3/1/11

The Majak Mixtape - Tunesday

Happy Tuesday Mixtapers! Welcome to another stunning, flawless, amazing, giving you new music realness better than your favorite edition of the Majak Mixtape, the one place Charlie Sheen hasn't granted an interview yet. It's Tunesday here at the Mixtape, one of our favorite days of the week as we bring you new albums, singles and videos from an array of artists and this week is no different as we tackle the new Lady GaGa music video, new albums from a former member of Floetry, These Dancing Days, Oasis' Liam Gallagher's new band and so much more. But before we get to the tunes, let us get to the tea!



First up, our talk show goddess Wendy Williams will be one of the contestants on this upcoming season of "Dancing With The Stars" according to TVGuide. Joining the talk show host this season will be people like boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard, former "Cheers" star turned professional weight flucuator Kirstie Alley, former child rapper Romeo, former Hugh Hefner girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson, Hines Ward from the Pittsburgh Steelers, some radio DJ charmingly named Psycho Mike, some Disney network actress Chelsea Kane, wrestler and frequent VH-1 commentator Chris Jericho, some model named Petra Nemcova, and the original "Karate Kid" Ralph Macchio. Whew, that's a lot of has-beens and never-was folks, but we might actually tune in this year to support our girl Wendy. "Dancing With the Stars" debuts March 21.

Now, we know that we swore last week that we weren't going to be covering Charlie Sheen anymore, but if that actor can relapse God knows how many times so can we, especially if he has been serving up CRAY CRAY realness in ways not seen since Mel Gibson was pulled over on the side of the road. In anticipation of his interview tonight on ABC, one of the 12 thousand interviews he has granted in the last two or three days, we've heard that his publicist has quit according to TMZ. According to reports, Charlie Sheen's publicist decided to quit after Sheen went and did a live interview with TMZ. Sheen, for his part, eloquently released the statement saying, "Pussy, you're not allowed to quit so you're fired."

It's a bad time to a publicist apparently as Heather Mills' publicist is suing the former wife of Paul McCartney, claiming that Heather Mills is a liar, a cheat and a series of other things that makes us doubt that the publicist is going to be invited to any PETA events Heather Mills hosts in the future. According to TMZ, among Heather Mills many demands was that she almost got cast on the "Celebrity Apprentice" but would only do so if Donald Trump made sure she won. Lordy, LOOK AT YOUR LIFE, LOOK AT YOUR CHOICES HEATHER MILLS. YOU'RE TRYING TO FIX THE APPRENTICE. Nobody cares about that show enough for that to even be an issue.

And that's our bit of hot tea for today. Now let us get to the tunes, shall we?


Welcome to another stunning, flawless, amazing, rocking your ear buds better than your favorite edition of Tunesday here at the Majak Mixtape. It's another delightful day as a ton of new releases are coming out this week, about to knock the socks off your iTunes. First up, Swedish all-girl band Those Dancing Days are back with a brand new album titled "Daydreams and Nightmares." Below, here is one of our favorite tracks "I'll Be Yours" from the album.

We've adored Those Dancing Days since their debut, lo-fi twee album "In Our Space Suits," which was like a modern take on the Go-Go's classic "Beauty and the Beast" debut album. The ladies of Those Dancing Days have a strong sense of pop craft when it comes to their music, and it's always enjoyable to see a group of women who are able to write and play their own tunes. Another tune we enjoy greatly from the new album is "Help Me Close My Eyes."

Next up, Marsha Ambrosius from Floetry has a solo album out titled "Late Nights and Early Mornings." Clearly, girlfriend stole the title from the manuscript of memoir. Anyway, we won't hold this egregious theft from wildly enjoying Marsha's solo effort, something we've been hotly anticipating ever since she dropped the single "I Hope She Cheats On You (With a Basketball Player)" and made "Kim Kardashian" a verb as in "I hope she Kim Kardashian-ed her way up." Making your feet tap AND adding to the dictionary, Marsha really is a renaissance woman. Below, someone shakily records Marsha singing the title track of her album:

But really, we'd be satisfied if the album just consisted of ten million remixes of "I Hope She Cheats On You (With a Basketball Player)" as that song has been giving us life for months and months now.

And one more song we enjoy off the album is "Far Away."

