A couple of weeks ago, I went to my high school reunion. I have no desire to tell you how old I am so we’ll refer to it as the __th year reunion. If you’ve read many of my weekly posts, you know I occasionally (read: every week) like to rail on the state of pop music and zing the likes of Lady Ga(g) Ga(g), Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.

I like to think that I know good music when I hear it, and of course make fun of bad music because it’s fun. Fast forward to high school reunion ’09 or as I like to call it – “The Day Bad Music Reigned Supreme”. Let’s just say that when the dj fires up “Pony” by Ginuwine, the night is heading downhill quickly.

What does this mean? We all like bad music at some point in our lives. And we all like to think the songs we heard and listened to over and over and over again back in high school were great and meaningful and world changing. I mean “Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm” by Crash Test Dummies should be the song they play in the background for all those starving kid commercials right? It’s a DEEP song!! Maybe not.

I remember listening to music in high school and being just blown away at all the different songs, artists and genres that were out there. Now? Well, here’s a sampling of what the dj was spinnin’ at my __th year reunion and you be the judge:

“No Scrubs” – TLC

“….Baby, One More Time” – Brittney

“Livin’ La Vida Loca” – Ricky Martin

“Bailamos” – Enrique

“Steal My Sunshine” – Len

Plus the immortal classics:

“Baby Got Back” – Sir Mix a Lot

“Shook Me All Night Long” – AC/DC

“Enter Sandman” – Metallica

Moral of the story? It’s ok to like bad music when you are in high school, and maybe even when you’re done with high school, too. Except the Crash Test Dummies – they’re still alright by me.

I guess this means I shouldn’t make fun of Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers any more huh? Well, at least not ‘til next week.

So, fearless readers, care to admit what popular high school songs you loved then, but are REALLY bad now?

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WARNING: Sweeping generalizations about the musical tastes of black people will be made in this post…I’m black soooo, it’s cool.

I hate being put in a position to express the views and opinions of my race. This time, I think I’ll take a stab at speaking for “my people.”

Following the American Music Awards on Twitter, not only did I get into an argument with a zealous Michael Jackson fan, but I also further realized that black people, for the most part, don’t keep up with white pop stars.

Tweets like “ Damn you Kanye…ain’t nobody know who this skeeza was before the VMA’s now they riding with her like Seabiscuit to the finish line” lead black people to be convinced that Taylor Swift was a nobody before Kanye West embarrassed her on the MTV Video Music Awards, thus throwing her in the spotlight and that’s because, for the most part, we have no idea who these white pop stars are.

Sure there’s Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus (I’ve seen Hannah Montana backpacks in the projects for Christ’s sake), Lady Gaga and other artists are just big everywhere but you’d be hard pressed to find a black person who can name a Taylor Swift song let alone own the album.

Then she beat Michael Jackson for awards and people were looking for the digital Dr. King to start marching against her, when as one of my followers so nicely put, MJ is great but he didn’t do much this year but die. (The subsequent retweet is what started my “debates” with MJ fans).

Then Adam Lambert gets on stage and the confusion mixed with homophobia nearly made my Blackberry explode. Truth is, I don’t know many black people that have followed American Idol since the Ruben, Fantasia days and that was what…? 5 years ago?

The point of this? Really isn’t one. Just a cultural observation. The same way I had to Google white actresses not named Anne Hathaway because they all kind of look alike to me is probably the same reason “my people” aren’t aware of the millions of albums Taylor Swift sold this year and really think Kanye West catapulted her to stardom.

Hey, if you want us to know, play it on Power 98.

It’s a black thing.

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Joy was an understatement when I pulled a poorly taped together package out of the mail Thursday.

Inside that box and literally wrapped up in a napkin was my missing BlackBerry I thought I’d never see again but that euphoria quickly subsided as I began to take inventory on what I’d received in the mail from a small North Carolina town.

All my pictures, ringtones and most importantly, music, were gone! Not just wiped from the system but replaced!

What kind-hearted monster would do this? Have the decency to give my BlackBerry back that they attained under unknown circumstances but send it back as a shell of it’s former self.

Gone were the entire discographies of Nas, Outkast, Jay-Z and The Roots, in was The Spinners, Mtune, Dionne Warwick and Aaron Neville?

I’m all for “Juicy Fruit,” and the subsequent hit “Juicy” by Biggie sampled from the same song, but damn! Surprisingly intact, the A&T fight song.

