Musical Socialism

Prince, Planet Earth

Although I didn't get my free copy... Columbia has chosen to pull out of its U.K distribution of Prince's new album following Prince's decision to give it away for free with The Mail on Sunday.

It makes me wonder if giving away free music -to somewhere in the region of 2million readers- will mean its listened to more? Will it garner new fans, or interest his old ones who can tell?

I think he's doing really well at trying to get his prolific talent out there for people to listen to. So much promotion is given to new artists on the block that it makes it difficult for popstars promoting second albums to get a look in; take the Scissor Sisters for example. Bear in mind that this is Prince's 22nd studio release and you can't help but think no wonder he gets so little promotion or else he'd be seriously exposed. (see below)

We wonder where Lilly Allen and Mika will be once they hit that tricksy second album stage- and no we don't think either will make it to 22 albums. Its likely they'll get passed over in favour of the next big thing. Or at best, someone less lairy than Allen, or more open about their sexuality than Mika. They will surely seem a breath of fresh air after another 6months of this pair trying to crack America.

Will Prince make a huge commercial/critical comeback by giving his album away for free with a newspaper? Will it get more plays than being released in the way have come to think of as being traditional for our music industry? Probably not.

Just because we pump these albums into the homes of potential listeners doesn't mean its necessarily going to be popular. So we cant help but wonder... maybe one day the music charts wont actually be based on sales, which are the acheivement of marketing and PR. They may even take into consideration who were listening to instead... how about a global ipod syncing chart.

This is what were going to teach you

Carole, Chanelle, Laura, Sam and Amanda

Sporty, Posh, Scary, Baby and a little bit Ginger

The Spice Girls ushered in third-wave feminism. It's dead good dya love it?

Saturday Review: My December

Kelly Clarkson, My December

By now you will have already made up your mind wether this album is one to sync to your ipod or relegate to the bottom of your CD stockpile. I am still enjoying liking it and so every review I read that tends to use a negative comment i psuedoviolently react too. This comes not just from the outright negative ones, but even from the reviews that are most enthusiastic and positive, of which there has been plenty; not that popjustice or perez would care to acknowledge them.

In one instance, a critic caustically snipes at the contrast between this potentially high selling summer album, and the wintry title itself. Ironically people seem to think pop should only be high selling, immediate, epitomise that summertime feelgood essence and go some way to represent the modern zeitgeist. The best of it does. Just becuase Kelly spends her summer in grief and pain over her lost loves ('Sober' / 'Never Again' / 'Judas' and many more) doesnt mean she cant provide us with a pinnacle to define this present moment. ('Irvine' does this for me sounding like the wonderful Feist.) This summer is truly her December, and the title shows that she will probably laugh, love and perhaps even be a little bit more pop one day, but for now shes not quite pop enough.

While this album might not in actual fact be too far removed from Breakaway, it almost certainly marks a stepping stone further away from that era of Clarkson's creative life. So while Clarksons lyrical heartbreak may heal, her creative journey taken on board this year is looking to be a one way ride.

Eschewing the genius of Scandanavian Songwriting from Max Martin and his ilk, Kelly wrote the tracks herself. (Although 'One Minute' is a co-write that on the album is evidently from the pen of Kara Dioguardi.) Things escalated when it was revealed Kelly turned down $10million Clive Davis dollars to replace 5 album tracks with guarenteed pop hits. From there, a cancelled tour, a fired manager, limited airplay and promotion, and this week... a number one album by the looks of things.

This album ensures that even when Clarkson's ready to give us happiness, like Alanis 'Queen of Pain' before her, we wont be listening out for that from her. From Kelly i predict this kind of human frailty played out in song will become her trademark. While there are a few sour grapes that Max Martin songs will have to find a new idol to sing them -how about Leona Lewis?- these songs will still get made, so pop fans needn't despair. Yes we may grieve that they lack Kelly's vocals but this album proves Kelly is sticking around, and its about time people aacept that her voice deserves to sing what it wants. Had she stuck to Davis' plan surely she was only ever one bad chart position from being relegated while a younger ingenue takes her place as first in line in the hit song queue.

This is still pop, and while not summery, in your face, or particularly of the moment, it most definatly is a decent product from an unmanufactured pop idol.

White dresses, she can't carry oonnnn. but her nimble fingers still feel the cold.

