Song of the Week: Do You Think About Me

"Do You Think About Me"
Michael Fredo
from the album "Introducing Michael Fredo" (Warner Bros., 1999)

Michael Fredo is the nephew of fashion magnate Tommy Hilfiger, and worked briefly as a model before obtaining a recording contract. These aren't exactly stellar credentials for launching a serious music career, but everyone's gotta start somewhere, right? And, when none other than Quincy Jones is behind your debut album, you're off to a pretty decent start.

To be honest, this album isn't really any great shakes, but there are some decent songs on it. This particular one happens to be my favorite off the album ... if you can get past the cheesy "WOO WOO" at the beginning, you'll find a fun, high-energy pop ditty with a great hook in the chorus that would have made NSYNC proud. For some dumb reason, this song wasn't released as a single; if it had been, I don't think the album would have flopped, at least not as thoroughly as it did.

After a long absence, Michael Fredo has returned to making music, with new songs (this time in much more of a singer/songwriter style) on his MySpace page and rumors of a new album coming soon. He didn't necessarily need to wait so long, if he was worried about escaping the "spectre" of his debut album, because although it wasn't spectacular, it was nothing he should be ashamed of either.

CD of the Week: Sway

SWAY
"MMM... PREPARE TO BE SWAYED"
(MCA/Norway, 1995)

There isn't really much point in mentioning that Sway was actually a pseudonym used by Norwegian pop artist Espen Lind, two years before his career took off with the hit single "When Susannah Cries" and bestselling album "Red". His real name isn't mentioned anywhere in the liner notes; the video-distorted image of the leather-clad, dreadlock-haired hipster on the cover bears little resemblance to the Espen Lind that fans have come to know and love; and most significantly, the club-borne "techno-pop" sound on this album is a startling departure from everything he's done since.

The subject matter on this album is often raw and explicit, with images of sex and references to violence cropping up regularly. The language is none too subtle, either: the "f-bomb" and lesser profanities are uttered several times. In these respects, this CD seems to have more in common with a gangsta-rap album than a pop-rock record ... the difference being that, taking into account his stable upbringing, he seems to have taken this approach mostly for the shock value (indeed, with the stage name "Sway", it's almost as if he were playing a character). Having said all that, though, I don't want you to think that I'm a "prude" by any means; I do prefer my music "clean", but I buy the uncensored/unedited versions of albums when there's a choice.

I don't want you to think that I dislike this album, either. It does have some enjoyable songs, even though they can't exactly be played on the radio. "Yum Yum Gimme Some" was a popular single in Norway and is a deliciously (and deliberately) cheesy funkfest. "Sweat" is a churning, claustrophobic study in paranoia. "Blast Yer Brain" is a frantic anthem for disaffected youth. There are also interesting earlier versions of "Missing Her Then" and "American Love", which would later appear in more refined form on Lind's "Red" album. At the center of it all is his amazing, multi-octave voice, which was just as flawless and enchanting back then as it is now.

The multitude of instruments, samples, distortions and loops that are layered together in the most bizarre and captivating ways, not to mention the tunefulness of the melodies at their core, makes this album all the more impressive an achievement when considering the fact that the 24-year-old Lind did every last bit of it himself, from composing the music and lyrics, to performing every instrument, to producing the recording. While it's true that this album is an acquired taste, and not quite as easy to grow fond of as Lind's later works, the fact that the album hasn't even started sounding dated twelve years after it was recorded is proof positive of his uncanny natural talent for music.

Blog Blog, Yadda Yadda

Okay, I feel kind-of like a hypocrite. I've got all those blogs in my links list on the right, and I almost never visit any of them. That's probably because, up until just a couple of weeks ago, I had a miserably slow dial-up internet connection at home. Now that I'm wired for speed and can cruise the web not only faster, but anytime I want and without worrying about tying up the phone line, I just need to remind myself that I can go and read those blogs whenever I want. That's what I've been doing this evening, actually, and here are some goodies I've found:

Chart Rigger has clued me into Annie Lennox's new album, and shown me the video for its first single. I was disappointed with her last CD and am pleased to know that it seems to be a much more upbeat affair (produced by Glen Ballard, no less) ... I'm gonna have to grab that one, I think, seeing as how I've loved "Walking On Broken Glass" for the last 25 years.

