Album Reviews

Katy B - On a Mission (3.5/5). Programming those late-night dance shows on Radio 1 just got a lot easier. All that's necessary is to insert Katy B's debut album and press play. Over these 12 tracks, she explores a variety of contemporary and (recently) retro dance styles, including dubstep, garage, drum 'n' bass, etc. I'm not enough of dance music expert to tell which is which, but I do recognize the differences in the familiar sounds. The more upbeat tracks--"Katy on a Mission," "Lights On," "Power on Me"--contrast nicely with the mellower ones like "Movement" and closing downbeat track, "Hard to Get," during which she graciously thanks everyone who made her album possible. The perfect 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. soundtrack. Best: Lights On, Katy on a Mission, Why You Always Here, Movement.

Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys (3.5/5). With their last album, alternative band Elbow jumped a few notches up the popularity ruler going from modest success and a respectable following to enviable success and a mainstream following thanks to the success of The Seldom Seen Kid, which won the Mercury Award and went double-platinum in the UK. I enjoyed that album, but wasn't blown away by it, and my reaction to Build a Rocket Boys! is similar. I like the melodic build up on opening track "the birds," which is followed by the gentle optimism of "lippy kids." After those initial standouts, there's not much else that jumps out at me, although it's generally likeable, laid back rock. Best: the birds, lippy kids, with love.

Personal Chart, April 9, 2011

Billboard Hot 100, April 16, 2011

1. E.T. - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West

Katy Perry spends a second week at #1 with "E.T." Last week, I skipped a Hot 100 recap and instead wrote about her pretty amazing feat of having four #1 hits from one album, making Teenage Dream only the ninth album to ever do that. This week, it joins an even more exclusive club within that set, becoming one of just four albums with four #1 hits that all spent more than 1 week at #1, a feat she shares with George Michael's Faith, Mariah Carey and Usher's Confessions. As for Perry's guest star, Kanye West, this is his fourth #1 hit and his second as a guest performer after his first, "Slow Jamz" with Twista and Jamie Foxx. The track is this week's Airplay Gainer, and it's currently the fastest growing track at top 40, where it's gaining 2002 spins at present according to Mediabase. Surely it will also soon become her sixth #1 hit at top 40.

2. S&M - Rihanna
3. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

Two singles are teed up to try to unseat Perry at #1. It will be a tough sell for either to accomplish this next week though. Perry is #1 at sales, #6 and airplay and the greatest gainer on both of those component charts. "S&M" is #1 at radio, but lagging behind the other two in sales. "Just Can't Get Enough" is second place at sales but not yet top 10 at radio. I think this all adds up to a third week at #1 for "E.T." next week.

6. Look at Me Now - Chris Brown feat. Lily Wayne & Busta Rhymes

"Look at Me Now" climbs a notch to #6. It's Chris Brown's 10th top 10 hit and his first since "Forever" hit #2 late in 2008. His last album, Graffiti, failed to chart any top 10 hits.

10. Rolling in the Deep - Adele

Adele scores her first US top 10 hit as "Rolling in the Deep" climbs 7 notches to #10. The single peaked at #2 in Britain, playing second-fiddle to her bigger #1 hit, "Someone Like You." Globally, "Rolling in the Deep" is the bigger single, having hit #1 in Belgium, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Switzerland.

Singles Serving

All of the Lights - Kanye West feat. Rihanna. Many more artist are featured on this track, but Rihanna's typically robotic vocal is the most prominent. With horns reminiscent of the Rocky theme and a propulsive rhythm section, it's one of the standout tracks from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Although the album continues to fail to produce a hit on par with "Gold Digger" or "Stronger," it's not the kind of album that really offers up pop hits--it's too deep for that. This is as close as he'll probably come to getting a big single from it.

Look at Me Now - Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes. I know I kind of made fun of this song last week by making it my April Fool's #1. But the joke may be on me. As much as I think that Chris Brown is a grade-A jerk (the fact that he titled his album "Forgiving All My Enemies" is further proof that he just doesn't get it), I can't help but like this song. The sparse, electro beats are fun, but the real appeal is in Busta Rhymes rapid-fire rapping skills, which are on impressive display here.

Girls Fall Like Dominoes - Nicki Minaj. This was a bonus track from Pink Friday, not included on all versions of the album (including the one I bought, unfortunately). The track is built around "Dominoes" by British electro-rock duo The Big Pink, making it a delightful merger of new wave-inspired indie pop and hip-hop.

