y'all don't wanna hear me, you just wanna dance

I really don't know whether this will be a shock to you or not, but I love pop music. Bring me your vapid, shallow, empty, AutoTune-soaked, emotionless masses and I will consume. Yeah, you're talking about somebody who actually got excited when Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" came on the radio yesterday - "Oh, man, haven't heard this one in ages!" - and then proceeded to get into an indepth discussion on whether the lyrics on the original (I have the CD) are actually "Shawty wanna fuck" or "Shawty wanna hump". (It is in fact "hump", and I just found myself thinking that the first verse is pretty romantic)
For awhile, I tried to deny my true feelings about pop music, but then I realized that if it makes me so happy, why fight it? Since I'm getting fully confessional on ya, I'll tell you that I have within the past hour danced to NSYNC. Will you still respect me in the morning?
Anyway, I'm going to lay on you my favourite pop songs of the 00's - and I'm talking the type of pop songs that you'd actually hear on the radio (probably fairly regularly), not just any song released by a pop artist. Sorry, Britney's "Why Should I Be Sad".

My Top 5 Favourite Pop Songs of the 00's:

5. "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown feat. T-Pain
I can never resist this one...from "Yo, this is Nappy Boy Radio live with your boy T-Pain, we love. Rap music." to "Five, four, three, zero, yeah", I'm hooked. Though, I'm obviously unimpressed by Chris Brown's recent, uh, douchebaggery, but I ain't gonna be hatin' at his anatomy - this is about the music, and most of the props must go to T-Pain. Any guy who throws a one-two "I got money on me" "Let's hit McDonald's" punch has got my interest. If he's actually got money on him, this McDonald's feast should be one of the record books indeed. Maybe he'd even spring for a milkshake...

4. "1 Thing" by Amerie
I love pretty much all things Amerie (who else would throw an Emerson, Lake and Palmer sample on a R&B joint? Nevermind that it turned out mediocre...it's the idea that counts!) but the ridiculously awesome drums are what make "1 Thing" so special. I also adore Amerie's voice - raspy-ish, but still pretty.

3. "Me & U" by Cassie

This is a tough one to explain. She can't sing. The lyrics are unspeakably stupid. The beat is generic. And yet, it's just so good. It's almost....hypnotizing in its mediocrity, but it makes me feel amazing.

2. "Promise" by Ciara

I have so much love for this song because it's so heavily Prince-influenced. The drum machine in particular makes it sound like one of those kinky little numbers he produces for his talentless protegées. Again, not a lot of vocal power here, but it's fully unnecessary - the stellar production speaks for itself.

1. "Hey Ya" by Outkast
So genius in that its both 100% a pop song and simultaneously not pop at all. Its far too unique and bizarre to be pop, but its too fun, happy and, well, pop-y to be anything but. If you haven't heard it since its assault on every kind of radio station ever faded out, give it another go - I can understand how hearing it 32353084390 per minute made you a bit tired of it, but now your brain has rested and you are ready to plunge into the magical world of Andre 3000 once more. The video is fully worth your time as well.

top 5 pop songs of the 00s
(Click on the link to hear the songs in their entirety)

you have a way of walkin' round, your feet they never touch the ground

Even if I don't talk about them as much as a lot of other bands, Jefferson Airplane has been a consistent presence in my life for years. After Bathing at Baxter's is one of my favourite albums of all time, and when this-wheel's-on-fire suggested a top 5 Jefferson Airplane list, I knew it was definitely a good call. Unlike most people, I actually prefer Paul Kantner's songs to Grace Slick's - I love his voice. But, really, they're all good.

1. "Watch Her Ride" from After Bathing at Baxter's

2. "Comin' Back to Me" from Surrealistic Pillow

3. "Two Heads" from After Bathing at Baxter's

4. "Young Girl Sunday Blues" from After Bathing at Baxter's

5. "She Has Funny Cars" from Surrealistic Pillow

I feel lazy not doing write-ups (wait...I don't just "feel", I am lazy), but there really isn't much to say. Jefferson Airplane rules, plain and simple.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
(Click on the link to hear the songs in their entirety)

P.S. The lovely Miss Eyeliah over at Style Symmetry is celebrating her 1000th post (congratulations!) with a give-away - so check that ish out!

and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

Fleetwood Mac totally exceeded my expectations. I gotta say - Lindsay Buckingham is a bad mama jama. He busted out an incredibly epic guitar solo on "I'm So Afraid", and when they did "Oh Well" - a Peter Green track - Nicola and I screamed, hugged and near-cried. Stevie was looking gorgeous, and did a couple costume changes. (Check out her dancing with her scarf a bit here.)Mick Fleetwood had a stellar 7-minute solo near the end and whenever the Jumbotron (is that what they're called?) landed on him, he had excellent facial expressions. John McVie was on the opposite side of the stage, so I couldn't really see him, but I'm sure he was chillin'. I'd chosen 5 songs I wanted to hear - "Oh Well", "Tusk", "Dreams", "Gold Dust Woman" and "The Chain", and lucky me (as usual), I got to hear them all.

