From A to Z

I saw this type of thing on a message board and thought it was cute.  Here’s mine…

A: Ace of Base Doesn’t everyone like “The Sign”?!?  I first heard it on a trip to Germany and The Netherlands in high school.  It was new then and playing at the dance club we visited.  I heard it again weeks later when I got back to The States.

B: Black Eyed Peas I’m not their world’s biggest fan or anything but if “Pump It”,  “Boom Boom Pow” and “Imma Be” aren’t on your workout playlist you are missing out.  Don’t forget their old pre-Fergie classic “Joints and Jams”.

C: Carole King “Really Rosie” was my favorite book/record back in elementary school.  My best friend and I would get on the phone and read it back to each other playing the parts.  I love the old school cartoon they made of it and can’t wait to share it with Lewis.  I sing “Alligators All Around” and “One Was Johnny” to him and he always smiles.  There is an extra bonus in that the songs teach counting, the alphabet and the months of the year.

D: Donnie Donnie is a local Atlanta artist.  His first CD “The Colored Section” was produced for a mainstream label.  People slept on him and his second release “Daily News” was with small independent label.  He makes good soulful music with a socio-political bent.  He will have you tapping your toes on a song about suicide.  I kid you not.  I’ve seen him in concert locally and he’s awesome (if not punctual).

E: Eden’s Crush Popstars was a show on WB back in the day (before they became the CW).  It was one of those put together a girl group type things.  I loved it!  Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls was picked for the group.  I still listen to the CD every now and again.  Fun catchy poppy fluff!

F: Fugees “The Score” was the soundtrack to my sophmore year of college.  I have so many fond memories of those songs and that year.

G: Groove Theory Amel Larrieux is still one of my favorite artists.  “Tell Me” never gets old.

H: Hil St. Soul She was a VH1 Soul find for me.  She did an acoustic remake of Aretha Franklin’s “‘Til You Come Back To Me” that I loved.  I have like 4 of her CDs and I always enjoy her stuff.  She’s sort of soothing background music to me though – like Dwele.

I: Ice Cube “We Be Clubbin”  Everybody likes when the girls shake something!

J: Jazzyfatnastees I believe they have disbanded now but this duo sort of picked up where Zhane left off.  Like Zhane, I wish they would return.  Check out “Something In The Way”, “Hear Me” and “Breakthrough”.  Soulful music with nice pure voices.

K: Kristen Vigard “God Give Me Strength”   I love the movie “Grace Of My Heart”.  The main character sings this song when she finally records her own solo project.  Sad but beautiful.

L: Laurnea “Infatuation”  She’s another Atlanta artist.  I first saw this video on “Midnight Soul” back in college (remember that show y’all?).  I like it so much that I dusted it off and used it for my first pole dancing graduation piece.  I’m old school like that!

M: Mandy Moore Yeah that blonde Britney/Jessica Simpson clone.  “Candy” was cute and catchy and I thought “Walk Me Home” had a little blue-eyed soul going on.  I like “Only Hope” from that movie about the sick girl too.

N: Nikka Costa “Like A Feather”, “Everybody’s Got Their Something” and “Happy In The Morning” stay on my running playlists.  You have probably heard these songs before even if you don’t know the artist.

O: Outkast “Bombs Over Baghdad”  Add it to your running playlist and you will run fast (for 5 minutes at least).

P: Paula Abdul “Knocked Out”  Who didn’t love Paula’s first effort?  I played that tape to death back in the day!

Q: Quincy Jones “Q’s Jook Joint” is a classic R&B CD.  It has songs from Brian McKnight, Brandy, Babyface and Tamia, Phil Collins.  Nearly every song is good!

R: Rahsaan Patterson He has so many songs that make me happy.  I am sad that I’ve yet to catch him in concert.

S: Spandeau Ballet “True” It took me a long time to find this 80′s classic on MP3 because I didn’t know the artist.  I’ve got “Hold Me Now” from The Thompson Twins too!

T: Tisha Campbell “Be Alone Tonight”  Or is it “The Rays” from School Daze makes me happy too!  It makes me want to put on a dress with an asymmetrical hemline and a big old bow with some long satin gloves.  This song came up on my Ipod and The Mister said he hated it.  He lost a point for that comment.  Eh, maybe not.  It *is* sort of a chick song anyway.

U: UNV “Something’s Going On”  Classic 90s R&B.  I don’t know if these dudes ever had another hit single but this song is still great.  It came out around the same time as that other one-hit wonder – Lo Key with “I’ve Got A Thang 4 U” right?  Why is this the only other “U” I have on my Ipod besides Usher?

V: Vanessa Williams I’ve always been a fan – seriously.  I have everything she ever recorded.  She is going to rock on Desperate Housewives.

W: Wreckx-N-Effect “Rump Shaker”  All I wanna do is zooma zooma zoom zoom zoom and a boom boom!

X: Xscape I’ve always been a fan of this group.  Some of the individual voices were a little rough but together they were tight.  They came out my senior year of high school.  I remember riding around in my green Toyota Tercel with my “Just Kickin It” tape playing.

Y: Yo Gabba Gabba It keep Lewis quiet in the car when he gets fidgety.

Z: Zhane My only “Z” group but much beloved by me!  Hey Mr. DJ!