No Offense

A reader told me awhile back that ARAWA was banned in China. It's probably better that way, since this song (like the audio equivalent to Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's) would no doubt offend the crap out of any Chinese person who came across it.

Lou and the Hollywood Bananas was one of Lou Deprijck's (Two Man Sound, Plastic Bertrand, Victor Lazlo) many projects. Check out his crazy Discogs page here (the bit about Serge Gainsbourg is classic).

Lou & the Hollywood Bananas- Hong Kong Ska

And I Love

Ipod on shuffle find of the month fer suresies. Originally posted by Falcon Hawksome (who is unfortunately absent as of late) late last year in a great little comp of ripped seven inches comes this French rock rarity from 1976 by The Nightwalkers. Mr. Hawksome says...

"I've found absolutely no information on this band. All I know is that the cover art for the 7-inch rules. The song sort of does, too. Epic, tragic French rock."

I totally agree. A friend told me the other day to embrace my pain, and rediscover the sad music I might have discarded in happier times and I think this is the only way to start. A forgotten gem buried in Edgar's (my ipod) dark and dusty corners reveals itself in a time of need, inspiring me to drag synths and strings onto the roof, bang and pound away under the moonlight and howl toward the heavens.

The Nightwalkers- And I Love

Lactose Intolerant?

So what I'm generally trying to do, is give you enough of a steady intake of cheese so that when I do post something this cheesy, you'll be able to stomach it. I can't drop something like this on you without breaking you in y'know? That would just be mean.

Greek singer Demis Roussos loses his mind and does a cover of Ben E. King's Stand By Me and has ex-Aphrodites Child bandmate and earthbound Greek god Vangelis produce it. Maybe not the best idea guys, but I get still get this perverse pleasure out of it. Especially that whistling part. Here's a pretty perfect quote I found about the album from Vangelis Movements,

"The last time Vangelis and Demis Roussos worked together on an album they decided to collect a set of songs from the old days. Their effort for Reflection is by some regarded as their worst cooperation ever, the songs sounding kind of cheesy. Fortunately there are also people who enjoy listening to this, so you better find out for yourself !"

Well here we go, their worst cooperation ever!

Demis Roussos- Stand By Me

Might this also be a plea to stick with ARAWA until it can resume a more regular posting schedule? Umm... yes?

Rainbows Go On

Alessi- Rainbows Go On Forever

Gonna Get Along

First of all, I want everyone to know that I've wanted to post this song forever. So don't try to tie this in with anything okay? Look at me gettin' all defensive and stuff. Really, it just happens to be one of the all time raddest songs. Viola Wills throws down a sassy lil' disco earworm and man do those video game synth bleeps just push it right over the top. Here's the long version which has a sweet instrumental break in the middle, the original for people who just wanna cut to the chase, and for the historians (and kitsch freaks), Patience and Prudence's 1956 version. Get along now.

Viola Wills- Gonna Get Along Without You Now (Long Version)
Viola Wills- Gonna Get Along Without You Now
Prudence and Patience- Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now

Los Electricos

I get a lot of music sent my way. It usually comes my way in form letter emails masquerading as something personal, like "Nice blog". Oh thanks. It's then painfully obvious that you are dealing with people that actually have no idea what your blog is and are just spamming the entire Hype Machine blog list. Oh, you do freestyle slampoetry folk punk? Perfect. You'll totally fit in here. Please keep sending me music. Every once in awhile though, something actually good falls into the inbox making it all worthwhile.

Enter Los Electricos. Their unique melding of motorik rhythms, warm synths and new wavey guitars seems almost tailor made to fit this place. Since I've been given no information on them save for a quick correspondence and their excellent EP, Waiting To Be Dead, I have no choice but to assume something weird.

So, I assume, that one night, the keyboardist from an Naked Eyes cover band was driving recklessly through the Italian countryside, late for yet another gig. As he reached for a Michael Rother tape that had slipped between the seats, he lost his grip on the wheel and his car careened into the guardrail and flipped. His body disappeared leaving only fire, glass, twisted metal and one severed hand covering the quiet highway.

He awoke in a sterile, neon-white room, with planets and stars somehow wooshing by the only window and felt a sharp, vibrating pain in his right hand, looked and saw a shining metal man grafting a undulating ball of purple electricity to his lonely stump. A musical alliance was formed and transmissions of love and radness were then regularly sent out across the galaxy. And to blogs of course.

Los Electricos- Interstellar Romance
Los Electricos- Fang

Visit Los Electricos and hear more transmissions here.

Undertow

Photo courtesy of seejanebe

One of the most predominant and recurring entity in my dreams is the ocean. In my dreams it looms vast and rolling, painted all in ominous grey and white. Sometimes I float out too far and sometimes I'm trapped, the rising tide pinning me against towering cliffs that stretch into infinity. This song seems poised to loft into those dreams, calling me out further into the water and then finally, under the waves.

Nightbirds- Undertow

El Vinilo

Short-lived but incredible Spanish synth-pop/ new wave band, Betty Troupe lipsyncs MS20 and El Vinilo in front of kitschy rainbows and a strangely subdued crowd. If I need to explain why this is so awesome, you might be in the wrong place.

Betty Troupe- El Vinilo
Betty Troupe- MS20
and the third song on the El Vinilo 12"...
Betty Troupe- Berlin

Coming Apart

Only four posts this month? Excluding the 28 years that I didn't have the blog, thats definitely the record for least posts in a month. Somewhere between mending a broken heart and finding somewhere to live (with a dog) in San Francisco's fucked up housing climate (hint hint San Franciscans... who wants a roomie?) I just haven't been able to find much time to jump through the portal that leads back to this little safe place. I've got a lot of great music building up, both for posting and for listening so I'm going to attempt to get back here more often in coming weeks. Keyword in the last sentence, "attempt".

In the midst of all my madness I've become pretty obsessed with the twisted world of John Maus. A place alternately playful and downright creepy, crawling with sparkling synths, hissing tape and microphones, Cure-esque basslines, and crooning, hiccuping vocals sung from deep cavernous spaces, all repeated words and ominous phrases. This one's kind of my theme song as of late, where Maus exlaims "My whole worlds coming apart" and slowly, as the layers of synths pile up and fuse into an glittering, undulating mass, you start to realize that maybe that's not entirely a bad thing. Some walls need tearing down.

John Maus- My Whole World's Coming Apart

You can buy Love Is Real here.

Mr. D

ARAWA friend Alien Delon has lot o' stuff going on. He started a blog called Kefir 80s, which though unintelligible to the non Russian speaking person I've been loving hearing the kick ass rarities from Mr. D's vaults. AEROCCCP will be releasing a few tracks by his project U.R.A.N. on their upcoming compilation Future Sound of Russia and yes, he keeps raising the bar for himself, always churning out the awesomeness solo style.

Here's his first solo EP, an incredible electrobreakdanceitalohinrg mutant that goes by the name, The End of Hi-NRG.

Alien Delon- Next Plateau
Alien Delon- Night Delivery
Alien Delon- Breakdown
Alien Delon- The End of Hi-NRG