Aloha Mr. Hudson!

Kanye West has teamed up with British singer/songwriter, Mr. Hudson, for Mr. H’s forthcoming album (8.9.09 release), Straight No Chaser.  Kanye guests on the song, Supernova, which has been released for your aural pleasure here.

Supernova is a good enough song to make me want to hear the entire album.  From what I can gather, it’s not too much of a departure from what Mr. Hudson has done in the past, nor is it too much of a departure from the sound of other, bigger British bands (like, ahem, Coldplay).  I thought that a little touch of Kanye magic would bring a bit more out of it, but it’s still a catchy tune.  Go ahead and give it a listen.  You’ll enjoy.

For more information on Mr. Hudson, you can check out his myspace page here.  He’s quite the dapper looking gentleman, if I do say so myself.

Posted by Garvey

In Love With Love Story

Thanks to my buddy Koop for sending me this video. Is it me, or are there a lot of ridiculously talented unsigned artists out there? I’m just sayin’…

Posted by Garvey

Coldplay gives it back!!! Free EP to every concert goer the rest of ’09.

Coldplay has a new live EP coming out May 15th. “LeftRightLeftRightLeft” will be given away to every person that comes to a concert for the rest of the year. It will also be available for a free download on their website on coldplay.com.  Their summer tour has some amazing support that will include: Snow Patrol, Pete Yorn, Elbow…just to name a few. They hit Chicagoland 7-25 at Alpine Valley.

In other Coldplay related news….They are giving props to one of my favorite electronica artists Jon Hopkins. If you fell in love with the sample that opens and closes Viva La Vida (I did) then you will be stoked to learn that an entire album and 12 min song of that sample will be released this Tues. The album is called “Insides.” The track sampled is ‘Light through the veins.” Brilliant. The piano ending knocked the wind out of me. I cannot wait to hear the new disc!!!! To be reviewed here. BTW, his fans also include Imogen Heap. This could be my darkhorse album of the year.

Summer music season is almost here!!!

posted by coops

9 albums, yes entire albums, i am stoked for in 09.

animal collective - merriwether post pavillion.  read the review….

doves - title unknown. april 2009. this is one of my favorite bands. manchester keeps them coming. these guys were around before coldplay. and were one of the first to integrate a dance element into stadium hooks!!! yes.

massive attack – they perfected triphop back in the early 90s. the new album, Lp5, is rumored to be titled weather undergroundwitha projected fall release. they are also going to release a comp album paying tribute to many of the songs they have sampled. this group keeps things interesting by collaborating  with acts as varied as snoop dogg to liz fraiser from the cocteau twins. they are uberinvolved with humanitarian issues. the visual element of their chicago show 2 years ago was beyond powerful.

missy elliott – block party  Feb. 20th. It has been a while since she got her freak on, but she always keeps things fun, the way hip hop should be.

dan black – the more i hear from this kid the more i like him. he is being touted as one of england’s up and comers. he loves hip hop and falsetto. sugary pop goodness. http://www.myspace.com/danblacksound

imogen heap.  truly one of my most favorite musicians. she has been vblogging her “process”. her quirky kookiness can wear a little thin, but this should be one the year’s highlights…now if we could get another serving of Frou Frou life would be grand.

kelly clarkson – title unknown.  since she’s been gone i have been a little void of a great guilty pleasure. i hope her new album is closer to her post idol efforts and not so much rock you like a hurricane.

timbaland – Shock Value 2. the collaborators/guests/featuring list on this album looks phenomenal, BUT that info along with a release date has all been shot down as rumors. justin timberlake has some appearances that should tide peeps over until his new album drop .

coldplay – untitled, by the end of 2009. their biological “rocker” clocks are ticking. chris martin has taken back his promise to retire by the end of the year, citing cockamamie reporting and too much macrobiotic food. i love this band and am willing to put up with endless teasing.