I have nothing against Peabo, Atlantic Starr, Natalie Cole, “big” Luther or the Chi-Lites, but I’d rather hear the The Cool Kids or Dilla beats when I’m wandering around the grocery store.

What makes things weirder are the songs that surprisingly survived the mass destruction. What music head makes an effort to leave Gucci Mane and Wacka Flocka Flame’s mixtapes intact but adds gospel like Donnie McClurkin and Fred Hammond to the mix? Were you going to put “Bricks” on a playlist right next to “Never Would’ve Made It?”

I’m not knocking his choice in music just the fact that dude deleted my gems for it. Whether it was mixtapes or tracks from local artists and producers, unfinished beat sketches by people trying to get my opinion on them or underground albums I can’t get my hands on anymore and that’s what sucks the most.

But hey, at least Moms just got a whole lot of new music to compliment that Prince on her iTunes.

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The Deal: Beyonce’s long-awaited (well, by somebody) music video version of the song “Video Phone” — from her still-kicking album I Am … Sasha Fierce — debuted on MTV this morning.

The Good: I know, I know: Beyonce is a substance-less pop star. True. But, damn, the woman sure does look good. And in this video, she does more poppin’ and shakin’ than almost anything else I’ve ever seen her do. Not exactly a step forward for mankind, but — still — nice to look at. Just sayin.’ This time around, Beyonce also decided to trade in her nearly trademarked leg-baring leotards (see “Single Ladies,” “Diva,” “Halo,” etc.) to sport a daring, African-inspired (?) two-piece number. But, don’t fret — the leotards are there … in multiple colors, too. Oh, and I thought it was interesting the way men were somewhat objectified by being shown, for the most part, as faceless/headless bodies.

The Bad: Why exactly was Lady Gaga in this video? Her voice adds nothing to what was actually a pretty mediocre song. And the dance sequence with Beyonce and Lady Gaga? Hey, Gaga can’t keep up with Beyonce’s poppin’ and shakin.’ (But, then, who can?!) On top of that, Gaga looks a little emaciated next to the more athletic B. Regarding other aspects of the video, what’s up with all the guns? Not sure what that has to do with a video phone.

The Verdict: Hey … if you like looking at Beyonce, you’ll dig it.

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I’ve noticed that there is a lack of band introductions these days…

Sure, some bands do it old school — Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Al Green, Janelle Monae and others will have their band play first before being introduced and hitting the stage.

The Evening Muse, depending on who’s at the soundboard or hosting the show, will usually introduce the act hitting the stage.

Kiss is known for their “You wanted the best, you got the best,” introduction that they’ve been doing for years. Does John Mayer, Jane’s Addiction, Brittney Spears, Metallica or Harry Connick Jr. need to let you know who they are? If not, at what point is a band or artist famous enough to skip the intros?

However, a lot of places and people just don’t say a word. The lights go out, the lights come back on and the band is on stage as the first notes ring out. Sure, nine times out of 10, it doesn’t matter. The headliner is a big band and you already know who they are. But what about the opening acts? What about the people who are just there to see a new band and have no idea who they’re watching?

Most bands, even when not “introduced,” will let people know who they are at the same time they tell you there are CDs and t-shirts for sale in the back of the room. What’s your preference? Should a band be introduced before hitting the stage? Should they leave it as a mystery? Should they only say it at the beginning and/or end of the set?

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Merry Christmas! It’s that time of year – you know Santa, gifts, family and all that. Christmas lights, movies, and of course – music. So, enjoy your holiday. It’s hard to believe Christmas is already here again. So soon!

Wait…..what’s that you say? It’s not Christmas yet? It’s not even December?!?! Well, it’s at least after Thanksgiving then right? No…….well, I’m confused. I figured it HAD to be close to the big day. Why? Because there’s been Christmas music on the radio for almost 2 WEEKS now!

When did the day after Halloween become the start of the holiday season? The day after Halloween, I found no less than THREE radio stations devoted to playing Christmas music 24/7! Did we all forget this little holiday called Thanksgiving? It’s just now Veteran’s Day for crying out loud. Are there really enough people out there who want to hear 2 full months of The Chipmunks sing “The Christmas Song”? Really, that’s what we need right now? I am convinced that I know the culprit behind this “start the Christmas season early” campaign. Wal-Mart. Gotta be.

