...
...which is probably why he's managed to get away with releasing Cookie Jar, one of the weirdest songs I've heard this year.
Musically the song isn't that different to their previous catalogue. The mix of Hip-Hop and rock that Gym Class Heroes produce always makes a nice sound, but I just can't get over the bizarre rap. The lyrics sound like something a group of 13 year old boys would make up at break, in between Food Technology and Biology.
Maybe I'm being a bit harsh. Some may say Gym Class Heroes have succeeded in being very inventive in their approach to producing this song. I mean... for years we've had to listen to misogynist hip-hop artists glamorise their adulterous lifestyles with unimaginative lyrics, but Gym Class Heroes have shown that you can dehumanise and degrade women in a unique and original way.
Who would have thought you could compare women to the variety of cookies found in the cookie jar? Gym Class Heroes claim their female conquests include 'Butter Pecan Puerto Ricans', 'Oatmeal Raisin Asians', 'Hazelnut Brazilians' and 'Macadamia Caucasians'. They are also fond of women who they compare with 'double stuffed or thin mint' cookies. But as they so eloquently put it, it doesn't matter what your cookie tastes like as long 'as you getting it' apparently.
Seriously though, I have no idea what possessed them to release this as a single. Maybe they want to encourage anyone who can rhyme to have a go at writing a song.
Unfortunately, as much as I've slated this song, I can still see it doing quite well in the charts. Not because the song is any good, but because no matter what comes out of the mouth of Travis, people will still love it because he is unbelievably cool.
CD Released: September 8th
www.gymclassheroes.com
www.myspace.com/gymclassheroesPS I have used the word 'cool' 10 times in this review. That must be some kind of record.
(Grant Black)
Sigur Rós - 'Inní mér syngur vitleysingur'
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:57:14 +0000
Seeing as Sigur Rós' new single starts as if an announcement is about to be made, it is only fitting that I start this review with one. Well, not an announcement as such, more of a, err, confession. So okay, here goes: I'm sorry to say it, but Sigur Rós bring out a Very Bad Side to me. You see, normally I am a share-y sort of person, especially when it comes to music, but the moment the band's 'Hoppipolla' was used on THAT 'Planet Earth' advert, and then THAT 'FA Cup Final' coverage, and then THAT 'Children of Men' movie, and then - well, you get the picture - after all this, I felt a bit sick. There. I said it. You see, without meaning to sound like a Massive Hippy, Sigur Rós are the sort of band that are pretty personal. They are the sort of band that you listen to on your own, the sort of band you dream to... Okay, now I sound like a free spirit of the highest form.
So, anyway, in a bid to get myself over this horrific bout of Sigur-selfishness, I agreed to review their new single.* Its therapy. Or something.
'Inní mér syngur vitleysingur' is different in many ways to both the Sigur Rós the nation heard endlessly on the Beeb last year, and the Sigur Rós that has spanned four previous albums. It still feels epic, it still feels uplifting, but this song is far more uptempo and accessible.
Indeed, 'Inni Mer...' has more of an indie-pop structure than much of Sigur Rós' signature sweeping, soaring sounds and, whilst there'll be those who say it sounds far too commercial, let's be honest: it's not like Sigur Rós have suddenly gone so pop it's all sigur-sigur-AH.
Oh no. This song is delicate; it is summery and wonderfully positive: it builds and builds - using singer Jón þor Birgisson's distinctive voice to its full potential as it does so - and never enters into over-dramatic territory. Sigur Rós have managed to capture their out-of-this-world sound and contain it in a truly beautiful, somewhat mortal form. Quite simply, they are testing their music and pushing it forward. And trust me, music this good cannot be hoarded.
Woah. Backtrack. What did I just say?! It would seem that, over the course of this review, I have been cured of my inner-Sigur selfish tendencies. And whilst 'it's good to talk', I think that in actual fact, Sigur Rós' new single, 'Inni Mer...', cured me all by itself.
CD Released: September 8th
www.sigur-ros.co.uk
www.myspace.com/sigurros*Okay, that's a lie too. It's sort of, err, because I didn't want anyone else to review them...
