Hey all…I know the silence has been deafening around here, but I promise you that I haven’t been living the life of luxury these past few weeks. In fact, it’s been a pretty busy time for me writing for about.com. While I do still plan on posting more personal items here, my main gig at the moment is providing content of a more Adult Pop nature. Here are a few of the posts I’ve recently written:
As I joked yesterday, I don’t know where I go but down after interviewing Amy and the ladies of Wilson Phillips, but it has been a blast so far. Hope you all are doing well, and that the holiday season is one for recharging and relaxing. There’s too much hustle and bustle the rest of the year to waste such a great time of the year running yourself ragged. Make sure you check out Paul’s list of new Christmas music, and also take a listen to one of my favorite solo Amy tracks, “Bus Bus.”
I occasionally get songs stuck in my head that I haven’t heard in years, and it is always interesting to me why they surface. Recently, Janet Jackson’s “Someday Is Tonight” came to mind, and while I think a conversation might have triggered a lyric from the song, the return of the Rhythm Nation 1814 album cut was quite welcome. “Someday” featured on a few mixtapes of mine back in the day, and that got me thinking about songs that appeared the most on my mixtapes. I wrote about a couple of these over at Wacky on the Junk a few months ago, but here’s a small sampling of my “go-to” tracks:
Kate Bush “This Woman’s Work” – ”I know you have a little life in you yet/I know you have a lot of strength left” The mother of all mixtape songs. If you want a song to end a mixtape with on a huge emotional swoosh, this is the song for you. There is so much emotion that can be pulled out of this song, and sometimes an amazing song like this can be utilized even if the lyrics don’t necessarily match the intended tone. As long as the song adds to the musical landscape, it’s fair game. I never had a personal tie to the lyrics, but the song remains a modern pop masterpiece, whether you are talking about the original by Kate Bush or the remake by Maxwell.
Julian Lennon “Saltwater” – “We’re so ingenious we can walk on the moon” I have a soft spot in my heart for John Lennon in part because my mom has told me I’m named for him. I remember sitting in the bathroom with my mom the day that Lennon died because we had company over, and she was beyond emotional and couldn’t stop crying. So when Julian came along with Valotte, I felt like I had a bit more of a connection to John by proxy. It wasn’t until a few years later when Help Yourself was released that I saw Julian for more than just John’s son. “Saltwater” seems a bit hokey to me now, but at the time I thought it was extremely profound.
Indigo Girls “Power of Two” – “So we’re okay, we’re fine/baby I’m here to stop your crying” This one was a toss-up for me, because “Power” and “Language and the Kiss” both saw some serious usage, but I went with this because a) there’s actually a video; and b) “Power” was used in Boys on the Side, which I loved at the time. Depending on when and how I listen to it, the song is either about a couple surviving despite the obstacles, or a couple breaking up but having no regrets of the life they’ve lived together. Either way, it’s always Emily voice that speaks to me.
The Rembrandts “Confidential Information” – “Confidential information, in a dream a true confession/She didn’t mean to give away such confidential information” No video clip for this track anywhere, but I had to mention this LP track from their debut CD. “Just the Way It Is, Baby” was a bit of fresh air at the time it became a hit, and that pulled me into the full CD. I was pretty horrified when the Rembrandts became “the guys that did the Friends theme” because I didn’t feel like that was their best work. Then again, who am I to begrudge someone making a living?
New Radicals “Someday We’ll Know” – “Someday we’ll know why I wasn’t meant for you” New Radicals were a big sensation when they came out in 1999 because they gave people something to talk about. Whether it was the rap at the end of “You Get What You Give”, the developing enigma surrounding band mastermind Gregg Alexander, the little girl from Archie Bunker’s Place who had grown up and joined a rock band, or the freshness of the music in the midst of a lot of same-sounding tracks, I’m sure none of that attention was unwelcome. Looking back, I am pretty shocked that “Get” only made it to #36 on the Hot 100, although it was much bigger in other countries. For me, the bigger issue is that the follow-up single “Someday We’ll Know” never even charted in the US. “Someday” proves to me that Alexander wasn’t a musical flash in the pan, but to the general public, New Radicals will always be a one-hit wonder.
