If there’s one thing I love in life, it’s a Victoria’s Secret commercial. The thing about Victoria’s Secret commercials is that they always have such great music – like in their currently airing spot for the Spring 2013 Fabulous Collection, which features “Black Magic” by Magic Wands. Magic Wands are so hip that their genres – lovewave, edgy pop – don’t even have their own Wikipedia pages yet.
Watch And/Or Listen to This: Magic Wands’ “Black Magic”
February 27, 2013
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Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 2/26/13
February 26, 2013
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Hey, I was expecting some Ke$ha.
Original Version
1. Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko – “Stay”
2. Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”
3. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
4. The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
5. fun. – “Carry On”
6. Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man”
7. Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
8. Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
9. Maroon 5 – “Daylight”
10. Drake – “Started From the Bottom”
11. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Scream & Shout”
12. Alicia Keys – “Girl on Fire”
13. Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
14. Ed Sheeran – “The A Team”
15. Miguel – “Adorn”
16. P!nk – “Try”
17. Swedish House Mafia – “Don’t You Worry Child”
18. Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)”
19. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – “Sweet Nothing”
20. A$AP Rocky ft. Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar – “F**kin’ Problems”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Adorn
2. Thrift Shop
3. Try
4. Girl on Fire
5. Stay
6. Ho Hey
7. Sweet Nothing
8. Carry On
9. I Knew You Were Trouble
10. Don’t You Worry Child
11. F**kin’ Problems
12. Suit & Tie
13. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)
14. Started From the Bottom
15. When I Was Your Man
16. I Will Wait
17. Scream & Shout
18. Wanted
19. The A Team
20. Daylight
VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 2/23/13
February 23, 2013
Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment
We’re shaking.
Original Version
1. Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
2. Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
3. Maroon 5 – “Daylight”
4. Kelly Clarkson – “Catch My Breath”
5. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Scream & Shout”
6. Imagine Dragons – “It’s Time”
7. P!nk – “Try”
8. Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”
9. Alicia Keys – “Girl on Fire”
10. fun. – “Cary On”
11. Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
12. Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man”
13. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – “Sweet Nothing”
14. Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
15. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
16. Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida – “Troublemaker”
17. Matchbox Twenty – “Overjoyed”
18. Emeli Sandé – “Next to Me”
19. Alabama Shakes – “Hold On”
20. Bon Jovi – “Because We Can”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Hold On
2. Little Talks
3. Locked Out of Heaven
4. Thrift Shop
5. Try
6. Girl on Fire
7. It’s Time
8. Sweet Nothing
9. Carry On
10. Troublemaker
11. I Knew You Were Trouble
12. Next to Me
13. When I Was Your Man
14. I Will Wait
15. Wanted
16. Scream & Shout
17. Catch My Breath
18. Daylight
19. Overjoyed
20. Because We Can
Watch And/Or Listen to This: Tame Impala – “Elephant”
February 23, 2013
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I saw Australian rock band Tame Impala perform “Elephant” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Monday night, and I’ve been listening to it every day since. They sound like Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles. Lead singer Kevin Parker even has a voice like John Lennon’s!
Best of Music 2012: The 10 Best Albums of the Year That I Listened To
February 22, 2013
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This year, my best album list is entitled The Best Albums I Listened To for the sake of indicating that there are so many albums released every year, and even though I listen to a lot of music, and a lot of different kinds of music, there’s no way I can listen to everything worth listening unless I’m given all the time in the world.
1. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
In 2012, Frank Ocean came out with his confessional manifesto: a free-form, wide-ranging, heartfelt R&B ode to modern time, modern youth, and modern love.
Key Tracks: “Pyramids,” “Thinkin Bout You,” “Super Rich Kids”
2. David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant
The combination of the sharp, decidedly masculine David Byrne and the delicate (but actually quite strong), decidedly feminine St. Vincent may have seemed discordant, but the finely crafted Love This Giant proves that it was a complementary masterstroke.
Key Tracks: “Who,” “I Should Watch TV,” “Lazarus”
3. Bat for Lashes – The Haunted Man
Haunted, indeed. Bat for Lashes bares her spirit (and on the cover, her body) in a set of raw emotions set to music.