To put this in perspective, most stations play a Halloween song or two in the days heading into Halloween. On actual Halloween, you may hear a few more songs, maybe even a Halloween mix or block, but not even the whole day. But yet for the-future-holiday-of-choice we have entire stations playing these songs continuously. As if we didn’t have a hard enough time finding decent music on the radio. And in these times of recession, do you really need to be reminded that you have to spend money on everyone you know when you’re having a hard time just keeping gas in the car? I say no.

Call me Scrooge. Call me crazy. Call me a boy on the naughty list if you’d like. Just remember this when next year you start hearing Christmas carols the whole year round. It’s coming – they’ve already got stores dedicated to selling only Christmas themed “stuff”. The airwaves are only a matter of time away.

And remember, Santa Claus is watching you – brought to you by and courtesy of his official sponsor – a certain retailer. Rhymes with Mal-Wart.

So, who wants to join me on the naughty list by boycotting Christmas songs before Thanksgiving?! Who’s with me?

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You don’t have to be old and stuck in a sexless marriage to do something special for the women in your life. Seeing as I’m neither old, nor married, nor dating, I thought it’d be a great idea to take my mom out on a “date.” A huge Kem fan, she’d surely enjoy a evening of soul and comedy right? But who knew I’d learn so much.

Within seconds of arriving at Ovens Auditorium, I realized I was 1) easily one of the youngest people there and 2) desperately underdressed.

I swear there was a secret, unsaid, old Head dress code and I don’t own anything brown. Nor Kangol caps, corduroy or velvet blazers. I’m dead on the striped button-ups and linen pants. And gators? I’m almost certain they have a sticker at the register that says, ‘Must be born before this date in 1974′ to even purchase those.

One of the most amusing parts of experience was seeing how middle-aged men refer to their wives. Their’s something semi-sweet (in a greeting card way) about an older guy calling his wife, “my lady,” even though some of them had been married since Otis Redding was on the charts, they still introduce their wife of decades as, “my lady.” Hey, maybe she’s everything he needs and more (Boom, Jeffery Osbourne reference!).

Another term many seemed to be in love with was, “that cat.” Who knew we had so many “smooth cats” or “cool brothers” in this city? I had no clue, but, after a series of conversations, I learned otherwise.

I thought the show did a great job of showcasing local talent through their opening acts. Shableek was a Charlotte-born jazz musician that set the tone for the evening before Greensboro-based comedienne, Charlotte native and Def Comedy vet Dean Martin.

During the intermission, mom settles back in and reminisces about her first concert ever, A five for $5 concert featuring Parlament-Funkadelic and Bootsy Collins which actually took place right next door at Bojangles Coliseum, which used to be Independence Arena and Charlotte Coliseum. It’s crazy to think $5 can barely even get you fast food now and in the ’70s it got you “Atomic Dog” and a contact high from the copious amounts of marijuana being blazed during the show.

The whole chips and drinks thing was kinda ghetto, The intermission was a classic, ‘you can take someone out of the hood but you can’t take the hood out of them’ moment, people came back for Kem eating Lay’s and pretzels like it was a Panthers game, all but killing any air of sophistication. Nothing can take you out of groove like a ruffling chip bag and subsequent smacking.

V101.9’s Preston Miles seemed to be reaching on his MC duties. After failing to coin a new phrase to replace “grown and sexy” or rile the crowd up for the next act, he pressed on, rambling, singing and doing shout outs. It made me think hard about how he grabbed the number one show on the number one station in Charlotte and miss the time constraints of radio talk breaks that prevent this from happening on-air.

It’s obviously the music. Slow jams are bulletproof. For what many of them lack lyrically, they make up for in just raw sensuality and this show was full of that.

Kem is musical Cialis, plain and simple. An awkward revelation to have while sitting next to your mom but definitely a mental note to remember for future relationships. It’s hard to think of any guy who left that concert and didn’t “win” unless they were also with one of their parents or said something stupid while they were walking to the car.

Kem lived up to any expectations and more. He flashes a great flair and passion on stage, even his banter between songs only served to endure him more to his fans. Giving glory to God and then a glimpse of what the journey was for him to be where he was today. I mean, anytime you can get a grown woman to shriek and exhale at the very mention of a foot rub, you’re doing something right on stage.

Other than fighting the urge to turn around and tell the natural haired chick behind me to shut the hell up multiple times during the show as she tried to talk to her dude over the music, it was a great night and great show.

