[back] |
| 4/15/04 |
Campanelli's dream chauffeur:
JC What could be better than winning a free car? How about landing a high-profile job to go with it. Rick Campanelli ended up with both when he won the 1994 MuchMusic Temp contest. While Campanelli’s 1994 Geo Tracker isn’t everyone’s idea of a dream car, it was part of a prize package that helped launch him on an exciting new journey into showbiz. ...Dream chauffeur: J.C. Chasez from NSYNC or a New York cab driver.
Las Vegas Mercury Schizo review 2 out of 5 stars If there was any justice in this world, George Clinton (a.k.a. Uncle Jam) would have replaced Uncle Sam as the national mascot, Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye would have gotten cancer from his moral superiority and N'Sync songbird JC Chasez would not be able to put together a solo album as good as Schizophrenic. But let's not be quite so hasty. Schizophrenic isn't the White Album or anything; it's just a solid dance-pop album inflected with stylistic nods to the likes of Prince, Jamiroquai and the one and only Jacko. There's also some whistling, hand clapping and organic instrumentation that harkens back to George Michael before that regrettable public men's room incident. And then there's a straight-outta-1984 synth-stravaganza called "All Day Long I Dream About Sex," which climaxes with a freaky-deaky funk jam worthy of Cameo. All in all--with the exception of a couple of cavity-inducing ballads--it's an amazingly versatile performance from a dude who once played Clarence "Wipeout" Adams on the "Mickey Mouse Club" soap opera "Emerald Cove." Of course, there's no excuse for lines like "when I'm all alone, I lie awake and masturbate" and "keep in mind I'm a love machine," but Chasez isn't apologizing for his lyrical indiscretions. At times, he reminds of the Danish duo Junior Senior, whose 2003 album D-D-Don't Stop the Beat was showered with critical accolades despite containing marshmallow verses like, "Come on in/ Take off your coat/ Eat our chips/ We've got loads." Yet their record somehow got a pass for being ironic and--gasp!--fun, while Chasez will likely get lambasted for being such an outlandish wannabe pimp. But his self-deprecation should be obvious from the spoken word exchange on "One Night Stand." When Chasez tries to push up on a lovely lady in a nightclub, she deflects his advances with the sarcastic salvo, "Pssh, yeah 'cause you're like sooo smooth." His response: "Yeah. I know." Lock up the women and children, JC Chasez will drop the synth-pop bomb at the House of Blues on April 21 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20-$30. Info: 632-7600.
Scream like schoolgirls Polish your earplugs in anticipation of the piercing yelps from fans of former N'Sync star JC Chasez ("He's better than even Justin--I swear!" enthuses one fan roaming too closely to the Mercury offices). That JC hired the Basement Jaxx to produce his debut, Schizophrenic, points to his desire to be a tad more hip than his former Mousketeer brethren. Tickets for Wednesday's danceable pop show are only $20 at the House of Blues (April 21; 632-7600).
Todd Kellstein to direct next Chasez video ...Also on Friday, JC Chasez will move forward with the video for his next single, "All Day Long I Dream About Sex," with Todd Kellstein calling the shots.. |
[back] |
