Tea For Julie

As indicated by my playlist and previous posts, I love the Portland/Seattle music scene. I'm blessed to live in an alternative Mecca. Latest pilgrimage was Friday night 11/28/08 at the Crystal Ballroom. Headliner was an Alabama band, Wild Sweet Orange, which rocked for sure, although between songs they didn't seem into it. They had a great excuse, though - they admitted on stage that they were seriously sleep deprived . . . understandable. And WSO's music was excellent.

However, the supporting act stole the show for me. Tea For Julie was new to me, but I'm officially hooked now. I judge a live act not for music alone, but for stage presence, and these guys have it. They were humble, and gave the impression that they still appreciate each and every gig they play. The music is inspiring. Check them out: http://www.myspace.com/teaforjulie.

My new theme song

I found my new theme song: "Rockin' The Suburbs" by Ben Folds. Unfortunately, embedding was disabled so I can't post it directly on this blog, but here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlGCTWL6djo

Ben Folds is fascinating me lately (I know, I'm about 11 years late on the uptake). Much like Rivers Cuomo (mentione in a previous post), Folds gives the music establishment the finger and does as he pleases. His song with Regina Spektor is constantly in my head these days (in a good way). The video is lame, but at least you can hear the song:

Into the Wild

I recently read Into the Wild, the true story of a young man who, after graduating college and donating his entire savings account to charity, embarked on a 2-year trek around the country, living off the land, hitchhiking, etc. He never bothered to let his family know where he was during his whole adventure, although he wrote every once in a while to other vagabonds he came in contact with during his travels. His ultimate destination was Alaska, where he went into the bush and lived successfully off the land for a few months before his body was discovered. Sean Penn made a movie about Chris McCandless in 2007, which I saw before reading the book.

But this is a music blog, so what does this intriguing and disturbing story have to do with music? The theme song for the movie was a song called Hard Sun by Eddie Vedder. Great song, but I appreciated the lyrics much more after reading the book, which obviously goes into much more depth and really helped me understand Chris McCandless's motivations and the tragedy of his story. Here's the first verse:

When I walk beside her
I am the better man
when i look to leave her
I always stagger back again

Once I built an ivory tower
so I could worship from above
when I climb down to be set free
she took me in again

My translation: The woman mentioned represents nature, or the wild. Whenever Chris would try to visit society, he ended up disillusioned and was drawn back to the peacefulness and purity of nature. The ivory tower is, of course, Academia. Chris went to college but left as soon as he was graduated.

The great thing about both the film and the book, is that they emphasize the tragedy of Chris's lifestyle just as much as they applaud him for "following his heart." McCandless's life was a true dichotomy.

Viva La Vida

Coldplay's latest truly great song didn't hit me as such, for some ridiculous reason, until I started paying attention to the lyrics. I know, I know, I'm a lyrics nerd. They actually make a big difference to me when I hear a song. Here are the lyrics and the official video for "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay:




I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sweep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world
(Ohhh)
[Viva La Vida Lyrics on http://www.elyricsworld.com ]
It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?


My opinion: Epic song, shabby video. But, wait! Thank goodness, there's an alternate video, which is much better (although still not up to par with the song itself), and which lends a different symbolism to the lyrics than I'd imagined.



I guess I hadn't taken Chris Martin's lyrics as satirically as they'd been intended, because this video depicts a loon who perceived himself as some sort of king, but who no one else in London seems to even notice. So was the royalty all in his imagination? And at the end of the video, he seems to be waiting for something at the seashore. Death, perhaps? Or Gwyneth Paltrow? I'd love to hear your interpretations.

Chris Lay

It just so happens that some of the best local music I've heard in quite a while comes from someone I've known since he was 10 years old! Now, 14 years later, and working solo, Chris Lay has an incredibly polished sound whose vocals and instrumentals will remind the listener of the likes of Ben Folds ("When I'm Asleep" and "She Won't Fall"), Jason Mraz ("Perfect World"), Ryan Cabrera ("Fine Place, Kira's Song") and Incubus ("This Time Around"). Beginning as a star drummer in high school (where I shared a band class with him, his father as the teacher), Chris now masters each elemental instrument himself, including strong piano (which always gets me, personally), guitar, and, of course, drums. Not to mention his accessible, sincere voice. If you don't listen to any other music today, do not miss his music: www.myspace.com/chrislaysongs.

