HOT P!NK

In 2000, Alecia Moore released her first album, "Can't Take Me Home" under her professional name of Pink. Although the album was a smash, selling five million copies across the globe and producing two top ten pop hits, Pink was not completely happy. 

Her record label was trying to model her image after all of the other young pop darlings that were around at that time but Pink was not at all interested. She wanted to be taken seriously as an artist and create the type of music she wanted to make.

She met with Linda Perry, formerly with the rock band, 4 Non Blondes, and together they wrote the songs for her follow-up album, "Missundaztood".  The album was filled with more personal and harder edged music but her record label, LaFace wasn't sure that it would work since Pink's first claim to fame was in the pop/r&b market. Luckily, the label agreed to release the album and it became a huge hit, receiving critical praise, four hit singles and selling over thirteen million copies world wide.

Now, after ten years and five albums, Pink has just released a collection of her hit songs, "Greatest Hits... So Far!!!" which features two new songs. One song, "Raise Your Glass" is already a top ten hit but the other, "Fucking Perfect" is also good but might have some difficulty getting radio airplay.

This is a great song that was a hit for Pink from her debut album but was left off of her hits collection:

"Some Girls" - Pink

Pink has always made fun and wacky music videos and she has not disappointed with her latest for the song, "Raise Your Glass":

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

Because of the upcoming holiday season, there is a glut of new music being dumped in to the marketplace, which is great for music lovers but a little tough on our wallets.

Here is a sampling of some hot & fresh stuff:

SHARKIRA - "SALE EL SOL"

Shakira's latest is entitled, "Sale El Sol" or "The Sun Comes Out" in English and it is her third bilingual pop album. She returns to her Latin pop/rock sound after last year's album, "She Wolf" which explored electropop music that is popular right now.

Although there are a few English-language tracks , most of the album is in Spanish. Shakira collaborates with Latin hip-Hop artists, Calle 13 and Pitbull plus the record includes the 2010 World Cup Anthem, "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) (The Official 2010 Fifa World Cup (Tm) Song)".

This song is a remake from the English indie band, The XX:


"Islands" - Shakira

BELLE & SEBASTIAN - "BELLE & SEBASTIAN WRITE ABOUT LOVE"

This alternative rock-pop band from Glasgow, Scotland has not made a huge impact here in the U.S. but they have released their eighth album, "Write About Love".

To be honest, I had never heard their music before this record but I do enjoy their sound. The album has reached number eight on the U.K. pop charts which is their highest charting record there and it is getting some airplay here.

This is the song that I really like:

"I Want The World To Stop" - Belle And Sebastian


CEE-LO GREEN - "THE LADYKILLER"

Born Thomas Callaway in Atlanta, Cee-Lo Green first came to the attention of music audiences as a member of the Hip-Hop act, Goodie Mob and later as a part of a collaboration with DJ Danger Mouse as the group, Gnarls Barkley with their hit song, "Crazy" but he is now back on the charts as a solo artist with his song, "Forget You" or the uncensored version, "F**k You [Explicit]".

He has just put out his third album under his own name, "The Lady Killer [Explicit]" and it features smooth, classic soul mixed with hip-hop all the while sticking to his very unique musical vision. It is great record and one of my favorites of the year.

It was hard to pick one favorite track but this one is it, plus the song features Philip Bailey of Earth Wind & Fire:

"Fool For You" - Cee-Lo Green Ft. Philip Bailey


RIHANNA - "LOUD"

The twenty-two year old singing sensation from Barbados has released an album almost every year since her 2005 debut, "Music Of The Sun" and now comes her fifth CD, "Loud". This record is a slight return to the sunny hip-hop flavored pop sound that she began her career with after last year's much darker edged and more rock influenced, "Rated R" but there are still traces of that sprinkled around on "Loud".

The first single, "Only Girl (In The World)" became her sixteenth song to hit the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

This appears to be her next hit single,"What's My Name?" that features Canadian rapper, Drake:

What's My Name.mp3

QUINCY JONES - "Q : SOUL BOSSA NOSTRA"

Quincy Jones is a legend in the music industry, having produced a wide and diverse group of artists during his long career and now he has released his latest, "Q: Soul Bossa Nostra", his sixteenth studio album under his own name. The record features a variety of contemporary musicians re-interpreting classic songs that Mr. Jones had previously produced with other artists.

While the project is ambitious and features an interesting line-up that includes Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Robin Thicke, Mary J. Blige and T-Pain but it just feels unnecessary. None of the tracks are really particularly memorable, different or make you forget about the original version of the song for one moment.

This is a re-make of  "It's My Party", the number one hit Mr Jones produced for Lesley Gore in 1963. Amy Winehouse has resurfaced to record a slurred sounding version of this song:

"Its My Party" - Quincy Jones ft. Amy Winehouse

BRYAN FERRY - "OLYMPIA"
 

Former Roxy Music singer, Bryan Ferry has returned with his thirteenth solo album, "Olympia" which features the glamorous face of Supermodel, Kate Moss on the cover. The record features the lush, moody rock that isn't much of a departure from his work with Roxy Music or even from his previous solo projects.

He gets assistance on this from a fine group of musicians that include The Eurythmics's Dave Stewart, Chic's Nile Rodgers, The Scissor Sisters as well as his Roxy Music band mates.

This the first single from this album:

"You Can Dance" - Bryan Ferry

MY TUNE OF THE DAY

The Tune: Curtis Mayfield - "Move On Up" (1971)

The elections are over (FINALLY!) and all of those endless, annoying television ads will now cease. Largely depending upon your party affiliation, the country is either going to improve or things are going to get much worse.

Either way, let's forget about all of that for a moment.  Here is some great classic soul to dance to from the late, great Curtis Mayfield, a song off of his first solo album, "Curtis! (Deluxe Edition)" after leaving the group, The Impressions.

Enjoy.

Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield