Monday Morning Roundup
INXS' new single with Rock Star: INXS winner JD has entered the charts at #37, better than anything they did with Michael Hutchence. Is it any good, or is this pure reality puff? (via TV Squad)
Teitur has a demo, "Baby Don't You Ever", for his yet-untitled new album up on his MySpace page. I like the stripped-down sound a more than the bigger, more radio-friendly sound from his last album. Someone tell John Mayer.
You can't know who Cat Power is without also having been told she's "terrible" live. I always assumed it meant she sort of rushed through her songs or played too quietly. Actually, it means she argues with herself and rants about the KKK.
Posted at 8:36 AM
i heart chan.
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The Billboard chart works very differently these days than it did in INXS' heyday. It's quite possible "Pretty Vegas" hit its peak right there in the 30's...the high debut is due to digital download sales...the Paul McCartney/U2 collaboration on "Sgt. Pepper's..." from Live 8 splashed onto the chart and went nowhere.
"Pretty Vegas" will depend on radio for a high chart placing, and it's nowhere on radio so far. Even with all of the hoopla around Jessica Simpson's "These Boots" it didn't come near the top of the chart because radio didn't jump on the bandwagon.
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one time i threw an empty beer bottle at teitur.
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i like this teitur dude.
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this INXS bullshit is sickening. first off, the fact that they even thought of replacing hutchence is horrifying (even after the terrance trent d'arby fiasco). secondly, that they did it on national television in a contest/reality series is even worse. they're smart businessmen, though. having the reality TV show probably made the mainstream more accepting to some lame-o filling in at lead singer, and it's probably going to guarantee them another 15 minutes of fame. but the whole thing is really really awful. this, of course, coming from a huge INXS fan in the late 80s.
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I saw a Cat Power show at the Middle East in Boston a few years ago and it was equally as strange. I left about 25 minutes because it was unbearable and I was so embarrassed for her. By that point she hadn't gotten through a full song. She stopped about four times to tune during the first song. It was her first show in a while and she was talking about how she had thought that she didn't need to use her left pinky while playing guitar but was realizing now (during the show) that she did but now the muscles were all out of shape.
She apparently put on a very good show at Coolidge Corner about six months or a year after that though. Maybe she's really hit or miss?
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On the other hand, I saw her at the Bluebird in Denver a few years ago, and not only did she play amazing versions of both old and new songs for about an hour and a half, she was utterly charming and led the crowd in a group whistle-along to end the show.
Definitely hit or miss.
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Re: Cat Power - you know you've really made it when people start applauding you for NOT losing your shit and whimpering to yourself mid-song. What is this, Special Olympics? This shit isn't "hit or miss" - it's about 30 misses to a hit, from what it sounds like to me.
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I think Chan is fascinating. I have a picture of her on my cubicle wall. I like looking at her.
That said, she's a horrible "musician." She's not even a musician in my book. Even when she puts on one of her "good" shows, it's awful. She can't sing. She can't play guitar or piano. She can't write songs. Is the bar really this low these days?
She should be writing poetry in a spiral notebook and showing it to her therapist. Why she has a record contract and a following is beyond me. She's a trainwreck. An oddity. If you ignore her, she will go away. No really cares about her "music," they just want to see a woman break down. It's sick.
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who mentioned applauding her for not losing her shit? and the guy commenting on that linked article who says she's like miles davis but without the talent... who does have the talent of miles? as far as i'm concerned, chan is a pretty good artist with a nice voice. i don't understand this outraged reaction some people have to her. then again i haven't seen her live... i'd take a gamble on her though.
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I really like some of the recorded Cat Power material, and I think her voice is one of the most unique that I'm likely to hear (live) in my lifetime. I don't even mind her onstage meltdowns so much, as I go in expecting them. But I have been wondering if anybody else noticed something: unless she holds back intentionally, it seems to me that she's only actually able to play two rhythmns, one on the guitar and one on the piano. For a world-famous recording star, that's pretty silly.
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when i pay money to see a show, i demand to be satisfied. if i expect someone to dance like my own personal yngwie malmsteen puppet, dammit she had better or i'll repeat mean second-hand gossip about her.
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I have no comments on Cat Power's performances but I do love the simplicity of the latest album cover. That's all. :)
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