Its Monday…and its snowing/raining, so this suits it well..That and Shiny Toy Guns express my mood of today perfectly…thought I’d post it.

XOXO
Monmons

In the last week or so i’ve been having something of a musical reshuffle. I’ve been clearing space and putting some cds into boxes etc in preparation for next years big move. During this time i’ve came across some albums, singles, demos, remixes and vinyl that i realised i hadn’t listened to in a while. One of these albums was Depeche Modes “Black Celebration”.

I remember the day i got it like it was yesterday. It was my 17th birthday back in 2002. Me and my sister have a habit of getting each other random albums for each others birthdays and Christmas. We know each others preferred tastes very well so they always turn out to be good choices.

I’m not ashamed to say that in 2002 i never really knew much about Depeche Mode, i was Queens of the Stone Age and Deftones through and through back then. If it wasn’t “alternative” rock i pretty much wasn’t interested (with the exception of course of the majestical Boards of Canada, who accompanied me through many a stoned evening). My, how times have changed though, whilst QOTSA are still my favourite band and always will be now i’ll also listen to anything and everything else. And that particular birthday on the 16th of July all those years ago is probably one of the reasons i opened up to new music. Like i said, i never knew much about Depeche Mode back then. I knew a few songs, the obvious ones “Personal Jesus”, “Just Can’t Get Enough” and “Enjoy The Silence”. But none of them sparked a particular interest in me. I mean, i liked the songs but i never had any real desire to search further into the band. Then one night i was bored and asked Lisa if i could just sit with her in her room and chill with her for a bit. “Only if you don’t mind watching this dvd with me?” she joked. Of course, i didn’t even bother to ask what the dvd was as i just wanted to chill with my sister for a while so i just sat down and expected nothing special. How wrong was i? It was a Depeche Mode live dvd, i still can’t even remember the name of it but i remember loving pretty much every song they played and thinking “Why haven’t i checked this out before?”. One song in particular struck me from the moment the intro kicked in till Dave Gahan took his last breath. The song in question was “Stripped”. I remember telling Lisa how much i loved the dvd and then scrambling back downstairs into my joint-smoke filled room and sticking on White Pony at full volume. I think i almost felt ashamed at liking Depeche Mode! A few weeks later my birthday arrived and wrapped up as a gift from Lisa was my very own copy of  the album “Black Celebration”. The album was released in March 1986 when i was 8 months old! And here i was at 17 getting my first taste of it. The tracklist includes the likes of “Question Of Lust”, “Sometimes” and “World Full Of Nothing” but my favourite song on the album and in fact favourite Depeche Mode of all time is still ”Stripped”. Have a look and listen to a live performance then download the MP3 of the album version below if you like it.

MP3: Depeche Mode – Stripped

There’s also been more than a few cover versions of the song. Some i hate, some i like and two i absolutely fucking love. ”Stripped” has been covered by the likes and dislikes of Rammstein, Longview, Statemachine, In Strict Confidence, Brainclaw, Scooter (yes, Scooter) and my favourite two cover versions of the song are done by Shiny Toy Guns and She Wants Revenge.

The Rammstein one i actually found quite disturbing at first but i’ve grown to like the guitars in it. The live version is better than the actual recorded version they did right enough. Much better. Even if Till Lindemanns voice can be a bit annoying.

MP3: Rammstein – Stripped

The Scooter one i can just about stand. Let me make one thing clear, i DETEST Scooter but a certain Mr Keane has managed to convince me that this song is…..OK. It’s not as bad as some versions put it that way.

MP3: Scooter – Stripped

The Shiny Toy Guns one i love. I like the whole boy/girl vocals going on. The band included the song as a bonus track on a special edition of their debut album “Pilots”. I couldn’t find an official video for the song, only live versions but i did find a pretty cool fan made video with some guy and girl (not from the group) in it.

MP3: Shiny Toy Guns – Stripped

This is the newest cover of this song i’ve heard. She Wants Revenge covered “Stripped” more than a few times on their live tour in 2006. It is quite literally amazing. They captured the atmosphere of the song perfectly but in a totally different way that the original does. Unfortunately i don’t have an MP3 of this one so it’s video only i’m afraid.

S.I.T Wolf  XX

As the decade draws to a close, blog after blog and magazine after magazine have been publishing their end-of-decade best-of-the-aughts music lists. Allow Softsynth to dive in to that crowded pool.

It’s been a busy and exciting decade for electronic music after the dry-ish decade of the 90s that saw a genre in transition, unsure of what was to come next as the golden era of the 80s passed by and the resurgence was yet to come. Since 2000 we have seen ups and downs among the subgenres with some of the most interesting music those subgenres have ever produced bubbling up this decade. In the coming weeks we will share our annual best of the year list – the only time we break from the declared mandate of this blog and we include what we thought were the best albums of 2009 regardless of genre – but for now, we share part of the best of the decade in electronic albums.

We have spent more time than usual preparing this list, one that is as subjective as any other (and we have seen some electronic best-0f-the-decade lists that have swung wildly across the spectrum – to the AV Club you would swear that “electronic music” consisted of little more than the DJ community, for example) based on our own tastes but we try to be as inclusive as possible, knowing that 50 fans of electronic music will come up with 50 different permutations. We started with nearly 100 of the most notable electronic albums of the decade with the various electronic subgenres and whittled it painstakingly down to 25. Some released this year may well stand the test of time but haven’t marinated long enough – including new work from Venus Hum, and Assemblage 23. Only two 2009 albums have made it to this list, and both were releases at the very top of the year. On further reflection we may wish to have added the 2009 offerings from the above two or others (and it would be a safe bet that each will be in our best of ‘09 list so stay tuned). For better or worse, here’s the best of the rest:

25. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz (2009)

Released just this year Yeah Yeah Yeahs embraced their inner electronic artist and produced their strongest, most emotional, and frankly best sounding album to date. It sounded like an odd idea – the post punk of Karen O and company blended with synths. How was that supposed to work exactly?

Well, work it did, as they produced one of the most shockingly effervescent albums of not just the year but the decade, electronic or otherwise. What turned out to be the nicest surprise was the way O’s normally aggressive weapon of a voice worked with the electronics. The album is also more ballad-heavy than one might have thought but these tracks, especially “Skeletons” are among the strongest. A perfect mesh of rock and electro led to one of the most solid offerings the genre has seen this decade.

