The 333 Best Pop Songs of the 2000s: #244

#244: Sugar (Gimme Some) (2004) - Trick Daddy

Keepin' it street, keepin' it real, keepin' it thug...yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, as long as it sounds this confectionate, Trick Daddy, you can keep it however you want it. Here, Daddy latches on to a great Talking Heads melody and gets Cee-Lo (Goody Mob, Gnarls Barkley)--who's a better singer than David Byrne any day of the week--to sing it for him, and lets Lil' Kim and Ludicrous join in the fun, and though Trick Daddy may be a thug, he's got enough pop smarts about him to let Cee-Lo handle (or at least co-handle) production duties on this one, which--like Daddy's late '90s record "Take It to the House"--knows when it's found a gem of a tune and latches on to it, punching it up with some saccharine sound effects, sweet vocals, suggestive rapping, and an almost-late-but-just-barely-catching-the-two-and-the-four backbeatput that slithers and slinks, allowing Cee-Lo--the star of this record--to work his magic as producer and singer. Add another scoop to my coffee, anytime.

Pigskin Prognostications, Week Eleven

Quick one today--Thursday night game, and I've got to drive forty-minutes away to give blood so my son can get a boomerang he'll use to bop his sister upside the head and cause her to bleed. Figures.


Patriots 20, Jets 13 - Patriots looking solid, and the Jets are sporadic (but they've got a heckuva run D).

Falcons 24, Broncos 21- Fierce running against fierce passing (and a porous D) - remember last week, Atlanta vs. New Orleans? Same thing. Remember the result? I do.

Panthers 27, Lions 21 - Lions are falling fast apart, and I don't think they start to mend themselves this weekend, not against Carolina's running game.


Eagles 35, Bengals 12 - Though this could be a trap game for a very good Philly team, but after their close loss to the Gints last week, I see them squashing Cincinnatti nine ways to Sunday.

Saints 31, Chiefs 17 - I'd like to see Tyler Thigpen and the battlin' Chiefs win one, but, the Saints'll be too much for their defense.

Giants 28, Ravens 14- Ooh, another week, another great Giants game. Though both have sporadic QB play and both play fantastic defense, New York runs the ball better and they've better receivers.


Buccaneers 17, Vikings 14 - I believe the Bucs will play a tougher run D than the Pack did last week, and--like Robert Frost said--that will make all the difference (Frost was a Lombardi fan, and most of his poems are in fact metaphors for football; in fact, the original title of "The Road Not Taken" was "Two Roads and a Cloud of Dust").

Dolphins 10, Raiders 6 - Al Davis stripped his team's offensive coordinator of his playcalling duties last week, and Russell's still not starting, and the team's falling further and further apart, despite the play from their defense.

Packers 14, Bears 10 - It could swing the other way, but Grossman's starting.

Colts 27, Texans 13 - Colts almost look now like the championship-caliber Colts of the past few season, and that'll be enough for them to plow over the hapless Texans.

49ers 22, Rams 13 - The 49ers could be down after their heartbreaking loss this past Monday night, and it's a short week, but the Rams...just don't look solid at all. Their lines need overhauling.


Cardinals 20, Seahawks 14 - Seattle's improving, and Seneca Wallace is, too, but they're not doing the small things well, and the Cardinals are. Finally.


Titans 24, Jaguars 10 - No way Jacksonville runs on Tennessee like it did on Detroit last week, and the Jaguars passing game's too close-quartered to stretch the tough Tennessee D enough to provide any running lanes.

Steelers 27, Chargers 24 - Big Ben's playing hurt, but as long as San Diego's defense plays in sieve-like fashion (like it has all season long), it won't matter much--unless Roethlisberger turns the ball over too early and/or too often, because San Diego can give almost as much as they receive.

Redskins 20, Cowboys 17 - Romo's back, but will he be able to throw the tight spiral and the fifteen-yard out with that broke pinky? Dunno. I think what matters more is whether or not Clinton Portis plays. If he does, this one should go to Washington (at home), but if not, then Dallas should win.


