[Hot Video Alert] Adam Lambert - Never Close Our Eyes

Last week, Adam Lambert unveiled the video for latest single, the Bruno Mars co-penned dancefloor banger "Never Close Our Eyes," and WOW was it worth the wait.  While it was digitally released in America April 17th, the Dr. Luke/Cirkut/The Smeezingtons-produced dance jam is being more heavily promoted over in the UK, where it will serve as Lambert's lead single off of Trespassing, which is scheduled for release July 2nd.  The single will be released on June 24th, backed by an impressive array of dance remixes from some of the UK's biggest mixmasters, including peaktime pop mixers Almighty, the ever-fantastic Digital Dog and garage gods Sunship.

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[Album Review] Adam Lambert - Trespassing

Adam Lambert will release his hotly anticipated sophomore album, Trespassing, this Tuesday, May 15th via RCA Records/19 Recordings.  To get the fans pumped up and ready to buy on Tuesday, the album can be streamed in it's entirety on Lambert's official website.  In addition to a standard and deluxe version of the album, Lambert is selling an exclusive Trespassing - Box Set for $49.99, which includes six 12" X 12" lithographs, Trespassing on vinyl, and the fan edition (CD/DVD). Eat it up Glamberts!

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[Review] Adam Lambert - Never Close Our Eyes

Released April 17th, "Never Close Our Eyes" is the name of Adam Lambert's new single from his forthcoming sophomore album, Trespassing.  The single was written and produced by Bruno Mars and Dr. Luke and serves as the follow up to "Better Than I Know Myself," which by most accounts was a commercial floppity-flop.  "Never Close Our Eyes," sees the flamboyantly big-voiced Lambert return to his dance-pop glory days in this pulse-pounding new dance-floor-ready new single. Stylistically, "Never Close Our Eyes" is right in Lambert's wheelhouse, echoing the same sound of his past club friendly hit "If I Had You."  Lambert does his thing, belting out the big chorus, his voice soaring over the bangin' electro-rock beats and sleek production.  It's clear that Lambert's looking for another anthem, and "Never Close Our Eyes" very well could be it.  Here's hoping radio latches on to this one more than they did with the lead single.

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Adam Lambert To Release Sophomore Album May 15th, Listen To Four New Tracks

FINALLY. The release of Adam Lambert's highly anticipated sophomore album is in sight. Trespassing was originally due to come out March 20th however in mid February, RCA announced a delay to allow time for Lambert to record new material.  The album is now scheduled for release May 15th in the U.S. and I couldn't be more excited.  Clearly, Adam's people were nervous after lead single, "Better Than I Know Myself" flopped its way onto the Billboard Hot 100, fizzling out at an unfortunate #76.  Not quite what everyone was hoping for.

The song, which I called a "drab" mid-tempo electro-pop ballad seemed to have all the makings of a hit, including a STRONG team of songwriters and producers (Dr. Luke, Cirkut, Ammo, Claude Kelly)...sooo what happened?  Well if you look back at Lambert's relatively short chart history, there haven't been too many smashes.  In fact, Adam Lambert has only one Billboard Hot 100 top 10 to his name and that was 2009's "Whataya Want From Me," which peaked at #10.  The next highest charting single - "If I Had You" which peaked at #30.  

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Hot Video Alert: Sam Sparro - The Shallow End

Since releasing his BRILLIANT self-titled debut album back in 2008, I've been eagerly awaiting new material from 29 year old Aussie-born/U.S. & UK based singer/songwriter Sam Sparro. Well folks, that moment has FINALLY arrived.  "The Shallow End" is the first tease of new stuff from Sparro, who's sophomore record, Return To Paradise, is due for release in May via EMI. HALLELUJAH!

I'm uncertain, whether or not "The Shallow End" is Sparro's first single or if it's just a promotional teaser of what's to come.  Given the low LOW budget of this "music video," my guess is that it's the former.  The video appears to be a mix of "behind the scenes" footage of Sparro and his band, friends, producers, etc. recording, what I'm guessing to be the forthcoming new album.  There's a lot of footage of Sparro goofing off, playing with his puppies, walking around in a tank, generally acting really casual.  Regardless, at this point I'll take what I can get of Sparro. His first album remains to this day, one of my favorite pop albums of the past few years.  Hell, I'm so desperate for new Sam Sparro, I'll even accept him with that creepy, perv-stache plastered above his upper lip.

