The Music 5 & 1 11.28.11: The S**t Radiohead Edition
Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 11.28.2011
Beyonce takes on Roselyn Sanchez in Vs, Jennifer Lopez hooks up with Marc Anthony while her boyfriend has a lead foot, Courtney Love pimps Nirvana's music again, Pulp's frontman talks about Amy Winehouse's death, Colplay calls themselves a bad Radiohead, Zooey Deschanel is your "& 1" Model of the Week and more!
STUFF I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
I would love to talk about a ton of stuff this week, but I was part of the Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta Weekend over the last few days and thus...well, I played enough that I frankly don't have a lot to say. I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving (or a happy Thursday if you're not in the US) and let's get onto the G&G!
Roselyn Sanchez continued her winning ways, scoring a big win over Kelly Rowland by a 73 - 32 vote! She's halfway through her path to the Hall but it's not over yet, and this week she takes on Kelly's ex-bandmate in the Queen of R&B, Beyonce! Can Roselyn make it past her third opponent to the Hall or will Beyonce cut her journey short? Vote below!
Roselyn Sanchez Vs Beyonce
VOTE BELOW!
If there are any future participants that you would like to see in Vs, let me know either in the comments section or by email!
TWITTER BREAK!
Twitter is a powerful thing! Make sure you're following all the comings and goings around 411mania in 140 characters or less.
Being a Music Zone, you would think that we have a lot of people who love to talk about music. You would not be wrong. As such, when an album comes out that we have something to say about, we just can't help ourselves. We call that the Review Section…not the most original name, but it gets the point across! Anyway, the review section is a great place to find new music as we cover all sorts of genres and styles, from mainstream artists to lesser known acts. Here's an overview of our latest reviews.
Mac Miller - Blue Slide Park(6.0) "Mac Miller released his debut album, which was mostly a disappointment. Surprisingly the album is not all about teenage partying, and tries to be more serious. The album would have been much better had Miller stuck to what he does best, and that is create party tracks and having fun with his music.The end result is somewhat of a mess of an album that has decent production but is limited by Millers lyrical ability." - Bill Wannop
Drake - Take Care(7.0) "Drake was given full control of his latest album and the result was a big disappointment. The greater focus on the singing and R&B and less focus on the rapping make the album a much slower, and overly emotional release. Although some ladies might like the super slow songs, most fans based off his radio hits and first single will find this album to be disappointing." - Bill Wannop
Yelawolf - Radioactive(7.5) "Yelawolf created an album that truly has a mixture of everything. Long-time fans will likely gravitate to the first half of the album, where Yelawolf seems more familiar providing similar tracks to those in the past, while the latter half of the album is more geared towards pop radio. While some of the tracks are disappointments (Throw It Up) and others just don't work (Slumerican Shitizen), Yelawolf kept enough of his signature sound to garner a successful debut." - Bill Wannop
M.O.P. & Snowgoons - Sparta(8.5) "M.O.P. make a triumphant return to the raw, gritty hip hop that they are loved for. With great production from the Snowgoons, mixed with the hardcore lyrics from M.O.P. the album moves along at a quick pace and has you wishing there were more then 10 tracks. Whether you are an old school fan of the Mash Out Posse or someone who is just listening to them for the first time you will be equally impressed with this album." - Bill Wannop
Lady Gaga - A Very Gaga Holiday EP(6.5) "In just four songs, Gaga aims for numerous things. She wants a home-for-the-holidays feeling, a classic vocal pop record, and a unique rapport with her loyal Little Monsters. It could also feasibly be a Gaga record for people who don't really take heed to her usual style. Or it would be had it not been for her own personal traits and excesses that still manage to permeate the EP (still laughing that she stopped a song to tell a story about cookies). Worth hearing if you like that old style, or if you long to have a taste of Gaga without the beats and craziness. For the most part, though, it's for fans, even if this is all still pretty good music. Here's hoping she tries this style again one day." - Wyatt E.
MUSIC VIDEO A-GO-GO
If you've never treated yourself to watching a Literal Video Version of your favorite music videos, you're missing out. It's a meme that has spread across YouTube where the original song is parodied in a way that...well, makes the video entirely literal. The most well-known is for Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"; check it out below for a good chuckle.
