To say I’m struggling to get back into any sort of fitness regime since my holidays would be an understatement to say the least, but despite my workout cancelling at the last moment I still went to the gym this evening and it wasnt all that bad. I’d never been to a gym alone before, and maybe it’s just because it was quiet (I was the only one there at one point) or maybe it’s not as scary a place as I imagine but it was ok.

I started with 15 mins of hard work on the excercise bike, then hit the cross trainer for 10 mins before another easy 5 mins on the bike. Then I worked a couple of different resistence machines – these are boring alone, before doing 10 mins of hill running on the machine and a couple of mins on the rower.

I feel surprisingly good afterwards and didn’t feel like I’d missed a session let alone  a months worth.

Todays workout was powered by the albums “Hypnotize” by System of a Down and “It’s My Club And I’ll Play What I Want To” by Helen Love.

Um. Oh. Wait a sec…

(You can read the rest of this entry at my new blog here.)

Part of the Unsigned Artist Alert here on Indie Music Hour is to make people aware of good music being made by bands who are unsigned or who are independent and don’t have the corporate backing or limitless commercial media machines working on their behalf.

Detox Cute And The Beauty Junkies (great name, huh?) are a pop duo. ‘Pop music’ has become a cringeworthy phrase to some of us indie kids but, personally, I love a bit of pop music. I’m just particular about trying to only listen to the good stuff. I really like Helen Love, The School, Stereo Total and Au Revoir Simone and they would all probably sit very nicely in the ‘pop’ category. Detox Cute And The Beauty Junkies are much the same.

Here’s the blurb from their lastfm page:

“Charlie and Paisley formed Detox Cute in the summer of 2008.

Paisley is from Brighton and Charlie is from London. Influences include Dick Van Dyke, JB Fletcher, Cliff Richard and Hello KItty. Abba and The Ants also feature in their thoughts when making pop songs.

It was the day before the day before yesterday – singer Paisley Play-Doh was working as a scrubber for a Dutch TV station when she received a wrongly dialled telephone call from New Zealand’s most famous Freeman’s Catalogue model, Charlie Darling …

Their confused conversation led to futile and spurilous arguments about the cost of Wold Fat and the number of fish in the atmosphere. In addition, and also weirdly, they discussed just how much they could nick off Abba, The Ants, Ultravox and old Cliff Richard movies …

So Paisley and Charlie formed a pop duo, in the long and distinguished tradition of Yazoo, The Pet Shop Boys, Peter & Gordon and PJ and Duncan. Their mission was simple – bring joy to the masses and spread the word – don’t be afraid of Pop Music – despite Simon Cowell – it doesn’t hurt.

By lying about their abilities, they managed to secure a residency at ‘The Disco At The End Of The Universe’ playing pop songs to their hearts content.”

They are a quirky pair but that doesn’t mean they aren’t serious about producing good music. You’ll find tracks laced with audio from old movies and this is cool but, more importantly, there is some substance in between the flamboyance.

I’m delighted to say I have secured 3 MP3s for you guys to download. I’ll also supply oodles of links to other places you can find their music and vids. As an extra treat, I also have a link to their Paisley and Charlie side-project.

You can download a zip file containing the 3 tracks HERE

Myspace page with tracks and vids HERE – you’ll also be able to access Pop Trash TV from that page from the end of this month.

Paisley and Charlie side-project HERE

Website with YouTube vids HERE

Lastfm page HERE

Have fun

Postie was particularly kind to me this morning, laid up in bed.

First, he drops round a new collection of Peter Bagge strips – Everybody Is Stupid Except For Me, a compilation of the notorious Seattle libertarian’s politically (and sexually) charged comics for Reason magazine (presumably Peter is able to return to adult themes, now his daughter is grown up). It’s great. So colourful (always my favourite part of Pete’s comics) and acerbic and smart-ass, but with a heart and purpose behind the bickering and keenly observes caricatures. It’s very post 9/11 (or post 7/11 as the girl in the Optus store would have it, while trying to explain away the Australian government’s stupid security measures). It’s very “man on the soapbox” (who knows he’s right but is too damn lazy to do much about it). It’s too early to say now, but right now I’m thinking it’s perhaps my favourite stuff of his, full stop – better even than the Comical Funnies stuff, or even Neat Stuff. Really. He ought to collaborate with me more, though.

