What happens when you take a decade off from your band and then try to sit down and write music together again? “Settle Down,” the first single off No Doubt's forthcoming Push & Shove (their first new album since 2001's ubiquitous Rock Steady) is six minutes of the bouncy, bubblegum-ska that frontwoman-turned-"Hey, buy this shit"-magnate Gwen Stefani is known for. It’s kind of annoying, but kind of catchy. You know—the bad kind of catchy. The kind that makes you wish you had never pressed play in the first place, but now that it’s playing, you find yourself singing along.When the Pixies did their comeback tour, they purposely stayed away from writing new material. They knew that fans only wanted to hear the former band play the classics live. Plus, the Pixies hated each other too much to ever write or record again. It was a smart move on their part. However, not every famous band from the 90’s is as smart or as cool as the Pixies.Obviously, Gwen fans will be happy. It’s been a while since we’ve seen her on a stage with new material. And, there is no doubt (pun totally intended) that Bradley Nowell is giving the thumbs up from his grave, glad that the Princess of Ska-Pop is back.
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