One more thing.

It was brought to my attention by a family member, when talking about my blog, that I have forgotten one of the biggest local One Hit Wonders. Question Mark and the Mysterians.




I seriously grew up maybe a mile from his house. Question Mark (yes, that's what he changed his name to) was in the Clio Messenger when his house burned down. I'm very sad that I forgot him. But he's been added now. Pretty catchy song.

"Who are we talking about again?"

I love a good One Hit Wonder. I really do. Though the definition leaves room for interpretation and isn't always accurate, a One Hit Wonder is generally a band or artist with only one popular song, one song that made it to Billboard's Top 40. There are problems with this definition, such as what "popular" really means, or whether the Top 40 is an accurate estimate of a song's true popularity. In general, though, the term just means, generally, that song that you can mention to pretty much anyone that would evoke a "Yeah! That song is great! Who is it by again?"

There have been a lot of lists formed of the most "popular" one hit wonders, and a VH1 special devoted to just the subject. A movie was made (That Thing You Do), and in general, there seems to be a lot of fascination with what causes the phenomenon, and what happens to the band afterward. I prefer to just take it as it is: they had a popular song, then they fell out of the public eye. I guess I just feel like over-thinking it can just ruin the song.

That being said, I have a list of One Hit Wonders that I really love. By sharing them, I may be setting myself up to be mocked, but I don't care. There are a lot of other people out there that secretly love them, too.

My first, favorite, song, has to be "Come on Eileen," by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

This is seriously one of my favorite songs. I have no clue what he's saying throughout the entire song, but something about the music, use of many different stringed instruments, and the upbeat tempo always (and I mean always) puts me in a good mood. I wish I had an explanation, but sadly, I do not. It's just simply, amazing.

"No Rain," by Blind Melon is also pretty high up on my list. The song came out and was popular before I was in preschool, but, among certain people, is still well-loved today, which is a pretty big feat. What the song is really about is up for a lot of interpretation, but that's part of the reason why I enjoy it-many people can listen to the same song and come away with different meanings. I'm not really sure what's going on in the video, however.

This song, "Epic" by Faith No More, was on Rock Band, but that's not where I heard it first. This is definitely another case of having absolutely no clue what's going on in the music video.

There are a lot of other songs that are high up on my list, but I simply don't have the energy to search for every video right now. Some of them, sadly, mostly from the 90's (since that's from the time-period that I remember) include: Semi-sonic's "Closing Time," "Take On Me" by A Ha, "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve, "Ice Ice Baby" (word to your mother) by Vanilla Ice, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "Turning Japanese" (even though I'm not sure it's PC) by the Vapors, and "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks. There are probably a lot more, but I really just can't think of the band names right now...

On another note, I absolutely cannot stand the song "Macarena." Really, no exaggeration. Can't even stand it.

I guess One Hit Wonders are kind of a cultural phenomenon. What causes one song to rise to such popularity, but what keeps the band from producing another really popular song, is really an interesting case. Either way, nothing stops them from having an impact on the generation that made them popular, and even on some of the ones to follow. But I'm over-analyzing. Like I said, I take them for what they are, a good (or maybe not so good) song, and leave it at that.

Sometimes it's better not to think about things too much.

Skills.

This girl puts my guitar playing skills to shame, and she's only fourteen! When I was fourteen, I could barely hold a guitar. Impressive.



She's playing the Halestorm (which I'll probably talk about at a later date) song "Better Sorry than Safe." You should check out her other stuff here.

Mack is Back

Today is a Bobby Darin day. Plain and simple.

Most from my generation don't know Bobby at all, and if they do, they know him for his hit, "Splish Splash," but there's much more to Bobby than that.



One of the most popular songs that Bobby Darin sings is "Mack the Knife." This song always seemed strange to me. The song was released in 1958, but the song seems very closely tied to murder, when you listen to the lyrics. It seems strange that a song, based around murder, became so popular in the fifties. However, I wasn't there, so I don't know. Either way, the song got him a Grammy. From what I've read, "Mack the Knife" originally came from a German opera. Then again, my source is Wikipedia, so I'm never really sure what I can trust from there. The song is probably one of my favorites.


