OUT NOW: TEDDYBEARS "CHO CHA"

I had been vaguely aware of the Swedish band Teddybears because of their work with electro dance-pop diva Robyn and her song "Cobrastyle" which was originally done by them.  Then, my friend pointed this video out to me because the star of it, Jeff Deane Turner, is well known (to me, at least) as Tiffany's stalker in the 80's who was arrested after trying to give her a Samurai sword at the Los Angeles county courthouse.  More recently, he was one of the subjects in the documentary film "I Think We're Alone Now," which follows Turner and another person, Kelly McCormick, who "follow" Tiffany - perhaps a little too much for comfort.  Saying they are devoted fans is a huge understatement, but saying they are stalkers is probably going over the line too much.  That's what the film explores, is that fine line, and the reasons people end up treading it.
Anyway, despite being considerably alarmed and disturbed upon first watching the video, I had to repeat it to show it to a couple friends, and ended up getting the song stuck in my head.  It's actually a really catchy tune!
It features vocals from Cee-Lo Green, and it says it also features The B-52's, although as far as I can tell only Fred Schneider actually contributes anything to the track, and even he only has one line in it.  The song actually sounds reminiscent more of Cee-Lo's former project Gnarls Barkley.  This song made me check out the rest of the album, "Devil's Music" on Spotify and I rather like it.

Rating: OOOO (four out of five O's) 

OVERLOOKED: HUMAN LEAGUE "ROMANTIC"

In 1990, the Human League were considered "washed up" and terribly out of fashion, and this album - released at the dawn of the "grunge" movement - did nothing to change that.  As a result, "Romantic?" has often been cited as a low-point in the band's career and the object of much harsh criticism and ridicule.  However, it has always been one of my favorites.  First and foremost, although I had been a fan of the band for awhile before this album was released, "Romantic?" is the first Human League album that I bought when it was released.  I became a fan only after the band's previous album, 1986's "Crash," had already landed in cutout bins (the album failing to provide further singles to match the #1 success of lead single "Human").  I had gone back and purchased most of the earlier albums by this point and was completely thrilled to discover "Romantic?" since I had assumed the band had split up in the years after "Crash."
"Heart Like a Wheel," the lead single from "Romantic?" only made it to #32 in the U.S., signaling tough times for the once-mighty League, and I only heard it on the radio a handful of times - and worse, never caught it on MTV, the network that had once been so kind to the band now seemed to turn a blind eye.  But it didn't matter to me.  "Heart Like a Wheel" remains one of my top favorite songs of all time, League or otherwise.
The opening track, "Kiss The Future," is for me one of the unfortunate low points on the album and is perhaps the most obvious attempt by the band to adopt a "modern" sound.  The heavy-handed sampling and new-jack or house inspired piano mixes uneasily with the League's trademark vocal delivery and electronic sound.  I find the chorus particularly offensive and for me is easily the worst opening track out of all their albums.  Luckily, from there things go uphill quickly, with the female-vocal driven track "A Doorway (?)" presenting the first time the girls had what was basically lead vocal duties.  This one mixes the "current" music sound with the League sound more successfully and probably could have been a single.  Up next is the aforementioned "Heart Like A Wheel" followed by the dreamy slow-jam, "Men Are Dreamers," which is another personal favorite.
Closing out side one is "Mister Moon and Mister Sun" which musically has a lot in common with "Kiss the Future," but is luckily a much better song.  Still sounds a little too much like they are trying to sound up-to-date, but it works fairly well.
Flipping the record over to side two (although in all honesty, by this time most people were buying CD's, which is what I bought the album on - I only found it on vinyl years later with the original price tag still on it) we begin with the second single, "Soundtrack to a Generation."  This is another low-point for me.  Starting out with so much promise with a great, nostalgic title, things quickly fall apart with a soulless drum beat pounding away over some uninspired synths.  The verse is OK, but things get ridiculous fast when the chorus begins with the girls exclaiming "HOLY COW!"  Indeed!  It's a "what were they thinking?" moment for sure.
Why the record label chose to release this song as the follow-up to "Heart Like A Wheel," I'll never know.  There are so many better choices!
The mysterious, atmospheric "Rebound" (mixed by William Orbit) is a great rebound from the previous track, and is perhaps my favorite album track here.  This is another song that saw the females taking the lead vocal duties.
"The Stars Are Going Out" probably should have been the second single, and in fact the band performed this song live on the Jools Holland show years later, indicating that they still regarded it highly.
The last two tracks are alright but nothing too exciting, and a little too samey: "Let's Get Together Again" which is apparently a cover of the Glitter Band, although I've never bothered tracking down the original; and "Get It Right This Time."  Oddly enough, both of these songs, as similar as they are, also have a great deal in common with "Get Together," a song off the League's new album "Credo."
It's obvious from the artwork and some of the lyrics that the band was struggling at this point and it does carry over to the music a lot, but all-in-all, it's not as bad as some people make it out to be and despite it's shortcomings is still a better album than "Hysteria," and perhaps "Crash" (if you can even really count that as The Human League).  If you're a fan of the band and haven't bothered to listen to this album I'd recommend checking it out and making up your own mind.

