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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Money Mike

  • First Listen: Kristinia DeBarge “Goodbye”

    debarge

    That last name looks familiar, doesn’t it?

    Well, it should. Newcomer Kristinia DeBarge is the daughter of James DeBarge, who was 1/5 of the act containing his three brothers and sister back in the early Eighties. For those who can’t pick the members apart, he was the one who was briefly married to Janet Jackson.

    Anyway, Kristinia’s debut single is called “Goodbye”, and it’s pretty interesting insofar as that her record label sounds like they’re trying hard to pitch her as the next Rihanna. First, there’s the look. Same skin tone, similar facial structure. Then there’s the song itself. Using the well-known “nananana…hey hey hey” refrain from the Steam song “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”, it’s bound to appeal to kids who’ve heard the original song at a sporting event or something of that nature. Musically, it bears distinct similarities to Rihanna’s “S.O.S.”, from the song’s tempo to the bed of icy synthesizers that dominates the arrangement.

    Folks, because I’m a good guy and it’s Friday, you will have three videos to feast your eyes on.

    First up, here’s a YouTube vid playing Kristinia’s song while the lyrics flash on a screen. Guess they haven’t shot an actual video clip yet…

    Here’s Rihanna’s “S.O.S.” video. Check out the similarities, huh?

    That song’s still a banger. Finally, here’s Kristinia’s dad in action as a member of DeBarge. Look for them in an upcoming installment of Respect Due.

    James is fourth from the left, right before lead singer El.

  • First Listen: Rob Thomas “Her Diamonds”

    robthomas

    I, like everyone else, got sick of Matchbox 20 real fast. Hearing “Push” and “3 AM” at all hours of the day and night wore me to pieces. It got even worse when Rob paired up with Carlos Santana for “Smooth”, which won a bajillion Grammy Awards and was #1 for, like, a year. Then something happened.

    Rob improved by leaps and bounds as a singer and a songwriter. Matchbox’s second and third albums were superior examples of pop songcraft, and Thomas started to sound…almost soulful. Then, inevitably, Thomas went solo. His debut album “…Something to Be”, had a few nice ballads, but his songwriting wasn’t always on the “A” game (it’s still worth getting if you can find it cheap). He returned to his band for a greatest hits album, and now he’s back for solo Round 2.

    The new album’s called “Cradlesong”, it comes out June 30th, and if you hear Rob tell it, will have some sort of experimental flair to it. He mentioned Paul Simon’s “Rhythm of the Saints” as an influence, which made me shudder a little bit, but I think as long as he doesn’t lose his gift for melody, he’ll at least be worth checking out. Anyway, the first single is called “Her Diamonds”, and while it’s not “If You’re Gone” or “Bright Lights” or “Ever the Same”, it’s still pretty decent. Check it out.


  • Infatueighties: “Never Say Goodbye”

    slippery

    The year was 1987. I was in the 6th grade. A pimply geeky kid who was desperate to impress his friends but had no mack game.

    Her name was Heather. She was sorta pimply and geeky too. And a little on the chunky side.

    We were at the 6th grade dance. One slow jam had already passed (“You Got it All” by The Jets if I remember correctly), and I’d played the wall. I was determined to dance with someone.

    Then it happened. Bon Jovi’s “Never Say Goodbye” came on. A power ballad to end all power ballads, this song served as my introduction to slow dancing. My friends practically pushed me into Heather, who asked “Wanna dance?” I shrugged and squeaked out a “Yeah, sure” and before you knew it, we were amongst the other couples in the school gym, moving back and forth to Bon Jovi singing about high school memories (which we were still a good three years away from) and a relationship that had lasted since then.

    “Never Say Goodbye” SHOULD have been the fourth single from Bon Jovi’s behemoth “Slippery When Wet” album, but their label, Mercury, shrewdly withheld its’ release as a single, forcing the 3 teenage girls in America who hadn’t bought “Slippery” yet to buy it. I lived in Michigan at the time, but I came home to New York for Easter and for the summer, and I remember the radio playing the shit out of this and “Edge of a Broken Heart” (which was a song from the Fat Boys movie “Disorderlies”). It’s held up quite well over the years, and I’m sure holds a sentimental spot in the hearts of couples whose memories echo those that Jon sings about.

    I wonder what happened to Heather, anyway. If she’s anything like most of my other girlfriends from junior high and high school, she’s probably a lesbian.

    (for L.R.)