MaestroBlog Update

Where the hell was I during September?

Well, to be completely honest, there just hasn't been that much to blog about. lolz.

But in all seriousness, I've been trying to find new ideas, but they just haven't come to me yet. I still have a big post coming in October, one in November, and don't forget, when December rolls around I'll have the 2nd annual MaestroBlog Awards, The Top 25 Albums of 2013, and the Top 40 Songs of 2013! Maybe some Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials along the way, too! And of course, I'll be keeping you updated on the latest fall music and I promise there will be more "Song of the Day" segments!

But back to September. Only 7 posts, which means that my haul for this month wasn't nearly as thrilling as last month. MaestroBlog garnered 587 views, bringing my total count to 7339. My views-per-post average is now 32.9, up 1.5 views from last month. Also, it's notable that for some reason, September 27 brought in my largest one day haul ever, gaining 132 views in 24 hours. I honestly don't know what sparked this, but I'll take it! 

Life as a music major is going swimmingly, I actually dig music history! I'm getting extremely busy, but I will always find time to share my new findings with you all, as well as keep you somewhat entertained along the way! And as always, thank you so much for reading MaestroBlog! If you faithfully read this, I love you. Ok not really, well, maybe a little bit. Getting attention is new to me okay??! :)

Icona Pop-"This Is..." Review

With a single as gargantuan as "I Love It", it's no surprise to see why Icona Pop blew up in 2013, in the thick of EDM, an era where pop was being processed through computers instead of drum machines. Its simplicity and downright catchy hook was the perfect combination to create a ear-worm with some serious staying power (and staying power is the right word; it took over a year for "I Love It" to sweep the globe). The problem with a song like "I Love It", however, is that it's too simple, the production appealing but ultimately placid. Moreover, when setting up an album, this type of song would set up "This Is..." to be just as mundane, with a couple songs that set the standard for disposable Euro-pop. So it's surprising to hear that, while there are a few songs that sound like retreads of "I Love It" (second single "All Night" is a prime example, while "We Own the World" and "Girlfriend" build upon its blueprint and expand it slightly), this debut is decidedly not one song proceeded by ten derivatives of it. Towards the end of the record, Icona Pop vary their hit-making formula with the ballads "Just Another Night" and "Hold On", both songs showcase their soulful vocals while flashing enough depth to prove that they're not just a passing fad. Other than these two tracks, the rest of "This Is..." thrives on a relentless Euro-disco, all songs are innocent enough to paint Icona Pop as just two girls having fun at a club, but their free use of profanity, not to mention their palpable sexuality (have you seen that album cover?), all reveal that their music is not for the faint of heart. Especially with their shouting choruses, epic bass drops and glitchy electronics (mostly present in the nadir "Ready for the Weekend"), "This Is..." is a DJ's set with its sights on the dance-floor and a sound set in the purest pop imaginable. No song here comes even close to the four-minute mark, so this entire enterprise comes and goes within a half-hour. Now that's not to say that it feels as short as it actually is, as the first seven songs strain to get away from "I Love It" comparisons, the back half of the record is weighed down by a crash from the high-octane first half. It's not as consistently strong as, say "Stars Dance", but what "This Is..." does well, is that it offers further proof that Icona Pop truly live up to their name.

Recommended Tracks:

1. I Love It                                          2. All Night                         3. We Got the World

4. Ready for the Weekend             5. Girlfriend                        6. In the Stars

7. On a Roll                                       8. Just Another Night     9. Hold On

10. Light Me Up                                 11. Then We Kiss

Britney, Katy, and Miley-Who's New Song is Best?

Well the Fall Music Season is off to a great start! More and more artists are starting to reveal their new records (Britney Spears will release her eighth on December 3!!), and alot of big names are coming back (Cher, anyone?). But recently, three pop divas released their brand new singles: Miley Cyrus first arrived with "Wrecking Ball" (which is currently number one on the Hot 100 because of its music video), then Britney Spears surprised us with "Work Bitch", and merely days later, Katy Perry unveiled the second single from Prism, "Dark Horse". So much to talk about, so let's get to it!

