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“Two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.”

―

Justin Bieber

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Yeah.

This is slightly embarrassing … but this is about Justin Bieber music.

I haven’t done any research <because that would be even more embarrassing to admit> but my guess is simply by listening to the radio that his latest album is an unbelievable <see … that’s how I came up with that ‘unbelieberable’ … clever, huh?> success.

My guess is that he has released maybe 5 songs off it that are being played nonstop on the radio.

And, yes, I find a number of the quite catchy.

And, yes, if I could find his producer I would suggest laying off the stupid little techno sound tricks they randomly toss into the songs.

But his newest release, Cold Water, has one part that, yes, I find outstanding.

The opening to that song is frickin’ fabulous. Yeah. Later on that frickin’ producer throws in some wacky techno crap, but that opening … whew.

Good stuff.

He may be a snarky little shit but his voice is impeccably clear. He has a natural set of pipes on him that permits him to deliver the goods without strain nor be dependent upon production tricks or some insane yelling & screaming.

If I were a betting man I would actually put money on him being successful as he ages <assuming he doesn’t kill himself thru some stupidity>.

It’s not his songs … it is his voice.

Once he gets through this pop song stage I wonder what he will become.

I am not a songwriter but if I were and I wrote something other than catchy pop songs <although I believe McCartney songs were also a version of a catchy pop song … but an artistically crafted catchy song> I would kill to have him sing it.

Until then I don’t think I will ever get tired of that Cold Water opening.

Fabulous.

Fabulous voice.

Fabulous delivery.

It gives us hope that ‘the Beebs’ can be something other than a snarky little shit singing catchy poorly written pop songs.

Well.

This is a music post.

Drake has a new song called One Dance. Nice beat. Kind of fun to listen to. But not a great song.

Look.

I have written twice about Drake. Once for Take Care <with Rihanna>  and once for Hold On we Are Going Home .

I want to like Drake’s music. I tend to like his delivery, I tend to like his voice <when it isn’t filtered thru some production technique> and I tend to like the rhythm & flow of his music.

That said.

I sometimes find his solo songs slightly tedious. Frankly, he seems at his best when not singing alone … in particular when his voice is tempered by a female voice <his voice and Rihanna’s mesh better than almost any duo out there>.

And to make my point I will use the oft-ridiculed Justin Bieber. Say what you want about the Beebs lack of maturity but the boy has a set of pipes and can sing.

He took One Dance and made it the song it should have, and could have, been.

Well done Beebs.

==

“Some people are just born wack, you can’t teach certain wackness.”

—

The Weeknd

==

Well.

This is about a new song from The Weeknd.

In 2013 I posted something about a guy called The Weeknd.

–

https://brucemctague.com/it%e2%80%99s-the-weeknd

–

I loved his voice & style & darkness in his music. It was languidly dark.

Since that time he has released similar song after similar song and … well … I liked them but they didn’t hit me like his first song did.

I kinda felt like he had maxed out and was slowly slipping out of the mainstream.

Oops.

And then I heard this song several weeks back this has been stuck in my draft folder> which had this incredibly infectious funk groove refrain – and it was The Weeknd with something that actually had a pulse for a beat.

“Can’t Feel My Face” is a song by Canadian singer songwriter The Weeknd.

—

“Can’t Feel My Face” moves.

If its propulsive chug recalls last year’s Ariana Grande collaboration “Love Me Harder”, that’s because it’s covered with the same fingerprints—those of pop impresarios Max Martin, Peter Svensson, and Ali Payami. Perhaps recognizing just how dead-on Tesfaye’s Michael Jackson impersonation was on his cover of “Dirty Diana”, the producers anchor the track with a bassline that could have come from an alternate-dimension Thriller produced by New Age composer Vangelis instead of Quincy Jones.

Glossy but not blinding, there’s a throb underneath everything that keeps it tethered to Tesfaye’s underworld, an ever-present reminder that “comedown” is more than just two words mashed together.

<source: Pitchfork>

—

Awesome funk hip hop song.

