I’m pleased to announce to you the title of the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album set to be released on August 30th, 2011; “I’m With You” !!
I am stoked. It has been five years since we heard from the Chili Peppers last, and this new album should be different from the rest. John Frusciante has left the band and in his place Josh Klinghoffer. Josh has been a great addition to the band, as well as being a long time friend of John. Everyone has meshed well and soon the fans will be able to hear what has come out of their collaboration! Flea has been studying music, Chad has been involved in many different side projects bringing him more inspiration, Anthony always brings interesting lyrics to the table, and Josh Klinghoffer is skilled in many different areas including synthesizer and piano. I think all of these things brought together will make for some fresh and exciting music!
The first single of the album is set to hit the radio waves on July 18th, it is titled “The Adventures of Raindance Maggie”
Six years have passed, and three albums have been released, but it has come time for the Finnish band HIM to part ways with their American record label Warner/Sire Music.
The relationship between Warner and HIM began is 2005 with the release of their album Dark Light which went gold in the US, this record marked the album that would officially put the band on the map and allow their other albums to chart in the states. With the release of Dark Light the band became the first from Finland to sell over 500,000 records in the US. Although the album brought them success, long time fans were concerned that the band sounded too Americanized, surprisingly enough the man who was supposed to produce the album was fired for that exact reason, being replaced by Tim Palmer who had worked with the band on previous records.
Next up after Dark Light was the heavy and brooding Venus Doom which topped the Billboard charts at 12 in the United States. After that came Screamworks: Love in Theory & Practice in early 2009. Even after their huge success with Dark Light it seemed as though there was something off about the way the band was promoted in the United States, nothing much was heard. HIM mainly became popular it seems because of Ville Valo being good friends with Bam Margera who is a big fan, and promoted them in multiple ways.
I think this move bodes well for the band and their creativity as a whole. They don’t need a large record label to get their music out there and promote it, they can do it the same way as they did for Razorblade Romance, Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights, and Love Metal. And what also makes this great is that they can choose to promote however they wish. I haven’t ever been a big fan of Dark Light; and Venus Doom as well as Screamworks have not gotten the promotion they deserved. Unfortunately there are many artists in that same position, if you don’t conform to what is popular, there just isn’t as much recognition.
With that being said, there are no hard feelings between Warner and HIM which is a good thing. Valo states, “We’re ever so grateful for having had Seymour and Co as the generous hosts on our extended first stay in the New Country. It’s been a Blast Royale but now it’s time to clean up the rubble and start anew.” Cleaning up the rubble and starting fresh definitely sounds exciting! I look forward to what the band does in the future and what they do with their new freedom! You can read the official posting on the HIM website here.
It has been some time since Jennifer Lopez released an album, three years to be exact. However recently there has been some talk that her seventh studio album is slated for release this summer. She has been starting to roll out some new music including “Fresh Out The Oven” and the official single for the album “Louboutins”. Both of these songs sound good to me, so I decided to do some more research! ^_^
Turns out she has had a few setbacks that pushed back the release of this next album, one of them including her ending her contract with Sony/Epic and embracing a new ‘home’ with Def Jam Records. Love? will be a dance/pop album, focusing on the concept of love and how it is endlessly fascinating. Love has been a topic in her past music, but this time she is going to focus on it solely. Now, I know that doesn’t sound very unique, but there is no denying the catchy beats and strength in the songs that we have heard so far. Jennifer Lopez has always written strong music and lyrics. I am looking forward to the new album that is for sure! =] I am anxious to see if she will jump on the bandwagon of Madonna-esque looks we’ve been seeing lately (Lady Gaga & Christina Aguilera) and/or the fetish clothing look of Rihanna or Beyonce.
I’ve been wanting to write an update about the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a long time. There have been many changes within the Red Hot Chili Peppers over the last half year, including the departure of John Frusciante from the band which he confirmed himself in late 2009. His departure in the band does not parallel the first time he left, as there are no hard feelings between him and his fellow band members. John simply needs to be himself and do what he loves, and feel free in his music.
The man to fill his shoes has now been officially confirmed by Chad Smith on February 10th of this year to be Josh Klinghoffer. Josh is a friend of the band. He has worked closely with John for many years on various works. This includes John’s solo albums and the band they formed with the bassist of Fugazi, Joe Lally, named Ataxia. Josh is a well-rounded musician as he can sing as well as play guitar, drums, synthesizer, bass, keyboards, and piano. I’m excited to see what he brings to the table musically. On May 6th Smith commented on the progress of the new album stating that the band currently had about twenty songs written and that recording would begin in July. Rick Rubin will be returning to produce the album. Smith also noted that Klinghoffer will not only play guitar, but also contribute to the vocals and play piano.
