Song of the Week: Looking Glass - "Brandy"
Feeling old school; so old school in fact that I would post the oldest video I've seen of a double kick. Look out for it!
Just Jack. Just Good.
Straight from the land of the beloved Queen herself comes English musician Just Jack, who offers an impressive, undeniably catchy mix of pop hooks and alternative rhythms. Having honed his mixing and sampling chops as a youngster, this is an artist perhaps destined to be picked up by the global music scene.
What? Never heard of Just Jack (real name: Jack Allsop)? Neither did I until I ran across the video for his new single, "The Day I Died." Really, I still don't know how I found this gem on Youtube; somewhere between listening to Crazy Town, N.W.A. and David Guetta's ridiculously ear-infecting collaboration with Akon, "Sexy Bitch," a link to this hereto little-listened-to artist appeared. Bored on the job, I clicked, and much to my surprise, a totally legit, DAMN GOOD song played.
Further research revealed that Just Jack has been known on the British scene for some time, ever since his 2002 debut, The Outer Marker, which featured the singles, "Paradise (Lost and Found), "Snowflakes," and "Triple Tone Eyes." After making a television appearance on BBC in 2007, Just Jack's popularity across the pond increased, as his single "Starz in Their Eyes" climbed to No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart.
So much, though, for worldwide fame — based just on the number of plays on his Myspace page, Just Jack has a ways to go. But cheers, mate: If this very brief introduction/review is any indication of your future prospects, all things are looking up. And the best part is that when Just Jack becomes as famous as that other very famous Jack of White Stripes fame, you can tell all your friends that you knew about this rising sensation before everyone else (courtesy of tableau, of course!)
Song of the Week: Swedish House Mafia & Laidback Luke feat. Deborah Cox - "Leave the World Behind"
I wish I was in Miami right now.
Artist Watch: Minus the Bear
It's been a couple years since Minus the Bear, the Seattle-based indie rock quintet, has released anything of note. After Planet of Ice came out, fans have only been able to snag copies of their Acoustics EP, which provides the simple novelty of hearing acoustic versions of old songs while adding in one original entitled "Guns & Ammo," but isn't exactly what I would call an exciting, worthwhile release. While I'm at it, I'll go ahead and say that Planet of Ice didn't really seem all that great either.
So, you may be wondering why I'm sitting here, typing away about a band that has been letting me down for a couple years now. Well, it's because the band is gearing up for another release, and recently released some cool sounding viral clips that make it seem like Minus the Bear's upcoming release is going to be a bit of a return to form. But, don't just let me be the judge of that, go ahead and check the videos below and hear for yourself.
