♫ Life Without Buildings - The Leanover (MP3)

♫ Life Without Buildings - New Town (MP3)

Life Without Buildings are of course waaaayyyy famous - but honestly, I never liked any of their subsequent releases post this, their first 7".  YES, in this rare case, I am one of those pretentious sounding dweebz who bought the band's first release when it came out and never liked the production on any of their subsequent releases.

I heard 'The Leanover' on John Peel and travelled up to London and bought it from a rekkid shop on Berwick Street - got it home and listened to it repeatedly by myself smoking out of my bedroom window. It was so magically emotional and weirdly compelling that I got completely obsessed.

I've bought and lost two copies of this 7 inch since then, and with each time it got rarer and harder to find - and only just recently did it pop up again on eBay for me snatch up. Such is the crazy emotional tie with these songs that when I finally heard them again after nearly 10 years, I actually burst into tears - an amazing first for me!

Of course, it's difficult to pin point exactly what lead singer Sue Tompkins was going on about, such is the seemly surreal non-sensibility of the lyrics, but I always read both as love songs; about first love, nervousness and tentative eye contact, excitement, feeling unloveable, feeling loved, break ups, fun and silliness, fights, nostalgia, relationship difficulties and sweetness, all rolled up into one, like a cut-up style love story where the beginning, the end and the middle are all happening at the same time.

You'll never hear be this mushy over another pair of tracks so please indulge me this once; and I hope you enjoy listening to them, at least a fraction of the amount I clearly do! Ha!

So just recently, I got around to fixing my rekkid player's broken needle (after maybe a year of putting it off/being scared of not understanding how to fix it) and SUCHLY I've been able to rip a lot of the vinyls I've been waiting to play to share with you! LUCKY YOU! This is a long post as I have a lot to say of these - CLEARLY! Haha! Also included the artwork as I think they're amazing. These are all good quality, mono rips complete with all the pops and crackles that come with old vinyl!

First up is the Finnish all girl rock group PIM, who were only a recent discovery to me and with whom with I am very obsessed, but sadly know very little about. I can't figure out whether they were a novelty band or not, which you'll get more when you watch the videos. I'm praying that they're not but of course, I'll still love them if they were.  They only released 3 singles of which I have 2; the 2 I'm sharing with you below!

PIM

♫ PIM - Drink It (B) // PIM - Lies (A) - MP3s

♫ PIM - Fade Away (A) //  PIM - Move On (B)- MP3s

DRINK IT is undoubtedly their BEST BEST BEST track. The lead singer, NINNI, has a thrilling drunken warrior woman slurring shriek which lends itself PERFECTLY to the lyrics. The A side, Lies, is nearly as amazing, a bit softer and haunted. Their third, Fade away was release two years after, in 1987, so who knows what they were doing for all that time - I like to imagine they were terrifying and exciting Finland with live shows, drinking and causing trouble. Both tracks from this final single are great - mainly due to Ninni's vocals but they're not a patch on the first IMHO.

I'm always obsessed when non-English-speaking bands over-pronounce words of their lyrically simple tracks - that sounds a bit patronising and possibly racist but it's completely not how I mean it - honestly - I mean it as a compliment! This is especially apparent on Lies. The translation strips back any wordy pretentiousness and results in something that feels purer and more honest; it nearly always gives me tingles!

I sadly don't have their cover of These boots are made for walking so if anyone has it, please get in touch - especially for the B-side as you can't hear it anywhere! Their videos give you an amazing taste of PIM's stunning brilliance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaa3B0j2g8I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAt4PKVyV1Y

SALMA & SABINA

♫ Salma & Sabina - Toba Toba (Mamma Mia) (MP3)

♫ Salma & Sabina - Ho Jayegi Badnami (Money Money Money) (MP3)

Anyone who knows me will have, at some point been forced to listen to my low quality mp3s of this album - it has it's own cult following after appearing online a few years ago. Since then, I've been searching for it in a real physical format so I could have better quality versions, sadly with no success. I finally found the vinyl in Rough Trade East, last year - WHY WAS IT THERE, I don't know but none the less, I nearly vomited with pure joy.

It's not just the novelty of hearing ABBA in another language that I love about this album - I think Salma and Sabina add their own magic to the tracks, making the songs actually seem weirdly less tacky! I've picked my two favourites from the album but honestly, they're all good - I'm sure you'll be able to track down the rest on the internet in the meantime, but I plan on ripping the whole lot eventually.

SUE WILKINSON

♫ Sue Wilkinson - You Gotta Be A Hustler If You Wanna Get On (A) // Sue Wilkinson - Double Dealing (B) - MP3s

An English artiste this time! I've already posted the video to this a while ago on the blog with a promise of an MP3 to follow, so here I am, FINALLY delivering. Hustler was a novelty track released in 1980 and was apparently re-recorded from the original of 'You've got to be a scrubber...' which was sadly never released.

