When the 80s weren't that cool : Tiffany

I suppose I had fallen in love with the good-looking, somewhat naughty and definitely identifiable Tiffany when I heard and saw her singing I think we're alone now (mp3) back in 1987.
"Children behave !
That's what they say when we're together"
Yes, I really felt like I wasn't being taken serious by my parents, and yes, I could really feel it physically, the butterflies of teenage love...
The overall excitement of the two lovers was a feeling I could so relate to and she was looking so vivid, so pretty (in a non-perfect and thus even more attractive way) and so young, that being 15, there was little resistance on my part.
Even now, watching the video, I can still remember the feeling she gave me, and hey, it's been 20 years !

And guess what ! Totally unnoticed on this side of the ocean, she is still having a career, and has released a new album (Just me) earlier this year... Get all the information on her impressive (well, in a way...) career at Wikipedia.

Buy her latest album here
Buy the album that originally featured "I think we're alone now" here

Discover these artists !

Norwegian artist Grande is about to release his debut album Uppers, downers, screamers & howlers. Heavy guitars with a softening voice in Rhythms of sin and a touch of eighties in We did it all make it worthwile to give him a listen. You can listen to more songs on his website or check his MySpace.

Enjoy :

• Rhythms of sin (mp3)
• We did it all (mp3)

Montreal-based Plajia have just released their debut Beautiful explosion and will be playing a show tomorrow at Bar St Laurent 2 in Montreal. It might be a good idea to go and see them ! They too have a MySpace you can visit...

Enjoy :

• Dummy (mp3)
• Beautiful explosion (mp3)
• Beating the charms (mp3)

You can buy the debut album from Grande here

You can buy the debut album from Plajia here

Lazy Monday : Banco de Gaia

I don't remember why I ever bought the Banco de Gaia album Maya. It must have been in those days when I had just discovered techno and related genres harboured some great songs too...
It's not an album I play a lot, and I hardly ever listen to it as a whole, but at times, it really appeals to me...
Just the kind of thing for a Lazy Monday !

Enjoy these tracks :

• Mafich arabi (mp3) from Maya
• Down from the mountain (mp3) from You are here
• How much reality can you take ? (mp3) from Igizeh
• Glove puppet (Dreadzone remix) (mp3) from 10 years remixed

Enjoy this video for Last train to Lhasa :

You can buy the albums of Banco de Gaia here

Album of the week : Post pop parade - Chris Price

If you like your records to sound like the ones you remember from the eighties, this album is a sure bet ! Chris Price has made a poppy record, however without losing sight of today's music scene.

Admittedly, the first associations when hearing the complete record, were Kraftwerk and Erasure, but listen to the raps in Heat Up and mistake it for Fat Lip in Chemical Brothers' recent single The Salmon Dance. If the songs don't sound very eighties (e.g. Taken) they definitely sound quite nineties (And She Was) with their bleeps which could well have been The Orb-inspired...

Overall, this album may not have the quality (nor the ambition) of a today's Achtung Baby or Kid A, but if you like something to go well with the dishes you're doing or ironing your shirt, this is definitely the right album (to all you sarcasts : this IS meant as a compliment...). It's also very suitable for Friday or Saturday evenings, before going out : it'll get you in the mood for sure ! It combines the best of early hiphop (Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata,...) with a Pet Shop Boys nose for pop.

Funny how Chris Price calls it post-pop...

Enjoy these tracks :

• Heat Up (mp3)
• Radioactive (mp3)

You can buy the album here.

Or even better : Chris Price has informed me that blog readers can buy at for about a dollar less : send 12 USD and your address to sales@chris-price.com or mail them at info@chris-price.com for full information. This offer includes free worldwide shipping.

Next week's album of the week : Die anarchistische abendunterhaltung - Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung

Album of the week : The fat of the land - The Prodigy

Try singing The Prodigy's Smack my bitch up at a feminist convention, and you'll understand the impact of words on people fighting for a cause...

The single, following Breathe and Firestarter, raised high expectations for this album, back in 1997. For me, those expectations were not entirely met. True, the three songs I already cited, are good Prodigy material, and there are some more songs that remain quite good. But most of the songs contain at least one good idea, but sadly the idea's not been worked out thoroughly, which leaves me a bit unsatisfied. Although, I will not deny that I have enjoyed and still enjoy most of the album. The L7 cover Fuel my fire is probably the weekest song, and Narayan isn't exactly among the best The Prodigy have ever done, but hey, you can skip songs on your CD player, can't you...

Following the release of this album, their tour led them to Brussels (Vorst Nationaal), where I saw their concert. Unfortunately, that concert was a bigger disappointment : they seemed like a good CD-player : loud and good sound quality, but the songs differed far too little from the studio versions...

Still, enjoy these tracks :

• Serial thrilla (mp3)
• Smack my bitch up (mp3)

You can buy the album here

Next week's album of the week : Post pop parade - Chris Price