CRAZY GALLAGHER QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I don't know where you've seen a story that's doing the rounds about me being offered the job of penning the tune for the new James Bond film? Apparently I'm being courted by '007 bosses!' A meeting 'will be taking place in the next few days'. With some guy called [film producer] "Michael G. Wilson" (whoever he is)! A 'source' says, 'Nothing has been signed or made official'! Of course it fuckin' hasn't! Who is this fucking source? Has he been on the sauce'? Bizarre indeed."
- Noel denies that he's recording the song for Skyfall. A simple "No" would have sufficed.
BUBBLING UNDER You know what time it is, folks...these are the stories that I found worth touching on but didn't quite make the Top Five and thus become little bites of snark as opposed to a full course of it.
Miley Cyrus Comes Clean About Not Being Clean
Well, kind of anyway. During her birthday party last week, Miley Cyrus was presented with a cake featuring Bob Marley on it. When she took the mic she said, "You know you're a stoner when friends make you a Bob Marley cake. You know you smoke way too much fuckin' weed." Immediately people began freaking out over it, causing Kelly Osbourne--who tried to cover during the party by audibly saying, "I thought salvia was your problem."--to hop onto Twitter and blast people who were assuming it was anything other than a joke. Personally, I don't think the surprising thing is an admission from Miley that she smokes out (and really, big deal anyway); I think the surprising revelation is that she made it from eighteen to nineteen without a sex tape or even a nipple slip photo. Way to go, Miley!
Oh come on, you know you were all expecting one of the two
to have happened by now.
Diddy is Sticking With Diddy
I guess third time's the charm for Sean Combs. Well, fourth if you count his birth name, but I digress. Rumors have been going around the launch party for that book Culo about celebrity butts that the mogul was changing his professional name from Diddy back to Puff Daddy. Apparently the people who made up those rumors have way too much time on their hands and couldn't think of anything for someone more relevant. Diddy denied the rumors, with his rep calling them "completely untrue." I'll admit, you have to hand it to a guy who's confident enough to have a name that brings to mind masturbation slang.
"It means WHAT? Screw that, I'm Puffy again."
Nickelback No More 1.0 Hits the Web
I don't have a whole lot against Nickelback. I'm sure as hell not going to call them a good band, but I don't hate their work either; they make listenable and safe mainstream crap rock that plays well in the background and come out with a good hit every now and then. But even I had to chuckle at the ingenuity of this one. Aux.tv is hosting a new browser plugin, available for both Firefox and Google Chrome, that eliminates all traces of the band from web pages. "Once installed, NICKELBLOCK will eliminate all mention of Alberta's finest swamp heshers from your web browser. That's it. You'll never read about Nickelback again." If I were these guys, I would make a customizable one that allows you to block other artists you might not want to read about. I'd be more than happy to never have to read about Yoko Ono or Taylor Momsen again.
Come on...careers in both acting and music and you can't afford pants?
Time to give it up.
T.I. Tells Gays To Chill Out
Just to be clear before we get into the joking portion, I agree with this to a certain degree, though I think that there is a line and it does get crossed by some people. T.I. recently spoke with Vibe magazine and while voicing his support for gay rights said that the gay community is much too sensitive and can't take a joke. The rapper referenced Tracy Morgan's stand-up incident earlier this year and said, "They're like,‘If you have an opinion against us, we're gonna shut you down.' ... That's not American. If you're gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you're against it you should have the right to be against it in peace." Then someone who was not full-blooded African-American dropped the N-word in a joke and T.I. threatened to skin him alive and wear his pelvis as a hat if he didn't make a public apology and take racial sensitivity courses.
"That's totally different, yo. Because it's about me."
It's time to crank this mother up to 11 as we take a look at some random stuff from the last week and one smoking hottie.
*****
Jennifer Lopez Juggling Ex-Husband and a Drag Racer?
Jennifer Lopez's relationship status has been the subject of a fair amount of media discussion over the last six months. First we had her reputed "sex tape" (which was not actually a sex tape) that her ex Ojani Noa tried to release, which Lopez had blocked and then was conveniently stolen. During that whole mess we learned from Ojani that he and J-Lo supposedly participated in Santeria rituals. Then a month later she broke up with her husband Marc Anthony, the aftermath of which revealed that Marc was not a great guy to be married to. Miss Lopez then was reportedly dating Bradly Cooper for a short time until this month her new boyfriend, dancer Casper Smart, was revealed. I don't know about you guys, but that's a busy love life year from where I'm standing.
