Rolling Teenpop 2007 Thread

Wow. I'm listening to "Kill the Lights" off the new album. Chuck, this is gorgeous stuff.

The fact that they sound like sweet like Book of Love (and maybe Missing Persons or Berlin, for all I know) used to and take melodies from "Crimson and Clover" (in "Movies") definitely does not hurt...

Will definitely check this out. Book of Love are without question my favourite 80s/90s band I didn't pay nearly enough attention to at the time.

Words cannot express how much I loathe that "Arms Race" song, though. (MCR, from what I've heard, are much, much better, though still not nearly good enough).

Another sort of likeminded band I keep trying to get into but who go right past me: the Hives. Anyone here recommend something by them that doesn't sound so, I don't know, boxed in or monolithic? Or maybe that's the entire point of them? (It has to be more than the boxed-in or monolithic quality that bugs me about them, because there are lots of things I could describe that way which I do like... Maybe it's the combination of sounding boxed-in + the irritating scrape of the vocals?)

Did you dislike (or hear) "Hate to Say I Told You So"? It's the only track they've done that I can actually distinguish from their other tracks.

ACtually, that one's kind of catchy, I admit. Though I hate the gurgle that ends each chorus.

I mean, the vocal gurgle/tick/whatever you want to call it (I think I need to listen to it again to see if this makes any sense).

I like the Hives fine! (At least partially because I can hear rocking in their rock.) And their new album might actually be the best one I've heard by them. Here's the review I wrote for Billboard:

THE HIVES
The Black and White Album

Seven years after breaking worldwide out of Sweden’s eternal garage-revival scene, this color-coordinated quintet have somehow managed their liveliest, most playable album. Its cartoon-tuneful energy pogos all over the place: An opening volley blowing stuff up (“Tick Tick Boom”), an expert AC/DC homage about being broke (“Square One Here I Come”), equestrian Pixies new wave (“Giddy Up!”), 1966 frat-rock party voices, Motown basslines under laughs and cackles and yelps. Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist has an awesome knack for repeating simple declarative mantras into hooks: “I was right all along,” “I can’t go on and I gotta get goin’,” “Whatcha gonna do? Here he comes for you,” “No job! No skills! No money! No nothing!” And when tempos occasionally downshift (Eric Burdon baritone verses in “Won’t Be Long”; creepy crawly keyboards in “Puppet On A String,” even a robotically falsettoed Prince-circa-“Kiss” attempt in the Pharrell-helmed “T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.”), the fun still doesn’t drain away. C.E.

I do want to hear this now. I clearly haven't given them a fair shake.

"Tick Tick Boom" is the only Hives song I've heard in about six years (not counting a background listen when their album was streamed several months ago on AOL Music), so if they're only repeating the same song, it's a good one, because that one's a blast (though rather weightless, as blasts go).

Frank, I actually mailed you my extra copy of the Hives CD last week (along with my extra copy of Little Big Town, Hurricane Chris, and a couple other stray things.) Watch your PO Box...

Miley Cyrus's "See You Again" is up to 933 spins on Top 40 radio, which isn't tremendous but is significant and beats any recent Disney product that I can think of other than Plain White T's. Is in the top ten on WHTZ in New York.

But Ashlee's "Outta My Head" only got nine Top 40 spins in the last six days. I told you radio wouldn't touch it. Its only hope is massive download action convincing radio guys to give it a chance; or if/when a video appears, strong play on TRL and Launch Yahoo and AOL Music.

Britney's "Piece Of Me" jumps to 2,132 spins, possibly stimulated by the new video, in which she seems awake and happy. (OK, is the video released or just being "previewed" on selected sites (and all over YouTube)? I'm understanding release schedules less and less these days.)

Taylor Swift's "Teardrops On My Guitar" up to 4800 spins (which puts her at number 11 on mainstream radio); not sure which version is getting the top 40 play: there's the original and there's a new version with added harmonies and guitars (though same amount of teardrops), which is what's getting played on Disney.

