New Releases 1/12/09: Vampire Weekend and More!
January 12, 2010
Let’s get right to business.
*Vampire Weekend’s debut was my favorite album of 2007. It was really light in mood, had a fun vibe, and was different from just about any album that came out that year. In the fickle world of indie-rock blogging, you’re only good until the mainstream has caught up with you, and with a guest appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and almost 500,000 albums sold, they certainly don’t qualify as anyone’s secret anymore. While I have no doubts about the musical merits of their sophomore release, “Contra” (which is out today), I am curious to see how many hipper-than-thou types turn their noses up at the band when they wet their pants at the mere mention of the band’s name two years ago.
*If you’re like me, you hear the name “OK Go” and you think “treadmills”. Their video for “Here We Go Again” was a viral sensation. Even though I knew of them before the video (thanks to a song called “Get Over It” from their first album which appeared on an MTV compilation), they’re going to be stuck with that video probably for the rest of their careers. Anyway, the power-pop band is releasing album #3 today. “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky” is the title-and I assume said title is a joke and not the band trying to be pretentious.
*For those of you who make sure to tune in to “106 & Park” every night, you’ll be very happy to know that former B2K member Omarion is releasing his latest album, called “Ollusion”. This guy has a pretty dedicated fan base, but for whatever reason he just can’t seem to cross over. Two of his three previous solo albums debuted at #1, but quickly skidded down the charts and neither has crossed the million-sold mark here in the States. Having been released from his Sony Music contract, Omarion is now on his own EMI-distributed label after brief and unproductive stints in the camps of Timbaland and Lil Wayne.
*Isn’t it good to know that Ringo Starr’s still kickin’ around? The legendary ex-Beatle releases “Y Not” today, and it’s filled with as many guest appearances as one would expect from someone who gathers a ton of A-list musicians and heads out on the road every year. The featured artists on Mr. Starkey’s latest effort include Ben Harper, Richard Marx, Joe Walsh and some guy named McCartney.
Get the full list of this week’s releases (as well as future release dates) over at Pause and Play .
First Look: “Soldier of Love” by Sade
January 11, 2010
Sade’s new album is running neck and neck with the new one from Vampire Weekend (out tomorrow) as my most anticipated album of 1st quarter 2010. Sade always brings the goods, and after a ten-year gap between albums, let’s just say we’re salivating for new work from the British band.
A month or so ago, I premiered their new song “Soldier of Love”, and now the video has premiered. This is certainly the first Sade video I can remember with choreography, but the video fits in with the militaristic metaphors strewn throughout the song. Also worth noting is the fact that Sade (the woman) looks as good as she did twenty-five years ago!
Anyway, check out the video and let us know what you think.
First Listen: “The High Road” by Broken Bells
January 6, 2010
A couple of months ago, I wrote a post detailing my excitement upon finding out that James Mercer of The Shins was collaborating with supa-producer Danger Mouse on a full-length album project called Broken Bells. While the album isn’t due until March, the twosome have provided us with a sneak peak of the upcoming opus.
“The High Road” is the album’s first single, and while it’s fairly recognizable as a Danger Mouse track, I wouldn’t have placed James Mercer as the vocalist. He’s singing in a different register than we’re used to hearing on Shins records, but once you get over the surprise, you’re left with a pretty good track. Danger Mouse’s production work always has this mysterious, spooky quality to it, and it’s nice to hear Mercer sing over something with a little more boom-bap to it than your average Shins record. Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think.