Second, he delivers up Vera Ramone King’s Poisoned Heart, a somewhat abbreviated and understandably patchy account of her years spent married to Dee Dee Ramone. The photos are great. Indeed, they’re so good you kind of wish the designer would’ve been more imaginative with the layout and turned the whole affair into more of a scrapbook along the lines of Lester Bangs’ Blondie outing. No one can deny Vera’s claim on her part of the story, either. A few more details (dates, places) would’ve been nice but… hey, I think I’m gonna reserve judgment until I have a chance to properly read it. Right now, it’s just a thrill to have another Ramones book on my desk.

Lastly, there’s a new Shonen Knife album to enjoy, Super Group, as colourful as a Pete Bagge cartoon, as deceptively simple and melodic as an early Ramones album, as cute and undeniably lovable as a Helen Love or Heavenly A-side. Puppets, apples, farmyard scenes! Monsters, BMX Bandits, beautifully composed three-chord naive pop! Every vocal is striving. Every chord feels like it’s the final chord. Everything and everyone is colour-coded. There’s even a version of my own particular karaoke bugbear Wings’ ‘Jet’ right at the close, which is clearly pure and utter fandom… and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

I was initially attracted to Shonen Knife because… well, why wouldn’t you be? A three-piece Japanese girl group originating around 1982 (their first US release was as a K Records cassette), a full decade easy before Tarantino and the gang got in on the act, and all the more endearing for their clumsiness. I interviewed them in the Melody Maker offices, and they reduced not only me but the entire staff to a blushing gang of “hysterical nine-year-old girls at a Beatles concert” (to borrow a phrase that Kurt Cobain once said to me). The interview later got reproduced in a couple of academic feminist texts about codifying women in rock, but I do feel that the authors somewhat deliberately misinterpreted my words. If my friend over at Archived Music Press could get around to reproducing the original, that would be grand.

Anyway. Seems singularly appropriate I was sent all three together because there’s a clear link. Joey Ramone would’ve loved Shonen Knife, for sure. Peter Bagge does, I’m certain. And… man, this life is great sometimes, isn’t it?

Another run this evening, the same distance as last night but I worked my timings differently today, I set a distinct start and finish point so I can run the same route over again and compare times/progress and try to control my speed, I’ve set a quick time to start at 7.40 mins for about a mile and a quarter (which for me is lightening, the rest of the run is uphill and I wont time that just yet, I’m just trying to work on controlling my flat running speeds, uphill is just an endurance thing, I’m not too concerned on times when doing that – it nearly killed me trying to run too fast uphill.

Today’s run was powered by the album “It’s My Club and I’ll Play what I Want To” by Helen Love and was sponsored by the letter R. R is for Run, Record and Repeat.

Recorded at ‘the velvet’ music venue in Second Life, this collection includes a bunch of stuff that doesn’t get a lot of mainstream recognition. Feedback/comments always welcomed

Tracklisting

Hushpuppies – Pale Blue Eyes
Army Navy – Snakes of Hawaii
The Rifles – History
Pull Tiger Tail – Light Turns Red
Death To Frank Ziyanak – Put That Cat On A Leash
Kid Carpet – Employee Of The Month
Cassette Kids – Acrobat
Helen Love – Joey Ramoney
All Girl Summer Fun Band – Grizzly Bear
Florence And The Machine – Kiss With A Fist
Look See Proof – Keeping Mistakes
Eight Legs – Those Gray Days
We Smoke Fags – Eastenders
Empire Of The Sun – Half Mast
Owl City – The Airway
I’m From Barcelona – This Boy
Harlem Shakes – Sickos
Hockey – Song Away
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – The Tenure Itch
My Morning Jacket – Highly Suspicious
The Blakes – Vampire
Cats On Fire – Draw In The Reins
The Lodger – Simply Left Behind
The Wave Pictures – Instant Coffee Baby
Scissors For Lefty – Mama Your Boys Will Find A Home
Pipas – Cruel And Unusual
Saturday Looks Good To Me – All Over Town
The School – Can You Feel It?
The Smittens – Something Sassy
The Beep Seals – Stars
The Boy Least Likely To – Saddle Up
Belle & Sebastian – You Don’t Send Me
Mommy And Daddy – Cops
Sissy Wish – Tokyo
Royal Bangs – Broke Calculator
Johnossi – Summerbreeze
The Gay Blades – Why Can’t I Grow A Beard?
Blitzen Trapper – Not Your Lover

Helen Love are a punk infused indie pop band from Wales who formed in the early 1990’s. Founding member Helen Love has a love of the Ramones and she claims they are the only band she listens too! When the Damaged Goods label was added to Spotify it included a few Helen Love releases including 1995’s excellent Beat Him Up single. I will point out other releases in due course. The bands latest single Calm Down Dad was released on Spanish label Elefant in January.

