Friday night shuffle XI

I put the ol’ iRiver on shuffle and post the first five songs that come up.

Bob Dylan – Most of the Time: This is one of my favorite Dylan songs of all time (though it doesn’t sound anything like my other favorite Dylan songs). It’s sad and melancholic and all those other sorrowful words that sum up break-ups. The words are almost painful to hear as Dylan sputters them out almost aggresively, suggesting the very irony of his own words. Regardless of the relatively ‘recentness’ in contrast to his complete discography, it was the first album to do relatively well on charts after a series of born-again Christian gospel records that comprised the 80s. But it’s Dylan, so you know…you won’t regret downloading it.

Piotr Rubik – Please Don’t Go: Yeah, sorry, this shuffle is getting depressing with another break-up song, but you know. Whatevs. Rubik is a successful Polish pop singer with almost flawless English. This song has another mopey feel to it, complete with violins and angst-ridden lyrics (“Please don’t go! Please don’t go!”).

Bon Jovi – Let It Rock: From the band’s highest-selling album, enjoy the opening track of Slippery When Wet, “Let It Rock.” It pretty much sounds like classic early Bon Jovi, you know, a rock-organ intro and predominantly electric guitar riffs. I’ve never really been a huge Bon Jovi fan, but this album is alright.

Placebo – Daddy Cool: Placebo is known for doing plenty of official cover songs, notably “Running Up That Hill,” the almost transcedently awesome cover of Kate Bush’s 80s synth track which made a huge hit in 2006 after being featured in an episode of The OC. Honestly, I can’t choose which song is better, they’re both so musically opposite, yet complement the lyrics both ways. “Daddy Cool” is a rock rendition of an old disco number by group Boney M., one of the many disco groups I was subjected to as a child, having a mother whose favorite performing group used to be ABBA. I was shocked that Placebo would pick such a (semi) obscure disco song to re-do and I was pleasanty surprised to find it used a few of the original vocals, simply placing more rhythm guitars and wasn’t all too bad (more accessible than the original, anyway).

SMAP – $10: SMAP is one of Japan’s all-time most popular boy bands. Of course, the word “boy band” means something different to the Japanese; sure it’s a group made up of boys who sing pop songs and dance, and are made up of the “cute” one, the “quiet” one, etc…but aside from their lack of vocal skills, the group is quite talented in other ways. The boys have been around for almost two decades, making their debut in 1991, and have since gone on to host an exceptionally popular show, SMAPxSMAP that features guest celebrities (both Japanese and American) whom they cook for. They also perform songs, compete in competitions and have short comedy sketches. Each member has gone on to pursue relatively successful solo projects, either in music or TV/movies. This song is a notable early single released in 1994 that was recently resurrected as a duet with Japanese pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki on a recent episode (it was quite comical hearing Hamasaki warble “I want you lady” in English, probably unaware of what she was actually saying).

Chihiro Onitsuka finally making music again

♫ Sodatsu Zassou

Chihiro Onitsuka has a bit of a sordid history with record companies, as I’ve mentioned previously. After leaving Toshiba EMI in 2004 after they released a singles box against her wishes, Onitsuka signed up with Universal. During her time at the new record label, she released only one single, Sodatsu Zassou, which was almost a complete change of her typical folk-rock musical style. Fans were generally shocked, though not at all appalled; the song was still quite good. Personally, though, it was a bit of a disappointment on my part; what made Onitsuka such a great musician was her unique melodies, consisting almost solely of compositions comprised of piano, drums, acoustic guitar, and violin, all which made for a very unique listening experience, especially with her somewhat twangy accent and nasal tone. “Sodatsu Zassou,” was, and I hesitate to say it, mostly because it really didn’t matter in terms of why I didn’t enjoy it so much, more commercially acceptable with its clean-cut production; it just mattered that the single wasn’t all that great, especially in comparison to the absolutely amazing work she had previously been putting out. It appears that one of the reasons Onitsuka changed her style so much was to get away from the image she had with Toshiba EMI, an attempt to start over after she lost all of the rights to her entire back catalogue.

Since this release in October of 2004, Onitsuka has been rather absent from the music scene on a whole, not releasing any material for two and a half years due to “mental fatigue” (her old record company, however, released The Ultimate Collection and Singles 2000-2003 in a last ditch effort to bank on a lost artist). Luckily, Ontsuka has been making apearances and showing signs of activity once again; on March 17 of this year, she performed a brief live of two songs and the new single her official site has finally announced, a single titled “everyhome,” to be released at the end of May. I’m very excited to see what the piece will sound like: if Onitsuka will turn back to her distinct, folk-rock sound or continue to expand on the rockier edge she hinted, nay, blatantly alluded to, with her last single. Furthermore, Onitsuka has promised a new “come-back” album of sorts, alongside a future concert tour. What do you know, 2007 is actually starting to look up.

Hilary Duff’s “Dignity”

Hilary Duff / Dignity / April 03, 2007
♫ 01. Stranger / 05. Gypsy Woman / 12. Outside of You

I almost feel like posting a disclaimer first, something that might save me embarrassment and humiliation upon even deigning to write this, something along the lines of: I do not usually listen to music like this or, I realize this is very sad, or else, I usually have pretty good music taste, I just slipped because, you know, apparently it’s like, totally un-cool to listen to mainstream music now. Either way, it has to be said: Hilary Duff’s new album is not bad. And by not bad, I mean, pretty good. What I think made this CD so likable, besides several factors like production and the ever scientific catchy chorus factor, is that it seems Duff is finally embracing her hip pop side and has totally, if not completely (and finally), given up on trying to be a “rock star.” But Dignity, by employing mostly electronic and computer generated instruments along with the maybe 40% makeup of organic instruments finally flows and fits her vocal niche; while still retaining light, painstakingly feminine vocals with an almost utter disregard for emotive passion, the range finally goes hand in hand with the unnatural percussions and sporadic synth bleeps.

Unlike her previous albums, with songs dedicated toward the tween audience composing the bulk of material, Duff has managed to align her new sophisticated and angular, grown-up cheekbones with the biting and sometimes cutting anger and “you can dance” (props for the Madonna reference) nature of the upper teen audience, making an album more accessible to fans who have grown up with her and no longer find The Lizzie McGuire Movie an apt nominee for an Oscar.

The album opens strongly with “Stranger,” an upbeat and catchy number that illustrates the workings of a typical pop number but with an edge: the guitar riff and the fact that Duff is singing it and it’s still good. Other standout tracks include “With Love,” the second single released for the album, an upbeat dance number of almost club-like proportions, and of course, “Gypsy Woman,” probably the best song on the entire CD, alluding to, perhaps, a certain ex-boyfriend and his certain new girlfriend; either way, the Middle Eastern vibe and hip hop composition sit well, if not fantastically, with me, although I will probably deny this later (along with Fergie’s “Glamorous,” and believe I’m wincing while I admit this). What’s also noticeable about the album is that there are no brief interludes where Duff takes us on an epically bad ballad or acoustically sedate journey; it really is a get-up-and-go album and although there are still brief references to her pseudo-rock girl phase as in “Happy,” a song written earlier in her career and rehashed for album immortalization, it doesn’t detract from the overall coherency of the album.

One of the downsides to the album is that the tracks unfortunately begin to lag in the second half of the CD. It seems most of the show-stopping numbers were thrust into the first half to engage the listener, leaving behind a lackluster finish and I find myself mostly fiddling with the first six or seven tracks whenever I pop in the album, but admittedly, they are the tracks that make the CD so great, so what’s the harm in that?

♫ Official Site
♫ Buy Dignity