web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Category: People

all-about-musicians-and-the-people-who-help-them-make-music

  • The Top 100 Singles of the 00s #93: “A-Punk”

    vampireweekend

    Vampire Weekend’s debut album represented a rare thing in indie-world…an album living up to its’ hype. The four Columbia University alumni who made up the band had been rhapsodized so much in the blogosphere prior to the release of their self-titled debut that some folks hated it out of spite. Too bad for them, because I still think “Vampire Weekend”, track for track, is the most enjoyable album of 2008. “A-Punk” is one of it’s best songs. African guitar meets a pogo-punk tempo? Awesome. And it’s only 2 1/2 minutes long…the perfect amount of time for a song to get stuck in your head without overstaying it’s welcome.

    If you haven’t heard these guys before, take a listen and try not to dance. Pretty sweet video, too.

  • Bret Michaels Eats it at the Tony Awards

    Let’s face it, it’s funny when people fall.

    Poison was performing their 1988 hit single “Nothin’ But a Good Time” (featured in the show “Rock of Ages” on the Tony Awards last night (10 years ago, who would have thought you’d see Poison on the TONYs of all places?), when lead singer Bret Michaels “missed his mark” and wound up having an unfortunate encounter with a set piece. Bret allegedly suffered an injury, although no one would specify what the injuries were (a very bruised ego, perhaps?).

    I’m stunned that he was able to take that blow to the head and his wig didn’t come off. That must be one tight-ass hairpiece.

    Which award show fall was better? Bret’s last night or Joe Jonas eating the floor at the 2007 American Music Awards?

  • The Top 100 Songs of the ’00s, #94: “Star”

    roots

    As a hip-hop head from way back in the day, I don’t see too many emcees these days who have the same passion for rhyming that the guys and girls from the “golden age” of hip-hop did. Where’s the love of wordplay? Does anyone these days give you the feeling that they could rhyme forever?

    That’s why I thank goodness that folks like Black Thought are not only still around, but still relevant. The Roots’ primary MC is a rhymer at heart, and “Star” is a perfect showcase for his skills. Of course, leave it to The Roots to even beat jack creatively. With Sly Stone and Larry Graham’s voices floating in and out of the mix, and a rock solid rhythm section carrying him, Black Thought touches on everything from his proficiency on the mic to urban blight to the image of black men in the music industry (“don’t wanna do the Ruben Studdard and come of less threatening…”).

    The Roots are right up there with Radiohead as one of the most consistent bands of the past ten years. Nothing they’ve put out this decade has been less than solid, with “Phrenology”, “The Tipping Point” (the album that contains “Star”) and “Game Theory” among the best trifectas that any artist in any genre has come up with. Although their commercial fortunes have dipped sharply, here’s hoping that their exposure as the house band of Jimmy Fallon’s talk show puts them back in the public consciousness…

    …After all, everybody is a star.