I'm Told I Should Hate The New Hilary Duff Song, But...

Hilary Duff samples Depeche Mode's classic "Personal Jesus" for her new single "Reach Out" and the interwebs are all a-flutter over the desecration of this '80s hit. Seriously? Because Marilyn Manson didn't already destroy it, before Johnny Cash redeemed it? Then those British tarts Sugababes and Jamelia sampled it for a couple of innocuous UK hits. Simmer down, Best Week Ever posters! Besides it's not even the best Depeche Mode song, that would be "Precious." (Mmhmm, I said it!)

Besides, I kinda like Hilary Duff, "Come Clean" and "So Yesterday" are both sweet, fresh-faced teen-pop that fits all the rules of ear-candy. ("Fly" is also a real feel-good pop anthem, but my cousin sang it every time we played Karaoke Revolution, so I'm a little sick of it!) While I was not impressed with her recent attempt at Kylie-esque dance pop on Dignity, but this new song is catchy and actually sexy. I've never said that about the one-time child star, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about her sexed up image in the video. It's disconcerting, like when I saw opera star Charlotte Church in full-on lingerie. This is what Miley Cyrus has to look forward to even more so, since she's already skanked it up for Vanity Fair...


The only thing that has bothered: this is off her second hits package. Seriously, the girl has like three real albums to her name, and she's got almost as many hits compilations? You can't put "Come Clean" on a loop and call it an album, girl! Anyway, watch her sex herself up to a Depeche Mode sample in the video:
Hilary Duff - Reach Out - Official Music Video Premiere

Read This! "Skim" by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

I always feel the need to preface any talk about graphic novels and comics with a comment like "I don't really get into graphic novels, but..." I don't know why, I guess I don't want to act like I know anything about comics when all I've done is read a couple. I don't really get into superhero books or series, but I've been picking up and reading a lot of more literary titles at the library. I read a graphic novel version of "The Merchant Of Venice" a few months ago, I sat at the library and read this cute one about a guy who lives in California and his girlfriend lives in Puerto Rico. I don't remember the title, but it was really sweet.

I just finished a book called "Skim" over the weekend. It took me only two lunch breaks to read, that's one of the advantages to graphic novels. Written by Mariko Tamaki and drawn by her cousin Jillian, "Skim" follows the titular Canadian student as she navigates a high school shattered by the suicide of a classmates' ex. The cool girls try to "help" Katie, the victim's ex girlfriend, but only succeed in make her feel worse. Skim has her own troubles; her best friend is getting interested in boys and popularity instead of the Wicca and tarot cards that used to interest them. Then she finds herself falling for her teacher, Ms. Archer. New relationships make things complicate, old friendships are shattered and while some secrets are revealed, others stay where they should.

Changes are a part of every one's teenage years, and cousins Mariko and Jillian create an artistically pleasing story that will resonate with youth everywhere. Even if you are not into graphic novels, you should consider reading "Skim."

Emmy The Great Can't Remember: "Mia or M.I.A.?"

Pop Candy is one of three blogs I could never live without. Whitney Matheson is whip-smart and indie-savvy. I may pretend to be an indie-hipster from time to time, but Whit really is hip to what the cool kids are listening to, and has a love for comics and mustaches. All around the coolest chick on the web.

So I was looking at her list of favorite bands from CMJ Music Marathon, a music festival in NYC. I was intrigued by this band called Emmy The Great, since I like female artists in indie rock, and they do a cover of The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" which I kinda like. So I headed over to Emmy The Great's MySpace to take a listen. You should do it too! Why?

Well, the jangly country-flavored retro-pop create a dreamy bed for Emmy's vocals. It's like a little more upbeat version of Bat For Lashes, if you know who that is. The first single, "We Almost Had A Baby" is really fun, it has a lo-fi girl-group sound that gels well with my taste in retropop with a bite. My favorite song, "MIA" is about a guy who is killed in a car crash, but not after he made a compilation which includes an artist I adore. "I always liked this singer, I remember how you were the one who told me that her name was either Mia, or M.I.A." You know I can't resist a reference to my Sri Lankan girlfriend! Songs a total downer, though.