Miley Cyrus-"Wrecking Ball"

So we've all seen the music video, it has Miley licking a sledgehammer, really weird stuff. But we're talking about the song, silly! And actually, it's pretty good. I don't know about you, but I actually like Miley's ballads, she can portray sadness rather well, and she only gets better at doing this as she gets older. During the bridge, you can almost hear her crying, which makes "Wrecking Ball" all the more affecting. In regards to who this song may be addressing, it could very well be Liam Hemsworth, since it talks about breaking-up and the regrets of the relationship. If this is the case, I think Miley has captured her emotions brilliantly, especially with the lines "Don't you ever say I just walked away, I will always want you" and "All I wanted was to break your walls, all you ever did was wreck me". This suggests that Miley wasn't the only one with issues during her relationship, maybe Liam wasn't acting his best, either. Since this song, a mournful tune about love, comes after "We Can't Stop", a peppy song about partying, it's hard to deny that Miley can pull off both types of songs. Her vocals have definitely improved since her "Hannah Montana" days, and she can now carry her gigantic hooks with efficiency. That's the best part of "Wrecking Ball", it's so easy to enjoy just on the surface, but it contains a deep message. Even if Miley isn't talking about Liam, she's made a hooky break-up song that's recognizable the very firs time you hear it. That's hard to achieve for any artist, but it's doubly impressive when you remember that Miley is only 20 years old. Like party queen Ke$ha, she might just be one of the most under-appreciated artists of this decade. She's put out two strong singles already from "Bangerz" (out Oct. 8), so it gets me excited to think about how strong the rest of the album will be.

Katy Perry-"Dark Horse"

To Katy's credit, I know she's trying really hard to vary her sound and dig beneath the crass shallowness of her last two records, and "Roar" was a confident step in this direction, but not every thing she does is going to be captivating. A prime example of this is her latest single, "Dark Horse". The first thing she did was take a Hip-Hop approach, which gives her music a different flavor...but that still doesn't separate it from her tendency to chase every modern trend available. Everybody has been leaning towards hip-hop since "The 20/20 Experience" came out, so Katy doing it really isn't that big of a stretch. She begins "Dark Horse" with a four-note motif that repeats throughout the rest of the song, and it, by itself, sounds good. When the verses start, then it gets pretty stale, and this is the biggest problem with the song. While there are haunting melodies and appealing beats, there are no hooks here, either in the melody or the words. That's not necessarily a bad thing, melodic songs can be just as addicting as pop confections when done right, but "Dark Horse" is undone by its skeletal production and yes, Juicy J. What made "Bandz A Make Her Dance" awful is present here: his flow is too staccato, his name dropping of Jeffrey Daumer is outdated, and he doesn't add anything new to the song. Ultimately, though, what disappoints me about "Dark Horse" is that its a good type of song to theorize about, but when put in practice, is not all that appetizing. Moreover, fans selected this song to be the second single off "Prism", and I am not looking forward to having this blow up the radio. It's just not that type of song that's accessible to everyone, and those who don't like Katy Perry will find more fuel to the fire here. "Prism" is out Oct. 22, but judging by just "Roar" and "Dark Horse", I'm actually pretty nervous about how good it will actually be. Katy could get away with a hype letdown with "Roar" because it was the lead single, but she's released a less than impressive song twice now.

