CD of the Week: Graham Colton

GRAHAM COLTON
"HERE RIGHT NOW"
(Universal Republic, 2007)

I first caught wind of The Graham Colton Band back in 2004, when I found out that Drew Nichols, formerly of the early '90s pop group PC Quest, was a member. On the strength of that fact alone (which gives you a clue of how low my resistance to buying CDs has been in the past), I decided to take a chance and buy their major-label debut, "Drive". I ended up enjoying their tuneful, hooky brand of Southern rock more than I expected to -- so much so that I was more than willing to pick up Graham Colton's new solo album when I spotted it on the horizon.

Mr. Colton has gone "solo" only inasmuch as he's dropped "The ... Band" from around his name; he's still backed by a full band, though it's not made up of the same members. He's also adjusted his sound from quasi-country-tinged prairie rock to more mainstream pop-rock. The album is a fine, even mix of ballads and upbeat rockers that just about anyone can enjoy. Lead single "Best Days" (a questionable choice, as it risks confusion with Matt White's album and song of the same name) is a sweeping, anthemic waltz; "Forget About You" is probably the most rocking track on the album, and an early favorite of mine (the lyric "I am useless, young and stupid, for thinking I'll get over you" has a meaning for me that I'll choose not to elaborate on at the moment, thank you); "Take You Back" another heartbreaker of a ballad; "Whatever Breaks My Heart" has a title that makes you expect to hear a ballad, but surprises you by being one of the most energetic and catchy tracks of all; and the steady pulse and dreamy echoing of "Let It Go" make it a perfect closing track.

He certainly didn't need them, but Graham Colton peppered this disc with guest artists: Rooney frontman Robert (Carmine) Schwartzman, power-popster Bleu McAuley, and singer Rachael Yamagata do backing vocal turns (hmmm ... another album featuring Rachael ... maybe that means I should check out her CD?), and Will Owsley plays guitar on one track. The album may not be completely perfect (a few of the lyrics here and there are not all that inventive), but all in all this is an enjoyable CD from a talented artist that I'll be keeping an eye on in the future.

Song of the Week: Still Be Loving You

"Still Be Loving You"
Phoenix Stone
from the album "Phoneix Stone" (Universal, 2000)

There isn't a whole lot out there about Phoenix Stone that I could find ... just a small biography on allmusic.com that describes how he had been into singing and acting since his pre-teens, and that he briefly studied classical voice at the University of South Florida before he went into pop songwriting and singing and was discovered. I was under the impression that he had originally been signed as a member of the Backstreet Boys but left the group before they recorded their first album, but I couldn't find anything from any reliable sources that confirm it.

Anyway, Phoenix Stone recorded a self-titled solo album back in 2000 that was not bad at all. Take a listen to this upbeat tune, for example -- but be aware, most of the songs on the album are ballads. He's got a good voice, he wrote or co-wrote every song, and he even plays some instruments on several of the tracks (and you gotta admit, he is fairly easy on the eyes, too). It's not a spectacular album, to be honest, but it's good enough that I'd like to have seen him put out another one. I wonder what he's up to now...?

CD of the Week: Duran Duran

DURAN DURAN
"RED CARPET MASSACRE"
(Epic, 2007)

I'm going to venture a guess that most of my readers are significantly younger than I am, and don't yet know what it's like to experience the ecstatic thrill of witnessing an artist that they've been listening to for 25 years (since I was in middle school -- you can do the math) come out with one of the best albums of their entire career. Duran Duran have been ahead of their time from the beginning -- just pop in one of their early albums and you'll be amazed at how fresh it still sounds -- so when I heard that the guys were collaborating with Timbaland, Danja Hills, and Justin Timberlake for this record, I was intrigued. One of the most cutting-edge pop groups of the '80s coming together with some of the most visionary musician-producers of today? Bring it on!

I may have momentarily wondered if the Danja/Timbaland/Timberlake influence might dominate the proceedings, but for some reason it didn't linger in my mind long enough to become a concern ... and as it turns out, my faith was well placed. This album brings back the classic, innovative techno-dance-pop of Duran Duran that I grew up with, while at the same time updating it for the new century. Pulsating tracks like "Nite Runner" and "Zoom In"; the trippy soundscapes of "Skin Divers", "She's Too Much", and the freaky instrumental "Tricked Out"; and the swaying ambience of "Falling Down" and "Last Man Standing" -- every track is a winner, and it's often hard to tell where Duran Duran end and Danja/Timbaland begin. (Justin Timberlake's involvement is mostly limited to the lead single, "Falling Down".) And, of course, it wouldn't be Duran Duran without the stellar voice of Simon LeBon, which is still every bit as spry and vivid as it was 25 years ago.