24. Goldfrapp – Black Cherry (2003)

With Black Cherry Goldfrapp turned a major corner. Previously they were an ambient, thoughtful electronic group, full of airy, floaty songs that you thought a lot about more than actually “enjoyed” per se. With this album they dug into the sheer power Will Gregory and Allison Goldfrapp had at their disposal.

One listen to the explosive crunch of “Strict Machine” and there’s no mistaking this was a whole new Goldfrapp. Ballsy, in your face, energetic and more than a little dirty, they began to embrace the power heavy electronic pop/dance music could unleash. “Train”, “Tiptoe”, “Twist”, each in your face and unrelenting. And even the softer fare here had a propulsive energy. Unlike anything we had ever heard before it, Goldfrapp were writing a new book that would soon pay even greater dividends…

23. Apoptygma Berzerk – 7 (2002)

We could be forgiven for forgetting what Apop once were. In recent years they have reached for a more mainstream sound complete with pop sensibilities, rock-based instrumentation and accessible lyrics. But once upon a time these Norwegians were a pure EBM/gothy confection, as good at that as anyone else on the scene. Their peak during this period was on this album. The angry, barked vocals, the relentless, sequenced synths, the pounding programmed drums, the whole album feels like an electro assault.

None of it would matter if the songwriting wasn’t so good, but it really is. “Mourn”, “Half Asleep”, the awesome, if troubling violence of “Deep Red” and shredding “Non-Stop Violence” – song after song it’s a symphony lyrical angst and musical joy and it works beautifully throughout. They’ve never sounded better.

22. Imogen Heap – Speak for Yourself (2005)

Weird and brilliant. Brit Heap is a breathy oddball who knows her way around a clever turn of phrase and a keyboard equally proficiently. The sublime lead single “Goodnight and Go” summarizes what’s best about the album. The track shimmers and the tone bobs and weaves until you are almost seasick. She uses percussion in almost unimaginable ways including using vocal samples for sequence lines seamlessly (a trick she uses far more on her equally -strong-but-too-new-for-posterity followup, this year’s Ellipse) and her voice, all hiccups and swirls is a fantastic instrument in itself. On softer tracks (“Closing In”, “The Moment I Said It”) and faster ones (“Headlock”, “I Am In Love With You”) alike, she comes off as an artist that is wholly unique, despite reaching, desperate attempts to label her the latest Lilith Fair progeny. On this album she proves she is so, so much more.

21. Zeigeist – The Jade Motel (2008)

We’ve only very recently written about this remarkable Swedish band who only managed to produce this one rich, surprisingly thoughtful album last year, so we won’t revisit it in great detail but suffice it to say, take one part The Knife, one part Scissor Sisters and blend with a touch of freaky-artist and you have Zeigeist. It remains sickening that they only managed to release this one album before calling it a day, but what an album it is that they’ve left us. From the guiltless synth pop of “Wrecked Metal” to the exceptional S&M ode “Cuffs” they knew their way around a synth beat with vocalists Per and Princess trading provocative singing duties to great effect. One cannot help but wonder what else they might have produced had they managed to stay together a little longer but in the meantime we have this treat to enjoy forevermore.

20. Erasure – Nightbird (2005)

Erasure have not had a good decade. From the woefully underproduced Loveboat, to the dreadful acoustic experiment, to the horrific Light at the End of the World, it’s been a series of unfortunate misses that have tainted the memory of this once-towering band.

And then there was Nightbird. Out of nowhere came a startlingly good, perfectly crafted piece of electronic pop confection. A depth we had never seen from the duo before topped by better-sounding electronics than we had ever heard Vince Clarke produce. Powered by the near-perfect lead-off single “Breathe” the album is charged with song after song of Andy Bell’s best-ever vocals. Start to finish the album was a refreshing, memorable treat that has stood the test of time and still sounds fresh today.

19. Komputer – Synthetic (2007)

Formerly I Start Counting, formally Fortran 5, whatever David Baker and Simon Leonard call themselves at a given time, they are true devotees of electronic music and their love for the genre shines through on everything they touch.

This third album from the band is their most complex and at the same time, in many ways, their most accessible. Their first, The World of Tomorrow, is straight ahead Kraftwerkian vintage electronic music; their second, Market Led, was almost fully experimental bleeps and bloops and frankly, not a lot of fun. But with Synthetik, Komputer reached a new level, one that was every bit as Kraftwerk-descended as anything that had come before, but with a beating heart to go with the cold German-influenced electronics. Their ode to the ubiquity of constant noise (“Headphones and Ringtones”) choking out every bit of silence or ambient noise we once knew is both profound and catchy. “Like a Bird” deals with isolation in a crowded world while again causing one to marvel at how well contained the lovely electronic rhythms propel the song. While much of the album is repetitive and droney it works on such a thoughtful level you’ll wonder why Kraftwerk never had the foresight to record exactly this album.

18. Shiny Toy Guns – We Are Pilots (2006)

In full, brutal honesty, Shiny Toy Guns seem like they may kind of be ass holes. Now, that’s not particularly scientific but their very demeanor does not endear listeners to the band. But that aside (not to mention their shit-tastic followup, Season of Poison) this is an unbelievably confident, brilliant electronic pop/rock album.

Most know the album for their hit “Le Disko”, but ultimately it’s actually among the weaker songs on the album. Employing the fashionable dueling vocalists, Chad Petree and Carah Faye Charnow, that are so de rigeur these days, the album casts a wide net including some more experimental work, songs that lend themselves to the rock side of the equation and those that are pure electropop like the flawless “You are the One”. Not the most original creation of the decade it simply deserves to be on this list because it has so many awesome, kick ass songs. The songwriting is near-perfect, the production rock solid and song after song simply delivers.

17. Bjork – Vepertine (2001)

This combination of strings, chamber orchestras, choirs and electronic beats did more to bring out the strength of Bjork’s voice than anything that has come before or since. Bjork has always recorded interesting material depending on her mood or that of her producers, but this was her most fully realized of the three albums she released during this decade. Listen to “Hidden Place” “Cocoon” or “Pagan Poetry” (the latter being on of Softsynth’s all-time favourite videos incidentally) and you quickly realize you are listening to something wholly original. Something you have simply never heard before. On this album she shifted the posts to expand what we could justifiably consider “electronic music”. But that wouldn’t be enough on it’s own. No, what makes this among the best albums of its genre of the decade is that soaring, gorgeous voice  of hers coupled with these clever beats and the lush strings to make a sound fully onto itself. She always has the potential to top her best – something liberating about being as eclectic and “of herself” as she is – but she would be hard pressed to ever produce an album as beautiful and meaningful as this one.

16. Assemblage 23 – Meta (2007)

Their newest album, Compass, may be even better but that late 2009 release needs more time to germinate. Meantime, we have this wonder. Album after album Tom Shear has improved on the already impressive tracks laid down previously. It’s a rare glimpse at constantly forward-moving trajectory. Shear, better than most at the balance, can combine anger (and oh so bleak is this category of anger), bitterness, and pain with incredible beats and power-driven synths. He’s not the only one doing it but he makes it look so easy, so utterly effortless.

This album showed a more accessible, dare we say ‘pop’ vibe than his previous works. All the key A23 ingredients were there but there was suddenly an additional layer on deck. The sheer power of “Truth” and “Raw” were unmatched the year this album was released, it stood out alone as the one album that was willing to kick the shit out of electro conventions. Beginning to end, sheer EBM-industrial influenced electro-rock pleasure.

15. IAMX – Kingdom of Welcome Addiction (2009)

Let there be no surprise that this was the best album released in 2009, hands down, genre be damned. When Softsynth does up its best of the year list it will be number one, no mystery. Other best of the year lists won’t reflect that and it’s a shame because it stands head and shoulders above everything that’s come down the path this year. We look for albums that may contain a song that goes straight into our hearts. You know what we’re talking about – that song with the chorus that gives you the shakes a little, that makes the hair on your arm stand up on edge. That song with the bridge that makes you open your eyes a little wider in pleasant surprise. That verse with lyrics that make you smile and shake your head in wonder. This album has no fewer than four such songs (“Teargarden”, “I Am Terrified”, “Shipwreck of Life”, “Kingdom of Welcome Addiction”) – something we can’t ever recall having heard before, with the exception of the album that is number one on this list. The remainder of the album is merely brilliant. Bombastic throughout, but brilliant. The third album from former Sneaker Pimp Chris Corner fires on all cylinders. Romantic, weird, twisted, danceable, powerful, dirty. Everything you could want in an album. Corner is in perfect voice soaring and purring song to song. It’s a work of electronic genius.

14. Daft Punk  - Discovery (2001)

Daft Punk occupy an interesting place in the world of electronic music. From the synthpop of “Digital Love” to the balls-out aggro-electro of “Aerodynamic”, every song is instantly identifiable as Daft Punk and no one else could it be. Oft imitated since, no one has been able to achieve quite what these French oddballs have. Sure it’s “just” club music but does anyone on the globe do it better? On this album the boys achieved perfect balance between organic emotion and cold electronics. Tough to pull off but pull it off they do.

Many will get caught up in the silly costumes, the endless gimmicks, the “anonymous robot” schtick, but dig down into the marrow of the music and you will discover the joys of pure dance pop done the way it’s supposed to be.

13. Huski – Love Peace Pain (2006)

Some albums are on here because they broke down barriers, or opened up a new way of thinking about a given subgenre, or because it had the potential to change music. Then there are those albums that have taken up residence on this list because they’re just that damned good. Melanie Garside has since gone onto critical acclaim for her excellent work as Maple Bee, but it was here that we heard her at her most playful and her most energetic.

There’s not a whole lot to say here. It’s just wonderful, wonderful music. Mostly languid, balladic and swirling, each song is a tasty treat, a lovely showcase for Garside’s enviable voice. Not the most special of the decade by a long way but song for song, one of the most enjoyable.

12. VNV Nation – Judgement (2007)

VNV Nation have been on a long journey to flesh out their sound year after year, album after album; from EBM instrumental purity to hard-edged electronic pop-rock with earnest lyrics angry for the state of the world and yearning for change.

Anthemic is the word that comes up over and over again as one listens to these tracks. Never more so than in “Testament” which sounds like a big stadium show closer, “Nemesis”, a preachy “watch what we’re doing because it’s all going to blow up” bombast, or “Illusion” a pretty but sad plea not to take the easy way out. Ronan Harris expanded into entirely new territory on this album and while many think he left all that made VNV Nation what it is, behind, in fact it was a building upon the EBM/industrial roots that made this album so strong. The combination of those roots, which once consisted of a lot of banging and processed sequence lines, with a more sophisticated sense of pop sensibility meant for the most fully realized VNV Nation album to date and among the most solid and entertaining of the decade.

11. Parralox – Electricity (2008)

Simply the best synth pop album of the decade. Each subgenre has their champion and this is the standard bearer for synth pop.

Many bands try to emulate or pay tribute to the electronic bands of the early 80s, many of whom do it very very well (La Roux, Northern Kind), but no one has achieved it so well as this Australian duo. It was the only album recorded with John Von Ahlen and singer Roxy, who left after the album was recorded but what genius they managed to squeeze in there while they were together.

Clearly a tribute in part to the great bands of the 80s (right down to song titles that reference O.M.D. and Yazoo) they took what was best from the era, the power and emotion behind the synths as opposed to the surface sheen and it works flawlessly. They even manage to do justice to an electronic version of Radiohead’s Creep(!). Danceable, smooth rhythms, and lyrics that sound good but mean little, just like the synth pop of yesteryear and brilliantly so.

Next: the top ten electronic albums of the decade…

 Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome by Shiny Toy Guns

2009 (1 tracks, 2:26)

children’s

My favorite piece done by fellow Vermonter Scott Lendhart

Mammoth Mountain had their official opening weekend festivities this past weekend and as expected it was a great time. Guitar lessons, football in the street, Schatz sandwiches, and credit card roulette were staples of the 4 day trip. The riding was pretty fun and there was even some pockets of fresh snow to be had. All the homies rolled up and then we rolled up and then rolled out if you can’t make sense of that maybe this blog isn’t for you. I was particularly excited to check out the “I Am Snowboarding” art show which was held as a benefit for the Jeff Anderson Foundation. The show was really cool and I know some Frends who made outta there wish some sweet original art.

I believe this one can soon be seen in Mr. Auggire's household.

All in all the weekend was a good time for all and can pretty much be summed up in these two quotes.

“there’s enough cocaine and semen in this carpet to get everyone here high and pregnant in 5 minutes”-random hero

“if I got beer for free, shit I’d be a rich fucking man”-Joe Carter

Check out the shots in the gallery for some entertainment. The quality sucks but thats what happens when your g9 dies and you’re left with a camera phone to shoot with.

