PEPLAB - SEVEN INCH HEELS

"'Cos I just want to make you..."

I'm not usually a fan of repetitive dance music (that is: where one or two lyrics are repeated over and over again on top of a beat), but this song by the Holland band Peplab has something special to it. I attribute most of this to the breakdown section about two minutes into the song. Despite myself, I find it almost impossible to sit still during this song. I was first attracted to this cd from the cover image (above), and it turned out to be a so-so listen, with a few definite highlights. This song, for me, was one of them. I think fans of retro dance music with a heavy funk influence would love this album.

Peplab - Seven Inch Heels

(you can buy the album here - music is posted for evaluation purposes only. Please support the artists. If you hold the copyright to this song and wish it to be removed, contact me and I will delete it immediately.)

"WHAT THE HELL?" POST #1

I have quite an extensive music collection and, as I was sifting through it a few days back, I realized that it contains a lot of obscure, strange songs that somehow or other ended up in my collection. The songs on my blog are #1 hits from another planet. Well, these are #1 hits from another universe.

AMANDA LEAR - ALPHABET (PRELUDE IN C BY JS BACH)

Pretty much everything by this...interesting lady (see photo above) would fall into the strange category. Her deep, manish voice allowed her to be confused for a transexual. Alphabet is by far the strangest and funniest song I've heard by her. Once you start listening I promise you won't be able to stop until you get to the end.

YOKO KANNO - ABC MOUSE PARADE

This song, as many of Kanno's stuff, sounds like it's from some strange fairytale. I have NO idea what the hell this song is about or why it was written, but it's incredibly ornate for something so odd. This is the kind of song that should be in Disney movies, by the way.

RAY GARCIA - TIGERLILY'S SONG

This song is from the 2003 indie movie Neverland, which is a (very) low budget reinterpretation of Peter Pan, where the lost boys are punks, Captain Hook is a kinky janitor and (best of all), Tiger Lily is a transvestite sideshow performer. This is "her" song and it is funny and weird and very catchy. The end is especially funny in a satirical way.

BABY'S GANG - CHALLENGER

I don't really know what to make of this song. I first heard it when I saw the video, which is an absolute enigma. Basically, it involves a lot of (honesty? pretty hideous) women in 80's spandex/sweats dancing in what I assume is either somewhere in Central America or Italy (or Spain? - who knows). The video was so strikingly strange that I had to get ahold of the song. Turns out that I'm totally loving this song, even though I have no idea what it's about or what they're saying. The synth line is beautiful, though.

RICKY WILDE - I AM AN ASTRONAUT

Finally in this cavalcade of weirdness is a glam rock song from the early 70's from Kim Wilde's kid brother, who was 12 years old at the time that this song was recorded. The screechy kid voice will either instantly endear you or turn you completely off, but this catchy tune will be stuck in your head either way. I'm going to be an elementary teacher really soon and I would rather have my kids sing something like this for music than the typical kid stuff.

(Music is posted for evaluation purposes only. Please support the artists. If you hold the copyright to this song and wish it to be removed, contact me and I will delete it immediately.)

JOHNNY BOY - YOU ARE THE GENERATION THAT BOUGHT MORE SHOES AND YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE

"Cannot help believing, though believing sees me cursed"

Is that not a great title for a song? In addition to being lyrically clever, You Are... sounds like some forgotten gem from, geez, I don't even know what era. It's the kind of song that sounds like it could have been a massive pop hit in any generation. It's the first ballad I've posted on this blog, though as the song progresses it mutates into something more epic than the usual ballad. One listen and I was absolutely hooked. Honestly, I can't imagine anybody, no matter what your taste in music, disliking this song. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, Johnny Boy have only released four songs. This one is from 2004 and it seems as if they're working on releasing an actual album soon. Watch out for them.

Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve

(You can buy the single here, for quite a lot :( - music is posted for evaluation purposes only. Please support the artists. If you hold the copyright to this song and wish it to be removed, contact me and I will delete it immediately.)

PEPPER'S GHOST - EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING & BECAUSE OF HER

"I want everything & anything"

I was looking through my music collection to try to find the next band to spotlight, and I ran across Shake The Hand That Shook The World by Pepper's Ghost. It's been quite a few months since I last listened to this cd, but it only took a few minutes before I was completely captivated again. Pepper's Ghost have the dubious "honor" of having been the opening act for (I almost can't say her hideous name) Ashlee Simpson. This fact nearly caused me to refrain from listening to their music. To this day, I don't know why they were chosen to go on that tour. Their music is light years ahead of Ashlee's and, miracle of miracles, the lead singer can actually sing!

Anyway, Pepper's Ghost (I've heard them described as "theatre rock," which in my book is definitely a good thing) deserve much more than the meager success they've had in America. Their album is divided up into the uptempo, slightly glam-tinged songs and slower, Beatles-esque ballads. Both are absolutely fantastic, so I decided to pick one of each. First is "Everything & Anything," which sounds a bit like a more glam rock Maroon 5. Second is "Because of Her," an utterly gorgeous summer-day singalong.

Pepper's Ghost - Everything & Anything

Pepper's Ghost - Because Of Her

(You can buy the album here (used for under a dollar!)- music is posted for evaluation purposes only. Please support the artists. If you hold the copyright to this song and wish it to be removed, contact me and I will delete it immediately.)

MATHIAS - SUBSTITUTE

"I'm a substitute for another guy"

In some imaginary summer, this song could have been a great one-hit wonder; perfect for driving around, cranking up the radio and singing along to. Mathias is from Denmark and I'm not sure if Substitute was a hit over there, but I do know that it's his first single from his forthcoming album. It sounds kind of like a poppier version of Prince with added surf guitars and hand claps. The video is hilarious, with the cartoonish Mathias surrounded by equally cartoonish looking female bandmates who, as the video progresses.... nevermind, just click the link below and watch it for yourself!

Mathias-Substitute

Mathias - Substitute (Video)

(No album yet to buy, but you can buy the single here - music is posted for evaluation purposes only. Please support the artists. If you hold the copyright to this song and wish it to be removed, contact me and I will delete it immediately.)

JEREMIHA - LIFELINES & LULLABYES

"Lifelines and lullabyes all collide in the aftermath"

Back to some synth-based music, if you liked the Elkland post a few weeks back, you'll love Jeremiha. They play a very similar synth/pop/rock concoction that sounds like it's been dragged straight from the 80's. A mixture between Depeche Mode and A-Ha, I would say. And a lovely mixture it is. My favorite part of this song is in the chorus when Emil pronounces "judge" as "yudge." Until I actually got the cd and read the lyrics, I had no idea what he was saying. It must be something in the Swedish to English translation, but I love it all the same. I guess it's the small things...

Jeremiha - Lifelines & Lullabyes

(you can buy the album here - music is posted for evaluation purposes only. Please support the artists. If you hold the copyright to this song and wish it to be removed, contact me and I will delete it immediately.)