Song 20: HeyYa! (Radio Club Mix) - OutKast

Released September 23, 2003 on the album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw

Lyrics: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/hey-ya-lyrics-outkast/83ad00e4f3303ae948256dac000a4713

I have to admit it, I'm not a huge follower of hip-hop music. Rap itself has been around for quite awhile, predating its mainstream breakthrough in the mid-80's by many years, and I have liked some rap, but it hasn't been a style of music that I actively pursue. Perhaps my tendancy to avoid Rap or hip-hop has been the seeming tendancy of the genre to use the less than family-friendly portions of the English language more often than an angry dockworker. That is perhaps the point - the angst - from various issues - boiling up and being expressed in its performers. Rock itself, and punk rock and hard rock in particular has at its base similar angst, even though the reasons for it may not always be the same as the anger behind some hip-hop songs. But in both cases, it's art depicting - or slightly imitating - the life that inspired it. The difference - to me - is that I have a hard time listening to any song that uses - for example - the F-bomb over and over. Emenem, for example, has some incredibly catchy tunes, and the language he chooses to express his viewpoints is perhaps more "true to life" as far as he's concerned, but I can't help but wonder why a guy as creative as he is couldn't come up with a different way to express himself? Then again, Emenem would probably simply say, "That's the way it is...it's a way to taste that side of life if you haven't experienced it, and if you can't relate, hey, then the song isn't for you" The same is probably true of the hard rock, less-than-happy tunes of several groups that could be mentioned, but the fact remains that I'd rather not listen to songs that employ the use of the saltier words on a regular basis. Not to say that some songs don't surprise me. P!nk's Raise Your Glass - at least the non-radio edit version - does essentially the same thing because that's the language that gets associated with a partier, and that was catchy enough that it got included on this mix...but I will say that I'll probably listen to the radio edit version of that song in the future because I don't think it's necessary for the words that get a Parental Advisory label slapped on the release to be there to get the party feel of the song across.

That all being said, HeyYa! is a song that is done by a Hip Hop performer (Andre "Andre 3000" Benjamin, who used to call himself simply "Dre") but not done in the classic Hip Hop style. The album it comes from - which won a Grammy for Best Album in 2004 - is actually two albums in one. Andre 3000 essentially has a solo album (The Love Below part), while his OutKast partner, Big Boi (Antwan Patton), did the Speakerboxxx portion. Speakerboxxx is much more of a hip hop album, but The Love Below has songs that fit into a variety of musical styles, with some critics comparing that portion of the double-album as "like Prince". The combo worked very well, since the album became the second Hip Hop album to gain the Album of the Year Grammy award, and it sold an incredible number of copies, while also making its debut on the album charts at #1, where it stayed for several weeks. HeyYa! itself was one of two #1 singles from the album (the other was Big Boi's The Way You Move which was also the song that knocked HeyYa! out of the #1 spot it had held for nine weeks) HeyYa! was also a bridge of sorts....it was the #1 song for the American Top 40 show for the last one hosted by legend Casey Kasem, and still #1 for the first show hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

The video for the song was (and is) popular as well, featuring Andre playing all the roles of a fictional band making their debut in a manner similar to the Beatles' debut on the Ed Sullivan show, complete with old black and white TV's, 60's-style studio video cameras, and screaming, swooning, and fainting women. It's a fun and high energy video. Big Boi has his appearance at the beginning, but after that, it's all Andre and the wild-eyed girls.

All in all, OutKast (named that way because the two performers originally wanted to be called "Misfits" but had to go with a stylized synonym when they discovered that name was already taken) found themselves - already very popular after two #2 albums - in the superstardom realm after the release of this album. Interestingly, there has been only one OutKast record released since then and they have been active in other endeavors, mostly film, during the last seven years. There is talk about a new Outkast record being in development for release sometime in 2011, though right now that's still speculation.

