Streets of Gold
Encyclopedia
Streets of Gold is the third studio album
by Colorado
electronic
duo 3OH!3
. This is their second album to be produced by Matt Squire
and released on the record label Photo Finish
. It was released on June 29, 2010 in the United States and July 19, 2010 in the United Kingdom. The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200
, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, Streets of Gold received generally mixed reviews from most music critics.
" was released on their website at 3:03 PM EST May 3. and digitally at midnight on May 4. On May 18, 2010, the song "Touchin' on My
" was released exclusively on iTunes Store
. 3OH!3 planned to release a new song every other Tuesday up to the release of the album. "Déjà Vu
" was released on June 1, and "Double Vision
" was released on June 15. On June 8, the song "I Can Do Anything" was released to members only on the 3OH!3 website.
The song "I Know How To Say" was used in a trailer for the animated Disney film Mars Needs Moms. An excerpt from the instrumental version of the song can be heard on the official Mars Needs Moms website.
with 41,000 copies sold in its first week.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
score of 48, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "generally mixed or average reviews". Allmusic writer David Jeffries noted "over-the-top performances" and stated "3oh!3 are nothing if not loud and shameless, so if you expect end-to-end excellence from their albums, you’ve got a lot to learn about cheap thrills". Entertainment Weekly
s Leah Greenblatt gave the album a C+ rating and wrote that "Streets of Golds beats still sound garage-sale-Casio
cheap, but the album yields several doofy, affable sing-alongs". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
complimented its incorporation of hip hop, rock, and electro-pop styles and described it as "an oppressive and convincing wall of sounds". Alternative Press gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that it "sweeps across a broad range of stylistic tones, maintaining levity while dabbling in comparably serious musical pursuits". The Washington Post
s Sean Fennessey called 3OH!3 "cheeky stylists with quips that frequently devolve into misogyny" and noted "little depth", but concluded "Still, this is a group that excels when no one is listening to what they're saying, only to how they sound, which is always committed and fearlessly grand".
In contrast, BBC Online's Fraser McAlpine panned the album's lyrics and called it "dumb for sure, but no fun whatsoever". Ben Weisz of MusicOMH
gave it 2 out of 5 stars and stated "the lyrics are generally unimaginative, sacrificing any shred of credibility to chase the cheap rhyme". Stacey Anderson of Spin
criticized the songs' "witticisms" and noted "brutish synths and hammy bleats". Giving it 1 out of 5 stars, Jody Rosen
of Rolling Stone
called it "grim stuff – a soundtrack for beer-pong tournaments" and panned its formula of "dopey electro rock bolstering 'raps' about drinking... and getting girls to 'touch on' their privates". NME
s Mark Beaumont gave the album a 0/10 rating and called 3OH!3 "electro-hip-pop white bread American scum", stating "If Streets Of Gold’s lyrics are unlikely to bother the Nobel committee
, musically 3OH!3 are a boyband Pendulum
: the threat of the latter tamed and glossed by the cash-hungry urge to be the former".
and 3OH!3, additional producers noted.
Guest musicians
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
duo 3OH!3
3OH!3
3OH!3 is an American electro hop duo from Boulder, Colorado, made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte. They are best known for their single "Don't Trust Me" from their album Want, which reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100...
. This is their second album to be produced by Matt Squire
Matt Squire
Matt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
and released on the record label Photo Finish
Photo Finish Records
Photo Finish Records is an independent record label located in New York, NY. The label was started in 2006 by booking agent Matt Galle. Photo Finish is known for its diverse roster including punk bands, indie rock bands, and hip hop artists....
. It was released on June 29, 2010 in the United States and July 19, 2010 in the United Kingdom. The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, Streets of Gold received generally mixed reviews from most music critics.
Background
3OH!3 released a video for the song "House Party" on April 8 as a teaser for Streets of Gold. The group hired Andrew W.K. to do a rock remix of "House Party", which was released virally on Friday April 16, 2010. 3OH!3 had met Andrew W.K. at a house party in Memphis, Tennessee. First single, "My First KissMy First Kiss
"My First Kiss" is a song recorded by American electronic duo 3OH!3. The song was written by Lukasz Gottwald, Sean Foreman, Nathaniel Motte and Benny Blanco, and was produced by Dr. Luke, and Blanco for their third studio album, Streets of Gold. Kesha also contributed to the songs writing, although...
" was released on their website at 3:03 PM EST May 3. and digitally at midnight on May 4. On May 18, 2010, the song "Touchin' on My
Touchin' on My
"Touchin' on My" is the first promotional single and the third single released from 3OH!3's third album Streets of Gold. It was released as a digital download on 18 May 2010 and was released as a single in January 2011.-Music video:...
" was released exclusively on iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. 3OH!3 planned to release a new song every other Tuesday up to the release of the album. "Déjà Vu
Déjà Vu (3OH!3 song)
"Déjà Vu" is a song by Colorado electronic music duo 3OH!3, it was released as the second digital single in the countdown to their third studio album Streets of Gold.-Charts:-External links:* on iTunes....
" was released on June 1, and "Double Vision
Double Vision (3OH!3 song)
"Double Vision" is a song by 3OH!3 from their album Streets of Gold. The song, which was released as the third promo single as part of the "Countdown to Streets of Gold", also doubles as the album's official second single. The song has been added to Radio 1's B Playlist in the United Kingdom...
