So; as I write this, I am closing in on one full month homebound due to the quarantine. This is the longest I’ve been stuck in one place since…well, since ever. It’s a weird feeling, to state the obvious. What makes it weirder is that I live alone. No roommate. No family members. No significant… Read More “Home Life” by John Mayer (2003)
The first time I heard “Hey Ya!” was in a hotel ballroom/auditorium in late summer 2003. The occasion was the then Sony-BMG’s unveiling of their fourth quarter heavy hitters. “Hey Ya!” sounded so unbelievably left from anything OutKast (or, for that matter, any hip-hop act) had ever done. It was catchy, sure. I liked it.… Read More “Hey Ya!” by OutKast (2003)
“Halley’s Waitress” is a song by the “Stacy’s Mom” guys. It actually comes from the same album (Welcome Interstate Managers) as “Stacy’s Mom”. However, it sounds absolutely nothing like “Stacy’s Mom”. Not that I hate “Stacy’s Mom” at all, but the average music fan more than likely has no frame of reference for Fountains of… Read More “Halley’s Waitress” by Fountains of Wayne (2003)
In the music industry’s pre-streaming salad days, the bigwigs at RCA/Arista Records would rent out an auditorium at a fancy hotel somewhere in New York City and usher in tastemakers for 2 or 3 days of new music and performances. This convention was part of their 4th quarter rollout every year. In addition to rubbing… Read More “Comin’ From Where I’m From” by Anthony Hamilton (2003)
John Mayer probably faced a lot of pressure to intro his second album (the excellent Heavier Things) with a radio accessible track. “Clarity” is an example of sliding in through the side door as opposed to the typical artist’s album strategy of sledgehammering the door down with the very first song. “Clarity” is defiantly chill.… Read More “Clarity” by John Mayer (2003)
Before she became a pop-rock powerhouse who performs aerial stunts on televised awards shows, P!nk was an R&B singer. Like a one-woman Destiny’s Child, she rocketed to the top on the charts on two gimmicks-the white R&B thing (which was much less prevalent pre-Timberlake) and the pink hair thing, which is thankfully now in the… Read More “Catch Me While I’m Sleeping” by P!nk (2003)
Hip-hop and R&B are littered with nostalgic songs (many of which are specifically titled “Back In The Day”.) Why does Badu’s jam stick out more than the others? It’s just a vibe, man. Not to say the other “Back In The Day”s don’t have a certain hazy warmth to them. Erykah manages to evoke that warmth without… Read More “Back In The Day (Puff)” by Erykah Badu (2003)
Five Star Jamz 