19 April - New Kids On The Block - Tonight

Before boy bands were cool, there were five guys from Boston called New Kids On The Block.  I was the right age when they were new to be slightly annoyed by them because I was supposed to be.  Still, I could appreciate their harmonies and their sound.

This under-appreciated song was one of their last singles, and it had a slightly different sound than most of their earlier work.  Whereas their early songs were mostly straight-ahead pop music, complete with the poppy love songs and poppy ballads, this was a full-on five-part harmony reminiscent of The Beatles and The Four Seasons.



Yes, I compared NKOTB to The Beatles.  And I meant it.  This song is their "Glass Onion".

As an added bonus, here are NKOTB, as part of their tour with Backstreet Boys, performing this song in Edmonton.  This should make my Canadian friends happy.

18 April 2012 - Minnie Driver - Beloved

I miss used cd shops. There used to be about four of them in my town, but over the years they have all closed down (granted we now have a vinyl store, which is pretty rad). I used to spend hours scouring the cheap bins hoping to find some gems...and I often would. One particular day I rolled across the brand new Minnie Driver cd for $3.99. Minnie Driver sings? Who knew? Turns out it was her second record. Really? Curiosity of course set in and I had to buy it, even though all I could think was that there's no way it could be listenable (no disrespect to Ms. Driver, it's just...well, there hasn't been a ton of crossover success for actors in the music world). Happy to say though that I was wrong, and that Seastories is a perfectly pleasant listen with a bit of country, folk and pop music mixed with Driver's breathy vocals. Man, now I'm really missing used cd shops. Maybe I should head over to the Goodwill and do some cd hunting.

17 April 2012 - Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body

I admit it.  I like Justin Timberlake.  I find him to be likable and entertaining.  He makes interesting dance music that isn't like music that everyone else is making.  He's mainstream, but tries to stay just a half step ahead.  He understands the hip hop influence on his music.

I particularly like this song for several reasons.  First of all, it shed a squeaky-clean image he had previously, as a member of N*Sync (who we might examine closer another day).  He's brave enough to beat-box, which is a lot harder to do than it looks.  He went simple with the video - just a dancing light background and Justin Timberlake (and his female partner in the song, who might not have been the one who really did the singing, but that's not important right now).  And, to be perfectly honest, the boy can dance.



Oh, and it's the song he was singing when he ripped Janet Jackson's top off at the Super Bowl.  Everyone forgets that he was involved with that little scandal, albeit unwittingly.

16 April 2012 - Liz Phair - Why Can't I?

Critics and old fans alike were not kind to Liz Phair's major label debut. Foolishly, I believed the hype and didn't even bother to buy it when it came out. A few years ago, I decided to pick it up on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. If you were like me and so many others who "protested" this album, do yourself a favor and check it out. It's a mighty fine pop record.

15 April 2012 - The Like - June Gloom

One night, my daughter - 7 years old - and I were watching TV, flipping channels.  We don't have cable, but we do get about 16 channels.  One of them - a -2 on another channel - was a music video channel called TheCoolTV.  It played an eclectic mix - still does.  This particular song was on when we got there.  Both of us were instantly mesmerized, not only by the song, but by the visually challenging video.

The Like started off as three daughters of music industry insiders - producers and musicians.  So it's no surprise they had chops of their own.

The group in its current incarnation is a four-piece, with a different bassist.  Well, sort of.  They're on indefinite hiatus since last May.  I hope they reform.  They're really good, even in their 2nd incarnation.

14 April 2012 - Enrique Iglesias featuring Ludacris - Tonight (I'm Lovin' You) / Tonight (I'm F***ing You)

I'm pretty sure Julio's son has made a better career for himself than Julio did himself.  This song, with all its swagger, is the latest in a number of high water marks in his career that has earned him a long-term relationship with Anna Kournikova and international fame.  It didn't hurt that he partnered with Ludacris on this one and instantly raised the ire of Bill O'Reilly.

Of course, had Enrique released THIS version to radio, which turns up the swagger a few notches by throwing obscenity into the mix, it might not have been such a high-water mark.  I give him credit for knowing the difference.

13 April 2012 - L.A. Guns - Sex Action

Sure, I could've gone with the obvious L.A. Guns song -- The Ballad of Jayne -- but that wouldn't be any fun. Besides, I always thought Sex Action was much cooler.