Prince “Adore” – “Until the end of time/I’ll be there for you” If I had to estimate what song I used on more mixtapes, it would be this one. Since “Adore” is the perfect finale for Sign O the Times, I would put it at the end of any mixtape with a romantic theme. [Honorable mentions for overused romantic songs went to “Follow My Rainbow” by Sheena Easton and “Arms of Orion” by Sheena & Prince] There is such a connection between Prince and his lady that you can’t help but want to feel that same type of connection yourself. From the first drawn-out “ooooooh”, Prince is talking about sex and love and devotion all at the same time.
So what would I put on my modern-day playlist to fill the moody, weighty, deep slot? After a quick glance of my music library from the past year, my mind immediately gravitates to Lady Antebellum’s “Hello World”, which I originally described as the heart of their Need You Now CD. Contemplative? Check. Powerful? Check. Hopeful? Checkmate.
Life is a highway, life sucks, choose life, live your life. So many people speak about the quality of life, the length (and brevity) of life, and the pitfalls of life, but what do we really do about it? That’s the eternal question, and until there is a definitive handbook on life, we will all wonder, as will future generations. So why am I waxing philosophical on a music blog? Because as questions are asked in our everyday lives, those same questions are also asked in lyrical musings. As I was enjoying an enjoyable and partially productive Sunday afternoon, Sam Sparro’s “Still Hungry” came up on shuffle. For those not familiar, “Still” is a hidden track on Sam’s self-titled debut, and it reveals a more subtle R&B influence than what is funked up and electrocuted on most of the record. Rather than a full production, Sam goes with an acoustic feel and a jazzy keyboard as his only accompaniment. If you haven’t heard it before, I strongly suggest you listen.
Well I enjoyed all the food on my plate
And believe me when I say it taste great
But I’m still hungry
Besides reigniting my desire to hear new music from Sam, it also made me think about my life, and where it’s going right now. I am making a lot of decisions about my life’s direction at the moment, and some of it has to do with whether or not I am making the most of what I have in front of me. That is a pretty cryptic comment, but we all do this at some point. Life is good, things could be so much worse, and yet we want more. I want more. Not possessions or money in the bank (although the money helps, doesn’t it?), but experience and fulfillment. So here’s what I’ve got: a good job, a wonderful partner, amazing family and friends, an incredible mountain range that I wake up and fall asleep to every day, and the wonders of the world closer than any other generation has ever had them. Life is good, indeed.
So the next song that popped up was by the Indigo Girls, which then reminded me of “Galileo”. While I don’t know if I believe in reincarnation, I am unable to discount it, either. How does one explain deja vu, memories of events that never occurred, and feelings that we have been somewhere, knowing that it just isn’t the case?
How long till my soul gets it right
Can any human being ever reach that kind of light
I call on the resting soul of Galileo
King of night vision king of insight
For those of you who have never heard the Girls live, you must. End of discussion. Listen to the crowd singing along…there is an amazing connection with the crowd at every Indigo Girls show that gives me chills just thinking about it right now. But this song in particular resonates, and I wonder if it is because it is a well-crafted and hooky pop song, or because of the subject matter. Maybe it’s a combination of both. Who knows. From my perspective, anything that makes us think about our existence and where we are going is not a bad thing at all.
So what happens when we do get to the end, and does it even matter? Once again, the magic iTunes answers, in the form of “Everything Must Change”, recorded by Oleta Adams. My first taste of Oleta’s remarkable voice came on the Tears for Fears album The Seeds of Love, where she stole the show on “Woman In Chains”. Oleta had three hits from Circle of One, including the top 10 classic “Get Here”. However, the show-stealer on the album for me was “Everything Must Change”, which was originally recorded by Quincy Jones and Bernard Ighner in the ’70s.
The young become the old
And mysteries do unfold
Cause that’s the way of time
Nothing and no one goes unchanged
It seems almost cliched to do so, but I want to wrap up with a quote from the quotable and infamous Ferris Bueller. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Amen to that. And now I’ve got some living to do.