Musically speaking, "The Shallow End" doesn't really deviate too far from the electro-soul sound of Sparro's last string of singles (including the Grammy-nominated hit single "Black and Gold") which I guess is a good thing.  According to the press release, Sparro brought on musicians from all over the globe to record Return To Paradise, working with long-time producer and collaborator Jesse "Golden Touch" Rogg.  Other collaborators include the delectable Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Sia), Jono Sloan (from Empire of the Sun), Tim Anderson (from Ima Robot) and Lester Mendez (Shakira, Nelly Furtado).  Musicians wrangled in to play on the album include Stuart Zender (founding bass player from Jamiroquai), violinist Caitlin Moe, the horn section from Hercules and Love Affair, as well as Midnight Magic, Charlie Wilcocks, Dave Wilder, Felix Bloxsom and Sparro's very own brother and father on guitars.  Helping out on the songwriting end, Sparro worked with Best Coast's own Bethany Cosentino, Florence + The Machine's Isabella Summers and Swedish singer/songwriter Erik Hassle (who appears in the video below). Sounds like an AMAZING cluster of talented folks here. From the official release:

"The results are an eclectic collection of songs about love lost and the quest for happiness. Stylistically, there are songs that range from 80′s electro soul and disco dance floor fillers to beautiful ballads."

Can't wait to hear what else Sparro has got.  Sounds like a worthy follow up to me.  Check out the homemade video for "The Shallow End" below and download Sam's debut album on U.S. iTunes HERE before the new one comes out this spring.

UPDATE: Sam Sparro has announced a U.S. "Mini-Tour"! So exciting! Check out the tour dates below:

February 4th//San Francisco, CA//Independent
February 6th//Los Angeles, CA//Key Club
February 19th//Boston, MA//Brighton Music Hall
February 21st//New York, NY//Highline Ballroom
February 23rd//Philadelphia, PA//World Café
February 24th//Washington, DC//Rock and Roll Hotel
February 26th//Atlanta, GA//Masquerade
February 27th//Orlando, FL//Social
February 28th//Miami, FL//Bardot

Check out Sam Sparro on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Hot Video Alert: Adam Lambert - Better Than I Know Myself

In case you missed it, 30 year old singer/songwriter (and American Idol alum) Adam Lambert premiered the video for his brand new single, "Better Than I Know Myself" earlier today.  The beautifully shot Ray Kay directed video features Lambert playing two different versions of himself, good versus evil, if you will. The video plays out in a split screen format, with each "version" of Lambert confined to it's own space. The evil dwells in a dark, blueish green tinted space while the good inhabits a much more zen, warmly lit room.  Very literal but still effective at getting the point of the video across.  In the end, breaking free from the confined space, Lambert's character seems to achieve some sort of balance and all is well again.  Definitely one of more interesting videos to come out in a while.  I'm wondering if it's supposed to be autobiographical in any way, given some of the star's recent press. Hmmmm...

Now...let's discuss the song.  Despite being impeccably performed my Mr. Lambert, "Better Than I Know Myself" is rather drab as far as Adam Lambert singles go.  It's a mid-tempo electro-pop ballad produced and co-written by Dr. Luke (Ke$ha, Katy Perry), Cirkut (Jessie J, Rihanna) and Ammo (Pitbull, Britney Spears) along with Claude Kelly who also served as co-writer on the track.  Lambert has one of the best male vocals in pop right now and he certainly sings the hell out of this song, but it's lacking something for me.  I don't know if it's the hook, or the depressing subject matter or what. Something just isn't connecting with me and I can't quite figure out what it is.

Released on December 20th, the single peaked at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Currently sitting at #83, now that the song has officially been sent to radio (as of January 23rd), I'm hoping that the video helps give the song a little boost up the charts.  This very well could be a grower for me, and if the past is indicative of anything, we'll likely see a swarm of bumpin' dance remixes in the coming months which will likely give the song new life.  "Better Than I Know Myself" serves as the official lead off of Adam Lambert's forthcoming sophomore album, entitled Trespassing, which is due in March on RCA Records.  While Lambert did co-write many of the album's tracks, he also paired up with some of the industry's most talented songwriters and producers, including Pharrell Williams, Benny Blanco, Bonnie McKee, Nile Rogers, Sam Sparro, Bruno Mars, Nikka Costa, BC Jean and more.

UK Adam Lambert fans unfortunately have to wait until March 12th to download the single, but U.S. fans can download it on U.S. iTunes HERE. Check out the video below!

Check out Adam Lambert on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//VEVO

Hot Video Alert: Sam Sparro - Pink Cloud

Sam Sparro's self titled debut album was one of my favorite releases back in 2008 and his canceling his appearance in Boston because of Visa issues was one of my biggest disappointments. His single "Black and Gold," while not a mainstream chart success story in the States, did manage to hit #12 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart when it was released here back in June of 2008. Since then Sparro was featured on releases from Basement Jaxx ("Feelings Gone") and Dutch production duo Mason ("Corrected"), in addition to working on his forthcoming sophomore release. "Pink Cloud" originally premiered on East Village Radio's Accidental Rhythm back in July in an un-mastered format. Then...just last week, Sparro unveiled a music video for the song and explained via Twitter that "Pink Cloud" is NOT a single. Per Sparro himself:

"It is not a single- more of art project. I appreciate ur comments about wanting 2 hear more of my vocals. no fear- the album is full of them."