Pop Unlimited took me on a fun little trip through an early '90s UK music show courtesy of YouTube clips ... all the more fun with Acerben's witty writing. It makes me wish I were living there instead of here. I might as well be, considering how much more familiar I am with UK music than with the dreck that comes out of this country.

The Rawking Refuses To Stop! has turned me onto The Thrills' new album which, for now, is only available as a UK import (see, I told you, I should be living there!). I'm not the biggest fan of Conor Deasy's somewhat "whiney" voice, but the songs are about as close to a breeze of fresh air coming out of the speakers as we're going to get before such technology actually makes it possible.

This'll teach me to keep up on the other music blogs out there ... You Don't Know Pop recently had a poll on the best B-sides ... and only now, after voting is closed, do I find it. But getting to hear the new Matchbox Twenty single, and seeing "Lost Without Each Other" (perhaps my favorite Hanson song) also being posted, softens the blow. I've just downloaded a couple of other gems from that blog, too ... a recent A-Ha single and a Will Young B-side ... neato!

Thanks to Zeon's Music Blog, I've just found out that Paul Anka will be following up his "Rock Swings" album with another disc of swing-style covers of recent hits! Incredibly cheesy, sure ... but so much fun for those of us who don't take music too seriously.

Hi-Fi Heart is a somewhat fun blog to read ... a very well-rounded taste in music (I regularly find albums on there that I have already, so how bad can it be?). ... KulPop has a tidbit about Ryan Cabrera (though I'd already heard it elsewhere, but only because I'm bad at reading blogs) and is, as I am, eagerly awaiting Ben Lee's new CD. ... The Late Greats may be the most fun of the blogs I (try to) read, 'cause it not only covers new music, but also music from every decade since records were invented.

Last, but by absolutely no means least, is Poster Girl. I do read her blog most regularly of all these, and it's great. She might be a bit more into the pop end of music than I am, but I can always count on an enjoyable song download and a fun comment or two from her.

Song(s) of the Week ... a 50th post celebration!!

Guess what? This is the 50th post in Thnairg's World of Music! Yay, me! To celebrate, I thought I'd give you, my faithful readers, a special treat: not just one Song of the Week, not two, not even three or four ... but a whopping FIVE! I figured "5" was a good tie-in with "50", and about as many as I dare post at once for fear of running out of Songs of the Week too quickly. Anyway, think of this as a "Thnairg 50th Anniversary EP" ... now, download and enjoy!!

"Can I Get a Hit?!" by Kavana -- A few years ago, when former UK pop star Kavana was trying to launch a new career in the US, he made this song available as a free download. His plan fizzled, but he's since gotten renewed interest -- and a greatest-hits compilation with three previously-unreleased songs -- thanks to a recent appearance on a UK TV talent competition. This song is a bit more rocky/dancey than the stuff that made him famous, but it's one of my favorites of his.


"Venus Butterfly" by Hidell -- After The Moffatts but before Same Same, Bob and Clint Moffatt formed this rock band with two friends, and they unfortunately only ever released one album. I was lucky enough to get my hands on it, and to rip the tightly copy-protected (but vulnerable to Windows 98) disc into MP3's before getting rid of my old computer. Excellent song and album ... kind-of picks up in the rockier direction that The Moffatts' "Submodalities" started going in.


"Strange" by Erik Faber -- It's hard to pick a favorite from any of his albums, they're all so good, but this song, from Norwegian pop artist Erik Faber's sophomore album "Century", does well at capturing the slightly more mellow part of his sound. This should be strong evidence of why his albums are, in my opinion, very much worth seeking out.