Essential Albums of the '80s - Whitney Houston (1985)

It's been said that the '80s were the heyday of the blockbuster pop album. This was one of the biggest ones--the decade's best-selling album by a female artist and second best-selling debut album (behind Guns 'N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction). Whitney Houston wrote the book for crossover adult-leaning R&B/pop, a sound that would dominate pop music through the second half of the '80s and most of the '90s, paving the way for other similarly vocally gifted female artists like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Toni Braxton.

Musically, Whitney Houston adeptly dispatches both its ballads and uptempo tracks. Houston became known for her torchy love songs, and these were among her first and best. "You Give Good Love" set the stage, while "Saving All My Love for You" became her first #1 hit, on which she takes the unusual role of the anti-heroine persona "the other woman." "The Greatest Love of All" was the album's biggest hit ballad, but the lesser-known "All at Once" and "Hold Me," a song that first appeared on duet partner Teddy Pendergrass's 1984 album Love Language and was released as a single, are also good too.

The uptempo numbers on the album don't shine as bright as the ballads with one notable exception, "How Will I Know," a real knockout of a dance pop single. "Thinking About You" and "Someone for Me," while fun, don't hold a candle to its carefree pop perfection (Houston would do generally better uptempo material on her 1987 follow-up, Whitney). Although Jermaine Jackson was surely included for some name recognition, hits two collaborations are the album's weakest material, but "Take Good Care of My Heart" does add some needed energy among the album's many slow songs.

The album Whitney was my first exposure to Houston and, while for nostalgic reasons it will always hold a special place in my heart, I've come to appreciate Whitney Houston more and more as the years go by, and would probably recognize it as the superior of the two sets.

Best: How Will I Know, Saving All My Love for You, You Give Good Love, The Greatest Love of All, All at Once

UK Singles Chart, April 9, 2011

1. On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull

Jennifer Lopez claims the #1 crown form Adele with "On the Floor," her third #1 hit. After struggling to find a hit with her last album--her first to lack a top 10 hit--Lopez is back in a big way with this new single from her upcoming album Love?. The song features rapper Pitbull, who scored three top 10 hits last year as a featured artist, although this is his first appearance on a #1 hit. "On the Floor" moved 130,000 copies, the second-highest tally for a #1 hit so far this year behind Bruno Mars' 145,000 copies sold for "Grenade" during its first week at #1.

2. Someone Like You - Adele

Thus Adele's "Someone Like You" is knocked to #2, but it achieves the significant feat this week of becoming the year's best-selling single. On the albums chart, 21 extends its run at #1 to 10 consecutive weeks. In terms of consecutive weeks at #1, 21 is now tied for second place with Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms (1986) and Adam & the Ants' Kings of the Wild Frontier (1981). The record is held by Bob Marley's Legend (1984), which spent 12 consecutive weeks at #1. In terms of total weeks at #1, she's in a 6-way tie for 11th place; the leader is 15 weeks, shared by Phil Collins' ...But Seriously (1989) and Spice Girls' Spice (1996). Judging from the new release schedule, she should get 1 more week at #1 before she has to take on Foo Fighters.

3. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & Goon Rock

LMFAO made it to #1 last year as a featured artist on David Guetta's "Gettin' Over You." On their own, they reached the top 10 with "I'm in Miami Bitch" a few years ago. Now they are back with their biggest hit yet, "Party Rock Anthem," which climbs 19 notches to #3 this week.

8. Broken Record - Katy B

On the eve of the release of her debut album, On a Mission, Katy B scores her third top 10 hit. It follows "Katy on a Mission" and "Lights," which both reached the top 5.

12. E.T. - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West

Nice jump for Katy Perry and Kanye West as "E.T." glides up 17 notches to #12. Her last three singles peaked at #1, #2 and #3.

Album Review: Britney Spears - Femme Fatale (3.5/5)

Does Britney Spears have anything to say? That seems to be the big question hanging over much of her music. She sings a lot, but she never manages to say anything. The beats on Femme Fatale are cutting-edge and polished to perfection by a cadre of today's top pop producers, but when it comes to personality, Spears once again manages to inject very little into the admittedly already crowded mix.

Despite her lack of skills as a songwriter, when she's at least put the effort into co-writing her music, it's resulted in generally better albums, the apex of which was her 2003 set In the Zone, an album for which she co-wrote two-thirds of the tracks. Spears also did a little bit of writing for her last album, Circus (2008). But like her soulless 2007 set Blackout, Femme Fatale is written only by others, further emphasizing it as more a showcase for producer talent than for Spears herself. More often than not her thin, girly voice fades into the background of the mix rather than be supported by it.

