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Archive: March 2009 (21-30 of 123)

Mar 29 2009 09:53 PM ET

Prince, Prince, Prince: On the scene for his three-show night in L.A.

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Concert Reviews, Prince

Prince_l

On Saturday, Prince made some sort of history by playing three shows at three venues in one night, stopping by each of the spots inside the L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles to deliver a set inspired by one of his new albums: rock (Lotus Flow3r, Nokia Live, 7 p.m.); funk (MPLsound, Conga Room, 9:30); and loungey jazz (Bria Valente’s Elixer, Club Nokia, midnight). [Read EW's snap judgment of all three!] The Music Mix was there for (almost) all of it, and is proud to now bring you the minutes of this massive town meeting, sponsored by Target, LotusFlow3r.com, and the gods of perseverance.

6:48 p.m. Your correspondent and L.A. Times music critic Ann Powers are outside the Nokia, in long line to get past the metal detectors. Many of the women outside are dressed like strippers, or very enthusiastic Vegas vacationers. Or maybe that’s just how they dress. Your correspondent is wearing cowboy boots and feels they demonstrate she made an effort.

7:02 Finally inside Nokia. Venue resembles a movie theater designed by people who also design cell phones, complete with ushers hawking popcorn. It’s not quite full. But how late can Prince start without running the whole night behind schedule?

7:11 Prince’s Target ad runs on the jumbotrons, without sound. Instead, the DJ is pumping "Ladies’ Night."

7:16 DJ plays "Glamorous Life." People cheer. Target ad plays again.

7:19 Pre-show mix sounds disturbingly familiar to the pre-show mix played at the Prince Oscar party, which started three hours late. Your correspondent begins to get nervous. Jumbotron ad keeps touting tonight’s "3 full shows!"

7:22 Target ad runs again. Am now pondering deeper themes of ad. Prince is on a rock in a pool… There is a woman… His guitar fretboard whizzes past her face and buries itself in the Target logo…

7:33 Magic Johnson enters venue, receives applause

7:36 House lights go out, jumbotron begins playing the Blade Runner/Matrix-inspired video for "Chocolate Box." Everything is very hi-def in Prince world nowadays, it seems.

7:41 Video ends with a "to be continued." The "Purple Rain" chords tease as the curtain opens to reveal the band in front of a giant Lotusflow3r billboard. Prince enters, wearing a zebra-striped tunic, as the band plays the first of many funky jams. There are jellyfish hanging from the ceiling that look a bit like 99-cent store piñatas. "Everything you think is true," says Prince. "Instead of hate, celebrate," says Prince. He asks everyone to clap.

7:44 "What’s my name?" asks Prince. Then he whips off his sunglasses. The ladies go wild.

READ FULL STORY »

Mar 29 2009 09:43 PM ET

3OH!3's 'Don't Trust Me': Misogyny... or just stupid?

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Ah, Youth, SXSW Festival

Went to check out the Colorado-based, Bamboozle-friendly rap-rock duo 3OH!3 at SXSW on the recommendation of a stranger, and while I won’t say I “enjoyed” their set, I was definitely fascinated by the pocket of cult fandom I wandered into at Stubbs that afternoon. Lots of girls screaming at their pelvic-thrusting dance moves, which I’m not convinced were ironic; lots of concern for those girls as they gleefully chanted along with lyrics that no amount of irony could save from being kinda offensive. From “Starstrukk” (“Push it baby push it baby out of control / I got my gun cocked tight and I’m ready to blow”) to “I’m Not Your Boyfriend Baby” (self-explanatory), there seemed to be a running string of, if not misogyny, then at least lack of respect for the female gender underpinning every hooky, shouty, high-energy song — but it was their closing number that really pushed me over the edge.

Below, the video for “Don’t Trust Me,” which features a lyric so wretched I immediately had to email it to half the people I know. Sure, the boys are covering with plenty of self-effacing self-humiliation in this clip… but it’s gonna take a lot more than some loincloths to make up for actually recording a line like “Shush girl, shut your lips / Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips.”

Argh. Can somebody talk me down?

3oh3 – New Music – More Music Videos

Mar 29 2009 04:56 PM ET

Prince's new 'Lotusflow3r' three-disc set: A one-listen review

by Rob Brunner

Categories: Prince, Snap Judgment

51d055vupl_aa260_ Just got back from a Sunday trip to Target for some toilet paper, a tube of Colgate, and the new Prince album, which went on sale today exclusively at the big-box retailer. Here’s a quick report (on Prince, that is; the other two are performing more or less as expected).

