Oh, I had to agree with this, too. No Doubt’s early stuff was good, but Tragic Kingdom was bland and their new songs make me turn off the radio. Yuck.
Sorry, I should have been more careful with my wording. By “her band is probably jsut as calculated as she is,” I meant “(Avril Lavigne’s) band is probably just as calculated as (Avril Lavigne) is.” I didn’t realize the post could be taken that way. I was aware of No Doubt’s long history.
And I rather like their new songs. Something about their pop music stands out and floats above the other stuff out there. It reminds me of old Madonna.
just once I’d like to see a girl singer who is overweight, no make up, and a good singer.
That was actually the case back when re: mama Cass and Barbra Streisand. How well do you think they would’ve gone over with the agencies today?
It helped that Mama Cass was only one member of a group where everyone else was skinny, and Barabara Streisand was never shooting for the younger set.
Janis Joplin may have been a different story. She wasn’t too fat, but she certainly wasn’t above average in the looks department.
And as for the teeth, White Lightning, no, they don’t bother me. That much. Well, maybe a little.
Because other people don’t like something, that makes them snobby? Grow up.
She’s got that whole Jewel look going with the toofs. I see an orthodontist in her future. Although they’re not really terrible…Celine Dion had a dramatic snagglepuss when she was a youngster and loads of cash later…voila!
DaddyTimesTwo, fair enough. Anyway I’m going with “yes” – it’s ok to be a fan.
dont think she still counts as a ‘girl’ but natalie merchant isnt what id call skinny, and in some of her videos looks quite dumpy, actually she looks extremely hot, just chubby hot. and of course she can sing.
Avril’s teeth don’t really worry me at all. I think they kind of add to her appeal. Ella Hooper from “Killing Heidi” has the same thing going on with her canines & I think she’s beautiful.
Let me also state that Cass Elliot was quite attractive.
Yeah, they are kinda pronounced- but even if they kinda look vampiric, heck, that’s not freaky- that’s kinda hot! G
As with Jewel’s tooth, unless she & Avril actually have problems with those teeth, I hope they never get them fixed- they are rather charming.
You can count me in the “Rather fall off the Empire State building and catch my eyelid on a nail than listen to Avril Lavigne” camp.
Yeah she’s a wild child. In an interview asking her for the wildest thing she’s ever done she said, after hemming and hawing, that she got a ticket once for skating where she shouldn’t have. Oooh. Hell, I’ve egged houses and rode on the roof of a car down the street, not to mention I can play more than power chords on a guitar. Where’s my record contract?
As for her writing her own songs I’m a bit skeptical. I don’t own her CD, but would someone mind checking to see how many cowriters she has? It’s not unusual for the “Next Big Thing!!!” to have an army of people writing their stuff and they contribute a single verse then claim credit as a songwriter.
You guys are asking waaaaay too much from pop music. I heard Complicated and liked it. I heard Skater Boy (I can’t even pretend to know who to do it leet style) and didn’t like it as much because the message was, well, kinda juvenile. “You don’t like me? Well won’t you be sorry when I’m a big star!” It’s still a good catchy pop tune. Written by a 17 year old for other 17 year olds.
It’s Top 40 Pop! Hello!
What if it turns out that Avril really was some bad assed street punk? Wpuld Complicated or Skater Boy all of a sudden be better? I mean, either you like the song or you don’t. What does her bio have to do with that?
EXACTLY! They’re both cool, funky, catchy tunes (IMO). I think we’ve all at some stage been blown away by a song we actually LIKE from an artist/band that we’d once despised. Of course she’s manufactured, but who cares? We needed some new blood on the market anyway. And she is only a young girl. Go easy.
Except that the Avril Levigns and Britney Spears are pushing out acts with real talent who are trying to make an artistic contribution. People like John Prine or Warren Zevon, great artists who were both pushed off of major labels because the labels were refocusing on packaged mega-stars that made a lot more profit than a good solid act with a fan base that sells 250,000 cd’s per release.
Warren Zevon and John Prine still make music. Anyone can buy their albums. Motown made a whole lot of enduring music and the made packaging and selling their acts into an art form in itself. It’s not a crime to have better PR people.
When’s the last time you heard either of them on the radio? “Werewolves of London” made the play list, but nothing of Prine’s.
Biggirl, her bio in many ways has everything to do with it. I understand your point about not liking an artist but liking their music but you’d hope that the artist made it on account of their skill and not their bio. Heck, I have a certain amount of respect for Bobby Fischer based solely on his chess skills, not because he’s an asshole.
So many musical acts today are prepackaged and shoved down our throat that it’s hard to have too much respect for them, especially when their music is lacking. And it gets so much worse when they’re obviously contrived to be another Britney or N’Sync like Lavigne is. If I felt an artist sucked but their bio said “3.1 GPA student at Nowhere HS in Bolonia. Just wants to be famous.” I’d have worlds more respect. And conversely if an artist has a BS bio but is a great songwriter or musician then I’d be willing to cut at least some slack. But when you have someone like Lavigne with dubious musical talent and, it’s a safe bet to say, a bullshit bio hitting it big and getting praised as a superior musician you start getting a little annoyed.
Part of the frustration is what Sam Stone mentioned. There are so many of these jokers that you have to wonder what better acts are being choked out of radio play just because they don’t have the proper look or attitude (Fugazi?).
Still if you like some of her music more power to you. Heck, I picked up Vanessa Carton’s CD and she got a decent ravaging in this thread. Of course I just love the piano so I kinda fall all over any pop song that’s got a good piano hook in it.
The bio is the symptom of a problem.
I have no argument with those who enjoy Avril Lavigne’s music. I’m not a snob that demands every musician has to be able to play an instrument masterfully, write their own material and have experienced everything they sing about. There are cheesy Eurodance tunes I’m quite happy to admit buying. I dislike people who demand boy bands be barred from the charts, or shot, or left up in space…
However, when every new artist is being sold on the basis of unconvincing marketing gimmicks it annoys me. It annoys me that record companies can’t find a slightly more genuine way to sell music than to appeal to the flavour-of-the-month trend.
Lavigne may be a great musician with a fantastic career ahead of her. However, her publicists have already turned me off by demanding I see her in a certain light that is neither accurate not convincing. I will buy music I like regardless of the package, but I don’t like being made to think I’m buying the package first and the music second. Lavigne’s bio makes me think that her record company have things that way round.
No, no, no! Pop music is NOT a “worse” or “less serious” style than anything else! Just because it’s pop doesn’t mean that listeners should lower their expectations – I want musicians who can actually play instruments, I want inventive arrangements, songs that don’t sound identical to everything else out there, just pure fun pop bliss and above all genuine emotions. Hardly any pop acts that make it big today have any of those. Avril Lavigne is no exception.
But, really, why should listeners tolarate that kind of crap? There are tons of less well-known and absolutely amazing pop acts that could be well-known if they weren’t pushed off the charts by different producers trying to sound as much like each other as possible. The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Super Furry Animals, The Polyphonic Spree, Ed Harcourt, Supergrass, Kent, Ryan Adams… all absolutely fantastic pop bands. Somehow, I think you’re asking waaaaay too little from pop music.
Feel free to call me an elitist snob right now. 