The post about Lana Del Rey: Pretty Girls Make Graves

You all knew it would come to this, didn't you? The inevitable post about Lana Del Rey.

Lana Del Rey maybe the most brilliant enigma of 2012 so far and I will tell you why:

First off, if you catched her performance on Saturday Night Live (hosted by Daniel Radcliffe) you may have thought it was bearable or you may have thought it was terrible. Juliette Lewis did.

The rest of twitter did and so did every music blog ready to sink it's teeth into Lizzy Grant (AKA Lana Del Rey.

Lana Del Rey is a creation, yeah, I said it. She's a music mogul's wet dream, an embodiment of assisted self-creation in an overzealous hype machine. Google Lana Del Rey controversy and you will be met with so much material of why she is to be hated from her bad lip injections (her lips are immobile y'all) to the maybe true maybe not fact that her dad is like the inventor of toaster streudel (that last one was a stretch but no he's more like a domain investor or some crap). Lana's biggest crime with the indie community is that she's way pretty, aware that she's way pretty and a little too self-aware of herself. She calls herself a "gangster nancy sinatra," and "lolita lost in the hood." I don't know about THAT.

With all her hype and hate, let's get to the real deal: the music. Lana's music is not especially remarkable. She's got a husky voice like Fiona Apple but unlike Fiona Apple, Lana's a one note, two if she's feeling like a 'bad girl.' Her music is more like sweeping soundscapes with nods to everything retro and American from Elvis to hip hop. She's a hipster projection and that's what unfortunate.I can't imagine her following up after the release of her "Born to Die," album just because it's so much hype and that it seems nearly impossible. Implosion straight ahead.


Her music is not bad, but it's not great and it's definitely not going to be substantial for all the hype. "Born to Die," and "Blue Jeans," "National Anthem" are particularly good for their wearied sound but the rest of her singles seem to float in inoffensively. No blood, sweat and tears here. Her lyrics are decent but nothing pushing for incisive, at most she embodies the one liner cliches that come from...you guessed it...old classic movies that somehow ended up in a song.

Her pouty face and Americana fetish are interesting, she looks as if she walked out of a Mad Men episode. She looks like she belongs in a dusty Ford commercial. Honestly it's the best personification of a dying vision of the American Dream. Lana Del Rey, hmmm, she's good, terrible and likely to produce more analysis than warranted (like I just did here). I want to appreciate Lana Del Rey because a "pretty" (critiques of how good her music is focus primarily on how attractive she is---irk) girl singing about Death is really my kind of party, but, it's not a party because I think, poor Lana is just too sedated with dreams of fame to really get loose.

In case you missed it....

Soooooo apparently, Mariah Carey is either a. releasing a new album b. fed up with HSN shennantics c.really into commercials d. all of the above

The* Diva, appeared in 2-3 commercials that have just begun rotation on television. One is for Jenny Craig. The advert shows Carey busting through a glitter and sequin, sparkly lycra cocoon to emerge as a svelte, bombshell, whip-your-hair-back-and-forth epic diva of new and better proportions. Of course, Carey just gave birth to twins not too long ago and her body has always been up for public debate. Aside from that, I found the commercial to be well, rather, ridiculous. It's too long and with all the hair tossing, I really did think I was watching a music video. Mariah Carey is too epic for Jenny Craig.

But she does look amazing and that's all that matters.

Happy New Year's!

Happy New Years, we hope you had a year full of shennantics and anticipate that 2012 will be full of them...I mean, c'mon 2012 is the year the world will end. And it will end with the 3D re-release of "Titanic."

Honestly, a boat sinking in 3-D, Hollywood you kill me. Not to mention Leonardo DiCaprio's frozen dead body in 3-D, this just seems to macabre and absurd to actually work but we will see.

In more movie news, fans of Rose McGowan should be totally excited this year. According to IMDB, McGowan will be in a couple films this year. Now, which films you ask?

