5 August 2013 - The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth

By now, you probably know that I love a song with a good title.  There's a reason for that.  These songs are usually lyrically complex and interesting, the songs constructed brilliantly around these lyrics.  

Take this 1998 song by MTV darlings The Dandy Warhols.  This straight-ahead pop-rock song so deeply and smoothly moves from Verse 1 to chorus to Verse 2 to chorus to bridge to chorus.  The (video) performance by the band is very emotionless, even with the excitement and chaos of the video around them and the gratuitous shots of a seemingly ambivilent Zia McCabe.
  
Now, let's talk about the title for a moment.  This is one of those songs in which the title is frequently misquoted.  The song is not called "Heroin is So Passe", contrary to popular belief.  It was a song written for a friend of theirs - an appeal of sorts.



As an added bonus, here is the band performing the song live in 2012.  It's important to note that this is the original lineup - they are still together.  And they are still rockin' this song!

2 August 2013 - Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

For weeks, I heard this song.   I found it annoying.  I found it even more annoying that I didn't know who it was.

And then it kept eating at me.  Why is this song stuck in my head and who the hell is performing it?  It was driving me batty.

So I pulled out Soundhound one day.  Usually, that app is brilliant, but on this day, it was failing me.  

And finally, on the third try, one of my co-workers walked by.  And said just four words.

"Of Monsters and Men."

WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU THREE WEEKS AGO?!???!?!

Anyway, it's a sweet song that probably wouldn't be getting as much airplay as it does if not for the Mumford and Sons effect - atypical pop song, horns - but it's a good thing that it does.  It's a real gem that I no longer find annoying.  And I hope you don't, either.

1 August 2013 - Hoodoo Gurus - Come Anytime

I learned two things while "researching" this post: The Hoodoo Gurus are Australian AND they are still playing together. Not that it matters one way or another, but I always thought they were from the mid-west (clearly, I had the Violent Femmes on the brain). As for the second lesson, good for them, they were always a lot of fun. Here's one of their more well-known songs from 1989's Magnum Cum Louder.

31 July 2013 - Concrete Blonde - God Is A Bullet

From their 2nd album, which was a comeback of sorts, here is what I consider to be the high water mark of Concrete Blonde's tenure. Johnette Napolitano's growl matches the dark subject matter of this song, which is, pretty apparently, an indictment of gun violence.

30 July 2013 - The Pipettes - Pull Shapes and Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me

I went all kinds of bonkers for The Pipettes debut album We Are The Pipettes when it came out. That record was a ridiculously fun explosion of 50s-style girl group goodness. This is probably their "biggest" hit. Just try not dancing around the room like a maniac when you hear it.



I couldn't choose just one video so here's Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me.



Wicked Guilty Pleasure? More Like Wicked Awesome Dance Party!

26 July 2013 - Billy Squier - Everybody Wants You

When it came to early 1980's MTV-era hard rock, no one beat Billy Squier.  Sure, it's not Thursday, but what a great day to play some early 1980's MTV-era hard rock.  Enjoy.

25 July 2013 - Natalia Kills - Problem

I thought Natalia Kills 2011 debut album was a pretty rad slice of sytnthpop with just enough edge to it to make it cool. But while I liked Perfectionist, it never really found its way into my "heavy rotation." Well Problem, the first single off her upcoming album Trouble, won't suffer from such a fate. It's killer industrial rhythms and punchy vocals make it a can't miss summer smash. Oh, by the way, it's hot as hell and I thought that way well before I saw the video . . . be warned, it's a bit racy.