Bills 19, Browns 17 - The game's at Buffalo, where Brady Quinn--in only his second start--will face those stiff, swirling autumn winds for the first time. Sure, most of his passes will be of the ten/fifteen yard variety, but the coaches have stated that they're opening up the playbook for him, which means that they're going to ask him to throw deep a few times, which should mean a couple of turnovers through the air

The 333 Best Pop Songs of the 2000s: #245

#245: "Breakfast Club" (2005) - Z-Trip

DJ Z-Trip, along with rappers MURS and Supernatural, bring back two of the fondest memories for those of us in the 13th Generation who grew up with color televisions at the advent (but before the proliferation) of cable television: name-brand cereal and Saturday morning cartoons. Nowadays, cartoons are aired on cable and/or satellite 24/7, but back in the day, the only time one could watch non-Flintstones/non-Scooby Doo cartoons was Saturday morning, and sugar-coated cereal only sweetened the experience.

I've seen the best minds of my generation lament the passing of Saturday-morning cartoons, dragging themselves through the old-fogey cries that today's cartoons aren't as good as they once were. For the most part, that idea is hogwash. I've two kiddies at home, and I watch cartoons with 'em, so I know these cartoons, and you, seventies/eighties animation, are no comparison. From style to content, today's animated fare is far and above better than what I saw in my couch-potato developmental days. So why the grousing from so many Generation Xers? Old Fartisan politics? Pretty much, yeah. Nostalgia wears eight-bit rose-colored glasses dontchaknow, but nostalgia has its place in society (often misplaced, though), and there's nothing wrong with the occasional trip back. Life seemed so much simpler, then. Oh, God--I'm quoting Barbara Streisand now. Time to quit, sit back, get the Alpha-Bits and watch Challenge of the SuperFriends--while DJ Z-Trip quotes liberally from the space sounds of Whisper. Don't worry, though. He's only buggin'. And so are we.

The 333 Best Pop Songs of the 2000s: #246

#246: "Trouble" (2004) - Ray LaMontagne

According to legend, LaMontagne was working in a shoeshop in Maine when he heard a Stephen Stills song and subsequently decided to quit his job and take up the life of a musician, with Stills as his hero. Well, at least in terms of singing ability, LaMontagne's already topped his master, as LaMontagne's rugged tenor ranks with the best pop voices of his generation. It's a classic blue-eyed soul voice, but more ragged than, say, Darryl Hall's or Chris Robinson's (in Robinson's earlier days). It's most akin to the singing of prime Rod Stewart and prime Bob Segar, with the breathiness and wildness of a prime Van Morrison. He's Gregg Allman with better range and more expression.

"Trouble"--made internationally famous when American Idol winner Taylor Hicks covered it during his stint on the contest--is structured like a typical singer-songwriter record, and the arrangement calls for the usual, requisite acoustic guitar strumming and jazz-lite drumming. What makes the record distinctive is LaMontagne's wonderful voice and his phrasing, which takes little from the singer-songwriters; instead, LaMontagne's stylings come from blues, soul, and gospel: the humming, the pauses, and the repetition--all seem impromptu, to come from the depth of feeling in his soul...and all almost assuredly derive from pre-meditation, deliberately concocted. After all, this was recorded in the studio. Does this seeming affectation make the record insincere? Nope. It just means that Ray LaMontagne's a recording artist that knows exactly what he's doing. A record this deliberately (well) crafted signals that LaMontagne's troubles may soon end, for surely his star is soon to shine.

Fifth Down, Week Ten

Broncos 17, Browns 12 - Win. Brady Quinn acquitted himself well (though, smartly, the gameplan only called for him to complete short passes), and Shaun Rogers played well, too, but neither one plays cornerback or defensive end, so....Actual score: Broncos 34, Browns 30

Falcons 28, Saints 27 - Win. Atlanta's defense played better than I thought it would, giving Brees fits all game (though he still threw for over four-hundred yards), and their running game was unstoppable, and Matt Ryan's playing better than a rookie has a right to. Actual score: Falcons 34, Saints 20