The film version of Sylvia Plath's only novel, "The Bell Jar" and what seems to be Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." I, for one, am very stoked. I read "The Bell Jar" in high school and it was a solid book, it's more or less a classic. It seems like McGowan is backing away from the high campy films (Grindhouse, Conan the Barbarian, The Black Dahlia) and going back to doing some interesting pieces. Maybe we will see some more of McGowan's acting ability. I maintain that she is a very good actress and with the news of these two films I hope I will not be disappointed. Go Rose!

Smitty's Best Albums of 2011

Merry Early Christmas!!! So I present my half of the top albums for me of this year...and where do we start? 2011 was one crazy year with pop princesses reigning supreme...rock bands hiding in caves...crazy year, anyways, here we go:


It's Britney Bitch!

Brit Brit returned this year with an incredible album, the dance floor ready "Femme Fatale" and while everyone knows that she may be "crazier than a ..." Brit Brit's music is always on the cutting edge of pop, she just knows how to do it right. The singles from "Femme Fatale," were indeed everywhere from the euphoria of "Til the world ends.." to the bouncier than bubblegum on a summer day of "I wanna go," you could not escape a Brit Brit song and the question is why would you want to?



It was definitely a year of women in pop, across the ocean to the island of Japan (doesn't that sound like really exotic?) Namie Amuro, raked up another hit and cemented her further stake as basically the Queen of J Hip Pop with her compilation album of colloborations "Checkmate," the virtually flawless all around graceful diva's "Checkmate" spanned over several years of Namie's biggest colloborative efforts with new singles "Unusual," "Make It Happen," "Superwoman," as well as remixes of already perfect songs "Want Me, Want Me." While "Checkmate" is not a thorough new album, the new singles already showcased that Amuro has no sights on slowing down. She toured in 2011 and is preparing for an album next year.



Dubstep was the key dance trend of 2011 other than Will.I.Am's domination and re-iteration of 90s eurostyle dance beats, dubstep became literally uncontrollable. Skrillex amongst others are ushering in the return of wub wub wub music. And while I can't say I particularly love dubstep, I did love one album that spawned from such a November monster and that was English pop singer Katy B. Katy B's "On a Mission," is a good example of what dubstep can be if it sticks to flourishes, accents and other-genre hooks and bells. "On a mission," was a flawless record as the smooth voiced Katy B sang over pulsating dubstep breakdowns without sounding like a bloodless robot. Dubstep done right.



Also across the pond another songtress snapped up my pop heart this year, the clever Natalia Kills. It's hard to say what will happen with Kills brand of dark murder pop (if she wants real street cred it's time to make a visit to Mr.Nick Cave) and while she aimed for perfection on her "perfectionist" album she fell short. The album suffered from too many cooks in the proverbial kitchen, however despite such a shortcoming the album was still a very good ride of pop hooks and catchy songwriting. More importantly with the re-release of "Perfectionist," and the insanely awesome "Lights Out," if Kills can get a chokehold on exactly what kind of music she wants to make it'll be for a really good time.



and there you have it :)



In keeping with a dark theme, it was really a year of the best times and a year of volatile ones. My favorite dandy with neurosis Chris Corner of IAMX released the heavily anticipated "Volatile Times," a follow up to baroque and Berlin-esque dance music with Corner's signature light as a feather, vulnerable as ever could be voice and highly introspective lyrics.

Wait...Which One Is It? Best Albums of 2011

The more I look at the best album's of the year lists the more I'm starting to realize that I was just not paying attention. While there was some overlap the majority of the albums listed, I either didn't realize existed or didn't bother to check out (Korn had an album out? Really? I so didn't need to know that Revolver)... so we're gonna try something different.

I'm currently combing over the lists picking out the overlap albums to check out...I'll pick 5 of the best ones and do a review here. If you wanna see what all the important cool kids think:

You can check out Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2011 here.

If that's too indie hipster for you why not check out Spin's 50 Best Albums of 2011 here.

Or perhaps you'd prefer The Rolling Stones Readers' Poll on The Best Albums of 2011? Click here then.


