Singles Friday
jamie on June 10th, 2005
TGIF…though, the weekend’s rainy forcast puts a damper on my plans for poolside lounging with beer and my iPod. In preparation for the weekend, rain or shine, I’ve pulled a list of singles from Radio & Records’ Going for Ads..read on, oh bored reader…
World Leader Pretend - Bang Theory
Bing, raunchy drums, sharp guitars, stings and piano,a nd the lead vocal sounds like Neil Diamond crossed with Bono. Hey, I know nothing of this band, I’m just calling it like I hear it. Don’t get me wrong, this is cool stuff! It reminds me a lot of The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony, and anyone listening to popular music this century can tell you what a hit that was- so I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from these guys soon.
Tori Amos - Sweet The Sting
Tori Amos gets a little R&B and very sultry on this track. Lack of a major piano sound in the mix is a little different too. There a certain axiety to this track, in the lyrics and the creeping bass line paired to the simple hand percusssion. This probably won’t become any major Tori Amos fan’s favorite track, but it’s a classic example of Amos’ songwriting and performing skills.
Little Barrie - Burned Out
Wow, a list of singles, and only ONE Brit entry… are the tides turning? Anyways, Little Barry is a Brit trio with a low-fi like Jet with pocket-sized amplifiers. It’s kind of a catchy tune, but I don’t see it becoming a huge hit (sorry guys). It’s just like that sometimes.
The Click Five - Just The Girl
Who are these guys? They sound like a boyband with guitars (think Rooster or Busted). The song is a typically boy-band “song about a girl” with terribly catchy hook. Reminds me of Evan And Jarron’s Crazy For This Girl. 10-13 year-old girls will probably be singing along to this song all summer long.
Donavon Frankenreiter - Free
Maybe you’ve never heard of Donavon Frankenreiter, but you’ve probably heard of Jack Johnson, who pairs with D.F. (I’m not typing that one again) for this gangly little acoustic guitar ditty. Reminds me of a hippy peacefest singalong song, but it’s catchy. D.F. and J.J. have voices so similar, it’s hard to distinguish them.
Fatty Koo - Bounce
Minimalistic beat-making is cool…casio-based beatmaking sucks ass. The production on this track is blippy-bleepy in a bad way, and the vocal “skills” of this 6-piece American Idol rejects outfit is non-existant. Avoid at all costs.
Missy Eliott - Loose Control
I’ve heard this one a lot on Radio 1 recently, and every time I hear it, my body automatically starts pulsing to it’s rhythm. It’s just an infectious groove. Ascending synth bits in that GOOD bleepy way compliment the deep bass pumping under Missy Elliot’s self-assured (to put it mildly) lyrics. Fat Man Scoop lends a nice growl, and Ciara lends her sweet sotto-voce. Sure to be a summer hit in the clubs.
Pras - Haven’t Found
Former Fugees producer, Pras gives the U2 classic a reworking. I really hate this kind of thing- take a classif track, sample a few bits, change some lyrics, release to a new generation, make big bucks- but this one’s nowhere near as bad as what P. Diddy might have done to it, given the chance. In fact, it’s not at all that bad- the hook is there, and the guitar riff is sampled, but used sparingly. Pras’ spitting is smooth, and there is power to his voice. If I hear it too much, I’ll learn to dislike it, but for now it gets a thumbs up- well 3/4 of the way up.
Daniel Powter - Bad Day
This piano-lead track has a catchy little hook that lets you know that things will work out, even if your woman just left you, taking your truck and your dog (no, it’s not a country song). I’m going to put this in my iPod now, and in two weeks, I’ll either love it or hate it. I’ll let you know (if I even remember).
The Duke - Show You The Way
This track, from a 2003 album called My Kung Fu Is Good wins the award for the best album title this week. It’s a rock ballad in the vein of Chad Kroger, Creed, and Three Doors Down (yeah, I know that lumping those together will piss someone off, but I don’t care). Wel produced, and not all bad, but it doesn’t stand out either.
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