30 December 2013 - Charli XCX - Take My Hand

This is most likely my last post of 2013.  So I chose to feature an artist that's been on this blog no less than four times already (including once with Icona Pop).  And each time, you've reacted with zeal - all of them have gotten you reading, and three of them rank among our ten biggest posts of all time - including the top two.

Charlotte Aitchison took four years to write, record and release what would be her fantastic debut album (and my pick for 2013 album of the year), True Romance.  She released singles from the album as she recorded them, and made videos for many of them.  This was the sixth (and final) video from that album, commissioned by Urban Outfitters and released in the wake of "I Love It (I Don't Care)" (a personal finalist for 2013 single of the year, by the way).  

That's right.  You didn't think Charli XCX was her real name, did you?  Supposedly, the XCX came from an early signoff fo from her MySpace/YouTube releases - the X's are kisses, and the C is, well, Charli.  And it stuck.

The more you know.

In my opinion, this is the poppiest song from the album - and even it's a little dark.  Some people have compared it to Madonna's "Holiday" in energy level and subject matter. I agree - and I think this is the beginning of something big.

You might notice, if you are familiar with her other videos - specifically "What I Like" - some of the same background actors in this one.  They're Charli's friends, people.  She's only JUST 21.  Let's not forget how young she is and how accomplished.... and let's admire the fact that she's taking her mates along for the ride.



This is a live show from Philadelphia, recorded June 2, 2013.  Let's all be clear - this is someone who has not been top-billed on any pop hits.  The Icona Pop song doesn't count - because, let's be honest, most of the time "feat. Charli XCX" is dropped from that description (even though she wrote the song - but I'm not bitter) - so this is someone who doesn't have any American pop hits.

And yet the crowd is singing along.



This isn't a fluke.  This is from the very next night in Brooklyn.  June 3rd.  Even more energetic singing.



My point - watch for more Charli XCX in 2014.  Her new album is expected to be released in June.  Her time is coming.  And you can gloat and say that you heard her first.

23 December 2013 - Sky Ferreira - Everything is Embarassing

Let's take a trip back in time.... way back to 2012.  A Calvin Klein model started writing songs.  She even recorded some of them for a future album (which would come in 2013 and be great).  Material that didn't work for the album... she could release on EPs and as singles.

And that's what she did.   This dark gem, which would be her breakthrough, was part of that result.   



Just in case you thought I was kidding about her working on that album.... This is a Swan7/Newtown Radio production from 2012, when "Everything is Embarrassing" was a new song.  Note that the second song was the first single from her new album, which we featured previously, and which would not be released for another year.  So, enjoy this!

20 December 2013 - Kanye West - Black Skinhead

Sure, he's full of himself, and we all know it.  I don't even think HE can believe all that hype.  And I really don't want to like Kanye West.

However, Yeezus is an amazing album - full of  raw emotion and compelling performance, combined with accompaniment not seen in hip hop. This was not only the first single, but also a Motorola commercial.

As a bonus, here is Ye's performance of this song from SNL.  As strong and powerful as it was on the album, he someone manages to outdo that when performing it live.  Say what you want about the man, but he has stage presence down pat!

19 December 2013 - Kellie Pickler - The Man With The Bag

I'll admit it. Last year we went way overboard with the Christmas music here at Wicked Guilty Pleasures (I think we did one for every weekday in December). So when Tony asked me if we were going to do Christmas videos again this year, I suggested that maybe we just post a couple. I could tell he was relieved by my response.

Anyway, seeing that this is likely my last WGP post before Christmas (I should probably do that whole spend time with the family thing on Christmas Eve), here's the wonderful Kellie Pickler singing The Man With The Bag from this year's CMA Country Christmas. Enjoy, and have a safe and happy holidays!

18 December 2013 - Phantogram - Don't Move

I was at a complete loss for what I was going to post today.  So I started going through my Spotify playlists.....

..... and I found this.  And I was just feeling it.  So here it is. It's a dark, hypnotic song.   By the way, their new album drops February 18th.


And here they are, performing this song two weeks ago.

