Deep Dark Robot 8 songs About a Girl Custard
Out singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Linda Perry takes a break from writing pop hits for the likes of Christina Aguilera, Pink and Gwen Stefani to get her garage-rock catharsis on with the help of drummer Tony Tanay.
It turns out that Perry, with a dash of heartbreak and the absence of A-list avatars for her songwriting, makes a potent and efficient collection of songs, especially since she seems to be worshiping at the feet of Concrete Blonde, Patti Smith and The White Stripes on fiery and brooding tracks like “It Fucking Hurts” and “Fuck You, Stupid Bitch.” Perry can break your heart into pieces even when the amps aren’t turned up to 11 on tracks like the sparse piano-driven “Speck.”
If this is what a tumultuous relationship reaps, we should all hope Perry has girlfriends that are hell on wheels for a long time.
Juan Lords Your Love or My Love/In a Trance Jlord Records
Local out singer Lords gets his techno on with his latest collection of singles and remixes. His often-textbook but still-enjoyable dance-floor concoctions work best when they’re in the hands of remix artists.
The original track are adventurous enough from a techno songwriting standpoint, but the vocals on these tracks are rather plain and far enough in front of the mix to be distracting. All the remix tracks have fixed this problem, adding a respectable-enough amount of effects on the vocals to make them a more melodic part of the song.
Lady Gaga Born This Way Interscope
Hey there, Gaga. How’s it going?
We’re going to forego the tradition album review here because, at this juncture, it’s a moot point. You’ve moved more than 1 million copies in a week. You’ve been on all the TV shows. You are the zeitgeist and you have truly arrived.
By the way, we dig the album … if you care. “Judas,” “Heavy Metal Lover,” “Government Hooker” and “Electric Chapel” are probably going to be entrenched in our iPod playlists for a while.
We’d like to take this moment to give you mad props for following the Madonna playbook to the letter. Yeah, we know you mixed in some David Bowie and Grace Jones for good measure, but your pop trajectory screams Madonna. That’s why we know that’s next and why we want to warn you, for what it’s worth.
If things stay on schedule, you’ll probably graduate to stadium concerts soon and the next album or two will be huge as well. You’re probably going to get your own record label if you want.
Do all that stuff.
Please do not start starring in movies. We cannot stress that enough. I know you see Beyoncé doing it successfully but you aren’t following her playbook.
Do not get married … unless it’s to a woman. Trust us on this.
Otherwise, if you can resist overexposure and stay interesting and scandalous, we aren’t going to have any problems.
Matthew Morrison Matthew Morrison Mercury Records
It’s hard to imagine anyone who likes “Glee” not liking this record.
That said, Morrison’s self-titled disc is just the kind of pop record you would expect from someone who has a starring role on one of the most popular and best-branded shows on television.
For the most part, this collection of extremely marketable songs is as safe and wholesome as a loaf of Wonder Bread and has absolutely no edge.
None.
If you dig that kind of thing, listen and be happy. Others might find it hard not to puke from all the sugary, syrupy sweetness.
And just to drive home the adult-pop point, Morrison snagged guest performances by safe adult-pop artists Sting, Elton John and Gwyneth Paltrow. And yes, those are John’s hits “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” and “Rocket Man” on which Morrison is trading vocal lines with John.
Is that the best he could come up with when he had Elton-freakin’-John with him in the studio? Should someone who’s a big TV star take more artistic risks than someone who’s a contestant on “American Idol”?
Pass the butter.