Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

One more journey through songs that hit the charts and other that are just good.

1957: Buddy Holly

1966: Jr. Walker (I prefer the cover by The Flying Lizards from1979)

1972: Elton John

1978: Meat Loaf

1997: Natalie Imbruglia (not only because she recently said goodbye to the music business)

1966: Spencer David Group

1966: The Beach Boys

1977: Dave Mason

1985: Pet Shop Boys

1965: The Who

1982: Golden Earring

1964: Petula Clark

1970: Gilbert O'Sullivan

1970: Dave Edmunds

1978: Joe Jackson

Daylight

 

Last year Sean Dickson aka HiFi Sean and David McAlmont surprised with Heavy Ending a bunch of electronic pop beauties. Now they are rapidly back with another album and the next one is planed to release next winter. People say that the second album is more different if the first on is critical acclaimed. To avoid standing still and repeating themselves, both have developed their style further by incorporating elements of 90's house, synth-pop, gospel and soul into a sugary sweet sound. Above all, however, is McAlmont's soulful voice, which never makes a song seem boring. A good album on which they show that they are far more than just poor man's Pet Shop Boys.

Better Looking Brother

 

The new year started with a new discovery. Lust For Youth is a two piece Copenhagen based darkwave project by Hannes Norrvide and Mathe Fischer and their first album Compassion from 2016 was re-released a few days ago. Their music is not groundbreaking but their own definition of a sound inspired by early Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and New Order combined with a bit of post-punk is more than notable. It is good to see that young people know their idols and make something new.

Memories From My Vacation To The USA

Last week were were out for a concert by The Pet Shop Boys in Saint Petersburg. My mate is a huge fan of the 80's dance sound (and to 80's new wave as well). He found out that they were playing at a smaller venue in Florida. It was more a concert hall than an event for club music. I am not used to watch a concert in a comfortable seat and didn't expected much because I gave my mate a favour. But I was surprised what came to me. A total clear sound with massive basses made made me feel like being in a club. The laser show was perfect and took the music to another level. Almost forgot how many songs PSB made during the last years that were still on my mind. After all it were two hours of really joy that took me back to the early days of pop-dance-floor sound and I have to say that they are pioneers in danceable music with their very own and unique sound fitting to a lot of people.

Go Off

It was time to fix my holidays for this year. As usually I take ta longer trip to Sri Lanka again over the turn of the year. I also had to honour a pledge I gave to an old friend over a year ago to visit him in the United States. Ed was more than a mate to me because we hang around in my town for more than five years watching football, going out for some drinks and lot of other stuff. He is still working in the army as an civilian and had to move to Florida for a new job in June last year. So I booked a flight, provided me an ESTA-visum to leave for Tampa at the beginning of November this years. I am not sure what he planned to do but I know that he got some tickets for Pet Shop Boys in a small venue and another visit to Ybor City to get us a few hand-rolled cigars by the Cuban people. So I am looking forward to these days, knowing that it will be the last days before the election of their new president.

Today's track is Go Off the new single by M.I.A. from her new album that will be released in a few weeks. I have to say I like her for years because she always made her very own things and sampling great songs. And she did the same thing on this song again. Using an Arabic nursery rhyme as a basic she added some clattering drums and quintessentially strange synth sounds. Probably it doesn't work the first time you listen to but the more you listen the more it is fixed in your head. And who else could sing lyrics like So I stay way up on a level / like my name is Neymar and your know I'm not normal?