try this: lil wayne (rebirth)

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Rap and rock are two musical genres formed by the misunderstood; you’d think they were meant to join forces. I always appreciate when artists try to differentiate themselves to keep their sound from going stale, but with Wayne’s “singing,” Rebirth is honestly straight-up weird. Many reviews for the leaked album compare it to a Limp Bizkit-esque venture gone wrong, but that’s not the case. Incidentally, this is not the worst album ever, so let’s get that out of the way right now.

Wayne announced his plans to release a rock album following the Grammy-winning success of Tha Carter III. The effort was delayed from a release date of April 7, 2009 to February 1, 2010. Numerous leaked and mixtape tracks have been all over the internet this year, and as usual there was never a lack of guest appearances by Wayne on the radio and across the charts. The buzz of Rebirth spread after reports that Weezy was working on the album with Fall Out Boy, Lenny Kravitz and other rock staples. The first single Prom Queen” was debuted from a live concert video, with Mr. Carter even trying out the guitar himself (although I don’t think he was plugged in). It emerged as a high-energy, eclectic, spastic, all-around mismatched track that would be a template for the forthcoming album. The empty lyrics left loyal listeners confused, as Weezy’s words are normally brilliantly combined, even while rapping about less serious topics.

I love Wayne’s ability to give a nonchalant Southern flow for a few bars, break it up with his signature giggle, and then kick back in again with a furious flurry of metaphors, perfectly placed stutters, and his insistences that he is the greatest rapper alive. He can take virtually any song and beat it to the ground when he raps. With his singing, no matter how auto-tuned it is (and it’s supposed to be), there is no comparison to the energy he brings rapping. On Rebirth, Wayne tries to make up for this by utilizing a form of yell-singing, and it just doesn’t work. On the few tracks where he raps – sans autotune – it’s really refreshing in contrast to the rest of the album. The female guest stars from his Young Money label help some tracks that would otherwise drown in Wayne’s robotic shouts. The lyrics on the album also don't compare to his other works, including mixtapes. Here’s a breakdown by track:

American Star – Uninventive guitar licks and boring lyrics “Born and raised in the USA // Where my president is B-L-A-C-K” make this a less than impressive leadoff track.

Prom Queen – It’s a single, but it isn’t catchy. Even if somebody else sang the chorus, it would remain an all-over-the-place song with lame riffs.

Ground Zero – Finally, some great flow in the verses—that unfortunately turns into a terrible chorus and chord progression full of Weezy shouting something.

Da Da Da – I think this is supposed to be a single. The beat is head-bouncing, and I like the palm-muted guitar accents -- too bad the lyrics and singing are nearly intolerable. Wayne busts out the first non autotuned rapping on the album, but when it stops and goes to some weird robo-tune level, you’re better off hitting the next track button.

Paradice – One of the better songs. There’s no real shouting on this one, and it’s got a good guitar hook. It follows a simple rock format of Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Rap Bridge/Chorus. Take one guess what the best part of the song is.


Get A Life – Bright, bouncy guitars rock out to Wayne yelling “f--k you, get a life.” And that’s about it…not a fan.


On Fire – Synth 80s rock is sampled for this one, but with the 808s in the background, it sounds more like Wayne should sound. It could do without the screaming guitars every two seconds, but it’s a solid song with a good rap verse. This could be a single, but I’d be surprised if the radio doesn’t cut out the unnecessary guitar solo.

Drop The World – Much hyped collaboration with Eminem. It’s okay. When Eminem comes in, his voice settles into the guitars perfectly. His angry tone is suited to it, and his verse slowly builds with aggressiveness to become one of the highlights of the entire album.


Runnin – A chill guitar riff, and Wayne kind of rapping – this is a good thing. When the chorus comes, it’s Shanell – also a good thing. She takes over the singing on this one, and as a result, it’s not bad, although a bit dull overall.


One Way Trip – I like this one, again because Wayne raps and Kevin Rudolf is great on the chorus. Might be my favorite on the album. Travis Barker’s on the drums.


Knockout – Sounds like a pop punk disaster. Nicki Minaj can’t even save this one. The voices don’t complement the music and vice-versa. This is the point where you start wondering when this album will be over.

The Price Is Wrong – Just…no. It’s a mess. No comment. I can’t.