This is sounding pretty interesting to me. I had built up so much anticipation and excitement for Stadium Arcadium that I was sort of let down when I finally did hear it. Was the album good? No doubt. But was it what I was expecting? Ehh not really. My favorite RHCP album still is By the Way hands down. It is so melodic and beautiful and Stadium Arcadium was a clear departure away from it, more toward mainstream rock with plenty of guitar solos and lots of grandure, less funky Flea bass. I felt the album was trying too hard. Kiedis’s vocal style had seemed to change a bit as well. According to some it had improved, but in my point of view I liked his vocals before, they more free and flowing and natural, less precise. Personal ranting aside….hopefully this next album sees a bit of loosening up and relaxing. But either way I am definitely looking forward to it. Of course Frusciante will be missed, but this also marks a new chapter for RHCP.
[UPDATE 10-16-2010]: It is official! The Chili Peppers are in the studio as of September 13th and are currently recording the new album! Sounds like the guys are pretty excited with the new feel of the group so I’m excited to see how it is! It is set to release in early 2011. Anthony commented that there is a little bit of everything on the album so far and they are feeling this in the moment. You can watch the youtube vid of the interview below!
It never ceases to amaze me how different music videos are from the actual song sometimes. Or at least the way it is for me is that I get a picture in my head when the song is playing. And 9 times out of 10 that vision is not matched in the music video. Classic case here. I was looking forward to the release of Lady Gaga’s new video today simply because they are a lot of fun to watch, and most of them are like mini movies in and of themselves, not to mention all of the awesome costumes she comes up with. Although my favourite costume of the video is rather simple. I really like the black pants and vest, is is classic and fitting for Lady Gaga.
When I watched the video I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, all I noticed at first impressions was that a nun clad in a latex habit sure was going to stir up some controversy among some people. It is a dark video and Alejandro definitely tops the pack when it comes to carrying a message. It deserved a bit more thinking and analyzing, so I was looking around for what others thought of the video and one review in particular stuck out at me. RandomEnigma at Unreality Shout in my opinion hits the nail right on the head here saying: “…it sees GaGa use the video as a way of showing the Catholic Church’s intolerance towards gay people as well as the army’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell policy” in relation to homosexuals in military.” Right after reading that the light bulb went off in my brain. Yes that was it! I immediately went back and watched the video again, and I don’t think he could have been more right in his analysis and perspective.
The issues that are addressed, or rather expressed in this video are hot button topics. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” has been a popular topic in the news lately, and personally I agree with the repeal. If someone wants to serve their country they should be able to do so, regardless of their sexual preferences, and not have to worry about hiding it. Everyone has the same goal in mind and that is to protect their country. As far as religion and sexual orientation go, some churches support it and some do not. Some are much more strict than others but the fact remains that people are not necessarily keeping quiet anymore about their preferences. Society is changing, and is trying to grow and adapt to those changes. The world evolves, and that is something that will never change. The church tends to cling to its old ways and remains rigid, but I do not think they will be able to hold themselves to all of their standards forever. Anyway, I don’t want to get any deeper into that topic, I am just expressing my own opinions and have not done tons of research on the subjects, my opinions are only from casual observation.
But without further ado, you can watch the whole video for yourself below! I enjoyed the video, and hope you do as well. ^_^
Well ladies and gentlemen, it is official. I have become a Lady Gaga fan, and those of you that know me have most likely heard me rambling about her for the last few days lol. Even if you’ve gotten sick of me talking about her I encourage you to read this blog still. Now, you’re probably saying “Amber wtf?? A Lady Gaga fan?? Why!?” Well the answer is simple. I wasn’t so sure about Lady Gaga at first…her music came out of nowhere and it was played non-stop on the radio so it began to annoy me. It appeared that she was just another flash in the pan poppy girl, that didn’t have much substance, but now I know I was wrong. She does what most pop stars don’t. She has her own look and an infectious sound, you never know what she is going to wear, from the classy to the bizarre. I’ve only seen a few of her performances, but she can go from serene and beautiful to spewing fake blood in a split second, and the best part? She doesn’t care that’s all part of the show, and she is all about the art.
Lady Gaga has also earned my respect because she isn’t arrogant. In her interviews she is generally soft-spoken and humble and may I add that her voice is super cute. ^_^ I was on a Rihanna kick for some time, and her newest album is good, but she seems to have gotten sort of a chip on her shoulder. Lady Gaga on the other hand is a seemingly sweet girl who used to be made fun of for her eccentric ways when she was in school, but look at her now! Lady Gaga is a decadent delight, and an incredible show-woman. The following is an excerpt from the biography section on her official website that I really like;
It’s been a while since a new pop artist has made her way in the music industry the old-fashioned/grass roots way by paying her dues with seedy club gigs and self-promotion. This is one rising pop star who hasn’t been plucked from a model casting call, born into a famous family, won a reality TV singing contest, or emerged from a teen cable TV sitcom. “I did this the way you are supposed to. I played every club in New York City and I bombed in every club and then killed it in every club and I found myself as an artist. I learned how to survive as an artist, get real, and how to fail and then figure out who I was as singer and performer. And, I worked hard.” Gaga adds with a wink in her eye, “And, now, I’m just trying to change the world one sequin at a time.”
