Favorite Video(s) of the Week: Copy and Paste

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Xeroz (or Zerox), Polaroids, copy and pasting…songs about mundane tasks and objects made all the more interesting by a bit of guitar and an electronic beat or two.


Adam & The Ants – Zerøx (1979)

This was a previously unreleased video, towards the end there are some strange outakes. Perhaps it was a bad copy? har har. Early Adam Ant sounds fresher than the later pop-ier, pirate themed stuff. Another favorite is his take on bondage, Whip in My Valise.


Ruth – Polaroid Roman Photo (Synthwave France, 1985)

From The Boomar Blog:

Ruth was an 80’s synth/artsy new wave group from France consisting of Thiery Müller, Phillippe Doray and Ruth Ellyeri. From what I can gather, they only released one full-length LP, also titled Polaroid/Roman/Photo on the ultra-obscure Paris Album records. The record was out of print for quite some time, but has since been reissued by UK label Infrastition Records


Plastic Operator – Folder (2005)

As someone who does a lot of blogging, I think this tune could be a potential theme song. Always copying and pasting, editing, cropping…come to think of it, isn’t love the same?

From the Plastic Operator website:

Plastic Operator are the perfect pop group for our times. Internationally minded, technically savvy and most importantly blessed with the ability to sculpt sublimely soulful pop moments from raw digital clay, Plastic Operator may exist in a parallel space to the tired pop pap in the Top 10, but what a wonderful space it is.

Favorite Video(s) of the Week: Les Négresses Vertes

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Zobi La Mouche- Les Négresses Vertes

There was a time in the early 90s when I didn’t have a job. I scavenged, weaned and gleaned from the excesses of consumer society. I didn’t need much – friends, homemade food, dance parties, books and music were my sustenance.
Les Négresses Vertes made up a big chunk of the soundtrack to this bit of my life. I listened to them constantly. They were the background music for two of my favorite books at the time: Letters of Insurgents and Song from the Forest.

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With exuberant songs such as “Zobi la mouche” and “Voilà l’été” Les Négresses forged their lively ‘get up and dance’ style. The group’s unique sound was basically a musical melting-pot, created by fusing a variety of musical influences from their extremely diverse origins. Spanish and Gypsy rhythms were fused with traditional French dances and rai sounds and strung together with lyrics which appeared light and innocent on the surface but were, in fact, full of innuendo and hidden meanings.

Read more here.


L’homme des marais – Les Négresses Vertes

Porches

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My great-great grandmother Matilde Vizcarra Tellez, Los Angeles, circa early 1930s.
Such mystery behind her small smile.

Favorite Song of the Day: The Blues

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Primary 1 feat. Nina Persson – The Blues

It’s been awhile since a new song has really excited me but finally a new bit of music to savor and I’m swooning! The other day my ears perked up when I heard the melancholy strains and driving beats of Primary 1’s The Blues. The vocals are amazing too and whoa, its a duet! Nina Persson formerly of The Cardigans is a guest vocalist. I’ve always had a thing for male/female duets perhaps it started with Human League’s Don’t You Want Me but it’s continued on with songs like The Postal Service’s Nothing Better and Kings of Convenience’s Know How. The Blues is another to add to the list. There are echoes of 80s new wave bands in this song but who? Berlin? The Motels? Whatever, this is my song for the summer, and will probably end up as a reminder of my melancholy 2010 days.

Check here for Primary 1’s blog. They are also offering The Blues as a free download!

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Primary 1 from their Facebook page