(Vicki Lutas)
The Chart Show (Plus DVD Extras) - 31/08/08
Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0000
Fearne and Reggie were reunited and had a good old chat to Biffy Clyro and Glasvegas - check out these unedited interviews for an extra hit of love from The Chart Show.Biffy Clyro made it to number 5 this week and we're darn pleased for them because we love Mountains. A lot. James from the band told us about Simon breaking a tooth (no, not a leg) at last week's Reading festival. How rock 'n' roll is that?
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James (yup, another one!) from Glasvegas talked to Fearne and Reggie about buying socks. How rock 'n' roll is that? Yeah, not very.=======================================
Don't leave us yet - here's Top 5 High 5.
JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHO THOSE GUYS ARE, WE'RE GOING TO LITERALLY SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU. HERE'S THIS WEEK'S TOP 5:1: Katy Perry - 'I Kissed A Girl'
2: Eric Prydz - 'Pjanoo'
3: Rhianna - 'Disturbia'
4: The Script - 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'
5: Biffy Clyro - 'Mountains'Duffy - 'Stepping Stone'
Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:28:04 +0000
I've been giving some serious consideration lately as to whether I unfairly dismissed Duffy during the whole "here are lots of spare Amy Winehouses in case anything happens to the one we've already got!" thing that the press was doing - which wasn't helped by the fact that the figurehead for the campaign was Adele, for whom I do not care. Duffy, however, has given us 'Mercy' and 'Warwick Avenue', both of which were quite good, but not necessarily enough to prompt a full-scale turnaround from me. Will 'Stepping Stone' make a difference?Well, sort of. If anything, it's convinced me that 'new Amy' was the wrong tag for her, and that perhaps 'new Dido, who is aware of the concept of "uptempo" and can actually sing' would've been more apt. (FYI, Dido v1.0 is set to return soon, so I'm interested to see if there will be any battle lines drawn there.) My reasoning behind this is the general sombreness of tone in this song which belies the more optimistic areas of the lyrics and makes us all think it's more depressing than it actually is (unless I've just misinterpreted it, of course, which is entirely possible).
There's a lovely sense of atmosphere in here, and I freely admit that my weakness for women whose voices can sound out every note of pain they've ever felt predisposes me to like this song. The main weakness in the song is the chorus, which I can't help thinking is neither as memorable nor as poignant as perhaps it could be, and just ends up rather ambling along at one level instead of really stirring up emotion in the listener.
So, yes, on the whole I think it was rash of me to not give her a fair hearing the first time around, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly offer my apologies to anyone who would like them. As a peace offering, have four stars, Ms Duffy.
CD Released: September 1st
www.iamduffy.com
www.myspace.com/duffymyspace(Steve Perkins)
Royworld - 'Brakes'
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:11:37 +0000
Royworld are, according to some, the new Delays. I find this comparison deeply confusing, since 'Faded Seaside Glamour, ' with its delicate arcs of sound and almost perfect reproduction of the noises of a crumbling postal town as pop music, is one of my favourite albums and whatever the Royworld album's called appears to sound more like Turin Brakes after they went off the rails. In fact, this song sounds remarkably exactly like 'Summer Rain' by said band in several places. It also sounds a lot like nonspecific Snow Patrol, certain parts of Coldplay and in the first thirty seconds, distinctly like Crowded House. In other words if your dad doesn't like it, you probably need to check to see if he's been bodysnatched.
On the plus side, I suppose, this isn't another set of drab indie hipsters pretending to have a political statement to make re: not being bothered. It's quite heartfelt and sort of deeply inoffensive to a degree that doesn't quite pass over into the 'so mediocre it becomes incredibly annoying' arena.
On the downside, it's a blatant rewrite of 'Summer Rain' and has a slightly choppy-changey style to it that doesn't manage to pull it out of MOR territory but does manage to affect the air of it being many songs stuck together, like an advert for a compilation.
Specifically, it sounds quite overwhelmingly like a rather lovely album of "phat indie anthems" (sic) that I found in a bargain bin for a pound a few years ago. This CD has subsequently been hammered into the ground by me, over time and left me with a lasting affection for Lowgold that transcends sense.
This is the problem with these songs; I can sit here reviewing them and say they sound deeply average, which they do but someone probably heard it and took great comfort or inspiration from it.
