The iTune In 07.11.08: Beck, Maroon 5, Ron Sexsmith, Pilot Radio, Arts the Beatdoctor, Zebrahead
Posted by Ari Berenstein on 07.11.2008
New finds and instant buys happen in this week’s iTune In!
Welcome back to my limited series of columns where I check out the newest music and happenings from the land of Apple. Time to check out the new releases and see what surprises and finds await the ears of a music fan rabid for good material but not willing to give more than thirty seconds (or less) of time for each song to do so!
Top Eight & Featured: Beck's "Modern Guilt" and Maroon 5's new live from le cabaret are available today. The picture of Beck in the flash advertisement makes him look twelve years old…and lord knows it might have been taken when he was twelve. Neither Beck not Maroon 5 light my world any more, so I don't know if I'll be checking them out too in-depth this week. The Bird and the Bee take third spot with a live set from The Palms casino. I've never heard of them so I might check that out as a curiosity listen. New albums from Willie Nelson (still churning them out after all these years? Good for him), Albert Hammond Jr. Kerli, Chromeo and a band called Hit the Lights finish out the top eight. Another three dot week and you can see why—there aren't a lot more mainstream names this week, with the most I recognized scrolling through the windows was a new album by Patti Smith and another one by Ron Sexsmith. It looks like there will be lots of experimenting and sampling this week, because I don't have much on the "must listen to" agenda.
Got to the first six tracks of the new Beck album and I take it back… this is good stuff…it has a very "vintage" sound I guess is the best way to describe it…very laid back with the acoustic guitar presence but also some nice percussion there to keep the beat up. The first two tracks, "Orphans" and "Gamma Ray" impressed me the most and get second listens.
The Bird and the Bee has a song that asks and I quote—"won't you be my be my fucking boyfriend?" well, when you ask me like that… I don't listen to the rest of the songs on iTunes. A little too eclectic for me.
Meanwhile Kerli is someone you might be hearing from more in the future, including the first track "Love is Dead"…there's a female vocalist with an ethereal voice, a nice electro pop beat and clean and modern production ready for the mainstream. "I Want Nothing" and "Up Up Up" also stand out. She kind of reminds me of Lennon. It's not particularly my cup of tea but I can see how it would sell in a hurry.
As it runs out Hit the Lights is more of the same modern emo rock—plaintiff male vocal, medium volume guitar riffs and a Something Corporate style piano for backing. It's catchy but ultimately lacking in depth and I feel like I could forget it as soon I finish listening to it.
Ron Sexsmith's "Exit Strategy of the Soul" is damned good just by listening to the samples…strong "soul" rock (my term for slower, ballad driven and bluesy modern rock music ala Elliot Smith) and to top it off… there is an AWESOME cover of Feist's "Brandy Alexander" with some added brass that makes the song pop. I'm definitely coming back to this one…I wasn't a Sexsmith fan before sampling this album, but I am definitely coming around to him now.
The new Patti Smith album seems to be spoken word…and it sucks. What the heck? STAY AWAY. Good lord.
Danger Radio's Used and Abused Deluxe Edition seems to be Maroon 5's "Songs About Jane 2". Fans of that style of funky-pop are really going to be into it. The first three tracks are fast and fun, but again not really my style of music. Pass for me, but definitely recommended to the same fans downloading the Maroon 5 live album.
How many times AM I going to say Maroon 5 in this column anyway?
Quick hits from featured: Ratatatat seems to me to be intellectual electronic music. "Falcon Jab" seems to be a very worthy track to listen to. Greg Laswell—reminds me of Counting Crows. Donna and the Buffalo—more up tempo folk than I've sampled in a while…good stuff for that genre.
The Maine… gag me. Again, like Hit the Lights, sounds like every band marketed towards teenagers of this generation.
