by wildangels

It's that time of year again. Time to close out one year and open up a new one. Here are a few of my favorite CDs I discovered this year: I know, some of these are older, but I can be bihnd the times a bit here and there.

* Christina Aguilera, Back to Basics. Some of the music isn't all that different from the pop stuff she did, but overall this is a very diverse and fun CD that reminds everyone why she got so much attention when she came out to begin with: she can sing.

* Fiona Apple, Extordinary Machine. She's back and almost as good as she was on her debut. I still count this just because it is so hard to capture the magic of a debut like she had. It's also a great disc that showcased her voice perfectly.

*Bon Jovi, Lost Highway. It wasn't as Country as it was promoted as, but you could clearly identify the influence in this disc. Bon Jovi was always a favorite of mine, so I loved seeing them come out with new material that was also successful.

I'll have a more detailed review of some of these and others coming over the coming days and weeks so stay tuned for more!!

On another note, I'm glad to see 2007 seems to be the year where the Music Industry is finally wising up regarding the Download situation. Since my last post at least one other major Music company made it's songs available for download on Amazon. Hopefully, the remaining holdouts will see follw. You cannot deny the changing technology and expect to remain on top.

I continue to be disappointed by the quality of most of the videos made today (probably in part due to the fact there is not the same outlet available) but remain cautiously optimistic by the fact that Launch and other services are allowing the great ones to be seen. Here's hoping for more venues and better quality in 08.

That's about all for now. Take care and have a  great New Year's Eve!! Remember to stay safe and I'll see y'all next time.

by wildangels

I'll be posting a picture and more detailed information later on, but I just wanted to mention that I just received a CD called Tentacion by a singer named Mia. If you like latin music and you have not gotten this CD, make sure you do! It's avaialable on Amazon.

The interesting this about this is, this isn't her first attempt at music stardom. She started out singing teen pop in the late 80s/early90s as Ana. Her second release, Body Language, featured a couple minor hits as well as songs written by fellow teen pop star Deborah "Debbie" Gibson. After this CD, she pretty much fell off the face of the earth, music wise. I came across the information she was still recording on Wikipedia. After reading the information on Amazon, I was pretty sure the info was legit and orderd it. Yeah, it's Ana alright. Her voice is almost unchanged from her hey day.

Stay tuned for more later!! And have a great New Year's Eve!

by wildangels

According to this story on MTV, Brandy has something to celebrate this Holiday season. It's been made official that the singer will not face any charges over that car accident in 2006. The lawsuits, however, are a whole other story...

For all you music fans who can't get enough of the year-end stuff, how about this? The AP's top albums of 2007. I'm a little surprised to see Britney get an honorable mention at the end, but otherwise... it's a decent list. I haven't heard many of them, but the ones I have I definitely enjoyed. I would personally add Mandy Moore's Wild Hope into the honorable mention list if not on the top 10. More on that CD another time...

Madonna fans out there are going to have a lot to look forward to in 2008. Not only will she be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she's debuting her first movie as a director. According to this story, it'll happen in Germany. Hopefully, this one is better than some of her other efforts. All this is in addition to the fact she'll be releasing another disc soon to complete her deal with Sire before she moves on to her new home. More on Madonna another time...

by wildangels

Hey everyone :) I'll be posting some more year-end review stuff today on both music blogs, but I wanted to talk about a couple things I'm looking forward to in the new year first. One would be Fergie's rumored second CD. The Dutchess was great and I hope she brings some really great music with her next release.

Chilli as a solo singer. She was my favorite member of TLC vocally and I hope she's able to find some solo success in 2008 when she releases her new CD Point of View. If you want to hear a track or two, check our her myspace.

Alexz Johnson releasing a solo album. This one is a "hope it happens" really. Alexz stars on the N series Instant Star and was supposed to release her own CD in late 2007. Unfortunately, there was restructuring in her record label and Alexz ended up without a deal when it was all over. She's still shopping the disc to different labels, so here's hoping it gets released soon. If you haven't heard of her check out my article about the show Instant Star here.

Well, that's about it for this post. I'll be back with more later. Til then, take care and "let the music play!"

by wildangels

I'll be posting some favorites later, but I thought I would start a review of the music and music moments in (or I discovered in) 2007. Here are some of my disappointments.

RCA's handling of Kelly Clarkson's My December. Was it the most pop record out there? No. Was it a total departure from what she had done before that has no chance of radio success? Not at all. It was a CD that was every bit as good as the stuff Clive wanted (Lindsay Lohan covers anyone?). I wish that the label had decided to go ahead and support the CD anyway, even if the material was a bit darker than what she had done before. There were several songs on there that could have been hits on the radio if promoted correctly.

The Downloads Battle. This year saw the battle getting even uglier with more fans being sued and one deciding to take it all the way to trial. Sadly, the fan lost. Now, I am not saying that illegal downloads are right. I definitely disagree with tracks being leaked before its relase date or incomplete material being put out there.I just don't think it is single-handedly killing records sales. There are so many other factors to consider here. I think the industry could really benefit from working with the fans instead of against the fans to figure out how to fix things. Let's face it, it's always been this way: records fell to tapes, tapes to CDs and now CDs are being slowly replaced. It is the way things go and it's time for the industry to really adapt to the times and give the consumers what they're looking for: more true artists instead of manfuactured "stars" with questionable talent.

"Britney Spears" Continues On. Why on earth do people continue to throw every chance possible at this girl when she clearly does not want it? Let her fall flat on her face like anyone else with addictions and other such issues would have to do. Maybe then she will have a chance at rebuilding her life and career and actually properly caring for her kids. A lasting career for a former teen queen is a long shot, I know but still. Until then, it's just going to be more of the same: ego, unprofessional behavior and half-assed performances. Every time I see someone pulling some crazy excuse for her latest drama out of their collective butts, I just sit here shaking my head and wondering why?

Well that's it for now. I'm gonna share me year's highlights next time. I just thought I'd get the ugly stuff out of the way. :) Til then, "let the music play".

by wildangels

Back in the late 90s, Tejano music has just lost one of it's biggest stars: Selena. A then 12-year-old Jennifer Pena, who was a fan of the Singer, sent a condolence tape to the Quintanillas. Selena's father was impressed with Jennifer's rendition of one of Selena's songs, so he invited her to perform at a tribute concert.

Later that year, Jennifer release her first CD, Dulzura (Sweetness) to much success. She was often compared to the late Tejano legend both for her voice and her songs. Several CDs later, she left the Quintanillas and EMI Latin to pursue a new deal with Universal. It's been a great move. Every CD she's done has gotten better than the last, but the Univision recordings are a step up. Especially the latest, Dicen Que El Tiempo. It's latin pop at it's best with a bit of a rock and roll edge. She also adds in a couple songs that are more reminiscent of her early Tenjano-style work. Here are a few of my favorite tracks...

1) "Ladron (Theif)".  The song has a very pop/rock sound to it, but it begins with a trumpet solo that gets your attention immediately. Basically, the lyrics talk about a guy who is no good, someone who always has a sceme up his sleeve. She's telling him to get lost. Her vocals are sassy and confident and it's a favorite to sing along to.

2) "Pero Que Necesidad (But That Necessity)". It's sometimes hard to translate stuff, but that is the gist of the title. It's basically about the difficulty of facing being without someone you love. Jennifer recorded this with her husband, Obie Bermudez. It's an uptempo song with lost of energy that has a bit of a soul sound. They deliver the lyrics with a passion that fits the content perfectly.

3) "Soy Asi (The Teqilla Song)". Basically, the title is saying this is what I am. It talks about her  family and friends as well as the area she grew up in. It's a very energetic number that has a very pop sound mixed with a little bit of jazzy parts. It's also one of those anthem songs you can't help but belt out when it comes on.

4) "Tus Besos (Your Kisses)" This song is probably the closest you will get to her early work. It's very accordian driven, particularly in the chours and it's just fun. She takes on a bit of a harder sound with her vocals during some of it, almost growling.

With the exception of two of the tracks, Jennifer wrote all the songs with Obie and couple of other writers. On a personal note, I can't help but enjoy and sometimes put on "Baby's 15 Seconds". In this track, Jennifer tells her puppy that she is going to let her have her 15 seconds of fame. Then, you hear a small dog yipping and howling. I had a puppy that passed awhile back and the first time I ever played that around her, she ran into the room, looking around with her ears all perked up. She was going crazy trying to figure out where that sound came from! It still cracks me up and makes me smile when I think about it.

Well, that's all for now. Until we meet again, take care and "let the music play!"

by wildangels

For those who don't know or forgot about it, Movies Rock was a celebration of the relationship between music and movies. Artists sang some of the biggest movie songs ever and there was a countdown of the greatest music moments in movies. I didn't get to see it all, but here are my personal favorites from the show...

