"I never claim to be an artist. I can't even sing, you know?"
Uffie can't sing, and she can't really rap. One could say she has an exclusive record deal because of who she knows, and she knows people because of who she was Ed Bangin' (sorry, bad pun). But damn, she's honest about it.
"I'm a lost child, don't you see? I look good, you want me, buy my CD, and Google me. You work hard, I live sweet."
"If I get popular, I know it ain't fair."
Her first LP, Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans, was released today. The best track is Difficult, produced by SebastiAn and with a VERY catchy hook. The rest of the album is a lovable mess.
"Tricky" Stuart, known as The-Dream, could be my favorite pop songwriter. He cowrote and coproduced the hella catchy megahit "Umbrella" that Rihanna ended up singing, but I prefer his own material. His new album Love King comes out soon. Judging from the first single, Love King, it sounds a lot like his previous stuff -- which is a good thing. Expect lots of "AYYYYYY"s.
For today, we've got the latest Bruno Mars single and two mashups. And what do you think? John Lennon girl. Sexy or not?
In other news, I'm finally about to graduate from college. Being the age I am makes me wonder what kind of music I'll be listening to when I'm middle aged or older. Will I keep up with the latest music? Or will I resort to listening only to what I know and love? Time will tell.
Talent may not always make money, but on the Internet it is almost always recognized by somebody. I love the fact that independent bands with an original sound are out there, people like me can find them, and then people like us can enjoy them.
The Powder Kegs is from Philly. Their latest EP is considerably better than their first LP, maybe because it's produced by Brian McTear, who worked with the awesome neo-folk band Espers.
There's a lot that's awkward about the above photo, a lot that's good about La Mariposa, and a lot Vampire-Weekend-esque about Window On Your Wall.
I was sent this video by Loose Cannons. It edits the awesome 10 minute Kill Bill-esque video for Lady Gaga's Telephone to fit with their remix. The remix itself isn't amazing, but the video is, and I prefer the remix to the original.
I think Lady Gaga is good for pop music. Glamor and trash are two entertaining qualities that today's sugar-sweet autotuned ballads -- from Iyaz to Justin Bieber -- just don't have. Check out her cigarette sun glasses.
The Clientele are based in London, and their 2009 release, Bonfires on the Heath, is fantastic.
Their work is pretty, slightly melancholy, reverb heavy, and with a 60's influence. Think The Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd mixed with Band of Horses.
I should have put this on my Best of 2009 list, but I was too late in discovering it. Oh well.
First strike against them: they've sold remarkably well, having a number 1 album in the UK. Second, Pitchfork hates their guts, since they are popular and have choruses like: "I want to make love to you. I know you want to make love to me." Third, it seems every band on the other side of the pond is taking the piss because they sound like a more accessible Artic Monkeys.
And get this: the lead singer of The Kooks, Luke Pritchard, actually kicked the lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys (Alex Turner) in the face!
His explanation?
I had to kick Alex in the face after he tried to pull the leads out of my guitar pedals while we were on stage.
Anyways, there's no denying the pop appeal of The Kooks, who are obviously influenced by 60s Brit Pop, as well as, yes, bands such as the Arctic Monkeys
But are they talentless hacks? I think not. Perhaps these live covers will endear them to the ever-skeptical hearts and minds of hipsters and indie-heads.
While Lil Wayne was mostly high out of his mind, grunting on autotune, and trying to play guitar, Drake was making hits, picking up where Wayne left off after Tha Carter III.
Drake used Wayne's silly wordplay, autotune the way R&B cats were using it, clever sampling, catchy hooks, and had some serious swagger. Think "Kanye West" cocky, not "I moved keys on the streets, so back the fuck off." Yeah. Drake ain't hood.
2010 will see the release of his first major album. If it sounds worse than his mixtape, we'll know we've reached an era where music is free, period.
Ellie Goulding is my age (23). She's Welsh. She's an indie singer songwriter, better known for her charming voice than her lyrics. Starsmith is her producer, who I'm not crazy about.
She's coming out with a debut album this year. When it comes out, expect the usual suspects in the blogopsphere to cover the hell out of it.
Above, I've posted one monster of a dubstep remix by Jeuce, and my favorite of her original work, Fighter Plane, where her vocals (and vocal effects) are prominent.