"Falling" by Eman -- Emanuel Kiriakou is a talented and experienced producer, songwriter and instrumentalist, having worked with some of the biggest names in pop music. A few years ago he released his own album on an independent label, and it showed that his talent extends into performing as well. Every song is excellent, but this one is my favorite. His good friend and frequent collaborator, Joey McIntyre, covered it on his album "8:09", and it can also be heard in a very entertaining live album, "Joe Mac and Eman: One Too Many".

"Out Of My Bed (Still In My Head)" by Gil -- He's now a heavy rocker, but Israeli/German musician Gil Ofarim started out as a bubble-gum teen-pop star with a significant following, especially in Southeast Asia. This song, from his second album, was rumored to have been written for another, more popular, recording artist, but I've never found out whom. It would have been a good single for most anyone, but of course it sounds perfect in the hands of Gil.


And now, on to the next 50 posts...!

CD of the Week: Hanson

HANSON
"THE WALK"
(3CG, 2007)

If you're reading this sentence, it means that the simple mention of the name "Hanson" didn't instantly repel you, and that I probably don't need to explain that the brothers Hanson have evolved musically since their bubble-gum kid-pop days a decade ago -- which would make logical sense, of course, since they've matured physically and psychologically since then as well. One can hardly deny that Hanson have had an uncanny natural talent for music since the very beginning; remember, they wrote their own stuff even back then.

Starting out with "Great Divide", a hearty anthem featuring an African boys' choir (proceeds from the iTunes sale of the single go toward an African AIDS charity), the album maintains a steady momentum throughout ... a melodic tribute to their musical influences ("Been There Before"), a breezily jogging love song ("Georgia"), a heartbreaking ballad ("Go"), a propulsive rocker ("Blue Sky", again featuring the African boys' choir), and a lushly atmospheric lament ("One More"). All three brothers trade off in lead vocal duties, and for the first time, I've come to truly appreciate vocals other than Taylor's: the youngest Hanson, Zac, has really come into his own on this album, with a very enjoyable voice. Has something changed just in the last two years, or have I just failed to notice his vocal talent until now? (I think he's been given more lead vocal turns here than on previous efforts, now that I think about it.) I may have to go back and listen to their last album.

After their sugar-coated debut disc, Hanson made a jarring shift into a heavily blues-influenced sophomore album. Then, realizing it may have been too much of a "growth spurt" for some of their fans to digest, they lightened up some for their third record. Now, they've gone one more step into adulthood, resulting in an album that is, in a way, both surprising (in its maturity) and expected (in its evolution) at the same time. Now that they're all married, the boys have become men and can now write adult songs without seeming pretentious -- at least no more pretentious than white guys who play the blues. And for those who are unable to look past "Mmmbop" and continue to avoid Hanson based on their distant creative past ... well, the loss is yours.

Wake Up Living

Look out ... the cute little Canadian with the big beefy voice is back! Kalan Porter's new album comes out August 28th (in Canada), and here's the first single! It's a ballad, but it's been so long since he's released anything that I'm a happy camper! Besides, the video's kind-of cool....



Other upcoming releases I'm waiting eagerly for: Teddy Geiger (September?) ... Ben Lee (September 18) ... Queen Latifah (September 25) ... The 5 Browns (October 2). It's shaping up to be a good season!

But Is It Art?

I have to admit that I'm not all that much of a reader, but I've been trying to change that gradually. There are a few music-related books that seem pretty interesting and I've wanted to buy and read, so maybe soon I'll be able to do a good "books about music" post. But in the meantime, I've got one book in particular that I think everyone would get a big kick out of: Horrifically Bad Album Covers! by Nick DiFonzo. The title is self-explanatory, and the book is totally worth buying. Even for the people who don't like music, the fascination with aesthetically deficient imagery is practically universal.

I've tried to be really selective and only post a few pictures from the book ('cause I don't want the publisher to get pissed at me, even though I'm posting them with the hope that you'll buy the book), but it was tough to narrow it down to six. Trust me, people -- if these pictures intrigue you (and how can they not?), the book's just loaded with 'em. Each picture comes with a brief, entertaining comment by the author, but I won't reproduce those here -- the comments below are my own. Enjoy!


