Labor Day Weekend Playlist

 

It’s almost here! That long weekend everyone looks forward to at the end of the summer when you can lay back and relax one last time before gearing into school or work mode on Tuesday. Sure, the summer isn’t technically over yet, but Labor Day Weekend always feels like a bittersweet send-off to the hot, wonderful few months you just experienced.

With the help of Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of Best Summer Songs of All Time, I’ve compiled some suggestions of tunes to enjoy as a soundtrack to your Labor Day Weekend festivities. One of the bands that made the list is California surf-pop duo Best Coast. Rolling Stone explains that the group’s song “The Only Place” made the list for its “celebration of California living set to some cheerily buzzing guitars. When Bethany Cosentino sings "Why would you live anywhere else," it'll make you want to pack your bags for L.A. faster than Ted Chaough.” This tune is definitely a great pick for a summertime playlist.

Another great song is a more subdued ode to summer by Chad and Jeremy. The magazine says, “Over impossibly tasteful string and brass accents, two young British men think about summer romances come and gone in 1964 and harmonize like angels” of the band’s “A Summer Song.”

Of course, the B-52s made the list with their famous song “Rock Lobster,” a fun and energetic summer jam. Rolling Stone says the song is a “wild, winking throwback to the innocent silliness of Sixties dance crazes. The surfed-up guitar part and Fred Schneider's brilliant Jacques Cousteau-gone-bonkers lyrics made it a psychedelic beach rocker for the ages.”

Rolling Stone’s number one pick for best summer song? Martha & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street” - a classic, upbeat tune that will make you happy to celebrate summer this weekend. Here are a few more of the greatest summer songs to add to your playlist:

“Island in the Sun” by Weezer

“Blister in the Sun” by Violent Femmes

“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” by Vampire Weekend

“Sunny Afternoon” by the Kinks

“Suddenly Last Summer” by the Motels

“King of the beach” by Wavves

“Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer

“Summer Babe (winter version)” by Pavement

 “Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran

“California Girls” by The Beach Boys

“Hot Fun in the Summertime” by Sly and the Family Stone

“Cruel Summer” by Bananarama

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Image: Corey Butler via Flickr CC

How Mary Lambert Continues to Steal the Show

As predicted, this year’s MTV Video Music Awards were everything we could have ever hoped for (and some things we didn’t hope for, courtesy of Miley Cyrus’ tongue). There were long-awaited reunions, such as the highly anticipated live performance from ‘NSync, over-the-top fashion choices, racy and jaw-dropping numbers performed by the likes of ahem, Ms. Cyrus, and a whole lot of love for the best music videos of the year.

Everyone predicted that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis would take home the Moon Man for “Best Video with a Social Message” for their song “Same Love,” but few imagined the impact that up-and-coming songbird Mary Lambert would have on the music industry. Lambert is the female cameo part who sings the profoundly touching chorus in “Same Love,” and her performance at the VMAs was truly one of the highlights of the evening. Through exposure from the now famous song, which many consider to be a sort of “LGBT anthem,” Lambert has also become an important gay rights activist and supporter within the music industry.

After “Same Love” was released, the singer produced an extended version of Macklemore’s political pro-gay song called “She Keeps Me Warm.” Lambert’s version is a more in-depth look at a lesbian love story, a sweet glimpse at a relationship beginning to unfold. Her beautiful vocals paired with an important message about love and equality is what will make Lambert’s music career endure and excel far beyond her famous cameo on “Same Love.” The singer has now breached multiple genres while unobtrusively singing about human relationships and the importance of justice for LGBT people whose love is, as everyone participating in and watching the VMAs can agree, the same.

About being gay, and an artist, Lambert says, “I think that when you’re gay and you’re in a gay relationship, it’s inherently political whether you want it to be or not. You’re creating music; you’re writing from your experience; and if your experience is being in the gay community, that’s going to affect the way you write. So whether or not you want to be a gay artist or not, you’re going to be a gay artist. It’s just, whether you want to be an activist or not.” Lambert has definitely become a prominent gay rights activist, and a role model to those her music reaches. The music industry, as well as the LGBT community, is lucky to have her. 