Cheers.

shirt from 1987 found in the packaging at a thrift store...pretty rad

28. When Did This Storm Begin (feat. Binary Finary) – Shiny Toy Guns
It was controversy a go-go last year over at Shiny Toy Guns HQ. After the first album failed to do anything in the UK (and indeed anywhere), the band chose to ditch lead singer Carah Faye in a stunt which was perplexing at best and downright stupid at worst. A number of STG fans were up in arms, and the creation of literally tens of groups on Facebook/MySpace etc pledging allegiance to Carah must have been worrying for STG, especially as they replaced Princess Carah with a reject from the Pussycat Dolls search programme – Sisley Treasure, if you followed it. Anyway, back on record, this song is the opening track from an otherwise shit album. And I’m only a little bit biased. It’s the only track which really shows much resemblance to the STG I used to know and love.

27. Epic Last Song – Does It Offend You, Yeah?
I do like DIOY,Y?, but their ridiculous name really irritates me. Their album – which I was really excited about – turned out to be a bit awful really, aside from We Are Rockstars and this little gem. It’s not really typical of DIOY,Y? but it’s a nice enough song. I like the drumming on it, it reminds me of Muse a little bit in places. It is a nice way to round off the album, but it doesn’t work so well on its own in my humble opinion, which is probably why you can buy the CD single for 60p on Amazon (2009 NOTE: pricing correct at time of writing. It’s probably even cheaper now), and that Wikipedia denies it was ever released.

26. See You Again – Miley Cyrus
Anyone who says this isn’t as catchy as crabs is either a. deaf or, b. really stupid. The lyrics sometimes veer on being a bit immature (sorry Lesley, it’s true), but as the song is being targeted at 14 year old girls who fuck up a bit in the company of someone they fancy, I can let it drop. Although it is worth noting that this is hardly a situation which is exclusive to 14 year old girls, let’s be honest here. I also liked Seven Things, but not as much, and the third single was pretty boring, which probably serves as proof enough that I don’t need to listen to the whole album to find the best of it – it is here.

25. Ready For The Floor – Hot Chip
This song is brilliant. It’s up there with Over & Over – you can’t help but start wiggling around a bit when you hear it, which is not such a fantastic side effect when you are on the tube on your own in the rush hour. I was a bit disappointed the whole album wasn’t up to this standard, but with a few more plays, perhaps it will click and everything will be okay (2009 NOTE: this did not happen). I can’t recall any of the follow up songs really doing much either, but Hot Chip seem to have a pretty strong fanbase, I wouldn’t say they have done a Sugababes (2009 NOTE: this was a reference to the Sugas becoming really tired and repetitive, and therefore alienating their fanbase, not to their roundabout of disposable members).

24. What A Catch, Donnie – Fall Out Boy
This song is my favourite from Folie á Deux so far. Not that anyone will know yet as the track-by-track review I have been promising to write has still not materialised (2009 NOTE: it never did). This features Gabe from Cobra Staship, Brendon from Panic At The Disco, and of course Wentz. It is like a Decaydance fangirl wet dream. I do find Stump’s vocals really hard to listen to sometimes, and this song is quite bad for nasal and annoying, which is a shame but that is life. That aside, it has a nice melody, and there’s also an applaudable uuse of tambourines and piano. Viva La FOB!

23. Everyone Nose – N*E*R*D
I don’t think this did well for reasons which I find odd. I have always had a bit of a soft spot of Pharrell though; I heart N*E*R*D even though it probably isn’t cool any more. My only niggles with this song are that I think the middle 8 sucks – there is no excuse for slowing the pace down and putting stupid winebar jazz piano in anything, ever. I also think the outro could be chopped significantly to make it a bit snappier, but I daresay others would disagree. Watch your back Mark Ronson, Max Martin, Rich Costey etc etc.

22. Courtship Dating – Crystal Castles
Some of the cool kids have been going on about Crystal Castles for ages, but until they shoved a song infront of my face that I wanted to dance to, I just didn’t care. It took me a couple of listens to really get in to this, but when I ‘got it’, it was a staple of every playlist I made for about five months. I think that the song is about taxidermy which is a bit bizarre, but I ignore that, and happily strut around with lots of glitter around the world and this on full blast.

21. Rise – Flobots
I don’t think this is one many people liked, but there we go. Flobots are like a watered down Rage Against The Machine for this generation. They’re upbeat and in your face and they also have some pretty good lyrics (take note, Cyrus). The simple but inspiring chorus is great, definitely one of the highlights on the album for me. I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys won a couple of awards over he next few years for the album (2009 NOTE: they did not).

20. Body Crash – Buy Now

The non-event of this release is one of the most bizarre events of 2008, or indeed the entire millenium if you ask me. This should have been absolutely massive; I don’t know what happened to it. It is absolutely fucking awesome, and would have/should have been appreciated by two massive social groups I am friends with.
Group A – The boring Eurovision fans who just love everything that comes out of Sweden, even if it is dire. I have been reliably informed that the artist (or 50% of, I’m not sure on this) is Swedish, therefore they should have loved it.
Group B – The boring dance music fans. Apparently this is house music. I don’t know what house music is; the dance lot confuse the hell out of me, and I have probably commited the biggest musical faux-pas since Kelly Clarkson released My December, but there we go. Anyway it is fucking amazing and that is all you need to know.

19. Stop And Stare – OneRepublic
Yes, I am well aware of how embarassing this admission is. I’m not sure if it is still as socially unacceptable to dislike Ryan Tedder post Bleeding Love and Halo, but whatever. This song is proper Radio 2 fodder, but for some reason, I really like it. I think it is less about the song, and more the fact that I heard it a lot at a certain period of the year which was good and holds some nice memories for me, but this is not a relevant side-gambit. Incidentally, I listened to the whole OneRepublic album last night, and the singles and one other song aside, what a dreary load of shit. Talk about knowing your audience.

18. I Thought It Was Over – The Feeling
This was another good pop song, my favourite moment being the bit with spazzy synths after the “DOES ANYBODY KNOOOOOOOOW?” bit. I seem to remember this was always on the radio at the start of last year, and I went and bought the album on the back of this song. Big mistake. It was terrible, and I only ever listen to this song. Damn you, The Music Industry reeling me in with your great first singles, then trapping me into buying a shit album. Oh well. (2009 NOTE: I have not listened to anything by the Feeling off my own back for the last 12 months. Forgive me.)

