It’s the Tuesday before Halloween and I am pretty sure I’ve been acting like the Wicked Witch of our condo for the last few days. What are you all going as for Halloween? If I can somehow manage to be sweet again, I think I’ve convinced mah Boo to go as the little tutu-ed YouTube sensations who sing “Super Bass.” I’ll be singing all of my drink orders while Erin does some air-drumming. I’m thanking my pal Brig for the idea.
I’m not sure if you’ve all been aware of my love for Kelly Clarkson, but it runs deep within my veins and I’ve celebrated her since she set foot on the American Idol stage for the first time. It’s not just that she has an incredibly powerful voice that (I imagine) fills you with whatever emotion is supposed to come with the lyrics; it’s that she seems so down to earth and doesn’t take herself too seriously. Oh, and she can drink whiskey straight from the bottle, which isn’t a turn on for everyone but it certainly is a turn on for me.
This album is what we’ve come to expect from Clarkson in that each tune is a radio-ready jam we’ll probably be seeing climb the charts throughout the year. If you’re on Spotify, the album comes with Kelly giving a song-by-song description of either what the song is about or who was involved in its making. Even if a lot of the songs seem a little indistinguishable from the others at first listen and that’s usually a no-no from me even on a pop-level, Kelly can do almost no wrong in my eyes.
The following song isn’t on the new album but I just remembered one of my favorite mashups from a while ago between Kelly and Thom Yorke.
I’ve been listening to a lot of this duo the past month and if you’re into some fantastic indie power-pop with a bit of an eerie edge, you will want to eat this album up with a spoon and keep your repeat button on activate. Singer Nicole Barille reminds me a lot of Karen O when she taps into her breathier soft side. There is a lot to love here and, as far as vibe goes, it’s coming out at the perfect time of year.
I feel like this release has been a long time in the making and while it doesn’t disappoint, I do feel as though what may have once made a bigger impact has been overshadowed by some of the other artists who have a similar sound whose albums came out earlier. Skeleton ends up sounding like something Ellie Goulding‘s more angsty twin sister would put out after having a bad weekend. Again, I don’t dislike this album — in fact I think it’s pretty good — but others may be over it before it’s even begun. Hear it for yourself over at Spinner.
The Good Natured – Skeleton by The Good Natured
This is my first introduction to this man/woman duo and I’m impressed. Their sound is a great mix of twangy blues and sultry soul. Apparently, it was none other than Kiefer Sutherland who first signed the two, which is a pretty sweet feather to put in your cap, as far as I’m concerned.
Honeyhoney – Ohio by buzzbands
Holy crap! It’s been a long time since I’ve even thought about Peggy Sue and the Pirates but now they’re back with a shortened name and an incredible new dark indie-rock full length. I remember first seeing them on YouTube and thinking, “I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.” My sentiments have remained the same and I now I’ve got to revisit their back catalogue. Unfortunately, I’m unable to embed their Soundcloud songs on here, but the good news is they’ve put all of Acrobats up to keep streaming once Spinner’s stream is over.
Honorable Mentions: Surfer Blood, Honor Society, Thomas Dolby, Black Tusk, Bow Wow, Michael Buble, Justice, Yellowcard, Boyz II Men, Tom Waits, Coldplay, The Darcys, Russian Circles, She & Him (Christmas album), Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble and Gringo Star.
That’s it for this week but I hope you have a fantastic Tuesday and enjoy Halloween if you’re celebrating it! As always, you can feel free to follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or see what I’m listening to over at Spotify.
