Nov. Music Round-up Pt. 1

Britney Spears - 'Blackout'
What can I say? Despite the fact that her life is a mess and her "Gimme More" video is a complete embarrassment for someone with a budget as large as hers, this is one of the best CDs of the year! Not a bad song in the bunch. In fact, there are only 3 (out of 12 tracks) that I'm not completely enamored with. The rest are straight from God - bliss!!

Plus the iTunes bonus tracks "Get Back" and "Everybody" are completely album-worthy. Britney has definitely hit a home-run.

The only thing that worries me is longevity... I heard "Oops I Did It Again" in a club recently and it sounded so good, even 7 years later. I attribute it to the songwriting... No one knows pure, true pop better than Max Martin. While the production and mixing on this album completely trumps anything Britney has released in the past, I'm a little worried how it will hold up once this "sound" is over... because the songwriting itself is a bit lacking. Oh well, it's fun for now!


Dannii Minogue - 'Unleashed'
Now that Dannii is a judge on the UK's highly-rated and Idol-spinoff X Factor, she is hotter than ever. A perfect time to release long-forgotten unreleased remixes and b-sides to cash-in!! In addition to 'Unleashed' there are no fewer than 3 other Dannii "rarities" or re-release albums out this month as well as a greatest hits DVD.

Unfortunately, most of this should have never seen the light of day, but there are a few gems on this release. "Blame It On the Music" is one of her best tracks ever, easy. "No Romeo" isn't bad either. But it's very easy to see why the other "new" songs were shelved.

This release also marks the first time we've heard the original version of "Come and Get It" in full CD-quality... a truly exciting moment for a Dannii fan like myself!


Dannii Minogue - 'Club Disco'
This is a digital-only release from Dannii's most recent record label, All Around the World. While this label has killed any potential $ucce$$ Dannii may have had post-Neon Nights, their Dannii cash-in is clearly superior than the one from London Records ('Unleashed', see above). The "new" songs on this release all sound album-ready. My biggest complaint with this release is that it's "new" songs weren't used on Dannii's last project... "Feel Like I Do," "I'm Sorry," "Do You Believe Me Now," "I've Been Waiting for You," and "I Will Come To You" are FAR superior to the tracks that made the final cut of her last release!



Dannii Minogue - 'Neon Nights (Remastered & Expanded)'
I am very, VERY excited about this one... The original 'Neon Nights' album (Dannii's finest moment) coupled with loads of mixes and all the b-sides from the era. It's gay 80's-influenced electro-pop sonic heaven. It's a perfect tribute to the best era of Dannii's career.

If you're new to Dannii, be sure not to miss "Nervous" (previously released as a b-side to "I Begin to Wonder"). It's Dannii's finest musical moment of her career. One of my favorite songs of all time! "I live to taste addiction like this."



Dannii Minogue vs. Jason Nevins - "Touch Me Like That" [single]
In addition to all the excitement of the cash-ins by her old record companies, Dannii herself is cashing in on her newfound X Factor fame with the new single "Touch Me Like That." Sampling Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" it's one the best singles of her career. Plus, you can't go wrong with Jason Nevins doing the mixing.

Dannii OWNS fall 2007!!

Here's the video... it's not as good as the song itself. Especially considering it's a totally piss-poor rip-off of multiple Kylie videos. But, who cares, it's new Dannii!



Kylie Minogue - '2 Hearts'

Amongst all this Dannii excitement, there is also Kylie's comeback. Her new single "2 Hearts" is out now (on US iTunes, even).

It totally sucks. It's an even bigger mistake than "Red Blooded Woman." I am so disappointed! I mean, it's not an embarrassment, it's just a terribly boring waste of the comeback of her career. I love the cover art, though!

I'm just hoping the album delivers... From what I've read, this song is not indicative of the rest of the CD... thank God!