While there's not going to be anything Mardis Gras related to this entry, I did want to take the chance to perhaps give you folks out there a few reasons to feel good about the music scene in 2006. Before I get to that though, a couple of you touched on a subject that I'd been meaning to get to but kept forgetting about. About a couple of weeks ago, CBS pulled the plug on "Love Monkey" much to the chagrin of both critics and its selective fans. I can understand wholeheartedly why it didn't receive the ratings of rival shows, but to completely shelve the show altogether is rather startling. I think that CBS was being exceedingly short-sighted in that they expected "Love Monkey" to be immediately rewarding (for the company) and thus be the proper successor to their relatively weak lineup of sitcom TV shows. Instead, they should have moved the date and time of the show, and market it differently, because it's really a solid show, but between the dozens of other shows that have been going on and off the air it always felt lost in the shuffle. So, speaking on a relative topic, I thought I'd first give some insight to what I'm currently watching on TV, and then also give you a heads up on a movie that I hope will be #1 this weekend.
What's good on TV
Meanwhile, my favorite new show "The Boondocks" (Sundays 11PM ET on Cartoon Network's Adult swim) is still going strong as it's been renewed for a second season much to the dismay of many (ahem, Al Sharpton) who feel that the TV show is too edgy for its own good. Moving on to another show, "24" has managed to captivate me, despite having no problems avoiding it for the previous four seasons. I'm not sure if it's actually better this year or I just have finally been able to "get it," but it seems to me that the plot is much tighter than I can ever remember this season. Another show that I've been watching religiously, although it's a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, is "Grey's Anatomy." With its diverse casting, intriguing characters, consistent storyline, and not to mention an outstanding soundtrack, it's no surprise that it's been the hit TV show of the year.
Upcoming movies to look for
Coming up on Friday, Dave Chappelle's Block Party finally hits the big screen. Directed by Michel Gondry, while there is some focus on Dave Chappelle and his comedic talents, the main point of Block Party are the performers. Joined by the newly-reunited Fugees, the Roots, Common, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Jill Scott, and many more, this is looking to be a true gem of a documentary. Block Party will be released this Friday.
Reasons to feel good about music 2006
As many of the comments lately have suggested, things are running a little dry right now in the music industry. However, I do completely expect 2006 to be one of the best years of music in recent memory by the time all is said and done. With that in mind, I'm going to discuss some of the upcoming albums that should be coming out that are well worth getting excited (or at least hopeful about).
Rock
This category is easily the most promising, with veteran acts Ben Harper and Flaming Lips returning with new releases. Ben Harper's latest Both Sides of the Gun, to be released March 21, is a two-disc effort, one disc containing a softer acoustic sound while the other rocks just a bit harder. While this would mean an almost certain automatic failure for any other artist, Ben Harper is one of the few that works equally well in both respects, as both his slower, quieter ballads as well as his harder songs have both earned substantial acclaim. Harper currently has a single that's available on iTunes entitled "Better Way," and is definitely worth checking out. As positive as it is political, this is easily one of the best songs to be released by Ben Harper and manages to avoid coming off as preachy. Also a major positive as far as touring is concerned is that it's almost guaranteed that Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals will be doing some extensive touring all over the country (and perhaps internationally once again) to support his latest effort. The Flaming Lips' latest, At War With the Mystics, is their first album since the delightfully strange Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots which was released four years ago. From the sound of both "The WAND" and "Ambulance Driver," this album seems to fall somewhere in between their last couple of records-- in other words, a much more guitar oriented electro-rock sound. The date of release will be April 4th. Guster is also set to release a new album June 13, which will be entitled Ganging Up on the Sun. The single for the album was released digitally last year and is entitled "Manifest Destiny/Sorority Tears" and proves that Guster is indeed going into a different direction with their sound, which is probably a good thing given the success of Keep It Together. Dave Matthews Band is heavily rumored to have their new album ready by late this year, as they are in the process of working with Stand Up producer Mark Batson once again. In the meantime, DMB has been keeping busy as they have been collaborating with Jurassic 5 (yes, you read that correctly) and will be featured in J5's upcoming single "Work It Out" for their new album which will be released June 6. Also, one of the albums I'm personally anticipating the most is Subtitulo by Josh Rouse, which will be coming out March 21. Considering Rouse has already established an impressive set of releases already, it would not be surprising to see Subtitulo follow suit and be considered one of the most impressive efforts by years end. Finally, one of the most anticipated releases is John Mayer Trio's Continuum which is still set for release sometime in May. While the live album Try! was not only an outstanding preview as to what's to come, it also showed the versatility of John Mayer that will hopefully be even more visible on the studio effort. It is also worth noting that Robert Randolph & The Family Band will be back with a new album in May that will feature such guests as Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews and a few others, which could potentially help to surpass the success of their studio debut Unclassified. Lastly, Red Hot Chili Peppers look to propel themselves back into the limelight with their latest double-album Stadium Arcadium, which will be released May 9. In support of the album, RHCP will be doing some extensive touring, including being recently confirmed to headline Chicago's Lollapalooza festival.
