Rolling Teenpop 2006 Thread

http://cureforbedbugs.blogspot.com/

"Dave," (Dave Moore?) you have to be on this thread, right? Because here is the middle of your "recent music" list:

Marit Larsen - Under the Surface
Miranda! - Sin Restricciones
Hope Partlow - Who We Are
Marion Raven - Who I Am

ah...and jojo is and/or was not a grown up, i guess. but still. (alicia keys is not old, either, but she makes old people music anyway, and i have yet to hear a song by her i liked.)

also, um, they do not do a queen song! i meant "dancing queen" BY abba. (though on the subject of queen, my daughter says that a country girl on *american idol* did a great version of "bohemian rhapsody" during an all-queen tribute episode a couple weeks ago. i would love to see that; sounds wacky. does anybody know if she did the entire song??)

"Leave (Get Out)" is a good song - a great song, actually - and I think JoJo was age-eligible for Girl Authority when she recorded it. I agree that it's indistinguishible from "adult" r&b, but I'll also point out that some 13-year-olds do fuck around and then get pissed when you leave "her number on my phone" etc.

I've only played the first Girl Authority track and it's not pointless in that you have a bunch of different girls spelling out banana one after the other, which you don't get in the Gwen Stefani version.

But someone should do a girl group that's a cross between Girl Authority and Weird Al Yankovic.

xpost

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0247,saunders,39983,22.html

By the way, has anyone here heard the first Destiny's Child CD, which they released when Beyoncé was 16? Sheffield once told me that he loved it.

OK, I just listened to the Girl Authority version of "Leave," and the thing is that, except for the girl who does the "oh-ohs" at the end, they might as well be reading the lyrics off a teleprompter for all the meaning and conviction they give the song. So it's just a weak performance, a bunch of kids singing a pop hit. Whereas Jo-Jo nails the song. Anyway, xhuxk, it might not be that the song feels disturbingly grown-up but that the kids sound disturbingly not-grown-up when they sing the "grown-up" lyrics. Whereas Jo-Jo may sound young but she doesn't sound like a kid, so I don't feel the cognitive dissonance in the sound. (Though for me, the Girl Authority version isn't disturbing, just thin.)

I'm still kicking myself for leaving "Leave" off my 2004 Pazz 'n' Jop ballot.

(But the Girl Authority "Hollaback Girl" really works, may be more bananas than the Gwen version, and less mannered in its bananasicity.)

Xpost I'm sure nameom has read everything Metal Mike's written for the Voice.

Pretty much. From that review:

Aaron Carter's older and Backstreet Nick's younger sister, Leslie Carter

Hasn't been mentioned but she's been making new music recently, available at her Myspace. (Type of Label: None)

(and also - -see above -- i really don't like that Amy Diamond hit all THAT much. I think it's okay -- a 7.5 or 8.0 on the old *Radio On* scale, I guess. And since we're now on the subject of songs-Frank-burned-for-me, I will now say that my favorite song so far on the Marion Raven album is "At the End of the Day" [is that the one with the Art Alexakis duet?], though most of it, for instance "For You I'll Die" and "Six Feet Under" [I just finished season five, I think, though they all run together when you have to wait for DVDs to hit Netflix] are fine, though I have barely listened to it so far and my opinions are fairly worthless. Clearly, However, "Ch!pz in Black" by Ch!pz blows pretty much the entire Marion album out the water. Also, "Complicated" by Bon Jovi wouldn't necessarily have been the *worst* song on *Slippery When Wet* had it been on there, but would've been close. Though it's pleasant.)

(and also, approximately 50 percent of all bubblegum songs in history, all the way back to the Archies and the Ohio Express, can be taken to be about oral sex. This is old news.)

I never thought I would be right where I am now getting ready for a showcase that I hope will change my life and bring me closer to all of my dreams. Doing this without my families help and unfortunatly without there love and support its been hard and at times I didnt want to continue on like this but I have realized that the only thing that keeps me going is all of my fans support throughout the years. You guys have been great to me, even just a friendly little reminder saying I can do it gets me through the day, I love yall. So many people want to know whats going on and I want everyone to know the truth because I hate LIARS but no one really likes a liar right? Anyway, I left my mom 3 months ago and it was hard to do but I had to. After my parents divorced my whole world changed and I had to take responsibility for myself. My mom was alone and I couldnt just leave her alone. Someone had to be there to help her heal and I love my mom no matter how confused she is...deep down she is a good person and no one should hate her. I have to continue on and be strong for myself now. I am up here in Canada all by myself...I havnt spoken to anyone of my family members in a while. No one answers my calls. I take care of myself and it sux but its for the best in the long run. Now I am not writing this so that anyone feels sorry for me believe me. I am just telling the truth and maybe I am doing a little healing myself...who knows. All I know is that with all the effort that you have inside you or you think you may have inside you, you have 100% more that you may not even know about or know you had. Doesnt matter what happens from here on out what matters is I am alive and I have the ability to make myself happy. As long as I dont let anyone get me down...thats the key!

