Meat Loaf - Nowhere Fast

"There's nothing wrong with going nowhere, baby"

Maybe it's because there hasn't been much good new music released in the past few weeks, but all I've been listening to for the past few days has been Meat Loaf. I had my moment with Bat Out Of Hell II (aka: one of the best albums ever recorded) a decade ago, but while scrolling through my mp3 player I stumbled upon it again this Sunday. Ever since, it's been Meat Loaf. If there's anyone who hasn't heard BooH2 yet, I order you to go buy it (you haven't lived until you've heard the full twelve minute version of I Would Do Anything For Love), but I'm going to post a track from one of his more obscure releases today. Nowhere Fast is a Jim Steinman song released on ML's mid-80's album, Bad Attitude. It definitely sounds like it's from the 80's, with programmed synths and glossy production, but it's got all the bombast you'd expect from Meat Loaf. The bridge and chorus are absolutely epic. There is NO ONE out there that does this kind of stuff. After the disappointment of his last album, I hope Meat Loaf comes back strong. On a side note, I would LOVE to hear Adam Lambert sing songs from his back catalog. How awesome would a Jim Steinman collaboration be?

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

The Monitors - Who Do You Think It Was?

"Hey honey I'm missing you"

After falling in love with their excellent early 80's singles Singing In The 80's and Nobody Told Me, I'd been waiting for over a year to hear The Monitor's one and only album Back From Their Recent Illness. The aforementioned singles were both new wave hits in Australia and the band's only real successes. Unfortunately, when I finally tracked down the album, it was a bit of a disappointment, but I was still happy to hear it. There are a couple of standout tracks beyond the single, including the delirious (and unfortunately over-repetitive) opener, Who Do You Think It Was?. As an 80's geek, I love discovering obscure bands from the decade, and even if the music doesn't quite live up to its potential, it's still a real treat to hear.

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

Cinema Bizarre - She Waits For Me

"I'm sorry now"

I've had my eye on Germany's Cinema Bizarre for awhile now. I love their glammed-up image and their videos are quite the spectacle. They claim to have a love for the 80's, though their music is pretty typical for Northern European radio rock. Think the Rasmus and Tokio Hotel. These bands usually seem to put more effort into having an otherworldly image than making otherworldly music. This is true about much of Cinema Bizarre's album, though I give them credit for using more synth than their peers and generally being a bit more interesting. One extremely interesting thing about them is that one of the songs on their album is a cover of Protocol's (R.I.P.) She Waits For Me. Remember Protocol? I LOVED them, and I HATED the fact that we never got an album. CB's version of the song is slightly more rock, but isn't too different from the original. Bigger sounding, maybe. I do like the lead singer's voice quite a bit. It's slicker than most of his counterparts, and would fit with the poppier direction I wish these guys would go. Germany needs their own Ark.

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

Anders Fernette - Hungry Eyes

"I feel the magic between you and I"

Hungry Eyes is the ten zillionth example that Sweden does straight-ahead pop music better than any other country. Anders Fernette used to be Anders Johansson (and is still credited as such on itunes), a pop balladeer that never really caught my eye before. I'm not sure why the name's changed, but the music has certainly got some more oomph to it. Hungry Eyes is an irresistible, sugary dance-pop cover single that reminds me a lot of Darren Hayes' first solo output. It's shaping up to be a big hit in Sweden, and I hope it's a sound that Fernette sticks with because his voice suits songs like this perfectly. Fans of ultra-catchy pop music are going to eat this up, and rightfully so.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to more here.)