17 December 2013 - Ellie Goulding - Burn

I was listening to the pop station a couple days ago in my truck when this "new" song by Ellie Goulding played. I didn't remember hearing it off her debut album Lights or last year's Halcyon. Excited for new music by Ellie, I went online when I got home and found out that it's on a recently released expanded version of Halcyon called Halcyon Days. Of course it is. Well, I probably won't shell out the dough to re-purchase the album for 8 additional songs, but I'll likely buy the single. Mission partially accomplished record label marketing department.

16 December 2013 - The Toadies - Possum Kingdom

Mid 90's alternative music was a different breed. It was straight-ahead rock music, with different pacing and subject matter.

Take this song, for example.  The Toadies were a rock band.  They still are, in fact.  This song, their biggest hit by far, started quiet and slow-paced, with a guitar and rhythm track ping-ponging back and forth between left and right balance.  It made for a very rich sound, despite the streaght-ahead rock instruments they used.

And the song is about a romance between possums.  Now THAT'S subject matter not visited since "Muskrat Love".

13 December 2013 - Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow

Do not adjust your TV.  This isn't a Scott post.

Kacey Musgraves' album Same Trailer, Different Park was showing up on a lot of "Best-of-2013" year-end lists.  A lot of them - NPR, Rolling Stone, SPIN...... the list goes on.  So, I decided to check it out. 

Believe the hype. 

First of all, Kacey can sing.  She's got a smoky, genuine voice that works for country.  Second, and more important, her lyrics are not the typical subject matter you would expect from a country artist.  End to end, the album is interesting, every track pulling you in.

So, without further ado - 4-time Grammy nominee (including Best New Artist), and 2013 CMA winner for Best New Artist, Kacey Musgraves, with her latest single, an anthem for dancing to the beat of your own drum.

12 December 2013 - The Band Perry - Don't Let Me Be Lonely

There's no guilt here. I really dig The Band Perry. Their self-titled debut was one of my favorite albums of 2010 and their latest, Pioneer, will likely be in my top 10 of 2014 based solely on its first two red-hot singles -- Better Dig Two and Done (Better Dig Two just might be one of my favorite songs of the year). Pioneer's third single, for the ballad Don't Let Me Be Lonely, is steadily climbing up the country charts. Here's the recently released video.

11 December 2013 - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rogers - Get Lucky

Pharrell Williams is having a good year as a guest star in 2013.  He's had two top 10 US hits, including today's feature hit - the other is "Blurred Lines", of course.  And both songs have a lot more in common than might be apparent on the surface. 

Both are clearly overtly sexual in nature, although they both approach their subject matter in different ways. 

Both are clearly derivative of classic artists from a previous era - "Blurred Lines" of Marvin Gaye, and "Get Lucky" of 70's super disco funk group Chic.  However, where Robin Thicke ran legally afoul of the Gaye estate, Daft Punk also recruited Nile Rogers, who was a member of Chic and the mastermind of their sound, thoroughly avoiding litigation.

And this song is funky and fun and an instant classic.  It would be a little out of place at Studio 54, because of the clear electronic slant of Daft Punk, but not terribly so out of place that Truman Capote would have to stop snorting blow.  In all seriousness, they have a lot of respect for the disco era, and it shows, clearly, in this song.

10 December 2013 - Jesus Jones - Info Freako

OK. I'll admit it. There was a time back in high school (and a year or so in college) when I was into Jesus Jones. I even saw them in concert at the height of their popularity. This of course was years before Right Here, Right Now was WAY TOO over-played and the band themselves became an over-used punchline. Thankfully, Nickelback came along to steal that thunder. Anyway, here's the video for Jesus Jones' first single Info Freako. It may sound a bit dated in 2013, but in 1989 it was way ahead of its time with the buzzsaw guitars and electronic beats.

9 December 2013 - LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

Don't call it a comeback.

But, for reals, it was part of a comeback - more on that in a minute.  LL Cool J had dropped out of sight for years.  Gangsta rap was dominating the scene.  And LL was being dissed - DISSED - by other artists.    So, he did what any big hip hop star would do.

He whined to his grandma.

Who told him to "knock out" his critics and dissers.

So he wrote this and proceeded to dis Kool Moe Dee.  "How you like me now?!"

