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MUSICOLOGY 101: we're here to school you on the phonics of Artist pop music name.

The Phonics of Pop

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Thursday, September 14, 2006

It used to be you'd hear a band on the radio and proceed to misspell their name. Beetles, anyone? How about Sticks? Now, you'll see an artist's video or read about them in a magazine or online, and then proceed to butcher the pronunciation of their name. Well, break out the Speak 'n Spells, we're here to school you on the phonics of pop music. But don't blame us if people still laugh when you drop a name like Fiddy Cent at the water cooler.

AFI (A.F.I., not Affee; stands for A Fire Inside) -- Pop-punk quartet from California known to rival Jared Leto's 30 Seconds to Mars in the black nail polish and eyeliner department. This summer's "Decemberunderground" album spawned the glam-rock anthem "Miss Murder."

Akon (A-con) -- Born Aliaune Thiam. The R&B singer grew up in Senegal. Scored minor hits with "Locked Up" in 2004 and "Lonely" in 2005.

Amerie (A-ma-rie) -- An Army brat who landed in the D.C.-area and graduated from Georgetown with a Fine Arts degree in 2000. Entered the R&B music scene in 2002 with "Why Don't We Fall in Love." Lit up charts last year when she teamed up with Jay-Z for the remix of "Touch."

Avant (Ah-vahnt) -- A low-key R&B stud, this Chicago native born Myron Avant is often compared to R. Kelly -- minus the child porn allegations. His current album, "Director," hit No. 1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-hop albums chart.

James Blunt -- Last name originally Blount but pronounced Blunt. People kept mispronouncing it, so he changed it. Blunt's "You're Beautiful" spent time at No. 1 on both the U.S. and U.K. charts.

Bubba Sparxxx (Sparks) The Southern rapper who first hit with Timbaland and "Ugly" in 2001. Told MTV that the second part of his name represents the hip-hop side, "Like, 'Let's spark it.' The xxx is the unknown variables. Expect the unexpected." In other words, it has no meaning.

Chamillionaire (Ka-millionaire) -- One of many in the latest surge of southern rappers. Like Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Mike Jones, Chamillionaire's "chopped and screwed" influenced sound is the result of his work with the late Michael Watts of Swishahouse. His latest single "Ridin' Dirty" has been a Top 10 hit since its release.

Ciara (See-ar-ah) -- A favorite accomplice of Missy Elliott, also dubbed the "First Lady of Crunk" by Lil' Jon. Her own "Goodies" and "1, 2 Step" kept everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to the Red Bull and vodka crowd involved in their own footwork.

Dido (Die-doe) --Accompanied Eminem on his hit "Stan" (about a deranged fan) with the chorus of "Thank You," her song that helped her debut album sell more than 12 million copies worldwide.

Dierks Bentley (Deer-ks) A onetime employee of the (now-defunct) TNN television network, the curly-headed country dude learned his country music history doing research for the network. A native of Phoenix, Bentley's "Settle for a Slowdown" and "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" have appeared on both the country and pop charts.

Pete Doherty (Doc-er-ty, according to Rolling Stone) Lead singer of Babyshambles; former member of The Libertines. Known more for his drug habit, run-ins with the law and relationship with model Kate Moss than for his music.

Evanescence (Evan-essence) -- The name means "to fade away" . . . who would have thought "My Immortal" could have originated in Little Rock, the band's hometown. "Bring Me to Life" won the group a 2004 Grammy

50 Cent (Fiddy-cent) -- That's right. No "s." If you didn't know that, you probably won't dig him.

Nelly Furtado (Fur-ta-doe) -- Canadian singer-songwriter of Portuguese descent. Hit fame with her single "I'm Like a Bird" from her first album "Whoa! Nelly." "Loose," her latest album released in June, reflects her diverse origins with reggae, hip-hop and rock infused beats. Her single "Promiscuous" is still on the charts.

