Kelly Rowland's New Video + New Tracks for 6.21

**Above is the new video from Kelly Rowland for her international single "Commander." It is 1) fierce 2) ferocious 3) FEROCIOUSLY FIERCE!!! Absolutely mind-blowing!

And now on to the tracks of today...kind of a slow day but I will post a couple of my recent faves in place!

The Remixes

Kelis - 4th of July (Richard X Fireworks Remix)
Okay today I listened to all of my mixes of this song, and this one struck me as much more fantastic than I remembered. It loses itself in the uplifting chorus lyrics and sets it to a high powered house beat. Would definitely be my favorite mix to hear in a club.
http://www51.zippyshare.com/v/40138337/file.html

Kylie Minogue - All the Lovers (Michael Woods Mix)
I was cautious looking for remixes of this song because it does have such a whispery, sweeping sound for the original. Michael Woods, however, turned it into a peak time banger as good as any remix I have found this year. Just incredible.
http://www51.zippyshare.com/v/40138337/file.html

Pop/Dance

Maroon 5 - Misery
The new single from Maroon 5! Okay I'm not the biggest fan of them (Specifically Adam Levine's annoying nasally voice...cute as he is), but this is actually a pretty nice, summery vibed song. That perfect radio-friendly mix of lack of any remarkable traits but pleasant enough to put on repeat. Ch-check it out!
http://www51.zippyshare.com/v/40138337/file.html

Ashley Arrison ft. Kelly Clarkson - Trying to Help You Out
Although it can barely count as a feature by the original/best Idol as she only does backing vocals on the track, but this is a nice, slow & sad ballad about being bad for the person you're with. Definitely loving this one
http://www7.zippyshare.com/v/7604554/file.html

Chris Brown - Matrix
The track that Breezy says "We weren't ready for" on Graffiti (wtf does that even mean?), this is definitely a fun song with a nice slow buildup that should have made it to the album. Hopefully he will pop it on the next one. Y'all gotta know how much I love my man Chris
http://www7.zippyshare.com/v/7604554/file.html

Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me
This song has been out for a couple weeks and is almost definitely going to be the song of the summer. David Guetta production, Flo's club rap delivery, and some corny female vocals. What's not to love?!
http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/41676777/file.html

And that's all for today...still waiting for the Kylie Minogue album leak!!!! xoxo

Weekend Tracks 6/20/10

Kind of a slow weekend for new music, but here are some of the goodies! Enjoy!

The Rmxes

Kelis - 4th of July (Rusko Remix)
None of the remixes to this mesmerizing track off of her brilliant 5th album, Fleshtones, are particularly great, but this reworking is a nice funky change to the throbbing electro original.
http://www23.zippyshare.com/v/33416131/file.html

VV Brown - Shark in the Water (Todd Edwards Radio Edit)
If the original was a great drive-with-the-windows-down summer jam (it was), this is the perfect dance-on-a-beach song. Perfect addition to an already dance floor filler summer.
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/21158415/file.html

Katy Perry - California Gurls (Inner Party System Remix)
The original, although catchy, is a pretty wretched ke$ha knockoff (and when you're copying her, you know you're a desperate whore. Which Katy Perry IS). This remix, however, is a fierce electro stomper that is much more worthy of space in my iTunes.
http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/62950972/file.html

Pop/Dance

Alex Gaudino - I'm In Love
A twinkling house jam with some great male vocals that has had me bouncing around all weekend.
http://www25.zippyshare.com/v/42462021/file.html

Tino Coury - Diary
A relatively generic auto-tuned pop song, but I am on a quest for more male pop music, so here is. Also, look up a picture of Tino...sexy sexy sexy
http://www18.zippyshare.com/v/28550491/file.html

Selena Gomez - Round & Round
In an obvi lowering of my pop standards, I give you my first Selena Gomez song. A great great pop, dance-tinged song that I am pretty sure Miley is pissed she wasn't given.
http://www36.zippyshare.com/v/8844064/file.html

Miley Cyrus - Permanent December
And speaking of the town whore, here is a stand-out from Miley's decent new album. Auto-tuned to death but the mile-a-minute verses and the rocking chorus makes the lack of vocal skills tolerable. Definitely going to be a hit when she releases it.
http://www31.zippyshare.com/v/58361041/file.html

HipHop/R&B

Kid Cudi - REVOFEV
Cudder's single (promo?) from his upcoming album, it has the typical slow and tight flow that the Kid is known for. Not exactly the most solid choice for a lead single, but defintely worth checking out.
http://www47.zippyshare.com/v/2396296/file.html

And saving the best for last. The song that transcends all genres. The one that will be known as the Song of 2010...