This was by no means LL Cool J's biggest hit - it actually was the single that preceded this one, "Around The Way Girl", which was the ACTUAL comeback - but it is one of his most bombastic and memorable songs. 

And yes, that's Grandma at the end, asking Tom to take out the garbage.

6 December 2013 - Kitten - Like A Stranger

2014 will be the year for Kitten - really, Chloe Chaidez, the sole current member of the band.  Fresh off an opening stint with Charli XCX, here is their latest single.  It's a pop-rock L.A. sound, to be sure, a throwback to the 80's, but it's also fresh and new-sounding.  I urge you to check them out, and now.

5 December 2013 - Nitzer Ebb - Hearts and Minds

I always liked Nitzer Ebb. Just abrasive enough to be cool, but melodic enough for the clubs. Not many electronic bands back in the 80s could say that. Here's the video for Hearts and Minds off their 1989 album Belief. They certainly don't make videos like this anymore. I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing or not.

4 December 2013 - Tanya Donelly - Pretty Deep

After Belly, and before her career as a doula - I'm not joking about that, by the way - Tanya Donelly had a brief solo career.  It wasn't bad.  Enjoy her first single and biggest hit.

3 December 2013 - Rachel Griffin - Over The Moon For You

Discovering new music is one of my favorite things about Twitter. One of the many simple rules I abide by is to always follow back musicians who follow me and then make an effort to check out their music (that last part sometimes takes a while, but I usually get around to it). My most recent "Twitter discovery," Rachel Griffin, is a fantastic singer/songwriter from Maine who now resides in New York City. She just released her first "official" video for the title track to her latest EP Over The Moon For You. When I first heard this song I was immediately reminded of the pop goodness of Kat Parsons (an artist who I discovered last year on Twitter and ended up making my Top 10 best of 2012 list). Will Rachel make my list for 2013? Only time will tell. I'm certainly enjoying the heck out of this song/video and plan on picking up the EP as soon as possible.

2 December 2013 - Mala Rodríguez - 33

You know, American males do not have the market on angry cuss-filled hip-hop cornered. 

Mala Rodriguez is from Spain - Sevilla, in Andalucia, for those trying to identify the accent - and she's definitely not a male.  And those of you who understand Spanish know that she's using a LOT of swear words.  For those of you who don't understand a word she's saying - it's an angry, boastful song, with quite a bit of reference to having casual sex and talking an awful lot of mierda.


For the record, she's 34. I assume she was 33 when she wrote this. 

26 November 2013 - Scotty McCreery - See You Tonight

Season 10 American Idol champ Scotty McCreery released his sophomore album See You Tonight last month. I think those who are tiring of the current trend of "frat boy" country performed by mostly 30-somethings will be pleasantly surprised to hear this remarkably mature set, ironically enough, by a 20-year-old college student. Go figure. Anyway, it's a solid album and I'd highly recommend it to fans of country artists like Josh Turner or Easton Corbin. Check out the video for the very catchy first single See You Tonight.

22 November 2013 - The Timelords - Doctorin' The Tardis

A song that heavily samples the Doctor Who theme and references that show in both band and song title?  Yeah, there was no other choice for today, Day of the Doctor Eve.

21 November 2013 - World Party - Ship of Fools

As is the case with many of my 80s Thursday posts, World Party is hardly a guilty pleasure. They were a great band and the music still sounds good today. But, as is the case with many of my 80s Thursday's posts, this video is SOOOOOO cheesy (those special effects, are certainly . . . ummm special) that it kind of becomes a guilty pleasure. I'm sure it was cutting edge back in 1987.

20 November 2013 - Cher Lloyd - I Wish (feat. T.I.) / Skee-Lo - I Wish

Cher Lloyd will release her new album, "Sorry I'm Late" next year.  However, in advance of that, her new single is already out. 

And it's clever and humble, even with T.I. guest starring.  It's not quite as bombastic as "Want U Back", and not nearly as full of itself as "Swagger Jagger", but it certainly suits her well.



Of course, when I first heard the title of the new song, I thought "Hey, is this a cover of the Skee-Lo song?"  It isn't, but the two songs share a similar humility.