Alternative
In case you missed my earlier post on them, The Raconteurs look to be the latest supergroup to win over fans and critics alike. With the singles "Steady as She Goes" and "Store Bought Bones" available on their webpage, you get an idea that this could very well be something special. With the braintrust of Jack White (of White Stripes fame) and Brendan Benson, it'd be very difficult for them to go wrong. While I wouldn't agree with some of the comments heralding them as the "Nirvana of Detroit" (I believe that was NME but I might be wrong), their album Broken Boy Soldiers should be quite the treat regardless. The CD should be released sometime in May. The other-worldly rockers known as Radiohead are also slated to release their latest studio effort some time this year. For anyone that has checked out any of the numerous Radiohead affiliated webpages, you've probably seen the messages from those within the band, and by the looks of things it appears that Radiohead is almost, if not finished, with their album, so hopefully it will be released sometime in the summer or fall. Out of nowhere alt-rock darlings Snow Patrol is all set for their new album Eyes Open to be released in April, and since they've now broken into the mainstream it will be incredibly interesting to see how the reception to their latest release will be. Bloc Party, who made an incredible breakthrough album in Silent Alarm is already getting set to head back into the studio for their new album which is hoped to be released in August. From the gate, Bloc Party has stated that the band is looking to change their sound, so look for a lot of experimentation to take place, for better or worse. Finally, The Walkmen are all ready for their follow up to Bows + Arrows with their new album A Hundred Miles Off to be released May 23rd. Expect a relatively lighter sound to come from the New York based band this time around, rather than the harsher sound that they have displayed in previous efforts.
Hip-Hop/Rap and R&B
Easily the most anticipated album to come out this year in the Hip Hop category will be The Roots' debut on Jay-Z's Def Jam label with their September release of The Game Theory. While details are relatively unknown about the album, it is worth mentioning that the album will be on a new Def Jam imprint called Def Jam Left. Also of note, there has been talk, as Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson has pointed out, that Black Thought (lead MC of The Roots) could possibly do a solo project with acclaimed producer Danger Mouse. While realistically this project would not necessarily see the light of day until 2007, especially considering the September release of Game Theory it's definitely something worth keeping an eye on. Speaking of Danger Mouse, his collaborative effort with Cee-Lo under the name Gnarls Barkley will be released May 2. The album, which will be entitled St. Elsewhere, has been hugely anticipated, and will feature "Crazy" as the lead single. While the single won't be officially released until April 10, it appears some of the overseas press has been able to get it already and BBC called it "one of the hottest tracks of 2006." Ludacris is all set to release his latest album, his sixth in as many years, Release Therapy. In a pleasant surprise, it seems that Ludacris, who has lately been featured in a number of acclaimed movies, most notably Crash, has been influenced by his roles and as such plans to be much more politically and socially aware in his approach to music, starting with the upcoming release. The most delayed album of the year, Outkast's Idlewild is now supposed to be released in April, and hopefully that will remain true as the date approaches. The soundtrack for the movie with the same name is set in the rural south during the 1930's, so it's to be expected that the sound will be deeply rooted in ragtime/delta blues genres. Finally, Busta Rhymes is releasing The Big Bang sometime this year and could prove to be one of the top albums sales-wise this year. Also, the most prolific R&B artist to be releasing an album this year, Prince's latest album 3121 will be out March 21. He has already released several singles for the album, most notably "Black Sweat" and "Te Amo Corazon" which both have supporting videos. "Black Sweat" is much like the Prince we've come to know and love, and is as funky and sexy as anything he's released (without being over the top) and his video definitely backs that up. "Te Amo Corazon" is also a very sensual song, and it's latin flavor will definitely make it a favorite for many. The video for "Te Amo Corzon" is also very well done, as it was directed by actress Salma Hayek.
So, there you have it. As you can see there are plenty of reasons to get excited about 2006, and for those that are looking for albums that are currently out now I'd still highly recommend the following which I recently reviewed:
Aceyalone & RJD2 Magnificent City
Belle & Sebastian The Life Pursuit
KT Tunstall Eyes to the Telescope
Mylo Destroy Rock & Roll
Also, for the list of my top ranked albums of last year, here are the links:
40-30
29-20
19-11
The Top 10
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