When All The 'Lil Monster's Come Out To Play....

Lady GaGa - The Fame: Monster (2009)

Special for this entry, to show my Love, Love, Love for GaGa, I'm doing this review "live" as I am listening to all the tracks the first/second time(s).

1. Bad Romance
2. Alejandro
3. Monster
4. Speechless
5. Dance In The Dark
6. Telephone (feat. Beyoncé)
7. So Happy I Could Die
8. Teeth

"Bad Romance" is the current single, and it is tearing up the radio like a wild fire. The Video is also getting MILLIONS of views and everyone is at a resounding lust for this song. "Bad Romance" is probably her strongest single since "PokerFace". The song is catchy pop, mixed with a dark edge; the perfect intro to Monster. Although I have heard the demo of the song, and the radio edit, this is the first time I have heard the the album version, and it is like a hybrid mix of the two; totally fabulous in every way.

"Alejandro" is probably my favourite track on the album. it was the first one to leak from the album (aside from "Bad Romance"), and even though it was only the demo, I was in lust with this song. The album version is 10x better. It got more of an intro, and more polishing all around. I thought the demo was perfect as it was, but this just proves that Lady GaGa and her team of producers are not to be messed with or underestimated. "Alejandro" has a very strong Ace of Base vibe to it, but definitely updated with GaGa's flavour.

"Monster" is rumoured to be the 3rd single, and would makes sense to do so as it is a club banger for sure. When I hear it it, it makes me think horror movie at a high school dance, but the movie was made to look like the 80's, but made in the 2000's. And the Chorus/hook of this song is gonna snag everyone who hears it and make them wanna dance.

"Speechless" is the only "ballad" on this album, and is another rumoured single (4th). and has been stated by GaGa that it is her favourite song of the album, not to mention (in her opinion) the strongest song she has written to date. I don't disagree. Gaga is not known for her singing abilities, but for her crazy hooks and ridiculous outfits during public appearances (which I also love). This song will change anyone's mind who has doubted her talent. It is also much better than the ballad on her last album "Brown Eyes", which was good, but very awkward to listen to frequently.

"Dance In The Dark" is synth-pop and over the top. It was released along with "Alejandro" as a promotional single for the album last week and was received very well by fans, critics, and everyone else alike. It fits very well on Monster as it has a dark feel to it, especially when listing the names of the dead celebrities who (I assume) have made an impact on her creatively, but is not a downer. It is definitely a contender to be released as a proper single.

"Telephone" is the second collaboration that GaGa has done with Beyoncé, but unlike the "Video Phone (Extended Mix)", GaGa and B's voices sound more blended and less forced. the song starts slow-ish and then starts into a hot beat and hypnotic lyrics. The song was confirmed recently as the next single, which goes well with "Video Phone" being Beyoncé's latest single. "Telephone" will chart higher than "Video Phone", but videos from both are highly anticipated.

"So Happy I Could Die", down tempo thogh it may be, it's still very dance-able and fantastic. I'm not falling instantly in live with it, but give it 'til the Play Count of 3 and it will be much loved. I don't have much to say about it, other than that it is the weakest song on the album/EP.

"Teeth" is the strangest song on the album, but in the BEST FUCKING WAY POSSIBLE! Think the heat/sex factor of Britney's "Breathe On Me" mixed with music from "The Jungle Book" or "Tarzan" (like I said, strange, but fucking HOT). It is a totally fun song to sing and grind to. Show Me Your Teeth!

Summing up, The Fame: Monster is the best "Album" of 2009. although it is technically a EP for a re-release of 2008's The Fame, it is being released as a standalone album for those who already own The Fame, or as a Deluxe Edition with Monster as Disc 1 and the Fame as Disc 2. There is also a Limited Edition box which contains a bunch of GaGa goodies, including a lock of her hair (ick...) all at a steep price tag of $100. The las edition will be individually numbered, so they are a real collector's item and is only meant for the hardcore fans who have the wallet to support their fandom.

The Fame: Monster: 10/10

Album In Stores and Online November 23rd, Limited Edition Box out December 15th. Pre-Order Here.

This Title Is Just Way To Fitting...

Britney Spears - 3 (2009 - Single)

So here is the newest single from the original "Madonna 2.0" (which I think we can all agree, Lady GaGa is on her way to taking over), and is another catchy/dancey hook-fest.

3 is produced by the same people who brought us "Stronger", "...Baby One More Time", and "If U Seek Amy" and sounds like something that should have been on B's third studio album; Britney, but also sounds A LOT like Fergie's "Fergalicious". This is Britney's third single to come out around early fall, three years in a row, and is her third single of 2009.