 

posted by cooper

coldplay vs mgmt vs daft punk? yes they can!!!

um… this is like a bowl of cap’n crunch with chocolate milk and pop rocks…

check out one of my favorite blogs PMA, prettymuchamazing.com. luis has this breakfast of champions, ”kids in technicolor” posted there in a pop out player.

coldplay rule my world. MGMT made one of the best cds of 08. daft punk? well…i attained nirvana when i saw them live. one might argue that mashups are not a big deal anymore b/c of autotuning and beatmatching, but i might disagree…there is a sonic algo-rhythm about matching songs…. this is not the best i have ever heard, but…..

just go listen and have some fun.

posted by cooper

My favorite albums of 2008

I have never done year end accolades, but I have never had a music blog before.  These days purchasing an album in it’s entirety seems almost archaic. I feel there are two types of albums now…those that are concept albums and kind of need to be listened to in whole and those gems that have a bunch of really good singles. For this list, I have considered good EP’s too, because it seems a more expedited way, with more rapid turnover to feed our A.D.D. (at least mine) need for new music.  In no particular order….

Viva La Vida/Prospekts March EP - Coldplay  So Coldplay and Brian Eno nuff said. The late year add on EP showed a different side of Coldplay. BTW, they have rescinded there retirement threat.

Turning Down Water For Air  -  James Yuill  Folktronica fans rejoice. This guy is great. Blips and bleeps and scratches can be warm and fuzzy. One of my favorite new artists in a long time.

Youth Novels- Lykke Li     Thank you 90210. Lykke is vulnerable, yet demands your attention.

Emergence- Trifonic   Organic electronica with guitar riffs and everyday sounds, from proteges of BT.

Random Album Title – Deadmau5  This Canadian musician has changed the landscape of dance music. Really!!!

Down to Earth- Jem  Jem invokes gospel, rap and folktronica in spite of poor record label relations. Thankfully they didn’t ruin it for everybody.

Eyes Wide Open – Olivia Broadfield  Just love her. Accessibly. Female best new artist of the year for me. This years “TV made me” winner.

Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart – Rachel Yamagata   Usually a little toasted on stage she is raw and powerful and makes Chicago proud.

Robyn – Robyn  Sugary pop that took 3 years to make it to our shores. Can you handle her?

Elevate- Morgan Page  Tasty originals and remixes including personal favorite Jenny Owen Youngs.

Last Night – Moby  Returning to his roots…no glow sticks necessary.

Strobelite Seduction – Kaskade  His Chicago connection won him resident of the year at Smart Bar. Accessible and always evolving…enter collaboration with Deadmau5

 We Sing, We Dance. We Steal Things – Jason Mraz   Hello – Tristan Prettyman  Cute, fun, poignant and Left Coast love.

Feed The Animals – Girltalk  This is my internal monologue after just one cup of coffee. How anyone cannot have fun listening to this is beyond me.

 

posted by : cooper

Grammy nominations….

This year, the Grammy’s decided to announce their nominations with a concert show hosted by LL Cool J and Taylor Swift. Oh boy!!! I think I am for the old skool news conference.

Mr. Class himself. Lil Wayne, led the way with 8 nominations. He is seen below trying to add those up on one hand. Brilliant. (As much as I like to make fun of him, at least Lil is not boring or typical in comparison to many of the nominees.)

Other acts of note with multiple shout outs: Coldplay, Robert Plant (yes he is still alive) and Allison (bluegrass IS relevant) Kraus, Kanye, Lupe and Radiohead. A few nice surprises; MIA was nominated for “Paper Planes” for record of the year; Katy Perry was not in any way acknowledged for “I kissed a girl.” The rock category is much more interesting than the pop this year, giving nods to Coldplay, Bruce, Death Cab for Cutie, Radiohead and Kings Of Leon. (No it is not just you; every year i have to review the differences between song, record and album of the year. )

New artist of the year rarely seems to pay props to the right acts. This year’s crop are: the Jonas Bros, Adele, Duffy, Lady Antebellum, Jazmine Sullivan (the last two are probably friends of Grammy). True to form they ignored new, exciting blood that different modes of exposure are making more accessible: Leona Lewis, Lykke Li, Bon Iver, Santogold, MGMT and the list goes on. I heart new music.

