no all i'm saying is that distortively painting an album out by its one wild abberation is a very different thing to the other big grab-bag albums being discussed
djp waving his dull little blade in the middle of the gunfight as usual
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 13 June 2012 21:27 (11 months ago) Permalink
So yes, you are playing that card.
― Victory Chainsaw! (DJP), Thursday, 14 June 2012 00:53 (11 months ago) Permalink
tha fuck?
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 June 2012 00:56 (11 months ago) Permalink
haha whut
― they loooovin the crut (The Reverend), Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:04 (11 months ago) Permalink
dude plays bass and this is how he chooses to show us?
― some dude, Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:05 (11 months ago) Permalink
ya rly
― they loooovin the crut (The Reverend), Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:19 (11 months ago) Permalink
http://www.thefader.com/2012/06/12/usher-high-note/
I fucking hate that we didn’t have a camera rolling when we created it, because it was so cool how it happened. Redd Stylez [another “Climax” co-writer], myself and Ariel, we just kept talking about it and I kept throwing the melodies. And then we started jotting the lyrics. Second verse I didn’t even give anybody no time to say anything. I said, I got it, I got it. Instantly. It was a little bit of Coldplay that I pulled from.How do you translate Coldplay into “Climax?” I never would have heard that. I told you, you never know when it’s gonna be useful. That’s naturally where I went. I don’t know how it worked, but in my vast library of stored musical references, I kind of flipped through and found that one like, Yeah, this would be perfect there.
How do you translate Coldplay into “Climax?” I never would have heard that. I told you, you never know when it’s gonna be useful. That’s naturally where I went. I don’t know how it worked, but in my vast library of stored musical references, I kind of flipped through and found that one like, Yeah, this would be perfect there.
"vast library of stored musical references" is pretty funny. Album is pretty great
― Number None, Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:20 (11 months ago) Permalink
everyone in the R&B and hip-hop world owns Coldplay records
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:24 (11 months ago) Permalink
he doesn't even have to own them man
― Number None, Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:26 (11 months ago) Permalink
I apologise to all the indie fans of Foster the People that enjoy skinny chinos and drinking cider in the park with your t-shirts displaying a whitty remark but this is good. 1. He is playing bass, in the interview after this he spoke of learning to play the bass at about 13 and how it influenced a lot of his music. 2, it is a cover, so he can do what he wants with the song. The heavy guitar rifts work so well with the gospel type keyboards and 3, Usher is some top bloke. xox
chormeholmes 6 hours ago
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:39 (11 months ago) Permalink
heavy guitar rifts work so well with the gospel type keyboards
I'd never thought of it, but yeah, those elements are always an a+ dope combination.
― they loooovin the crut (The Reverend), Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:51 (11 months ago) Permalink
This is far from embarrassing. Depends on what place "Pumped Up Kicks" has in your heart.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 14 June 2012 01:56 (11 months ago) Permalink
Hi. Finally registered:
- Re: Born This Way — I am on record as liking the album more than most people (check my ballot), but for chrissakes, the last thing you can argue about it is not having a coherent aesthetic. (If your point is that the sales figure was inflated, it wasstill unquestionably one of the largest albums of the year.)
- Re: 4 — If this had come out in 2012 you’d have a case for “Run the World” being trend-jacking, but it was released right on the cusp of Diplo becoming the go-to producer for everybody. Plus, as was said, it’s one track (the last track) and thoroughly unrepresentative.
- Re: Up! — Even if this weren’t such a bizarre special case (two “separate albums” in three “separate styles,” though in practice they aren’t all that different), it’s not really what I’m talking about. The red disc and green disc (and blue disc) were all coherent enough in their own ways. To be comparable, Twain would have to have released one album with a couple red and green and blue tracks coexisting unhappily, with yellow and orange and, I dunno, ultraviolet ones elsewhere. Same goes for Private Dancer — charting on different formats is an effect, not a cause. I mean, “Rolling in the Deep” charted everyfuckingwhere, but that doesn’t mean 21 isn’t a coherent album.
- Re: my being dull-minded and predictable and deaf: Sorry.
― katherine, Thursday, 14 June 2012 02:15 (11 months ago) Permalink
Wow, this title track is really Empire of the Sun-ish. I would not have recognized this as Usher. Don't think it suits him really...
― MikoMcha, Thursday, 14 June 2012 06:54 (11 months ago) Permalink
ha welcome to ilx, katherine! i liked the piece, sorry you had to come and post just because you were getting beat up over it.
― some dude, Thursday, 14 June 2012 11:08 (11 months ago) Permalink
Wow, this title track is really Empire of the Sun-ish
THAT'S who I was trying to think of!
― old people are made of poop (Eric H.), Thursday, 14 June 2012 12:11 (11 months ago) Permalink
Yeah, I liked Katherine's piece as well. I think the point she's getting at with cultivating multiple audiences simultaneously through different production and music styles makes sense if you've been following these dynamics closely over the past couple years in pop, r'n'b and hip-hop as a fan. The argument might be a tricky to grasp otherwise since, as she points out, eclectic genre-jumping within major releases is certainly nothing new. But somehow with this development, each song stands so independent of an overarching album that the entire thing seems to add up to less than the sum of its parts.
In any case, one of the strengths of the article is that this isn't just reduced to the MP3/Spotify-era of listening (although that's a part of it, certainly). Maybe it's just that all these changes with consuming music have set off a deeper set of dynamics now. I have to say that Usher getting inspiration from Coachella to make a record this way strikes me as weird.
