A Special Weekend Halloween Treat!

For those of you who weren't able to collect all the Halloween tracks I've posted so far, I've got a huge file collecting all the songs (including the three I'll post next week) in one easy download. Enjoy!

Download

Halloween Treat #20: The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Over At The Frankenstein Place

I'm off to see a live showing of the Rocky Horror Show this weekend and I'm really excited. It's one of my favorite movies ever and I've never seen it performed live before. If you haven't seen the film yet do go out and rent it for the holiday because it's a must for Halloween.

Halloween Treat #19: Michael Jackson - Ghosts

Just as I had to feature a Meat Loaf track, I've also got to include something by the king of freaky, Mr. Michael Jackson. This year it's Ghosts, off his 1997 album Blood On The Dancefloor. As odd as the guy is, you've got to admit he can work a groove.

Starstruck Soundtrack - Monkey In Me



"And I don't like bananas"

1982: I only discovered the delightful Australian musical comedy Starstruck this year, but I was instantly obsessed by it. The soundtrack (by performers that are mostly on the amateur side) is so fun and weird that you've really got to rent (or buy) the movie and watch it. Of all the Australian films I've seen, this one makes me want to visit the country the most. Monkey In Me is one of the stranger tracks on the soundtrack, performed by the fantastic Jo Kennedy who's also the star of the movie. It was so difficult to pick a track to post here, though, because they're all so great (and most aren't as silly as this one either).

Starstruck Soundtrack - Monkey In Me (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the dvd here!)

Halloween Treat #18: Meat Loaf - Monster's Loose

I've got to have a Meat Loaf song in here somewhere, right? This huge, bombastic gem certainly fits the bill. In addition to being one of the only good tracks on his most recent album, its lyrics befit the season to a tee.

Stan Bush - The Touch



"Dare to believe that you can survive"

1986: In honor of my favorite big movie of 2007 being released on DVD last week, I'm posting this cheesy rock gem from the original Transformers animated movie. One of the first songs ever to be featured on Alienhits was Stan Bush's The Touch (which I swear if I'm ever a famous rock star I will cover) and the songs on this silly soundtrack mean a great deal to me as they were some of the very first I obsessed over as a little boy. Dare isn't quite as amazing as The Touch, but it is more uptempo and will certainly bring back some memories to the children of the 80's. Plus, it is ultra fun to sing along to, being that it's just so stupidly bombastic and wonderful.

Stan Bush - The Touch (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here!)

Video Premiere: Laakso - Västerbron

Finally we get a video for this searing, amazing single. While quite simple, the clip works as a great mood piece and a showcase for Marcus. If you haven't yet heard the song yet, do youself a favor and listen up.



Video Premiere: Lamont - The Golden Daze

Here's the second official video from Lamont's upcoming debut (third if you count the old video to 45 Minutes). And, while I wish the clip was a little more diverse visually, you can't fault the song.

Halloween Treat #17: Gemini Soundtrack - Ghost Town

After Abba broke up in the 80's, the guys from the band continued making music for several theatrical productions. Gemini was one of them, and Ghost Town is from that album. While not specifically Halloween themed, the song has definitely got a spooky feel to it and is a wonderful track in its own right.

Bucks Fizz - When We Were Young



"Love has gone, tears are here, nothing left"

1983: Most of my UK readers are probably familiar with Bucks Fizz. They were pretty successful in the 80's (including a win at Eurovision) and have often been called the UK's Abba. The comparison is particularly apt given the make up of the group (two guys, two girls - all pleasantly chirpy) and while they're nowhere near as great as Abba, they've got a surprising amount of fantastic singles. One of my favorites is When We Were Young, a cover of the Warren Bacall song. It's completely over the top and that's why I love it so much. Plus, don't you think that in the verses the singing sounds kind of like Lil' Chris?? Just a thought.

Bucks Fizz - When We Were Young (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here!)

Halloween Treat #16: Skyhooks - Horror Movie

A fantastic, moody single from these great Australian glam rockers. The video is especially fun for October (as a compliment to Rocky Horror Picture Show, perhaps??)

