Bubblegum Dance

Bubblegum dance is a genre of music that is not really like any other. The name probably came about because that's how each song sounds: like bubblegum that is dancing. Bubblegum dance comes primarily from Scandinavia, especially Denmark and Sweden, although the words to the songs are almost always in English. I love the bouncing beats, happy music, and fun lyrics, but it always invokes the same question from my friends. They ask, “Goggin, why are you listening to music that is clearly aimed at teenage girls?” I think such assumptions are unfair and wrong. I listen to whatever music that makes me feel good, and if someone thinks less of me because of that, I don't want to be their friend anyway.

Nearly all bubblegum dance follows this formula:

• Steady 4/4 beat
• Chord-based music with mostly synthetic instruments
• Lead vocalist is female, often high-pitched and somewhat nasal
• Song follows chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus-chorus-chorus-etc.
• Lyrics are in English and about love
• Lyrics contain sexual references ranging from thinly veiled to bluntly obvious
• Nonsense lyrics such as "la-da-dee-dadee-dah" or "aiee-oh-wah"
  

Some of my favorite artists:

• Toy-Box
• SMiLE.dk
• Aqua
• Dr. Bombay
• DJ Bobo

You may look forward to reading more about these artists in the coming weeks.

Fight Me and Lose.

Topic for discussion, Foo Fighters. On September 25th the new album will hit the stores at a amazing speed. This just so happens to be the bands sixth studio release and marks a 10 year reunion with producer Gil Norton, who helped The Colour And The Shape go to a double platinum status (which is getting remarketed for the celebration). The album is "Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace" and already has kids antsy. The new album is supposed to be pretty solid with twelve new songs and the same ass kicking vocals and shredding of the guitar.

The Foos have been around for close to or more than 10 years now and have six albums under their belt. With smash hits like Best of You, Big Me, Hero and many more. I have like the Foos for quite awhile now and even own some of their cds. Dave Grohl is a great performer and has a slight harshness to his voice and that is what makes it unique. They have the songs that you get warmed up to before you do something big. For example I was the captain of the wrestling team at my high school and I made a cd with the run out song Hero. Parents loved it and the school board loved it because of the simplicity of the song and the language wasnt that bad. Not that it matters to a bunch of college kids but if that is something you respect then by all means keep it up.

So if you are a Foo Fighters fan go get it, You know without a doubt I will.

Stereo Total

Stereo Total is a rather odd band from Germany. Their music is an interestingly strange and strangely interesting blend of some kind of retro garage rock and basic low-tech electronic sounds. However, the aural variety and experimental nature of Stereo Total's music doesn't allow for any labels to be truly applied to their work. Most of the lyrics are in either French or German, and a few in English, as the band is comprised of Françoise Cactus, who is French and does nearly all of the vocals, and Brezel Göring, who is German. Their music is recorded at a lower quality in order to fit the style, and I find that such a decision fits Stereo Total's music quite well. I would not really say that Stereo Total is a “good” band, mostly due to the fact that most of their music is really not much more than rhythmic noise, e.g. one song has a badly sampled car screech looped over and over. “Then what good are they?” you are surely asking. Well you see, like many bands, amongst the multitude of bad songs there are a few that are actually quite good, diamonds in the rough if you will. I must point out, of course, that I really have only heard the music from their second album “Monokini” and several of their newer songs, and so there may be many more songs worth listening to than I am aware of.

