Gossip Girl's most recent episode entitled Seder Anything aired Monday night, and it was one of the best of the season. Two things I'd like to mention: the use of Right Round during the seder scene with Serena and Dan pretending to be back together and Blair's stepdad trying to keep the ceremony going was perfect. Thes scene was dizzying and very funny. Truly masterful. Second thing: they used a new Yeah Yeah Yeahs' song at the end of the episode, Runaway. I really enjoyed it. Also, I didn't extremely dislike Dan in this episode. He was even funny. Well done, Gossip Girl.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' first single, Zero, from their new album It's Blitz! is out of this world. It reaches for the sky and makes you want to wave your hands all over the place. The genius of this song lies in the way it builds and crazy cool lead singer Karen O.'s emotive vocals. The chorus explodes joyously out of the gate then at about 2:40 the glorious, amazing synths come in and just make the song soar up to the stratosphere. The video is a fun romp through city streets with Karen O. She sings on a car and belts in an alleyway complete with spotlight. Then, the band push each other around in grocery carts (beautiful). This is definitely one of the best songs of the year.
For something completely different, we look to Kat DeLuna, of Whine Up fame. Her new album, Inside Out, will be released this summer, and I was introduced to an absolutely fantastic song from it: Put it On which features rapper extraordinaire Lil' Wayne. This song has so much attitude and swagga even dare I say, crunk swagga. Best parts of the song: "This shit is hot, put it on" and "The world is looking at me, I'll give 'em something to see aayyyy oh oh" . Then, Lil' Wayne comes in and lays it down proper. Great beat even better synths. THIS SHIT IS HOT PUT IT ON....NOW!
You may have noticed I mentioned a group named La Roux in yesterday's News Galore. Well, La Roux is a pop synth duo from Londontown who make beautiful music. The singer is Elly Jackson who looks like my favorite kook, Tilda Swinton. Elly has short, sharp red hair and a super high voice. Their single In For the Kill is currently taking the UK charts by storm. I first heard about them when I heard their song Quicksand, a vintage pop ditty, a few months ago. Then, In For the Kill came out. I watched some of the video, and I thought the song was quite bad. Elly's voice was just too high, but now after some time, I love the song. Its success is truly surprising and unexpected. Well, these two have other great tracks up their sleeves as well. The debut album is out June 29 in the UK, but Roux Roux have recently played some shows in the US. I think they were in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago. They are apparently coming back here in the summer. Anyway the next single is Bulletproof, another catchy slice of pop. Another gem of theirs is Fascination which has a great, jolly chorus and a squelching, churning beat during the verses. A happy, summer song. Check it out here:
Their are two Quicksand EP's on iTunes. The more recent released one has a great In For the Kill remix by Skream. Hopefully, In For the Kill will be there in its original form soon.
Check La Roux's myspace out. Basically to sum it up: they are awesome.
Swedish songstress Lykke Li has been performing her cover of Kings of Leon's aching Knocked Up all over the place. Her cover is fantastic. Surprisingly, her voice suits it perfectly. Magical. Here's a clip of her performing it at a concert in January.
Le GaGa recently performed a wonderful cover of Coldplays' epic Viva La Vida on BBC's Radio 1 Live Lounge show. She really makes the song her own, adding some funny lyrics about Chris and Gwenyth. She also namedrops designer Yves Saint Laurent. I love the rollicking piano and her low voice. The Lady has a truly great, visceral voice. Terrific cover.
Last night was The Best of Amy Poehler on SNL. It was a hilarious collection of her best sketches. I wish they showed more. She is a wonderful comedienne. One of the sketches they showed involved a Poehler character named Kaitlin, a 10 year old ball of energy. Poehler played the character to absolute perfection. She WAS Kaitlin. Hilarious.
Another notable skit was Bronx Beat where Poehler and the hilarious Maya Rudolph played two whining New Yawk wives. Very funny.
Michaela Watkins and her genius bitchpleeze blogger character, Angie Tempura, returned to SNL's Weekend Update last weekend. She reviewed current movies. It was hilarious, very accurate satire. Better than the first bitchpleeze. "The Haunting in Connecticut. What's scary about Connecticut?....Losing your tennis racket....at Pottery Barn? Bitch, pleeze" I love how she comes up with so many different ways to say Bitch Pleeze. Fantastic.
Kristen Wiig's Gillie character also returned. Very funny. I just can't get over her kooky dance and facial expressions.
-Kristen Wiig (one of the funniest women on the planet), Leighton Meester (deeve supreme Blair on Gossip Girl), Tina Fey (one of the funniest women on the planet), Steve Carrell (funny man), Mark Wahlberg (Boston pride), James Franco (speak of the devil), Taraji P. Henson (Benjamin Button!), and rapper Common will all star in a movie together called Date Night. Now I love every single person in this movie! I'm so excited especially about Leighton, Tina, and Kristen. I wonder what the couple pairings will be. Leighton and Franco would be hot. Will be released in 2010.
