From the moment she first appeared Sunday night on the stage of the House of Blues, wearing a low-cut red onesie, sneakers, and a red Red Sox cap tilted to the side, Lily Allen made it clear that she had come to Boston to have a good time. She even wore red socks as a tribute to her host city, and promised a “wicked pissah,” even though she clearly had no idea what that meant.
But no matter.
In just under an hour and a half, Lily Allen gave all in attendance a great show that was big on fun and big on attitude — but with plenty of talent too. Continue reading →
If you enjoyed Lily Allen’s song “Smile,” with its upbeat melody and quite bitter lyrics (“When I see you cry, it makes me smile”), not to mention its revenge fantasy video, then chances are good you’ll love her new album, It’s Not Me, It’s You, which hits stores tomorrow. As Blender magazine recently said, the album is “part God, part country and all middle finger.” That’s about right, since the songs on the album discuss politics, religious fundamentalism, ex-boyfriends, and more, all in Lily’s take-no-prisoners style.
This second disc by the British singer boasts great music mixed with a ton of attitude. Like many of the tracks on Allen’s self-titled debut, the bright, bouncy melodies here will hook you, and then you’ll stop and realize just what it is you’re singing along to. Of course, then you’ll just laugh your arse off. Case in point, the infectuous pop tune of a track like “Fuck You,” which may just be my favorite track on the entire album — and not just because it’s a rant against George W. Bush. Have a listen and try not to sing along.
I’ve embedded the video for the album’s lead single, “The Fear,” below. Like most other tracks, it’s got a great beat and a catchy chorus. Many of these songs will be popular in clubs and at parties. Personally, I’ve had the disc on repeat play in my car since I downloaded it a week ago.
Another personal favorite track is “Never Gonna Happen.” Thought I’d share some of the lyrics here:
Please can you stop calling ’cause it’s getting really boring and I’ve told you I don’t want to be friends. Believe me when I tell you that I never want to see you again.
How on earth could I be anymore obvious? It never really did and now it’s never gonna happen with the two of us. I don’t understand what it is that you’re chasing after, but it makes me really sad to hear you sound so desperate. It just makes it harder.
Anyway, I’ve already got my tickets to see Lily live here in Boston and I can’t wait. Till then I’m going to tide myself over with this album, which I highly recommend.
I had a long drive ahead of me today, so put in my new mix of songs from Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Mika, and James Morrison’s latest CDs. That’s all the mix was — my favorite five or six tracks from those four albums. And if I can toot my own horn about my mix-making ability, then I have to say this was one damned good mix. But it’s not just my arranging that made this mix so good — it was the music itself. Yes, you’ve heard me mention all those folks before on this blog, but if you’ll allow me to do it one more time, I just wanted to give them another plug. If you don’t already own Winehouse’s Back to Black, Allen’s Alright, Still, Mika’s Life in Cartoon Motion, or Morrison’s Undiscovered, then seriously, do yourself a favor and pick them up. Or download a few tracks on iTunes. You’ll thank me.
Last month I gave you a heads up about one of my new favorite singers, Amy Winehouse, whose album, Back to Black, is dropping on March 13 and whose song “Rehab” I just love.
Well, add another name to your shopping list: Mika, whose song “Grace Kelly” is one of the catchiest tunes I’ve heard in a long time, and whose album, Life in Cartoon Motion, also drops in March, on the 27th (though you can already find a bunch of tracks online if you look in the right places).
Take Rufus Wainwright, make him less moody, and add some Freddie Mercury-ish attitude, and you’ve basically got Mika’s sound.
It’s piano-driven pop, and it’s fresh and cool and I hope he takes off in a big way.
The video for “Grace Kelly” is fun, and it’s already getting a lot of airplay on the MTV Hits channel. Listen for yourself here and check out the video below.
And while I’m on the subject, I burned one of my old-fashioned, typically eclectic “State of My iPod” mixes this weekend, a collection of all the songs currently on heavy rotation.
If you’re at all interested, here’s what’s on it (with selected links so you can sample some of the tracks; the unlinked ones — with the exception of the second Mika track — are on iTunes):
There was a lot to like this year, entertainment-wise. For example, it was inconsistent and frustrating at times, but when it was great, there were few shows I enjoyed as much as Glee. I didn’t read as many books as I have in years past, but I thought Steve Knopper’s Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age was very good. I picked the winner of American Idol as far back as February. Lily Allen, U2, Jamie Cullum, and John Mayer all released great albums. And of course, there were a bunch of impressive movies too.
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