Britney's Back....uhh Bitch.

It's no surprise to those of you who read this blog intently, I am a fan of Britney Spears. Realizing that she is a puppet of course, she is great because sometimes you forget to look for the strings. Always backed by some of the best producers and writers in the industry, her risks are small by comparison. However, Blackout just didn't feel organic. She still had her fair share of fans for the record, but essentially, there was no reason to feel that she gave any of herself to that album. In the midst of clinical treatments came Blackout, a record, that I'm sure she laid down the vocals for each track in a little under an hour. There was little hype like all her other albums. Her life was in pieces and there was no reason to celebrate.

Circus plans to be Britney's reintroduction to her vacant throne atop pop, which I think she will rightfully take back. As much as Britney needs the industry, the industry sorely SORELY needs her as well. She is the eighth highest female album seller in the history of the United States. Everyone is working overtime to sell Britney as whole and ready to dominate the charts again. Mtv will be airing an hour documentary two days before Circus drops.

Just think: through everything she's been through, she could be loved even more than she was the first go round. She has limited visiting rights to her children, she made Kevin Federline look like Corey Matthews, her mom has written a slam book against her, her sister is a baby-popping machine and Britney still stands poised to take her life back. I absolutely love it. America proves once again its love and obsession for the flawed human beings.

Of course, as much as we're waiting to embrace her with open arms, she has to offer up something viable as a product. The Outsyders have done an incredible job with the lead single, "Womanizer." She has taken the formula from Blackout and made it sultry and infectious. I dare you not to move your body to this track. Note: Danity Kane, this is how it is done. You want some sort of international pop landscape, this is your ideal terrain. Her voice sounds as restricted as usual, but she gets the most out of what she has. Instead of pointing fingers at the media and sounding fractured during the process, she's back to the introspective feminist character that suits her admirably well.

Ironically, using a lot Timbaland's tactics, this anthem is the anti-"Maneater." Will a lot of people hate this track because they hate Spears? No doubt. But that still doesn't take away the fact that this is the best Britney song in a long, long time. And that makes me really excited for December 2nd. The world needs more infectious, dance-producing pop tunes. Who to deliver them than the best herself. Miss Britney Spears.

Editor's Note: Is it just me or in the first ten seconds of the song, "Womanizer" do the synth drums sound eerily similar to those used in the beginning of the sitcom, "Family Matters?" Interesting...


Shit to Sweat:

The year 2000:

It's time for rap fans to bone up on their probably dusty collections. As winter approaches, some long dormant rappers will be making their long anticipated returns into the foray of their respective genre. Eminem with the appropriately titled, King Mathers and Dre with the most hyped rap album of all time, Detox. Go back and check out why these albums are so important to the genre. Eminem was just voted the best rapper in the world (According to VIBE magazine over Jay-Z) even though he hasn't released anything in terms of an album since 2004's Encore.

I say 2000 because the music scene is gonna feel like (my high school years) the end of the 90s and beginning of the 20th Century. Albums sales will led the way by Eminem, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Britney Spears. All we need is Mtv to bring back TRL and I could self-medicate myself to the smooth sayings of Carson Daly. Oh Lord, maybe this time around things will be better for all.



This. Is. Truth.

Mixed Bag

Aight, so i have a trio of albums to to talk about. I feel that I've been focusing on hip-hop exclusively lately so this post will definitely branch out....after I discuss the new Murs album, Murs for President.

Murs standing for Making Underground Raw Shit, is no stranger to speaking his mind. The upcoming election is a beautiful landscape for a new Murs album and he doesn't miss the chance to spray his ideologies every which way. After listening to this pulpit delivered sermon, it seems that his platform would rest on equal rights, morality, and respect for all. Murs, member of underground groups such as Living Legends and Felt, finally has the backing of a major label and you can tell for better and worse. Producer Terrace Martin fuses rock riffs with female R&B vocals and produces an arena-like sound that fans of old Murs may lose themselves in on tracks, "A Part of Me" and "Time is Now."