HOLY SHBIT! (sic) I almost overlooked the new one from Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. First of all, THAT'S an awesome band name if there ever was one. You're either going to love these guys or hate them with a passion. What they do is cover songs and turn them into up tempo punk rock songs. I mean this one alone I see "Rich Girl", "Coming to America' and "Only the Good Die Young". Either you'll get a laugh or two out of this or you'll want to find these guys and bash a guitar over their heads.
iTunes' Free Song of the Week is "Go On, Say It" by band called Pilot Radio, who also has their new album 3 Rounds and a Sound out this week. iTunes doesn't always have the best record for selecting a free track, but this one is really good for the price of free. A slower tempo rock ballad but the male vocalist keeps the song interesting. Very competent and listenable music and a definite download from me.
Indies: Sub Pop has a twentieth anniversary sampler of material…cool beans as nothing says good indie like Sub Pop. Abe Vigoda—THE ABE VIGODA? Oh wait no…just a band with the name…well, it got me to listen to them just for the hell of it…but I didn't like what I heard. A lot of the same albums listed above are in this window, so it's a bit redundant to go over them again.
The Rest of New Releases:
At Half Mast—Fathers and Sons—listed as alternative, and I can see why. Hard fast and screaming vocals, some will like.
Arts the Beatdoctor—Progressions EP—now here's a real find for me. Hip / Hop that is smooth, has a great beat and is very compelling. $3.99 for 5 tracks including a remix, INSTANT BUY! This is good stuff, right down my alley for hip hope. I liked what I heard from Evidence, and this is like that but with vocals. I'm excited to hear the full songs, but we must soldier on.
Cars Can Be Blue—Doubly Unbeatable—sort of like 60's sock hop mixed with modern indie. Interesting and a lot of songs, so I may go back to it later.
Cara Robinson—Live at the Belfast Opera House (digital only) "Blue Boy" is more uptempo folk. I like it. Good pace, good earthy vocals. INSTANT BUY! Three other songs here, so another one to go back to for later.
Equilibrium---German Rock / Metal? Well, okay.
Imgoen Heap—Not Now But Soon single—I like quite a bit of her material and this is a song I'm definitely into, but I'll wait for her new album in full before I make a judgment on whether to get it or not. In other words, not now, but soon.
Mercy Mercedes-1.21 Gigawatts—well with that pop culture reference I had to check it out. First song is called "Dr. Huxtable". Uh oh maybe getting too cute there. The blurb says it sounds like Hellogoodbye and I agree. Moving on.
Zebrahead—Not the New album EP—Oh man…what have they done to the Zebrahead I knew and liked? Three tracks on this one and not a one of them is good in the sampling. I loved their first three albums and though "Broadcast to the World" was a decent to good effort with a new lead singer…but this… no, just, no. Hopefully the LP has some better tracks.
The Final Tally:
GUARANTEED BUY: none GUARANTEED DOWNLOAD: Arts the Beatdoctor, Cara Robinson, Pilot Radio (iTunes free song) Possible Downloads:
Beck: "Orphans, "Gamma Ray"
Ron Sexsmith: Exit Strategy of the Soul
Ratatatat "Falcon Jab"
Cars Can Be Blue: Doubly Unbeatable
Pass On:
Hit the Lights
The Maine
Zebrahead
You Tube Tune In
New tunes from Ted Leo as he preps for life after his Living with the Living album. This is from a live show in Chicago where he played a bunch of new material.
The Best of Last Week:
John Mayer "Wait Until Tomorrow", "Who Did You Think I Was?"
I liked these tracks as a part of Mayer's work with the John Mayer Trio of him, Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino. Awesome solos really bring these songs to the next level when they are performed live.
Top iTunes Songs on 7/8/08: 1. I Kissed A Girl- Katy Perry 2. 7 Things- Miley Cyrus 3.Viva La Vida- Coldplay 4. Burnin Up- Jonas Brothers 5. When I Grow Up: The Pussycat Girls
That will take care of things for the second week of the iTune in. As you can tell, there was a lot of new music picked up this time around, and a lot of stuff I'll want to go back to in the future. That's the kind of power and influence iTunes has these days and in my opinion that's a great thing for me and my love of music.