But if you're just looking for some glossy pop production, Femme Fatale has it in spades. It is Spears' most dance-floor-ready work yet. "Hold It Against Me" and "Till The World Ends" have already proven their worth on the charts. They are produced by master hit-makers Dr. Luke, Max Martin (a Spears collaborator going all the way back to ...Baby One More Time) and Billboard, a new voice from Canada that has worked with Robyn and Ke$ha. These producers also helmed "Inside Out," a less propulsive but also enjoyable number that pushes out rolls of jittering, synth based melodies that wash over like waves in a digital ocean.

Martin teams up with Shellback for two of my favorite tracks. "I Wanna Go" is another dance floor stomper that's basically about nothing--Britney just wanting to dance herself into an orgasmic frenzy--but she delivers her line "shame on me to need release uncontrollably" in a manner to elicit at least a little smile. "Criminal" is the album's sharpest departure. It's the only song that approaches a slower pace. Lyrically, it's close to a story song, one in which the singer can't help but love a guy she knows is wrong for her. Its mix of acoustic guitar with electronic synths and beats recalls Madonna's Music, and its middle section flute solo is the most unexpected musical element on the album.

"How I Roll" is an interesting song. It's quite beat heavy and mostly minimalist, with a chant-like quality that serves to showcase the keyboard-driven choruses well. It's co-produced by Bloodshy of the Bloodshy & Avant team that has been one of Spears' most successful collaborators ("Toxic," "Piece of Me"). Avant writes but doesn't produce on this album; instead Bloodshy is working with Henrik Jonback and Magnus Lidehäll--all Swedes presumably. Their other contribution, "Trip to My Heart," is a journey that lacks inspiration.

My least favorite tracks are "Beautiful (Drop Dead)," which I find to be pretty tedious, although I do like the hip-hop bridge by newcomer Sabi, who raps in a style that seems obviously inspired by Nicki Minaj, and "Big Fat Bass," Spears' first collaboration with Will.I.Am. It's a match that doesn't prove to a fruitful, as the song just sounds like something Fergie could have done but took a pass on. "Gasoline" has a good chugging beat, but is fueled by petroleum-based metaphors that burn out quickly (he he).

So try as a I might, I just can't give this album 4 stars, although she comes real close. I've come around to enjoy her last album, which is comparatively more interesting and, for her at least, more personal. This album is almost as good and certainly better than Blackout and Britney, as well as her earliest teeny-pop work. However, seven albums in, Britney continues to deliver great songs but has still yet to record a truly great pop album. Many, myself included, keep hoping she has it in her, but with Femme Fatale she's still not there yet.

Best: Hold It Against Me, Till the World Ends, I Wanna Go, Criminal, How I Roll

Personal Chart, April 2, 2011

Personal Chart, April 1, 2011

New Album Releases April 2011

April is pretty tame compared to March, which might make it an opportunity for some unexpected surprises.

Jennifer Lopez - Love? (4/22). A year ago it looked liked Jennifer Lopez was in real trouble. This, her seventh album, had been slated for an early 2010 release, but after its first two singles "Fresh Out of the Oven" and "Louboutins" failed to become hits, it was shelved indefinitely. Things are different now for Ms. Lopez, who has reinvigorated her career with a so-far successful run on American Idol and a new single, "On the Floor," that become her first top 10 hit in years. L.A. Reid (also now a reality music competition show host) is executive producer, with songs helmed by RedOne, Danja, The Dream and Tricky Stewart.


Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting (4/11). British singer-songwriter Jamie Woon is the last of the BBC Sounds of 2011 top 5 to release an album, a set that's produced some promise (James Blake, Jessie J) and a bit of disappointment (The Vaccines, Clare Maguire). Maybe Woon will be the one to release a really killer album. Certainly the ingredients are there--the Brit School graduate has toured with his schoolmate Amy Winehouse, turned out a pretty smooth single last year in "Night Air" and now is set to gain more mainstream exposure with his soulful, electronic "Lady Luck." The Washington Post compared him to James Blake, but noted his sound is more soul than dubstep.

