May 2013
4 posts
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Yeezus
I think I can go ahead and call myself a Kanye West fan. His five albums are all some of the best albums released in the last 20 years, with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy currently being my no. 1 album of the decade so far. But so far, I must say I’m cautiously optimistic about his next release, the presumptuously titled Yeezus. With its bizarre cover art and debut songs that are very...
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Why The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins is So Great
Well, I’m back from watching the new Star Trek, and today, I feel like talking about one of the older and more bizarre pieces of Pop Culture connected to the series. Today, we’re looking at Leonard Nemoy’s “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”, and why it really is what a song should be.
Simply put, “Bilbo Baggins” is fun, and is nothing more. It’s goofy...
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Licensed to Ill: an Album Review
There seems to be a genre every decade that serves as the “up-and-comer”, the genre that starts to develop into the most important music of the time. The 50s had Rock ‘n’ Roll, the 60s had Garage Rock and Psychedelia, the 70s had Heavy Metal and Punk, and the 80s had Rap music coming into major prominence. After The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s...
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How Kriss Kross and Slayer Reflected the Movement...
This past week, two musicians, Chris Kelley of Kriss Kross and Jeff Hanneman of Slayer, died a day apart from each other. Now I would never disrespect the dead. These two seemed like kind people, and mocking the dead is something done only by the cowardly. So today, I’ll be talking about how these two both represented a midway point for their respective genres. Chris Kelley and Chris...
April 2013
6 posts
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How Eazy-E Ruined Gangsta Rap
Every decade, people get up in arms over a new genre of music that is accused of being “evil” and “corruptible”. Even Jazz was considered the worst thing that ever happened to our youth back when it debuted after World War I. Since then, we’ve had Rock’n’Roll, Heavy Metal, Punk, Rap, and even people like Lady Gaga for some of the more conservative folks,...
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Guest Review: Tyler the Creator's "Wolf" by...
So my friend Henry asked me to write a review for Tyler The Creator’s new album “Wolf” which came out a few weeks ago. He asked me to do it I think the week it came out but I haven’t found time until today. Bear with me if this review sounds like shit, I’m still recovering from last Saturday’s 4/20 and my head sorta hurts.
If I had written this review when I was supposed to (two and a half...
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Save Rock 'n' Roll: an Album Review
It’s kind of bizarre how it’s been over 4 years since the last Fall Out Boy album was released. For 5 years, they were the face of the “Emo” movement that represented Rock for most of the early 2000s, which made sense, they were also easily the best. Their three main albums, Under the Cork Tree, Infinity on High, and Folie à Deux, all range from pretty good to pretty damn...
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10 Problems With Accidental Racist
Every so often, a song comes out that gets the whole internet talking. The most recent song to do this is Brad Paisley and LL Cool J’s “Accidental Racist”, a song that attempts to be meaningful, but ends up falling flat on its face. So today, I’m writing:
The 10 Worst Things About Accidental Racist (in Chronological Order) 1.You have to be prepared for offending someone...
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My Problem With Anniversary Editions
For about as long as I can remember, Anniversary Editions have been an important part of the music business. If you have an album, it won’t take long for a company to release it again, with a bunch of new crap piled on, designed to celebrate whatever milestone it most recently hit. This year, two of the biggest Alternative albums ever, Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins and Elephant by...
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The 20/20 Experience: an Album Review
NOTE: Instead of the song-by-song style reviews for older albums, I’m reviewing these albums as a collective whole.
Well, I guess it was about time that I finally review an album that came out in the last year. And what better album to start off with than Justin Timberlake’s return to Pop music after 6 years, The 20/20 Experience. It’s interesting to think that one of the few...
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Started From the Bottom: A Song Review
Drake’s life seems to be going pretty well at the moment. He had a successful TV career, he’s friends with Lil Wayne, arguably the biggest rapper in the world right now, and he’s one of the biggest names in Pop music at the age of 26. So why don’t we hear him talk about all the struggles he went through as a kid. Started from the Bottom: A Song Review The song begins...
March 2013
6 posts
1 tag
Trip-Hop
Well it’s been a while since I’ve done this. Fads are the lifeblood of any kind of media, so now, we’re talking about Trip-Hop, one of England’s biggest passing fads of the 90s. So why don’t we take a look at the vaguest genre since New Wave hit the scene.
