traxxlisting #4 :: top 11 of 2008

I've been putting off this post in the interest of debating which songs earned these chart positions. I'm now happy with my list, and proud to share it with you!

11. "Euphoria" by Hydra Productions



This album hasn't yet earned the recognition it deserves, which is a shame, because it's very cool for a couple of reasons. First, it includes vocals from numerous '80s pop tarts: Tiffany, Gioia Bruno (Exposé), Jade Starling (Pretty Poison), and the queen herself, Stacey Q. Canadian pop singer Kim Esty also appears. (A few of them even collaborate on the last track!)

The seriously cool thing about this record though, is that the two musicians who put it together have never been in the same room with one another. In fact, they did it from different continents Shane Condo is a musician who lives in Australia. Shawn Winstian is a songwriter who lives in Pennsylvania. They met on a website. Then they released an album together.

"Euphoria" is my favorite cut on the album not just because Stacey Q does vocals in the chorus. It reminds me of roller rinks from the early '90s and the skating parties that I went to as a kid. When I hear it, I feel like I'm in a dark roller rink, lit only by a rotating disco ball, and I can hear the faint clicking of joysticks on the arcade machines that are positioned near the rink. In fact, if this song had been released in 1993, it probably would have been Top 40 material. For now, it can live in obscurity and make the people who are smart enough to notice it smile.




10. "Can't Shake It" by Kate Miller-Heidke



I have super high hopes for this lady. This song should be a total floor filler at clubs and college parties alike, and sadly it hasn't gotten much US attention at all.

Perhaps it will live in obscurity as a college radio classic, but it's definitely one of the best pop songs I've heard in a long while, and I look forward to the US release of her album so I can snag a copy.

She kind of reminds me of a young, Aussie version of Kate Bush. Maybe that's why I like her so much.






9. "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" by Lady Gaga



Lady Gaga exploded this fall, and not without reason. She's a pop music guru. A listen through her album is proof enough that she's studied pop trends very carefully, and she certainly knows what makes a quality pop song. It's no wonder her album is so successful; she's brilliantly blended elements that equal success into a smorgasbord of cheerful yet dirty pop.

This is my favorite song on the record, because it's pure pop. Every single element of this song, from the hear-it-once-sing-it-the-second-time hook, to the spry melody, to the opening "cherry cherry boom boom," is deliberately placed, and the result is a song that's sweeter than vanilla frosting. This is ironic, too, because the lyrics to the song are quite biting, but masked behind a playful beat, much in the manner that they would be delivered in a real-life situation.

I wish Ms. Gaga the best on her way.






8. "Makeup Artist" by Marching Band



Ah, glorious college pop. Everyone has songs that take them back to a specific moment and place in their lives, and I can say that this will, without a doubt, be one of those songs for me. I'll think of being a college radio deejay in the fall of 2008 every time I hear this song, for the rest of my life.

Personal meaning aside, it really is a great song. Who can't relate to a tune about a lying bitch? The play on words is just icing on the cake. (I'm really into the whipped topping references tonight, huh?)






7. "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me" by Annie



The wait for Annie's new material was worth it. I fell in love with this track as soon as I heard it, and if you love pop music, how couldn't you? It's great stuff!

Annie has a knack for singing bitchy pop songs in such a cute voice that you don't even realize that they're bitchy. Her 2005 single "Chewing Gum" was a knock at someone who "thinks they're chocolate when [they're] chewing gum." I mean, it's an insult, but would you really be hurt if a cute girl said that to you?

"Girlfriend" is more of the same stuff. It's a direct shot at someone for having a shitty girlfriend. Annie manages to demean the chick and give the guy reason enough to ditch the dead weight and be with her, all in under three minutes. That's impressive.






6. "Dino Damage" by Miniature Tigers



Not since Steve Miller's "The Joker" has the world heard such a cool instance of a talking guitar. In the former, Miller used his guitar to wolf whistle. Charlie of Miniature Tigers uses his to emulate a baby dinosaur. Cute, right?

Well...sort of. The song is actually about how you should release your pet dino before he gets big enough to mutilate you in various grotesque ways, all of which are spelled out in graphic detail. It was probably written as a profound allegory for releasing something that you love and letting it off into the world to grow and be itself, but to me it's a precious song about not getting your fingers chomped the fuck off.





5. "Shake It (Lenny B.'s Radio Edit)" by Metro Station



I love love love love love love love love love this remix. It's a kickass floor filler, equally suited to nights driving around town, shaking it in clubs, or kicking it in cramped apartments with friends.

The original was an okay song, but it's targeted toward Hot Topic sceney-boppers. No thanks.

Lenny B.'s reworking of this song steals the show. Good remixes don't lay vocals over a completely different beat; they amplify the good elements of a song and expand upon them. That's exactly what Lenny B. did, and the result was one of this decade's best dance songs.

