Billboard Hot 100, 7/12/2008

1. I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry

No change at the top for Katy Perry, who is also this week's airplay gainer.

3. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

It's been 2 months since Leona was at #1 and she's still in the top 3 with a bullet--and this week's sales gainer no less. Interestingly, two other former #1s still in the top 10--Rihanna's "Take a Bow" at #4 and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" at #6--are both still bulleted too. I'd like to think this was because fast sales drove these singles to #1 early and now they're still gaining due to their airplay, but as I said above, Leona's bullet is based on sales, so who knows.

5. Burnin' Up - Jonas Brothers

Last week the Jonas Brothers had a hefty #20 debut with their Camp Rock song, "Play My Music." This week they debut at #5 with their latest proper single, "Burnin' Up," giving the group its first top 10 hit. With its airplay gaining swiftly too, #1 looks promising for this.

39. Summertime - New Kids on the Block

After a 16-year absence, the recently reunited New Kids on the Block score their 11th top 40 hit with "Summertime," the lead single from their forthcoming 5th album, Back on the Block. The New Kids' original run of hits stretched from late 1988 to mid 1992, consisting of 10 top 40 singles, all but one of which were top 10 hits and three that were #1s--"I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," "Hangin' Tough," and "Step By Step." Two of the group's members had solo hits--Joe McIntyre hit #10 in 1999 with "Stay the Same," and about a month later Jordan Knight also hit #10 in with "Give It to You." Donnie Wahlberg pursued acting rather than singing, most notably appearing in "The Sixth Sense" in 1999. (What's up with 1999 being the year for solo New Kids success?)

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July new album releases

The second half of the year commences...with a snooze. This has to be the most boring month of new releases yet. Only Delta Goodrem really interests me, perhaps Sharleen Spiteri.

July 7/8

Beck - Modern Guilt. Midnight Vultures (2000) and Odelay (1996) were Grammy Album of th the Year Nominees; Sea Change (2002) received a 5-star review from Rolling Stone, but his last album, The Information (2006), wasn't a big hit. Will his 8th studio album change that?

July 14/15

Delta Goodrem - Delta. Australia's most popular new artist this decade (she's had eight #1 hits since 2003) finally releases an album in the U.S. Word is that Delta, her third album, is better than her last outing, Mistaken Identity, and more polished than her first, Innocent Eyes. Features first single "In This Life."

Sharleen Spiteri - Melody. The Texas lead singer tries a solo disc. First single "All The Times I Cried" is pretty decent, but doesn't sound that much different than what the band would do.

John Mellencamp - Life, Death, Love and Freedom. John Mellencamp releases a disc of folk rock distributed in the new CODE format, which is supposed to be high-definition and virtually indistinguishable from the recording tapes.

Basshunter - Now You're Gone. After scoring a massive UK #1 wth "Now You're Gone," the Swedish dance act has a whole album of such similar wonders, including new single "All I Ever Wanted."

July 21/22

Miley Cyrus - Breakout. The 15 year-old Disney megastar--one of the hardest working people in the biz--releases her second solo album, featuring first single "7 Things."

July 28/29

Young Jeezy - The Recession. The guy who appears on Usher's "Love in This Club Part 1" puts out another album.

Erykah Badu - New Amyrkah Part Two (Return of the Ankh). She's got a new one too.

August looks a little better with new releases from Ne-Yo, Nelly (finally), The Streets, and The Verve.

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Album Review: Moby - Last Night (3.5/5)

Clinging to the belief that his music is still primarily for home listening, rather than say commercial licensing or restaurant background, Moby put out his 9th studio album this year. Judging from the cover art and title, Last Night is intended to be Moby back in DJ mode, after the sleepy 2005 release Hotel (hotels are for sleeping after all). It hearkens back to the first Moby album I ever bought, the fantastic 1995 release Everything Is Wrong, which remains my favorite Moby album--Yes, it's even better than Play, his landmark 1999 release that made him a superstar (and superstar of the advertising industry).

Like a lot of Moby, it's an eclectic mix of upbeat and more ethereal dance number, most with tinkly keyboards, layered synths, and processed vocals. It's also therefore a mixed bag, although mostly pretty good. Lyrically, of course, there's not much going on, such as in the upbeat opener "Ooh Yeah," which loops the title continuously over a driving beat and bass and violin synths, or "257.zero," which loops a bunch of spoken numbers over an '80s dance vibe.