Play Beat Him Up in Spotify

My Space | Homepage

“You Better Learn Karate” – Helen Love

From the 2008 LP – It’s My Club And I’ll Play What I Want To

A band from Cardiff, Wales that states it only listens to The Ramones. 3 members Helen, Sheena & Beth formed in 1993. They sound like a mix of Lily Allen, Pooh Sticks and The Ramones and it is that factor that makes it enjoyable with lyrics such as “Dance On, you’re my solid golf bubble-gum number one”. This is pure bubble-gum pop with no apologies and a disc that a 3 year old would boogie too. Go on play it for the kids!! Clip here>

-enjoy

T>

Today was intended to be a day in the house by myself but after about 2 hours cabin fever took over and I had to go out. I decided to go for a short but fast run to the shop pick up something to eat and run back. But it didn’t turn out to plan.

It started out well but then I had the bright idea of running up the side of the mountain which was fine but then when I reached the main road to run back down I discovered the road was covered in frost. Not wanting to injure myself so close to the big race I decided to walk down the road as opposed to run.

This seemed to be a re-occurring theme for the rest of the day as the roads everywhere seemed treacherous so I tried to run off-road as much as possible but I came across massive frozen puddles and slippery conditions in general so most of the run was actually spent walking.

Today’s run was powered by the albums “Grave Diggers Union” by Soul Asylum and “It’s My Club And I’ll Play What I Want To” by Helen Love and was sponsored by the letter C. C is for Compact, Challenging and Cautious.

Inspired by Songs From A Hat last week I decided that each week I would try to record a track of some kind whether it be a new song, an old song, a cover version or even make some kind of video for a track. I’m not going to be as strict as Songs From A Hat as I know that some weeks I’ll just be too busy so there’ll be no forfeits etc.  This is purely an exercise to get me playing and recording again and hopefully entertain some people in the process.

So I replaced my sound card and promptly forgot all about my oath until Saturday night and there in the wee hours of Sunday morning I chose a song and recorded it ready for my Sunday deadline but I couldn’t bring myself to post it until today as it’s a Christmas song and well I just don’t believe in Christmas before December.

So hopefully this will be the first of many weekly recordings, the guitaring is a bit dodgy and that’s why I’ve put it low in the mix but hopefully as time passes the quality of the tracks I post will get gradually better.

This track is a cover of the Ramones festive classic Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight tonight) which was also covered by one of my fave bands Helen Love. I’ve taken a completely different slant on the track. I like the vibe but I think I could have played it a lot better.

Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)

If you get the Chance please also check out the original HERE. or get yourself a free copy of the Helen Love version HERE (it’s on Hark The Filthy Angels Sing Disc 2) or listen to it HERE.

I ran to Asda picked up stuff for tea and ran back with my shopping in a rucksack.

Not sure if it’s just because Iran yesterday and havent recovered properly or if it was a change of shoes but my knees and ankles were in bits from pretty much the first step.

http://www.mapmytri.com/route/gb/cwmaman/335002722059

I finished the run with a hill run (below), it may not look much but it was a killer espesially after running over 3 miles with my shopping.Todays run was powered by the albums “Infinity Land” by Biffy clyro and “It’s My Club and I’ll Play What I Want To” by Helen Love, and was sponsored by the letter A. “A” is for Aching and for Ankles.