Full mug my friends certainly familiar Ah, hear that glitch say search the orbs Tree-ann said it his seize the circus Ram's wool that cause way a circus Full mug my friends certainly familiar Warmy funny Anna say say maluska Sworn under an oath to war Sworn under an oath to war Phwoar so spirit smother me in Ah, hear that glitch fought and ought Fuel full fat her glass of milk Warm sitting here, sitting in bed Sworn under an oath to war Sworn under an oath to war Sworn under an oath to war...

How many, no money boys are crazy

M.I.A, 'Boys', Kala

M.I.A. - Boys new SINGLE
Uploaded by bomanga94

This song is quite cute but not sure i can listen to it repeatedly, and maybe i dont get M.I.A cos i much prefer her Timbaland polished track, so fingers crossed her album is a bit more like this...

Homage

Kanye West, 'Stronger' Graduation

In celebration of their 2001 acclaimed French House album Discovery, Daft Punk created: Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003) a Japanese style anime. My favourite clip/song has to be 'Harder Better Faster Stronger'...

Daft Punk-harder better faster stronger
Uploaded by Lorientais

...If we add to this a visually arresting bike chase scene from anime classic Akira, (1988) nicely dubbed here in French...

Akira bike 1
Uploaded by bangayo

...Then what you get is Kanye's new Hype produced video featuring Cassie. Quite why Kanye should only now reveal an interest in anime and french electronica im not sure, but this hybrid video has to gain attention for the influences as much as it also heralds Kanye's unleashing of his final? album Graduation.

Kanye West - Stronger
Uploaded by Petitprince13

oh wo oh wo o

Kelly Clarkson, 'One Minute', My December

Probably the only single on the new album, released this week, that can please her most pop loving fans, but the backing vocals during the chorus sound like the old Pop Idol theme tune.

Not Just Jack

Jack Savoretti, Between The Minds Allready onto his fourth single from the album its about time more people notice Jack Savoretti.

While 'Dr.Frakenstein' is a brilliant song there are many more hidden on his album, probably the best being 'Black Rain' which is this years finest song about oil. While many of his songs reflect global politcs of war, its a much more personal take on these topics than i can relay in words. So take a look at this song....

Retro Tuesday: Tyler James

Tyler James, 'Foolish' (Bimbo Jones Remix)



He's the greatest dancer, and should surely have a new contract or album or at least a new myspace track soon.

So You Say

Siobhan Donaghy. 'So You Say', Ghosts



On the one hand Siobhan is underated, and on the other shes been gaining exposure all over the internet as people champion her work. So maybe a few low chart positions have helped to make her fans even more vocal and like the slow creep of evangleicalism it eventually make us all worship her album.

In some ways the single choices are a little odd... in that they are niether the most conventional radio friendly tracks, of which there are some on the album, nor are they representative of the leftfield, almost avantgarde work, to be found in the latter half of the album. A different option may have provided a catalyst to getting higher chart positions if thats what she's after? Rumoured third single 'Medevac' may do just that?

The early album leak has spread word of mouth and garnered new fans. So while everyone else goes off to buy the physical album finally out this week, to keep the rest of us ticking over till rumoured album number 3? there are two new tracks available on itunes, live versions of some tracks, here, (including a cover of Nutini's 'Last request') and the CD inlay complete with backwards lyrics for 'Ghosts' that must be rehearsed.

On the outside looking In Gold

While other blogs can offer free downloads, and get EP's through the post to chat about, I have to decipher the record company from the outside in:

Shelly Poole, who has almost finished her new album, In Gold, left this cryptic message last week:

"album finished
am just writing a radio single,
bear with me x"

Why is it so cryptic? well I highly doubt, (though cannot be entirely certain) that Shelly is writing a song entitled 'Bear with me', about a night out with her favourite hirsuit gay, but is this really the way to make an album?

If this new song is for radio does this imply the rest of the album isnt good/pop/listenable enough? and is she referring to bbc radio 1/2?

Wont this 'radio' song on an otherwise more refined album standout like a groove-armada track on an ex-sugababes album?

Is it that easy to write a song that radio will love?

Why not write ten of them and call it an album? Like Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion? okay this question answers itself, cos the Mika album is teethrottingly catchy like a case of the [add ur own catchy sexual mishap here] but seriosuly, isn't 'give me ten singles' what record company execs tell their download era artistes?

Are popstars this ironic? and this is really a clever way to say keep waiting we've got a long way to go?

Things the real Thomas dekker is not...

