Song Of The Day: Michael Jackson- "Thriller"

Not much to say here...great song, iconic video, and it's Halloween.  Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Jay-Z & Kanye West- "Ni**as In Paris"

Obviously this is off Jay-Z and Kanye's huge combo album Watch The Throne.  What's weird is that such an anticipated album hasn't yet produced a transcendent single.  But this has certainly come the closest, and it's no surprise: it's one of the hardest-hitting songs on the album, and it features some inexplicable quotes from "Blades Of Glory," a movie I always meant to see but never actually saw.  But, goodness, is this song weird.  Jay and 'Ye have clearly decided they're above making sense, and now they just want to throw random crap into their songs and see if they catch on.  Well, congrats guys, 'cause so far from this album, you've got everyone talking about going HAM, and now everyone's saying "That shit cray."  Some people just know how to dominate culture, I guess.

Song Of The Day: Skrillex- "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites"

OK, listen up.  I know you're probably gonna hate and tell me this song shouldn't qualify for SOTD because it's a year old and isn't "mainstream" enough.  Well, it's been in the iTunes Top 100 for weeks if not months now, and it has almost 40 million YouTube views.  And it's almost Halloween and this song is pretty creepy.  So how's that for relevant and mainstream?

Nope, this clearly meets the qualifications for Song of the Day, and consequently, that means dubstep is unequivocally going mainstream.  This is a pretty radical thought, because dubstep started out as nothing more than underground industrial noise music only listened to by hardcore hipsters who apparently like having their eardrums shattered.  And if you were to ask them, I'm sure they would tell you they much prefer their music to go unheard by the masses.  But now, dubstep has fully merged with the dance/rave scene, and actually threatens to overtake it.  While mainstream artists have been incorporating dubstep elements into some of their hits, or releasing dubstep remixes, we hadn't actually seen an original dubstep composition firmly entrench itself in the Top 100. 

Until now.  And if the public actually wants to hear and buy this stuff, expect to start hearing a lot more of it.  To prepare yourself, I would suggest investing in some better speakers, because dubstep sounds absolutely terrible unless you listen to it loud enough to make your clothes shake.  But most music sounds better the louder it is, so I'm not really sure what's so special about this noise.

But hey, there are some better dubstep options out there.  Try these (and turn it up!):

Song Of The Day: Bow Wow feat. Lil Wayne- "Sweat"

First of all I apologize for the relatively low-quality audio in the video.  I seriously couldn't find anything better, although I'm sure the real Cash Money Records will release a higher-quality official video soon.  But why wait?  This is a hot jam, and I'm not gonna keep it in the stable, I'm gonna give it to you now!  It's been a while since Bow Wow was on the scene, but this immediately becomes one of the better rap releases in the last few months, and, thus, one of the best songs he's ever done.  Which may say more about the sad state of rap music these days than it does about any special effort from Bow Wow and Lil Wayne.  But forget about all that; this song stands up just fine no matter what.

Song Of The Day: Katy Perry- "The One That Got Away"

Unbelievable.

For those of you that have been keeping up, this is now the sixth (6th) official single released from Katy Perry's album Teenage Dream.  The first single from that album, "California Gurls," was released 17 months ago, last May.  This one is currently beginning a slow climb up the charts.  I don't think it will come close to the heights reached by the first five singles off Teenage Dream, which ALL reached #1, but as I've learned over the last year or so, you can't count out Katy Perry.  But I'm not sure I like this move by her label- unless this goes to #1, it will somewhat tarnish the legacy of Teenage Dream by ruining its perfect 5-for-5 streak.  Still, I can't fault Capitol Records here; they're just trying to squeeze a few more bucks out of the most productive album in 25 years.

Oh, and the actual song?  It's nothing special, but it's more than decent.  The lyrics are specific- "We used to steal your parents' liquor and climb to the roof, think about our future like we had a clue," and the melody is pleasing yet thought-provoking.  But it's not nearly as memorable (for better or for worse) as the other singles off Teenage Dream.  Or even some of the album tracks...

Song Of The Day (FRIDAY NIGHT JUMPOFF): Justin Bieber- "Mistletoe"

Awww yeah, nobody does pre-Halloween Christmas songs like Biebs!  So go out and rage like its December 24, and don't forget to buy your girlfriend over $1 million in presents, or else she might dump you under the mistletoe for this young stud!