19 November 2013 - Machines of Loving Grace - Butterfly Wings

While I was a much bigger fan of Machines of Loving Grace's self-titled debut, I have to admit that their second album Concentration had their best song - Butterfly Wings. And yeah, it does sound a little bit dated today, but then again it should, seeing that it came out 20 years ago.

18 November 2013 - Ke$ha - Your Love Is My Drug

So, picture that you are in 2010.  You're familiar with "Tik Tok" and that drunk girl with the dollar sign in her name.  You're listening to the radio... and this song, full of emotion but still light and fun, comes on the radio.

You, like I, are probably a little surprised you're listening to the same artist.  You probably aren't as offended as I was by the similarity in title to a Roxy Music title, but you're probably at least a little impressed.... even if she does refer to herself as a "lovesick crackhead."

One thing you probably didn't know about this song - Kesha (Sebert - it's her real name, without the dollar sign) co-wrote this song with her mother, Pebe.  Ke$ha actually started off as a songwriter for other people, and so she is the rare pop artist who writers her own music.  Which I would find more impressive, I guess, if she didn't have the lyric "Brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack" to her credit.

Anyway, I was eventually sold on Ke$ha as a truly talented artist who, thanks in large part to her first single, doesn't get enough credit for her talent.  So, enjoy this.



By the way, here is her SNL performance of the song.  Very little AutoTune appears to have been used (she does some vocal playing pretty openly at about 1:48 for effect, not correction)..... just a lot of Day-Glo body paint.  My point is, pretty strong performance for someone who doesn't get credit for her talent....

(Update: 18 Dec 2020) Sometimes, YouTube takes down videos.  So I replaced this one with a version in which Ke-Dollar Sign-Ha is still singing, clearly.

15 November 2013 - The Cardigans - Been It

Most people can name the biggest U.S. hit by The Cardigans.

"Lovefool"

On both its original issue in Europe and its reissue in the United States, this was the follow-up single.   In both cases, it didn't do well on the charts - it did OK in the UK, but not elsewhere.  My theory is that most people were expecting a light, fluffy song (even though their 2nd biggest hit here is far far darker), and they didn't get it.

Either that, or the use of the word "whore."

But what everyone missed was a gem of a dark pop hit that broke the mold of all expectations of a female-fronted band. A woman-driven pop sound that could be dark and bass-heavy - who knew that could happen?!?  The song tells a story of someone who is regretting a lot of the stupid things she has done in relationships, and owning what she has been.  Enjoy!



Update (10 July 2016) - All these years later, we found another version of this video!!!!

14 November 2013 - Stray Cats - Rock This Town

I've got the perfect* video for today's 80s Thursday post. Here's the Stray Cats with Rock This Town off of their self-titled debut from 1981.



*Please note the self-control I showed by not saying the "purrfect video." Of course by making this point, I am admitting that I considered it and instead felt that this "footnote" would be more amusing.

13 November 2013 - Terence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well

Sure, he was really cocky when he came on the scene.

Sure, he changed his name to Sananda Maitreya, a name that came to him in a dream.

Sure, he had a ridiculous hairdo.

But damn, this was, and still is, a catchy song.

11 November 2013 - MNDR - #1 In Heaven

I love doing this blog.   Because of some of the guilty pleasures that have been posted here, I have actually learned about new artists that I would not have otherwise heard.  Today's artist is one of these examples.

A few weeks ago, I posted a song by RAC, called "Let Go."  Excellent song.  Go ahead and listen to it.  At the time, I noted that the song featured two additional artists, Kele and MNDR - the stage name/band name of Amanda Warner.  I was familiar at the time with neither artist, and so I started making myself familiar.

Now, let's talk about this video.  It is a bit of a throwback, visually, and also very much in-your-face.  MNDR has very much created an in-your-face electronic sound, with a young, fresh, happy sound. And clearly, Amanda has a fair amount of swagger, which helps her sell a song that a lesser artists might not have been capable of.



As I frequently like to do, here is MNDR performing this song live at SXSW 2012. Notice how, whereas in the video she has a band, here she is alone on stage.  She has made it very clear that she is MNDR, and it is not a band, even though she has a collaborator.