Rating: OOO (three out of five O's)

COMING SOON!

We here at Aural-O have a nice surprise coming soon - an interview with one of the artists we've reviewed thus far!  We won't say who it is yet, but keep checking back as we will be posting the interview soon!  We hope to do more interviews in the future and remember, feel free to send us your music!

OUT NOW: MELANIE C "THINK ABOUT IT"

Melanie C is arguably the Spice Girl with the best voice (it's definitely the most powerful and technically precise, although I find different things to enjoy with each of their voices) and has been the most prolific on her own.  "Think About It" premiered on YouTube today and is the second single to be previewed from her forthcoming fifth album, "The Sea."  The first taster came in the form of the song "Rock Me," which was a nice enough song but lyrically very trite and all-too-familiar.  It was mainly released in Germany so perhaps it would go over better in a country where English is not the first language.
Luckily, 'Think About It" is quite a bit better and suits Melanie's voice and attitude very nicely.  It has the alternative rock / sparkle pop sound that she has successfully carved her niche in and has definitely got me looking forward to the new album.
She looks great in the new video (although I kind of miss the chubbier, punky version of her that I got to see live years back - more about that later).  There are some cool outfits and lighting effects, but it does sort of at times appear that she is dancing in front of a giant Mac computer screen saver!
When her debut album, "Northern Star" came out in 1991, I was really blown away.  Having never been my favorite Spice Girl, I was really impressed with her depth and range, not to mention her transformation from the rather bland "Sporty Spice" to a rockin' solo singer with a punky look and attitude.  I absolutely loved the first two singles "Goin' Down" and "Gaga" and the rest of the album, while almost a little too all-over-the-place, seemed to work because of the many different styles she explored.  From the Beatles-esque "Suddenly Monday," to the R n' B of "Never Be The Same Again" and the down-tempo trip-hoppy "Feel The Sun," she really demonstrated her vocal prowess and range.
Although her initial foray into solo artist-dom seemed to establish her as a rocker chick, she ended up hitting big with the dance remix of "I Turn To You," which was a humongous club hit around 2000/01 and I was lucky enough to see her on her North American tour around this time.  She was a dynamic artist to see and I was thrilled that I got to witness her in a fairly intimate venue.
I was monumentally let down by the milquetoast sophomore album "Reason," which much like it's black and white album artwork, seemed to be a by-the-numbers, passionless affair.  Where was the edge that she had displayed on her debut?
Through a couple more decent solo albums ("This Time" having the most high points since "Northern Star") and a Spice Girls reunion, Melanie C has continued to work on her solo career and has indisputably proven to be the Spice Girl most serious about her craft.  So, despite the fact that she has released some cliched, tired sounding songs here and there, a lot of her material has been great and it's nice to see her back again.

