I count myself supremely lucky to have grown up in an era where Michael Jackson was at his peak. I feel like to so many "young people" (listen to me, talking like a grandpa), he's seen primarily as a novelty... an artist so far eclipsed by his own celebrity that he's almost a life-size cartoon or caricature. But my god, he was so much more than that. To me, there will never be another artist who can touch his late 70's to early 90's output, and that's why I get tremendously excited every time it's announced that unreleased material from his vault will see the light of day. Yeah, it's never going to be as exciting as brand new, MJ-approved releases, but I will never be able to get enough of his music. Love Never Felt So Good is Thriller-era disco, on one hand very attached to its time and, on the other, very now in its revivalist sound. There's also a "Justin Timberlake remix" available, but I've got no time for that. The original is certainly not as strong as Thriller's flawless album tracks (ie: I can see why it was left off), but that's like saying a handful of silver isn't as welcome as a handful of gold. It's all good, and I welcome every last bit of Michael's genius with open arms.
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Frankmusik has just released yet another new album. He really is one of the most prolific pop stars of our age. As with anyone who releases so much in so little time (I'm thinking of Prince in the late 80's and 90's), not everything's going to be amazing. But, it's fascinating to feel like we've got kind of an open door to his creativity. The new album, By Nicole, might actually be my favorite full-length of his. Like all his albums, nothing stands out as being miles above anything else, and this has sort of been my main issue with his music for awhile. But, even though there aren't a lot of highlights, the album as a whole is consistently good, and always interesting. When trying to pick my favorite track, I had a hard time. There are some verses I adore, connected to a chorus that doesn't really do it for me, or vice versa. It's like a hundred amazing pieces of songs that I want to cut and paste together. This just might be the perfectionist/OCD in me. I mean, who am I to give songwriting advice, right? I ended up picking Go, mostly for its AMAZING verses. The chorus is good too, but just a slight disappointment for me after that amazing build-up. Also, listen to Stabilizher for a more upbeat track and the hyper-aggressive, awesome Fled.
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Nashville-based Chaz McKinney is really a diamond in the rough when it comes to pop music. For an indie artist (in the truest sense), his tracks are surprisingly robust and very well written. This guy's got an ear for melody. He's releasing a new album in June and I can't wait to hear it. I'm assuming Gatsby will be a part of that album, in its fully produced version. However, he's recently shared the demo version of the song. Although it's a bit rough, the bones are there and you can already tell what an awesome, anthemic pop song it's going to be when finished. Think Lady Gaga Gypsy or Edge Of Glory style. I really hope this gets beefed up and perfected, because I can already see myself playing it over and over again.
EDIT: Argh! I just read that this will not be on the album. I feel like starting a petition for a fully produced version to be released. This is too good to waste!
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Robyn's back! Well, sort of. She'll be releasing a new EP with former collaborators Röyksopp in about a month. Having heard most of it, to me the music sounds more like Röyksopp featuring Robyn than the other way around. The exceptions are this excellent single and the album track, Every Little Thing. Do It Again, released today in its shorter radio edit, could easily be mistaken for the lead single off a solo Robyn album (and selfishly, I wish it was). Now, it's no With Every Heartbeat or Dancing On My Own, despite sounding a bit like both in spots, but it's solid Robyn and it's just such a treat to hear her voice again. There is nobody at her level in the pop world right now. Prepare to hear this everywhere in the coming months.
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
...Transmissions come in from outposts all over the universe... Unfamiliar melodies stream into our radios... Fronted by colorful aliens with big voices... The music begins to catch on ... It's in our heads and it refuses to leave... And we like it...
