Liz Phair's 'Funstyle': Interesting, even to hate

And the conversation went something like this:

OMG LIZ PHAIR POSTED A NEW ALBUM ON HER WEBSITE.

I heard it's terrible.

You can download it for $5.99.

It's terrible, It's all over Twitter and you should read the comments on Jezebel! I hear she raps on the song that's streaming on her website.

It's her first new album in five years. Yeah, that "Bollywood" song definitely grates a bit on first listen -- is she making fun of M.I.A.? (Or maybe she's sending the younger critical it-girl a warning about what happens after you've been branded a sell-out,) But that's just one track. The album has 11.

I'm sure it's terrible. I hate Liz Phair! She made me fall in love with her when I was a kid, and then she turned out to be nothing like what I wanted her to be!  Hey, somebody on the Internet said the best line is about her throwing up and the second best one rhyme's "genius" with "peen-yus." She is SO dumb.

I think I'll go take a walk and listen to it.

Tell me how it is. It's going to be terrible.

Sigh......

Hating Liz Phair is fun, almost as fun as turning the pop-fashion tide away from M.I.A. by doubting her motives behind having a child with a wealthy man, or dissecting the ways Sarah McLachlan was stupid in her attempts to revive the Lilith Fair. This rough summer for feminist pop musicians doesn't strictly reflect sexism; often, women are the most vocal in expressing wrath toward role models who suddenly seem all too human. For Phair, who enjoyed a modest revival when ATO Records reissued her groundbreaking debut album, "Exile in Guyville," in 2008, being the object of others' effervescent scorn has become old hat: every album she made after that one sent more of her fans into attack mode. The fact she called this new one "Funstyle" -- as well as some of the music included in the package -- indicates that she now means to make this hating game her own.

It's a little sad that Phair has grown so defensive that she's included not one, but three joke songs in which she depicts herself as exactly the kind of desperate would-be Hollywood A-lister her former devotees fear she's become. (There's a fourth that makes fun of self-help gurus and the Starbucks-haunting moms who love them.) Dan Weiss at the Village Voice music blog mentions Frank Zappa in reference to these cuts, and he's right, though I hear more Laurie Anderson: the voice manipulation, the self-parodic white-girl funkiness, and, most of all, the lovingly self-mocking superego that floats over all of it suggests that Phair, like Anderson, knows she's part of the very systems she mocks.

I thought of another longtime master of satire while listening to Phair's funny stuff: Dr. Demento, the great radio clown who recently ended his long run on the airwaves. Her broad, homemade humor attains a kind of warmth that counteracts the bitterness beneath it.Her earthiness, always one of her best qualities, shines through on these tracks. Yes, they're unexpected, but they're totally accessible.

Snap Judgment: The Arcade Fire's 'The Suburbs' and 'Month of May' hint at something bigger

The Arcade Fire's 2004 debut "Funeral" careened the band out of Canada's then-burgeoning indie scene with an orchestral-pop grandeur. On record, the songs were ornate, and hinted at the near relentless instrument-swapping theatricality that has marked the act's live shows.

A follow-up, 2007's "Neon Bible," took a turn for the somber, dialing down some of the act's momentum. While there were stand-out moments, such as the hymn-like "Intervention," a slow-building anthem driven by church organs, the act's skepticism toward big ideas such as faith, consumerism and suburbia weren't always matched with the requisite drama.

An early peek at the band's third album, "The Suburbs," which won't be released until Aug. 3, may on first listen present an image of a band that's taking a more inward focus. "Gonna make a record in the month of May," singer Win Butler snarls in the opening moments of "Month of May," one of two new tracks the band officially unveiled on its Web site today. It's loud, fast and shockingly direct, built around a punk rock beat and tersely fuzzed-up guitars. Butler sounds a bit like Neil Young, and the riffs come off like a nod to early Queens of the Stone Age.

Yet for a band that hasn't yet shied away from tackling weighty issues, is one to be a little underwhelmed that the Arcade Fire now appear to be singing about rock 'n' roll? Pair it, however, with "The Suburbs," the album's title track that was made available for purchase today, and a bigger vision starts to take shape.

Britney Spears' '3': Odd lyrics, but a production seduction

The latest addition to the Britney Spears empire was unveiled this morning: a new cut in "3" that hit on all the hallmarks that have made the Britney brand strong for much of the last decade. Swedish producer Max Martin was behind the boards, the man who helped Britney craft such synthy-dance hits as "...Baby One More Time" and, more recently, "If U Seek Amy."