CAPTAIN HOOK AND HIS CHRISTIAN PIRATE CREW: "Shiver My Timbers!"
This is a case of the album's concept being weirder than the cover art ... Christian Pirates?!? I guess now we can safely say the Evangelicals have truly used every kid-friendly scenario to try and lay a little religion on them. (And they accuse the homosexuals of "recruiting" kids?!?) I have to wonder what this thing sounds like ... "Arrrr! Avast, me hearties! I'm gonna run through that scurvy bum with me cutlass! But first, we must open up the good book to Lamentations, verse 4!"


THE RHODES KIDS: "Add a Little Beauty To The World"
Hmmm ... a little beauty, you say? Getting rid of those outfits would be a good place to start. And what's with this "America's No. 1 Musical Family" claim? I may not have encyclopedic knowledge of '60s and '70s music, but I know that being "No. 1" would require that I'd at least heard of them before now. Oh, it's got quotes around it, so that must mean their manager said it one day ... probably preceded by the phrase, "Someday they're gonna be...".


THE MINISTERS QUARTET: "Let Me Touch Him"
This one has got to be my favorite -- it's a joke all by itself. Sure, back in the '50s it seemed perfectly innocent to give this kind of an album title to a gospel group full of middle-aged men, but I seriously doubt they'd get away with it nowadays (the album title, at least).


SHARRON L. LUCKEY: "Carpet Square"
Okay, this one is just plain weird-looking. I'm guessing that "the carpet square" was some sort of exercise fad they roped the kids into doing back then, but even forgiving the impaired fashion sense of the time, it still looks utterly dorky.


DR. GEORGE MILSTEIN: "Music To Grow Plants"
Wow, I can just imagine how much this album rocks. I've heard that fans of the Warped Tour and Ozzfest even stay away from this one. Well ... okay, it's mostly just because they don't know it exists, but still ... better safe than sorry.


TAMMY FAYE: "Run Toward The Roar"
Okay, you know this is a bad album cover when you barely even notice Tammy Faye's thick coat of makeup! I know we're not supposed to speak ill of the dead (not that I would), but does posting bad album covers of them count? Tammy Faye may have started out as a religious conservative whacko (Or was she just married to one? I can't remember.), but she would later come to her senses and embrace what Christianity is really all about: appreciating us all for who we are. Rest in peace, Tammy Faye.

Audio Train Wreck of the Month: Can I Call You My Girl?

"Can I Call You My Girl?"
PC Quest
from the album "PC Quest" (RCA, 1991)

Quick -- What's the sappiest teen-pop love song of all time? If you answered "Please Don't Go Girl" by New Kids On The Block, you're in for a surprise. That one definitely comes close, but I put today's download up against the sickly-sweetest schmaltz anyone has to offer. Seriously ... if you're a diabetic, you may want to make sure you have an emergency insulin injection handy before you try listening to this song.

Sonic saccharine reached critical mass in 1991 with this ditty, from co-ed teen pop group PC Quest, featuring Chad Petree (yes, the same Chad Petree who's now part of the genuinely cool synth-rock band Shiny Toy Guns) on lead vocals. I almost hate to upload this song, 'cause he's probably just now lived down this dubious part of his music career ... but then, how can he feel like he's accomplished something without looking back at the embarrassing stuff he's done in the past? See, I'm helping him feel good about himself. Besides, PC Quest must not have been too traumatic for Chad, 'cause he was willing to go with the same three-guys-and-one-girl configuration when assembling Shiny Toy Guns.

This song's not completely horrible; for one thing, you have to admit that, even back in his early teens, Chad had a great singing voice. And the guitar solo (from Drew Nichols, later of The Graham Colton Band) rocks too, in a semi-lame teen-pop sort of way (probably not his fault ... after all, how hard would the producers let him "shred" it on that kind of record?). The other songs on the album are kind-of cool, if you can overlook the very dated early '90s sound, and the same goes for PC Quest's follow-up album, "Directions".

