Tag Archive | "Gwen Stefani"

Tonic Celebrity iPod Auction Benefits Music Rising

Tonic Celebrity iPod Auction Benefits Music Rising

, a site that makes it easy for people to do good things everyday, is launching a Celebrity iPod Auction Series to benefit , an organization that replaces lost or destroyed instruments in the hurricane-affected Gulf Coast region.

Every week now through August, Tonic will launch between 1 and 5 autographed iPods loaded with a celebrity’s personal playlist and signature on the back of the iPod. Tonic has over 70 A-List celebrities participating from ex-Presidents to rock stars to models. The best part: ONE HUNDRED percent of the revenue will go directly to rescue the musical culture of the Central Gulf.

Current Tonic Music Rising auctions include Mariah Carey, , and ’ iPods. Check out the Tonic Music Rising calendar to see when auctions begin and end!

Tonic: website | music rising | music rising calendar
Music Rising: website

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Under Cover: Christmas Edition

Under Cover: Christmas Edition

                 

Hey all, welcome to a special : Christmas Edition.  Ever wonder why there is such a high incidence rate of depression during the holiday season?  I’m no psychiatrist or anything, but I’m sure the fact that Christmas music is so unbelievably awful might have a little something to do with it.  Christmas music can be so irritating!  So hokey, so cheerful, so damn awful!  And there’s nothing worse than driving somewhere on December 25th, flipping through your favorite alternative and classic rock stations and seeing they’ve all been taken over by the same lame-ass Christmas songs.  And there’s only so much ”Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” I can take!  It drives me nuts and makes me want to throw my radio off a balcony… well, at least after enough eggnog.  So in the spirit of the season, here are a few fantastic little holiday-inspired cover songs by some of our favorite musicians that are actually tolerable.  Now we can get festive without wanting to off anyone.  Happy Holidays everyone!

- “Frosty The Snowman”
Some may pray to the Regina Spektor gods, but I’ll forever be a Fiona Apple believer first.  This song is a much more tolerable version of good old “Frosty The Snowman” that doesn’t make me want to throw snowballs at anyone or anything.  It’s also pretty funny listening to Apple sing about gleeful holiday rituals, considering most of her songs are usually on the depressing and dark side.  Looks like Christmas brings out the irony in some.

website | myspace

The - “Jinglebell Rock”
Indie rock gods Arcade Fire get their collective comedy on here.  Whether it’s forgetting the words or trying to sing without busting out laughing, this sounds like a drunken sing-a-long around the Christmas tree.  Basically, a Christmas musical experiment gone so terribly wrong that it’s right.  This one is good after a few holiday cocktails.

website | myspace

- “Oi To The World”
Oi to all the good little boys and girls!  Originally a Vandals holiday number, and the No Doubt boys infuse a little punk and ska to your Christmas experience with this upbeat little cover version.  With horns a-blarin’ and sleigh bells ringing, this song makes you want to jump up and down with your loved ones around the tree.

website | myspace

- “Winter Wonderland”
Finally Phantom Planet sings a song that isn’t about California!  But don’t get excited just yet.  This song plays almost as if they are walking around a winter wonderland… somewhere in Mexico, with a mariachi band fronted by Santa Claus.  Switch those sleigh bells with maracas and that eggnog with a strawberry margarita! These guys make you want to go out back and lay down to make snow angels… except, in the pool.

website | myspace

- “Blue Christmas”
Oh , how I love thee.  For some of us, Christmas time usually means heartbreak and unrequited love.  Some may enjoy their own “merry little Christmases,” while others prefer the “blue” kind.  This classic has become one of many quintessential rock n’ roll Christmas songs, covered by musicians like the Beach Boys and Elvis.  This bluesy number has that little something for those who enjoy moping around during the joyous season without the one they love.  There’s a little longing, yearning, brooding… man, it’s so great.

website | myspace

– “Last Chrismas”
An upbeat take on ‘s classic song.  of Jimmy Eat World does George Michael‘s high-pitched vocals a lot of justice, with backup music that modernizes the original.  I particularly like the extended musical breakdown that stretches Wham’s lyrics.  Always one of my favorite Christmas numbers, I like to think of “Last Christmas” as the original downer holiday song.  “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart… but the very next day you gave it away.” You really can’t get any more emo than that!

website | myspace

– “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
This song is gorgeous!  Sufjan Stevens tackles all the complex religious matter that I normally don’t like hearing, yet manages to put out something less hokey.  Soft-spoken lead and lush background vocals, this version is a good one to put one when you’re lighting candles on window panes before bed.  The gentle strumming is as relaxing as that last cup of hot chocolate you share with a loved one on Christmas Eve.

