Even Hotties Like Jay Brannan "Can't Have It All"

A new video drops from hot actor/singer Jay Brannan's Goddamned album. In this sweet clip, Jay drives a vintage truck out to a field and plays his guitar under the stars. The raw lyrics (NSFW) lay it all out, the story of boys who can't make the choice between lovers and lives. It's not as heart-rending as "Housewife" was, but it's still romantically thirsty.
Watch:

Young Gay Christians Ask You To See "Through My Eyes"

A new documentary came to DVD recently, one that really strikes a nerve here at Pictures & Conversations. As should be flamingly obvious, I'm gay. And while I don't discuss it that frequently, I've posted a few times about spiritual matters. That's because I'm a gay Christian.

When I was a teenager and knew everything, the thought of gay Christians was a terrifying thing. Literally, I remember hearing that some gay people claimed to still be Christians and it made me nauseous. That's pretty ironic, coming from a guy who now opening leers at Danny Gokey immediately after leading Bible study.

But it took a lot of time, some help from a few books and a good therapist to get me to this place. A new documentary produced by The Gay Christian Network, Through My Eyes, gives a platform for a couple dozen young GLBT Christians to tell their stories, unfiltered and without a narrative bias. These are real young people who show the human side of a debate that too often rages over ideals and words. Can one be Christian and gay?

Trailer:


Website: Through My Eyes

Album Review: Marianne Faithfull - "Easy Come, Easy Go: 12 Songs For Music Lovers"

Marianne Faithfull has taken a long and hard road to where she's at today. Drug use/abuse, romantic tragedies and extreme laryngitis have taken their toll on the British pop singer and Rolling Stones cohort.

That toll is evident in her raspy vocals, which sound like they belong to someone who smokes eight packs a day and downs a gallon of whiskey for breakfast. That vocal quirk is both a charm and a hindrance on this collection of covers. For the sweeping Espers song "Children Of Stone" her rasp tangles around Rufus Wainwright's more gentle harmony and creates a transcendent experience. She pours buckets of emotion (as well as some organs and electric guitars) into Morrisey's "Dear God Please Help Me" and cuts me right through the heart. And songs like "Hold On, Hold On" and "Sing Me Back Home" were almost made to be sung with the passionate grittiness she brings.

But on the woodwind-heavy title cut, the heavy vocals become almost unbearable, same goes for "Solitude." Whenever Marianne attempts melodic singing, it goes very wrong. "Ooh Baby Baby" is only saved by guest vocalist Antony Hegerty; it goes on forever, too. Which is not to say Easy Come, Easy Go is a bad album. It's just a flawed album, containing more gems than disasters. Most importantly, it is a cohesive artistic statement - a rarity with a covers disc. Indeed, if you dropped the three songs I just mentioned, it becomes a stunning album on a par with Johnny Cash's American series.

Joining The Mass Of Twits

It's seems like everybody and their mother-in-law is on Twitter these days. I didn't pay much attention to the phenomenon, but I recently realized that this could be fun. I don't have access to the Internet at work, and I'm there more waking hours than I am at home. Plus, I can shoot random blurbs that aren't really long enough for real blog posts to my avid reader. (Readers, plural. I might have two.)

Anyway, I may do more in the future with Twitter, like a live blogging type situation during live events. But mostly you should be looking for tweets about the random songs that pop up on the radio at work or the latest celeb gossip I just heard. Or not, it's just on the side bar. You can ignore it, I won't know. If you want to follow or bookmark me, the page is www.twitter.com/paulbos

Oh, and yes. I am following Ryan Seacrest's twitter. Dude is kinda cool.

My Top Five Creepiest "Love" Songs In Pop Music

This may seem like a random list, but the other day I heard the Pearl Jam song that you'll find on the list and thought "this is a seriously creepy song." I was reminded of several other creepy pop songs about love, and I'm not even counting intentionally spooky songs by shock rockers or death metal bands. So here we go:

#5 - "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)" - The Crystals (1962)
I love girl groups, and the Crystals recorded one of my faves, "He's A Rebel." Phil Spector may be crazy, but his "wall of sound" provided the template for pop masterpieces to come. And the songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin created some amazing pop records. So the fact this tale of domestic abuse is undeniable pop gem is frightening, but not surprising. The strings, the harmonies and percussion can't disguise the fact that this girl thinks her boyfriend's punches are an indication of a high level of love. "Because if he didn't care for me, I could have never made him mad" - the saddest part is the number of women who use this excuse every day!


#4 - "Every Breath You Take" - The Police (1983)
The British rock trio recorded dozens of hits, but none more sinister than this stalker's anthem. Written by lead singer Sting, "Every Breath You Take" is deceptive if you don't pay attention. At first the idea of watching one's partner's every breath is romantic (see "Don't Want To Miss A Thing") but upon closer inspection the truth is revealed. "Can't you see, you belong to me" is chilling, the bridge unveils the fact that said partner is missing. What sounds like a love song is a break up song by a man who doesn't want it to end. The double bass adds to the spooky sound.


