The Five Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2012

Back in April I was surprised in how much good music was released that month and hoped that it was a sign of things to come. It was not because good music was few and far in-between of the summer month. But with Christmas just around the corner, record companies are lining up their big guns for release. Here are some I am looking forward to. Click the artist name to be taking to their iTunes page, and the name of the album to pre-order it on Amazon. Release dates are subject to change.

1. Babel – Mumford & Sons (September 25): The band may not have kickstarted the folk rock revival of recent years (that may go to the second band on this list), but the put it into high gear. The managed to outsell almost everyone else in that time not named Adele and now they look to shake the sophomore slump. They said that they have not changed their sound from their debut and first single I Will Wait backs up their charge which had fans of their first album dusting off their air banjos.

2. The Carpenter – The Avett Brothers (September 11): If there is such a thing as folk-punk, The Avett Brothers are it. The Carpenter is the group’s second album produced by Rick Rubin who was behind the board for their breakthrough I and Love and You and lives up to the greatness of its predecessor. Cannot wait a week to give the album a listen? You are in luck because npr.com is streaming The Carpenter in its entirety.

3. Away from the World – Dave Matthews Band (September 11): The big news about Dave and the boys eighth studio album is it their first in over a decade with producer Steve Lilywhite who produced their first three albums (and the aborted fourth album that got leaked to the internet under the moniker The Lilywhite Session before getting a proper released that Stephan Harris finished producing under the appropriately titled Busted Stuff). First single Mercy is a bit sleepy, but for some reason their first singles off their albums are never the best (my guess is the reason is their best songs are over the radio friendly five minutes long).

4. Battle Born – The Killers (September 18): I have a love / hate relationship with the band. I loved their dance rock debut / hated their pretentious we want to be Springsteen follow up. By the time their third album came around I was ready to reluctantly accept their absurdity. After hearing the first single off their four album Runaways, it sounds like the Vegas boys are still looking for that elusive last chance power drive. And still coming up short.

5. Red – Taylor Swift (October 22): Okay, first single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is painfully bad (although the cute one take accompanying music video almost makes it listenable, almost) but I will admit I am an unabashed fan of her first three albums. Last time around, Swift wrote and co-produced every song on Speak Now and for better or worse she is bring in a bunch of collaborators including pop maestro Max Martin (which would be part of the “worst” considering he is responsible for Never Ever). The only other confirmed collaborator is English songwriter Ed Sheeran.


Today
Sun – Cat Power
North – Matchbox Twenty
Magic – Smash Mouth

September 11
Tempest – Bob Dylan
La Futura – ZZ Top
Undisputed – DMX
Coexist – The xx

September 18
Mirage Rock – Band of Horses
The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind – Ben Folds Five
Hallelujah! I'm a Bum – Local H
Tomorrowland – Ryan Bingham
Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer
Charmer – Aimee Mann
I Bet On Sky – Dinosaur Jr.
The Spirit Indestructible – Nelly Furtado
Kiss – Carly Rae Jepsen

September 25
Cedar + Gold – Tristan Prettyman
Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap – Lupe Fiasco
Uno – Green Day
Mystic Pinball – John Hiatt
Push And Shove – No Doubt

October 2
Glad All Over – The Wallflowers
Traveling Alone – Tift Merritt
The 2nd Law – Muse
Born To Sing: No Plan B – Van Morrison

October 9
Wrote a Song for Everyone – John Fogerty
Pines – A Fine Frenzy
Songs for the End of the World – Rick Springfield
Monster - KISS

October 16
Former Lives – Ben Gibbard
Very Special Christmas 25th Anniversary

October 23
The Haunted Man – Bat for Lashes
Man With the Iron Fists
TBD – Gary Clark Jr.

October 30
Merry Christmas, Baby – Rod Stewart

November 6
Music From Another Dimension – Aerosmith

November 13
Dos – Green Day
TBD – Soundgarden
Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors – Big Boi

November 27
Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys
The Art of War III – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

January 15
Tre – Green Day

TBD
James River – D'Angelo
Watch the Throne 2 – Kanye West and Jay-Z
Psychedelic Pill – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Matangi – M.I.A.
Indicud – Kid Cudi
The Evil Empire of Everything – Public Enemy
Rooted – Scarface
Alice In Chains
Christina Aguilera
The Bird and the Bee

And let’s not forget the obligatory this may be the year that Dr. Dre releases Detox. Of course if he does, that may mean the Mayans were right.

