Opinions are opinions obviously, but based on some of the ignorant comments I’ve heard in regards to the singer Lana Del Rey since her weekend appearance on the TV show Saturday Night Live that I’ve heard, I thought I’d offer my two cents about Lana Del Rey. I’m only saying these words as someone who sees HUNDREDS of live acts a year. That might not qualify me as an expert in live music, but I’ll tell you one thing – for some of the shitty things I’ve heard about Lana, I certainly did not see YOU at her show and I’ve certainly not seen YOU going and checking out live music night after night to expand your musical horizons and trust me, I’d remember!
Lana Del Rey became a Youtube sensation in 2011 and based on the strength of two viral videos, many doors have opened for her. She’s gotten international exposure by appearing on many TV programs and up until now, her performances have been pretty solid. She performed two songs on Saturday Night Live, a TV show that everyone seems to say “has lost its thunder years ago,” and yet everyone seems to watch it and complain about how bad it is. So anyone that falls into that bucket, which I’ll conservatively estimate as A LOT of you, deserves to have their words discredited as ALL of the people in that bucket DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR WORDS! If you don’t like something, DO NOT SUPPORT IT! Please don’t support it and then complain about how bad it is (that goes for awards shows and reality TV also). It’s a double standard and anyone with half a brain (such as myself) can see right through it! Don’t “watch” train wrecks – GET OUT AND HELP because one day YOU might be on that train!
Yes, Lana Del Rey’s appearance on the TV show was nowhere near as good as her videos and was disappointing, but suddenly, the same people that watched Lana’s videos and made her an internet sensation are doing everything in their power to tear her down. If you believe what you hear on the internet, there has never been anyone ever in the history of music as bad as Lana Del Rey! That makes NO sense! Before you utter another bad word about Lana, PLEASE remember that the world has allowed someone as talentless and tone deaf as Katy Perry to break records set by someone truly talented like Michael Jackson. Please remember that the world has allowed pop auto-tune and lipsynching icons such as Britney Spears and Rihanna to be hugely successful and sell out stadiums across the world! Let’s see them perform acoustically!? It will never happen because it will expose their lack of singing talent. It will prove that they are frauds and that the world is filled with idiots who are incapable of making decisions for themselves!
It’s been avoidable to hear reports that she bought her way into stardom or slept her way to get where she is. SO BE IT if any of that is indeed true. It sure worked for Madonna and look where she is now. We’re not going to get into Madonna’s preaching to the masses about destroying your ego while she maintains one of the largest egos on the planet either, because that’s a diatribe for another day. I’m not on Lana Del Rey’s payroll, but UNLIKE YOU at this point in the game, I’ve seen her perform a full set and I found her songs to be great. Certainly she’s not the best singer in the world, but she’s certainly not the worst either. I found myself intrigued to hear more, and I think that her recent performance was an off night instead of a lack of talent as the armchair critics of the world are condemning her for. Her album will be released at the end of the month and time will tell if the old adage that all publicity is good publicity is still true in 2012.
So with that in mind, revist a live performance of “Video Games” that I recorded from a small club show in December 2011.
As if seeing Patti Smith performing on New Year’s Eve wasn’t enough, the goddess of Rock and Roll brought out her friend, Michael Stipe, the former lead singer of REM, to perform a special cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on December 31, 2011. It looked and sounded like this…
P.S. Sorry about the back of some guy’s head popping up throughout this video. I did the best I could
To celebrate my favorite concerts of 2011, here’s an unposted video of one of the year’s highlights, Frank Turner. The song you are about to see is called “Polaroid,” which as of press time is unreleased.
Enjoy and thanks to these great performers who truly rocked my world in 2011!
2011 was a better than normal year for good tunes. In no particular order, here’s a list of 21 songs that made my world a lot groovier. I don’t think that all of the tracks were released as singles, and if they were, many of these gems were probably not played in a mainstream way (like the radio). That’s sad, especially when over-produced pop songs that sound good on ONE LISTEN ONLY are played ad nauseum to the masses while they open their mouths wide for something to suck on.