#3 - "Last Kiss" - J Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers (1963) and Pearl Jam (1999)
This is the strangest song on the list, a first person account of the death of a girlfriend in a car accident. The lyrics are so descriptive - "the painful scream that I heard last" "something warm running in my eyes" and the chorus! The first time the song was a hit was with the Cavaliers, the matter-of-fact vocals and chipperness of 60s rock seems at odds with the depressing lyrics but there was no denying the emotion. But when Pearl Jam covered the song, Eddie Vedder's tortured reading made it even sadder.
J Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers version:


Pearl Jam version:


2: "You Are My Sunshine" - American Country Standard (first recorded 1939)
Not unlike other songs on the list, at first glance this sounds like a pretty love song. It's often sung to babies as a lullaby and has been used in many films and TV shows. But that just the chorus, if you take a listen to the verses you might get a different take. Verse two for instance:
"I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
If you leave me and love another
You'll regret it all someday"
It's basically the same BS Mr. "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)" spews to keep his girl by his side. So keep singing the pretty chorus to the children, just leave the verses for the grown-ups.
Norman Blake version (from O Brother, Where Art Thou?):


1: "Beautiful Soul" - Jesse McCartney (2004)
This is when the head scratching starts. "Huh? That silly teeny-bopper song? What's so creepy about that?" you say. First, let's go for the obvious: verse two. He's putting the moves on his lady with a "you might need time to think it over, but I'm just fine moving forward." Date rape much? And the passive-aggressive line from the bridge: "Maybe do you think you could want me too?" Translation: "Like, make up your mind already bitch!" But the clincher for me comes when he vamps over the final chorus "I want you and your soul!" and I realize the whole song is about owning this chick's soul. "But Paul," you say, "he just means he wants her because of the beauty in her soul." Then why doesn't he say that? Why is it all "I want your soul," huh? JESSE MCCARTNEY STEALS SOULS!!!!!!

Idol Recap: When Smokey Sings...

Sorry the recap is late! Due to the show airing against my Bible study this week as well as work and personal obligations, I just now had a chance to watch the last episode.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of legendary record label Motown, the Idols are performing the labels biggest hits. Who blew me away, and who just blew?

Mmm, Matt Girard. You just picked the song with a title I want to hear spoken by you every day. "Let's Get It On" is Marvin Gaye's sexiest number, and Matt didn't do a whole lot new with it. But it was a really solid, sexy and vocally enjoyable performance. Also, I just want to hear Matt say "let's get it on" over and over again. I'm repeating myself...

Following one sexy man with another is something I never object too. However, not even Kris Allen's hottie status (Square Hippies named him adorkable of the month!) will get to me enjoy "How Sweet It Is" - one of the most obnoxious love songs of all time. Also, because I hate it, I don't know how correct Kara was in saying he didn't do Marvin Gaye's version or James Taylor's version but did his own version. It didn't seem that interesting or fresh.

Scott MacIntyre continues his plans to take the Adult Contemporary throne away from Micheal Buble with a schlocky performance of "Can't Hurry Love." The honky-tonk piano needed a more soulful and gritty vocal to work, instead it sounded tinny and trite.

Meanwhile, in Crazytown, Megan Joy is tackling Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life." In rehearsals with Smokey, she sang it over the piano alone and it sounded kinda cool. Once they added the full band and background singers, it sounded clipped and her vocals needed that breathing room. Slowed down, she could have blown us away, but as is it was disturbing.

I just bought Marianne Faithfull's new CD (review coming this weekend, hopefully!) and she covers this Smokey classic. I think Anoop Desai did it better, he has such power in his ballads. But he's more fun in his uptempo songs. I wish he could marry the two qualities and create a powerhouse performance. This was sweet and tender but, like Simon said, a little boring.

I'm glad Micheal Sarver ain't to proud to beg, because he will have to beg to stay in the competition. One place he won't have to beg to stay? My bed... Ahem, moving on. He never took control of the song like he should have, and he was really shouty. Even before I heard he was voted off last night I knew was bottom three, at least.

Lil Rounds needs help in picking songs. Two weeks in a row her stunning vocals have been tied down to melodies that didn't allow her to soar. With "Heatwave" I could tell she had fun, and that dress was amazing. But she was a little shouty in spots (I wrote that before Kara said it!) and she needs a diva song to remind America why she's fabulous.

I loved the Link Larkin look Adam Lambert was sporting, but I hope he's not going to faux-class it up for America all the time. But even better than the suit, his reinterpretation of "Tracks Of My Tears" allowed the lyrics to shine. His falsetto and the minimal instrumentation kept the story of heartbreak front and center. I love that classic Motown sound, but he really took the song to a higher place.

Danny Gokey, why you gotta do the mentors like that? Remember my girl LaKisha, she ignored the advice of Lulu and Rod Stewart and... well she made it to the top four. Nevermind, carry on. After Smokey told him to sing the "alrights" and "outta sights" of "Get Ready" he let the BGVs do it for him. Between that, and the fact I just noticed he has a really great ass, I couldn't pay attention to the performance much. It sounded decent, but he needs to wow me again. Taking off his pants doesn't count, but I won't stop him!

Ohh, snap. We have a new female frontrunner! Alison pulled ahead of Lil to grab the ring when she stomped her high heels around that stage and tore "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" a new one. Her vocal power is astonishing, and sounds effortless. I am constantly amazed at the way this little sixteen-year-old fireball just brings energy and grit to the stage, every week. The boys may be cute this year, but girlfriend is white-hot.

OK, so Micheal went home. I could have guessed that. And while I'm a little bit sad to lose some eye candy, there is plenty more - plus loads of talent. I'll bet some of these guys have huge talents. (Can you tell I haven't gotten laid lately?) Join me next week, this time I should be on schedule.

Let's Talk Madonna & New Moon

Will Madonna play a role in New Moon? Rumor has it that Queen Of Pop will try to sink her fangs into the Twilight sequel's soundtrack. Since her manager is one of the producers of the eagerly awaited film, it's a major possibility.

Of course, some fans are quite dismayed at the idea. Compared to the teen-friendly rock bands on the original Twilight soundtrack like Paramore and Muse, the current incarnation of Madonna wouldn't gel. But listening closer to the soundtrack, you find a ten-year-old Collective Soul track and a new electronica song by 90s alt-rock legend Perry Farrell. So would Madonna's contribution be all that startling? Let's take a look at the reason why Ye Olde Vampyre (as D'Luv at Chart Rigger calls her) should work her magic on the Twilight franchise.