Listen




4. "Funplex" by The B-52's



They're back!

Gosh, it makes me so happy that The B-52's can still write songs like this. They've grown so much as a band in the last 30 years, but they have always been true to their signature sound, and this latest record is absolutely no different.

The members of the group have always been caricatures of themselves, which lends itself to a sense of self-parody. This track is about being old and cranky while trying to shop (or work in) the mall. It's a perfectly logical next step in their career: Noting their age, but not backing down a single step.

The only other thing I can think to say is that I hope I'm still that cool when I'm angrily pushing my way through the mall one day.






3. "Sounds So Good" by Ashton Shepherd



Until I took a job at a country radio station in June, I didn't know a thing about country music, except that Garth Brooks was like Michael Jackson to fans of the genre. Artists like Toby Keith and Trace Adkins had always repulsed me from bothering to give any country music a fair shot.

After forced exposure to country for a few months, I figured out that there is true artistic merit to be found in the genre, and it lies within the songwriting. Some of the greatest storytellers can be found in country music lyricists. (Jamey Johnson's "In Color" and Reba McEntire's "Fancy" are both great examples, if you're interested.)

You don't necessarily have to tell a story to write a great country song, though, and thus is the case here. Shepherd is 22 years old, and her songwriting ability is at an amazingly seasoned level.

There is something infectious about this song. I can't tell you what it is. I can tell you, however, that it was good enough to make me purchase the first and only country music CD in my music library, and that all my friends, to whom country music is a complete joke, love it just as much as I do and will sing along to it in the car.

Okay, okay, it sounds like she says "cooter" in the chorus. Hardy har. It's still a great song.

Listen




2. "Crimewave" by Crystal Castles



There's simply no denying the originality of Crystal Castles. They've created a unique sounds that hipsters, geeks, and sorority chicks alike simply can't get enough of.

"Crimewave" is without a doubt their masterpiece thus far, and it'll remain an underground dance classic forever. It's another classic example of a song that you'd have missed unless you 1.) paid attention to college radio, or 2.) hung out with people who pay attention to college radio. I'm honestly kind of surprised that the hipster garbage scene latched onto this group. I think the draw to that crowd is probably the band's noise-oriented tracks like "Alice Practice," whereas dance music nerds like myself latched onto the cuts like "Untrust Us" and "1991." "Crimewave" is a perfect blend of both the bands sounds, guaranteed to make anyone dance.

It's totally hilarious to me that even though nobody can get enough of this song, no one can sing along with it, either.



I would like to note that lots of cool music came out of Canada this year, and even though this was the only Canadian act that made my list, I was very impressed with many other Canadian bands. So you, up there, keep up the good work.





And the #1 song of 2008 is...




1. "Boyfriend" by Alphabeat



It's a perfect pop song, off of a very impressive, solid album. The lyrics are perfectly simple, and the beat is undeniably danceable. It's cutesy enough to get played on TV screens in trendy clothing stores, but indie enough to be called "college pop" by me. It's simply a perfect song.

Most people I've played the song for assume that it's from the '80s, which I don't really understand. The song definitely has a retro feel, but I'd never have mistaken it for an older tune. (Perhaps that's due to my own knowledge of music from that era, though.) I suppose the song just has a timeless sound.

This album is a super fun journey through various areas of pop, much like Lady Gaga's record, but without overlap. These Danes explore europop and indie pop, all without being cliché or unoriginal.

This band has an amazingly bright future in pop music if they keep up releases like this one.

That's the list! Here's to lots more great music in 2009!

the traxx that defined my summer

Enjoy these songs that were critical in defining my summer. Some have received previous Traxx entries, so if the title is a link, it'll take you back to the post where it was previously featured. Enjoy! Lots more Traxx coming in the next few days!

• "Crimewave" by Crystal Castles

I got this CD right at the beginning of summer, and it didn't leave my car stereo until mid-June. It's the most solid album I've heard in years. It remains consistent from start to finish, but not too consistent, as is the fatal flaw of many electronic albums. There's enough variation in the tracks to establish a mood and a character for each song, yet they all share similar qualities that tie them together as an album. "Crimewave" is the masterwork, and I know that any time I hear it for the rest of my life, I'll be instantly transported back to this summer.

Listen




• "Breakout" by Swing Out Sister

A friend of mine asked me about this song toward the beginning of summer, and although I've known this song since I was a little kid, I hadn't thought about it in a long time. It's a really great tune, and I'm glad that it re-entered the forefront of my mind.

