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
So in researching this week’s Throwback, I literally tripped and fell down the rabbit hole. Well, okay, so I’m using the word “literally” wrong here; I didn’t literally trip and fall into any hole, but if you’re familiar with any incarnation of “Alice and Wonderland,” you get the allusion. I was minding my own business, and before I knew it there was a whole unknown world sitting right in front of me.
I should explain. I wanted to feature “Lucas With the Lid Off” this week—a killer jazz-infused hip-hop track from 1994—but doubted that I’d find anything recent about the songwriter, the aptly named “Lucas.” I was wrong.
Turns out that after the video for “Lucas With the Lid Off” was nominated for a Grammy, Lucas Secon stepped out of the limelight and decided to focus on production instead. I took a look at his résumé and felt my jaw drop. Check this out:
Britney Spears
Pixie Lott
Kylie Minogue
Weezer
Sean Paul
Toni Braxton
Gym Class Heroes
Jordin Sparks
The Pussycat Dolls
Sean Kingston
Aaron Carter
Mos Def
That’s only a sample of the people he helped write songs for. And then there’s the story of how he introduced the Notorious B.I.G. to Puff Daddy. I mean, he didn’t exactly discover one of the top three greatest rappers of all time, but he certainly played a huge role in getting him to fame and fortune, right?
See what I mean? Rabbit hole.
To tie it all up in a pretty bow, Secon’s father and Uncle Morris founded Pottery Barn in the 1950s. You can’t make this shit up.
To come full circle, allow me introduce you to “Lucas With the Lid Off,” one of my favorite songs of the ‘90s and a pretty sweet video, to boot. But I gotta wrap this up. I’m late. I’m late for a very important date.
So you’ll start to notice (if you haven’t already) that most of my Throwback Thursday artists are from the 90′s. I can’t help it. In fact, I have a whole list of artists just waiting to be remembered from the 90′s that belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At least in my personal Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The “Tank Memorial Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. Not sure why it’s a memorial. I guess it just sounds better.
So who better to go into my personal Memorial Rock and Roll Hall of Fame than Fuel. These guys produced a slew of hits (mostly in 1998) with the release of their first album Sunburn. Most notably, their singles “Shimmer”, “Sunburn” and “Jesus or a Gun”. And how could one forget their first single of the new millennium, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” which appeared at #30 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
Since then, the band has gone through multiple personnel changes and has shown little to no activity for an official re-uniting. In fact, the odds of them getting back together are about as good as the odds that led me to lose $300 at the casino last weekend. But if you’re looking for a Fuel-like show with Fuel-like qualities, a reformed band is still touring around playing Fuel-like songs. If you’re a purist, you can still re-live the golden Fuel days via compact disc. Toss on your ripped jeans and flannel shirt for the best overall experience.
Buy Sunburn:
With a name like Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, you expect music that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I think that’s part of why JCS always has been one of those bands I just can’t shake off no matter how much time has passed since their last video hit TRL.
That video was “Do Right,” the song that sucked me towards these guys like that little rope spear thing Scorpion throws at people in the Moral Kombat games. The studio version is dandy, but the live acoustic version (which I’m not 100% where you’d find this musical masterpiece) is a million times more entertaining. And that’s saying a lot considering how delicious the studio version is.
The song comes from 1999’s “Bring Your Own Stereo,” which features “Do Right” and loads of other enjoyable diddies. “Trash” and “Spiraling” sound blissfully appropriate for late ‘90s radio play, “Lazy Boy Dash” comes off like something the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies would rock out to, and “String of Pearls” shows they can slow it down a little bit while keeping a catchy melody.
But perhaps the best thing about The Shack, as I’ve affectionately nicknamed them for the purpose of this article, is that they’re really, really fun to see live. These guys make fun of each other (and audience members), they do goofy crap on stage, and thus generally understand that a concert is supposed to be fun and musically entertaining, not just the latter. The lead singer’s name is Jimi Haha, for goodness sake. How can you not love this?
It’s been eleven years since B.Y.O.S. was released, and while it admittedly sounds a little dated, you can’t love turn of the century music and ignore this record. In the true spirit of Throwback Thursday, this album revives the fun and spirit of the times, without all the doom and gloom of the impending Y2K disaster. I say give it a shot, but then I’m the one writing the article.
So… Catch 22.
Check out the old “Do Right” video here:
Pick up “Bring Your Own Stereo” here:
