Crop Circles (2006) – Visionaries

When I was a junior high student in the ‘80s, there were two eminent trendsetters who were: (a) taller than the rest of us; (b) better-looking than most of us; and (c) breakdancers—a combination that netted them überpopularity. One of them was John Baker, of whom I have written about elsewhere; the other was Kikuo Nishi. While John went on to play bass in indie rock bands, Kikuo focused his efforts on hip-hop.

Now known as KeyKool, Nishi is currently a member of Visionaries, a multi-cultural rap collective. While lyrically “Crop Circles” is not mind-blowing or soul-stirring, it is bounce-inducing, boasting a pretty persuasive beat and dexterous scratching courtesy of Rhettmatic. Overall, it’s one of the more amusingly entertaining jointz I’ve heard—especially because their earnest tone is a bit inapposite to the lyrical upshot. From 2Mex’s nearly unintelligible babble to the refrain that proposes the ridiculously awesome concept of leaving crop circles on the dance floor, the net effect is one of comedic ingenuity, leaving its imprint ingrained in the crop fields of your consciousness.

Listen to "Crop Circles" and purchase from iTunes Music Store.

My Adidas (2000) – Versus

Richard Baluyut is a member of a copycat cult planning to emulate the Heaven’s Gate group suicide in 1997 that coincided with the appearance of the Hale-Bopp comet, whereby followers believed their souls would be transported to heaven via a rocketship hiding behind the comet. The 39 cult members committed suicide by ingesting a fatal solution; their bodies were discovered in bunk beds, covered with purple blankets and wearing identical pairs of Nike sneakers.

However, Baluyut’s cult, unable to score an endorsement deal with Nike, sports Adidas instead. Despite a song title that suggests a Run-DMC cover, “My Adidas” is more epitaph than parody. Baluyut steps into the shoes (pun intended, groans acknowledged) of an individual who believes that suicide will facilitate his entrance into heaven, tragically oblivious to the fact that he’s been hoodwinked. His anticipation of the journey is both naïve and jubilant. Amid guitar-drum starbursts and mellifluous background vocals by Fontaine Toups, Baluyut repeatedly announces the permanence of his decision, as if he hopes someone will stop him because he’s still unsure. To allay his doubts, he reassures himself that those left behind are the misguided ones. Unfortunately, he realizes too late his grievous mistake. As if to voice regret from beyond the grave, “My Adidas” finds empathy in the lives of those susceptible to being brainwashed—those in search of a deeper meaning to life, even if it’s to be found in death.

Listen to "My Adidas" and purchase from iTunes Music Store.

There’s Only One Thing Left To Say (1994) – Velocity Girl

Velocity Girl were close to being the perfect pop group, and this is nearly the perfect pop song. In “There’s Only One Thing Left To Say,” Velocity Girl look to ‘60s Motown for a framework, borrowing the rhythm section of The Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love,” then adding their own noise pop accoutrements: the jangle of guitars—slightly overdriven, vibrato’d and tremolo’d. In the effervescence, Sarah Shannon’s voice, lent also to harmonies and background vocals, is remarkably pretty (whereas in her later solo work, her voice is allowed the space to be enchantingly beautiful). Her lilting vocal melody works perfectly over the bouncy rhythm established by the bass, drums and tambourine.

A new romance has caused Shannon to lose her bearings; she’s practically dysfunctional now, so instead of being so uptight, she decides to bask in her giddiness. Having attempted to articulate her feelings in writing numerous times before only to discard them, she hopes that he instinctively understands how she feels about him: “Love notes littered on the landscape / translate everything I ever said / Read quick, you might catch that dizzy feeling.” She knows which words could seal the deal, but she’s tongue-tied: “There’s only one thing left to say / Why should I let it slip away?” This song should cinch it for ya, Sarah.

Listen to “There’s Only One Thing Left To Say” and purchase from iTunes Music Store.

The Midnight Sun Will Never Set (1958) – Sarah Vaughan (Dorcas Cochran/Quincy Jones/Henri Salvador)

For anyone who has wandered the night contemplating a past love, or at least has imagined doing so, this beautiful composition speaks directly to the heart. Quincy Jones’ arrangement is masterful. Vibes gently reverberate in silvery ripples to a plaintive rhythm plucked out on double bass. A piano softly sprinkles stardust along a desolate pathway. Clarinets and flutes join the lament. Strings slowly rise to cushion each lonely footstep. And then, there is the voice. Sassy. The Divine One. Miss Sarah Vaughan. Her smooth voice wafts in to console and comfort, if only by re-living the birth of a romance long ago, confessing that its embers still illuminate her heart. The glow of a midnight sun; a torch still carried; a summer love extinguished–we need not be given much detail to understand the sentiment which haunts her. She effortlessly glides from note to note as if traversing the moonlit cityscape in search of an explanation why she “can’t eclipse / the lips I still desire.” As is often the case, the reward is in the pining.

Listen to "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set" and purchase from iTunes Music Store.