Swing Out Sister is an exceptionally unique group. They took the "sophisi-pop" sound that brits like Scritti Politti and Spandau Ballet had been playing for years and gave it a more jazzy twinge. They also have very colorful outfits and crazy, stylish music videos. "Breakout" is the shining star of their first album, It's Better To Travel, but if you did contemporary jazz that uses electronics without becoming smooth jazz, then you'll like the entire album. I don't think American audiences were open at the time to swallowing jazzy pop music, which is probably why Swing Out Sister stuck to their guns in the UK and not here. With modern acts like Norah Jones and Colbie Caillait though, who knows? Maybe they should give it another crack.

The video for this song is a riot. The way my friend describes it, it's as if two well-dressed mobsters kidnap a seamstress and put her in a fashion show. I think my favorite part about it is the extremely uncomfortable look on singer Corinne Drewery's face when her bandmates shuffle in from either side to help her sing the song's chorus. Priceless!

Listen




• "Johnny & June" by Heidi Newfield

This was one of the first tunes that I latched onto when I started working at a country radio station at the beginning of summer. I still think it's a timeless love song that will become a country classic.

Listen




• "That Song In My Head" by Julianne Hough

Another song that I know because of country radio, but that doesn't stop it from being a quality pop tune. I remember playing this on the jukebox at Froggy's one night, and all the waitresses were quite shocked that this was my choice, but I think they thought it was cute.

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• "Beard Lust" by Natalie Portman's Shaved Head

This is Revolution 91.7's superhit of the summer. This goofy little indie electro band has come up with a catchy tune about facial hair, and you could not ask for anything more perfect for college radio. The lyrics revolve around the singer's lamenting the costliness of maintaining quality facial hair, an issue which never occurred to me, but I suppose it's true. Who wants to look at a nasty, scraggly beard or a moustache that's unkempt and has food stuck in it?

These guys will probably never have another superhit, but this one is worth it. They've created a college radio classic, and I hope every college kid drops their Weezer disc and buys this album, even if they just buy it to have this song. The band has earned it.

Listen




• "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry

This song should be on everyone's summer 2008 playlist, if they were awake. Every summer has this song. Summer 2007's song was Rihanna's "Umbrella," and this was our song this summer.

I'm really proud of Katy Perry. I first heard her last October or November, when the station got a copy of her "Ur So Gay" single. I found the title track and its remixes atrocious, but her cover of The Outfield's song "Your Love" was incredible, and I hoped that she'd do more great things like that.

She did, and now she has a #1 single to her name. In fact, here's a random bit of music trivia: "I Kissed A Girl" is the 1,000th song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. I think that's pretty freaking cool.

And hey, extra cool points to Katy for bringing some lesbian action to the mainstream.

Listen




• "Downtown" by One 2 Many

This is one of the many artists to which I was alerted by my good buddy Nasty G over at The Isle Of Failed Pop Stars. I snagged this album from his blog because it was a later project of one of the members of Norwegian powerhouse a-ha (yes, the "Take On Me" guys). When I heard this song, I was in love.

"Downtown" combines all the best elements of power pop, pop rock, and a general '80s pop sound, all while remaining very Norwegian. It starts with a bright piano riff, but very quickly builds up and makes you want to slam your foot up and down to the beat. The rest of the album is pretty synth heavy, which is great, but this single was obviously the band's shining moment. It's a shame there wasn't a follow-up album.

Listen




• "All I Need Is A Miracle" by Mike + The Mechanics

A few weeks ago I was with some friends in a very southern bar. I was tired of hearing Skynyrd and Soundgarden playing from the jukebox, and for some reason, I had this song caught in my head. After looking through 50 CDs (no exaggeration), I found it. After thirty minutes of other requests, it played, and we all sang along happily.

I've since tracked down Mike + The Mechanics' first two albums, which are much more heavily into the synth-pop/power pop sound than I would have guessed. In my mind, they were always a lite rock band with a couple of uptempo tunes, but the opposite turned out to be true. It just so happens that a few of their lighter tunes ("Silent Running" and "The Living Years") were released as singles. The albums as a whole are actually quite danceable.

As an added bonus, the song has a story music video that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Listen

As summer comes to an end, this is always a very important reflection. Now, I turn to you.

What were your traxx for summer 2008? What traxx will you hear in 20 years and remember this summer?

traxxlisting #3: A Review Of 7 Current Country Hits

One genre of music that I've certainly neglected thus far in my blog is country. However, a couple of months ago I started working at a country radio station, so now I'm pretty much an expert in the current music of a genre about which I had previously known next to nothing.

In an effort to expand horizons in all ways possible, I now offer you:

A Review Of 7 Current Country Hits

1. "Johnny & June" by Heidi Newfield

I'll start with one of my favorites from our rotation. This is Heidi's lead-off single; she's been the vocalist for country group Trick Pony since 1996 and has just launched her solo career. As you may have deduced from the title, it's (sort of) about Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The singer expresses a desire to have a "love like [theirs]," complete with "rings of fire, burning with you." She even adds that "when you're gone, I wanna go too."

