About The Cold Cut...

The musings of a teenage audiophile. Indie, Rock, Hip-Hop, Rap, Dance, Dubstep, Garage, Metal... music crosses all boundaries. The Cold Cut is devoted to giving you a taste of what's going on in music at the moment.

About Me

A 17 year old taking his first tentative steps into the world of blogging. In my first year, its been up and down, from the slow first months to a busy time around the one year anniversary.

Showing posts with label Madonna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madonna. Show all posts

The New Wave Of Music: Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind

I must apologise for not being able to reply to your comments: it's out of my hands. My school has blocked my blog, for some ridiculous reason, apparently 'pornography', or so the filter says. Anyway, I can't see, read, or comment on my blog: I am solely limited to posting and reading your comments through my email account. Anyway, there has been so much unbelievably catchy and amazing music recently, so here's me scratching the surface. If anything goes drastically wrong, be sure to let me know.

Regardless, I can continue to blog, so here is a comprehensive list of the great music released over the last few months.

Discuss: Can you name the best new band at the moment?

Coldplay- Viva La Vida (Link 2)
My faith is restored. Coldplay have really outdone themselves here: 'Viva La Vida' is superior to 'Violet Hill' in every respect, even on the first spin... and who knows how dear it could become many more plays? Epic strings, no audible piano, and a sound that wouldn't fit anywhere smaller than a stadium. This is the 'new' version of Coldplay I was expecting.

The National- Mansion On The Hill (Live Bruce Springsteen Cover) (Link 2)
In my honest opinion, The National are one of the best American bands out there. 'Boxer' and 'Alligator' are work-horses, giving and giving, and I've been waiting for a new track for ages. This more than justifies the wait, even if it is a cover...

Phantom Planet- Raise The Dead (Link 2)
Phantom Planet- Do The Panic (Link 2)
Wow... Now this, I really wasn't expecting. Remember 'California'? Of course you do... well, it seems in the time between the O.C.'s expiration and the present, Phantom Planet have been busy. Busy rebuilding their image, that is, from a teen pop group into an Americanised Arcade Fire. This is a much more mature and developed packaged than they previously offered.

Madonna- Miles Away (Link 2)
I've said more than enough about Madonna...

Busta Rhymes- We Made It (Ft. Linkin Park) (Link 2)
Busta Rhymes- Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On Em') (Link 2)
Busta Rhymes always works best when backed up by a wacky, overblown beat. Surprisingly, he eschews that route here, instead opting to blend rock and hip hop. Sounds rubbish, doesn't it? Sometimes, the most grating of combinations produce miracles (see DNA- hint 'keeping it in the family').

His other track- 'Don't Touch Me'...-is classic Busta- balls to the wall, high octane verses, with barely time to breath. And in true fashion, he really pulls it off.

The Ting Tings- Shut Up And Let Me Go (Link 2)
How time flies. Last time I posted about these guys, they were just getting off the ground after releasing 'Great DJ'. And now, they going stellar, after Apple featured them in their new iPod adverts. A little face might be saved by the fact that the song used- 'Shut Up And Let Me Go'- isn't their best, and thus they will always have a crowd pleaser ('That's Not My Name') for the end of their sets that hasn't been 'played to death'.

Weezer- Pork And Beans (Link 2)
Okay, so I'm a few weeks late on this one, but sometimes I can't go without posting a good track. Classic Weezer, plain and simple.

Santogold- I'm A Lady (Link 2)
Santogold- Say Aha (Link 2)
Santogold really crept up on me. To be honest, I didn't give her the time of day, until I saw her album art. For some strange reason, that gold sprinkle effect triggered a fond memory of my childhood and I was instantly won over. Simply put, Santogold is doing for rock and dub what M.I.A. did for hip hop and dancehall, blending cultures, styles and genres into a accesible music.

Metro Station- Shake It (Link 2)
The first time I heard this, I found myself retching at the cheesiness. However, as I walked away from my room, the chorus: 'Shake, shake, shake, shake... I shake it' played over and over in my mind. Really, though, Metro Station need to work out who they are- cheesy American poppers or something a little bit deeper? My money is on the latter; a rebranding (and re-titling- terrible) could be in order.

Lil' Wayne- A Millie (Link 2)
A new TV advertisement proclaims Lil' Wayne as 'the most controversial man in America'. I sincerely doubt this, but you cannot knock him for his cojones. His new album, 'Tha Carter III' is widely expected to be an opus, led comfortably by his first number 1 single, 'Lollipop'. Genius artwork, too- Wayne mimics both Notorious B.I.G. and Nas by using a baby photo as his album cover (a metaphor Wayne? Deep...). We all know Wayne thinks he's great, but soon, we might just have proof.

Madonna's 'Hard Candy' Leaks Again... And Again... And Again.

Madonna- Give It 2 Me (Link 2)
Madonna- The Beat Goes On (Ft. Kanye West) (Link 2)

Madonna's having a hard time at the moment. Under attack from the press for her 'hard' image, and her refusal to retire, the last thing she needs is a load of tracks to leak from her new album. And yet the whole album was released onto the web today, three days before 'Hard Candy's release.

I'm actually quite impressed... this 'hard' image doesn't really bother me too much- the music is what matters, after all. And people can continue to be frustrated with Madonna, asking her to retire. Why? Would you, when you can continue to produce number 1 singles/albums into your 50's?

The new tracks are fairly impressive, with the production values coming through strong. Pharrell and Timbaland produce the bulk of the album, with Nate Hills contributing the remainder. Madonna seems to have enlisted a who's who of rap and hip hop acts, which is important considering this is meant to be her first foray into hip hop.

'Hard Candy' can be pre-ordered here...

4 Minutes To Save The World

Madonna- 4 Minutes (ft. Justin Timberlake)

Madonna. 'Material Girl' and the 'Queen Of Pop'. 200 million album sales. And many more to come, if her latest single- '4 Minutes'- is any indication.

Her 11th studio album, 'Hard Candy', will signal the end of an era. It is her last (studio) album with Warner Bros. Records, after which she will move to her new 10 year contract with Live Nation. There are a few main reasons as to why Madonna has lasted this long. Effectively, she is a musical chameleon, transforming her looks, music and general brand image whenever she begins to lose popularity. Her latest album is no different.

'4 Minutes' is a lesson for the pretenders. This is how you stage a reinvention. Her last album, 'Confessions On A Dance Floor', was built from an endless mix of dance samples. Whilst not totally dissimilar, this single tends more towards heavier beats and giant brass than pure dance backing. Roping in Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (do these guys travel as a unit now?) is a genius move, but Timb/aland/erlake have a tendency to take over the tracks they feature in. The track is a little busy, but the hip-hop feel works well. Basically, this is shit hot, and will no doubt take over the radio/charts, just as 'Hung Up' did.

'Hard Candy' is out on 28th April... Pre-order it here

Discuss: Like the new direction? Is this Madonna's track? Sounds like JT and Timba to me... Oh, and isn't the cover terrible?