Britney Spears-"Work Bitch"

"You want a hot body? You want a Bugatti? You want a Mazzerati? You better work bitch!"
That opening line is enough to give this song 4.5 stars on its own. But first I'll address everyone's question: what is with that British accent? I mean, if it's an artistic choice I get it, but she didn't start doing it until this year, so I really want to know where it comes from. Anyway, the reason why this song is so bad ass is because of its message, which is basically: You want something? You gotta work for it! And this applies to anything: fancy cars, a smokin bod, Parisian parties etc. They're not going to come to you, you have to go out and get them yourself. This is a great work-out song, and will most likely be the soundtrack to every motivational speaker from now on. Who knew Britney could be so deep? Well, having will.i.am doesn't hurt, he produced this song and took primary writer's credit. But this isn't "Scream and Shout" part 2, even if it is very repetitive and sometimes banal (the only problem this song has). Will is working for Britney now, so it looks like he went the extra mile to give her the sound she deserves. And he pulled it off too, as he varies the composition of "Work Bitch" between every verse and chorus (also, that bass drop at 0:45: FTW). This is a banger with a good message...say what??! What's really awesome about this song is that Britney has never been a trend-setter nor on the avant-garde, two things that "Work Bitch" is. Furthermore, in the recent EDM boom of 2013, it's so refreshing to hear an EDM track not sound like standard issue pop. Britney's vocals aren't any better than they were fourteen years ago (yes, she really has been around that long), but that doesn't detract from an otherwise, sleek, sexy blast. Her eighth studio album will drop Dec. 3.

Obviously, out of the three songs here, Britney's is by far the best. It illustrates that while Miley and Katy will try their hardest, Britney's stature as a pop princess and a pop veteran will always carry her farther than her competition. This is mainly due to the fact that while Miley and Katy are trying to prove their artistic prowess, Britney has never been that kind of artist. She makes music because she likes doing it, not because she's trying to change the world or expand music's horizons. She can sing whatever she wants at this point, because she has nothing to prove. All three of these songs are worthy enough to add to your i-Tunes library, and in the end, I am still anxiously awaiting their respective parent albums. This is sure to be a fall to remember, man!

Owl City-"Maybe I'm Dreaming" Review

Before he was plagued by insomnia and dreamed about fireflies, Adam Young (aka Owl City), was your typical introvert. He kept to himself, didn't socialize well, but at the same time, longed for love in a world that's a bit more cheery than this one. Indeed, the concept of dreaming is one that Young knows in and out, and all of these grand ideas come together in his laregly forgotten debut "Maybe I'm Dreaming". Originally released in 2008, this mysterious and charming album comes in with a rush of all sorts of colors and weird noises. But to get the tired gag out of the way: yes, this does sound like the bright flip-side of "Give Up" by The Postal Service, but given Young's sweet and naive disposition, the comparison is hardly intentional. Maybe it's because he's so darn loveable, but it's hard to hate "Maybe I'm Dreaming", especially with its perfect harmonies, lush production, and shyly confident vocals from Young. And while The Postal Service may serve as a blueprint for Owl City's sound, its core foundation is all due to Young. Since this is technically his first album, there's a palpable sense of excitement here, so he's also more willing to experiment. He crafts these songs in the wide landscape of electronica, but records them with modern sensibility. Notice the crashing drum machine in "Dear Vienna", or the piano interludes in "This is the Future". These types of sonic adventures would eventually be phased out on his later material, so they give "Maybe I'm Dreaming" a more irresistable appeal. Ironically though, the two worst moments on this record are the original versions of "On the Wing" and "The Saltwater Room". While they were standouts on Owl City's 2009 smash "Ocean Eyes", here their stripped down, straightforwardness pale in comparison not only to their alternative versions but to the rest of this record. Other than these two placid ballads, "Maybe I'm Dreaming" has no duds, each song is executed with conviction and panache. This record also catches Adam Young before his enormous popularity, so his mythos and emotions are captured more consistently. This is, in part, due to the lyrics, which are more concrete than Owl City's subsequent albums ("Good evening shuttle bus, where will you be taking us?" to cite one example). There's no talk of eating pavement or rivers that taste like fruit, so the idiosyncrasies in the music intrigue rather than frustrate. To put it simply, this record skillfully synthesizes Young's aesthetic abilities while capturing Young's production skills at a peak. It's Adam Young at his best, a fact actually driven home by his proceeding material. Later, he would expand on the ideas presented here, but as his star grew brighter, he would end up losing focus and created hollow records. Even if none of these songs astound quite like "Fireflies", this doesn't stop "Maybe I'm Dreaming" to be a thoroughly impressive and wholly enjoyable album.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. On The Wing                                 2. Rainbow Veins             3. Super Honeymoon
4. The Saltwater Room                   5. Early Birdie                6. Air Traffic
7. The Technicolor Phase         8. Sky Diver                        9. Dear Vienna
10. I’ll Meet You There                   11. This is the Future  12. West Coast Friendship

