The Candy Shop #21

Electric Ladies and Sexy Robot Strippers

by Nayt Housman

So what did you do this week? Anything fun? Oh! You worked and when you weren’t working you ate burgers! How lovely. What did I do you ask? HA! Nothing much, just makeup on around 20 or so people for a new secret Michelle Xen video and then gyrated and writhed against the thick humid electro fueled atmosphere in the video as one of the extras… Nothing much at all.


In honour, this week's Candy Shop will be a melting pot of electro girl power as I share my love (again) of all things glittery, chic, electrically charged and popilicious! These are the songs that stayed on repeat for weeks at a time and women who have shaped my musical world.

The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

My electro love was spawned as a child in pure adoration of the Eurythmics dance classic Sweet Dreams. I grew up with it’s gritty synth and tense lyrics sprouted from Annie’s mouth running through my developing brain. It’s hard to ignore such a classic no matter what genre you are most loyal too.

Spiller - Groovejet

Gosh, when this song came out I went on an Internet spree trying to find who the amazingly sensual, charismatic, sleek and sexy singer was. Of course we all know now it’s the beautiful and very English lady Sophie Ellis Bextor. But what the hell was with that ugly goatee adorning that man’s chin? NO! Facial hair is meant to be sexy, not cause to run for the rodent traps.

Goldfrapp - Train

Is there anything Goldfrapp can’t do? With a new album just out (check out my review in the upcoming New Music Monday) Alison and Gregory just keep pushing into new territory and conquering it as though it’s all they’ve ever done but who can forget their foray into the electro world? I always imagine I’m a stripper robot when I hear this song. Barrrp barrrrp beee BARRRP!

Everything But The Girl - Five Fathoms

EBTG were one of the first real electro loves in my cache and the love has never diminished. Tracey Thorne’s soft English voice melts into me and transports me into her story.

Kylie Minogue - Say Hey

I ACHE for this song. Kylie transformed from the girl next door (locomotion), to the girl next door who got laid (Put Yourself In My Place), then to this, woman in control, commander and Goddess.

Dannii Minogue - Put The Needle On It

Dannii had her moments too and it’s very hard to forget 'Put The Needle On It'. I may or may not have thought I was a stripper when dancing to this too, but less stripper robot and more “seedy gay club stripper” and I would dance kinda like that dancing baby from Ally McBeal but obviously sexier…

Kosheen - Catch

Am I not the coolest person ever for loving this song? No? Oh, well I used to think liking this song automatically made me cool but once that wore off I actually genuinely LOVE this song. Plus I’m still cool durr. Is it cool to say I’m cool? Do kids actually say “cool” anymore?

Ladytron - 17

Somehow there seems to be a sexy robot theme developing here. Where there are sexy robots, you will of course find Ladytron, potentially singing a very repetitively fashionable, anti-fashion song about pubescent models. It’s one of those addictive songs that only has a couple of lines but as soon as they pass through your mind they’re stuck and your bum is wiggling.

Lalleshwari - Dark Angel

Here’s the wildcard of the night, an obscure English artist named Katie Jane Garside, who may be better known as the singer of Daisy Chainsaw, Queen Adreena or Ruby Throat. In the mid 00s Katie released an album as Lalleshwari called Lullabies In A Glass Wilderness. Which is equally alien as it is alluring and sensual.

Roisin Murphy - Ramalama (Bang Bang)

No electro pop list would be complete without Roisin (Ro-sheen). Let’s just leave it at that and if you aren’t familiar with this woman by now then spend some time familiarizing yourself. QUEEN ROISIN!

Michelle Xen - Cleopatra

Finally it’s my new Queen of electro pop that I have had the pleasure of sharing part of the creative process with, Michelle Xen. I could hardly believe Michelle was a Brisbane based performer when I first heard her but BELIEVE IT! This woman is a powerhouse, a live wire, a lightning strike! Someone help fill in some electric analogies here!


ZAP ZAP! POW POW! While Electro and Pop remain in sexy union I’ll be a happy boy dancing like a sexy robot stripper. One day I’ll have a video of me dancing like the dancing baby as said sexy robot stripper and it will go viral and I’ll perform my dance all over the world. Sweet dreams are made of this.


PS. Keep an eye out for news on Michelle Xen’s top-secret video. It will be worth the wait to see me making love to the music. Hopefully we’ll see something soon.

Top 111 Songs of 2011, Honourable Mentions

Bon Iver... best of 2011?

 

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, alien overlords from the not-so-distant future wanting to learn about quality music in the 2000s... this is the beginning of the greatest countdown of the year; the top songs of 2011! "But what about songs released in December?" you say. Well, dear reader, songs from December are automatically added into the 2012 list. "But why?" you exclaim. Because one month or less is not nearly enough time to adequately judge a new track against its older competition. That's why. That's all there is for housekeeping so grab a drink, find a most comfortable seated locality and get ready to hear the greatest songs from one of the best years the music industry has had in quite some time. Since it was so good, we've boosted the honourable mentions for 2011 to twenty. That's right... twenty!!! All amazing tracks in their own right that narrowly missed out on making the official list. Are you excited for this? I'm excited for this! Let's hear some sweet, sweet music...

