Plastic Constellations - Stay That Way

The band responsible for my 3rd favorite album of 2006 is getting ready to release a new album. If I had to do my anticipated albums list today, The Plastic Constellations' We Appreciate You, which is being released in April, would place somewhere in my top ten. They've quickly become one of my current fave bands with the release of their previous two albums, 2004's Mazatlan and Crusades. Their sound combines the festive shout-along style of anthem rock with aggresive but melodic pop metal riffs. That's pretty much the formula for everyone of their songs, but it's still very distinct when compared to other bands. "Stay That Way" doesn't stray too far from the recipe and if you dig this, you'll probably dig their entire catalogue.

Plastic Constellations - "Stay That Way"

HBE's Most Anticipated '08 Album Releases

It's a brand new year, which means a brand new slate of albums. Based on confirmed dates, rumors and a whole lot of wishful thinking, this is what I'm looking forward to most in 2008.


1. Portishead-Untitled
The trip hop outfit from Bristol have been laying low for a decade and any sign of new music comes as a welcome surprise. Their only two studio albums, Dummy and Portishead are defining albums of the 90's, so it will be interesting to see if their new output will be as fresh.

2. Los Campesinos!-Hold On Now, Youngster...
Judging from the first couple of singles and a recently posted video of them in the studio, Los Campesinos! stands to release one of the best debuts of the year, and also one of the giddiest albums of the year. If it sounds anything like the hyperactive joy of "You! Me! Dancing!", count me in.

3. Van Hunt-Popular
There's not exactly a guarantee that this album will be released since it is currently without a home after Hunt's exit from Blue Note, but the year is young, so there's hope. For that reason alone, I can't put it at #1 since its future is uncertain. But based solely on the leaps and bounds he made from the relatively safe debut to 2006's funky and wild On The Jungle Floor, this album could never see a release date and I would anticipate it forever.

4. Ladytron-Untitled
Ladytron is another group who has shown improvement with each album, and it's not as if their first one was a slouch to begin with. Their latest album, Witching Hour, saw the synth pop quartet take their sound to a darker place, but nonetheless still enriching. Another great album and I would gladly put Ladytron amongst indie's current elite.

5. Nas-Nigger
If the album had been named anything else, I might not be anticipating this as much. Nas has still managed to release solid albums, but he set the bar too high early in his career. As soon as I heard the title of the album and who was recording it, I knew that I had to listen to immediately. Nas is one of the most socially aware mainstream artists that we have right now in any genre and him dedicating an entire album to race relations has no doubt sparked a creative fire in him. He is one of the few relevant elder statesmen of hip hop and the commentary that he might provide on this album could result in a career-defining effort for him.

6. Erykah Badu-Nu AmErykah
While Worldwide Underground was enjoyable in some spots and went gold, I can't consider it a successor to Mama's Gun. Despite its long running time, that release is still considered an EP and never really felt like a proper follow-up with its loose jammy vibe. Nu AmErykah will be two discs and looks to be more cohesive.

7. Franz Ferdinand-Untitled
One word: Xenomania. The teen-pop production collective is responsible for hits by Girls Aloud, Sugababes and Cher, to name a few and the news that they would be producing some tracks for the upcoming Franz album raised a few eyebrows. It elicited nothing but glee from me. Xenomania's productions are as adventurous as anything you're likely to hear in pop or anywhere else, which I think complements Franz Ferdinand just fine. Franz Ferdinand have always had catchy hooks while Xenomania's work has always retained a bit of edge. The pairing should be more natural than that of The Mooney Suzuki and The Matrix.

8. Madonna-Untitled
Four out the last five Madonna albums are arguable classics. American Life is the only stinker she's had in a while, but she rebounded with the amazing Confession On A Dancefloor. She's built up a lot of goodwill, so even though a few of the early leaked tracks with Pharrell did not prove promising, you can't really count out Madonna.

9. The Avalanches-Untitled
Their last album, Since I Left You, is one of the best debuts of the decade and is still talked about to this day. Judging from the carefully constructed use of samples on their first album, it's no surprise that a follow-up would take nearly seven years to arrive. They have kept busy in recent years with solid remixes for The Concretes and Belle & Sebastian, so there's little worry on my end about whether they can deliver another quality album.