Self-proclaimed maker of sitcom rap, Murs still has his colloquial mannerisms playing as loudly as possible here. Ripping story after story, Murs talks and raps his way through each track with painstaking candor. As much as this album is a boisterous cry for the man that he has become, Murs is still a man in trouble. And perhaps that is his stake on the title of President of Hip-Hop and those that have taken office in the past. "A Part of Me" ends in a heartfelt breakdown of apologies towards a haunting breakup. "Road Is My Religion" recounts his harrowing experiences on the road, "The road is my religion/I'ma keep on sinning/Hope to God I am forgiven/For the way that I'm living." It seems that the infallible nature of man takes center stage his weaknesses only make him stronger in the end.

Murs reportedly said he is done with his groups at the moment and the lack of collaborations just emphasize the fact that he is ready to create music the way he wants to do it. Snoop Dogg is found on raucous gospel track, "Time is Now," while Will.I.am. finds himself on the synth-heavy track, "Lookin' Fly." His most significant piece of work on this album may come on the track, "Science." It is in this track that Murs displays his wonderful ability to weave metaphor and history seamlessly. Constructing a song while defining it takes an extreme where with all. Something Murs lacks nothing of.

Overall, his first major studio release doesn't stray too far away from Murray's Revenge and in this case, it's a good thing. 9th Wonder hangs around to produce a trio of songs ("I'm Innocent," "Love and Appreciate II", and "Breakthrough"). It's really amazing how West Coast, East Coast, nu metal, and gospel can find themselves back to back in this interesting concoction. This album will most likely be overshadowed by Paper Trail, but there are some standout tracks on this album that definitely reflect well on Murs and his positive vision.


The Lovely Sparrows' transcendental qualities set them in the company of Indie legends, Death Cab and Band of Horses. "Wraith" changes direction three or four times using flutes, mandolins, and echoey vocals to create a foreboding feeling of what's to come. And perhaps the more redeeming quality comes in their knack of straddling the somber tones that folk music can evoke before ending in a jamband-like celebration to close the song. Whenever I listen to folk, I can't help but think of Dylan. When I hear the Lovely Sparrows, I don't hear Dylan to their testament.

Paying no attention to pacing, each song feels like a road to the vocals of soon-to-be-star, Shawn Jones. A beautifully, dark record that Jones hopes some will find positivity in, I can only say the imagery in this album is unparalleled this year. Mixing in French fairy tales, Norse mythology, and Spanish literature, Jones has created an ethereal experience that is quite capable of sparking an imagination long since dormant. Gently plucking away in "Larks and Owls," oboes and violins cascade themselves across every which way projecting color and brilliance that only music can produce.

While Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On (New) Paint was a typical breakup record, Bury the Cynic determines be undefinable. Jones even decided not to release the lyrics to any of these songs in an effort to blur the lines between vocals and melody. Finding a folk/Indie alternative group that starts with "The" isn't the hardest task in the world by any means, but the Lovely Sparrows make listening to this album an enjoyable experience. Instead of settling for mood and ambiance, they understand that a song, like life, isn't constructed in a straight line. Therefore, their sound meanders with life. Using guitars, strings, woodwinds, and most important lyrics to change their sound on a dime.

Mass audiences used to pre-packaged hooks and certain chord progressions will have no idea what to do with this mess of sounds, but Jones put it best when he said, "I am a patient listener, and in turn, probably make music for similar ears."


Finally, I'm not a big fan of movie soundtracks. Many of them are successful because of scores by music titans such as Hans Christian Andersen, or because of songs that specifically tie in to a crucial part in the film, not because of the songs on their own merit. There are exceptions. Juno featured an assorted collection or alternative demi gods such as Sonic Youth, Belle and Sebastian, and The Moldy Peaches. The same people behind that movie have inspired another Michael Cera film's soundtrack. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack features new and old rockers Vampire Weekend, Band of Horses, The Jerk Offs, and The Submarines. It really is the perfect mix of tunes to lift the spirit and rock out to.


Murs For President - 7.3/10
Best Tracks - I'm Innocent, Time is Now, Can't It Be (Half a Million Dollars and 18 Months Later), and A Part of Me

Bury the Cynics - 7.8/10
Best Tracks - Wraith, Department of Forseeable Outcomes, Bury the Cynics, Year of the Dog

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack - 7/10
Best Tracks - Ottoman, After Hours, Nick and Norah's Theme, Lover, and Xavia



This. Is. Truth.