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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Money Mike

  • Monday Message: John Mayer’s “Say”

    I was going to write something about how much I enjoy John Mayer’s music even though the whole starlet-dating thing rubs me the wrong way. Then I was gonna write something about how happy I am that all the folks who cracked on me for liking him ate crow when “Continuum” came out. So then I decided to write something about how he always seems to express himself lyrically the exact way I would if I was, like, a talented writer. I figured I’d also add something about how even the songs of his that pander the most-“Your Body is a Wonderland”, “Daughters”-turn out to have something that makes me like them despite themselves.

    Then I decided to screw all of that and just post this video because this song has been running in constant loop in my head all morning. The saying “leave it all out on the field” can be applied to just about any facet of life, and I’ve been thinking a lot about life and motivation and desire and honesty and all sorts of other things that this song (in my head, anyway) addresses. At any rate, enjoy, and thanks John.

  • Number One Hits From Hell: “Because I Love You (The Postman Song)”

    This week, “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry knocked Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, thus becoming the 1,000th Number One single of the rock era. As the majority of music buyers (I didn’t say music *lovers* mind you, but music buyers) view music as a song-by-song medium, having a #1 single is a pretty big deal, so to have been one of those 1,000 songs means that, for better or for worse, your song has struck a chord with someone.

    However, that’s not to say that the folks that put songs at the top of the charts always exhibit good taste. Of course, some of the most iconic songs in music history have made it all the way to the apex of Billboard’s charts- a look at the amount of chart-toppers by Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, to name a few, bears that theory out. But there are a pretty good amount of legendary artists who have never hit the top of the singles charts. Bruce Springsteen has never had a #1. Neither has James Brown. Or Led Zeppelin. Or The Who. Luther Vandross? Nope. The Clash? Elvis Costello? Run-DMC? Public Enemy? The Beastie Boys? 3 top ten singles between them.

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  • J. Hud & The Twins Stand Under The “Spotlight”

    Jennifer Hudson’s trip from “American Idol”-also ran to Oscar-winning actress began with the release of “Dreamgirls” nearly two years ago. Since then, talk about a transition back to singer in the form of an album has run rampant, with a scheduled release date of late 2007 having come and gone.

    Finally, with the release of the single “Spotlight”, an album release date appears to be on the horizon, and the video officially premiered this past Tuesday. While the song (co-written by Ne-Yo, natch) doesn’t exactly have “huge pop single” written all over it, it’s a pleasant enough ditty that calls to mind early-Eighties soul/dance heavyweights like Cheryl Lynn and Evelyn “Champagne” King. It’s one of the few Ne-Yo songs that I can’t identify as his within 10 seconds, and Jennifer (and that ginormous rack) are going full force.

    What do you folks think?