Weezer

What's so great about Weezer? I'm glad you asked! This is a band whose music is so accessible and anthemic that it truly represents the "everyteen." I heard "Beverly Hills" on the radio today, with its Queen-like hook, and I was reminded how wonderfully sarcastic the lyrics are:

"Where I come from isn't all that great / My automobile is a piece of crap / My fashion sense is a little wack / And my friends are just as cool as me / I didn't go to boarding schools / Preppy girls never looked at me / Why should they? / I ain't nobody / Got nothin' in my pocket / Beverly Hills, that's where I want to be / Livin' in Beverly Hills" . . . "The truth is, I don't stand a chance / It's something that you're born into / And I just don't belong / No I don't, I'm just a no class, beat down fool / And I will always be that way / I might as well enjoy my life and watch the stars play."

There's nothing glamorous or pretentious about these lyrics. The irony, though, is that their boasting of a lack of coolness makes Weezer so incredbily cool we can't help but listen. Their latest album's first single, "Pork and Beans" is my latest "turn up the radio full blast" favorite. It makes me feel like a rebellious kid again. How could you, not with lyrics like these:

"I'ma do the things that I wanna do / I ain't got a thing to prove to you / I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans / Excuse my manners if I make a scene / I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like / I'm find and dandy with the me inside."

Anyone else singing that last line would be downright cheesy, but from Rivers Cuomo? More like James Dean-y. Man, his dorkiness is so adorable! And a rebellion from the norm. I'm also obsessed with the video (unfortunately, I'm not able to embed it, but here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI) which stars internet celebrities and parodies viral internet videos. One of whom is the real Chris Crocker, who completely fascinates me. If you've never heard of him, he's a regular dude who posted a sincere video diary that is one of the funniest things you'll ever see (besides Seth Green's parody of it days later on E!'s The Soup). Here's Chris Crocker's original video(beware really bad language):


And here's Seth Green's GENIUS parody:



But back to Weezer. I automatically gain respect for any rock star who appears with the Muppets:



What's funny to me, is that when I was younger, I would have used the lyrics to Pork and Beans justify bad behavior, whereas now, I look at this attitude in a whole new light. Now, I'm using it to justify my good behavior! In some ways, I (and many of my friends and family) am living my life contrary to most of the world. I'm staying home with my kids instead of chasing a career (a big sacrifice for me and my family), I believe fully in my religion and follow it the best I can, I don't drink or smoke, etc. Okay, hang on while I get off my high horse. Okay, that's better. Anyway, as I was saying, the lyrics above are now my anthem for staying on the straight and narrow - "I ain't got a thing to prove" to people who think stay at home moms are just dummies who can't make any money out in the real world. "I ain't gonna wear the [hoochie] clothes" that other people might like. Interesting that our whole lives we're rebelling against something or someone, no matter what path we choose!

Vampire Weekend

I'm supposed to be working right now, but sometimes I just get in the mood to browse new music, usually based on either a recommendation from a friend or a song that catches my ear on the radio. Heard a song the other day on 94.7 fm (the best radio station I've had the pleasure to tune in to, by far) that intrigued me. I looked up the previous playlists on 94.7's website and found that song was "Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend, a band I'd only heard one other by ("A-Punk"). Here's the video to "Oxford Comma".



Vampire Weekend, as a band in general, is intriguing to me for several reasons. First, they look like every man. These guys aren't guy-liner wearing glamrock boys. They look like the boys next door, or someone you would work with at the office, constantly dressing their version of business casual - very casual. Their charmingly average looks lend an irony to their utterly unique sound. I can't even think of anyone to compare them to! You'll just have to listen for yourself, in my Playlist to the left.

Idol Thoughts

I really had intended to report weekly on American Idol, since I have so many thoughts and opinions each week, but time did not allow this indulgence. So, to make up for a whole season, I'll do a post-mordem subjective report on the Top 4contenstants.

First off, congratulations David Cook! My husband and I both loved him the whole season (although I'll admit I couldn't wait for him to have a makeover during the Top 24 portion of the competition - and the wait turned out to be worthwhile!). Never before has Idol seen the likes of his creativity. Like Constantine and Daughtry before him, he was labeled a "rocker." Unlike his talented predecessors, he took the music to a whole new epic level. "Eleanor Rigby was awesome" - even if he did play off another band's cover. I didn't love his version of Our Lady Peace's "Innocent," but I loved the fact that he sang OLP, a band which my husband and I both love and have seen live (they were incredible).