17. Up – The Saturdays
As much as I wanted to hate them for their terrible promo campaign before we had even got any music at all, this is a great song. There’s not much to say, it’s catchy, it’s singable and everyone seems to know it. I might add that I didn’t rate If This Is Love, and I also really don’t like Issues. Their generic b&w artwork with coloured lenses is really irking me too, but this is meant to be a list of positivity, not me complaining about everything I don’t like about them.

16. Sensual Seduction – Snoop Dogg
I don’t know why I like this song. This kind of generic top 40 r’n’b usually is the genre that makes me weep for our generation. I really love the Robyn remix of this too, I think it was a crying shame it was not released properly (2009 NOTE: Apparently it was. Hello journalism degree). I like the video for this too, tongue-in cheek music videos are always an easy way to earn points with me. Though it is a pointscore you will have to scout for yourself as I’m not embedding the video on here.

15. A&E – Goldfrapp
I really loved this song. Really, really loved it. The album was great, but this was one of the best from it. It is one of the saddest songs I have ever heard, and it is definitely one I have to avoid when I am feeling a little bit sad because it’s one of those songs which can push you from mild sadness into full blown depression. But that shouldn’t distract from the main point that it is a wonderful song, and if you haven’t heard it you absolutely must.

14. One Month Off – Bloc Party
This is my favourite choon from Intimacy by far. I also quite enjoyed Mercury, but the 12” remix of that was better, and I am not including that on this list because it was a b side or something, so this long and boring explanation means that One Month Off was always going to win at the end of the day. It is no Flux, that is for certain, but Kele may never better that beast of a song.

13. Behind The Sea – Panic At The Disco
Not many people liked this album, and I can understand why. Ze boys got a slight whiff of fame, took waaaay too many drugs, and found themselves holed up in Abbey Road. What is the next logical step? Make an album that sounds a bit like something the Beatles might do in 2008! Idiots. I’m the first to say that this album doesn’t have the sparkle that the first did, but this song does save it somewhat. I can’t work out what in the name of fuck it is about, but it’s probably something to do with LSD. My love for the Urie knows no limits.

12. Make You Feel My Love – Adele
Incredibly, I had not heard this song or any variation on it prior to hearing Adele doing it in the Live Lounge a few weeks ago, and I fell in love. It is one of the most perfect love songs I have ever heard in my life, if not then the most perfect. I have done some research on the original by Dylan and subsequent covers but nothing really matches up to this at all. I love it, love it, love it. The arrangement is so simple, and it just adds to the atmosphere of the song, and makes it even more wonderful. She might not live up to this kind of beauty with her original stuff, but it doesn’t matter now we’ve got this out of her. Bye Adele!

11. Propane Nightmares – Pendulum
I’m sure many people will know this one, it did pretty well last year. I have still not tired of it. I found the whole album to be a bit samey, but this is just Laura heaven. They are Australian, it’s bass heavy, it has synths, fantastique drumming, and did I mention they were Australian? I will be listening to this for years to come for sure (2009 NOTE: I still am, hurray).

10. Megalomania (Live @ RAH) – Muse
Okay, so this wasn’t released last year, but the gig was in April and it was without a doubt one of the most special nights of my life. Seeing my favourite band in one of the best music venues in the world…I’m never going to forget it. With the massive organ there, fans were speculating for weeks as to whether we’d get Megalomania at all, but as the night went on and it didn’t surface, I lost hope that we were. Then after the encore…BAM! It was one of the high points musically for me last year. It’s never going to happen again, and I am so thankful that I was there. Literally amazing.

09. Please Don’t Leave Me – Pink
Some people have called this Who Knew pt II, but I don’t see the link at all. I think this is by far one of the best songs she has ever done. The whole album documenting her breakup with Cary Hart is so beautifully done – I’m sure some situations were exaggerated for the benefit of the album (I am sure she didn’t literally burn her house down, for example), but it is all so heartfelt and you almost feel like you were given access to the pair throughout the breakup.

08. 42 – Coldplay
I genuinely don’t get why more people don’t hear the genius that I hear in this song. It is one of my favourites on VLVODAAHF. It’s one of those Queen-esque songs that has lots of different little melodies to it, and lots of piano and Chris Martin who I love so much that it hurts a little bit. He is a very talented man, and he is a bit like a friend of mine I think in the respect that a lot of people don’t get his comedy, and just think he is a bit of a prick until they actually sit down and talk to him and realise that everything he says is said with a wry smile. You have to be of a certain finesse to get the pair of them I think. I am giving the impression Chris Martin and I are best friends here – alas, we are not.

07. Homecoming – Kanye West (feat. Chris Martin)
My most favourite Kanye moment ever. Chris Martin always adds a sparkle to anything he touches and this is no exception. I do like Kanye doing collaborations, I know I am on my own on this one but I just don’t love his solo stuff as much. I really liked Flashing Lights with Dwele also, but this pipped it to the post. I blame Chris Martin (I LOVE YOU CHRIS MARTIN). I have become a fan of Kanye’s absolute lunacy over the last year too – his CAPS FILLED BLOG RANTS are one of the best parts of the week. I actually read his blog yesterday where he was calling Lady Gaga ‘act of 2009’ as if no one had ever heard of her and it was his own discovery. He is kind of like the black American Jo Whiley.

06. In My Arms – Kylie Minogue
This song is another one of those which, if it comes on my iPod when I am in a public place, I will skip along to wherever I am going, blissfully ignorant of everyone else in the world. I really start stomping around when it comes on, and it is guaranteed to raise my mood tenfold. I don’t know what hand Kylie had in writing it, but whoever it is is a fucking genius (2009 NOTE: I think it was Calvin Harris). It’s amazing. The lyrics are feisty, almost arrogant, and I just love it to bits. I quite happily listen to it on repeat for hours.

05. Nude – Radiohead
This is one song which had one of the biggest hypes prior to release ever I should imagine. The original version was written in the OK Computer sessions in 1997, but the band never released it up until this point because they couldn’t get the arrangement quite right. I’m not sure what it sounded like to start, but it was definitely worth the 11 year (!) wait. I’d go as far as putting it in my top 5 Radiohead songs ever. It’s gorgeous, and if you haven’t heard it, listen listen listen.