Prior Soundtrack Experience: Looking into Madge's back catalog, you find a long history of soundtrack cuts that are pop gems. Songs like "I'll Remember" from the otherwise forgettable With Honors or "Beautiful Stranger" from Austin Power are Madonna at her finest. Of course, it hasn't been all pop perfection, it's better to forget her cover of "American Pie" for The Next Best Thing.

She's A Chameleon: Anyone with eyeballs can see that Madonna doesn't remain static. In a world where pop stars have a shelf life of three albums, the Material Mom constantly re-evaluates what it takes to stay relevant, re-invents her own persona and re-animates her sound to stay fresh and current. If she can go from the glossed-over punk look of her Boy Toy phase, to the cone wearing temptress at Cannes, to the urban cowboy of the Music-era to M-Dolla, the OG sex goddess/dominatrix with a candy fetish she currently sports, why couldn't she create a song that fits into a moody, gothic love story? She can and, if tapped to join the soundtrack, she will.

She's Already Made Songs That Would Fit: As soon as I heard that Madonna was a rumored part of the soundtrack to New Moon, I thought "Devil Wouldn't Recognize." The track is buried in the back end of her latest album, Hard Candy, and is a spooky modern beat ballad ala Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" - no surprise since both were produced by Timbaland. It may be a little to urban, but the layered male background vocals provided a chant-like feel to the song. Listen:

Another song that has a dream-like sound that would easily blend into the New Moon action is "Frozen" from Ray Of Light. The sweeping orchestra under the darkly chill electronica sounds and beat would easily underscore a post-fight scene. Listen:

And don't forget her simple love ballads like "Crazy For You" that prove her ability to encompass a wide range of sounds and emotions. I don't recommend using any of these songs for the film, if you give Madonna the go-ahead she will wow us with a stunning new single that would fit perfectly. I have faith. Do you?

Now, we may find out that Madonna doesn't end up performing anything for the soundtrack. I just hope it's not due to screaming fangirls getting their knickers in a twist over Madonna's age or pop sounds. Cheer up, Twihards! There is more to the musical soundscape than you can find at Hot Topic.

Lily Allen Appears On The Porter Wagoner Show To Perform New Single

Lily Allen's new video for her second single from the fantastic It's Not Me, It's You hit the web today. "Not Fair" is a delightful ditty, a snarky diss to a boy who is a great guy, except in the bedroom. The only problem, it's not really single material. Radio briefly accepted the shimmery "The Fear" but this country and western sex talk will never get past the gatekeepers in US radio. I would have tried "22" or "Back To The Start" for radio promotion.

Anyway, the video is a goofy tribute to the C&W stand-by The Porter Wagoner Show. Lily performs in a stereotypical '70s set and sassy jumpsuit. It's glossy and fun, but again not really gonna blow up the VH1 either. Watch anyway:

VIDEO: Ciara Gives Up The Good Girl Routine, Is After "Love Sex Magic"

I was intrigued by the new collaboration between my future boyfriend Justin Timberlake and crunk 'n' b princess Ciara, the electro-funky "Love Sex Magic." It's a really snappy pop track, perfect for dirty dance floor action.

So it was with great anticipation that I awaited the video's premiere. And the first forty seconds are sexy as hell, the electric energy between the two singers is palpable and raw. The breathing on the neck, the little tongue flicks and the stance is beyond flirtatious. But then it gets really exploitative, with Ciara becoming a mere sexual plaything. Indeed, her role is sexual furniture, at one point Justin leans against her bent-over frame, like she's a bench with an ass to smack - something he does later in the clip. I'm extremely disappointed by this video. I love sexy Justin, but this really crosses a line from sex god to pervert. It's uncomfortable, but watch:

Patrick Wolf Gets Almost Naked For "Vulture"

Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position was in heavy rotation in my car towards the end of 2007, so I was excited to hear the new stuff from The Bachelor, out in June. The sounds so far are a darker electro clash meets new wave, not the bubbly grit of "Accident/Emergency" nor the vorpal blades snicker-snacking at the beginning of "Magpie." I was not as crazy about lead single "Vulture" (maybe because the promised Tilda Swinton cameo was saved for later recordings) but the video is insane!

It's kinda NSFW, with S&M get up and a lil' bare bum shot. Patrick has a serious Bowie influence here, both sonically and visually. The androgynous look works with the electronic sound, although his throaty vocals are very masculine. Check it out, as long as you're by yourself.

Patrick Wolf - Vulture

West Side Story Returns To Broadway, I May Finally Have To Go To NYC

If I were a rich man, I would be such a theatre queen. I love movie musicals but long for the over-the-top theatrics of the Great White Way. But one of my favorite movies of all time is West Side Story - that inner city romance replete with unhappy ending and gorgeous songs.

I had the soundtrack on LP as a child, and I've seen the movie dozens of times. Without even looking up lyrics or digging up YouTube clips I can sing it out: "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way!" "I just met a girl named Maria, and suddenly that name is never quite the same again" and "I have a love, and it's all that I have." "Gee, Officer Krupke, Krup you!" Back when I was a Lord Of The Rings geek, I wrote a parody of "A Boy Like That/I Have A Love" for a LOTR message board. I still want a poster of the black West Side Story logo on a red background, I would use it as a centerpiece for a headboard above my bed.


So imagine my glee upon seeing that West Side Story is having a revival on Broadway, it opened just last week. I may have to save my pennies for a trip to the Big Apple just to see it. There have been some major changes to the music, the Sharks now sing and converse in Spanish creating a more realistic approach to the dramatic love story.