Biopic to come?

Well, not a girl group, but there is Devo 2.0. Although, listening to the Girl Authority clips on iTunes, Girl Authority sound like crap (Chuck: "It would be better here if the girls's voices were more out of tune, i would think" - Indeed) and Devo 2.0 sound great.

(More Leslie Carter. Don't know if this is an inadvertent double post, as I keep getting poxy fuled.)

Well, I think you hit the nail on the head. It's like some perverted creep i holding a gun to their backs, forcing them to blankly recite grown-up words they don't understand, with no bubblegum in the corner of their mouths whatsoever. (Not that the song had much gum to begin with, apparently.) (also, remember, ohio express and archies songs *weren't* sung by teenagers. and neither were poison's, or the jesus and mary chain's, or ????'s. had the jackson five or osmonds had sung about oral sex, that may well have creeped me out, too.) (which is not to imply that the jojo song is about oral sex. if it is, i haven't noticed.)

Coming from a family of famous entertainers (Nick and Aaron Carter), Leslie is ready to showcase her dream of being a songwriter and entertainer. With her unique and exciting brand of Punk/Rock/Pop, come witness Leslie’s Showcase live at the Lions Den in NYC...Wright Stuff Management has brought you the Backstreet Boys, NSync, and Pink.

Also, her Myspace has since moved to this address, where it turns out she's doing some kind of reality show.

I just talked to my family and I am leaving Canada on March 31st to get ready for this reality show. I finally have more information on it and hopefully Nick gave me the correct info anyway its going to be on the E channel and we start filming June 1st. So up until then I will probably be getting into shape. I really dont know what I am actually getting myself into with all of this but at least it will be a fun expierience and hopefully it will bring my family closer together.

Sound Soldier, Music Is My Boyfriend, I'm in My Pink Bulldozer, and Gonna Knock You Over. Jeez, and they're selecting from 70 songs.

now all of you can get to hear my ongoing breakdown critical analysis of Mylie Cyrus aka Hanna Montana. ha hahaah just kidding.

actually the single sounds GREAT on the radio disney, altho on TV i thought it was lame...funny. boombox spkr radio > TV speaker

what're the BEST old 70's - 80's silver-face intergrated power amps? (at the flea markets or thrift stores).

i used to love my old PIONEER 100-watt, which eventually got stolen i guess. have made do with a dumb Kenwood and a Akai (?) for my two stereo amps. i need to upgrade.

i just bought (used) the Kelly Clarkson album, and the 100 watts of Kenwood power aren't getting it done. I need to make actual dents in the wall facing the 4 speakers (two bookcase Sonys as mega-tweeters, on top of two name brand thrift store floor speakers...total cost maybe $29) in order to do justice to Max Martin - Dr. Luke's productoin values and PLAYING VALUES.

"all instruments (excepting drums) played by = Max Martin and Dr. Luke (aka whatever his swedish name is"

let's just nickname them "DrMx" (as in Doctor Max")

they are the gods of modern rock

and Max is still my #1 musical hero of all time

does he shoot heroin like John Lennon?
burn his brain out like Brian Wilson, John Lennon?
fake dumb motorbike wrecks like Bob Dylan?
is a asshole who's mean to his younger brother like Ray Davies?

no!

Dr-Max shits on all of them.

c'mon, let's hear johnboy, surfer brian, bob or ray try to write, produce, AND PLAY ALL THE INSTUMENTS on "Behind These Hazel Eyes" / "Since U Been Gone."

man now i'm only 18+ months behind the "New Pop Generation" curve!

skye sweetnam needs to hook up with Dr/Max next time out (3rd album) d'you think? no duh.

oh and here is the link to Dave's very swell and huge long "underground radio 2006" article. yeah man kick the f'n jams for the kids! kick em out! kicked em out!

i'm stunned at how great hannah montana's voice sounds on the radio ( = pure country accent like her daddy Billy Ray). and how dorkwad she looks on TV. lose the Hilary Duff wig, girl! get a Mohawk or a mullet! anything but that stupid blondie wig!

great "underground radio 2006" cover feature article from the Ithaca Times. a must read for anyone who still thinks that (pick just one) Phil Spector, the Ohio Express, ABBA, Max Martin,

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:T2KEnzr7jcMJ:cureforbedbugs.blogspot.com/2006/04/first-ever-lovemarks-photo-shoot-in.html+cure+for+bedbugs+%2B+%22thursday,+april+20%22+%2B+%22radio+disney%22+%2B+%22mike+saunders%22&hl=en

A week ago yesterday Brie Larson said, "

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=10483041&blogID=114808099&Mytoken=D0EAAABB-CF1A-4A30-BA5E42037A8D30E056552375

I would like everyone to tell me what they did last night, and incorporate the words "rhythm nation" in their brief synopsis.