Song Of The Day: Drake feat. Nicki Minaj- "Make Me Proud"

This song reaffirms two things I've slowly come to realize recently-1. I like Singing Drake a lot more than Rapping Drake, and 2. Nicki Minaj is a better rapper than Drake, and than most other rappers out there right now.  Major, revelations, I know.  As for this song, it's really not one of my favorites.  But people seem to like it, since it's #1 on iTunes right now.  No surprise, I guess- Drake and Nicki Minaj tend to light up the charts by themselves, and add them up and you've got a certified smash.  But I'm just not really feeling this one.

Eight Hot New Dance Jams You Need To Hear Right Now

Another month, another batch of eargasmic bangers that you need to get acquainted with immediately.  You won't regret it.

M83- "Midnight City"

OK this is more of an electronic jam than a true dance jam, but it's still one of those songs you can just put on repeat and tap your toes to until you get a leg cramp.  That's a pretty poor analogy but I don't really care.

Cahill feat. Joel Edwards- "In Case I Fall"

It starts out kind of slow, but then it picks up and you can't put it down.  Er, well, maybe that analogy is kind of dated since we don't listen to physical copies of music anymore, but just imagine, I guess.

Kaskade feat. Mindy Gledhill- "Eyes"

Nobody does epic arena house better than Kaskade right now.  Which probably explains why he headlined Identity Festival this past summer.  On a related note, I wonder if I can get a press pass and attend one of those big-time dance festivals for free this summer.  LOL.


Above & Beyond feat. Gareth Emery- "On A Good Day"

This one doesn't ever wind up hitting quite as hard as some of the other ones I've posted, but it's just as high-quality.  Captivating vocals, but I couldn't figure out who the singer is though.  Whatever, all vocalists on dance tracks are clearly interchangeable.


Avicii- "Swede Dreams"

As I said last month, no dance playlist is complete without my main man Avicii.  This one's a little older, but somehow I'd never heard it until this month.  But it's an instant classic, thanks to its liberal use of one of the greatest electropop songs of all time.


Goodwill & Hook N' Sling- "Take You Higher"

Boy does this one take forever to get going, but boy does it reward you for your patience.  I'm surprised "club mixes" still exist in this era of instant gratification, though.  Radio edits just get to the point so much quicker.  if you appreciate buildup, though, sometimes you have to go with the club mix.


Example- "Won't Go Quietly"

This ultra-British-sounding act doesn't mess around with buildup.  This is really more like hip-pop/dance, just like every other song we've been hearing in the States the last year or so, but because it's British, it's inherently better.  Listen to it and try to disagree.


Eric Prydz- "2Night"

Finally, the creator of the greatest progressive house jam in the last decade is out with some quality new material.  This is a certified jam, but it again raises the issue of radio edit vs. club mix.  This one I don't like quite as much as "Pjanoo," so I think I have to stick with the radio edit.  I guess that's just what it comes down to- 4 star songs get the radio edit, while 5 star songs get the club mix.  But either way, I get to rage to epic dance jams, so it's all good!

Technology Update: Coldplay Allows iTunes Stream Of Their New Song, "Princess Of China (feat. Rihanna)"

Never before have I seen iTunes stream an entire song as a way of promoting an upcoming album.  Very interesting.  Is this a one-time deal or a new business plan?  Either way, what a great song to choose to debut this new concept- with Coldplay and Rihanna you can't go wrong.  It's for a limited time only, and they're supposedly offering a new song each day, so you should probably go and listen to it now  I can't link to iTunes directly, but if you're reading this, you own a computer, so you probably have iTunes anyway, so check it out.  And I'll provide this bootleg YouTube version if you're too lazy to open another application.

Song Of The Day: Jessie J- "Domino"

Hey, what's that new Katy Perry song?  Goes, like, "Take me down like I'm a domino?"  Love that song!

Guess what?  It's Jessie J!  Yeah, she did "Price Tag," and now she's channeling her inner Katy, grabbing superstar producer Dr. Luke, and laying down one of the catchiest songs of the fall.  This is such a summer song, though- it should have been released in May!  Oh, well.  It's here now, and if everyone else feels like I do, it ought to shoot straight to #1.  But we'll have to wait and see about that...

