CD Review: Phoenix's "Bankrupt!"

"Alone, alone, alone," croons Thomas Mars at a choice moment on the new Phoenix album, "Bankrupt!," repeating the refrain thrice more before shifting gears. The song he's singing is "SOS in Bel Air," and the wry premise behind its title - distress signals emitting from privileged enclaves - could easily be applied to the album. For a band that has exploited the whims of style as briskly as Phoenix, this rings of self-conflicted social critique, though it's neither critical nor conflicted enough.

Phoenix, originally from Versailles, France, released its first album in 2000, but it was only with "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" (Glassnote), in 2009, that the band found traction with a mainstream audience. If the first few Phoenix albums sounded like the work of a rock band coolly hijacking elements of dance music, "Wolfgang" suggested a dance-music producer's sleek idea of a rock band.

In no time Phoenix found itself on late-night television and on ever-bigger stages. Headlining at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., a couple of weeks ago, the band trotted out R. Kelly to perform "Ignition (1901 Remix)," a mashup of hit songs from both camps. (Phoenix is about to go back on tour, and will play a sold-out show at the Apollo Theater on May 13.)

Because of all this - and because "Bankrupt!" includes a tune called "Bourgeois" and an abundance of lyrical disaffection elsewhere - some early commentators have labeled it Phoenix's "post-success" album. Maybe that’s an accurate judgment; maybe it submits to an intentional fallacy.

What Mars tells us himself is willfully inconclusive. "Tell me that you want me," he sings on "Trying to Be Cool," the album's most appealing mentholated-disco tune, though his plea seems to come with air quotation marks. The title track contains a dull instrumental preamble followed by a typical word salad: "Spray pesticide," and "Self-entitled portrait," and "Forever is for everyone else." The segue from a song called "Drakkar Noir" to one called "Chloroform" feels like a dig at predatory masculinity.

More intriguingly, there's "Entertainment," the album's lead single and opening track, in which Mars seems to offer himself up for consumption while synthesizers trawl an East Asian scale, tracing a garish pop exoticism that the song's video makes explicit. "What I once refused to be/Is everything they long together," he sings in the chorus, adding, "I'd rather be alone."

Later, in "Oblique City," which closes the album, he lands on that word again: "Am I gonna do this alone?/They're 50,000 versus one." And ambivalence or no, what comes shortly thereafter is an invitation, or a challenge: "Come on, come out and get me."

Lil Wayne's "I Am Not a Human Being II"

MELANIE J. SIMS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lil Wayne, "I Am Not a Human Being II" (Cash Money/Young Money/Universal Republic)

Lil Wayne's "I Am Not a Human Being II" album opens with a familiar sound - someone's flicking a lighter. It's Weezy's sonic signature, a long-running nod to the weed, women, booze and bravado that has shaped so many of his musical releases, including his latest.

Now on his 10th album, singles like "No Worries" and the Mike WiLL Made It-produced "(Expletives) Love Me" suggest that Wayne's priorities haven't changed. Luckily for fans, he covers familiar territory with fresh, tweet-worthy punchlines. But if you're looking for storytelling, look elsewhere. Wayne's expertise is in lyrical zingers.

He unleashes a dazzling array on the 2 Chainz-assisted "Rich as (Expletive)," which features a standout, swaggering beat from producer T-Minus. "AK on my night stand, right next to that Bible/But I swear with these 50 shots, I'll shoot it out with 5-0/Pockets gettin' too fat, no Weight Watchers, no lipo," Wayne raps.

His performance on the song may very well convince on-the-fence fans that the YMCMB captain still has passion for his craft. He's entertaining on "Trippy," one of two tracks produced by Juicy J and Crazy Mike. "I got high, and fell asleep loaded/I woke up and got high again/OK, I'm reloaded," Wayne raps, making no apologies for his recreational activities.

He's a sinister presence over the equally sinister beat of the production duo's "Trigger Finger," and seems to laugh about his 2010 eight-month jail stint on "Gunwalk" featuring Gudda Gudda.

The songs are reminders of a more focused Wayne - a version of the rapper that seems to be absent from tracks like "Curtains," where he phones in lines like "I'm getting cake like I'm Jewish/my (expletive) Drake, he Jewish." He rages through the heavy metal-influenced "Hello," but crossing genres doesn't change the same tired content. And while the hook on "God Bless Amerika" promises a more thoughtful Wayne, his verses don't measure up - a disappointment considering his still-revered status as the best rapper in the game.