Meanwhile, I've been enjoying this photo spread of young Hollywood (and J.Lo as Anita, a role inhabited by the brilliant Rita Moreno) recreating the show for Vanity Fair. Prince Caspian's Ben Barnes and Push costars Camilla Belle and Chris Evans recreate the scenes from the film version in a nine photos shot by Mark Seliger. See it here.

Idol Recap! If You Play It Backwards, You Get Gokey Taking The Wheel Back From Jesus

It's Grand Ol' Opry week on Idol, two American musical institutions coming together to do... something. Naw, I'm just kidding. Mentor Randy Travis was pretty helpful with the kids, and we had some really stunning performances. It was pretty good week for our Idols, but somebody's gotta go home...

Opening the show is roughneck Michael Sarver, performing a song that is more auctioneering-level rapping than singing. "Ain't Going Down 'Til The Sun Comes Up" is not a song, and if you can't keep pace with rapid-fire lyrics you will go down in a blaze of shame. And Michael went down in a blaze of shame, even the slower lyrics in the chorus sounded strained. One plus, when you can't understand a word he's singing you can pretend he's singing "I heart Paul, and will leave my wife for him." Those were totally the lyrics, I know it. Of course, I won't let him. I have morals!

Alison Iraheta is just a ball of fire on stage, her smoky and prematurely world-weary voice worked well with Patty Loveless's "Blame It On Your Heart." She has mad vocal skills, and I can't wait to hear what she does each week.

I was surprised to see Kris Allen playing guitar in his practice session with Randy Travis, and then no guitar on stage. But it was a smart choice, allowing us to focus on the beautiful, controlled and emotional reading of the Garth Brooks song "To Make You Feel My Love." I had no idea he had such lovely falsetto, it made for a stunning conclusion to a really beautiful ballad. I don't know where Kris came from, but I'm so glad he's here.

Oh, Lil Rounds! If Simon had spent less time screwing up your name and more time actually critiquing your performance maybe you would have understood. "Independence Day" is a brilliant song, and you are a brilliant vocalist. But while your pipes shined, it sounded off. I can't really put my finger on it, but a ball was dropped somewhere. I don't think you did anything wrong, it just didn't gel. Was this a response to the Rihanna/Chris Brown scandal? Please, RiRi, don't get any Left Eye ideas!

Ok, so Adam Lambert made an army of enemies by taking a Johnny Cash song, "Ring Of Fire," and putting his own spin on it. Only, wait! He did not put his own spin on it! He jacked somebody else's spin on it! Remember that CBS show, Rock Star? It was like American Idol, only for "rock stars." It was awesome, because I love rock music in small doses and I love the theatricality of people who think they are rock stars, yet are not famous... yet. Or ever. Anyway, one week this Alison-all-grown-up contestant, Dilana, did "Ring Of Fire" as this is note-for-note the version she performed. I know, I'm "that guy" - the one who bitched about David Cook borrowing other people's arrangements last year. But Dilana not only did this arrangement first, she did it better. The weird thing is, it was very Adam at the same time. And his vocals were more theatrical, if at all possible. And you cannot deny, it was really cool. You can watch the Dilana version here.

I hate ragging on Scott MacIntyre, but I refuse to treat any different than I would anybody else. He picked a Martina McBride song, "Wild Angels" and sang it really well. But he brings this schlocky Lite AM/Adult Contemporary thing to the stage that drives me crazy. It's sleepy and unexciting, but well sung. That's the best I can do.

OK, I say this every chance I get. But "Jolene" is not only one of my favorite songs of all time, but one of the best written songs, not just in Dolly Parton's catalog, but in the world. The way that the story builds, the emotion heartbreak of this last ditch chance at saving a relationship not really worth saving. I mean, dude is cheating and you have swallowed your pride to talk the gorgeous other woman into letting him come back? He doesn't deserve you! Anyway, I thought Alexis Grace choose well. The song allowed her to reveal an emotional, vulnerable side to her voice while still showcasing the belter side that we've seen before. She has a lovely voice and I am sick to death of this sexist BS the judges keep feeding her about dirtying everything up.

Danny Gokey is singing "Jesus, Take The Wheel" of course. I have a history with this song, and will share it with you some day. It involves Jesus taking the wheel on a trip to York. I swear, that is not a joke! The verse sounded really weird, I couldn't quite tell you why or what was wrong. But the verse of this song is dumb to begin with. The emotional bit is the chorus. And Danny nailed it! He has a lot of vocal power, he just needs more control on the quieter parts. And I wrote down how dumb that jacket looked before Simon said anything. I loved how Kara was trying to get him to take it off. Any less layers between the Gokester and myself is a good thing. He didn't because he is a tool disguised as a nice guy.

Anoop Desai has proven he has a beautiful voice. I'm liking the softer side of Sears we're getting tonight. First Kris, then Alexis and now Anoop Dogg. Doing a ballad like "Always On My Mind" was smart choice, showing a lovely and smooth side to his voice. I'm really impressed by Anoop tonight.

I see Megan Joy has dropped the last name. No joke there, just an observation. But more importantly, she picked a song that allowed her unique vocals to swell and meander. "Walkin' After Midnight" is such an unusual song, a blend of jazz and country that is perfect for Megan. But can we talk about that dress? Girl needed a bra, badly. But since she's got the flu, I will let it slide this week.

Matt Giraud is the second dude to do Carrie Underwood this evening. Wait, that came out wrong. Picking the lead single from her second disc, "So Small" is of those inspirational songs Carrie likes to sneak in between the songs about smashing up dude's cars and one-night stands. One has to balance these things in the country world. But Matt took it into a church/blues place and rock the fuck out of it! Emotional, heartfelt, like Justin Timberlake if he didn't exude douchiness all over the place. I love him at the piano, I love him standing there almost crying. Where did the Matt love come from? I forgot he existed, the he blows the place up with awesomeness.

