Did anybody else notice a lot more jiggle to the Material Girl's bosoms? She must've changed exercise plans, cause the girls were much flatter in the Confessions videos. Not that I'm dissing, she still looks hella good.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Madonna Video Down... Until Sunday!
As expected, the new video for "4 Minutes" was taken off YouTube. The thing premieres on MTV.com at midnight EST Sunday, so set your alarms. (Unless you want to pay 1.99 to download it now at iTunes.) For now enjoy this legal sneak peek courtesy of the fine folks at MTV:
Thursday, April 3, 2008
New Madonna Video - "4 Minutes"
OK, new Madonna video, probably won't be on the internets very long. It's awesome, like a Madonna video should be. It's kind of strange, Madonna and Justin Timberlake are walking through these sets with people eating and shopping and making out and stuff. And this strange darkness is following them. And it eats the people. Only not like they disappear, it's like a cross cut action, like from a science class or dentist office. Seriously strange. Ooh! And Madonna and Justin totally like almost kiss twice! But the S&M theme I'd heard about is gone, which makes me sad 'cause I was hoping for some Justin in a leather harness and Madonna whipping him. But it's still friggin' awesome, except the dancing could have been better. I still love it! Oh, and Madge is looking so fine! The hair is on fire and the bod is smoking!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
New Goldfrapp Video - "Happiness"
I'm not as crazy about this new single from Goldfrapp as I was about "A&E" It's a little happy-go-lucky sixties flower children for me. But the video is insane, y'all! This dude hops the whole way through an idyllic hamlet, while the duo appear in oddball costumes throughout. It's not the sleek & sexed up look we got from Supernature, it's organic techno.
Five Songs On Shuffle, Vol. 4
It's late, I know, but here is the fourth installment of my weekly blog entry series "5 Songs On Shuffle." I’ll put my iTunes on shuffle and blog about the first five songs that play.
"New Shoes" - Paulo Nutini These Streets
A minor hit for the Scottish pop-rocker. I loved it, not just because of my natural affinity for footwear, but because it's catchy as hell. And so true! "Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly every thing's right" is the way I always feel. There is no better feeling then putting on some hot new Chucks in a funky design, or a pair of sweet black sport fusion casuals with a contrasting white stripe. Well, maybe there is, but it still ranks pretty high.
"Like A Prayer" - Madonna The Immaculate Collection
The original album mix is far superior to this one from Madonna's greatest hits collection. The choir has a weird breakdown at about the 4:23 mark, the guitars are not as strong. However, it still remains one of my favorite songs of all time.
"Strange Fruit (Tricky Remix)" - Billie Holiday Necessary Beats: The Mix Tape
"Strange Fruit" makes me angry. It boils my blood to know the inconceivable evil man can visit on his fellow man. (I also have the original version as well as a version by Nina Simone on my iPod.) This remix is bizarre, spare and haunting with harp-like guitar plucking and a strange horn and random electric guitar for the beat, it doesn't have the same emotional impact, but it's not a club banger either. But when I do my updated Top Twenty Songs Of All Time, this song will be on it. No other song stirs such emotions: bitter sadness, vengeful anger, a hopeful optimism that one day we will just all get along. Racism is the ugliest thing, we must never forget just how ugly it can get.
"Stay (I Missed You)" - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories Stay (I Missed You) [CD Single]
I love this song, I think it my also end up in my top twenty. The simplicity of the arrangement, the emotional vocal, the heartbreaking lyrics, all combine to make a perfect indie-pop single. Heartbreak is a painful thing, but also a inspiration.
"Laura" - Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters
I must love the Scissor Sisters, this is the second time one of their songs have popped up on my five songs on shuffle series. This isn't one of my favorites of their songs (that would be "Tits On The Radio" and "Take Your Mama Out") but I do love the kiss off line "This'll be the last time I ever do your hair" Oh, snap!
"New Shoes" - Paulo Nutini These Streets
A minor hit for the Scottish pop-rocker. I loved it, not just because of my natural affinity for footwear, but because it's catchy as hell. And so true! "Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly every thing's right" is the way I always feel. There is no better feeling then putting on some hot new Chucks in a funky design, or a pair of sweet black sport fusion casuals with a contrasting white stripe. Well, maybe there is, but it still ranks pretty high.
"Like A Prayer" - Madonna The Immaculate Collection
The original album mix is far superior to this one from Madonna's greatest hits collection. The choir has a weird breakdown at about the 4:23 mark, the guitars are not as strong. However, it still remains one of my favorite songs of all time.