Infectious beat and a song you will crank up on the car radio.

==

The Weeknd

Can’t Feel My Face (Audio)

–

–

Hope you enjoyed.

Welcome to the Inner workings of my mind

IAMDYNAMITE

So dark and Foul I can’t disguise, can’t disguise

——

Monday is January

Friday is December

=

Ms. Mr.

—————————

Ok.

This is about two songs … but also about summer songs. In that almost every summer there is a song or two that ends up on the radio … again and again and … well … again.

It is the unnamed ‘song of the summer.’
To date I have done fairly well being able to pick the summer songs … missed spectacularly with Cricket <which I still believe is an amazingly catchy song: https://brucemctague.com/whew-new-song-crickets > and did ok with Pumped up Kicks, Summertime Sadness and Gotye.

All that said … this summer’s song?

I am betting on IAMDYNAMITE “In The Summer.”

Catchy … great radio song … about summer … fun to listen to … upbeat … has all the makings of a summer song.

—

In the Summer:

—

Now.

Before I give the quick review of who the heck IAMDYNAMITE is <because I had never heard of them before> I will make another prediction … this will be a one hit wonder song <and band>.

As most of my readers know I typically include another song from a band I highlight just because … well .. I can typically find anther song I like.

Not this time.

The rest of the stuff I could find from this band is horrible.

Unlistenable.

So enjoy this song from them and move on to the next song.

—-

IAMDYNAMITE from Detroit, United States.

It would be reasonable to suspect a band who borrowed their name from the works of Friedrich Nietzsche might just be yet another pretentious act arriving on the scene but, when it comes to the rock and rhythm duo IAMDYNAMITE, it would be safer to assume the exact opposite.

In truth, the choosing of the name might just be a perfect example of the band’s playful and self effacing sense of humor. At first listen it becomes clear, IAMDYNAMITE, with their thunderous beats and crunching power chords, are actually the anti-pretentious and with American cynicism at an all time high, the timing of their arrival could not be more perfect.

IAMDYNAMITE are Christopher Martin (Guitar, Vox) and Chris Phillips (Drums/Vox).

—

 
Ok.

Another song.

This band is Ms Mr and the song is Hurricane.

I don’t think this will be a summer song hit … but I will listen to it this summer.

Good song.

Great radio song … but a horrible video. And … once again <sigh> I think this band will be another one hit wonder.

I tried … really tried … to share anther song from this band … but I just couldn’t.

—

Hurricane :

—

MS MR (pronounced Miz Mister) are a New York-based American duo consisting of vocalist Lizzy Plapinger and producer Max Hershenow.

After both members graduated from Vassar College in 2010, MS MR released two singles, “Hurricane” and “Fantasy”. Their music has been characterized as indie pop, alternative rock, dream pop, and dark wave.

—

Anyway.

There you go.

2 new songs for the summer.

Ok.

I heard a song several months ago while driving … loved it … had no clue who it was … then didn’t hear it again for a while.

Next time I heard it? I went hunting for the ‘who.’

Jennifer Hudson.

And R. Kelly.

The song is “It’s your World.”

A little bit of disco feel. A lot of torch … as in Jennifer places some HUGE vocals on top of a sweeping heavy dance beat.

What puts the song over the top is when R. Kelly’s smooth vibe provides a nice counterpoint to Hudson’s vocal power.

The lyrics are creepily bad … kind of out of a 50’s homemaker ‘do whatever it takes to make my man happy’ … but ignore them.

The song is big and danceable and makes you drive over the speed limit.

===

Jennifer Hudson ft. R. Kelly – It’s Your World:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJNLg8CPbtM

===

Enjoy.

Ok.

Interesting band.

Interesting music.

But first.

Where the heck did these guys come from that they never hit my radar before?

I am not sure how bands like this stay hidden from me … but … Pandora came through and stuck this in one of my playlists.

The band is Staggerford.

They have one older album and are working on a new one <after having broken up – amicably apparently – as a band for awhile>.