So, a lot of good this week. Who is going home? I think we could have Micheal Sarver singing for the judges save, but I don't know if enough voters "got" Megan this week. We'll see tonight!

Daniel Merriweather And Adele - Two Great Sounds That Sound Great Together

Blue-eyed soulster and Mark Ronson collaborator Daniel Merriweather releases his full length debut disc Love And War in April, and buzz is building for the Aussie singer. What better way to fuel the publicity fire than a duet with Grammy-winner Adele?

"Water And A Flame" is a classic R&B break-up jam, with the two retro-pop fans crooning effortlessly over a smooth drumbeat and some gentle strings and Motown-esque back ground vocals. Adele's voice has a emotional quiver that reminds me of Amy Winehouse, and Daniel sound right at home among the Ronson-esque nu-soul instrumentation. It's not quite the showstopping pop moment that "Stop Me" (from Ronson's Version) was, but still a lovely slow song.

Bat For Lashes VS The Shadow People In "Daniel" Video

"Daniel" is the crazy new single by crazy Natasha Kahn (aka Bat For Lashes.) It has a brilliantly moody dance floor sound, like a lost track from the Labyrinth soundtrack, so I was pleased when the video was equally dark.

Natasha is attacked by black shadow people with balloons on their heads. She runs from an swing dance performance/attack by a punch-happy crowd of the the shadow people in the smoldering wreckage of a school play. She makes it to her station wagon and drives to meet Daniel, but the shadow people are calling from inside the car! Luckily she isn't killed, because then she might get blood on her fly cropped hooded sweatshirt with the BFL logo on the back. That would be sad. Will she meet her lovely Daniel before the video ends?

Seriously, I could not make this stuff up!

Daniel - Bat For Lashes

Britney Is Begging To "If You Seek Amy" In Saucy New Video

OK, so Britney is hosting this orgy in her suburban house the other night. And there's these shirtless guys wearing suspenders and hot dancers dressed as cheerleaders having a bit of a circle jerk. Then the dancers are bumpin' and grindin' and chillin' on the staircase while Britney changes into a pink sweater set. Her hubby throws a sweater over his shoulders and her and the kids take a pie out to the paparazzi. Y'know, just a typical day in West Hollywood.

Oh, and she has a new video, too...

Britney Spears If U Seek Amy [Official Musiq Video]
by lilwayneTV

Review: Kelly Clarkson - "All I Ever Wanted" DELUXE EDITON

I've had the new Kelly Clarkson album for several days. I haven't had time to blog about it since I've been really sick all week. Which is just as well, as my feelings have changed drastically since the first listen.

I listened to All I Ever Wanted the whole way through on Wednesday in my car, where my CDs spend the early days of their lives, and I was not impressed. To be honest, I hated it. It sounded disjointed, my mind raced to compare it to the superior My December,and All I Ever Wanted comes up quite short in that comparison. The ballads "If No One Will Listen" and "Cry" are quite boring, nothing like Kelly's masterpieces "Because Of You" and "Irvine." There doesn't seem to be the instantly catchy singles like Breakaway, but there was a song or two that I wanted to hear again, so I kept the album in rotation. I still don't think it's a perfect album, but it has flashes of brilliance. Like the opening verse of "Long Shot" - a mashup of classical movements and electric guitars. Or the ballsy punk track "Whyyouwannabringmedown" which is completely out of place on this album but is still an incredibly fun song sung with buckets of sass. And the Duffy-esque "I Want You" also appears to have crawled off another, more interesting album. But of the songs that were hand-picked to be singles, opener "My Life Would Suck Without You" is the obvious best, the title track is also slinky funk-pop jam with radio written all over it. The two bonus tracks on the Deluxe edition are probably better rock/pop hybrid songs than the singles front loaded on the album, swap out "Tip Of My Tongue" for "I Do Not Hook Up" and you've got a better shaped disc.

But the centerpiece of the album are the songs Kelly co-wrote with One Republic front man Ryan Tedder, the beautifully drum-heavy "Already Gone" (which reminds me of Ryan's single for Beyonce "Halo") and the rapid-fire new wave jams "If I Can't Have You" and "Impossible" - proof that if Kelly had the right producer/co-writer team she could have written a whole album herself and made it both commercial viable and artistically cohesive.

In the end, Kelly can sing anything and make it awesome. Luckily some of the material provided for her on All I Ever Wanted is worthy of her.

American Idol Recap: It's Only Human Nature...

Our Idols opened the extensive Micheal Jackson songbook and managed to pull some good performances, some bad ones and one I can't figure out which column to put in.

Lil Rounds started the night out with a high energy "The Way You Make Me Feel" complete with powerful vocals. She didn't have an emotional connection with the song, but it wasn't really required.

I have one question for Scott MacIntyre: who did your hair? The Phil Spector 'fro was not a hot look, and I know he can't see it but we can! The song, some feel-good dreck called "Keep The Faith," was schmaltzy and the vocals were uninspired.

Danny Gokey. I don't know what to say. I thought his version of "P.Y.T" was just awful, almost painfully so. But not only did the judges have a collective orgasm after it, my aunt texted me in a flutter, too. I thought it was shouty, his voice was strangled and his jacket is horrible. I watched it second time, thinking I missed something, but I still hate it.

On the ballad "You Are Not Alone" Micheal Sarver really showed his fantastic, smooth voice. He always backs it up with passion and soul, this was a really lovely controlled performance.

Jasmine Murray's "I'll Be There" was really boring, and a little pitchy. She still hasn't given me anything to work with.

