Going The Extra Miley!
Earlier this week I read John Kordosh's delightful Yahoo blog Framed--which now spotlights "7 Things," the charming new video by teen sensation Miley Cyrus--and was pleasantly surprised!
Not only was his column written in English, but it had lots of pictures and was fun to look at!
Additionally, I couldn't help but watch young Ms. Cyrus's video!
All told, I was captivated! She seems like a fun-loving youth with boatloads of talent, and I heartily recommend her and all products associated with her name!
Say--do you think she'll read this?
Miley Cyrus: Breakout (Hollywood) Eschewing the predictable topics of busting her homies out of the slammer and bothersome pimples erupting at inopportune times--God, the music business is in such a rut--Breakout is everything we expected in a Miley Cyrus CD cover and more! In many ways the artistic zenith of both the Disney corporate machine--which promotes artists to the preteen crowd via its own TV and radio networks--and some young chick singer, this may be the album of a lifetime! On the other hand, it may also be insignificant fluff produced to distract us from our disastrous fixation with blindly cultivating residential lawns while the world faces a coming water shortage the likes of which has never been seen! Oh well--I've made my choice!
7 Things (Single Version) - Miley Cyrus
Sugarland: Love On The Inside (Mercury Nashville) One of the biggest country combos out there--they're from the States!--Sugarland are award-winners set to really hit the Big Time with this new release! With its bold pink cover and flaming flying heart logo sure to be adorning the leather jackets of motorcyclists in both lanes, this set will cement this pair into the firmament as perhaps the 21st century's biggest country duo ever! As many have pointed out, dentists who object to both the band's name and the "insidious subliminal message" of the new album's title probably like rap!
Black Sabbath: Rules Of Hell (Rhino) With all the hubbub about late-blooming TV star Ozzy Osbourne, perhaps it's time we re-examine what became of his legendary band after he departed in 1979 and was replaced by the enormously charismatic Ronnie James Dio! Those marvelous albums are here--including Heaven And Hell, Mob Rules, Dehumanizer and their highly regarded Miles Davis tribute Live Evil--and in the scope of things they sound as great as ever! In the same manner that blues artists of the '30s seem "frozen in time" on a scholarly level when we hear them in 2008, the Rules Of Hell sounds like a bunch of guys frozen in time as well! Only shorter!
Buddy Guy: Skin Deep (Silvertone/Zomba) A legendary blues player who goes for the gusto as if that very expression were a cliche, guitarist Guy remains one of music's most potent forces--and here he shares the spotlight with guests like Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph and Susan Tedeschi as well! A "deserved" member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame--like, there's a big stink who should be in there or not, you know?--Buddy here presents us with new recordings such as "Smell The Funk," "Lyin' Like A Dog" and "Show Me The Money"! And if that last track's any indication, Buddy would probably like you to purchase this album rather then simply paying him lip service when you're riding around in cars and want to drop a good blues guy's name to impress your friends! He's on to you!
Lyin' Like A Dog (Main Version) - Buddy Guy
U2: Boy: Deluxe Edition, October: Deluxe Edition, War: Deluxe Edition (all Island) In many ways this band's peak--well, except for that October thing--this quartet's first three albums are mysteriously beefed-up and available again, ready to be purchased by new fans and suckers who already bought 'em on vinyl, cassette or prior CD form! Can't say that the extra tracks surfacing on the bonus discs here aren't welcome--particularly the ones on Boy--but War's five versions of "New Year's Day" do seem a tad generous right around the time when the "Ferry Corsten Vocal Radio Mix" pops up! I would recommend buying these to show your support for world peace 'n' stuff!
New Year's Day (Album version - Remastered) - U2
Black Kids: Partie Traumatic (Columbia) You've got to love these guys if only for the fact that they've forced DJs the world over to announce "that was Black Kids" on their extra-cool alternative radio formats! You've also got to love these guys if you're a big fan of the Cure, since the first time you hear 'em, you'll probably wonder what Cure album you're listening to! Likely as not, you've probably heard "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You"--but get this, now it's a song by these guys! A word of advice? Sadly--at least at this juncture--I've found that telling others you like Black Kids may raise an occasional eyebrow, so be careful!
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You - Black Kids
Paul Weller: 22 Dreams (Yep Roc) Paul Weller has turned out to be one of the most consistent tunesmiths to arise out of that whole '70s British punk thing, and his latest solo album may be his best ever! It entered the British charts at #1--surely a sign that it's better than everything else!--and features dudes from Oasis, Blur, the Stone Roses and other formerly hip UK bands that followed in his wake, or surely would have were he a water skier! Featuring 22 tracks, a plethora of divergent arrangements including orchestration, and an appearance by friend and even more legendary UK figure Robert Wyatt, 22 Dreams is the culmination of a process than began when Weller's parents conceived him!
Have You Made Up Your Mind - Paul Weller
Chris Difford: The Last Temptation Of Chris (Airline) The fellow with "the low voice" is Squeeze and one of pop music's better lyricists, Difford is back with a thoroughly excellent solo album--his third--that is worthy of your purchase immediately! Largely helping proceedings is the presence of co-writer Boo Hewerdine, whose music seems a natural match for Difford's lyrics, and whose first name is occasionally utilized in contemporary rhythm and blues songs as a sign of affection! Talk about street cred!
Captain Beefheart: It Comes To You In A Plain Brown Wrapper (Sundazed) Available as a special vinyl-only issue from those hipsters at Sundazed Records, this eminently groovy collection of tunes was recorded in 1967 and intended as a follow-up to the much-loved Safe As Milk album. A bunch of hijinks ensued, an album entitled Strictly Personal eventually surfaced bearing many of these same songs, and later VCRs and MTV were invented! Boasting such tracks as "Gimme Dat Harp Boy," Trust Us" and "Beatle Bones 'n' Smoking Stones"--and surely of great interest to those who've only heard the Strictly Personal versions--it'll perfectly complement your Miley Cyrus purchase!
Candlebox: Into The Sun (Silent Majority Group) If you've been wondering why it's taken this band 10 years to make a new album, here's the answer: Evil space aliens have steered them wrong!
