OUT NOW: LANA DEL REY "BORN TO DIE"

Here's our first post of 2012 and it's all about the new phenomenon known as "Lana Del Rey," otherwise known by her real name, Lizzy Grant.  With all the hoopla - and there HAS been a lot of hoopla - it's kind of surprising that her debut album, "Born To Die," is surprisingly solid in a very non-earth-shattering type of way.  Described (by herself, or by someone else who credited it to Lana) as a "gangsta Nancy Sinatra," Del Rey cleverly has packaged herself (or been packaged) as a sort of modern torch singer, mixing in the glamour of 1960's Hamptons with more street-wise, hip-hop elements.  She can definitely make her voice sound all "old fashioned" as demonstrated in a couple of the darker numbers, which happen to be the hits, "Blue Jeans" (our personal favorite here at Aural-O), the internet meme sensation "Video Games," as well as the title track.  The "gangsta" part seems to come from the few tracks that do include Del Rey using more of a rap-style vocal delivery, such as the frenetic "Off To The Races," and the sublimely beautiful (and for some reason, critically reviled) "National Anthem," (which happens to be our second-favorite song.)

If it seems that we are using a lot of parenthesis in this review (and indeed, we are) it may be due to the highly contentious nature of most of the aforementioned "hoopla" surrounding Del Rey and her persona.  If you hadn't ever met Del Rey (I have) or seen her perform live in the flesh, and if you had only paid attention to what you read in the blogs or heard from your hipster friends, you'd think that Del Rey had, as Kristin Wiig stated during her impression of the young singer on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live, "clubbed a baby seal while singing the taliban national anthem" during her US premiere on that very same show several weeks earlier.  The rage was immediate and harsh, ranging from mean tweets from celebrities, to countless "she sucks" comments on various online articles about the singer.  Here are the common claims: that her dad is a millionaire so she bought her success, that she changed her name/look/sound to try to be more successful, that she had her lips surgically enhanced, and that she is inexperienced and unpolished as a live performer.  Why these complaints have been lodged so forcefully, and with such great ire by so many, seems to speak more to the current state of society than anything Del Rey herself did or did not do.  Being a singer has always been akin to being an actor.  The song is your script and it is up to you how you are going to interpret it, how you are going to emote the feelings contained in the lyrics using your voice and body.  Any singer signed to a major label in the history of music has been packaged and marketed by the suits in the corporate office.  A huge amount of successful musicians and other celebrities have changed their names, looks, and styles either before their success or during the course of it, often many times.  Look at Madonna: who would dare to criticize her for changing her looks?  It's always been a part of who she is and what she does.

We could sit here and debate the merits and authenticity of Lana Del Rey all day, as many people apparently are wont to do, but the fact is that as a performer and a singer/songwriter, she has something special that clearly evokes lots of emotions in others - some good, some bad.  The fact that her album just debuted at #2 on the Billboard album charts seems to show that there are plenty of people who dig Del Rey.  Despite what the haters may say, we at Aural-O think she is a bright new star in the music industry and has a great career in front of her.

Oh, and one last thing: to those who argue that she bought her way to the top, please think about this:  How many girls (and guys) who's parents belong to the 1% do you think have done everything in their power to turn their money into fame and success?  If it was that easy, don't you think the radio would be filled with the voices of spoiled rich kids having used daddy's money to hire producers to auto-tune them into oblivion?  In reality, that story is a rarity.  Even "Posh Spice" didn't really come from a rich family.  Most rich kids are too lazy to lug an acoustic guitar around to open mic nights in Brooklyn, so whether it's true that Del Rey's father is an internet impresario is frankly irrelevant.  But, haters gonna hate...

Rating: OOOO (Four out of Five O's)

OFFHAND: ROLLING STONE'S TOP 25 SONGS OF 2011

This was a great year in music, but would you know it by looking at Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 25 Songs of 2011?  Here's my take on Rob Sheffield's countdown.

