Brandon's Buzz

January roars to a close with a ferocious cross-section of great new music to choose from, including what may stand as the two most-anticipated sophomore outings of the new year. Take a look:

Even though it has sold well over one million copies (largely on the strength of her name and of residual goodwill toward her), and even though it’s loaded with drive-time-friendly fare (most prominently, the shockingly frisky “Million Dollar Bill”), pop radio has largely failed to take the bait on the divine Whitney Houston’s underrated latest album I Look to You. But this week brings a reminder that once upon a magical time, she was the queen of pop music, as Arista marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of her sterling thirteen-times-platinum debut with a deluxe edition re-release. Newly added to the record are a trio of dance remixes, a remarkable a capella take on Houston’s classic “How Will I Know,” and a live version of “Greatest Love of All.” Also included: a DVD featuring the album’s four music videos, new interviews with Houston and Arista’s founder Clive Davis, and a rare clip of Houston’s national debut on The Merv Griffin Show.

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Sherry Ann and I have this thing between us that we lovingly call “The Whitney Houston Rule,” which came to exist in the winter of 1998 when Miss Whitney became positively livid with the Recording Academy — not because they failed to nominate her soundtrack for The Preacher’s Wife for any major Grammys, but because they nominated her in what she perceived to be the wrong categories.  See, Whitney considered Wife to be the gospel album she had long dreamed of making, and while it was indeed top-heavy with selections from the God-is-love songbook, it also contained a handful of viable radio singles, enough to keep the boys at Hot 97 happy, and so the Academy deemed that the album was only eligible for the R&B categories, a decision which so enraged Whitney that she proceeded to embark on a nationwide press tour announcing her immense dissatisfaction over the news and proclaiming that she would not be showing up to that year’s ceremony to accept any awards she might win.  (The single funniest moment of this madness was when she appeared on “Entertainment Tonight” and slapped a deluxe diva diatribe — “I’m sick of work bein’ done and people not recognizin’ it!!” — upside poor Bob Goen’s head.  To this day, over a decade later, whenever either Sherry Ann or myself wish to give voice to something which frustrates or annoys us, we always preface it by cooing, Whitney-style, “No, Bob…”; and, to this day, the audio of Whitney’s hilarious hissyfit can be found on my iPod, where it continues to stay in pretty heavy rotation.)

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Sherry Ann’s demand that I get the record store report published by the close of business yesterday led to me missing a handful of this week’s interesting new releases. So, without further ado, an addendum:

• Sheryl Crow’s fabulous cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” and Shaw Blades’ faithful take on “California Dreamin’” are among the highlights of Californication: Music from the Showtime Series, Season 2.

 

• Also hitting DVD this week: the second season — this one almost entirely George Michael-less, to its unfortunate detriment — of A’s favorite television series, Eli Stone; and cute l’il Miley Cyrus’ smashing star turn on the big screen in Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Summer’s most highly anticipated record — at least for the Buzz’s money — arrives in stores this week, and if the first single is any indication, we’re about to drown in a cascade of fabulousness. Read on:

One of the finest female voices in the history of country music, the incredible and endlessly fascinating Tanya Tucker, makes a long-awaited comeback this week with My Turn, her first album in eight years. Turn finds Tucker — who has never sounded better, and that’s saying something! — turning the tables on the music men she has long admired by covering some of their best-known tunes. Among the highlights: a playful take on Charley Pride’s classic “Is Anybody Going to San Antone?” and a slightly mellow version of Merle Haggard’s “Ramblin’ Fever,” as well as what is quite possibly the best cover of Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me” since Jann Arden’s devastating one twelve years ago.

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6:48 pm:   At long last, the finale is here! 12 minutes and counting!

6:49 pm:  Anybody out there willing to take a chance and call this race right now?  ‘Cause I tell you what, I really have no clue who’s gonna win.  Who knew Banshee Boy and Choirboy would end up being so evenly matched as the last ones standing?

6:51 pm: A’s take:  “Adam has a bigger persona, but that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily better.”  Well said, honey!

6:53 pm: So, I’ve heard that, among others, the celebrity guests tonight include my beloved Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah, and Lionel Richie.  But will anyone be able to top the surprise appearances by Ryan Tedder and my all-time fave George Michael on last year’s finale?

6:55 pm: A is stunned to learn that Kris is a choirboy!  I need to teach that boy how to read Entertainment Weekly!

6:58 pm: Anyone enjoy “Glee” as much as I did last night?  That show was infinitely more fun than “Idol,” as it turned out.  I should have live-blogged that!