Gnarls Barkley (Nar-els Bark-lee) -- Think gnarly Charles Barkley. Driving people "Crazy" for most of the summer, Cee-lo Green (pictured) and Danger Mouse (the duo behind the moniker) add a refreshing mix to music charts.

Grupo Montéz de Durango -- You may not have heard of them, but you may have heard one of they're tunes. They currently have one of the most popular ringtones, according to Billboard.com. The band plays a regional Mexican style known as Duranguense.

Gza (Jih-za)-- Of the Wu-Tang Clan, most known for members like the late Ol' Dirty Bastard who later re-named himself Big Baby Jesus and Method Man. Turned down an offer from Jay-Z to join Roc-A-Fella Records in 2002. His latest project "Gza Presents" is due for release this year.

India.arie -- Say it the way it looks, but here's the deal on that period. She was born India Arie Simpson and spent her early years in Denver. Years later, she added the period between her first two names because she liked how it looked when she designed her logo. Simple as that. Her 2001 debut, "Acoustic Soul," became an instant hit with the neo-soul song, "Video."

Jaheim (Ja-heem) -- Full name: Jaheim Hoagland. An R&B singer known for his ballads such as "Put That Woman First" and "Fabulous." His third album, "Ghetto Classics," released in February, was his first to reach No. 1 on The Billboard 200.

Jamiroquai (Ja-meer-o-kwai) -- Londoners known for Stevie Wonder-sounding acid jazz laced with funk and disco. Biggest Stateside hit was 1996's "Virtual Insanity." Singer Jay Kay renowned for his affection of retro sneakers and bizarre hats.

Jason Mraz (Mrr-as) -- Mechanicsville bred and born singer-songwriter who hit the coffeehouse scene in San Diego before his major label debut single, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," in 2002. Known for his tongue-twisting thesaurus-happy lyrics and breezy acoustic guitar pop.

Juelz Santana (Ju-els) Part of the Diplomats, Cam'ron's crew. Harlem-born Dominican rapper (real name: LaRon James) most known for cameos on single's such as "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma" from Cam'ron's 2002 "Come Home With Me." In 2005, he released "What the Game's Been Missing" anchored by "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" and this year's ubiquitous "Oh Yes," which samples The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman."

Kanye West (Caan-yay) OK, if you didn't know that, back under your rock!

Keane (Keen) -- British pop band known for Coldplay-like melodies and the soaring angelic vocals of singer Tom Chaplin, who is currently in rehab. New song "Is It Any Wonder" prominently featured in Madden '07.

Kelis (Ka-leese) -- Harlem-bred singer married to rapper Nas. First scored singing alongside Ol' Dirty Bastard on his 1999 hit "Got Your Money." Best known for her "Milkshake" bringing all the boys to the yard, though the title track of last month's "Bossy" album is attempting to maintain her popularity.

Keyshia Cole (Key-sha) Gritty singer/songwriter from Oakland. Sang backup for MC Hammer when she was 12 years old. Her 2005 release, "The Way It Is," made it to No. 2 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Starred in her own reality show -- "The Way It Is" -- on BET.

Ludacris (Lewd-a-chris) One of the most in-demand guest rappers, spitting on songs from Missy Elliott to Jermaine Dupri, who eventually paved a solo career with much success (2003's "Chicken-N-Beer" is a highlight). But the man born Christopher Bridges is becoming more recognized as an actor, turning out noteworthy performances in Oscar winners "Crash" and "Hustle & Flow."

Mana (Man-nah) -- Called the most popular rock band in Latin America. Also has a huge following in the U.S. Its album "Amar Es Combatir" is currently No. 1 on Billboard's Latin chart.

Matisyahu (just like it looks, Mat-is-ya-hoo) -- Born Matthew Miller. Don't let his Hasidic looks deceive. Matisyahu's first three reggae albums have had increasing success. Had to give up stage diving so he wouldn't come into contact with females. Shows his hip/hop chops on "Beat Box" off "Live at Stubbs."