Jack White
“Love is Blindness” by Jack White. This came out of nowhere! For the 20 year *gulp* anniversary of U2′s epic album “Achtung Baby,” UK Magazine Q enlisted a ton of A-Listers to cover the entire record. The whole thing is great and features the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Garbage, Depeche Mode, The Killers, Glasvegas and Patti Smith, who all newly recorded covers for this collection. Jack White’s cover of the final track “Love Is Blindness” is so freakin’ amazing, the first time I heard it, I knew it was immediately on this list. It’s gut wrenching and though I already loved the original version, this version is even more emotional.
Lenny Kravitz
“Superlove” by Lenny Kravitz. I am a big Lenny Kravitz fan and I’ve been really disappointed with his last 3 studio albums. So much of his newer material sounds really uninspired, unfortunately. However, when you hear a track like the 70’s laid back jam “Superlove,” it just proves that Lenny still has “IT.” Also great from Lenny in 2011 is the funky as hell track “Come On Get It.”
Alex Frankel of Holy Ghost!
“Hold My Breath” by Holy Ghost! I actually like every song on Holy Ghost!’s self-titled debut album, but looking at my iPod stats, this is the song that I listened to the most (aside from “Do It Again,” but that song technically came out in 2010). Holy Ghost! Recently offered a free download of their cover of Ministry’s “I Wanted To Tell Her,” and it’s amazing! Search the archives and download it for a limited time!
Christopher Owens of Girls
“Vomit” by Girls. This is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. In case you have not heard the song, it has nothing to do with puking, but it’s a gut wrenching song. Chris Owens’ vocals are so vulnerable as he sings about looking for love. The song has a nice build up and the climactic ending features backing vocals that would make Pink Floyd proud. When Owens sings the final lines “Come into my heart,” you will want to beat up the person that broke his heart! I highly recommend the entire record “Father, Son, Holy Ghost” as it’s epic from start to finish.
Duran Duran
“The Man Who Stole A Leopard” by Duran Duran. Ever wonder what “classic era” Duran Duran would sound like in 2011? Just pick up their album “All You Need Is Now” to find out the answer! Mark Ronson, a huge Duran Duran fan, produced their new record and he suggested that Duran Duran don’t try to sound like anyone else – except themselves. The result is one of their best albums ever and “The Man Who Stole A Leopard” to me sounds like it could be “The Chauffeur 2011.”
Jonny Pierce of The Drums
“If He Likes It Let Him Do It” by The Drums. This song has a little bit of everything. It’s got some rock, surf, pop and dance elements to it and the chorus (which features the title of the song) is hauntingly catchy. I’ve read that The Drums will be taking a dancier direction for their next record (hopefully a’la Jonny Pierce’s other band Elkand), and I am very excited to hear it.
Thom Yorke
“Lotus Flower” by Radiohead. Finally a band who knows how to get Lotus Flower right! This song is an uncommonly catchy Radiohead track. It didn’t help matters when the video was released and it shows front man Thom Yorke living in the moment and dancing like the world is about to end. Every time I hear that song now, I can’t help but do the “Lotus Flower” dance. It’s extra fun when I am in a crowded subway.
Lana Del Rey
“Blue Jeans (Penguin Prison Remix)” by Lana Del Rey. This is a rare case when the remix is better than the original song. The album version has a “noir” feel to it and this version is a club banger! Lana Del Rey recently debuted many songs in concert from her 2012 release “Born To Die,” and I have a feeling she’s going to be a big star. Put her on your radar now!
Chris Glover of Penguin Prison
“Don’t Fuck With My Money” by Penguin Prison. Speaking of Penguin Prison, I of course love every song on their debut record, but I’ve listened to the opening track more than all the others. I don’t see how a person wouldn’t fall in love with this song immediately because it’s catchy as hell, just like every song on the album. I am not even saying these kind things because I appear in the music video for this song, but I can say, that is definitely a highlight of the year too!
Chris Martin of Coldplay
“Up In Flames” by Coldplay. I appreciate that Coldplay decided to go against the grain and make a pop record for 2011’s “Mylo Xyloto,” but overall, I am not digging the album too much. I do like the song “Up In Flames” though a lot. It’s your typical Coldplay ballad, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with them in the first place.
Hanni El Khatib
“Come Alive” by Hanni El Khatib. Hanni El Khatib’s music has a little bit of everything – blues, soul, garage, doo-wop and punk. I’ve seen him in concert many times and this track is one of my favorites to see performed live. I hope that one day Hanni El Khatib will release a live album because the studio versions of his songs sound a little bit too polished as compared to the raw intensity of his performance.
