New Music Wednesday: Ladies!
Posted December 3rd, 2003 @ 04:45pm by Erik J. Barzeski
I picked up some new music at Target today:
Liz Phair's Liz Phair
Nelly Furtado's Folklore
Barenaked Ladies' Everything to Everyone
No Doubt's The Singles 1992-2002
Michelle Branch's Hotel Paper
Sheryl Crow's The Very Best of Sheryl Crow
Sarah McLachlan's Afterglow
So, among the list, all females (or with the word "ladies" in the name, heh). Most pop music, though I'd vouch for the artistic integrity of most names up there. I've yet to listen to many of these songs, but at least I can take a few of them out of my iTunes Music Store shopping cart. Oh, and for my own sake, the total cost of these seven CDs at Target: $89.32 after taxes.
Donate Life
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 5:01pm #
Two of those sound oddly like Everclear Albums or Song titles.
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 5:18pm #
You really should look into expanding your musical horizons past Top 40.
Get the first Liz Phair album. That is one of the greatest albums I own. The latest one is some of the worst manufactured pop I've ever heard in my life. I guess that's what happens when you try to be the next Avril Lavigne and you're nearly 40.
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 5:28pm #
Well Anoop, I think it's pretty inaccurate to judge a man by the kind of music he bought at a Target on any particular day, but oh well… 😉
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 5:41pm #
You know, I wish people would get over their music elitism already. Fear of pop is old, seriously. Plus, there's some really *good* pop out there today, as evidenced by groups and artists like Barenaked Ladies and Ben Folds (who, as an aside to Erik, I very highly recommend if you don't have any of his stuff, based on your choices above).
It's a good bunch of music, there. Hotel Paper surprised me with how good it was. You might also want to listen to Vanessa Carlton (if you haven't), based on liking Michelle Branch.
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 7:18pm #
You've talked about other bands, too.
It's not a Fear of Pop (which incidentally is the name of an experimental album by Ben Folds featuring tracks with William Shatner), it's a fear of bad music.
Manufactured pop, however, is rarely good. The new Liz Phair album is a great example of this. It absolutely blows.
So to put a positive spin on my post, I'll put in some recommendations of things I think you'd like. For reference, Ben Folds (Five) is my absolute favorite band. REM and Toad, which you have mentioned, are both very high up there, as is Counting Crows, all pop.
Belle & Sebastian - Are You Feeling Sinister
Cat Power - You Are Free
Guster - Keep It Together
Mates of State - Team Boo
New Pornographers - Electric Version
I think you could love all of these bands.
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 9:24pm #
Eh, I just find it in poor form to criticize others' musical tastes, because you never know--someday, that song you profess to hate might be exactly the right kind of catharsis for you. I never used to like angsty, angry rock music, but occassionally it's what I'm looking for.
Nice to see another Folds fan--I got to see him twice in the last year and a half or so, in Minneapolis, MN and Clive, IA. Wanted to see the band together before they broke up, but I was still of that tender age (high schoolish) when parents still dictate your actions. Oh well--Ben's good all by himself, too.
Anyway, I've also got to put in a plug for Alanis--listen to her live album, MTV Unplugged. It's fabulous, as pop goes.
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 10:19pm #
Hotel Paper is one of my favorite albums of the year. Probably #2 only behind Evanescence.
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 10:37pm #
I'm saddened by the anti-Liz comments. I think she is an amazingly talented artist and I love her songs. Most are edgy and clever, things I don't find often in artists these days. I don't think that she is trying "to be the next Avril Lavigne"; I think she is trying new things and possibly reaching a broader audience. I first heard "Polyester Bride" and immediately knew I would like her work. When Liz Phair was released I listened to some of it on iTunes, and while some of it isn't my favorite of hers, I don't think she is trying to become the next big pop star. As an article from DealTime.com put it:
Posted 03 Dec 2003 at 10:51pm #
New Music Wednesday
Taking cue from Erik, I picked up a few new albums in the past few weeks to keep myself entertained. I really do have an obnoxious habit with iTunes Music Store and Target bargain discs. 🙂 If you have ever...
Posted 04 Dec 2003 at 12:49am #
I absolutely love Liz Phair. I actually have permission from my wife to have sex with one other person, and that's Liz Phair. Her first three albums were absolutely phenomenal. I listen to at least one of them every few days.
She is absolutely trying to become a pop star. Read every interview with her promoting the new album. She explicitly states that her goal is to get a lot of radio play and make a lot of money. She hired The Matrix who produced the Avril Lavigne album to produce all her singles.
In fact, there was a long hiatus between Whitechocolatespaceegg and this album. In between, she had recorded a full albums worth of material. She showed it to the label and they said they'd put it out, but it wouldn't become huge. She went back and then came up with Liz Phair... really bad manufactured pop.
I love a good pop song. Fountains of Wayne is easily in my top three albums of the year, but this Liz Phair album blows.
Posted 04 Dec 2003 at 9:45pm #
I like Liz Phair, and I enjoy her latest album. True, it's not up to par with her earlier work, but it's much better than, oh say, Britney Spears? At least Phair is trying to say something. Britney's is-- nauseating. One song is okay, but the others make me want to shove an ice-pick in my ear.
Posted 05 Dec 2003 at 10:58pm #
Aimee Mann's "Bachelor #2" is quite good.
Posted 22 Dec 2003 at 2:52am #
"The new Liz Phair album is a great example of this. It absolutely blows."
Heh, nice choice of words, considering some of Liz's lyrics ;-P