Introducing Playlist, Youthography’s newest monthly offering which features high rotation music we think are important indicators of contemporary youth culture. At the end of each month look for our list of popular songs to give you a snapshot of this. This month we saw UK band Hot Chip invade Canada and passed along Natalie Portman’s gangsta rap video to all our friends. We hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

Due to the timeliness of these articles, some of these links will expire quickly. We therefore recommend accessing them immediately before they disappear!

Youthography’s Top Picks for March 2006

A Day In The Life - Natalie Portman, Chris Parnell & Andy Samberg SNL Digital Short The popularity of Saturday Night Live’s Digital Short segment reached a new high with the viral dissemination of Natalie Portman’s gangsta rap when she hosted the show on March 4. Homemade rips of video were so popular on youtube.com that NBC demanded it be removed only to appear on the NBC.com website exclusively. listen

So Sick - Ne-Yo - My Own Words - Island Def Jam Ne-Yo’s album In My Own Words is the year’s biggest debut so far selling 301,000 copies in its first week. Many are crediting this to a move made by Ne-Yo’s label Island Def Jam that surprised the record industry, which essentially was withholding his first single “So Sick” from iTunes until the album was released. On top of the first week boom, 120,000 singles have been purchased online since release. listen

Hard Out Here For a Pimp - Djay f/Shug - Hustle & Flow Original Movie Soundtrack - Atlantic While the Best Music win by Hustle & Flow for the song “Hard Out Here for a Pimp” was truly the best part of the 78th Academy Awards, it was also an important moment in television history. The performance of “Hard Out Here for a Pimp” by Three 6 Mafia and Hustle & Flow actress Taraji Henson marked the first hip hop performance at the Oscars. In 2002, Eminem declined the invitation to perform “Lose Yourself” for the movie 8 Mile. listen

You Have Killed Me – Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors - EMI Indie acts and flavours-of-the-month flocked to Austin Texas this month to be part of SXSW (South By SouthWest) Music Festival and one of the most talked about shows was the grumpster of all alt-rock, Morrissey who played a BBC-sponsored show to promote his album Ringleader of the Tormentors due out April 4. If Morrissey’s appearance isn’t a sign that this festival has become big shit, we don’t know what is. listen

Also Playing

Tell Me When to Go - E-40 - My Ghetto Report Card - BME listen

Over and Over - Hot Chip - Coming On Strong - EMI listen

Temperature - Sean Paul - The Trinity - Atlantic listen

S.O.S. – Rihanna - A Girl Like Me - Def Jam listen

Move Along - All-American Rejects - Move Along -  Interscope listen

Everyone’s a Winner - Meligrove Band - Planets Conspire -  V2 Records listen

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor - The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Domino Records listen

Oh la la - Goldfrapp – Supernature -  Mute listen

Gold Lion - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones - Interscope listen