These three friends <2 are brothers> formed a band in late 2008 and released a 5-song EP followed by a full-length album, Greet the Blinding Light, in February of 2009.

By the way.

If you like this kind of music this is a fairly spectacular cd from top to bottom.

Ah.

After this initial album some unspecified ‘life circumstances’ caused them to put the band into ‘a state of hibernation.’

<pause for 4 years>

Staggerford <reunited as friends tend to do >in July of 2013 to begin writing and recording their second album.

If you like Paper Route, Death Cab for Cutie or maybe Morning Parade or Scars on 45 you may like these guys.

The main difference between the bands I just highlighted and Staggerford is probably in the vocals.

They incorporate a vocal layering which really fills out the sound of their songs. The instrumentation is not spectacular but as a band they are really tight. They have really well crafted songs which are not overproduced.

They manage to craft songs that are … well … like conversations with a good friend.  Casually sharing some thoughtful thoughts without being profoundly overbearing.

Anyway.

Finding their music is pretty tough. No music videos and it appears no one has uploaded any of their songs on youtube <with one of those home made videos … which can be hit or miss>.

The song I first heard on Pandora is track 8 ‘upside down’ …

Here is a myspace link where you can find it. https://myspace.com/staggerford/music/songs

Strong Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCcMPQpJO2w

I am attaching a link to their EP debut … “blinding Light” is a pretty spectacular song … “Comes and Goes” not far behind.

Their EP Greet the Blinding Light: http://staggerford.com/listen/

There you go.

Not a band you are hearing on the radio every day.

Well.

I would have been a much cooler old white guy if I had posted this song a couple months ago when I first heard it.

But now this song seems to be on every radio station everywhere … Royals by Lorde.

Anyway.

When I first heard this song I thought it was clever lyrically and catchy melodically. And I thought her voice was interesting. Not really good … just interesting.

I will admit … the song isn’t a super Beatles Lennon & McCartney well written song but it is really clever.

nd who the heck is Lorde? Apparently Lorde is a disarmingly regular teenager from New Zealand.

“In a perfect world, I would never do any interviews and probably there would be one photo out there of me, and that would be it.” – Ella Yelich-O’Connor <her real name>

Well.

As one journalist said it … “In a generation of endless selfies and attention-hungry YouTubers, Lorde courts enigma, harking back to the mid-’90s heyday of alternative dark-stars like Mazzy Star and Portishead that preferred to let their music do the talking.”

Uh oh. I am not quite sure I would compare her talent wise to hope Sandoval <who I think is very talented> but Lorde does have a nice smoky but higher voice that if she uses correctly could do some damage on the charts.

Apparently she wrote the lyrics to Royals … which is a funny sarcastic tongue in cheek look at fame and the luxurious life in like 30 minutes or so:

” And we’ll never be royals (royals).  Let me be your ruler (ruler),You can call me queen Bee …”

I do enjoy it when an artist … particularly a young one … kind of pokes at the establishment <and the established> and the absurdity that sometimes seems to tag along.

Here is Royals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc

And here is her remake of The Replacements Swingin’ Party:

Swingin’ Party: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wavwT7paPs

And her newest video.

Tennis court: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Ymd-OCucs

It is fun music.

Good radio listenening.

I also thought it was interesting to find out that a Sara MacLachlan discovered her.

Maclachlan saw a video of her performing at a local talent show, as half of a boy-girl singing duo, and signed her as a solo artist to a development deal with Universal at the age of 12. Lorde spent the next three years channeling her provocative fiction into song structures. “Right from the off, lyrically, her words were incredible,” Maclachlan recalls. “The arrangements required work, but when you’re dealing with a 13- or 14-year-old, you’re not really in a massive hurry … I just let her get on with it, and she just kept on improving.”

Aw heck.

Who knows if she will ever do anything more than the song Royals … who cares. Royals is a fun radio song.

Oh my.

Just heard Drake’s new song on the radio.

Drake’s new single isn’t a rap song it is a pretty spectacular r&b groove song.

The song is ‘Hold on we’re going Home.’

Whew.