Glasvegas - Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\ (4/3). With a new drummer in tow, the Scottish foursome that was one of 2008's indie breakouts returns with its second album. Their first, Glasvegas, delivered melodic rock with an everyman sensibility and garnered them a Mercury Prize nomination. I haven't heard much about the sound of this new album, but if its first single "Euphoria, Take My Hand" is any hint, it doesn't sound like they are straying far from the winning sound of their debut. Even if it isn't that great, they still get credit for the most interesting album cover art so far this year.

Gorillaz - The Fall (4/18). Damon Albarn's (Blur) cartoon band released this, its fourth album, as a digital special for fans in December. Now everyone will get the chance to hear it after it is fully released. Reviews have been fairly good, although not stellar. The album apparently features more experimental sounds and fewer collaborations than Plastic Beach, an album I was underwhelmed by.

Katy B - On a Mission (4/3). British R&B and dance singer Katy B, who hit the top 10 last year with "Katy on a Mission" and "Lights On," releases her debut album.

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (4/11). Seventh studio album for the Foo Fighters, following their Grammy winning Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.

Alison Krauss & Union Station - Paper Airplane (4/12). Bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss follows her 2007 collaboration with Robert Plan, Raising Sand--winner of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year--with her 14th studio album.

Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What (4/12). The rock/folk legend releases his 12th solo album.

3 Doors Down - Time of My Life (4/12). Is anyone at all interested in this?

TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light (4/12). Critical indie darlings release their fourth album, the first since the lead singer married Rachel.

Chipmunk - Transition (4/17). British rapper releases hits second album, featuring recent hit with Chris Brown, "Champion."

Dr. Dre - Detox (4/20). Dr. Dre releases his third album (he's had surprisingly few, yes?). It features current hit "I Need a Doctor" with Eminem and Skylar Grey.

May brings the third album from Lady Gaga, plus releases from Fleet Foxes, Death Cab for Cutie, Moby and a comeback for The Cars.

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream scores 4 #1s

Tomorrow, Katy Perry's "E.T." will reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming the fourth single from her album Teenage Dream to top #1, following last year's "California Gurls" (6 wks), "Teenage Dream" (2 wks) and "Firework" (4 wks). Billboard is reporting that it's only the ninth album to generate four #1 singles. There's a bit of a caveat on this one, which is that the version of the song that is #1 is not the album version, but that's a small caveat in my opinion (there is a bigger one--see Usher). Here's a rundown of the first eight albums to achieve this amazing feat.

Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack (1977). Soundtracks weren't a major force in pop music until this set came along and redefined how to cross market a movie on the pop charts--something many films would succeed at in the next couple decades. The compilation is often associated with the Bee Gees, who contributed about half the songs on it, including three of its #1 hits: "How Deep Is Your Love" (1977, 3 wks), "Stayin' Alive" (1978, 4 wks), and "Night Fever" (1978, 8 wks). The fourth, "If I Can't Have You" (1978, 1 wk) was written by the Bee Gees but recorded by Yvonne Elliman.

Michael Jackson - Bad (1987). There would be a 10 year wait for the next album to score at least four #1 hits, and it would do one better and break the record by scoring five. Although Thriller is widely regarded as Jackson's biggest album, Bad was his album with the most #1 hits. They were all consecutive releases too starting with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (1 wk) and "Bad" (2 wks) in 1987, and then followed in 1988 by "The Way You Make Me Feel" (1 wk), "Man in the Mirror" (2 wks) and "Dirty Diana" (1 wk). Bad is the only album to have sent five singles to the top of the Hot 100.

Whitney Houston - Whitney (1987). The late '80s and 1990 were the heyday of albums with lots of #1 hits. Six of the nine albums to achieve this feat come from this period. The second was Whitney Houston's second album, Whitney, which achieved its four #1 hits consecutively starting in 1987 with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (1987, 2 wks) and "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (2 wks) and continuing in 1988 with "So Emotional" (1 wk) and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" (2 wks). The four #1 hits continued Houston's streak of #1s from her first album, giving her 7 consecutive #1 hits in a row.

George Michael - Faith (1987). Faith's first single stalled at #2, but after that it scored four consecutive #1 hits starting with "Faith" (4 wks) in 1987 and continuing in 1988 with "Father Figure" (2 wks), "One More Try" (3 wks) and "Monkey" (2 wks).

Paula Abdul - Forever Your Girl (1988). Abdul had her first #1 hit in early 1989 with "Straight Up" (3 wks) followed by "Forever Your Girl" (2 wks) and "Cold Hearted" (1 wk). The album's first single broke her string of #1s when it peaked at #3, but the album's final single, "Opposites Attract" spent 3 weeks at #1 in 1990.

