12 December 2013 - The Band Perry - Don't Let Me Be Lonely

There's no guilt here. I really dig The Band Perry. Their self-titled debut was one of my favorite albums of 2010 and their latest, Pioneer, will likely be in my top 10 of 2014 based solely on its first two red-hot singles -- Better Dig Two and Done (Better Dig Two just might be one of my favorite songs of the year). Pioneer's third single, for the ballad Don't Let Me Be Lonely, is steadily climbing up the country charts. Here's the recently released video.

11 December 2013 - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rogers - Get Lucky

Pharrell Williams is having a good year as a guest star in 2013.  He's had two top 10 US hits, including today's feature hit - the other is "Blurred Lines", of course.  And both songs have a lot more in common than might be apparent on the surface. 

Both are clearly overtly sexual in nature, although they both approach their subject matter in different ways. 

Both are clearly derivative of classic artists from a previous era - "Blurred Lines" of Marvin Gaye, and "Get Lucky" of 70's super disco funk group Chic.  However, where Robin Thicke ran legally afoul of the Gaye estate, Daft Punk also recruited Nile Rogers, who was a member of Chic and the mastermind of their sound, thoroughly avoiding litigation.

And this song is funky and fun and an instant classic.  It would be a little out of place at Studio 54, because of the clear electronic slant of Daft Punk, but not terribly so out of place that Truman Capote would have to stop snorting blow.  In all seriousness, they have a lot of respect for the disco era, and it shows, clearly, in this song.

10 December 2013 - Jesus Jones - Info Freako

OK. I'll admit it. There was a time back in high school (and a year or so in college) when I was into Jesus Jones. I even saw them in concert at the height of their popularity. This of course was years before Right Here, Right Now was WAY TOO over-played and the band themselves became an over-used punchline. Thankfully, Nickelback came along to steal that thunder. Anyway, here's the video for Jesus Jones' first single Info Freako. It may sound a bit dated in 2013, but in 1989 it was way ahead of its time with the buzzsaw guitars and electronic beats.

9 December 2013 - LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out

Don't call it a comeback.

But, for reals, it was part of a comeback - more on that in a minute.  LL Cool J had dropped out of sight for years.  Gangsta rap was dominating the scene.  And LL was being dissed - DISSED - by other artists.    So, he did what any big hip hop star would do.

He whined to his grandma.

Who told him to "knock out" his critics and dissers.

So he wrote this and proceeded to dis Kool Moe Dee.  "How you like me now?!"

This was by no means LL Cool J's biggest hit - it actually was the single that preceded this one, "Around The Way Girl", which was the ACTUAL comeback - but it is one of his most bombastic and memorable songs. 

And yes, that's Grandma at the end, asking Tom to take out the garbage.

6 December 2013 - Kitten - Like A Stranger

2014 will be the year for Kitten - really, Chloe Chaidez, the sole current member of the band.  Fresh off an opening stint with Charli XCX, here is their latest single.  It's a pop-rock L.A. sound, to be sure, a throwback to the 80's, but it's also fresh and new-sounding.  I urge you to check them out, and now.

5 December 2013 - Nitzer Ebb - Hearts and Minds

I always liked Nitzer Ebb. Just abrasive enough to be cool, but melodic enough for the clubs. Not many electronic bands back in the 80s could say that. Here's the video for Hearts and Minds off their 1989 album Belief. They certainly don't make videos like this anymore. I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing or not.

4 December 2013 - Tanya Donelly - Pretty Deep

After Belly, and before her career as a doula - I'm not joking about that, by the way - Tanya Donelly had a brief solo career.  It wasn't bad.  Enjoy her first single and biggest hit.