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)

UPDATE

Sorry for the lack of entries lately but it has been a very busy month for us here at AURAL-O as we have been attending loads of concerts.  We will be writing about some of them soon.  We are also listening to new music and will be letting you know our thoughts and recommendations shortly.  Thanks for staying tuned!

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)

OPEN YOUR MOUTH: TRACEY BEEHIVE FROM VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE

Aural-O is pleased as punch to introduce the first in our new series "OPEN YOUR MOUTH" where we go right to the source and ask 5 questions about a given album, of the artist themselves!

For this inaugural post, we couldn't be more thrilled to have gotten Tracey from Voice of the Beehive to take time to give us her thoughts on the bands' second album, Honey Lingers, which was released in 1991 and revisted here on Aural-O recently.

Back cover shot from the "I Think I Love You" single
photograph by Pete Mountain, from www.voiceofthebeehive.com, 

the band's official website.

Aural-O: Who's idea was the cover shot of Honey Lingers, and what was it like doing the photo shoot for it?

Tracey Beehive: The cover shot of Honey Lingers came from my love of the "Think Pink" sequence from Funny Face. I showed it to the art directors and they got it. I personally think I look like a hideous version of a drag queen on the cover but it was all meant in fun. 

A-O: Did you agree with and have any input into the choice of singles released from Honey Lingers? If you could do it over again and have complete control, how would you have done it with regards to singles releases?

TB: I had no input in any of the single choices for the band which is why I have no faith in the industry of music anymore. Unless you are huge, the bands have no say. I would have first released "Adonis Blue" as a single. I was so reluctant to work with that team of producers because they were so pop oriented but it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the CD and then I would have released "Monsters and Angels" and maybe (with blind hope) released "Perfect Place" with the hope that someone would get it's message.

A-O: What song from the album resonates the most with you today, and why?

TB: There is no doubt that "Monsters and Angels" is my most personal song. Even though I didn't write the music. I heard Mike playing it upstairs in the home studio and went up and begged him to give that music to me. This sounds really corny but there are times when I feel lost and don't know or remember who I am and what I intended to contribute with my life and when I listen to that song I seem to find myself again. I have this strange feeling of "Oh, I remember you. You're still here." It's hard to explain but I seem return to that song when I am confused. 

A-O: Did Honey Lingers come together really easily after [your first album] Let It Bee, or were you feeling any fears of the dreaded sophomore album? 

TB: Honey Lingers was the most over labored project in the history of music. All the powers that be were trying to create hits instead of just letting us get on with it. The CD had like 5 producers!!!! Why not just pick one that has the same vision as the band and get on with it?
Having said that, it is my favorite Beehive CD.

A-O: When you look back at all the music Voice of the Beehive released, how do you feel about Honey Lingers, and how does it relate to the other albums, singles, and songs? 

TB: Like I said I really prefer Honey Lingers to Let It Bee but I think I am the only person alive that also preferred The Pretenders second CD to the first.
I just think it is a more thoughtful and reflective work. I mean, it had "Perfect Place" and "Little Gods" instead of "Barbarian" and "Oh Love." But, this is like saying, "This child was not as pretty as the other child I had."
I just think between "Monsters and Angels", "Adonis Blue" and "Perfect Place," it was a more grown up record.
Having said that, in my heart, nothing comes close to "I Say Nothing".......so what are you gonna do?

A-O: A huge, honey-covered thanks to Tracey for giving us insight into a truly memorable album!  "Bee" sure to check out the band's catalogue on iTunes!

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)