Overall, Wayne meets expectations for Wayne these days - not saying much (of substance), but giving listeners plenty to talk about.

POP ROCKS' TAKE ON TEGAN AND SARA'S "HEARTTHROB"

Tegan & Sara's seventh album Heartthrob opens with "Closer" a hook-laden pop song for the lovelorn and it's go time from there. The hooks never cease. It's a pop album for people who shamelessly love pop music. There's no ironic wink, it's unabashedly pop. Yes it may be quirky here and there because it's coming from indie rock darlings Tegan & Sara but it is full throttle pop. It's meant for mass consumption, appreciation and communal enjoyment. This isn't a let me listen on my headphones album this is let's dance pop tuneage. Featuring production by Greg Kurstin of the bird and the bee, the Canadian twin sister duo explore new territory. It's everything you want in a record and for a band, a step forward. After working with pop artists and dance artists the time spent away from the insular world of indie has helped in their evolution. Writing for Carly Rae Jepsen and contributing vocals to songs by Tiesto, Morgan Page and David Guetta has contributed to their overall sonic template. The lyrics are relatable even if they veer towards the cliche as if they were ripped out of a teenage diary.

On opening song and first single "Closer" the song comes on like a rush of euphoria. The sheer bliss of pop makes adrenaline and endorphins rush through your veins and wonder what life was like before you heard the song like the start of a new relationship or meeting a new friend. The girls have dialed down the guitars and have turned the keyboards and drum machines to eleven and it makes up for an adventurous ride through their neuroses and relationships.

 "Drove Me Wild" is a burst of teenage hormones featuring drum programming and a chorus which wouldn't sound out of place on a Katy Perry or Kelly Clarkson album. Never ones to shy away or veer away from sounding tender and vulnerable the duo wear their hearts on their sleeves on album cuts "Love They Say" and "Now I'm All Messed Up" with lyrics and hooks ripped out of the Go-Go's and Bangles playbook at turns bittersweet or anthemic.

"How Come You Don't Want Me" production is molded from great 80's prom songs like Alphaville's "Forever Young" and When In Rome's "The Promise." It's a roller rink anthem about unrequited love and the end of a relationship.

The album is an irresistible batch of ten new songs from the Canadian twin sister duo. It is Tegan and Sara at their best and most sublime, lush and forward thinking. The album bleeds pop. The album is the duo's stab at tearjerkers, ballads and crushed out anthems. The songwriting is solid and expands on the melodicism, harmonies and ear worm quality previous hits like "Walking With a Ghost" and "Back In Your Head" displayed. "Heartthrob" is a breakthrough and watershed moment for the duo. They've made the leap from Big Star to Cheap Trick size choruses without sacrificing what sets them apart from the pack.

Pop Rocks Reviews A$AP Rocky's "LONG.LIVE. A$AP."