Here's the video for "We Almost Had A Baby" - the vinyl single drops on November 10th. Don't know when digital outlets will get it, but other singles are available on iTunes.

Chelsea Handler (and her little nugget) Vote No On Prop 8

Y'all know I don't get political on the blog, right? I wrote about politics for two years, and I'm not interested in doing it again. But sometimes there is a perfect storm of worthy political topic, funny celeb and YouTube video, and that's when I will post something about politics.

California legalized same sex marriage earlier this year, and of course the Mormons and various other right wing groups are up in arms over it. I'm a conservative person, but this is one place I differ from my Republican upbringing. People should be allowed to get married, it's just common decency. No one is asking for the right to have underage butt-sex under an American flag on the Capital steps, it's about making the same legal commitment that straights can make. Perhaps I should allow the very funny Chelsea Handler to explain:



I still think shorties should be shipped off to "Scared Tall" camps, but Miss Chelsea does have a point. Now I'm hungry for a spicy chicken taco...

Halloween Party Playlist!

I know all you people in the blogosphere are super bummed you're not invited to my killer Halloween party this weekend. (Don't be, it'll probably blow.) But you can enjoy the always killer playlist, three hours of spooky stuff like "Thriller" "Toxic" and "Disturbia" sexy party jams like "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" and "I Kissed A Girl" and pulsing rock tracks like "Paralyzer" and "Hell Is For Children." The actual playlist includes some rarities like a remix of the X-Files theme, this spooky piano-rock track called "Thicker" by Chasing Furies and "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" by Tracy Jordan that are not available on the iTunes, but you get the gist. I may not live up to Martha Stewart standards of party-planning, but the soundtrack always works:

After Elton Wants To Know: What Are The Greatest Gay Books? (I Can't Answer That One.)

After Elton, the Logo-owned website for the gays does a Hot 100 list of the one hundred hottest men, chosen by gay and bi-sexual men. It varies a bit from what People lists as their hottest bachelors, but not as much as the difference between lesbian sister-site After Ellen's list and Maxim's list. They recently did a list of the Top 50 Gay Movies (Brokeback Mountain topped the list, obviously) and now they are compiling a similar list of gay books.

Here's the thing. I'm a bad gay. I mean, my taste in music is pretty gay, I love both new school gay faves like Scissor Sisters and Regina Spektor, 80s gay icons like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and the 'divas' like Cher and Babs. But I've never read "The Boys In The Band" or anything by Trumane Capote, the first Broadway musical I ever saw was just a few months ago and I've never seen Brokeback Mountain or watched Queer As Folk.

So I only have a couple of queer-friendly books under my belt: Christopher Rice's "The Snow Garden" and "A Density Of Souls," which marked the first time I ever fell head-over-heels for a fictional character; and a young adult fiction book called "Thinking Straight" by Robin Reardon, which I just read a month or so ago. It was an interesting look at a "Exodus"-style camp for young people who have drug, crime and sexual problem. I was really intrigued by the topic of gay Christian teens, some finding it easier to reconcile the two than others. I've also read a few gay-friendly celebrity bios, like Barbara Streisand, Dolly Parton and Chelsea Handler. And there was the Star Trek: New Frontier novel spinoff series, which featured a character who was a "s/he" - both male and female. Does that count?

It doesn't really bother me that my sexuality doesn't influence my book selection. But I just noticed both the books I got at the library today could be considered queer-fiction. "Skim" is a graphic novel by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, and discovering ones sexuality in high school is one of the themes of the book. The other is Marc Acito's "Attack Of The Theater People" which is the sequel to the popular "How I Paid For College" I've heard it's pretty funny, all about guys in The Big Apple in 1986. I'm looking forward to reading both.

But I've just scratched the surface on Gay Lit, and I've never read any of the important biographies or novels mentioned in the comments at afterelton.com. I've already written a couple of titles down to check at the library next time I go. I'm especially interested in a novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, whose Arthur books I've enjoyed. Since I am such an avid reader, I'm surprised I haven't read more books about people like me. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments. Also, if you've read more than me be sure to vote at After Elton.

Feist's New Video Doesn't Include Unbroken Shots Of Dancing. I Approve Anyway.