Before Trip-Hop, there was the underground Electro scene. Back in 80s England, Dance and House were beginning...
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Follow-Up Failure: Congratulations
Well, time to return to this segment. Welcome to the 2nd edition of Follow-up Failure, where we look at the sequels to classic albums that somehow didn’t do as well. And going a little more recent than a Yes album, today we have MGMT’s follow-up, Celebration.
The Masterpiece
Oracular Spectacular is still one of the few Indie albums from the 2000s that’s as fondly remembered now...
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Rihanna: an Outside Analysis
Note: I will not be talking about the incident with Chris Brown in this article. I know that it plays an important part in Rihanna’s history, but I’ve already said what I have to on the subject, and I think we should pay no more focus on Chris Brown ever again. Ok? Good, let’s start.
Rihanna: an Outside Analysis
Rihanna’s music career started off in 2005 with the album...
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Root Notes: 4 Chords of Pop
People often claim that pop music is overly samey-sounding and boring, that it’s just the same song repeated over and over again. And while I think they are generalizing a bit, they do have at least one part of it down, and that’s the chord progression. Today, we’re talking about the Four Chords of Pop. Well, not specifically the Four Chords of Pop. I’ll be talking about...
February 2013
6 posts
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Harlem Shake and What it Predicts
Why. Why did this happen. HOW did this happen. I don’t even wanna talk about it. But I have to, don’t I. Very well.
Harlem Shake: a Song(?) Review
Honestly, how do you review a song like this. I talk about Pop songs, but is this even Pop music? It’s just one beat, some woman shouting out Spanish, and growling lion sounds. Oh, and of course, “DO THE HARLEM SHAKE”. So...
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Billboard's Top 10: 2/23/13
One of my favorite things about Pop music is how it constantly changes. You can look at the top 10 a month after you last looked, and see completely new faces and sounds. So today, we’re looking at… Billboard’s Top 10: 2/23/13 10. Beauty and a Beat- Justin Beiber ft. Nicki Minaj I’ve already talked about this song at length before, so let’s just say it’s godawful...
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100 articles, and the year's already great.
Well well well, here we are. 100 articles. Usually, I would have probably stopped around 50 out of boredom. Well, I guess it’s time to start the next 100 articles, and I want to start it off with a more positive note. Today, I’m going to be talking about how Pop music seems to be going uphill =, and how this looks like a great year for music so far. There’s been a big change in...
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Top 10 Aerosmith Songs
Aerosmith is one of the most popular rock bands ever to have existed. With 15 albums, dozens of classic songs, and the distinction of being the only comeback band that didn’t rely on their older material, it’s hard to denounce them as the derivative Rollings Stones knockoffs they started off as anymore. But what are their best songs? Well, fore my opinion, here is…
Top 10...
January 2013
6 posts
1 tag
Velvet Underground & Nico: an Album Review
Looks like we’re talking about one of the big ones. Velvet Underground & Nico is one of the biggest and most influential albums of all time, an album that’s nearly impossible to say anything new about. It’s the Seventh Seal of albums, an art piece that even the casual listener can enjoy, a piece that’s almost impossible to criticize. So I guess it’s time for me...
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Scream and Shout: a Song Review
Hi everyone, before we start, I’d like to apologize for not writing an article on Sunday. I got caught up in other things, the usual deal. I’ll try to write two articles this weekend, we’ll see. So now on to the review.
Scream and Shout: a Song Review
Unlike some people, I really don’t mind the Black Eyed Peas. They were stupid, yes, but that’s what they were meant...
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Follow-Up Failure: Tales from Topographic Oceans
Hello, and welcome to the new series on the site, Follow-Up Failure! In this series, we look at the follow-ups to the masterpieces of artists, and determine whether they were actual failures or misunderstood success. I see bands get more recognition for the well-known and classic albums they put out, and that isn’t right. To get a full understanding of an artist, you have to look at the...
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The Concept of Bad
Hi everybody. A while ago, I hit 200 followers, but I’ve been too caught up in end-of-the-year things to celebrate. So now, here is the 200 followers article, where I write about something other than music. And here, I will explain my concept of bad. First of all, I want to clear up something regarding “bad”. “Bad” and “stupid” are not mutually...