This isn’t like Limp Bizkit or Crazy Town, where they know that they’re rockers with semi-catchy choruses who can sort of rap. When Jay-Z made an album with Linkin Park, Jay-Z stuck to rap. When Eminem tried to sing on his song "Hailie's Song", he even made an “I can’t sing” disclaimer. Perhaps one of the better tracks on Rebirth should have just been a filler track on an upcoming album, because this rock star experiment has officially gone awry. It’s simply 12 tracks of one hot mess after another. Rebirth will probably change when it officially releases in February 2010. Wayne’s got two months to figure out what to do with the album, then he’ll be heading to jail for about a year on a weapons charge. With his insane level of musical output, Lil Wayne fans aren’t the patient type. So, I kinda want to forget that this album ever happened, and I want a mixtape from jail to remind me that he’s still one of the best rappers alive. ASAP. Until then, at least we’ve got No Ceilings

try this: hanson (stand up stand up ep)

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A few years back, my dad played a song for me and said “guess who sings this?” It was a really good rock song with a deep-voiced, throaty singer; it had a great melody and combination of sounds. I was pretty much floored when he said "Hanson” (the song was “Watch Over Me”). My mind flashed to images of the “MMMBop” video and the long-haired, high-pitched, smiley pre-teen pop idols. But many people don’t realize that Hanson hasn't slowed down since.


When “MMMBop” was released in 1996 and became their first major hit, the youngest member Zac was only 11 years old. Now 24, 26, and 29, the three brothers Zac, Taylor, and Issac have grown musically and lyrically as well. The really impressive thing to me is that they have always written their own songs and played their own instruments, ever since the beginning.

Their label Island Def Jam dropped them in a messy split in 2001, saying their songs weren’t marketable to their audience. The label refused over 80 songs. The Hanson brothers formed their own independent label 3CG Records, in which Underneath and The Walk were released. Underneath debuted at #25 on the Billboard 200 in 2004, making it one of the most successful independent releases of all time. The Walk was a heavy album in comparison; it was more drastic to further showcase their independence as artists. I saw Hanson play a small acoustic show at Michigan State University in 2005. They played acoustic versions of new songs and a few older ones, and seemed like confident, cool guys, who seem comfortable with where their career has taken them.

Now that I can safely say I’m a Hanson fan, I was naturally stoked when I heard they’re going to release a new album in mid-2010. They released the Stand Up, Stand Up EP a few weeks ago, including 4 live acoustic versions of songs on their upcoming album, along with 1 studio version song. The EP has simple progessions, lots of harmonies, and addictive melodies—pretty much standard Hanson. But their sound has matured even further since The Walk.

“These Walls”
Some happy chords, light organ, and heavy piano make me want to hear this song with drums.

“Carry You There”
Watch It Here (Taylor’s got a ‘stache, Zac’s still sporting a ponytail, and Issac is clearly a grown man.)
The harmonies are ridiculous on this...it just shows how long they’ve been playing together and hearing each other. I love the acapella repeats of “I’ll carry you there” at the end. They’re seamless.

“Use Me Up”
This song’s very different from the rest of the EP. Zac sings on this one, sadly singing “Use me up // Cause no one ever does.” Damn, Zac Hanson. A little emo these days are we? It still sounds great but the studio version should be better.

“Waiting For This”
…Cut to bright piano and drums. This super-upbeat song reminds me of the sound of The Rocket Summer (one of my favorites), right down to the “singalong” parts. I loved this one.

“World's on Fire”
This is the studio version, and the lyrics gave the Stand Up, Stand Up EP its name. Drums are heavy and contract with the high-note guitar and piano leads. It’s a little redundant overall, but the harmony doesn’t disappoint.

Give this EP a try, and you too may just become a Hanson fan. No shame is necessary.

love/hate: paris hilton

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Being one of the most famous-for-being-famous socialites of the decade, Paris Hilton woke up one day and decided that she could sing. Well, it looks like homegirl is returning to the studio -- she even claims she wrote all the songs for her upcoming album herself. Paris founded Heiress Records in 2006 (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) to record her first effort Paris, but was soon dropped—and it looks like nobody wants to record her sophomore album. Paris actually peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, although overall sales were poor. The single "Stars Are Blind" was a great summer song-- it got lots of MTV rotation, and topped many charts worldwide. Yeahhh…I was as shocked as you were. So of course when that happened, I had to go and listen to every song she ever recorded. And they weren’t bad.

