9 non-consecutive hours of top 40 radio.

after a nice weekend-in-the-middle-of-the-week-style 4th of july, i not only celebrated the birth of america, but the most AMERICAN music of all - top 40 radio. having a new car (nicole is my hero) that features an inoperable tape deck and only radio really forced me to explore the field of work that i will be leaving in august. it's like having a million spoons when all you need is a knife...or something. here's some ramblings about top 40 songs i either rediscovered on my journey or heard for the first time.

shakira & wyclef jean - "hips don't lie"

this is now the default song in my head at all times. so when i'm bored i blurt out "sha-KEE-ra! sha-KEE-ra!" just like the 'clef does in the song and if my girlfriend is around, she'll continue on: "ooh baby when you talk like that, you make a woman go mad." this is all well and good, but it also comes with the mariachi-yamaha-demo-influenced intro that gives me a headache.


rihanna - "s.o.s. (rescue me)"

american culture has been ridiculously drenched with the keyboard riff from the soft cell classic "tainted love," from numerous tv commercials to the mid-90s no-hit-wonder SHADES APART cover, but for some reason, i still got excited when i heard this destiny's-child-soundalike sampling it. oh and the chorus KKKKIIILLLSSS.

nickelback - "savin' me"

yup, all their songs still sound the same. that raspy gravelly melody NEVER gets old though. viva la post-grunge.

matchbox 20 - "3 a.m."

i'm pretty sure i love this song, but ONLY this song (no other one by "the match two-oh" as i call them). that chord progression is sooo swooshy and reminds me of guitar lessons in middle school so much for som reason. and when i sing along to it, i feel something, like i do when i sing along to the wallflowers - stale and emotional at the same time. it's weird.

sean paul - "temperature" (i think)

i think this is the one i heard numerous times. it's ONLY notable because it sounds so frantic and wacked-out yet only uses the following instruments: voice, a floor tom, a faux handclap effect, a maraca, and a single keyboard note. turns out jamaica isn't useless now that john candy died after all.

gnarls barkley - "crazy"

am i the only who hates this cuh-razy cuh-rap? why is everyone so nuts about the most treble-fied string-saturated sorry-excuse- for-a-soul-song most-mundane-danger-mouse-production- loop-ever-created track off an otherwise decently engaging album (minus that aggravating violent femmes cover)? BOF!



fort minor - "where'd you go"

when i first heard this song, i believe i called it "postal service for the urban crowd." the second time i heard this song, i reinforced this slightly racist analogy with even more confidence. mmm bubbly hip-hop, no trip required. i call it "hop rox."


spin doctors - "pocket full of kryptonite"

whoa! it totally has a whole new meaning now that SUPERMAN RETURNS has been released theatrically! and by "whole new meaning," i mean, "ooh neat it's talking about superman and superman's in the pop culture limelight again, just LIKE the spin doctors...oh, they're not?...my heart hurts. they'll never do a reunion tour, will they?" why wasn't there an emo cover of THIS song on the pre-soundtrack to the movie???

This entry was posted by chris, on Wednesday, July 12, 2006. You can leave your response.