Hmmm ... all of my Audio Train Wrecks so far have come from the early '90s. It's gotta be a coincidence ... I don't hate early '90s music, 'cause plenty of it was good. I'll see if I can tune my crap-o-meter in to other musical eras ... and I think I may do an "early '90s month" theme for my Songs of the Week soon, just to show you that there really was some good stuff to come out of that time period.

CD(s) of the Week: The Rocket Summer and Ben Kweller

THE ROCKET SUMMER
"DO YOU FEEL"
(Island, 2007)

and

BEN KWELLER
"BEN KWELLER"
(ATO, 2006)

I couldn't decide which of these two CDs to review this week, and then it occurred to me: why not do both? I don't think the artists have ever worked together, they record on different labels, and their CDs were released about a year apart (Ben Kweller's in 2006, and The Rocket Summer's just last month), but they complement each other very nicely. Aside from the incidental similarities -- both artists being in their twenties, and each of these titles being its respective artist's third album -- they both craft generally upbeat songs about life and love ... as much as a person in his twenties can know about those subjects without sounding pretentious. Plus, both of these albums signify something of a creative milestone for the artists.

The Rocket Summer is Bryce Avary and nobody else; he not only writes all his own songs, but on his previous two releases for the independent Militia Group label, he played every instrument himself ... this time around, however, he gets a little bit of help on a few songs. Avary's voice is something I imagine most people will either love or hate: it's got a little bit of an adolescent whine in places, but I find it rather endearing, for some strange reason. His brisk melodies and rambunctious arrangements, anchored primarily by a solid piano foundation, keep things fun through most of the album, which I consider his best yet. His previous albums seemed to wander a bit in places; but here he sounds more focused and, as a result, more self-assured. A few of the songs might sound similar to each other, but they're entertaining enough that you won't care.

Ben Kweller's self-titled third album is a bit of a change for him as well. He's always written his own material but, whereas he had a full band of players assisting him on instruments in his previous efforts, this time he took the one-man-band route that Bryce Avary has been used to, choosing to play each and every instrument himself. The result is his most enjoyable album of guitar-centric pop-rock yet; it sure sounds like he enjoyed the idea of being in total creative control (although he did have a producer). Kweller's songs are more subdued on average than Avary's, but no less appealing. He also has an imperfect voice (slightly off-key occasionally), but it's perfect for the kind of songs he sings.

This is going to sound a bit crazy, but I got an image in my head when I first listened to "Ben Kweller" a year ago: the image of Ben walking into my room without saying a word, sitting down in the corner on the floor facing my direction, and just smiling in silence, gently bobbing his head to the rhythm of each song as it played. It was simple: Ben Kweller the person was "Ben Kweller" the album, and the room (silly as this might sound) was my heart. I was reminded of that vision when I heard The Rocket Summer's new album -- in no uncertain terms, both of these albums have waltzed right into my music collection and made themselves comfortable. If you enjoy rough-around-the-edges singer-songwriter pop (less polished than, say, Teddy Geiger or Ryan Cabrera), you might as well buy both of these albums together; if you like one, you'll like the other.

I Love Music (Volume One)

Amongst the several series of "theme" mix CDs that I make for myself and my sister (she got me into the habit) is a series I call "I Love Music". In case you couldn't guess by the title, the subject of that particular series is songs about music. I've managed to gather together four discs' worth of such songs so far, and I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. (There'll probably be a "part 2" to this post sometime in the near future.)

1) "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder -- Stevie's tribute to Duke Ellington is a classic, and simply had to be included. You might not know it by its title, but you will by the chorus ... "You can feel it all o-o-over!"

2) "Until The Record Breaks" by Wave -- This is one of my favorite songs by Canadian pop duo, Wave ... and it was one of the very first songs I thought of when my sister presented me with the idea of a CD of songs about music. I love it!

3) "Rock & Roll Is King" by Electric Light Orchestra -- How can anyone dislike not only this authentic-sounding slice of '50s rock-and-roll, but also the fact that it came out of the middle of the disco era?