One of Bobby's more popular hits was "Beyond the Sea," an English version of the French song "La Mer" (which, just as trivia, can be heard in one of the episodes of Lost). "Dream Lover," and "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," were also popular. The last song was used in the movie Little Rascals, and every time I hear that song, that's what I think of. One of my favorite, yet one of the more depressing, songs he sings is "Artificial Flowers." The song about a young orphaned girl who makes her way in the world by making and selling artificial flowers, is kind of a tear-jerker, and oddly upbeat for such a sad song.


I couldn't find an actual live recording of the song, and this was before music videos, but I did attach the audio file, via youtube.

Darin led a successful career, and later became more politically concerned, from what I understand. He was an actor, nominated for an Oscar, and married twice, once to Sandra Dee. His life ended way too early, when he died in 1973 at the age of 37.

Bobby Darin has always been a staple in my house. As I've gotten older, this hasn't changed. Despite his untimely death, Darin definitely left an impact, at least on me and my family.

So whether you're in the mood for an upbeat song like "Splish Splash," a ballad like "Beyond the Sea," or a song about a murder, like "Mack The Knife," Darin is definitely a good option for any day.

Soundtracks

I love a good soundtrack, I really do.
However, there is one soundtrack that I don't like.

I work a lot, over thirty hours per week. Due to some form that I don't remember signing, I can't talk about where I work here, or can't slander it. However, if you don't know where it is...I think we're fine. I'll give you a hint: it's the first store to put groceries and a department store together. I learned that in my training.

Though I'm not going to talk about the store or the people, I'm going to talk about the soundtrack. Some of it is pretty terrible. Like, really terrible. There was one song that played throughout the summer that was, essentially, one word repeated over and over. "Summertime, summertime, summertime, summertime..." was repeated, I swear, once every half an hour. It hurts me to remember it.

However, some good things have been heard on the soundtrack, including possibly half, if not all, of the soundtrack from The Wedding Singer. I hate to say it, but some of the things have broadened my musical horizons.
I think one of the songs that I love hearing the most is this one-"Friday I'm in Love." For some reason, this song always makes me happy. It's a love song, yes, but in a weird way. He has a lovely way of saying things and it helps get me through those long shifts.



The above song makes me think of what I can remember of the nineties. The nineties was, for the most part, a pretty good era for music. I love the reference to the movie. Again, a very happy song.

I've heard some good Roy Orbison on the soundtrack, Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" and even more recent things like Owl City and Fergie ("Big Girls Don't Cry"). However, I'm fairly convinced that third shift gets to pick their soundtrack somehow. If you want to hear a more alternative rock/soundtrack (and are nocturnal), third shift is when you should shop.


I have heard Shinedown, Stone Temple Pilots, and have been told Muse plays on the soundtrack on those rare days when I have to be to work before the sun comes up, which, by the way, I think should be a crime.

My analysis of the playlist from my work was only brought about by how, in a way, I wish my life had a soundtrack, and in a way, it does. We're able to identify with certain songs more than others because it's an experience we can relate to, and thus, that song means something to us, becoming part of our own personal soundtrack. Every song that has meaning to us has become part of our lives, and, if our lives were movies, would have a certain scene they would be played with. In my opinion, anyway. However, our lives aren't movies. Which is good, because mine would be a very boring one.

The other reason I analyzed the soundtrack is simply because...I'm stuck listening to it every day and wanted to share it with everyone. I only shared the good parts, though. Consider yourself lucky that there is no video for "Summertime."

Or the five million orange juice commercials, advertised by Tom Selleck. No Tom, Halloween is not a good time for orange juice, sorry.

Currently

This has been stuck in my head pretty much all day.

It's called "Salty Eyes" by The Matches. I don't know much about The Matches, honestly. I only know a few songs, and this is one of them.

Old School

With all of the new technology and the way it changes, sometimes it's nice to have things be a little simpler. Though I may be young, I don't entirely understand the way some technology works. I've been called "technologically illiterate" more than once, but hey, I'm learning.

In my last post I showed a picture of the record player my mother received for Christmas. As I still live at home, I view her record player, in many ways, my new toy. So far she doesn't seem to mind. The first time I put a record on, I dropped the needle. That was just before she swooped in, moved me out of the way, and did it herself. Who knew dropping the needle could hurt a record? Since then, I've improved, and can almost put the record on without injuring it. For the most part.


After listening to the same ten records repeatedly, my mother and I decided to venture out in search of new listening experiences. So today, we left for Jellybean's, a music/book/collectible store on Court St. in Flint. This was the store where her records came from originally.