website | myspace

- “White Christmas”
Who knew Bob Marley sang holiday numbers?!  Not I.  This version is half doo-wop and half reggae, but a lot of rasta fun.  This one makes me want to shout out “Merry Christmas, mon!” to everyone I see.  Or jet off to Jamaica and decorate a couple of palm trees with ornaments.

website | myspace

- “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
It’s so hysterical to hear lead singer singing about Christmas cheer and wishing for love for a change, instead of his usual depression, anger, bullets, revenge and venom.  Plus, I’d much rather hear My Chemical Romance put a hard rock edge on this classic number than Mariah Carey‘s cheesy rendition that makes me want to hurl.  So if I were you, I’d hurry up and meet Gerard under that mistletoe.  He sounds serious!

website | myspace

I hope you find these songs less annoying than all that original holiday music out there.  And of course, Happy Holidays to all the boys and girls out there, naughty OR nice!  :)

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Under Cover – Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”

Under Cover – Fleetwood Mac “Dreams”

                 

, 1977: original version from Rumours
From as early as I can remember I have always loved Fleetwood Mac. Their sound, their music, reading about the torrid love affairs between bandmates and declining marriages that created some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. I’m talking pre- and () shit. True love and despair, threats to quit the band, drugs, world-wide tours, managing professionalism in the studio when you literally want to kill the very person you depend on to lace your lyrics with chords. The reasons to quit are trumped by the reasons to stay because although you were driven to new realms of heartbreak, at least you got a hit record (Rumours) out of it all and cemented your place in music history. Not to mention, Stevie Nicks can still say she knew a love that shook her very core and changed her life forever.

Speaking of despair, while Lindsey Buckingham wrote “Go Your Own Way,” Stevie Nicks wrote “” as her eight-year love affair with guitarist Buckingham was coming apart at the seams. Once considered a “package deal” when signing on as new members of FM, it seems years later Buckingham wanted his package shipped elsewhere, much to the dismay of both. But they chose to rise above petty break-up feelings and instead channeled their frustration into creating the beautiful song, “.” It’s somber, it’s sweet, it’s melancholy, it’s uplifting, it’s sad… it basically is the kind of song that encapsulates all the feelings people feel when their heart is breaking. Instead of keying your ex-boyfriend’s car, or spreading Rumours (get it?!), just put this song on in the background and those bad feelings will instantly disappear. I promise.

website

, 1995: from Spirit of ’73: Rock for Choice
Much of my adoration for this version stems from the fact that it was the very first “Dreams” cover in my collection. Lead singer is such a master of lacing sweetness with just a hint of edge during the chorus when she really begins to grow impatient with her dude’s trifling ways. The soft, jazzy guitars complement her during the tender vocal moments but wailing guitar riffs burst into a bout of heaviness with impeccable timing just as she begins to wax angry. Her vocals are perfect on this track and range from whispery, breathy, angst-ridden, yet sweet as she goes all out or holds back throughout the song.

Much like Hanley’s look in the 1990′s (blonde bombshell locks and ultra-feminine dresses that still manage to show off strategically placed tattoos), she is able to juggle lots of different personalities in her vocal delivery. She’s all girl next door with puppy dog eyes as she sings “it’s only me who wants to wrap around your dreams” that even I have a hard time resisting her pleas to stay and work things out. I especially like the intonation when she starts to string out a little during “have you any dreams you’d like to sell? / dreams of loneliness like a heartbeat / drives you mad.” And this continues when she gets angrier during “players only love you when they’re playing” in a way where she’s already predicting that he’ll be back when he comes to his senses, except it’ll be too late since she will already have come to hers.

website | myspace

, 1997: from Talk On Corners
If you have a jones for Celtic instruments, upbeat numbers, and top 40 sounds, then this track is for probably for you. Not only is Andrea Corr a ridiculously beautiful Irish woman, but she has a lovely voice too (where’s the justice?). Along with some flawless vocal harmony of her equally stunning sisters, they’ve created a danceable number that takes the classic “Dreams” to completely different heights of listening pleasure. This track makes me want to dance around the room, even if I don’t actually get up to do so. Gifted vocalists as well as musicians, I hear a whole mess of piano, guitars, drum beats and violins here. And since this is The Corrs, my instincts tell me someone is probably playing some tin whistle on this track. Andrea changes up the notes to steer their music to a more dance-friendly and happier place, thus venturing pretty far away from the melancholy and bittersweet nature of the original that I love so much. While this makes for a good upbeat number, I’m skeptical how this track fares as a cover because it takes away the beautiful sadness that made the original as good as it is. Readers, you decide.

