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Archive for October 2006
I remember fondly the time several years ago I first heard Robin Thicke. Forget that he is the son of Alan Thicke, the dad on Growing Pains, former host of Thicke Of The Night. No, don’t forget that, because pops created the theme songs for television shows “The Facts Of Life”, “Diff’rent Strokes”, “Wheel Of Fortune”, and “The Joker’s Wild” so many years ago. Robin Thicke comes by his talent rather naturally, then, and lends creedence to his pedigree where many children of stars are forced into the spotlight lacking any real talent. In 2002, like many listeners, I caught my first earful of Robin Thicke hearing his song “When I Get You Alone” on a Sprite commercial. Immediately taken with the singer, I searched everywhere trying to find out who he was. I think I even called up the Coca-Cola Bottling Company to ask them. A commercial failure, A Beautiful World, the album from which that track came, was nonetheless an ushering in of a blue-eyed soul that singers like Taylor Hicks can only make aspirations towards.
The Evolution of Robin Thicke is more than a series of songs produced by The Neptunes, more than a series of collaborations with names like Pharrell, Faith Evans and Lil’ Wayne. It’s a celebration of the kind of soul music that I grew up loving, much like Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams themselves. You’ve got a fair chunk of Marvin Gaye, Donnie Hathaway, Keith Sweat, Prince, and Stevie Wonder influence to sort through on the album. Though there are a couple of real stinkers, “Wanna Love U Girl” (which is the single, God knows why) and the monotony of “Teach U A Lesson”, the majority of the album is warm and inviting. The anthemic “Shooter (featuring Li” Wayne)” is five minutes of stunning funk-on-wax. The Gaye-influence “Got 2 Be Down (featuring Faith Evans)” and the hilarious and haunting R&B anthem “Cocaine” (no, babys, this is *NOT* a remake of the J.J. Cale tune of the same name) are so powerful that it makes the album worth having for those three tracks alone. The Latin-tinged “Everything I Can’t Have” is an unexpected treat 1/4 of the way through the album, sending soulful strains over salsa. When Mr. Thicke sings, “I wanna be rich/never work at all/sleep all day/I wanna see it all/I want everything I can’t have”, and I connect.
I would love for the album to be more fully realized in one direction or another, more pop or more soul. Unlike contemporary Jamie Lidell’s magnificent album Multiply, TEORT veers in different directions, seeking out the attentions of two musical genres instead of focusing on the one that matters the most. I like Robin Thicke when he’s Marvin Gaye; when he’s Babyface, I tune out. Check out this track, “Got 2 Be Down (featuring Faith Evans)” and I think you will agree: this is an evolution worth watching unfold.
Listen to Robin Thicke featuring Faith Evans - Got 2 Be Down
You can purchase The Evolution of Robin Thicke from Amazon by clicking here
Thanks to Buck Wilders for the (pardon the pun) Hook-Up
All-Hallows Eve is upon us — a night of ghouls, ghosts, goblins, premonitions, witches, wizards, lizards, and frightful apparitions. I’ll be enjoying it in New York City this year as the CMJ Music Marathon kicks off on Halloween night. I hope I will get to see some of you there.
But for now, let’s talk about good music. The effortlessly beautiful and haunting voice of Sonya Cotton lends itself to a four-song EP released in honor of the most unholy of holidays, Halloween. I’m a big fan of Sonya Cotton, so anything new she does instantly grabs my ears. How pleased I was to find in my inbox today a link to Halloween, Unholy Evening, a collaboration between Sonya Cotton and Chris Kiehne. Featuring two traditional songs, “The Ghost of John” and “Skin & Bone” along with two new originals, “Keep Quiet” and “The Kingdom of the Dead”, the simplicity combined with the strange, eerie rhythms invoke an Iron & Wine vibration that I think would make even Sam Behm himself proud. These songs make lovely additions to the Loudersoft yearly favorites list.
If you’ve never heard Sonya Cotton before, her wonderful EP entitled Baltimore Trees is a grand introduction to her songwriting. If these songs are any indication of what is to come, I think we will be hearing a lot more from both Sonya and Chris in the years to come. Check out “Keep Quiet” and “The Kingdom of the Dead” and don’t be scared, they’re only shadows.
Listen to Sonya Cotton & Chris Kiehne - Keep Quiet
Listen to Sonya Cotton & Chris Kiehne - The Kingdom of the Dead
Halloween, Unholy Evening is freely available for download by clicking here and picking a song to download. For more information on the infinitely lovely Sonya Cotton, click here and visit her on MySpace.
….on some other blog. I can’t believe you actually fell for this shit. If someone at Sub Pop leaked this record so far in advance, you’re an idiotic mugwump. If you’re in the band and you leaked the record, you’re a smart cookie and I’m buying you a beer next time you’re in town (which will happen anyways, Marty do you still read my blog?). If you’re some asshole who stole a copy from the mastering lab and put it out in the world, I hope they bury you under a pile of snickerdoodles a mile high. If you’re someone who Googled and ended up coming to my blog looking to download it, I probably don’t want your business. If you’re a music blogger who tells people not to post it and then posts stuff from other unreleased records on your blog, please shut the hell up because nobody takes you seriously except you.