Song 19: At My Heels - Twin Shadow

Realeased November 15, 2010 on the album Forget

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUYie3F7oX0&feature=related

Lyrics: http://www.songs-lyrics.net/so-Twin-Shadow-lyrics-Forget-lyrics-At-My-Heels-lyrics-qsxatpty.html

This tune brings "back" the new wave sound of the 80's, and reminds me somewhat of the song In A Big Country. On About.com's Alternative Music posts, Twin Shadow's music is described as "a kind of retro, electro-tinged soul-balladry; peddling big songs with big choruses, big synths, big echo, and big drama (and, y'know, big hair). Whilst Lewis obviously owes a debt to the 1970s output of ELO and David Bowie, there's a distinctly '80s vibe to his jams"

Strangely, in this day and age, that there isn't even a Wikipedia article for Twin Shadow that will pop up among a Google search (how many people/groups/organizations can say that? Even this blog pops up when doing a search on Google for "Amature Music Mixer", and it's only been "in the cloud" for three months since it was created at the time of this posting!). Twin Shadow does have a Wikipedia article, but, not only does a more specific search than usual need to be done to find it, there isn't much for info to be found there! Even so, Twin Shadow has been featured as a "Band of the Week" on October 7th, 2010 on Rolling Stone magazine's website. Oddly, that coincides when this blog site was first set-up! Unfortunately, that's the only connection that I can claim to the efforts and talents of Twin Shadow.

Twin Shadow is another one of those "groups" that isn't a group. Like Owl City, and Grande, Twin Shadow is the performance alias for George Lewis Jr. Like Owl City's Adam Young, Lewis does all his own recording and producing, and (more shades of Young, and his basement studio) he tends to do it in hotel rooms using portable equipment. Lewis also has something of a hair style akin to that of La Roux's Eleanor Jackson. Lewis is listed as "twentysomething" with no actual birthdate in some articles and Wikipedia, (although Pitchfork says he's 26) but it is known that he was born in the Dominican Republic, then moved to Florida and then to Boston and finally to New York City. His work as Twin Shadow began after he arrived in the Big Apple, where he strives to stay off the "dark path" that has befallen so many by staying focused on the music he creates.

The name "Twin Shadow" is derived from the fact that he has a twin sister, and he refers to himself as her "Twin Shadow". This song comes from the debut album for Lewis, called Forget that was released officially on November 15, 2010. Another song from the album, Castles in the Snow (listen here on youtube) has been receiving quite a bit of praise from the likes of Rolling Stone and Pitchfork.com, with Pitchfork saying of the album as a whole, "It is sophisticated enough to withstand close, repeated listening. The songs may be catchy, but their intricacy and thoughtful storytelling makes them stick."

Some of the songs on the album discuss some rather less-than-nice memories of childhood (based on what I've read), but only half of the songs have this tone. The other half, which At My Heels falls under is more upbeat, and as Pitchfork also says, "sweet".

Song 18: Full of Regret - Danko Jones

Released May, 2010 on the album Below The Belt

Video (YouTube) - Lyrics (Sing365)

"Dr. Evening", "The Mango Kid" and "The Brown Panther" are some of several aliases for one Danko Jones - lead singer and guitarist for the band named for him.

Originally created in 1996, the band didn't create its first studio album until 2001, and that was by their choice...they preferred to have their popularity grow via word of mouth rather than through album sales. But since then, the Toronto based singer and band have seen a steady rise in popularity - especially in Canada as well as oversees in England, Sweden and Germany. Danko Jones, the individual, has also become popular offstage, with endeavors as a magazine writer (Jones authors four bi-monthly columns for different music-focused periodicals), and radio personality (he hosts the syndicated show, "The Magical World of Rock").

Through the years, Danko Jones, the band (made up of three members, Danko, JC on bass guitar and drummer Dan Cornelius), has continued to play their heavier rock style. To compare them, I would have to say that they remind me a lot of Grammy Award winner Lenny Kravitz. The fact that Lenny and Danko are both of African-American heritage is coincidental...I had made that comparison in my mind even before I knew anything about Danko Jones other than listening to this song! Jones' style is a similar hard-driving full rock sound to Kravitz, and I think Full of Regret could easily be mistaken for a Lenny Kravitz song.