If Chris Brown’s Fine China <a spectacular song> was channeling Michael Jackson’s dance groove … Hold On We’re Going Home channels Michael J’s r&b groove.

Drake recently spoke about his latest release:

“It’s me and [producer Noah] 40 [Shebib] just channeling our Quincy Jones-Michael Jackson production duo,” Drake said of the song, in an interview with MTV. “Obviously no offense to the greats. I know we’re not anywhere near that. It’s just us kind of doing our thing, humbly attempting.”

SPIN magazine describes the song as:

    A dreamy, 100-BPM cut that nicely split the difference between synth-soaked R&B (think Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It”) and slow-motion deep house (Disclosure’s “Help Me Lose My Mind”).

It is a really really good r&b song.

My own thought.

What makes it spectacular to me is this bass note that they have laid underneath the whole thing. It is just deep enough that if you turn up your stereo loud enough it kind of vibrates in your stomach type of deep bass … and they use that one underlying note <or tightly grouped lower tones> as a resonating bed from which the melody, the beat and lyrics bounce up and down over.

It is a nuance but an important one that makes the entire song better.

Enjoy.

Hold On We’re Going Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLf81mr3t88

Ok.

Let’s go old school music with contemporary artists today. I was tempted to call this ‘my retro top 40 good stuff to listen to’ but that was too long. Regardless. Two songs are chugging up the top 40 radio playlist that pay homage to the past – Michael Jackson and disco. And, by the way, they are actually two pretty good songs <one spectacular>.

First.

Michael Jackson. That would be Chris Brown’s new song “fine china.”

A spectacularly listenable song. Ok. This song is just spectacular. Catchy and crossover <generations>. And boy oh boy … can this boy dance.

This is a really <really> good song.

Chris Brown‘s homage to Michael Jackson in “Fine China”:

Just the song Fine China: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORz6cOa-Lfs

Full Michael Jacksonesque video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGs1gODLiSQ

The video is Michael Jackson story like. The song is good. The dancing is great. All the rest is fluff but I give credit to Chris for making it meaningful fluff in a MJ music video style.

I tend to believe Chris Brown is a punk. But he sure is a talented punk.

Second.

The music homage to disco. That would be Daft Punk “Get Lucky” feat. Pharrell Williams

Get Lucky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NV6Rdv1a3I

So.

What is this song all about? Disco disco disco. Remember the band called Chic? <Chic played the song Le Freak from their album C’est Chic and made disco history>.

Ok.

Nobody is probably old enough to remember Chic and Le Freak … but Get Lucky utilizes the magical music mind of Chic’s Nile Rodgers. Because of him this song captures the groove of disco-funk in an infectious guitar riff and upbeat tempo.

Awesome listening.

Two good radio songs.

Two good retro songs.

Ok.

Last year it was Foster the Children and the song ‘pumped up kicks’ which was an awesome song but played and played .. and well … played.

This year? Here ya go. Its gonna be Crickets.

<and maybe this new song. … a  “whew” song  will make up for the fact I just wrote about Justin & Tim McGraw>.

“Crickets” by Drop City Yacht Club ft Jeremih: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F95RD4wGpdc

I heard this song driving home last night and it is infectious, fun and makes you drive a little faster than you were <always a good random sign you like it>. This song got stuck in my head and i immediately searched for it … its just one of those songs. The chorus will be on your lips as soon as you hear it in the car … after the song is over.

I didn’t know shit about who this band was but here is their website which not only has the song, but the video … and a download remix <which is kind of cool>.

http://www.dropcityyachtclub.com/

They were originally called The Freshmen, but ‘re-branded ‘ themselves <renamed> Drop City Yacht Club <or DCYC> in early 2013. From San Francisco they are hip hop. Crickets seems to be the most radio friendly <they may be this year’s one hit wonder> so I am not sure how mainstream they will end up … but this song? … whew. This one is gonna shoot up the charts and you will be hearing it endlessly on the radio this summer.

In fact … I almost called this my “future overplayed song” selection. But. It is good stuff.

Enjoy.