If you want to join Bloggers Against Posting The Shins Record Three Months Ahead Of Release Web Circle, simply post a new entry to your blog entitled, “Download The Shins Full Album “Wincing The Night Away” MP3!”
I’ll never forget seeing Mickey Avalon at Midwest Music Summit this year. It was a singular experience, one of those shows that no matter how many showers I take, I will never be able to scrub off of myself. In a word, it was personified brilliance. Today, Mickey Avalon, aka the sickest white rapper in the fucking known universe, has just become the newest signee to the newly-formed MySpace Records. From the MySpace Records page:
Well… we are re-releasing the first record from the sick and twisted mind of Mickey Avalon. The kosher salami’s full length will be revealed on 11/7/06 (you’ll be able to pre-order right on this site, so come back soon). If you EVER get a chance to see a Mickey show, DO IT, or forever regret your terrible decision. In other news, the masked men in Hollywood Undead are in the studio working on their debut album. We’re planning on a CD in early ‘07. And don’t worry, we are about to announce a couple new signings, so watch for a bulletin!
From a bulletin by Tom:
wooo friday! i wanted to let everyone know about myspace records newest artist, mickey avalon. we are releasing mickey’s record on november 7th. check out his profile now!
Catch him while he’s on tour at the following locales. It’s a show you will never forget.
Oct 20 2006 9:00P Emo’s Lounge - FREE SHOW w/ Andre Legacy Austin, Texas
Oct 23 2006 8:00P TBA Hollywood
Oct 25 2006 9:00P The Darkroom - FREE SHOW w/ Andre Legacy Chicago
Oct 26 2006 10:00P Club 7 w/ Andre Legacy Indianapolis
Oct 27 2006 8:00P Red Light District Party w/ Andre Legacy Boulder, Colorado
Oct 28 2006 8:00P The Broken Record (Formerly Todds) w/ Andre Legacy Salt Lake City, Utah
Oct 31 2006 10:00P Sin-E - Halloween MySpace Party New York, NY
Nov 3 2006 8:00P Lotus w/ Mark Ronson New York, New York
Nov 7 2006 8:00P Brighton Bar Long Branch, NJ
Nov 8 2006 10:00P Stereo - FREE SHOW w/ Andre Legacy New York
Nov 11 2006 10:00P Aubergine San Diego, CA
Nov 14 2006 8:00P Mezzanine San Francisco, California
Nov 16 2006 8:00P Play Dance Bar Nashville, Tennessee
Nov 17 2006 8:00P Skully’s Music Diner Columbus, Ohio
Nov 18 2006 8:00P B Side Liquor Lounge Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Nov 24 2006 1:00P Rokout Festival @ National Orange Show San Bernadino, California
Dec 9 2006 8:00P Las Transmusicales Festival @ Hall 9 Rennes, France
Dec 11 2006 8:00P Manchester Night & Day Cafe - UK Manchester
Dec 12 2006 8:00P London Barfly - UK London
Dec 17 2006 8:00P White Trash - Germany Berlin
Dec 18 2006 8:00P Mandarin Kasino - Germany Hamburg
Dec 19 2006 8:00P Prime Club - Germany Cologne
Dec 20 2006 8:00P Ampere - Germany Munich
Prepare to laugh really hard. This takes the cake. Get ready for ARISTOCRUNK.
Listen To Lord T & Eloise featuring Al Kapone - Million Dollar Boots
Check out more Aristocrunk from Lord T & Eloise over at their MySpace page
I promised myself that when I wrote about My Best Friends Are Blues, I wouldn’t tell the Katherine story. I promised I wouldn’t do that because the Katherine story is already told in these songs much better than I could tell it. But, in order to explain My Best Friends Are Blues, it is necessary to tell the Katherine story a little bit. You see, Katherine was “the one”. Katherine was the one who got away, who, in some way or so it seems, wiped her feet on the heart of the boy who would do anything for her. In the end, he became obsessed and sullied, shaken to the point of needing to write songs about her in order to, hopefully, forget her or, possibly remember her for what he wished she was but never really would be.
MBFAB is the loose braintrust of drummer and multi-instrumentalist Rory Culp and has, on occasion, featured stellar artists like Paul Taylor, Matt Danger, Misha Hercules, Jeff Pope, Anthony Baird, Richard Sims, and a host of other mid-south musicians sitting in on sessions. Equal parts Jon Brion, Sean Lennon, a clever and unpretentious version of Ben Gibbard (if such a thing exists) and Mark Kozelek/Red House Painters, you can really take off your own shoes and walk around in the pain of MBFAB if you’ve ever been inclined towards unrequited love ballads. The haunting, chamber-esque quality of these songs are something I can only liken to Mr. Kozelek’s songs — unnerving and, at the same time, filled with a warmth and depth that is deeply appealing. “Sunflower Blue” is deeply reminiscent of Red House Painters song “Have You Forgotten” which I count among my favorites of theirs. If you’re lost in the throes of a love that you can’t quit no matter how it quits you, the songs of My Best Friends Are Blues may have something to say that you need to hear.
Listen To My Best Friends Are Blues - Sunflower Blue
Listen To My Best Friends Are Blues - Seashells
