Italo Disco Thursdays

This week's entry: Klein & MBO, "Dirty Talk." A classic staple.

It's Wednesday, Hallelujah

It's truly been a while since I've updated, and as this is my first day off and laziness abounds, I thought I would share some afternoon praises by my favorite Swedish pop musician Jens Lekman. An oldie but goldie, this live version doesn't quite live up to the original studio recording, but I enjoy the trumpet substitution all the same. And since Jens will be playing next week in Sweden, this sort of coincides right? No, it's not relevant at all. But it's a slow news day.

Italo Disco Thursdays

Pure Ecstasy?

Besides having one of the worst band names I've heard this year, this band also has one of the best songs I've heard thus far. Austin-based Pure Ecstasy show promise scattered throughout their EP's, and this brand of fuzzed-out, easy to label, chill wave rock is quite enjoyable if I do say so myself. Bad band names be damned. My last favorite band obsession was named Dr. Dog for crying out loud. Okay, so Pure Ecstasy isn't so bad. But when I see that name, I just envision the picked over cassette bin at a local Goodwill, complete with lots of lightning bolt typesetting and glittery outfits....

OMD omg (sorry, but that title was obvious)

I forgot to cover the OMD show two nights ago at the Granada. Their reunion tour this Spring was really quite honestly the only show I was looking forward to. Sure, I love their big hits, but it's the few gems from their earlier work, such as Telegraph that I would like to hear in their live set.

When this song occurs, (yes occurs, not plays) at work, I have to stop and really take in the only saxophone solo I've ever really enjoyed in 80's pop music history. Sorry Clarence Clemons.



And I promise never to use the OMG abbreviation ever again in my future writings.

For the Love of Pete

I remember owning this album waaaay back when I was only the wee age of 13...I can't even fathom what I was thinking when I picked this up at a local Blockbuster Music (typing something like that just made me feel the chills of old age), and even then I had no idea how remarkable the East Coast hip hop scene was at that time. I think more than likely it was because it was the only hip hop album that didn't have a parental advisory label on the cover, which would pass a mother's inspection. I don't even remember liking this album that much, but when this jam found it's way into my random selection today, it truly did reminisce over me.

Italo Disco Thursdays

I know it's not Thursday, but I failed to keep up with my first weekly installment of Italo Disco. So, for that I apologize, probably to no one, but I apologize nonetheless.









This week, my feature is the Casco classic Cybernetic Love. Vocoders and laser blasts galore. It's Friday, and I hope that any further interruptions in my weekly italo disco forum will not occur.

Hokey

I had my first encounter with live professional hockey last night, and it was very enjoyable to say the least....

And on a side note, I was treated with free tacos, and this song being played (much to my surprise) over the loud speakers. Is hockey trying to corner a new market by catering to us old wavers and post punk hipsters? Nah, it's just a good musical interlude between the icey excitement that is professional hockey.

Italo Disco Thursdays

I couldn't decide between Italo Disco Tuesdays or Thursdays, but seeing as how I missed my opportunity two days ago, and today is Thursday; thus Italo Disco Thursdays, my new weekly mainstay, is born.

This genre of classic electro dance pop got it's start in the late 70's and 80's throughout Europe, but has seen it's revival and various face lifts over the past few years. It's a secret passion of mine, but here I am coming out of my disco closet to perhaps come to terms with my inner Italian disco youth. Wait, I'm not Italian. Nor was I old enough to appreciate this at a time that disco mainstays such as Charlie and Mr. Flagio were at their prime. But maybe that's a good thing. It's perhaps comparable to kids these days not old enough to understand how bad auto-tuning is, but will rediscover it in their late 20's, and base their Tuesday night theme DJ sets around it. Blech.

Well, I think to start this weekly forum out right, I'll begin with the most influential producer of his kind, Giorgio Moroder. His classic soundtrack to the film Midnight Express gets me excited evertime I happen upon it while surfing through cable tv movie channels.

Laavaa Flow

If only I had this warning sign in my childhood. Those perilous trips from the living room to the kitchen would've been so much easier.

Ducktails

I knew my idea for a chillwave side project entitled Talespin was a good idea. Oh well. This is a new jam from New Jersey solo project Ducktails, and it's not bad really. It's instantly catchy, and buzz-worthy, and whatever, it's Saturday and I'm lazy. My in-depth retrospective into art punk of the early 80's will have to wait...

"Hey! Listen:"

I really need to be better about keeping up with this blog. I'm no hairdresser, nor am I on fire, but I'm always busy, really busy these past few days. My apologies to non-Morrissey fans for the previous reference. I saw the following video, combining two of my favorite childhood icons, and I just had to share. This song echoed throughout my house the summer of 1999, (wow, that makes me feel old) many a days and nights. I don't quite get the Boba Fett connection, but I appreciate it all the same.