Didn't The Remainder come out eleven million iPod commercials ago? Whatever, "Honey" is the best slow track from Feist's "1234"-spawning album. I doubt a music video for the song will garner it any airplay, but I like this video anyway. Leslie only appears for a split second, instead the Rankin/Bass-inspired stop-motion animation focuses on a elderly couple who love each other - and the sea. It's cute as balls and the visual is really interesting. Worth a watch, for sure:

Full Post: Reba + Kelly = AWESOMENESS PERSONIFIED!

OK, let's just lay this out there: I am not an unbiased journalist. I make no pretensions to have gone into Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson: 2 Worlds, 2 Voices concert in Reading, PA with an open-mind, I knew it was going to ROCK OUT LOUD! And it did.

The show start with a comedy set by Reba co-star Melissa Peterman. She was pretty funny, and got big laughs when she made some local flavor jokes about Al's Cabaret and mock-flirted with a bald dude named John in the front rows.

But it was country legend Reba and pop superstar Kelly that we were dying to see, and they were worth the wait! Opening with Reba doing a few a Capella lines from the Patsy Cline classic "Sweet Dream" before Kelly joined in with the Eurythmics hit of the same name, the duo set the tone for the country/rock hybrid to come.

Reba had the larger catalog of hits to pull from, and the two harmonized in classic duets like "Does He Love You" and made a logical extension of the harmony-heavy "How Blue" while Reba brought the house down with a solo rendition of "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia."

Kelly is no stranger to hits herself, and Reba and Kelly really had fun with her rock-flavored singles like "Walk Away" and "Since U Been Gone." I was surprised at how brilliant Kelly was on one of her weaker singles, "Never Again" - it definitely works better live than on disc.

Both ladies have phenomenal voices, so I was not at all surprised that the slower duets that really showcased the vocals were the standouts. Reba's "The Greatest Man I Never Knew" and Kelly's "Beautiful Disaster" were amazing, but the cover of Patty Griffin's "Up To The Mountain" (which Kelly had previously done solo on Idol Gives Back) was truly transcendent.

The big moment, though came at the end. During the encore, the two performed the country radio hit duet version of "Because Of You," which I don't like as much as Kelly's original solo version. I was afraid that would be the end, and I'd leave the show with a bad taste in my ear. But then, it came: the greatest song about whoring oneself out ever. Yes, that's right! "HERE'S YOUR ONE CHANCE, FANCY DON'T LET ME DOWN!" I could die now, happy. The two of them, pouring every ounce of vocal strength into Reba's best single, the band really cooking (like they were all night) and the crowd going wild. It was a worthy end to a magnificent show.

Even if you strip away the hit songs, the vocal calisthenics and the rocking 10 piece band; you would still have two entertainers who have amazing chemistry, who really seem to appreciate and like each other and obviously feed off each other's energy. The two of them on tour is a perfect storm, one that could not be recreated easily. I really hope this is not the last time Reba and Kelly work together!

Kelly & Reba!!!!

OK, I'm tired, hungry, cold and have to pee really bad. But that's not important! I just got back from seeing Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire and my hands hurt from clapping, my voice is hoarse from screaming and my nose is running. (No Kelly or Reba related reason, really, but it's happening...)

Anyway, it was off the chain, people! If I didn't have to work in the AM I'd be blogging like a madman about it, but this will have to hold you over until I can post a full blog tomorrow after work. Here is Kelly and Reba doing "Does He Love You" live, six years ago and at the beginning of a working friendship that amazed me tonight.

Late Night Earworms

Last night, I couldn't sleep. I don't know if was the excitement of seeing Kelly Clarkson & Reba tonight, or the thought of picking up my vintage couch for the living room and knowing I had some furniture re-arranging to do or the Diet Dr. Pepper I consumed way too late, but when I laid down around 1AM, I couldn't fall asleep.

So I got back up, went out into the kitchen and did some cleaning, pulled some of the furniture in position, made some curtains for the bathroom cupboard, took some measurements of the windows for the valances I wanted to make, all without the one thing I always surround myself with: music!

I didn't want to wake my neighbors with loud tunes, and when I get to working I have the bad habit of turning the volume up more and more So I thought about grabbing my iPod, but the earbuds always fall out when I doing a lot of moving around. So I just hummed to myself.