The really good ones:

• Bad News From The Stars
• Megaflittchen
• Ach Ach Liebling
• Ex Fan de 60ies

A few more that are still pretty good:

• A La Sortie Du Lycée
• Schön Von Hinten
• Lunatique

“Bad News From The Stars” is a song the likes of which I have never heard before or anywhere else since. It stars off with a whistle, then a few drums and a small choir of robotic cherubim singing the words “bad news from the stars”, which as soon becomes apparent, are the only words in the entire song. Then the music kicks in with some sort of grooving bass the color of tin and the subtle traces of something electric zinging around at the top. Somehow the various parts all come together and let themselves be counter-intuitively enhanced by the low-tech feel of the recording. The music begins skipping, jumping, and dragging in a fashion that not only transfigures the vocals into part of the music itself but enhances the delicious confusion of whatever it is that this song thinks it is doing. After a nice time of bumping around with the music, you will hear Françoise adding in with her own line of “bad news from the stars”. The song ends soon after that, leaving the listener thinking two things: “What just happened?” and “I hope that it happens again!” So what does “bad news from the stars” even mean? I have absolutely no idea, but I do know that the song invokes a feeling of soft metal and happy stars somewhere very far away. If you like “Bad News From The Stars”, I also recommend “Megaflittchen” as it has a somewhat similar idea and feel.

You can listen to “Bad News From The Stars” here.

You must remove the downloaded file from your computer within 24 hours. It is only a sample of a track which you can purchase on a CD. The author of this site cannot be held responsible for the misuse or copyright violation of this song as enforced by any given country's laws.

Drastic? Not Quite

After listening to KT Tunstall's new ablum Drastic Fantastic, it is hard to not make references or comparisons to other female singer/songwriters such as Alanis Morisette, Jewel, Dido, etc. While Tunstall uses the same recipies for success (backing acoustic guitars, soft falsetto vocals, catchy hooks), Tunstall has a more omnipresence than anyone who has come before her. There is something in her vocals that says she isn't going to fade away; she is here to stay. The album as a whole is more grown up than her previous singles "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See" off Eye to the Telescope.

The album starts off with a bang, with the first track having Tunstall just asking for "Little Favours" with backing heavy rocking guitars. The track uses a very effective verse/chorus switch between minor and major cords. The next track on the album, "If Only" is one of the catchiest tunes on the album, and a personal favorite of mine. The song speaks about a girl who only wanted a chance with a guy who never gave her one, and when he comes around to realize her, she tells him it is too late. Throughout the album, there are a number of acoustic ballads that all work well, including "Hopeless", "White Bird", and "Beauty of Uncertainty". The first single of the album, "Hold On" is a good choice. The song is probably the most radio-friendly track of the album, with catchy clap beat and latin-driven guitar picking. It seems that for every soft, slow acoustic track, there is another rocking, upbeat track, such as "Funnyman", "I Don't Want You Now", and "Saving My Face".

Overall, the album starts off very strong. There is a good mixture of upbeat and slow songs. Every track seems to have its own uniqueness to it, for no two are alike. The end of the album sort of ends in a dissapointment, with the last few tracks dragging the album to an end. On the album as a whole, Tunstall proves that she is here to stay, and is not going to fade away like previous female singer/songwriters.

Key Tracks:

• "If Only"


• "White Bird"


• "Hold On"

Explosive

“Explosive” is one of bond's best pieces, which is probably the reason that their best hits album goes by the same name. However, pretty much all of their music is of such excellence that it is impossible for one to say that “Explosive” is any better than many others. It really is quite an explosive work of music. Like the powerful balance between a forceful shock wave and graceful plumes of fire, the aggressive drums and delicate strings form the awesome explosion that is the track's namesake. The main melody, which is played on strings, feels like it's all over the place, but at the same time it has a purpose. The drums provide a stabilizing center that anchors what would otherwise be an overly sporadic tune. “Explosive” also flows to other segments that have a different feel to them, sometimes a momentary time of peace provided by sky-blue flutes, or a spiky transition that builds up to the next part, and all feel as part of the same explosion. About three-fourths through the piece, some low brass of a lovely red forms one of the most moving counter-melodies with the strings that I have ever heard. The few snippets of unintelligible vocals function nicely as a bit of punctuation to the music. Altogether, “Explosive” is a powerful mixture of expert string playing and a jamming alloy of drums and supporting instruments that combines into a solid block of win.