Anyway, WAT wants to know my Top 5 Beatles songs and, though it's a tough request, I think I can give it to ya. Though I respect them a lot, I don't listen to the Beatles very often, but when I do I much prefer late-era Beatles. One guess at my favourite two Beatles albums...

My Top 5 Favourite Beatles Songs:

1. "The End" from Abbey Road
I love love love hearing John, Paul and George trading off solos on this one. Each has such a distinctive playing sound, and Ringo ain't lagging either.

2. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" from Abbey Road
Heavy indeed. I love Eddie Hazel's cover, but I must confess that the original is still tops. I love hearing the Beatles dark.

3. "Glass Onion" from The Beatles
"Pop! Pop! Pop! I told you bout strawberry fields" - love the opening. Mocking the fans that over-analyze all the tiny details, it does leave me wondering....what's a "dovetail joint"? I've asked some of the biggest stoners I know, and nobody seems to be aware of this term.

4. "You Never Give Me Your Money" from Abbey Road
I really can't think of anything to say about this besides that it's an amazing song all-around.

5. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" from The Beatles

You know, I was this close to giving this spot to "For No One", but the "She's not a girl who misses much..." intro did not allow me to exclude this song. Anybody who says "The Beatles Aren't That Good" (yeah, all 11 of you) are pretty much retarded.

I just realized I forgot to post the playlist....my bad, here ya go:

THE BEATLES

if you don't love me now, you will never love me again

Seeing as how tomorrow I'm going to be seeing Fleetwood Mac (well...if it's not cancelled), I think it would be fitting to tell you my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs. Since I couldn't decide whether I should give you my favourite Peter Green Fleetwood Mac songs (since they are the version of Fleetwood Mac I prefer) or my favourite Stevie Nicks Fleetwood Mac songs (since they are the version I'm seeing in concert), I'll simply have to give you both.
Just to remind you, the distinction is that Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac is late-60's/early 70's blues-rock, while Stevie Nicks' Fleetwood Mac is mid-late 70's California pop.

My Top 5 Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Songs

1. "Before the Beginning" from Then Play On

2. "The Green Manalishi"
You may perchance be familiar with the Judas Priest cover, but - obviously - I prefer the original. For one thing, a Fleetwood Mac song without Peter Green's heavenly voice is automatically a lesser Fleetwood Mac song.

3. "Oh Well" from Then Play On

As infuriating as it is to hear the incredibly sexy Peter Green (who was gifted with one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard) say "I can't help it bout the shape I'm in, I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin", the stupendous guitar riff makes this song classic. It's also the Peter Green song we have the best chance of hearing the current incarnation cover tomorrow night.
And if you watch the video linked above, you will not regret it, as you will be gifted with Peter Green's breathtaking smile and laugh.

4. "Man Of the World"

The gorgeous contrast of the fast and slow parts are what make this song interesting. I really love the fast parts, but know they wouldn't be as good without the slow parts to contrast them.

5. "Worried Dream"
Written by B.B. King (who, for the record, once stated that Peter Green was the only guitarist alive he was scared of), this incredibly blues-y track wrenches right to the very soul.

PETER GREENS FLEETWOOD MAC

My Top 5 Favourite Stevie/Lindsay Fleetwood Mac Songs:

1. "Tusk" from Tusk
This labouring Buckingham-penned track is my favourite late-era Fleetwood Mac song. Special bonus: Listen closely around 2:11..."real savage-like".

2. "The Chain" from Rumours
This might be my favourite Fleetwood Mac song. We all know I'm a sucker for a good bassline.

3. "Dreams" from Rumours
I particularly like the bridge of this song, and the lyrics.

4. "Gold Dust Woman" from Rumours
Forget what you heard...Stevie Nicks said in an interview that she wrote this song before she was a coke addict. Still, it's an awesome track.

5. "I'm So Afraid" from Fleetwood Mac
I was convinced for so long that that was Christine singing, but it's Lindsay. If you're a fan of goodlooking guys with stellar hair shredding on their guitars, check out that link above. I wouldn't letcha down.

STEVIE/LINDSAY FLEETWOOD MAC