10. Al Green-Untitled
The big news here is that Al Green is hooking up with ?uestlove and The Roots in the studio. I say it's about time that the Reverend hooked up with some young blood to bring some life into his recording career. His last two albums on Blue Note had some decent moments, but proved ultimately forgettable in the long run. ?uestlove feels like the perfect person to helm an Al Green record. His knowledge and appreciation of classic soul will no doubt bring out shades of the Al Green that we all first fell in love with it, and he's well on his way judging from some of the leaked studio jams.

11. Estelle-Shine
Estelle's debut, The 18th Day, delivered an engaging mix of soulful beats and conscious rhymes, but her recent excellent single, "American Boy", with Kanye West suggests a happier approach. If the album does turn out to have less rapping than its predecessor, I can only hope that the quality of the songs will remain as strong.

12. N.E.R.D.-untitled album
Recent pictures from the BBC blog show N.E.R.D. in the studio with Spymob, which is a great sign, seeing as how their tight sound is part of what made the live version of In Search Of... a success. Their rhythmic punch was sorely missed on 2004's Fly Or Die and Pharrell alone in the studio has not turned out to be a good thing so far (see In My Mind).

13. The Game-LAX
The Game is such a student of hip hop history that it's hard to believe that he could ever release a duff album. He's so self-consciously aware of the ingredients that while he may not deliver anything surprising, it will still be worth spending money on. The initiative to make a classic will be even higher if this turns out to be his last album as he has been claiming recently.

14. Pas/Cal-I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura
One of the most underrated indie pop acts in America will finally release a full-length album. After a few years of delivering fantastic EPs, the name Pas/Cal could finally be on the lips of music lovers across the nation.

15. Paula Campbell-I Am Paula Campbell
This Baltimore R&B songstress has been kicking around on Columbia for a few years, but it appears that she may actually be close to releasing her major label debut. The songs posted on her MySpace suggest a pretty solid and refreshing debut.


And the rest...

David Banner-The Greatest Story Ever Told
Be Your Own Pet-Get Awkward
Big Boi-untitled
Mariah Carey-That Chick
Cherish-The Truth
Dengue Fever-Venus On Earth
Dr. Dre-Detox
Eminem-King Mathers
Goldfrapp-Seventh Tree
The Like-untitled
Lil' Mama-Voice Of The Young People
Lil' Wayne-Tha Carter III
Ludacris-Theater Of The Mind
M83-Saturdays=Youth
Man Man-Rabbit Hats
Missy Elliott-untitled
Teedra Moses-The Young Lioness
Murs-Murs For President
No Doubt-untitled
Q-Tip-The Renaissance
Rakim-The Seventh Seal
Rick Ross-Trilla
The Roots-Rising Down
Santogold-untitled
Slim Thug-Boss Of All Bosses
Sons and Daughters-The Gift
Stereolab-untitled
The Streets-untitled
Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend
What Made Milwaukee Famous-What Doesn't Kill Us
Yo Majesty-untitled

It's been a retro kind of week

Candie Payne is one of my current obsessions right now. She's a UK singer with a penchant for hazy 60's spy music and lounge pop and also has family members in The Zutons and The Stands. Her sound is very cinematic and remniscent of early Portishead in certain spots, but it always has a melodic dazzle to it. "By Tomorrow" still has the essence of the 60's , but its go-go rush and psychedelic pop leanings are more rocking than anything on I Wish I Could Have Loved You More.

Candie Payne - "By Tomorrow"


I've also been listening to some tracks from Broadcast's 2003 album Haha Sound, which is just as retro as well. It also has some 60's sparkle to it, but it has more in common with The Velvet Underground and French pop. I almost forgot how much I loved "Before We Begin", but I'm glad to say that my love affair with it has been rekindled. It's probably one of the most accessible songs you'll find in Broadcast's catalogue and as good a place to start if you've never taken a chance on the group. And obviously, if you enjoy Stereolab, you'll enjoy the album as a whole as well.

