Lady Gaga

Should I be paying more attention to her music, or are her contributions more cultural, political and/or social? Is her new LP noteworthy? I don't have anything against her artistry, and she moves me way more than, say, Madonna ever did during any period of her extended stay in the spotlight.

now there are some great questions, willie. i only know of her from last weeks SNL. she seemed kinda cool, in a not too affected way. i dunno, PINK could probly do a SNL better.

ps-willie, do you know 'williethepimp?

A fear came over me that the longer moniker would be raised in depositions and job applications by people with too much power who wouldn't be able to catch the reference on a good day. I went from cable to network TV.

i'm all goo goo dolls.

Saw her on one of those biographical shows on VH-1. She seems funny and intelligent one on one, it's just that I find her whole act redundant. It would be interesting to see her do a duet with Marilyn Manson. She's so insistent on pushing the envelope that she's actually tearing it and may burn out soon. Better to concentrate on creating enjoyable music rather than schlock and awwwful.

The Madonna comparisons are easy if not apt.
Unlike hopchiggs, I find her to be banal in person (c.f. this week's Letterman appearance, +) but find her act to be talented and professional (albeit in a genre in which I have little interest).

She worked hard, has presentation talent, clear arrangement skills, good voice. There's always room for an entertainer of her ilk but few can fill that niche with both aplomb and a bit of self-effacing irony.

Her new LP is noteworthy not for musical ground but for grasping a niche wherein CDs still sell and that would otherwise be filled by a talentless corporate creation. (Anybody remember Spice Girls?). Having listened to them, imo the 2nd (previous) release (Fame Monster, the one with Bad Romance) was the least generic sounding, but for the fans it's as much about buying into the glam and "taking part" as it is approaching the music on the same merits as you would a band from these pages.

She doesn't move me as much as Madonna for the same reason that young girls have the opposite reaction. (Madonna is an actress, right?). But that's okay in that it's supposed to work that way in contemp pop; and she has received much endorsement from Madonna. Or, to put it this way, sure it's ground already broken but that's not necessarily a traction greaser in this corner of the entertainment world.

Time will tell if she will have a long career but at her level of professionalism I'm sure she has many long-term advisers and has explored acting, paths of maturation etc.

"Cultural, political and/or social? "
Theatrical.

Not the biggest fan of her music, unless its huge and bombastic, like "Bad Romance", which I do love. When she's conventional, such as with ballads and her earlier singles, I'm not interested. As a celebrity, I think she's a blast -- someone who is (or was) out there and still popular, and who uses her fame to support her causes completely. Other celebrities talk about gay rights. She went to Vermont and campaigned. I haven't heard the new one, except for the "Express Yourself" soundalike, which I thought was an homage to Madonna -- a fan letter with a purpose, but I have been told I'm mistaken.