David Archuleta was unequivocably the most vocally talented of the group. But I believe the reason he was voted off was NOT because people assumed he would win and didn't vote. Many people are saying this, and it dismisses David Cook's true appeal and Archie's downfall, which is somewhat hard to explain, but which was ultimately showcased in the show's Wednesday finale. David A. lost because, although he can sing his brains out, and he's very cute and humble, he has no charisma. Watch the Guitar Hero commercials that ran during the finale. The two ads were identical spoofs of Tom Cruise's famous scantily-clad dance sequence in "Risky Business" - one featured David A. and the other David C. David Cook acted it wonderfully, making the audience believe he was alone in a house rocking out. David A., on the other hand, looks like a geeky teenager who doesn't know how to rock out and is self conscious in a room with only a shirt and underwear and cameras everywhere. The same discrepancy between the two was painfully clear in the "Love Guru" piece the two Davids did with Mike Meyers. David C. played it up, in full character. David A. giggled awkwardly. This made David C.'s win all the more sweet, although I do wish David A. the best since he truly does deserve to sing professionally for the rest of his life if that's what he wants to do (and not just what his dad wants).

Syesha Mercado, although not my type of singer, got a raw deal from the judges. She would sing beautifully, with tons of confidence and sultriness and they would put her down. Sad! At least she made it this far, and she got to sing with freaking Seal at the finale! You go girl.

Jason Castro was my pet contestant up until he was voted off. People make fun of him for the same characteristics I love about him: his laid back attitude, his humility and resistance to taking himself too seriously, his lively yet subtle song choices, and of course, his killer looks did not hurt a bit. I even read on AmericanIdol.com that he's Christian and aspires to be a great husband and father someday - how adorable is that?!

Wish I had time to rant on the rest of the Top 10. Maybe later...

I'll be seeing all of them live in July with my mom and sisters, woohoo! Thanks, Mom!

WanderLUST first single lacks luster

Gavin Rossdale has just released a much-anticipated solo single, the first in his solo album entitled WanderLUST, to be released June 3rd. Well, at least it's much-anticipated by those of us who remember his 90s Bush glory days. I don't think many of the kids these days know him as much more than Gwen's hubby, if they even recognize his name at all. This is a sad fact, since he really has one of those great rock voices and is unbelievably gorgeous - British accent and all. So, being a 90s child and Bush fan myself, I couldn't wait to hear this new solo project. But the first single (and admittedly the only song I've heard off the new record), "Love Remains the Same", lacks everything we loved about Bush: raw, edgy, anti-pop alternative rock. None of these adjectives describes "Love Remains the Same", which could have easily been written for the Jonas Brothers or any other pop singer, with its sentimental lyrics and gentle strumming. Where's the heavy "Machinehead" hook we couldn't help but air-guitar? Where are the haunting lyrics we heard in "Mouth"? And if a rock ballad is what Gavin wanted, why didn't he borrow the edgy feel of "Glycerine"? I'm giving Rossdale the benefit of the doubt, 'cause we've got history. I'll be waiting to hear his next single with the same anticipation I had before I heard "Love Remains the Same". Your move, Gavin.

Livin' the Dream

In a year oddly filled with dreams come true and goals fulfilled, yet another one of my long-imagined aspirations came to fruition last week. In the list of bands I have seen live in the last decade, my three long time favorite bands are sadly and conspicuously absent. Until March 22nd, 2008, I had never seen Dave Matthews Band, Better Than Ezra, or Collective Soul live. Who knows how long I'll have to wait for the two former, since Dave's concerts are infamously expensive, and BTE has stayed in their native New Orleans almost exclusively since Katrina. I'm still holding out hope for the opportunity to sit in the same room to witness these musical geniuses at work, but for now, I'm more than content to relive Ed Roland's near-perfect set list over and over. The only song missing was Needs, a ballad that takes the listener on a journey from "I don't need nobody, I don't need the weight of words to find a way to crash on through" to "I just need to learn the depth or doubt of faith to fall into" to "You're all I need when the water runs deep." The song is so moving it still chokes me up 9 years after first hearing it.



