So Giusy

Based on that belt alone, she's my nominee for official ARAWA mascot. Wow. This song isn't bad either, a cheesy but effective arena Italo anthem, but really, I just wanted to put that picture up.

Giusy Ravizza- Save the Fire

Baby Dream

Dream Disco gets lots of love from the disco fanatics but what about poor little Baby Dream on the B-Side? Its a schmaltzy love theme set at a plodding pace, with big strings, cascading pianos and warbling guitar leads all come together beautifully to create a grand cinematic feeling.

Max Berlin- Baby Dream

Two Questions...

1. Who thought these nine greased up, intense looking dudes could make such lovely sunset music?

Massada- Air Mata Tumpa

2. Best cover ever? Maybe. Phantom Slasher (AKA Idjut Boys) certainly thought it ruled.

Do You Want Marry?

I've posted this song before, but after perusing Jaz's blog and watching the live Savage videos, I was reminded how totally bonkers the video for Only You is. So I gots to put it up. There so much crazy shit here, strange hand movements and hand wraps, guns, blood, champagne flutes filled with iced tea, computer marriage, etc. All bases are covered here. And since the links still up... once again, here's my favorite Italo song ever...

Savage- Only You

Nice.

Rollerboys Recordings. My favorite label out right now. This is a little unfair being they've only released two EPs but hey, they're two for two. First Bogdan Irkuk (whose Coastal EP should be dropping soon. Yay!) and now Ultracity's Swetalic EP. Ultracity is equal parts Elias Raam from Arken (who pulls remix duties on this EP as well as on the Bogdan Irkuk EP) and Yourhighness. The EP features two originals, the aforementioned Arken mix and a really nice Fabrizio Mammarella mix. My favorite is the EP closer, Twelve Year Drive. Its just the most sweet natured song. The kind of song that would just sit still and finish the movie if you nodded off in their lap. It starts off slowly, building off a warm bassline until arpeggios start trickling down from above, washing over you in their shimmering brilliance. So damn pretty.

Ultracity- Twelve Year Drive

Buy it from Clone. I know you want to.

Weird TV

My friend Jaime (Tuscon represent!) tipped me off that Weird Tapes has a new mixtape up on his myspace and you know what? Its super sweet! Where else are you gonna hear Escort, Wings, Frida, smooth disco, Kris Menace, Bowie, Blaze, hip-house and even a dash of euro-trance in the same mix? Nowhere. Okay, maybe somewhere. But it won't be this good. So there.

Weird Tapes- Weird TV

You Are a Danger

How have I not posted this yet? This is easily one of my top five Italo tracks. Sounding like a english-as-a-second-language Elton John, Gary rides a track packed with all manners of quirky synth work and child-sung choruses. Feeling a little blue today? Gary's got your back. How can you not crack a smile to something this shamelessly cheerful and fun?

Gary Low- You Are a Danger (Extended)
Gary Low- You Are a Danger (Instrumental)

Check out this video to see Gary in all his lip syncing glory.

You Got My Soul

Oh the bottomless pit that is Italo. How I love falling in again and again and resurfacing with something this lush and gorgeous. You Got My Soul is like the theme song for an alternate reality version of Twin Peaks. Domina fills in for Julee Cruise and the rest of the regular band at the roadhouse while the clientele's rugged flannels and jeans are mysteriously replaced with brightly covered italian suits and expensive two tone angular dresses. The band strikes up, swaying slowly in time, gazes distant, their sound echoing through the dancehall. You step out onto the floor and under the single blue spotlight you find this melody...

Domina- You Got My Soul

Without Control

Argentinian super-disco heroes Fernando Pulichino and Julian Sanza quietly cruised back through our orbit last month, dropping their first LP as the Spirals in the process. For the uninitiated, Pulichino and Sanza also record as 2020 Soundsystem and Silver City (whose 2005 self titled album I still adore) and (not) coincidentally all three bands happen to sound almost exactly the same. Why not just have one band guys? It's not like The Spirals is the best name ever and you had to make an album to use it. Imagine if you went by one name (my pick being Silver City). Then you'd have like, three really good albums and a bunch of other eps and singles as ONE band. All those Discogs people would probably really appreciate it guys. Ok. Enough suggestions from me. Heres the title track to their new album Without Control. Vocoder+synth+live guitar and bass= Yay!

The Spirals- Without Control
and then...
Silver City- Another Dimension

Buy it in digital or for realsies. You'll like it.

Even Wilder

Kim Wilde- Everything We Know