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Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2012
Hi everybody, before we start with today’s article, I’d like to apologize on two points. First, I’m sorry there was no article on Sunday, schoolwork happened. And secondly, I’d like to make an amendment to my last list. After researching “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”, I found the true meaning of the song, where it’s him coming up with lies to tell his friends...
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Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 2012
It’s that time of year again. The time where we look at the past year of pop music, and decide which 10 songs were the most abysmal and offensive songs of the past 12 months. So let’s get started with…
The Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 2012
10. Call Me Maybe- Carley Ray Jepsen
OK, so this song isn’t really awful. But I haven’t heard a song wear out its welcome quite like this....
December 2012
8 posts
1 tag
Beauty and a Beat: a Song Review
Hello, and welcome to the last post of the year! Well, this was a big year for me. First, it was my first full year as a writer, which feels pretty good. But more importantly, pop music has given me a second Justin Bieber song to review! And this one has Nicki Minaj! Oh joy. So, let’s get started with Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj’s first of many unfitting collaborations, Beauty and...
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WatchHey, so I’m currently researching my 3 end of the year articles, so no real article today. Enjoy this instead.
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Christmas Music
Ah, Christmas time. A time for joy, a time of giving, and a time for crappy christmas music slammed into your head until your brain is nothing but saccharine mush. I felt like it was due time that I talk about Christmas music, since it’s pretty much all that any other music site is talking about. So let’s get started.
Christmas music is essentially the musical version of Ronald Reagan....
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An Argument for Gun Control
This friday, a tragedy shook the nation, and other nations, to the bone, when twenty-year-old Newtown citizen Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary school with an assault rifle and opened fire. In the end, twenty-six people were dead, twenty of them children. Adam was among them, having shot himself afterward. It was the second largest school shooting in US history, behind the Virginia Tech...
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Top 20 Albums of the Year (Pt. 2)
10. Portal of I- Ne Obliviscaris
And here we have easily the most obscure band on this list. Ne Obliviscaris is a Progressive Death band, and while it is a little alienating the first time you hear it, I found this easily the best metal album of the last several years. Every single member is extremely talented, and unlike most metal bands, they use this to create a wonderfully melodic album,...
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Top 20 Albums of the Year (Pt. 1)
Hello, and welcome to that time of year again. The time where I have to decide what were the best albums of the year, so that you can buy them for Christmas, most likely. So, without further stalling, here is…
The Top 20 Albums of the Year (20-11)
20. The Odd Future Mixtape Vol. 2- Odd Future
I was too late on the Odd Future bandwagon to put Goblin on this list last year, so I’m glad I...
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One Year Anniversary!
Hi everybody. Today, for my one year anniversary, I just want to say how happy I am to have all of you as my fans. I promise I’ll keep this running as long as I can, but as of right now, this has been a good year. Thank you all.
Next Sunday and Wednesday, I’ll be doing the top 20 albums of the year, so stay tuned.
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Top 10 Rhythm Sections
To the general public’s eyes, a band mostly consists of a singer and a guitarist, and that’s it. Far too often is the rhythm section overshadowed by the two battling egos in front. So today, this article is for all the bands who are made by the guys in the back. This is… Top 10 Rhythm Sections 10. The Roots Outside of the Beastie Boys from Check Your Head onward, I can’t think...
November 2012
9 posts
1 tag
Why Being a One Hit Wonder is the Worst Possible...
One hit wonders hold a special place in a music reviewer’s heart. Not only are they amazingly easy to riff on, they also give you a truckload of articles to write. So today, I’m going to show why being a one hit wonder is the worst possible thing to happen to a musician.
1. No one knows how to market you.
Let’s look at Alien Ant Farm. For a little bit, they were growing popular...
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Lyricism & Pop Music: What Happened?
Something’s happening with Pop music over the passage of time. While a lot of people talk about how Pop is nothing but processed cheese and electro, or how all the singers are overly whiny and sexual, I think it goes further than that. Simply put, subject matter has become far more simplified in the last decade or so. Let me explain. Take a look at the top 10 right now. Going by subject...