The '80s are clearly on Moby's mind, explicitly on "Everyday is 1989," an old school Moby track with charging dance beat, pounding piano, and looped vocals from some anonymous dance music diva. "I Love to Move in Here" is another retro-flavored standout, hearkening back to that late '80s/early '90s period when rap and house music were briefly merged, featuring guest Grandmaster Caz. I like the little bursts of synth strings and audience noise. "Alice" has an even stronger hip-hop vibe and a harsher arrangement, although still quite danceable--think House of Pain.

Moby turns his synth chords way up on the opening of "Live for Tomorrow" while looping a soul singer--a sound familiar to any recent Moby album--but then gives it a harder beat. Space-age keyboards show up too in this surprisingly good track that comes off as "classic" Moby. Skip over moody "Hyenas" and undernourished "I'm in Love" to "Disco Lies," an enjoyable blend of early '90s dance-pop and Moby sensibility. "The Stars" is another high-energy, piano and looped vocal track that sounds like a revisited Everything is Wrong leftover.

Then the party ends. "Degenerates" lives up to its title, providing a soup mix of synths and percussion. "Sweet Apocalypse" and "Mothers of the Night" are dull, repetitive instrumentals. Vocals return on the languid title track, but not the sense of enjoyment built by the album's earlier dance tracks.

After giving this a closer listen for this review, I found I actually liked it better than when I just had it on in the background, which unfortunately is how most of Moby's music is consumed. With such attention, the joys of the various songs emerged, and were surprisingly good, especially the retro House tracks. Until the final act, which suffers from being too repetitive and bland, there's a good deal of fun to be in Moby's journey through late '80s and early to mid '90s dance music.

Best: Everyday is 1989, Live for Tomorrow, Disco Lies, I Love to Move in Here, Ooh Yeah

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Will Young - New material

Will Young is starting to perform new material from his upcoming fourth album, Let It Go, due for release in late September. Here's a video of him performing an acoustic version of the title track:



Not bad. There's also a poor quality video of Will performing the album's first single, "Changes":



Thanks to xolondon for the heads up on this.

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UK Singles Chart, 7/5/2008

1. Closer - Ne-Yo

It's peculiar but not uncommon for a popular American artist has a hit in the UK that isn't a hit at home. The last single by an American artist to hit #1 in the UK but miss the U.S. top 10 was Madonna's "Sorry." Other examples from this decade include "Nasty Girl" by The Notorious B.I.G. and friends, "Get Right" by Jennifer Lopez, "Like Toy Soldiers" by Eminem, and Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty."

In The U.S., Ne-Yo hit #1 in 2006 with "So Sick" and #2 last year with "Because of You." He's had several other top 10 hits, but "Closer" isn't one of them (the single peaked at #25 two weeks ago). Yet it sits on top of the UK singles chart this week, having slowly climbed the top 10 over the last 5 weeks. "Closer" is Ne-Yo's 4th top 10 hit and 2nd #1 after "So Sick."

3. No Air - Jordin Sparks Featuring Chris Brown

Another American Idol winner besides Kelly Clarkson finally has a hit in the UK. Jordin Sparks rises 7 spots to #3 this week to become the American Idol with biggest charting UK single yet, beating the #5 peak of Kelly's "Since U Been Gone." This good fortune is somewhat analogous to American Idol results at home. On the American charts, Jordin Sparks is the only other Idol winner besides Clarkson who appears to have major potential as a pop artist, having hit #3 with this single a few months ago (and #8 last year with "Tattoo"). And no, I'm not forgetting Carrie Underwood, who is now perhaps the most successful American Idol winner in American, but she's more a country artist than a pop artist. "No Air" is a great pop single and I'm glad to see it was able to cross the pond.

4. Forever - Chris Brown

For whatever reason (probably because they're both young American male pop/R&B artists) I have a mental link between Ne-Yo's "Closer" and Chris Brown's "Forever"--both having come out at about the same time in the states and the UK and both climbing the chart at about the same pace, at least in the UK. "Forever" is Chris Brown's third UK top 5 hit, his second coming just one spot above this, giving him two top 5 hits this week. The last time an artist had two top 5 singles in the top 10? It was September 2006, when Timbaland was the featured artist on both Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback" at #2 and Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" at #3. He was, of course, the producer of both singles too.