Rating: OOO (three out of five O's)

ORIGINAL: VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE "HONEY LINGERS"

Back in 1991, it seemed like Voice of the Beehive was poised to take over the world - or at least the world of pop music.  Their debut album, "Let It Bee," had made some waves in the UK and even some ripples in the US.  I heard of them around the time of that first album, but never caught them on the radio or MTV.  Then, one fateful day, "Monsters and Angels," the first single from their second album "Honey Lingers," came on the car stereo, and I was hooked!  As soon as I could, I went to the record store (that day) and bought the cassette tape, which featured the beautiful artwork as seen above of the two sisters, Tracey and Melissa, who were the vocalists for the band.  From the first time I heard it, I was in love.
The 10-song album is about as tight and perfect as an album can be - the only possible gripe is that it's too short.  Kicking off with the aforementioned lead single, the gloss and shine of the production is a great match with the raw energy and enthusiasm of the band.  The video for the song is great too, bringing to life the famous painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, with the band members playing characters within the diner.  Those shots are interspersed with performance shots in which Tracey is wearing her trademark baby-doll-head dress (which she made herself according to legend).
Next is Adonis Blue, which takes things up a notch.  This is an energetic, sing-a-long romp with delicious vocal harmonies from Tracey and Melissa playing out with the perfection of the boys' instruments behind them.  It's one of those songs that you sing along with by the second or third chorus and the lyrics have so much color in them.  This song should have been a single, and indeed was released as a promotional CD single which contained a b-side, "Shine Away," which was another great song from that time period which was not included on the album.
Up next is the band's cover of "I Think I Love You."  I hadn't heard this song before I heard their version, but my mom got quite the kick out of it when I played the tape in the car (I was in high school at the time).  They update it with a very slick pop/club vibe and this was another single and hit for them in the UK, but was not released in the US.  The video is very brightly colored and shows the band in a club in a sort of rave type setting with lots of colorful extras dancing around to the song.
Never one to shy away from poking some fun while making a statement, Tracey sings "You can read the good book to feel bad about yourself, but just one small donation could save you from burning down in hell" on the hilariously frightening (because it was so true then and even more so now) "Look At Me."  This song really could be the theme song to any one of the hundreds of reality shows that inundate our airwaves these days.
Ending side one of the cassette (or vinyl) is the simple, sweet song "Beauty To My Eyes" which opens with the sublime lyric, "Stars have been subjects of poets and priests, and girls on bended knees, I see the heavens looking at you."  The gorgeous harmonies of the sisters mirror the lyrics of the song, creating beauty to the ears as well!
Kicking off side two in ultra high gear is "Just Like You," which to this day is one of my favorite Beehive songs.  This one reminded me a lot of the B-52's and I thought that if any of the songs on the album could be a huge, mega-breakthrough hit in the US, it would have been this one... why the record company didn't realize that, I'll never know!  "It's just like you, to make me shiver when I'm sweating!"  The video would have been eye candy.
"Little Gods" is a cute little song with a good message - "Little girls shouldn't treat, little boys they happen to meet, like little Gods."  It's a sort of somber look at how girls fall over themselves trying to please and impress the guys their interested in, when really it should be the other way around, but it's wrapped up in so much sugar and sweetness that it doesn't sound preachy or cynical.  Just a spoonful of sugar...
"I'm Shooting Cupid" was another of my favorites and even became the centerpiece of a long running conversation I had with a girl I was pursuing throughout a lot of my adolescent years.  Again, like "Little Gods," it takes some really harsh thoughts on romance and rejection, and ties it up in such an adorable package: I mean, just the title alone looks so cutesy when you imagine some lovelorn lady taking a gun to the little cherub!  Many years later, the band released a special CD collection of rare tracks and b-sides to coincide with their 2003 reunion tour of the UK, which included the original demo of this song which differs considerably from the album version.  I believe that version is now available on iTunes and is definitely worth downloading if you haven't heard it before.
"Say It" is in a similar vein to "Look At Me," being a little naughtier and rawer than some of the other songs and explores a relationship where the female decides it's OK for the male to get away without saying those three little words as long as he treats her right, culminating with the line "as long as we're not saying it, I know something else we can do."
The album ends with another slower track, the haunting "Perfect Place."  As beautiful as this song is, I was very surprised to hear it on the radio as it was the follow up single to "Monsters and Angels" in the US and I really felt strongly that they needed to have a really up-beat song released instead (namely "Look At Me").  It's a really pretty song, and has some really great lyrics and sentiments in it, but since "Monsters" was already pretty much a slow-jam, and since Voice of the Beehive was really a fun, wacky party / dance band to see live, it seemed odd that the label seemed to want to push them as this adult-oriented easy-listening type of band.  They did tweak the mix a little bit so that it opened with a heavier drum beat, but it was still definitely not a "party song."  This strange phenomenon would continue with the band's next (and final) album, which was preceded by the strange choice of first single "Angel Come Down" which, although a very pretty song, didn't seem to represent Voice of the Beehive in a way that would have got people's attention.  The videos for both that song and "Perfect Place" are stunningly gorgeous, though, and again, the original demo version of the song (which the band was always apparently way happier with then the ultra-produced album version) was included on the 2003 exclusive tour CD.
There were some other really good songs the band wrote, recorded and performed around this time that are great additions to your music collection, including "Pocketsized," which was a b-side to "Monsters and Angels" and was in a similar vein to "There's A Barbarian In The Back Of My Car" from their first album.  "Something About God" was a b-side to "I Think I Love You" and is a really cool ditty as well.
This is one of those albums that you can always go back to and have it bring a smile to your face, and sing along to every song.  It's a shame that not more people heard it, but it does make it very special to those of us who have.