Key Tracks: “Oh Yeah,” “All Your Gold,” “Laura”
4. Ellie Goulding – Halcyon
Halcyon is as twitchy as the most robotic of electronica, but it is fiercely humanistic. Each note is full of feeling and clearly originating from an actual person’s vocal cords. Who is this ethereal weirdo who has stumbled her way into the pop world?
Key Tracks: “Only You,” “Anything Could Happen,” “Hanging On”
5. Ke$ha – Warrior
What Ke$ha declared would be her “cock-rock” album actually ended up delving even further into electronica than her first album, with much of it coming off as Daft Punk fronted by Ke$ha. The rock sensibility did come through somewhat, thanks especially to Iggy Pop and a drum breakdown that echoed “In the Air Tonight.”
Key Tracks: “Warrior,” “Die Young,” “Love Into the Light”
6. Jack White – Blunderbuss
Blunderbuss suggests a physical space for Jack White to have plenty of room to experiment – who’s going to complain about that?
Key Tracks: “Sixteen Saltines,” “Freedom at 21,” “Weep Themselves to Sleep”
7. Muse – The 2nd Law
If you’re not by now cool to Muse’s m.o. of unabashed ambition inspired by such phenomena as thermodynamics (the entropy of an isolated system never decreases, because isolated systems spontaneously evolve towards thermodynamic equilibrium – the state of maximum entropy), then I guess you’re never going to be. The 2nd Law is, more than ever for Muse, the realization of epicness, yet it also takes time to cool off and go at some speeds that are unusual for the band on such notable tracks as “Madness” and “Panic Station.”
Key Tracks: “Madness,” “Panic Station,” “The 2nd Law: Isolated System”
8. Kimbra – Vows
New Zealand chanteuse Kimbra brings to the 21st century musical scene an exuberant jazz/R&B fusion. Vows is a cascade of danceable personal statements.
Key Tracks: “Settle Down,” “Come Into My Head,” “Cameo Lover”
9. Silversun Pickups – Neck of the Woods
Silversun Pickups’ horror album Neck of the Woods ever so lightly freaks its listeners out, poking at anxieties involving bodily invasiveness and existential hopelessness.
Key Tracks: “The Pit,” “Skin Graph,” “Busy Bees”
10. Passion Pit – Gossamer
Passion Pit is going (remaining?) crazy. In the time between their debut Manners and follow-up Gossamer, their biggest decision seems to have been to keep their normal disposition at full-to-bursting.
Key Tracks: “Take a Walk,” “I’ll Be Alright,” “Cry Like a Ghost”
I Haven’t Heard These Albums in Their Entirety, But I’ve Heard That They Are Quite Good:
Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls, Gary Clark, Jr. – Blak and Blu, Dr. John – Locked Down, Bob Dylan – Tempest, Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city, Nas – Life Is Good, Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball, Tame Impala – Lonerism, Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill
Watch And/Or Listen to This: Atmosphere – “Shoulda Known”
February 21, 2013
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In a new feature, I spotlight a notable piece of music that has recently come across my radar. First up is “Shoulda Known,” driven by a swirling bass beat, off alternative hip-hop crew Atmosphere’s 2008 album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. I heard it on a Target commercial in which a woman in a white dress was showing off a bottle of orange juice. The Target Everyday Collection commercials have been reliable for showing off some great tunes.
Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 2/19/13
February 19, 2013
Fuse Top 20 Countdown, Music, Television Leave a comment
Ah, Fall Out Boy.