I don't know the song Kris Allen chose, "Remember The Time." It doesn't matter. He bounced around the mic stand, acoustic guitar in hand, and into my heart. He is strangely charismatic, he's not an out sized personality like Adam or Danny but he draws you in with his voice and his aw-shucks manners.

Allison Iraheta's version of "Give Into Me" was smoky and raw, just like always. She has this ridiculous amount of stage presence, like she's been fronting hair metal bands for years. The way she tears into the chorus is so effortless and cool, I love her.

Anoop Desai made the dumbest choice of the night, doing "Beat It" without any power in his vocals or swagger in his step. You can't do "Beat It" unless you're going to roar, and he didn't even mew.

I had high hopes for Jorge Nunez, I thought he could do a good job with "Never Can Say Goodbye." It was sweet and clean and really boring. I don't think he's in danger, but he needs to step up his game.

Megan Joy Corkrey is so very odd, and "Rockin' Robin" is an odd song. But they aren't odd in the same way, and I don't have words for what it sounded like. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't good. I dunno, she needs to find a song that she can fit her weird voice into, cause that was not it.

Speaking of weird voices, Adam Lambert's wild vocals did fit into "Black And White" perfectly. His over-the-top vocal power and dynamic stage presence are astounding!

Matt Giraurd looked so cool sitting behind the piano for "Human Nature" and his vocals were as smooth as pulp-free OJ. He better keep this up!

Alexis Grace! Is! On! Fire! She is just a lil' firecracker, her "Dirty Diana" was a lesson in insanity. She looked like Ain't No Other Man-era Xtina, and sounded like her (sans the runs.) The judges may have thought she over sung it, but I think she brought enough attitude to cover a multitude of sins.

Idol's Top 13 Perform Tonight, Who Stays, Who Goes and Who Goes All The Way?

OK, ladies and Norman Gentles, it's on like mutha-funking Donkey Kong! America separated the wheat from the chaff, and our first ever Top 13 American Idols hit the telly in just minutes. It's a bit of a sausage fest this season (and you know that's how I like it) but a couple of the ladies are in it to win it, too. Who am I loving so far, and who should hit the seal like PETA's worst nightmare? This... is American Idol!

Let's start with the boys, shall we?

Michael Sarver has that lovable lunkhead thing happening, and he's seems like such a sweet family man. He has a nice voice, he looks like he should be singing country but he has a more R&B vocal style. His aw-shucks persona will win him votes, the same voting bloc that took Josh Gracin to the top 5 will love him. I haven't heard anything to wow me yet, and I think he's gonna have to take a risk (maybe a lesser known soul song like "Ooh Child") to do that.

I don't think the judges know what they want from Jorge Nunez. I love the fact we have a true Latin American Idol contestant, and that he sings with such passion and emotion. They keep confusing him with "lose the accent, no keep the accent" instead of realizing that music fans don't care what the accent is, as long as it's real. I would love to hear him tear into a tender ballad like "Time After Time" or introduce us to something he loves from Puerto Rico. The only question is - will America vote for him? We might be finally ready for a black president, but are we ready for a Puerto Rican Idol? I've heard from white Idol fans who didn't think Fantasia represented "our" music, what will they think of someone who "wasn't even born here?" OK, end rant.

Oh, child. I cannot forget my future baby daddy Danny Gokey! Mm, that man is just so hot. The problem I have with him (which will not affect his chances of making top three, for sure) is pretty stupid. He has like six pairs of glasses, including some with logos on them that the producers have to clear before airing. Now, I'm a label queen. If I had the cash money to plunk down on some D&G's to frame my peepers, I'd be all over them like white on rice. But he's a church music minister, and runs a charity named for his late wife. I know it's petty, but why does someone need that many glasses, especially trendy one like he wears? Too each his own, though... But his voice is gritty and his stage presence keeps improving. I just wish he would pull out something a little less "inspirational" and tries to have fun with music. Try some "Bicycle Race" or something.

Scott MacIntyre is such an inspiration to us all, I can't believe he's blind and can sing! Someone should tell Stevie Wonder to try that out. OK, I made that more bitterly sarcastic than I probably should have. He's got a decent voice, but I'm not nearly as enthusiastic as the judges have been. His song choices are also a little sleepy, he needs to rock something behind the piano. But make it fun. Why am I thinking "Guilty" by Barbara Streisand and Barry Gibb? Silly question, I'm always thinking "Guilty" by Babs and the Bee Gee. Cause it's awesome! Seriously, though. Scotty should totally be trying it. He'll stick around for a while but he's not the lock for the win I thought he was.

Adam Lambert is a theatre geek like Constantine. But with way better hair! He kinda rocks, but he needs to wear a little of the polish off and really go for the gusto. It often seems too rehearsed. The test of his grit? Try "Gimme Shelter" - it separates the men from the boys. He's totally top five, though.

Matt Giraud is basically Elliot Yamin 2.0. Which could be cool, as long as he avoids doing the same songs Elliot did. So far, he's failed. I would love to hear some "Your Song" by Elton John from Matt, I think it could be awesome. If he doesn't pull something hot out he'll be gone in couple of weeks.

Who is Kris Allen again? He's really cute, in a squeaky clean kind of way, but I'll be darned if I can remember anything he's sung so far. He better bring a Memorex-worthy performance tonight or he is gone, daddy, gone. Hmm, maybe he should try that song?

Anoop! Anoop Dogg is in the house! He's a goofy and fun, while maintaining some level of vocal talent. But if he sings "My Prerogative" one more time I will cut him. Have some originality, man! I loved "Angel Of Mine" - and I think another light R&B song is the way to go. "Cry Me A River" maybe?

Hey ladies! Don't think I forgot about you!