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It's Thanksgiving: a Song Review
If I have any disappointment in my history as a writer, it’s that I never got the chance to write about “Friday”. It was a song that everyone talked about, became a huge meme, and even broke out to the mainstream, until Stephen Colbert performed it with the Roots. And I missed it. So what now? Well, it looks like there’s a new song from ARK music factory, and it’s...
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The Funniest Thing I've Seen in a While
Just as a quick thing to make up for Wednesday’s missing article, I just wanted to mention something. The TVtropes page for Britney Spears is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in months. And it’s not supposed to be. Basically, the whole thing is just glowing, painting her as just God’s gift to music, and just so amazing. Seriously, it is a must-read. And to get the full...
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Van Halen: an Album Review
Well, it’s been a while since I’ve done an album review. So I think it’s time I wrote another one. So why don’t we talk about one of the most influential guitar albums of all time, one that people still plagiarize to this day, Van Halen’s debut from 1978. And straight from the cover, you can tell that this album is aiming to be exciting as all hell. Sure, no one knew...
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Root Notes: Sampling
Two things have become extremely important in today’s Pop Music World: Autotune, which I’ll get to later, and Sampling. And today, we’re discussing sampling, and how it shaped the music world as we know it. And while they’re really the same thing, I’ll be focusing on sampling music instead of dialogue from movies and the like, which is more common with the White...
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I'm on a Podcast!
Hey everyone, a while ago, I recorded a podcast with Josh Cagan for a series entitled I’m an Idiot, where people explain different things to him. So I explain Prog Rock, and the audio was just recently posted! So here it is, and enjoy:
http://www.muleradio.net/likeimanidiot/4/
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Taylor Swift: an Outside Analysis
Recently, Taylor Swift dropped her fourth album Red. Like most albums by big artists, it debuted at No. 1 this week, so what better time to write about America’s favorite “country” act? Maybe if Unorthodox Jukebox hits no. 1 I’ll write about Bruno Mars. So let’s begin our look at Swift’s career and see how long I can go without throwing my own bias in.
Swift...
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Actor-Musicians
It’s perfectly normal for a celebrity to attempt to branch off to other forms of pop culture. Probably the most common is the musician who attempts a career in acting, sometimes successfully (Tupac was often praised for his acting in films), and sometimes not (Elvis was… not.) But slightly less common, and way more funny, is the actor who wants to become a musician. There’s a very...
October 2012
6 posts
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Top 10 Worst Covers
So. A week ago, I gave you a list of the 10 best covers ever, in my opinion. So, to complete this, here’s the worst covers of all time. And remember, if you like any of these songs, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It just means I disagree with you on this point. So, to begin… The Top 10 Worst Covers of All Time 10. Jack’s Obsession- Sparklehorse I like Sparklehorse,...
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Top 10 Best Covers
Covers often go one of two ways. Some covers go and become notorious, seemingly designed just to disrespect the original. Others exceed the original, put their own unique take on it, or completely change the meaning. This list is for those, with the next article being for the former. Two rules before we begin: 1. I tried to avoid songs that were to obvious, since I felt they were unnecessary....
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Billboard Top 10: October 20, 2012
Well I haven’t done this in a while. I haven’t checked the Billboard top 10 since February, so I guess it’s time to do that. Well let’s take a look at: Billboard’s Top 10: October 20, 2012 10. Too Close - Alex Clare Some songs only get popular after appearing in an ad or a movie. This song is a good example, due to its use in the new internet explorer ads. The song...
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Boy Bands
Before, I’ve talked about how genres often have a revival at some point after they go out of style. Even Ska and Swing got unexpected revivals in the 90s for a bit. And recently, we had a genre come back, with all of its mannerisms exactly as it was before. I’m talking about Boy Bands. While the basic concept of the boy band started back in the 60s with the Monkees, the real boy band...
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Want U Back: a Song Review
Hey look, I haven’t reviewed a song in a while. Well, time to change that. And luckily, a new terrible song is out and about, this time in the UK. So today, we’re discussing Cher Lloyd’s “Want U Back”. Cher Lloyd is a 19 year old girl with a music career. She first debuted on X-Factor, where she surprised everyone. Not with a beautiful voice or with originality, but...