― MikoMcha, Thursday, 14 June 2012 12:44 (11 months ago) Permalink
i dunno i can totally picture Usher going to some big rock festivals and raves and being like "what? there are people in the western world who care about music besides Usher's music? something must be done!"
― bronytheus (some dude), Thursday, 14 June 2012 13:03 (11 months ago) Permalink
lol
― MikoMcha, Thursday, 14 June 2012 13:09 (11 months ago) Permalink
Wow, this title track is really Empire of the Sun-ish.
Luke Steele is his partner on the track, so that makes more sense than you realize.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:23 (11 months ago) Permalink
i would have absolutely no idea of Empire of the Sun's existence if that dude didn't work on a huge US pop album every year or so
― bronytheus (some dude), Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:26 (11 months ago) Permalink
i'm confused as to why he does so in the first place
― lamborghini persie (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:28 (11 months ago) Permalink
really liking this album. climax is still my favorite thing on it but i'm actually pretty pleased with most of it. the only song that really kinda disgusted me was "can't stop won't stop" (which had me scared for the rest of the album since it was the first track). really liking the danja and jim jonsin tracks in particular.
also prob an unpopular opinion but i don't mind "scream" at all, usher singing max martin isn't great but it doesn't get on my nerves either.
― teledyldonix, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:30 (11 months ago) Permalink
what i'm saying (xpost)
― bronytheus (some dude), Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:30 (11 months ago) Permalink
I'd love Usher singing a decent Max Martin song.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:30 (11 months ago) Permalink
Where does that main synth theme come from in "Can't Stop Won't Stop"? It's from another song or film score or something I've heard before.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:31 (11 months ago) Permalink
Oh wait...
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:32 (11 months ago) Permalink
It's like some doo wop song...
Oh, I'm fully aware of why Looking 4 Myself sounds the way it does. I guess I was expecting it to be not so explicitly that sound. But it seems like they asked him to specifically reproduce it for Usher. I'm guessing the lyrics are written by Luke Steele, as well. Phrases like "way better" strike me as really Aussie.
― MikoMcha, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:33 (11 months ago) Permalink
Shit. Is it Uptown Girl? xp
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:33 (11 months ago) Permalink
I'm gonna throw down the gauntlet and say that Here I Stand might've actually been better than this album.
― bronytheus (some dude), Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:34 (11 months ago) Permalink
Phrases like "way better" strike me as really Aussie.
"Way better" is something I hear all the time in the US.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:35 (11 months ago) Permalink
I knew I picked up on that. Probably just me projecting then :)
― MikoMcha, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:36 (11 months ago) Permalink
It's "Uptown Girl," yeah.
― maura, Thursday, 14 June 2012 17:53 (11 months ago) Permalink
i was glad i didn't read maura's article before listening to the album so i could experience the smh surprise in real time
― bronytheus (some dude), Thursday, 14 June 2012 18:00 (11 months ago) Permalink
anybody get a Raphael Saadiq vibe from "Twisted"?
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:47 (11 months ago) Permalink
no, it just sounds like the same flimsy lounge-funk that pharrell has been doing for half a decade now
― lamborghini persie (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:48 (11 months ago) Permalink
Saadiq at his least interesting records flimsy lounge funk
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:50 (11 months ago) Permalink
oh, well then yes!
― lamborghini persie (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:50 (11 months ago) Permalink
I haven't heard this yet and therefore cannot throw any gauntlets but I'm glad to see someone else stand up for Here I Stand if that's what you're doing
― da croupier, Thursday, 14 June 2012 23:56 (11 months ago) Permalink
here i stand up for Here I Stand
― bronytheus (some dude), Friday, 15 June 2012 00:48 (11 months ago) Permalink
my favorite Here I Stand-era joint wasn't even on the album
― they loooovin the crut (The Reverend), Friday, 15 June 2012 01:24 (11 months ago) Permalink
still havent listened to this because in my limited free time i just keep putting "IFU" on repeat. thanks a lot, rtc
― cissymanwhore (k3vin k.), Saturday, 16 June 2012 03:17 (11 months ago) Permalink
yeah great song, rtc. didn't even realize you were working with usher.
― lamborghini persie (J0rdan S.), Saturday, 16 June 2012 03:25 (11 months ago) Permalink
k3vin's signed up to mix the next one
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 16 June 2012 03:26 (11 months ago) Permalink
― cissymanwhore (k3vin k.), Saturday, 16 June 2012 03:32 (11 months ago) Permalink
rtc first big-upped the song here iircn which is what i was referring to
― cissymanwhore (k3vin k.), Saturday, 16 June 2012 03:33 (11 months ago) Permalink
am i the only one who really loves "lesson for the lover"? it's got that slow, dirty, propulsive thrust i love about terry's best ballads
― cissymanwhore (k3vin k.), Sunday, 17 June 2012 03:27 (11 months ago) Permalink
Love "Show Me" so much, it joins select Dawn Richard in suggesting R&B can and may sometimes choose actually to do fun and interesting things with the house template. Every little component dovetails so perfectly.
Also fuck yeah "Euphoria" in fact.
I basically like-to-love everything except the first two songs.
― Tim F, Monday, 18 June 2012 10:02 (11 months ago) Permalink
"show me" is great... i love how the vocals kinda float on top of the percussion
danja's two productions on the album are brilliant, it's great to hear him but it makes me wish he was doing more work
― lamborghini persie (J0rdan S.), Monday, 18 June 2012 14:18 (11 months ago) Permalink