Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Of Routines and Vh1 in the Morning

I am a creature of habit - I get ready for work in the exact same order every morning. I walk to work the exact same way each day. I love knowing that you can get the free song on iTunes every Tuesday morning (even when it sucks ... which it often/usually does).

Since college, I have listened to Vh1 in the morning. While I don't watch the videos unless something catches my eye for a particular reason, it serves as decent background noise. In 2003-2004, when I ran in the gym, I used to run to Vh1. For that reason, I will also associate "Hey Ya" with that period of my life.

I consider my taste in music varied and somewhat eclectic. While I am happy to come across a song that few people have heard of, I will just as often fall victim to a tune on iTunes that I heard on XM's 20 on 20 or Vh1, for that matter.

The problem, as of late, is that some of these songs are just terrible. I find myself distracted, listening to a song on Vh1, just thinking, "Who is this artist and why should I be forced to listen to this?" Much like word association, the first three which come to mind (and oh, these songs/artists are truly atrocious) are Chrisette Michel, Thriving Ivory and that Kid Rock song about "summer in Northern Michigan."

Just for fun, let's see what the public thinks is popular these days by checking out Vh1's Top 20 Countdown ...

20. Rihanna - Disturbia: Dear God, this song is awful and the video is downright creepy. It also seems to be the top ringtone in nail salons and malls.

19. Robin Thicke - Magic: Honestly, I don't think I know this one. I'm hoping I tuned it out. I remember his last song ... and that he is a R&B singer whose dad was on "Growing Pains."

18. Adele - Chasing Pavements: This song isn't terrible. HOWEVER, Vh1 hyped her as a "new artist" everytime they played this song and I can probably recite every word, verbatim, of her speech about London and this song.

17. Gavin Rossdale - Love Remains the Same: Actually, I like this one. I even bought it from iTunes.

16. Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight: Again, I don't think I know this specific song. I just don't like her, though. While she did a decent job in the "Sex and the City" movie, I abhor her singing.

15. Staind - Believe: I thought this band disappeared with Creed? No?

14. Little Jackie - The World Should Revolve Around Me: I can't decide if this song is catchy or if I hate it. The guy in the band is creepy looking, though. He's a little slackjawed lookin'.

13. Kid Rock - All Summer Long: Where to begin ... I hate Kid Rock, I hate Michigan, I hate that this video is filled with skanks on boats wearing Confederate flag string bikinis. This song actually has the ability to ruin my morning. I'm hoping that all the kids in Northern Michigan will stop buying it now that their summer is clearly over and it will fall off the charts. Then he can go back to doing what he does best - getting in fights in Waffle House.

12. Natasha Bedingfield - Angel: I liked her first song, way back when. Her next one aka the theme song to "The Hills" became the definition of overplayed. "Pocketful of Sunshine" drove me insane. This one, whatever. It's not as bad as her last one.

11. O.A.R. - Shattered: I was unaware that anyone other than frat boys really liked O.A.R. - but this song is also in the iTunes top 100. Shocking. It is almost as lyrically intense as "Hey Girl."

10. Pink - So What: Okay, Pink is obnoxious and also cheesy as hell. But the sentiment of the video appeals to me - basically she's just out to piss people off and some days, I can relate. Carry on.

9. 3 Doors Down - It's Not My Time: This song won't go away; I swear they've been playing it since January. The video is rather annoying, too.

8. Estelle - American Boy: Another song that I can't tell if I enjoy it or hate it. I think I was just excited when I mastered both parts of the song while sitting in traffic.

7. Lifehouse - Broken: Okay, the secret is out. I'm actually a closet Lifehouse fan. While I don't own any of their albums, I have bought a few on their songs on iTunes, this being one of them. Sadly enough, I think I heard it on "Laguna Beach" or maybe "Newport Beach." Also, Kiefer Sutherland directed this video - wonder how that came about. I just don't see them running in the same circles.

6. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours: Ah, another summertime guilty pleasure ... one of the few songs that actually makes me smile almost every time I hear it. Every other song he has ever written seems to consist of lyrics resembling "skeet bop doo wop skat" and this one keeps that babble to a minimum. Good job, Mraz.

5. Jordin Sparks - One Step at a Time: I despise Jordin Sparks' music. While I have never voted on "American Idol" (I take that back. I voted once last season AGAINST David Archuleta.), I have no idea how this girl became America's Idol with songs like these. This song is seriously one of the most irritating songs ever written. It needs to be in High School Musical or Degrassi High. That is the only place it has any hope.

4. New Kids on the Block - Single: Seriously? I wish I could explain this comeback phenomenon. I am only grateful that I was into hairbands and metal during the first coming of NKOTB.

3. Crush - David Archuleta: Speaking of the devil ... I was so grateful that this weirdo didn't win American Idol last season (although I saw a combined eight minutes of the season). This video actually makes me laugh. It shows him hanging out in a "High School Musical" esque outdoor cafeteria setting (where the athletes hang with the show choir kids) and he is the BMOC. I'm sorry to say, but I doubt anyone at his school was knocking down his door before he was on American Idol. But now, the whole world has a crush on him. Indeed.

2. Leona Lewis - Better in Time: This should be called "Better than My Last Song." I can't even remember what her debut song was, but it would get stuck in my head. Ah, yes, "Keep Bleeding." She's another "talent show" winner, except America isn't responsible for voting this one into stardom.

1. Daughtry - What About Now: This video is annoying. It's another one of those "let's inspire the masses through music video and make the world a better place" attempts. While he doesn't suck quite as much as the other Idol rejects (i.e. Archuleta, Sparks, Hudson, etc.), I can't dignify this song with a number one rating.

So what's good right now ...
  • Helio Sequence - Lately
  • The new Ben Folds album, "Way To Normal" - not his best but still fun, if you're a Ben fan
  • The soundtrack to "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist", especially the We Are Scientists and Takka Takka songs
  • The Fratellis - Shameless (total catchy goodness)
  • Death Cab for Cutie - Cath ... (not new, but I love it this week

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

ditto on the kid rock one - it's the worst

Anonymous said...

Ah this was definitely worth the wait - I can safely say that I don't know many of these songs, although I agree about the Kid Rock one. The New Kids on the Block song didn't bother me until I saw the video, which is just as bad as the "Summertime" video - come on, you guys are almost 40, married and have families. I don't believe for one second that you are regulars in da club.