Rating: OOOOO (Five out of Five O's)

OVERLOOKED: KATE MILLER-HEIDKE "CURIOUSER"

Curious: I only stumbled upon this classically-trained Australian songstress while flipping through the clearance bin of my local record store.  Curiouser: that the likes of Katy Perry are Ke$ha are massively popular here in the US, while I literally had to go slumming to find this album - it's all so backwards!
Mixing a stinging wit, clever lyrics, amazing musicianship and a uniqueness that is difficult to achieve in the world of blond female pop singers (see my previous review of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"), Miller-Heidke manages to find her own place in the world of pop music with a slightly off-kilter and quirky approach that endears her immediately to the listener.
Opening up with some offbeat vocalizing, the track "The One Thing I Know" is a good intro to the CD although a little bland lyrically.  Moving on, the next track "God's Gift To Women" is a better showcase of Miller-Heidke's charm and sense of humor.  "Caught in the Crowd" is a catchy number that tells a story many of us are familiar with and effortlessly plays into the whole It Gets Better anti-bullying campaigning so popular these days - but keep in mind this CD was released way back in 2008! 
"Can't Shake It" was the first single off the album and is accompanied by a delightfully kooky video.  The first time I heard it I though, eh, it's cool enough.  The guitars are really cool sounding - my partner said they sounds sort of like Franz Ferdinand.  But when I actually listened to the lyrics, I started LOL'ing all over the place!  It's literally talking about how she can't shake her ass.  When she tries to dance, someone calls the nurse because they though she was having a fit.  It's hilarious!
The rest of the album is chock full of great songs that get stuck in your head and show a range of depth and emotion that is not present in a lot of pop music - this can be described as "alternative pop" because it's got a lot of other influences and sounds going on.  Apparently, Kate was trained in opera and you can hear it in some of her singing - there's lots of silly little noises and bird-like sing-songing.  She seems like she would be a really cool chick to hang out with.
I hope that at some point this talented musician gets some more credit in the States, but it sounds like she has done really well in her home country so hopefully she will continue making music for years to come.

Rating: OOOO (four out of five O's)

OUT NOW: HUMAN LEAGUE "SKY"

"Sky" is the third single off The Human League's new album, "Credo," and probably the one that sounds the most like the band's 80's output.  Like the previous two single releases, this one is accompanied by a slew of remixes.  The remixes do little to transform the song, but are all decent enough - none of them are awful, which is a pretty good feat considering I often loathe remixes. 
The track itself is a grower - the first time I heard it, it almost sounded unfinished, or half-baked.  The chorus especially, with it's ultra-simplistic lyrics, takes a few listens before it works.  It's very reminiscent of some of the material from their 1984 album "Hysteria," which itself was the follow up to their mega-breakthrough album "Dare."  It's synth-pop at it's most minimalistic, and it tells a story woven throughout the verses about meeting a girl in a bar, who is in some kind of danger, if she was ever actually there at all.  Despite it's starkness, it does end up sounding quite epic in the end with all the layers of vocals and synths finally getting to climax.  A really good music video could do a lot to enhance this track, but it's probably a pipe-dream since this is the third single from the record. 
As far as the mixes go, the Paper Plates remix just kind of plods along with a sort of fake-funk beat that sounds like something you might hear in an after-hours club.  The Hacker's take is probably the most radically different with some menace to it, but gets a little repetitive and overstays it's welcome at 7:44 total length.  Fusty Delights and Martin Brodin both borrow heavily from the sound of the League's seminal "Don't You Want Me," which is good in the way that it makes that connection, but really, who hasn't heard "Don't You Want Me" enough?  There are enough interesting bits in both mixes to make them worthy of the dancefloors though.
"Credo" will see a vinyl release on the same day that "Sky" is released (July 25) and is rumored to be getting a US release later this year.
Listen to the remixes here.