04. Phonography – Britney Spears
WHY is this a bonus track. WHY? I don’t get it. It is one of the best songs on Circus. How did NO ONE at Sony hear this and think “Gosh, you know what, this would be better than that My Baby drivel, let’s put it on there and release it as a single with a video where we put Britney in some kind of scenario where she is stalking someone with a bluetooth phone. But making it sexy and not sinister. This would be the best idea we’ve ever had and would make us all a lot of money and add to the case that Britney Spears is better than Madonna”. Someone needs to be fired for not making that call.

03. Kids – MGMT
This is one of those songs that makes an art form of simple lyrics paired off with a really fucking catchy hook. I’d love to see MGMT live at some point, I imagine they would be great in a stuffy little venue where everyone is really out of it and dancing like twats in a cage on acid. The PSB remix which isn’t being released officially canes the Soulwax remix into the ground. Go and listen. It gets really epic at about the three minute mark if you can’t be arsed to listen to the whole thing.

02. A Dustland Fairytale – The Killers
Another one of those songs which I heard for the first time and I just fell in love. This is potentially one of the best songs they have ever done – it isn’t in the same arena as all of the other songs in their back catalogue. Some of those are fantastic and will be remembered forever but this is totally in a league of its own. I don’t know why but I don’t want to see this released as a single. I guess I am kind of protective of it and if it was released and didn’t do well, I’d have some kind of Britney-esque breakdown which would culminate in me being sectioned after purchasing the single 20,000 times on iTunes (forgetting that 19,998 of these wouldn’t officially count in the charts until after I bought them, then attacking Steve Jobs and the entire line up of the OCC in a murderous rage) (2009 NOTE: It was released, it didn’t do well, and I was very sad, but no one died and I was not sectioned). For the love of all that is holy, Island please do not release it. I don’t think any justice can ever be fully done with this masterpiece.

01. Come On Girl – Taio Cruz feat. Luciana)
HEY! This song is definitely in my all time favourite songs list, I will never ever stop loving it. It’s just so good -  one of the songs that you can put on and I will dance and sing my heart out like there is no one watching. It’s another song which is made by some superamazing synth action in the background, and a pretty sassy cameo from Luciana just finishes it off perfectly. I was well disappointed nothing else on the album was up to this standard, but I guess that makes this even more special or something. I seriously doubt Taio will ever make a song this good again but when he has just made #1 in my chart, I doubt he gives a crap about anything else in the world, he can die happy now.

Sinceramente, se eu pudesse postar a discografia de todas as bandas e artistas que conheço seria uma satisfação sem fim, tanto que venho aos poucos fazendo o que posso e o que minha conexão permite. Aí pensei: ‘’Bem, por que não postar uma compilação com alguns artistas para as pessoas conhecerem de uma vez só?’’ Aí nasceu a idéia que trago hoje a vocês: A Compilação Mágica, fresquinha e na sua primeira edição – de muitas, espero. Aqui um arquivo com doze músicas de doze artistas diferentes que escolhi a dedo para quem quiser se aventurar por novos ares.

Aqui para download a I Compilação Mágica     Download

Playlist:

(via misswallflower)

I might as well celebrate my comeback with new songs.

Carolina Liar – “Beautiful World”

I’ve noticed how I have been recently listening to music rather than the usual pop, Taylor Swift country, and show tunes that I listen to. “Beautiful World” is a beautiful song, and I think that the lyrics are just so amazing. The melody never fails to make me feel nostalgic about my last few days of summer. I enjoyed them alone, passing by buildings, watching people, riding trains, and being carefree for the first time in months. And I noticed, it really is a beautiful world.

Glee Cast – “Don’t Stop Believin’”

Now this song, I can’t get out of my head, from the moment I heard it. I have not yet heard the original, but I do think that the rendition is just so beautiful. The first few days of listening to this song just makes me feel emotional. I am reminded of my passion for performing, something that I hope to pursue in the future. Leah Michele’s voice is a lot like Lea Salonga’s which is amazing because I absolutely like the both of them. And her blending with Cory Monteith is just fantamazingly beautiful. The fact that Cory Monteith has no professional experience of singing in the past gives the song plus points just for.

Shiny Toy Guns – “Season of Love”

Taking the place of Bowling For Soup’s “I Melt With You” is a single by the Shiny Toy Guns. It’s definitely my all-time favorite song now. The lyric patterns and the melody are very repetitive, regardless, I have said it before and I will say it again – the song defines love so beautifully it’s hard not to love it.

This Friday we jumped on a plane and headed to the Lone Star State to shoot the Red Bull Sound Clash in Dallas. It was our first time to Texas and we weren’t sure exactly what to expect as our interactions with texans are usually on the mountain and not always pretty. Texans seemed much more in their element away from snow and during the state’s biggest college football event of the year.

Sound Clash was one of the coolest Red Bull events we’ve been able to shoot. The event was held in Victory Park with a stage on each side. On one side was the Shiny Toy Guns and on the other was Erykah Badu and the Cannabanoids. Each band opened with a 3 song set and then went into a battle of the bands back and forth format. They both covered the other’s songs and had to play songs within different genres.

While the two bands seem like an unlikely combination there was an obvious musical connection and it was amazing to watch them volley back and forth. When the official “competition” ended Erykah and the Cannabanoids were on top judged by audience applause. They voyaged across the crowd and joined the Shiny Toy Guns on their stage for a final jam session. Watching the eclectic combination of sounds and personalities come together in a bizarre but badass musical fusion firsthand was an amazing experience.

We usually shoot events like Flugtag , Soapbox, or athlete shoots and have just recently started shooting Red Bull’s “culture” events. It is a different kind of challenge because you’re working with so many lighting elements that are out of your control while trying to capture the powerful decisive moments that express the feeling and emotion in the music. Fortunately your window to capture these moments is decidedly larger than when an athlete is going by at mach speed and that moment will only happen once. There was also the added challenge of working around the film crews which is fairly common no matter what you’re shooting. The key to working well with the filmers is to find the right mix of good communication and standing your ground. Everyone is just trying to get their jobs done and you need to find the right way to make it happen for everyone.

After pushing our way through the crowds we jumped in the car and spent a solid half hour trying to make it 4 blocks to the Digital Hause where we did our editing and post production only to find ourselves with double the parking fees and equidistance from where we started to the studio. Thanks to Mark and crew for providing us with plenty of adult beverages and a beautiful space to work in till the early hours.

