Yet Another Year In America September 9, 2010
As predicted, Far East Movement leap into the Top 40, only the third Korean Americans ever to do so, as far as I know (Joe Hahn of Linkin Park and Amerie are the other two), and the first from Korea Town; don't know if or how that contributes to their sound, though maybe someone on my flist will have an idea. It's the two Asian guys in Linkin Park who are responsible for Linkin Park's DJ and hip-hop element, if that's significant. Far East Movement also come from the DJ-producer end of things. On the basis of a half hour's searching on Google etc. I'm surmising Far East Movement belong to some L.A. electroclub scene, though who knows, they may just be following their own style. The Cataracs, who apparently wrote and produced the track, are from Berkeley and have a tangential relationship to hyphy but they seem much more "club." Actually, the Cataracs are willing to list themselves as "indie pop" (among other things) on their MySpace, though I'm damned if I know why. Maybe they're indie pop in the same way that 3OH!3 are, which isn't very indie. I'd have fun saying that this sort of stuff splits the difference between Ke$ha and jerk, but that's probably not right. Is probably less teenage than jerk is (Far East Movement have been an act for seven years), and probably from an older electrobrat tradition than Ke$ha's. Colette Carr's effectively insinuating "Back It Up" may be relevant here; also "Booty Bounce" by Dev, which "Like A G6" builds around three lines from, though "Like A G6" is far better.
(Also, interesting stuff happening in K-pop, as 2NE1 release three videos in one day. I may post on that later today, on lj or over on the ilX K-pop thread.)
In other chart news, Katy displaces Eminem on top, which must mean that it's her tying him to the bed.
Far East Movement ft. the Cataracs and Dev "Like A G6": Maybe it's 'cause I was just listening to Cream '68 ripping their veins out on "Crossroads," but the highly treated electro lines of "Like A G6" feel like blood veins networking and crisscrossing on a dark wall, while bleary-eyed clubsters have "fun" at half-speed in the wee, dim hours. This one gets to you and sticks. TICK.
Cee-Lo "Fuck You": As it strolls in I'm thinking "This is an OK novelty-gag approach to getting your retro-soul stylings across," but around 40 seconds in, when the organ lets up, the speed beats take over, and this pulls me along. Think Cee-Lo could have safely cut this off at two minutes, left it as a good little throwaway while jettisoning the middle eight and the pointless mugging; the song is obvious enough as is - doesn't need him wiggling eyebrows and jabbing at our ribs. But that's showbiz. TICK.
Sean Kingston ft. Nicki Minaj "Letting Go (Dutty Love)": The tune's OK, but as usual, Kingston's got absolutely nothing to give it, too blank to even be called monotonous. Nicki is uncharacteristically blasé, which is hardly what this track needs. NO TICK.
(Also, interesting stuff happening in K-pop, as 2NE1 release three videos in one day. I may post on that later today, on lj or over on the ilX K-pop thread.)
In other chart news, Katy displaces Eminem on top, which must mean that it's her tying him to the bed.
Far East Movement ft. the Cataracs and Dev "Like A G6": Maybe it's 'cause I was just listening to Cream '68 ripping their veins out on "Crossroads," but the highly treated electro lines of "Like A G6" feel like blood veins networking and crisscrossing on a dark wall, while bleary-eyed clubsters have "fun" at half-speed in the wee, dim hours. This one gets to you and sticks. TICK.
Cee-Lo "Fuck You": As it strolls in I'm thinking "This is an OK novelty-gag approach to getting your retro-soul stylings across," but around 40 seconds in, when the organ lets up, the speed beats take over, and this pulls me along. Think Cee-Lo could have safely cut this off at two minutes, left it as a good little throwaway while jettisoning the middle eight and the pointless mugging; the song is obvious enough as is - doesn't need him wiggling eyebrows and jabbing at our ribs. But that's showbiz. TICK.
Sean Kingston ft. Nicki Minaj "Letting Go (Dutty Love)": The tune's OK, but as usual, Kingston's got absolutely nothing to give it, too blank to even be called monotonous. Nicki is uncharacteristically blasé, which is hardly what this track needs. NO TICK.