Ashley Tisdale's "He Said, She Said" up to 881 spins on mainstream Top 40. I hope it goes higher but I'm afraid it's topping out. Minor play in New York and Philly, not getting any other major markets.

Lip Gloss placed on PFM's singles list (#27). Umbrella hit #5. The top 4 are predictable indie choices (LCD, Battles, Panda Bear + M.I.A.).

On a cooler note, Christgau's list (http://www.slate.com/id/2179977/entry/2180085/) has Piece of Me at #2. Every time I hear the song, it seems better and better to me. My friends and I have started blasting it, or singing it, whenever we see each other.

Best part from Christgau's article: Let's get this party started quickly. Journey sucks. They sucked in 1981, they'll suck in 2033, and they suck now. Who gives a fuck what Tony Soprano thinks?

But Toto's on my list.

"Africa" was, like, everywhere this year, wasn't it? Well, it was on the JoJo song as well as a Mims remix I heard (neither of which I loved, but both did make me hear how gorgeous the original is--totally a dead ringer for MJ's "Human Nature," which makes sense given the band is essentially the same, no?). Someone on facebook pointed me to another hip-hop version of "Africa," but I think it was a bit older and I forget now who it was.

I actually liked this from Xgau's essay:

naming your favorite albums of the year before the year is even over is impossible by definition. I really need till Feb. 1 to get the year under my belt.

But with pop-culture news cycles sped up beyond anything that anybody with any sense (or who doesn't get paid for it) would want to keep up with, those days are long gone -- Scores of publications have published best-of-the-year lists already, and Pazz & Jop and Idolator ballots are both due this week, which basically means year-end music (inasumuch as it exists anymore, given slimmed December release schedules) gets the shaft unless it hits you right away; either that, or you vote for albums without actually having had time to live with them (just like how now it's mandated you review them everywhere without living with them first.) (Not that I'd expect my ballot -- which I already filed this weekend -- to change in the next few weeks. But then, I never do. And if I have three more weeks, it always changes anyway.)

Also, just noticed this on his (tentative, I assume) year-not-quite-end album list:

23. Soulja Boy: Souljaboytellem.com (Interscope)

Billboard's top 10 singles of the year:

1. Beyonce - "Irreplaceable"
2. Rihanna ft. Jay Z - "Umbrella"
3. Gwen Stefani ft. Akon - "The Sweet Escape"
4. Fergie - "Big Girls Don't Cry"
5. T-Pain ft. Yung Joc - "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')"
6. Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats"
7. Plain White T's - "Hey There Delilah"
8. Akon ft. Snoop Dog - "I Wanna Love You"
9. Nelly Furtado - "Say It Right"
10. Fergie ft. Ludacris - "Glamorous"

Not a lot with a teenpop flair there. Last year's #1, "Bad Day", didn't get a single vote in P&J or Jackin Pop. This year's top 2 figure to do better.

I still think that "Gimme More" and "Get Naked (I Got a Plan" and "Freakshow" are all better than "Piece of Me".

Blackout has now taken over as my #1 album of the year.

Also, just noticed this on his (tentative, I assume) year-not-quite-end album list:

23. Soulja Boy: Souljaboytellem.com (Interscope)

I noticed this...has he written about it anywhere? It's hard for me to listen to the album all the way through, even though I do like it. Kind of begs to be scattered around to other places/mixes. It's REALLY annoying all in one sitting (kind of in a good way, but annoying is annoying). I also like the idea that kids are probably using this album to bug the hell out of their parents.

CELEBRITY NOSES! Ashlee Tisdale now looks like this.

