Song of the Week: A Thousand Years

I'm not one to listen to pop ballads in my spare time, but some songs stand out when they're added to a playlist my girlfriend shares with me and when they are the sole slow dance at the reception of a wedding at the end of that same week. "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri is one such song, a beautifully composed ode to faithfulness. It's so good that I can (almost) ignore the fact that it's featured on the soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.

"A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri

Heart beats fast,

Kelvin

Song of the Week: Easy Lover

Last Friday my favorite 1985 album, No Jacket Required by Phil Collins, was reissued with remastered tracks and bonus material including live recordings. One hit which was played live but not included in the original album was "Easy Lover", which Collins sang alongside Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind & Fire on the studio release. Encountering this was a most enjoyable listening experience, and though I can't find the right live version I figured I'd just link the original music video in all its 80's glory.

"Easy Lover" by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins

She's the kind of girl you dream of,

Kelvin

Guest Post by Patrick Bateman

Those familiar with the psychological thriller / slasher film American Psycho (based on the novel of the same name) will recognize Patrick Bateman as the sociopathic yuppie protagonist of the story who tries so desperately to fit into high society but finds it increasingly difficult to control his baser tendencies. As part of this mask he puts on to seem normal, he frequently entertains guests at his home with very detailed monologues centered about popular 80s musicians and their more well-known songs. Although the content of his dissertations are more shallow than they are insightful, these monologues provide an unexpected comedic respite in the midst of a macabre plot. So without further ado, here are Mr. Bateman's takes on three pop artists and their "hits".

Huey Lewis and the News

Do you like Huey Lewis and the News? [...]

Their early work was a little too 'new-wave' for my taste, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own - commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. [...]

In '87, Huey released this, Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip To Be Square", a song so catchy most people probably don't listen to the lyrics - but they should! Because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself!

Party Like It's 1999

Well, sorta... I just recently got out of a YouTube bender looking up eurodance tracks from the mid-90s to mid-00s and this is what came up. If this happens to inspire any discotheque adventures, be sure to bring your best look.

10. "Believe" by Cher (1998)

This is the song that got me started down this rabbit-hole after it was featured in the Stuff You Should Know podcast on Auto-Tune.

9. "Heaven (Bryan Adams Cover)" by DJ Sammy and Yanou featuring Do (2001)

Speaking of podcasts and things worth having an understanding about, this song closed a recent episode of Catholic Stuff You Should Know while the original was used as its opener.

8. "Tubthumping" - Chumbawmba (1997)

I'm guessing this song was everyone's excuse for getting drunk during the '98 FIFA World Cup in France.

A Dance That Ended Too Soon

I first encountered Voxtrot while listening to the Smiths' radio on Pandora. Their song "The Start of Something" showed a surprising proficiency in creating an 80s jangle atmosphere with a modern indie pop structure which allotted the merit for the band to be placed in the same playlist as Moz and the gang. That song was from their first release, a 5-song EP in 2005, and it would be another two years until the band came out with their self-titled debut album. Tracks like "Kid Gloves" render the repressed romantic restlessness characteristic of Voxtrot's typical melodic and lyrical composition, which sounds like a page ripped from the diary of a dejected 20-something hipster.

Unfortunately, Voxtrot's fall from indie rockdom was as swift as its rise. After a number of disjointed single releases, lead singer Ramesh Srivastava announced the breakup of the band in 2010 and thereafter began a solo musical venture. As a result, their last recording, "Berlin, Without Return", can be considered the farewell to a journey which began simply as... the start of something. But with a line like "When I see you naked, I see more than the flesh" it's a shame that the music scene is indefinitely deprived of a band that can deliver the pensive and vulnerable poetry of those striving towards authentic love in an otherwise self-centered and relativistic world.

"Berlin, Without Return" by Voxtrot

Steady your ears,
Kelvin

Fridays just got a bit more confusing

If you haven't heard about this, then you've probably have been living under a rock (everyone's first guess) or you've been holding out as long as you can. All I have to say is that there's no rush, but if you're in a hurry, then prepare to have your IQ drop in HQ.