“Pop Trash” By Detox Cute And The Beauty Junkies

Initially Detox Cute And The Beauty Junkies may come across as a great big good-natured sugar coated hug, and with names like Paisley Play-doh and Charlie Darling they also may appear about as sombre as a puppy wearing a bow-tie riding a unicycle across Chuckle Land, but have a closer listen and you’ll realise they  shouldn’t be dismissed as mere lightweight pop fluff. No it’s not Radiohead but they are certainly more Dubstar than Five Star, more like The Primitives than 2 Unlimited,  and they don’t feel the need to reduce “pop” to the nursery rhyme crap that some acts feel is the only way to express “fun.”  When people prattle on about the “fun and innocence and the purity of  pop” I narrow my eyes with deep suspicion, furrow my brow and get ready to vigorously wag my finger, as this is usually a preamble to justify a liking for some hideous corporate X-Factor style- monstrosity of a pop song. “But it’s just a bit of fun” they mewl. Really ? “So why the f**k does it sound so bloody awful?“

Does so called “pure pop” really have to be sound like such contrived, stylised rubbish? Obviously the answer is a resounding NO, it can have depth and move people as well as being catchy and danceable. Bands like  Detox Cute and The  Beauty Junkies and Helen Love  prove that pure pop can be clever, funny, tongue in cheek without being soulless dumbed down shite.  Detox Cute and The Beauty junkies score very highly on VPME’s “Pop Genius-o-meter,” and in reality band members Paisley Play-doh (wouldn’t it be great if that was her real name kids?)  and Charlie Darling also have a far more radical agenda then many so called “edgy” bands, who are about as subversive as Phil Collins in his plus-fours at the local golf club discussing the forthcoming village fete….with Peggy Mount.  Yes Charlie and Paisley share the VPME’s dream of wanting to reclaim pop from the insidious grasp of the cankerous Simon Cowell and his demonic hoard, a man who must truly hate music and whose “talent shows” are resolutely “anti-talent.” He has done more harm to pop music over the years than any amount of illegal downloading could ever do….it’s a fight worth fighting- let us take arms against a sea of trouble and by opposing end them.  Cowell is a musical Ronald McDonald and his “discoveries” are simply the burger flippers for his musical equivalent of fast food   …and  I tell you what, after a hard and fruitless day trying to change the world, there’s plenty of room in my heart for a bit of Detox Cute and The Beauty Junkies . And there should be in yours too. We spoke to them to find out more about their musical mission, how we can defeat the musical “Dementor” that is Simon Cowell and how to  put the joy back into pop.

VP: Tell us how you got together and became Detox Cute and the Beauty Junkies

Charlie: I had written a load of pop songs and people I played them to thought were great. After some encouragement and harassment from a good friend I decided, yes, I’ll get them out there! At the time I felt the best way to do this would be to see if I could get a band together to rehearse and play them live. I put an ad on Gumtree, and ended up with a singer, a guitarist, nearly a drummer and Paisley , who was to be the keyboard player.

Paisley: Yeah, after being in lots of bands over the last few years I was once again trawling the web to find another one! I love music and I love singing. Unfortunately my playing abilities stretch to the tambourine and hand clapping, so I was on the lookout for some great musicians. As soon as I saw the ad and heard ‘Pop Trash’ I was excited and desperate to be a part of the band, even though Charlie told me he had a singer already. I agreed to play keys but thank goodness it never came to that, as that could have been very embarrassing. Where is middle ‘C’ anyway?

Charlie: The ‘band’ never got past the first rehearsals, as the question of money raised its ugly head. Who gets paid to turn up for rehearsals anyway? So it turned out that Paisley was left still wanting to get the songs out there with me, so we decided to give it a go as a twosome. Happily, this has worked out really well – organising everything from rehearsals to videos is so easy when there are only two of you!

Paisley: And we must let everyone know why the name ‘Detox Cute and the Beauty Junkies’. No, it’s not because there are only two of us that we need to make up for it with a really long band name!

Charlie: Detox Cute & The Beauty Junkies is the name of a fictional band from my unpublished novel; ‘Paul King Stole My Haircut’ (a quote directly to me from Catatonia record producer Paul Sampson who bemoaned his failure as a pop star in the early 80’s, attributing blame to the aforementioned King for  ‘stealing’ his trademark uber-mullet).

VP: Your mission is to stop people being afraid of pop, despite Simon Cowell, how would you do that? Hasn’t Cowell and his dark forces besmirched the good name of pop and extracted the joy from it, replacing it with something more sinister?

