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“The Very Best of Cher,”
Cher
By Crystal
Wicker
Editor-n-Chief
Celebrating 40 thrilling years in music,
“The Very Best of Cher” retraces the entertainer’s
coup as the glammed up half of the pop unit Sonny
& Cher and as a solo diva. A timeline through
her fruitful recording career, the greatest hits
disc is loaded with circa 1970 smashes and the
star’s most-loved ‘80s hits including:
“Half-Breed,” “Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves,” “If
I Could Turn Back Time,” the Peter Cetera duet
“After All (Love Them from “Chances Are”),” and of
course “I Got You Babe.” She laments in “Believe,”
“Strong Enough,” and “(This Is A) Song For The
Lonely”—newer cuts that thrive on the overly
familiar dance template also popularized by Tina
Turner in recent
years. |
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Although Cher once proclaimed that she
hates singing live, the legendary
singer-turned-Oscar winner recently extended her
farewell tour. Guess the beat still goes
on.
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“Suburbia,” Kamal
By Crystal Wicker
Editor-n-Chief
Hailing from the suburbs of New Jersey,
Rodney “Kamal” Jackson wastes no time when it
comes to paving his own way towards mainstream
recognition. On “Suburbia,” the usage of exemplary
beats and catchy, bass-laden tracks make the
rapper more noticeable. What’s more, his
gravelly-voiced delivery can be welcomed by
homeboys and headbangers alike; Kamal’s got the
potency necessary to fire up any dance floor.
Having already received extensive radio play and
international acclaim for selections from the
disc, the artist keeps busy on a New York area
promotional tour. With plans to issue his next
album sometime in the near future, Kamal is surely
“Born To Be
Large.”
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“boomkatalog one,”
Boomkat
By Crystal Wicker
Editor-n-Chief
Even
though actress Taryn Manning (“crazy/beautiful,”
“8 Mile,” “Crossroads”) knew early on that music
was her muse, she’s only beginning to enjoy this
second wave of success as a recording artist.
Together with the creative input of big brother
Kellin, “boomkatalog one” came to fruition and is
rapidly becoming the coolest Trip Hop album since
Nelly Furtado’s “Whoa! Nelly.” On Billboard’s Hot
Dance Music/Club Play chart, the duo yielded its
first number one with “The Wreckoning,” which
formally introduced us to Taryn’s soulful
P!nk-meets-Ladybug (Digable Planets) twang. Other
integral cuts like “Bein’ Bad” seamlessly
amalgamate heavy record scratches with Moby-ish
sound effects. “Wastin’ My Time,” a stirring,
cello-riffed tune recorded at the Los Angeles
hotspot The Mint and handpicked by Eminem for the
“8 Mile” soundtrack, also confirms that Boomkat’s
a benchmark for the new wave in pop music.
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“American Made,”
Wakefield
By Crystal
Wicker
Editor-n-Chief
Aaron and Ryan Escolopio, Mike Schoolden,
and JD Tennyson are the band Wakefield. On the
same page as Good Charlotte, the fellas cling to a
rehearsed sound in this blaring earful of
summertime head bobbers. Nestling bliss-filled
injections of pop on a steady bed of amplified
guitars, “Positive Reinforcement,” “Un-sweet
Sixteen” and “Say You Will” lay the album’s
pop-rock foundation. The distinctiveness of
“Honesty” and the mournful “Heaven’s Coming,”
which recounts the abrupt end of a couple’s affair
during a fatal car wreck, slow things down a few
notches.
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Then it’s back
to the accelerated mode with the biting wit of
“Infamous.” Though the word is synonymous with
being well-known, the rockers chant “We suck yeah
we’re never gonna make it, we’re too dumb to be
rich and famous…” Well, at least Arista is giving
them a shot.
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