Category: Music

I’ve been a lukewarm fan of The Raveonettes off and on for a few years now. But I was totally blown away by last year’s Raven in the Grave (in fact, it was my Album of the Year). It wasn’t that I didn’t like their “Everly Brothers meets Jesus and Mary Chain” sound from before. Raven was just different: less “early rock and roll meets buzzing guitars”, more dark.

But the duo are back, and they’ve brought their 1950s sound with them. Into the Night is their new 4-track EP, and my favorite song from it is “Night Comes Out”. Check it out:

Last.fm says I’ve listened to the song 15 times since March 25th… but I swear that’s way too low. I think I’ve listened to it 15 times in the past two days!

From the home office in London, here’s the Top 10 song chart for the week ending April 29, 2012:

1) The Raveonettes – “Night Comes Out”
2) The Raveonettes – “Too Close to Heartbreak”
3) Antilles – “You and Me”
4) The Raveonettes – “Into The Night”
5) Ladyhawke – “Vaccine”
6) Beach House – “Myth”
7) Young Prisms – “Gone”
8) The Raveonettes – “Bad Ghosts”
9) John Coltrane – “Blue Train”
10) Cocteau Twins – “Lorelei”

Holy crap, how come I didn’t know about this until three days ago? It’s a 9 minute excerpt from an 1983 episode of MTV’s Cutting Edge with The Go-Go’s being interviewed at The Varsity restaurant in my hometown of Atlanta. Apparently the girls were playing a gig at the nearby 688 Club later that evening, and MTV chose to have the interview there!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2vejgNn9o

Goodness, what fun memories! The best part about the interview is that it goes into surprising “behind the scenes” depth at the restaurant. The Varsity has been featured in no telling how many things on Food Network and Travel Channel, but usually those pieces show the counter, and maybe some hot dogs being made, and that’s usually it. It’s hilarious watching Belinda Carlisle trying to cook french fries! And yes, Old School Atlantans, you can see Erby Walker in this clip!

From the home office in London, here’s the Top 10 song chart for the week ending April 22, 2012:

1) Beach House – “Lazuli”
2) Beach House – “Wild”
3) Beach House – “Myth”
4) Beach House – “Other People”
5) Marsheaux – “Destroy Me”
6) Roxy Music – “Same Old Scene”
7) Saint Etienne – “Tonight”
8) Katy Perry – “Hot N Cold”
9) Saint Etienne – “Method of Modern Love”
10) Marsheaux – “Summer”

Kind of an odd week this week, as tunes from my recent Vegas trip dominate the Top 10. And so, from the home office in London, here’s the Top 10 song chart for the week ending April 15, 2012:

1) Elvis Presley – “A Little Less Conversation (JXL remix)”
2) Saint Etienne – “He’s on the Phone (Eurodance Mix)”
3) Alizée – “J’En Ai Marre”
4) Binary Finary – “2000 (Original mix)”
5) The Lonely Island (with Akon) – “I Just Had Sex”
6) The Stranglers – “Golden Brown”
7) Sex Pistols – “God Save The Queen”
8) Blondie – “Dreaming”
9) Kim Carnes – “Bette Davis Eyes”
10) New Order – “Subculture”

As always, from the home office in London, here’s the Top 10 song chart for the week ending March 25, 2012:

1) Bananarama – “No Feelings”
2) Beach House – “Myth”
3) Saint Etienne – “Tonight”
4) Beach House – “Other People”
5) Marsheaux – “Thirteen/True”
6) Beach House – “Lazuli”
7) Marsheaux – “Do You Feel”
8) His Name Is Alive – “Blue Moon”
9) Marsheaux – “Summer”
10) Beach House – “Wild”

It’s going to be a busy springtime for me this year music-wise, as the new Madonna album will be released in a few days, and new discs are expected in the next month or two from Ladyhawke, Saint Etienne, and Marsheaux, among others. But Beach House’s new album, Bloom, has leaked online and it’s bloody brilliant! It’s already well out in front in the early race for album of the year!

Here’s “Myth”, the album’s lead-off track:

Check out the band’s page at Sub Pop here.

As always, from the home office in London… here’s the Top 10 song chart for the week ending March 18, 2012:

1) Marsheaux – “Faith’
2) Marsheaux – “Thirteen/True”
3) The Ultrasonics – “Perfect Girl (Marsheaux Remix)”
4) Marsheaux – “Summer”
5) Marsheaux – “Stand By”
6) Marsheaux – “The Promise”
7) Saint Etienne – “Tonight”
8) Marsheaux – “Ghost”
9) Two Door Cinema Club – “Something Good Can Work”
10) Marsheaux – “Breakthrough”

As always, from the home office in London, here’s the Top 10 song chart for the week ending March 11, 2012:

1) Saint Etienne – “Tonight”
2) Two Door Cinema Club – “Something Good Can Work”
3) Marsheaux – “Thirteen/True”
4) Lynda Kay – “Jack & Coke”
5) David Bowie – “Golden Years”
6) Serge Gainsbourg – “Ballade de Melody Nelson”
7) The Stranglers – “(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)”
8) Bobby Womack – “Across 110th Street”
9) Killing Joke – “Love Like Blood”
10) Cab Calloway – “Minnie the Moocher”