8 November 2013 - OneRepublic - Counting Stars

I didn't really think I'd like this song at first.  But, really, I don't know why not.  It's a song that starts slow and works to a frantic pace, pretty quickly, which is exactly what I go for musically. These guys also mix traditional electric rock with acoustic instruments, which makes for a rich, interesting sound.

Finally, this song seems to have a higher purpose - almost like they're trying to be the next U2.  Other stuff they've done - using heartbeats of children in need for the rhythm of songs and doing PSAs about that, for example - point to a social awareness higher than their contemporaries.

7 November 2013 - Moonpools & Caterpillars - Hear

I've wanted to post this Moonpools & Caterpillars video for some time, but it was "unavailable to embed" which likely means that it will be blocked very shortly due to some sort of record label nonsense. Enjoy this 1995 feel-good song while you can. I know I will.

5 November 2013 - Avril Lavigne - Rock N Roll

Well, well, well, it appears that Canada's oldest teenager Avril Lavigne has a brand new self-titled record out today which I'm sure will find it's way into my collection (they all seem to now, don't they?). The self-titled album's second single Rock N Roll is classic Avril at her bratty pop punk (mostly pop of course) best. As for the Tank Girl inspired video . . . you need to see it to believe it. Oh yeah, it also features Winnie Cooper so it's got that going for it as well. Before playing the video, please note that Avril uses a couple naughty words so make sure to crank it up for your bosses, coworkers or kiddies.

4 November 2013 - Lorde - Royals

This might be the most unlikely #1 hit song of the year.  A sixteen-year old woman from New Zealand - no New Zealander has ever had a #1 hit in the US, by the way - and the song is really percussion-heavy, with some synth in for highlight.  But it's brilliant, and I am really proud of commercial pop radio for embracing such a different song.

Scott and I have been kind of dragging our heels on posting this one.  For me, it's because I didn't really like the song.  It bored me.  But it grew on me.  And then I caught this live performance, as played in the studios of the legendary KCRW.



Pretty much indistinguishable from the studio version, isn't it?  That's the mark of a solid artist. This version of the video is the one for the rest of the world, and not the US......



.....and this is the US version.  Not much different.


Update: 21 June 2014: The Japanese version..... well, that's VERY different.

1 November 2013 - Bertie Higgins - Key Largo

Here's lookin' at you, kid!  Perhaps the cheesiest song and video of the last thirty-five years.... it's a classic.  Full of emotions, and truly evocative of an era gone by.  

But did you know it was also an homage to a movie of the same name? Strangely enough, that movie stared Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. 

And now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

31 October 2013 - David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

Happy Halloween! I thought I'd try to get in the spirit and find a "spooky" video. I figured, "Ooooh, I can post Ministry's Every Day Is Halloween video." Then I checked our logs and saw that Tony did that one last year. I posted a Groovie Ghoulies video last month (great planning genius). I could have done The Misfits, but I just can't accept them without Danzig and the videos with Danzig were pretty much unlistenable. I give up. Here's a live video of David Bowie playing Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) even though the song has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween scariness.

30 October 2013 - Phantogram - When I'm Small

It only seems like we've posted this song about 12 times.  We haven't.  But it's been a long time coming.

Casual readers of our blogs - specifically Totally Covered - will know that this song is a favorite of mine.  I have thrice - here by Antique Firearms, here by Lizzy Land, and here by Fine It's Pink - posted covers of this song, all of which blew me away in different ways.

In that last post, I mentioned that I was upstairs in my house while a football game was on downstairs, and I heard this very song. And wondered why the hell Phantogram was playing during a Bills game.  Of course, I came downstairs and saw that Clay Mathews was doing a Gillette commercial with that as the background music.

But enough about other people's versions of this song.  This song blows me away every time I hear it, be it their original studio version or one of the many live versions they've done.  The sparse drum beat - a machine when recorded and in this video - to start the song, followed by the guitar/keyboard wall of sound, joined quickly by Sarah Barthel's breathy and increasingly intense vocal - it's damned near musical perfection.  The song is intensely angry at its crescendo.  If you've never heard this song before in its entirely, I urge you to listen right now.