THE SITUATION'S RAP! **Description not needed
http://www47.zippyshare.com/v/2396296/file.html

Christina's Bionic As It Should Have Been

Time to weigh in on Christina Aguilera's 4th effort, Bionic. Her first proper pop album since 2002's brilliant Stripped, (Xtina strolled into big band territory with Back to Basics for her third album) Bionic finds the now married and baby-laden Christina doing a lot of exploration. Exploring different genres with different types of producers. Exploring the softer and more controlled sides of her voice. And of course, as she has talked about in literally EVERY interview during this campaign, she has been exploring her sexuality. With all of this ground to cover, does she succeed? Well...for the most part, yes! (Forgive me for the length of this...I have a lot to say on Xtina)

Before I get into the standout songs, let me just comment on the fact that Christina's biggest problem seems to be her team and hers/their artistic direction. Her albums are almost notoriously overly packed with songs that make them seem much less impressive. Also, this campaign was brilliant in the hype and excitement it seemed to bring...however the single choices have already all but killed the project. Now, I am a big fan of "Not Myself Tonight" but did they really think that everyone would be? And although I am 100% a supporter of the Harajuku Barbie, the Nicki Minaj assisted WooHoo could only make this situation worse. At the end of this post, I will be putting together the tracklisting that SHOULD have been on Bionic, and the singles will become much more clear. CHRISTINA: THIS is what could save your career!

Ok enough preaching, on to the tracks! The album starts off with an explosion as "Bionic" noisily lets us know that Christina is here to "take over our mind brain." While maybe just a step too clunky and Santigold ridden, this song is actually a blast and I enjoy hearing someone singing over this type of loud song with the pipes to keep up with it! Next up are "Not Myself Tonight", a powerfully sung ode to feeling a little out of control while going out one night, and "WooHoo," a song about the art of cunnilingus. Here is where I will note another issue with Christina: her songs are FREQUENTLY too long. That minute and a half instrumental at the end? Unnecessary, and makes a good song much less attractive. EDIT EDIT EDIT. Anyway...

The rest of the high tempo songs are pretty rewarding, though! "Desnudate" is latin-tinged with fun lyrics and a nice vibe; one of my favorites of the possible singles! "Glam" is a mildly derivative song, but not necessarily in a bad way! Yes it is very Vogue-esque, but just might be good enough to make want to put it on instead! (No I don't think it's better, but definitely worthwhile) "I Hate Boys" is a slightly childish song that would have been great on her debut, but maybe not 4 albums in. Still...fun! "My Girls" is maybe a little bit weak in the lyrics side, but I really do love the whole feel of it and the Peaches feature is perfect for it! It may have been a little bit indulgent to have a whole song about her and her producers, but it's Xtina so I will let it pass. And SPEAKING of indulgent...my first-listen favorite "Vanity" rounds out the album with a kick to the face! Campy lyrics, over-the-top confidence, and obviously a ton of vanity: this is Xtina using her rep as overly confident "bitch" in a humorous and fun way. And let's be honest, when she ends it with "Let us not forget, who owns the throne?!" we all got a little bit goosebumpy, no?. A great iconic moment!

Now for what is arguably Aggie's signature sound: the ballad. With a voice as controlled and powerful as hers, it is no wonder she is one of the modern queens of the ballads. Songs like "I Turn To You", "Beautiful", and "Hurt" were some of her biggest and widely applauded singles. On Bionic, she delivers a few more to add to this already impressive list. First up is the Linda Perry penned "Lift Me Up", a song I was already familiar with from her AMAZING performance of it in the Help for Haiti concert. While I prefer the more stripped down version from that concert, this song is one of her best and could definitely be turned into a big single! Next is "I Am", which is one the most vulnerable and vocally toned down songs Christina has ever done, and it works! Then the third, and best, of the ballads on the album: You Lost Me. Strong, aggressive, and heartbroken, Christina lets her man know that he screwed up and even though it is tragic, he has lost her forever. She blows every moment of this song away, and it is actually my favorite song on the album now.