Rating: OOOO (four out of five O's)

OUT NOW: LADY GAGA "BORN THIS WAY"

I first heard of Lady Gaga a few years ago when her single "Just Dance" was out and she was relatively unknown.  I didn't really get it at first and thought she was just another blonde pop diva wannabe with banal lyrics and eurotrash beats infused with forced US hip/hop.  Well, I can admit when I turn out to be wrong.  It wasn't until some time later, after "Poker Face" blew up all over the place, "Love Game" was blaring from all the clubs, and everyone seemed to be talking about Lady Gaga that I finally started to come around.  I saw a youtube clip of her performing "Poker Face" acoustic - just her and a piano - and I thought, "OK, she is different."  I hear a lot of perky, blond pop singers who some of my friends insist I listen to, and insist they are all the "next big thing," so naturally I usually dismiss them right away.  But, seeing one sit down and not only play a piano, but COMMAND it, with the pipes to go along with it, was refreshing.  Shortly thereafter, I saw another youtube clip of her, pre-"The Fame"-fame, as a young, brown haired Stefani Germanotta performing with her live band at some nondescript bar in New York.  Yes - this is the real deal, I thought.
It was only after I accepted the fact that this lady was more than just a "pop singer," but an actual musician - an artist - that I began to really appreciated and enjoy her music.  Sure, it came off as fluffy, almost generic club music, but it had a sense of humor, was catchy as hell, and knowing that there was something of a mastermind behind it (and not some svengali, middle-aged white man) allowed me to love her.  Lady Gaga isn't a guilty pleasure - she's just a pleasure.
I watched her on Saturday Night Live when she debuted a portion of "Bad Romance" and I knew it was going to be huge, and that she was just going to keep getting bigger.  I wondered if she worried Madonna!  The awkwardness between the two on their surprise SNL sketch seemed to indicated that Madge was less than excited about Gaga stealing her crown as the Queen of Pop.
Anyway, Gaga's latest release is the album "Born This Way," which right off the bat already has three big hits, the title track, "Judas" (my favorite), and "The Edge of Glory."  The album has more hooks than it should be allowed to, and sounds big and ambitious without completely crossing the line to being overblown.  Bombastic is a good way to describe it.  At times, it does get a little too loud, samey, and over-the-top, but luckily there is always something right around the corner to redeem it.
Opener "Marry The Night" seems to kick things off into high gear, and is broad enough that it should appeal to most anyone who has taken the effort to start listening to the album in the first place, although it's nothing earth-shattering or revelatory.  It's just kind of a nice way to start the set off.  Moving into the alt-dance fervor of "Government Hooker" really sets the tone and the bar for the album.  I'm not sure if anyone before has so successfully subverted the genre of club music / europop with so many layers of angst, metal, industrial and other more "hardcore" sounds.  "Judas" is another prime example of this, with it's aggressive, squelchy synths, discordant noises and powerful beats which lead to an unbelievably poppy chorus.
Some low points on the album are the ridiculous "Americano" which is really usually too much for me to take (it's the one song that I find grating) and "Hair," which I think could have been a great song if the lyrics weren't so silly.  Pretty much all the other songs are amazing and could all be singles.  This is an album of "Thriller" proportions, where it sounds more like a greatest hits then someone's sophomore effort.


