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Weezer, 'Glee' soundtrack, Carrie Underwood, Slayer and
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Nov. 3-9, 2009
By Kurt B. Reighley
Weezer's "Raditude" is one album it's OK to judge
by its cover. That so-stupid-it's-almost-funny title, set in the typeface AC/DC used on 1978's "Powerage." The faun-colored pup
flying across a living room. Yes, this is a record full of big guitars and
radio-friendly riffs, but also moments as surprising as finding the family pooch
in midair. Rivers Cuomo and company dish out nervy power-pop, a la Cheap Trick and the Cars, on "(If You're Wondering If I
Want You To) I Want You To," and glam it up for the arena-sized "Girl Got Hot."
Then come curveballs like the Lil Wayne collaboration "Can't Stop Partying," where a
lyrical string of good-life clichés take on an air of desperation, and the
Bollywood fantasy "Love Is the Answer." But the weirdest part? It works.
"Raditude" is prime Weezer.
Just when you thought FOX couldn't possibly come up with another way to
ensnare viewers using fresh-faced youngsters singing pop songs, along comes the
hit comedy "Glee." New selections from the
show about an oddball high school choir have been igniting iTunes weekly. "Glee:
The Music, Volume 1" collects 17 of them. The best bits are still the
arrangements that take risks with classic rock staples ("Don't Stop Believin',"
"Somebody to Love"). And there's nothing like adolescent angst to crank up the
excitement of Jill Scott's "Hate on Me" or Rihanna's "Take a Bow." Alas, removed from the
context of the show, and ingested back-to-back, the music loses some of its
impact. But when individual tunes pop up in shuffle mode, their chest-thumping
charm is restored.
While we're on the subject of FOX TV: Season 4 of "American Idol"
must seem like a lifetime ago to Carrie Underwood. Since her 2005 victory, she's won
four Grammy Awards, racked up 10 No. 1 country singles, and been inducted
into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (right up there with Wanda Jackson and
Patti Page). On her third album, "Play On," Underwood continues writing more of
her own material (she has a credit on seven of the 13 songs) and says she
opened up lyrically. But there are also contributions from Top 40 pop
heavyweights, including Kara DioGuardi, Max Martin, and Mike Elizondo; the latter, a cohort of
Dr. Dre and Eminem, had a hand in her
attitude-saturated smash "Cowboy Casanova."
No need to apologize if you didn't realize "In Love & War" is Amerie's fourth album; its 2007 predecessor, "Because
I Love It," was barely released in America. That's a pity, since the R&B
singer's aesthetic is refreshingly difficult to pigeonhole; at her best, she's
the kind of wild card pop act Janet Jackson wishes she still was. Something in the
breaks, scratches and audible crackles on her underrated summer jam "Why R U"
gave it an edge more reminiscent of '90s trip-hop than contemporary Top 40, and
her latest single, "Heard 'Em All," marries dance hall swagger to the adrenaline
rush of the Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz." Seriously. Maybe with a little push from
her new label, Def Jam, more folks will discover what sets Amerie apart.
Fans may not look to Slayer for big surprises (thrash metal
of the highest order has been their stock-in-trade for nearly three decades),
but there's still room to change things up. "World Painted Blood," the ninth
album from the two-time Grammy Award winners, is the first they wrote entirely
in the studio, rather than working up material beforehand. Guitarist Kerri King
has told press that the disc is a little more eclectic than most of their
catalog, likening it to 1990's "Seasons in the Abyss" in that regard.
The 11 selections include "Psychopathy Red," the hardcore punk number they
showcased on limited edition 7-inch single last spring, and the
whiplash-inducing tempo changes of "Hate Worldwide."
Poor Morrissey. Late last month he was hospitalized
briefly, after collapsing during a concert, prompting more cancellations in a
year when he's already had to reschedule numerous shows. Hopefully he'll be well
enough to undertake his pending North American tour, scheduled to start Nov. 29
in Seattle. Meanwhile, fans can luxuriate in "Swords," a collection of B-sides
spanning his 2004 return to form "You Are the Quarry" to the present. Pointed
selections like "Good Looking Man About Town" and "Don't Make Fun of Daddy's
Voice" are just as strong (if not better) than the singles they backed, while a
cover of Bowie's "Drive-in Saturday" underscores the Mozzer's lifelong fan-boy
status.
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