And finally, the good deluxe/bonus tracks: "Bobblehead" is definitely juvenile Ke$ha/Katy Perry fodder but man do I love to hear Xtina on this type of song! "Birds of Prey" is an electronic Ladytron song that would never be a hit for her, but it is perfect as a deluxe offering for her fans to hear her on this type of track. "Stronger Than Ever" is another genius ballad with a little bit more of a big sound than the others, and should have definitely gone on the album! Shame on you Team Aguilera! And the one iTunes bonus song "Little Dreamer" is a slightly funky electronic song that shows yet another color this vocal chameleon can do.

As I listened to the album I felt that some unnecessary fillers and out of place sounds are thrown into it with no seeming regard for the flow of an album. I know we live in an iTunes age, but come on people make the album more an experience!! Here are the tracks I wish hadn't been on the album

1) The interludes and intros and everything? They just BARELY work for Mariah and Janet, and let's be honest almost all of us delete theirs too. It's an annoyance, a distraction, and has no place on a proper pop album.
2) "Elastic Love": i see what she was going for but it ends up being pretty droll. The production is interesting for 20 seconds, but that's about it. "Prima Donna" is kind of a pointless belt fest for xtina...i love to hear that voice werq, but this song is a throwaway.
3) The 2 songs that have been received relatively well that I don't care for are "All I Need" and "Sex for Breakfast." Honestly both could have simply been because they were very out of place. "Sex for Breakfast" was a little too slow and breathey for me wedged between the intensity of Prima Donna and the beautifully sung "Life Me Up", and "All I Need" was an oddly placed sentimental ode to her son right in the middle of the album. This screamed bonus track, and should not have been put on the album proper.
4) The bonus tracks that shouldn't have even made the deluxe edition? "I Am (Stripped)" and "Monday Morning". Not needed.

Okay kids, that's all. Sorry again for how long, but I have been thinking this album over for a couple of weeks now. Below is what I personally think would work better as a tracklisting...thoughts?


1. Bionic
2. Woo Hoo (edited down!)
3. Glam
4. I Am
5. Lift Me Up
6. Not Myself Tonight (edited down!)
7. Vanity
8. My Girls
9. Desnudate
10. Little Dreamer
11. You Lost Me
12. Stronger Than Ever

And maybe the Deluxe Edition could have had the silly but fun songs like "Bobblehead" "I Hate Boys" and "Birds of Prey"?

The Brilliant First Post

This is the first post!! I am still sorting out what it is that I will be doing with this blog, but I think it will be a lot of posting music I think yall will like, talking about strange/fun occurrences, and hopefully finding some new people to talk to out in blogsville! My first post will be a link to my new favorite album, the Kylie Minogue, Live in NYC concert!! I was at the show two days before this was recorded and it was even better than it sounds here!

Tracklisting:

01. Overture 01:40
02. Light Years 04:20
03. Speakerphone 04:46
04. Come Into My World 03:55
05. In Your Eyes 03:22
06. Everything Taboo Medley 09:19
07. Like A Drug 04:50
08. Boombox / Can’t Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head 05:03
09. Slow 06:21
10. 2 Hearts 04:18
11. Red Blooded Woman / Where The Wild Roses Grow 04:45
12. Heartbeat Rock 02:14
13. Wow 03:02
14. White Diamond Theme 02:10
15. White Diamond 03:11
16. Confide In Me 04:47
17. I Believe In You 03:03
18. Burning Up / Vogue 03:20
19. The Locomotion 04:57
20. Kids 05:00
21. In My Arms 04:09
22. Better The Devil You Know 04:43
23. The One 04:28
24. I Should Be So Lucky 03:55
25. Love At First Sight 06:40

2009 – iTunes Bonus Tracks :
26. Light Years (Steve Anderson Studio Version) 04:47
27. Speakerphone (Steve Anderson Studio Version) 05:35
28. Come Into My World (Steve Anderson Studio Version) 03:54
Plus the iTunes Digital Booklet

LIVE IN NY