Meme: Audio Virus

My flatmate, an esteemed music maker in his own right, recently accused me of only listening to 'music that was either an influence on or influenced by David Bowie's Berlin period'. This may well be true. However, as I was chucking memes about recently, I feel obliged to reply an invitation from the fine End Times (though Dan, as payback for this, can you use normal sized type on your blog henceforth? Please? I get half way down a post and start hallucinating). Apologies if this is all insufferably hep. Video links when available. Gist of meme:

"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to."



Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam - I Wonder if I Take You Home
Practically the only thread I've enjoyed on Dissensus for an age was one on '80s R&B and Electro Soul', which showcased a huge amount of fantastic Magic FM Electro (think 'Somebody Else's Guy', 'Forget me Nots', etc). My favourite of these has to be the freestyle joy of the above: New Order circa 'LowLife' clatter mixed with the Shirelles' 'I'm not that kind of gal' schtick, plus the all-important talky bit. Thanks to Luke for alerting me to it...Strangely poignant, as is:

Joe Jackson - Stepping Out
Which I heard for the first time since I was 2 (probably) in a pub about a fortnight ago, and find oddly wrenching. Morley description: Neu! doing Cole Porter. Also notable as a rare example of Portsmouth futurism. Like the Tricorn centre.



Prince - Girl (no link, as Prince is on the internet 24 hours a day, watching)
As mentioned somewhere on the Impostume, I've been having one of my periodic obsessions with Prince (there will be a post eventually, maybe after I finally write my Pulp piece - maybe at once, with the common factor being very sexual effeminate heterosexual men at their best when accompanied by synthesisers). So I've been listening to Vanity Six, Sheena Easton, Wendy & Lisa: and the B-Sides collection from the early 90s. 'Girl' is B-Side to 'Pop Life' as I recall, and is obsessive supplication ('I'd be the water in your bathtub' etc) and weightless technosoul.

The Fall - Wings (alternately: Is This New, Taurig, Ol' Gang, Pilsner Trail, Cash & Carry, Ludd Gang, etc)
Obviously.

Simple Minds - Glittering Prize (Theme)
The link is not the 'Theme' of course. A recent 12" purchase, with the epic glorious etc beauty of a band who would be one of the hippest names to drop imaginable if they'd split in 1982 denuded of their occasionally vainglorious vocalist. Works perfectly well with Jim Kerr, but it's sometimes preferable to view the artwork without an accompanying description.

Basic Channel - Phylyps Trak (and variants, but not 'Phylyps Trak 2, no sir)
Uncharacteristically propulsive, driving, euphoric early BC. In fact, this squares a couple of circles, by being both saturated with hauntological hiss - and futuristic force, relentless forward motion.



Roisin Murphy - Primitive
A lurching, atavistic, sultry thing, oddly out of kilter among the brightness of Overpowered.

Slick Rick - The Moment I Feared
Which I returned to after returning to Tricky's 'Ponderosa' and remembering what it reminds me of (obviously I heard the later of the two first). Maxinquaye's whole sound in embryo, with its paranoia and creaky breaks, and a clear, droll account of all kinds of horrors: our protagonist is mugged, murders two people, and ends the song being raped, never seeming fazed by any of these things. Is this a bit less appalling when related with this much wit and elegance (two things decidedly lacking in his equivalents today)? Worth it at least for the pay-off, 'I was the main event on the TV for a while'. Curiously, Tricky's frantic later cover misses the point entirely (link is 'Children's Story', which is almost as good).

After last time I might have over-tagged as it were, been a bit intrusive, so a tentative tag at: Voyou, Poetix, Impostume, Beyond the Implode, OST (a long shot), Attic Plan, and Mentasms.
(images via)