4) "Pop" by NSYNC -- This just might be my favorite NSYNC song ... even more surprising considering I don't like electronica, which this song borrows heavily from. If only the rest of the album it came from lived up to the incredible freshness of this song ... but, that's a subject for another time.

5) "Everyone Deserves Music" by Michael Franti & Spearhead -- Another unlikely inclusion of mine, since it's kind-of heavy on the hip-hop, another genre that I don't care for. But this song has a special place in my heart, 'cause it was the song I heard the last time I stepped into a local CD store I visited every day -- it closed that weekend. The irony of hearing that song at that time still makes me stop and think.

6) "Oh No The Radio" by Owsley -- One of the most underrated power-pop artists of all time put out a killer album in 1999, and it turned out to be his only major-label effort. This was track one, and the entire album kept the momentum, offering one hooky, hum-along song after another.

7) "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger -- Yes, the song that Tom Cruise lip-synched to in his underwear in "Risky Business". Could I seriously do an "I Love Music" CD without this song? Puh-leeze...!

8) "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by Cass Elliot -- She was one of the most amazing female vocalists of all time, and she lived a terribly short life in the spotlight. If you don't own any of her stuff, you owe it to yourself to change that.

9) "Who Stole My Radio?" by Shemekia Copeland -- I happened upon this one on a CD sampler from "Paste" magazine, and I loved it. A great, old-school soul song about the state of modern radio -- and why I don't listen to it anymore.

10) "The Heart of Rock & Roll" by Huey Lewis & The News -- Another classic, from one of the great bands who've never forgotten what good old fashioned rock & roll is all about.

11) "Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" by Barry Mann -- An irresistibly catchy chorus makes this song one of the best songs about music -- not to mention one of the best songs, period -- to come out of the '50s!

12) "Just Push Play" by Aerosmith -- Another kick-ass rock band that I've only recently come to really appreciate. I'm still not sure if this song is about music or not, but it's a whole helluva lot of fun!

13) "Can't Stop The Pop" by A-Teens -- Pure ear candy, but also purely irresistible. The Swedish pop troupe nearly out-Jackson-Fives the Jackson Five on this one!

14) "I Love Rock & Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts -- This is another one of those songs that simply can't not be included on a compilation like "I Love Music" ... everyone knows it, and for good reason.

15) "Sing" by The Carpenters -- Sure, it's schmaltzy, but it's also timeless ... and if the "la la la" of the children's choir doesn't at least put a little bit of a smile on your face, you need to check for a pulse.

16) "Achy Breaky Song" by "Weird Al" Yankovic -- I almost can't make a mix CD without putting a little "Weird Al" in it ... okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But this one was a must-have ... not only does it name-check every cheesy musician in the book, but it also parodies a song that got way too much attention!

17) "The Motown Song" by Rod Stewart -- I don't think I've ever heard a nicer tribute to Motown than this, in both lyrics and melody ... "Bring over some of your old Motown records..."!

18) "Listen To The Music" by The Doobie Brothers -- This one is such a classic that I almost shouldn't be allowed to call myself a music fan for having forgotten to include it until Volume 4!

19) "Box Set" by Barenaked Ladies -- This tongue-in-cheek satire of self-indulgent musicians who put out multi-disc box sets is one of the Ladies' forgotten masterpieces ... I love it!

20) "Pop From Hell" by Espen Lind -- Not only is this song about music (though perhaps not as drectly as most songs here), but it's incredibly interesting to listen to, with its Andrew Lloyd Weber meets Freddie Mercury style ... definitely like nothing else out there.

Song of the Month Week!: What About Us

Well, I must say I'm proud of how long I held out posting only two songs per month ... but I don't think I can hold myself back any longer. Mind you, I won't be going hog wild and posting a song every day (mainly 'cause I still stand behind most of what I said here), but I think that one MP3 per week is a healthy dose, and one I shouldn't have any trouble holding myself to. You'll never know what each week's download is gonna be -- usually one of my current/recent favorites, but I'll continue bringing you an Audio Train Wreck every once in awhile, and maybe even a miscellaneous gem, like an oldie or a novelty recording. But rest assured, if your pal Thnairg bothers to upload it, it's worth listening to at least once.