Hears the problem: the god-awful playlist my brain played for me. It was mostly Kardinal Offishall's "Dangerous," which is terrible enough, but every once and again American Idol's resident cutie-pie David Archuleta would bust in with some "Crush." I am starting to warm up to that song, but I really didn't need to hear it all night long. Another song I like, Kevin Randolph's "Let It Rock" would have been a welcome addition to the devil's playlist my brain was putting together, but the only line that ran through my head was Lil' Wayne's "I rap about angels like Angela and Pamela and Tamera and I WANT TO STAB MYSELF IN THE EAR NOW!" To wrap it up, a lil Britney, of course. I can't recall for sure which song it was, but it felt like a medley of "Hot As Ice" (from Blackout) and the new one, "Womanizer" with some "Piece Of Me" thrown in.
Little wonder I was up until after 4 in the morning (now that would have been an ironic earworm!) with all this crap flowing freely through my ears. I dare you to listen:



Tune in later this weekend, I'll be posting my review of Kelly & Reba! You know I'mma love it!

Are You Looking For Katy Perry's Diesel Sunglasses?

OK, I'm a lil' addicted to the site meter I installed in my blog a few weeks ago. One feature keeps track of what pages people are at when they click on a link that takes them to my blog. Apparently the people of the internets are looking for Katy Perry's Diesel sunglasses from the "Hot N Cold" video and my post on the clip is the first link that comes up when you do a Google search for "katy perry diesel sunglasses." Since I only want to serve my fans, even the accidental ones, I now give you a link to a pair of what appears to be the same thing: click here. You're welcome!

On a semi-related note, you know how I posted last month about my transformation from frump to fab? One of the first purchases I made that created a fashionista in me was a pair of Diesel jeans at a Ollie's Bargain Outlet for twenty bucks. I know! They fit my ass like a glove, too. I'm all about DKNY now, but I still have a spot in my heart's closet for Diesel.

My Top Twenty: Matchbox Twenty - "Unwell"

Song: "Unwell"
Artist: Matchbox Twenty
Album: More Than You Think You Are
Year: 2003
Highest Billboard Hot 100 Chart Position: #5
Players: Rob Thomas - singer, songwriter; Kyle Cook - banjo, lead guitar; Brian Yale - bass; Adam Gaynor - rhythm guitar; Matt Serletic - producer

Matchbox Twenty bores me, usually. I liked "Bent" but other than that "Unwell" is the only song that does anything for me. So I'm not even going to pretend like I know anything about them and just direct you to their Wikipedia page. Rob Thomas solo, though? That's some hot shit right there! "Lonely No More" is danceable fun, the breakdown at the end of "This Is How A Heart Breaks" is incredible. But it's "Unwell" that I am attached to, for personal reasons...

It was in 2003 that I assisted the teachers for a class called "Family To Family" for family members of those diagnosed with mental illness. It's produced by a great group, The National Alliance on Mental Illness. I have close family members who deal with Bi-Polar Disorder, so I had taken the class a year or so prior. It's a great class, if you have a loved one with a mental illness you really should check into it.

During that class, one of the mothers of a young man mentioned the song "Unwell" and that her son had said that it exactly express how he felt. It was a moment of clarity for me as I went over the lyrics, and the chorus is what stays with me: "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know, right now you can't tell, but stay a while and maybe then you'll see a different part of me." It's a strong statement, one that encompasses the ideas that we relayed in the Family To Family classes. Those we love are unwell, they need us to stick by them and we'll see the real them again.

I don't think that's what Rob Thomas had in mind when he wrote the song, it's more about the fact we are all "fucked up and feel alone." But the song took on a different life for me, and I think that's what music is all about.

Robyn Spits Paint And Game. Can She Get Any Cooler?

One of the many brilliant pop tracks on Robyn's self-titled album (released here in the states over the summer) is a cover of the Heineken-shilling Teddybear's "Cobrastyle." A short video clip was produced, with Robyn playing strip poker with blogger Perez Hilton and some friends, but it paled when compared to the rediculous highs of the "Handle Me" and "Every Heartbeat" videos.

