♫ 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!

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♫ 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

As another new Manic Street Preachers album looms on the horizon (Postcards From A Young Man is out in September) and I find myself yet again having to defend this once so vital and fiercely intelligent band to haters, I thought I might as well just get it out here once and for all.

So below are just a few reasons why I followed MSP obsessively around the country as a teenager and tracked down every b-side, why I thought it was wise to scrawl ‘Repeat After Me Fuck Queen and Country‘ on the back of my green army jacket and walk around Manchester town centre on a Saturday afternoon and why they could make a million more new records, all deathly bad, and I would still love them forever for what they once were.

1. It wasn’t Just 17, a gal pal or even my mum that did it, MSP taught me how to put on eyeliner:

‘Stay Beautiful’

2. My peers spent hours getting wasted, laid and then blathering on about it. I was a dweeb and preferred a good book. MSP taught me the power of words, to gain strength from knowledge and along the way introduced me to some of the world’s most influential writers:

‘Faster’

3. MSP showed me that provoking people could be loads of fun:

‘You Love Us’

‘Love’s Sweet Exile’

4. In the nineties it felt to me like thugs with guitars ruled British mainstream music. MSP were a safe haven from all of that:

‘Little Baby Nothing’

5. Confused and angsty? MSP said it was ok to be sad, they even sang about it:

‘La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)‘ (embedding disabled)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKgZNsRerG8

6. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, I was heavily into politics at school, much to the derision of my classmates. I didn’t really care though, MSP showed me that it was ok to be a geek:

‘Revol’

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gbqugDx9E

Amazing scenes from Angela Lansbury -- Positive Moves! Remember -- ‘Present yourself as a woman of loveliness’ and to ‘give yourself a break -- there’s something to like in every body’!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7BRraVMZzc

Gene Pitney -- Town Without Pity (swoon!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcxNaktX0Ug

♫ 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!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0HHQ7s2R3w

AMAZING SCENES from 1980s Top of the pops — this is a totally breathe-taking song and performance from Sue Wilkinson.

I’ve bought ‘You’ve got to be a hustler if you want to get on‘ on 7 inch (the only format and which disappointingly wasn’t ever released in a picture sleeve) so when we get the needle on our rekkid player fixed I’ll post an MP3.

Until then, enjoy the video my little creeps!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syu-pmAHDFE

Pink project’s Disco Project is A STRANGE AFFAIR INDEED! Love how the children clearly don’t speak English during the lip-sync. Also find their album cover art a strange and beautiful thing! Enjoy!

SO as it’s my birthday I thought I’d give you guys presents! Crazy right? I know! Ha! Please find below a bumper batch of amazing tracks for your aural consumption!

I’m not even going to review them because I know you’re all smart enough to make your own decisions\delete what you don’t like\treasure what you do BUT special shout outs to Lovefoxxx for her impression of a man voice on Spoiledboy, Rockwell for his ‘Mr (or Miss)’, Pens for being so amazing at the Ladyfest show, Alphabeat for making me love Hole in my heart (I didn’t wanna do it), and The Bitters for making me so addicted to Warrior that I had to listen to it up to 5 times a day! xxxx

♫ The Bitters – Warrior (MP3)
♫ 80Kidz – Spoiledboy Feat Lovefoxxx (MP3)
♫ Alphabeat – Hole In My Heart (MP3)
♫ A-Trak X Drake X Birdman – Loonies To Blow (MP3)
♫ Baby Monster – She Comes Alive (MP3)
♫ Gucci Mane Feat. Pharrell Williams – Soldier (MP3)
♫ Harlem – Friendly Ghost (MP3)
♫ Jump Jump Dance Dance – Show Me The Night (Grum Remix) (MP3)
♫ Lemonade – Lifted (MP3)
♫ Tanlines – Real Life (MP3)
♫ The Ruby Suns – Cranberry (MP3)
♫ Thee Fair Ohs – Summer Lake (MP3)
♫ Washed Out – Belong (MP3)
♫ Xyx – Microvibraciones (MP3)
♫ Dum Dum Girls – Jail La La (MP3)
♫ Pens – Freddie (MP3)

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♫ Lung Leg – Kung Fu On The Internet (MP3)
♫ The Jacksons – Walk Right Now (MP3)
♫ The Dooleys – Wanted (MP3)
♫ Rockwell – Obscene Phone Caller (MP3)

]]> http://www.creepclub.co.uk/2010/03/08/your-sword-goes-straight-through-my-heart/feed/ 0 http://www.creepclub.co.uk/2010/03/05/i-lost-my-heart/ http://www.creepclub.co.uk/2010/03/05/i-lost-my-heart/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:17:41 +0000 a-creep http://www.creepclub.co.uk/?p=456

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wwilCs4Jqg

I’m DELIGHTED to report that there seems to be an exciting resurgence of THE DARK SIDE of the 80s with bands borrowing heavily from goth, new-romantic, and industrial! I hope this is only the beginning and we see a lot more of this sound this year… anyway watch this space!

♫ Light Asylum – A Certain Person (demo) (MP3)

Shannon Funchess (previously of !!!) new project is completely electrifying! It’s minimal and haunting – like Soft Cell with a Bauhaus vocal. I’m completely in love with her deep and masculine voice. I can’t wait for their first release – until be sure and listen to their Myspace demos to death. Also loveloveLOVE Dark Allies live – can’t wait to hear it recorded (check it out). I’m kinda hoping Shannon is a lesbian – cool music gays are the best!

♫ Agent Side Grinder – Die to live (MP3)

This group actually look a bit like they’re from the 80s! Fast industrial grind with that distinctive deep gothic style vocal.

♫ Blessure Grave – Stranger in the house (MP3)

Lo-fi joyously gothic melodies reminiscent of Joy Division and The Sisters of Mercy – catchy and creepy simultaneously – delicious!

♫ Ale Mania – Rampage (MP3)

Dark post-punk gothic rock – again extremely lo-fi and visceral – comes complete with buckets of wailing!

♫ The Dark Esquire – Situation (MP3)

The electronic dark new-romantic style of Dark Esquire is different from the rest featured but still borrow heavily from goth club staples, such as Depeche Mode, Human League, Visage and Duran Duran – you could actually be forgiven for thinking it was straight out of the 80s.

Added older stuff…

♫ The Legend! – I’m not like that (MP3)

I had to include this track from 2004 – firstly because it feels like a secret gem that holds a special place for me and secondly because it’s palpable despair is so ramped up it feels close to teenage goth histrionics. He really sounds like the saddest man alive – if anyone has any more Legend! tracks please get in touch as this is the only one I have!

♫ Soft Cell – Bedsitter (MP3)

I don’t have much to say about this one except it’s a CLASSIC and ties all of the above together – sadness, and minimal electronics! I’d love to hop into a time machine to dance with people to this in that amazing 80s new-romantic styleee (I was desperately searching for a YouTube to illustrate but didn’t have any luck… I’m sure you get it though!).