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Rhythm Nation is the only album with seven top 5 hits, but it's also among this set of albums with four #1, probably spread out the most timewise, starting in 1989 with "Miss You Much" (4 weeks), then in 1990 "Escapade" (3 wks) and "Black Cat" (1 wk), and finishing in 1991 with "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (1 wk). The run was not consecutive, but it's pretty cool that an album's sixth and seventh singles could both be #1 hits.

Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey (1990). The songbird's first album, like Teenage Dream, scored four consecutive #1 hits. Carey was the last female artist to score four #1 hits from an album and, after Abdul, the second artist to do so with their debut. Unlike Abdul, Carey's #1 hits were consecutive, starting with 1990's "Vision of Love" (4 wks) and "Love Takes Time" (3 wks) and followed in 1991 by "Someday" (2 wks) and "I Don't Wanna Cry" ( 2ks).

Usher - Confessions (2004). During the mid and late '90s, major acts tended to release fewer singles from the albums, so there's a big gap before the next album would score four #1 hits. That album was Confessions, Usher's fourth album. The album's first three singles dominated the #1 spot in rapid fire, with only 1 week between February 28 and July 31 where the #1 spot was not held by Usher. First up with "Yeah!" (12 wks), then "Burn" (8 wks) and "Confessions Part II" (2 wks). The album's fourth single, "My Boo," (6 wks) hit #1 in late October, however, "My Boo" was not included on Confessions when first released but added for the special edition re-release. So, while still impressive, I don't think Confessions deserves to be on this list as much as the other albums.

Singles Serving

Bright Lights Bigger City - Cee Lo Green. So massive is his single "Fuck You" that few people realized he released a single in December ("It's OK," which only reached #20 in the UK). Well this single deserves to be heard. It's got a "Billie Jean"-style bass line underpinning a disco-ish strings melody. Really great stuff.

Broken Record - Katy B. Katy B offers up her third single, and it's just as much fun as her first two with a dance beat that alternates between house and drum 'n' bass.

No Sleep - Wiz Khalifa. I wasn't really into "Black and Yellow," but "No Sleep," Wiz Khalifa's follow-up, is better. Certainly more tuneful with a mid-tempo beat and synth-heavy melody...i.e. it sounds like just about anything else at top 40 right now, but it's decently executed.

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & Goonrock. This looks set to be a top 10 hit in Britain this weekend. It's good a retro-clubby feel to it (retro to the late '90s/early 00s). Not a dance classic, but appealing enough to get on your playlist as spring arrives.

Sad Song - The Cars. They haven't released an album since the '80s and judging from "Sad Song," their comeback single, they seem content to forget about all the changes in popular music they may have missed since then. In a land of '80s-loving pop singles, it's fun to hear one of the masters show how it's done.

UK Singles Chart, April 2, 2011

1. Someone Like You - Adele

Adele reclaims the #1 spot with "Someone Like You," extending the single's reign at the top to 5 weeks. That's the longest a song has stayed at #1 since Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" did 5 weeks in the summer of 2008. The single sold another 82,000 copies this week, which will put it close to being the best-selling single of the year so far (it will likely be able to make the claim next week). The champion as of last week is Bruno Mars' "Grenade," which has sold over 630,000 copies. On the albums chart, Adele's 21 continues to reign supreme for a 9th consecutive week, which is the longest an album has stayed at the top consecutively since The Beatles' 1 began its 9-week run at #1 in late 2000. 21 is the best-selling album of the year with almost 1,000,000 more copies sold than #2 (Rihanna's Loud). Adele's other album, 19, is #2 this week, the third week that Adele has occupied the top 2 positions on the albums chart.

3. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas follow up their recent #1 hit, "The Time (Dirty Bit)" with their 13th top 10 hit, climbing 12 spots this week with "Just Can't Get Enough."

11. I Know Him So Well - Peter Kay & Comic Relief Presents Susan Boyle & Geraldine McQueen

A Comic Relief charity single, a remake of "I Know Him So Well," is the week's highest debut at #11. This is Susan Boyle's third top 40 hit.

12. Sweat - Snoop Dogg vs. David Guetta
15. Buzzin' Remix - Mann feat. 50 Cent
14. L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. - Noah & The Whale
16. C'mon (Catch 'em By Surprise) - Tiesto vs. Diplo feat. Busta Rhymes
19. All of the Lights - Kanye West

Lots of singles climbing in the top 20 this week. The most dramatic of this set is Kanye West's "All of the Lights," which climbs 13 notches to #19. This is the first single from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to reach the top 20.