25. Lady Gaga, "Edge of Glory" 
 I do love me some Lady Gaga, and this is a catchy single, but it's almost too formulaic.  Out of the singles from "Born This Way," I found this one, "You & I," and "Marry The Night" to be too bland and obviously trying to cater to the largest audience.  Personally, I preferred "Judas."

24. Nicki Minaj, "Girlfriend"
I don't know this song and I don't care for Nicky Minaj (or Manage, as I pronounce it).  We already had Lil Kim.

23. Yuck, "Get Away"
I've never heard of this band or the song, but I bet if I heard it, I would say "Yuck"! ha ha.

22. Avril Lavigne, "What the Hell"
I'm not a huge fan of Ms. Lavigne (aka April Levine) but I have a little respect for her.  She tries to be a little different, and I liked her song "I'm With You" from her first album.  I also liked her in the movie "Fast Food Nation."

21. Paul Simon, "Rewrite" 
I think someone told me Paul Simon had a new album out...

20. Xeno and Oaklander, "Sets and Lights"
I've never heard of them, but Rob Sheffield's description makes them sound intriguing.  Opening Spotify now...

19. The Horrors, "Still Life" 
I heard about the Horrors because I saw a poster advertising their new album.  I listened to them on Spotify a little and liked what I heard but I need to check them out more.

18. Thurston Moore, "Mina Loy" 
I don't know anything about this one, but I know he was in Sonic Youth.  I never got into them.

17. Neon Indian, "Fallout"
Ok, so Mr. Sheffielf describes this as "Synth-pop romance, with a little O.M.D. and a whole lot of Comsat Angels," so I REALLY need to check this out.  I like OMD alright and saw them live earlier this year, but I am OBSESSED with the Comsat Angel's album "Land," and it's pretty rare that you hear them referenced anywhere these days.

16. Radiohead, "Separator"
Ech... enough with Radiohead.  I loved the imitation Jimmy Fallon did of Thom Yorke on Saturday Night Live recently.

15. Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"
Wait, who's Adele?  Ha! Just kidding, there was absolutely no way to avoid this chick in the past year.  You would have thought she invented a new way of singing and songwriting.  But no, it's just the same old thing people have been doing for years.  Really not sure what all the hype is about.  It's a decent song though, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get it in my head and sing it out loud quite a few times in 2011.

14. Kurt Vile, "Runner Ups"
Never heard of him.

13. Azealia Banks, "212" 
Never heard of this either.
  
12. Destroyer, "Kaputt"
OK, never heard of this one either but Mr. Sheffield makes another 80's reference here, this time to Howard Jones.  Howard Jones is OK but doesn't do enough for me in a reference to want to check this out.
  
11. Rihanna, "We Found Love"
Wow, this has to be a song that I've heard and just never realized who the artist or title was.  It's hard for me to believe there's a Rihanna song that I don't recognize.  Wait, let me check this out on Spotify.  OK, yeah I do know this one.  A decent track, and I love Calvin Harris so, I need to pay more attention to this.

10. Stevie Nicks, "Annabel Lee" 
Crap, I'd been so looking forward to hearing the new Stevie Nicks, and a close friend of mine got it right away when it came out, but I still haven't listened to it, so I don't know this song.  Shame on me!

9. Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass" 
Really, we need another Nicki Manage song on here?  Give me a Super Break.



8. Rebecca Black, "Friday"
Wait, really?  This is a joke, right?  I mean, the song and video are a joke, so its inclusion on here must be one too.  I actually kinda feel bad for Rebecca Black.  Every day, thousands of kids of dubious talent and stage-parent-wannabes with more money than sense commit adolescent warbling to disc in the hopes of producing the next big hit.  Luckily for most of these people, these childhood embarrassments are left languishing in obscurity.  This chick is never gonna live down this song, but she's never going to have a serious music career either.  She's going to be performing this song at retro festivals, shopping malls, county fairs and fast food restaurant openings for the rest of her days.