That would have been a week ago last Wednesday, and I do not remember what I did, so I will tell you what I did last night: I did the laundry. The clothes were rolling, they were rotating, they were rhythmnating. But they must have been rolling and rhythmnating too hard, because when I pulled them out of the dryer I saw that my grey shirt had a rip up its sleeve. This must have been owing to all the rhythmnation, because I doubt that the shirt ripped itself. It's been depressed lately, but it's never resorted to cutting itself in the past, and I don't believe that it did so this time, either. It's just not the sort to do something like that. I blame the washer and the dryer.

Thank you for letting me share.

1.) Cheers Darlin' by Damien Rice
2.) One by Amiee Man
3.) Hang On To Your Ego by The Beach Boys
4.) Wondering Where The Lions Are by Jimmy Buffett
5.) Funny Little Frog by Belle and Sebastian
6.) I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better by The Byrds
7.) The Way I Walk by The Cramps
8.) See Emily Play by David Bowie
9.) Lose My Breath by Destinys Child
10.) No Radicals by the Flamming Lips
11.) I got Rythm by George Gershwin
12.) Spaceship by Kanye West
13.) The Painter by Neil Young
14.) Mrs.Mcgrath by Bruce Springstein
15.) Pleasures of The Harbor by Phil Ochs

(Frank, you should post to Brie's blog, chances are decent that she'll respond!)

And a good suggestion for Skye's next title from Metal Mike: THEY LET ME MAKE ANOTHER ALBUM!

First post contains this paragraph, originally from a letter I wrote John Wójtowicz:

Current "teenpop" - or the strain within it that most currently is capturing my attention, the part I'll call "rock confessional" - is actually without precedent, kids in their teens and early twenties working with a handful of music pros in their mid thirties, but the kids all included in the songwriting credits and creating (with the aid of those veteran pros) songs that are smarter and more emotionally complex than most of what you're getting from real grownup pop and rock performers (including the grownup pop and rock performers that the veteran pros also work with). But what this means is that these girls have no good models for how to expand and deepen their music as they grow into their twenties, and no preset market or genre to inhabit once they do, unless they create it for themselves. Well, no good models is my opinion. The girls probably all want to be Alanis, not realizing that they're already better. Kelly Clarkson's commercial success is heartening, as she's managed to do her agony and angst without shedding the sugar pop. But Ashlee, who's the best of the lot, is now only getting middling sales and poor airplay and is probably reliant on the tweeny-market that she'll shortly be losing. Maybe there's a way for Ashlee and the others to carry on with their pop craftsmanship and exuberance yet do Alanis and Fiona and KT Tunstall and Tash Bedingfield and Courtney Love and Craig Finn and Conor Oberst, but without Alanis et al.'s bullshit and obfuscation.

(And then I added that I'm hearing in Ashlee the potential to do Jagger or Dylan 1965 but to take it somewhere else, since she's basically a "nice girl," which means for better or worse she won't be tied to the alienation of a counterculture, so maybe she'll grow where Dylan and Jagger stopped dead.)

http://deathjam.blogspot.com/2006/05/lily-allen-live-at-notting-hill-arts.html

(Frank, the text on yr blog is tiny!)

Blog 27 have now covered Teddybears STHLM's 'Hey Boy'.

I apologise unreservedly.

Anthony, I couldn't list anything - hmmm, I forgot the Teddy Bears - but I did list the Shangri-Las!

But I will anyway.

Lillix "Sweet Temptation," first listen: Buzzing beats, even some sped-up Moroder. "Get back in touch with their rock 'n' roll roots." That's what they all say. Well, this is loud. Loud bubblegum (perhaps not unlike early glam, though the tune is '00s). Some breathiness in the singing; the singer finds feeling in the air puffs. This doesn't take me as far above the moon as "Rush" and "4ever" do, but it can at least inhabit the same sentence. Far better than I would have expected from Lillix. I'll have to revisit their first album.

Marie Serneholt "Calling All Detectives," first listen: This is breathy too, but a different kind of breathiness. Breaths from the lounge, breaths that waft. But a punchy kind of talk-singing eventually moves to the foreground. I like the push in the talk-singing, creating substance within the airy environs. But this track doesn't have nearly the immediate catchiness of her previous single, "That's the Way My Heart Goes." I'm not sure about this track. Given its style, it might take a number of listens to reveal itself. Stacey Q took a while to kick in; so did Annie. Maybe this will too, but I'm not expecting it to, obviously.

Serneholt seems more "Europop" than "teenpop" - not that music like this isn't 100% discussable on this thread. And Serneholt does have teenpop credentials from her days in the A*Teens. Has Metal Mike expressed an opinion on her yet?