Songs that are as obviously subjective as, err, "phat indie anthems" are impossible to review in any sort of populist manner except to give them a three-star rating and hope no one gets too offended. The bit of this one where he sings "put on your brakes, oh if I could just get through today" will either leave you totally underwhelmed or precisely sum up what you're feeling, even if you're feeling the exact same thing as the next person. The aesthetic decision is balanced on such a thin wire of taste between empathy and horror that I hardly feel I've got a right to throw my unaffected opinion about regarding this song.
So, objectively; this song sounds a lot like 'Summer Rain, ' seriously. Subjectively; it's mediocre and emotionally bankrupt for me but maybe you thought 'Summer Rain' was when Turin Brakes got good, in which case you'll probably love this.
CD Released: September 1st
www.http://www.royworld.co.uk
www.myspace.com/royworldtheband(Hazel Robinson)
Alphabeat drummer, Troels, gets a grilling (not literally, of course)
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:37:42 +0000
Alphabeat are pretty darn good at a lot of things. Writing infectious pop songs is one example. Inventing quirky dance moves is another. But there is one thing that Alphabeat drummer Troels fails miserably at: the ancient art of chatting up girls. Here, answering the Radio 1 Chart Show's 20 Questions, the man behind Alphabeat's, err, alpha beats demonstrates his lack of 'lady-skills'...
1: What do you wear in bed?
Troels: Just wear some sort of underpants and an old dirty T-shirt.2: Who was the last person to see you naked?
Troels: My girlfriend. She's always the lucky one...3: What's your best chat-up line?
Troels: 'You know what, girl? I'm in this band named Alphabeat ... Can you feel the 'Fascination'? No? Erhm... well... ARGH... Can I buy you a beer? Okay, I can't. See you?!'4: Have you ever used a bidet?
Troels: Never ... and I don't get the point of [them]? Who has an ass so dirty that you have to wash it with a hard jet of water?5: Do you admit it when you fart?
Troels: Not really... but otherwise: Honesty is always the way.6: What's the last thing you think about before you go to sleep?
Troels: 'Sleep, Troels, Sleep!'7: If you found Aladdin's lamp, what would you wish for?
Troels: I'd probably just wish for lots of stuff I don't even need. Like a Chuck Norris workout machine.8: Who was the last person you snogged?
Troels: My girlfriend. Or maybe Rasmus from the band.9: Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Troels: Maybe Jim Carrey. I look very much like his character Lloyd from Dumb Dumber when I haven't got wax in my hair.10: Who is your embarrassing crush?
Troels: I was very much in love with the dark haired female singer from Ace of Base when I was 8.11: When did you last change your bedsheets?
Troels: I don't change [them] too often... but as we're always on tour, I'm never home.12: If you could have one superpower what would it be?
Troels: I think it's a dream to be able to fly without any help from machines.13: Did you have an imaginary friend when you were little?
Troels: Nope, so I guess I'm very sane after all...14: What's the most famous celebrity phone number in your mobile?
Troels: I actually haven't got any.15: If Donald is a duck, Pluto is a dog and Mickey is a mouse, what is Goofy?
Troels: Goofy is a dog, right? Mickey is actually the most scary Disney character: an over-sized mouse!16: What is the most embarrassing CD in your collection?
Troels: My collection is big. I've got everything from Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon to Wham! and Take That...17: Have you ever picked your nose and eaten it?
Troels: I do actually pick my nose a lot these days... but it's to get out the hair.18: How many pairs of pants do you own?
Troels: I've probably got 5 pairs.19: What colour are the pants you are wearing?
Troels: Black. Always... it's easier to keep black jeans "clean".20: What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever given you?
Troels: We've got a mega fan in Denmark. He once threw a DVD to us on stage. It was video footage of him trying to copy moves or photos of us. A bit strange but he's a great guy!==============================
Troels and the rest of that Alphabeat lot are also available in website form...