16. Geraldine - Glasvegas

Scottish band Glasvegas score their first top 40 hit this week with "Geraldine." The group hails from Glascow, but apparently has an affinity for Las Vegas too, having used both cities' names to form theirs. Glasvegas is the 9th act from the BBC Sounds of 2008 list to score a top 40 hit. Only Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong has yet to have a top 40 single. The biggest hits from that bunch so far:

1. Adele - #2 "Chasing Pavements"
2. Duffy - #1 "Mercy"
3. The Ting Tings - #1 "That's Not My Name"
4. Glasvegas - #16 "Geraldine"
5. Foals - #26 "Cassius"
6. Vampire Weekend - #38 "Oxford Comma"
7. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong - #43 "Lonely Buoy"
8. Black Kids - #11 "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You"
9. MGMT - #31 "Electric Feel"
10. Santogold - #27 "Les Artistes"

24. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
31. Electric Feel - MGMT

While we're on the subject of the BBC Sounds of 2008 list, two of the other artists on it also score top 40 hits this week. The Ting Tings, who hit #1 in May with "That's Not My Name" score their third top 40 with "Shut Up and Let Me Go." It's not in stores until July 14, so expect this to rise--likely will become their second top 10 hit.

MGMT, the American electro/indie band who hit #35 earlier this year with their debut, "Time to Pretend," score a slightly bigger hit at #31 with its follow-up, "Electric Feel."

30. Bye Bye - Mariah Carey

Today's chart commentary started with an example of a popular American artist whose latest single unusually charted much higher in the UK than in the U.S., and I'm closing with something equally interesting--a popular American artist whose last single was a big hit in both countries--and the follow-up a bomb in both. "Touch My Body," Mariah Carey's first single from her latest album was a #1 hit in America and a #5 single in Britain. It's follow-up, tipped by many as a sure thing, has gone belly up in both countries, peaking at #19 in the U.S. and #30 this week in the UK. Truthfully, I'm not that surprised and a little glad. "Bye Bye" is fine but bland, and there are many other better tracks on E=MC², an album I happen to rather like. "I Stay in Love" is a much better ballad, and upbeat tracks like "Migrate" and "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" are good too. Hopefully this won't prevent them from getting a chance.

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Personal Chart, 7/5/2008

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 2 .... Viva La Vida - Coldplay (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 1 .... Take a Bow - Rihanna (1 wk @ #1)
3 .... 5 .... Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield
4 .... 3 .... Warwick Avenue - Duffy (2 wks @ #1)
5 .... 6 .... Sweet About Me - Gabriella Cilmi
6 .... 8 .... Leavin' - Jesse McCartney
7 .... 4 .... Violet Hill - Coldplay (2 wks @ #1)
8 ... 11 ... Give It 2 Me - Madonna
9 ... 10 ... Labels or Love (Theme from "Sex and the City") - Fergie
10 ... 7 .... That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings

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Best Albums, first half of 2008

With My Morning Jacket, I've reviewed 24 new albums so far this year. These are my 10 favorite:

1. Madonna - Hard Candy
2. Duffy - Rockferry
3. Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
4. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
5. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
6. Mariah Carey - E=MC²
7. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
8. Adele - 19
9. The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
10. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

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Goldfrapp lashes out

Alison Goldfrapp, realizing her the music from her fourth album isn't doing it, finds a way to generate press.

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Album Review: My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (3.5/5)

I expected to really love Evil Urges, the fifth album from My Morning Jacket. Like Wilco, the band was once known for southern rock but has since expanded the scope of their sound. That band's 2007 album, Sky Blue Sky, was a favorite last year. By comparison, Evil Urges is more eclectic but not as consistent.

Most of the opening tracks are among the album's best. "Evil Urges" is the funky opener, a warm but sometimes sinister blend of electric guitar, strings and drums with a falsetto vocal.
"Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 1" has an entirely different vibe--mellower, more electronic--not unlike The Flaming Lips. "Highly Suspicious" has more of a glam rock strut. Then there's "I'm Amazed," which reminds me vaguely of Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion." "Thank You Too" is my favorite track, bathed in twangy electric guitar and strings that soar during the chorus. It has a warm, comforting sound with a laid back feel.

After that, most of the rest of the album is pretty good, but not excellent. "Sec Walkin'" has a nice country twang to it, but feels awfully repetitive, as does "Look at You," another countryish ballad that appears in the middle of the disc. "Librarian" has a very repetitive vocal too, but the underlying music slowly builds, which I like. It's a touching, almost meditative love song.