After the band's initial split following their third album, it seemed inevitable that they would quickly fade into history, but they made an unexpected comeback with the excellent self-titled 1992 album (a.k.a. "The Wedding Album"). As it turns out, Duran Duran have had as many peaks and valleys in their career as Madonna, and that they can and should be a chart-worthy act for many years to come. Anyone who doubts that should take a listen to this album. Their age may keep them from appreciating it for the same reasons that I do, but on its own merits the music should make them react the same way I did: with a quietly awestruck "Wow."

More Horrid Album Covers

Sorry, but I don't have a podcast for you again this week ... I have a bit of a cold, so my voice wouldn't sound very good. But don't worry ... next week's podcast will be coming at ya with a whole bunch of cool new music (birthdays are nice!). In the meantime, just in case you might have been intrigued by my previous post of bad album covers, I've found a couple of websites that you should check out:


LP Cover Lover -- Matthew and Tony are record collectors from New York City who've been accumulating crazy/shocking/bizarre album covers for years, and have been kind enough to show them to us. It hasn't been updated in awhile, but I just discovered it, so there are plenty of weird and wonderful finds to dazzle (or frazzle) the senses. I hope you can keep 'em coming, guys!










BizarreRecords.com -- Well, the name says it all. This site is run by Nick DiFonzo, who bestowed upon us the book I mentioned in that previous post of mine, "Horrifically Bad Album Covers". Here he gives us a huge visual gallery of the album covers he's collected ... some of which are in his book and some of which aren't. I could gawk at these in amazement for days on end!

Song of the Week: Grounded

"Grounded"
Stir
from the album "Holy Dogs" (Capitol, 2000)

I don't know much about the rock band Stir, other than that they're from St. Louis, Missouri. Their major-label recording career consisted of two albums, the second being the 2000 release "Holy Dogs". Like several other bands over the years, they fell victim to changes in the personnel and ownership of their label, which left them unpromoted, lost in the shuffle, and eventually dropped.

I mentioned this song before, and I thought I'd finally share it with you. It's a somber but lovely ballad on an otherwise energetic album. The vocal harmonies on this song are especially beautiful, and when the melody builds to its goosebump-inducing finish, it's practically guaranteed to put a lump in your throat. The CD is now out-of-print, but you should be able to find a used copy of it inexpensively, either online or at an independent store. It's worth seeking out.

CD of the Week: Gareth Gates

GARETH GATES
"PICTURES OF THE OTHER SIDE"
(19 Recordings/UK, 2006)

It's only been four years since Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates' last album, but it feels like it's been significantly longer, given the growth of his sound. Sure, he's still a pop singer, but in the same way that Take That are still a "boy band". Now, don't get me wrong -- "Pictures Of The Other Side" isn't nearly the work of art that "Beautiful World" is, but it's a significant leap beyond Gates' previous two albums. Every aspect of the album, from the sound of the vocals to the structure of the instrumentation and the composition of the melodies and lyrics, seems far more natural and mature than his past efforts. Gone are the teen-friendly, synth-pop dance tracks ... but that's just as well, 'cause he'd probably sound a bit silly singing those anyway. Few if any people will even notice those types of songs are missing; the album still provides plenty of breadth to keep us entertained.

The lead-off track, "Changes", with its ebb-and-flow between verse and chorus, was an interesting choice for the album's first single release ... obviously meant to drive home the point that he's "all grown up". Fans of Darren Hayes might find a few things to like in this album: while there are no actual contributions from the Australian synth-pop craftsman, shades of his sound appear in the verses of the title track before the choruses shift into more traditional instrumentation ... but the closing track, "Talking Minds", is a strongly Hayes-flavored affair: a swaying, hypnotic, digital lullaby in which Gates' vocals even sound kind-of like Hayes'. There's no shortage of upbeat tracks, either: "Lost In You" sounds almost like an outtake from Backstreet Boy Nick Carter's solo album thanks to the slightly raspy attitude he puts in the vocals; "Electric" is a decent lite-funk track; "New Kid In Town" is an enjoyable pseudo-rocker; and "Afterglow" has a steady glide of a beat that makes it sound like a lost Keane or Coldplay B-side.

At only ten tracks, running about 41 minutes, the CD might seem a bit short, but the videos from the first two singles are on the disc as a nice bonus. I don't know if this album sold well enough to warrant continuation of his record contract, but I sure hope so ... I'm willing to follow Gareth Gates' recording career for the foreseeable future.