This isn't a commercial by any means. Actually, the store smells of basement, which I attribute to all of the materials that probably came from a basement. However, it is possible to find some really cool stuff. Among others, you can find The Beatles, Elvis, Van Halen, Queen, Boston, and Blondie, as well as others like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra. It definitely spans the decades.


My mom's purchases consisted of artists such as Bobby Darin, Doris Day, and her favorite, Elvis. These purchases all seem strange to me, since she's only 38, but, who am I to judge? My purchases didn't reflect my age, either. I came out with a Billy Idol album, CCR's Cosmo's Factory, and The Beatles 1962-1970.

I really feel that as we progress into a more technologically advanced society, some of the nice things of the past are being lost. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a family where the "oldies" were played regularly, and records were an acceptable form of listening technology. I really feel that, to some extent, the progressing technology of iPods and mp3's loses something along the way.

Don't get me wrong. This new technology is definitely convenient, and you'll for sure see me with my iPod on for the better part of the day. Mp3's are easy to acquire (sometimes, too easy) and offer more flexibility. It's nice to be able to take your music with you. Arguably, this new technology is better than the old, because you can have more music, anywhere, and anytime you want it.

However, somehow, there's also a warmness lost. A personalization, I guess. I'm not even old enough to remember when records were popular (I wasn't the one that roller-skated to the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, like my mom), but I still feel that there's something there that's lacking with cd's, mp3's, etc. The skips and pops, while annoying, also add a character to the record. I guess it's different, in a way. At least to me.

I guess after a long day, it will be nice to come home and listen to something soothing, like Dean Martin, maybe, and feel like he's singing for me.

Vintage.

My mother's Christmas present. My new toy.

Pretty Talented

I don't watch much TV. It seems that I'm always three seasons behind on the most popular shows. I suppose that's why I've never seen the show Gossip Girl.

How does this pertain to music? Let me explain.

Had I seen the show Gossip Girl, perhaps I would have heard of Taylor Momsen. If I had heard of Taylor Momsen, perhaps I would have known that not only was she an actress on the CW, and Cindy Lou Who in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (this was relevant to me, anyway), but she also had a band...that was actually pretty good. Oh yeah, and she's seventeen.

I saw Taylor Momsen's band, The Pretty Reckless, for the first time at Vans Warped Tour this past summer. Before this, I had never heard of them. When a friend told me that this was the girl from Gossip Girl, I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't initially give the band much thought, much credit. However, after hearing a few songs, I started to change my opinion a little.



Though I'm not a music critic, by any means, the alt-rock sound provided by the heavily distorted guitars, and gritty voice from a teen that sounded like it could've come from someone much older, drew me in. I guess it helps that the songs were catchy and worded fairly well, too. Though they may not be the greatest musicians the world has seen thus far, they were pretty good. I'm willing to cut her a little slack since at her age, I was barely out of high school, while she writes her songs, tours with a band, and acts on a pretty popular show.

And I said I'm too busy for TV. I think she's got me beat.

Even without her acting ability (which I can't gauge, since I've never actually watched the show), I'd say she and her band are pretty talented.

The Intro

Most good songs have intros. I suppose I'll follow suit and give this blog an intro, too.

I've always had a passion for music. I remember making my first guitar out of a Kleenex box and an empty paper towel roll in the third grade, and joining my first "band" at the age of ten. Since then, I've grown, and my musical interests have expanded beyond Disney songs and whatever my parents listened to, into a wide variety of genres and artists. I played in my school's band for eight years (yes, I was a band-geek) and still currently play the guitar, though regrettably, not that well. However, this blog has little to nothing to do with my own musical endeavors.

I'll be talking about music, yes. I listen to music every day, for most of my waking hours, so this is a topic that I really feel I can discuss for a long period of time. I'd like to look at different artists and different songs of every different genre. Sometimes I'll criticize, but mostly, I just would like to introduce people to different artists and offer my opinions on different works of art, since, for the most part, music can be an art form. I'd just like to share the joy of music. I'm clearly no music critic, and I know I don't know everything, and any opinion I offer is strictly that, an opinion. I'm definitely open to suggestions and alternate interpretations. My interpretation is clearly not the only one.

Mostly, I just like to talk about it.

So, I'm going to give it a go, and just push play.




And yes, I understand that based on my title, that was a really cheesy way to end my post.