Flashback Friday: David London - The Sound Of The City

"New York speaks in your native tongue"

The early 80's Village People movie-musical, Can't Stop the Music, is widely considered one of the campiest b-movies ever made. Sadly, as a connoisseur of this genre, I can't agree. It's boring and overlong. Check out the Apple or Voyage of the Rock Aliens if you want real 80's camp. But even if I don't find the movie that (unintentionally) funny, the opening track is pretty damn joyful. David London's The Sound of the City is an excellent, deliriously upbeat disco-pop number. It's like a parade passing through your speaker, loud and bombastic and instantly singalong-able. David London is actually Dennis Frederiksen, who did a lot of session work and played with bands like Toto and Survivor in the 80's. He recorded another great song for the movie (Samantha) and an album under the David London stage name. This, though, is the highlight of his career. It's just so damned giddy!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Adam Lambert - Trespassing

"Who are you and where are you from?"

Sadly, I've gotta say that I'm not really feeling the new Adam Lambert album (at least not yet). I hate to say it, because I've always thought his potential is just awesome. He remains the single most exciting thing to grace American Idol in its history, though I felt some of that excitement was lost on his all-over-the-place debut album. This new one's much more cohesive, but there are only a couple of tracks that have really stood out for me. The album's opening (and title) track is heads and tails above everything else that follows, which is a problem because it sets the standard too high. Still, on its own, it's everything I would like an Adam Lambert track to be. Trespassing is basically a sequel (almost remake) of Queen's Another One Bites The Dust. This may sound like a complaint, but it's not. It works wonders because no major song that's been released since Dust has sounded anything like it. Lambert's track might be a pastiche, but it's a truly refreshing one. It doesn't conform to any other sound that's on the radio right now, which is something that can't be said about most of the album. Honestly, he could be the next Freddie Mercury if he was given better material. More funky, epic rock and less electro trend-chasing, please.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Scissor Sisters - Let's Have A Kiki

"Lock the doors!"

Could this song be any crazier? Let's Have A Kiki is taken from Scissor Sisters' upcoming album (which I haven't heard yet, but am dying to). It's reminiscent of their old demo stuff in the way that it's completely, utterly "out there." This, by the way, is a complete compliment. I love how this band can go from ultra-melodic, straightforward pop songs to something this weird. It's less a song than an extended spoken-word dance freakout. Ana Matronic hasn't sounded this inspiringly gonzo for several albums now (in fact, I'd go so far as saying she hasn't sounded this fresh since the band's debut). And this is all her track. Jake's really nowhere to be found. One question, though: did the band make up this word "Kiki" or is it some obscure slang I should know about? If not, it should be.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Gossip - I Won't Play

"I gave you so many chances but you screwed them all up"

Music-wise, my weekend was primarily concerned with listening to the new Gossip album. I've never really liked any of their albums before (though I kneel to the amazingness that is "Heavy Cross"), but I'm liking the poppier direction they've gone with this one. No matter how you feel about the band, Beth Ditto has one of the best voices in music today. She can turn even an average song into something special. I Won't Play comes late in the album, but definitely leaves its mark. In some ways, it's got a similar sound to Heavy Cross, which might explain why I love it so much. The song really builds--from a catchy bassline to the chorus, which offers great rock and roll catharsis. Best of all, the melody is on point. It's got so many hooks, both vocal and instrumental, that make it both instant and impossible not to replay over and over.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Keane - Sovereign Light Cafe

"We'd go down to the rides on east parade"

The new Keane album is out tomorrow and, though it's not my favorite of theirs, I'd definitely recommend it. For me, the band have really had two peaks. The first was their undeniably awesome (and mega-successful) debut album, Hopes and Fears. The second--and this might be more controversial--was their 80's-inspired Perfect Symmetry album. I seem to have a lot more love for that one than others. When Keane is at the top of they're game, they're pretty much unstoppable. Tom Chaplin has some of the best vocals of our time, and their songwriting is instantly identifiable as a hyper-melodic brew of genres. At one time, they were compared to Coldplay, but I'd take them over Coldplay any day. The new album is slightly more downtempo than I'd like, but there are definitely some amazing tracks that hearken back to the sound of their first album. Sovereign Light Cafe is the standout for me. It's a surging, anthemic piano rocker with nostalgic, Springsteen-esque lyrics. It would definitely go on a Keane greatest hits package as far as I'm concerned! As far as I'm concerned, the world can't have enough of songs like this.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.