You can listen to “Explosive” here.

You must remove the downloaded file from your computer within 24 hours. It is only a sample of a track which you can purchase on a CD. The author of this site cannot be held responsible for the misuse or copyright violation of this song as enforced by any given country's laws.

A personal first

For my album review, I decided to go digital. This may come as a shock, but I have never purchased an album off of iTunes. As a matter of fact, I have never purchased a single song from iTunes. Without a car, and having no desire to wait 20 minutes at the bus stop for a ride to Wal-Mart, this week I purchased KT Tunstall's new album Drastic Fantastic from the iTunes store. However, it truly does not even feel like I bought an actual album. I can't get past the thought that I really just bought a million 1's and 0's. I'm used to going into a store, actually having something in my hand that I'm going to buy, giving a cashier money, and walking out of the store with a physical object, signifying I had made a purchase. The whole nostalgia of buying an album seems to be lost when buying an album online. I enjoy walking through a store, picking up an album, taking 10 minutes to remove all the plastic wrap and protective labels, having liner notes to look at, and most importantly, having an actual CD in my hands. While it is possible to burn the tracks to a CD-R, and also the CD cover and liner notes are available to print off, just doesn't feel the same.

There are, however, some added bonuses to buying the album through iTunes. There is obviously the elimination of not having to drive or catch a bus to the nearest best buy or record store. iTunes definitely has a nicer price than most record stores, with only $9.99 per album. It is also nice to have the ability to instantly upload the album onto my iPod, within only seconds of purchasing the album. After doing some further investigating, it seems that many albums sold on iTunes offer bonus tracks or videos.

So have I been converted to using iTunes for all my album purchases? Not quite. I am still a fan of purchasing an actual, physical CD. But the idea of purchasing an album off iTunes is definitely something I will consider in the future.

Bubbly

I've been a-w-a-k-e for a while now

you've got me feelin like a child now

cause every time i see your bubbly face

i get the tinglies in a silly place

It starts in my toes

and i crinkle my nose

where ever it goes i always know

that you make me smile

please s-t-a-y for a while now

just take your time where ever you go

The rain is fallin on my window pane

but we are hidin in a safer place

u-n-d-e-r covers stayin dry and warm

you give me feelins that i adore

They s-t-a-r-t in my toes

makes me crinkle my nose

where ever it goes i always know

that you make me s-m-i-l-e

please stay for a while now

just take your time where ever you go

What am i gonna say

when you make me f-e-e-l this way

I just........Mmmm

It starts in my toes

makes me crinkle my nose

where ever it goes

i a-l-w-a-y-s know

that you make me smile

please stay for a while now

just take your t-i-m-e where ever you go

I’ve been asleep for a while now

You tucked me in just like a child now

Cause every time you hold me in your arms

Im comfortable enough to feel your warmth

It starts in my soul

And I lose all c-o-n-t-r-o-l

When you kiss my nose

The feelin shows

Cause you make me smile

Baby just take your time now

Holdin me tight Where ever, where ever, where ever you go

What are you thinking about this song by Colbie Caillat? I will tell you what I thought the first time I heard this song. I thought it was about this girl singing about how she loved it when this guy gave her a feeling in a silly place, that started in her toes and made her crinkle her nose! I dont know what you thought but the wording had me taken back a litte, I didnt know that a girl would be so explicit about an "O". I read into it a little bit, with a lot of help by a anonymous girl, and found that she wasnt talking about an "O" but Love! I refused to believe it because it was so much more interesting to me when I thought she was talking about an "O". Call me perverted but I say it is natural to think like that. I think more and more about the song everytime I hear it and I realize that she wanted it to sound like she was talking about an "O", because girls like the feeling of an"O" and they like the feeling of love so if they like both then this song can go both ways. I feel like I have tapped into a new side of thinking with girls so if you think I am wrong dont burst my bubble and make me look retarted ( actually say what you would like, this is why I wrote it...feedback).