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Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Jason Younger / News I love the '80s... but damn!
Posted By Jason Younger on Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 10:26 AM
“I’ll be back!” – Arnold “The Governator” Schwarzenegger, Terminator, 1984.
You have to admit, Arnold wasn’t playin’ around. The '80s are back. Some of you might argue that they really never left, but the year 2009 has defintely become the Year of The '80s. Just take a look around:
Crue Fest headlined by Hair Metal icons Motley Crue just rolled thorugh town. And don’t forget that you might have also seen Poison, Def Leppard, Foreigner, The B-52’s, Styx, REO Speedwagon, .38 Special and Cheap Trick. Oh, and you can still catch Journey, Heart, The Cure and The Psychedelic Furs before the end of the year.
'80s bands are also making NEW music. Depeche Mode, Bon Jovi, Metallica and the aforementioned Motley Crue and B-52’s. Just play the hits and let us sing along thanks.
As previously mentioned in this space, '80s songs are the current cover-of-the-minute genre with "Careless Whisper," "Let’s Go Crazy," "Right Round" (by hip–hop artist Flo-Rida), and "Billie Jean" to name a few.
There seems to be a bit of a perfect storm happening to help this phenomenon. With the deaths of the King of Pop (M.J.), and the King of Teen Movies (John Hughes), '80s music rules the charts and '80s movies have commandeered your TV.
And don’t forget your favorite '80s movies and shows making an appearance at the theatre. Halloween 2 just opened in theatres, Friday the 13th just hit the shelves at Blockbuster, and Transformers and G.I. Joe are still around, too. With movie versions/remakes of The A Team, Footloose, Nightmare on Elm Street and even The Karate Kid in the works, the '80s won’t be leaving the scene any time soon.
The only question now is “Will it EVER stop?” Remember when reliving the '80s was fun? You’d go to '80s night at the club (or just go to The Breakfast Club), catch an '80s cover band, or find yourself channel surfing and stopping when "Girls, Girls, Girls" came on the radio? Now, the '80s are everywhere and the motto seems to be why try something new when you can just recycle the old stuff.
If the 20-teens look anything like the first decade of the 2000s, the Grunge Revival is just around the corner. Wake up Eddie Vedder, you've got some work to do.
So, fearless readers, do you agree? Are the '80s overstaying their welcome, or just here to stay?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Mike McCray / News Hip-hop needs a shot of youth
Posted By Mike McCray on Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 2:13 PM
I was watching Jay-Z on Real Time with BIll Maher the other night, listening to the legendary rapper chop it up with one of the nation's foremost political voices and couldn't help but smile.
His appearance on the show, in my mind, was somehow announcing hip hop's settling down era to the masses. Long gone are the raucous pour-champagne-on-a-chick tracks, overflowing-machismo beef records and videos dedicated to just overt waste. In now is the acquiring-wealth, let's-get-married, settle-down-and-talk-about-how-far-you've-come era. All of which is admirable, then I felt weird. It was like watching my parents.
As much as hip-hop head's may cringe looking back on their history, I kind of miss the ignorance.
New Releases / News This week's new releases (9/1/2009)
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Here's a quick rundown of some of this week's new releases:
Black Crowes Before the Frost... Until the Freeze
A.A. Bondy When the Devils Loose
Drive By Truckers The Fine Print
Juliette Lewis Terra Incognita
Pitbull Rebelution
Rev. Horton Heat Laughin' and Cryin' With
Andrew W.K. 55 Cadillac
Yonder Mountain String Band The Show
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Mixtape review: Pac Div's Don't Mention It
West Coast trio drops new mixtape after Church League Champions was one of 2009's best.
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Beloved Charlotte School of Rock Instructor Dies