7. Pistol Annies, "Hell on Heels" 
I've never heard of this, but it's apparently some type of country-rock, which would explain why.

6. Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean, "No Church In The Wild" 
I try not to pay attention to anything Kanye is involved with.  Gay fish.

5. Bon Iver, "Beth/Rest"
Yuck.  My little sister informed me I was pronouncing his name wrong, and that it should be pronounced like "Bone Eevay."  Double yuck.

4. EMA, "California" 
I don't know this one at all, but it's time we call a moratorium on song titles with "California" or "Hollywood" in the title, especially if the artist is a transplant to the Golden State from somewhere else.  We get it, you moved to LA to be a star and things didn't (or did) work out for you.  Who cares?

3. Beyoncé, "Countdown"
Another song that I didn't know from the title and had to listen on Spotify to have my "oh duh" moment.  I like a lot of stuff Beyonce does, although I've never bought any of her music.  This one has been played in clubs a lot but it's so derivative I never gave it much of a thought.  It sounds like a couple of older songs mashed together.  Not my cup of tea.

2. Big Sean featuring Nicki Minaj, "Dance (A$$) (Remix)"
Seriously? We had to cram Manage's big booty on this countdown THREE times?  I've never heard of Big Sean but I bet I would recognize this song if I went and listened to it.  Which I'm most certainly not going to do.

1. Britney Spears, "How I Roll"
Wow.  Just wow.  Back when BS first came out, I found her annoying and inappropriately sexualized for her age.  If I had known that she would be sticking around this long I would have probably cried.  Since about 2000, I've purposely tried my hardest to avoid EVER having to hear Britney's music, which always proves far more difficult than I thought.  I truly didn't think I'd heard any of the songs off her latest album, but then once I say that, people will inevitably point them out to me and say, "See, this is Britney's new song, you know this one," and yes, I usually have heard it but somehow blocked it out of my mind.  Probably same goes for this one.  I can't believe Rolling Stone magazine would name this the number one song of the year.  Disgraceful.

OUT NOW: AQUA "MEGALOMANIA"

The best pop records just make you smile, feel good, and get your body moving from the first note to the last beat.  Aqua's 1997 debut album, "Aquarium," was one such album.  Despite the silly lyrics and cheesy euro-dance music - or perhaps because of them - "Aquarium" was like happiness distilled into soundwaves.  Breaking onto the international scene with the ridiculously catchy "Barbie Girl," they unfortunately wound up being relegated to the dreaded "one-hit wonder" status in the US.  Nevermind that "Lollipop" charted at #23 here, "Turn Back Time" (included in the film "Sliding Doors") made #18 on the Billboard Mainstream top 40 chart, and the album itself peaked at #7; most Americans only saw them as the "Barbie Girl" band.

Their case was not helped by the scatter-shot sophomore album, "Aquarius," which veered to far into Disney soundtrack-esque "kiddie pop" in an attempt to cater to the widest audience possible.  Although successful overseas, the album bombed stateside and shortly after the band disintegrated.  Many years later they reunited and recorded a handful of new tracks for a greatest hits compilation (including the infectious "Back to the 80's") and played some shows.

Luckily, they are completely back now with a brand new album, thankfully one that doesn't begin with "Aquariu"!  Supposedly, the band set out to record the world's best pop album, and I have to say they have definitely come very close!  "Megalomania" starts off on a surprisingly grown-up note with the thoughtful, yet still danceable, "Playmate to Jesus," with it's optimistic lyrics "everywhere I go I pray, for yoo-NEE-versal love!"  The party gets kicked into high gear with "Dirty Little Pop Song," which sounds extremely current but yet has the Aqua trademark sound and lyrics that are actually more clever than you might give them credit for on first listen.  And Lene shows that she can do Kylie just as well as Kylie can ("Spinnin' in your head").

