Quick Hits, Vol. 29 (Kelly Clarkson, Big Sean, Badbadnotgood & Ghostface Killah, Sons of Texas)

Kelly Clarkson - Piece by Piece.  Pretty pleasant dance tunes.  The one that stuck out to me immediately was "Dance With Me," mainly because it so blatantly cribs the Edge's guitar sound among a sped-up "Heart of Glass" rip off beat that should have Clarkson paying royalties to a bunch of people.  Probably Tom Petty will claim some as well.  Or maybe Marvin Gaye's kids.  Apart from the humor in that tune, I'd say that this is a straight-forward, old-school-new-wave-ish, power pop album.  Clarkson still has a killer voice, and some of these songs ("Nostalgic" and "Bad Reputation") are pretty dang groovy tunes you could get after on the dance floor.  Others are empowerment anthems ("Invincible") or love songs (the hit with 20 million+ listens, "Heartbeat Song"), but I think I prefer the straight dance.  Fun for a few listens, but I'm not going to keep this one around.

Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise.  I read a review the other day about Big Sean being the worst part of five Kanye songs.  I thought he was pretty good on "Clique," which was a pretty awesome song from a few years ago, but this album overall is not very interesting.  The Drake, Lil Wayne, and Kanye cameo tunes are entirely forgettable, kind of like the rest of the disc.  Maybe "I Don't F*** With You" or "Paradise" are the keepers, although that score is mainly for the beat and not any sort of lyrical prowess.  Either way, here is the improbable and explicit Friday Night Lights-esque video for IDFWY:

Why is the quarterback wearing number 88?  What quarterback looks into the stands to happen to see exposed boobs right as he is throwing a pass?  Why would that girl worry about her eyebrows before going to see the quarterback?  Why can't the Pirates tackle?  How many product placements were in this video (I recall at least four that were very obvious, not counting Kanye)?  Anyway, now you know.  Is something wrong with me, or is most rap pretty lame right now?

Badbadnotgood & Ghostface Killah - SOUR SOUL.  Nevermind.  Nothing is wrong with rap.  It's just that some dudes forgot the point.  This album is a collaboration between Canadian jazz instrumentalists Badbadnotgood and Ghostface Killah of the Wu Tang Clan.  The music/beats are straight old-school soft-core funk/soul, like rappers have cribbed from the 70's for years, except these are new.  A few instrumentals in here feel like set pieces from Superfly or a Quentin Tarantino flick.  And then Ghost brings his usual - grime and rhyme stories of dope and dealing.  "Tone's Rap" is a great tale of a pimp's life in the street - "Keep a blade at the tip of my cane for snakes that slither."  I mentioned "Ray Gun" a few weeks ago, and it is still my favorite on this, mainly because the tune is so sick.  Good stuff here.

Sons of Texas - Baptized in the Rio Grande.  Well, that was a surprise.  Thought for sure I had just added a new country album to the Q with some odes to drinking and Waylon and possibly a float down the river.  Instead, I get a pretty damn passable Pantera clone band of heavy metal.  On the first few listens, I though I was not going to keep this album around, but it has grown on me.  If you're into metal with fat, Dimebag-loving guitar solos, heavy riffage, and drums that sound like a 300 pound bad-ass revving his Harley next to your minivan at a stoplight, then go fire this sucker up right now.  Righteous!

Neat video shot in Grandma's living room.  Bet she loves your music!  "Never Bury the Hatchet" is pretty dang awesome Cookie Monster vocals with super heavy kickdrum wailing.  As much as I want to dismiss this album, I kinda dig it.