23. Thriller/Heads Will Roll - Glee Cast

The is the second-highest charting Glee single from the second season, just shy of the #22 peak of another mashup--"Singin' in the Rain/Umbrella."

Looking WAY Ahead: Grammys 2012

Last year around this time I did an early look at what albums and singles released so far might emerge as contenders for the Grammy Awards. The end of March marks the end of the first half of the Grammy eligibility period.

By this time last year, eventual ROTY nominee "Empire State of Mind" and ROTY winner "Need You Now" had been big chart hits while "Nothin' on You" was becoming one. Among the AOTY nominees, the ladies (Gaga and Antebellum) were out. I was certain Rihanna would be a contender in the major categories, and I should've listened to John who said otherwise.

Last year, I noted that a strong rock contender had not yet emerged and that there always is one. Of course that eventually became the third album by Arcade Fire, which went on to win AOTY. I feel the same way this year, unless The Strokes' new album manages to really gain some traction, so I'm counting on the summer to offer something up.

Here are some potential 2012 Grammy contenders:

Adele. With 21 being an international sensation, Adele, who got some Grammy love in 2008, is the surest bet for both an AOTY nod for 21 and a ROTY nod for "Rolling in the Deep." I'd be pretty surprised if she's not the pop act to beat for next year's awards. Expect her to also dominate Best Pop Vocal Album and Pop Female Vocal Performance.

Kanye West. Even though it hasn't generated any major hits, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was widely heralded as Kanye West's best album yet. Considering that his first three all got AOTY nods, I think his latest has a good shot as well.

Taylor Swift. Swift was the Grammy darling of 2010. Although I don't expect she'll be cleaning up next year like she did last year, her third album, Speak Now, was another pretty big crossover hit and garnered enough acclaim that it should be considered a strong contender. She's less of a lock in ROTY, as the album has so far failed to generate a major crossover hit. For now, I'd say "Back to December" is at least in the running, but probably not for long.

Bruno Mars. Doo Wops & Hooligans is proving to be a major hitmaker, which could make the album a good contender for AOTY. "Just the Way You Are" was submitted for ROTY last year, so don't look for it this year. However, "Grenade" is a possibility. I think he's also a lock for Best New Artist, which he wasn't yet eligible for last year.

Nicki Minaj. She was the talk of last year, but wasn't eligible for Best New Artist since her album hadn't come out yet. I expect her to be duking it out with Bruno Mars in that category next year. She could also be a possibly AOTY contender, although not a strong one.

Pink. She didn't have a new album last year, but the singles from her greatest hits set, "Raise Your Glass" and "Perfect," have both become major hits for her. One or the other could be a potential ROTY contender, a category she's not yet appeared in.

Lady Gaga. We haven't yet heard her third album, but given her profile, I think it's safe to assume it will be a contender unless it isn't very good. Its first single, although a bit polarizing, has spent 6 weeks at #1, so I think it deserves to be considered a contender for now.

Best shots so far:

Album of the Year

Adele - 21
Bruno Mars - Doo Wops & Hooligans
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday
Taylor Swift - Speak Now
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

(A strong rock contender is needed, which would likely bump Minaj or Mars. If Lady Gaga's third album is as good as her first two, it could push in here too)

Record of the Year

Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Bruno Mars - Grenade
Pink - Raise Your Glass
Taylor Swift - Back to December

(Whatever emerges this summer will likely knock a few of these off, with Adele being the most safe in my mind.)

Album Review: The Strokes - Angles (4.5/5)

It's been 5 years since The Strokes released an album, and that one, First Impressions of Earth, underwhelmed critics and music fans alike, raising questions whether the band could ever again achieve the level of greatest they did on their first album, 2001's Is This It?, which has since become an essential recording of modern-day rock and widely regarding as one of best albums of the last decade.

I'm happy to report that Angles is a rather impressive album that has definitely exceeded by expectations. It manages to effectively recall the simple rock sound that made their debut such a great listen while also pushing their sound in new directions. Tracks like first single "Under Cover of Darkness," "Taken for a Fool" and "Gratisfaction" recall the tight bursts of simple guitar and drum melodies of their early work, but the most interesting songs are the ones that don't try to sound like Is This It?.

