Living on campus is just wonderful.

Sure I’m forking about $640 a month in rent this term, but nothing can compare the gizillion files of multimedia on the local Resnet network. Downloading is great, but sometimes, you just want to be able to sample other people’s files— and that’s just so great about it, plus it downloads in seconds! Beat that, fucking Rogers!

Upon browsing people’s collection of videos and music, I have to say that there were so much music that I’ve forgotten over the years, and it was so good to have that music part of your collection again?

I actually really miss my high school teeny-bopper pop music of the nineties. Remember before when 90s bop music was generally happier and cheerful? Not to mention that when compared the prominent figures of the recent decade, people were just not as skanky as Jessica Simpson, and Britney Spears— which seems to define, to a certain extent, the pop age of this decade. The Spice Girls was probably the closest I could think of to skankiness, but that is still nothing compared to Boots Were Made For Walking.

Anyways, here’s a list of pop songs I’ve rediscovered from the Resnet file sharing escapades.

Cream of the Crop
ATC - Around the World
This is the song that has a special place in my heart. Those who listening to Z103.5 (formerly Hits 1035) and enjoyed ‘Gino Beats’ have to remember this song.

Back in my days at working at Chapters, my colleagues and I would spend countless overnights until 4 or 5 in the morning re-merchandising sections of the store. Anyways, we would always blast the Digital Music Express terminal, and play the Top 40 station— where they would always play this song. We would go crazy on the now-extinct big comfy couches and shake our stuff. It was just one of those old dance feel good songs, the ones were you just blast it and shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture.

Oh wait, wrong song, but you get the idea. As evident in Urban Design studio courses, tiredness makes people do crazy things like shaking your booty.

Canadiana
McMaster and James - Loves Wins Everytime
I have to say that I really enjoyed their work, and especially their distinctive sound. Their harmonies were particularly different, and used brass instrumentation, as per this song, that added that extra spice to pop music of the time.

What I don’t understand is how these great Canadian pop artists just suddenly disappeared from the music scene— in exchange for bland artists like Keisha Chante, and Canadian Idol’s Ryan Malcolm and Kalan Porter. Ew.

The Moffatts - Walking Behind
Aside from my love for Dave Moffat on Canadian Idol, I think that they made a significant contribution to the Canadian pop sphere. I wasn’t not really fond of their earlier ‘bubble gum’ work (a la Girl of My Dreams, Miss You Like Crazy) but the work near their end of the career was super.

Walking Behind for example remained pop with complementary but not overbearing elements of rock— I really enjoyed this. It is unlike current artists like Kelly Clarkson, Fefe Dobson, where it is rock music with a pop voice.

Come back Moffatts!

Barenaked Ladies - Brian Wilson
This selection is off from my definition of pop music, however, Barenaked totally rocks. This song, as well as This Old Apartment, definitely hold a great place in my heart. The Ladies really know how to have fun and just forget all your troubles away— unlike songs that are always angry, or involving teen angst and how life sucks (Simple Plan suddenly comes to mind).

Also, Barenaked is from neighbouring Scarborough, so there was that sense of local pride as well.

Other Canadiana:

• soulDecision - Faded


• Sky - Something Kinda Wonderful


• Joee - Angel


• Len - Steal My Sunshine


• B-44 (!) - I’ll Get Down on You


• Alanis Morissette - You Learn

World Domination
Los Del Rio - Macarena
Macarena! That was the best dance of the decade! I remember those school dances in elementary school, I think that during those dancs that I started to learn to get my groove on, albeit ridiculously. It was just so fun because everyone was just so into it.

I think I still remember how to do it.

Toni Braxton - Unbreak My Heart
I love Toni Braxton. This song doesn’t necessary speak to me, but the fact that it brings back so many teen-hood memories. It was one of those first songs where I slow-danced with a girl. Remember those days in elementary school where we would marginally touch the girl at her waist— and making sure that you have a metre’s distance between the two dance parties?

It was great.

Ace of Base - The Sign
If you don’t know this song, shame on you. This song rocks. Ace of Base was cool because their music was so dance-able. Remember all those dirty spinoffs of this that seemed to have infiltrated in elementary schools across the board?

I saw your mom, she opened up her legs and said “c’mon.”

To be honest, I don’t think we were any less dirtier than this generation of youth. Or maybe it’s just me.

Anyways, everytime I hear this song, I think of Beverley. Haha!

House of Pain - Jump Around
I remember in Grade Six, we were assigned into groups to perform a song of our choice. I believe it was for the art component of our curriculum. Larry, Ryan and I proformed this song, and let me tell you, there was a lot of jumping and summersaults.

Jump around, j-j-jump around…Jump up, jump up, and get down!

If only I had a video of that performance. It was so bad because it was that “special time” in my adolescence when I was really uncoordinated— even more so.

I think we should have a reunion tour.

Other ‘World Domination’:

• Le Click - Tonight Is The Night


• Hanson - mmmbop


• Savage Garden - To the Moon and Back


• O-Town - Liquid Dreams (How could I resist?)


• Janet Jackson - Together Again


• New Kids on the Block - The Right Stuff

I think it’s quite powerful how music can invoke so much memories. What songs do you remember treasuring?