Next week, we begin our third annual #MapleLeafMarch. You know, that one month of the year that I fill with Canadians, for absolutely no reason other than I am the world's biggest fan of poutine.
But today is k-os's birthday. He turns 51 today. So, rather than wait a week, we feature his 2005 hit from NEW ZEALAND - where it was featured in a commercial for Vodafone.
I cannot believe we've never, ever posted Weezer here.
Well, let's fix that with their best known song.
Wait, you mean it wasn't a hit in the US? Well, it was OUTSIDE the United States, which is amazing for a song that shouldn't have even existed. Producer of their (second) self-titled album and Cars frontman Ric Ocasek pushed for its inclusion, and it ended up being the single released after the much darker "Hash Pipe".
So, about that video. It's got a Mexican wedding theme. But, say you don't want a Mexican wedding. Say, for example, you want to see Rivers Cuomo sing at a baby bear, but you didn't want Mikey Welsh in the video. Wouldn't it be great if there was a video like that?
It's hard to believe that Miley Cyrus is 30. Her first trip(s!) to the pop charts happened when she was 15 - and still playing Hannah Montana.
Fifteen years later, she's still releasing hits.
She's been to the top of the pop charts before, but "Flowers" is setting up to be her biggest hit by far - debuting at #1 in the US and all around the world, and staying there for three weeks in the States as of this writing. The song, a breakup song that is more of a profession of self-love, is funky and poppy and instantly singable and danceable. More to the point, it is a breakup song that is likely about Liam Hemsworth, her ex - the song was released on his birthday.
The video caused a run on black lingerie thanks to the outfit Miley wears starting at the 1:00 mark of this video.
We seem to come back to Curve an awful lot. For good reason - they are a band that had real forward-sounding music, continually. They reinvented themselves, continually.
And they broke up way too soon.
This song, the lead single from their third album, Come Clean, waste no time getting right into the high-energy music. It is so high energy it was featured in the TV series La Femme Nikita, and also Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Is it the theme song for all shows adapted from better movies? It is angry and powerful throughout, and I'd bet they loved it in the clubs.
Today, we feature Eagle-Eye Cherry, one hit wonder half-brother of a one-hit wonder (Neneh Cherry) (at least from a US standpoint - he did have more hits in Europe). This is his one US hit.
This video for this song was filmed in Stockholm, Sweden - Eagle-Eye Cherry is 1/2 Swedish, so this was his home country. The song itself, released in 1997 but not a North American hit until 1999, is a soulful journey through the impending loss of love - and relishing the moments you have, tonight.
So, on this Valentine's Day, please, enjoy your night, no matter how you spend it. Don't worry about tomorrow.
Growing up, I was a big fan of music videos. Thankfully, I didn't just digest these videos from MTV (although this particular one got a little airplay there). I watched a lot of BET, which, back then, was openly calling itself Black Entertainment Television. They had a lot of shows that played R&B and hip hop videos.
Thus, I discovered what was a minor pop hit - but a huge R&B hit that didn't cross over hard.
Rebbie is the oldest of the Jackson siblings. She has not had as many hits as her brothers or even her sister Janet, and she doesn't have the psychic network of LaToya - but she had "Centipede", her 1984 hit and best known song - a top 30 pop hit that reached the top 5 on the R&B charts. Written and produced by her kid brother Michael - yes, that's him on background vocals, along with Izora Rhodes and Martha Wash (who are better known as the Weather Girls).
For Rebbie, family came first - the album of the same name and this single were not released until her children were old enough and she had spent time with them while they were young. Despite that focus on family, she didn't initially want to use her maiden name (Jackson) as an artist - but relented because, well, it's her name and it carries power. If you look at the album and single for this song, you'll notice "Rebbie" is big and "Jackson" is small.
I don't make these things up.
Anyway, it was BET that introduced me to this song, and I am grateful. I hope you enjoy it.
This 1991 song isn't likely Fishbone's best known song - "Ma and Pa" comes to mind - but it is their biggest hit to date.
The song is pretty blatant lyrically - the narrator hates his life and everything around him. The song is probably straight-up about depression. The high-speed ska-funk-punk-rock fusion masks the sad nature of the song,
I did say it was their biggest hit to date. They're still together and they still perform.