I was quite thrilled to see a full-length video released, especially when it opened with Robyn spitting blue paint in backwards slow-motion. Then we get paint squirted on her and the band, as well as pigment powders splashed (ala Regina Spektor's "Fidelity" vid) and lots more paint-fight action. It's a great video, and I would hope it might finally garner Robyn some airplay on the VH1. But alas, it seems America is not ready for the Swedish pop star's return! Mainstream radio, it's your loss.

Um, Is 'Womanizer' The Best Britney Video Ever?

Joseph Kahn's 'director's cut' version of Britney Spears' "Womanizer" just posted over at MTV's Buzzworthy Blog, and it may just be her best clip ever. Which is saying a lot, since Britney has made her career by constantly shocking us and turning us on with her music videos. As much as her idol Madonna, Britney has used the camera again and again to capture the public's attention.

In this new clip we get Britney in wigs, (like her brilliant "Toxic" clip) naked Britney, (really, totes nude!) Britney as office worker, waitress and chauffeur (I have a feeling Patrick from Coupling would enjoy this music video muchly) and a half naked dude (always welcome, thanks Brit!) and all the Britneys attacking the title cad at the end.

It's a frenetic clip, which matches the song's sound, with some of the sexiest dancing Britney has done since "I'm A Slave 4 U" and I for one am beyond ecstatic to have the crazy-good Britney back. Plus the in-jokes are fabulous; like when the womanizer checks his phone and he has a "product placement meeting" in his calendar and the office drone in the copy room appears to be the same dude Britney joined the mile-high club with in "Toxic." Watch:

Kanye West Premieres "Love Lockdown" Video... on Ellen?

You think Kayne is still bitter about his video being removed from MTV last year? His outburst at the VMAs prompted that action, but this year he closed the show with the brilliant "Love Lockdon" leading me to believe that the network and the rapper were coo. But then he premieres the new video on Ellen yesterday instead of MTV, or even the VH1? Yeah, still PO'd methinks. Or is just that MTV couldn't find room on the schedule for anything non-Hills related?

Whatever the cause, the video is your typical Kanye video. That is to say, a completely non-traditional rap video. No club scenes, no posses, no Cristal. Just Kanye wearing white (after Labor Day? For shame!) in a white room with African dancers doing their thing to the tribal beat breakdowns. Once again, Kanye joins Gnarls Barkley and OutKast as one of the few hip-hop stars who make interesting and unusual choices for their videos. Watch:

The Trouble With "Thunder"

I may enjoy the catchy choruses that mark the emo music the kids are into these days, but the punk-pop sound is infested with really shitty vocals. Which is why I wanted to like Boys Like Girls' third single "Thunder." It starts out with this sexy, low vocal singing "Today is a winding road/taking me places I did not want to go" over acoustic guitar before the strings and drums join in. I liked it. I still liked it. Then we hit the chorus and suddenly it's this awful whining "your voice was the soundtrack of my summer" which continues through the next verse. It could have been amazing, if the vocals had remained consistent. And when they end the bridge, the last line is a repeat of the first line and it's that low sexy voice again. Which makes it all the more jarring when Martin Johnson returns to the falsetto or "nasally is a form of singing" school of shite vocals. Sucks, but there it is.

David Cook Leaves The "Light On" (Al Gore Does Not Approve)

David Cook is beautiful hunk of a man. Now that I've gotten that part out of the way, I can try to judge his new single "Light On."

The song open with a piano, but only for a second. It breaks into a moody guitar line and then the gruff vocals of the Best AI Winner Since Kelly (hyperbole? perhaps...) begin. Emotive, but also with a rock star's swagger, David pleads with his girl to "try to leave a light on when I'm gone/something I can rely on to get home" with the vocal prowess of a young Steven Tyler. The production is more Nickleback/Daughtry however, very inoffensive hard-rock. But it's the voice that puts it over the edge, David Cook can rock without resorting to the Emo-whine of Boys Like Girls or even Buckcherry; nor the cookie-monster word-swallowing that prevails in the harder rock arena. This is David's niche, a rock star who can sing like a pop star. And he makes the most of it. Listen at his MySpace.

