Posts tagged music news

By Alicia Fiorletta

Eminem’s newest album is breaking chart records.

To some, he was a music industry phenomenon. To others, he was a social threat that promoted violence. But to most, Eminem was the voice of a generation.

Since his 1999 major-label debut The Slim Shady LP, the artist also known as Marshall Mathers has been recognized for obliterating enemies with his venomous tongue and creating coarse narrative that showcased his less-than-humble upbringings in Detroit.

No one was untouchable in the white rapper’s material. His mother and even his then-wife and mother of his children Kim were the main and fatal targets of his tracks. But it was his walking-time bomb flow and raging swagger that drew in fans and haters alike.

With six albums under his belt, Shady has more gusto than ever. Focusing more on his inner demons than his beefs and annoyances in the outside world, his newest album Recovery is proving after each moment of turbulence, the man can still break records like no other MC in today’s game. 

According to Billboard, Eminem is officially the top-selling artist of 2010, selling 741,000 copies its first week and topping the Billboard 200 chart. Recovery is also the highest-selling release since AC/DC’s Black Ice in 2008 with 784,000 units sold. The album surpasses the first week sales for the rapper’s last two albums — Relapse, which closed its first week with 608,000 units sold in 2009, and 2005’s Curtain Call, which sold 441,000 units.

Recovery is the MC’s sixth straight number-one debut, trailing behind only hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z for most number-one albums in the genre. Hova holds the record with 11.

Eminem also managed to break digital records, racking in 255,000 downloads of the LP in its first week. As a result, he holds the number two spot for the most digital downloads sold in a single week of all time. Coldplay’s Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends holds the ultimate record, with 288,000 downloads in its first during the summer of 2008. 

 However, the most impressive record he is inches from breaking is being held by rock legends the Beatles. Slim Shady stands firmly at the number two spot for most consecutive number-one debuts. With six albums debuting at the top of the charts in the last decade, the Brits are the only ones standing in the way, with eight consecutive number-one debuts from 1965-69.

Despite the countless protests against his work, Eminem has claimed his relevancy in the mainstream music circuit and in hip-hop history. He has the spunk to continue growing as a musician despite setbacks and emotional demons, but it’s safe to say this Recovery will help guide the way.

After funnyman Conan O’Brien and music mastermind Jack White made subtle hints of “working together” at White’s record label headquarters in Nashville, fans began to line up around the block, eagerly awaiting a legendary event hours before it was even expected to happen. But the excruciating southern heat wasn’t taken in vain, for the patient people found themselves witnessing a rock show featuring the unexpected friends inside of Third Man Records.

O’Brien and White, best friends forever. Photo Courtesy of Team Coco

O’Brien and his backing band played a number of tunes from their current “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.” White then joined the former-late-night host for their interpretation of Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” and O’Brien’s rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep.” Fans who were lucky enough to witness the event got first dibs on a pressed recording of the show.

I’m intrigued to hear from witnesses what the full show was like. O’Brien is known for his passion of rockabilly and has put on some decent performances during his late night run. Surprisingly, his voice isn’t bad…at all. Him and White have carried a steady friendship, he appeared in the White Stripes music video “Denial Twist,” and the band performed on the finale of O’Brien’s run on “The Tonight Show.” White’s known for his somewhat sadistic and overall enthralling performances, so their onstage chemistry is something I’m interested in hearing about. There are a few videos on Pitchfork’s web site, and Team Coco has all of the details.

The Strokes make a rocking comeback.

It seems like the music gods have finally delivered in response to the constant praying I’ve done. Now, don’t get my wrong — I was quite the fan of lead singer Julian Casablancas’ solo endeavor and found his performances full of spunk and eagerness…almost like a toddler going into the world for the first time.