Original Version
1. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
2. Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)”
3. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Scream & Shout”
4. Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
5. Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man”
6. The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
7. Swedish House Mafia – “Don’t You Worry Child”
8. Maroon 5 – “Daylight”
9. Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”
10. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – “Sweet Nothing”
11. The Script ft. will.i.am – “Hall of Fame”
12. A$AP Rocky ft. Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar – “F**kin’ Problems”
13. Alicia Keys – “Girl on Fire”
14. P!nk – “Try”
15. Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj – “Beauty and a Beat”
16. Kelly Clarkson – “Catch My Breath”
17. Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
18. Imagine Dragons – “It’s Time”
19. Phillip Phillips – “Home”
20. Ke$ha – “C’Mon”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Little Talks
2. Thrift Shop
3. Try
4. Girl on Fire
5. C’Mon
6. It’s Time
7. Home
8. Ho Hey
9. Sweet Nothing
10. I Knew You Were Trouble
11. Don’t You Worry Child
12. Suit & Tie
13. F**kin’ Problems
14. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)
15. When I Was Your Man
16. Scream & Shout
17. Catch My Breath
18. Beauty and a Beat
19. Daylight
20. Hall of Fame
VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 2/16/13
February 16, 2013
Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment
Nice to see Tegan and Sara and Alabama Shakes on the Countdown Contenders, but you know who else we need to hear from? Atmosphere. (Check out the latest Target Everyday Collection commercial.)
Original Version
1. Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
2. Alicia Keys – “Girl on Fire”
3. Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
4. P!nk – “Try”
5. Imagine Dragons – “It’s Time”
6. Maroon 5 – “Daylight”
7. Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”
8. Kelly Clarkson – “Catch My Breath”
9. Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
10. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Wanted”
11. fun. – “Carry On”
12. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – “Sweet Nothing”
13. Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
14. Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man”
15. Matchbox Twenty – “Overjoyed”
16. Emeli Sandé – “Next to Me”
17. Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida – “Troublemaker”
18. Bon Jovi – “Because We Can”
19. Neon Trees ft. Kaskade – “Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night)”
20. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Little Talks
2. Locked Out of Heaven
3. Lessons in Love (All Day, All Night)
4. Thrift Shop
5. Try
6. Girl on Fire
7. It’s Time
8. Sweet Nothing
9. Carry On
10. Troublemaker
11. I Knew You Were Trouble
12. Next to Me
13. When I Was Your Man
14. I Will Wait
15. Wanted
16. Scream & Shout
17. Catch My Breath
18. Daylight
19. Overjoyed
20. Because We Can
Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 2/12/13
February 12, 2013
Fuse Top 20 Countdown, Music, Television Leave a comment
The State of the Union is … “Thrift Shop”
Original Version
1. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
2. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Scream & Shout”
3. Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
4. The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
5. Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”
6. Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”
7. Swedish House Mafia – “Don’t You Worry Child”
8. Maroon 5 – “Daylight”
9. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – “Sweet Nothing”
10. A$AP Rocky ft. Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar – “F**kin’ Problems”
11. Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj – “Beauty and a Beat”
12. Kelly Clarkson – “Catch My Breath”
13. Imagine Dragons – “It’s Time”
14. Alicia Keys – “Girl on Fire”
15. Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
16. Phillip Phillips – “Home”
17. P!nk – “Try”
18. Ke$ha – “C’Mon”
19. The Script ft. will.i.am – “Hall of Fame”
20. Pitbull ft. TJR – “Don’t Stop the Party”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Little Talks
2. Locked Out of Heaven
3. Girl on Fire
4. C’Mon
5. Try
6. Thrift Shop
7. It’s Time
8. Home
9. Ho Hey
10. Sweet Nothing
11. I Knew You Were Trouble
12. Don’t You Worry Child
13. Suit & Tie
14. F**kin’ Problems
15. Scream & Shout
16. Catch My Breath
17. Don’t Stop the Party
18. Beauty and a Beat
19. Daylight
20. Hall of Fame
Best of Music 2012: The Best Music Videos of the Year
February 12, 2013
Best of 2012, Best of Music 2012, Music, Music Videos Leave a comment
2012 was not the best year for music videos, which is fair because 2011 was perfectly solid, and 2010 gave us some true standard-bearers. Meanwhile, 2012 was an excellent year for movies, while 2011’s cinematic output was relatively lackluster. You win some, you lose some. 2012’s music videos were not as filled with interesting narratives and unique, groundbreaking concepts as much as other recent years. That lack may explain why striking imagery carried the day for the best of 2012; “beautiful” is probably my most frequently used word to describe my top 10, and I don’t remember ever being as complimentary of the cinematography as I am this year.
