rogerniner

Since I am the ass that always veers off topic into karaoke, particularly my karaoke, I feel I can actually contribute to this discussion, on-topic, relevant, but wholly uninteresting.

Many people always ask me why I don't have song X or song Y, Most of the time, I haven't purchased said track (at about $4 per song, you can imagine my wallet crying a bit), or they just don't make that song for karaoke. Karaoke really is a singles driven market, because that song that everyone hears on the (radio?, MTV? Where do they hear them?) is the song everyone will sing, and sing along to. No use making the complete works of Rush if no one is clamoring for them (sadly. Karaoke Rush is awesome.)

However, due to above mentioned stagnation in the American singles market, American Karaoke companies are putting out dreck for pop and rock. One company, Panorama, used to have a monthly "Rock" CD that they would put out, but died because no actual "rock" music was regularly on the charts anymore. They phased this out with "rock" music now appearing on the "Pop" CD. Country is still going strong, however. The last Panorama rock CD was from October 2006, and looked like this:

Heroes - Shinedown
Invincible - Crossfade
King Of All Excuses - Staind
Land Of Confusion - Disturbed
Victim - Eighteen Visions
Knights Of Cydonia - Muse
Tell Me Baby - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Why Cry - The Panic Channel
Paralyzed - Rock Kills Kid

Now look at the Pop CD for April 2008*:

Better - Tom Baxter
Conquest - The White Stripes
Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne Feat. Lil' Mama
Hypnotized - Plies Feat. Akon
Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
Love Like This - Natasha Bedingfield & Sean Kingston
Say It Again - Natasha Bedingfield
Shadow Of The Day - Linkin Park
Sweetest Girl - Wyclef Jean Feat. Akon, Lil Wayne & Nia

The only rock on that list is Linkin Park and The White Stripes. This is indicitive of most American karaoke companies, which is why so many of them are starting "Oldies/Classics" series, and liscencing mildly obscure (i.e. non hit singles) karaoke songs. Another Pop series is from "Pop Hits Monthly":

No Air - Jordin Sparks / Chris Brown
What Hurts The Most - Cascada
Feedback - Janet Jackson
Our Time Now - Plain White T's
Crushcrushcrush - Paramore
Do It Well - Jennifer Lopez
All Around Me - Flyleaf
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Fire And Rain - Babyface

As said before, the Urban and Country CDGs are being produced at a very regular rate, but in my neck of the woods (San Francisco) very very few people are signing up for "Sexy Can I" by Ray J/Yung Berg, nor are they jonesing for Jordin Sparks. (This does not apply for female R&B a la Alicia Keys and Amy Winehouse)

So where to go for more interesting tunes? The UK, of course. Because of the the constant flipping of the charts, more and more songs are put out on a regular basis that reflects actual movement in sound and styles, and has some stuff you could call "indie karaoke". The recent release from UK karaoke company Sunfly looks like this:

Now You're Gone - Basshunter
Chasing Pavements - Adele
Crank That - Soulja Boy Tell Em
Ride It - Jay Sean
I Thought It Was Over - The Feeling
Work (Freemasons Mix) - Kelly Rowland (as mentioned in an earlier Idolator article)
Homecoming - Kanye West
Wow - Kylie Minogue
Ready The Floor - Hot Chip
Toothpaste Kisses - The Maccabees
Don't Stop The Music - Rihanna
Hold It Don't Drop It - Jennifer Lopez
Superstar - Lupe Fiasco Feat
A&E - Goldfrapp
If I Had Eyes - Jack Johnson

Most of these songs are obviously swaying towards the UK market, but are gold for Anglo-phile karaoke hounds like me, and for those looking for something a little more... well "niche", I suppose, also with the recent Sunfly "Most Wanted" (requested songs) series being this:

Princes Of The Universe - Queen (yes!)
Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
The Seeker - The Who
Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown
Loco - Fun Lovin' Criminals
Tug Of War - Paul McCartney
Rosalie - Thin Lizzy
Chequered Love - Kim Wilde
It's Alright, Baby's Coming Back - Eurythmics
And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles
The Sensual World - Kate Bush
Hero Takes A Fall - The Bangles
No One - Alicia Keys
Animal - Def Leppard
Ma Ma Ma Belle - Electric Light Orchestra

