Archive for the ‘Kylie Minogue’ Category

Squirrels! And Pop Music!

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

There’s a monster behind me.

Well, not a monster. But something. And it’s literally behind me. In my closet.

Let me explain. My office/gaming area/general nerd den has a closet that is directly my computer desk. On Monday morning I was cleaning up when I heard a strange noise coming from said closet. I glanced over and saw a fucking paw sticking out from under the door. That door has no latch. The only thing separating me from the furry demon on the other side was the chance that it wouldn’t actually press up against the door.

I made a beeline for the door, putting my weight against it, it scurried off (probably back out the way it came, the door to the attic) and I immediately threw about four heavy boxes in front of the door, just in case it decided to return.

Now whenever I hear a noise in my home I naturally assume it’s another squirrel/muskrat/raccoon/opossum/bigfoot/that fucking thing in the Creepshow movie and that it’s secretly, quietly plotting a way to get out from the closet and to me so it can murderize me.

So if you see a headline about a large man in Pittsburgh being found dead in his house under mysterious circumstances, know it was the squirrels. They came for me…

So um…who wants some 80s pop music?

Janet Jackson
Control (The Video Mix)
What Have You Done For Me Lately (Extended Mix)
When I Think Of You (Dance Remix)
Let’s Wait Awhile (Remix)
I got these tracks from a remix album! Remember remix albums? Shit, remember albums?

Kylie Minogue
It’s No Secret (12″ Version)
Made In Heaven (Maid In England Mix)
That is not a typo, it is supposed to be “Maid.” Why? Fuck if I know. Let’s just blame it on the 80s and move on.

Like most 80s Kylie, this is some sugary pop music. Sweet as cotton candy and just as light. I listen to it now more as a curiosity than anything else, it hasn’t exactly stood the test of time (unlike her cover of “Locomotion,” which is still bangin’). I know Kylie has in the past taken some her older material and updated it for her live show, but I can’t imagine that either of these songs could be updated in anyway at all. They sound more like Debbie Gibson tunes than Kylie tracks.

Posted in Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, remixes | 7 Comments »

Depeche Minogue

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Records are like drugs, and a good record dealer is like a good drug dealer in that he/she knows just what it takes to separate you from your hard-earned dough.

I was at Jerry’s Records last week (as I am apt to be) and within seconds of walking in he tells me that he has boxes of singles that I’m going to want to look through, boxes filled with “the kind of shit I like.”

Sighing, because I am trying to save money, I am led to the boxes, where I proceed to grab about 50 bucks of awesome 12″ singles from Sparks, Aztec Camera, The B-52s and more. As I go to pay Jerry, he points to two more boxes and says “oh, you should look through these too, they’re all rare DJ mix records.”

I glance over at the stack of boxes and turn my head away, “No!” I say with the kind of authority a junkie says when presented with a hit, “I’m trying to save money, whatever is in there, I don”t need it.”

“Are you sure?” I got some good stuff in there?”

“No, I need to save-”

“I saw some rare Depeche Mode in there.”

“Where are these records again?”

Sigh.

Anyways, he was right. Those boxes did have some pretty oddball Depeche Mode stuff. Oddball Depeche Mode stuff that I of course bought. So enjoy.

Depeche Mode
Mega Mix Part 1
Mega Mix Part 2
Depeche Mode Medley 1987
The two “Mega Mix” tracks are taken from an unofficial 1990 single put out by the bootleg label On-USound, who released several bootleg mixes in the late 80s and early 90s. Despite being a bootleg, it’s very professional sounding, and rather creative as well, incorporating album cuts, single remixes and even some live stuff. Quality shit all around.

“Depeche Mode Medly 1987,” is an official remix, but ironically it’s not nearly as good as the bootleg mix, and the single from which it came is incredibly unprofessional and cheap looking. First of all, it has no real title, just a generic “M” logo at the top, it turns out that it’s from a DJ remix series that was just called “M.” This is the first in the series, so its official name is M1.

On side one are the two standard versions Enigma’s “Mea Culpa” and Eon’s “Spice.”  Good songs to be sure, but they really don’t have much in common so their combined inclusion is bizarre. Furthermore, “Mea Culpa” is spelled wrong (“Mia Culpa”) giving the whole thing a very amateur feel. The DM medley takes up the B-side, and like I said before, it’s not as good as the bootleg mixes, but if you’re like me and worship the Mode, it’s worth a listen if for curiosity sake and nothing else.

Kylie Minogue
Confide In Me (The Truth Mix)
Confide In Me (Big Brothers Mix) 
I’ve mentioned this in the past, but my knowledge of Kylie’s early 90s output is really limited, thanks to be me being in the one industrialized country on the planet who didn’t care about Kylie Minogue during most of the decade. As such, I’ve been trying to catch up ever since. I just heard this song for the first time when I picked up this single last week and, damn if it isn’t one of the best pop songs I’ve heard in a long time. This is an amazing tune: dreamy, sexy, beautifully-produced and, most of all, perfectly sung by Kylie. Damn. It’s annoying that this song wasn’t a hit in the states. How the hell did that not happen? My country is dumb.

Also, while “The Truth Mix” is probably the better of the two, I love the “Big Brothers Mix” because it discos the fuck out the song. Fabulous.

Posted in Depeche Mode, Kylie Minogue, remixes | 2 Comments »

What a Motherfucking Feeling

Tuesday, June 19th, 2012

Tonight’s songs are defiant pleasures.

That’s right, DEFIANT pleasures. Not guilty pleasures. I hate that term. To paraphrase Chuck Klosterman, a song cannot be a guilty pleasure. It doesn’t actually cause you any harm. Now, cocaine, that’s a guilty pleasure.

Defiant pleasures. You like them in spite of what everyone else may think of them, or what they may think of you for liking them. Stand tall in your adoration for upbeat pop songs you can dance to. Upbeat pop songs you can dance to make the world go ’round. Download these songs, put them in your iPod and rock out to them loudly. Then, when some hipster wanker gives you shit for them. Jump up and just dance in their face until they scoff and walk away.

And when their back is turned, that’s when you kick them in the head.

Y’know, out of defiance.

Irene Cara
Flashdance (What A Feeling) (Remix)
I first found out about this extended version of the theme to Flashdance about three years ago, and have been desperately seeking out the tune ever since. Thank you Vinylpalooza! I got this gem for just a buck, and I would have easily paid 10x that for the privilege of hearing this amazing seven-minute version of one of my favorite tracks of the early 80s. If you hate this song that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, but you are just a little bit dead inside. I hope you know that.

 

Kylie Minogue
The Loco-Motion (The Kohaku Mix)
The Loco-Motion (Sankie Mix)
My knowledge of Kylie Minogue’s singing career is spotty at best. I know this song, then there’s about a 12 year gap, and then everything from “Love At First Sight” on. I guess you could call that an American view of the singer, since she was pretty much a nobody here during the entirety of the 90s. What stuff from the 90s is her best? I’ve heard mixed things about Impossible Princess. Does it hold up still?

You know what still does hold up? This great cover of The Loco-Motion (that’s how it’s spelled on the sleeve). I need more mixes of this one. I might have to start buying some of Kylie’s many remix collections. If for no other reason than to support that trend. More artists need to compile and release their mixes. I think one of these might be commercially available in the states, but whatever. Do the locomotion.

Posted in Irene Cara, Kylie Minogue, remixes | 5 Comments »