She is a girl who has built herself up from the very bottom and has worked hard. That is something to be admired, and something you don’t see very often in the music industry anymore sadly. She isn’t just another Britney or American Idol prefab pop star. I look forward to more of her work, and learning more with my new-found interest. It has took me awhile…..but I am finally on the Gaga bandwagon. =]
(Images in the collage above are screen-caps from music videos. Top and bottom right come from “LoveGame”. Bottom left is from “Poker Face”. And upper left is from “Bad Romance”.)
I was afraid to be me
Be anything you want to be
I don’t blame my week
For my not being able to speak
Clearly about things I’ve said before
And if it’s light outside night will fall
And if it’s life it resolves
Everywhere you are in a maze is a lie
Anywhere you are on a page you still go to the right
Anytime there’s no ground below you you’re in the sky
Anytime you’re afraid it’s gonna be alright
I was a flame in the night
I heard what I wanted to hear
And the moment I disappeared
I grew the size of all outside
Cuz I became one with the night
And if it’s real it’s not all
There is
There’s a lot in what appears not to be there at all
And you can function as someone besides who you are
The above lyrics are from a song by John Frusciante called “Ricky” off of his solo album titled Shadows Collide With People. I think this song will help me to illustrate the thoughts I had floating around inside my brain today.
You can function as someone besides who you are, but can you really live and be happy? I was thinking about this past year a little bit today , and how I had always told myself that the people I was around hadn’t changed me. I think I was wrong. I may not have felt I was a different person at certain periods in my life…but that doesn’t mean that changes weren’t there.
Every person that you come to meet leaves something behind with you, whether it is good or bad. I feel that in this past year I definitely have changed a lot, and now I am dealing with people that are very different from those I have dealt with in the past. I feel I have become somewhat devoid of emotion over a period of time, and I have gotten used to not really showing affection or emotion much. I got so sick of trying to live up to expectations that I just started to cut myself off from everything.
However, I have now met people who aren’t that way, and it has come as a shock to the system so to speak, but in a good way. It’s like having to learn how to communicate all over again. I feel like I can be myself with them and I don’t have to worry about what do and don’t do, they accept me for who I am and there are no questions asked. I have realized that it is the best feeling to be able to be who you are and not be under the constant pressure of being judged. It is definitely a nice feeling. I just hope that I can show them how much I appreciate them and that I don’t come off as cold and unfeeling.
Anyway, this concludes my little rant of the day. lol I just had to get these thoughts out somewhere. Below is the music that goes with the lyrics at the top of the page. Enjoy!
So, once again the great artist that is John Frusciante has decided to leave RHCP. I was floored really…I never saw it coming. Perhaps if I had done better research and paid more attention to the recent live concert postings of the band on youtube I would have realized that John was slowly fading out from the band.
John leaving makes me a little sad, but at the same time he has always been a little bit different, and has always valued his privacy and his own personal bubble to be able to create the art and music that he wants to. John has always been a private and personal individual, and the chili peppers fame may just not be for him. We know this because he has already left the band before due to not being able to deal with the fame, and his ever growing problem with drugs. The band continued on without John, but their album One Hot Minute was not necessarily received with open arms…I personally like the album quite a bit but I know there are quite a few people out there that will disagree with me.
From what I gather, Josh Klinghoffer is the rumored replacement. Josh is a friend of John’s and also a friend of the band. I think this bodes well for a good working relationship between the musicians. Josh seems to be similar to John in many ways, including how he plays guitar, and even down to his mannerisms. Josh comes off as a gentle, deeply feeling, artistic individual like John. But, the question remains…can he stand on his own in the band and bring something fresh and new to the table? This is yet to be seen of course.
Personally, while I am sad that John has left, I am also excited to see what lies ahead for the band, and what kind of music they will put out. Hopefully they will have success, and I hope that John thrives and is happy.
To check out Josh Klinghoffer here are a few videos:
(Josh can be seen here performing with Bob Forrest in the Bicycle Thief, I don’t know why but I love this song! Bob is also a friend of RHCP from way back.)
(In this vid you can see Josh performing Dani California in 2007 with the band, can’t see him much but you get a few glimpses here and there!)
(And in this last vid you’ve got Josh jamming with Flea and Chad…this does look promising, no? ^_^)
Below is the music that goes with the lyrics at the top of the page. Enjoy!
