Janszoon

I sort of enjoyed it the one time I listened to, but it's an experience I don't see myself repeating many more times.

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A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man

Time & Place

25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die

last.fm

The Batlord

I don't see it as enjoyment so much as a vague sense of satisfaction that you can make yourself listen to more than twenty seconds of it without turning it off.

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The Batlord

Ke$ha: Cannibal

Since I enjoyed her last album so much I wanted to check the rest of her stuff out.




I'm already halfway through this EP and I'm not quite digging it as much as her debut. It's much the same but it doesn't seem to have the same energy. The songs are good, but I just don't feel carried along on that wave of euphoria that I was on Animal. One notable exception is "Sleazy". It's infectious as a generic STD joke and as a bonus her attempt at rap is hilariously awesome. The next song, "Blow" is likewise quality even if it isn't nearly as amusing as "Sleazy".

I've listened to this enough that it should be growing on me, but I still only really care about the two songs. There are only three songs that I really don't like, but considering this EP only has nine songs that's a third of the entire album. I'm hoping that this was just a slapped together cash-in on her debut and not a sign that Ke$ha has already shot her bolt.

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The Batlord

Here's hoping that her second album lives up to the first.




I am kind of entertained, but I'm still not hearing that same infectious energy of the debut. It sounds like she's concentrating more on generic pop with melodic choruses than the quirky, highly infectious club music that made her stand out in the first place.

The fuck? Why is Iggy Pop on a Ke$ha song? The song is actually not bad, but Iggy Pop doesn't add anything to it and just seems like a random addition that's just there for...I really have no fucking idea. I mean, are there any Ke$ha fans who even know who Iggy Pop is? Are there any Iggy Pop fans who happen to like Ke$ha who are going to think any better of her for having Iggy on her song? I'm really just kind of confused. For shame, Mr. Pop.

Almost at the end and while there have been a few songs that raised the stakes somewhat I still haven't heard song to compete with any of her singles of Animal or even the best songs on Cannibal. Animal was a force of shameless pop nature. This album is not. But, who knows? I felt the same way about Britney's post-Blackout material, and it certainly grew on me. We shall see.

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The Batlord

Madonna: Erotica

I just accidentally fucking deleted this review. Shit piss! Now I have to do the whole thing over again. Fucking shit piss!!! I'm too lazy for this cock sweat.




Yesterday I wasn't sold on this album completely at first just because the hooks aren't the focus on here like you might expect from a pop album. The dance beats are what catch and hold your attention. Hip hop beats mate with smooth jazz and both of them tag team dance pop to make an album that's dancable but at the same time laid back and sensual. Yet for all the sex this album is strangely cold and detached. It seems to be above its own sexuality. This isn't so much music for a night of sweet love making, or even for a not, dirty one night stand. This is music for unprotected public bathroom sex with a total stranger that leaves one sitting on the dirty toilet staring at the cinder block wall wondering how you can keep doing this to yourself.

On the first song, the title track, Madonna's vocals aren't sexy so much as they are predatory. As a dude this makes me imagine what it would be like to be a hot chick walking by a construction site. I'm still more than happy to listen to this song though, since it's been stuck in my head ever since yesterday.

I can definitely see how Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and Lady GaGa are all pitifully derivative of Madonna. Nothing I've ever heard from them are this original though. I don't honestly know if record companies would even let a mainstream artist do something this risky these days. This is definitely one of the most fantabulous pop albums I've ever heard.

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The Batlord

Madonna: Ray of Light

Having listened to the coldness of Erotica I need something lighter, so it seems a good time to try the album that seems to be Madonna's most revered.




One song in and I'm already baffled at the difference. Where Erotica was deliciously cold and robotic, this is lush, dreamy, and joyful. I guess it's not entirely surprising since she'd just discovered Kabbalah at this point, but I'll try to ignore Madonna's pretentious goofiness. It should be easy since I'm already sort of in love with this.

And there's the title track. Obviously everyone and their mother has heard this song. Having heard this song before doesn't dilute just much fucking fun it is. This is an expression of pure joy that will put a smile on your face if you have a pulse.

As sunny as the album is, it never forgets to be a dance pop album. The production is hip hop meets disco like one would expect, and it's thoroughly engrossing and toe tapping. Good music for either a rave or night of introspective ceiling gazing.

Oh, good lord. Apparently the song "Shanti Ashtangi" is sung in Sanskrit. Is it physically possible to be any more pretentious? The song is actually pretty awesome, and pretentious or not singing in Sanskrit sounds pretty cool, but it still makes me wanna go find a copy of Eat, Pray, Love and burn in front of a Gitmo detainee.

Nearing the end of the album and I have every intention of listening to it at least one more time. Two albums that have blown me away with both their quality and their individuality. I'm already ready to say that I have found my favorite pop artist. Even if she is a fruitcake.

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The Batlord

Madonna: Like a Prayer

With as much praise as I'm seeing this album get I guess I better delve into at least one of her eighties albums. It's just before Erotica though, so here's hoping it's not too much of an eighties pop album.




Fuck me, I'm at the very beginning and I know this song. I swear I know this song...oh, there we go! So this is "Like a Prayer"? Lush and beautiful and catchy as all hell. My reservations are melting away as we speak. Second song in and I can already tell that this is going to be pure fun. Madonna is definitely the queen of dance pop and she makes me feel like a queen too.

Four songs in and the eighties pop feel is just slightly off putting, but it's too high quality for me to complain. I'm not as big a fan as Erotica or Ray of Light though. Those albums are down right bizarre artistic statements whereas this is just really good dance pop.

God damn it. Ballad.

A little ways on and another ballad, "Dear Jessie". I actually like this one though. And what the hell? A horn section just kicked in for no apparent reason. I am pleased. This album isn't quite as heavy a dance album as I was hoping. It's still good, but the first couple songs were pure dance pop gravy and kind of got my expectations high. And now we have violins. I get the feeling that this song is going to grow on me like crab grass.

Yeah, there's definitely too many ballads at the end. I'm quickly losing interest. There have been some ace songs, plenty of good songs, but the back end isn't really grabbing me on first listen. Her nineties material seems to have been a gigantic leap forward creatively.

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The Batlord

R.E.M.: Murmur

Well, I've been listening to the Replacements a lot recently and I dug my dusty and mostly ignored copy of Automatic for the People out of the (metaphorical) attic. So, I've got a hankering for eighties college rock. Might as well start with some more R.E.M.




Mmmm. Power pop. The most delicious of all pops. Screw root beer. "Radio Free Europe" is a nice bit of punkish pop goodness. You know, R.E.M seem to have the odd ability to sound like rock'n'roll and adult contemporary at the same time. I feel excited and relaxed at the same time. The fact that my mother likes R.E.M too in no way makes this any worse. Besides, the only song I ever hear her listen to is "The Great Beyond". Philistine.

I don't really have a whole lot to say to be honest. This is just fun, catchy, not too hard-and-heavy pop rock. You know what R.E.M. sound like. It's not like they're an avant garde, free form noise band. They're R.E.M. The Batlord out.

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Unknown Soldier

So we've gone from teeny-bopping girl bands to R.E.M. Here's hoping your next choice might be somebody more exciting!

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Trollheart

Personally, my money is on Sinatra or Big Band music... (Says the guy who unashamedly (remove the first two letters) delved into the world of boybands, did a deep analysis of David Soul and reviewed albums by Pixie and Kylie!)

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018