That being said, another comparison between the two is their longevity in the business. Jones hasn't yet seen a Grammy Award come their way (though they have received Juno Award nominations), but their staying power has been impressive. Jones himself has remained as brash as ever. He even stepped into a small feud that existed between Canadian Rapper K-OS and Canadian Music Magazine NOW, which is based out of Toronto. The resulting new feud between the two has resulted in some interesting media "punches" with name calling and put-downs, though it seems like Danko has had the upper-hand so far. It's difficult to tell how serious the "feud" really is. Some of it sounds like the two are having more fun with the whole thing than truly disliking one another...plus it's free publicity whenever one publicly disses the other!

The album Below The Belt is the band's fifth studio album, and thirteenth album overall. Full of Regret is also the band's top charting single to date, reaching #34 so far on the Top 100. The music video - with an interesting little story - features the likes of Elijah Wood (the Cedar Rapids, Iowa native famous for his portrayal of Frodo in the Lord of the Rings movies that were released earlier in the decade), Motorhead founder Lenny Kilmeister (who looks just like you'd expect a longtime and legendary rockstar to look), and Legally Blonde's Selma Blair.

The band is currently on tour throughout the Canadian Provinces and Europe - which has been a regular routine for them after an album release.

Song 17: Freeze and Pixelate - Monster Magnet

Released November 6, 2007 on the album Four-Way Diablo

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_dhF0IQrAA really a video, just the song)

Lyrics: none

Monster Magnet got its name from a popular children's toy from the 1960's (see the graphic up in the upper left, still in his packaging!). That fact is interesting in a couple of ways. First, Monster Magnet is considered to be one of the best (and longer lasting) bands in the "stoner rock" genre. Very 1960's-ish but hardly a childish innocence especially considering...and here comes the second thing...that the band frequently gets themselves into trouble with various local laws during their concerts because they often employ stage dancers. This in itself isn't unusual since I've seen acts such as Kid Rock, Motley Crue and Sammy Hagar trot out women wearing nothing but skimpy bikinis, and that doesn't bring the local law hammer down at all. But what sets the Monster Magnet girls apart - and what gets the band into hot water - is that their dancers will perform in the same manner that Stacia Blake famously used to dance on stage during Hawkwind concerts during the mid-1970's...naked save for body paint!

Monster Magnet is truly something of an oddity, and not because of the naked stage dancers. They are a hard rock band, in the mold of the popular "arena rock" bands of the 80's, that formed in the early 1990's - just in time for the plunge into the abyss for the hard rock genre in favor of the grunge sound which took place almost overnight shortly after the band came together. They could almost be compared to being a hotshot stock speculator who had just started out with some success only to nearly lose everything in the Stock Market Crash of 1929. They could have folded up the tents and gone home, and looked for some other career avenue. Instead, the band perservered and survived the grunge 90's and has reimerged in recent years now that the 80's rock style has become popular once again.

As you've already noticed, this particular song is an instrumental. I haven't included an instrumental on one of the mixes since Tramontane by Foreigner was included on one of the "summer fun" mixes from around 2004. But, I've always liked rock instrumentals, many of which people don't recognize as songs done by acts that were immensely popular. Tramontane, for example, was one of the tracks on the hugely successful Double Vision album and was the B-side song of the single Hot Blooded, and was a song that - in some posts anyway - was liked more than the hit on the A-side! Some of my favorite instrumentals are:

• Eagles - Journey of the Sorcerer - From the One of these Nights album, the song became the theme for BBC-TV's 70's version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (a version of it was also used for the movie version that came out a few years ago) and one of the most interesting and vastly different songs the Eagles ever made. (listen here)


• Aerosmith - The Movie from the album Permanent Vacation. (listen here). It became the Coaches Corner show theme!


• Van Halen - Eruption - The Eddie Van Halen masterpiece that inspired a whole generation of axe-grinders...including a friend of mine who came pretty close to replicating it (Listen here).


• Flock of Seagulls - Grammy award winning D.N.A from the 1982 album Flock of Seagulls which producer extrodinare Phil Spector called "phenomenal" (listen here). It's been used as football and basketball theme music.