"Strange Fruit (Tricky Remix)" - Billie Holiday Necessary Beats: The Mix Tape
"Strange Fruit" makes me angry. It boils my blood to know the inconceivable evil man can visit on his fellow man. (I also have the original version as well as a version by Nina Simone on my iPod.) This remix is bizarre, spare and haunting with harp-like guitar plucking and a strange horn and random electric guitar for the beat, it doesn't have the same emotional impact, but it's not a club banger either. But when I do my updated Top Twenty Songs Of All Time, this song will be on it. No other song stirs such emotions: bitter sadness, vengeful anger, a hopeful optimism that one day we will just all get along. Racism is the ugliest thing, we must never forget just how ugly it can get.
"Stay (I Missed You)" - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories Stay (I Missed You) [CD Single]
I love this song, I think it my also end up in my top twenty. The simplicity of the arrangement, the emotional vocal, the heartbreaking lyrics, all combine to make a perfect indie-pop single. Heartbreak is a painful thing, but also a inspiration.
"Laura" - Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters
I must love the Scissor Sisters, this is the second time one of their songs have popped up on my five songs on shuffle series. This isn't one of my favorites of their songs (that would be "Tits On The Radio" and "Take Your Mama Out") but I do love the kiss off line "This'll be the last time I ever do your hair" Oh, snap!
What About Love?
It's a question musicians, writers, artists and regular joes have struggled with since the dawn of time. What is love, how do you find it, when is real? Here are a few of my favorite quotes on the subject:
"No, this is how it works, you peer inside yourself. You take the things you like, and try to love the things you took. And then you take that love you made and stick it into some, someone else's heart pumping someone else's blood. And walking arm in arm you hope it don't get harmed but even if it does you'll just do it all again." - Regina Spektor "On The Radio"
"When love comes so strong, There is no right or wrong, Your love is your life." - Stephen Sondheim "West Side Story"
"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am free again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am clean again. However far away, I will always love you." - The Cure "Love Song"
"There's a club if you'd like to go, you could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go, and you stand on your own and you leave on your own and you go home, and you cry and you want to die. When you say it's gonna happen 'now' well, when exactly do you mean? See I've already waited too long and all my hope is gone. You shut your mouth how can you say I go about things the wrong way. I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does." - The Smiths "How Soon Is Now"
"You don't know what love is, you just do as you're told." - The White Stripes (song title)
"But I need love. It is patience, it is kindness. I need love. It is rain after the dryness. I need love. Sister Wisdom, help me see it's the one thing that I need. The only thing that I need." - Sixpence None The Richer "Love"
"Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it? What's love but a second hand emotion? What's love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?" - Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do With It"
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - The Apostle Paul, 1st Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV translation)
Love sucks, love hurts, love heals, love is pain, love the most important thing. Love makes you crazy, makes you remember, makes you cry. Love may be a many-splendoured thing, but mostly it's just the most elusive and magical feeling.
"No, this is how it works, you peer inside yourself. You take the things you like, and try to love the things you took. And then you take that love you made and stick it into some, someone else's heart pumping someone else's blood. And walking arm in arm you hope it don't get harmed but even if it does you'll just do it all again." - Regina Spektor "On The Radio"
"When love comes so strong, There is no right or wrong, Your love is your life." - Stephen Sondheim "West Side Story"
"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am free again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am clean again. However far away, I will always love you." - The Cure "Love Song"
"There's a club if you'd like to go, you could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go, and you stand on your own and you leave on your own and you go home, and you cry and you want to die. When you say it's gonna happen 'now' well, when exactly do you mean? See I've already waited too long and all my hope is gone. You shut your mouth how can you say I go about things the wrong way. I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does." - The Smiths "How Soon Is Now"
"You don't know what love is, you just do as you're told." - The White Stripes (song title)
"But I need love. It is patience, it is kindness. I need love. It is rain after the dryness. I need love. Sister Wisdom, help me see it's the one thing that I need. The only thing that I need." - Sixpence None The Richer "Love"
"Oh, what's love got to do, got to do with it? What's love but a second hand emotion? What's love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?" - Tina Turner "What's Love Got To Do With It"
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - The Apostle Paul, 1st Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV translation)
Love sucks, love hurts, love heals, love is pain, love the most important thing. Love makes you crazy, makes you remember, makes you cry. Love may be a many-splendoured thing, but mostly it's just the most elusive and magical feeling.