I Want My Music Television - 8/16/12

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Lyric Version) - Taylor Swift


When Taylor Swift released that song with The Civil Wars I was hoping that Safe and Sound was the direction her next album would take. Instead she took a complete 180 with the uberpoppy crap that has been clogging the radio lately by the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, and P!nk. The song was even produced by Max Martin, the guy who helped usher in the teen pop revival of the late nineties. And I’ll will let all the gossip hound dissect which of Swift’s boyfriends the song is about because I am above such silliness *cough*Jake Gyllenhaal*cough*.


Oh Love – Green Day


After two straight highly political albums, Green Day is back with a concept album about… a party. Alrighty. Apparently a Green Day party is a bunch of semi-interested models somewhat nodding their heads.


Reboot the Mission - The Wallflowers featuring Mick Jones


You would think the world does not need The Wallflowers comeback complete with a reggae infused track assisted by the dude from The Clash, and it is no One Headlight, but I kind of like it.


Save Me – Gotye


Yet another music video from Gotye where I have no clue what is going on.

I Want My Music Television - 7/10/12

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Both of Us - B.o.B. featuring Taylor Swift



I am trying to figure out if this is a good B.o.B. song or a bad Taylor Swift song.


Let’s Go – Matt and Kim



Considering Matt and Kim have created some of the most interesting music videos of the past couple years, I kind of expected a bit more than just a dude dribbling a basketball for three minutes.


Girls Like You – The Naked and Famous



I am really hoping there was minimal CGI involved in The Naked and Famous video because I would like to think there was really a dude in each room flicking the lights on and off.


Diversity - Family of the Year




A nice play of the lyrics, “Nobody’s ever gonna take anything from me again” with strangers taking everything in the room occupied by Family of the Year, even, quite literally, the clothes off their backs. Everything but their instruments.

I Want My Music Television - 2/14/12

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars

Taylor Swift - Safe & Sound - Music - More Music Videos

I am not sure what this whole Hunger Games thing is or what the video has to do with it, but Taylor Swift should seriously consider hiring The Civil Wars as her permanent backing band.


(Expletive Deleted) in Paris - The Throne



Note to self: next time a video comes with an epilepsy warning, do not watch it. I am going to be seeing a kaleidoscope version of The Throne every time I close my eyes for the next couple days.


Get Burned – Sleeper Agent



Also stuck in my brain: giant molesting bunnies. Thanks Sleeper Agent.


We Take Care of Our Own - Bruce Springsteen



It is weird that the older Bruce Springsteen gets, the more he morphs into looking like the love child of Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash.

We on Award Tour: 2012 Grammy Awards

It seems like the Grammys always get a major chunk of their awards wrong, but in 2011 there was no denying Adele and even with the Grammys track record, it is still no surprised that she hauled in the most awards this year. Here are some other thoughts on the night:

- I am a little shocked that Bruce Springsteen went with the new song that most people won’t even remember by next year instead of a song that highlighted a Clarence Clemmons sax solo.

- Can’t say I was ever a Whitney Houston fan (a grand total of two songs made it on my iPod), but it is also sad to see someone go that quickly and unexpectedly. But once again it shows, just like Whitney said it was: crack is wack. Another example as to never start using the stuff and if you do, it is time to get yourself help.

- Why even bring in LL Cool J as host if his entire monologue consists of a prayer and then shouting out people in the front row?

- It is never a good sign when they mentioned Bruno Mars is up for Album of the Year and I completely forgot he was. Granted the category was always Adele and the four other people since they announced the nominees.

- I can’t believe they actually brought Chris Brown back to the Grammys considering the last time the two were in the same sentence he had to cancel an appearance after brutally beating Rihanna. What’s worse (aside from not even bother to sing) was that he totally ripped off Rihanna’s We Found Love for the song he lip-synced.