I also expect this to be her third #1 lead single off an album in a row ( Following 2007's "Gimme More" and 08's "Womanizer"). The song is like a 3 min hook, but has a lot more listening value than "Radar".

3 is the lead single from The Singles Collection (out November), which is basically a re-issue of 2004's My Prerogative, dropping the lesser singles from her 6 studio albums and including the recent singles (excluding "Break the Ice" for some mind-boggling reason), but i will more than likely review that when it comes out. As for this single, it's nothing too great/original/memorable, but will do well for the time being and is worth a listen.

3.5/5

The Bravery - Slow Poison (2009 - Single)

So if you are completely in the dark, The Bravery have been around since '03-'04, or that's when they first broke into the mainstream with their single "An Honest Mistake" from their self-titled album. They got big around the same time The Killers did, and they both had very similar music styles so they were compared early on. The Killers got more mainstream success, but I've always found The Bravery to have more substance to their music, making it worth listening to. Besides...Brandon Flowers (Killers) is alternative music's answer to Kanye West...and nobody wants that...

Slow Poison is the lead single for the band's upcoming third album, and though I wouldn't exactly call the song "single-worthy", it is a solid track that stays loyal to their trademark style. It reflects more on the side of the songs from their second album The Sun And the Moon (and the re-issue The Sun And The Moon: Complete); being more down tempo than their songs from their first album The Bravery, but shows elements that were absent from The Sun And The Moon. While not going backwards, they seem to be headed to a new sound that is a blend of both of their past albums, a lil more alt-rock, but with that electro/punk undertone. Interesting music to say the least.

Slow Poison will take a while to grow on you, but it is definitely worth a listen, and it has gotten me excited for their album (Stir The Blood, due out November 10th). Personally I would hope they take back up the electronic element to their music (or some of the Disco pop element used in Shakira's "She Wolf", which they helped write/produce), but they have yet to seriously disappoint me, so I eagerly await to see what they've been working on.

3.5/5

I think I'd Rather Walk...If That's Okay With You...

Karl Wolf - Carerra (2009 - Single)

long time no post, but I was waiting for something i felt the need to write about, and loooky looky, it has come forth!

Karl Wolf is a Canadian, not that we are especially proud of him, who has been on the music scene for a couple of years. Wolf even won a Juno award..or was nominated for one...I think... but even Canadians knows how much of a joke award the Juno is... not exactly something you ever brag about having...similar to winning Canadian Idol (which got cancelled I might add)

Wolf's music is in the same kind of hip-pop genre as Shawn Desman, and Massari and Danny Fernandes. All of those examples previously mentioned are fellow Canuks, unfortunately Canada breeds this music..it exists else where I'm sure, but I'm just going on what I know. While not especially awful, (like Massari), and not as awkward to listen to (Shawn Desman), it's not overly great or special in it's own right. His career is basically "I can sing half decently, but I have a hot body so you will all love me"... and this is why I hate tweenage girls at times...because they have the mental path of "guy = hot, music =good?, MUST GO BUY!"...and presto, he is relevant.

this loverly number, "Carerra", is about a car...as if Karl Wolf's music wasn't boring enough, he chooses to sing songs about hip-hop stereo types, (which must make shooting the videos super easy). the lyrics are also singing about a woman at the same time..so they don't make a whole bunch of sense, but then again as B44 knows (also Canadian...sensing a pattern yet?) that teenage (usually female) music listeners will sing things and not think about it until someone points this out to them.

I am kind of ragging on the guy, and not all of it is deserved. This song is 10 levels of awful, but his previous single, and other tracks on his album Bite The Bullet are not such travesties, especially his "cover" of Toto's "Africa" (I use the term cover loosely, as the songs really only share a hook, chorus and basic melody).

I would also like to add that there are good Canadian singers, but they do not run on the "Much Music" circut... at least not successfully.

1/5

My Jaw Is On The Floor, And It's Dancing Too!

Lady Gaga - Hitmixes (EP 2009)

1. Love Game (Chew Fu Ghettohouse Fix)(featuring Marilyn Manson)
2. Poker Face (Space Cowboy Remix)
3. Just Dance (RedOne Remix)(featuring kardinal Offishall)
4. Paparazzi (Moto Blanco Radio Edit)
5. The Fame (Glam As You Remix Radio Edit)
6. Just Dance (Robot To Mars Remix)
7. Love game (Robot To Mars Remix)

so this won't exactly be a review as I am in love/lust with Lady Gaga, more devoted praise. ♥

I will say the title sucks however, it sounds like a cheap bootleg, but I assure you it is all authentic and all fucking hot mixes of The Fame, Love Game, Paparazzi, Just Dance and Poker Face. I really like all the mixes on the EP, but I could have done with either more mixes, or at least have all the singles (it's missing Eh, Eh [Nothing Else I Can Say] and technically Beautiful, Dirty, Rich) just because they included 2 tracks twice (though the mixes ARE very different).