As I mentioned in a previous posting, I'm working on a more in-depth look into CS's plentiful religious metaphors, which only gains them more respect from someone like me. More on that later, but back to the concert. The opening acts, Green River Ordinance, and Josh Kelley, were stellar. Josh Kelley is much better known for his famous new wife (Grey's Anatomy's Katherine Heigl) than his music, but hopefully that will change, 'cause this kid's got more soul than any white boy I've seen in a long time, if ever. A pleasure to watch, and even better live than on CD. Here's a taste, although he doesn't have half the charisma in this video that he did live with his band:



Now I regret not going to meet Josh when he was signing CDs during the FORTY minute wait we had to endure before Ed, Will, Dean and the newest members of CS took the stage. When they finally did appear, however, the guys proved the wait worthwhile. New guitarist Joel Kosche was good enough to prevent me from feeling sad that I couldn't see the entire original lineup that graced the CD covers I owned as a teenager. I probably annoyed the crap out of those around me, especially my sister Heidi, because I simply could not help myself from headbanging, almost to the point of injury, especially during Gel, the quintessential 90s headbanging anthem. The concert was everything I could have hoped for (barring that performance of Needs with a full orchestra), and I have my sweet husband to thank for willingly hanging out at home with our daughters, even though he likes CS just as much as the next person, and also my sisters who accompanied me, especially Rachel, since she was lucky enough to be pregnant and therefore get us out the back way (accompanied by a chivalrous bouncer), straight past the Josh Kelley guitar players and the CS dressing room, and out through the lot where the fabled tour buses were parked. All in all, a truly memorable evening. Not surprising, since Ed and Elton John predicted it themselves when they sang "She'll just have another perfect day."

Reflections on a Familiar Life Revisited

I changed my outift several times in preparation for attending my first punk rock show since BC (Before Children, for all you non-breeders). I was going for sophisticated, yet edgy. Not sure I had achieved this, but surrendering to the choices available in my closet, the hubby and I embarked on an adventure 5 1/2 years in the making. As soon as we found ourselves in line outside the Crystal Ballroom, a slight self-consciousness set in. I suddenly felt flamingly preppy. When we got in, would people laugh, or worse, glare? I wanted to fit into this crowd I had once belonged to. Once inside and upstairs, however, the feeling slowly dissipated as a truth I had never considered was revealed. The usual suspects were present, yes. The mohawks, the tats, and the dreads were all at home. But as I searched for justification for my own decidedly un-edgy appearance, I found a surprisingly diverse group of attendees. The hawks and dreads mingled with the soccer-mom blondes, while the pinkheads danced right along with the yuppy-looking business casual college grads. Not one person even gave me a second look. They couldn't have cared less what I wore. Regardless of appearance, we were all there for a common purpose: the music of The Runaway Boys and Flogging Molly.

Having been absent from the punk scene for a while, I had forgotten what these shows are really like. Some things I've missed, others I definitely haven't. The decible level of the sound system could have been cut in half and still could have shattered eardrums. The musty odor of booze + B.O. with an occasional hint of dope is one I could have died without smelling again. However, witnessing and sharing in the energy and ecstasy of talented and passionate musicians while they display their carefully honed craft is an experience I can't live without.

Why 1995 Rocked

1995 was a stellar year for music. While the rest of the world was experiencing such historic and tragic events as OJ Simpson's acquittal, the Unabomber terror, Michael Jordan's return to basketball, the Korean War Veterans Memorial unveiling, and the founding of eBay, the alternative music scene was fresh and thriving. Just take a looksee at a small sample of the great music that hit shelves 13 years ago, changing their landscape forever:

Foo Fighters, Foo Fighters. Okay, I admit I didn't take them seriously in the beginning. Yeah, they had Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer, and the music was killer. But what kind of a name was Foo Fighters? (I've just recently, after all these years, found out that the term dates back to WWII, when UFO-like objects were witnessed in the sky by Allied troops. The phenomenon was never explained, but the objects were given the name foo fighters.) For some reason Big Me always sounded like a spoof to me, and I was skeptical that the whole gig was nothing more than a Nirvana spinoff. But I'm not too proud to beg forgiveness for my obvious lack of judgement. Dave and his boys have stood the test of time, as evidenced by their hugely successful latest album, which has won them multiple Grammys and a new generation of fans.