I’m still not convinced the men really like the music, but even the dumbest guy realizes what can come from sitting, nodding and pretending to enjoy the show, right?

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I try to keep an open mind when listening to music. I look for some kind of intrinsic value or something worthy of saying there’s talent. However, when I heard this song, I couldn’t find a damn thing about it that I liked. It’s like taking an ice pick to the ear drum.

Disagree? That’s fine. But if you do, leave a comment and let me know what it is about this song, particularly the vocals, that give any hint to some kind of talent. Sure, she was married to John Lennon, but that doesn’t mean she should be allowed near a recording studio.

“Enjoy.”

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First off, I’m not going to be bashing cover bands. I’ve played in cover bands and can think of many songs that I’d like to cover in my band. Instead, what I’d like to do is pose a question that I hope will get some discussion going.

Charlotte has many cover bands and many events that pay them well to perform. They pay them well because there is a reliable cover-band audience in Charlotte. A classic-rock tribute band is a guaranteed sell in the Queen City but an indie band that plays it’s original music is often a risk.

Not all cities are like this. Audiences in Asheville and Athens, Ga., for example, would likely laugh a cover-band off of the stage since they only want to hear original music. They simply don’t want to hear a band that is trying to sound like an established act. Now that’s a curious fact and I don’t want to speculate too much about it. After all, it’s difficult to make safe generalizations about a city since many individuals and groups feed into a city’s identity. I’d like to look at this another way.

I was discussing this issue over lunch with a fellow musician and he made a profound observation about classic-rock: Everyone who loves classic-rock bands had to discover them at some point.
At some point, that music was new and awe-inspiring for those listeners.

That seems right. I can remember the first time I heard Pink Floyd. I wasn’t even sure what I was listening to. I knew that it was different, weird, and a little terrifying. But I was intrigued. I had to hear more.

So, why do many listeners lose interest in discovering new bands and new music? What happens to the wonder?

I have a couple of guesses:

1- Nostaligia. That music takes many listeners back to younger days when life was more enjoyable and things made more sense. New music doesn’t provide that same sense of security and doesn’t make one reminisce.

2- “Classicism.” The best music has already been recorded and nothing will match it. Ever. No one will ever be able to match the likes of Zeppelin, Journey, or what have you.

These might be true, but I think that it has more to do with (3): Laziness.

Finding new music these days most often means actively looking around. It also means that you’re likely going to hear a bunch of stuff that you don’t like. Take a listen to WNCW or WSGE and you’re hear all kinds of quality music, but there might be quite a bit that doesn’t match your tastes. So, you’re going to have to sift through and find what you like.

But, experiences of musical awe and wonder are waiting those who are willing to explore a bit.

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Chris Brown is apparently done wearing big bowtie’s on CNN and taking a break from highway garbage collection, to do the thing he did so well before he went after Rihanna like a spider monkey.

His new video, “I Can Transform Ya,” with Swizz Beats and Lil Wayne seems better suited for the Transformers 3 soundtrack than radio stations but the video is kinda hot. I’m personally not a fan of ninja extras/backup dancers but whatever works right? Here’s the video.

“I leave the pussy micro soft like Windows Vista…”

Ahh, it’s been a while since we’ve heard the clever quips of Lil Wayne on other people’s beats but the return of “Mixtape Weezy” is a very welcomed voice to CD decks and iPod’s everywhere.

With anticipation building for his No Ceilings mixtape dropping on Halloween, several tracks have been leaked with the familiar rapper turned arena rocker dropping gems.

Over Jay-Z, Kanye & Rihanna’s “Run This Town,” he spits that “perfection is the goal and I’m headed for the pylon” in between lines about how he still gets tons of ass and destroys competing rappers.

On Gucci Mane’s “Wasted,” “shakes pussies up like a vibrator” before repping his city, “a New Orleans n*gga, I get Super Dome” before crapping on his counterparts’ skills, money and status. References to Step Brothers, The Little League World Series and global warming are all becoming textbook but still very dope.

And on F.L.Y.’s “Swag Surfin,” familiar lines about getting high, shout outs to T.I., Nomar Garcipara and all his baby mama coupled with lines like, “Walk around like I’m 30 feet tall, I’m Tiger Woods on these hoes and tryin to bury these balls” and the aforementioned Windows Vista reference means Weezy is hardly deter by his multiple recent/impending pregnancies/new kids.

You can hear all the leaked tracks and even songs with Weezy and Weezer here.

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