Sheryl Crow-"Feels Like Home" Review

It's hard not to roll your eyes when hearing "Feels Like Home", Sheryl Crow's eighth album, tauted as her first country effort. Not only because Crow has always leaned on country melodies and roots-rock, but also because much of her music relied on acoustic guitars and old-fashioned values, so country music never really seemed like that big of a stretch. Question is, is how much different could Crow make "Feels Like Home" from other material? Well, to put it simply, she essentially adds a few banjos here, throws a few ballads here, and tops it off with a few twangy guitars there. Other than those few subtle, but key, differences, this is straight-forward Sheryl Crow. Bedecked throughout the tracks is her uncanny knack for squeezing in pop culture, as she takes down Hollywood in "Crazy Ain't Original", homage to core values in "Stay At Home Mother", and in some cases, retains her wide musicality, providing drum-machine beats for "We Oughta Be Drinkin'". All of these elements create a warm and inviting listen, both to long-time Crow fans and country audiences alike. Unsurprisingly, Crow bridges the gap between rock and country seamlessly, as "Feels Like Home" has very little filler (most likely to conform with country music requirements), and the whole thing clocks in at 44 minutes, making this her shortest album. The only flaw that undercuts this record is that while Crow is working with big country names (Brad Paisley, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally), but she's not quite able to inhabit the role of a country starlet. While this is a good record, one of Crow's best, it doesn't make her a contemporary to Kacey Musgraves or Miranda Lambert, and as much as she wouldn't like to admit it, the striking similarities between this and, say "100 Miles from Memphis" and "Detours", illustrate her as a rock artist with country influences, not the inverse. But the one or two tracks brought down by this (you are hereby advised to skip "Best of Times") don't detract from what's otherwise a sturdy, melodic, and engaging set of music. Sure there are too many slow cuts and it meanders half-way through, but as a whole, it feels like it's projected length and resonates past it. "Feels Like Home" won't change the world like "Tuesday Night Music Club" and "Sheryl Crow" did, but it does catch Crow in full control of her voice, her sound, and above all else, she has finally turned into the country artist we knew she always would be.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Shotgun                           2. Easy                                  3. Give It to Me
4. We Ought to be Drinkin’ 5. Callin Me When I’m Lonely 6. Waterproof Mascara
7. Crazy Ain’t Original    8. Nobody’s Business          9. Homesick
10. Homecoming Queen    11. Best of Times                  12. Stay At Home Mother

Nine Inch Nails-"Hesitation Marks" Review

 