Apparently Fall Out Boy was nominated 4 times by different PFM writers, but they all nominated different songs from each other (Hum Hallelujah, Thnks fr the Mmrs, I'm Like a Lawyer and The Take Over). MCR's Teenagers only got one nomination. Aly + AJ got two nominations for PBS (14 on one list and 20 on another). I don't know how the aggregations work, but I would've thought that would've been enough for them to place

Greg, it's funny but outside Piece of Me, the one song that keeps sticking out to me on Blackout is Radar (where "On my radar" starts to sound like "Amaraida," a far more exotic annunciation.)

mord otm re: "radar". i like to here it as "amaretto" with an a at the end instead of an o. favorite song on a pretty okay album.

The Britney Spears, she be sippin' amare-TTA

Jessica Poptastic heard "Radar" as "Because I got you gonorrhea."

I note that the Britney got album votes in P4k in a Ewing/Finney/Trousse trifecta.

Fall Out Boy also polled pretty well on the P4K list and must have just missed the top 50. It had two #4 votes and a #13 vote (I think).

FYI, This is what Ashlee Simpson currently looks like.

Ashlee bounces off wall in new vid, Sigmund provides no help

Very silly in a good way, ambitious too, though I still think the song is about her mom. Of should be. (I know little about her mom except that I found her very appealing berating Ashlee for not knowing how to mop the floor in episode one of the Ashlee Simpson Show.)

In MTV's description of the vid, Timbo plays the psychotherapist, but either the vidmakers replaced him or there's a longer version that isn't up on Launch Yahoo.

Maybe Timbo couldn't get permission from his studio to be in the vid.

My ears and eyes and everything but the airplay numbers tell me that "Outta My Head" is a hit. How can it not be? (But I'm still afraid it won't.)

Of should be = Or should be

Teenpop Hava Nagila from Lauren Rose:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgdHjWPuCrI&

Bullshit! They don't show the feet during the so-called hora! I contend that it's a fake! (But it sounds good. And she looks like Ashlee used to, except she smiles too much.)

I love how (her own?) YouTube page calls it a "Christmas single release" and calls it the "re make of Hava Nagila" (a remake of the Will To Power original version, right?).

Omg. I totally picked up on the Ashlee thing too. In fact, when my editor sent me the link and asked me what I thought, I said I thought she looked like Ashlee Simpson.

Dear Lauren Rose, who I have barely heard of, please do not have a nose job or I will be very unhappy.

Your devoted fan.

Frank

I think she's exactly 50% old-Ashlee and 50% old-Ashley (Tisdale).

Fergie's Glamorous as sung by the Constance Billard Choir on Gossip Girl:
http://cwtv.com/thecw/images/music/gossipgirl/Glamorous.mp3

Also, if I can find it, they sang Santa Baby on last night's episode.

Dear Lauren Rose, who I have barely heard of, please do not have a nose job or I will be very unhappy.

I could easily turn that comment into a question about Ashlee Simpson and Jewish physical stereotypes. But I won't.

Hm, Ashley Tisdale is Jewish.

Yeah, dabug, on Monday, March 19, 2007 7:38 PM (9 months ago) on this thread, I linked to an American Jewish Life article about her Jewishness and her Bat Mitzvah (or lack thereof).

Radio report: Miley Cyrus's "See You Again" at 1,109 spins on Mainstream Top 40 stations (puts it at #35 in that format); added in Roanoke, Portsmouth, Saginaw, Lansing, Burlington VT, Augusta, Knoxville, Buffalo; rising in Atlanta, Philly, and Miami; holding strong but not gaining on Z-100 in New York. Radio Disney still not playing it (insanely having chosen "Start All Over" as the next Miley track to push (not that it's a bad song, but don't the Disneyans notice they have a potential breakout hit in "See You Again"?). Although New York numbers indicate the song will peak in several weeks, the adds suggest that it has the potential for a steady climb up the charts à la Pink's "U + Ur Hand." (But the Pink song had a video and was by an established Top 40 radio act.) Taylor Swift's "Teardrops On My Guitar" has gotten its second wind on Top 40 stations and is at #11 with 4,904 spins. Britney Spears' "Piece Of Me" is at #28 in the format with 2,199 spins but doesn't seem to be tearing the place up. Ashley Tisdale's "He Said, She Said" has climbed to 906 spins and was added in Wilkes-Barre, McAllen (?), and Canton but won't go much higher, since it's falling on almost as many stations as it's rising - unless Rolling Teenpop's discussion of Ashley's nose reinvigorates airplay. Ashlee Simpson's "Outta My Head" got thirteen spins in Phoenix and two in Reno. None on Radio Disney ("L.O.V.E." got about three). So a whole lot depends on response at TRL and Launch Yahoo, I'd think. Or maybe someone who doesn't post on this thread or Poptimists will also notice that the song is catchy.

