Pop Reject

Fefe Dobson Returns with Joy

Michelle — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:12:53 +0000

Call it a comeback or call it coming full circle, Fefe Dobson’s sophomore album Joy is due out May 4th on Island Records, 7 years after her debut!

After finding mainstream success with her 2003 self-titled debut, the Canadian pop/rocker became a major label casualty and was quietly dropped by Island Records. Her intended 2006 follow-up, Sunday Love, never got released, and although the lead single “Don’t Let It Go To Your Head” failed to make any noise on the charts, it did get some new life when both Lilyjets and Jordin Sparks covered and released the song themselves.

Since being dropped, Fefe has recorded an album full of completely new material titled Joy, including the Joan Jett-esque “I Want You,” already a TV/soundtrack/commercial staple. It turns out, during production of Joy, Fefe’s fair weathered friends at Island came crawling back and resigned their former rogue pop princess.

After 7 years of enduring the turbulent business side of music, the now 25 year-old Fefe probably has a lot to say on her new album and it looks like Island is really ready to let her say it this time.

Lady Gaga Goes Diamond!

Michelle — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Talk about losing the battle and winning the war! Lady Gaga’s mega hit album “The Fame” may have lost out for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs, but it’s officially certified DIAMOND, selling 10,000,054 copies worldwide.

Diamond certified albums are extremely rare these days, with only 9 albums reaching that status since 2000, the last one being Usher’s Confessions in 2004.

Until then, albums hit the 10 million mark once a year or more, which makes Lady Gaga’s ability to defeat all the implications of digital music (stealing, streaming, buying by the track, etc) in recent years that much more of an accomplishment. While other labels pull back on their online streaming practices, IGA and Gaga obviously used it to create, well, “a Monster,” in the best possible way.

The Veronicas Remake “4ever” to Show Dangers of Drug Use

Michelle — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:18:07 +0000

Sure, the Veronicas aren’t the first pop starlets to take the good-girl-gone-bad route… they’re not even the first twins to do it (yeah I’m looking at YOU Mary-Kate and Ashley O). But after the release of the Veronicas’ debut “The Secret Life of…” in the US, the Aussie twins became over-sexed, over-gothed and WAY under-nourished, emerging for their second album “Hook Me Up” looking as if they had arrived to vie for the attention of Bret Michaels on “Rock on Love.”

Anyway, this is all old news… what I’m here to discuss is “4ever 2009″ – a new version of their very first single “4ever” – which really shows just how much has changed in only 4 years. They look about 10 years older, sound like they’ve been smoking a pack a minute, and look like they’ve snorted enough booger sugar to build a snowman. The only similarity is really the lipstick. For the record… I actually don’t hate these girls. But the transformation is just too uncanny to not point out. See for yourself:

The Veronicas “4ever” (2005)

The Veronicas “4ever 2009″ (2009)

Burn Down the Mission: On Fire or Burnt Out?

Michelle — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:24:40 +0000

Burn Down the Mission is an R&B tinged pop rock band, named after an Elton John song. Listen to the song “Run” below:

My first thought was that only band I could think of who really fuse pop-rock-R&B this way was a band I saw open for Plain White T’s several years ago called The Hatch… hmmm, whatever happened to The Hatch? Apparently they changed their name… to Burn Down the Mission! Sneaky!

Burn Down the Mission’s debut album (under that name, at least), Caroline, was produced by Warren Huart (Kris Allen, Augustana, The Fray) and mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers, Metro Station).

Neon Trees – Animal

Michelle — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:25:50 +0000

“Animal” by Neon Trees… I’m obsessed with this song right now. Perfect melodic pop rock cute fun song for your dreary winter days. I love how uncharacteristically HAPPY this band seems.

Neon Trees’ debut album Habits comes out March 23rd.

Butch Walker – “You Belong With Me” (Taylor Swift cover)

Michelle — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:45:03 +0000

Think you hate pop music? Butch Walker will change that. Listen to Butch’s cover of Taylor Swift’s silly little jam “You Belong With Me.” It will give you a whole new perspective…

Adam Lambert “For Your Entertainment” Songwriters May Be Solid Gold Gumbo

Michelle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:54:42 +0000

The songwriters behind Adam Lambert’s debut album “For Your Entertainment” are about as diverse as and Idol finalist line-up itself. And just as deliberately so.

1 “Music Again” 3:16 – Rob Cavallo, Justin Hawkins of the Darkness
2 “For Your Entertainment” 3:35 – Claude Kelly/Dr. Luke
3 “Whataya Want from Me” 3:47 – Pink, Max Martin
4 “Strut” 3:29 – Adam Lambert, Kara DioGuardi
5 “Soaked” 4:33 – Muse
6 “Sure Fire Winners” 3:32 – Rob Cavallo
7 “A Loaded Smile” 4:04 – Adam Lambert, Linda Perry
8 “If I Had You” 3:48
9 “Fever” 3:26 – Lady GaGa
10 “Sleepwalker” 4:25 – Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, Ryan Tedder
11 “Aftermath” 4:26
12 “Broken Open” 5:03
13 “Time for Miracles” Bonus Track 4:43 – Rob Cavallo

Glambert managed to nab the biggest names in pop and rock (Pink, Lady Gaga, even an unreleased Muse track), the biggest names behind the biggest names in pop and rock (Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, Max Martin, Rob Cavallo), and plenty of wildcards ranging from country songwriting powerhouse Aimee Mayo to career makeover guru Linda Perry to 70’s-revival rocker Justin Hawkins.

So will the album be a cohesive work for Adam Lambert or a Frankenstein mess of awesome collabs that just don’t gel? The verdict is still out. But just like Lambert’s mothership American Idol, this something-for-everyone diversity serves one main purpose: it’s got us all perking up and paying attention, even if just to root on our fave.

Bell Biv Dafoe? NOW You Know

Michelle — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:24:16 +0000

Because I’ve been neglecting my bloggilicious duties… have yourself a chuckle:

For Brands, ‘Transparency’ is the new ‘Image’

Michelle — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:20:48 +0000

The marketing strategy of the year award goes to… transparency. At its core, radical brand transparency is about being honest, sincere and direct with consumers, ousting the impersonal middle man, “no comment” snubs and canned responses in favor of a personal relationship with the public.

Who needs a spokesperson when your CEO can make the same announcements on your corporate blog? And fuck spell check, we’re transparent! Wild office holiday party caught on tape? Edit out the racial slurs and make it viral STAT! Actually, leave the racial slurs, condemn it publicly and make it a trending topic. We’re so transparent.

In the past, brands spent millions to determine, plan, create, and maintain an image. It was an era of brand opacity and controlling public perception using image was easy. At its worst, we call it propaganda:

But that kind of PR-opaganda is an inflatable raft: it’s gonna get holes and you can only patch them for so long before you sink. After some corporate soul searching, brands have had to learn to be OK with themselves, flaws and all. Enter: transparency.

But was transparency a strategic marketing move or a matter of if-ya-can’t-beat-’em-join-’em?

Companies want savvy, worthwhile employees. Savvy employees are on social networks. Worthwhile employees are influential on those networks. They become influential by being popular, and they become popular by being open books (aka transparent). Sure, discretion and tact still reign, but the standards of what’s acceptable have changed. And there’s always anonymity.

Then you have the public. You can’t cry libel over every bad Yelp review and when faced with a Twitterstorm of complaints about a new product, you can’t ignore it off the day’s trends. Being transparent means being hypervisible, dealing with crises head on and viewing them as opportunities to demonstrate poise and responsibility… publicly, of course.

Butch Walker November Residency in LA!!!

Michelle — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:01:20 +0000

Most artists can’t even keep my attention for one full set these days. I don’t know, I guess I’m getting old.

But Butch Walker? Wednesday night residency all November at Hotel Cafe in LA? Four shows, walking distance from my home? Sign. Me. UP!

And we’re not talking 4 weeks of the same old song either. Butch is performing a full album each week. Which means… every week is totally different and every week is a must see event!

Nov 4 Letters
Nov 11 The Rise and Fall…
Nov 18 Sycamore Meadows
Nov 25 Fan Selected Set! (submitted via Twitter!)

Plus every week will include a cover that fans will also request through Twitter, and a bonus new song from his upcoming album “I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart” due out early next year. This just reminds me of why I ~~steal~~ don’t often buy music these days… so I have money in the bank for occasions like this.

Check out Butch’s Myspace blog here for more!