I've included the B-side here for completeness sake but honestly, I HATE IT - it's a weird faux country song with ditsy cutesy misogynistic lyrics which are most probably ironic, but it's not explicitly enough, and the more I listen to it the more angry I get. Haha! So, my recommendation is that you download and then delete it after one listen.

Miniature mixtape selection for you you guyz! These are all tracks heavily on rotation in my headphones on my way into work - think the upbeat is keeping me going through these frrreeezzziiinnngggg times - hopefully it'll do the same for you! recommend you play them on shuffle and mostly ENJOY!

NEW

♫ MEN - Off our backs (MP3)
these guyz were amazing at Ladyfest last weekend - JD is a super charismatic frontmanz. I could only be draw to them because of obvz the Le Tigre similarities but I'm stopping myself over-thinking it so I can just enjoy! queer dance party music!

♫ The Go! Team - T.O.R.N.A.D.O. (MP3)
heavy noisefest joyousness - loving the rap on this! not sure I could ever play this in a club without everyone getting angry shaky fists tho! ha!

♫ Crystal Castles - Not In Love (ft. Robert Smith) (MP3)
sigh forever robert smith singing about sad-love VS . crystal castles classic casio chaos (ha - I got carried away with alliteration here - but I'm sure you understand!)

♫ Rihanna - S&M (MP3)
off her new album - which I totes heart. upbeat stomping pop. if she's using S&M as a metaphor then it's so thinly veiled that I think I don't get it. Maybe she likes S&M... which I can't imagine she actually does - but then it takes all sorts to make a pop world!

♫ Far East Movement - Like a G6 (MP3)
trashy electro-rap-pop-disco. haha - now, don't trash me until you've given this a good go! it's disposable for sure but I've been completely in love with it since I heard it used in Gossip Girl. APPARENTLY it's 'BLOWING UP' in all the clubz in merica! And who can resists a song with the word slizzard! like a polished pop spank rock - AMAZING

OLD

♫ Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music (MP3)
sigh debbie - she has a sad story but 'when I hear music' is the cutest electronic dance party track from 1984.

♫ Mantronix - Got To Have Your Love (MP3)
CLA-SICK electro-funk (ewww the word funk) - it's so simple but so catchy it's unbearable! I always shy away from playing this because it's slow but think I might JUST DO IT at the next unskinny bop! BE THERE!

♫ Mc Luscious - Boom! I Got Your Boyfriend (MP3)
early 90s GIRL RAP! I don't really know why this isn't a club classic! I can't remember how I stumbled across this track - I think it may have been one of those related videos on YouTube (they're the best)! BOOM! WARNING: the moaning around 2:12 is a bit TMI. haha!

♫ Stevie V - Dirty Cash (MP3)
late 80s - hip house (apparently that's the genre name) haha! another downbeat disco track that I'm always afraid to play! I love it when she says 'Iii want yourrr monneeey' - LOVE the male crap rap interlude! The girl rap is AMAZING on the other hand which makes it all amazing!

(PS hope you like the animated gif - i made it myself using old videos and stills n'stuff)

I can't express to you my over-whelming joy at coming across all-girl 80s rock group the Pandoras. They're fast and furious guitar power-pop and I'm going to sacrilegiously offer up that the lead singer,  Paula Pierce (RIP), has a raw vocal sound similar to an early Courtney Love.

I wouldn't normally do this, but as it's too tough to pick a track, I'm going to direct you to the whole of the first album, available on this blog, BUFFALO TONES. The second album is available on Spotify and is also rammed full of gems (one particular track is my favourite from this album It Felt Alright). Now I've found them, I'm not sure how I'm going to wean myself off them TBH and the more I fall in love with them, the more I keep asking myself why they're not more famous! 'DO THE HUMP! DO THE HUMP!'

♫ Christina – Woohoo (MP3)

I know the album’s got completely slated but I’m still COMPLETELY obsessed with this track. The computer game style vocal effect on the ‘Woohoo’ thrills me as does the Nicki Minaj. Her contribution to the track is minimal but there’s something so exciting about her voice I can’t help but love her. She's some kind of magic! I love rude pop.

♫ Pink Dollaz – I’m Tasty (MP3)

These girls are pure potty mouths – prudes beware! This is like the uncensored unpop version of Woohoo. So many great lines – so minimal, so catchy! 'Just the thought of you fucking me made you loose your mind, instant insanity!' I’ve heard there are big things on the horizon for these girls and I can totes believe it!

♫ Best Coast – Boyfriend (MP3)

At the forefront of the lo-fi dreamy 60s style pop movement is Best Coast (he says with AUTHORITY haha). When I first heard this, I was convinced she was singing about a girl and was completely thrilling over it (in the way that anytime any alternative music offers anything non-hetero I get excited) – ‘I wish she was my boyfriend’. But I was soon proven wrong in the verses with her use of male pronouns and realised that the coupling of the words ‘wish’ and ‘he’ was deceiving my ears! Still a great pop song but could have been better if it was about a girl – Ha!