And the message? The song stays close to the Spears playbook of sex and more sex, deflecting all attention away from her  myriad controversies to put the focus squarely on the come-on. "Living in sin is the new thing," Spears coos in the lyrics, but the topic is old news for her.

The song is slick, but it's cold, and therefore in line with Spears' recent trek around the globe. Her Circus comeback tour was an elaborate stage get-up, one to prove that the franchise is alive and well, if alive and well is judged solely by dollar signs. Gymnasts, magicians and clowns put on a massively designed three-ring show, all while Spears shredded one glitter-soaked midriff-exposing outfit for another.

Yet there was little attachment to the song, zero interaction with the audience, and skin stood in for emotion -- or even talent. Like "Blackout" and "Circus," "3" is a study in production; give Spears' team credit for  elevating the song above typical dance products.

Snap Judgment: Paramore's 'Ignorance'

I'm already on record as being pretty excited for Paramore's "brand new eyes," the capitalization-challenged new album from the Tennessee quintet. My first pass at hearing a draft of the first single,  "Ignorance," in producer Rob Cavallo's house a few months ago revealed the foundation of a whiplash emo single from a time (the '90s) when the word meant something more than misogynist caterwauling. The finished product, which hit the interwebs today, has hints of Sunny Day Real Estate's washed-out but insistent guitars, the breakneck rhythms of D.C. vets Q and Not U and an ambitiously brooding backing harmony arrangement from singer Hayley Williams.

Snap Judgment: Bob Dylan's 'Together Through Life'

Bob Dylan can do whatever the bejeezus he wants. He's made more albums than America has had presidents, he's transformed rock in the process, and in his later years he's almost singlehandedly sustained the fashion relevance of the bolo tie. No one should object if the old man just wants to go out to the woodshed and play some blues.

Longtime fans and neophytes will all probably be grateful for the economical punch provided by "Together Through Life," the bard's new studio effort, to be released without further ado April 28. Overtaken by a gush of inspiration after penning "Life Is Hard," a Django Reinhardt-kissed meditation on loneliness, for the upcoming Olivier Dahan film "My Own Love Song," Dylan wrote this bunch of fairly direct and visceral tunes. He enlisted some buddies -- an interview with scribe Bill Flanagan on Dylan's website mentions Tom Petty's longtime guitarist Mike Campbell and Los Lobos cofounder David Hidalgo -- and hit on a sound that returns to -- and refreshes -- the roots of rock and roll.

I was lucky enough to attend a listening session Thursday night, where I sat on a comfy sofa in front of a good sound system and scribbled down some notes on the 10-song set. I got one listen. Here's a quick response.

Snap judgment: Green Day's '21st Century Breakdown'

Who: Green Day

What: The title track from the act's forthcoming album, "21st Century Breakdown," due in May.

The hype: Trinkets on the new album have been doled out to the media via reports in Rolling Stone and Billboard, both of which have compared "21st Century Breakdown" to works by the Who. It's a mini-suite, believed to open the forthcoming disc, and perhaps foreshadow Green Day's most ambitious album to date.

But slow down, as "21 Century Breakdown" (the album) is the follow-up to Green Day's 2004 epic "American Idiot," a record that saw Green Day reacting to the midpoint of the Bush years with newfound ferocity and social awareness, jettisoning the tepid, Kinks-inspired mid-tempo pop of 2000's "Warning." It put Green Day back on the map. It wasn't just a return to some melodically consistent punk rock, which was used largely as a jumping off point to explore new textures, but proved Green Day was ready -- and more than able -- to tackle big issues (see "Holiday," which frighteningly foreshadowed a remainder of a decade that would be marked by war and homophobia, complete with a militant breakdown and a rhythm that only hinted at the anger in the lyrics).

The song: It doesn't appear to have been officially released yet, having appeared on Stereogum late on   Monday and then gone by midnight. The quality also isn't that great, even for a tune slapped on YouTube, but it's enough to give a taste of the song. It doesn't feel like a first single -- more like a mood setter for a concept album or a potential rock opera. But if it lacks an initial hook, it's still a daring, challenging song. As first signs go -- emphasis on first -- Green Day at least appears ready to handle the difficult task of following up "American Idiot."

Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb:' Yes, be excited.

Our friends at our sister blogs have staged extensive countdowns to "Twilight" and "Dollhouse." Maybe Pop & Hiss should start one for the coming "Hannah Montana" movie?