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Would you believe The Fray still hasn’t left my CD player? Luckily, it’s another light one out there this week, because I still have a pile of discs to get through, and if anyone can get me to divert my attention away from Isaac and the boys for a spell, it’s the miraculous woman who gives us the week’s marquee release. Read on:

If you missed it in theaters last fall, make it a point to catch up with Bill Maher’s laugh-riot quasi-documentary Religulous when it arrives on home video this week. A hilariously scathing indictment not of God himself, but rather of the phalanx of fables and parables which have been concocted wholly by human beings in vain and often foolhardy attempts to explain and quantify Him, the film straddles, and with a fierce confidence which sometimes steps a toe or two over the edge, a tricky line between debunking myths and outright mocking them, and while the whole affair gets a little tiresome in the third act (which contains a visit to “Holy Land,” a religion-based theme park whose daily ministrations climax with — I kid you not — a full-scale reenactment of Jesus’ crucifixion), Maher scorches a wide swath of Earth (and admirably so) in a valiant stab at injecting some logic and reason into our collective faith.

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Considering that her last best of set — 2006’s divine Most Wanted, the “collector’s edition” of which came in the coolest black cardboard box bundled with the first music-related poster since George Michael’s Faith days (Lord Jesus, that stubble! And that cross earring!!) that I’ve seriously pondered Scotch-taping to my wall — only came out two years ago, does it land on the side of overkill? Probably. (Sherry Ann even went so far as to term it “ridiculous” in a recent instant message session, although, given the issues she’s facing with Jason Mraz and his flip insistence on re-releasing the same material over and over and over, she’s scarcely in a position to judge.) Is it a worthwhile investment nonetheless? You betcha.

Featuring two new tracks — and, just for good measure, remixes of those two new tracks — plus a handful of past classics, The Best of Hilary Duff can now be found at your local record store, and with its bargain list price (below ten bucks at Best Buy, kids), it might just be the steal of the season.

In part, you can thank the incredible Ryan Tedder for that. Tedder, the driving force behind OneRepublic (hands down, the year’s best new band, as A is bound to learn when we see them play in Austin this evening), also moonlights as one of the most in-demand songwriters and producers in the pop world today — he’s had his hand in so much of 2008’s brilliant music, from Leona Lewis to Natasha Bedingfield to Josh Hoge to James Morrison, above and beyond what his band itself accomplished, that my upcoming year-end countdown is gonna seem like a shrine to the poor man — and he is the man behind those aforementioned new Duff tunes: “Reach Out,” a sly, dynamite reworking of the 1991 Depeche Mode classic “Personal Jesus” (the lyrics are now not as subversive by half, but on that legendary refrain, the one that goes “reach out / and touch me!” (and don’t even play like you can’t sing it by heart!), Duff matches Martin Gore’s iconic come-hither growl bar for bar, believe it); and “Holiday” (not a cover of Madonna’s 1984 breakthrough, but rather a devastating chronicle of the end of a relationship, delivered by Duff with the shattering ease and grace of a young Streisand).

Not to be overlooked on this album are the classic Duff smashes of yore, like last year’s “With Love” or her 2003 tours de force “Come Clean” and “So Yesterday” (the latter of which, in particular, has aged as flawlessly as one of A’s favored zinfandels), and if the price of access to those sparkling new Tedder tunes is having to sit through these songs one more time, I reckon I can totally live with that.

In other words, keep doin’ your thing, Hilary. The Buzz loves ya, gal.

Generally speaking, at least where music is concerned, the holiday shopping season really gets going the first week of November.  But with next Tuesday being Election Day and all, and with more emphasis than ever being placed on first-day sales, the record companies are largely shying away from that as a viable release date.  Consequently, this week is beyond crowded.  I advised you all last week not to get complacent; read on to see why that was a fair warning.

The acronym’s a nifty play on those controversial print ads which made their target a pop culture buzz magnet last spring; alas, the thirty-two point letters on the album’s cover akshully stand for Original Music Featured on ‘Gossip Girl’. An entire array of under-the-radar acts fills this collection, although appearances are made by The Kooks, Junkie XL, and current flavors of the week The Ting Tings. Could be fun, could be a sprawling, self-indulgent mess.

