Relaxing at the record deck
It happens when one reaches a certain age, I suppose: "newer music" and I drift apart, as I settle into the "comfort zone" of classical stations and retro Radio 2. Or is it just that I am bone idle, and can't be arsed to share some of the gems I gather from around the interwebs? Regardless, here's my first such "round-up" in absolute bloomin' ages...
First up, let's get this one out of the way without much in the way of comment (other than I doubt it will win) - the official UK entry for Eurovision 2016. It's a fair-to-middling song. They need voice coaching and production. They're not particularly pretty. It's Joe and Jake and You're Not Alone:
Among the early fan favourites is apparently this one. At least you can tap your feet to it - it's Spain's Eurovision entry Barei and Say Yay!
Moving back to the world of "real" music, Pet Shop Boys - currently basking in the glories of being THIRTY YEARS at the top of their game - have a new one out, and it is (of course) very good indeed. It's Happiness:
Speaking of that great musical era, the world's gone mad for the 80s lately (and not a moment too soon, I say!) - or so it would seem, especially given the widespread critical praise and generally warm reception for the new film about one of that decade's most unlikely "sporting heroes", Eddie The Eagle. On the Gary Barlow-produced soundtrack for the movie, several of our favourite stars from our youth have recorded brand new songs, in the style of the times (and their heydays). First off the block is Holly Johnson and Ascension...
...then there's Marc Almond's Out of The Sky...
...and Kim Wilde - Without Your Love:
Fabulous, all! But what of their latter-day successors?
Well, there's Ben Ivory and Gold, a rather deep synth-pop extravaganza reminiscent of Nik Kershaw, for a start. He's cute, too:
It's synths-a-go-go where the esoterically-named NZCA Lines is concerned, and I rather like it! Here's Two Hearts:
This one "by yer" is a bit odd, innit? Not only is it entirely in Welsh, like, but it looks (at the beginning of the video) as if the lovely Gwenno is dancing down a street very close to where I used to live in Cardiff, hundreds of years ago... All very strange, it's Fratolish Hiang Perpeshki (whatever that means!):
And finally, here's a rather fab new one courtesy of Mr D's esoteric Inexplicable Device blog. I can quite understand why he raves about it so; both song and video are utterly brilliant! It's Miike [sic] Snow and Genghis Khan!
As ever, enjoy! And let me know what you think...
[*Cerddoriaeth newydd = "new music" in Welsh]
A good song will make me want to get up and start dancing around the living room. So-NZCA, Kim Wild & Pet Shop Boys do it for me in that order.
ReplyDeleteBut at the moment I am obsessed with Chumbawumba's "I Get knocked down but I get up again". An oldie but goodie, at least for me.
Ah yes - Chumbawamba! Hard to believe that Tubthumping was released almost twenty years ago... Glad you found stuff to enjoy amongst this little pot-pourri, too. Jx
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