-Another movie that is intriguing me is London Boulevard. William Monahan (writer of The Departed and last year's Body of Lies) is directing this London-set gangster movie. It starts filming in May. Colin Farrell, Keira Knightley, and Ray Winstone (Beowulf!) will star. Sounds very promising considering Monahan's Departed script was brilliant.
-Zac Efron's teen movie 17 Again was number 1 at the box office this weekend proving the guy can open a movie on his own. State of Play, the very good political/newspaper thriller came in second.
-British electro duo, La Roux's first single, In For the Kill, hit #2 in the British charts today. Very, very impressive.
Little Boots is an electro pop singer from the UK. She does awesome covers of popular songs on her Youtube Channel. She did a super fantastic piano version of Girls Aloud's Sexy! No, No, No! It is a thing of beauty. Her original songs are quite good too. Stuck on Repeat is an epic dance track, and Meddle is a rollicking high-octane good time. Her first single is going to be a song called New in Town which has an extremely catchy chorus. It's a grower. She also has a song with the lead singer of The Human League on her album called Symmetry. The clips of Symmetry I've heard are very promising. Her album, Hands, comes out June 8th. The album is being produced by Greg Kurstin who also produced Lily Allen's fantastic It's Not Me, It's You album and is one half of The Bird and the Bee. Little Boots really loves pop music and seems like a really sweet and charming little lady.
P.S. I adore her single and album artwork. So fierce. Check out them super chic and mod dresses she's rocking.
Lovestruck-V Factory Ok, this was an iTunes Discovery Download last week, and I am in love. This song is very of-the- moment pop. The beat sounds like RedOne, and it's electro pop perfection. One of the guys in the band goes out with the Tiz. This song deserves to a be a hit.
Knock You Down-Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, and Kanye West Keri Hilson, singer on Timbaland's The Way I Are and writer of Brit's Gimme More among other songs, released her much-delayed debut album, In A Perfect World..., about two weeks ago. I've listened to some of the clips, and it's a decent album, a little heavy on the mid-tempos, but this song really sticks out. It rides a can't-help-but-groove-to-it bouncy ball beat through the verses , courtesy of terrific producer Danja. The verses are actually better than the chorus. Ne-Yo's bit is terrific especially the genius line: "Commander in chief of my pimp ship, flying high". A Kanye rap elevates any song even one already this great. Keri does a fantastic job too. One of the best songs of the year. Here's the video.
I Do Not Hook Up-Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson's second single of her return to pop amazingness album All I Ever Wanted is this raucous girl powrrr ditty. It's better than My Life Would Suck Without You. She sings the song with real conviction. Best lyrics: "Oh sweetheart, put the bottle down, you have too much talent" and "I can't cook, but I can clean/ up the mess she made". The chorus is made for sunny days with the top down and maximum volume. Go Kelly!
Takin' Back My Love-Enrique Iglesias and Ciara Genius producer RedOne (of many a GaGa song) uses one of his trademark beats on this catchy track from Enrique Iglesias' Greatest Hits album. It's hard-hitting and extremely infectious. Ciara and Enrique are such an interesting pairing. Now on to the video: they are a fighting couple who decide to break a ton of stuff in their really nice, modern house. Ok, all I can think about when I watch it, is how much they are going to have to clean up after the song is over and how they broke some really expensive and nice things. Ciara threw a painting into the pool! Then she does a silly looking body roll. Good song though.
I heard Notorious B.I.G's song Nasty Girl this week and was reminded of how much I adore it. It's so filthy, but at the same time, damn catchy. The beat is delectable. Nelly's verse is my favorite though all of them are dirty greatness.
Lady GaGa performed her second #1 single (as of this week), Poker Face, on American Idol Wednesday night. The performance was crazy awesome. The piano and violin part at the beginning is dramatic and amazing. She sang it perfectly. She did a similar piano version of the song at her fantastic concert Monday night at the House of Blues. I love how she makes Poker Face into such a truly beautiful song with this piano version. After the piano part, the regular version of the song came in. She sounded a little out of breath during this part to me. Some good dancing though. Then, this killer violin solo comes in, and she just goes crazy with her dancing. It's awesome. She ends it all with a fierce face. That eye-patch thing she was wearing was divine. American Idol needed a performance like this. It was original and full of creativity. Well done, GaGa.
Gossip Girl's most recent episode entitled Seder Anything aired Monday night, and it was one of the best of the season. Two things I'd like to mention: the use of Right Round during the seder scene with Serena and Dan pretending to be back together and Blair's stepdad trying to keep the ceremony going was perfect. Thes scene was dizzying and very funny. Truly masterful. Second thing: they used a new Yeah Yeah Yeahs' song at the end of the episode, Runaway. I really enjoyed it. Also, I didn't extremely dislike Dan in this episode. He was even funny. Well done, Gossip Girl.