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We get a bit of a breather this week, after last Tuesday’s jam-packed release slate. But with one band on the cusp of a major breakout, and a musical legend taking a moment to reflect on a brilliant career, things are plenty busy out there in your local record store as September crawls toward the finish line. To wit:

They’ve been touted as the next big thing ever since their noteworthy 2003 debut Youth and Young Manhood, yet the immense heat surrounding them has never quite translated into record sales.  But could the tide be about to turn for Tennessee band Kings of Leon?  Their fourth record Only By the Night arrives on store shelves this week, and its leadoff single — the captivating, explosively erotic “Sex On Fire” — is a classic radio smash just waiting to happen.  Forgive me, but I smell a real big hit here.

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More handmade buttons on tap for today, with shots of A’s favorite Austin skyscraper, of a California sunset I was privileged to witness a few summers back, and of one of my favorite places to eat in the city (love the penne and meatballs!).  Oh, and also, of some cute guy I happen to know fairly well.  (He’s almost certainly gonna kill me for that one!)  Also:  another Tori button (one just wasn’t gettin’ it), and one of King George — a real one, this time.

And now, a pieces of flair update:  new buttons for one of my favorite movies (the mind-numbingly hysterical Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion), novels (I Know This Much is True, which was Buzzed about here), and singers (Tori Tori, hallelujah); a sly, sweet nod to one of George Michael’s finest fashion statements; courtesy of my pal Chip, a rant on gay marriage; a button immortalizing one the great song lyrics of all time; and finally, in the southeast corner of the board, what could well the Buzz’s new mission statement.

So, I spent a goodly portion of the day on Facebook chatting with a couple of high school friends of mine, and while I was there, I stopped over to check in with my buddy Chip, who was my very first Facebook friend. After writing on his “Wall,” a strange, mesmerizing application on his page entitled “Pieces of Flair” hijacked my attention. If you’re a Facebook newbie, I’ll try my best to describe this application: you get a blank brown square that uncannily resembles a bulletin board, and on this board, you get the opportunity to attach “buttons.” There are literally millions of buttons to choose from, which contain all manner of pictures, sayings, and images.  (There are buttons for EVERYTHING, I’m telling you!  So far, my board has buttons for “Designing Women” and Catherine and Vincent, as well as a humorous one about the staggering price of gasoline, and a sweet one with two hands joining to form the shape of a heart.  But there are buttons for George Michael, Tori Amos, “Friday Night Lights,” and EVERYTHING else you can think of!  (Even “One Tree Hill” buttons, Sherry Ann!)  And, you can upload photos and create your own buttons!)

Below:  a sample board, filled:

And, what mine looks like as of an hour ago (note — Facebook has this dopey rule that you can only acquire three buttons per twenty-four hours; I guess that’s so obsessive-compulsive freaks like me won’t burn up a whole frickin’ day filling up bulletin boards!):

Basically, I find this to be the most breathtakingly brilliant idea I’ve ever seen — I kid you not, there are buttons for EVERYTHING!! — and I’m currently combing the ‘net looking for a non-Facebook-related facsimile of this concept that I can adapt for the Buzz.  I swear to Jesus, if I ever find one (or figure out a way to build one!), I will fill this damned site with my bulletin board.

If anyone out there knows where I can find this (paging you, Mike!), please don’t hesitate to hit me up.  Please.  In this instance (and for this slice of chilling genius), I’m not above groveling.

September opens with a bang, courtesy of a marvelously likable freshman television series and a hotly-anticipated reunion album from one of the most memorable (and missed) relics of the ’90s.  No sense in wastin’ time on pleasantries; let’s dive right in:

One of network television’s most pleasant diversions from this past strike-crippled spring, The thirteen-episode Complete First Season of ABC’s light-hearted charmer Eli Stone makes a most welcome arrival on DVD this week.  Starring the ridiculously adorable Jonny Lee Miller as a noble lawyer who, thanks to a pesky brain aneurysm, begins experiencing ill-timed hallucinations — many of which involve pop singer George Michael (who makes numerous appearances throughout the course of the season, including a terrific outing in which he is sued for promoting promiscuity through his music) — Stone is bolstered by a fabulously eccentric supporting cast, including Victor Garber and the priceless Loretta Devine, whose superbly-rendered sarcastic line delivery goes miles toward grounding the series through a great many of its outlandish flights of fancy.

The series returns for a second season in mid-October, and since it’s not yet clear whether or not King George will continue to be involved — don’t let me ruin anything here, but let’s just say the first season finale gave all the storylines a good bit of closure — it’ll be interesting to see if (and how) Stone is able to reinvent itself.  My beloved A, who finds television to be the root of all evil, fell head over heels for this show — go figya, that! — and if you’re able to get past its Ally-McBeal-with-a-penis premise (which, at times, can become unbearably cutesy), chances are you will as well.

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