Images: marylambertsing via Instagram

The Music World is Buzzing in Anticipation of this Weekend’s VMAs

MTV’s annual Video Music Awards are definitely one of the biggest celebrity gatherings of the summer. Music industry heavyweights flock to the awards show to honor one another in a night of musical and visual celebration. The fashion choices at these shows are notoriously outrageous; the hordes of entertainers have a little more expressive leeway at the MTV event than they would at say, the Academy Awards (remember when Gwen Stefani showed up at the 1998 VMAs with blue hair, braces, and platform flip-flops?). The musical performances are over the top, and the awards themselves – MTV’s iconic Moonman trophies – are given to those who most influenced the music industry and popular culture over the last year.

This year’s Video Music Awards are happening this weekend, and the world of entertainment is buzzing in anticipation for what’s to come. Lady Gaga is reportedly opening the show with a live performance from her newest single, “Applause,” and you can also expect appearances from Bruno Mars, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and many, many others. Perhaps what most people are getting excited about is a performance from the beloved boy band ‘NSync, who is reuniting, if only for one night, to perform together at the VMAs. Despite the band’s members going on to pursue other avenues after their 2002 break-up, it is indisputable that singer Justin Timberlake has achieved unparalleled success, which is evident in his multiple VMA nominations in 2013.

Timberlake is tied with Macklemore for the most nominations at this year’s awards show; each performer has 6 nominations in a variety of categories, although many predict that Timberlake will take home the most wins. Not only can he hold his own as a solo performer, the singer has succeeded in Hollywood and in fashion. He can dance, sing, act, and market himself remarkably well, although some are still most fond of the days he fronted ‘NSync, emerging as a leader and true superstar early on. This year at the VMAs, Timberlake is set to perform, to potentially win as many as six Moonmen, and to be awarded with MTV’s prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. The Video Vanguard Award is MTV’s version of a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Timberlake is receiving it because of the profound impact he has made on MTV, music, and popular culture throughout his career.

Make sure to tune in this weekend for the MTV Video Music Awards airing live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn! 

 

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Salon’s Most Hated Bands of the Last 30 Years

Is Lana Del Rey really one of the worst contemporary performers?

One of the best things about contemporary music is its vast abundance that spans across countless genres. Serious music critics and fans tend to have pretty definitive opinions about the quality of bands and solo performers, and no musician, regardless of their individual genre, is safe from severe criticism. Just take Salon, the online news and entertainment website that got pretty harsh with its picks for the “15 most hated bands of the last 30 years.” 
 

Harshness aside, that isn’t to say that I disagree with the entirety of their list (yeah, Limp Bizkit is pretty darn terrible!). It just goes to show how unrelenting music criticism tends to be. Here are some highlights from Salon’s list of the worst of the worst in the last three decades:

Salon says that “There will always be those unfathomably popular bands that get an inordinate amount of airtime, and are loved by obsessed, cultish fans, only intensifying the hatred of those who realize one objective truth: that when you get down to it, the music isn’t even good. In fact, it downright sucks.” This is certainly true of bands Nickelback, Creed, and Insane Clown Posse, the latter of which doesn’t receive as much mainstream airtime as the other two, but ignited a massive cult following during its heyday. “The Gathering of the Juggalos” is a festival still held every year to celebrate the band, where obsessed fans (called Juggalos), can be surrounded by other obsessed fans and revel in the violent, aggressive lyrics of Insane Clown Posse. All three bands made Salon’s list of the 15 most hated bands, though Nickelback and old Creed tunes continue to dominate radio airwaves. 

We still love you, Hootie!

The list lost me at its mention of Dave Matthews Band and Hootie & the Blowfish, two bands who were incredibly popular in the 1990s. The article explains that, “In order for something to be hated, it must first be loved; that love is what gives the hatred its roots,” which is maybe what explains these two bands being some of the “most hated.” Listeners still love a good old Hootie song when it comes on the radio, and Matthews still packs stadiums with fans when he performs live. Perhaps these bands’ remarkably over-played songs are what make them ones that people love to hate.  

Other bands that made Salon’s “15 most hated bands of the last 30 years” include John Mayer, The Goo Goo Dolls, Train, Phish, Limp Bizkit, Blink 182, Black Eyed Peas, Smash Mouth, 98 Degrees, and even Lana Del Rey.

Do you think Salon was too harsh on some of these old favorites picked for their most hated list?

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FLOTUS Collaborates on New Hip-Hop Album for Kids

 

First Lady Michelle Obama is known for being an activist for many causes. First Ladies typically carry out a political agenda of their own while their husbands are in office, and over the last five years Michelle has worked to improve education, bolster employment rates, and perhaps most notably, made efforts to tackle the challenges of childhood obesity as a national epidemic. 