It was just released today in Canada, will be worldwide next week (I believe).

9/10

Making Fag-Hags Popular, One Single At A Time...

Katy Perry - One Of The Boys (2008/9)

Katy Perry has been in and around the music scene for years before having mainstream success. Before recording her own album, she penned tracks for other artist as well as doing vocals for the demos, including Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, etc.

Katy Perry, not unlike Lady Gaga, knows how to write a pop song; where they differ (aside from obvious sub-genre variations) is that Katy's songs are written as pop songs for an album, Gaga's are all songs that could be released as singles, which is why the later is seeing more populatity.

I only reason I compare the two, is because they seem to both be playing to the same crowd of people, and became popular roughly about the same time. Katy's album is not one that has the same replay value, nor is it as catchy, but will give her a more permanent fan base. All the songs on the album are very listenable and will agree with most crowds.

Tracklisting:

01) One Of The boys
02) I Kissed A Girl
03) Waking Up In Vegas
04) Thinking Of You
05) Mannequin
06) Ur So Gay
07) Hot N' Cold
08) If You Can Afford Me
09) Lost
10) Self Inflicted
11) Still Breathing
12) Fingerprints

(Australian Tour Edition)
14) Electric Feel (MGMT Cover)
15) Black & Gold (Sam Sparrow Cover)
16) I Think I'm Ready
17) Thinking Of You (Live Acoustic)
18) Waking Up In Vegas (Calvin Harris Remix Radio Edit)
19) I Kissed A Girl (Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco Remix)
20) Hot N' Cold (Bimbo Jones Remix)
21) Ur So Gay (DJ Skeet Remix)

There are two definite styles of songs on the album; 1) the smart witted, pop-pop songs and 2) the down-tempo slow songs. and the album falls pretty much down the middle between the two. Out of Perry's 5 singles (4 not including Ur So Gay), Have all (but one) been in the first category, and the next rumoured single is either "Finger Prints" and "If You Can Afford Me" are the last two, so you can tell which of the two varieties Katy and her label expect will make more money.

Unfortunately it's kind of "false advertisement" when people purchase the cd, as the singles are only half the album, and the other (unreleased half isn't nearly as much fun, but very good none the less. I think that the average listener will find that album to be disappointing as it is not like the singles, which is usually a good indicator as to what an album has for a sound.

The Australian Tour Edition of One Of The Boys comes with a bonus disc that has remixes of all the singles (except Thinking of You, which gets a pretty acoustic version instead), and covers of songs from MGMT and Sam Sparrow. All of the tracks on this are excellent, and I have nothing bad to say about it at all, it is a solid companion to the album and any music fan will appreciate the content.

Overall, not a bad debut album, I hope Katy Perry keeps up the energy and quirky lyrics for future albums. Some of the slower songs on One of the Boys are hard to sit through, but are still of better quality than most other artist's filler tracks.

One Of The Boys - 6/10
One Of The Boys: Australian Tour Edition - 7.5/10

Checkout:
Ur So Gay
Hot N' Cold
If You Can Afford Me
Black & Gold (Sam Sparrow Cover)

P.S. This Review kinda sucks, my head is killing me and I'm not thinking coherently, but I wanted to update, so I just typed one off the top of my head. Hope it's not as bad as I'm thinking it is. :D

To Fall Down...Does that not Imply You Were Somewhere To Start?

Selena Gomez and the Scene - Falling Down (2009 - Single)

Okay another Disney protogé (only this one is still employed by them). Selena Gomez has made her way around the Disney scene, as a guest star in the Suite Life and in Hannah Montana, and stars in Wizards of Waverly Place... but of course because she can act she MUST be able to sing... right?

Well auto-tune thinks she can..now. the song is so cliché-d it's not even marginally amusing. the entire track is just noise, if I were to compare it to anything it'd be The Pussycat Dolls' "Flirt" (B-Side to their PCD album), but gone HORRIBLY WRONG! She whines through the entire song about some guy who thinks he is top shit, and then how he will eventually "fall down"... but really. there is no point where I care about what she is saying.

This song is a waste of perfectly good sound waves, like unlike the previous singles I reviewed (Heidi Montag's and Adrienne Bailon's) I may actually delete this song from my library, it's that bad. Disney; when auto-tuning someone, at least make them sound good, this is just a pathetic effort.

.25 / 5 (I won't normally do things in .25, but I can't justify giving this .5)

NOTE: the actual cover cover for this single is FUGLY, so I wasn't letting that shit fly on my blog, so the cover (which I might add is rather pretty) is from COVERLANDIA