It's 80s Thursday!!! We're going do something a little different today. Here are 10 thoughts I had while watching this video:
1. Is there anything more 80s than Kajagoogoo?
2. Who does your hair and who are you wearing?
3. There was someone in 1983 who considered Kajagoogoo to be the greatest band in the world.
4. That person probably had at least two posters of the band on their bedroom wall.
5. That person was not me.
6. Am I the only one confused by the premise of this video?
7. Can I actually have 10 thoughts in 3:42 minutes?
8. These guys likely had groupies. A ton of them. (Gnaw on that one for a bit)
9. Should I make veggie tacos for lunch?
10. Thank god it's over.
18 October 2012
17 October 2012
17 October 2012 - Ana Tijoux - 1977 / Julieta Venegas feat. Ana Tijoux - Eres Para Mí
Ana Tijoux is perhaps the best-known hip-hop artist from Chile. Of Chilean ancestry, she was born in France, because her parents lived in exile during the oppressive reign of Augusto Pinochet, arguably one of the worst dictators to ever walk this planet.
This song in particular, and the album (of the same name) that it is from, is both an homage to old school hip-hop and an autobiography of Ana's life. It's a bit on the slow tip, and adopts horns alongside the beats, but it still has an early rap feel, both in cadence and subject matter.
Plus, this song got the endorsement of Thom Yorke, so it must be good.
Fans of the AMC show Breaking Bad have already heard this tune...... For the record, I think it was used well here.
UPDATE: Something happened to the video from Breaking Bad, so here's a video of Ana performing the song live instead. It's really sparse in parts but shows her skills.
Ana Tijoux - real name Anita - wasn't really Ana Tijoux, but Anita Tijoux of Makiza, a Chilean hip hop group. That changed when she teamed up with Mexican superstar Julieta Venegas for this tune. The pop style of Venegas matched well with the hip hop of Tijoux, and raised the star value of both artists.
We've now mentioned Julieta Venegas twice this week, the first time over here. Don't think we didn't notice. Come back on Friday if you would like to hear Part III.
This song in particular, and the album (of the same name) that it is from, is both an homage to old school hip-hop and an autobiography of Ana's life. It's a bit on the slow tip, and adopts horns alongside the beats, but it still has an early rap feel, both in cadence and subject matter.
Plus, this song got the endorsement of Thom Yorke, so it must be good.
Fans of the AMC show Breaking Bad have already heard this tune...... For the record, I think it was used well here.
UPDATE: Something happened to the video from Breaking Bad, so here's a video of Ana performing the song live instead. It's really sparse in parts but shows her skills.
Ana Tijoux - real name Anita - wasn't really Ana Tijoux, but Anita Tijoux of Makiza, a Chilean hip hop group. That changed when she teamed up with Mexican superstar Julieta Venegas for this tune. The pop style of Venegas matched well with the hip hop of Tijoux, and raised the star value of both artists.
We've now mentioned Julieta Venegas twice this week, the first time over here. Don't think we didn't notice. Come back on Friday if you would like to hear Part III.
16 October 2012
16 October 2012 - Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
1999-2001 was a pretty dark time for alternative rock radio (it's only starting to recover in the last few years). While it's easy (and fun) to blame it all on the rise of Neu Metal, that wasn't the death-knell entirely. The airwaves were also flooded with a crap-load of cookie-cutter one-hit wonder bands that mostly sounded the same (many of which were quite forgettable). Not to solely pick on Wheatus (there were plenty of others), but without looking it up, name another song by them. Yeah, I can't do it either, and I actually owned their record (past-tense). That said, there was a reason why I owned this record. The song's a ton of fun and besides...I'm an Iron Maiden fan...baby.
15 October 2012
15 October 2012 - Nelly Furtado feat. Mala Rodríguez - Bajo Otra Luz
That's right. Nelly Furtado has done stuff besides "I'm Like A Bird" and "Promiscuous".
Nelly Furtado, in 2010, released an album entirely in Spanish. Normally, she writes all her own stuff, or at least co-writes it. This song, however, was not written by Nelly at all. Rather, it was largely written by Mexican pop star Julietta Venegas, with Mala Rodríguez writing her part of the tune. The combination of the voice of Furtado and the hip-hop of La Mala make for an interesting combination that I am sure you'll be humming for the rest of the day.
You might notice that the two ladies billed on this tune appear in this video in many fun costumes. That enough is worth the price of admission for me. There is a 3rd voice in this song who you don't see. Julieta Venegas was featured vocally, but not in the video because of her pregnancy.
Long time readers of this blog will know that I think everything Mala Rodríguez touches is pure gold. I can't overstate that enough.