First, the good news. On the surface, at least, this is a fantastic deal. Three CDs — Prince’s new Lotusflow3r and Mplsound albums, plus another disc he wrote and produced for new protege Bria Valente — for $11.98. That’s well over two hours of music for the price of most single-disc albums. Also, there’s…well, that’s pretty much the only good news. Because after dragging myself through the whole thing, this is Prince’s most disappointing set in years. Only a handful of the Prince-sung tracks make much of an impression (if you must, check out "4Ever," which builds to a nice climax, and "U’re Gonna C Me," a decent-enough falsetto ballad), while the rest sound dreary and tossed off (the lowpoint: a half-hearted cover of "Crimson and Clover" that mixes in a bit of "Wild Thing" for no discernible reason). It’s tempting to say Prince just didn’t have the material to fill out two full albums, but a single disc of highlights would still represent a baffling comedown from his often-excellent previous three albums. And by the time he got around to poor Valente’s disc, Prince had obviously completely run out of tunes. Her Elixer is a total waste, a 45-minute slog through sleepy, tuneless, listlessly sung lite-R&B tracks that wouldn’t have made the cut on a third-rate Vanity record. As a massive Prince fan for 25 years now (Purple Rain is still probably my favorite album) it pains me to say this, but Lotusflow3r just isn’t isn’t worth your cash — even at a mere $3.99 a disc.

Has anyone else heard this new set? Weigh in below — or if you’re as disappointed as I am, reminisce about your favorite Prince album of years past.

Mar 29 2009 12:00 PM ET

The Best Makeout Songs Ever: You Decide!

by Leah Greenblatt

Categories: Things That Are Sexy

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Thousands of readers responded to Jason Adams’ recent post about the most heartbreaking songs of all time, which is kind of amazing. But also — hello! — sad. So Jason and I have decided to flip the script and ask, in the spirit of our friends over at lemondrop.com, what your go-to baby-making music is.

Clearly, we must pay tribute to those whose names are synonymous with sexytimes: Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Portishead. But songs don’t actually have to be about sex to facilitate it (memo to Kings of Leon: "Sex on Fire"? Sounds like you need a trip to the clinic, stat).

For some people, it’s Journey; for others, Patsy Cline, or Bob Marley, or the Cure. It depends if you’re talking slow seduction or something a little more…immediate.

Personally, I think almost nothing beats Prince’s "Darling Nikki." Jason has a recent obsession with Leonard Cohen’s live take on "A Thousand Kisses Deep." But we want to hear what you think, so tell — how do you justify your love? What makes a body feel like a wonderland? We leave you, dear reader, with the light, the heat, we see "In Your Eyes":

In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel

Mar 28 2009 01:07 AM ET

Morrissey approves Manchester's own the Courteeners

by Missy Schwartz

Categories: Indie Rock, Morrissey, Things That Are British

Meet the Courteeners, a two-year-old indie rock band from Manchester looking to follow up their success in the U.K. with a splashy debut in the U.S. And how might they achieve that lofty goal? Why, by counting fellow Mancunian — and object of eternal, stage-jumping fan devotion — Morrissey as an admirer. The ex-Smiths frontman was, in fact, so taken with the Courteeners that he asked them to join his current U.S. tour as his opening act. As introductions go, it doesn’t get much better than that. "It’s a lovely stamp of approval," lead singer Liam Fray told the Music Mix the day after their March 27 show at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. "So far, we’ve got an absolutely phenomenal reaction. I’ve been taken aback by it."

Even more surprising, of course, was learning that Morrissey was a fan. "He came to watch us at a small gig in London. He turned up, got out of the taxi outside, and came up to me. He was like, ‘Are you any good?’ recalls Fray. "I was like, ‘Yeah we’re very good. Come and watch us.’ And he came and he stayed for the whole set. After the gig, he came downstairs and knocked on the door and had a drink with us and stayed for a chit-chat. He was a true gent. A good man. I love the Smiths, and they’re a huge influence on us. If somebody you hold in such high esteem turns around and says they enjoy what you do, well, it’s a very big thing for me, personally." So far, Morrissey has kept to himself on tour, but Fray’s not complaining. "Watching him perform every night—it’s amazing how he’s still got it." (It just so happens that this Music Mix writer was lucky enough to attend the Carnegie Hall show and can confirm that Fray’s assessment is 100 percent accurate. Moz was in delightfully hammy spirits, chatting liberally with the crowd between songs and ripping off his shirt not once, but twice. He also played "Death of a Disco Dancer." No bad can ever come of that.)

Here’s a video of the Courteeners’ "What Took You So Long," which Morrissey covered last fall when he appeared on KCRW. They’ll be on tour with him through April 17, when they play the Coachella festival in Indio, California.

Mar 27 2009 11:52 PM ET

What (late night music) To Watch: Keri Hilson and Lil' Wayne on 'Jimmy Kimmel'

by Jeremy Medina

Categories: Keri Hilson, Lil Wayne, Stay Up Late

Kerihilson_l While I’m always down for some N.E.R.D., Keri Hilson on Jimmy Kimmel gets the edge this evening because she’s got Lil’ Wayne, too: The pair will be performing "Turnin’ Me On." Though her latest single with Kanye West and Ne-Yo is probably better, I’m curious to see how some of Wayne’s R-rated lyrics will translate on national television — and a PG-rated visit to Wayne’s World is better than no visit at all. Elsewhere, Prince is still on Leno and Letterman and Ferguson are still on repeats because of March Madness.