And MySpace form...New Kids On The Block - 'Summertime'
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:17:58 +0000
Under normal circumstances, even though I tend to do a lot of my ChartBlog research by browsing music videos on YouTube, I try not to let the content of the video influence my review, because the video is not the song, obviously. There can be exceptions to this rule - if, say, a song comes with a truly brilliant and inspirational video that truly gives the song new meaning, or perhaps where a great song is let down by an utterly rubbish video, but both of those scenarios would merit at most a passing mention.So I'm breaking protocol a bit to talk about the video for this song in my review, but: it's really quite poor. It's just a lot of NKOTB walking around in white linen outfits, and occasionally whirling some girl around on a beach, and then a bit of a half-hearted dance routine at the end. It was so distracting on my first viewing that I had to go back a second time and listen to the song while deliberately NOT watching the video to see if that made it sound any better, because I really had not been impressed before that.
And it did, a little bit. But not enough, I don't think. The biggest problem with this song is that the sense of half-heartedness so evident in the dance routine at the end of the video pervades through the entire song - it sounds like the whole thing was produced while everyone had one eye on the clock. The vocals are fine, but they lack pizazz. The melody is basically a tinny synth ripoff of 'Bittersweet Symphony' (which was in itself lifted from the Andrew Oldham Orchestra's recording of the Rolling Stones' 'The Last Time', but that's not for here). Even the "woah-oh"s in the chorus just have absolutely no fire in them. The song's pleasant, hummable even, but I couldn't shake the slight feeling of anger that I got after listening to it that it just should have been so much better than it actually is, if only anyone involved had cared about it a little bit more.
Still, it's heartening to see one of the biggest boybands from my formative years still managing to get together and record stuff. And most of them have aged well, so kudos for that, guys. But you still need to try harder with the actual music stuff.
CD Released: September 1st
www.http://www.nkotb.com
www.myspace.com/newkidsontheblock(Steve Perkins)
Conor Oberst - 'Souled Out'
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:30:00 +0000
Excellent, after weeks of planning and hard execution, me and some friends have kidnapped your usual ChartBlogger Fraser, tied him to a chair in a dark room with a blind fold over his eyes and some earphones on playing non-stop Madonna. We came here to right the wrongs of the ChartBlog, to bring back the anarchy and the rebellion to the music blogging world, but after much deliberation, we have decided it's actually a lot harder than it looks, and will be returning Fraser shortly (after he has learned his lesson for giving the Ting Tings such a high star review.)
My review today is of Conor Oberst's new single 'Souled Out'. Now, you may think you have never heard of Conor Oberst before but the chances are you'll have heard his work without even realising.
Oberst is the founding member of American indie superpower 'Bright Eyes'. If this is all still very new to you, then let me inform you that if you like this single, there is plenty of similar back catalogue to keep you busy for the next 10 years. With 18 full length albums, 6 million EPs and an infinite amount of singles from different bands after 16 years recording music, I sometimes wonder how long the Conor Oberst book of song writing can keep going. The poor guy is only 28 years old.
This new tune is 'pleasant', a word my mother over the years has banned me from using, as it's the way I describe visiting my Grandparents every year since I was 6. It's like calling something 'nice' in the modern age, it's an insult because everyone wants to be amazing. 'Souled Out' is a tune, which you may hear over and over again and still not know who wrote it. You could sing the chorus but later over the dinner table be caught trying to sing it to your family, seeing if they knew who it was because you sure as heck can't remember.
I like it, but I have been a Bright Eyes fan for years and have a t-shirt. If you were looking for something special, you won't find it here. It is very similar to all his other work which, over the years has yielded a lot of gems , but this track just doesn't stand out for me.
Download: Out now
CD Released: September 1st
www.conoroberst.com
www.myspace.com/conoroberst
(Sam Horner)
Bryn Christopher - Smilin'
Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:07:25 +0000
Sometimes you can be lucky enough to hear a voice so good that it leaves you wide-eyed and open-mouthed with possibly a little bit of dribble escaping from the corner of your mouth. There is no doubt Bryn Christopher has one of those voices. It's soulful, powerful and extremely addictive. Unfortunately, you have to be even luckier to find a song good enough to match the voice, or at least catchy enough to support it. This is the dilemma of Smilin' by Bryn Christopher.
Below is what I guess a normal conversation about Bryn Christopher would sound like:
Man: I went to the most amazing gig last night. Have you heard of Bryn Christopher? I mean what a voice! It really is something else.
Woman: Who does he sound like?