(1) Lily Allen "LDN," (2) Dizzee Rascal "Fix Up, Look Sharp," (3) Beats International "Dub Be Good To Me," (4) Lily Allen "Smile," (5) Ludacris "The Potion," (6) ODB (f. Clinton Sparks?) "Pop Shots," (7) some dancehall guy, (8) Selectah "Wede Man," (9) Peter Barry "She Taught Me to Yodel," (10) Creedence Clearwater Revival "Born on the Bayou," (11) Lee Dorsey "Get Out My Life Woman," (12) Rod Stewart/Faces "Stay With Me," (13) Squeeze "Up the Junction," (14) Lily Allen "Knock 'Em Out," (15) Jammin' "Go DJ" mashed up with some other grimish thing, I think, (16) Specials "Friday Night, Saturday Morning," (17) some funky dubby thing, (18) Vanessa Paradis "Joe Le Taxi," (19) Janet Kay "Silly Games," (20) Lily Allen "Cheryl Tweedy" mashed-up with Origin Unknown "Valley of the Shadows (31 Seconds)," (21) General Levy "Incredible."

Listening to Alexandra Slate's MySpace clips, which is difficult (and unfair to the artist), given that since I'm on dialup I only get 7 seconds of continuous play, which is then followed by 12 seconds of rebuffering, then 7 more of play, 12 more of rebuffering, etc. Seen any writer's credits? Are they Cavallo and Slate? I ask this because the two tracks I've listened to so far sound like Sheryl Crow filtered through Kara DioGuardi with thicker rock vamps than Sheryl'd use: which is to say that these songs sound a lot like "Avalanche" by Platinum Weird. So (1) the tracks are good, w/ strong melodies and a strong voice but (2) the voice is missing the zing of personality. Which is to say that thin-voiced Lindsay and medium-sized voice Ashlee deliver their songs or deliver themselves along with their songs, whereas Alexandra just seems like a solid singer. Good strong mainstream pop-rock tracks, but...

"So I wrote this song and then I go and sell out," Sweetnam says abruptly.

She's talking, of course, jokingly, about working with The Matrix, a.k.a. Scott Spock, Lauren Christy and Graham Edwards, who produced a series of hits for Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, and Avril Lavigne, among others.

"I go to The Matrix and everybody's going, 'Skye, what are you doing?' I'm thinking, 'I have an anti-Matrix sign on my guitar and I'm going to The Matrix,' who obviously wrote tons of hits, wrote Avril's record, who I've heard about, her name, everyday for the last three years of my life. So I'm like, 'What am I doing? I'm committing artistic suicide right now.'

"But they were actually thinking the exact same thing as I was thinking," Sweetnam continues with refreshing honesty.

"They were thinking, 'We don't have a credible name in this business because all we do is take young girls and write hit songs for them,' and they just worked with Korn on their record so they were like, 'We're trying to do something different.' So I'm like, 'Oh my God, finally somebody who understands.'

"So I brought my art books and I'm like, 'Can you turn this picture of a wolf eating a girl into a guitar riff?' and they're like, 'Okay, let's try it.'

"So a lot of it is high concept; a lot of it rocks, like Nine Inch Nails meets Britney Spears. I can dance to it. I'm very very proud of this record."

Why is it unhappy and wounded, Frank? I've skimmed it a couple times, and notice a couple cranky posts, just like any other ILM thread, but nothing out of the ordinary. What am I missing there?

But then also, a lot of great music that I'd call "sexual" - Amber's "Sexual," for instance, and a lot of stuff by t.A.T.u., and "Don't Say Goodbye" by Paulina Rubio - might as well be performed by someone called Anonymous. I'm not feeling love (or much of anything one way or another) for the people who perform them. And it's great sexual music anyway. But then, it's wrong to think of musical sexiness necessarily pertaining to the relation between the hearer and the performer. Really, what we do with sexy music in our lives may be more crucial, even if it's easier to talk about the relationship to the performer.

Don't know if I'm answering your question. Over the years, most of my hero-frontman-performers have been guys: Jagger and Dylan and Iggy and David and Johnny and Eminem. This isn't to say there can't be anything sensuous in my feeling towards them, but since I'm not gay, it's not warm in the way that it is towards a feminized someone like Ashlee. But Ashlee is definitely in a Jagger and Dylan rock category for me - as opposed to being in the Cover Girls sexy dance-pop category, though those categories need not be mutually exclusive and in fact there's something in all my heroes' music that pulls in a Cover Girls sensuality at least somewhere. Or something.

So I've just written a lot of words without quite figuring out my answer to your question. I tend not to have sex fantasies about people I don't actually know in real life, which is why girlie mags don't do anything for me. But that doesn't mean sex isn't a part of my feelings towards a singer.