Charlie: Precisely. Adam Ant said: “the devil’ll take your stereo” and that’s exactly what’s happened. Cowell has sucked the soul from pop music and turned it into a product, a commodity to be paid for in blood. Therefore, today’s TV popstars are soul-less puppets, their strings being pulled by the deadliest puppet master of them all. People are fully justified in being afraid, very afraid.  I can’t believe Cowell understands that pop music is supposed to be fun and not the sort of entertainment that leaves you feeling like you’d rather poke your own eyeballs out with a sharp implement than endure yet another rendition of ‘Unchained Melody’ sung by some pre-pubescent dishcloth with the face of a wet lettuce and as much personality as the inside of a ping-pong ball. We want to reclaim the charts from his grubby mits, show people that pop can be fun and doesn’t have to be sold with a sob story. T-Rex rescued pop from the grasp of long-haired doom merchants of prog rock and gave it back to those who wanted to be entertained. Adam Ant was just the tonic the doctor ordered to remedy an ailing pop world, suffering under a cloud of Bee Gees induced influenza and the hangover from Punk’s demise and the early mumblings of a Phil Collins led Genesis and musicians wearing their jackets with sleeves rolled up to the elbow.

Paisley: - Not to harp on but bless it, the X Factor really is a pain in the bot. I mean, we have had Christmas stolen by Leona, then Leon, who next, Leo? They are who little ‘uns look up to as their musical heroes. Now, that’s what I call scary!

VP: What have you been up to in 2008?

Paisley: Watching Cliff Richard movies and ‘The Neverending Story’, ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Total Recall’; listening to Paul Bevoir and waiting for Charlie’s hair to grow after a terrible haircut in Soho ;

Charlie: We recorded the songs you can hear on our MySpace at Bunker Studios in London , and we shot the videos too, down in Brighton . It’s a Punk work ethic – Do It Yourself – after all, no-one is going to do it for you. Oh, and played some gigs too in the Indie hell that is Camden Town . Remember, Indie kids, just wearing a hat does not make you a fashion icon – hats are not an image!

VP:  What sort of music would you say influences your sound and ethos? Helen Love that sort of thing?

Charlie: The Beatles, obviously, T-Rex, Adam Ant, Abba, Cliff are the oldies and then contemporary songwriters such as Edwyn Collins, Frank Read from the Trashcan Sinatras and Stephen Duffy.  Oh, and we absolutely adore Chris Martin and The Coldplay!  (Just kidding!!! We’d rather eat our own sick than listen to that old nonsense.)  Helen Love are a great band because they’re fun – they don’t take themselves too seriously and it comes across that they have a genuine love for The Ramones.  And who else could name check The Kursaal Flyers or The Ohio Express and still be one of the coolest bands on the planet? Although our songs are very poppy we like to think the lyrics say something more than just ‘boy meets girl’.  John Lennon, (when talking about ‘Imagine’) once said that if you want to get your message across then wrap it up in sugar. We give people great tunes but hope that our lyrics aren’t perceived as banal just because we’re a pop band.

Paisley: – Yeah, what he said really. I just like all sorts of music and can’t pick the best or what influences me – all of it does! Dolly is an icon and Elvis is king – obvious I know  – but that’s me! Blimey, it really is so difficult, that question really harshes my mellow!

VP: If there’s one song you’d love to cover and give it the full on “pop” sound what would it be (and why)?

Charlie: ‘La La La Lu’ as sung by Cilla Black in the film ‘Please Sir’, although it’s already quite poppy, but it’s a great song that few people would have heard and also folk need to know that Cilla was a great singer before all that ‘Surprise Surprise’ wailing. We’ve thought about seriously putting together an ‘Abba and The Ants’ tribute band – so we could try singing ‘Whip In My Valise’ in four-part harmony, Beatle-esque piano and full string orchestra or alternatively, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You …. Ahhhhhh Haaaaaaa!’ dooom di doooom, (in a ‘Prince Charming yelp stylee).  However, the thought of crossing Bananarama with Nirvana and getting Nivanaramerama and doing ‘Teen spirit’ in the style of ‘Robert De Niro’s Waiting’ has quite an appeal!

Paisley: - Oooh, and I’d like to put words to the ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ theme and make that a pop song. Plus a B Side featuring Toyah Wilcox from the ‘Blue Marigold’ episode.

VP:  Any plans for a single or album to be released in the near future

Charlie: ‘We have a couple of releases coming up very soon. Don’t want to say too much right now in case we jinx it but are we are very, very excited!

Paisley: Yes, all news will be posted on the faithful MySpace as it happens, but the Dick Van Dykes among you may be able to take a look at our ‘top friends’ to see who we might be releasing songs with!

