28 August 2013 - Cher Lloyd - Swagger Jagger

I don't quite know what it is about this song that makes me freaking love it so much.  Perhaps it is the bravado that this young woman practically bleeds with every note.  Perhaps it's because Cher Lloyd is so very clearly under the influence of the X Factor producers for this clearly overproduced song..... which, amazingly, doesn't make it a bad song.  Maybe it's the nod and wink to "Oh My Darling Clemetine" that the chorus of this song clearly takes.

Oh, and there is the fact that it was used in a milk commercial..... I think that must be it.


(By the way, you'll want to check out our prior Cher Lloyd post, which we updated today, too)

27 August 2013 - Eve 6 - Inside Out

Every Labor Day weekend the Mrs. and I head down to Virginia Beach for an extra long weekend. We hit the same bars and restaurants we like, my wife runs the half marathon and there's the American Music Festival, which is why I started going.

The festival has concerts every night on seven stages (the main-stage is on the beach and there are six free side stages near the boardwalk). Over the years I've seen some great bands there: The B-52s, Cheap Trick, Soul Asylum, Billy Idol, ZZ Top, Bret Michaels, Southern Culture On The Skids, Joan Jett, Train, Jamey Johnson, Warrant (one of Jani Lane's last shows before getting kicked out of the band), and dozens of others. Beer is cheap and the money goes to local charities. It's always a fun time.

Well this year it's going to take A LOT of beer because the line-up is to put it kindly -- a crapfest. The main-stage looks like this: Fuel/Daughtry on Friday, Smash Mouth/Barenaked Ladies on Saturday and Third Eye Blind on Sunday. Sounds like a killer festival . . . 15 years ago. The free stages are no better. On Saturday I have the option of seeing Eve 6/Sugar Ray. OR Eve 6 and then walk 5 blocks to see Modern English. Or say "screw it," find a bar and watch Georgia vs. Clemson. It's almost a no-brainer. Anyway here's the "Tender Heart in a Blender" song by Eve 6. I'm sorry.

26 August 2013 - P!nk - True Love (featuring Lily Allen (Lily Rose Cooper?))

We haven't done a Hall of Famer in awhile, have we?  No, we haven't.  We really should.  In the meantime, enjoy the latest single by our last HoF honoree, P!nk, who duets with potential future HoF honoree and co-author Lily Allen (who we featured on Friday).

Except that Lily Allen had changed her professional name to her real (married) name, Lily Rose Cooper (why she added the middle name I don't know), so my confusion was in the billing of this song, which clearly uses the old professional name.  So, when Mrs. Cooper's new album finally drops... who knows who it will be billed to.

But I digress.  This song is brilliantly and darkly crafted, and speaks to what a real relationship might look like in Pink's world... Plus, it stars her kid.  And Carey Hart.  And a bunch of toys from Ikea.  And Lily... whoever she is.... with a blender and a knife.  Despite the darkness of the song, it's generally happy and enjoyable, and not as dark as a couple of her recent hits.

23 August 2013 - Lily Allen - LDN

It is unbelievable to me that I haven't posted this yet.  It's a chipper-sounding song, but lyrically really dark.  And it's one of my favorite songs of all time.   And it's a song my eight year old daughter knows, word for word.

A "love song" to London, of sorts, it's a catchy pop achievement, with great beats and catchy horns.
This version of the video is version 2, which matches well with the lyrics.... where Ms. Allen sees a rosy London but a darker version of the city appears behind her - right down to the old lady being hit over the head by the kid seeking her jewelry and wallet.



It's important to note that Lily Allen is asking for her own album in the record store in the beginning of the video.  All the terms she used were ones used to describe her debut, Alright, Still....

Sadly, Version 1, which is also pretty cool, only shows the nice side of London. Filmed on a shoestring budget, it follows our intrepid artist around London on a bicycle, in fast forward.  And it's all rosy - no crack whores to be found.  Still, it's a fun video.

22 August 2013 - KISS - Heaven's On Fire

. . . And for no particular reason, here's the video for Heaven's On Fire by KISS.
Party on!

21 August 2013 - Coldplay - Clocks (with a Röyksopp bonus)

I cannot f&*%ing stand Coldplay.

Except for this song.  A classic. Simple.  Sparse. Piano-based.  Moderately nonsensical.  And instantly recognizable. Even when covered by others.



So what drove me to post this today?  This remix, by Röyksopp, which I recently discovered.  It's almost like it's a different song from a different era.  And perhaps it is the timeless quality of Coldplay's one decent song that makes this work.

20 August 2013 - Lady Gaga - Applause

I finally checked out the new Lady Gaga song Applause and it's out-there and might I add very cool video. I just have one question: Did I dream about all of the recent online angst about the song? Did that happen? Because Applause sure seems like a winner to me. I'd even call it one of her finest songs and she's already written a ton of them in her short career. I'm even detecting for the first time a small trace of Siouxsie Sioux in her voice which I never really picked up on before (not saying it's intentional or not, just kind of an odd observation). Anyway, her new full-length ARTPOP comes out in November . . . it's going to be a long wait for this guy.