website

(live): November 1998
I saw Cat Power open up for last year and was literally counting down the minutes until her set was over. Maybe Madison Square Garden is the wrong venue for her intimate and laid-back vocal performances, but I wasn’t ready to give her the benefit of the doubt just yet. Plus, she’s notorious for songs that start and stop with no real indication of when either is going to occur! I didn’t know whether to boo or applaud, but left realizing I’d eventually want to give her a fair chance and chalk this one up to inappropriate venue selection since she’s received much praise from respectable music sources of mine.

Well, she got her chance. Enter this live “Dreams” cover (wow!) that may as well be titled “Redemption Song” since I am now a believer. This minimalistic, raw, emotive performance is so intimate that I feel like I’m hiding in her bathroom, listening to her sing this in her shower with her acoustic guitar. Her voice, in its most primitive state, is bluesy and jazzy. And I like how I can actually hear every nuance in her intonation, every crack in voice. The sparse guitar only accentuates this slow, stripped-down, and bare-boned version, showcasing breathy vocals that somehow still manage fortitude. Her timing is completely off from the original and she changes Stevie Nicks’ notes completely, creating almost a brand new song that still resonates with the same magic of the original.

website | myspace

The , 2005: live from NYC
Supposedly there’s some New Pornographers bootleg out there with a cover of “Dreams” on it, but they played this live version at Webster Hall a few years back and the crowd went nuts the moment that recognizable Fleetwood Mac bass line kicked in. Speaking of, that bass line is so awesome and I’d even be as bold to say it rivals that of /Queen’s “Under Pressure.” But I digress…

Holy musical orgasm! Nothing excites me more than hearing one legendary female [Neko Case] covering another female rock goddess [Stevie Nicks] during an impromptu live cover. Case channels the trademark raw sexiness of Nicks so perfectly and does her an incredible amount of justice in this cover. Even the music increases the coolness factor in ways I don’t even feel like writing about because I’d rather just listen to this version again instead. Cool, calm, and unaffected, I like how Case casually laughs in between verses during a performance that plays like a musical “Fuck you, please. I don’t even need you.” And the backup male vocals of “lonely, oooh, ahhh” that tie in with Case’s “when the rain washes you clean, ohhh, you will know” are superb and just make me wonder why I wasn’t there? Damn.

website | myspace


, 2006: from Fuel Of The Celebration (remix EP)
What the hell is going on here? I’m all for males covering this female empowerment anthem for the irony factor, but at least do it well. Lead singer lends vocals here that are so removed, so strange, so stoic, so foreign I find it hard to believe this band even hails from Atlanta because I had my money on Z-list German electro-rockers aiming for the American musical market. There’s a whole mess of electronic beats here that are so scattered that I actually had to turn this mp3 down a few times since I thought I missed a phone call and the answering machine was recording someone’s message. But you guessed it, no one had called and it was just some errant electro-beats that Snowden forgot to lace in seamlessly with their others. If you’re into electronica give this a listen since I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of the genre, but please listen at your own risk. I can’t be held responsible for listener’s remorse.

website | myspace

, 2007: live from San Francisco
Bombastic spoken-word vocals, an electric feel, edgy vibe and heavy distortion always makes the perfect noise-jam. Yeah, this pretty much sums up Yo La Tengo’s cover of “Dreams.” Known for a huge repertoire of cover songs, I’m not at all surprised they performed this during a live show at Bimbo’s 365 Club last year. Lead singer Ira Kaplan marries his raw vocals with (actual wife and bandmate) ’s sweet background “ooh’s” and “ahh’s.” This might blow some minds of long-time Yo La Tengo fans, but personally this is not my favorite cover. Had I been to this show I might have been super excited to witness it, but the quality pales in comparison to the original and even the live cover versions of The New Pornographers and Whiskeytown (also a male vocal). There comes a point in this song where it just becomes too noisy that I start yearning for the clarity and simplicity of the original. Basically, Yo La Tengo fan or not… this one is only good for once in a while rocking out, but not everyday listening.