American Idol Recap - Dolly Parton Week
Full disclosure time: I freakin' love Dolly Parton! She is one of the premiere American songwriters, not just writing pop hits like "I Will Always Love You" and "9 to 5" but going back to her early hits like "Jolene" (one of my favorite songs of all time!) and her new stuff like "Travelin' Thru" from the soundtrack to Transamerica. Dolly is a legend and if you can sing well, you can sing a Dolly Parton track and blow people away. So, the fact only one person sucked doesn't surprise me.
First up was my girl Brooke White, doing my song "Jolene." It wasn't a stunning performance, but she sang and played well. I thought the small band was good idea, but I had one complaint, and it's the same I had for her "You're So Vain" she smiled too much. The song is about her man being stolen by that red-head slut Jolene, that's nothing to smile about! But if you closed your eyes and just listened, it was good. I wish she would blow me away again, but for now I'll take good.
OK, as soon as I heard "Dolly Parton on Idol" I thought David Cook will do one of two things: either cover her cover of either "Stairway to Heaven" or "Shine" or do the White Stripes' version of "Jolene." Both of which would have been disappointing. Instead, he continued his hot streak by doing the title track from my favorite latter-day Dolly album, Little Sparrow. This was the album that made me fall back in love with Dolly Parton, a stunning bluegrass collection that features the Collective Soul cover I mentioned as well as some of her best story-songs and a kicky version of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and background vocals by Allison Krauss and Rhonda Vincent. And he did what he does well, a dramatic rock cover, with moody and stellar vocals. He never gets shouty like so many rockers have done on Idol. I will download this one, for sure. God, I friggin love David Cook and Dolly Parton so much!!!!!
We come to the part of the show where Ramiele Malubay sucks. We have this segment every week, and every week I pray to God I'm wrong, since I used to love her. But, lets be honest. Girl's voice is tired these days. Her vocals were lost in the band, it was like half-way decent karaoke. She looked awkward on stage, and I feel bad, 'cause she did have a good voice during the auditions. But now she's getting stale and boring, when she's not sucking.
Ever since "Hallelujah" Jason Castro has bored me. Until now, that is. "Travelin' Thru" was the perfect song for him, it showed that he can do an upbeat song and it was one of his best vocals. His voice never sounded so interesting and colorful. I loved it.
Carly Smithson has an amazing voice, no one can deny that! And her version of "Here You Come Again" was stunning with vocal acrobatics and both power and tenderness. I really liked this one too, it may have been the best performance of the night.
Lil' D. Arch needs to lighten up a bit. Seriously, I've never seen a 17 year old so earnest! His vocals were good, his stage presence was improved from the last few weeks, but I stopped loving him. "Smoky Mountain Memories" is such an old fashioned song for him, he needs to do some more teen friendly songs. But I'm pretty sure America loved him, they always do. Cuteness factor waning, though.
This is the week Kristy Lee Cook should have stood out more. And she did make an impression by dissing her mother in favor of Dolly Parton, right before singing one of the most emotional songs of the Parton songbook, "Coat Of Many Colors." Real smart, KLC. Vocals were OK, I think she may have been flat a couple times, but I really wish she would go away.
Syesha Mercado made the smart choice to do the Dolly version of "I Will Always Love You" at first, then powering into the Whitney Houston version for the end. I don't know if it's enough to save her, but that last note was longer than Titanic, that should help. Plus, she's the only diva left. A good performance, but I fear for her safety tonight.
I had never heard "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" before last night, but I just listened to a clip at iTunes, and Michael Johns definitely rearranged it into a much bluesier number. This is the first time I thought of him a star, not a karaoke singer. I'm not huge fan of blues, but that was really good, a little more free-form than I like, but good. I'm feeling it.
So, Dolly Parton gave them some hot songs to do, they did them well for the most part. There is only one who deserves to go home, that is Ramiele. I don't know if she will, but she should be bottom three. The others that will probably be there are Syesha and Kristy Lee, but Brooke may make a dramatic appearance there, too. We'll see tonight!
First up was my girl Brooke White, doing my song "Jolene." It wasn't a stunning performance, but she sang and played well. I thought the small band was good idea, but I had one complaint, and it's the same I had for her "You're So Vain" she smiled too much. The song is about her man being stolen by that red-head slut Jolene, that's nothing to smile about! But if you closed your eyes and just listened, it was good. I wish she would blow me away again, but for now I'll take good.