Song Of The Day: Jason DeRulo- "It Girl"

I've been putting off making this the Song Of The Day because it's so straightforward and not at all special.  Like a total 6/10.  Hard to write much about a song like that, even if it's climbing the charts and becoming too relevant to ignore.  Only noteworthy thing here is that Jason seems to be backing off the AutoTune a bit and letting his natural voice come through.  This mirrors the general trend in the music industry- we are slowly easing out of the AutoTune era.  As much as I kind of got sick of AutoTune, I'll never completely tire of it.  It got overused, and it was never going to be more than a passing fad.  But it was a glorious era while it lasted- not too many production touches make me go "Yes, I want more of that."  And boy did I get more of "that."  But enough is enough.  So long, AutoTune.  I'll be eagerly awaiting the next craze.

BONUS CHALLENGE!

How many seconds can you make it through of Hank Wlliams Jr.'s revolting new song, "Keep The Change?"  I made it through 19.  I think that's pretty impressive, actually!  Leave your best effort in the comments!

Song Of The Day: Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna "Fly"

Does anyone else really wanna see what Nicki Minaj looks like when she wakes up in the morning?  That's assuming she sleeps, of course.  And what's all this about Rihanna being named the World's Sexiest Woman?  Don't get me wrong, I love her music, but, really?  Rihanna?  Who makes these lists?  Maybe I'm just scarred by the pictures of her after she got beat up by Chris Brown.  Those really screwed things up for me.  Anyway, I like the song.  Rihanna's vocals pretty much never go wrong, and Nicki always has nice flow a clever rhyme here and there.  And the beat reminds me of an Owl City song, which is an obvious plus.  But the visuals have really got me confused.

Song Of The Day: Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa feat. Bruno Mars- "Young Wild & Free"

This song could easily approach anthem status for just about anyone aged 16-34 (and maybe a fair amount of people outside of that too).  I personally identify more with the "So what we get drunk," than the "So what we smoke weed," but this is Snoop and Wiz we're talking about, so I guess you have to expect a hefty amount of weed references.  Seriously, though: so what if we wanna go out and have a good time?  Ain't hurtin' anybody.  It's our lives, and our money, and we have (or should have) the right to do with them as we wish.  Legalize that ish, and lower the drinking age to 16 while you're at it.  Damn, I should run for President.

Song Of The Day: Lloyd feat. Andre 3000- "Dedication To My Ex"

I was scouring the iTunes charts today when I found this gem.  What an amazing song and video.  No surprise that it hasn't been heavily publicized, but it's seriously in the running for the most creative and hilarious video I've seen all year.  Some highlights:

-The girl in the all black is a stone-cold stunner.
-The grinning white guitarist is a fantastic addition, perfectly in keeping with the idea that if you put this song on mute, it could be from 1962.  And is that the girl from NCIS in the background?
-The girl making out with Lloyd in the back of a Mini is a nice touch. Not too many urban hits these days feature Minis.
-That's the smoothest "I'm about to kill this bitch" you'll ever hear.
-Andre 3000 as a real-life pussycat?  Genius.  I wonder if they couldn't get him to appear in the video, or if they just wanted him to be a cat? 

And if you have a working brain, you should appreciate the '60s soul sound and video juxtaposed with the almost impossibly explicit lyrics.  It reminds me of "F**k You" by Cee-Lo, but I was worried that without a clean version, this perfect old-school R&B song would never hear the light of day (or, the light of radio play, whatever).  But that's when I found the clean version.  Expect to hear this one all over pretty soon, because it's just too great to not be a huge hit.

Song Of The Day: Hot Chelle Rae feat. New Boyz- "I Like It Like That"

At this point, it's safe to say Hot Chelle Rae has a "sound."  On their first single, "Tonight Tonight," it was just good, clean, catchy fun- pulsating bass synths, midtempo rhythms, all in all a perfect car song.  This one, however, despite using the same ingredients as "Tonight," comes off as contrived, and even a bit grating.  Their ultra-poppy sound and lets-get-wasted lyrics wore thin on me remarkably quickly.  And the cameo from New Boyz is incredibly forced.  I do have to give props to their agent, though- I thought they were an absolute one-hit wonder after "You're A Jerk;" boy, was I wrong.  We'll just have to wait and see how long Hot Chelle Rae can extend their run of popularity.