The super-cool, super artsy video was directed by Franc/Fernandez and features Sparro rocking a number of looks, nearly all of which include some amount of face and body paint, masks, headdresses and other tribal-influenced fashion. What's more, Sparro is offering a free download of the song + remixes and an additional track. Looks like this is just what Sam Sparro fans have been looking for to tide us over between now and the new album. Get your free download below and check out the video.

Check out Sam Sparro on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

HOT SOUNDTRACK ALERT: FAME

I TOTALLY forgot that the soundtrack for the FAME 2009 remake was released on Tuesday. OOPS! I have been loving the remixes for star, Naturi Naughton's version of the title track so chances are that I'm going to LOVE this soundtrack. You can get it on iTunes now or in stores. Oh...you can also get the full length club mixes and the radio edits on iTunes of "Fame." Check those out now! I love that a couple of the tracks were produced by The Matrix (Avril Lavigne, Jason Mraz, Britney Spears). Looks like a very radio-friendly soundtrack if you ask me. I also love that Sam Sparro & Megan Mullally (Karen on Will & Grace) sings a song. Can't wait for the movie! Fame is out September 25, 2009.

Here's the tracklisting:

1.) Welcome To P.A. – Raney Shockne

2.) Fame - Naturi Naughton

3.) Big Things – Anjulie

4.) Ordinary People – Asher Book

5.) This Is My Life – Hopsin, Ak’Sent, Tynisha Keli & Donte “Burger” Winston

6.) Out Here On My Own - Naturi Naughton

7.) Street Hustlin’ - Raney Shockne featuring Stella Moon

8.) You’ll Find A Way (Switch & Sinden Remix) - Santigold

9.) Can’t Hide From Love - Naturi Naughton & Collins Pennie

10.) Black & Gold – Sam Sparro

11.) Back To Back – Collins Pennie featuring Ashleigh Haney

12.) I Put A Spell On You - Raney Shockne featuring Eddie Wakes

13.) Get On The Floor - Naturi Naughton & Collins Pennie

14.) Try – Asher Book

15.) You Took Advantage Of Me - Megan Mullally

16.) Too Many Women (Damon Elliott Remix) – Rachael Sage

17.) Someone To Watch Over Me – Asher Book

18.) You Made Me Love You - Raney Shockne featuring Oren Waters

19.) Hold Your Dream - Naturi Naughton, Asher Book, Kay Panabaker

My Weekly Last FM Chart

Once again I haven't been blogging much. It's not for a lack of motivation, or stuff to talk about...it's more a lack of time. I've had a busy past couple of weeks! Anyway...Last FM results from the past week...GO!


Most Listened To Artists:
1. Straight No Chaser

2. Kelly Clarkson

3. V.V. Brown

4. Calvin Harris

5. Wale

6. Paloma Faith

7. Robyn

8. Sam Sparro

9. Atomic Kitten

10. Shakira

It's funny how week after week, the majority of the artists that make it on my "Most Listened To" list are from (or at least popular in) the UK. What can I say...over in the UK they know how to do pop music. For a long time, mainstream American radio has been dominated by hip hop, R&B and country, leaving little room for the run-of-the-mill pop music that I love so dearly. Sure, there are exceptions...Natasha Bedingfield for instance, although her last album definitely crossed over into R&B territory with a couple of tracks.

I'm optimistic about the future of music in the U.S. right now as America embraces artists like Leona Lewis and Lady Gaga. Both are totally different types of artists, but both have done decent business on this side of the pond. Artists popular in the states are starting to experiment with electro beats, working with producers like RedOne. The only worry I have is that we're going to start getting cookie cutter pop songs. New artists, same song.

At any rate, with tons more UK acts crossing the pond this Fall and into next year, I'm over the moon! I'm so excited to watch America fall in love with so many of the singers/bands that I've been listening to for months and months.

Natasha Bedingfield Collaborating with Wyclef Jean & Sam Sparro

While it seems like I saw Natasha Bedingfield in concert at Paradise Rock Club just yesterday, it was actually sometime last year (what an awesome show - The Veronicas opened!).

She's hard at work on her new album in the U.S. According to a recent email update, Natasha has been in the studio with "musical genius" Wyclef Jean and Sam Sparro, whom she says she's going to make a "cool collaboration" with. Good news! She's also been writing with Brian Kennedy (producer on Rihanna's "Disturbia") and Mike Elizondo, whom she wrote much of her last album with. About Mike, Natasha says "I like working with him so much. He is so versatile and plays almost every instrument excellently."

Photos Courtesy of NatashaBedingfield.com

According to her update, Natasha's headed back to the UK for a month or so to work on new material and hopes to have a new album out by the end of 2009.

Check out Natasha Bedingfield on the web:

Official Site/Facebook/MySpace/Bebo/YouTube