Here are La Nelly and La Mala at the Latin Grammys, performing this song live. It sounds completely different and less sparse. Also, even though it is billed as her song, Nelly knows that that this audience knows Mala Rodríguez a whole lot better than her, and defers more to her in the chorus
Nelly Furtado, in 2010, released an album entirely in Spanish. Normally, she writes all her own stuff, or at least co-writes it. This song, however, was not written by Nelly at all. Rather, it was largely written by Mexican pop star Julietta Venegas, with Mala Rodríguez writing her part of the tune. The combination of the voice of Furtado and the hip-hop of La Mala make for an interesting combination that I am sure you'll be humming for the rest of the day.
You might notice that the two ladies billed on this tune appear in this video in many fun costumes. That enough is worth the price of admission for me. There is a 3rd voice in this song who you don't see. Julieta Venegas was featured vocally, but not in the video because of her pregnancy.
Long time readers of this blog will know that I think everything Mala Rodríguez touches is pure gold. I can't overstate that enough.
Here are La Nelly and La Mala at the Latin Grammys, performing this song live. It sounds completely different and less sparse. Also, even though it is billed as her song, Nelly knows that that this audience knows Mala Rodríguez a whole lot better than her, and defers more to her in the chorus
12 October 2012
12 October 2012 - The Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can't Be Wrong
Today, we feature a song that was way overplayed in the early 90's.And still, I always kind of liked this song, even though I disliked this band and their brand of hippiesque music.
Yes, I just invented the word "hippiesque". Pronounce it "Hippie-Esk", and make sure you credit me when you use it.
But back to the song. This song is fun, fast-paced, and clever in its happy snarkiness. What makes it even better - it was based on someone specific. This song wasn't their biggest hit - the incessantly annoying "Two Princes" holds that honor - but it is the song that, after a year of release, finally kickstarted the sales of their eventually platinum album "Pocket Full of Kryptonite." MTV started playing this song, and, as was their habit when they used to play music videos on MTV, they kept playing it on a continuous loop.
And I heard it on the radio the other day, which is why you're hearing it now.
Yes, I just invented the word "hippiesque". Pronounce it "Hippie-Esk", and make sure you credit me when you use it.
But back to the song. This song is fun, fast-paced, and clever in its happy snarkiness. What makes it even better - it was based on someone specific. This song wasn't their biggest hit - the incessantly annoying "Two Princes" holds that honor - but it is the song that, after a year of release, finally kickstarted the sales of their eventually platinum album "Pocket Full of Kryptonite." MTV started playing this song, and, as was their habit when they used to play music videos on MTV, they kept playing it on a continuous loop.
And I heard it on the radio the other day, which is why you're hearing it now.
11 October 2012
11 October 2012 - Psychedelic Furs - Heaven
Happy 80s Thursday WGPers!!! We'll get back to some truly embarrassing 80s videos next Thursday. You see, I pretty much have to post this video because I cannot get this Psychedlic Furs tune out of my head. Seriously, I heard it a week ago for the first time in a while and it is just not leaving. Granted, it's not a bad song to have stuck in one's head (I've had much worse), but I'm hoping that this post will exorcise the earworm.
Earworm be gone!!!
Earworm be gone!!!
10 October 2012
10 October 2012 - Aqua - Barbie Girl
This song, on the surface, does not seem to be high art. It seems to be synth-heavy derivative Euro dance pop music. However, this Swedish quartet brought us a song that was so much more than that.
Lyrically, this is one of the cleverest songs of the last thirty years. Balancing the little-girlish innocence with the adolescent sexuality is something that Mattel has done for more that 50 years with the Barbie doll. Aqua brings both of those feelings to this song in a lyrical sense. They did a good enough job at it to speak a lawsuit by Mattel (which Mattel lost) to protect the Barbie image...
The irony is that Mattel now licenses the song for use in promoting Barbie.
A lot of you are scoffing at my love of this song and my belief that it is clever. Perhaps it's the presentation. To prove to you that it is far more than just synth-heavy derivative Euro dance pop music, here is a clip of Aqua performing a far more rock-and-roll version of the song.
And, so you know they actually ARE musicians, here's their folksy version..... Actually, maybe it's more bossa nova.
You know what? I can't decide which version I like best. I like them all. Let me know in the comments what you think!
Lyrically, this is one of the cleverest songs of the last thirty years. Balancing the little-girlish innocence with the adolescent sexuality is something that Mattel has done for more that 50 years with the Barbie doll. Aqua brings both of those feelings to this song in a lyrical sense. They did a good enough job at it to speak a lawsuit by Mattel (which Mattel lost) to protect the Barbie image...
The irony is that Mattel now licenses the song for use in promoting Barbie.
A lot of you are scoffing at my love of this song and my belief that it is clever. Perhaps it's the presentation. To prove to you that it is far more than just synth-heavy derivative Euro dance pop music, here is a clip of Aqua performing a far more rock-and-roll version of the song.
And, so you know they actually ARE musicians, here's their folksy version..... Actually, maybe it's more bossa nova.
You know what? I can't decide which version I like best. I like them all. Let me know in the comments what you think!
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