Dance song of the year (because i care) is touting Daft Punk (for a song that is several years old), Hot Chip, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Rhianna. Madge needs to take a bow, out. Rhianna is more hip hop and RnB. The remaining three are a decent representation of the huge spectrum of dance music, but how they can ignore Deadmau5, Kaskade and the likes of Above and Beyond and Armin van Buuren. Welcome to the 2000′s Record Academy. If they want to pay homage to dance, they will break “dance” into some more sub categories like house, drum and bass, electro, trance. 

Rap, hip hop and RnB represented Chicago well, with nods going to Kanye, Lupe and Jennifer Hudson. Also “the apple bottom jeans and the boots with the fur song”, Low, is up for a few awards.

I don’t do country so I apologize for not summing up those categories.

A full list is available at www.grammy.com. The awards are slated for 2.8.09.

Food for thought…

Maybe if the music industry wants to stay relevant, they might consider a name change for their top award. Grammy and grampy are coming for the holidays this year kids….Sorry sidebar.

update and my bad….And, Kathy Griffin got a nod for for Best Comedy Album for For Your Consideration

 

posted by: cooper

Coldplay to retire in 2009. In this economy? Really?

 

 

 

Anyone who knows me, understands that they should just bite their tongue if they don’t have anything nice to say about one of my most favorite bands. Piano is like air for me, so I couldn’t help but breathe in Coldplay when they first showed up on the US radar in 2000 with the release of Parachutes. After I saw them live for the first time in 2001, ( I have been to 6 shows since) I knew they were different. Their chemistry and passion is real.

Two weeks ago, NME, reported that Chris Martin doesn’t want to be in the band past the age of 33. He is 31 and doesn’t think he will fit into his rocker trousers in a couple of years. I don’t want Coldplay to retire. I truly love them and feel they are one of the greatest live bands I have ever witnessed. I felt the same way about the Police, who after five albums called it quits. You have to respect the idea that something is done. Maybe the guys want to spend time with their children et al, but dammit with the release of their new EP Prospekts March, the boys keep pushing the boundaries of comfort to make some great music.

Brian Eno is to producing, as Obama is to change, a master. He has worked with Bowie, James, U2 and now Coldplay. He seems to have showed the boys the concept of space and how musics doesn’t need a stadium shaking chorus, or even words for that matter.

I love that they have released an EP. Outtakes, b-sides, leftovers, what have you, bring it. Everyone is talking about the Jay Z collaboration on Lost. Eh. Good for them. It is ok, but not great. The lyrics added to Life In Technicolor are good, but a more intriguing question, is why do i love the dulcimer? There is one song in particular that has grabbed me and shaken me up. Rainy Day. It is not typical for the band. It has sweeping strings and is fun and sort of light hearted; like a song you would make up on a road-trip if you were the most popular band in the world.

So should they retire? If they do I have to give them props. If they can keep making amazing music I say don’t stop, but if they are going to lose the passion, then they should step aside and not become a caricature. Look at a band like GnR. Is it excess or a fear of not being able to do something else, ala Michael Jordan? I would be the saddest bear around if Coldplay disbands, but they don’t owe me anything.

 

Reunion 2028? I will start camping out now.

Need Coldplay gifts for the Holidaze?

Coldplay are set to release two new ditties before the year ends. Yesssss!!!! One is a digital only EP of ‘Lost’ that will contain several versions of the song including a live track and one with Jay-Z adding his 2 cents. Jigga please!!! They just released the art work for the new EP that will be released Nov. 25th in US. It is called Prospekts March. The painting is by the same artist, Eugene Delacroix, that graced the cover of Viva La Vida….(is that Jake Gyllenhall on the horse?)

 

Regarding the tracks on the new EP Coldplay says

“We are very proud of these and excited to release them. They have each been the subject of many discussions and arguments. Some might be considered too catchy or too heavy for Coldplay songs but in our minds they complete the Viva La Vida picture.”

Wonder what Brian Eno thinks?

 

Prospekts Marchtracklisting:

Life In Technicolor II
Postcards From Far Away
Glass Of Water
Rainy Day
Prospekts March’/’Poppyfields
Lost +
Lovers In Japan (Osaka Sun mix)
Now My Feet Won’t Touch The Ground

 

Supposedly the Lost track on PM will be the Jay Z version. Only 23 days

 

posted by: cooper