Song Of The Day: Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull & The WAV.S- "I Like How It Feels"

How does Enrique get away with shit like this?  First he makes a song called "I Like It," featuring Pitbull.  Then, a few months later, he makes a song called "I Like How it Feels," also featuring Pitbull!  If I kept making the same song over and over, I think I would lose my credibility pretty quickly.  But Enrique just pulls it off and nobody says a thing.  Well, I say, this is ridiculous!  Is the song pretty good?  Sure, it's catchy (whistling will do that), and it seems to have an upbeat tone and message, all of which are good.  But you can't just make almost the exact same song twice in a year and get away with it, right?  Right???

Song Of The Day: Taio Cruz feat. Flo Rida- "Hangover"

Listen to the lyrics of this song, because I don't think they make any sense.  First Taio says he has a hangover, because he's been drinking too much.  Then he says his cup is empty, so fill it up.  It's pretty hard to be drinking and hung over at the same time, no?  Is Taio just trying to appeal to the college crowd by making a generic song about drinking, when it couldn't be clearer he knows nothing on the subject?  No, that's unlikely.  Instead, listen to the next line- "I wanna drink until I throw up."  Clearly, Taio Cruz is just an irresponsible drinker, and probably needs to be checked into rehab.  Get it together, Taio.  I don't wanna break your heart, but you're not quite as dynamite as you think you are...

Seven Damn Country Songs You Oughta Listen To

It's been a couple months since I highlighted the standout songs in the most commercially stable genre of music these days.  Get used to country music people, because it ain't goin' anywhere.  Let's just hope it's mostly songs like these that get the prominent airplay, and not junk like this.

Trace Adkins- “Just Fishin’”: Not too much to this one, just a tender ode to fatherhood.  This is country at its best- simple songs about the simple things in life, clear, to the point, and well-crafted.  Very, very hard not to enjoy.

Pistol Annies- “Hell On Heels”: This dark warning to sugar daddies scares me quite a bit.  Obviously I’ve made a killing writing this blog, and now I’m worried about the gold diggers like the Pistol Annies that will inevitably come out of the woodwork!

 

Kenny Chesney feat. Grace Potter- “You And Tequila”: As I’ve mentioned before, nothing beats a good country duet.  It’s also fun to point out the predicatbility of what appears in these country videos- soft-focus shots, alcohol, old cars, and hats.  Timeless, I guess.

 

Rodney Atkins- “Take A Back Road”: I hardly ever drive, and even more rarely encounter traffic jams, but dammit, now I wanna take a back road too!  It just sounds so enticing.  Nothing more American than a little gravel in your travel.  Well, actually, nothing more third-world than dirt roads.  But never mind.  It’s the thought that counts.

 

Blake Shelton- “God Gave Me You”: This is the hottest country song out right now, and Blake Shelton is the hot new thing in Nashville (and he’s getting married to Miranda Lambert, obviously).  I don’t really care about all that though.  What I really want to mention is how country music has undoubtedly become the best genres for music videos.  Somewhere along the way, most acts stopped telling stories in their music videos, and started focusing only on themselves.  Country artists never changed, though, and their videos are so much better for it.  Unfortunately, Blake's people won't let me embed the video, so click here to watch it, and I'll put the audio below.

 

Brad Paisley feat. Alabama- “Old Alabama”: And now we’ve reached the All-America part of the post.  In other words, the best part.  I don’t have much to add here- just enjoy the fast cars, drive-in movies, and Brad Paisley superimposed into old Alabama clips.  Oh, and Jeff Gordon!

 

Toby Keith- “Made In America”: I had this song on the mind a few weeks ago, on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.  I was only a kid on that day, and I think growing up in an era of such uncertainty has made me particularly supportive of songs championing American exceptionalism.  Case in point- I got goosebumps watching this video.  We should never forget we’re the best damn country in the world.   

 

Look what kind of effects only seven country songs can have on someone.  Just like that, I'm a flag-waving Southern boy displaying blind patriotism.  Buy American, everybody, and I’ll be back tomorrow with another song of the day.