Wednesday, January 10, 2007

switch it up!

We all have a few artists who we can't stop listening to, ones who don't quite fit into the rest of our playlists (for me, it's Ciara). Maybe even ones we change the title of on your ipod, so you can blast "Baby, One More Time" while whoever looks at your screen thinks you're listening to Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9 (Scherzo)", (which is, to note, a great song).

No fears, Ashcan Rantings is here to help your kick your guilty pleasure habits!


Okay, you're diggin Miss Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man". This whole jazz throwback thing is catchy! But, wait, this is still Xtina we're talking about, which means massive oversinging. Annoying? Definitely. She's so set on proving she can sing, she screws up some good songs. We know you can hit those high notes, girlie, but you don't have to do it on every second word.


I have your solution:



Kick your Christina habit by downloading "Call the Law" by Janelle Monae (but you can probably find it by looking for Outkast) It's off Outkast's new CD Idlewild and it's all jazzy Back to the Basics-style, without loads of oversinging.



"Irreplaceable" comes on the radio and - gasp! - you don't feel immediately compelled to change the channel! Don't sweat it, it happens to the best of us. But if you find yourself actually listening through the commercials because the DJ said there was some Beyonce coming up (along with about ten other artists, half of which are Akon), you need help. My help.



Have no fear - Amerie to the rescue! The catchy sort of diva music without the snotty, superior diva personality. Try "1 Thing" or "Take Control". Hey, you've already heard "Irreplacable" eight times per hour, if you listen to Top 40 radio...mix it up.



Admit it, you still dig out your Backstreet Boys CDs every now and then. Um, yeah, that's a problem. Why?

A) NSYNC is better
B) They are somehow related to Aaron Carter
C) If that picture above is any sort of hint, they were on Arthur. Great show, but not the best place for musicians to hang around

"But I like the harmonies!" You whine.
Your obvious solution:

The Beach Boys. They've got better harmonies, better songs and a better backstory (Did BSB hang out with Charles Manson? I think not)

Of course maybe you're proud of the Christina on your iPod, and you don't mind about Beyonce's bitchy-fake personality, and you aren't ashamed to display your Backstreet Boys CDs in between your Zeppelin and your No Doubt. Then what I'm offering are other bands you can try, artists you might (should) like.
What was it Mother Teresa said?
"When you close your mind, you close your heart"
And girl knew what she was talking about.

11 comments:

a said...

the beach boys hunf out with charles manson?
get out.
lovee all of those suggestions

Sarah Carson said...

i love your blog! you're witty man! and have a good outlook on music amongst other things.. want to trade links? xx

Alison said...

lol theres a little guilty pleasure song luvin in us all...

Stewart Sternberg (half of L.P. Styles) said...

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys hung with Charles for a bit. Manson also had some dealing with John Denver, who also occasionally involved himself with the Beach Boys.

Molly, you should try focusing on some psychedelic for a while. 1969 was a prime year for some music. May I recommend "Itchycoo Park" by the Small Faces, Frigid Pink's "House of the Rising Sun", and "Time Has Come Today" by the Chamber Brothers. Also: Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35", not psychedelic, but a GREAT song.

Carissa Duhamel said...

Janelle Monae is fantastic! I downloaded all of her Idlewild songs, she has an unbelievable voice.
And NSYNC is better.

-S said...

very true, very true, although some of them i will have to download as i have no clue what they are

a said...

well, alex turner completely dissed duran duran publicly because they won band of the year or the 90's or something like that at some crappy english music award show in england, and alex turner just like, you know, said that duran duran were crap when accepting best album.
he has a habit of saying completely idiotic stuff while in public.

Anonymous said...

beahc boys fo lifeeeee
and I've always wanted to watch dazed and confused, is it absolutely spectacular?

and guilty song lovin' is my specialty ;]

Tru said...

i love the beach boys, awesome post

Maddy said...

The Beach Boys were legitimate pioneers in their field, and have a sizeable influence on music today. Can the Backstreet Boys say that? I think not.

maya said...

amerie is amazing i discovered her a couple of years ago and i love her voice
xxx