Broadcast - "Before We Begin"

To buy Candie Payne's I Wish I Could Have Loved You More (import) from Amazon, click here

To buy Broadcast's Haha Sound from Insound, click here

Ten On Tuesdays: Ten Best Mary J. Blige singles

In honor of knocking off Josh Groban and claiming the top spot on this week's Top 200 chart, I've decided to make this edition of Ten on Tuesdays all about Mary J. Blige and what I feel are her ten best singles. So why Mary J. Blige? Well, why not? She is one of the most consistent artists that this generation has ever seen. She and Diddy revolutionized the R&B genre in 1992 with the gritty hip hop inflected What's The 411?,and she's still managed to stay relevant since then. Her career is the standard that most R&B stars, male and female, are held up to today. Plus, she's released a lot of good stuff.



10. "Be Without You" (2005)
Album: The Breakthrough
Peak chart positions: Hot 100 (3), R&B (1)



One of Mary's biggest hits to date finds her showcasing her vulnerability as well as anyone in the business. Blige's content rarely varies, so it is a testament to her beat selection and her skills as a song interpreter that she still sounds fresh after a decade-plus of recording. "Be Without You" also boasts one of the best choruses of her career. Most of her hits have been groove-oriented, but you can tell that special attention was paid to that part.

Top 200 Singles of 2007

There's usually never a lack of great singles in a year, but living in the Information Age, it is no longer possible for there to never be a great year in singles again. It is no secret that the pop universe revolves around the United States. The biggest hits from this country are usually international hits, and unless it comes from the U.K., it's very rare that a hit from another country has the same impact that an American one does. But thanks to filesharing, blogs and YouTube, our pop borders are expanded to music from other countries we would have never been exposed to. The fact that this list is 200 songs long is evidence of the abundance of great stuff around the world. A lot of the singles on this list have yet to see North American release, but don't let that stop you from enjoying them. It didn't stop me.


1. UGK F/ Outkast - International Player's Anthem
I know it's totally cliche for blogs to deal in hyberbole, but I honestly think that five or ten years from now, this song will be considered one of the all-time classics in hip hop. Looking past the fact that this was Pimp C's last hit before his untimely death, the circumstances surrounding the record already have the plate set for a legendary moment. UGK, one of the premier hip hop duos of all-time and arguably the most influential Dirty South artists, were finally reunited after Pimp C's incarceration. Since they never got the chance to cash in on the momentum of "Big Pimpin'", anticipation was high for the album. The accolades for Outkast are already pretty well known, but let me state that as disappointing as some songs on Idlewild were, they can still lay claim to being one of today's most important and respected artists. Add to that Andre 3000's recent hot streak of guest appearances and we can see that there is still plenty of life left in the group. Not only that, the production is done by none other than Three 6 Mafia, who despite all their sonic innovations in hip hop are just now finding mainstream attention thanks to an Academy Award win. So on paper, you have three of the greatest hip hop artists to ever rise from the South collaborating on one track. Sounds like it should be a classic, right? Well, it is.

"International Player's Anthem" is the rare collaboration without one weak spot and where everyone involved is still in their prime. And even though UGK, Outkast and Three 6 Mafia have a combined three decades-plus in the business, the track still manages to surprise. Take for instance the opening verse by Andre 3000. It's expected that Andre would give us content to make us think and to blow our minds at the same time, but he's rapping over nothing but the Willie Hutch sample with no drum or bass. Vocals, strings and horns. That's it. And it's like that for the entire verse. As extravagant as the productions in modern hip hop have become, there is always at least drum and bottom prevalent, but right from the beginning, we're warned that this song is going to be special and we should hang on to every word.

Best Albums of 2007

These are the 50 albums that I dug the most in 2007. In past years, this list has gone to 100, but I figure that 50 albums sounds more reasonable and believeable coming from one person. My singles list, which always goes north of 100, will be up next week.


1. Amy Winehouse-Back To Black
Without a doubt, the album I played the most in 2007. Part of that is due to the short running time, but Back To Black is long on quality. While there isn't as much attitude as there was on her debut, Frank, the songwriting is embellished more and Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi's production is engagingly retro without hitting you over the head with it's 60's girl group references. Back To Black is one of those albums that as soon as the final track is over (the wonderful "He Can Only Hold Her" in this case), you want to immediately play it again.

Merry Christmas. Now dance.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone out there. This is an unusual post for me since I'm not really big on modern Christmas songs. Songs can't be seasonal for me. They have to hold up all year round. That's part of what makes The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" and the entire Phil Spector Christmas album so great. I'd play them in the summer without any problem. They're well-crafted modern pop songs that don't venture too far into Sapsville, which itself is usually a requirement for most Christmas songs.

