4 September 2012 - Psy - Gangnam Style

Korean? Club music?

This song, released in June, is already the biggest K-pop hit in the US.... ever.  Psy is already a big star in Korea, but this tribute to the finer things in life - Gangnam is a district in Seoul known for being lavish and trendy - has made him a worldwide star. The video, a campy affair all around, was filmed on location in Gangnam.

And, for those not familiar with the cultural reference, Psy is NOT exhibiting Gangnam Style here.

This is how huge this song is.

1. It's charting in the United States, despite not being an English language song.
2. There are parodies.  Here's one done by the Oregon duck.....

Update: Hyuna, another Korean star, has done a slight reinterpretation of the song from a woman's perspective. Under a new title - Oppa Is Just My Style - it has been a hit, although somewhat criticized for its vocals.  You might have noticed that she appeared as a dancer (and Psy's love interest) in the original video.



(Update: 14 September 2012): Psy appeared on The Today Show today.  We got ahead of a pop culture phenomenon once again!  Also, look at how many of the English speakers suddenly are fluent in colloquial Korean!

31 August 2012 - The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

I know, I know, the video rips off "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes a little bit.  Still, this song, used by Apple in an iPod commercial, was a minor hit for this UK duo. Katie White and Jules de Martino are both multiinstrumental, so their sound, while minimalist, is far richer than would be expected from just two people.

By the way, if you have 3D glasses, put them on.  This video is in 3D.



Although there were session musicians as part of the studio version of this song, Jules and Katie are perfectly capable of playing this very minimalist song themselves.  Here they are, live, and just the two of them, at the AOL Sessions studio.  I believe the mat Katie is dancing on is actually an instrument in and of itself.  The video is a little smaller and grainy, so dial-up users could see it, too.


(I was just kidding about the dial-up)

For those so inclined, here is the iPod commercial. I miss these silhouettes.  I wish Apple would bring them back.

30 Augusrt 2012 - Cheap Trick - If You Want My Love

It's 80s Thursday and I'm seeing these guys in three days. How rad would it be if Robin Zander still had that haircut? Come to think of it, how rad would it be if Rick Nielsen was wearing that sweater?



Click here for more Cheap Trick goodness at Totally Covered

29 August 2012 - Tommy Tutone - 867-5309/Jenny

Quick! Name two songs that have a phone number in their title!  If this isn't your first choice, I'm sorely disappointed. (I'd accept any number of songs, including "Pennsylvania 6-5000" or Squeeze's "853-5937" for the second).

A song that is referred to in pop culture possibly more than any other in history, Tommy Tutone - it was the name of the band, led by Tommy Heath - performed a power-pop gem in the early 80's.  A desperate tale of misguided, unrequited love, it was loosely based on a real person known by the band!



Here's a little trick you can do with this number.  A lot of stores - grocery and otherwise - have loyalty cards or discount programs that come with a card.  If you don't have the card, usually this can be searched by telephone number.  867-5309 works in almost every area code.

Here's a little trick Tommy Heath did with the tune in 2008 with an acoustic guitar.


Here's the mathematical representation of Jenny's Constant according to xkcd. Incidentally, 8,675,309 is a prime number.  Not only was it a one-hit wonder, it's a mathematical anomaly!

28 August 2012 - Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know

Seventeen summers ago You Oughta Know was blowing up the airwaves and Alanis Morissette was becoming one of the best-selling artists of the decade (Jagged Little Pill sold 33 million copies as of 2009...that's a ridiculous number of cds). And while she has a new record out today called Havoc and Bright Lights, let's go back and remember why we all fell head over feet for her in 1995.

27 August 2012 - Lisa Loeb - I Do (with a Stay bonus)

I've always been a bit of a sucker for Lisa Loeb.  I even watched her reality show!! She writes such angry, passionate songs, but doesn't sound angry at all.

Take this song, where she is coming right out and telling the listener that she is angry.  She still doesn't seem angry.  But she is.  Personally, I love the homage to old music videos and album covers, including her lyrics in with them.  Her acoustic pop sound fits perfectly with this video style. So, rather than speak joyously of the song and of Ms. Loeb, I'll let you have a listen.



Lest you think I was kidding, here is a scene from Lisa's reality show, #1 Single, which chronicled her pursuits on the dating scene.  It was unexpectedly fun. She was a really good sport.

24 August 2012 - Owl City - Fireflies

Several of you have contacted me about this post, where I seemed to imply that Owl City was a little opportunistic in his partnership with Carly Rae Jepsen.  The complainers have reminded me that this isn't Owl City's first hit.

No, that honor belongs to this song, which was a big hit two years ago.  And, until about a week ago, I had never heard of it.  Now, the song gives me chills.  It's both exuberant and melancholy, a line that is very tough to straddle.  It both makes me smile and makes me misty.

And, somehow, it was already on my iPod.  Go figure.



I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't note that Owl City performed this song in Rockefeller Plaza yesterday, on The Today Show. And yes, you can hear the crowd singing along at the end.  Because it was a big hit song that everyone knew.  Except for me.