OK, we're not going to carry through on that threat, but "The Climb," the initial song/video released from the film, warrants that the April 10 flick at least be on our radar. Conveniently timed, as the young star has been in apology mode for making what she deemed were "goofy faces," the song comes equipped with some lyrical admissions of guilt. "Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose," sings the young Billy Ray, tapping into some full-on Nashville earnestness.

Our friends at Idolator have tagged the song "goopy," but as far as orchestra-enhanced sappiness goes, "The Climb," to paraphrase the tune, is at the top of the mountain. It might just be some pre-Valentine's Day gooeyness round these parts, but "The Climb" is the rare Miley ballad that's on par with some of her more spunky teen pop.

Her raspy voice brings a bit of country grit to the squeaky-clean piano notes -- this isn't about reflection, it's about determination. And just as the pretty acoustics seem ready to bury the song in cheese, a sudden, spiky burst of violins (or synths that sound like violins) swoops in right before the 3-minute mark, turning a slow dance into an arm raiser.

Granted, Miley sings about "taking chances," and the song takes none. But it's also a tune built for a massive crowd sing-along with a free iPhone app, and we should expect no less for our best teen pop stars.   

The video, however, is another matter. It's better than the last-minute feel of "7 Things," and it's nice to see Miley sportin' a guitar as one of her accessories, but it also looks a bit like Miley has stepped into a Thomas Kinkade painting. And those weird dance twitches she does make it look like Miley is grooving to a different tune than her own.

Ah well, the clip has lots of horses, and I've been told that stallions are big with the kids these days.

-- Todd Martens

Snap Judgment: U2's new single, 'Get on Your Boots'

Bono and his band of merry men are not ones to miss a window of hope. And so on the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration -- just hours after the Irish rock ambassadors entertained the president-elect with their MLK Day anthem and their unofficial post-9/11 elegy at the Lincoln Memorial -- U2 unveiled a new single. Way to claim your spot on the "Yes, We Can" caravan, boys!

"Get on Your Boots" is a first taste from the band's new long-player, "No Line on the Horizon," which hits the global marketplace Feb. 15. Hear "Get on Your Boots" and read details about the album here. (Most exciting tidbit: The digipak edition will include a film "companion to the album" by Anton Corbjin.)

Initial thoughts on the band's newest inspirational booty-shaker after the jump.

Snap Judgment: Four New Prince Songs on Indie 103.1

Decades before Radiohead or Trent Reznor became the rebel darlings of a new media age, Prince was raising a well-manicured middle finger toward anyone who'd tell him how to be a pop star. It was 1984 when "Purple Rain" forced the world to remember that "black music" and "rock" are not contradictory terms, and as he's moved through various phases, he's never given up on that mission. So it's not surprising that today he debuted four new songs on the Steve Jones-helmed "Jonesy's Jukebox" on Indie 103.1 -- a rock show, and the closest thing to anarchy on commercial radio today.

Prince wasn't there to play the songs; he'd handed them over in CD form to the station's music director, Mark Sovel (a.k.a. "Mr. Shovel"), after playing them for Sovel on the "club-level" sound system in his mansion's basement home entertainment center. Sovel was, unsurprisingly, enthusiastic, and so his Purpleness agreed to let him take the songs to Jonesy. 

On air, Sovel told Jones that Prince hadn't yet decided how to release the music: "He actually wants nothing to do with record labels," he said. "He's meeting with people, trying to figure out what to do." Sovel said he'd heard about an album's worth of material. Partnering with Indie 103.1 seemed like a logical first step, he added, because the material was "really heavy guitar." After playing Coachella and covering the Foo Fighters during his Super Bowl halftime show, "he's reaching out to the rock audience."

So how rocking was the new material? Beyond such generic judgment calls, was it great?

A track-by-track assessment is after the jump.

Snap Judgment: the Prodigy's 'Invaders Must Die'

 

Just downloaded the Prodigy’s “Invaders Must Die,” the title track from the band's forthcoming fifth full-length, made available today as a freebie on the Grammy-nominated trio’s website. While I’ve listened to the track only a few times now, I’ve got to say I’m a little underwhelmed. You can check out the song -- which isn't officially a single, reps say -- for yourself here.

There has never been a better time for the Prodigy to reclaim their old-school techno throne. Aggressive-sounding dance music is once again in favor, thanks to electro artists such as Justice, who have made more inroads with American rock music fans this past year than any other outfit. But with "Invaders Must Die," the Prodigy don't reach the high bar they set for themselves with their stellar back catalog of hits such as “Firestarter,” “Jericho,” “Breathe,” "Fire," “Charly,” “Smack My Bitch Up,” "Poison" and others.