♫ Kisses – Midnight Lover (MP3)

Of all the great Kisses songs to come out so far, this is my favourite. There’s something I fall in love with whenever I hear a low male vocal that’s tinged with sadness. I love the chorus – it’s so simple and so sweet – and classically romantic (maybe not for the veggies though) ‘I would like to take you out, for a nice steak dinner – just me and you.’ Again, that 80s feeling similar to Depeche or Duran!

♫ Wild Nothing – Chinatown (MP3)

This track is so rich sounding it almost doesn’t sound electronic. Wild Nothing’s lofi electronic noisefest is so delicate and echoey it’s an instant charmer. I love songs that talk about fog!

♫ The Books – A Cold Freezin Night (MP3)

This is verging on the sound of insanity – repetitive beats, and noises along with the strangest vocal clips from children.  But there’s something completely compelling about the un-actualised children’s threats of violence that’s addictive and actually verging on cute! Also CHECK OUT THE AMAZING VIDEO!

OLD

♫ Drinking Electricity – Breakout (MP3)

Minimal electronics and guitars twinned with dispassionate female vox from this 80s twisted pop duo from Scotland.  Strange and wonderful!

♫ Barbara & Brenda - If I'm Hurt You'll Feel The Pain (MP3)

NOW for something completely different! A bit of classic 60s soul. I love how in soul, you're allowed to say something as amazing as 'If I'm Hurt You'll Feel The Pain' - you just don't get pop music like that now. I thrill when she says 'but that's just one of man's rules' - YES - MANZ RULEZ SUCK! x

♫ Alexandra Burke - Start Without You (MP3)

This summer bang-a-langa was brought to my attention recently by T-Bop of Unskinny Bop. I played it once, thought it sounded a bit like Annie and then listened again and again and again. I'm completely addicted - as I'm sure you will be too! ENJOY!

♫ The Nightblooms - Crystal Eyes (MP3)

Dreamy grungey lo-fi from the 90s which sounds like it could have been produced by femme-fronted-lofi-noise-makers of current days (bar a few 90s guitar extravagances early in the track). Actually, this sound is atypical of the rest of the Nightbloom's music unfortunately - 'why?' is the question I ask - the answer? WHO KNOWS! Ha!

♫ Miniature Tigers - Gold Skull (MP3)
♫ Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em (MP3)
♫ Tinie Tempah Ft. Labrinth - Frisky (Album Version) (MP3)
♫ Arcade Fire - Month Of May (MP3)
♫ Kelis - Scream (MP3)
♫ Neverever - Young And Dumb (MP3)
♫ Screaming Females - Arm Over Arm (MP3)
♫ Plushgun - Mixtapes (buffetlibre remix) (MP3)

SUMMER SONGS! The one thing I do like the summer is the yellowy orange light which makes everything seem a lot more fun and nice - the downsides are the heat and the sweating and the risk of tanning - yucko! That aside these songs have been keeping me joyous.

Miniature Tiger's Gold Skull sounds like a retro ice-lolly advert with joyously cute opening bleeps, but their friend Sleigh Bells has a more heavy handed approach to the electronics with the lightness coming from sweet sweet female vox. Plushgun's Mixtapes remix on the other is a cutesy affair on both the electronics and lyrics - twee and electronic like love and marriage - maybe twee-tronic will be a new thing. This beat is twee-twee-tronic.

Arcade fire have kept everyone at a distance with their secretive mythology stuff and maybe that's why I'm enjoying their new stuff for it's simplistic lyrics and accessibility- Month of may feels like it's already a 80s rock classic enjoyed by dads in their cars - of course, in a good way as opposed to a Jeremy Clarkson way! Simple-ness also abounds in Neverever's Young And Dumb - it's so upbeat and has a sound familiar to a lot of male fronted bands coming out at the moment - but I'd HATE this if it did have male vocals - I know, I'm a total man misandrist! Check me out!

Screaming Females -- there's actually so much I find joyous about this track that I don't want to say anything about it -- just listen! Summer bangerlanga Tinie Tempah's Frisky is totally disposable pop fun - I would totally risk it for a chocolate biscuit just to answer!

I've been obessed with Kelis's Scream since a lo-fi mp3 version leaked an age ago - ever since I first heard it I've been thrilled by the 'you'll ne-ver know' bit where it kicks in. I have a strong mental image of a load of normal looking people doing insane running around leg dancing with their arms flat by their sides - like river dance (but cooler).  I hope this is the next single and they do a video based on this!

Note to self - try to be more concise - please enjoy the musix!

Camp extravaganza H.U.N.X is disco side project of none other than Hunx of Hunx and his Punx fame. Loco-motion is a disco danceable homo-rework of Little Eva's classic - Can a man hear me has a 90s nostalgic dance feel and wouldn't be out of place standing side-by-side with 2-Unlimited and Rozalla.  Enoy!