Friendly Fires
“Hurting” by Friendly Fires. Disco! I love this song! Over the course of this year, I’ve gone through obsessions with this song where I listened to it over and over and over again. It was just released as a single, which is great news! Now the rest of the world can enjoy it as much as I have.
Adele
“Rolling In The Deep” by Adele. This song was played to death, but I will say one thing – I have never gotten sick of it. The song is just epic in every way. From Adele’s amazing voice to the torch song music, the track is flawless. She sings “We could have had it all,” but this song is proof that she HAS it all! I find some of her music to be a bit snoozy, but this song is one I can listen to on repeat (and I have) and it’s great and more powerful with every listen.
Katy B
“Why You Always Here” by Katy B. British newcomer Katy B has made a great dance record with her debut “On A Mission.” It’s a perfect album to listen to before you go out clubbing for the night. It was hard to pick a favorite song on the record, but once again, I let my iPod be my guide and I listened to this track the most, edging out “ Hard to Get” and “Lights On.” As of press time, Katy B. is not that popular in the USA yet, so people – discover her music! You’ll like it!
Philip Oakey of Human League
“Night People” by Human League. Just when you thought Human League had dropped off the face of the earth, they returned with the 2011 album “Credo.” The album has its moments, but one of the best ones is the extremely dancey “Night People.” The melody and lyrics are very catchy and you’ll know exactly what they are talking about when they sing “There is a place that only the night people know.”
Lindsey Buckingham
“In Our Own Time” by Lindsey Buckingham. Lindsey Buckingham just gets better with age. On his latest album “Seeds We Sow,” the songs range from reflective ballads to the rockin’ anthem “In Our Own Time,” which assets, “It wouldn’t make any difference. We crossed the line. From the fire we will rise again. In our own time.” It’s such an empowering anthem! It was a toss up between this song and “Stars Are Crazy,” which is a reflective look at questioning yourself.
Madeline Follin of Cults
“Abducted” by Cults. I love Cults. Their music is dreamy pop that recalls the Mamas and Papas crossed with a 50′s soul sound. “Abducted” starts off with just guitars and when the beat kicks in, it’s a party for your ears. This song is responsible for many great work outs I’ve had and grooving my ass off while straightening up my apartment. Thanks Cults!
Elizabeth Harper of Class Actress
“Keep You” by Class Actress. Class Actress works it! Their music has deep, lush dance beats that fall sonically somewhere between New Order and Madonna. When you hear Class Actress’ music, you’ll want to set up some strobe lights, set up the smoke machine and dance like nobody’s looking. I’ve done it and, let me tell you – a highly recommended experience!
Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine
“Breaking Down” by Florence and the Machine. I really like this song! It sounds like it belongs in a movie soundtrack as it is quirky and whimsical, but the lyrics are about having a meltdown and falling apart. Florence is massively entertaining in concert and I look forward to seeing her perform her new album “Ceremonials” live.
Fitz and the Tantrums
“Moneygrabber” by Fitz and the Tantrums. Fitz and the Tantrums have had quite a year. They began 2011 by playing small venues and before the end of the year, they blew up and are playing to much larger audiences. Their song “Moneygrabber” was offered as a free download at the beginning of the year and I grabbed it! The song is soulful and has a full band sound which makes me appreciate real music by real musicians in an era of bedroom assembled recordings.
Morris Day of the Original 7ven
”Strawberry Lake” by The Original 7ven. For some lame reason, Prince decided The Time could not use their name, so they rechristened themselves The Original 7ven. The Original 7ven proved that grooving is the best revenge and out-funked anything Prince has done in years with their song “Strawberry Lake.” It brings us back to the glory days of when music was full of jamming, crowd shout-outs and funk in your face! That’s what time it is!
Good news and bad news for Janelle Monae fans. The good news first. The tremendously talented singer said that she plans to release two concept albums in 2012 and that the recording is over 85% finished. The bad news. She calls the people that support her music “fandroids” and said that while she will do her best to stick to approved release dates, the music will ultimately be released when her “soul clock” says it’s ready.
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