But we're not done yet. This week reports popped up that J-Lo and Anthony hooked up earlier this month. The two, who have maintained their business relationship, were in Puerto Rico earlier this month filming their competition reality show Q'Viva! The Chosen when they spent the night together. According to that infamous guy Anonymous Source, Marc picked Lopez at the airport and then just so happened to have stayed at her hotel room. "Marc never stayed in his hotel room," says the source.
Hey, a girl has needs, right?
Yes, a girl does have needs indeed. As we mentioned last week, Rihanna can speak to that. But one of J-Lo's anonymous friends also says this isn't going to be a one-time thing, as they consider it likely the two will hook up again when they return to the island for more shooting. "It's inevitable," the friend says. "Marc has this hold over her." The friend added that Lopez was on an "emotional roller coaster" during the split but that Casper doesn't have to worry about losing his bootylicious meal ticket as "They may sleep together, but they're over!"
Now, I'm certainly not one to try to lecture people on the morality of their relationship choices as a rule, but what the hell, let's do it anyway, shall we? I have two thoughts here. The first is that assuming this is true (big assumption), J-Lo really needs to take a step back and look at the situation. I'm not considering this an adultery situation as her relationship status with Casper is supposedly a casual one, which to me doesn't preclude the dating of other people. However, with everything that came out about Marc during the split--which included extreme jealousy, a controlling and domineering attitude, potential infidelity on Marc's part and other spurious allegations--using him as a booty call may not be the best for Jennifer's psyche. I realize the situation is a bit muddy with kids involved and their business ventures still in effect, but finding yourself in a different hotel bed than you intended is the quickest way to let yourself into bad habits, and that could be bad for her. The second thought I have is that this anonymous friend must be a true friend, to talk to a respected news source like Us Magazine and spill all of J-Lo's secrets.
Ah, shit. There went another Sarcasmatron.
But that isn't all that we learned about J-Lo's hook-ups this week. It also turns out that Casper has a problem or two his own...namely, a tendancy to make DMX look like a half-sleeping grandmother driving down the road on a Sunday afternoon. Casper has a host of charges against him stemming from an arrest in March for speeding over 100 miles an hour and participating in an illegal drag race. In court he was also hit with some old charges on his record, including driving without a valid license in 2004, 2006 and 2007, evading electronic toll charges in 2005 and exceeding speeds of sixty-five miles per hour in 2004 and 2005. In other words, dude's got a bit of a lead foot. Casper posted the $26,000 bail on the charges and pled no contest; he is set to appear in court on January 5th and must complete ten days of community service before then. If he is found guilty he could spend 90 days in jail and have to pay another fine of $500. Personally, if I were him I'd be careful. He may be dating a superstar but he isn't one himself and he could actually spend more than four hours in jail if he gets sentenced to the big 90 and while he's learning the thug life, J-Lo might decide "Hey, at least Marc never went to jail..." I'm just saying, if you end up in a situation like Casper is, you play as straight and narrow as you can lest karma come around and find a reason to even up your balance with the universe.
Getting with J-Lo in this life means that you're a dung beetle in the next life.
Fair warning.
Courtney Love Finds a New Way to Pimp Her Husband's Career
I'm not gonna lie...I tend to cringe every time I see Courtney Love's name anymore. Sure, part of that is because I might have to see the latest train wreck photos of her, but the main part is that I know that she's going to be doing something embarassingly classless. Whether she's ranting about how she'd nail Kurt Cobain and then kill him if he found a way to come back from the daed to asking the world why her daughter Frances Bean will have nothing to do with her (seriously Courtney, is that a trick question or something?), every time she opens her mouth something comes out that is either disgustingly crass, just flat-out insane or, of course, something that is a new way to make money off her husband's legacy. Take this week, for example, when she spontaneously and publicly offered Nirvana's songs to Simon Cowell for use on The X Factor. Courtney tweeted Simon with the offer, because apparently picking up the phone and contacting his people like a regular person was too much effort for her:
@SimonCowell you want some Nirvana songs? @JanetJealousy is from same town as Kurt? I have the perfect idea for that, call me babe.
Believe it or not, there are a few non-train wreck pics of Courtney still around.
Apparently the news came as quite a shock to Cowell and his fellow X Factor executives. Part of it was that it's usually a pain in the ass for them to get the rights to use iconic tracks on the show. I imagine another part went something like this: "How the bloody hell are we going to use Kurt Cobain's music on our show? Do we look like Rock Band: The Series?" I'm sure they'll try to figure it out though, and then promote the hell out of it so that they can try and get the grunge audience to tune in with the hope that they can be hooked into the American Idol clone.
