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Pop Rock Nation

Author: GG

  • Mandy Moore Does “Umbrella”

    You know how Rod Stewart’s latest albums have been those Great American Songbook titles where puts his touches on “classic” songs of yesteryear? Well, this isn’t exactly that.

    There are certain songs that are horrid, yet hit so big and are so catchy that you eventually like them even though you’ll deny it to everyone. Think Black Eyed Peas’ My Humps, Fergie’s London Bridge, Patrick Swayze’s She’s Like The Wind, or Nick Lachey’s What’s Left Of Me. Ok, maybe only I like those last two. But you get the picture. I think Rihanna’s single, Umbrella, was headed that way except that everyone figured that it was actually good and even though they thought they were supposed to hate it, even music snobs kind of dug it, so people could joyously singing it aloud without worry that they’d get hated on. Even Mandy Moore likes it.

    Mandy Moore has covered Rihanna’s hit single Umbrella. And I have proof. Thanks to Speeddeezy for sending this to me.

  • Friday Throwback – (I Know I Got) Skillz

    I have to tell you a story about a man named Eddy Zucko. Right around the time, Shaq O’neal came into the NBA this man named Eddy Zucko decided that he loved the man’s free, fun spirit. He loved it enough that when Shaq decided to drop rhymes on an album called Shaq Diesel, young Eddy bought it. When Shaq came back for more with Shaq-Fu: Da Return, Eddy bought it again. He loved both albums so much that I’d hear him reciting lines and calling himself the Ken Dogg. I think he may still hold both albums in a special place in his heart.

    (I Know I Got) Skillz is the first Shaq single, though he was first heard on the Fu-Schnickens song What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock?). He’d also do verses on Michael Jackson’s 2 Bad and Quincy Jones’ Stomp. Does anyone remember TWISM?

    • Shaq will do you like Spielberg and you’ll get jurrasic’d in the park.
    • I wonder if anyone ever calls Shaq ET still. Extra Tallums?
    • Look at that, it’s Def Jeff with the Shaq attack.
    • I wonder how much leather it took to make Shaq’s vest and pants?
    • Nah, nah, let him continue.
    • Best line ever: “Built like Chevy Impala/ Shaq’s a smooth baller/ But what about rhymes? /I can hold my own/ Knick knack Shaq attack, give a dog a bone”
    • How you like him now? He drops bombs.
    • Shaq gives a shout out to his cousin Ron, and his other cousin Ron.

    How many of you know that Shaq dropped 5 albums? And what’s more impressive than that (or at least impressive because a label kept putting out Shaq records), is that his first record went double platinum and his second went platinum. Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen a copy of Presents His Superfriends, Vol. 1 and highly doubt we’ll ever get Vol. 2.

  • Friday Throwback – Criminal

    When I was in college, I worked at Blockbuster Video. At Blockbuster, we had to play these promotional tapes that were created simply to promote Blockbuster the brand, movies and games that were out at the time, and for some odd reason, music videos. While running tapes one day (putting them back on the shelf) I noticed a skinny young woman with these mesmerizing eyes on the TV screen. I’d heard her music before, but never knew what she looked like. Fiona Apple’s Criminal was playing and I was oddly attracted to this 95 pound woman without an ounce of curve in her body. It was all because of this video.

    • Is it me, or is this the same set as her Sleep To Dream video?
    • She’s been a bad, bad girl, you know.
    • Girls who break boys just because they can aren’t nice.
    • The tank top like pajama look with the purple stockings isn’t a good one.
    • But the purple panties is.
    • That man nearly cut her neck with his toe nails.
    • I wonder if she was comfy with being in her underwear the entire video.
    • Great video until she squirts whatever that fake stuff is out of the bottle.

    With three hot albums in 10 years Fiona Apple is one of those artists that can consistently put out great music without having to stay in the public eye or feel the need to record constantly. She gives us a chance to miss her. Even though The Extraordinary Machine was her worst selling record, I’m sure she’ll be back with a vengeance. And hopefully we’ll see the purple panties again.