This live performance is from SxSW 2010.  Here, as in a lot of live versions of the song, Sarah's breathy vocal jumps in before the wall of instrumental sound.  It's a little different, but it still works.



When I first heard this version of the song - which features Josh Carter on an acoustic guitar along with a slighty less breathy Sarah Barthel, but no drums or bombastics - I didn't like it.  It is nothing but raw emotion, and for that reason, it has grown on me. I hope it grows on you, too.



OK, one last version, this is a remix of the song done by Remix Artists Collective - RAC , who we featured here as artists a couple of weeks ago - which brings in their signature keyboard sound.  It's a completely different song - a little dreamier, if you can imagine that - and less angry.

29 October 2013 - Sandi Thom - I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)

A mention of this hopeful Sandi Thom song popped into my Twitter feed over the weekend. I haven't heard it in years. It still sounds good to me.

28 October 2013 - Iggy Azalea - Change Your Life (feat. T.I.)

You know what I think about when I think hip-hop?

Blonde Australian women who make us use the jump break so kids who stumble upon this blog won't accidentally see nipples.

25 October 2013 - Soho - Hippychick

When I first heard this on the radio, my first thought was "hey, finally 'How Soon Is Now' is a hit!"  That opening guitar rift - famously played by Johnny Marr of the Smiths - was used with permission (and 25% royalty - no lawsuit necessary).  The Soul II Soul track playing in the background - yes, that's "Back To Life" - isn't as frequently mentioned, but it's also sampled heavily.

No one ever talks about how the Smiths lifted the rift from Bo Diddley, either, but.....

Anyway, this song is poppy and dancy and pure fun.   It doesn't matter how many samples they use - this trio (the Cuff sisters who are the vocalists, along with musician Timothy London) makes them all their own.



In my opinion, live, when musicians fill in for the samples, the song really pops.

24 October 2013 - Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Perfect Skin

Sometime during my high school years I picked up the Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, 1984-1989 tape. I must have read about him in Spin magazine (back when people actually cared about Spin magazine) because I certainly wasn't hearing smart, well-written music like his on the radio. When I bought the tape Lloyd had already begun his solo career which is still going strong today. I've seen him a few times in the last 12 years and it's always a great show (he's a tremendous story teller). And it's always a treat hearing him play today's track Perfect Skin.

22 October 2013 - Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue

Two Way Monologue by Sondre Lerche pops into my head every so often and I can't shake it until I actually hear this shimmery slice of indie pop goodness. Song be gone . . . Now bring back the usual voices that inhabit my noggin'.

21 October 2013 - Los Lonely Boys - Heaven

I always thought that Los Lonely Boys was the dumbest name for a band.

Their biggest hit, on the other hand, is strangely adult contemporary and bluesy from a band with clearly Latin roots.  At the same time, it is a clever and catchy song.  It was also their debut single in 2004, so they started big, I guess....

17 October 2013 - Toad the Wet Sprocket - One Little Girl

It's once again time for me to dig deep into the past for another 80s Thursday. Here's the One Little Girl video off Toad the Wet Sprockets 1989 debut Bread & Circus which I actually had on cassette (OK, I had their first three releases on cassette . . . I've since upgraded to CD). The band just released New Constellation, their first album in 16 years, and I'm hearing a lot of good things about it. I've seen them a couple times since they reformed and the shows were a lot of fun. I'd definitely see them again, especially since they now have new material to play.

15 October 2013 - Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals

I was mostly confused by Sleigh Bells' debut album Treats when it came out in 2010. What I read about them and what they sounded like seemed to be two COMPLETELY different things. I didn't hate it, but I never really gave it another listen. It just wasn't my thing. Then this summer I somehow acquired their second album Reign of Terror, but I still haven't made the time to listen to it. So why am I writing about a band that I've been pretty much indifferent about? Well, my curiosity got the best of me after a friend suggested that I check out the first single/title track off of their latest album Bitter Rivals. I have to say it's a pretty cool tune. I still don't know if this noise-pop thing is for me (I just can't see myself sitting around listening to it for hours), but I'm starting to think that I should seriously give Treats a second chance and finally listen to Reign of Terror.