A$AP Rocky unleashes a tempest of swagger, flamboyance, bravado and confidence on debut album "LONG.LIVE. A$AP." Alternating between spitfire and languid delivery the album teems with aestheticism, dark, brooding posturing and the commonplace boasting required in hip hop. It's a study in gender politics, masculinity, class and race.
A$AP Rocky, real name Rakim Meyers, has arrived and is ready to take his place as the crown prince of hip hop, a role he was born to play. Named after hip hop legend Rakim of Eric B. & Rakim, he had no choice but to live up to the name and pay his debt to Rakim in full. Rocky makes like a young Basquiat capturing the zeitgeist by mining the past with a forward thinking aesthetic. He's the new wunderkind on the block embraced by the hip hop and fashion elite.
Poised for mainstream success like 50 Cent and Eminem before him he has mainstream crossover appeal and raw charisma. His music provides a much needed kick in the ass to hip hop and the mainstream much like when Dr. Dre unleashed his West Coast-tinged vision of the world on debut album "The Chronic." The album provided a platform for a new honest and raw voice that was both dangerous and intriguing that spoke of street culture and lived up to Chuck D's vision of rap being the CNN for the black community.
The production is a carefully orchestrated affair, a tastemaker eschewing current New York/ East Coast hip hop trends to create a new aesthetic all his own. Rocky has looked towards the south namely the Southern hip hop scene popularized by Mike Jones and Three 6 Mafia. He borrows heavily from Mike Jones' brand of Houston cough syrup-laced hip hop to create a debut album that is a tapestry weaved with threads from across the United States of hip hop.
The dark and menacing "F**ckin' Problems," the second single off the album is the most immediate song on the album and the most playful, in-your-face and dangerous. It's just the kind of song teenagers and rabble rousers like to embrace and play loudly to make their cars go boom with its dirty gritty beat.  His attitude is uncompromising and electric like a young Ice Cube pissed off, angry yet cool. It’s a take-no-prisoners misogynistic homage to his love of the ladies. It features fellow up-and-comer Kendrick Lamar, 2Chainz and Drake over a hook that is both rude and irreverent.
"Wild for the Night" collaboration with Skrillex that shouldn't work but does. A party anthem in the grand tradition of hip hop celebrations of hedonism and debauchery is unapologetically decadent. His staccato delivery rides Skrillex's manic production effortlessly with nods to Tupac, the patron saint of every of young hip hop aficionado.
"Fashion Killa" features a laundry list of preeminent fashion designers including but not limited to Alexander Wang, Ann Demeulemeester, Helmut Lang, Rick Owens, and Raf Simons. It's a breakdown/ tutorial for the uninitiated in the church of cult fashion over a sexy beat and ambient soundscape. This song, as it should be, will be embraced by the fashion community for years to come.
Deluxe edition bonus track "I Come Apart" is a collaboration featuring Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine which pairs the British chanteuse with Rocky to great results. His brutish swagger juxtaposed with her witchy soul vocals is a neo-noir hip hop symphony about love, loneliness and need in the vein of the Roots' collaboration with Erykah Badu "You Got Me," Eminem and Rihanna's collaboration on "Love The Way You Lie" and 50 Cent's "21 Questions." Like LL Cool J before him Rocky just needs love. He lets down his guard and lays bare his vulnerability, probably the most masculine thing he could do more so than bragging about the notches on his belt.

Teeming with street smarts and fashion nods it is a stylish set of songs that are both captivating and "trill," to use Rocky's parlance.  An impressive debut from the crown prince of hip hop that builds on the template set on his mixtape. The male counterpart to Azealia Banks, the female MC who has garned as much press and hype anticipating her debut has lived up to the hype, in this case believe the hype! A strong debut ready to join the annals of hip hop alongside "Ready to Die," "The Chronic" and "Get Rich Or Die Tryin.'"

The Young Rapscallions Online Interview

Due to online video publishing delays, The Young Rapscallions video interview will be available Friday, January 11, 2013 @ 1:00 p.m. Central time. Thank you for your patience.

Who's playing at Jamboozie 2013?

The Streets of Historic Downtown Laredo will come alive with musical entertainment as Laredo Main Street kicks off their 15th annual UETA Jamboozie Festival on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, from 6 p.m. to midnight.

President Hector 'Tito' Garcia announced the musical entertainment for this year's lively street party will include headliner band La Mafia. The award-winning Latin Band has recorded over 37 albums in the past three decades.

Taking on the other five stages throughout the grounds of the Downtown District are local bands Ric Cortez, Bobby Benavides, Quinn, Mick Cruz and Randy Tate, Wild Root, There Be Dragons, Juda Haze, Mud River, Bad Reputation, Kaova, Vankuver, and Banda Show Internacional.

(Source)

What: Jamboozie
When: Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013
Where: Downtown Laredo/corners of Hidalgo, Lincoln, Iturbide, San Agustin, Flores and Grant streets
Tickets: $8 pre sale and $10 at the door. La Mafia Concert bracelets are sold separately for $15 and include entrance to the festival grounds. Ticket locations include IBC, and UETA Stores at 1208 Zaragoza St., 109 Salinas, 1201 Water St., 802 Lincoln and at the Laredo International Airport, and La Paletera on Calle del Norte and Springfield.

Hello Kitty's birthday and Sandy relief

Here's one to make you feel old: Hello Kitty is nearly 40. 38 years old to be exact. She celebrates her birthday today, Nov. 1. 

From Hello Kitty's official Facebook:

Celebrate Hello Kitty's birthday by helping others and make a donation to two special causes!
We've partnered with 826DC to promote creative and expository writing skills for students and the American Red Cross to support relief efforts for natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.
Please visit http://bit.ly/HK826DC to make a donation to help 826DC to provide tutoring, field trips, workshops and more to students 6-18.
Please visit http://bit.ly/HelloKittyRedCross to support the American Red Cross response to disasters across the country by donating to Hurricanes 2012.