Gen/Dis: Le Fin

Hey sweetpeas. The MIA is going to continue probably til the end of the week. I have the post Spring Break shitload of work blues. Here's the last installment of this month's Gen.Dis, wanted to throw it up here while it was still March. Enjoy! (Trying out this player, but you can access the songs direct via the titles.)

The Backseat of My Car [I Monster, feat. Marion Benoist of the Lovers]
Sheffield electronic duo I Monster pair up with Marion Benoist of Sheffield electronic band the Lovers for this track off of I Monster's excellent Neveroddoreven. It's flighty camp: creepy oompah instrumentals, weird sound effects, and Marion's sugary accent and breathy vocals.

Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head [Kylie Minogue v New Order]
Probably on every girl's top 50 songs to get dressed to (as well as everyone's top 50 songs you don't want stuck in your head), and then add "Blue Monday" and you have sassy awesome pop perfection. I don't listen to much Kylie Minogue (actually, this and last week's post just encompassed the entirety of my Kylie library), but I have a lot of respect for her and she definitely knows what she's doing.

Bam Bam [Sister Nancy]
Billed as the first female DJ from Jamaica, Sister Nancy rose to prominence in the '80s. "Bam Bam" is her best known song, and for good reason. Like, seriously. Try not to sing along to it.

Lay My Down [Saint Bernadette]
Heard about this group, fronted by the super vocals of Meredith DiMenna, from Berkeley Place. Check out their Myspace for more songs. DiMenna's voice is husky, sexy, strong, and works perfectly for this uber-dramatic song. It's not a voice you hear everyday.

A New England [Kirsty MacColl]
I mean, it's Kirsty. Singing one of Billy Bragg's best songs. That he wrote extra verses 'specially for her. But, okay. If this is your first time, yeah, it's kinda 80s-tastic, but give it a few listens and it'll grow on you. I've come to prefer it over the Billy Bragg version. (Am I allowed to say that?) For an extra special bonus, hit up the BK for some "Train in Vain."

Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things [Kirsty w. the Pogues]
Uh. It's Kirsty. Singing Cole Porter. With the Pogues. Whose instruments add the perfect amount of drama to "Miss Otis," the drums giving the gallows-lynch scene a romantic rush that would make Foucault twitch. And considering that Kirsty + the Pogues = THIS, a song that makes grown men weep like babies, can you really argue, especially when Cole Porter has been thrown into the mix?


Clumsy Sky [Girl In A Coma]
Big huge thanks to Mister McCrank for bringing these ladies to my attention. Lead singer Nina Diaz has a gorgeous voice, a command and operatic quirk that a lot of female-fronted bands lack. Now, I don't think the Morrissey comparisons would have come if they didn't have that name or had opened for Mozzers, but I can see it, after the fact, in the flexibility and their indulgence of Moz's version of yelpy scat. This song is exciting and has a nice, dark, rushing pop punk feel to it without going overboard. I do want to go on the record as not liking their album art, though.

Femme Fatale [The Velvet Underground]
I have a lot of problems with Nico. We'll ignore Mr 15 Minutes and start with that she doesn't always hit the notes on the head. And then I had a problem with her when I was reading this book, but I can't remember what it is. But this song is pretty, and makes me appreciate the off-balance richness of Nico's voice.

Blues In the Night [Rosemary Clooney]
This is a great song whether it's sung by a lady or a man, and Rosemary Clooney's strong voice strikes a balance between a bluesy forlornness and a sultry feminine swagger that reminds you that even though this song is about the inevitability of the opposite sex fucking with you, this is one lady who won't let him get away with it.

Mr Bojangles [Nina Simone]
The High Priestess of Soul does Jerry Jeff Walker's classic over a simple backing track and a chorus of herself, I think. While she doesn't give the impression that she was in that cell in New Orleans with the fellow, there is still the nostalgia and longing that overcomes the sense of heard-it-from-a-guy that might have characterized her version.