Her latest work to improve the wellness of American children involves an unexpected tool to channel her message: a hip-hop album. That’s right, the First Lady is helping put together a full-length hip-hop record, one that was conceptualized as a means to inspire healthy living. According to Pitchfork, Mrs. Obama has collaborated with the organizations Partnership for a Healthier America, as well as Hip Hop Public Health to release an album called Songs for a Healthier America. The public health-inspired album is part of the First Lady’s continual efforts to curb childhood obesity, and contains nearly twenty songs that feature music industry heavyweights. Creating a socially conscious health-centric album seems easy when you’re as well connected as Michelle Obama.

According to The White House Administration, “When people first ask First Lady Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn’t hesitate to say that first and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha’s mom,” a part of her identity which certainly influences her goals as First Lady. A mother to two young girls, childhood obesity is an issue that Mrs. Obama has been exposed to first hand in her work with youth. It’s excellent that she is able to use her connections to inspire changes in health and wellness in a creative way.

Songs for a Healthier America will feature recognizable artists such as Ashanti, Jordin Sparks, DMC of Run DMC, Matisyahu, Ariana Grande, and Travis Barker, among others. Some of the song titles include “We like Vegetables,” “Veggie Luv,” and “U R What You Eat,” and all encourage healthy eating and exercise for children. While Mrs. Obama won’t be singing on any of the album tracks, she is reported to make cameos in upcoming music videos. 

Image 1: Barack Obama via Flickr

Image 2: michelleobama via Instagram

Beyoncé’s Bold New Look Makes Headlines, Naturally

  

You know that you’re the most famous woman in music when one snapshot of your new ‘do goes viral in a matter of minutes. Songbird Beyoncé Knowles, queen of pop and R&B, fashion trendsetter and philanthropist, recently chopped her locks - a bold move that is, of course, making headlines.

Between juggling her life in the private eye with husband, rapper Jay-Z and their growing family, and continuing to make a name for herself as one of the most beloved and influential names in entertainment, Beyoncé has a lot going on. Right now, she’s in the middle of her “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour,” which recently finished its first North American leg in Brooklyn, NY. Over the next few months she’ll be performing in Latin America, Australia, Europe, and then back again stateside. But of course, she couldn’t make her way to the United Kingdom without first shedding her iconic long waves in favor of a stylish blond pixie cut.

  

Beyoncé is one of those performers who is as iconic for her all-around persona as she is for her singing chops. A quadruple-threat: a master of singing, dance, acting, and fashion, Beyoncé is constantly reinventing her style and pushing the boundaries of what the public perceives her as capable of. She’s an incredibly influential woman; her fashion sense and own clothing line are wildly popular with a younger female demographic, and her record sales speak for themselves. “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” is one of the most anticipated music tours in recent history, and it’s no wonder; Beyoncé really is Queen B.

Soon, thousands of young women are sure to take after the star and opt for a short, cropped hairstyle. What do you think of Beyoncé’s new look?

Images: beyonce via Instagram 

Tape Cassettes and Bands and Burgers

Shannon and the Clams cassette tape.

 

 

 

If reemerging trends in punk culture have taught us anything over the last few decades, it’s that the do-it-yourself attitude adopted by the counterculture genre will always take you pretty far. Just take Burger Records, the unassuming record label and partnering store which has achieved immense success in recent years by not following anyone’s rules but their own.

Today, popular music is predominantly controlled by corporate labels, molding the mainstream music industry into more of a marketing business and less of a nod to the good ‘ol days of rock and roll. With this in mind, it seems like the independent labels like Burger are having all the fun, while still doing pretty well for themselves as a small business. Created in 2008 by Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard, Burger Records was a way for the duo to produce their own music for their power pop band, Thee Makeout Party. Based out of Fullterton, California, the two saw a need for a record shop in their area, and Burger became a platform for a store of the same name, co-owned by Bohrman and Brian Flores.

Burger Records has garnered a lot of attention over the last few years in the independent music scene for its dedication to making a mark on the music industry in ways that pay homage to sensibilities of the past. This means producing albums with a DIY attitude, creating cassette tapes and 7” vinyl records, being inclusive, and just having a good time. The label is known for supporting often young, local bands with a lot of talent and a love for rock and roll. Subgenres of rock like garage rock, power pop, and punk pervade the label’s overall aesthetic, which mirrors the kind of music favored in underground scenes.