VP:  So when you’re not in a “pop” mood what other sorts of music would you listen too?

Charlie: Acoustic singer/songwriters like The Trashcan Sinatras or Alex Lloyd; Punk, Folk, Heavy Metal (strangely, heavy metal bands and pop bands generally get on well – it must be the sense of fun and not taking yourselves too seriously)…  Oh, and Razorlite – they’re great !!! NOT.

Paisley: I already admitted two of my American vices but my favourite singer, live performer and person in music is John Otway. I LOVE HIM! I have met him a couple of times and he is such a nice guy. The best YouTube of him has to be when he was on the Old Grey Whistle Test. I’m going to recreate that whole performance at one of our gigs soon. Apart from ripping my top open of course. Oooh, Charlie would look great dressed up as Wild Willy Barrett!

VP:  How helpful has the internet been for bands like yourselves getting your music heard ?

Paisley: I love it! I type so much these days I can’t even read my own handwriting anymore, which is fine by me!

Charlie: Fantastic – we can bypass the corporate nonsense and the Simon’s of this world and actually get heard by people who like our sort of music. And not just in London or the UK . London can be too cool for school and the UK is so wrapped up in Indie or TV Talent Show Popstars that you’d be forgiven for thinking that anyone else hasn’t got a hope. But the internet gives us a worldwide audience and also worldwide friends too.  We’re regularly in contact with people in Japan , the States, France , Holland , Germany and Spain .

VP: A dilemma …you have the chance to go back in time and rewrite pop history, but you are given just  2 bullets, you have a opportunity to stop  the musical crimes  perpetrated by  Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and Simon Fuller What do you do?

Charlie: Easy, only one bullet needed and that’s for Cowell. Pete Waterman’s actually ok, and we can forgive him Sonia and Jason Donovan because let’s not forget he also gave Cliff a hit single and was originally behind ‘You Spin Me Right Round’ by Dead Or Alive – one of the best pop records of all time. As for Simon Fuller – well, The Spice Girls were shit but their only real crimes are the fact they think by flouncing around on TOTP a few times that gives them the ability to write books, design clothes or launch perfume ranges. If Geri Halliwell was so talented why did she feel the need to do topless telly before finding fame?

Paisley: Well I would let Mr Waterman live. I asked him where the toilet was once, so I class him as a friend. The Simons can go and get stuffed.

VP: Five words that aptly sum up your “vibe”

Charlie: A Little Bit Too Sensitive

Paisley: It’s Turned Out Nice Again

Links

On Myspace

Wallpaper

Videos

“Pop Trash” by Detox Cute & The Beauty Junkies

“Alarm Bells” By Detox Cute & The Beauty Junkies

You can listen to Wherever you go, take me with you by Kaleida (MP3), our 1996 single produced by Mike Jones of Voice of the Beehive here.

Or you can watch the video, directed by Mike Hodgkinson, here.

You can listen to or download two of our songs at this link:
1) Like Water, the B-side of the first Pastel Collision single from 1994, Young, produced by Steve Mack of That Petrol Emotion and
2) Here Comes the Summer, the A-side of our third single, from 1995. Not produced by anyone who’d been in the charts or even near them.

Unreleased-but-actually-rather-good song: Underachiever
This is a song we recorded in the autumn of 1992, as a demo, called Underachiever. People who heard all our early stuff said it was our best song, but it was never released as a record. It’s very fast, very jangly, very trumpet-led, very full-on-kitchen-sink, so if you liked Young and Like Water then you will probably like this. The quality of this MP3 is a bit tape-of-a-tape but, hey, you’re getting it for free. Recorded at West Orange in Preston, this has brilliant, brilliant drumming from a fella called Rob who only played on this one session for us, with trumpets and very nice piano by Karen Lumb from Timperley (yes, Timperley). It’s two minutes and 10 seconds long, like all the best songs are.
Anyway, enjoy Underachiever here.

OTRAS OPCIONES PARA ENCONTRAR, ESCUCHAR Y COMPARTIR MÚSICA

Yeah, SONGZA está cool (a search music engine & internet juke-box). Te permite hacer una playlist de temas que encuentras en youtube, compartirlos vía Twitter, ponerlo en tu sitio, mandarlo vía mail y etc. También puedes calificarlo y, lo mejor, escuchar tu playlist live and direct.

