We all have them, songs that seem to touch a secret place in your soul – sometimes secret even from you. They can grow and occasionally fester like an open wound, or they can fill you up, inspire you and occasionally even heal you. Sometimes they don’t even reflect your musical tastes. They can be shameful secrets that you keep from family and friends. You feel like a drug addict craving your next fix. At times like those you thank the powers that be for MP3 players – the syringe of those suffering with this affliction.
This is the sixth instalment of songs that touch my soul. And as always, this edition is full of passion, desire, and lust. This is a form of therapy, this sharing of my neuroses, my secret inner lunacy, the big ball of crazy that is me. Welcome to my musical schizophrenia.
“Super Selfish” – Korben
“Super Selfish” has possibly the greatest intro ever written. The driving Foo Fighter-esque guitar riff and fabulous beat, give-way to frontwoman Erin Gerber’s smooth vocals that give the petulant lyrics life. Erin’s voice is creamy smooth, but with an emotive edge that completely conveys the passion, anger, pain, or melancholy of any fractious lyrics.
“Kiwi” – Maroon 5
Drenched in wet, erotic imagery layered on by Adam Levine with lyrics like “I wanna give you something better/ Than anything you’ve ever had/ A stronger and a faster lover/ The world will disappear so fast.” And the deliciously graphic line “Sweet kiwi/ Your juices dripping down my chin/ So please, let me/ Don’t stop it before it begins”. Although someone should tell Levine that in this instance, as a rule, faster isn’t better.
“Don’t Stop The Music” – Rihanna
A Euroclub-feel dance track with overpowering beats, sensual electro-dance hooks, and a sample of mamasay-mamasas – from Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” – that perfectly blurs into the track, complete with Jackson’s signature high pitched “woo hoo” scattered eloquently throughout. This track is more than memorable it’s manifestly unforgettable.
“Slow Bullet” – The Slides
The Slides are the ultra cool four-piece from London who are, if “Slow Bullet” is any indicator, destined for much bigger things. This swirling-whirling, creamy-rich song bounces in at you like the fool dancing around with joy, but like the fool “Slow Bullet” is tinged with regret and sadness. Frontman Rod Da Rosa has one of those voices that is both effortlessly smooth and passionately raw, with the curious ability to seemingly keep harmony with itself. His vocals carefully pick a path through and around the delicately prancing sounds of the Hammond organ and the careening rock noise of the guitar. The Slides make the fantastically trip-rock sounds of “Slow Bullet” seem so uncluttered, but then only the truly talented could make something so complicated appear so effortless. I have included the video for this stellar song below.
“Are You A Boy Or A Girl” – Imperial Drag
The greatest band you have never heard of. Imperial Drag rose from the ashes of Jellyfish to release one fantastically glam-rock/power-pop album in the late 90s only to split shortly after. Imperial Drag are what The Darkness aspire to be, if only they had the talent and vision. “Are You A Boy Or A Girl” wouldn’t be out of place in the movie Velvet Goldmine, frontman Eric Dover even looks frighteningly similar to Ewan McGregor’s character Curt Wild. This fabulous glam-rock epic track has everything you would expect from T. Rex or Brian Eno of the mid 70s. I think though, that you have to hear it to appreciate its glammy genius. So I have included the video –- a homage to Russ Meyer’s Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls — below.
“Slow Bullet” – video from The Slides
“Are You A Boy Or A Girl” video from Imperial Drag
