1. Well, first song review ran at Pfork today after a long hiatus. I thought this was funny at the time, but it seems less funny now, kind of an anticlimactic first review (IRONY ALERT!). Coming up (I think) are reviews of Vanessa Hudgens, Aly and AJ, Platinum Weird, Veronicas ("4ever" after almost a full year), Shut Up Stella, and Megan McCauley. Oh and one of the Paris tracks but haven't decided which one, "Nothing in This World" I think. I'm interested to see what the response is to a few of these, happy to have the chance to write about some of it.
2. Haven't posted about Hoku in a while, but her Myspace page is now up and running, relatively new I think (joined May, first blog entry July, latest entry is from yesterday). From July:
I have been in the studio writing and recording songs for my new record. I am very excited! I will be posting the new songs on myspace.com/hoku as soon as they are completed.
She's offering her songs for download, and I didn't have a copy of her (quite good) track from Legally Blonde. I should do a Myspace post but my friends list is at ten pages or so and I'm not up for the slog just yet.
Art by maritboyfriend
3. I can't seem to get this M vs. M post shakin', trying to figure out where allegiances fall in the great M2M split. Haven't found much solely pro-Marion stuff yet but then haven't been looking very hard for it. I'm sure she has a few fan boards somewhere (yeah, have to register for this one and hey cool, here's a Marion news site).
Anyway, my goal is to keep this ongoing. I'll try to find great trash being talked in either direction, or at both (i.e. loving the solo efforts as an excuse to retroactively bash M2M). Here's what I have so far, M VERSUS M! (Note: comments on this blog will count toward the final tally!)
PRO MARIT
♥M2M is the BEST BAND EVER! HEAR ME?! BEST. BAND. EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The blond one, Marit Larsen, she's the best singer EVER! GO TO HER WEBSITE!
http://marit-larsen.com
The brunette, Marion Raven, is a biotch!
(Kat, from Radosh.net comment thread, 3/06)
♥Marit larsen's new album breaks the bubblegum lolita crap of her previous pop duo M2M and gets dirty with campy folk tunes and irresistible moody hooks. If you think the girls of M2M (remember their annoyingly catchy brand of pop?) are lousy pre-fabs, think again. [...] First [to go solo] was Marion Raven, the brunette who, in the latter period of M2M, shed the cutesy image in favor of a more bimbo-type look that record label execs and producers must've loved because they quickly picked up the haphazardly done and appallingly irrelevant collection of songs that felt more like listening to Avril Lavigne being drowned in the Baltic Ocean with a piano instead of an artist gone solo looking for her own voice.
(From Boy Elroy, 7/06)
PRO MARION
:(
PRO BOTH
♥ Man, i was crazy bout them once. k, call me gay, but i absolutely loved how they were both sooo talented. They both can sing, and plays guitar.. and have you guys heard their acoustic stuff? man, they're really good.. they were not once of those Spice Girls wannabe, who earned money by dancing around, or one of those stupid boy bands whom only one or 2 of their members of 5 sings.. even that, their live stuff sucks balls.. I actually had a chance to see m2m in concert before few years back thanx to Calvin.. and that night was just great. Saw them play live, they don't sound crappy, and the best part, i got to meet them, got marion's signature but didn't have the chance to get Marit's.
(From Rant About My Life, 5/06)
♥ Today, I ...
... work at value village
... got a birthday card
... am ready to move out
... am listening to Marit Larsen/Marion Raven and actually like their music. They seem to grow with me! [NOTE: unclear whether that means M2M or both solo albums]
... am making chocolate covered strawberries
(From Faioli Hope LJ, 5/06)
4. Marit-exclusive addendum! From this great Australian M2M site (which now tracks individual careers, haven't found much dirt yet tho, WHERE'S THE DIRT!), Isaac Hanson pines for his lost love. H/t: kc_kai on this thread:
Yesterday Marit Larsen had her debut as a solo-artist in Stavanger. In Oslo sat her ex-boyfriend Isaac Hanson, missing her. “We were together for a year, but I talk to her all the time”, says Isaac Hanson (24).
The romance between the former M2M-star and the oldest of the Hanson-brothers happened when M2M were supporting act on Hansons American-tour in 2000. “Zac and Marion also had a romance, but it only lasted for two months, its what we call a tour-romance. Isaac dated Marit for a year”, says Taylor Hanson with a brotherly laugh.
Moving a step forward The brothers who became popular with the song “MmmBop”, and has sold close to 15 million albums, are not in Oslo to talk about Marit or Marion. They are here to promote their newest Album “Underneath”. An album they have worked on for close to five years, and for which they started their own record company to have it released. The album has taken them a step forward, according to the brothers. “The sound of the album is more mature, and from it you can tell that we are influenced by Nick Drake, Travis and Ryan Adams, but the influence from our earlier albums can still be heard also”, Taylor says.
Not a love-relationship It is of great importance to the boys that the music is genuine, and their own. Therefore they picked “Penny and Me” as the first single off the album. “Penny and me” is not about a relationship about Penny and me, but about the love of music. The name of the song came from the worlds most famous groupie, Penny Lane. She did not love the musicians she slept with, but their music. And that is what the song represents.
It is important to Hanson that artists mean something with their music. That is why they asked M2M to join them on their 2000-tour. “Marion and Marit were just the right ones for us, they really sparkled on stage. I have
heard some of their new material, and they are both making great music”, Taylor says.
Do you know that Marit is performing her new songs for the first time today? “Yes, it is in Stavanger, isn’t it?”, Isaac says. “She mailed me about it”.
Are you going there tonight? “No, but I wish we could. She saw our show in Denmark recently. It would be nice to see her again and have dinner or something”, Isaac says.
In march the boys are heading out on a long European-tour. If they make a visit in Norway then is not yet decided, and the support act has not yet been decided upon either.
Would you consider cooperating with Marit again? “We have played a lot with Marit earlier, and we get along fine. If the timescedule permits it, I do not rule out the possibility of us working together again.”, Tyler says.
“And if you see Marit tonight, you must absolutely say hello to her from me, and wish her the best of luck”, Isaac says before closing this
interview.
Yeah, the one thing I always say to myself when I listen to Hanson is that it needs more NICK DRAKE and RYAN ADAMS. Jeeeeeez.
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