Tim and Eric are releasing Awesome Record! Great Songs! Vol. 1 next week and it's 44(!) tracks of brilliance just as hilarious and uncomfortable feeling as you all hoped it will be. The title says it all right? Here's a little taste...
At one mystic time of the 80's, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson (Whistler!) joined forces for an outlaw country supergroup they dubbed, The Highwaymen. In this track, just your average flanger disco country with spidery Mark Knopfler-esque guitars, Willie stabs people with swords, Kris sails boats and Waylon builds dams while Johnny Cash, ever the forward thinker, leaves Earth and all it's problems behind...
Take On Me is one of the world's perfect pop songs, catchy, well-produced, nearly impossible to sing correctly and accompanied by arguably the best music video ever made (just don't argue with me about it, I'm very stubborn about it). It had a big hand in forming my musical tastes and is still easily one of my favorite songs ever made. The other day I found three early versions of this superjam and as you can imagine, I was pretty excited. Apparently the band released the song twice in different unsuccessful versions before they finally nailed it in the version we all know and love. I just love hearing this song as such a diamond in the rough with the production so stripped down and his voice so imperfect, but still holding such beauty and promise.
I'll be in Southern California for a bit to enjoy some time with friends, family and hopefully the water spirits but before I go, I'd like to leave a gift for my all friends here...
Sometimes San Francisco's bi-polar weather drives me a little nuts. One day it's beautiful and hot the next... crap. Cold windy crap. Do Piano's unique blend of gothy synth-pop is the perfect bittersweet pill to swallow on such a cold, cold day. With her sick-of-it-all monotone that scowling young lady up there reminds us that no matter how bad you've got it, she's got it way worse. So relax already.
I've been totally broadsided by Gesaffelstein. He seemingly came out of nowhere with his dark star of an EP, Vengeance Factory, released quietly in late February on OD records. The four track EP combines the dark undulations of EBM with quirky flourishes of italo, all painted over with a Lifelike-ian sheen and it's really, really awesome.
Everyday we going around signing papers and checks, dealing with awkward introductions and showing ID after ID. How much more fun would all this be if you had a really sweet name? If you could shake the hand of your slimy new manager, look him right in the eye and, say "Honey Puppy. Nice to meet ya" and then just stand there all like, "What? Something funny?". Or when you're being cool with the kids you could say, "Please, call me Honey. Mr. Puppy's my father's name". That would rock. Of course it would probably be spirit-crushing to have to carry such a name-burden throughout your school years, but I'm not here to think negatively people. And neither is Honey Puppy.
If you haven't heard Tommy Boy's recent "cosmic leather disco" mix, Tardust Discojus yet, not only are you missing out on a sweet intergalactic potpourri, but you're also falling behind. Keep up people! He's already got another mix out! Let's go listen to it together shall we?
This one feels so odd yet so... comforting. It's like Chicago and Air Supply go Downy soft AM disco, blended together with Zager's Disney-esque touch. Then there's also this intense (well, in comparison) funky interlude that tricks you into thinking it's gonna be crazy dancemania once it breaks, but instead it just nonchalantly drops you right back off in soft rock territory, all like, wha' happen?
I think I like about two songs from the hitmaking songwriting/production team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman (SAW). Meaning their record with me is like... two for a billion. Seriously, whether or not this hit machine makes songs you like, you've got to respect the sheer numbers of their catalog. Yowsers.
Just a little PSA to let everyone know that not only does ARAWA have a spiffy new easy-to-remember domain name, but thanks to my new hosting service, all tracks will now be available directly. For those that don't know how that works (yes you Jone) just right-click the song title and save. Ta dah! ARAWA.fm, same old site but just a wee bit easier.
Fellow Jon Anderson lover and Sagittarian, Shermstixx emailed me recently to hip me not only to a super trippy Jon Anderson album (Olias of Sunhillow anyone?), but also his own album, Realms of the Electrohesher. It was done solely with two Juno's (D and a G) and beats from a Dr.202 and then recorded onto a 8 track. Old school! Spare drum arrangements, offset with layers and layers of synths, drifting and sparkling through space and time... It's lovely stuff. Think Glass Candy sans vocals, Kraftwerk and a touch of Vangelis with a bit more of a DIY feel. Its been on repeat around ARAWA headquarters and I'm sure you'll soon be enjoying it in your quarters as well.
Here's a little slo-mo robo soul to start this week off right, straight out of Pete Belotte's extensive catalog. For those that don't know, Pete Belotte, was a prolific producer and was one of Giorgio Moroder's more frequent collaborator's, as the other half of Munich Machine and co-producer of some pivotal Moroder moments, including some song called I Feel Love. I've heard that one's pretty good. As for Sue Ann, she went on to do backup vocals for Celine Dion, Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Bobby Brown, Rod Stewart and Cher. Which is cool too. Just in a different way.