Also scheduled for tonight:

Prince (part three) on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
N.E.R.D. on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt on the Late Show with David Letterman (repeat)
The Damned on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (repeat)
Ben Harper & Relentless 7 on Last Call with Carson Daly

Mar 27 2009 11:05 PM ET

Marilyn Manson's new single: Snap Judgment

by Clark Collis

Categories: Snap Judgment

Marilynmanson2009_l Marilyn Manson has just posted on his website a track called "We’re From America," the first single from the god-of-you-know-what’s forthcoming album The High End of Low. On the CD, Manson reunites with his old guitarist Twiggy Ramirez and the song is a hammering, industrial-tinged rocker reminiscent of the pair’s early work. It also features a lot of lyrics we probably shouldn’t print here. To me, the whole thing sounds like an angrier, gothier sibling to LCD Soundsystem’s "North American Scum." But maybe I’m being unduly influenced by the title. Anyway, take a listen and tell us what you think.

More on Marilyn Manson:
Ne-Yo: How the R&B artist wound up working with Marilyn Manson

Mar 27 2009 11:00 PM ET

Marily Manson's new single "We're From America": Snap Judgment

by Clark Collis

Categories: Snap Judgment

Marilynmanson2009_l Marilyn Manson has just posted on his website a track called "We’re From America", the first single from the god-of-you-know-what’s forthcoming album The High End of Low. On the CD Manson reunites with his old guitarist Twiggy Ramirez and the track is a hammering, industrial-tinged rocker reminiscent of the pair’s early work. It also features a lot of lyrics that we probably shouldn’t print here. To me, the whole thing sounds like an angrier, gothier sibling to LCD Soundsystem’s "North American Scum." But maybe I’m being unduly influenced by the title. Anyway, take a listen and see what you think.

More on Marilyn Manson:
Ne-Yo: How the R&B artist wound up working with Marilyn Manson

Mar 27 2009 10:01 PM ET

Soundgarden: How 'The Onion' predicted their reunion

by Clark Collis

Categories: Reunions, Things That Are Strange

Soundgarden_l

Sometimes life imitates art. And sometimes it imitates a story in The Onion. I got a real sense of deja vu when I read the news that Soundgarden reunited onstage last Tuesday. And then I remembered! Fake newspaper The Onion had predicted the band would meet up in a story they ran last August. True, The Onion did some details wrong. In their story, all four members of the band got together. In real life, lead singer Chris Cornell did not participate. And though the four ‘gardeners actually reunited at a Tom Morello solo show and performed together, The Onion described the event rather differently in its report, which was titled “Soundgarden Inadvertently Reunites At Area Cinnabon.” The parodical item related how “members of the popular 1990s grunge band Soundgarden shocked critics and fans alike Tuesday, appearing together for the first time in more than a decade after accidentally running into one another at the Northgate Mall Cinnabon. The unplanned reunion was the result of a number of unrelated events, including lead singer Chris Cornell stopping by the baked-goods franchise to buy a Caramel Pecanbon, drummer Matt Cameron taking a break from shopping at the nearby Banana Republic, bass player Ben Shepherd walking by and noticing his one-time bandmates in the food court, and former guitarist and Cinnabon daytime supervisor Kim Thayil working the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift.” The article went on to describe how “tension arose… after Thayil scolded Cornell” for not wearing a shirt.

Okay, so the Onion guys clearly need to polish their crystal ball a little. But it makes me wonder if we’ll soon being seeing other music-related Onion headlines leaping off the page and into the real world. Personally, I can’t wait for the day the “National Funk Congress” finds itself “Deadlocked on Get Up/Get Down Issue” or for the occasion “Entertainment Scientists Warn Miley Cyrus Will Be Depleted by 2013.”

More on Chris Cornell:
Cornell and Timbaland’s new album: What were they thinking?

More from EW’s Music Mix:
Woodstock 2009: No dice?
Flaming Lips, Tool confirmed for summer fests
Exclusive! Rooney’s ‘Iron Man’ theme song
What’s the most heartbreaking song of all time?

Mar 27 2009 08:25 PM ET

Woodstock 2009: No Dice?

by Leah Greenblatt

Categories: Festivals, Let's Argue!

Crosbystillsnash_l Fortieth-anniversary mudpits may not be in our future, Music Mixers; Rolling Stone reports today that a 2009 edition of the legendary 1969 music festival (and its attendant sequels in 1994 and ’99) is looking more and more unlikely — and not unsurprisingly, the crap economy is to blame. One of the original event’s producers, Joel Rosenman, told RS, “It may not be the year for Woodstock… [but] We’re not going to let some technical number, some digit, determine when the next one is.”Unlike the ’99 fest, which featured the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, and (no joke) Britney Spears, and was beset by crowd violence and bad press, producers this year were hoping to return to the original spirit of the event, with acts like the Who, Crosby Stills & Nash and Joe Cocker. Either way, says Rosenman, the show will go on, even if it doesn’t hit the date they were hoping for: “There will be a Woodstock and it will be massive.”What do you think, readers? Do you want another Woodstock? Should we just let history stand and not try to duplicate the past, or is it a legacy that deserves to live on in concert? Would you rather just go see Ang Lee’s upcoming film version, Taking Woodstock, due this summer?