Better Than Ezra, Deluxe. My favorite band (along with Dave Matthews Band), Better Than Ezra, was expected to be written off as a one-hit wonder, riding the coattails of "Good" forever. But, ha!, they played on, and to date have several studio albums, a live album, and even a greatest hits album to their name. Good isn't even close to being their best song, although one could contend that its fellow track In the Blood is. It's also one of the few tunes I remember hearing for the first time. Before the days of internet music-on-demand, when we were all at the mercy of the radio, I would blast our family record player/radio when it came on, my ears pressed up against the speakers. Much more about Kevin, Tom and Travis to come in future posts...



Collective Soul, Collective Soul. The first CD that yours truly ever purchased with my own money. And, my oh my was it worth the $15, which in 2008 would translate to about $500 in my world. The sophomore album has everything you could ever want: an inspiring ballad with gospel touches (Reunion), a headbanging classic (Gel), the defining hit (December), and a moving message tune (The World I Know). In a future blog post, I'd like to dissect the fact that CS has managed to remain mainstream notwithstanding their frequent Christian references and refusal to portray anything other than lyrical and musical class and dignity in the mostly dirty world of rock and roll.



Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill. Similar to her country counterpart Shania Twain, Alanis is Canadian born, brunette, has sold heaps of records, and has an unusual name. Unlike Shania's music, however, Alanis' debut album was unlike anyone had ever heard before. It was angry. It was gritty. Her lyrics were full of carefully placed curse words and unlikely rhythms. The bitterness was there, yes, and it was aimed at parents, exes, Catholicism. But at least there was one straight forward love song: Head Over Feet. Isn't it ironic, though, that that one's the worst on the album? It was the unrestrained soul baring that really had us head over feet for Alanis.



Matthew Sweet, 100% Fun. Mr. Sweet was already practically a music veteran when Sick of Myself introduced him to a whole new set of willing fans, myself included. His signature style is true, good old rock and roll. Comfortingly predicatable rhythms stave off surprises, but that's the beauty of it. That and Sweet's impossibly sweet voice. Smog Moon remains to this day one of my favorite rock ballads.



Dishwalla, Pet Your Friends. A largely underestimated band, as they are tragically thought by most to be a one-hit wonder. This is justified though, since they did only manage one Top 40 song (Counting Blue Cars). The problem with the one-hit wonder label is that it disregards the quality of future recordings that didn't "sell." The more music you hear, the more you realize that truly great songs don't always make a ton of money. That's just the way it is. The whole of Pet Your Friends is classic nineties alternative, with all the great music we expect of such a genre, as well as a surprisingly bold and noble lyric in the opening track, Pretty Babies: "Everything about the world is sex / It's a message of a popular culture / Telling all our children how to do it right / And all through their innocence you can ask yourself why / Why the need? / Why the need to eroticize our children? / Oh, our pretty babies / How they're ready / Oh, our pretty babies / How they're not ready." I applaud these guys (one of whom is reportedly LDS) for making such a desperately needed statement at the risk of being called, gasp!, "uncool."



Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Much like this blog post is turning out to be, the Pumpkins' two-disc, Grammy-winning CD set is incredibly long, self-indulgent, and perfect. The masterpiece secured ciritical and commercial success by reaching Number One status, and accomplishing the rare task of making loads of dough without selling out.

A grunge girl's R&B picks

Although, like Remy Nicole, I prefer rock and roll, every once in a while a hip hop or R&B song catches my ear, and as much as I'd like to disdain it with all my alternative might, I can't deny the love. As part of my catharsis, and at the risk of losing all street cred that I may have as a suburban, church-going, middle class mom, I'm going public. After all, I did do a report on The Temptations in 8th grade. That makes me a pseudo-expert at the very least. Here are some of my top R&B/hip hop picks, plucked right from, yes I admit, my personal collection. Enjoy.

You Don't Know My Name, Alicia Keys. My first Alicia Keys song. The background vocals provide a right-on Motown throwback feel, and the piano is positively heavenly.

With You, Chris Brown. The kid can sing, yes, but he can also dance like nobody's business. Indeed, Mr. Brown is bringing dancing back (with a little help from some highly rated television talent shows).

Rhymin and Stealin, Beastie Boys. An unprecedented blend of hip hop and caucasian-ness, with a twist of rock guitar in there for good measure.