Lil Rounds is the obvious front runner. No one has shown such grace and charisma and polished professionalism. But American loves a growth arc, and she can't get much better. She needs to bring it every week, starting with another out of the park diva moment. Do "Bleeding Love" - I dare you. Lil has the power, and Simon can't really make a crack about the wrong song.

Alexis Grace has been compared to Kelly Clarkson, and I still don't see it. Yet. She does have great vocal power, if she picks the right songs she could make it to the top five. Prove the Kelly analogy correct and do "Never Again" And stop listening to the whores on the panel and don't worry about dirtying yourself up. You are fab as is, child.

Jasmine Murray is cute as a button, but I don't see her making it past the first week or two. If she steps up her game, maybe, but she needs to really power into a pop/rock song and avoid crossing Lil's demographic. I would suggest "Who Knew" by Pink.

Megan Joy is not going to win. She has a strange vocal ability, but I can't decide if it's good weird or bad. If she pulls a Regina Spektor song out of her pocket, I will love her though. Can't say the same for America.

Finally, Allison Irahta! She has the voice like a wild animal, just raw and rangy with more rasp than any teen girl should have. I would love to hear her tear into a emotional torch song like "Last Request" by Paulo Nutini, and if she avoids being cliched with her rock choices she could push her way into the top five.

Oh Snap! Robyn's Hooking Up With Röyksopp For New Single

Y'all know I love Robyn, right? I've only posted about her at least once a month since I started blogging, because she is awesome in every way, shape and form. She joins her Scandinavian pop sisterhood, Lykke Li, Anneli Drecker and Karin Dreijer in providing vocals for Norwegian duo Röyksopp's new disc Junior out at the month.

The second single from that album arrived at Stereogum today, "The Girl And The Robot" features Robyn and what sounds like a Human League sample. The dark and dense electronic sounds almost bury Little Miss Powerhouse's vocals, but the dance floor beat accents the obsessive lyrics perfectly. Listen:

American Idol Recap: I Guess That's Why They Call It The Suckiness

This week had a few better performances than last, but I'm still quite disappointed with the pool of talent this year! We need to get to top twelve week so we can have stylists and mentors and themes besides "How Much Can You Suck" week.

Starting us off is one of the thousand ambiguously gay contestants this year. Von Smith has an OK voice, I didn't think it was powerful enough to do Marvin Gaye's "You're All I Need To Get By" but judges sure loved it. I think he was really trying not to be shouty and the control caused him to be a little underwhelming. And Simon was right about his outfit, you can't wear the matching brown pants to your suit jacket with sneakers and a tee-shirt. You swap those babies out for a pair of jeans and you have a modern look. It may be played out, but it's a good look.

Taylor ViaFauna sang "If I Ain't Got You" - one of my favorites songs of all time. Not only did she make a poor attempt at switching up some of the phrasing, but she didn't have the power or range to perform a song like this. Since I didn't have any recollection of who she was, I wasn't that disappointed by her performance.

Oh, Alex! Yet another ambiguously gay boy, this time with the pretentious last name of Wagner-Trugman. He was an adorkable little goofball last time I saw him, so I wanted to love his performance of "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues. Also, the thought of a weekly dose of awkward-yet-homoerotic banter about work outs between Alex and Ryan was quite sweet. But alas, he tried to get all tortured and gritty with the song and it just came out strangled and sick-sounding. He's so much fun, and I loved the way he avoided the gender issue by mentioned his "long distance relationship." Dude, you're 19. Ditch the balls and chain and have some fun in Hollywood!

Oh gawd. Arriane Afsar has me so pissed off when she tried to make an "old song" (her words) contemporary. She did ABBA's brilliant "The Winner Takes It All" but sped it way up to fit the time constraints the show puts on the contestants. The problem is that "Winner" is stunning because of the slow build and you really can't do it the way she did. The vocals were jumping all over the melody, and that made it even worse.

Can I just say I love Ju'not Joyner right now? He took the Plain White T's song "Hey There Delilah" and gave it soul and smoothness. It reminder me of Luther Vandross's version of "Superstar" - not an improvement, just a new interpretation of a very white bread song.

I couldn't remember anything about Kristin McNamara's vocals, just that she was part of the group day meltdown with the other two crazies. So girlfriend needs to be hooking me up with some crazy or I will be disappointed. She does some Tracy Chapman, in a somewhat country-blues kind of way. I liked it, and I hate how the judges were trying to make her sing Kelly Clarkson-esque songs. Because I love Kelly, and I am OK with Kristin, but the two don't gel as well as the judges seem to think.

Here is one more portion of Group Meltdown, super-gay Nathaniel Marshall. He's going to do Meatloaf (of course!) and he's going to suck at it. Not quite suck, he doesn't have the vocal power that the 'Loaf possesses but he does have the attitude. Is that enough? I kinda love him in a little-brother-I-never-had kind of way. And he's so funny, and his interaction with Simon, Kara and Ryan needs to be turned into a web series right away.

Felicia Barton is the girl who almost got away. The girl has some pipes, I will say that, but she has a some weird phrasing. I generally liked her take on "No One" by Alica Keys, but I don't think it was that special.

And now we come to the emotional part of the night. Scott MacIntyre is blind? What, why didn't anyone tell me? Maybe they should mention that a little more. He's overcome so much, such an inspiration. Bleh. Sorry, I couldn't do it anymore. His vocal were better than I expected, but the awful song he picked, "Mandolin Rain" was exactly the kind of mawkish Lite FM shit I hate.

Kendall Beard is a country girl in a fabulous yellow dress with a corsage tied at the waist. It's kinda fierce, and I wrote that before Paula said anything. She didn't bring anything new to Martina McBride's "This One's For The Girls" and she did seem shrill in chorus. But the country fans may get her into the top twelve, she is very Carrie Underwood.