Man: Like a mixture between Otis Reading, Amy Winehouse, Sam Cooke, David Jordan and Cee-Lo Green.
Woman: Who?
Man: That guy from Gnarls Barkley.
Woman: Wow, he sounds great. Would I know any of his stuff?
Man: He did that song a little while ago called... oh I can't remember. Anyway he's got another one out now called... err... it's... you know that song? Something about laughing, or was it frowning?
Hence the problem arises. As much as you want to love Smilin', it seems impossible to. It's not that the song is terrible. It's just it should have been given to a voice that wasn't as capable as Bryn's. It should have been given to someone like [insert incapable singer here].
The song starts well enough, moving quickly from its pop intro to a more retro-soul sounding verse, but it's always a worry when you enjoy the verse of a song more than the chorus. I was desperate for the song to reach its crescendo, so I could hear more of the technical excellence Bryn has in his voice, but it just didn't come.
But do not give up hope quite yet. Bryn's debut single The Quest shows off an original jazzy and bluesy sounding soul, which hopefully his forthcoming album will mirror.
CD Released: September 1st
www.brynchristopher.com/
www.myspace.com/brynchristopher(Grant Black)
Mariah Carey - 'I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time'
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:55:46 +0000HALT! Do not panic! Yes, this is a Mariah review, but I can confirm that this is officially a warble-free zone. I repeat: A warble-free zone. You may proceed without the fear of a warbling, vocal-scaling ambush. And I know this because after much deliberating, I decided that, to write this review, I did actually need to listen to Mariah Carey's new single.
You see, I'll be honest: with 'I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time' for a title, I wondered if it was even necessary to hear the R&B princess' latest offering. I mean, grammatically, it makes me want to vomit, and, bearing in mind this is the sickly-sweet Ms Carey we're talking about, I figured that this vomiting sensation was probably a good indication of how the single would make me feel. But I was wrong...
...Okay, when I say 'wrong', I don't mean that it isn't terribly cheesy (it is), or that it doesn't sound like something from 1997 (it does), but that it is not a bad pop song. Well, minus the guy (T.I) rapping about "all your booty and your cutey".
In the same way that her recent single, 'Touch My Body', saw a slick, well-crafted approach to R&B, this does much the same. This song sounds summery, it sounds carefree... and the lack of Mariah's oh-so-famous 'scales' means that it is very sing-a-long-able.
Basically, as long as you don't listen to the lyrics, it is pretty inoffensive and very catchy; the only thing I haven't quite figured out yet is just how you're supposed to dance to it.
Trust me, I'm working on that.
So, I guess that, in light of Mariah's toned down vocal-scaling stunts, it is only fair I forgive her those (terrible) grammatical inaccuracies and pronounce that: MARIAH, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR SONGS, I HAVE NO FUTHER USE FOR THE SICK BAG BY MY SIDE. *
CD Released: September 1st
www.mariahcarey.com
www.myspace.com/mariahcarey*Please note: I wrote this line before I watched the video...
(Vicki Lutas)
The Chart Show (Plus DVD Extras) - 24/08/08
Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:10:12 +0000Hola! We're in a darn good mood here at Chart Blog because it's a Bank Holiday weekend, but don't worry we've not forgotten to give you yet more juicy, uncut interviews straight from The Radio 1 Chart Show. Probably the only place on earth you'll get radio outtakes, and that's the way we like it...They made it to number 16 in this week's chart with Steve McQueen, so Rob from The Automatic battled with a crackly phone to chat with Reggie about chart nerves and their love for the man on the motorbiike...
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Keane are back (they got to number 26 dontcha know!) with a completely different sound - Rich tells us here about musical saws and band mates sharing bath-tubs.
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Imani and Adam from Little Jackie tear up the studio all the way from Brooklyn, NYC with drumming and hi-jinks. We like.
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Enjoyed those? Don't go yet - here's Top 5 High 5.
AND IN ACTUAL LETTERS MAKING UP PROPER WORDS, HERE'S THIS WEEK'S TOP 5:
1: Katy Perry - 'I Kissed A Girl'
2: The Script - 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'
3: Kid Rock - 'All Summer Long'
4: Rhianna - 'Disturbia'
5: Madcon - 'Beggin'
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