• Def Leppard - Disintegrate. Def Leppard didn't make many instrumentals, this one was on 1999's Euphoria album, and was the first since their debut album High 'n Dry had another favorite called Switch 625 that followed their first big hit, Bringin' On The Heartbreak, on that album in such a way that many think the instrumental is a part of that song! (Listen to Switch 625 , Listen to Disintegrate)

This - of course - is just a sampling of all the rock instrumentals out there and goes without mentioning the likes of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani or perhaps one of the most popular rock instrumental of all-time, Frankensein by Edgar Winter. For a big list of great rock instrumentals, check out the Digital-Dreamer's list. It says, "Greatest 100", but there's a list of 250 instrumentals, along with a list of top-30 instrumental albums and a list of some of the artists that primarily record instrumentals in the rock genre.

Monster Magnet is still going strong, by the way. They just recently (end of October 2010) released Mastermind, the band's eighth studio album

Song 16: Enjoy The Silence - Nada Surf

Released June 8, 2010

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yv10JRtd04&feature=related

Lyrics http://www.sweetslyrics.com/763442.Nada%20Surf%20-%20Enjoy%20The%20Silence.html

Nada Surf came out of New York City wayyyyyy back in 1995, and can trace its roots back a few more years, to 1992, when a couple of members first started to play together. 1995 was the time when Fuzztones drummer Ira Elliot joined the band. Shortly afterward, the band connected with former Cars frontman turned producer, Ric Ocasek, who had already had success as a producer with the band Weezer, and they signed a contract with Elektra Records.

The Elektra relationship didn't last long, but the one with Ocasek was the one that really mattered, and ultimately the band created their first album High/Low in 1996. That album produced the band's first hit, the summer anthem Popular (see video here). It was a blessing and something of a bane. The band became very popular in England, but had trouble getting a foothold in the American psyche. After they spent some time in the British Isles, the band returned to the States to less than enthralling reviews. They were - in the eyes of their homeland's critics - one hit wonders and nothing to get too excited about.

In 2003 the band struck gold again - eliminating the one hit wonder status for good - with the release of the acclaimed album Let Go, an effort labeled by some as a "masterpiece" and saw Rolling Stone magazine somewhat a-gush with praise for the band.

Still, their popularity overseas continued to be much greater than in the United States. The band's present tour reflects that: From January to March of 2011, they'll primarily be in Europe - with two trips to London just a month apart, and a handful of appearances in the US (Seattle, Portland and New York City essentially) before heading back across the Atlantic to their throng of fans that will await them!

2010 saw the release of the album If I Had A Wi-Fi, a collection of ten covers by the band of songs that they especially liked. This one, Enjoy The Silence, originally by the 80's band Depeche Mode (take a listen and view the video from those early MTV days here), is similar to the Paisley Park cover in that Nada Surf's rendition has the tempo cranked up a notch and they have made it a rendition that is all their own. It's similar enough that it's obviously what it is, but at the same time, it's different enough that it doesn't become all that obvious or even familiar until you've listened to the song for a few moments. At least that's what happened to me! When I first heard the song - the usual 30-second snippet on iTunes that starts part-way throug hthe song - it didn't hit me right away that it was a cover of the 80's hit...but then the lyrics and the way they were sung started sounding more and more familiar until the realization el-kabonged me in the head!

So, Nada Surf (a phrase said by disappointed board riders?) continues to look for that "big hit" in the States. But their success elsewhere leads me to believe they aren't holding their breath...and they don't need to!

Song 15: Latest heartbreak - 22-20's

Released June 22, 2010 in the US (May 2010 in UK)

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18O9SWCiyrA

Lyrics: http://www.elyrics.net/read/0-9/22,,20s-lyrics/latest-heartbreak-lyrics.html







Talk about comebacks: the 22-20's were done as a group in 2005. Done, with a capital "D". Finished. Stick a fork in them type of done. They broke up in the midst of producing their second album with the group essentially saying that they just couldn't go forward together anymore. It was over, and the 22-20's were history.





It was sort of sad that they broke up. Founding members Martin Trimble and Glen Bartup were boyhood friends who grew up in northern England. They bought their first guitars together when they were 14 years old (Trimble's uncle owned a music store) and got into blues music. Not too long after that, they "discovered" the likes of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. When they got a little older, they began playing together as a duo in clubs and bars. In time, they took in some other performers, dropped others and were a part of various groups, mostly concentrating on blues performances. In 2002, at age 19, they became part of the 22-20's, which was named after the song 22-20 Blues by Skip James (listen to the song on YouTube).





