Mr. A-Z
From Michael Stipe to John Mayer, many nerds have achieved the ultimate revenge as pop stars. Jason Mraz is another dorky dude who has had the last laugh thanks to his hit "Remedy (I Won't Worry)." On this unassumingly appealing follow-up to his platinum debut, 2002's Waiting for My Rocket to Come, the singer-songwriter shamelessly embraces his uncoolness on the catchy, cheeky ditty "Geek in the Pink." The song begins with deejay scratching sounds and Mraz hopelessly attempting to talk hip-hop jive before singing lines like "I maybe skinny at times, but I'm fat full of rhymes" and "Hey baby, look at me go from zero to hero." Elsewhere, over the shiny guitar-pop of the single "Wordplay," Mraz directly addresses the pressures to avoid the sophomore slump: "Before my people write me off just like a one-hit wonder/ I gotta find another way to keep from going under." Mraz keeps things floating along on Mr. A-Z with his easy tunefulness, clever lyrics and a pure, true voice that displays his musical theater training. And to make things a little more interesting, he colors his pop-rock with shades of folk, country, soul, classical, jazz and Latin music (although he should leave the bossa nova of "Bella Luna" to Sting). He even brings in a high school choir for the uplifting closer, "Song for a Friend." It's a bit of a corny touch—one only a real geek could get away with.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Wordplay"
R&B
A Change Is Gonna Come
CRITIC'S CHOICE
Where did the soul go?/ It's all about the video." So sings newcomer Leela James on "Music," this album's funky first single, on which she calls for a return to real singers and artists like Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Marvin Gaye. And with the vintage R&B sounds on her debut—which takes its title from the 1964 Sam Cooke hit that she covers here—this petite woman with the big voice is a refreshing change from today's BET booty-shakers. The L.A. native has clearly learned well from the old-school masters; her husky vocals, equal parts gospel fervor and down-home grit, conjure shades of Mavis Staples, Betty Wright and Tina Turner on songs like the uplifting "My Joy" and the finger-licking-good "Soul Food."
From the bluesy ballad "When You Love Somebody" to the upbeat party jam "Good Time," which samples Gwen McCrae's 1981 disco classic "Funky Sensation," James captures the soulful essence of an era gone by. Not that she is merely a nostalgia act, though. She incorporates contemporary reggae rhythms and street slang on the Wyclef Jean-produced "Ghetto" and successfully remakes No Doubt's "Don't Speak," injecting the song with a churchy spirit that Gwen Stefani could only dream of.
DOWNLOAD THIS: "My Joy"
PUNK-POP
Move Along
Despite their self-deprecating band name, these rockers from Stillwater, Okla., have been embraced by the skater-boy crowd: Their 2003 self-titled debut went platinum, and they landed a main-stage spot on this summer's Vans Warped Tour. With their likable, hook-heavy punk-pop and youthful energy that practically leaps off the CD, there is little to reject about their second set. They get the mosh pit hopping with "Dirty Little Secret" and the inciting title track, while providing a few Bicwielding moments like "Straightjacket Feeling."
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Dirty Little Secret"
Paul Anka
Paul Anka—yes, Paul Anka!—reworks pop hits from the '80s and '90s on his new disc Rock Swings. We asked the 64-year-old former teen idol about put ting some swing into these songs.
"IT'S MY LIFE" (BON JOVI) I identified with its message. There's a parallel with "My Way."
"EYE OF THE TIGER" (SURVIVOR) I knew that I could take license with the melody and that the message would still prevail. It's got a "Mack the Knife" kind of feel.
"JUMP" (VAN HALEN) This was easy. I said, "Let's bang it out with the brass."
"THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL" (MICHAEL JACKSON) There's no taking away from Michael Jackson's talent. I tried "Billie Jean" first, but it didn't work.
"SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT" (NIRVANA) Forget how [Kurt Cobain] screwed up his life, there was poetry in that kid. My original album title was Smells Like Paul Anka. But I thought that would be asking for trouble.
For information on where to find our Download This picks, go to www.people.com/downloadthis or AOL (Keyword: People)
- Contributors:
- Chuck Arnold,
- Champ Clark.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