Not that I blame them, mind. In fact, it would be nice to see these shows get a bit of rock in their repertoire. Usually you get a smattering of pseudo-rock or one performer who is a distinctly rock-oriented type among all the pop star wannabes and lasts until the semifinals period of the show; getting some licensing of something that is entirely not their typical fare is good. That being said...well, there's no other way to put it. I am a fan of Nirvana and I love Kurt's lyrics, but I don't see how the music would fit in with The X Factor or other singing competitions because there's not a lot of singing talent required with the band's stuff. Hell, I can sing Nirvana songs and I'm one of the worst singers I know. So unless they can figure out how to interpret the music similar to how Dia Frampton did Kanye West's "Heartless" on the first season of The Voice, I just don't see this as a good match.
But of course, I'm not writing this to complain about The X Factor. This is about our good friend here at the 5 & 1, Miss Love. Did Courtney run out of blow again? It seems like a couple times a year she pops up, finds a new and increasingly senseless way to make money off Cobain, says something crazy and then heads back into the ether. And by "into the ether" I don't mean she vanishes, I mean that she uses the money to buy ether and gets high as a kite. Seriously, who contacts a showrunner out of the blue and publicly over freakin' Twitter to proactively offer music that doesn't fit the show's style? Courtney Love, that's who.
To be honest, I wouldn't even care if it weren't for her increasingly schizophrenic attitude toward Cobain. Just two weeks ago, Courtney threw a fit and then walked off stage at a concert in Brazil when she saw a crowd member holding up a picture of Cobain, saying, "I don't need to see a picture of Kurt asshole and I'm going to have you fucking removed if you keep holding that up. I'm not Kurt, I have to live with his shit and his ghost and his kid every day and throwing that up is stupid and rude and I'm going to beat the fuck out of you if you do it again." Well gee, Courtney. First off all, great mom move there--no wonder Frances Bean won't have anything to do with you. And second of all, if you would stop treating Kurt's intellectual property as a stable of hookers for you to pimp out every time you're short on change to call your dealer, maybe people would stop reminding you of him. You know, just a thought.
"It's so unfair I have to be reminded of Kurt again and again...
so hey, who wants to buy the shotgun shell he used?"
Pulp's Frontman Speaks About Amy Winehouse and The Media
There are certain things I try to avoid talking about in the 5 & 1, because as I've said before I try to keep things fairly light, or at the very least things I don't feel skeevy joking about. That means that topics such everyone and their mother talking about Amy Winehouse's death have stayed off my radar because generally, I don't feel quite right making jokes about the recently-dead. I had to cover this one though, because I have to hand it to Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. While speaking with the Guardian and answering various questions posed to him, Cocker got on subject of the media and used Amy's death as an example of why he hates the tabloids.
"That atmosphere of fear that tabloids cause – and I experienced that a bit, back in the bad old days – it makes you not want to go out, and it makes you act more weirdly because it makes you more self-conscious, and it makes you want to get more off your head because you block it out," he said. "Amy Winehouse passed away this year and it was all 'drugs killed Amy Winehouse'. I think that the press killed Amy Winehouse as much as drugs did, because it sends people into that place where they've got no peace, and so they just try to escape. And sometimes you use drugs and drink to do that."
Now, I want to point out here that under no circumstance am I trying to say (or imply that Jarvis said) that Amy wasn't responsible for her own death. Obviously drugs and alcohol are not things that Amy had forced down her throat at all times, though if you believe the stories Blake Fielder-Civil did do it a time or two. People have lots of ways to deal with stress, mental anguish and the like, and she chose an exceptionally self-drestructive method that led to her own demise. The last thing that you'll ever do is catch me excusing Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Sid Vicious, Ol' Dirty Bastard or anyone else who died from drug abuse for their own part in their death, because ultimately as difficult as addiction is, it can be beaten and there is always the option not to pick up the pipe/bong/needle/bottle in the first place.
Sarah Conner said it best: "No fate but what we make."