Mi playlist incluye temas de Christophe, The Diskettes (12345 live from Café Revolver), Psychic TV (The Orchids!), Celentano, El Aviador Dro,  Suicide, The Honeydrips, The Hooligans (la mejor versión de Despeinada!, he dicho), Righeira, The Residents, Helen Love, La Casa Azul, Astrud, Alain Bashung, Pedro Marín, The Raincoats, Violeta Gómez, Juvelen, The Vaselines, Palito Ortega, Derribos Arias y Roni Size, entre otros. Temas raros, en vivo, versiones originales de éxitos, esas canciones que nos suenan tan familiares.

Sí, uno no termina de sorprenderse. I love Songza.

http://songza.com/rafadro

Tracklist for tonight’s show was as follows:

NIfty – Fill The Arena With Sound
The Magnetic Fields – Too Drunk To Dream
Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass
Hank Williams Snr – Why Don’t You Love Me Like You Used To Do?
Pissed Jeans – I’ve Still Got You (Ice Cream)
Helen Love – Rodney’s English Disco
Talvekoidik – Concealed Longings
The Robot Ate Me – The Genocide Ball
The Clash – Rudie Can’t Fail
Black Mountain – Wucan
The Toothaches – Everything
Sylvan Chaveau – Marianne
Kenickie – Nightlife
Stars of the Lid – Funeral
Boredoms – Super Coming

Firstly – congratulations to Ian Perry, a popular figure here in Alcopop Towers, not only because of his sterling membership of our inaugural singles club, but also because he is soon to be the proud owner of the Alcopopular walkman! For just a few moments after the clock struck midnight, he had snared his copy of Alcopopular vol. 2, and in the process, cemented his ownership of musical history – nice one sir!

But as well as fielding orders for 2008’s hottest cassette, drinking myself to a bloody stupor and shivering in the cold watching Bristol City edge out Coventry on New Years Day (weep) – I’ve bought the world’s hottest trainers (they look straight out of Back to the Future II, glow in the dark, have pumps on the tongues and are shown below– ace!) I’ve also crafted the following New Years Resolutions which I aim to stick wholeheartedly by:

1.) Get myself a ‘F*@k Silver Sun’ T-Shirt by any means necessary

2.) Discover the ultimate cocktail, crafted only with out of date booze

3.) Go on a brief musical tour of Ireland, preferably with no sleep

4.) Discover the new Helen Love

5.) Persuade the original Helen Love to play live at an Alcopop night

6.) Get a small personal item stolen at a European festival I’ve never been too before

7.) Get some seriously cool Alcopop! T-Shirts on the market, and encourage Andrew WK to model one

8.) Watch a violent derby-day football match in an eastern European country with the away fans

9.) What ever happens, don’t cut my hair

Diario Pop

Canciones para despedir a Noviembre: Indie pop cortesía de Cloudberry Records, un bootleg que une a Jay Z y el inigualable Alan Vega (y funciona!), otro ejemplo más de la habilidad que tienen los chicos de La Costa Brava para manufacturar buenas canciones de “lo que sea”, un hermoso perdedor neoyorquino con una rolita espléndida, uno de nuestros héroes juveniles con un tema bandera que nos recuerda en algo al “Godzilla” del Aviador Dro, nuevo material de una de nuestras bandas favoritas inglesas que citan a Elefant Records y, finalmente, una extraña mezcla que une a tres de grupos mexicanos favoritos en una misma referencia musical.

430. Álbum con Faca vs Plastilina Mosh: Bass ass (mp3)
429. Helen Love: I love indie pop (mp3)
428. Adam and the Ants: Don’t be Squar (be There) (mp3)
427. Hidrogenesse: Hotel Italia Delta Romeo (mp3)
426. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers: I love you (mp3)
425. La Costa Brava: Nadie sabía que estaba muerto (mp3)
424. DJ Le Clown feat. Alan Vega & Jay Z.- Juke box boot (mp3)
423. Holiday Fun Club: Hamburg in the night (mp3)

download and think about the bad weather

*Todos los temas son posteados con el único propósito de servir de muestra y fomentar el conocimiento público acerca de estos artistas (que, btw, nos gustan mucho o acabamos de descubrir). Consume música, ve a conciertos, compra discos. O algo así.