He Said/She Said: Fall Preview
Summer is but a distant memory. [Sigh.] The temperatures are falling -- and so is your morale. Besides, maybe, Halloween and bloated holiday debt, what else have you to look forward to, you ask? Awesome music, that's what. Myriad releases from the juggernauts of pop will put the kibosh on your Seasonal Affective Disorder -- and nourish your Attention Deficit one. MTV News rundowns what you can expect this autumn -- new releases from T.I., Beyoncé (hallelujah!), Fall Out Boy, Britney (yes, please!), Kanye and more. And while we agree with most of them, we've got a few suggestions, too.
[Click the "Continue Reading..." link to listen to a playlist featuring the music discussed in this post.]
50 Cent - Before I Self-Destruct
Angela Bruno: Can one still be authentically gangsta with a minty-fresh set of veneers? Come on 50! Don't go changing. Anyways, I look forward to the next installment of money-cash-hos to shock me out of my hibernation from time to time.
Chris Ryan: You'd like to think that reports of Curtis' commercial death are greatly exaggerated, but I think after Curtis and Righteous Kill, he may be on a highway to heaven. I hope this is full of cuts like that Mavado song from the last G-Unit record, for my sake.
Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
AB: Kanye? A mere mortal? A crooner? As evidenced by (my jam!) "Love Lockdown," it looks like only matters of the heart can cut through Kanye's Kevlar shield. Good.
CR: "Love Lockdown" is a winner. I guess Kanye has moved on from the Ed Banger/Eternal Sunshine vibe that ended the Higher Education Trilogy (College..., Late..., Graduation), and has moved on to a new T-Pain/Drumline-fueled phase. Maybe the next one will be called MPC's & Ennui.
Michelle Williams - Unexpected
AB: Michelle tries to slough off some of her good-girl image to make an attempt at love-driven cyborg. Successfully. Totally worth more than a few spins. Better listen while the getting's good -- aka, before Beyoncé comes along to quash any/all of her buzz and makes you feel unworthy.
CR: Michelle was my favorite Child. I think it was a good look for Michelle to play the wall while B was taking over the world and Kelly's management was depositing funds in Nelly's off-shore bank accounts to coax him into acting like he could have sexual chemistry with her.
Calle 13 - Los de Atras Vienen Conmigo
CR: I don't want to say anything one way or the other because a) I'm not really familiar with their work, and b) dude is your husband.
AB: To quote the great B Rock and the Bizz,"That's just my baby daddy." No, but in all seriousness, there are two of them, and I just can't bear to choose. But really, their first album was groundbreaking. The second had plenty of gems, but felt rushed and was a little heavy-handed on the lasciviousness. From what I've heard so far, three's a charm. And, they're the MTV Artist of the Week!
Robin Thicke - Something Else
CR: And this is your boyfriend. This is entirely too grown for my taste; you can become so grown you get petrified in some cases. This is too much Parkay and not enough Bar-Kays.
AB: Not no Parkay, not no margarine, strictly butter, baby. Robin Thicke sounds like a silk robe, covered in rose petals, covered in self-help.
Antony and the Johnsons - Another World
AB: I've been to Wikipedia and back and still don't understand ... but I'm down. Listening to Antony wail as the crisp fall wind cuts through the layers of now-insufficient clothing you once wore while booty-bumpin' to Hercules and Love Affair all summer long will be like Finnish people listening to death metal during the abysmal polar night. Why? 'Cause it hurts so good.
CR: This dude is like some Judy Garland & the Banshees. Makes me wanna kill myself in this club.
Morgan Geist - Double Night Time
AB: I really enjoyed his [shameless plug] PLAY Rhap Session. He just lays it all out there -- all the insecurities and obstacles of art and the human condition. I identify with the dude -- you know, on the whole tortured-genius level. [Grin.]
CR: I like my dance a little more "Rollin' & Scratchin"/Digitalism/Vitalic/untz/untz/untz, and less gleaming, Autobahn into an ambiguous future. But this is sleek.
Keri Hilson - In a Perfect World
AB: I've got totally selfish reasons to get behind Keri Hilson. Her video for "Energy" guilted me into getting Siamese-twin tight with my cardio routine. Here's hoping we will never part. Plus, I saw her eating in our cafeteria. She is one of us.
CR: I feel like Keri's got undeniable likability. That Diddy song she did, "After Love," was so friggin' tender. It's like the R&B equivalent of the "Wanna have a catch, Dad" scene in Field of Dreams.
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