That being said, Jarvis is pretty much right on here in pointing the finger at the media for exacerbating the situation and making it worse. Amy was obviously a troubled individual and as we all know, no one likes a troubled celebrity more than the paparazzi and tabloids. Now, I tend to think that celebrities do set themselves up for a certain level of attention. Part of why people try to become famous is for the cameras to be pointed their way and you have to expect that those cameras aren't going to look away when you find yourself fallen down drunkenly outside of the local pub; this isn't the 1960s anymore, after all. But there is a certain amount of media coverage that is acceptable, and then there are those levels that cross the line of taste into patently unacceptable. I place the coverage on Winehouse firmly in that latter category. Did it sometimes seem like the reporters were just hanging out within sight of her at all times waiting to report on any minor issue like it's the worst thing ever? That's because they generally were and with that being the case I can see Cocker's point about the media coverage contributing. When you literally have nowhere to go to get away from the often-judgmental eye of the media, it can certainly plunge you further than you ever intended to go into that bed of roses you made for yourself. Is Amy Winehouse responsible for her death? Absolutely. Should the tabloids take a look at how they covered it and maybe take a step back? Hell yes. Will they? Not a chance, sadly.
Yes, she has many train wreck phots. No, I won't use them.
Chris Martin Calls Coldplay "Shit Radiohead"
I've made comments about Coldplay in the Music 5 & 1 before, and while those comments tend to be a bit harsh toward their music I actually don't mind them at all. A Rush of Blood to the Head was a fantastic album that they have yet to top but they still have managed to come out with generally good, solid work since then. One thing I have to give them credit for is their relative lack of ego, particularly frontman Chris Martin. Martin has made comments about how they don't care if people view them as irrelevant and joked that marrying Gwyneth Paltrow was like winning the lottery; his music may well put you to sleep but you have to respect his frankness. And now you can add a new level of self-deprecating humor, as he recently compared the band to a bad version of Radiohead.
Does this mean she fantasizes about Thom Yorke while getting down?
The comment happened at an small show as part of Mencap's Little Noise Sessions in East London recently. The band was performing a small selection of their hits as well as their new single "Paradise" for the crowd and during the set, Chris made the comment. "We had to settle on being shit Radiohead," he said. "We're called that sometimes, you know." And you know what, I saw kudos to Martin for this one. You can choose not to like the band's work; I don't mind them as I said, but I'm never going to tell someone that their personal tastes don't matter or are wrong. But you have to respect a guy who has the confidence to crack a joke at his own expense. The band has taken a lot of flack in the years following their rise to fame including being known as the most sleep-inducing band of all-time and other such negative comments, and many other bands would handle this via defensive and insecure lashing out at the internet or critics. (Kings of Leon, I'm looking at you.) These guys on the other hand just roll with the punches, smile and shrug before returning back home to their piles of money and working on their next insomnia-fixing song. Sure, I can find my share of criticisms about some of their lesser pieces of music but I'm more than willing to give credit where credit is due, and that's warranted here. Hell, you have to believe they were ready to make fun of themselves the second they announced the album title of Mylo Xyloto, which may just be the second worst title ever after Fiona Apple's When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Gight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall it Won't Natter, Cause You'll Know That You're Right. Seriously, that was the point when Fiona went completely over the cliff with me.
"This world is bullshit! Um...Maya Angelou something...yeah, I'll just take this award then."
The Britney Spears Engagement Rumor Merry-Go-Round Continues
It seems like most weeks you can't throw a rock without hitting someone who is either saying that Jessica Simpson is pregnant, Ashton Kutcher is sleeping around or Britney Spears is getting engaged. With Jessica's baby finally officially on the way and Ashton breaking up with Demi Moore, that meant it was time for all eyes to turn on Miss Spears this week and new rumors have getting engaged in the very near future. A source close to the couple (again, one of those true friend types I'm sure) says that Jason Trawick has been doing some serious ring shopping and is close to putting down some serious cash on a rock for America's pop princess.
"He has been everywhere from Tiffany to Harry Winston looking for a ring and he is close to making his final decision," said the insider. "Don't expect anything too massive or obnoxious. This ring will be classy and under 4-carats."
If anyone knows classy, it's Britney.
