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Mama, He Treats Britney Mean: Parallel Tracks by Douglas Wolk

Posted on October 31, 2011 at 11:07 PM

Britney's not really in love with a "Criminal," but her latest hit belongs to a tradition of cryin' to your mama tracks. DOUGLAS WOLK takes us on a journey through the type - and leaves us in a world where Britney's whimsy could be Rihanna's fantasy.

Britney Spears' "Criminal" represents something of a new tack for her. She's made a career out of songs that are more or less about her, or about the "Britney Spears" character, as I mentioned a few months ago in the context of "Till the World Ends." That song, though, didn't particularly address her evolving Life and Times of "Britney" storyline, and with "Criminal" she's adopted a totally new persona: a character whose boyfriend is not just toxic to her but an actively bad person in general. It may be the first time one of her singles has had the lyrical point of view of a character we're not supposed to associate with the blonde on the screen—even if the "sucker with a gun, gun, gun" in the video is played by her real-life boyfriend, Jason Trawick.

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Mark Ronson Interviews Duran Duran

Posted on October 31, 2011 at 11:30 AM

When Duran Duran passed through Madison Square Garden last week on their All You Need Is Now tour, we could have sat down with the band for an interview. But as the old saying goes: Why do anything yourself when you can make Mark Ronson do it for you?

So at our request, Ronson, who produced the band’s latest album, huddled with Simon Le Bon and John Taylor backstage in the group’s warm-up area. Among the topics they touched on: the recording of All You Need Is Now, the group’s supermodel-laden video for “Girl Panic,” which will debut on November 7 and the upcoming 30^th anniversary of their legendary album, Rio. “We’ve reconnected with the yacht from [the song] ‘Rio,’ ” Taylor revealed. “We’re going to go down to Antigua, and we’re going to revisit the boat that was featured in the video.” If you don’t remember Duran Duran’s “Rio” video, check it out here. Long before T-Pain: They were on a boat!

Tagged as: Interview , News , Video

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Others Came Before Me, Others to Come: Appreciating Band of Horses

Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:58 PM

Band of Horses' stock in trade is strong songwriting, and there isn't anything particularly cutting-edge about that ... except that you know who they are. ROB O'CONNOR explores how that band is so uniquely of its time.

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Band of Horses Live at Voodoo - See More Photos

Timing is always everything, since had Band of Horses come of age twenty-five years earlier they’d be consigned to the periphery of college radio and other emerging “alternative” markets. Their leader, and only consistent member, Ben Bridwell, would enjoy a cult status that would sit his group alongside such obscure but respected luminaries as Orange Juice, The Teardrop Explodes and Let’s Active.

However, the world is a place of eventual assimilation, and just as we’ve slowly moved forth as a nation to be more open to the ideas of legal marijuana and gay marriage, so have we finally moved on from the tenets of classic rock.

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JoJo Takes on Bruno Mars & Rihanna Live at the Hard Rock Cafe Boston

Posted on October 28, 2011 at 01:35 PM

Singer JoJo took the stage at Boston's Hard Rock Cafe last night as part of Hard Rock's Pinktober® tour in support of breast cancer research.

In addition to singing her own hits like "Too Little, Too Late" and new single "Disaster," JoJo tried her hand at Bruno Mars' "Grenade" and Rihanna's "What's My Name," and killed it!

Check out JoJo's two live covers below and tell us how you think she did.

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Tagged as: Live Shows , Music

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CMJ VIPs: Five Bands That Made the Biggest Impression - Key Changes by Nisha Gopalan

Posted on October 26, 2011 at 07:41 PM

In years past, indie-rock acts such as Sleigh Bells, Best Coast, and Surfer Blood all exploded after playing New York City’s CMJ Music Marathon, long (and perhaps unfairly) considered the mediocre alternative to Austin’s flashier SXSW. Despite performances by behemoths like Mary J. Blige, this year’s CMJ remains, unlike the corporation-fawning SXSW,less about the parties and more about the discovery. Below, the five acts that left an indelible impression on the fest: