Bradley's Buzz

Guilty Pleasures Of Song

My musical tastes are all over the map, and recently I've realized just how true this is... here's some of what's been in constant rotation around my ears...

Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne (2007)
I hate this untalented pseudo punkette but this song is catchy as all hell and I can't help but like it, but the main reason is because it sounds like a Samantha Fox song from 1985 - has Avril always sounded like Samantha Fox? Does Samantha Fox know about this?

What Goes Around - Justin Timberlake (2007)
Another artist that I just can't stand yet somehow this song has worked its way into my psyche. I just can't stand looking at the dude, I know he's cute and all but he's just so gay and needs to come out of that closet and I'm still pissed about what a wimp he was during Boobgate.. my poor Janet don't need that kind of shizz in her life.

Tori Amos - Parasol (2007)
Off of her last album The Beekeeper, Tori seems to have reverted back to the greatness that was Little Earthquakes, at least on this tune. I love it and I love Tori's delivery. I thought this was from the new album as I'm apparantly a big idiot but I haven't actually heard anyting off of the new one though I'm not such a fan of the whole doll idea with a new 'character' having a song on the album and all that weird shizz she pulls, but hey it's Tori and she's eccentric so what can you do? At least the tunes from The Beekeeper (I've listened to them all now that I know what album I'm listening to) seems a little more entertaining, her last few albums had me on the floor napping.

Blue Angel - Blue Angel (1980)
This is the band Cyndi Lauper sang for prior to going solo. An album she declares sold so much it went lead. She also says the record company told her the 50's rockabilly they were doing was not going to sell and then a year later Stray Cats hit big doing the same thing. So you can tell where this music is coming from, but it's not really so much rockabilly, as it is a mixture of 80's pop, doo wop 50's style and the Shangri La's 60's. The album was released and done and gone in just a matter of months and our girl ended up bankrupt and all until her 1983 record contract. But the album is really good - there are versions of "Maybe He'll Know" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong" two songs Cyndi would later re-record on her own albums and the highlights to me, "I Had A Love" and "Fade." Cyndi's vocals are in full form and the band is pretty tight and fun. The album was released on CD for a very very limited time and I just happened to find a copy at Amoeba that I paid $16 for, more than I would normally pay but less than some greedmeisters are selling it for on Amazon.

Mary Weiss - Dangerous Game (2007)
Thanks to my pal Shae, I found out the lead singer of the Shangri La's headed back into the studio to record her first album in about 30 odd years. I'm so glad he told me and I'm so glad I bought this. Her voice is a bit deeper now but it's still that sass a frass Mary behind the mic. She even does a cover of "Heaven Only Knows" an old Shangri La's hit, and the music is very much in the vein of her former band, but with some added attitude and a few swear words here and there. I just can't believe she's waited this long to record but where ever she was hiding it's worth it, cause she sounds amazing and the songs are all really good. You can hear some of the gems at Mary's My Space page.

Carly Simon - Boys In The Trees (1978)
Everyone who reads this knows I've been on a quest to get all of Carly's old albums on CD, and the collection keeps going up. The first CD I bought of hers when I decided I loved her was 1975's Playing Possum and it has still been my favorite, followed closely by 1979's Spy and 1974's Hotcakes, but running around in there would be this 1978 effort which featured her hit "You Belong To Me" - a Michael McDonald co-write which brought her back to the top 10. The rest of the album is just as clever and meaningful as anything she had done before, probably her last collaboration with James Taylor as they would divorce a few years later, Boys In The Trees contains their duet "Devoted To You" (an old 60's Everly Brothers song), and a hilarious Jamaiccan reggae thing called "De Bat (Fly In Me Face)", and some other little gems. If you're looking for Carly, this is one to definitely get.

The Ordinary Boys - I Luv You (2006)
Okay because I do not live in the UK, I sometimes miss a few bands here and there and apparantly the Oridinary Boys is one such band, but boy was I ever missing out. Okay, to be perfectly honest this is the only song I've heard so far, taken from their 3rd album but as described by one reviewer they are the Smiths mixed up with Madness and how can that not be so right? I'm off to get their whole album and will return once I've heard it all but I don't think much could top this little pop gem. Hear it now at the Ordinary Boys myspace page.

Lucinda Williams - West (2007)
I'm not usually a big fan of the mellow country twinged stuff of people like Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffen or Lucinda Williams, but as I get older and spend more time in the company of older men like the Leivas, I realize there's a lot of poetic feelings I may have been missing out. I've found a new love for Emmylou Harris, I've discovered the genius that is Rosanne Cash, and I've pretty much given up on Patty Griffen, but Lucinda Williams as far as the album West goes, has my vote as being very talented and interesting. The lead off song "Are You Alright" is a true highlight, and I may have to check out and see if any of her other albums are as good.

Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2007)
Another gal I had never heard of til she started making a splash with this album, it took a while for me to get into the whole album of Back To Black but as time has elipsed, I'm right there with her. One listen to "Rehab" had me hooked on her as a performer and writer but some of the other songs took me a while to get into. However, now that I've listened to it over and over, I can't get the damn thing out of my head.

and that's what I've been listening to, how about you?

Labels: Amy Winehouse, Avril Lavingne, Blue Angel, Carly Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Justin Timberlake, Lucinda Williams, Mary Weiss, Shangri Las, The Ordinary Boys, Tori Amos

posted by swivek @ 12:12 PM