14 October 2013 - RAC - Let Go

The Remix Artists Collective has been around for several years, remixing other people's songs.  So it only made sense that they'd start releasing their own stuff, even if they did partner with Kele from Bloc Party and the great MNDR (the female vocal is Amanda Warner) to do it.

And they've created a catchy sound.... and a kind of disturbing video. Enjoy!

 

 
(Update: 15 April 2014):  So, you know we like to update these posts from time to time.  Here is a live performance by RAC - who, let's be honest, is André Allen Anjos, who you can see in the background.  And while Kele's vocal is recorded, MNDR's isn't - that's her, front and center.

11 October 2013 - Ylvis - The Fox

I like it when my music answers burning questions.  What is love? Where does the good go? How am I supposed to live without you?

And, of course, what does the fox say?

Ok, so this may be the biggest international earworm since Gangnam Style.  It is still an infectious, catchy dance tune.  And there's nothing wrong with enjoying it (no matter what they might say on ESPN Radio morning talk shows).

And let's all be thankful that Ylvis, unlike Psy, included lyrics in their video.



We know the evening television talk shows are a fan.  Here are Ylvis on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, recreating their video in studio.  Frankly, I've never quite seen anything like this....

10 October 2013 - The Sugarcubes - Cold Sweat

Life's Too Good -- the ground-breaking debut by The Sugarcubes -- is one of the finest albums the 80s had to offer. The wild abandon in Bjork's voice can never be replicated. She would go from childlike coos to primal screams faster than you can say "Iceland's greatest band." Their subsequent albums Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! and Stick Around For Joy were great in their own right, but could never compare to the brilliance of that first record. Cold Sweat was the second single on Life's Too Good (after the amazing Birthday) and it's among my favorites. Check out the video.

9 October 2013 - Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations

It's such a sweet sensation.

Seriously one of the greatest hit songs of the last 20 years, Marky Mark (Wahlberg, as we know him now) started off as a hip-hop hanger-on to New Kids on the Block (his older brother Donnie was a member).  It's energetic, it's fun, and you cannot deny it is catchy.

So c'mon, c'mon.  Feel it! Feel it!

8 October 2013 - Oh Land - Pyromaniac

When Borders went out of business a couple years ago I had myself a bit of a feeding frenzy when the entire stock of CDs went on sale for 75% off. Among the dozens of records that I bought was the self-titled U.S. debut by Oh Land. It looked interesting. And before you say it, yes, I still judge CDs (and books) by their covers. The album itself was filled with smart and catchy electro-pop tunes sung with a dreamy wonder (almost reminiscent of Regina Spektor, but without the quirky vocal phrasings). Well she (yes, Oh Land is the stage name for Danish singer/songwriter Nanna Øland Fabricius) recently released her latest album Wish Bone which I'm looking forward to checking out, especially after hearing the too cool first single Pyromaniac. Here's the video.

7 October 2013 - Cobra Starship - Good Girls Go Bad (feat. Leighton Meester)

Their first hit single, featuring a Gossip Girl star (who really did play a good girl gone bad) (and has been here before), Cobra Starship are fun and interesting and exciting.

And clearly have a club complete with a craps table in their industrial freezer.  Why are they giving club goers actual packs of meat?  And how are the cops getting in and still people are able to flee? That's a pretty narrow staircase....

3 October 2013 - HAIM - The Wire

The hype machine has certainly been working overtime for California indie poppers HAIM. I've been hearing about them for months, which was beyond me since their debut album Days Are Gone came out this Monday (I do see now that they released a couple EPs last year, but how often do bands get so much press for an EP?). Well, I finally caved in earlier this week and checked out a few of their songs. I like them. They sound like a cross between Bananarama and Wilson Phillips . . . or I should say, a hip version of those 80s and 90s hit makers.

2 October 2013 - Sky Ferreira - You're Not The One

You know what we don't have enough of on this blog?

Young women doing pop/electronic music.

Sky Ferriera is another new artist playing in that genre.  But her music, while clearly electronic. has elements of pure rock.  She's released two EPs of solid material so far, and finally has a full length album coming 29 October.  The first single from this new album is our post today - it's a darkly poppy song with a hard undertone.

By the way, watch the whole video for the really dark and slightly gross ending.