1. Lana Del Rey – “Ride” [Dir. Anthony Mandler]
Who makes videos like this one anymore? Who ever made videos like this? Sure, there have been plenty of long-form music videos (and plenty of classic ones at that), but nothing quite like the baroque extravaganzas from Ms. Del Rey. This video’s whole story of Lana as this lost girl may just be completely made up. Or maybe it’s not. Either way, it’s aggressively fascinating. The lingering, lascivious camera, the wild mix of patriotism and Native American props and imagery, the wide-open cinematography, the tire swing connected to the sky – surely, this was what music videos were invented for.
2. M.I.A. – “Bad Girls” [Dir. Romain Gavras]
Leave it to M.I.A. – the best political music video provocateur around – to make a video of car drifting a statement of support for Saudi women drivers. The widescreen cinematography is beautiful, while M.I.A. and the other drifters are badass. Those two elements are enough on their own to make a memorable video. The feminist message would also be enough by itself. Somehow, together, they are synergistic.
3. Lana Del Rey – “National Anthem” [Dir. Anthony Mandler]
Lana Del Rey casting herself as Jackie O. surely must mean something. A$AP Rocky as JFK is intriguing, to say the least. The grainy, home-video style footage also captures the attention. I am not sure what it all means together, and I am not sure Lana knew either when she made it. Meaning often comes after creation. Now that this attention grabber of a video has been made, let’s see if we can find some meaning out of it. Lana is making an American myth of herself – surely something must stick.
4. Katy Perry – “Wide Awake” [Dir. Tony T. Datis]
Katy Perry used to strike me as, not exactly artificial – synthetic, perhaps. Now that she has made it to the point of her career where “Wide Awake” stands, I realize she may be the most authentic pop star out there. Hers is a finely put-together package, sure, but there is honesty in the assembly. She’s lived enough that she’s not going to blindly accept the fairy tale life she has aspired to, and she’s got the imagery to prove it, particularly the Freddy Krueger-esque paparazzo.
5. Psy – “Gangnam Style”
I’m not overly familiar with K-Pop, so I will just take Psy’s word when he says that “Gangnam Style” is a satire of the K-Pop aesthetic. I am familiar, however, with videos in which guys are blown away by ladies’ hindquarters, and “Gangnam” takes that trope to beautiful extremes. And the horsey dance – that happened.
6. David Byrne & St. Vincent – “Who” [Dir. Martin de Thurah]
In this black and white stunner from David Byrne and St. Vincent, the two of them look forward – never towards the camera – with cold eyes, but there is passion in their bodies. They are practically compelled to complete their dancing mission. Even St. Vincent’s lying on the ground is incredible posing. A triumph of physicality.
7. Ke$ha – “Die Young” [Dir. Darren Craig]
Guess what, world? The joke’s on you: there is a lot going on in the “Die Young” video, but none of it means anything! And that’s the way it’s always been with K-girl. Indeed, it is true that there is a mess of Illuminati symbols present in this video, as there have been in many recent pop videos. But it’s always been a bunch of noise. Ke$ha lays to rest the idea that it was ever anything else. (Or tricks us into thinking so…) So let’s all just have an orgiastic time.
8. Imagine Dragons – “Radioactive” [Dir. Syndrome]
The “Radioactive” video features a puppet fight in the style of a cockfight. I don’t know if that’s supposed to be a commentary on animal rights or something like that. Or how it has anything to do with the song, for that matter. But with Lou Diamond Phillips, Alexandra Daddario and her incredibly deep eyes, and those puppets, how can I say no?
9. Woodkid – “Run Boy Run” [Dir. Yoann Lemoine]
I am not sure if the “Run Boy Run” video means much beyond what it is on its surface: a boy on a quest. But does it need to be anything more than that? A young boy’s imagination run wild is perfect fodder for a music video: chased by monsters while on the way to a castle – that’s something to watch. Plus, the whole thing just looks beautiful.
10. Calvin Harris – “Feel So Close” [Dir. Vincent Haycock]
The video for “Feel So Close” captures the feeling of bliss that the song also captures so well. With its montage of spirited dancing, kissing, playful banter, and smiling among young and old, male and female, with an M&M-worthy color palette set against a sunny summer day leading into the sunset, this living in the moment is about as close to heaven life can get.
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