What makes the song extra cool is to know that it isn't written from a distant perspective. Newfield was actually a friend of both Johnny and June in the last few years of their lives, so she witnessed their relationship firsthand. She then wrote the song with two other songwriters.

The lyrics and guitars are both a little strong for a country song, making them an interesting contrast to Newfield's very soft vocals. The song almost sounds as if it were written as the most-definitely-necessary power ballad on an '80s hard rock album. Don't be mistaken though: It's definitely a country song.

This is a hell of a lead-off single for Heidi, and I sure hope to hear more from her in the years to come.

Listen



2. "Good Time" by Alan Jackson

He's the king of honky-tonk and has been for years, thanks to songs like "Chatahoochee" and "Don't Rock The Jukebox." Alan's latest single certainly isn't about anything serious; he's just looking for a party when he's off work. The song does wonders to capture the spirit of being off work on a Friday night and wanting to nothing more than kick back and hang out with friends. We've all been there, right?

I do have a problem with one of this song's lyrics: "...beer on ice / Just like 'ol Hank taught us about." I mean...did Hank Williams really have to clue you in to the fact that beer is better cold? How did that conversation happen?

Extra cool points to Alan for shooting the video on the Kentucky / Tennessee border, right near where I live!

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3. "All I Want To Do" by Sugarland

This song would be cuter if the vocals weren't so annoying. It appears to be the summer song of choice for fans of country radio, so I guess I can't argue with that. It's not about anything, in the sense that it's about a desire to do nothing. No depth here, so this one gets a short review.

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4. "Every Other Weekend" by Reba McEntire & Skip Ewing/Kenny Chesney

Reba's latest album is a collection of duets. On the album she sings this one with Kenny Chesney, but the single version (with which I am familiar) is done with Skip Ewing, who co-wrote the song. It's about a divorced couple who see each other only every other weekend, when their children transition from one house to the other.

I have a really hard time relating to country music of this nature. I guess I can't comprehend not expressing my feelings for someone if they were as strong as these folks' seem to be. It's still a well-written song, and it does seem to make many callers happy, so obviously there are plenty of people out there relating to it. For that reason, I'm glad it was written, and I hope that it's giving hope to someone who may have lost hope.

Listen<--This is the Kenny Chesney version.



5. "In Color" by Jamey Johnson

It's no secret that country singers (males especially) love to write about old shit. They love to sing of the way things used to be, the way things were when they were kids, or when their kids were kids. Country music has an overwhelming longing for the past, which makes sense considering the primary listening audience.

This Jamey Johnson tune seems like a nice diamond in the rough among those other songs of that nature. The tune begins when the singer comes across an old picture of his grandpa as a young teenager. The grandpa proceeds to explain to him what life was like back then, down to small details like what the weather was on his wedding day. Each set of details concludes with, "You should have seen it in color."

I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only person who has deeply pondered on what the world used to look like, complete with vivid colors. I think it's a really interesting thought, and I'm glad someone else agreed enough to write a song about it.

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6. "International Harvester" by Craig Morgan

I'm trying really, really hard to like this song. It seems like it should be likeable, and I should sure as heck like Craig Morgan for all the charity work that he does. I'll be honest though; I'm struggling.

Craig is a veteran of the US Army; he served in the 101st Airborne Division (same as my grandpa!), and he still helps raise money for veterans' affairs organizations. So what's the problem? I think his songs are annoying as fuck.

This one, to me, is a total takeoff of Dolly Parton's "9 To 5." Maybe it's intentional, but I haven't seen documentation anywhere to prove it. And, I mean, come on: Does Morgan really look like he's a combine driver who drives a p-p-p-p-plower? I'm just not buying it, dude. If I watched the video and saw a guy who looked like a farmer, maybe I'd be more in on the joke, but Craig just looks like a manager at Hollister to me.

The song is cute for what it is, I guess.

Listen



7. "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood

After "Before He Cheats," I never thought that Carrie would release another single that would make me smile. I was wrong.

This song is sort of a spiritual predecessor to "Before He Cheats," telling the story of how she met the dude whose 4-wheel drive she'd later beat to pieces. What makes the song so cute is the subtlety with which the story is told. Pop songs are usually spelled out as if they were written for a child (because, I mean, they usually are), but this one isn't quite as insulting to the listener, and I certainly appreciate that about it.

Having said that, it's still a Nashville pop song, which distances it from "true country music" to most fans of the genre. I totally understand this sentiment, but I can't really wag a finger for it. Carrie, like other Nashville poppers (Taylor Swift, Ashton Shepard, even Sugarland, etc.) is just trying to appeal to a wider audience. Who knows? Country music may gain a new listener from hearing a song like this and doing some deeper digging into the genre.

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That's the list! Hope you enjoyed!