two icons for 2005
Gwen Stefani
No Doubt has rocked for years.
The new Gwen rocks more.
Forget about her cameo appearance as a dashing Jean Harlow in The Aviator. Or her popular designer line. Or her marriage to one of rock’s leading men. The genre’s own leading lady for the past ten years finally came out with her own naturally bananas solo release.
Freed from the shackles of her band, who let’s face it appealed to kids as much as adults, Gwen was able to tackle significant issues (the racial divide, car sex), indulge her fetishes (Asian women), and create one of the most giddily catchy albums (Love. Angel. Music. Baby) in recent memory. Thus far, the album has yielded three radio hits with more forthcoming.
On this LP Gwen has harnessed some of the best creative synergy this side of The Black Album with contributions from The Neptunes, Linda Perry and Dr. Dre. One song in particular, “Bubble Pop Electric,” a campy erotic take on the ’50s, is a top candidate for the best song ever made as an incredibly effusive musical background collides with Gwen’s own perfectly nuanced vocals.
For those who say that the Tragic Kingdom girl has sold out, the truth is that Baby itself is not truly indicative of Gwen’s musical identity. It’s more the perfect concept album/love song to Harajuku couture and the music she listened to growing up. -RW
The Shins
As Natalie Portman placed those headphones on Zach Braff, our ears were awakened to a whole new world of mellow chords and wandering melodies. At this moment, it became glaringly obvious that indie was finally ready to go public.
The Shins represent the recent trend in modern music—the emergence of a blur between indie and pop. With their songs now getting maintstream airplay and soaring record sales, the Shins should consider writing a thank you note to Zach Braff.
The Albuquerque natives have continued to come into their own. While their first album sounded embarrassingly similar to Simon and Garfunkel with its refreshingly sedating harmonies, their most recent release, Chutes Too Narrow, is filled with a more original and produced sound.
Regardless of the slight change in their lo-fi style, the album has been well received and rightfully so. The tracks are filled with acoustic guitars rather than the obnoxious synthesizers that are found on one too many current releases.
As the Shins pave the way on their unintended conquest of mainstream pop, you can expect to find other indie bands to following in their path. However, don’t assume that they will become sellouts and disregard their pre-Garden State fans. -SF
favorite albums
Nancy Sinatra—Nancy Sinatra
Teaming a musically questionable old broad with some of music’s biggest stars probably isn’t a sure bet, but Frank’s daughter proves her boots are made for walkin’ and her detractors are, well, wrong. Like legendary producer Lee Hazelwood before, desert-rock visionaries Calexico are the icon’s perfect accompaniment on the first track “Burnin’ Down The Spark.” Elsewhere, Sinatra singularly shines as she sings bitter-more-than-sweet tales about love lost in the shuffle and uncontrollable longing. Tracks helmed by Bono and Morrissey are stand-outs here. -RW
Elliott Smith—From a Basement on a Hill
Released almost a year after his brutal suicide, Elliott Smith’s From a Basement on a Hill provides an eerie vision of the melancholy that enveloped his life and work. Smith’s gentle pop was always an attempt to overcome his own sorrow, and, though he could not save himself, his heart-breakingly beautiful music provided catharsis for his fans. If songs like "A Fond Farewell" and "Memory Lane" don't send a shiver down your spine, you are probably dead. -JE
Jimmy Eat World
Futures
Jimmy Eat World’s fifth release is arguably their best yet. On Futures they have taken from the best parts of their past albums, creating a disc that is sure to please a wide range of listeners. There’s everything from the sweet swooning ballads to the straight up guitar-heavy rock songs. Combine this with expressive lyrics and a layered, emo-rock style that just keeps getting better with age and the result is one of the best albums of the past year. -AF
Ted Leo + The Pharmacists
Shake the Sheets
This album was released toward the beginning of the school year and we’ve been rockin’ to it ever since. With brilliant songwriting, the fourth full length release from Ted Leo + The Pharmacists continues where Hearts of Oak left off. The aging Leo remains focused on his political critique and with the re-election of George W., his socially conscious lyrics are as relevant as ever. Don’t miss his show June 2 at Kings Lounge in Raleigh. -SF
Cyann and Ben
Happy Like an Autumn Tree
Parisian quartet Cyann and Ben are out to show the world that pop songs don’t have to be two-to-three minute ditties. For this experimental outfit, pop songs are epic and beautiful. Cyann and Ben’s sophomore album, Happy like an Autumn Tree, is a display that there are no rules to creating beautiful music. Using heart-wrenching lyrics and haunting melodies as their hook, this group is slowly garnering the attention in America that they have already earned in France. -MD
Rogue Wave
Out of the Shadow
When we listen to Rogue Wave’s ’04 release Out of the Shadow, one question overwhelms us: how is it that everybody everywhere is not listening to this album non-stop? Each track on the album is a masterful arrangement of catchy hooks, bubbly pop and intimate folk-rock. Everything—the guitar riffs, the lead vocals, the keyboard swells—is utterly infectious. This album is an unabashedly fun, supremely well-crafted, out-of-nowhere instant classic that you must hear, right now. -AG
best new artists
Pitbull
The first Cuban American rapper to make it big has been encroaching on the national hip-hop scene since his first single “Culo” captured the airwaves’ attention last summer. Though sometimes dominated by his mentor Li’l Jon’s insufferable array of “yeahs,” Pitbull’s critically-acclaimed debut Money Is A Major Issue (M.I.A.M.I.) has some of the hottest beats in all of crunkdom, garnering him attention not only in South Florida circles but nationwide. Having already cameoed on tracks by Usher, N.O.R.E., and Daddy Yankee, this rapper is the hottest commodity on the Latin hip-hop scene since one of Pitbull’s favorite women, J. Lo. -RW
TV on the Radio
In today’s music world, anything differing from the mainstream often results in a band’s failure. For Brooklyn-based TV on the Radio, however, they’re alternative style has been a major source of their success. With the use of driving bass lines, hard-hitting bass drums and passionate vocals, the quartet brings a power to music to which few bands can compare. This last March, the band released their much anticipated debut album Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes to a plethora of critical acclaim. After a fairly short national tour, the band is currently moving back to the drawing board to cook up a sophomore release. -MD
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.