Scooter McGavin's 9th Green: R. Kelly

Showing posts with label R. Kelly. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Love Has the Greatest Vision of All Time

Back in March R. Kelly released unto the internets a teaser saying that more Trapped in the Closet were “coming soon.” The vagueness was compounded by the fact that the teaser featured no new footage or music (well twenty-three chapters later and the music technically has not changed, but the promo featured no new lyrics or hints as to what “The Package” is). We are closing in on five years since we have been graced with a new chapter but it looks like we will have to wait a couple more months because now that Kells has released a new album we will probably have wait until the end of the promotion cycle before bestowing new chapters of his hip-hopera. Le sigh.

Since it could shorten the promotion time, I probably should not review R. Kelly’s new album in hopes that we would then get new Trapped in the Closet sooner, the only problem is Write Me Back is good. Really good (but still not nearly as good as Trapped in the Closet). It is about as good as his last album which I called his best album since the nineties. That is probably cause his new album Write Me Back is thematically and sonically related to Love Letter to the point they even have similar names.

So what you get is another twelve songs (not to be confused with a twelve-play) of old school baby making music in the vein of Marvin Gaye and other Motown classics from the sixties and seventies like Love Is and Share My Love where Kells sings “let’s get together and populate” over a Barry White style disco beat (of course “let’s get together and populate” is such a great phrase I may replace “baby making music” with “populating music”). Really Write Me Back is much more danceable that the previous retro album like Party Jumpin’ that is reminiscent of a Junior Walker song and the Ray Charles like All Rounds on Me.

Robert also expands the retro palette on the new album. The best of it is represented in the most contemporary song on the album Believe in Me which manages to sound current and classic at the time bringing to mind the best Michael Jackson tracks from the nineties. So congratulation Kells on your second straight great album. Now how about turning the “Coming Soon” that you tagged in the Trapped in the Closet from back in March into a firm release date sometime before the world ends (or so the Mayans would have us believe).

Song to Download – Believe In Me

Write Me Back gets a Terror Alert Level: High [ORANGE]

on my Terror Alert Scale.

Amazon.com Widgets

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Five Most Anticipated Albums of Summer 2012

Usually I start off my quarterly music preview by complaining about the lack of good albums, but something strange happened last month, there was actually a dearth a good music released. And though the summer months may not see as many as we did in May, there may still be plenty of worthy music to bump at you cookouts and bonfires this year. Here are the five I am most looking forward to followed by a rundown of what else is coming your way soon. Click the album name (or cover art) to preorder on Amazon or click the artist's name to be taken to their iTunes page.

1. Handwritten – The Gaslight Anthem (July 24): Nas (who is also on this list) famously declared a couple years back that hip-hop was dead. Of course it was not dead, it was just bastardized by ringtone rappers and people who thought Lil’ Wayne, T.I. and Rick Ross were credible rappers. Rock on the other hand has been on life support for a couple years, basically since the month and a half when Kings of Leon was the biggest group in the world. The Black Keys (who also had a theory of why rock was dying revolving around people being fine with Nickleback being the biggest band in the world) brought rock back somewhat with their last two albums and if there is any justice The Gaslight Anthem will have their breakout with their upcoming album.

2. TBA – Mumford & Sons (September 25): Of course sometime the death of rock is not because no one listens to rock anymore, just the mainstream does not talk about it. I am sure everyone would think Katy PerryKaty Perry actually has sold the same amount as Teenage Dream since both were released two years ago. Of course this is what happens when you let teenage girls control the pop culture zeitgeist. It is doubtful the banjo strumming band will become “cool” after the release of their next album, but I bet they have a longer career than Katy Perry.

3. Life Is Good – Nas (July 17): But back to Nas. You want to feel old? The MC is releasing his tenth album this summer. Sure his albums have been hit or miss and sometimes uneven since his seminal debut Illmatic, but Nas has had four years to record a record so hopefully that was time well spent.

4. Write Me Back – R. Kelly (June 26): Kells last album was his best since the nineties and Write Me Back is a thematic sequel of more classic soul music of Love Letter, sharing a similar name. Hopefully more chapters of Trapped in the Closet, which Kells said were “coming soon” back in March will soon follow.

5. Uncaged – Zac Brown Band (July 10): As I grow older, I have been listening to more country music, especially the folksier side of the genre and the debut album from Zac Brown Band was heartfelt in the right place and fun in others. With any luck that continues on their follow up.

