The Majak Mixtape - Tunesday!

Happy Tunesday Mixtapers! Welcome to another stunning, flawless, amazing, giving you blogging realness better than your favorite edition of the Majak Mixtape, where pop culture goes to find out what other music legends are coming to La Crosse. It's Tunesday, one of our favorite days of the week here at the Mixtape. We've got new tunes and albums from the likes of Avril Lavigne (ugh), Willow Smith (meh), Lupe Fiasco (yay) and Starfucker (no, this isn't a band consisting of Charlie Sheen goddesses). But before we get to the tunes, let's:

First up, Oprah apparently doesn't have the Midas touch with everything as she's already rebooting the OWN network barely two months after starting the thing according to a report in New York Post. The biggest hit of the network is the behind the scenes show of Oprah's final season, which isn't all that surprising. For a woman of her huge ego, we're sort of surprised at the lack of Oprah on the Oprah network. I mean, if they can show old episodes of Dr. Phil's show on the network, why can't they open up the vaults and start showing classic episodes of the Oprah show? We're sure she'd probably stay away from her former trash tv roots but still, it'd be interesting to watch the show from beginning. And she's got 25 years of shows to pull from so it's not like she couldn't cobble together theme weeks or something. Whatever. We're still mad we never got to see her show live as we've always wanted to be under the stage lights of her show. Seriously, when even Octomom looks relatively less messy, you know that stuff is on-point.

Anyway, we start off this edition of Spill the Tea by focusing on the theatrical equivalent of Charlie Sheen. That's right, it's time for an update on the hot mess musical that is "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark." The U2-penned show is still struggling to be an actual musical and not a deathtrap with showtunes and according to a report in the NY Times today that might include the exit of director Julie Taymor from the production. The producers keep wanting to bring in new blood to apparently help overhaul this show. We understand why since they've sunk some $65 million into this show, but sometimes you just have to realize that no matter how many Band-Aids you put on it, it's still a gushing head wound of a show.

In a rare fliration with relevancy that doesn't involve himself being arrested, pop singer George Michael has come out to deny reports that he has split with his partner according to a report from the Daily Mail by way of Popeater. George Michael Tweeted that the whole thing was bullshit because apparently his partner Kenny is angling for some sort of sainthood for putting up with Poor Georgie's antics for the last 15 years. I hope whenever they renew their vows to each other George Michael sings "Kissing a Fool" in Kenny's honor.

In other lawsuit news, according to the Daily Beast, there is a war over Etta James' money between her husband and her son as Etta remains bedridden with dementia and slew of other ailments. As son and husband duke it out for financial supremacy, we just wish Etta James the best given her poor health.

And Lady GaGa is threatening a lawsuit against an ice cream company. According to the Huffington Post, Lady GaGa is suing an ice cream shop in London for using her likeness to sell some ice cream. Ice cream that is made USING HUMAN BREAST MILK. I. CAN'T. We're pretty sure GaGa is more mad that they didn't come to her before she made one of her videos so she could've put it in there since she hasn't found a product she couldn't find placement for.

Now follow us after the jump to get our TUNESDAY on. And may the best album WIN!

 

Welcome to yet another stunning, flawless, amazing, giving you NEW ALBUM REALNESS edition of Tunesday. Enough with the intro, let us get down to the nitty gritty as we have a crop of albums that are making us say YES PLEASE and GURL BYE.

Coming clearly from the GURL BYE school of thought, Avril Lavigne has, for reasons completely unknown to us, decided to release another album with her new grasp at relevancy titled "Goodbye Lullaby," an album so tailor-made for a has-been joke we're not even going to take that bait. NICE TRY AVRIL. Since her last album, "The Best Damn Thing," Avril has busied herself with her fragrance line, divorcing that guy from Sum41, gallivanting around with Brody Jenner of "The Hills" D-List fame and willfully staying the same girl who was singing about sk8er bois and wondering why things were so complicated. Below is Avril's latest single and what most people have said when we told them she was coming back with a new album:

Ugh. We're owning that it is completely hypocritical to hate on Avril for acting like a snotty punk who refuses to grow up and not put streaks in her hair as we too perpetually shop at Hot Topic and for some reason find Pink's very similar antics/persona to be a lot less grating. It's probably because Pink actually can sing, something that Avril's monotone delivery never has given us the impression of in all of these years she's been out and about on the music scene. We will give her credit that "What the Hell" sounds a lot better than the "Oh Mickey" mess that was "Girlfriend" from her last album, a song so devoid of charisma that it was actually improvement when Lil Mama got on the remix. I mean, Lil Mama was always the least interesting aspect of HER OWN TUNES. Below, the MadTV parody of the "Girlfriend Remix."