There are faster songs too, like "Two Halves," which has a bit of '50s feel to it, and up-tempo "Aluminum Park" and "Remnants" with prominent electric guitar. The latter would have benefited from a vocalist with a little more heft than Jim James--such as The Editors' Tom Smith. "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 2," like Part 1, is more electronic than most of the other songs, although it has a very different vibe that Part 1--being both faster, weirder and longer, ending with a keyboard fade-out that finishes with the promised "scream."

This album would almost rate a 4. I like the eclectic approach, although some of the sounds, like the ballads and funky tracks are a better fit for the band than the harder rock ones. I listened to it a lot over the last couple of weeks, hoping it would improve with multiple listens. Some songs do stand out, and overall I like the album, but I just don't love it.

Best: Thank You Too, Evil Urges, I'm Amazed, Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 1, Librarian

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Misc.

• Leona, where are you? After releasing "Better in Time" in March, which hit #2, Leona Lewis has evidently forgotten about the UK audience that made her a star as she concentrates on breaking into America. No follow-up single has yet been released or is on the new releases schedule.
  
• 'Babes quit at three. Change, the Sugababes fifth album, may become their first to not have a fourth single. First single "About You Now" was a massive hit, but follow-ups "Change" and "Denial" both missed the top 10.
• Kylie X to One. "The One" will be the fourth single released in the UK from Kylie's album X. This had been slated as a digital-only release, but now looks like it will get a full physical release at the end of next month. This is a great single, which should only benefit from the fact that the Freemasons have done remixing duties. Check it out:

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Billboard Hot 100, 7/5/2008

1. I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry

Fifty-three years in, the rock era offers up its 1000th #1 hit, as Katy Perry ascends to the top spot with her first major hit, "I Kissed a Girl." If one of rock's central tenets is pushing buttons, then "I Kissed a Girl" is an apt choice for this honor: the song involves a girl kissing another girl for the first time.

5. Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" reaches its highest peak so far at #5, tying the peak position of "Unwritten," her highest-charting single so far.

9. When I Grow Up - The Pussycat Dolls

The Pussycat Dolls scores their 4th top 10 hit this week with "When I Grow Up," which climbs 9 spots to #9. This is their fastest rise into the top 10, as the single is only in its fourth week on the Hot 100.

10. 7 Things - Miley Cyrus

Here's this week's biggest mover. Miley Cyrus climbs 60 spots to score her third top 40 and second top 10 hit with "7 Things." Her last single, "See You Again," was on the chart for quite awhile, but only ever made it to #10. "7 Things" may slide a bit, as this massive leap is owed to the single finally being available this week at iTunes, but since it continues to rise in airplay, could ultimately be a bigger hit. This is the first single from Cyrus's forthcoming second studio album, Breakout.

11. This Is Me - Demi Lovato & Joe Jonas
20. Play My Music - Jonas Brothers
30. Gotta Find You - Joe Jonas
33. We Rock - Cast of Camp Rock

The latest Disney musical, "Camp Rock," is responsible for four new entries in this week's top 40. All feature Joe Jonas, a member of the Disney darlings band the Jonas Brothers, who get their second top 40 hit with "Play the Music." The brothers also have a new entry at top 40 radio, "Burnin' Up," from their forthcoming third album.

18. Disturbia - Rihanna

Sadly, it looks like Rihanna's Maroon 5 collaboration, "If I Never See Your Face Again," is going to miss the top 40, but she quickly makes up for that failure with this new single "Disturbia," which debuts at #18. She's also at #4 with "Take a Bow," her third current single. "Disturbia" is Rihanna's 11th top 40 hit.

50. Apologize - Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic

This looks like the last week on the chart for Timbaland and OneRepublic's massive hit "Apologize," which has now spent 47 weeks on the Hot 100. Not a record, but quite impressive.

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Personal Chart, 6/27/2008

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 2 .... Take a Bow - Rihanna (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 8 .... Viva la Vida - Coldplay
3 .... 3 .... Warwick Avenue - Duffy (2 wks @ #1)
4 .... 1 .... Violet Hill - Coldplay (2 wks @ #1)
5 .... 5 .... Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield
6 .... 6 .... Sweet About Me - Gabriella Cilmi
7 .... 4 .... That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
8 ... 10 ... Leavin' - Jesse McCartney
9 .... 7 .... Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis (7 wks @ #1)
10 .. 12 .. Labels or Love (Theme from "Sex and the City") - Fergie

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