" was released on June 15. On June 8, the song "I Can Do Anything" was released to members only on the 3OH!3 website.
The song "I Know How To Say" was used in a trailer for the animated Disney film Mars Needs Moms. An excerpt from the instrumental version of the song can be heard on the official Mars Needs Moms website.
Chart performance
Streets of Gold debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with 41,000 copies sold in its first week.
Critical response
The album received generally mixed reviews from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 48, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "generally mixed or average reviews". Allmusic writer David Jeffries noted "over-the-top performances" and stated "3oh!3 are nothing if not loud and shameless, so if you expect end-to-end excellence from their albums, you’ve got a lot to learn about cheap thrills". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Leah Greenblatt gave the album a C+ rating and wrote that "Streets of Golds beats still sound garage-sale-Casio
Casiotone
Casiotone refers to a series of home electronic keyboards released by Casio Computer Co. in the early 1980s.These first keyboards used a sound synthesis technique known as Vowel-Consonant synthesis to approximate the sounds of other instruments...
cheap, but the album yields several doofy, affable sing-alongs". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
complimented its incorporation of hip hop, rock, and electro-pop styles and described it as "an oppressive and convincing wall of sounds". Alternative Press gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that it "sweeps across a broad range of stylistic tones, maintaining levity while dabbling in comparably serious musical pursuits". The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
s Sean Fennessey called 3OH!3 "cheeky stylists with quips that frequently devolve into misogyny" and noted "little depth", but concluded "Still, this is a group that excels when no one is listening to what they're saying, only to how they sound, which is always committed and fearlessly grand".
In contrast, BBC Online's Fraser McAlpine panned the album's lyrics and called it "dumb for sure, but no fun whatsoever". Ben Weisz of MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
gave it 2 out of 5 stars and stated "the lyrics are generally unimaginative, sacrificing any shred of credibility to chase the cheap rhyme". Stacey Anderson of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
criticized the songs' "witticisms" and noted "brutish synths and hammy bleats". Giving it 1 out of 5 stars, Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen is an American journalist and author. He is the music critic for the online magazine Slate, and the author of White Christmas: The Story of an American Song....
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called it "grim stuff – a soundtrack for beer-pong tournaments" and panned its formula of "dopey electro rock bolstering 'raps' about drinking... and getting girls to 'touch on' their privates". NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
s Mark Beaumont gave the album a 0/10 rating and called 3OH!3 "electro-hip-pop white bread American scum", stating "If Streets Of Gold’s lyrics are unlikely to bother the Nobel committee
Nobel Committee
A Nobel Committee is the working body responsible for the most of the work involved in selecting Nobel Prize laureates. There are five Nobel Committees, one for each Nobel Prize....
, musically 3OH!3 are a boyband Pendulum
Pendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
: the threat of the latter tamed and glossed by the cash-hungry urge to be the former".
Track listing
All songs produced by Matt SquireMatt Squire
Matt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
and 3OH!3, additional producers noted.
Musicians
3OH!3- Nathaniel Motte – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, programming - Sean Foreman – vocals, composer
Guest musicians
- Kesha SebertKeshaKesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
– vocals on track 3 - Gabe SaportaGabe SaportaGabriel Eduardo "Gabe" Saporta is the lead singer and primary creative force behind the synthpop band Cobra Starship. He was previously the lead singer, bassist, and lyricist for the pop punk band Midtown....
– vocals on track 10 - Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
– vocals on track 16
Production
- Benny BlancoBenny BlancoBenjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
– composer, drums, keyboards, programming, vocals, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, producerSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, musician - Joseph CulticeJoseph CulticeJoseph Cultice began his photography career in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was inspired by his love of rock'n roll and pop icons like KISS and David Bowie. He moved to New York City in 1990....
– photography - Megan Dennis – production coordination
- Dr. LukeDr. LukeLukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
– programming, vocals, producer, musician - Chris Gehringer – material
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Larry GoetzLarry GoetzLawrence John Goetz was a professional baseball umpire. Goetz started umpiring in the Blue Grass League from 1920 to 1922. He also umpired in the Western Ohio League, Piedmont League, and the American Association. He then became a successful National League umpire from 1936 to 1957...
– assistant - Aniela Gottwald – assistant
- Lukasz Gottwald – composer
- Tatiana Gottwald – assistant
- John Hanes – mixing
- Sam Holland – engineer
- Jimmy James – production assistant
- Andrew Kimmell – artwork
- Greg KurstinGreg KurstinGregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, composer, keyboards, programming, producer, engineer, mixing - Jeremy "J Boogs" Levin – assistant
- Nicholas Motte – artwork
- Michelle Piza – packaging manager
- Irene Richter – production coordinationProduction coordinatorA Production Coordinator is a unionized position in stagecraft under the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and is governed in Los Angeles by ....
- Tim Roberts – mixing assistant
- Vanessa Silberman – production coordination
- Matt SquireMatt SquireMatt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
– guitar, composer, drums, keyboards, programming, producer, engineer, mixing, vocal editing - Steve Tippeconic – tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, assistant - Emily Wright – engineer, vocal editing
Chart positions
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
75 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
10 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
79 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
19 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums | 1 |