As a jump-off cut for second album Kunst, The Tings Tings could’ve easily simply Xerox’ed the irresistible funk-pop guitar grooves and ridiculously catchy cheerleader-esque hooks of their debut album’s singles/ advertisements for everything (“Great DJ”, “That’s Not My Name”, “Shut Up and Let Me Go”) and been totally fine. But nooooo, the UK duo just had to go and switch up for new single “Hands”, ditching the guitar for a sleek and synth-ed out disco frame, and concocting a chorus that doesn’t instantly jump off as something one will be obsessing over for the next six months.
Repeated listens do eventually unveil the record’s brain-sticking powers: it’s endlessly churning new wave strut (nicely mixed by none other than Calvin Harris) exuding an intriguing air of seedy, 1980′s-era nightclub, and the main hook-”Clap your hands if you’re working too hard”-grasping onto a state of mind that plenty of exhausted 9-to-5 drones can relate to; but here’s to hoping that the rest of Kunst doesn’t see the Tings deviating too far from their previous winning formula, because we could do with a few more doses of those addictive pom-pom chants to amp up the dreary fall and winter seasons.
Hear the cut below, then snatch up another Calvin Harris-enhanced treat of the Summer of ’10.
Shattering the (admittedly, foolish) notion that having one female pop star known for having great hair cover another female pop star known for having great hair would result in something mind-blowingly amazing (yeah sometimes we don’t understand how our mind works either), Kelis becomes the third artist in the past year to take on La Roux’s “In For The Kill” in the BBC Live Lounge studios and the performance ends up being…only decent, greatly paling in comparison to Miike Snow’s trance-y rendition and Daniel Merriweather’s soul-baked re-imagining.
Sigh. Our disappointment is only assuaged by the fact that the release of the new Kelis album, Flesh Tone, is right around the corner (at least in the UK, where it drops May 17th; American and Canadians, unfortunately, have to wait until June).
Grab the “decent” performance below, then afterwards, enjoy a little Kelis/ Neptunes throwback treat: “Cross The Border”, their catchy (and very under-appreciated) 2001 collaboration with short-lived rap duo Philly’s Most Wanted (whatever happened to them?).
Multi-part harmonies and other vocal interplay tricks have always been one of the more appealing aspects of Sunderland, England-raised four-piece The Futureheads‘ post-punk sound (alongside the band’s love for lightning-quick tempos), so it’s nice to see them putting those talents to such great use on this Live Lounge-premiered rendition of Kelis’ comeback dance hit “Acapella”.
Cleverly done in a vocals-only style (heh-heh, “Acapella” done a capella) that recalls the corner-set doo-wop rounds of pop days past, The Futureheads’ reading provides an infectious listen that may even be best the original, if only because their stripped-down treatment gives the song’s lovely lyric (centered on the wondrous bliss newfound love, through either a new child or romance partner, can bring to one’s life) the centric attention it didn’t necessarily have when tucked within the original’s Ibiza-baiting electro pulses.
It’s only been three years since Kelis last put a studio album out (2006′s under-selling Kelis Was Here), but it definitely feels like it’s been a lot longer, what with all the TMZ-headlining drama she’s been in the center of the past couple of years. With all the changes that’s went on in her personal life since she had all the ladies chanting up their “bossy” status (filing for divorce, getting arrested, having a baby), you would think her first new solo offering in a while would be something juicy, meta and extremely catchy; maybe a sequel of sorts to her 1999 scream-fest “Caught Out There”, this time directed at cheating ex-husbands who don’t wanna pay spousal support.
Sadly the David Guetta-produced “Acapella” bears little of that gossip rag-gifting goodness, instead positioning Kelis amid a techno kaleidoscope of synth-bass bloops and clubby bottom end to sing the praises of a new man rescuing her of a dreary existence free of any “tune or scale I could play” (“Before you, my whole life was acapella,” goes the hook).
It’s an alright electronic-based tune we guess, though far away from the greatness we were anticipating from the same lady who gave us major gems like the ones mentioned above, plus “Milkshake”, “Trick Me” and the sorely under-appreciated “Young Fresh & New”; but, hey, at least we now know Kelis has begun work on a brand new project, so fingers are crossed that these (hopefully Neptunes or Andre 3000-helmed) sessions will produce the kind of sassy-weird, “I am woman, hear me roar” anthems she’s ruled with in the past.
Chamillionaire is right. Out of all the flashy Southern rap newcomers bombarding us these past few years, he seemed more likely to flop than end up with a No. 1 pop hit and Grammy, among other major accolades. But with a slick rap style that belied his Houston roots and a trunk rattling, police brutality single that became an odd club anthem, Chamillionaire emerged as the one to beat.
On the first single from his new album, The Ultimate Victory, Cham seems intent on not burning out just as quickly as he’s arrived. “Not A Criminal” follows a similar blueprint to his 2005 smash “Ridin’”: a generic, albeit infectious club beat; inane chorus sure to be this spring’s hottest singalong; and lyrics fueled by some strange fear of persecution (“Everywhere I go/ They look at me like a criminal/ But I’m a CEO/ I’m a self-employed CEO”). Throw in a barely-there cameo from the always-underused Kelis (relegated to chorus harmonies placed too far low in the mix to actually warrant a featured credit) and Cham undoubtedly has another major hit on his hands.
Aware that few were betting on him (and in a much-ballyhooed industry drought, the odds against him were stacked high), Chamillionaire can’t help but relish in his post-success glory as “Not A Criminal” spends most of it’s time laughing in the face of those who didn’t believe in him. But for all of it’s appeal, “Not A Criminal” comes up short by being a little too self-obsessed. Though you can easily adopt it’s “anti-hater” stance, who really cares about Cham ordering Universal to “open up the vault” cause he’s just had “another million dollar thought”.
Though he barely avoids the “one hit wonder” tag with this one, Chamillionaire ventures into the danger zone by seeming to believe he’s on the same level as the best. In a singles-driven industry like today where new artists nursing hit records are a constant, it doesn’t take long for a former chart king to fade back into obscurity, and if Cham doesn’t watch himself he could end up on the back of milk carton in a season’s time.
As nice as it is to get free music, think of how much better your soul would feel if you purchased it the old-fashioned way.
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(MP3 posts are for promotional and/ or previewing purposes only; if any artist or their representation wish to have the links removed, contact me and I will happily comply!)
As a jump-off cut for second album Kunst, The Tings Tings could’ve easily simply Xerox’ed the irresistible funk-pop guitar grooves and ridiculously catchy cheerleader-esque hooks of their debut album’s singles/ advertisements for everything (“Great DJ”, “That’s Not My Name”, “Shut Up and Let Me Go”) and been totally fine. But nooooo, the UK duo just had to go and switch up for new single “Hands”, ditching the guitar for a sleek and synth-ed out disco frame, and concocting a chorus that doesn’t instantly jump off as something one will be obsessing over for the next six months.
It’s only been three years since Kelis last put a studio album out (2006′s under-selling Kelis Was Here), but it definitely feels like it’s been a lot longer, what with all the TMZ-headlining drama she’s been in the center of the past couple of years. With all the changes that’s went on in her personal life since she had all the ladies chanting up their 
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