Paramore Gets Moody With Twilight Single

Confession: I have never read the Twilight books. I keep forgetting to check them out at the library, and now I feel all left out 'cause everybody loves them. I came late to the Harry Potter party, was born too late to be an original Narnia and Lord Of The Rings fan, and apparently my love for Artemis Fowl is not enough to force a movie to be made. But enough tales from the Young Adult section! Let's talk music...

Paramore's Hayley Williams loves the Twilight books, like every emo girl should. So it makes sense that the band perform the lead single for the upcoming movie. "Decode" is a moody, almost gothic pop-punk track with Hayley's vocals doing what they do best: bouncing between walls of electric guitars and drums and emoting like no other power-pop princess. Listen to the song at Stephanie Meyer's official site.

Taylor Swift's Regency Era "Love Story" Video

I didn't think it was possible to love Taylor Swift any more than I do. Her "Teardrops On My Guitar" is the story of my life, her sparkly guitar in the "Our Song" video makes for classic gay's-best-friend material and she covers Eminem's "Lose Yourself" as a concert opener. But then she channels Gweneth Paltrow in Emma in the video for the gorgeous single "Love Story" and I'm hooked. Sign me up, I wanna marry the girl! While her leading man is no Colin Firth, I get a serious Jane Austen vibe from the clip, and Taylor looks ten times better in period costume than in the modern scenes bookending it. Watch and prepare to melt...

Katy Perry Can't Decide On An 80s Theme In "Hot N Cold"

The long awaited (by me, anyway) video for Katy Perry's fantastic follow up to "I Kissed A Girl" finally debuted on MySpace today! "Hot N Cold" was co-written by the same team of writers on her earlier smash, and its bombastic electro-pop sound just screamed for an 80s theme. So Katy gives us three 80s themes.

The clip starts with Katy's wedding, complete with drag queen bridesmaid and super-short dress. When her fiance can't decide if he should say "I do" she starts in on the song. Hubby-to-be runs, she chases. He ends up in a club, with Katy singing in the band, her Diesel sunglasses logo getting two closeups along with the belt on her 80s-via-"Since U Been Gone" outfit. He runs into the alley, where Katy and her posse of "Like A Virgin"-esque wedding-dress-clad dancers grind on a car before following him on bikes. He runs unto Katy doing the Running Man in front of a break dance posse in day-glo. Couldn't the girl fit in a Flock Of Seagulls hairdo and a Flavor Flav clock, too? Watch:

Hot N Cold

My Top Twenty: "Time After Time" - Cyndi Lauper

Song: "Time After Time"
Artist: Cyndi Lauper
Album: She's So Unusual (the acoustic version featuring Sarah McLachlan appears on The Body Acoustic)
Year: 1984
Highest Billboard Chart Posistion: #1 (two weeks)
Players: Cyndi Lauper - singer, songwriter; Rob Hyman - songwriter, background vocals; Rick Chertoff - producer

In 1984, no one was having more fun than crazy/cool Brooklyn-born Cyndi Lauper. The pop star was coming off the highs of the danceable hit "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" when she released "Time After Time" which would go on to hit number one. The tender ballad was written with Rob Hyman of The Hooters, who also sang the male vocals that echo Cyndi's in the chorus. Named after a science-fiction film, the song was written because the producer felt her breakthrough She's So Unusual need just "one more song" and I'm sure glad he did!

There are so many things to love about "Time After Time;" the emotional vocals, the elegant new-wave guitars and synths; but it's the lyrics that speak to me. "The drum beats out of time" "If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting, time after time" "you say go slow, I fall behind" separately have an emotional quality that screams to be doodled on notebook covers and headlining emo blog posts. But together they weave a story of love-not-lost, just reimagined.

Speaking of reimagined, I really love the version of "Time After Time" on Cyndi's 2005 album The Body Acoustic. Her older, wiser vocals traded with Sarah McLachlan's honeyed tones over acoustic guitar and what I believe is a dulcimer are a revelation. And Cyndi's not the only one who has reworked the song in a new image. From modern song-interpreter Eva Cassidy to jazz legend Miles Davis, from pop-punkers Quietdrive to Broadway legend Patty LuPone, many artists have realized the inherent beauty and grace of Cyndi's and Rob's lyrics and melody. "Time After Time" stands as a modern pop standard.