Up to this point, the various incarnations of blues groups had primarily performed covers, but as the 22-20's, more original material became a part of their performances. This apparently did not go over well with bar owners and some patrons who felt that some of these new songs were not blues songs - even though Trimble and the other 22-20 bandmates believed otherwise. This disagreement resulted in the band feeling that the blues circuit was becoming too limiting. Ultimately, the group released their critically acclained self-titled debut album in September 2004, and they began touring in support of bands like Oasis and Kings of Leon.





Then came the breakup, which cancelled tour dates and put a halt to that second studio effort.





Fast forward to late 2008 when Trimble had reunited with Bartup. Shortly afterward, just like a Blues Brothers movie scene, one thing led to another and the band was back together! Though, at first, it was a big secret for some reason! The group actually toured - "secretly"! - going by the name "Bitter Pills" (which became the name of a song on their new album) before they finally let everyone in on the situation, and 22-20 (missing only former member Charly Coombes) was back.





The album Shake/Rattle/Moan came out in May of 2010 and immediately gained international success. The band released a live show EP in October and embarked on their first tour in five years. Just recently, the band announced that they will be moving their home base to Minneapolis. I expect them to make an appearance at the Artist's Quarter in St. Paul sometime soon!

Song 14: Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars

Released July 19, 2010 on the album Do-Wops & Hooligans. The album itself was not released until October 9, 2010.


Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk




Lyrics:http://www.elyricsworld.com/just_the_way_you_are_lyrics_bruno_mars.html









Born when I was just beginning my collegiate career, Bruno Mars (real name: Peter Hernandez) has risen to meteroic stardom in recent months with the release of his first studio album as the primary performer. Mars is no stranger to the "biz", he has already had a successful career in the "background" in the role of writer, producer and backup singer for a number of acts in recent years. Included among his successes was being the co-writer of Flo Rida's international hit Right Round, which included heavy sampling of the 80's hit of the same name by Dead or Alive.



With all this success, Mr. Mars may soon take over the #1 spot as the most famous performer with a last name of "Mars" from longtime Motley Crue lead guitarist Mick Mars. Notable is that Neither Mick nor Bruno were born with that last name! But, it will be tough for Bruno to take the top spot. Mick is still going strong at the age of 60 (despite his over 40-year struggle with a disease that has affected his spine and pelvis), and Bruno will need some longevity to make any claim to Mick's hold on his position as the best Mars on Earth!



If Bruno ever does overtake Mick, it shouldn't come as a surprise. Bruno - who grew up in a musical family in Hawaii - has literally been surrounded by music and performers all his life. With his father doing regular shows, and his family members all taking part, Bruno became a veteran stage performer at an early age. Toss in his self-described fandom of Elvis (particularly, the 50's version that scared some people and drove women wild) as well as Prince and The Police, along with a background in a number of musical styles, and he has taken his experiences and his knowledge of those favorite performers to launch himself to the brink of stardom.



Bruno has to be careful, however, because he could easily derail himself before the train ever leaves the station. An arrest in October for cocaine possession has thrown some doubt into the young man's decision-making skills. He said all the right things during and following that arrest, but only time will tell (maybe Mick set Bruno up to keep that top-spot secure?!)



The song itself took a little while to start moving up the charts, but once it did, it rocketed to the top, displacing Katy Perry's Teenage Dream at #1 the first week of October. The song has become an incredible debut reaching #1 on a multitude of charts both in the US and internationally, and has become Grammy nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, one of seven Grammy nominations that Mars has received.

There's nothing "deep" about the song, and that's by Mars' own admition. On Wikipedia he mentions his longtime appreciation for classic love songs like Joe Cocker's You Are So Beautiful, and that this song - though it took him a few months to write it the way he wanted - tells a simple story, but it's a story that every woman would like to hear. Mrs. Amature Music Mixer seems to concur, as she has mentioned that this is her favorite among the songs in the Fall Mix!


Other songs: Grenade,