Michael Bublé (Boo-Blay) -- Canadian pop-jazz singer released "It's Time" in 2005, which catapulted him to massive fame thanks to his hit ballad, "Home." Considered the Paul Anka/Tony Bennett of the twentysomething generation.

Miri Ben-Ari (Meer-i Ben-ah-ri) -- Hip-Hop Violinist. Recorded with artists including John Legend and Busta Rhymes.

Nellie McKay (Mc-eye) Kooky cabaret/pop singer and pianist whose debut album, "Get Away From Me," was a thinly veiled smack at Norah Jones' then-mammoth "Come Away With Me." A protégé of Cyndi Lauper, McKay starred with her mentor this spring in the Broadway revival of "Threepenny Opera." After a contentious battle with her record label, McKay's next release, "Pretty Little Head," is supposedly due next month on an indie label.

Ne-Yo (Nee-yo) -- One of the new class of R&B crooners known first for his songwriting skills. Penned Mario's 2004 smash, "Let Me Love You," before releasing his debut album, "My Own Words" in February. Already a solo star with the No. 1 single "So Sick" and Top 5 triumph "Sexy Love."

Nick Lachey (La-shay) Good-looking sports nut. Sensitive balladeer. Once married to Jessica Simpson. Perhaps you've heard of him?

Pharrell (Fare-el) -- No longer Mr. Williams, thank you very much. The Virginia Beach mogul earned his first millions as part of the production duo The Neptunes, who twiddled knobs for some of the biggest names in pop: Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, 'N Sync, LL Cool J, Nelly and Justin Timberlake, among them. Without partner Chad Hugo, the baby-faced Pharrell dropped his first solo effort this summer, "In My Mind."

Raconteurs (Rak-on-turs) A raconteur is defined as "a person skilled at telling stories or anecdotes." The Raconteurs are being touted as an alt-rock supergroup. To be honest, we're only familiar with Jack White of the White Stripes, so how super can it be? (Story, Page F13)

Rihanna (Ree-anna) -- A native of Barbados. Influenced by R&B, soca and reggae dancehall. Toured with Gwen Stefani in 2005 on her first single "Pon de Replay." Current hits on the charts include "SOS" and "Unfaithful."

Rza (Rih-za) -- Also of the Wu-Tan Clan. Responsible for much of the productions of the group's projects and has been named as an influence for artists such as Kanye West and has composed scores for such films as the "Kill Bill" series by Quentin Tarantino.

Shakira (Sha-keer-ah) -- Her hippy-hippy shake is as celebrated as her warm Latin songs. She's toned down the grinding rock that colored her earlier Spanish-only work, following the Ricky Martin crossover train with her 2001 American breakthrough, "Laundry Service" (remember "Whenever, Wherever"?). Currently numbing listeners with the will-not-die "Hips Don't Lie" (see: Wyclef Jean).

Sufjan Stevens (Soof-yan) -- Stevens has stated that his first name is of Armenian origin and means "comes with a sword." The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist topped many critics' best-of lists last year with "Illinois," his quirky indie pop collection with song titles such as "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is out to Get Us!" and "The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders: Pt. 1: The Great Frontier/Pt. 2."

Thalía (Tah-lee-ah) -- Latin pop diva is current wife of Tommy Mottola (ex-husband of Mariah Carey).

Thom Yorke (Tom) -- The lead singer of Radiohead released a solo album, "The Eraser," Aug. 12.

Wyclef Jean (Why-clef John) -- The most publicly ambitious Fugee, the Haitian native for awhile was becoming better known for his activism than his music, an amalgamation of reggae, rap and pop. "Gone Til November" and "We Trying To Stay Alive" -- which sampled "Stayin' Alive" -- commandeered the dance charts in the late '90s. Now inescapable on Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie."

Yung Joc (Young jock) -- Another addition to the long list of Atlanta-based rappers. His latest hit "It's Goin' Down" and the video are responsible for "The Motorcycle" becoming popular dance move.