Pop star Mariah Carey unveiled today her new single and the science-friendly title of her new album, "E=MC2," due April 15. The title alone already does Janet Jackson one better. The latter went all sci-fi with her latest video, "Feedback," but Mariah is cutting out the B-movie trappings and going straight to the equation.
So is Mariah unveiling her inner Albert Einstein with the title? Or is she leaking the formula that goes into crafting a mega-hit?
E = extreme, acrobatic-like wailing.
M = multimillion-dollar production team. (Billboard.com writes that the A-list lineup cooking with Mariah in the M lab includes Jermaine Dupri, will.i.am, Stargate and Bryan Michael Cox, among others.)
C2 = Club songs multiplied by colossal ballads.
All right, so the title is certainly a not-so-subtle nod to her top-selling 2005 album, "The Emancipation of Mimi." The first single, "Touch My Body," hit radio today. It was produced by C "Tricky" Stewart and The Dream, the pair who worked on Rihanna's Grammy-winning "Umbrella."
So how is it? "Touch My Body" rides a relatively restrained slow-dance groove, with some light, orchestral-synth flourishes thrown in. The rhythm is almost completely carried by an effortless keyboard bump, the easygoing repetitiveness of which eventually wears the listener down, and sets up a delicate frame for Carey to sing around.
She pulls back when the song picks up the pace, and Carey keeps it simple here, playing with tempos rather than range. Indeed, she almost quietly slides into the chorus. "If you run around and brag about this secret rendezvous, I will hunt you down," she sings, letting the last line trail off. But you don't necessarily believe her, as the feel is more playful that sinful.
The song will be getting the full blockbuster treatment, as "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner shot the video for the cut. Go here to listen.
It's been rumored for months that Led Zeppelinwould play Bonnaroo, so when the Associated Press reported late last night that the band was reuniting for the multiday Tennessee festival, it wasn't a total shock.
Except, well, they weren't playing.
Instead, it was Lez Zeppelin, an all-girl tribute band to the English rockers.
They're pictured above, in a photo lifted from the act's MySpace page. Led Zep vocalist Robert Plant is indeed on the Bonnaroo bill, performing with Alison Krauss, so Zep fans excited by last night's erroneous news may not have to face a total letdown today.
And who knows, maybe the good cheer from the fest will inspire Plant to invite the lady rockers on stage. And, Zeppelin fans, think of all the money saved on airfare, hotels and scalped tickets.
To be fair, the Bonnaroo press release provided little detail on the band, stating only that "Lez Zeppelin" is confirmed.
As for the Bonnaroo lineup, headliners include Pearl Jam, Kanye West, Jack Johnson, Metallica and Phil Lesh and Friends, among many, many others. But I've already gotten my feelings toward summer fests off my chest over here.
It won't be until Feb. 10, 2008, that the Grammy Awards will allow us to officially say goodbye to the music of 2007, at least albums released during the eligibility period. Sorry Radiohead and Alicia Keys -- records issued in November and December of 2007 will have to wait until 2009 for their Grammy.
But for music fans, the last two months of any year are usually not the most exciting of times as releases slim down and each week is graced solely with one or two blockbuster artists. That will soon change with the coming of January, when independent and smaller artists who would get lost in the holiday shuffle will release their albums.
So as everyone overdoses on year-end lists, here's a brief look into the immediate future. The following are some January albums worth keeping an eye on. And there's plenty more where this came from, so stay tuned.
1. Magnetic Fields "Distortion" (Nonesuch). Jan. 15. By all accounts, this album comes as advertised, with all of its instrumentation wrapped in a winter-time buzz just short of feedback. From the few songs sampled, "Distortion" sees the Stephin Merritt-led group creating a sort of icy Wall of Sound, lacing what would have been lovely, '60s-inspired pop songs with darker intentions.
2. Black Mountain "In the Future" (Jagjaguwar). Jan. 22. Taking the hazy tip to more Black Sabbath proportions, the stoner, psychedelic hard rock of Black Mountain has been elevated to something a bit more epic on its second album. Check "Tyrants," with its confidently relaxed build, spooked guitar tones and standing-from-the-mountaintop vocals.
3.Times New Viking "Rip It Off" (Matador). Jan. 22. Look for plenty of hype to accompany the Matador debut from these scratchy, loud and sometimes abrasive Midwestern punky power-pop trio. Recklessness is the name of the game here, but like the Replacements, there's plenty of melody that comes to light as scrappy keyboard and guitar parts go at one another. Matador has made a song available for streaming here.
4. Cat Power "Jukebox" (Matador). Jan. 22. With her last album, "The Greatest," Cat Power went from being a celebrated underground vocalist to one who can control a room. Her sly use of Memphis soul gave her newfound swing and conviction. So while "Jukebox" isn't an album of new originals, this collection of covers, from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Bob Dylan songs, is worth a listen to see how the artist continues to develop as a singer.