Kim Larsen - Tekamaki Sidewalk Stereo Machine



"I don't mind if they play a little bit of that disco"

This week on Alienhits is going to be a little different. Given that a lot of the bands I support here have obvious influences from the 80's (aka the greatest decade in music), I thought I'd go back to that period and post some little known acts that I really love. I've got tunes from Denmark, Australia, the U.S., Germany and the U.K., so it's really going to be a global thing this week.

1981: Kim Larsen is a really popular Danish rock singer who started out in the group Gasolin' in the seventies and then moved on to doing some solo stuff in the eighties, including what is supposedly the highest selling Danish album in history, In The Middle Of The Night. His eighties stuff is far more new wave than the earlier material, and this track from the album Jungle Dreams is downright irresistable. It's a strange little pop song, with lots of diverting parts that make it sound quite alien. I, however, am quite obsessed with it, and I bet you will be too.

Kim Larsen - Tekamaki Sidewalk Stereo Machine (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here!)

Private - My Secret Lover
Release Date: October 8, 2007
Label: Universal

Bodies Without Organs - Fabricator
Release Date: September 19, 2007
Label: Capitol/EMI



Scandinavia has always been a mecca for great pop music, but it seems in recent years that the region has exploded into an incredibly reliable machine for interesting, fluorescent bands not ashamed to peddle their shiny brand of pop with the balls out ferocity of true rockstars. Of course, given that the bands I’m writing about now both specialize in old-school dance pop, it’s certainly a different sort of ferocity than you'd find in, say, a punk band. But, that doesn't mean it's not just as valid. In fact, some would argue that it takes more skill to craft music this insanely catchy than it does to exist on attitude alone. One thing is certain, though. Private and Bodies Without Organs are both at the top of their game.

Private is the rookie in this pairing, though the brains behind the new Danish band has been at the pop music game for some time. Masterminding bands like Junior Senior and Superheroes and producing for other Scandinavian acts including Melody Club and the Whyte Seeds, Thomas Troelsen has had his midas touch all over many hits. But, is his new project any good? The answer’s a resounding yes. My Secret Lover, the debut album by Private is, in fact, near perfect. The sound is incredibly focused, recalling a time where Michael Jackson and Madonna ruled the airwaves. The record’s already produced a hit single (the title track, very Junior Senior-esque), but there are other gems also included that are even better. The next single, Crucify My Heart, for example, could be this decade’s Like A Prayer, while Stranger In The Night and We Got Some Breaking Up To Do both recall the best of 80’s Michael Jackson. The tracks on Lover are all concise, dance floor oriented (except for the ballad That Boy Is Hurting You) and aimed straight at the charts. Without fail, they are all magnificent, the only weak one maybe Waiting For Tonight (it’s a bit repetitive). If any album could usher in a resurgence of 80’s fun in the States, I’d put my bets on this one.

Now to another trio, masterminded by another pop maestro. Before working with Bodies Without Organs (BWO), Alexander Bard spearheaded cult pop groups Army Of Lovers and Vacuum, among others. BWO have been riding high in Scandinavia for the past few years and their sound (though varying since their debut) is of the highly plastic variety: simple, straightforward pop songs with incessant beats and an overall air of gaiety (in more than one sense). They have been criticized for steering more pop with their last album, Halycon Nights, but I find that most of their best stuff is in the pop direction. Check out Give Me The Night, for instance, from their new album Fabricator. It couldn’t be poppier… and it couldn’t be better. In fact, even though Fabricator is probably the most instant, commercial release of the band’s short career, it’s also arguably their best. Track for track, it may not be as great as Prototype, but as a whole it is far more consistent than either of their past releases. The best moments come when the band embraces its campy dance floor mystique, such as in the Abba-like opener Last Flight To San Francisco and the flawless We Should Be Dancing. The only weakness of the album is the slower material. While fourth single The Destiny Of Love is stately and gorgeous, Stay With You Again and Paradise On Mars could have been so much better. Still, I’d take them over past duds Rhythm Divine or Crystal Odyssey any day.

My Secret Lover A- Fabricator B+