Billboard Hot 100: Jordin Sparks' "Tattoo" is #8; Sara Bareilles' sub-sub-Tashbed "Love Song" is rising fast at #16 (Tash's "Love Like This" f. Innocuous Roly Poly is holding on at #19, one behind Innocuous Boy's "Take You There"); Taylor Swift's "Our Song" at #21 and "Teadrops On My Guitar" at #24; Britney's "Piece Of Me" is #45 (#20 in downloads); Miley's "See You Again" is #78.

Frank, what stations in Atlanta are playing "See You Again"?

WSTR 94.1 FM ("See You Again" is #33 on their playlist with 18 spins)

Also, if you're in earshot:
WHHD in Augusta 98.3 FM (#27 with 17 spins)
WCGQ in Columbus 107.3 FM (#26 with 21 spins)
WFBC in Greenville 93.7 FM (#24 with 31 spins)
and WZAT and WAEZ in Savannah (2 spins each)

Rolling Teenschlock Talk 2008: Britney's sister is allegedly preggers. (Or: Britter's sister is allegedly preggy.)

Ack. My Jackin' Pop ballot is due tomorrow... Is Gunpowder & Lead a single for 2007 (even though it's officially being released in 2008).

Idolator will count it because they're counting "tracks." I think "G&L" was released as a single, then rescinded as a single by the label. They now claim that it wasn't a single (I think they talked about this more on the country thread, so I might be misremembering). Right now it's slated as a single for 2008 according to Wikipedia, but I'd just count it toward 2007. (And anyway, your vote will still count toward next year if it's released and people vote for it in 2008.)

Crazy one shot video for Miley's "Start All Over." They seem to have blown the opportunity for a Fefe Dobson cameo.

I've heard "See You Again" on the XM top 20 channel. It's nice that the best song on that album is a hit, I wasn't sure they'd even try it as a single.

oh man, the new ashlee is spectacular. Someone put it on the ILX year end poll since I missed it before voting.

re: nose jobs:

sketchy magazine covers aside, Ashlee's nose job is great. Just about the perfect nose job.

Tisdale's on the other hand is a horror I've yet to wrap my head around.

Via Frank via Jeff W, Aly and AJ doing Bullseye acoustic (Youtube rip fairly LQ and ending is cut off). I think the vocals are identical but the arrangement's pretty different. It's good, replaces grungy power chords with something closer to Peter Gunn, then to meet its grunge quotient (not sum) goes into something that reminds me of Pearl Jam for the bridge.

xp I will never recognize this as anything but awful:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y95/nameom/plastic.jpg

Ashlee Considers Making A Metal Record
"It's about making a silly comment and turning it into a song. What if I do a metal record? I think it goes with how you are, where you're at, and right now I'm in an easygoing, fun-loving time."

The new album is now called "Bittersweet World."

First, it was the rumors that none other than Robert Smith, morose and made-up frontman of the Cure, was helping write songs for the record (note: not true). Then, there was talk that the album would see her rolling out an alter ego named Vicky Valentine (also not true). And finally, there was news that Wentz himself was contributing songs, which — you guessed it — also turned out to be false.