Honourable Mentions:

Shuffle

by Bombay Bicycle Club

Why won't you believe in it,

Until it's gone.

Something To Die For

by The Sounds

Don't say goodbye, just leave an open door,

I wanna hear you say, you give me something to die for.

Need You Now

by Cut Copy

I know I'm running baby,

But I need you now...

Brendan's Death Song

by Red Hot Chili Peppers

And you are love, you are the lucid dream, you are the ride,

And when you hear this you know it's your jam, it's your goodbye.

White Elephant

by Ladytron

Hey, put our pistols down, crawl along the ground,

Where we won't, won't be found.

Top 20 - 25 June, 2011

Bombay Bicycle Club

1. CSS ft. Robert Gillespie - Hits Me Like A Rock (NEW)





2. Pnau - Solid Ground





3. Sneaky Sound System - We Love





4. The Grates - Sweet Dreams





5. Bag Raiders - Not Over (NEW)

Top 20 - 21 May, 2011

BON IVER!

1. Bon Iver - Calgary (NEW)





2. Ladytron - White Elephant (NEW)





3. Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory





4. Clare Maguire - The Shield and the Sword (NEW)





5. Birdy - Skinny Love

Top 300 Songs of the 2000s, #170 - 161



Kate Nash.



#170 - The Block Party (2001)

by Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes

Left Eye [of TLC] - The Block Party
Uploaded by biggboy619. - Explore more music videos.

Music pumping and we're jumping,

And they played our favourite songs...

The 'L' in TLC, 'Left Eye' ventured into solo territory with her collaboration with Spice Girl, Mel C ('Never Be The Same Again' - UK #1), and unreleased album, Supernova. Sadly, the lack of success for 'The Block Party' resulted in the album never seeing shelf-life, but that doesn't mean it was one of the best hip-hop songs recorded during the 2000s. Before her untimely death in 2002, Lopes was hard at work on a second album which would have reportedly seen her collaborate with David Bowie. That would have been awesome.

Hipster Halloween

Everyone's (my) favourite time of year is almost here. Halloween! The perfect excuse for everyone to get dressed up and get messy. Not that anyone really needs an excuse anymore, but at least on Halloween there's candy. For those of you that are planning some sort of par-tay but find yourself stuck with what music to play because you think you're too cool to put on The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack or The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack, never fear, for I am here to help you out with the very first Hipster Halloween playlist! Songs from some of the coolest acts in music that you likely won't be embarrassed to play to your uber-cool "friends." Now, for the few normal people out there that don't mind the cheesy (aka awesome) Halloween music, don't worry, because I'll be showing some of that over the next couple of days.

Hipster Halloween 2010

Kasabian - Vlad the Impaler

See, Kasabian are hip. They're not content to call the Prince of Darkness (no, not Ozzy Osbourne) by his more fashionable, popular name. They're going with his birth name. That's pretty damn hip, right hipsters? I'm turning my sarcasm switch off to say that this is a great tune and one of the best that Kasabian have graced us with.

Kanye West ft. Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross & Bon Iver - Monster

Nicki Minaj - "Ok first things first I'll eat your brains, then I'mma start rocking gold teeth and fangs, cause that's what a motherf***ing monster do, hairdresser from Milan that's the monster do, monster Giuseppe heel that's the monster shoe." Minaj is clearly a fan of the classic horror monsters.

Cat Power - The Werewolf

Because where there are vampires, there are werewolves. Underworld, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries... it's all about vampires fighting werewolves. So you need a werewolf song. But it's got to be hip. Who's more hip than Cat Power? Case closed.

The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)

Did I not just tell you that where there are vampires, there are wereWolves?

Ladytron - Ghosts

Ghosts. When you see people dressed as them on Halloween, you can't help but think of them as lazy doucebags. Oh, you threw a sheet over yourself and cut some holes in it for eyes? A for effort!

Radiohead - Bodysnatchers

Invasion of the? Yeah, no, 'Bodysnatchers' really has nothing to do with that. But it's Radiohead and if there's one thing I've learnt, it's that no matter how bad a Radiohead song or album is, you've got to call it the best thing ever. That right there... that's hip my friends.

The HorrorPops - Walk Like A Zombie

Zombies are just the coolest. I'm considering being one for Halloween, so if you know how to create the illusion of a ripped off jaw without, you know, actually having it ripped off then let me know! Most of your "friends" won't know this song and there's nothing more hip than knowing music your "friends" don't.

Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)

Remixes are hip, the song's about a hospital occupied by monsters. Win.

Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches

Where are all the witches at? I'm being serious, witches used to be everywhere. Currently, I can think of two; Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries and Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter. Bellatrix is pretty awesome (but that's only because Helena Bonham Carter is awesome) but there's a serious lack of cool witches out there.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Skeletons

And we have ten songs. Not the world's biggest playlist, but that's like an hour. Your "friends" will be bored after an hour anyway and want to move onto somewhere a little more... hip? This post has been fun, it's combined some of my (everyone's) favourite things; music, Halloween and sarcasm. Stick around, because we'll be looking at some cheesy/awesome music you can bust out on Halloween too!