5. Sons & Daughters "This Gift" (Domino) Jan. 29. A personal favorite, Sons & Daughters (pictured) has largely been overlooked in the States by more hyped labelmates Franz Ferdinand and the Arctic Monkeys. Hopefully "This Gift" will change that, as the Scottish foursome takes sleek U.K. rock and dashingly dresses it up with American Western influences. Preview plenty of songs from "This Gift" on the band's MySpace page.
As the music industry slogs into 2008, the record labels will be without one of their most famous and recognizable moguls. Rapper/entrepreneur Jay-Z has opted not to renew his contract as president of Def Jam Records. He will, however, continue to record for Roc-A-Fella, which released his popular companion to the film "American Gangster" earlier this year.
Don't, however, bet on Jay-Z staying out of the business side of the music industry for long.
His exit from Def Jam has been rumored for months. Many have predicted he would join Rick Rubin at Columbia Records. And in a recent interview with Billboard's Gail Mitchell, he hinted at developing a new label outside of the Universal Music Group system.
Said Jay-Z: "It's really about trying to invest in the future, trying to invest in maybe coming up with a new model. Because going in hard making records with artists and throwing those records into a system that's flawed is not exciting for me. It's not the music; people ingest music the same way. It's just that the model of selling CDs has changed. So doing things the typical way is not in the best interests of anyone and not exciting for me. My whole thing is, how do we invest in the future? If everyone is committed to doing that, then I'm sure there's a deal to be made."
Elsewhere in the piece, Jay-Z spoke fondly of Radiohead's pay-what-you-want model, and took a skeptical view on 360-deals, which see a label investing in all aspects of an artist's career.
The holiday season can always be counted upon for some overwrought, heart-string-pulling flicks -- “A Beautiful Mind,” “We Are Marshall,” “Pursuit of Happyness,” and the list goes on.
This year is no different, and two of them, “Grace is Gone” and “The Bucket List,” have employed two superstar musicians to hammer home their film's messages.
Today we size up Sheryl Crow vs. John Mayer in the battle for the holiday movie season’s most emotionally obvious tune.
First up:
Sheryl Crow's "Lullaby for Wyatt," from emotional tear-jerker "Grace is Gone." There's something clearly important going on here, as evidenced by the the minimally shot video, the distant yet soft violin strings and funeral-ready melody. Watch:
Snap judgment: The delicate melody is easy on the ears, and the acoustic strumming is mournfully inoffensive. The singing is just short of over-the-top, but it's still striving for that I'm-singing-to-stop-from-crying feel. Crow doesn't have much to offer lyrically in this song -- the main refrain: "love is letting go" -- but a sort of universal sadness is the goal here, anyway.
Next up:
John Mayer is your guy for a heartwarming film about the terminally ill. Mayer is adept like few others at being the pop music equivalent of a Hallmark card. Look at the pretty mountains:
Snap judgment: Slick acoustics and hard-to-argue with pronouncements are Mayer's stock-in-trade. For fans, he likely delivers here, declaring, "better to say too much than to never say what you need to say," a statement that actually says nothing but manages to sound deep. It's gooey, sing-songy earnestness.
Winner (in terms of the better song): Crow's "Lullaby for Wyatt."
Winner (in terms of the Holiday's most emotionally obvious tune): Mayer's "Say"
Both are simple and emotionally manipulative, but Mayer hams it up. "Say" is bigger and warmer than "Wyatt," and it hits the listener like an after-school special.
The Grammys had its say a couple of weeks ago, and before this site becomes overloaded with Grammy prediction and analysis, it's time for every music fan and critic to chime in on the year's best albums.
The Recording Academy did not have a vote in this list, but it's worth nothing that there is one album of the year nod in my Top 20. However, a total of 10 Grammy-nominated artists are listed below.
1. Tim Fite, “Over the Counter Culture” (www.timfite.com) Fite comes off as a folksy activist masquerading as a hip-hop artist, and delivered the working man’s reaction to an increasingly confusing political and cultural climate.
2. Mavis Staples, “We’ll Never Turn Back” (Anti-) Staples’ faith never wavers, but the singer (pictured) paints a striking picture of the present by finding inspiration in the freedom songs of the ‘60s.
3. M.I.A. “Kala” (Interscope) A dance/hip-hop record that skips from continent to continent, creating an intense exploration of sound.
4. Kanye West, “Graduation” Even as he consistently challenges himself with unexpected beats, it’s West’s storytelling that makes the lasting impression.
5. LCD Soundsystem, ”Sound of Silver” (DFA/Capitol) Producer/DJ James Murphy opens his heart with a bit of punk, a whole lot of disco, and a dose of sarcasm.
