No Doubt End of the World

Here's one you'll remember Cheri.  This is one of my favorite Orange County bands, no doubt, covering a song that was a hit when you were in high school.  This live version was sung just after midnight of the New Year's Party ringing in the New Millennium from 1999 to 2000.  See how many of the words you still remember. 

Who's On First

This isn't a song, but it's for you Ethan.  This was Grandpa Tom's favorite comedy bit of all time.  Since baseball is your life, you may have seen this before.  The comedians are Abbott and Costello, a comedy team from the 1940's and 50's I think.  They were in a lot of funny movies back then, and this bit is from one of those movies.  Grandpa Tom first showed me this bit when I was about your age Ethan, and way back in those olden days, we didn't have DVR's, Netflix, or even a VCR.  So when the movie was playing on TV, Grandpa would yell, "Steve! Hurry up, 'Who's on First' is going to be on," and I'd run to the TV to watch it with him.  He knew every word of this bit.  So anytime you're watching this, it's not only funny, but it's kind of like hanging out with grandpa, too. 

A Little Something Refreshing

Here's another fun ska song from the early 1990's.  If the woman stuffing her face above looks familiar, that's because it's Orange County girl Gwen Stefani.  Two or three years before they became famous, when they were still playing small clubs and parties, No Doubt recorded this song about pigging out.  I know the cheerleaders have a trip this weekend, so maybe they'll have some fun with this song.  Enjoy. 

Save Ferris Under 21

This song is for Katherine.  When you're in high school, and the early years of college, there are a lot of clubs and local shows you can't get into.  That's what this song is all about.  Save Ferris is a ska band from the early 90's.  What's ska?  It's a combination of reggae music and punk rock, sometimes with a little bit of swing in it.  For a while, Save Ferris and No Doubt, another ska band from Southern California, were duking it out to see who would be more famous.  No Doubt won, and their singer, Gwen Stefani, is now a household name.  But Save Ferris was a great band as well, and their singer, Monique Powell belted out some great and energetic tunes back then.  Enjoy.

The Birth of Rap and Hip Hop

OK kids, time for a history lesson in music.  I know you guys like rap and hip hop.  But what you call rap today actually started in about 1980 with this song, "Rapper's Delight," by the Sugarhill Gang.  At that time, disco was still really popular.  Disco was short for discotecque, which were the dance clubs of that time.  Women wore lots of sparkles and sequins, and the men had tight pants.  The dancing was far different than what we see today.  As far away as it seems from today's hip hop, this song spread the idea of rapping lyrics instead of singing them, and that idea caught on with the young, poor kids in the street.  Rap as we know it was born.  Once again, the African-American community changed music for the rest of the world.

Hey Mickey

Katherine, this one's for you.  This is the really weird video to Tony Basil's song "Hey Mickey" in the early 80's.  Tony was a high school cheerleader, and this song was inspired by her cheer experience.  believe it or not, this was a huge hit when it came out.

Pretty Fly For A White Guy

I love this song.  The Offspring is one of my favorite punk bands, from Huntington Beach, where I used to live.  I had a few beers with the band once, a couple years before they became famous.  Anyhow, this song, from the late 90's, is making fun of white kids who try to act gangsta.  There are a few good white rappers, like the Beastie Boys, Eminem, and even my skateboarder friend Chris Gentry.  But when white kids from the suburbs try to pretend they're from the 'hood, it just looks stupid.  That's what this song is all about.  There's nothing wrong with listening to rap/hip hop, but just don't try to be something you're not.