Yesterday
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do – Fiona Apple
Rhythm And Repose – Glen Hansard
Oceania – Smashing Pumpkins
Attractive Sin – Del The Funky Homosapien & Parallel Thought
View From the Bottom – Lit
Cherry Thing – Neneh Cherry
The Crossing – Sophie B. Hawkins

June 26
LIVING THINGS – Linkin Park
Overexposed – Maroon 5
Suzie Cracks the Whip – Blues Traveler
Invisible Stars - Everclear
Days Go By – The Offspring
Mindy Smith – Mindy Smith
The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends – The Flaming Lips
The House That Jack Built – Jesca Hoop

July 10
Murdered Love – P.O.D.
Loma Vista – Family of the Year

July 17
Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
Ol Razzle Dazzle – Missy Higgins
Delayed Reaction – Soul Asylum

July 31
A Thousand Miles Left Behind – Gloriana
The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 – Joss Stone
Play Rock Music – Toadies

August 14
Based on a T.R.U. Story – 2 Chainz

August 21
Mature Themes – Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Fragrant World – Yeasayer

August 28
Havoc and Bright Lights – Alanis Morissette
Music From Another Dimension – Aerosmith

September 4
North – Matchbox Twenty
Centipede Hz – Animal Collective

September 11
The Spirit Indestructible – Nelly Furtado
Sun – Cat Power
Coexist – The xx
Ludaversal – Ludacris

September 18
Tomorrowland – Ryan Bingham
I Bet on Sky – Dinosaur Jr.

September 25
Food and Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 - Lupe Fiasco
Uno! – Green Day

October 9
TBA – Fitz & The Tantrums
Wrote a Song For Everyone – John Fogerty

October 15
The Haunted Man – Bat for Lashes

November 13
Dos! – Green Day
Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors – Big Boi

January 15
Tre! – Green Day

No Release Date
Born Battle - The Killers
James River - D'Angelo
West Coast Time – Michelle Branch
Indicud – Kid Cudi
Age of the Machine – Goodie Mob
Undisputed – DMX
The Diving Board – Elton John
Country God, or the Girl – K'naan
Rooted - Scarface
Cruel Summer – G.O.O.D. Music
Dave Matthews Band
The Avett Brothers
Taylor Swift
Ben Folds Five
Diane Birch
Bob Seger
Alice In Chains

And of course let me add the obligatory, maybe we will finally get to hear Detox by Dr. Dre this summer.

Monday, April 23, 2012

I Want My Music Television - 4/23/12

Monday, June 13, 2011

I Want My Music Television - 6/13/11

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Fast Lane - Bad Meets Evil

After his triumphant triumph of Recovery, Eminem has been quick for a follow up with Bad Meets Evil with his buddy, but I have to say if this were a rap battle I may have to give it to Royce the 5’9’’. But I got a little depressed at the chorus because it is hard not to wonder how better it would have been if Nate Dogg was still around to sing it.

Radio Message – R Kelly

It is a shame that the latest R. Kelly album is not getting as much love as it should be because it is easily his best non-Trapped in the Closet work in over a decade. Speaking of Trapped in the Closet, when are we going to get new chapters Kells, it has been over three years since the last one. I need to know what the package is.

Smarter - Eisley

There is no shortage of women done wrong songs in recent years, but this one from Eisley may be the most spiteful with each lyric more biting than the previous one. And the song gets better with every listen because of it.

My Ugly Mouth – Meg and Dia

I remember getting press releases from NBC about The Voice and checking song of the songs I liked being performed, one being Bubbly by Colbie Caillat. When I click on the link to see Dia Frampton I said to myself, “wait a second I know that girl, she’s from Meg and Dia.” I cannot say I was a big fan of the group’s emo rock chick music that ended up being popularized by Paramore. After Dia’s killer performance of Heartless last week I decide to reexamine the group and found this gem that they released earlier this year which is the catchiest pop song I have heard in a while with its Beatle-esque chorus and killer piano breakdown before the bridge which sees the sisters playfully sing against each other and I love the line “I am proud of my temper” which is ironic now that she has been dubbed The Quiet One on The Voice.

I also had a very lengthy post that I was going to post yesterday about The Voice, but I granted the first run somewhere else and they have taken long than I thought to publish it, so I have to wait until they post it first, hopefully I can repost it later today for a rare double post, but here is a little preview that I did not put in the post for the other site regarding Dia’s previous record deal and being on The Voice:

There have been a lot of complaining how many of the contestants on The Voice have already had record contract; seven of the remaining singers by my count seven, almost half of the finale sixteen, have released albums. I say to those who make that complaint: screw you hippies. One of my many reasons why I have never watched American Karaoke is that I believe if you have talent, you would not need a reality show to score a record contract, and considering American Karaoke and its strict no professionals rule is currently batting two for nine, I seem to be right. And though talent may land you a record deal, it does not always equate into stardom, you still need the right marketing. So having a show with season veterans like Dia or Javier Colon who never manage to get that breakout hit, The Voice can be that great marketing tool to get their music to the masses and makes for a better show.

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

The 25 Best Albums of 2010

If you interested in buying any of the albums below, click on the album title to go to Amazon and the artist name to download it in iTunes. Also check out my orginal album reviews in the link under the album where for those I reviewed.