Thank You , Boyz II Men. I'm a 90's child, aren't I? And I'm known for my loyalty. With its feel good beat and message, this song has seeped into my DNA, forever to stay with every other album that made the top 40 while I was in middle school.

Party's Goin' On, Busta Rhymes. Must be the opening line: "Ever since Jimmy cracked corn / Rockin' on ever since the day I was born."

Dreamlover, Mariah Carey. Ever since I was in grade school, Ms. Carey's voice has utterly enchanted me. It inspired me. How is that upper, upper register opener even freaking possible for a human? Astounding. It's been sad to watch apparent plastic surgery do the opposite of what it's supposed to do in her case, but I'll die a fan, no matter how glamorized and self-absorbed Mariah becomes with each passing decade.

Chante's Got a Man, Chante Moore. The counter attack to man-hating feministas, this slow jam features Chante's soulful voice melodically explaining to her luckless friend that she's sorry that the friend's boyfriend is cheating on her, but "there's good men around" and she's got proof: "she's got a man at home." Love the gospel choir near the end, too. Come to think of it, the next song on the album talks about making her man breakfast and says "Loving you is easy." Men could use more chicks like Chante, and less like Carrie Underwood (see "Reverse Sexism" blog below).

Rollin' With My Homies, Coolio. I just keep thinking of Brittany Murphy (pre mind blowing makeover) doing the little hand jive on Clueless. Classic.

I Wanna Know, Joe. One of my husband's and my songs. The chorus lyrics are a little trite: "I wanna know what turns you on" sounds more like infatuation than long lasting partnership. But the music is top notch.

Doo Wop (That Thing) One of the few that I can still actually rap every word to. Of course, I don't think I'm in the minority, since this song was EVERYWHERE when it came out. It's downright tragic that Lauryn Hill is no longer making award show headlines like she was in 1998. Something in this world would be missing if The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill never happened.

It's All Good, R. Kelly. I have no clue what "Trackmaster" means, and I firmly believe that Mr. Kelly should be locked up for a very long time if he has had inappropriate relations with underage girls. Regardless, this song is groovin'.

Bag Lady, Erykah Badu. So authentic, it's ridiculous. I cannot physically stand still when this song comes on. It transforms me into a soulful gospel singer. Yeah, it's that good.

Dual Meanings

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that about 99% of songs out there are dedicated to lovers. From "Baby Love" to "Bizarre Love Triangle" to "Lover Lay Down," romantic love, with its ups and downs, has inspired more poetry set to music than any other emotion. However, some songs are special in that the lyrics allow for dual interpretations. My sister, Rachel, came up with three examples of songs that, upon first listen, are presumably romantic love songs, like all the rest. But a closer analyzation reveals lyrics that could be sung to any loved one. The first is "Our Last Night" by Better Than Ezra. It's pretty obvious, after listening closely, that the song is about a father losing his child. Listen here:

http://www.last.fm/music/Better+Than+Ezra/_/Our+Last+Night

The next song is much more familiar. In fact, I'd be surprised if anyone hasn't heard the Grammy-winning song whose lyrics invite the listener to stand under the crooner's metaphorical umbrella, a beautiful message meant for anyone, especially considering the "I'll always be your friend" bit. Instead of the obvious choice, here's Marie Digby's take on the already classic tune:




From classic to classy, "No One" embodies the word more than Miss Alicia Keys. This woman is nothing short of a miracle of music. Besides sharing a birthday with yours truly, she actually has many other accomplishments, including awards galore and a staggering 25 million albums sold. And she deserves it all. The beauty of Ms. Keys' success is that she has reaped all these rewards based solely on her talent (her good looks don't hurt, though). Devoid of publicity stunts to her name, she saves the tabloid covers for her contemporaries and focuses on producing celestial music, and I hope it never ends. As if I didn't love her enough, she went and brought out my man, John Mayer, at the Grammys. The event tied with Foo Fighters' operatic performance, for my favorite Grammy moment. This song, as with the others mentioned above, gives voice to anyone feeling protective over a relationship of any kind.

When a video ruins a perfectly good song...