"Kill Myself" is sort of a departure for the band, being a little more serious sounding and musically a little more complex yet very beautiful.  Possibly my favorite song on the album.

This is followed by the extremely strong "Like a Robot," which sees Aqua adding a new word to their lexicon, but I won't spoil the surprise.  I can see drag queens lip syncing this one.

From here there are some passable dance-party anthems like "Viva Las Vegas" and the first single "How R U Doin," and another very high point "Sucker for a Superstar" and a couple sort-of low points with "No Party Patrol" and "Be My Savior Tonight," both of which are fine but just don't quite match the heights of the rest of the songs.  The album ends with another great ditty with a title that says it all: "If the World Didn't Suck (We Would All Fall Off)."

All in all, I was completely blown away by this album, not really expecting too much out of it.  Aqua do know what they're doing when it comes to catchy hooks and big, electronic beats, so I shouldn't have doubted them, but this could end up being one of AURAL-O's favorite albums of 2011!  It certainly has stuck in our CD player since we got it!

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

OUT NOW: INVISIBLE MATERIAL "PEDESTAL"

This Los Angeles based indie rock band has just released the follow up to their video "Grown Man Cries," which was a very amazing, colorful video and a very catchy song.  This video is considerably more lo-fi and simple.  The band will be performing live next month at Universal Bar & Grill.

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

OUT NOW: CSS "LA LIBERACION"

CSS (short for "Cansei de ser Sexy," translated to English as "got tired of being sexy") is a Brazilian dance rock band that burst on to the scene a few years ago with their delightfully kitschy, party band vibe and "English as a second language" lyrics.  It's clear that when they started, they most likely never imagined they would become the phenomenon they quickly became once they were discovered in the US and UK.

Because the naive, simplistic enthusiasm which permeated their debut album was so honest and pure, the odds already seemed stacked against them when it came to making another record.  Luckily, the followup album, "Donkey," seemed to be suffice in delivering a slightly more grown-up sound while still keeping their youthful wackiness intact.  So, what happens after a bunch of Brazilian hipsters have released two successful albums and toured the world several times over?  Obviously, they cannot still pretend to be the same people who sang "Meeting Paris Hilton" or "Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex" with such innocent exuberance.

The album "La Liberacion" produces mixed feelings for me.  I am glad to have new music from this band, and I definitely would look forward to seeing them perform some of these songs live.  And while the music still definitely sounds like CSS, I'm sure there will be a number of critics ready to complain about the album's flaws.  There's not really anything as catchy as early hits like "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above" or "Alala," there are definitely some great moments.  The first single, "Hits Me Like a Rock," (reviewed here previously) is a highlight with it's melodic, new-wave/reggae sound; album opener "I Love You," while having the most obvious song title in the world, is still a pretty catchy jam.  Perhaps the most exciting track is "City Girl," which also happens to sound the most like it could have been on the first album, with it's hooky chorus and edgy beats.


The rest of the album seems to be a little all over the place, working in some Americana-style rock ("Echo of Love"), forgettable pop like "Partners In Crime" and the slightly overwrought angst/punk of "Rhythm to the Rebels."  Then there's the dreadful faux-hip-hop of "Red Alert," which is wisely stuck right near the end of the album, followed by the fun but throw-away "Fuck Everything."


But anyone expecting some sort of groundbreaking masterpiece at this stage in CSS's game is probably overthinking things anyway, and thankfully the band do not seem to be overthinking it.  For the most part, "La Liberacion" is a breezy, enjoyable affair that includes enough odd lyrics, hand-claps, and beats to get you up and moving. 