website | myspace

, 2008: from The Bedroom Covers
Where does the best indie dream pop hail from these days? Well, since I’m referring to The Morning Benders I guess the answer would be Berkeley, California. Lead singer has such innocent and resonant vocals that are so clean and clear. Toss in some equally dreamy background vocals and this acoustic cover shines in its sweet simplicity. I especially love the fret-tapping and gentle humming throughout the track that definitely help set this version apart from the rest. I’m really grateful that Popwrecker Bethany turned me onto this one since it’s been on loop ever since. There’s so much yearning, so much feeling, so much honesty in Chu’s musical sighs that I actually believe he’s mourning the loss of the person he is singing about. This song is arguably my favorite version of recent times and now I can’t wait to see if their original music delivers the same way this cover does.

website | myspace

Whiskeytown, 2008: from Strangers Almanac (Deluxe Edition Reissue)
Oh , can you ever do any wrong? Whining, soap operatic and drama queen ways aside, pre-Cardinals Adams took his well-known love of Fleetwood Mac to new levels of appreciation by covering “Dreams” in 1997 with his now defunct alt-country outfit Whiskeytown. With his husky vocals that wail, rock, croon, and moan all at once, he makes it impossible not to “feel” what he himself is feeling on this track. Plus, fans of The Replacements (like myself) will enjoy his particularly -esque voice here, since it’s no secret that Adams is a huge Replacements fan and has been greatly inspired by them. Save this alt-country number for a bad day when you’re feeling low and just want to lay on the couch, turn out the lights, kick off your shoes, and just dream…  perhaps, about a Whiskeytown reunion tour?  (Fingers crossed!)

website | myspace

*****
You have the facts and now it’s up to you. Which cover reigns supreme? And to which cover shall we say “In your ‘Dreams?’”

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Audio Fiction – Audio Fiction

Audio Fiction – Audio Fiction

‘s self-titled Audio Fiction has the recipe for success, but it comes off as just a little over-baked.

Female singers are incredibly popular this year, so it seems like ‘s vocals with their meets sound should be a sure-fire hit. However, she lacks Lewis’ subtlety and embraces Stefani’s confidence just a bit too much. She’s by no means awful, but she’s not as great as her counterparts, found in “Mr. Audio” on bass, on guitar and “Mr. Fiction” on drums.

Mark’s drumming is actually the best part of this band. He is the driving element behind songs like “Kite High,” “Suffocate” and “I’m Alive.” Charles slides around the guitar giving many of the songs a little bit of a country twist like on album opener “Way Out.”

Darren’s bass playing is brought on nicely on “Days Like These,” but unfortunately the cheesy lyrics downplay his skills. “We got drunk in the bar and had sex in the loo,” sings Kristin. Those are the actual lyrics and sadly that was one of the better lines in that particular song.

There are moments where the star quality of the album does shine through. If Kristin can just work a little bit on her presentation and really sell it, then these guys will be set to breakout.

Tracklisting:
01. Way Out
02. Kite High
03. Wishful Thinking
04. Ever Wonder
05. Race the Hourglass
06. Johnny Go
07. Days Like These
08. All I Have
09. Suffocate
10. I’m Alive

Audio Fiction: website | myspace

Written by: Bethany

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Shiny Toy Guns – Season of Poison

Shiny Toy Guns – Season of Poison

Electro rock group is finally releasing a new album and it is actually all new songs. I know it got a little confusing after they released We Are Pilots three times, but Season of Poison is their legitimate second album. Granted, there are several similarities, but many more differences.

The first major and most noticeable difference is that has taken over the duties of . Treasure is a good fit for the band and she manages to balance between finesse and grittiness just as well as Charnow did, but Treasure still brings her own style to the table. Her duets with on songs like “When Did This Storm Begin” and
“I Owe You A Love Song” show that they work seamlessly as a team. I think it’s a very good thing that she lost the CW’s game/reality show to be the next [Ed. Note: Ugh.] because this is a much better fit for Treasure.

Many songs sound similar to the first album. “I Owe You A Love Song” reminds me a lot of “You Are The One,” but it’s cutesier. This song has the potential to really catch on with all of its hooks. I love the progression of how Petree sings the encouraging lines, “These broken days won’t last forever, / You know I’ll put us back together,” but Treasure has a more cautious outlook and it sounds like the girl has been burned before as she says, “Your words aren’t good to me, / It’s like hearing a song without a melody.” However, by the end of the song, she starts echoing him, so it sounds like she has either forgiven or found some hope.

As sweet as that one sounds, the record doesn’t stay cute for long and with a title of Season of Poison, the songs slowly turn venomous. “Ghost Town” picks up the pace and adds a rock edge. Treasure’s voice on this one sounds like in “Hollaback Girl.” Current radio single, “Ricochet!” takes the normally melodic phrase of “La la la” and turns it into an angry growl.