Ah ha, but wait...not so fast. Following hot on the heels of this report hitting teh interubes was a denial. A rep for the couple told Gossip Cop that the rumors of an engagement were, quote-unquote, "wrong." Clearly the rep didn't want to mince her words, or she was in the middle of going on a KFC run for Britney and company. I really can't say that I'm particularly shocked by this one; as I said, Britney engagement rumors pop up all the time with Trawick, who she's been dating since 2009, and they won't stop until the couple actually gets engaged and married. Then we'll trade in the engagement rumors for divorce rumors. But to Britney's credit, I'm happy to see she's been able to keep a relatively stable relationship with a guy for two years now. As we all know Britney has a potential tendency toward wacky antics, and that's a large part of why the rumors keep popping up. When you get married and annulled, then married, divorced, then go crazy and get committed you have to expect that people will be speculating a lot. As it stands Britney seems to be doing well; her tour is going along just fine and she seems generally quite even-headed in interviews. It may be entertaining to see her shave her head and attack journalists with umbrellas, I think we have enough of that stuff going around these days and it's cool that she's doing well for herself...and if I may say, looking hotter than she ever looked as a goody two-shoes tease.
A little crazy time is good for the soul.
New Music Monday
This is the home of some of the best new music that will soon be available, where you get to hear the hottest new tracks and find out about forthcoming albums and videos as well.
Trey Songz releases his latest EP Invincible this week ahead of his album Chapter 5, which is coming next year. Check out one of the tracks off of it, "What I Be On" featuring Fabolous:
Taylor Swift's album Speak Now is continuing to spawn singles, and the latest, "Ours" is releasing next week. Check it out below:
Now it's time for the reason you're here, the ‘&1 Model of the Week'.
This week's Model of the Week is someone who is more well-known for her acting resume but has tallied up a well-received music career as well. She is part of the band She & Him and can be seen each week on Fox's The New Girl...ladies and gentlemen, your "& 1" Model of the Week is Miss Zooey Deschanel!
NOW THAT I'M DONE…
You can go and read some more greatness on 411.
Let's start by giving a shout-out to the rest of the 5&1 Illuminati! There's Steve Gustafson, who brings you the hottest in movie tidbits and girls with the original Hollywood 5 & 1; Greg DeMarco, who brings you the hottest chicks who could kick my ass in the Wrestling 5 & 1 and now Stewart Lange, who has brought the 5&1 to the Octagon with the MMA 5 & 1! The 5 & 1 Illuminati is expanding and growing ever stronger; world domination isn't far behind!
When you are done checking out how the other zones roll, go read all the goodness in the rest of the Music Zone.
Make sure to click the Facebook and Twitter "Like" links, as well as the new Google +1 option, and support 411mania, your home for the best in pop culture entertainment news.
And that's all, folks! I'm out...have a good Monday and come back for more 411 tomorrow!
"Mac Miller released his debut album, which was mostly a disappointment. Surprisingly the album is not all about teenage partying, and tries to be more serious. The album would have been much better had Miller stuck to what he does best, and that is create party tracks and having fun with his music.The end result is somewhat of a mess of an album that has decent production but is limited by Millers lyrical ability." - Bill Wannop
"Drake was given full control of his latest album and the result was a big disappointment. The greater focus on the singing and R&B and less focus on the rapping make the album a much slower, and overly emotional release. Although some ladies might like the super slow songs, most fans based off his radio hits and first single will find this album to be disappointing." - Bill Wannop
"Yelawolf created an album that truly has a mixture of everything. Long-time fans will likely gravitate to the first half of the album, where Yelawolf seems more familiar providing similar tracks to those in the past, while the latter half of the album is more geared towards pop radio. While some of the tracks are disappointments (Throw It Up) and others just don't work (Slumerican Shitizen), Yelawolf kept enough of his signature sound to garner a successful debut." - Bill Wannop
"M.O.P. make a triumphant return to the raw, gritty hip hop that they are loved for. With great production from the Snowgoons, mixed with the hardcore lyrics from M.O.P. the album moves along at a quick pace and has you wishing there were more then 10 tracks. Whether you are an old school fan of the Mash Out Posse or someone who is just listening to them for the first time you will be equally impressed with this album." - Bill Wannop
"In just four songs, Gaga aims for numerous things. She wants a home-for-the-holidays feeling, a classic vocal pop record, and a unique rapport with her loyal Little Monsters. It could also feasibly be a Gaga record for people who don't really take heed to her usual style. Or it would be had it not been for her own personal traits and excesses that still manage to permeate the EP (still laughing that she stopped a song to tell a story about cookies). Worth hearing if you like that old style, or if you long to have a taste of Gaga without the beats and craziness. For the most part, though, it's for fans, even if this is all still pretty good music. Here's hoping she tries this style again one day." - Wyatt E.