"What About Us"
Point Break
from the album "Apocadelic" (Warner/UK, 2000)

Point Break were a three-member boyband from the UK who, unfortunately, only ever released one album. True, there were dozens of boybands flooding the market at that time, but while all the other boybands were concentrating on the two ends of the boy-pop spectrum -- high-energy dance tracks and slow, sweet love songs -- Point Break picked up on the virtually untouched sub-genre in the middle: the power ballad.

Sure, they had their share of dance numbers too, but they obviously realized they were good at power ballads, 'cause there are several on the album. This is my favorite of them ... it starts out quietly, like any unassuming soft ballad, but when the chorus thunders in, with that percussion track that was made to sound like a stadium full of people stomping and clapping in unison, it makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

I'm not sure if any of the Point Break boys went on to bigger and better things in the music industry (heck, I don't even know their full names), but it's a shame they never put out a second album, because I've almost invariably found boybands' sophomore albums -- where they really began to develop their own sound -- superior to their debuts. And since they had already stood a bit apart from the pack on their first record, I can only imagine the great album that never was.

CD of the Week: Zack Hexum

ZACK HEXUM
"THE STORY SO FAR"
(Trauma, 2004)

Don't you just love it when an album that you buy almost as an afterthought turns out to be one of your favorite music purchases from that whole year? I do ... and what's more, the year is barely half over and I can tell you without a doubt that this album will still be very near the top of that list on December 31.

Zack Hexum's brother, Nick, may be co-founder of the alternative band 311, but don't expect to find any trace of that group's punk/rap/metal mixture here. In some ways, this is the opposite: laid-back but lively pop-rock, full of hum-along hooks and toe-tapping melodies, all wrapped together around Zack's snappy and appealing voice. "How Many Times" is the song that brought him to my attention (when it was a free download on iTunes), a breezy tune that's pretty-much representative of the album; "Spicy Streak" is one of the rockier songs on the disc,but begins with a cool, jazzy intro; "Outside Opinion" sprinkles in a bit of blues and a bit of country; but my favorite has to be the closing track, "One Spin", a spry, funky anthem that would make Jason Mraz proud (and also shows off Zack's saxophone chops).

My only regret about this album is that I wish I'd discovered it as soon as it came out three years ago, when I could have told everyone I know about it, so they would have rushed out and bought it and given it that critical new-release support ... not that a dozen or so sales would have rocketed it into the Billboard Top Ten. But hey, it's still in print, so go out and buy it now! You'll thank me later.

Syncsta Fever!

If you haven't heard of Syncsta yet, it probably won't be long until you do ... and you're in for a real treat. Syncsta are Jake Walmsley and Chris Green, a pair of British lads who, not too long ago, started making videos of themselves lip-synching and dancing to pop songs and posting them on YouTube on a whim. Before they knew it, their videos had been viewed thousands of times, and they were even starting to get recognized on the street. Now, former Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith has staked claim to guiding the duo's potential showbiz future.

This is my favorite Syncsta clip -- and most everyone else's, from what I've heard. If, after watching this video, you still don't understand why I love these guys so much, then there's no hope of explaining it to you in words. You'll find links to some of their other YouTube videos in the right-hand column of this blog, and here's a link straight to their YouTube channel. Far more than just the simple ability to lip-sync to a song, they have an undeniable charm and impishness in front of the camera, as well as a playful affection for the music, if not a deep love for it.


The song is called "Dragostea Din Tei", and it's sung in Romanian. It was a fairly successful chart hit all over the world, but I hadn't heard of it until Syncsta brought it to my attention. (You can read about the song, including what its title might or might not translate to, here; and you can read an English translation of the lyrics here.) Suffice it to say that I liked the song so much, I was compelled to track down a compilation CD that has the song on it. And now, every time I listen to the song, a smile comes across my face as I remember the fun these guys must have had filming this video. Any performance that evokes that kind of reaction in someone, especially a performance those guys do just for fun, is something else, wouldn't you say?