I don't think many would disagree when I say that most products do not live up to their advertising. $4 mascara will not make you look like Eva Longoria, and health food will NEVER taste like chocolate cake. It may sound like a vast consumer conspiracy, but it's necessary to sell products. And smart consumers know to take each sales pitch with a grain of salt. Music videos are, essentially, an advertisement produced to boost album and concert ticket sales. Of course, Michael Jackson transcended this simplified definition with his cinematic masterpieces, but even then, the music videos didn't generate money directly - they supported the other products that did. So, the video should, at the very least, live up to the song they're representing. But there are times when a video actually makes me like a song LESS than I did before viewing it. Tegan and Sara are twins who, against all odds, make mullets look hot. And on top of that seemingly impossible feat, the chicks can rock. Walking With A Ghost, their 2004 single, is so unique it demands to be heard, and the video is actually pretty cool. But then, three years later came Back in Your Head: another ultra-catchy song that is aptly titled, since it's impossible to listen to without it getting stuck in your head for hours. Still, I really liked the song, especially since it's a favorite of my 5-year-old daughter. Then I watched the video. It's really beautiful for the first five seconds, when all you can see is the girls and their music equipment on a colorful stage. Then it cuts to an audience of dudes in white suits, eerily like some kind of futuristic KKK meeting. It kind of goes down hill from there. So which is worse: high hopes for a product that may not measure up, or a high quality product that is sabotaged by its own marketing?

Reverse Sexism

Close your eyes (do it!) and imagine a music video in which an impossibly good-looking guy vandalizes his cheating soon-to-be ex-girlfriend's most prized possession. Oh, let's say it's a cute little Mini Cooper or something. The three-minute montage consists of the guy growling provocatively about how he really got her good, while displaying quick takes of his artful destruction. Kinda sounds like a controlling, abusive, psychotic, right? Yet, this is a pretty fair description of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" video. It seems that a sexy young woman who commits a crime of avenging passion is not only appealing, but empowering to women whose significant others are unfaithful, and in turn, all women. Okay, it's just for entertainment, I get it. But, really, ladies, is this what feminism has come to? When did becoming the oppressors free us from centuries of oppression? Carrie Underwood is talented, and I wish she'd resisted the tempation to openly condone a radical, vicious feminista attitude. It really doesn't do us any favors in the journey toward respect, which is infinitely more valuable than intimidation tactics.

Appropriate Titles

What's in a band name? Seriously, I don't understand where they come up with some of these names. In some cases, that's by design. In their 20 years of togetherness, Better Than Ezra has refused to disclose the origin of their name. Gotta admit, it's a great marketing strategy. Some bands' titles are peppered with rumors: Green Day allegedly referring to marijuana, and Pearl Jam possibly referencing Eddie Vedder's grandmother and her peyote-laced-jam-making Native American husband...ooookaaay. For some groups, a bizarre name is forgiveable. I'd rather Modest Mouse nixed the rodent, but the music is good enough to make up for the folly. On the other hand, some bands choose titles that are strangely appropriate. If Friday and Just Like Heaven, by The Cure, don't heal you of your pessimism and lack of faith in love (corny as it sounds), I don't know what will. Based on The Cure's model of christening, Plain White T's have indeed chosen the correct identification. Not to say their music is ear-splitting. No, it's much worse: supremely mediocre. Or plain, in their words. I know plenty of kid guitar players who could strum out a Hey There Delilah-esque little ditty in their bedrooms before their parents call them down for dinner. This explains why the aforementioned single was released a year before it went number one. People didn't catch on until they were beat slowly over the head with it for a year, inluding a major re-release. Okay, now I'm sounding Simon Cowellishly brutal, but it's nothing personal, Tom! Still, the question is, why some and not others? Looks like sometimes it's all in the marketing, kids.

At odds

"I ain't got no money / I ain't got no car to take you on a date / I can't even buy you flowers / But together we'd be the perfect soul mates"

The Timbaland lyrics describe a male fantasy present in music, poetry, literature and film: a woman's unconditional love. "Love is all you need," right? Westley (The Princess Bride) and Jack (Titanic), have nothing, but beautiful women fall hard for them regardless, on their charm (and looks) alone. But this seems in conflict with the familiar TLC refrain: "A scrub is a guy that thinks he's fly / And is also known as a buster / Always talkin' about what he wants / And just sits on his broke *** / So (no) I don't want your number..." The guys are singing about wanting true love without any strings, while the girls are crooning that they don't want anyone who doesn't have a house, car, etc. Of course, there's a solution here. Guys: get it together. Girls: no gold digging.

