Strange Music Videos

Recently it has become some sort of a trend to have really weird and odd music videos. Isn't all that new for Lady Gaga, but now Ke$ha and Katy Perry are making similarly strange videos. There has been many videos that were really odd in a way, such as Black Hole Sun or Closer (the latter I won't post due to strong language and brief nudity). But only recently has this trend achieved a new level of weird and most of the older odd videos are for rock songs. So a lot of the time the weird and dark imagery in the videos is justified. For pop videos it's just, well... weird. Here are some videos for your consideration.

Born This Way by Lady Gaga

Really almost any video from Gaga is pretty strange, but here's her [?] most recent effort of weirdness.

E.T. by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West

Perhaps this video is fitting to the song lyrics, but nevertheless it is still super weird and out of the ordinary for Katy Perry.

Blow by Ke$ha

Half unicorns, pantless bears, lasers, rainbow blood, cheese, James Van Der Beek and man-bras. I think the director was on blow when he came up with this idea.

Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden

I have no idea what was up with these people.

Parabola by Tool

Tool videos are just as frequently strange as Lady Gaga's, except it usually fits their songs. Too bad Tool is together anymore, a Tool and Lady Gaga collaboration could make for a ridiculous video.

These are only a handful of videos, there are plenty more out there. And as long as Lady Gaga is making music, I expect many more.

Listen to the Foo Fighters' Wasting Light

Together with Soundcloud, the Foo Fighters are streaming their full album online. Enjoy.

Wasting Light will be released April 12, 2011. But if that's not enough Foos for you, they will also be releasing Medium Rare on vinyl for Record Store Day, April 16. Medium Rare features the Foo Fighters performing covers of songs from greats such as Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney. More info on Medium Rare here and here's a complete list of Record Store Day releases.

Favorites - Week of March 28, 2011

Here are fives songs I can't get enough of this past week.

5. "The Prayer" by Kid Cudi

Not a new song, but definitely a great one. I guess like the song says, I recognize real, so I play it back from the top.

4. "Machu Picchu" by The Strokes

A great song off Angles. Discussed in my album review.

3. "I Just Had Sex" by The Lonely Island (ft. Akon)

Absolutely hilarious song and even better with the video. It's amazing how they get these huge musicians to sing the most ridiculous songs.

2. "N/A OK" by Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker

Amazing song like all USS tracks and a great appetizer for their upcoming album.

1. "Make It Stop (September's Children)" by Rise Against

I could have easily chosen any five tracks off Endgame for this weeks favorites, but I've started listening to a handful of them a lot more, especially this one. See more on Endgame in my review.

Comeback/Hiatus/Gap Albums

I don't know what you would actually call them, but it seems 2011 is the year for artists who have been off the grid for a while to release an album. The Strokes just released Angles (which I reviewed) after 5 years without a new album and the most recent album I reviewed, Screaming Bloody Murder, comes from Sum 41, whose last album released in 2007. And plenty more albums are expected later in the year from bands that haven't been in the studio for quite some time. The Foo Fighters album should be out in April and their last also came out in 2007, and the same for the Beastie Boys. The Red Hot Chili Pepper's new album, currently titled Dr. Johnny Skinz’s Disproportionately Rambunctious Polar Express Machine-head, is expected this year and Stadium Arcadium released in 2006. Radiohead gapped from 2007 to 2011 for The King of Limbs and Blink 182's album if released this year will gap from 2003 to now. I could go on and on with examples of this. At first, I thought it must have been due to 2009 and 2010 being a big period of reunions and reformations. But so many of these bands and those not listed here, never broke up officially. I can't explain why this is, but based on the records released thus far in 2011, I think I don't mind bands spending the time to create a solid album. So long as bands stagger their release years. That way we don't go years without new music and as an added bonus that makes it easier to win awards with less bands competing simultaneously.

Rebecca Black

Here are two videos. The first is the video for Rebecca Black's "Friday" and the second is an acoustic version sung on Good Morning America, essentially to retaliate against negative web criticism. I have no idea who Rebecca Black is, but she's going about making her career in the wrong way. But I guess any press is good press?

Proving she can actually sing isn't doing anything for her song. It doesn't matter that she is a good singer. She should have worked hard and written her own songs, slowly working her way to fame. Instead she has chosen to be manufactured and packaged to get an instant ticket to fame. Even Katy Perry had songs and an album out (with little recognition) before she changed her image to the pop star she is now. And Ke$ha had sung vocals on a number one hit song and received zero compensation in return. It's like acting: prove your talent, then do a blockbuster and then an Oscar potential picture. Once you've struggled to get on a record label's radar, you can do the couple pre-packaged pop hits to satisfy them and then slip in your own songs on the rest of the album. Furthermore, why would YOU pay the record company to let you record their song. They are the ones who need you to make any money off the song. Manufactured pop stars are called "sell outs" because they let themselves be manufactured in return for fame and money from record companies. Apparently you can now pay to be a sell out, defeats the point. I really hope Rebecca will recover from this and get the attention of a different label. Then maybe she can be judged for music she actually participated in creating, not some karaoke a record company recorded.

P.S. Does it make any sense that a group of thirteen year olds are cruising around in a convertible? And all this cost $2ooo, ever heard of 99dollarmusicvideos.com?

Review of Rise Against's Endgame

As promised, here is what I think about Rise Against's latest masterpiece album (I should contain my praise and let you hear my full thoughts in the review):

New Review and Other Updates

Two new videos have been posted to my YouTube channel. The first is some great songs from the past year and the second is a review of an indie rock album from rockproper.com. I chose the album at random from many other they offer. You can hear what I thought and then listen to it for yourself. If you don't want to download the full album, I put one of the better songs in the video in FULL.

Stayed tuned for more reviews. I hope to be getting Rise Against new album Endgame this Tuesday and I let you know what I think.