Thomas Dekker- when not...

a) hanging around greenhouses that are strangly lacking in the glass dept.

b) helping Claire-Bear off of Heroes digicam her self-harm hystrionics

and when definatly not

c) preparing to play the Terminators protege in his new show on the telly

...is producing his own music. While my opinion of it gets worse with every subsequent listen, that by no means suggests that all those who've yet to hear it, in its pre timberland/scottstorched glory will recognise the glimmer of a potentially future popstar.

'Lava-Life' is the best / most played / popular of his myspace tracks... its also rather cannily the first u will hear when u click this.

Firsty Work

Who hasn’t released an album recently and How good is it? Questions existing.

Last year Nelly Furtado gave us the finest album of the year with Loose. Anything that followed would surely pale in comparison, However once we add in the distortion of perspective that is the passing of our solar annus and we’re ready to crown a new album of the year.

10) Avril Lavigne: The Best Damn Thing

This isn’t my tenth favourite album this year, its not even creeping close, -it is the tenth best of the big female popstar releases and that’s what counts here- its one of the worlds best sellers and yet it gets little airplay from me. It’s nothing new from Avril, and its one album too far stuck in the same musical vein.


9) Amerie: Because I love It

The underdog deserves to be recognised as the equal if not the better of her peers, well lets face by that we mean shes cuter, nicer, and altogether better than Beyonce. Yet the good tracks on here don’t outweigh the tedious.

8) Mutya Buena: Real Girl

Distsancing herself from the Sugababes by becoming a mature artiste wins her no favours. Groove Armada gave a ‘Song for Mutya: Outta Control’ because of her Babes persona a move they may regret now she’s shed that skin in order to reveal the real bland girl shes become. Give her a summer number one curtesy of the Armada, avoid the bad press by forgetting the bandwagon jumping of the Winehouse release and get ‘Strung Out’ attached to a Richard Curtis xmas movie now and she may live to be real another day.

7) Dragonette: Galore

Representing a new strand of DIY pop. Pop by people happy to make, and be seen to be happy to make it. Surely about to be left on the shelf, theres enough great songs here to rise higher in my esteem, but the playcounts already slowing down and release dates way out of sight.

6) Kelly Clarkson: My December

The most controversial album of the pop moment. It is a bad pop album it has limited radio appeal, and doesn’t have the zeitgeist stance necessary to make it top 5 on this list. Yet I quite like it and it’s a solidly good album, but if its not pop what is it? people loved the hooks from Breakaway but fell in love with the vocals, and fans will lap this up for sure, whether itll convert new fans im not so sure, and Kelly may just have given up pop for a lifetime of self penned easy listening soft rock drive time schlock. This may be looked upon as the personal album before the perfect storm of album number 4, but it may just be the last we hear from her.

5) Hilary Duff: Dignity

Get past trying to decipher, which of her relationships she’s name-checking, Daddy or Joel, Stalker or Nicole, and this is still a pleasant album. While it’s a little too long its length has kept it sustainable months after its release. If a minor pop princess can do it, imagine how good the big shooters, like Britney and Christina could be if they tried.

4) Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Trip The Light Fantastic

She returns and her fans have evidently been waiting in the wings, a successful album with plenty of radio friendly dance-along gems. Finally there are plenty of icy cool songs to suit the vocal attributes of this reenergised popstarlet.

3) Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad

Its summer, lets party, lets skip the ballads n dance all night. Hand in hand chest to chest and now ur face to face with a truly outstanding pop album. This years international definition of a smash hit pop record, and still only at number 3. if you don’t know the songs by now u soon will, a remix album and bonus tracks keep the fans sweet cos this one is gonna be overplayed but it certainly isn’t being overhyped.

2) Robyn: Robyn

Euro dance returnee popstar to british shores with a heap of good songs shes been collecting lots of hooks lots of soul crunching lyrics humour and pathos fused into robyn this is the pop album that should be overriding all others, and yet its not. Possibly cos the collection of songs are a little old but far from dated and possibly cos even pop fans can be eurosceptics theres enough charm here to override any doubts.

1) Siobhan Donaghy: Ghosts

Siobhan sings backwards indecipherably and it’s still the best song of the year. Well that’s a lie, the last four songs on this album are pure perfection and taking you soaring amongst the clouds makes it impossble to pick a favourite, as each successive song gets left in the dust. Theres a selection of radio friendly singles here sometimes or twelve bar blues? but so far shes stuck to the album opening intros to her opus. If success elides her this album will be all the better for it and it can long live a personal highlight but what about the career and the future loveliness she can create? Time will concoct her up good and proper.