Song of the Week: Umbrella

"Umbrella" (no, not that "Umbrella"!)
Bottlefly
from the album "Bottlefly" (Universal, 2000)

I've gotta hand it to myself, in that I have actually been able to avoid what's been probably the most unavoidable song of the year; I wouldn't know Rihanna's "Umbrella" from anything if I heard it on the radio ... in fact, I actually had to call up the iTunes store and play a sample of it to see what it sounded like (and I think I can safely say that I'm not eager to hear McFly's version of it, as much as I love them). It's no surprise, then, that whenever I hear mention of a song with that title, it's not her R&B single that comes to mind, but rather this infectious pop-rock ditty from British group Bottlefly, which featured Richie Wermerling, previously of the band Let Loose.

Bottlefly only put out one album, but it was a good one. I tracked it down after I heard one of its tracks, "Long Time Coming", on a budget compilation years ago. This here song reminds me a bit of McFly's "Little Joanna" in that it has somewhat silly lyrics which are easy to forgive thanks to the fine melody. Another song from the album, "Got 2 B Luv", made appearances on more than one soundtrack, but it apparently did little to boost the album's sales, and the group never released a second disc. It's a real shame, considering what an appealing mix of upbeat tracks and mellow ballads their debut was. So, give me this "Umbrella" over Rihanna's any day ... and I'd like to hear McFly's take on this one...!

CD of the Week: Kalan Porter

KALAN PORTER
"WAKE UP LIVING"
(Sony BMG/Canada, 2007)

I know, I know, I just posted a song from this album a few days ago ... but, like I said, things were kind-of going crazy at that moment, and I'd been chomping at the bit to get my hands on the album for weeks, so it was pretty-much destined to be a "CD of the Week" here. Hey, just be happy I didn't mention him at all in my latest podcast! Anyway, I must say that Canadian Idol Kalan Porter's second album (the first sophomore release from any Canadian Idol, by the way) was worth just about every minute of the wait.

On the surface, this album seems like nothing special -- your basic collection of radio-friendly pop songs. But dig deeper and you'll find a young musician stretching his creative talents. Having top songwriting credit on most of the tracks in this collection, Kalan delivers deeper lyrics (no doubt a by-product of the emotional journey that his mother's battle with cancer took him on) and finer melodies. But the highlight for me is that Kalan Porter voice ... probably because of the reason I've mentioned a couple of times before: the fact that such a rich, full voice bursts forth from such a waifish lad.

Nearly every track on the album is enjoyable, and there's plenty of variety in the tunes, so something's bound to please someone: the lofty, inspirational opener "Down In Heaven", the playfully cocky rocker "Hurray", the gorgeous waltz "Try" (worthy of Rufus Wainwright, and with a wall-of-sound feel that would make Phil Spector* proud), the darkly upbeat "Karma King", and the delicately beautiful ballad "One Last Try". Judging from Kalan Porter's artistic progression from his first album to his second, I think he's got a long career in music ahead of him, and I hope to see more albums from him in the future. I'll definitely be buying the next one!

*back when he was a talented record producer and not the psycho-looking, under-suspicion-of-murder dude he is now

Thnairg's Podcast: Episode 3

Well, here it is, a week late but (I hope) worth the wait:

Thnairg's Podcast: Episode 3

This was originally intended to be just a "random songs" podcast, but it ended up becoming a "best of 2006" theme (only ten months late!), in which I feature some of the albums I highlighted in my "Hit Parade 2006" mix CD that I gave to friends and family last Christmas.

Now, for those of you who have that CD, don't worry -- the songs I picked for this podcast are all different than the ones on the CD, so you'll get to hear a second song from each of the albums that were featured on that collection.

Artists featured in this podcast include Bent Fabric, Landon Pigg, Holly Brook, Big City Rock, and more! So, don't waste another second ... dig in, and enjoy!!

Song of the Week: Destination (Where I Belong)

"Destination (Where I Belong)"
Kalan Porter
from the album "Wake Up Living" (Sony BMG/Canada, 2007)

Thanks to a slightly weird week, capped off by a plumbing malfunction this evening here at home (wish us luck living without running water for the next day or so), I've had almost no time to think about what to post as the Song of the Week. So, thank goodness for Canadian popster Kalan Porter ... I just got his CD in the mail yesterday and am still on a bit of a high from it, and from this song in particular.

There's just something I love about that five-note melody that forms the foundation for the verses ... it soothes and relaxes me. And so does that lush, hearty voice of his ... it seems to totally make the song what it is. I do still have to fully "digest" the disc, but my first impression is definitely a good one. Kalan gets to exercise his songwriting skills, taking first credit in most of the tracks. I have a feeling this song will be my favorite of the album -- or at least it'll be tied with "Hurray" (but only because that one features Kalan's violin playing and this one doesn't). Well done, Kalan ... no "sophomore slump" here!