Fittingly, “Poison” is the longest song on the album and its dark intro and multiple progressions will capture your attention completely. A faint background noise in the background gives the felling like you are on a jungle safari into the hear of darkness.

While I would still choose We Are Pilots to listen to first if you are unfamiliar with Shiny Toy Guns, Season of Poison is still an interesting, complex that is also rather enjoyable despite of few dull moments.

Season of Poison will be released November 4, 2008.

Tracklisting:
01. When Did This Storm Begin (Featuring Binary Finary)
02. Money For That
03. I Owe You A Love Song
04. Ghost Town
05. It Became A Lie On You
06. Ricochet!
07. Season Of Love
08. Poison
09. Blown Away
10. Turned To Real Life
11. Frozen Oceans

Shiny Toy Guns: website | myspace

Written by: Bethany

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Warped Tour Rundown – Kansas City (Part Three)

Warped Tour Rundown – Kansas City (Part Three)

Here is the third installment of the Warped Tour Rundown. Enjoy.

5:45 P.M. to 6:15 P.M. – Hurley.com Stage

Katy

I would be lying if I didn’t confess that I became relatively nervous while making my way to the Hurley.com stage for Katy Perry’s premiere Kansas City performance. PopWreckoning had worked with her several times (Review, Interview) in the past without fail, but following a fairly awful performance on Last Call with Carson Daily , I was somewhat unsure of exactly what type of a show I would be in for. It could honestly swing either way. She could turn out to be an amazingly talented woman with the ability to command a stage and capture the love and attention of the crowd, much like ’s . However, she could also turn out to be a talentless figure head with a pretty face standing in front of a group of world class musicians with the likes of Avril Lavigne. Either way, finding out the answer to these questions seemed like kind of a big deal.

The truth is Katy Perry did not let me down. While she remained a little pitchy and yelled instead of singing more often than she needed to, Katy’s set was pretty damn good. Her stage actions are fairly amusing and her songs are really entertaining. The presence of personality that she brings to the stage is completely responsible for her new found fame. She interacted with the crowd as well as anyone I had seen that day. Bottom line is, Katy Perry won me over. She is the real deal and worth your time.

Grade: B+

katy

5:50 – 6:20 – Highway One Stage

Rumor is that Cobra Starship is kind of a big deal. Everyone I met at Warped Tour had their name on the tip of their tongue, which says something about the group considering the hype from the movie Snakes on a Plane has long died down.

Instrumentally, the group has a tight set. For being known for providing the song to such a cheesy movie, they surprisingly have really interesting instrumentals, partly thanks to the addition of a keytar player. However, instruments may not be enough to win over the entire audience because you either love or hate lead singer ’s cocky antics, which range from dancing around the stage to brushing his own shoulder off.

The jury is still out on this group. Those of us here at PopWreckoning can’t decide if we want to give this group two fangs up or down.

Grade: B

6:50 to 7:20 – Highway One Stage

PopWreckoning reviewed Say Anything when they passed through Kansas City two weeks prior to Warped, but was left desiring a little more energy and enthusiasm from the group. After getting a second chance to see them, I feel the early assessment was pretty accurate.

Their songs are well-known and loved in Kansas City because of the heavy radio play they get here, but the group’s singer , seems to have lost his enthusiasm for their songs. It is a shame that the quirky lyrics weren’t enough to save this group from delivering a boring set. Although it was fun to see Say Anything joined by all their “friends” like Cobra Starship’s Gabe Saporta on “Belt.”

Grade: B

7:20 to Apocalypse – Route 66 Stage

Gym Class Heroes, much like their previously reviewed labelmates ,  have greatly improved over the years and they delivered one of the most impressive sets of the day, until it was sadly cut far too short by the apocalyptic thunderstorm that broke out during the Gym Class Heroes’ tour of the Papercut Chronicles.

Actually, the band could have sounded like shit and they still would have been entertaining. is one of the most entertaining frontmen in the industry with his great crowd interaction and wild facial expressions. Fortunately, the group sounded great, so it was a pleasing experience for both the eyes and ears.

Grade: A

Katy Perry: website | myspace
Cobra Starship: website | myspace
Say Anything: website | myspace
Gym Class Heroes: website | myspace

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Concert Calendar

Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO

Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS

Nov 25, 2011
Baby Teardrops - Vinyl Release @ The Brick, Kansas City MO

Dec 1, 2011 Now, Now @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO

Dec 9, 2011 Felix Culpa - Farewell Show @ The Metro, Chicago IL
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