Much wider selection, with old and new tunes appearing on the list. Here is another one from Mr. Entertainer:

Amy MacDonald - This Is The Life
Amy MacDonald - Mr Rock & Roll
Basshunter - Now You're Gone
David Jordan - Sun Goes Down
Kelly Rowland - Work
Wet Wet Wet - Weightless
Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor
Mark Brown feat. Sarah Cracknell - The Journey Continues
The Feeling - I Thought It Was Over
Mark Ronson feat. Phantom Planet - Just
Leona Lewis - Better In Time
KT Tunstall - If Only
Sugababes - Denial
Biffy Clyro - Who's Got A Match
Duffy - Mercy
High School Musical 2 - Fabulous
Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
H Two O feat. Platnum - What's It Gonna Be
Girls Aloud - Can't Speak French

I admit I don't even know what half of these songs are, but if I can get one person excited about singing Suababes, I'll buy this over a CDG with Paramore and Flyleaf any day.

Another company, SBI, goes out of there way to produce a hodge-podge of current UK/US singles, as well as a ton of "obscure" karaoke tracks. They have produced, from the UK indie chart above:

Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Adele - Chasing Pavements
Gary Numan - Are 'friends' Electric?
Katie Melua - If The Lights Go Out

Single friendly tracks, yes, but for you who are thinking there is no way they would make Band Of Horses karaoke, keep in mind that thay have three Arcade Fire songs available, The Futureheads, Maximo Park, The Go! Team, Simian, and Justice, all of which I would have never thought to have seen as karaoke songs. (Be forwarned, Matos. "The Funeral" could very well be the next song you hear sung poorly from a person that is not the lead singer of Band Of Horses)

These don't distract from the usual "Black List" of karaoke songs. Everyone and their mother has had to suffer through the Woo! girl rendition of "Don't Stop Believing" and 5 drunken frat boys doing their own freestyle rap over "Baby Got Back", songs which you can buy in bulk, but thanks to UK charts, I can refine the list to keep things from going stale.

*The Panorama series actually sways a little towards the UK side of things, with tracks by Lily Allen and Goldfrapp. But they stay very American singles based most of the time)

rogerniner

By 1978, labels like Cherry Red, Rough Trade, and Mute had started up, and a support structure soon followed, including independent pressing, distribution and promotion. These labels got bigger and bigger, and by 1980 were having top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart. Chart success was limited, however, since the official top 40 was based on sales at large chains and ignored significant sales at the scores of independent record shops that existed. Iain McNay of Cherry Red suggested to the weekly trade paper Record Business the idea of an independent record chart to address the problem, and the first independent chart appeared in 1980, published in Record Week, and later licenced to Sounds. In 1981, compilation of the chart switched to research company MRIB. The chart served to give exposure to the independent labels and the artists on those labels. In 1985, Music Week started compiling its own indie chart, but failed to meet the authority of the original chart. Other weekly music papers also published their own charts, often compiled from single record shops. By 1990, the significance of the chart had been diluted by major record companies forming their own "indie" labels, with independent distribution, in order to break new acts via exposure from the indie chart.

Michaelangelo Matos

Out of curiosity, how does this chart stipulate "indie" -- eg, in terms of non-participation from the majors, or from a subjective and stylistic standpoint? (As in the case of "alternative" charts.) And is the chart based on sales, airplay, or a combination? I'm kind of shocked to see "Night" on there; I wouldn't think dubstep singles were actually selling terribly much. Brilliant tune, in any case.

philip sherburne

Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed when I realized it wasn't about Project X.

Handsome Pete

The vocal bits from Archangel come from the following SUPER CHEESY Ray J song:

+ Watch video

PS: While I agree that the Four Test remix is a highlight, and can acknowledge that the Surgeon one might no tbe to everyone's taste, I strongly disagree with regards to the MDSLKTR remix of Skip Divided.

sparkletone

Gumboots