E-40 has been charged with bringing northern California’s Bay Area hip-hop to the rest of the nation, and “U and Dat” delivers with nasty rap class. It’s fundamental that sexually explicit tracks with comical lingo and a catchy hook always win, and 40 knows this. Teaming with T-Pain and Xscape’s Kandi Girl, the track is […]
Newcomer DeAnda was signed on the spot after auditioning for BMG chief Clive Davis and is raring for mainstream success. The first single from her July 18 self-titled debut is packed with commercial appeal. The song’s layered harmonies and rueful lyric showcase DeAnda’s sweet voice, revealing maturity well beyond her 16 years. Although the track […]
Cashing in on the trend of reality-star-turned-pop singer, Brooke Hogan throws her hat into the wrestling ring with “About Us.” At first listen, it’s better than expected, catchy and fun. Produced by Scott Storch and featuring rapper Paul Wall, adding to its “street cred,” the hip-hop-flavored single is already garnering spins on R&B radio. Skeptics […]
Superchick has already made its mark via more than two dozen credits in such TV shows and films as “Legally Blonde” and “Alias.” But “We Live” not only belies the quintet’s cursory multimedia exposure, but also its ill-chosen name, which conjures less depth than what is revealed on record. With a surprisingly accessible reggae-meets-hip-hop […]
Taylor Hicks’ victory in the fifth season of “American Idol” presents a mighty challenge for label J: How do you take a charismatic physical presence who wowed voters and convert his unexceptional vocal talents into mass-appeal hitmaking? Hicks’ long-term prospects seem preposterously slim (29? Purple velvet?) and first single “Do I Make You Proud” […]
Pharrell and Kanye West’s first musical alliance is as unexpected as one would anticipate from the rapper/producer innovators. This midtempo groove is the fourth single that may be on Pharrell’s extensively delayed solo debut “In My Mind.” Here, the Neptunes’ more recognizable half inscribes his signature off-key falsetto over otherworldly keys and bells, though his […]
Color us surprised. We assumed the third single from Madonna’s No. 1 album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” would be the highly catchy pop number “Jump.” Instead, we’ve been served the hypnotic space-age thumper “Get Together” as the follow-up to “Sorry.” The latter track was woefully ignored at U.S. radio (though it was a smash […]
Con Hunley’s smooth, soulful voice was a staple on country radio in the 1980s. Last year, after a lengthy, self-imposed hiatus, he made a welcome return to recording. This frisky uptempo number, culled from his recent “Shoot From the Heart” album, is all about setting priorities and enjoying life while that old clock ticks. There’s […]
After charting with three rock-outs from double-disc “In Your Honor” — and while single “No Way Back” is still doing decent business at modern rock — the Foos deliver “Miracle,” the first single from the full-length set’s acoustic side. The guys unplug with grace. No earth-shattering prose, just straight-shooting sentiment, as lead Dave Grohl’s low-key, […]
Here’s one more insta-soaring, hard-rock anthem delivered with emo urgency. A ballad at heart — and leadoff to upcoming “Liberation Broadcast” — “Rooftops” opens with atmospheric guitars and mellow-dramatic vocals. The big bang comes when the midtempo track crescendos into a cathartic high-rise chorus that loads a powerful image: “Standing on the rooftops/Everybody scream your […]
Talk about peculiar. We know Def Leppard’s upcoming album of cover tunes, “Yeah!,” is a tribute to the band’s musical heroes, so its tracks were dictated by the heart instead of an A&R man. Still, it’s odd to hear one of Britain’s greatest metal bands perform a sparse, atmospheric ditty like “Rock On” — a […]
Former Grant Lee Buffalo frontman Grant-Lee Phillips applies country and roots flourishes and soul to the New Wave candor of the Psychedelic Furs’ 1983 classic “Love My Way.” With the arrangement slowed to half time, his sad howl and quiet vocal harmonies splay over strings and upright bass, turning the former dance track into a […]
T.I. pours the charm on thick with “Why You Wanna,” the second single from his fourth album, “King.” This laid-back cut, with its keyboard-based beat, is a nice shift from his more frenetic singles like “Bring Em Out” and “What You Know.” Here, the Atlanta rapper is just as witty but more refined and methodical […]
Penned by Hank DeVito and Larry Willoughby, the gorgeous “Building Bridges” has long been one of Music Row’s underrated treasures. Kudos to Brooks & Dunn for bringing this little gem back to the spotlight. It’s a classic lyric about mending a broken relationship, and Ronnie Dunn’s lead vocal is as compelling as always. This man […]