Hey folks…sorry for the delay absence. Between work, school, and life in general, I haven’t been inspired (or mentally equipped) to post the past week. I’m hoping lightning strikes this weekend, as I can’t just rely on Video Notable entries to tide me over. We got hit with a foot and a half of snow yesterday, and so things aren’t boring here by a long shot. But life is okay…just hectic. I seem to be in a perior of reprioritizing at the moment, which isn’t really a new thing, but rather a resurfacing of issues that have been lingering for the past six months.
As always, it seems that music comes along that really fits my mood at the moment, and at the moment, it’s the Indigo Girls CD that came out on Tuesday. Excellent effort that I will have more to say about in the next couple of days. Here’s a live performance of “Sugar Tongue” at Criminal Records in Atlanta this week:
Three stories have caught my attention in the past two days off of Billboard.com:
– As mentioned here in October, the Indigo Girls are definitely going the indie route, signing with Vanguard to distribute “Poseidon and the Bitter Bug” on their IG Recordings label. Arriving March 24th, the Mitchell Froom-produced CD will be a double, with one disc the fully formed versions of the songs, and the other disc all acoustic versions of the songs. No word on touring plans, but Amy is currently out touring for her “Didn’t It Feel Kinder” solo set. She’ll be here playing the Fox Theater in Boulder on February 7th.
– A recent addition to the Year End categories has been Top Digital Artist, and this year’s top artist is Flo Rida. Yeah…no kidding. He grabbed the #1 Digital Song and #2 Hot Ringmaster honors with “Low”, which has sold 4.4 million downloads. That’s some serious (legal) downloads! He also hit #1 on the year-end Hot 100, and #3 on the Best New Artists chart, only getting squeezed out by Leona Lewis and Jordin Sparks, who both had the full year to rack up points. [Side note: among the folks he’s working with on his follow-up is none other than Dr. Luke. For some reason, Dr. Luke = Poster Girl in my mind…]
– 2008’s #1 artist Chris Brown has a lot of irons in the fire for 2009, including some potential duets with Rihanna, TWO label start-ups for Interscope and Jive, writing for a whole host of pop artists, and a collaboration with Tim McGraw on a song called “Human”.
“It’s incredible”, he says. “I wanted to do something more along the country line. That’s a bigger and different audience for me.”
Tim McGraw continues to be one of my favorite country artists, primarily because he’s not afraid to step outside the box and take some chances in his career (see his cover of Ryan Adams or his duet with Nelly). Having said that, I have no idea what this collaboration might sound like, but I’m definitely keeping an open mind.
– As predicted, “Womanizer” sprints from #96 to #1, giving her the longest jump up the Hot 100 in history. It may be hard for her to repeat next week, though, given how iTunes, due to a “glitch”, dropped “Womanizer” from its site on Tuesday. The track has been re-upped, but the damage may have already been done for next week’s chart. In other Britney news, she’s going on tour next Spring, and she had a Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate yesterday.
– PMN faves the Indigo Girls have a new CD ready to go sometime in the near future in two formats: with a full band, and just the two of them acoustic. Since they were dropped from Hollywood Records last year (“a real blessing”, says Amy Ray), the duo can pursue any option they want, but plan to stay independent for the foreseeable future. They do have their own label, so they know what they’re doing. BTW, Amy’s solo tour kicks off next week in Nashville.
– Nutty rocker Justin Hawkins, formerly of the Darkness, is out with a new group called Hot Leg. They’ll have a single out next week, and a CD out in January. After having heard his contribution for Eurovision, I’m surprised they let him record anything. The world will look up, yawn, and then go back to filing their nails.
– New releases this week include Keane, Keane and Keane. Does anything else matter? Well, there’s also a lot of Christmas crap getting released, along with Ray Montagne, Kenny Chesney, Ingrid Michaelson, Nikka Costa, and (’cause they need the money) Sixpence None the Richer. Speaking of Christmas, it’s like that for hip-hop fans, with new singles from Fitty, Ludacris, and T-Pain. Other singles of note include more Taylor Swift, John Legend and Fall Out Boy, as well as a pretty cool cover of “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Seal.
Three stories have caught my attention in the past two days off of Billboard.com:
– A recent addition to the Year End categories has been Top Digital Artist, and this year’s top artist is Flo Rida. Yeah…no kidding. He grabbed the #1 Digital Song and #2 Hot Ringmaster honors with “Low”, 
– 
Stumble It!
Pop Music Notes 