Titans 20, Bears 10 - Win. It was Tennessee that couldn't run the ball (twenty yards total), so they left it up to Kerry Collins to win the game...and he did. Actual score: Titans 21, Bears 14

Jaguars 14, Lions 9 - Win. Jacksonville finally ran the ball well. Reason? Their opponent. Actual score: Jaguars 38, Lions 14

Ravens 24, Texans 12 - Win. Rookies Flacco and Rice are playing fantastic football, and (other than Andre Johnson and Mario Williams), Houston has sputtered. Actual score: Ravens 41, Texans 13

Dolphins 14, Seahawks 10 - Win. This close, Senaca Wallace, this close. Actual score: Dolphins 21, Seahawks 19

Packers 20, Vikings 17 - Loss. I haven't seen a running back take a team on his shoulders and will a victory the way Adrian Peterson did here (especially on Minnesota's last drive) since Emmit Smith wore a star on his helmet. Actual score: Vikings 28, Panthers 27

Patriots 21, Bills 13 - Win. Buffalo? Where are you? You're out there somewhere? Right? Right? Actual score: Patriots 20, Bills 10

Jets 24, Rams 12 - Win. It could have been sixty-seven. Actual score: Jets 47, Rams 3

Panthers 32, Raiders 2 - Loss. The Raiders offense is so bad, that the opposing quarterback throws four interceptions, and Oakland still gets beat by double digits. Actual score: Panthers 17, Raiders 6

Colts 16, Steelers 14 - Win. Great, great game on all fronts, as the Colts discover that sometimes you make your own luck. Actual score: Colts 24, Steelers 20

Chiefs 24, Chargers 21 - Loss. Tyler Thigpen played with the mindset of a champion; too bad his defense didn't. Actual score: Chargers 20, Chiefs 19

Giants 21, Eagles 14 - Win. For two teams with such phenomenal talent on both sides of the ball, this game was too sloppy. Actual score: Giants 36, Eagles 31

Cardinals 27, 49ers 14 - Win. Samurai Mike--one question: why Robinson instead of Gore? Actual score: Cardinals 29, 49ers 24

The 333 Best Pop Songs of the 2000s: #247

#247: "Honey" (2007) - Erykah Badu

The best female soul (or r&b or hip-hop) singer of her generation, Erykah Badu has often been compared to jazz legend Billie Holiday, and based solely on their singing styles (but not their importance to pop music, for in that area Holiday dwarfs almost any singer), it's an apt comparison. Badu slinks around, over, and through the beat as much as she stays on it (and that's a good thing). Her slightly-gravelly voice slides subtlely up and down the scale, yet she avoids showy grandstands, doesn't overpower the melody. She focuses less on her voice's power and more on its expressiveness, slurring words for the sake of the sound, the emotion behind the words.

Nowhere are Badu's vocal expressiveness more expert as they are here, on the sultriest song she's written. An extended metaphor for sexual attraction, "Honey"' is ripe with double entendres; I'd quote 'em, but they wouldn't have anywhere near the same effect because, one, they're song lyrics--they're meant to be sung, and they don't have the same effect when written--in fact, these would seem rather silly; and two, it's Badu's voice that makes 'em work. The earthy, slightly-retro, '70s-funk-era music helps, too. So sit back, light the candles, turn off the lights, grab your honey by his 'fro, add a little lemon, and...serve.

The 333 Best Pop Songs of the 2000s: #248

#248: "Ruby" (2003) - Troy Campbell

At first listen, "Ruby" doesn't seem to offer too much for repeated listening: its production is minimal, the instrumentation isn't noteworthy, and the playing cards metaphor doesn't completely work. Yeah, it's a pretty melody, and Campbell--Austin troubadour who's been touring with bands and by himself for over a decade without a hint of success--sings it, uh, prettily (as does, background singr Emily Gilkyson), but a cursory listen might only lead one to think this as Texas elevator music. Then, about two-thirds through this wisp of a waltz, magic strikes as Campell and Gilksyon harmonize as they croon a cattle call, Tex Ritter style, and bring a bit of Western to the waltz, and when's the last time one heard that in a pop song?

You can listen to it here.