I think one of the better Christmas recordings this decade comes from Mariah Carey. The So So Def Remix of her 1994 hit, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is that rare holiday song that's not embarassing to dance to. The Spector-like melody from the original is mostly intact with a more urban R&B approach this time around. Producer Jermaine Dupri borrows heavily from "Planet Rock" and the result sounds like a lost Miami bass song from the 90's akin to Ghost Down DJ's and INOJ. What really puts a smile on my face is that original melody, which still sounded good in the original, but is now stripped down with only drum machines and backing vocals surrounding it, giving it a true chance to shine. Also of note is hearing a young Bow Wow (back when he still had the Lil' in front of his name) decrying the myth of St. Nick at the beginning of the song by simply claming, "Ain't no damn Santa Claus."

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (So So Def Remix)

To buy Mariah Carey's Greatest Hits from Amazon, click here.

Oh, and my best albums of the year list should be up later on this week, with singles shortly to follow.

Unedited "Paper Planes" video

Because I love "Paper Planes" so much, I was going to post the video whenever it was released, but apparently the video has been making news on its own. MTV has removed the gunshot sounds from the hook and it's got M.I.A. in a tizzy. It's not surprising any more how MTV edits videos (oh, how you ruined My Chemical Romance's "Teenagers"), but hopefully all the fuss will get more attention for such an excellent song, and Kala overall.

And I told you that we won't stop

I've been teasing my stance on Puffy AmiYumi for a while. I've constantly said that they're probably in my top 20 or top 30 favorite artists of all-time. You may scoff, but their catalog is probably one of the most diverse you'll ever come across this side of The Beatles or ABBA. In recent years, Ami and Yumi have ditched the genre-hopping that defined the early part of their career in favor of a more power pop sound. They continue on in that vein with their latest album, honeycreeper, with electrifying results. The album, which is only available in Japan and at Puffy concerts right now, clocks in at under 45 minutes and is a nonstop fast-paced sugar rush. After honeycreeper, I can no longer carry on with the lie that Puffy is merely a top 20 band for me, but a deadlocked top 10 act. My favorite song from the album right now is "Kimi to Motorbike". It wastes little time getting the satisfaction started and begins with a melodic "doo doo doo" refrain with minor chord changes. What follows next is pure frenzied pop bliss. If The Go-Go's and Buzzcocks ever had an orgy, this is probably what it would sound like.

Puffy AmiYumi - "Kimi to Motorbike"

Ten on Tuesdays: Ten Lingering Questions About The Grammy Nominations

This year's list of Grammy nominees raised even more eyebrows than usual. With it being a weak year overall for sales and quality, there was the chance that anything would be up for grabs, and it most certainly was. This edition of Ten on Tuesdays is my attempt to make sense of it all

1. Herbie Hancock? Vince Gill? WTF?
I think that one of the biggest surprises announced last Thursday is that two lauded, but unexpected artists managed to get nominated in Album Of The Year, pulling one of the biggest surprises in a general category since Diana Krall got an AOTY nomination in 1999. With all due respect to Mr. Hancock and Mr. Gill, I never once thought that their albums would have a fighting chance in 2007. While a diluted field of contenders definitely paved the way for their nominations, their inclusion is not totally unexplainable.

They both received favorable reviews and also featured a bevy of quality artists on their work. The guest list for Vince Gill includes Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss and Gretchen Wilson while Herbie Hancock had Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell to lend a hand. Not a bad way to get attention.

The other thing that helped them stand out above other artists of their caliber was the concepts behind their albums. Vince Gill's These Days is a 4-CD box set of original songs, with each disc focusing on a single one of his styles (country, rock, acoustic, etc.). Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters is a tribute to the works of Joni Mitchell. These weren't just 40 minute CDs with a simple all killer/no filler approach, but carefully constructed albums with unique ideas.

Grammy Predictions for 2007

Grammy season is upon us once again, which means that it's time for my annual predictions of what I think will get nominated in the top four categories: Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best New Artist. Nominees will be announced the morning of Dec. 6 and the ceremony itself takes place on Feb. 10, 2008.

