Glad to be back — missed last week’s entry because I was sick. So, here we go:
First up — a cleaner copy than the one I posted yesterday (which had DJ chatter all over it). This is the new Bond theme, and it’s a total earworm. Are we looking at the first hit-single Bond theme since 1985’s View To A Kill? Who knows — and I don’t really care: *I* love it, and that’s all that matters to me. Jack White and Alicia Keys – “Another Way To Die.”
Took a bit of digging to find this track — I heard it when it was used as the end-credits music for the first episode of HBO’s southern-cracker-vampire show, True Blood. I liked it far better than the track they’ve chosen for the main theme (a passable bit of country-rockabilly reminiscent of Chris Issac’s “Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing.”). This track is country, but it also is *extremely* close to the sound of Fleetwood Mac (specifically, “The Chain”), thanks to the bass drum and the two-men/two-women harmonies. The lyrics are moody as fuck, too. Give a listen — Little Big Town – “Bones.”
Some new UK music, from the Glasgow-based group The Cinematics. This track is actually a cover of an album track by Beck, but the band gives it one helluva mid-80s Echo & The Bunnymen vibe: The Cinematics – “Sunday Sun.”
Staying with the Glasgow theme for a bit, here we have the lead track from the debut album by a new band from there, released last week (and with one of the all-time best band names, in my opinion): Glasvegas – “Flowers and Football Tops.”
A song I hadn’t listened to in a while, but which remains one of my favorites from the early 80s: Flock of Seagulls – “Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You).”
Oops — now I’ve done it. I’ve entered the Nostalgia Zone. Another track from the 80s — from the soundtrack of a mediocre movie, skyrocketted to chart success because the public was hungry for more Springsteen, but had exhausted the singles from Born In The USA. I have to admit, I still think of this song as being the work of “Eddie & The Cruisers”, even though I know that it’s John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band – “On The Dark Side.”
The song that introduced me to Johnny Clegg — his first US single, from 1988’s Shadow Man: Johnny Clegg & Savuka – “Take My Heart Away.” The Zulu response in the verse is Dedela umoya wami, Baba — Set my spirit free, Father.
Lastly, a Friday guilty pleasure from the Josie & The Pussycats soundtrack, a more-than-serviceable bit of pop-punk to get your asses moving and ready for your weekend: Josie & The Pussycats – “Spin Around.”
There you go, kids — as always, if the links give you trouble, try copy-and-paste.
Enjoy.