New Music for 2010

As the new decade/year begins I always look forward to the new music that is coming out. During the first decade of the new millennium we were lucky enough to witness some great and historic music. Radiohead proved they were the most influential band in the world. They put out four albums that will surely stand the test of time. We were lucky enough to witness the beginning of the White Stripes, Arcade Fire and the Strokes. All put albums that could argued were the best of the decade (Funeral, Elephant and Is This It?)

What to look forward to this year?

Radiohead: After releasing In Rainbows in 2007 with a pay-what-you-want model, the band is slated to make a quick turnaround and put out an album before the year is out. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien said, “10 years ago we were all collectively in the land of Kid A, and although hugely proud of that record, it wasn’t a fun place to be. What’s reassuring now, is that we are most definitely a different band, which should therefore mean that the music is different too and that is the aim of the game.” He comments on the new record, “I’m an eternal optimist, but I truly believe we can shift massively on this [next] record. That’s the thing we all know, that we feel in our bellies as we’re rehearsing — we’re on a big move here. We’re definitely on a journey. And it’s exciting.”

Portishead: Pitchfork reported in September that the British electro rock  band, Portishead is in the studio hoping to release a new album within a year. According to band member Geoff Barrow, “We’re going to start writing and if all goes well it could be [out] in a year’s time.” Luckily fans of the band got a sneak peek of the new material when Portishead released a song for free in December, called “Chase the Tear.” The song was a benefit to Amnesty International.

Arcade Fire: After releasing Neon Bible in 2007, Arcade Fire is reported to be releasing a new album before the summer of 2010. Billboard reports the band may be a headliner at a few of the summer’s music festivals. They write, “Billboard sources say the album will be preceded by a single release earlier in 2010. The band is weighing multiple offers for live shows in the spring, and will likely take a top slot at one or more of the major North American summer festivals.”

Gogol Bordello: My new favorite band is not as well-known as others on this list, but the gypsy punks are scheduled to release their fifth album in 2010. There are not a lot of  sources to confirm his, however, when I saw them live in May of 2009 they said a new album would be out next year. One article says famous producer Ric Rubin will be producing Bordello’s follow-up to Super Taranta. The Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed the gypsy punk bassist, Thomas Gobena, who confirmed the band was recording with Rubin at the helm and a new album soon out. “I think [Rubin] figured out I was a funky bass player,” Gobena says. “He wanted me to rock it like Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and understand what space means.” He later adds in the same article that Gogol Bordello is slated to play upwards of 200 shows this year.

LCD Soundsystem: The electro/dance/rock band is working on its third album after releasing the acclaimed Sound of Silver in 2007. The 2010 album is scheduled to be released by March of this year. In October, Pitchfork reported the band released its first single.

Strokes: In spring of 2009 the Strokes confirmed they were back together after four years. In October, Spin interviewed lead singer Julian Casablancas, who said the band is at a stalemate. He says part of the band thinks the songs are ready, while others thinks they need work. “I’m somewhere in the middle,” Casablancas said. “”My idea was always to take undergroundish, cool music and make it mainstream. That was my goal, and we haven’t achieved it,” he said. “We got to the top of the underground, but we never got as big as Green Day or Creed or any of the bands we were supposed to be replacing in 2001. So, in my mind, there’s still a step to take. I hope we can do it.”

Also releasing new albums this year: Beastie Boys, Hot Chip (albums comes out in Feb.), Spoon, O.A.R., Dr. Dre, Interpool, Amy Winehouse, Gorillaz, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eminem.

Daft Punk is rumored to be touring this year in support of a new album, but the only places I’ve read that have been un-sourced blogs and message boards.

It looks like many of the bands that shaped the first part of the 21st century will be kicking off this decade with a bang.

Here’s a quick list of my favorite albums (2000-2009)

1. Radiohead – In Rainbows

2. Man Man – Six Demon Bag

3. Arcade Fire – Funeral

4. Gogol Bordello – Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike

5. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief

6. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver

7. Daft Punk – Discovery

8. Broken Social Scene – You Forgot it in People

9. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

10. Jay-Z – The Black Album

11. Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta

12. Beck – The Information

13. White Stripes – Elephant

14. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

15. Queens of the Stone Age – Era Vulgaris

16. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head

17. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

18. Radiohead – Kid A

19. The Black Keys – Attach and Release

20. The Strokes – Is This it?

Let me know what you think. Until Next time,

Dub

NYE, Lady Gaga in Miami

After a short one-day work week, my girlfriend and I headed to Miami for NYE. My big Christmas gift to her this year was tickets to see Kid Cudi and Lady Gaga in concert on NYE in Miami. While this is not my type of musical taste, I played the part of the good boyfriend, smiled and went to the show.

