8 June 2012 - Katy Hudson - Search Me

Katy Hudson was a reasonably popular Christian recording artist in the early 2000's.  She had a powerful voice, and was well-regarded as an artist.  Russ Breimeier told us in 2001 that we'd be hearing more and more from her.

Russ was right.  However, this record didn't do well, mostly because the record label she was signed to folded.   We'd just have to wait a little longer.



By now, I am sure you have figured out this is Katy Perry. After this record, she changed her name to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson.

7 June 2012 - Men Without Hats - Pop Goes The World

OK, I'm going to give Hair Metal Thursdays a break for a while. I knew it was time when I couldn't decide on whether to post a White Lion or a Stryper video. Frightening thought. Never fear though as I'm proud to bring you NEW WAVE THURSDAYS. Wow, I'm just horrible at naming things. I swear if it wasn't for my wife, my cats would be named Orange Cat, Grey Cat and Other Orange Cat. Someone please hit me up with a name that isn't so lame (for New Wave Thursdays, not the cats, we're pretty settled on Jeter, Posey and Joey in that regard).

Anyway, for the debut New Wave Wednesday post here's Canada's Men Without Hats with a song that has recently popped up on a laundry commercial. Believe it or not, I always liked this song more than Safety Dance.

6 June 2012 - Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Chokehold / Supertramp - Breakfast in America

I remember several years ago, when this song was new, that it sounded strangely familiar.  These upstate NY boys - Geneva, NY, to be precise - had found a way to be both classic and fresh.

Plus, in 2006, everyone was wondering who that girl was next to Travie McCoy.  Well, it was his girlfriend, Katy Hudson.  Of course, we all know her better as Wicked Guilty Pleasures Hall of Famer Katy Perry, but at the time this video was released, she had not yet adopted that name.

We're all about the gratuitous Katy Perry mentions, but this is a great song, combining rock and hip-hop in exactly the opposite way I would have expected.  And their use of samples - more on that in a minute - was clever and unexpected as well.


Little known fact: This was version #2 of the video.  The video below? Version 1.0.  Without Katy Perry, of course. The song itself is a little different, but only subtly.  Also, this version is far, far, far darker!

Update: This video was removed, and I can't find it, so here's a live version.



Of course, that sample from the beginning of the tune is not an obscure Katy Perry tune, but rather the Supertramp classic Breakfast In America.  Here's the songwriter and Supertramp lead vocalist, Roger Hodgson, performing the song.


The song is both celebratory and sad.  You don't know if Roger is happy or sad about his girlfriend.  She is, after all, the only one he's got. But, she's not much of a girlfriend - he never seems to get a lot.

Here's the rest of Supertramp performing it without Roger Hodgson. And without Katy Perry.  You know, neither version really sounds complete to me.

5 June 2012 - Brandi Carlile - What Can I Say and The Story

I've been a big Brandi Carlile fan since the first time I heard today's song. Her voice just blows me away. So much passion. Needless to say, I'm excited to hear her new record - Bear Creek - which hits stores today. Until then, I suppose this video will have to do.



And this one too! My favorite song of 2007.

4 June 2012 - The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

This is a terrific song.  It's just so.... pretentious and opulent.   To call your humble little song a "Symphony" is a bit arrogant.  And the video! Richard Ashcroft is pretty much a jerk to everyone on the street, and they all express their displeasure.

Oh, and the little fact that they lifted a huge part of the song.  That was proven in court.  Which is why the song is officially credited to Jagger/Richards.  But more on that in a moment.

Still, the song, in all its opulence, is instantly catchy.  I bet you're singing it to yourself right now.  The combination of the angry, depressed cadence and the orchestral grandeur make for a truly moving song.



But did they actually steal the vocal stylings, like the courts said?  Here is the Rolling Stones song in question.  I, personally, don't think they actually did steal it.  The cadence is similar, but the tempo is completely different.



What IS true is that The Verve, with permission, sampled the Andrew Oldham Orchestra cover of this very same song. The violins and tubular bells you hear in Bitter Sweet Symphony are a sample.  The rest of the cover is a snoozer that no one would have noticed if not for The Verve.

(Update: 2 September 2020): In 2019, Richards and Jagger gave up their rights to this song, acknowledging that Richard Ashcroft really wrote a masterpiece.  

In celebration, here's a live version.  It's a pretty moving version.  

3 June 2012 - Curve - Coast Is Clear / Fait Accompli

Today, we enjoy a band - a two-piece, led by the fantastically talented Toni Halliday - that never enjoyed enough success in this country.  It's a shame they aren't together anymore - Toni and Dean Garcia made some great, hard-edged music.  This was the first song of theirs I heard - I never understood why it wasn't a hit.



This was the 2nd song of theirs that I heard.  They had a song that was both contemporary for their time and the shoegazing scene that was so popular then AND intensely hard-edged.   Was it hard rock? Was it electronica?  Curve somewhat defied labels, which might have been their problem.

Listen to this song.  Now, try to picture some of Garbage's big hits.  This predated them by several years.  I like Garbage, but they owe a huge debt to Curve.

1 June 2012 - Toto - Africa

"As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti"  might be the greatest lyric ever written.  This song takes me back to a particular time.  Specifically, it takes me back to 1982, when this song was released.  I wasn't really a fan of it at the time, but I appreciate it for the lyrical gymnastics now.