The next day we hoped to take in the spectacles that are sure to come with the biggest state fair in the country but we failed to realized the cluster that would surround the fair and football game. Due to a completely clogged bus system we weren’t even able to make it to the fair grounds. Despite missing out on fried butter and guaranteed epic people watching we were happy to get a chance to tour around the city before Mike headed out to Norway for Helly Hansen meetings and I headed back to the mountains of Colorado.

Thanks to everyone involved for an amazing event!

Check out more shots at Photofiles site.

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Last night, I attended the RedBull Sound Clash here in Dallas. The event featured two bands the Cannabinoids and Shiny Toy Guns. Nothing against Shiny Toy Guns but the Cannabinoids had my full support. I mean when you have Dallas native – Erykah Badu leading vocals, it really isn’t a competition anymore.

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Red Bull’s Sound Clash features Erykah Badu & Shiny Toy Guns. Must have a ticket to get in and they will turn people away once at capacity.

Self-titled record drops February 17, 2010 – with a highly anticipated U.S. appearance at SXSW

Sweden, the unofficial headquarters of sparkling electro-pop, seems an inevitable launching pad for Versant. Led by Carah Faye, former frontwoman of the Grammy-nominated Shiny Toy Guns, and producer Daniel Johansson, Versant synthesizes the melodicism of a true pop siren with up-to-the-minute textures that can ignite both dance floors and rock clubs.

“Versant is a summation of dreams,” says Carah Faye. “It’s music we believe ‘belongs’ but is rarely understood, much less brought to reality.” Lyrically, Faye draws from real-life experiences and reveals their difficult, but ultimately transcendent, lessons: “I will wait for the truth to find me/ But I will never leave it to you” (“Out of Touch”). Faye and Johansson’s goal is that they, and the band, are “helping people to heal or be inspired to hope.”

Johansson and Faye met in the most organic of ways-on the road. Johansson worked as soundman for Shiny Toy Guns as well as for fellow Swedes The Sounds, who tapped him to produce the title track of their 2009 release, Crossing the Rubicon. Unsurprisingly, they draw artistic inspiration from a diverse playlist. “Mew, Kent, Coldplay, The Cardigans and Michael Jackson have been in rotation in 2009-anybody with an individual sound who likes espresso and walks on the beach,” Carah laughs.

Now splitting their time between Sweden, where they will be touring through November, and America, which will feature a highly anticipated showcase at South by Southwest, Versant will drop their self-titled debut on February 17, 2010. Reaction to demos posted on their MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/versantmusic) has been unanimous: Although only debuting, Versant exceeds high expectations, and introduces loyal fans to a bristling new musical collaboration.

Versant is:

Carah Faye: Vocals
Daniel Johansson: Guitar/Keys
Johan Grettve: Guitar/Keys
Richard Ankers: Drums
Nicholas Oja: Bass

Versant online:

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/versantmusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/VersantMusic

Carah has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Carson Daly. In addition, her music has been featured on iTunes as a “Single of the Week” and has appeared in advertisements for both Motorola and Apple.

Source – PAI Media

It seems like a lot of artists that I’ve been checking out lately are European.  From Frankmusik (british) to Elegant Machinery (swedish) to Midnight Resistance (german), it looks like Europe is where it’s at when it comes to synthpop!  And most of it sounds so 80s!  So I’ve started putting locations together with the bands to kind of keep track of what scenes different styles are coming from, just for fun.  In the spirit of this, here’s another video from synthpop group Melody Club (’cause I like ‘em so damn much) and another from Universal Poplab (’cause they’re just too fun) (both bands are from sweden).

Maybe next week we can talk about some american bands like Passion Pit or Shiny Toy Guns…

Cherry Nightclub at the Red Rock Resort and Casino present the 2009 The Fang Bangers Ball along with two nights of entertainment on Halloween Weekend.

Friday night features a live performance by Mickey Avalon along with $2500 in cash and prizes.

Halloween night on Saturday features The Shiny Toy Guns along with $2500 in cash and prizes.

Both parties are already two of the most talked about in town!

Ripe with hip, young singles, Cherry Nightclub at Red Rock in Las Vegas is just begging to be plucked. Take in edgy dance beats from the area’s hottest DJs, and enjoy tasty cocktails all night long. With its sinfully-sweet surroundings and private outdoor pool area it doesn’t take long to figure out why Cherry is oh-so-very hot.

Cherry’s entrance hall is a red, mirrored tunnel which leads you to an open interior. After you have passed through the hall, the entrance is flanked by 2 large VIP rooms. Just inside Cherry Nightclub, a circular bar adorned with beautiful go-go dancers and surrounded by more table seating and in the back of the bar and a wood-paneled dance floor.

Television screens scattered throughout the Cherry Nightclub display flickering images of flames with the silhouette of curvatious women dancing. At 8,500 square feet, Cherry Nightclub is the perfect size. Not so big that you’ll lose your friends, not so small that you’ll be sitting on top of them. The patio, which overlooks the Red Rock Pool, makes this one of the cool spots to spend on a hot Vegas night. Cherry Nightclub’s speaker and lighting system is so massive and state-of-the-art that even outside, it’s hard not to feel it thumping in your chest.

For more information or to purchase your VIP Entry & Bottle Service, go to: www.siennaentertainment.com

For a free quote call us toll free: 1.800.956.3809

The crazy train has left the station…and either you were on it or you’ll have to wait until next year’s local trip.

The Sunset Strip, long a place where spandex covered dinosaurs crawled between the Rainbow and the Whiskey has had a resurgence, mostly due to Roxy owner Nic Adler’s social media make over experiment. His crazy communist manifesto of community based music and entertainment has created an alliance with the Viper Room, the Andaz Hotel, The Comedy Store and a few other hot spots. Their online presence,  from tweet crawls to ticket twofer giveaways, has lured hipsters back to the place where rock music once reigned. The fact that the Sunset Strip has gotten it’s own music festival, now in it’s second year, shows that the Strip’s death rattle has reversed course and the infamous piece of WeHo history begun a little rock renaissance. And this year’s renaissance faire got the go ahead to shut down the boulevard to honor the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne.

The festival kicked off with a big tribute to Ozzy at the House of Blues, which funnily enough for a frenzy of social media mavens, seemed to be a twitter dead zone. The night was MC’ed by Billy Morrison who was most memorable for his cheekbones which could cut glass. There was a pre-taped congrats from Lemmy…uh, what, he couldn’t stumble from the Rainbow-only mere yards up the strip-to say it in person?