Paris had the help of mega-producer Scott Storch to create a dance/hip-hop/Kylie Minogue-sounding album—but the best part are the remixes. They cover up the vocals; but hey, it’s still kinda her voice under all the drums and bass. The lyrics are brutally honest, detailing her rough life as an heiress looking for love:
”Since I'm already screwed
Here's a message to you
My heart's wide open
I'm just not getting through to the lover in you
Yet I'm still hoping
That tonight, tonight, you're gonna turn down the lights
And give me a little more room just to prove it to you
What do I gotta do?”
Here’s the thing. This girl was born into a hotel empire and knew she never had to work a day in her life, yet she has anyways. So why not add a little singing to her TV shows, modeling career, perfume line, clothing line, a DOG clothing line, purse line, shoe line, cell phone games, sex tape DVD sales, public appearances, acting “career,” books, and even political stints. Paris sings simple, energetic dance/pop songs, and that’s just what they’re meant to be.

Let’s not forget the wise words she has told us live by: "Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in.” With prose like that, I can’t wait to hear the lyrics she’s written on her next album. In fact, some of the leaked songs are a preview of what we’re in for. On “Platinum Blonde,” she says “Oh peroxide, do your work on me.” On “Girl Tax” she croons “My heart beats for the P-R-A-D-A.”

Good times.

The Guilty Pleasures:

To be honest, I LOVE the "Screwed" and "Nothing in this World" remixes. I may or may not know all the words.

what happened to...?

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Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

Probably the worst tease in recent music history, Lauryn Hill released this ridiculously amazing album out of nowhere. It won five Grammys and mixed R&B, soul, and hip-hop into pretty much 16 tracks of perfection. The solo project made for a tense relationship with The Fugees, particularly with Wyclef Jean. After the album (and a super-weird Unplugged album), she virtually disappeared out of the industry, cancelling interviews, tours, and anything that would put her back into the public eye.

My favorite track: "I Used To Love Him"

Fenix TX – Self Titled (1999)


This pop-punk, blink-182-ish album is less than an hour long, but it’s just fun. The band’s follow-up wasn’t that great, and they disappeared in 2002.

My favorite track: "Flight 601"

D’Angelo – Voodoo (2000)


I’ve been waiting ten years for a follow-up with no sign of one yet. His Prince-inspired sophomore album had smoothness and soul on every track; a beautiful combination of old school and neo-soul. D’Angelo broke under the pressure of being a sex symbol and an international superstar. He fell into a drug addiction and has been quietly writing songs for his always-delayed but much-anticipated album, tentatively named James River. Seriously, come back, D'Angelo.

My favorite track: "Send It On"

love/hate: heidi montag

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You always hear of actors thinking that they can sing too, but I’m pretty sure reality tv doesn’t count as acting. Being famous for being famous is a business of extremes. It’s the new American dream—getting everything handed to you without really having any talent. You don’t have to be an interesting person, but you have to do mildly interesting things—like, for example, be the roommate of an MTV reality star. Heidi Montag has been stretching her exposure for years, riding the coattails of drama-filled Lauren Conrad on the success of her series The Hills. We watched Heidi reach for the stars, drop out of fashion school and get fired at her PR “job.” She talked to tabloids freely about her extensive plastic surgery…at age 21.

When Heidi paired up with another nemesis on the show, Spencer Pratt, the awful duo has been grasping at their 15 minutes ever since. They even wrote a book about it—and apparently, people are buying it. Seriously-- people are actually purchasing the How To Be Famous hardcover book by these douchebags. They’re also buying her clothing line (“Heidiwood” …), her workout plan, and her obviously fake storyline on The Hills. So it’s no surprise that the paparazzi-seeking Montag would try to record a pop album and record a couple of horrible quality music videos. Maximum auto-tune, soft vocal levels, and constant echoes make the noise tolerable. The lyrical content is deep:

“Hoppin out that Maserati
All I see is paparazzi
For the front cover of a magazine
I pose in everything I wear
Lots of makeup, people stare
Always center of attention

Lookin' so bootylicious.”

Not gonna lie, some of the hooks are good. She was able to buy legendary songwriter David Foster to work on her album, and also got Gaga’s producer Redone to work on least one of her songs. I wonder if being obscenely rich leads you to believe that you can really do anything. I’m not sure if it’s worth the embarrassment that’s sure to follow after her album Superficial drops, supposedly in January—though it’s been delayed two years since she has no record label that will represent her. Her solution? Heidi Montag Records/Pratt Productions LLC. If nobody wants her, she’ll do it herself. I guess that by raking in $100,000 per Hills episode, you can do things like that. More power to her—I’m sure she’ll be laughing all the way to the bank. Either way, I still maintain that she should leave music to the talented, and stick with what she knows…whatever that is.

The Guilty Pleasures:
“No More” – The piano hook and chorus moves it along, but Heidi’s droning lyrics in the verses kind of kill this song halfway through.

“Body Language” – Who honestly allowed this chick to sample this classic 80s song (Situation by Yazoo)…catchy, nonetheless.