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.
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:
I’ve got this mix CD I keep hidden at the bottom of a stack in my car’s glove box, but it gets way, way more play than a CD at the bottom of a stack usually would. It’s there because, as a heterosexual male nearing 30 years old, the songs featured on the mix are a little incriminating.
That’s because each and every track on there is bubblegum pop. It’s a mix of my guiltiest poppy pleasures—songs that I shouldn’t like but, for some inexplicable reason really do. I’ve got Hillary Duff’s “Come Clean” and JoJo’s “Too Little Too Late” on there. Katherine McPhee, David Archuleta, and Vanessa Carlton also are prominently featured.
And there’s Lindsay Pagano and her 2001 hit, “Everything U R,” which gets more play than just about any other track on the disc.
Pagano was just fifteen years old when she recorded that single, which saw moderate success thanks to an era in pop music that definitely fostered cute teens crooning over catchy beats. What drew me to that particular song however was the pureness of her voice and the mesmerizing quality of the track’s harmonies, which are so tight that you can barely pick out the different parts.
Apparently, Pagano dropped out of the music industry after that 2001 album and did the whole college thing like a normal human being. In 2009, though, she released a slew of new songs and, at age 24, is smoking hot and doing her thing all over again.
For a good throwback track, haul in “Everything U R,” even if you’re a heterosexual male nearing 30 years old. If you dig it and want more Lindsay, run game on YouTube and check out the new stuff. Maybe you’ll find some tracks for your own guilty pleasures pop mix. Don’t pretend like you don’t have at least 10 songs you could fill a disc with.
Seriously. I know I’m not the only one.
Here’s a link to the old video for “Everything U R.”
And check out her more recent stuff, namely, ” I Gotta Stop:”
I like my hip-hop blended with a splash of Indian music. Well, bangra music to be exact. Yeah, that’s how I roll. In order to get a good feel for what I am talking about, we will need to drop on back to 2003, and take a listen to Panjabi MC’s Beware. If you claim that you have been exposed to Indian culture because you watched Slumdog Millionaire, well, you need to get out more. Strap yourself in and let’s learn you something new.
Mr. Panjabi MC
Panjabi MC, aka Rajinder Singh Rai, had been crafting beats for a while when he finally got deserved attention in 2002-2003. Are you wondering where his moniker came from? Well, I am glad you asked. His stage name “Panjabi” pays homage to his Punjabi culture. “MC” pays homage to Master of Ceremonies. With me so far? Now that you understand his name, it is important to understand the music. Panjabi MC has made it a goal to create a unique fusion of bhangra and hip-hop. What we get is a beat driven style that never quits. Do you need to understand all of the lyrics to enjoy the music? Not at all. I mean, do you honestly understand the lyrics of most of the current hip-hop coming out of the states? My point exactly.
Beware really gained steam in 2003, because of its phenomenal head-bobbing title track. It also didn’t hurt that Jay-Z tossed his talent into the mix. Add it all up and you got yourself an international smash hit. Since Beware, Panjabi MC has continued to put out new music and find ways to forge great partnerships with other artists. Beware was a big deal for me because it marked a eye-opening moment in my musical appreciation. Panjabi MC reminded me that there is a whole bunch of music floating around the globe that is just waiting to be shared with others. Get your dancing shoes on and expand your horizons with Beware.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Beware”, “Jogi” and “Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee”
Scope out the Jay-Z remix of “Beware”
Buy the Album
