February 4: Thumbs up/ Thumbs down

THUMBS UP:
Bruce Springsteen. The Boss killed during halftime of Super Bowl XLIII, showing everyone exactly what his live show is like: high energy, incredible musicianship, and a great time. The E Street Band has to be the best backing band of all time. Anyone who has an opportunity to see Bruce this year, do yourself a favor and go!

Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I., and Kanye. This foursome will be teaming up to perform their collaboration "Swagga Like Us" at the Grammys. Even if you don't like rap, this is something special. If there was a Mount Rushmore of hip hop, these would be the four faces on it, so seeing them team up live will be a treat. Just please go easy on the AutoTune, Kayne!

THUMBS DOWN:
Kelly Clarkson. Recently I heard the first few notes of a song I didn't know, and I thought, this must be the new Kelly Clarkson song! Sure enough, it was. How could I make such a confident declaration? Because the song uses the exact same guitar intro as "Since U Been Gone!" Kelly, dear, I know you're itching to return to the top of the charts after your last album flopped, but you should know there's nothing worse than blatantly repeating yourself!

Langerado. The Miami music festival was canceled due to sluggish ticket sales. This could be the first of many such cancellations. Promoters had better take the weak economy into account when pricing their tickets this year. Coachella and Bonnaroo are offering layaway plans for the first time. It's a good idea, but it doesn't go far enough. They should cut ticket prices by 10-20%.

Trouble in Idol paradise

It's time I comment on the whole Kelly Clarkson/Clive Davis spat. I don't have anything particularly revealing to say, but I think it's interesting how it's playing out.

Clive, of course, is the legendary record exec who said Kelly's new album didn't have any hits and insisted she "fix" it by cutting some of the songs she wrote and recording new ones. He publicly humiliated her by playing some of the new material at a private record company meeting, and explaining how they were all crap. She refused to change the songs and got her way, and now her album and the first single, "Never Again," are tanking. (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1637584,00.html)

Clive has been proven right, but is that a good thing? Shouldn't an artist get to make their own artistic decisions? Should the bottom line always be the most important thing, or should record companies allow their artists to make their own mistakes as they grow and develop their own careers?

I tend to side with the artist, so I hope Kelly's album rebounds, but I'm not holding out hope.

Here's an interesting commentary on the situation:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2003777734_clarksoncomment.html

Adam Levine restores my faith in chart integrity

Last week the new Maroon5 single made the biggest jump to #1 in history, climbing 64-1 to take the top spot. This is great news, because it's further proof that we as consumers, via iTunes, are controlling the music charts again.

For a long time, from the mid 90s to early 00s, the charts were formulated based on radio airplay alone, which put way too much power in the hands of a few select radio programmers. But a couple of years ago, Billboard started including iTunes sales as part of its chart formula, and the changes have been monumental.

For one thing, pop artists can finally hit #1 again! I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say that wasn't possible before. During those 90s-00s dark days, only rap songs could reach the upper portions of the chart. Every once in a while, you'd have a pop artist get a fluke #1, like Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson, based on outrageous sales after the American Idol finals, but in general 90% of the songs in the top ten were hip hop. A lot of times I looked at the top ten and saw songs I'd never even heard of. These charts absolutely did NOT reflect what was truly going on in the world of popular music.

Now, when you look at the Billboard singles charts, you see a healthy supply of hip hop, but you also see Maroon5 and Avril and Gwen and The Fray. We are in total control! (Which also means we have to take responsibility for shit like Hinder and Fergie...)