After getting a little, or a lot, lost on the way to the show, we arrived in time to see the first band. Semi Precious Weapons, out of New York City, took the stage as I was getting our first round of rum and cokes. This flamboyant band was loud and proud of who they were. Each song while not great, was very catchy. Still today I have a couple of their hooks/choruses in my head. The thing that stood out the most was their between-song chatter with the chord. The lead singer pawned off the band’s t-shirts, one of which said (and the singer said this often), “I can’t pay my rent but I’m fucking gorgeous.” Before their final song, they told of a story of the first time Weapons played with Lady Gaga. In New York City, 2006, in front of 12 people. Quite a long way considering this concert as well as every other show on The Monster Ball Tour is/was sold out.

After the many awkward moments that Weapons brought on it was time for the performer who I was looking forward to see the most, Kid Cudi. On the way to the show I was listening to “Day N’ Night,” “Pursuit of Happiness,” and “Make Her Say,” in anticipation. He’s a rare artist who can both sing and rap. Unfortunately, Cudi was nowhere to be found. Apparently he had a little incident in Vancouver prior to the show. I had no knowledge of this when I watched one-hit wonder Jason Derulo take the stage. His song, “Whatcha Say,” gets played entirely too much on the radio already and I did not want to hear him sing/see him lip sync. Although he is a Miami native, he hardly had an inspired performance. The crowd had little reaction for Derulo, who even had a hard time getting a lucky lady on the stage to sing her a song. The biggest applause/cheer of his set was when he announced Gaga was up next.

Time for another round of rum and cokes. I needed another drink after that performance. With Gaga up next, the James Knight Music Hall was finally full. The crowd was becoming anxious before the lights went out and Gaga took the stage. She came out after an intro that was too long to “Dance in the Dark.” Although this was a song that has not been released to radio, the crowd sang in unison. This performance was troubling as Gaga was behind a mesh screen that looked like a grid. She danced and sang behind it for the duration of the song as her costume occasionally lit up. It was an interesting effect at first, but wore on as the song progressed.

Luckily, that was the only song where Gaga was more of a backseat to the special effects. Throughout the night the crowd sang every word. One of the first concerts where there were not a lot of awkward silences when the performer played a song that has not been released.However, there was an exception. “Show me your teeth,” almost seemed to weird out the crowd. Off her new LP, “Teeth,” had little to no bass and the crowd was definitely not into it. Gaga played the big hits, “Just Dance,” “Love Game,” “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi.” She even played a new version of “Poker Face” on the piano.

What stuck out to me more than the songs was the love Gaga had for her fans and their love for her. It actually felt genuine, though with $45 being the cheapest tickets it is easy to argue that’s why she loves them. But I don’t think that is the case. Between every song Gaga reminded the crowd how much she “loved her little monsters.” Her rags-to-riches story has been told repeatedly, but she seems truly grateful of where she is at this point of her career.

As a whole, my first pop concert was very entertaining and eye-opening. I have a preconceived notion that all pop stars are just stars with no talent. However, Gaga proved that a pop stars can sing, write their owns and play instruments. Derulo, well, he fit the stereotype. Gaga stole the show and rang in the new year hoping for more success for her “monsters” and for world peace. (How cliche, ha). But what I’ll always take from this show is the genuine love Gaga has for her devoted fans, especially her “gays who have been with me since the beginning.” Although it was worth the price of admission, I will leave Gaga in my memory as I do not foresee spending money to see her again.

COSTUMES/SPECIAL EFFECTS: Nothing new here. We’ve seen Gaga have Kermit the Frog outfits on TV and seen her perform at the VMAs and AMAs with ridiculous costumes. They were the same tonight. If you watched SNL when Gaga performed, you saw her sing and play the piano with rotating metal spheres around her. She did this at her NYE show as she came on for her encore. She also had her standard performance in a cube. Although it was nothing I hadn’t seen, the effects were still awesome. They definitely helped to create a party atmosphere and make it more than a concert, it made it a show.