Brought up to roast/honor Ozzy were comedian Jim Norton, who showed a slide show of mainly photos of himself with famous people (yawn). Then followed a spirited anecdote from Henry Rollins about underestimating the roar of an Ozzy crowd. Next up was an unfathomable speech of nonsense from Tommy Lee about drinking his own urine (Ugh, Tommy). Nothing much interesting from Slash – just a tale of  listening to Iron Man on acid.  Slash, we really want you to lead us here. You are positioning yourself as a rock hero and guitar legend. Let’s work on the public speaking charisma, dude. If you’re going to wear the Monopoly top hat, then let’s act like the mayor of Guitarville, mkay?

And theeeeen what followed, what I was really curiously waiting for, a few quips from Billy Bob Thornton.

Now Billy Bob was an interesting choice for a few reasons…one: I was hoping he’d do the whole speech in his Sling Blade voice and then he and Ozzy could have an unintelligible-off.  Two: Now being known as a ‘musician’,  I am obsessed with him wanting to give any kind of speech after he completely melted down on a CBC radio show. If there was ever an awkward music interview, Billy Bob takes the cake. I have a sick, twisted desire to interview him and let the train derail and then sort through the wreckage. Oh please, pr gods.

Though I do have to give him credit for mentioning Sharon. He was the only one to say that if we were all honoring Ozzy, we also had to honor the woman who made Ozzy possible. Never would have pegged you for a feminist, Mr. Thornton, but kudos and a plate of french fried potaters to you, sir.

The plaque ceremony and photo op with a quick “I love you all!” from Ozzy, was followed by a performance from Camp Freddy.  I couldn’t help thinking that for Ozzy, this must be like watching a bunch of his friends do karaoke. Sober.

With a couple fun softball performances from Donovan Leitch and some hot rocking blasts from best Freddy member Franky Perez, they bring out Mark fucking McGrath from Sugar Ray. Yeah, the host of that cheeze wiz entertainment show. Either Mark is going grey, or he overdid it on the frosted tips just for this occasion. Doesn’t he have some McG beach blanket music video shoot to go host? He pointed up to Ozzy in the balcony and said “Ozzy, my brother, this goes out to you from Newport Beach!” And then he began to butcher ‘Cat Scratch Fever’. It’s at that point I had to leave. Come to think of it, the balcony seats emptied out pretty quickly too. CAMP FREDDY FAIL.

Friday was reserved for the big Andaz Hotel party and the House of Blues Rock N Roll wine tasting event. I was lucky enough to be staying at the Andaz, which is quite plush since it’s remake, but still underneath has a bit of that riot house/Hyatt house vibe.

With guests like Ozzy staying there too, it had to still have that edge under all the class. The Virgin America/Andaz party boasted a red carpet event up by the rooftop pool with the promise of a few performances, including one by Chris Cornell who had been strangely left off all the set list time announcements. (Was Cornell forced from the festival by the Osbourne train or did he bow out on his own accord?) Although Chris made an appearance to shake some hands and pose for pictures, he didn’t perform, which prompted me to put forth divorce proceedings. The gorgeous hotel view skyline and ample cocktails made for a fun evening, even when an Aussie actor ambushed my camera techniques and turned the tables on me…

The day of the festival was bright and sunny with everyone in hot anticipation for Ozzy’s big performance. The music kicked off with spirited performances from The Donnas and Fishbone.

credit: eric voake

As the afternoon wore on and clothes were stripped off, Shiny Toy Guns played a very low key quiet set…(did they think they were playing for KCRW?) and Korn played angry head banging anthems proving that they lost one too many games of dungeons and dragons when they were kids. I skipped festival favorites Nico Vega to catch Brooklyn’s best, Earl Greyhound, whose new material shows a maturity yet they still know how to kick out the jams.

At last, I settled with my VIP vetted friends on the Bank of America parking lot roof and awaited the crazy train. Ozzy took the stage in front of a mass of all ages – toddlers to senior citizens. And hie performance was pleasing to all. Despite lobbing the f word here and there and hosing people down with foam, it was essentially a good, clean, tame Ozzy (minus Harriet) show. As Thornton had said earlier “Who says the Prince of Darkness can’t be a nice guy?”.

credit: Eric Voake

Here’s some choice moments and interviews with The Donnas, Iglu & Hartly, Norwood of Fishbone and The Mashup Brothers:

1. The Maine- If I Only Had The Heart
2. Shiny Toy Guns- Ghost Town
3. Shiny Toy Guns- Jackie Will Save Me
4. Puddle Of Mudd- Blurry
5. Limp Bizkit-It’ll Be Ok
6. The Beach Boys- Wouldn’t It Be Nice
7. Ten Second Epic- Welcome To Wherever You Are
8. Foo Fighters- Long Road To Ruin
9. NoFX- First Call
10. Tom Cochrane- Northern Star

-m.o.b.

A man my age isn’t really supposed to like songs like this but teh song and the video remind me of one of the greatest video games ever, The World Ends With You. Then again I guess men my age aren’t supposed to be playing video games either. Enjoy.

Photo courtesy of myspace.com/theteenagers

Two weeks into being 20, I haven’t been overcome with any adult epiphany. Living on my own this summer made me realize that growing up sucks. Nine to five, bills, cooking and cleaning.

I liked it how it was. And I’m sure The Teenagers did too.

While their songs are laughable, they’re all about the memories and realism that exist between high school and college. They ask the important questions that you ponder at four in the morning when you’re up with your friends.

Are you really going to eat that pepperoni pizza? Would the world be dancing the same if Michael Jackson didn’t make music? What do you think about that cheerleader from San Diego?

So, if adolescent memories come begging, play some of these remixes and  ask yourself, “Who’s there for you when you’re cold and alone?”

The Teenagers.

-Ryan

No Love (Delorean Remix) – The Teenagers (download)

Feeling Better (Build Remix) – The Teenagers (download)

BONUS! Don’t Cry Out (The Teenagers Remix) – Shiny Toy Guns (download)

I felt like something with a little edge this morning. Shiny Toy Guns hit the spot with their dark New Wave. It makes you want to pull out your black leather and chains, right?

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

• Ladytron
• The Sounds
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I also suggest the music genre:

• Electroclash

Click here for more info on Shiny Toy Guns – We Are Pilots – “Le Disko”.

The MP3 may be purchased here:

Shiny Toy Guns - We Are Pilots