Ooh, I'm kinda loving Jorge Nunez. He has a lot of emotional power in his voice, and he has great stage presence. He did Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" and killed it. But didn't Kara seem a little gleeful that she made Jorge and Paula cry? She seemed to get this big grin when his cheeks got wet.

We close with Lil Rounds, as we should. She is a ball of R'n'B energy! Nothing new was brought to "Be Without You" but she didn't need to. Just with her vocals and incredible stage work, she will sail into the top 12, and probably a lot further. We always need a diva, and I think found this year's.

I'm figuring on Lil Rounds as the lady, Scott MacIntyre and the man and either Jorge or Ju'Not as the other one. I guess we'll find out tonight!

David Cook LIVE! At Dickinson College

Last night, I saw the Man Of My Dream, the current Idol champ, the Word Nerd himself - David Cook. The blistering rock show took place at Dickinson College before a sold out crowd, with Ryan Star as opening act.

Ryan was a perfect opening act, his modern rock sound a perfect match for my beloved Cookie. I knew his closing song, "Back Of Your Car" (and it's sexy opening line "It's the perfect time of night to be taking off your clothes now") from his stint on CBS's Rock Star: Supernova so had high hopes that he would have the same energy level as he did then. My hopes were exceeded, every song bristled with rock star swagger and oozed sex appeal. From the opening rock anthem "Brand New Day" to the humorous "Psycho Suicidal Girl" with it's acoustic opening verse and chorus that opened into a cavalcade of electric guitars and drum to the emotion-drenched love song "Last Train Home" with a great drum beat, every song was rock n roll at it's finest. Speaking of finest, Ryan may even be as hot as David. Compare and contrast:

After the short set from Ryan Star and his band we were treated to a really hot roadie/tech in plaid with great hair and glasses and beard (and a bunch of normal looking ones) setting up for the David Cook show. Seriously, if that hot roadie/tech is reading... call me.

Then David and band enter the stage to "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. Don't ask why, it was just cool as fuck. Just like David... He opened the set with "Heroes" and started a recurring theme of sounding amazing live when he just sounded decent on CD. You may recall that I was annoyed at the mix on the CD, the vocals seemed buried in the instrumentation. But live, Cook's vocals were strong and clear.

The band was tight, providing two back up guitars, a bass, occasional keyboards and drums. David played guitar on most of the songs, which included a track from his unreleased Axiom Heart disc as well as "Life On The Moon," "Mr. Sensitive" and new single "Come Back to Me." The early stand out songs were the hidden track "Kiss On The Neck" which roared like a beast and current single "Light On" but there were no bad songs in the bunch. A heavy rock cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies" was the only nod to his American Idol past, I was hoping for "Always Be My Baby" but it would not have fit well with the very strong modern rock vibe that the show provided. Ending the set was another cover dedicated to the teachers in the audience - a cover of "Hot For Teacher" which was loud as hell but got the crowd moving. For an encore, the drummer return with a striking drum solo before the band launched into the heaviest song on the record, and new rock radio single, "Bar-Ba-Sol" and finally shut the show down with "A Daily AntheM" which had the crowd waving and singing the "oh, oh, oh, oh" from the end for a long time.

All in all, the show was tight, David's banter with the crowd and his band members was easy-going and endearing and the music rocked my socks off. Even if he wasn't fine as frog's hair I'd probably still have had a great time. And at only 15 bucks, it was totally worth it. David Cook with opening act Ryan Star is currently touring, check out the dates at his website.

PS: American Idol Recap coming this afternoon/evening!

Read This! - "Chasing Adonis: Gay Men and the Pursuit of Perfection" by Tim Bergling

Chasing Adonis is Tim Bergling's third non-fiction piece on gay men, released in 2007. I have not read his two prior titles, Reeling In The Years: Gay Men's Perspectives on Age and Ageism and Sissyphobia: Gay Men and Effeminate Behavior, but after finishing Chasing Adonis: Gay Men and the Pursuit of Perfection, I am quite interested in acquiring those volumes.

Utilizing information from an online poll, survey and interviews with gay men from all walks of life, Bergling uncovers the truth we all know but don't always like to admit. Men are visual creatures, and we all have ideas as to what visual perfection looks like. The author explores the different sources that influence our desires, from early exposure to hot men in ads. You know the ones I'm talking about. No? Perhaps I'll refresh your memories...

No that we've a little hottie break, let's get back to the book! Tim Bergling provides anecdotes from a variety of men who like men and what they like about men. About what happens when men watch porn or act in porn; and those both performing and observing at the strip club. About the men we fell in love with as kids and the men we fall in love with now. (Psst, they're the same men!) About the boys in the gym, and those who love them... and those that hate them. About body image issues, about the bears vs the twinks vs the muscle queens. A lot of raw data, with an astonishing lack of filter. Despite the fact that Tim's picture presents him as good looking guy with a fit body, he doesn't come off with an agenda of proving that better looking guys are better people. Or worse people, for that matter.

I have a bad habit of believing in a "douche/hotness" scale. I've always felt that the hotter the guy, the more of a douche he would be. Which is totally wrong, because I don't know any really hot guys well enough to make that determination. How can I tell if they are douchey if I never really get to know them? I work retail so I've met a lot of different guys, at least for a few minutes. And while I've had my share of douchey male customers with hot bodies, there have been just as many average guys and gals that have been total twatwaffles.

Chasing Adonis is a light read, no heavy psychobabble or dry statistics. Just a bunch of gay gays doing what they do best: talking about other guys. I recommend it.

Chasing Adonis: Gay Men and the Pursuit of Perfection is published by Harrington Park Press and is available now.