The word popular, abbreviated pop, is making a come back. Whether used to describe the targets of school shooters or Britney Spear"s last lusty endeavor, what better place to discover the meaning of pop than the suburbs of Motown.

Hard at work in the student slums of Ann Arbor, The Pop Project has become more than a simple an experiment. Fresh off their debut Let"s Eat Green Beans, a 14-track record that was named after a strange Internet encounter, The Pop Project provides the essential bubble gum listening experience. Devoid of any heavy messages of torment or misdirected anger, The Pop Project demonstrates that there is a place for melody in between the growling trends of emo and n-metal, and their catchy hooks invites one too easily to sing along.

Described as "basically we"re a band that likes to say poop on stage," by bassist Christopher Graves, the boys" major band philosophy is simply to have fun. "We get up on stage, say a few things, play our songs and talk some more. We just want everyone who is out there to just have a good time," said guitarist Dave Lawson.

Encouraged by such groovers as Apples in Stereo, the Beatles, later Beach Boys and Steely Dan, The Pop Project explores such pertinent pop subject matter as unobtainable girls, confusion and crushes in an eclectic mix of jazz, classic and hard rock. "We are influenced by lots and lots of drugs. Just kidding. We are very welcome to sharing ourselves," said Graves. "Instead of talking about emotions, we just write about them. Our songs are meant to be meaningful," continued vocalist Zach Curd.

With evocative lyrics and appealing tunes, it is no surprise that The Pop Project has already been dubbed "The Future of Motown." Their unique sound provides breezy entertainment and their light-hearted lyrics give everyone something to smile about. When asked about the future of pop, Graves responded quite confidently "We are man, that"s the answer."