But it seems redundant to say what a prominent figure the Strokes are as a collective unit. As a band. As the forefathers of indie-garage rock in the New York scene. Personally speaking, they were one of the first bands that got me into said scene, and encouraged me to be more excited to musically explore. And I digress with sappiness…

The Strokes banded together again last night for the first time in four years at a small club gig in London’s Dingwalls. Under the pseudonym “Venison,” they played a hearty catalog of hits for shocked fans and lovers of the five-piece. They performed tracks like “Reptilia,” “Last Night,” “New York City Cops,” and “12:51.” The secret show for less than 500 people is only the beginning for the group as they begin their venture on the festival circuit, including a headlining set at Lollapalooza.

“Holy shit-fuck,” Casablancas mumbled after concluding “Reptilia.” Well, yeah, that about covers it.

For decent videos of three of the performances, check out Rock it Out! Blog

As a fan of Aerosmith, I can’t help but feel I’m a victim of an abusive relationship. There’s been countless moments of mistreatment and abandonment, and yet, I can’t seem to keep away. I guess the same could be said for the members of Aerosmith, as they attempt reconciliation and a European tour.

After news of lead singer Steven Tyler’s departure and goals to work on “Brand Tyler,” there have been threats of replacing him and recently, threats from Tyler’s lawyer. To put it bluntly, it has been an extreme case of countless ego-trips. Who are the harder workers of the group? More importantly, who’s being mistreated and taken advantage of in the situation?

Tyler and the rest of Aerosmith need each other to survive. Sure, Joe Perry does a decent job of creating his own “brand”— the hot sauce, the solo blues gig. But to continue relevancy, Aerosmith will always be a unit. Fans will become hostile and pissed if the rest of Aerosmith tries to play off that it’s the same band without Tyler there. To some, Tyler IS the band. He’s the main creative force, he’s the stage-gymnast, he’s the asexual being that seems to hypnotize everyone with his raspy vocals, and more importantly, those lips.

It seems like Tyler, Perry and the rest of the guys have come to their egocentric senses because, according to a Youtube video on their site, the “rumors are true.” Aerosmith is slated to give a festival tour across seas. Tyler seems sadistic as ever, with his wily cackle, saying to the camera, “I just auditioned and I got the gig. We’re coming your way and rocking your world. Look out baby, ’cause here we go again!”

Potential front-men Billy Idol and Paul Rogers are okay, but let’s face it, nothing beats the look of lanky Tyler behind his scarved mic stand. Here’s hoping the 40-year-run of the blues/rock band can continue on, and the men can recharge as the creative unit they once were. We get it, you’re millionaires. But before that, you were musicians. Get back on track before everyone gets bitter and they won’t even listen to your Home Depot serenades.

It’s no new development that Fall Out Boy is finished. They say hiatus, we say dunzo. At the end of the day, their royalties checks still come in the mail, so hey, everyone’s happy.

However, the newest interview from SPIN.com with former-lead singer Patrick Stump shows that he’s not only drifting from his three bandmates, he’s abandoning the genre all together.

A video on Stump’s web site shows him recording instrumentals for an untitled track, infused with a funk rhythm and techno-inspired keyboard part (which I’m guessing will eventually turn to synth). This demo is just the beginning of Stump’s forceful journey into the funk realm.

Gearing inspiration from Prince, the untitled album due for a summer release is a somewhat skeptical concept. He has the soul in him, and he has experience producing tracks for some of Gym Class Heroes’ funkiest, sample-driven tracks, but can this really work 12 or 13 times in a coherent album without being obnoxious?

“It’s like, ‘What kind of record do I put out? Am I a singer? Am I trying to impress people with my songwriting? Or my skills as an instrumentalist? Am I going to be avant-garde? Who am I?!?’” Stump says. “It’s a new and interesting challenge,” he told SPIN.

With someone whose “default setting” is funk, it seems like quite a turbulent road to venture on. Turbulent or rather, planned by marketing agents?

FOB’s out of the picture, Wentz’s mouth is shut and his eyes are full of crocodile tears, Hurley and Trohman are probably more happy than they’ve been in years, and here’s the kicker, folks, Stump is thin again!

Let’s get the girls into funk because he may be bald, but at least he’s cute. Buy your “Purple Rain” shirts now, because pretty soon, they’ll be very hard to find.