6. Spoon, “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” (Merge) Ten irresistible rock ’n’ soul tunes, each deserving to be a hit.
7. Radiohead, “In Rainbows” (www.inrainbows.com) From a pure cultural standpoint, it was arguably the year’s most important album. Musically, Radiohead toned down the weirdness, and created a warmer, more personal album, and its best since 1997’s “OK Computer.”
8. Bettye LaVette, “The Scene of the Crime” (Anti-) With the Drive-By Truckers at her side, LaVette traffics in the kind of dive-bar soul that could make one hope sunrise never comes.
9. Ben Weasel & His Iron String Quartet, “These Ones are Bitter” (Mendoto Recording Co.) An absolute master at crafting a melody, Weasel created a punk rock breakup record from the point-of-view of someone who’s had a few too many breakups.
10. Miranda Lambert, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (Columbia) “The good ones all got wedding rings, and the young ones are just too dumb.” Lambert offers plenty of such pint-raising lyrical hooks throughout her sophomore album, one that sees this scorcher of a singer coming-of-age with a love-hate relationship with rural America.
11. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand’ (Rounder) Two of the music community’s greatest voices come together for a downright haunting country effort.
12. El-P, “I’ll Sleep When You're Dead” (Definitive Jux) A fascinating yet disturbing vision of the near future –- a sci-fi-infused hip-hop record that plays out like an answer to last year’s film, “Children of Men.”
13. Modest Mouse, “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” (Epic) An even stronger record than the band’s breakthrough, 2004’s “Good News for People Who Love Bad News,” with its grand rock ’n’ roll arrangements alternating between the demented and beautiful.
14. Tori Amos, “American Doll Posse” (Epic) The pianist turns in the liveliest, most ambitious record of her career, its expansive 23 songs a worthwhile journey through musical styles and personas.
15. Jay-Z, “American Gangster” (Roc-A-Fella) An absolutely astounding achievement in terms of production, and Jay-Z returns to form by toning down the boasting and just telling stories.
16. Qui, “Loves Miracle” (Ipecac) A hardcore noise band learning that guitar experimentation isn’t everything, and finding some lovely melodies in one of the most unexpected of places: the vocals of former Jesus Lizard singer David Yow.
17. White Stripes, “Icky Thump” (Warner Bros.) Forever rooted in classic rock and blues, the White Stripes specializes in making the old sound completely new, and it’s never sounded as fresh as it does here.
18. Battles, “Mirrored” (Warp) A prog band for the digital age, where mixes of guitars and keyboards sound locked in improvisation with a host of laptops -- and the most curious vocals recorded this year.
19. The Shins, “Wincing the Night Away” (Sub Pop) A sly guitar-pop record that slowly reveals its secrets -- and one that is filled with tension and weirdness just below its seemingly pretty surface.
20. The Besnard Lakes, “The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse,” (Jagjaguwar) Transfixing harmonies and the smashing vocal work of Jace Lasek drift through a haze created by three guitarists, as the Besnard Lakes bring a slightly trippy approach to classic guitar rock.
Five more: Fall Out Boy’s “Infinity On High,” Wilco’s “Sky Blue Sky,” the Mekons’ “Natural,” Common’s “Finding Forever” and Art Brut’s “It’s a Bit Complicated.”
Amid the flurry of the Golden Globes and the Mitchell Report, it was easy to overlook that today was the day inductees were to be announced for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a $22 tourist attraction in Cleveland.
This year's inductees:
-Madonna -John Mellencamp -The Ventures -Leonard Cohen -The Dave Clark Five
I've never really seen the Rock Hall as striving to honor music forebears.
The induction ceremony will come March 10 at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. Hey -- you expect the music biz to be troubled to go to the Midwest in the winter? Dinner will cost guests more than $2,000 a plate, and entertaining the diners is priority No. 1.
So you mix in some hard-to-argue-with past-due choices (Dave Clark Five), and add in one of today's top entertainers (Madonna), and industry suits can politely raise a glass of wine in the name of rebellion.
Madonna is the most-deserving of the bunch, an artist who rewrote what it meant to be a pop star. This year's most puzzling choice, however, is Mellencamp.
Ken Barnes over at USA Today argues that Mellencamp was an overdue no-brainer, since Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen are already in, but I would take the opposite point of view and argue that since two like-minded and superior artists are already in, there's no need to rush in Mellencamp.
Cohen is another nice but not essential artist to usher in, especially when disco leaders Chic and hip-hop pioneers the Beastie Boys were on the ballot. As for the Beasties, the Rock Hall is criminally short on hip-hop artists, as most are just now becoming eligible, and it makes no sense to ignore one of the genre's defining artists over a heartland rocker and a singer/songwriter.
But Van Halen got in last year over the Stooges, so such slights are expected. And besides, Cohen is probably a better dinner guest than the Beastie Boys' MCA.
