Plain White T’s / Hey There Delilah / MThis Chicago quintet defines power pop punk in 2007. Their power chords, intense ballads, dramatic lyrics and ‘I’m-a-lover-not-a-fighter’ looks combine to make the girls cry. They’re so good, even a guy like me can get into them. The image is clean, the words are clean, and the bottom line is that this is a great band.
Fergie / Big Girls Don’t Cry / XSurprisingly, this song shows a little maturity from an artist who has counted mostly on being rude and highly sexual to be noticed in the past. If this song is the only Fergie song on your iPod, that’s not a problem. Beware, however, that Fergie is still bad news. He image hasn’t changed, and in the video to this song she parades around in her underwear. What really caught my eye is that the song is labeled “Explicit”. I studied the lyrics backward and forward and could’t even find an innuendo that I didn’t like. Is it that iTunes just assumed that anything from Fergie must be Explicit? Or is it that the record company figured they had to label it Explicit or Fergie fans wouldn’t be interested? Either way it’s further proof that the “Explicit” label is just a marketing tool, and not a serious tool for parents. Make your own decisions. Or let me make them for you. (wink) Just don’t let someone you don’t trust make them for you.
Lil Mama / Lip Gloss / MThis is a cute little hip-hop ditty about lipstick from a 17 year old girl from New York City. She was discovered by a DJ from radio station HOT 97 in NYC, which incidentally, is the first radio station that yours truly worked at. Unlike most music in this vein, Lil Mama is completely clean. It’s the beats and the creative rhymes that drive this song. Her image follows suit. Great stuff!
Hannah Montana / Life’s What You Make It / +Billy Ray Cyrus’ daughter, Miley stars as Hannah Montana on the screen, and now as a singing sensation. While the sugar sweet pop isn’t exactly my favorite music, the girl power image obviously is going to be a hit. Fortunately, the lyrics and image are as sweet as the sound.
The White Stripes / Icky Thump / MIf Hannah Montana isn’t exactly my kind of music (and it’s not!), the White Stripes sure are! Jack White is one of the most inventive musicians of our time, and the new disc is no let down. The title track, Icky Thump, is (I think) about a guy who crosses the border to get drunk one night. Ok, so not the best topic; but there are no bad words, and the lyrics are so cryptic that this is not a stand out reject. I couldn’t find anything on the rest of the disc even this bad. Mostly the Stripes sing about broken relationships and the desire to find love. They do it creatively, cryptically, and cleanly.
Muse / Starlight / M Warning, this is not your typical band! Muse is a great euro-pop band from England. They are very creative showmen. If you ever get a chance to see them live, It’ll be one of the best concerts you’ve ever been to. They sing about everything from science fiction to war and freedom. These are not the most well worn topics, which keeps their music fresh and interesting.
Alexisonfire / This Could Be Anywhere In The World / X That’s not a typo, the band’s name doesn’t have any spaces. It’s pronounced “Alexis on fire”, not “Alex is on fire”. Now that we have that straightened out . . . It’s pretty dark alternative rock with melodic guitars, crooning vocals, and an angry guy shouting. The band sounds a lot like Linkin Park. The song is about death and ghosts. This is consistent with much of the band’s material. Imagery of death and blood pepper the band’s songs. The good news is that I’ve heard much worse from goth alternative bands. This one is pretty tame.
Big Daddy Weave / Every Time I Breathe / ++ I don’t really know what this band’s name means either! I do know that they are a Christian band with a growing following. They play straight ahead rock with a pop feel to it, just a little harder than Mercy Me. They might please a Plain White T’s fan if they had a hipper image. Still, the music is cool, and the lyrics are all great. |