For like a year back in college, some radio fat cat thought it would be a good idea to inject a dance and techno station into the ears and hearts of the natives, and though I never previously gave much consideration to the genre I found myself cranking it in the wee hours after driving home half-asleep from working long nights at a local eatery.
That late at night, music such a forceful, driving beat can either roust you into wakefulness or rock you into a droning coma, and depending on what song was playing I had my fair share of experiences with both. When listening to iiO, however—most famous for their huge club hit “Rapture”—I usually found myself tightrope walking somewhere in between those two states of consciousness.
It was awesome.
The thing about club music is that a lot of its notoriety comes from remixes that get passed around and bumped at discotheques worldwide, but my allure to “Rapture” and later iiO jams like “At the End,” “Kiss Me,” and “Runaway” were a little more than just a primal appreciation for heavy bass and creatively thumping beats. These songs are, at their heart, really good and really catchy little ditties. It’s not just formulaic ass-shaker music intended for E-heads grinding on each other’s scantily-clad, sweaty bodies. Okay, so it is that, but it’s more than that, too. It’s music in every sense of the word, and I likes me some it.
Today, iiO is a one-man show, as Markus Moser has lost his partner Nadia Ali to a solo vocal career, which is apparently going relatively well. Regardless of what they’re up to now, back in 2003 they were the business, helping me stay awake on the drive home from a job that I absolutely did not like. The dance and techno station didn’t last, perhaps predictably because it’s such a niche market, but for the short time it was around I genuinely appreciated it.
And thanks to it, I still appreciate iiO. And thanks to me, you do too.
Here’s the video for “Rapture”:
And the video for “At the End”:
Today’s music scene is saturated with auto-tune, lyrics with no meaning and airbrushed photo shoots. Andrew Dykers has been placed on this planet to save our ears. Dykers embodies fresh music. His lyrics come from the heart, not a thesaurus. Prepare to feel his music and let it wash over you. Yeah, it’s that good.
Andrew never signed with a major label. He hasn’t had his songs featured in CW television shows. You most likely have never even heard of him. Yet, he has toured all over the United States playing venues large and small. He has shared the stage with music industry heavyweights. Mainstream music would make us question his success as an artist. For me Dykers’ album Zoot is one of my personal top ten favorite albums.
Andrew Dykers
For me this album was less about mainstream popularity and more about meaning. Listening to Zoot always reminds me of the fall. While listening to the tracks this morning I can almost smell the leaves on the ground. Well, it helped that there are leaves on the ground. More importantly though is the fact that I got a chance to see Dykers perform live nine years ago right in the middle of the fall season.
And that is why Zoot is so amazing to me. One listen transports me. Dykers’ music is so real and so raw that it dares you not to be taken in. It was always clear to me that when on stage he became his music. He channeled the emotion of soulful performers that have come before him. Every movement and every word is intended to provoke an emotional response.
My reactions to this album are why I love music so much. Maybe you won’t have the same response from Andrew Dykers. And that is ok. To each their own, right? I would be shocked though if at least one track didn’t speak to you. I dare you to listen. I double-dog-dare you.
I would highly recommend that you give “Saturday”, “Do What You Gotta Do” and “In Spite Of You” a listen. Oh, and don’t forget my personal favorite “Shine”. The video below showcases Dykers on this track when he recently stepped back into the studio after a temporary vacation from performing.
Buy the album
If you’re anything like me, the first time you heard the name Colin Hay you were probably a little bit confused. How can this guy be a “throwback” when I don’t even remember him to begin with? Bear with me. Colin Hay is from a little group called Men At Work made popular by 80s pop culture. They are popular for the song “Down Under” and are from, you guessed it, Australia.
Colin Hay
But beyond the novelty of their popular single, Colin Hay has produced songs beyond his time with Men At Work that are powerful and catchy. I first came across his solo work through the show Scrubs. There is one episode that utilizes the song “Overkill” for a particularly emotional scene in an episode for an earlier season. I immediately fell in love with the song and had to find out who it was. Imagine my surprise when I googled it to come up with the lead singer for Men At Work. I thought to myself, “This isn’t right. I have to dig deeper.” So using my extreme computer hacking skills, I checked an underground website known for digging up this kind of information (Wikipedia) and confirmed that it was in fact the Aussie from the 80s pop band.
Upon further exploration I came across Hay’s album Man At Work which contained the song “Overkill” as well as some retakes on the popular single “Down Under”. The entire album is very pleasant, but what really sticks out for Hay are his simplistic “guy and guitar” tracks. In my opinion, he’s best when it is just the melody and the lyrics. With songs like “Waiting For My Real Life To Begin” and “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You” (made popular by the movie Garden State) Colin Hay has a real knack for simple, powerful acoustic tracks.
Check out his appearance on Scrubs:
Buy Man At Work:
There are few guarantees in life. Although, I have identified two that will stand the test of time.
- Everything in pop culture has the ability to make a comeback.
- Very few people took Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” policy seriously.
The Stone Temple Pilots adhere to both of those statements. They crushed it in the early 90′s and now they are making a comeback in 2010. And let’s just say that some of the guys messed around with the drugs. Understatement’s aside, STP simply changed my music world in 1992 with their debut release of Core.
STP is still rockin' after 18 years.
Core hit my eardrums during my formative teen years. This album was a game changer for me. I guess you can say it rocked me to my “core”. STP dominated the 90′s grunge scene along with juggernauts like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Core was an instant mainstream success racking up a Grammy for “Plush” and it was certified platinum 8 times. To top it all off, the gritty tone and message of the album seemed to come from an honest place. My bootleg cassette copy of Core still holds a special place in my musical archives.
Over the remainder of the 90′s the guys churned out four more albums with some solid tracks. However, nothing could quite match the intensity and popularity of Core. That knowledge, coupled with a lot of the bands personal demons, sidetracked them for many years. But, as I stated earlier, everything in pop culture has the ability to make a comeback. The guys are back at it with their recent self-titled release of Stone Temple Pilots. They may never be able to eclipse Core, but they are doing a helluva job trying. Check out their new album and revisit the glory of Core.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Dead & Bloated”, “Plush”, and “Wicked Garden”
Check out STP’s unplugged version of “Plush”
Buy the Album
Usually when you think of Jamiroquai, you think of the single that rocked the nation in the ripe year of 1996. “Virtual Insanity” was our first real introduction into the jazz/funk/pop fusion that is Jamiroquai and we/I welcomed them with open arms. But what you may not have realized is that they actually have other songs that you already love and other that you are destined to love. But first, some quick facts.
Jamiroquai is actually a funk band from the U.K. Most people (including myself) have wrongly mistaken the lead singer Jay Kay as the solo artist that is Jamiroquai. As you will recall, Kay is the guy prancing around the trippy mobile room in the over-sized, fluffy top hot in the music video for “Virtual Insanity”. But if we are being specific (and we are being specific) the name would refer the band as a whole and not just the lead singer.
Now that we got that out of the way, let me introduce you to the songs you know and the songs you’ll love. Many of you that have seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite have already heard another one of his songs and may not even have known it. Remember this scene?
Yep, that’s Jamiroquai. So it is a proven fact that one can get down to some serious funk. But only if you have a choreographed dance and some moon boots…those are requirements.
Now for the song you should be listening to. “Feels Just Like It Should” snuck up on me in 2005 as the most recent jam from the band reminding me that these guys still know how to do it. And whether or not you’re a fan of the fuzzy top hat, I guarantee you’re a fan of their music.
Check out the video for “Virtual Insanity”:
Buy High Times: Singles 1992-2006:
