Archive for the pop tag

theSTART: Wartime! (It’s Time 2 Go Now)

This is theSTART...

Kissing their metal & art-rock bands goodbye in the late 90's, vocalist Aimee Echo (Human Waste Project) and swiss army knife multi-instrumentalist Jamie Miller (Snot) bonded over a mutual love for 80's New Wave, ranging from the Cure to Missing Persons to Depeche Mode. They formed a new band together in Los Angeles soon after, encouraging their fans to "rise up & dance to a different beat" on their debut album Shakedown!. The couple provided a soundtrack for the future with memories of the past - new wave for now people.

With three albums and an EP under their belts, theSTART's latest release Ciao, Baby was issued under Metropolis Records. Echo's unique sprite-like delivery recalls the squeaks & squeals of a modern day Lene Lovich or Dale Bozzio, while in the next breath morphing into a howling Siouxsie Sioux or Exene Cervenka. Miller's guitar soundscapes are reminiscent of the early 4AD roster or bands like Bauhaus & the Chameleons. His lush keyboards shimmer, the perfect accent to Echo's pop melodies to create a sound of their own.

Featured here is Ciao, Baby's opening track "Wartime! (It's Time 2 Go Now)" as well as a cover of one of the band's favorite songs, "Cities in Dust" by Siouxsie & the Banshees.

theSTART on Myspace
theSTART website

theSTART are still active & are currently focusing on a new experimental project Normandie. And no, my love for theSTART isn't simply because Echo & I share the same hair stylist & both know the Marilyn Monroe secret! Enjoy & dance. The circle is ever larger...

New Order: Tribute at Neo 2/4/10

I  still get excited every year when we do our New Order Tribute Night. It’s not only a chance for us to play a bunch of New Order that we don’t normally play at Atomic, but it’s now one of the few times a year that I indulge in the brilliance of one of the most influential bands over the last thirty years.

The two songs here represent two completely different New Order styles, but they share that sentimental touch that ties the history of the band together. "Dreams Never End" is from their debut album Movement. Musically, the album still had a Joy Division feel to it, but it laid the ground work that turned them into international pop stars later in the decade. It's one of the few New Order songs with Peter Hook on vocals. Listen to Dreams Never End (1982) and then The Cure’s Inbetween Days (1985). Trust me. The second song, "Here to Stay" was recorded for the 24 Hour Party People Soundtrack in 2002 and was dedicated to Martin Hannett (Joy Division/New Order producer), Rob Gretton (Joy Division/New Order manager), and Ian Curtis (Joy Division lead vocalist).

New Order Online [official fansite]

Fun Boy Three: Our Lips Are Sealed

Consisting of members of a then defunct Specials, Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding formed Fun Boy Three in 1981. A mixture of sounds and textures, the Fun Boys spent their time recording with Fun Girls Bananarama and writing with Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's.

Though perhaps made more famous by the Go-Go's a year earlier, Fun Boy Three released their own version of the hit "Our Lips are Sealed" in 1983. On a personal level, it remains the essential version of the song with carefree vocals and laid-back instrumentation - the perfect touch for the lyrical content that the Go-Go's version lacked.

"Our Lips are Sealed" is available on both the FB3 album Waiting and various Best Of compilations.

Strawberry Switchblade: Since Yesterday

The could-be long lost Scottish synthpop sisters of Tegan & Sara, Rose McDowall and Jill Bryson from Strawberry Switchblade paved their way with teased hair, gothy cupcake dresses and polkadots in the mid-80's with their debut and only album of the same name... and what a great album and name they were!

Their biggest imprint was with their sugary sweet single "Since Yesterday," which became a top 10 hit in the UK and featured the opening fanfare of Sibelius' Symphony No.5 and enough sunshine harmonies to keep you smiling for days - days of Dayglo, if you will. C'mon, I dare you to give this a listen and not be bouncing right out of your seat! Take a close listen though - beneath the surface of those driving dancefloor drumbeats is a truly tragic tale of love lost. But hey, that's really nothing to be shocked by in the world of new wave now, is it? The album actually dives into much deeper, darker water than the single does.

Following a busted switchblade in 1986, Rose went on to become a floating member of various goth & industrial acts like Coil, Psychic TV, Into a Circle and Death in June. She now continues to perform solo under her own name.

"Since Yesterday" is available on the CD import of their debut album or the Warner Platinum Collection, which is probably much easier & less expensive to track down. Highly recommended cutesy bubblegum pop for New Romantics.

Platinum Collection on Amazon

DiscoTech

In this post, I will give away some of my favorite remixes. I know approximately nothing about DiscoTech, aside from that I think they're from Brooklyn, and I get really excited when I see their name on something. Attempts to search for more information have come up dry.

I love remixes, it's no secret. I like hearing a familiar song in a new way, different people's takes on the same material, and in general I just have an affinity for things that have been modified. But as a dj, though a remix often makes for a better mix and a bit of the unexpected can infuse some energy into the crowd, it can be problematic as well. A lot of people have carefully planned their dance moves and sing-alongs according to the original, and when you mess with that, well, you get nasty notes written on soggy napkins thrown at you calling you a "bad dj" by passive-aggressive dancers who clearly don't understand the concept. Some people just won't ever like it, but I've noticed it's a lot easier for them to swallow if the lyrics are intact. DiscoTech does this well; they create an updated and energetic backdrop to a familiar classic in a way that doesn't leave people bewildered trying to sing along.

DiscoTech on MySpace

P.S. They also did this bit of brilliance that I have been known to throw into a few industrial sets.

Atomic Halloween Mix 2009

I made a quick mix this afternoon, loosely based on my sets at our costume contest Thursday night. Have a great Halloween!

photo by Jason Ernst, wildharedesigns.com

Tracklisting:
Human League: Darkness
Anne Clark: Sleeper In Metropolis
Cabaret Voltaire: Yashar [John Robie Mix]
Ministry: Everyday is Halloween
Animotion: Obsession
Duran Duran: Wild Boys
Depeche Mode: Personal Jesus [Pump Mix]
Michael Jackson: Thriller [DiscoTech Remix]
Front 242: Welcome To Paradise