It's no surprise that Trent Reznor once again waited a few years before delivering a new record, as he's taken long breaks many times before. What's surprising is that since 2008, he simply put Nine Inch Nails into hibernation. Getting married and subsequently raising two toddlers probably led to this, but there was also a suspicion of whether or not Reznor took full advantage of those five years. It doesn't take long into "Hesitation Marks" to realize that he didn't simply settle into domestic life. Reznor is too restless an indivdual, but that doesn't mean he hasn't changed since he started a family. If anything, he benefits largely from it, creating a record that glides so easily on his new-found peace. He's not as concerned with his usual turmoil anymore, so instead, he points his songs towards the universal. Since it is 2013, "Hesitation Marks" sets its sights on the dance-floor, albeit one with black lights instead of strobe. It's more electronically based than Nine Inch Nails has been in a long time, each track works on a steady neon pulse. The beats are hardly the only notable thing here: the melodies are also some of Reznor's best, and each song is accompanied with layered harmonies and a lush, hypnotic production. The hooks are also sharp, too, and give "Hesitation Marks" a warmer approach than its predecessors. But make no mistake, Trent Reznor has not gone soft. This is drenched in his signature "black noise" (as he so calls it on the album's last track), but this time, he's also canny enough to differentiate between light and shade, knowing when to let his emotions boil and when to cool off. This gives off a slick illusion of warmth, almost overshadowing how mechnical NIN sometimes is. At its core, this record is still pretty much rooted in industrial rock, and with all music of this genre, typical problems still rear their heads. For the most part, "Hesitation Marks" is much too long, sometimes unnecessarily so, and Reznor's vocals are as hard as ever to understand; a tangled web of hushed diction and muddled syntax. While this is an undeniably appealing record, it's hard to discern what Reznor is even singing about, thus stripping away part of the emotional affections from the tales of a suicide attempt. This would be a major downfall, but the saving grace is that "Hesitation Marks" sounds so good, ultimately obscuring the words anyway. What's most impressive about this record, is that it provides further proof of Trent Reznor's gifts as an artist and songwriter, and he's smart enough to flesh this album out, placing equal balance on rhythm and melody. And while everything NIN has produced since "Year Zero" suggested that Reznor would eventually lose his edge, this album prooves that he can continue to re-invent and refine their music, even 25 years after their truck-stopping debut.

 

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. The Eater of Dreams       2. Copy of A             3. Come Back Haunted

4. Finding My Way          5. All Time Low        6. Disappointed

7. Everything                      8. Satellite               9. Various Methods of Escape

10. Running                          11. I Would for You 12. In Two

13. While I’m Still Here     14. Black Noise



Ariana Grande-"Yours Truly" Review

Ariana Grande was born to be a star. Performing in musical theaters since a child, she landed a role in the Broadway musical "13", managed to steal the spotlight from Victoria Justice in her show "Victorious", all the while delivering some seriously phenomenal covers of modern pop music. So why did it take three years to finally get a debut album in stores? Perhaps it was due to the underwhelming performance of her debut single "Put Your Hearts Up", or it's possible that Ariana simply didn't have time to record, since she was kept busy by "Victorious" and her other TV ventures. A more definitive clue, however, may lie in the fact that about a month prior to the release of "Yours Truly", Grande switched the album's title from the original "Daydreamin". Take that into account, and add a surprise summer smash in "The Way", and it's apparent that Grande's biggest influence is Mariah Carey, but she doesn't want to be a mini-Mimi. She'd rather be a star in her own right, so she conflicted with her record label about the direction of her debut, opting for a revised 90s R&B sound rather than a bubblegum-pop vibe in the vein of her TV character. It's pretty ironic, though, as the head-numbing roster of songwriters and producers all try to give her the star-making material she so clearly deserves, going as far as to blatantly rip-off other melodies (see "The Way" again, as it interpolates "A Little Bit of Love" and the lyrics to "Still Not a Player"). Clearly, neither Ariana nor her collaborators learned the lesson of "Put Your Hearts Up"-- which was a watered-down "What's Up?" from 4-Non Blondes--as much of "Yours Truly" is centered around old-school samples, not necessarily as obvious as "Hearts Up", but it's still a bit unnerving all the same. And while that's the only problem with this record, it's a considerable setback, as it was meant to propel Ariana into higher stardom as a singer, not a character. Indeed, "Yours Truly" could be simply put as Cat Valentine meets JoJo, as the syrup is swept across the ballads "Almost is Never Enough" and "Honeymoon Avenue", but the core structure of early 90s hip-hop/soul remains intact with "Baby I" and "Daydreamin". That's not to say that it's all in an unpleasant fashion, because as much as Ariana Grande would love to pull of her own persona, she's never the less able to sell the song she's given. Her charm and sensually sweet vocals bind "Yours Truly", which is no small feat considering that the production can be so laid back, the album kind of drifts away, most of the songs end cold and a bit unresolved. There's no denying that Ariana can make a good record, her prowess has already been proven with "Victorious" and by her own YouTube videos, but "Yours Truly", unfortunately, is not that record. It ends up being good enough, it's not as hip as it thinks it is, but it's smooth and listenable. It's a start, now if Grande can get out of her default mode of covering other artists, then things would get interesting (this being proven in the album's last song "Better Left Unsaid", which boasts an EDM hook and a fresh hip-hop production, two things that hint at what could've been).