- It is nice to see after sporting bad mom hair for the last couple months, Kelly Clarkson decided to actually do something with her hair tonight. Unfortunately she passed on her bad hair to Taylor Swift.

- Couldn’t they just give an entire half an hour block to The Beach Boys? That just did not seem long enough.

- Paul McCartney, Diana Krall and… Joe Walsh?

- It was enough that they were snubbed for Best New Artist, which they should have won, but only sixty seconds for The Civil Wars?

- It is ironic that Taylor Swift performed Mean on the Grammys considering the song was inspired by the critics who had some mean things to say following her performance with Stevie Nicks on the show a couple years ago.

- Katy Perry fooled me; I thought she pulled an Ashlee Simpson, although maybe she should have lip synced because it was pretty poor performance.

- After a year of hearing everyone butchering the song, it is weird hearing a great performance of Rolling in the Deep.

- Bon Iver, your Best New Artist of 2009.

- Roy Orbison’s widow gets mentions in the In Memoriam package but not Jani Lane?

- You really have to be high to enjoy electronic music.

- Can we please end the Nicki Minaj era please? Seriously, did she really work Oh Come All Ye Faithful into her abomination of a performance?

The 25 Best Mash Up's of 2011

It seems like every year Mash Up artists latch onto one song and like Since U Been Gone, Crazy and Umbrella before it, Rolling in the Deep got remix every which way this year including eight mash up of which I downloaded this year, a couple that made the list below. If you want to give the mash-up a listen, click its name on the first line (where you will find ways to download it most places) and if you would like to download the song that make it up, click those in the second line and it will take you to iTunes.


1. Mean Planes & Taylor Gangs - Brenton Duvall
Wiz Khalifa (This Plane) vs. Taylor Swift (Mean)



2. Runawayfully - The Hood Internet
Kanye West featuring Pusha T (Runaway) vs. Journey (Faithfully)



3. My Name Is Wopbabaluba - Jimmy Klok
Funkdoobiest (Wopbobalubop) vs. Rihanna featuring Drake (What's My Name?) vs. Snoop Doggy Dogg Who Am I (What's My Name)?



4. The Childish Games - D.veloped
Childish Gambino (Let Me Dope You) vs. Adele (Rolling in the Deep) Ol’ Dirty Bastard (Shimmy Shimmy Ya) vs. Backstreet Boys (I Want It That Way) vs. Phoenix (Lisztomania) vs. 50 Cent (50 Cent) vs. Wu-Tang Clan (C.R.E.A.M.)



5. We No Speak Cantina - G3RSt
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope: Cantina Band - Songs from Star Wars vs. Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP (We No Speak Americano)



6. Johnny's 99 Problems (But The Pot of Gold Ain’t One) - DJ Schmolli
Dropkick Murphys (Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya) vs. Jay-Z (99 Problems)

7. Kiss - Norwegian Recycling
Sixpence none the Richer (Kiss Me) vs. Maroon 5 (She Will Be Loved) Bruno Mars (Just the Way You Are) vs. Savage Garden (Crash And Burn) vs. Jason Derulo (In My Head)

8. Party Man - Mighty Mike
Lynyrd Skynyrd (Simple Man) vs. Bloc Party (SRXT)

9. Eden Snow - Mighty Mike
Snow Patrol (You're All I Have) vs. Ludovico Einaudi (Eden Roc) vs. 30 Seconds to Mars (Kings and Queens)

10. Breathe and Shine - LeeDM101
John Legend and the Roots (Shine) vs. Sia (Breathe Me)

11. Extreme Ways in the Deep - DJ Y alias JY
Moby (Extreme Ways) vs. Adele (Rolling in the Deep)

12. Black Bug - Wick-it the Instigator
Big Boi and Cutty(Shutterbugg) vs. the Black Keys (Tighten Up)

13. My Bitter Cheap Symphony (Still Sweet) - Mashup-Germany
The Verve (Bitter Sweet Symphony) vs. Jason Derulo (Ridin' Solo) vs. B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams (Airplanes) vs. 4 Non Blondes ( What's Up?) vs. Take That (Never Forget) vs. Snow Patrol (Chasing Cars) vs. Iyaz (Replay)