And while Avril is busy being juvenile in the best way, one Willow Smith continues to be awesome in age-appropriate ways as her new video for her single "21st Century Girl" hits the YouTube.

You have to adore all the ridiculousness of it all as Willow Smith continues to present herself as Rihanna: Kidz Bop Edition. And while the video takes a page from Lady GaGa in its inability to get to the point/music fast enough for our taste, we still enjoy it for the kooky Willow Smith as she bravely tries to stop from peaking before she's even in high school.

But back to the new albums, Lupe Fiasco has a new album out called "Lasers," an album he doesn't even really care for according to various interviews he has given on the matter. Living up to his last name, Lupe is causing a bit of a public relations fiasco when it comes to the promotion of his new album as he has given a shockingly candid interview with New York Magazine. When asked what he hoped for the album sales to be, Lupe said, "To be blunt, I don't really give a fuck. I've grown very distant from the business, very numb to it." Lupe also points out that he didn't want "The Show Must Go On" to be the first single off of "Lasers."

Instead he wanted was the track "Beautiful Lasers."

Eh. "The Show Must Go On" is catchier and while "Beautiful Lasers" is described as a more personal song, we want personal and catchy. Those, contrary to some people's belief systems, are not mutually exclusive things.

Anyway, Lupe Fiasco has been on roll with his various interviews as he told the UK news outlet "Guardian" how he almost killed himself when his initial rhymes for a demo were dubbed to be, in what can only be the truly scientific word for it, wack by some record executives. You may know the song as the demo was shuffled over to one B.o.B. and became his monster hit "Nothin On You." Feel free to compare and contrast now. All we can say is that nothing Bruno Mars related is serious enough to commit suicide over. #truth You can listen to the original demo here. Below, Lupe Fiasco teams up with hook singer du jour Skylar Grey as he takes on Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh AND President Obama in the amazing track "Words I Never Said."

Next up, Alexi Murdoch drops a new EP "Towards the Sun." We love Alexi Murdoch and his music. He crafts tunes made for longing montages in indie romantic comedies. We're not even being facetious as Alexi Murdoch do the amazing soundtrack for the indie romantic comedy/road picture/30-something dramedy that was "Away We Go." Anyway, Alexi Murdoch is back and better than ever with his new collection of tunes that are exactly what you'd expect from Murdoch, a great or awful thing depending on your stance on him. We personally love his brand acoustic-y pop music.

Bonus, a favorite song from the "Away We Go" soundtrack:

Next up, R.E.M. is back with a new album titled "Collapse Into Now." We're surprised Michael Stipe has gone through a whole round of promotion for the album without coming out of the closet for the umpteenth time. Anyway, below is a trailer for the new album, featuring snippets from a few of the tracks.

We sort of adore that all the men look more like music history professors than rockers at this point and have sort of embraced their middle age with more grace than a lot of rockers would LOOKING AT YOU COURTNEY LOVE. Anyway, the album is ridiculous concise with a barely over 40 minute run time so we appreciate the lack of filler for the most part. Michael Stipe still retains one of the more interesting pop voices. AND we will always be thankful for his existence for the simple fact that he was the producer of one of our favorite teen comedies "Saved." Below, Mandy Moore and Michael Stipe get their Beach Boys on with "God Only Knows" from the "Saved" soundtrack:

Next up, Starfucker has a new album out titled Reptilians. We love Starfucker, and it's not even because they have an F-bomb in their name. They are great dancey sort of band that makes music that we can easily groove to whether we're at some hipster dive or just sitting around our basement. Below, one of our favorite tracks "Death as a Fetish."

As well as the song "Millions"

Bonus, Starfucker's totes brills cover of Madonna's "Burning Up."

Next up, Kurt Vile has a new album out brilliantly titled "Smoke Ring For My Halo." We love Kurt Vile's brand of singer/songwriter music that's not nearly as borrowing or devoid of personality as a lot of singer/songwriters have as they desperately just look for the next Starbucks gig. Vile's voice is interesting and textured; his music has a wide array of tones as he goes from earnest to sneering. Below, one of our favorite tracks "Jesus Fever."

And finally that Fox cash cow "Glee" has put out Vol. 5 of its Kidz Bop style of music for all of us to either enjoy or cringe at. Below, Gwyneth Paltrow takes on "Landslide," which will be appearing in tonight's all new episode.

Paltrow The Singer is not going to go away is she? I guess when you finally have broken that frigid bitch perception, you run with it.

Anyway, that's the new tunes for the today. Be sure to check back with us tomorrow as we recap the all new episode of "Glee." Until then, we wish you love, peace and downloads! BRING ON THE NEW THE STROKES MUSIC VIDEO AS THEY GIVE US BOWTIE REALNESS.