OK, as soon as I heard "Dolly Parton on Idol" I thought David Cook will do one of two things: either cover her cover of either "Stairway to Heaven" or "Shine" or do the White Stripes' version of "Jolene." Both of which would have been disappointing. Instead, he continued his hot streak by doing the title track from my favorite latter-day Dolly album, Little Sparrow. This was the album that made me fall back in love with Dolly Parton, a stunning bluegrass collection that features the Collective Soul cover I mentioned as well as some of her best story-songs and a kicky version of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and background vocals by Allison Krauss and Rhonda Vincent. And he did what he does well, a dramatic rock cover, with moody and stellar vocals. He never gets shouty like so many rockers have done on Idol. I will download this one, for sure. God, I friggin love David Cook and Dolly Parton so much!!!!!
We come to the part of the show where Ramiele Malubay sucks. We have this segment every week, and every week I pray to God I'm wrong, since I used to love her. But, lets be honest. Girl's voice is tired these days. Her vocals were lost in the band, it was like half-way decent karaoke. She looked awkward on stage, and I feel bad, 'cause she did have a good voice during the auditions. But now she's getting stale and boring, when she's not sucking.
Ever since "Hallelujah" Jason Castro has bored me. Until now, that is. "Travelin' Thru" was the perfect song for him, it showed that he can do an upbeat song and it was one of his best vocals. His voice never sounded so interesting and colorful. I loved it.
Carly Smithson has an amazing voice, no one can deny that! And her version of "Here You Come Again" was stunning with vocal acrobatics and both power and tenderness. I really liked this one too, it may have been the best performance of the night.
Lil' D. Arch needs to lighten up a bit. Seriously, I've never seen a 17 year old so earnest! His vocals were good, his stage presence was improved from the last few weeks, but I stopped loving him. "Smoky Mountain Memories" is such an old fashioned song for him, he needs to do some more teen friendly songs. But I'm pretty sure America loved him, they always do. Cuteness factor waning, though.
This is the week Kristy Lee Cook should have stood out more. And she did make an impression by dissing her mother in favor of Dolly Parton, right before singing one of the most emotional songs of the Parton songbook, "Coat Of Many Colors." Real smart, KLC. Vocals were OK, I think she may have been flat a couple times, but I really wish she would go away.
Syesha Mercado made the smart choice to do the Dolly version of "I Will Always Love You" at first, then powering into the Whitney Houston version for the end. I don't know if it's enough to save her, but that last note was longer than Titanic, that should help. Plus, she's the only diva left. A good performance, but I fear for her safety tonight.
I had never heard "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" before last night, but I just listened to a clip at iTunes, and Michael Johns definitely rearranged it into a much bluesier number. This is the first time I thought of him a star, not a karaoke singer. I'm not huge fan of blues, but that was really good, a little more free-form than I like, but good. I'm feeling it.
So, Dolly Parton gave them some hot songs to do, they did them well for the most part. There is only one who deserves to go home, that is Ramiele. I don't know if she will, but she should be bottom three. The others that will probably be there are Syesha and Kristy Lee, but Brooke may make a dramatic appearance there, too. We'll see tonight!
And The Winner Is...!
Mariah Carey! Jumping from #15 to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 this week thanks to an unprecedented 286,000 downloads of her track "Touch My Body" to snag her 18th chart-topper. Major congrats, girl! This ties her with Elvis Presley for second place among artists with the most #1 Hot 100 hits. Two more and Heather Mills won't be the only chick on Paul McCartney's shitlist, as the Beatles still hold first place. For now...
Also making news is Madonna, who grabbed her 37th top ten hit with the booty-shaker "4 Minutes" surpassing Elvis as the artist with most top ten hits, once again thanks to downloads. 217,000 of the to be precise! She landed a 68-3 jump this week.
What about Leona Lewis? The actual charts haven't been posted online yet, and I can't afford a subscription to Billboard (Christmas gift anyone?) so I don't know that status of my new favorite Brit, but who else is guessing she's the meat in the middle of the Madge/Mariah chart sandwich?
Also making news is Madonna, who grabbed her 37th top ten hit with the booty-shaker "4 Minutes" surpassing Elvis as the artist with most top ten hits, once again thanks to downloads. 217,000 of the to be precise! She landed a 68-3 jump this week.
What about Leona Lewis? The actual charts haven't been posted online yet, and I can't afford a subscription to Billboard (Christmas gift anyone?) so I don't know that status of my new favorite Brit, but who else is guessing she's the meat in the middle of the Madge/Mariah chart sandwich?
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