Next up, indie pop act Papercuts are back with a new album "Fading Parade." We love Papercuts because they can do Phil Spector production on a budget, as exhibited by their totes brills tune "Future Primitive" from their previous album "You Can Have What You Want."

We here at the Majak Mixtape enjoy music that has a lot of high drama in its production, and the Papercuts always manage to imbue their music with a glorious lushness to things. One of the tracks we particularly like off of "Fading Parade" is "White are the Waves," with its gorgeous strings that threaten to completely sweep you away into another world.

Plus, we love the cover, shown above in the YouTube link. It's like it's a lost cover for a trashy 1950s melodrama novel that you'd read under your covers with a flashlight. And that, to us, is some of the highest praise you can bestow on a person.

Next up, Liam Gallagher, formerly of Oasis, and his new band Beady Eye have a new album "Different Gear, Still Speeding" out today. Apparently you can take the boy out of Oasis, but you can't take the Beatles influences that Oasis lived on for their tenure at the top of the chart. Below, their song "The Roller."

How you doin' John Lennon's "Instant Karma"? Shameless thievery is shameless.

Which, speaking of shameless thievery, Lady GaGa's shameless re-write of Madonna's "Express Yourself" ( a song that itself was a shameless rewrite of the Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself") "Born This Way" debuted a video for the tune. Behold the glory of Lady GaGa giving birth to a new human race of people while twerking her body for SEVEN MINUTES. I.CAN'T. with this video. Check it out now:

It's like Lady GaGa and Britney Spears are in some secret competition to see who can have a more lackluster year in terms of creativity. While Britney Spears busted out some Denise Austin style jazzercise moves in the hot mess video that was "Hold It Against Me," Lady GaGa reaches new heights of pretentious generally not seen outside of indie film festivals hosted by hipsters. Crazy costumes? Check. Screwy imagery masquerading as art? Double check. An unjustified sense of genius? The music video reeks of it as Mama Monster decided to pen the new gay anthem. Diana Ross and "I'm Coming Out" need not worry because, like so much of Lady GaGa of late, the build-up for "Born This Way" was infinitely more interesting than the final product.

This is what happens when you let Laurieann "Boom Kack" Gibson have a lot of say creatively. I mean, this is the woman who thought this music video was a good idea. And this is coming from a person who has met her years ago and think she's sweet. But, as Sondheim says, nice is different than good:

Another thing of questionable taste is this music video from British singer Jodie Connor, who spends a large bulk of the video strutting around her black bra like the worst Playtex commercial you've ever been witnessed to.

Elsewhere, Matthew Morrison aka Mr. Schue from "Glee" has a single out called "Summer Rain."

Oh look, another stab at the Jason Mraz/Train "I'm Yours"/"Hey Soul Sister" money. This song exists just to be played in commercials for Cruises. Maybe Matthew Morrison could be a spokesperson a la Kathy Lee Gifford.

I mean, on one hand, strike while the iron is hot. But on the other hand, JUST SAY NO. We were prepared for Matthew Morrison to do an album and thankfully he isn't rapping but still. How you can tease the viewing/listening public with something like "Sway" and not go full-tilt Michael Buble on us.



To cleanse your palate after that high cotton foolishness, we turn our attention back to new music as the Dropkick Murphys have a new album out today titled "Going Out in Style." On this new album, Dropkick Murphys are giving us some CONCEPT ALBUM REALNESS as the album charts the life and loves of the fictional character Cornelius Larkin. In terms of concept albums, some of them can be great (Janelle Monae's "The ArchAndroid") and some can be greatly embarrassing (Styx and their album "Kilroy Was Here"), the Dropkick Murphys have been able to weave a story without sacrificing their trademark punk roots in the process. Who knows, maybe somebody will put the thing on stage a la "American Idiot." Below, Bruce freakin' Springsteen drops in on the Dropkicks Murphy and their tune "Peg O' My Heart."

Next up, indie songstress Lykke Li is back with a new album "Wounded Rhymes." We've never been a huge fan of Lykke Li, just from a lack of exposing ourselves to her music, but we have to say we're digging her latest effort. We love anybody, as you well know at this point, that puts a 1960s/1950s florish on their tunes. Lots of the tracks on the album have these touches, let the track below "Unrequited Love."

Or the surf rock found on the single "Get Some."

And that's Tunesday for this week! As always we wish you love, peace and downloads. BRING ON THE JANE RUSSELL, R.I.P.


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