Rating: OOOO (Four out of Five O's - would be Five if "Americano" had been left off)

OUT NOW: CSS "HITS ME LIKE A ROCK"

CSS has been in a whirlwind since their debut album blew up back in 2006, aided in part by the use of the track "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" in an iPod commercial.  They released their follow-up album, "Donkey," in 2008 and proved that they were no flash in the pan; they successfully avoided the dreaded sophomore slump by mixing their signature goofiness and amateurishness with just the right amount of growth and musical ambition.  They have toured like maniacs and are a great band to watch live - I've seen them twice during the promotion for "Donkey."
Now, they're back with the first taster from their forthcoming new album, "La Liberacion," with a buoyant, bouncy track called "Hits Me Like A Rock," which features guest Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream.  It's a perfect song to kick off the summer with it's electro-reggae beat and breathy, affected vocals - it will have you singing along with the synthesized "oh oh oh's" from the first listen.  It's unmistakably CSS but features a smooth easygoing quality that may have been lacking a little on their last album.
"La Liberacion" is scheduled to be released in August and we here at Aural-O are very excited to hear it!

Rating: OOO (Three out of Five O's)

ORIGINAL: THE B-52'S "LEGAL TENDER"

"Legal Tender" is probably my favorite music video of all time, and one of my all-time favorite songs as well.  It's not because it has some huge emotional connotation for me, and it's really quite a simple, silly little song, but something about the way it sounds - the vocals sung in unison, the cheesy drum machine beat adorned with hand claps, and the wonky keyboards - just equals sonic bliss for me.  I first heard the song during an MTV special about the band, back at the end of the 1980's when "Love Shack" was riding high in the charts and introducing the band to a whole new generation of fans including myself.  The video is such a great encapsulation of the band, what with the many wigs, the hilariously cheap-looking blue screen effects, and the random cactus during the simple guitar solo.  It was a song only the B-52's could have done, and still sounds original to this day, maybe even more so than it did when it was first released.  It's probably the most upbeat and poppy sounding song ever written about counterfeiting. 
This was the first single from the band's 1983 album "Whammy!" which saw the band experimenting with drum machines and keyboards, perhaps trying a little too hard to fit in with the new wave/synth pop sound of the time.  Despite not making much impact on any charts, and alienating some fans who preferred the rougher, more natural guitar/drum sound of their first couple albums, "Whammy!" does contain some great tracks including "Song For a Future Generation" and "Queen of Las Vegas."
Chartwise, "Legal Tender" got to #81 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #9 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Rating: OOOOO (Five out of Five O's)

OVERLOOKED: SAM SPARRO

Sam Sparro's debut album was released a few years back and after hearing about him and having my interest piqued, I listened to it on Lala.com (which is sadly no more) and sort of always meant to buy it, but just never did... Then, recently, I had a chance to see him perform live in Los Angeles and really enjoyed his set, so I finally got around to purchasing it from iTunes.
The one song that I had heard quite a bit before is of course his biggest hit, "Black and Gold," which I do enjoy but doesn't really do all that much for me - it's nice enough.  The song that, when performed live, really got me going is "Pocket," and it's definitely my favorite on the album.  From start to finish, it's a pretty solid effort.  The US version of the eponymous disc begins with "S.A.M.S.P.A.R.R.O." which is just sort of a silly little introductory track that sets the tone for the rest of the album, with funky beats, robotic synths and vocoded vocals.  The rest of the album is made of up strong songs like those already mentioned, as well as "Sick," whose opening reminds me a little of "Bulletproof" by LaRoux, and "Clingwrap," which has some really funny lyrics ("You see I've got enough friends that could fill a truck up, Now give me some room and just back the fuck up.")
There are a few tunes that are a little too much like clunkers, such as the generic disco of "Cut Me Loose" and the Chromeo-esque "Sally," but even those have some redeeming qualities. 
The highlight of the album is Sam's ultra-sexy voice, who makes even the less-interesting songs fun to listen to, just to hear that voice!  His combination of good looks and strong pipes makes it difficult to understand why he hasn't found much success stateside ("Black and Gold" peaked at #2 in the UK but only made it to #12 on the US dance chart). 
Evidently, Sparro is working on his sophomore record and hopefully that will garner him some more exposure here in the States.

Rating: OOO (Three out of Five O's)