Category: Music

Here we go….

OK, first up: I’ve posted this before (last year some time), but I was up earlier than usual this morning, and could use the musical equivalent of caffeine: Bomba Estereo – “Fuego.”

Amy Winehouse has her first new recording in four years — a Mark Ronson-produced track on a new Quincy Jones Compilation, Soul Bossa Nostra. It’s only a cover tune (of Leslie Gore’s 1963 hit), but it’s a damn good one. Amy Winehouse – “It’s My Party.”

Speaking of soul, here’s the lead single from the new album by French-Nigerian singer Aṣa (pronounced “Asha”, which means “Hawk” in Yoruba). I posted a track of hers before (Her 2007 single, “Fire on the Mountain”), and this one is even better — a perfect bit of soul, replete with horns, organ and spy-guitar licks. Aṣa – “Be My Man.”

Here’s a great track from the second album by The Raconteurs, one of Jack White’s innumerable side projects. This one is from my FAR WEST playlist, which I’ve been listening to as I work this week. The Raconteurs – “The Switch and The Spur.”

Brand new single from Canadian electronic act Crystal Castles, who recruited the legendary Robert Smith (of The Cure, for those few that need to be told) to handle vocals. Good stuff: Crystal Castles – “Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith).”

Continuing with the 80s vibe, here’s a great neo-new-wave track from the current Noisettes album. Love the sound of this one: Noisettes – “Saturday Night.”

And we close on an actual 80s track — I heard this playing at a deli earlier in the week, and remarked to Laura that I thought it was probably the last time that Paul McCartney had a single that received any play. Turns out, my hunch was right — it turns out that it was (to date) his last Top 40 hit. I always liked this one — it was co-written by Elvis Costello. Paul McCartney – “My Brave Face.”

There you go, kids. Enjoy!

OK, let’s get this out of the way. Yes, I’m going to do what everybody else does at this time of year, and post some Halloween-themed tracks. But I’m not making the whole entry themed — you’re only getting a couple. Plus, they aren’t the usual heard-em-a-million-times tunes (“Thriller”, “Dead Man’s Party”, etc.) — but I am sticking with the 80s, since that was, as near as I can figure, the last gasp of the spooky-themed pop song.

First up, we have UK proto-goths doing a positively bouncy song on a “spooky” theme. You might know them from such classic Halloween appearances as the “Video Nasties” episode of The Young Ones: The Damned – “Grimly Fiendish.”

Second, one of the most cheesetastic tracks in horror cinema, forming a big part of the club sequence in my favorite 80s horror film, Fright Night: Sparks – “The Armies of the Night.”

OK. There. I’ve gotten it out of my system.

On to my other choices for the week:

Here’s another brilliant track from the self-proclaimed (and hard to argue that, really) “King of Grime”, with an 80s-film-referencing title that my wife will find amusing (since she refers to Dotta Numba Two as “Teenager Two: Electric Boogaloo”): Wiley – “Electric Boogaloo (featuring Jodie Connor and J2K).”

Another track from Slash’s self-titled solo album, this time featuring Black Eyed Peas front-model Fergie on vocals. I like this song far more than it deserves — and Fergie does a passable Axl impression, which makes me actually want to hear her do more in this style. Slash – “Beautiful Dangerous (feat. Fergie).”

I watched the new HBO documentary The Promise: The Recording of “Darkness on the Edge of Town”, which reminded me of how much I really loved Springsteen, whom I had discovered in the pre-Born in the USA era, thanks to the record collection of a friend’s brother, who was away at school — pretty much how I got into Steely Dan, too. I listened to his stuff all the while I was going New Wave and Punk, and I sorta fell out of the habit once college started. The documentary reminded me of one of the album tracks from Darkness which was a favorite of mine. The melody hook of this track still gives me chills, and I had totally forgotten that. Bruce Springsteen – “Candy’s Room.”

Lastly, because nobody’s week is complete without listening to some 80s-anime-soundtrack rock inspired by Ellen Aim from Streets of Fire: Priss & The Replicants – “Konya Wa Hurricane (from “Bubblegum Crisis”).”

Enjoy.

Nothing controversial on the blog today — just another installment of my weekly internet mixtape.

Mark Ronson’s new album is out — he’s forgone the 60s-soul horn-heavy sound that marked his debut (and most of his producer credits, like Amy Winehouse’s breakout album), in favor of a switch to 80s-influenced electro-pop. He’s also given his backing band title credit on the album as well. Here’s the title track, which features guest vocals on the refrain from Duran Duran frontman Simon LeBon (Ronson is currently producing DD’s forthcoming album) and UK Grime MC Wiley: Mark Ronson & The Business International – “Record Collection (feat. Simon LeBon and Wiley).”

Dotta Numba Two clued me into this track, which is from Yet Another Jack White Side Project. I swear, it seems every time that boy gets an itch to try a new musical style, he starts another band. This one is his alternative supergroup, featuring Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Dean Ferita of Queens of the Stone Age and Jack Lawrence from The Greenhornes (who plays with White in another project, The Raconteurs.). Good stuff. White may be a ADD-addled dilettante, but he’s an undeniably talented one. The Dead Weather – “Die By The Drop.”

Here’s the follow-up to Cee-Lo Green’s viral hit “Fuck You”, from his new album — more retro stylings, but this time around much more classy: Cee-Lo Green – “Old Fashioned.” (Copy and paste this link)

I haven’t posted much dubstep here, which I should remedy. Those of you unfamiliar with this branch of electronic music should click the previous link and read the Wiki article for more info. Or, just click the following, which is a brilliant example: J.O.B. feat Anjulie (with MadV & 12th Planet)- “Warrior.”

Last week’s post featuring Joan Jett had me thinking about how much I loved her stuff. This track doesn’t get as much love as “Bad Reputation” or “I Love Rock and Roll”, but at the time of its release, I was reading Free Fall in Crimson by John D. MacDonald, and the song and the book melded in my head to produce a really strong associative memory. Plus, it’s a really excellent cover tune. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “Crimson and Clover.”

I heard this song the other day on my iPod, and I realized that it had been a long time since I’d heard it. I was a fan of The Church way before they hit big in the US with this track, which made it all that much sweeter to me — the joy of other people discovering something that you already love. The Church – “Under the Milky Way.”

Lastly, a bit of instrumental rock, mixing progressive rock, jazz, electronic — my friend Scott gave me a copy of this on cassette in the mid-90s, and I stumbled across it the other day. The pulsing bassline still grabs me: Ozric Tentacles – “Sploosh!”

There you go kids. Enjoy!