Record Of The Year

There is never a shortage of contenders in this category and it's usually one of the hardest ones to narrow down to just five. This category typically has a mix of ubiquitous pop songs that are hard to escape and songs that although are not as widely popular, are still very much adored. I think there is no more ubiquitious song in 2007 than Rihanna's "Umbrella". This has been her year and it was hard not to forget about this song, even after the summer had passed.

Another thing that the NARAS loves to do is give nominations to past winners. It also doesn't hurt if their career is still red hot. Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" seems destined for a Record of the Year nod. It was another one of those songs that was inescapeable upon release and has the right amount of depth and pop drive that usually gets nominated here.

After "Umbrella" and "Irreplaceable", things get a little tricky. I wouldn't quite say that the field is wide open at this point, but things become a bit harder to gauge. I feel safe in saying that I think Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" will likely get a nod here as well. She's widely loved by critics, has a platinum album, and the "no no no" refrain in the song is one of the most memorable hooks of the year. The Grammys have a fondness for widespread acclaim and commercial success, which is another reason why I think Justin Timberlake's "My Love" also has a shot. Justin's only other nomination in this category was for the Black Eyed Peas collaboration, "Where Is The Love?", which is surprising considering the amount of hit singles that he has had. But upon further glance, it would make sense that "My Love" would be the one to finally get a ROTY nomination. FutureSex/LoveSounds has been out for a full year and Timberlake's light has yet to dim. The academy would probably still like to honor one of music's biggest stars, and since FutureSex, was already nominated last year, "My Love" is a good excuse for him to make an appearance on the show. Add to the fact the song is actually really good.

Now we're left with only one spot. In these cases, it's typical to look at other hugely successful songs. Kanye West's "Stronger" is another strong possibility, but it's success and impact is not on the same level as "Gold Digger", a previous ROTY nominee. In Fergie's case, all you would have to do is close your eyes and pick any of her hit singles for consideration. Although "Glamorous" is probably the strongest of her eligible singles, I get the sense that her music is too polarizing. Either you like it or you hate it with no indifference. I see her getting some nods in the pop category, but nothing here. Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls" might have had a stronger chance if it sustained life after the summer. It doesn't help that his follow-up singles have failed to keep the focus on him. If the academy is deciding to feel generous to Timbaland this year, who's had a great year as not only a producer, but as a recording artist, "The Way I Are" is his best shot in this category and I would also consider it one of the stronger contenders. Seemingly, one of the most obvious contenders is Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats", but according to the eligibility rules, it had its shot last year. And in the case of Alicia Keys' "No One", I think it would have stood a better shot for next year's Grammys, but it's eligible only for this one.

Yessir!

So, sometime over the summer, Pharrell Williams went into the studio with James Poyser and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson to re-record his 2006 solo album, In My Mind, with live instruments. The result was Out Of My Mind by Pharrell & The Yessirs, a major improvement on its predecessor, even though the songs are essentially the same. The label decided not to release it since In My Mind was such a flop, so we're all left with a bootleg of it. I can't blame Interscope though. As a big Neptunes fan, I was thoroughly disappointed with In My Mind and too much money stood to be lost in promoting a remake of what was already a weak album.

But as was the case with N.E.R.D.'s In Search Of..., there is a sense of discovery and vibrant new intensity to the songs and life is found where it was previously thought to be dull. While I still rate Out Of My Mind a 6 out of 10 (I'd give In My Mind a 4), the reimagining of some of the previous songs are definitely worthwhile, even if you were as bored with In My Mind as I was. The standout for me is "I Really Like You Girl", which was also a standout on In My Mind, but was relegated to the same track as the Jay-Z collaboration, "Young Girl". Why the best song on the album would share the same track with another song is beyond me, but that mistake is rectified as "I Really Like You Girl" gets its own track and the Stevie Wonder-isms that were hinted at before are magnified with the use of live instruments. "I Really Like You Girl" is a flashback to urban radio in the year 1984 and boasts a hook so shimmery and sunny that you had to wonder why it was never released as a single, or at least as its own track.

Pharrell & The Yessirs - "I Really Like You Girl"

Pics from ESG's last show

I was at ESG's last show a few weeks ago at The Abbey Pub. They headlined that night's Estrojam, which has been one of the best musical events in Chicago for a few years now. Even if it was only one original member still touring, I was still on the verge of tears. I never thought that I would get the chance to see ESG live, much less, be present for their last show. Here are some pics.