KISS Up, Or Don’t Play

October 8, 2011 marks a huge concert for fans, musicians and the music industry as a whole.   For one night only, a tribute to the late Michael Jackson will take place in Cardiff, Wales.  This potentially historic show for the “King of Pop” will feature big name artists such as Cee-Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, and Smokey Robinson.  Tickets are already running at nearly $100, and I assume that price will only rise as the day comes closer.

KISS, the makeup ridden rockers from NYC, were also set to play at the Michael Jackson tribute concert until they were recently dropped from the roster.  Apparently, KISS member Gene Simmons made a few snide comments about Michael Jackson’s molestation charges in an interview with Classic Rock magazine.  Some of the most critical comments made by Simmons include, “Where there’s smoke there’s fire,” and “There’s no question in my mind that he molested those kids.”

Whether you agree with Gene Simmons or not, it’s amazing that the quotes from this one interview were able to spread so rapidly.  I guess with the Internet, that’s just the way of the world these days.  Sadly, now we won’t get to see KISS “Rock and Roll All Nite” to “Thriller.”

-Mike Thal

Can Christina Aguilera Sing Her Way out of Jail?

Police booked “Not Myself Tonight” singer, Christina  Aguilera, last week on charges of public intoxication.  The 30-year-old actress-singer-mother displayed public-drunkenness in West Hollywood just before 3 a.m. on March 1^st.  Aguilera was the passenger in a car driven by her boyfriend, Matt Rutler, who was also arrested for allegedly driving under the influence.  Rutler bail was set at $30,000 according to the L.A. Sherrif’s Department.

Poor Christina can’t seem to get ahead. The singer made headlines recently when she botched the national anthem at Super Bowl XLV.  She seemed to redeem herself with a chill-inducing Aretha Franklin tribute during the Grammys this year alongside Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch, Yolanda Adams, & Martina McBride.  Her latest album, Bionic, essentially flopped.  The album’s lead single, Not Myself Tonight peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Her movie Burlesque, in which she starred alongside Cher, also opened to less than stellar reviews. X-Tina couldn’t sing her way out of cuffs, though.  Aguilera was dismissed after a brief stint in custody.

Fellow singer P!nk seemed laugh last after she tweeted on Tuesday, “Out of Myself, Britney, and Christina- didn’t everyone think I was gonna be the troublemaker? LOOK MA!!! No CUFFS!!!”

-Jake Hebert

Brit rocker chick with pipes that make you want to slap a nun

http://souldiscoveries.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/jessie-j-everyones-talking-about/

Meet Jessie J. She’s a sassy yet classy Brit rocker chick with pipes that make you want to slap a nun. She breaks the traditional “bad girl” mold of what it means to be rocker-chic in pop music, choosing instead to let her music speak for itself.

Jessie J is no stranger to the industry. A successful songwriter, this is the girl responsible for Miley’s monster smash, Party in the USA, as well as a host of other songs recorded by Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. As she prepares to launch her own career, Jessie J seems poised to take on the big dogs of the pop music scene. Her debut album, Who You Are, was released in the UK on February 25 and debuted at the #2 spot (under Adele’s still-reigning 21).

She has already in her young career shown her versatility as an artist. With her girl power anthem debut Do it Like a Dude, Jessie J makes her grand entrance into the pop music scene with a vengeance. When contrasted to her Dr. Luke-produced second single, Price Tag featuring B.o.B, Jessie J offers her ever-growing fanbase a taste of something completely different. Price Tag is far more than just another everyone-should-love-everyone song; it is honest, simple, and extremely catchy. I dare you not to feel warm and fuzzy after a few spins.

–Nick Deyo

Music Monday: an homage to the old days

The epitome of a throwback, pop music style

To celebrate Music Monday, the editors at Jerk bring you a playlist featuring a list of contemporary songs inspired by some oldie genres. These artists have given us some updates on some tunes from all over the musical history timeline, grabbing inspiration from Louis XIV all the way up to the older brothers of the emo kids that dominated the 1980s. These songs invoke not simpler, but older times and maybe your greatest great-grandfather would have listened to a version, but in his day, they probably wouldn’t have a synthesizer.