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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Money Mike

  • The Top 100 Songs of the ’00s, #95: “S.O.S.”

    rihanna

    It’s amazing what producers and songwriters can do to a blank slate. Rihanna’s debut single, “Pon de Replay”, might get my vote as one of the most annoying songs of this past decade. I remember sneering at the TV every time the video came on VH-1’s top 20. However, just one year later, the Barbadian beauty was well on her way to becoming arguably the best singles artist of the decade (she’s the #2 artist on this list, with three songs on the survey). The song thatsent her on her way was this propulsive, sexy jam. Goosed along by a very prominent sample of ’80s classic “Tainted Love” (by Soft Cell), Rihanna channeled her thin voice into an attitudinal, erotic moan that was good enough to make us forget that we were (at the time) listening to a teenager. The song’s flirty, fun vibe took it to the top of the charts, becoming the first of Rihanna’s five chart-toppers this decade, and established her as one of the preeminent female pop singers of her generation.

    So suck it, “Pon de Replay”. “S.O.S.” marked the beginning of pop superstar Rihanna as we now know her, and for that, we as pop music listenerds (that was a typo, but I left it in, it kinda fits) should be quite appreciative.

  • New Release of the Week 6/2/09: Dave Matthews Band

    dmb

    “Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King” is a bit of an unwieldy title, eh? It’s the DMB’s first album of new material in four years and also their first album since the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore last summer. As one would expect from Dave and co., the album is rumored to be as celebratory as it is melancholy. A lot of folks were a little put off by the extra-glossy production of ’05’s “Stand Up”, and the addition of producer Rob Cavallo (Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day) should muddy the sound back up (of course, this is all relative). All of this to say, I’m super stoked, probably more than I’ve been about any release so far this year. So while I’ll be standing in line for this album, there are several others that you may be looking for in addition to or instead of “Big Whiskey”. Here are a couple of highlights.

    311 Uplifter: These guys came in on the big Sublime ska/punk wave of the mid-Nineties, and nine albums later, they’re still going strong. “Uplifter” is their first album in four years (I guess that’s a theme this week). They’ve already got a hit at modern rock radio with “Hey You”. While the title is indicative of the band’s peace and love vibe, the album was produced by Bob Rock, most famous for producing Metallica, so “Uplifter” should have a pretty interesting sound.

    Taking Back Sunday New Again: Are these guys the biggest emo band in the country? Assuming that Fall Out Boy is now a traditional rock band more than they are an emo outfit, I guess they are. This is the Long Island band’s fourth album overall, and their first since 2006 (OK, so four years is not a running theme). Quotes from various band members have pegged this album as being somewhat experimental, it’ll be interesting to see if their fans stay aboard.

    Elvis Costello Secret, Profane & Sugarcane: On his umpteenth label, Mr. MacManus returns barely a year after his last album, “Momofuku” (where does he come up with these album titles?). The album was produced by Grammy-winner T-Bone Burnett and has a bit of a rootsier sound than we’re used to from Costello, dipping a toe in genres ranging from country to blues.

    Chickenfoot Chickenfoot: I’ll admit, I included this album just because I love the band name. Who is Chickenfoot, you are probably asking? Well, it’s a supergroup, featuring guitar god Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, bassist Michael Anthony of Van Halen, and the inimitable Sammy Hagar on vocals. These guys formed after playing together at a Hagar concert, and reunites former Van Halen members Hagar and Anthony for the first time in the better part of a decade. No word on whether one of the album’s tracks is called “Suck It, Eddie”.

    Get your full list of this week’s new releases right here.

  • Making an Ass Out of Eminem

    I generally have no use for the MTV Movie Awards, but this shit is pretty funny (if more than a little tasteless). Sasha Baron Cohen’s Bruno character makes a crash-landing on a perturbed Eminem during last night’s live telecast. Hard to tell whether this was staged or not (if it wasn’t, I think Eminem would have leveled the guy), but it’s funny to watch anyway.