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

OUT NOW: FATTY GETS A STYLIST

I've written about Kate Miller-Heidke on this blog recently after happening on her album "Curiouser" at my local record super store.  Now, she's fronting this Austrailian-based band with this self-titled debut album.  Working mainly with her husband/collaborator Keir Nuttall, the material isn't that far-removed from her solo output, but perhaps with a little more teeth and grit, although this is still polished, ear-candy pop. 
Taking influences from many 80's acts and current electro-pop (their website name checks Kraftwerk, B-52's and Goldfrapp), FGAS successfully meld their influences into their own unique and timely sound, which ends up sounding like a sort of hybrid of Tegan and Sara with the Ting Tings.
Some great new-wave keyboards bring flavor to songs like "The Plane Went Down" and the lovely "Holloway Park" which sounds like it could have been a missing Til Tuesday track, or another 80's new wave band. 
There is also a funky side to FGAS such as on the title track (yes, the triple threat - band, album and song all with the same name!) and rave-up "Devil's in the Details" which harkens back more to the 90's dance sound of Fatboy Slim (or did I just make the connection with their names?). 
One of the interesting things, noted by the band themselves even, is how different Kate's voice sounds here.  Unlike her solo material, with FGAS she uses the lower register of her voice and it truly is easy to forget it's even her! 
The fun, parade-like atmosphere of the opening track, "Are You Ready," has apparently landed as an advertising jingle for the New York lottery, so chances are this band will be getting a lot more recognition here in the states soon, as they deserve.  There seems to be a little buzz going on already, as recently one of my Facebook friends posted about them, and they are popping up on websites left and right. 

Rating: OOOO (Four out of Five O's)

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) 

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)

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)

OUT NOW: BLONDIE'S "PANIC OF GIRLS"

Blondie, one of the greatest bands of all time, is back with a brand new album titled "Panic of Girls."  Apparently, a panic of girls is similar to a murder of crows or a school of fish.
The album starts off with a bang, or rather many bangs as original drummer Clem Burke kicks into high gear with a propulsive beat on "D-Day," a song that seems to allude to the current state of the music industry and internet, with references to piracy, transfers, and limited privacy.  The chorus is infectious, with the backing vocals that seem to be chanting "Debbie Devil, Don't You Dare," although I could be hearing it wrong.
From there the high energy continues with the absolutely stunning "What I Heard," which definitely should be a summer single.  It's sing-a-long ready and sounds like classic Blondie but with an energy that is so current and immediate.  Amazingly, this level of passion and frenetic energy is continued into the third track and first single, "Mother," which is another great sing-a-long which just seems perfect for Debbie Harry to sing, as to many, she is the "Mother" of punk-pop/new-wave/girl-rock or whatever she represents to the legions of people she and the band have inspired.
The band brings things down a notch for the next track, the reggae influenced "The End The End" which seems to be an apocalyptic love song reminiscent of other island-flavored Blondie tunes like "The Tide is High" or "The Only One."
Throughout the rest of the album, the band explores a variety of sounds and influences, keeping it mostly mellow from here on out, although "Love Doesn't Frighten Me" is another poppy rock song with a very classic Blondie feel about it.  Some of the stranger, but very cool moments, include the latino jam-band groove of "Wipe Off My Sweat," with Debbie's repeated coo-ings of "Papi, Papi," and the half sexy/half silly rapping of the bonus track "Horizontal Twist" with it's name-checking of Sheryl Crow of all people.
Overall, this album takes a few listens to get into the less-catchy songs that dominate the last 2/3rds of the album, but for a band that's been going as long as Blondie, this music serves them now as it does feel like an album they could actually perform live in it's entirety without being forceful or sounding like they're trying to be something they're not.  It doesn't have all the highs that their previous two discs had (1999's No Exit, and 2003's shamefully under-appreciated The Curse of Blondie) but it's a welcome return from a band who has produced some consistently brilliant and envelope-pushing work.  Debbie's vocals continue to mature in a sultry, jazz chanteuse sort of way but retains enough of her brash, punk attitude and standoffish sex appeal, and the new band members do a good job of honoring the past Blondie sound without being slaves to it.

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