"Machu Picchu," for example, has more of a new wave sound akin to Franz Ferdinand (a band who itself would probably have not been as big had The Strokes not come first). The guitar melodies on that song are particular strong. The structured melodies of "Two Kinds of Happiness" also evoke new wave, sounding like an unearthed track from The Cars souped up with more electric guitar. It's brightness contrasts with the paranoia of "You're So Right," whose layering, indistinct vocals and drum programming (I assume it's programming) reminds me a bit of Radiohead. "Metabolism" emerges dramatically from the dark shadowy territory of Muse.

"Games" is another New Wave-ish tune with synthesizers and hand claps at the fore, although it has a dark undercurrent to it as well. "Call Me Back" represents a slower tempo from the band's typically upbeat style. Last track, "Life Is Simple in the Moonlight" is a real hodgepodge of the aforementioned sounds--a bit new wave, a bit moody--closing the album

Like most Strokes albums (except for their last), Angles clocks in with a lean running time below 40 minutes. It's a good mix of sounds with the band back in fine form. Even if making this record was reportedly very arduous for the band, I'm certainly glad they managed to pull it off.

Best: Machu Picchu, Under Cover of Darkness, Two Kinds of Happiness, Taken for a Fool, Games

Album Review: The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You (4/5)

When I first heard New Zealander band The Naked and Famous last year, I was interested but skeptical whether their debut album would be worthwhile. That first taste, "Punching in a Dream," was a hook-filled New Wave-inspired synth-based tune--in other words, not unlike a lot of indie pop/rock of late and sounding an awful lot like MGMT and its imitators (Empire of the Sun, I'm talking about you). Passive Me, Aggressive You turns out to be a rather enjoyable listen. It takes what has been good about much of the New Wave revival stuff and puts the emphasis on having great pop tunes.

Although the album's sound is cohesive, it takes enough interesting twists to keep it fresh throughout the somewhat lengthy set of 13 tracks. "All of This" kicks the album off with a prominent bass line, but withholds the power pop force that comes with later songs like the aforementioned "Punching in a Dream," which turns the amps up fall on the fuzzy guitars while melding female and male vocals, and "Young Blood," a breezy slice of synth and guitar-fueled pop that most recalls the head-bouncing appeal of MGMT's "Kids." "Frayed" keeps the volume up high while going a bit darker in tone. "The Sun" maintains an ominous mood but goes more electronic, delivering an unexpected but welcome late-night moodiness. Then "Eyes" lightens the tone with '80s pop optimism. "No Way" releases propulsive bursts of piano and electric guitar between its quieter vocal parts.

Halfway through the album's second half, the band shoots for its edgiest, loudest material with "Spank" and "Wolf in Geek's Clothing," which I don't like as much, although I do like the mellower, anthemic closing track "Girls Like You." Although they aren't taking a wholly new direction with their debut, they are mining familiar territory with skill, creating an engaging, enjoyable album.

Best: Young Blood, Punching in a Dream, All of This, The Sun

Essential Albums of the '80s: Toto - IV (1982)

One of the most striking things about '80s popular music is how different the decade's rock music is from that of today. The '90s alternative revolution really changed the sound of mainstream rock. Listening to the styles from the '80s--new wave, heavy metal, and soft rock--they sound so tame by comparison. Soft rock was particularly popular in the early and middle part of the decade--a sort of tuneful pop/rock sound characterized by bright melodies of guitar, keyboard and other instruments. Toto's IV was one of the most popular of such works. The album was the group's most successful, going triple-platinum and winning the Album of the Year Grammy award in 1983. The album's two major hits bookend the work--the upbeat, heavily produced "Rosanna" and the more downbeat, keyboard-heavy "Africa." In between you get upbeat songs like "Make Believe," with its lively saxophone, guitar and keyboard effects, and slightly funky "Good for You." A standout is the rather lovely piano-and-strings ballad "I Won't Hold You Back" (later sampled by Roger Sanchez for "Another Chance," a 2000 #1 hit in Britain), which was also a top 10 hit. It doesn't set the world on fire, nor does it seem that was even the goal, but rather to just make something with commercial appeal that a mass audience would enjoy.