14. Gerry Barbra Street - DJ Schmolli
Duck Sauce (Barbra Streisand) vs. Gerry Rafferty (Baker Street) vs. Stealers Wheel (Stuck In the Middle With You)

15. What's My Name Jack - Party Ben
John Cougar Mellencamp (Jack & Diane) vs. Rihanna featuring Drake (What's My Name?)

16. Stop! Mashup Time - FAROFF
MC Hammer (U Can'T Touch This) vs. Eurythmics (Sweet Dreams) vs. New Order (Blue Monday) vs. Talking Heads (Psycho Killer) vs. Donna Summer (I Feel Love)

17. Faster, Eagle ! Fly ! Fly ! - Mighty Mike
Steve Miller Band (Fly Like An Eagle) vs Hello Bye Bye (Fast)

18. More Than a Boy - Colatron
Beyoncé (If I Were a Boy) vs Extreme (More Than Words)

19. Lights - Norwegian Recycling
Kanye West (All of the Lights) vs. Blink-182 (All the Small Things) vs. Foo Fighters (Learn to Fly) vs. The Killers (Mr. Brightside) vs. Muse (Starlight)

20. Intro Again - Production Unit
Aaliyah (Try Again) vs. the xx (Intro)

21. Unfaithful Sex - Titus Jones
Rihanna (Unfaithful) vs. Kings of Leon (Sex On Fire)

22. Pumped up Baby - G3RSt
Vanilla Ice (Ice Ice Baby) vs. Foster the People (Pumped Up Kicks) vs. Queen and David Bowie (Under Pressure)

23. Animus Vox - Slaptop
Nelly Furtado (Turn Off the Light) vs. Ludacris (Stand Up) vs. The Glitch Mob (Animus Vox)

24. Warwick Ghetto - Phil RetroSpector
Elvis Presley (In the Ghetto) vs Duffy (Warwick Avenue)

25. La Vida Easy - Mighty Mike
The Commodores (Easy) vs. Coldplay (Viva la Vida)

I Want My Music Television - 12/5/11

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Ours – Taylor Swift



We now know what Matt Sarasen has been up to since Friday Night Lights closed up show and I do not think Julie will be happy to learn that he has been passing notes with Taylor Swift.


The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball – The Killers



It is that time of year again: a weird Christmas song and video from The Killers. This year’s installment goes for the western them in moth music and visuals. Usually I find anything Christmas media without snow an epic fail, but a dancing robot makes up for the lack of the white stuff.


How Come You Never Go There - Feist




Wow, that is a lot of hair Feist is sporting these days. And it is nice to see the Smoke Monster from Lost can still find work after the show ended.


Say You Like Me – We the Kings



Sure the latest video from We the Kings is not as creative or entertaining as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but their video game inspired video is still fairly amusing.

I Want My Music Television - 9/12/11

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Michael Jackson – Das Racist



Maybe because the Das Racist track is pretty weak, their video tribute to Michael Jackson was not as entertaining as it should be, at least not the first last supper for dictators scenes. It does get better at the end because how can you not enjoy any morphing sequence and I swear I saw Alan Tudyk in there somewhere.


Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift



Here is a drinking game for all you degenerates out there: take a shot whenever Taylor Swift whips her hair; double if it’s in slow motion.


Marvin & Chardonnay - Big Sean featuring Kanye West & Roscoe Dash



Remember back in the 90’s all you need was Hype Williams to direct your video to break you? Ah the good old days. Although this Big Sean video stylistically looks a little too much like Kanye’s Golddigger video, I’m pretty sure I saw one of the same chicks from that video too.


Holy Holy – Wye Oak



Here is a fun video from Wye Oak for an amusement park theme. To think it has been over fifteen years since Mariah Carey flawlessly lip-syced on a rollercoaster in the Fantasy video (as if learning Pearl Jam’s Ten recently turned twenty years old last month didn’t make me feel old enough already).