British Invasion 3.0

I dare anyone to find something more adorable than Peter Noone singing "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" with his band, Herman's Hermits, on the Ed Sullivan show:



Watching it gets me excited about the next generation of young, brit, floppy-haired hotties who emphasize, rather than mask and overwhelm, their thick accents and vocals. The Kooks' "She Moves in Her Own Way" is reminiscent of the 40-year-old Herman's Hermit's hit, with it's simple, yet unabashedly catchy guitar rhythm, and innocently flattering lyrics: "It's not about your make-up / Or how you try to shape up / To these tiresome paper dreams...I love her because she moves in her own way / She came to my show just to hear about my day." To top it off, the kids (reportedly still in high school when the album Inside In Inside Out was recorded) have the unkempt hair, good looks, and the youthful charm that made all the now-60-year-olds scream four decades ago. To be sure, "Naive" tackles much less innocent subject matter (despite the ironic title), with the music video portraying alchohol addiction, but all the tunes manage to maintain the same great rhythms, and unique vocal sound and enunciation. Peter Bjorn and John's Young Folks, named Apple's 2007 iTunes Song of the Year, also serves up an undeniably retro feel, much more so than other songs on their 2006 album, Writer's Block.

Arctic Monkeys have a decidedly heavier and edgier sound, while still sharing the longish hair, the boyish good looks, and the obvious accent of their musical peers. Hugely popular, with Number One status in the UK, Arctic Monkeys have yet to find their way into the American mass market, which is, to some, a shame considering their talent. Which brings us to the main difference between the two or three rounds of British Invasions: measurable mass appeal. I, myself, can't help but be drawn to the largely unknown.

Androgynous Archetypes

Modeling and music are speckled with figures whose personae simultaneously attract and repulse both genders. David Bowie, Annie Lennox, and more recently Billy Corgan and Imogen Heap appear to consider themselves above gender; both (or neither) sex seems to identify with them. Why the intrigue?

Gender, to most, is the most basic building block of identity and personality development. It is also elementary, even for toddlers, to identify another's gender. But watch Bowie's Life on Mars? video and if you weren't familiar with the forty-year rock legend, you'd have a hard time deciding if the singer is a man or a woman. My fascination with Bowie began as a child, watching the eighties fantasy flick, Labyrinth. Co-starring with a pre-Ron Howardized Jennifer Connelly, Bowie plays Jareth, the evil and seductive goblin king. A perfect part for Bowie, not only because of the singing involved (he wrote original songs for the film), but because it was a role his larger than life persona could fit comfortably into. I thought he was gorgeous - strangely in both a feminine and masculine way, but ultimately appealing to my heterosexual orientation rather than my mere observation of feminine beauty.

But outward appearances are only part of the musically androgynous aspect. Some artists portray a hermaphroditic sound while being easily recognizable in person as belonging to a certain gender. Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups (below, third from left) comes easily to mind as a manly-looking man with an edgy, alternative-sounding tenor voice. Part of the intrigue, upon first hearing Lazy Eye, is wondering whether a guy or a girl is trolling the catchy lament of young infatuation. Especially since the bass player is a girl and sings backup occassionally. And Bowie, on the other hand, sings with a fairly obviously male voice. Imogen Heap and Billy Corgan both look their gender, while singing with lower and higher than usual voices, respectively.



Many times when hearing a new artist or band for the first time, there's no visual to go with the sound. So after you've done some detective work on Google or MySpace to find out the sex of this new voice, and the initial intrigue of the unknown is gone, what draws you back to that sound?

At least part of it has got to be the mere strangeness of it. Most people we meet are easily distiguishable as male or female, and exploring the otherness is tantalizing. And what wider appeal can an artist have than to have the ability to identify to both genders? Of course, by pushing traditional boundaries and making what many would say a mockery of a basic God-given assignment, they'll also repulse many. A minority of people will identify with transgender-esque figures who mirror their own gender identity confusion, but this is surely the exception rather than the rule, and the aforementioned artists have managed to gain and hold widespread appeal.

So, maybe it's solely the abnormality that attracts us. Rock and roll, is after all the soundtrack for the off-kilter. And Bowie, in my mind, is after all the godfather of alternative rock.