Cassette tapes and vinyl records certainly won’t make Burger or its signed bands a lot of money, but that’s actually sort of the point. Burger Records allows for inclusiveness for listeners, a closed gap between fans and musicians, and exposure for artists who don’t have any desire to succumb to mainstream standards. Burger has represented and helped produce music for more than three hundred bands, many of which tour often and play at a number of popular festivals like increasingly influential South By Southwest. Bands like King Tuff, JEFF the Brotherhood, Quilt, and Audacity bring the fun, and attitude back to rock and roll, and Burger couldn’t be a better label to collaborate with them. 

Images: burgerrecords4life via Instagram

"Tight Fog" a Mix of Mexican Summer Jams

Music mixes are more impersonal now that audio can be streamed anywhere and anytime, but Mexican Summer and Software records have put together a great summer-jam mix. Pretend it’s a mixed tape, and let the good times roll!

The “Tight Fog” sampler released earlier this week, gives a preview of the labels ambient, indie, indie pop to shoegaze line-up. The playlist includes earlier tunes from Real Estate and Tamaryn, and more recent releases from Autre Ne Veut and Lace Curtain. Mexican Summer, a Brooklyn-based label co-founded by New York City tastemaker Andres Santo Domingo, is best known for its indie music with limited-edition vinyl. Software’s music is described as electronic and noise. Mexican Summer and Software records are also sister labels to Kemado Records. 

The summer jams don’t end here. Arther Ashin, known to his fans as Autre Ne Veut, will be playing gigs in Europe at the beginning of August. You can catch him at the Stuck Festival in Salzberg, OFF Festival in Berlin, Way Out West Fest in Gothenburg, and Flow Festival in Helsinki.

Ashin was recently featured in Complex magazine giving a nod to his songs like “Suit And Tie,” “Blurred Lines,” or ‘Get Lucky.” Complex magazine ranked Autre Ne Veut’s Anxiety album as No. 4 on the list of Best Albums of 2013 (So Far).

Oneohtrix Point Never is also on the compilation. The artist behind OPN, Daniel Lopatin, recently had his music featured on the soundtrack of Sofia Coppola’s film The Bling Ring.

Listen to the “Tight Fog” Compilation here.

Rolling Stone Magazine’s Controversial Cover Story

Image: Bobbi Bowers via Flickr

Since its first issue was published in 1967, Rolling Stone Magazine has been a leading force in investigative journalism paired with articles about music, entertainment, and counterculture. As the music industry has changed immensely since rock and roll’s heyday (also arguably Rolling Stone’s most notable era as a cultural icon in its own right), the publication has evolved as well, though still permeates media with oft-controversial articles and features.

In the aftermath of the tragic 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Rolling Stone, like hundreds of other media outlets, published an article about alleged young terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, which has sparked unbelievable controversy. The magazine featured an article called “The Bomber: How a Popular, Promising Student Was Failed by His Family, Fell Into Radical Islam, and Became a Monster,” paired with a self-taken portrait of Tsarnaev donning a t-shirt, tousled hair, and a relaxed expression. Within moments of the magazine cover popping up on Rolling Stone’s website, the Internet was buzzing with commentary, much of it outraged and impassioned. 

Rolling Stone is no stranger to controversy. From its earliest days the publication has featured fearless writing from the infamous Hunter S. Thompson, articles about drugs, sex, and counterculture, the darker side of musicians, death and suicide; even murderers have graced its cover. Magazine subscribers and those unfamiliar with its normal content were appalled by the cover photo, which many say “glamorizes” Tsarnaev, when the victims should be receiving fame. Boston residents and even the city’s mayor, Thomas Menino, wrote to the magazine to show their disapproval, and thousands of people urged others to boycott the magazine for its obvious attempt to make a profit from a tragedy. 

 Image: Vegabondblogger via Flickr

 Rolling Stone has stood by the article, written by contributing editor Janet Reitman, as well as the cover photo, which boycotters seemed to forget made the front page of The New York Times and countless other publications. The magazine has made statements about their ongoing commitment to reporting on the most important contemporary issues and publishing compelling articles, and despite a push to boycott the magazine, Rolling Stone’s sales for the issue featuring Tsarnaev have more than doubled.

Is alleged terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev simply another figure that is as important to write about as John Lennon, Charles Manson, or Snooki, three other notable cover stories that Rolling Stone has featured? How do you weigh in on the controversial cover?