Best: Rosanna, I Won't Hold You Back, Africa

Billboard Hot 100, April 1, 2011

1. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" spends a sixth week at #1. It's a pretty remarkable run for the single, which debuted at #1 and has stayed there ever since. Under current chart rules, when singles debut at #1, it's because there is built-up expectations leading to massive first-week sales. Thus inevitably, songs that debut at #1 spend only a week there, as their second-week sales drop off causes them to plummet, since their airplay hasn't built up yet (if it ever does). The last seven singles that debuted at #1 before "Born This Way" all spent just the 1 week at the top, with Clay Aiken's "This Is the Night" being the last to spend more time (although just 2 weeks). "Born This Way" benefited from having unusually strong sales and fast growth at radio, so by the time its sales started to slack, airplay had picked up to keep the song charting at the top. This week "Born This Way" climbs to #1 on the Radio Songs chart, while falling a notch to #4 on Digital Songs.

"I'm Your Angel" was the last #1-debuting single to spend 6 weeks at #1, but its debut at the top was due to older chart rules that stipulated songs had to be available commercially before they could chart. Thus, although the song was in the top 40 for airplay by the end of October, it wasn't eligible to chart until its single was released, allowing it to debut the week of December 5, 1998. Interestingly, that was the week this rule was phased out, so had the single been released a week later, it would have likely debuted Dec. 5 at a much lower spot due to airplay only and then jumped up Dec. 12 with combined sales.

2. E.T. - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West
3. S&M - Rihanna

Perry and West climb a notch to #2 with "E.T.," now very competitive for #1. Could see it summit next week. "S&M" climbs back to #3 and is also a strong #1 contender, being top 5 at both sales and airplay ("E.T." in contrast is #1 at sales, but not yet top 10 at airplay). "S&M" is this week's Airplay Gainer.

4. F**k You! - Cee Lo Green

Looks like this is going to peak at #2, as it falls to #4 this week with no bullet.

5. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas score their 10th top 10 hit and 7th top 5 hit with "Just Can't Get Enough," this week's Digital Gainer. It follows "The Time (Dirty Bit)," which peaked at #4. Perhaps this will peak higher.

6. Loser Like Me - Glee Cast

Glee's regionals competition episode translated into a big sales week for the show. Just when it seemed that Glee songs were not doing as well chart-wise, they go and score their second-biggest sales with "Loser Like Me." It doesn't move as many copies as "Teenage Dream" (#8) did last year, but it did outsell "Don't Stop Believin'," which is still their highest-charting single (it reached #4). This is their third top 10 hit.

8. Look at Me Now - Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes

Chris Brown scores his 10th top 10 hit with "Look at Me Now," the single from his new album F.A.M.E., which is out this week.

16. Get It Right - Glee Cast

Another Glee single--their 9th to reach the top 20.

36. Raise Your Glass - Glee Cast
37. Blackbird - Glee Cast

More Glee. Four singles in the top 40--ties with the four singles that made the top 40 for the second season's first episode, although none of those charted in the top 20.

39. Written in the Stars - Tinie Tempah feat. Eric Turner

British hip-hop star Tinie Tempah makes his US debut with "Written in the Stars," a #1 hit in Britain last year.

Personal Chart, March 26, 2011

Singles Serving

Happy Now - Take That. Comic Relief delivered up some great nuggets this year. I just have to mention the quite awesome Downton Abbey parody, "Uptown Downstairs Abbey." Another was the sudden release of Take That's third Progress single, "Happy Now," featuring a video where comedians try out to be in "Fake That," a Take That tribute band. That aside, "Happy Now" is a really great song, and I'm pleased it was chosen as the next single. It's not as in-your-face as "Kidz," but it's certainly still in the new electronic vein of much of the album. I'd even say it's a bit downbeat, despite the "happy" title. "Kidz" underperformed on the singles chart; let's hope this returns them to the top 10 where they belong.

I Know Him So Well - Peter Kay & Comic Relief presents Susan Boyle & Geraldine McQueen. In addition to the "official" single, it seems there are always a few "special" Comic Relief ones too--sometimes they even become bigger hits than the "official" singles (see "(Is This The Way to) Amarillo").

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. - Noah & the Whale. This is the kind of easy-going pop-rock single that could end up sticking around the singles chart for a very long time. It's already showing unusual longevity, having been out for almost 2 months and generally climbing each week during that time.

Sweat (David Guetta Remix) - Snoop Dogg. David Guetta takes a pretty minimalist production and gives it dance floor flair on this pretty groovin' remix of "Sweat," also known in its original version as "Wet" (please--is that really so dirty as to warrant an alternate version)?

Strangers - White Lies. I doubt this will be a big hit, since they seemed destined to never have one. Such a shame, for this is a really great song. Great synthesizer melodies underpin a pretty energetic track.