But before I post that later in the week lets get into the albums I did listen to:

Taking Back Sunday-s/t
Released June 28 the bands fifth studio album marks the return of the original lineup. John Nolan and Shaun Cooper left after the success of TBS's first record Tell All Your Friends. Since reuniting the band has toured America twice, worked on and released said album. Surprisingly, the album is more hard rock than punk rock. Mature and yet extremely reminiscent of the bands humble beginnings, songs like "Best Places To Be A Mom" sounds like the next logical step bridging the gap from old to new. Although I loved the between albums listening to Nolan and lead singer Adam Lazzara's vocals together can make you heartsick and realize just how much we all missed the OG lineup.

Best tracks: "Faith (When I Let You Down)" and "You Got Me"

Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
Even though Weathervanes was released in 2010 Freelance Whales had a pretty big year. The song "Kilojoules" was practically on every indie kids mixtape and the band even got to play Coachella this year. The album itself is a combination of melancholy folk, wistful melodies, and cutesy synths. It's difficult to decide whether to feel somber or upbeat but the overall quality of the record isn't diminished by the fact.

Best tracks: "Hannah" and the dark and charming "Generator ^ Second Floor"

Cobra Starship- Night Shades
My boy Gabe can do no wrong. Teaming up with Sabi the single "You Make Me Feel..." has been all over the internet and radio. I even heard the song at my gym the other day. French rock band Plastiscines even feature on the track "Fool Like Me." Night Shades is a fun dancey record plain and simple. While exceedingly light-hearted, Night Shades almost has a multiple personality on the subject of love and relationships. At times positive and endearing like in "You Belong to Me" and the New Order-ish "Anything for Love," the band does a complete 180 singing about perfect yet wholly dysfunctional couples in "Disaster Boy" and the aforementioned "Fool Like Me." It's hard to know exactly where Cobra Starship stands on the subject but it's all in good fun... with a great back beat at that.

Best tracks: "Don't Blame the World It's The DJ's Fault" and "Anything for Love"


And finally, my album of the year is...

Patrick Stump- Soul Punk
I showed up late to the party on this particular album, but I can hardly remember anything from before this record. Soul Punk is the only album this year that felt exciting to listen to. While mainly narrative, songs like "Explode" mirror the artists sentiments about recording and performing solo. When Stump sings "if this is it I'm gonna go out with a bang" you can feel the risk he is taking. Subtle and strangely profound Soul Punk is fun and entirely engrossing.

Best tracks: "Allie," "Run Dry (X Heart X Fingers)," and "Spotlight (New Regrets)"


Upcoming records in 2012-

I don't know about anyone else but the only albums I'm concerned with hearing before the end of the world next year would be Say Anything and Scarling.'s upcoming releases. Both bands are in the studio now and I'm extremely happy. Now the waiting game.

Pop round-up

so we are finally back from hiatus, I hope you missed us :) :D

To get everyone to speed here is a little pop round up to get you acquainted with some news:

Britney Spears is now engaged! The femme fatale, coming off her amazing tour ending in south America twittered that boyfriend Jason Trawick gave her a special gift. The news spread like wild fire through the interwebs and many pop sources were speculating that "Godney" was indeed getting proposed to. Turns out, she is! My question is when is the wedding date and who's invited

One of my favorite Chanteuses's as of recently, English dark songtress Natalia Kills is re-releasing her debut album Perfectionist the re-release will include several new tracks including "Kill my boyfriend," and the INCREDIBLE "Lights Out" featuring Far East Movement. While Kills debut did garner lukewarm critical attention, "Lights Out" is a perfect dark pop masterpiece and it should have been the flagship single.

And last but not least....everyone's favorite pint sized Swedish diva, Robyn literally killed it on Saturday Night Live with two live performances "Call Your Girlfriend," and "Dancing On My Own." The performance was so incredible that it just awesome into a whole new level. You can't hate on Robyn, she's perfection.

Our bad

Wow, we've really been slacking on here. Life often gets in the way of good intentions so all we can say here at Shennantics is whoops, our bad.

It's my favorite time of the year: The best albums of the year and what to look forward to next year issues of music magazines. I'll be taking a look at each list and making my own top 11 of 2011 list so keep an eye out for that.

Until then, happy shopping guys.