1) Carrie Underwood doing "The Sound of Music". For more on this, check out my Country Music blog.

2) Usher performing "Singing in the Rain". Let me just say that I'm not a huge fan of Usher. Ever since "Confessions" (horrible song, btw), he has just rubbed me the wrong way somehow. Still, the guy is very talented and proved it last night with a unique performance. Unlike the other aritsts I saw, his perormance was taped and inserted into the famous scene from the movie. Through the whole thing, his energy was great and he just exuded confidence and joy through the whole thing. His voice was great too. While he stayed true to the style of the original, there were a couple of moments where he added in a little something to make it his own and it worked.

3) Fergie singing Live and Let Die. This was a nice way for Fergie to close up what was probably the biggest year in her career to date. She performed the Paul McCartney tune with lots of energy and showed the crowd she has a strong voice. Between "Big Girls Don't Cry" and singing this last night, she has finally shown the public at large what Wild Orchid fans knew all along: Fergie can sing.

by wildangels

So, the annual Grammy Award Nominees have been announced. Here are a few categories I’m excited about and my thoughts on them...

Record of the Year: Beyonce, "Irreplaceable"; Foo Fighters, "The Pretender"; Rihanna, "Umbrella"; Justin Timberlake, "What Goes Around... Comes Around"; Amy Winehouse, "Rehab". If you read some of my other posts, you know how I feel about the Beyonce song. While "Umbrella" and "What Goes Around..." are kinda catchy, I have to give the edge to Amy. I love the old 60s sound of "Rehab"... I just wish the song was not so depressing at this point.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Christina Aguilera, "Candyman"; Feist, "1234"; Fergie, "Big Girls Don’t Cry"; Nelly Furtado, "Say it Right"; Amy Winehouse, "Rehab". I really want either Fergie or Christina to get this one. The retro sound of "Candyman" was just fun and how do you deny that voice? I kinda give the edge to Fergie just because this is the first song she released from The Dutchess where her vocals were able to shine. All the other tracks were pretty much rapping.

Best Latin Pop Album: Papito, "Miguel Bosé & Varios Artistas"; Jorge Drexler "12 Segundos De Oscuridad"; Luis Miguel, "Navidades Luis Miguel"; Jennifer Pena, "Dicen Que El Tiempo", Alejandro Sanz, "El Tren De Los Momentos". There is only one winner in this category for me: Jennifer Pena. Dicen was the best CD she has released so far and showed so much growth as an artist. I’ll post some thoughts on it another time.

In other grammy news, Kelly Clarkson was almost totally shut out. Her only nomination was in the Country collaboration category for "Because of You". Not liking the song’s chances. Check my Country blog for more on that category.

Metallica is also up for some Grammy love this year. They’re nominated under the Instrumental Rock category. I always loved "Enter Sandman", but I didn’t get more into listening to them until recently. My boyfriend’s a huge fan and has been introducing me to more of their material and I’m loving it, so hopefully they can pull off a win.

Another favorite of mine up for some Grammy Awards: Bon Jovi. They’re nominated for CD Lost Highway . Oh, and let’s not forget the nom for "(You Want To) Make a Memory" in the Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category.

Finally, there’s Christina. Besides the nod for "Candyman", she’s also up for best pop collaboration for her duet with Tony Bennet. It’s called "Stepping Out". Too bad Back to Basics didn’t get a nod. That was a great Pop Music CD.

by wildangels

Hello, music fans!! I hate to start off a posting day on such a down note, but this is pretty scary: Mexican musicians are dropping like flies recently, and it appears to be organized crime related. I don’t know what is going on here, but something better be done pretty fast to deal with this. Who knows how far it will go if it’s not? My thoughts are with all of the bands and families that have been affected, as well as prayers for the safety of others. Check back in a little while bit for another post about some other stuff.

by wildangels

Now that the year is coming to an end, I going to start reflecting on some of the things that have happened this year. One of those is the new releases in 07.

Is it really 07 or 1997? Hard to tell from some of the releases out there. Suddenly, the Spice Girls have reunitied, Britney and the Backstreet Boys came back with new releases this year, as did Celine Dion and Mandy Moore. I admit it, I like some of these people and would love to see Mandy get some more success as a singer but still...

Makes me curious as to who will try to come back in 08. Will Justin finally decide to quit the solo game and reuinte with NSync? Will WIlla Ford quit doing movies about Anna Nicole and go back to singing? I shudder to think what the future holds.