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Honeymoon Avenue                   2. Baby I                   3. Right There

4. Tattooed Heart                            5. Lovin It                  6. Piano

7. Daydreamin                              8. The Way              9. You’ll Never Know

10. Almost is Never Enough          11. Popular Song   12. Better Left Unsaid

Fall Music Preview

Alright, I'll do it. So, what artist are you most excited for: Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Eminem? Well, there's them, and so many more, that are making returns to the mainstream in the Fall of 2013. Among these artists are Cher, Avril Lavigne, Arcade Fire, Ludacris, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Nelly, and there's alot more where those came from. The fourth quarter may still be a month away, but Autumn is coming fast, so let me give a sneak peak of what's to come for the rest of the year. Enjoy!

September 3
Ariana Grande-"Yours Truly"
Blood on the Dance Floor-"Bad Blood"
Tamar Braxton-"Love and War"
John Legend-"Love in the Future"
Nine Inch Nails-"Hesitation Marks"

September 10
Sheryl Crow-"Feels Like Home"
Janelle Monae-"The Electric Lady"
Goldfrapp-"Tales of Us"
2 Chainz-"B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time"
Gloria Estefan-"The Standards"
Keith Urban-"Fuse"

September 17
Justin Moore-"Off the Beaten Patch"
MGMT-"MGMT"
The Roots & Elvis Costello-"Wise Up Ghost"
Placebo-"Loud Like Love"
Avicii-"True"

September 24
Cher-"Closer to the Truth"
Drake-"Nothing Was the Same"
Jason Derulo-"Tattoos"
Icona Pop-"This is...Icona Pop"
Kings of Leon-"Mechanical Bull"

September 30
Justin Timberlake-"The 20/20 Experience Part 2"

October 1
Moby-"Innocents"

October 8
Miley Cyrus-"Bangerz"
Panic! At the Disco-"Too Weird to Love, Too Rare to Die"
Korn-"The Paradigm Shift"
Altar Bridge-"Fortress"

October 15
Mary J Blige-"A Mary Christmas"
Cults-"Static"

October 22
Katy Perry-"Prism"
AFI-"Burials"
Def Leppard-"Viva! Hysteria"

October 29
Kelly Clarkson-"Wrapped in Red"
Arcade Fire-"Reflektor"
Toby Keith-"Drinks After Work"

November 5
Avril Lavigne-"Avril Lavigne"
Eminem-"The Marshall Mathers LP 2"
M.I.A.-"Matangi"

November 11
Lady Gaga-"ARTPOP"

November 12
R. Kelly-"Black Panties"
Less Than Jake-"See the Light"
Jewel-"Let it Snow"

And that's all I have for now! I told you it was only a sneak peak, remember? I don't know about you, but I'm really frickin excited for Fall now. So many albums to buy (let's see if I'll have enough money to buy them!). 

...Ok I'll give you a few more expected albums. These sets don't have an official release, but are tentatively scheduled to be released in late 2013:

Chris Brown-"X" (this is supposedly going to be his last album. and nothing of value was lost)
Rihanna-"TBA" (she's released on album a year since her career began, why should 2013 be any different?)
Beyonce-"TBA" (some say she scrapped it, others deny it, either way, there will be an album from the Queen B sometime in the future)
Shakira-"TBA" (this is only rumored)
Ludacris-"Ludaversal" (he has to release it sometime!)
50 Cent-"Street King Immortal" (same goes for him)
Britney Spears-"TBA" (a guy can hope, can't he?)