David Hasselhoff - Looking For Freedom

A: David Hasselhoff
S: Looking For Freedom
C: Looking For Freedom

Talking about all things '80s, I could not not post this all time favorite treasure pleasure of mine. It was 1988, my mother bought our first stereo and I got to pick our and my first ever compact disc. And I am not ashamed to say so! As I said, it was 1988 and I was totally in love with Knight Rider - looking back, I probably still am.

Hurts - Wonderful Life

A: Hurts
S: Wonderful Life
C: Happiness (out 27.08.10)

So '80s it hurts. Need I say anything more? Well, yes, Happiness is out 27.08.10 and without any doubt the most eagerly anticipated debut album this year, actually, the most anticipated album alltogether. Dive in and enjoy the swim in a pool full of cool synthesized beats with Manchesters hottest duo du jour, Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson.

Eels - Spectacular Girl

A: Eels
S: Spectacular Girl
C: Tomorrow Morning (out 24.08.10)

Take it this is for all the ladies, single or not, who cares. If you want to know my very own personal and private yet publicly published opinion: Spectacular Girl sounds just the same like any other Eels song, so it is far from spectacular. All the any other Eels songs all sounded great though, so it is just as spectacular as all the others. Got it?

Klaxons - Echoes

A: Klaxons
S: Echoes
C: Surfing The Void (20.08.10)

The Klaxons debut album 'Myths of the near Future' started the new wave new age new rave revolution some years ago, although Manchester based never intended to do that. Anyway, that was then and this is now: stand by for the transmission of the life affirming video for Klaxons' hugely expansive new single "Echoes", shot in the Egyptin white desert with long-time creative collaborator/Director, Saam.

Brandon Flowers - Crossfire

A: Brandon Flowers
S: Crossfire
C: Flamingo (out 03.09.10)

The Killers singer Brandon Flowers decided to do it solo. I don't really mind, as long as it remains a project and he returns as promised to the rest of the best british band that is not from Britain afterwards. There are certain solo walks which I don't understand, like this one, after all, Brandon doesn't really sound that much different with or without the Killers. However, I think Brandons voice makes the world a better place, so I couldn't care less if he sings solo or combo.

Grum - Through The Night

A: Grum
S: Through The Night
C: Heartbeats

To quote myself: "Bring back the '80s!" To quote the BBC album review: "Heartbeats charms with such ease that it’s hard to accept it’s a debut. The sole intention of Grum, aka Leeds-based Scot Graeme Shepherd, is to fill a club with revelry, not to flick the switches of the critical consignetti. His music is a gateway to release for the everyman, not the preserve of the muso."

School of Seven Bells - Half Asleep

A: School of Seven Bells
S: Half Asleep
C: Alpinisms

In School of Seven Bells music, a human element lurks behind a veil of technology and noise; Toby Holbrooks video for the Brooklyn trios Half Asleep follows suit, depicting real-life twin vocalists Alejandra and Claudia Deheza as earthbound beauties, while complicating their image through sped-up film, gauzy overlays, and brightly colored, weather-like disturbances. The clip conjures a sad, surreal feeling that sticks with you long after the images fade.

Unheilig - An Deiner Seite

A: Unheilig
S: An Deiner Seite
C: Puppenspiel

Who would have thought one can mix Pixar with Gothic!? Sheer genius. For what it is worth, if you wanna go gochic (thats gothic and chic, of course), Unheilig is the way to go. Somewhere between Rammstein and Rosenstolz, I find the voice quite captivating. There's a great line somewhere too, going something like this: I keep a picture of you in my mind, and heaven won't get it back ...

The Like - What I Say And What I Mean

A: The Like
S: What I Say And What I Mean
C: Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?

I say what I mean and I mean what I say: I like the like. Sometimes things can be easy as pie. Yes yes yes, and I like the video and the album title too.

Wham!- Club Tropicana

A: Wham!
S: Club Tropicana
C: Fantastic

Since I know that Frolain L. has nothing but love for me because I was born in the 80s, I desperately want them back! Somebody somewhere spin that time-machine back bout 25 years. Club Tropicana has been on my mind for some time now, might be the weather, might be the free drinks I long for, might be that my last holidays are one year away. Just an idea.

!!! - AM/FM

A: !!!
S: AM/FM
C: Strange Weather, isn't it? (out 23.08.10)

Wonder why they are talking bout the weather being strange, what about that lsd-infected disco-cookie-licious video? Isn't it? Isn't it just? Innit? Innnnnnit? Or is it just me? Love it.

Discobitch - C'est Beau La Bourgeoisie

A: Discobitch
S: C'est Beau La Bourgeoisie
C: C'est Beau La Bourgeoisie - EP

Although the video looks like from the early 90's, back in the days when a certain barbie girl toured the world with a group called aqua, this one is actually only one year old. Looks like disco*itch learned their lesson well: you can never go wrong with a red head, even if it is fake. And if you mix some french lines into an english song, even a cheap song becomes funky.

Big Boi Feat. Sleepy Brown & Joi - Turns Me On

A: Big Boi Feat. Sleepy Brown & Joi
S: Turns Me On
C: Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty

Big Boi, former half of Duo Double Trouble 'Outkast', took a bit longer to release his solo album Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty. Although it got raving revues, I will sum things up with this youtube user's comment:
This track's the only one that's tight on his new album.

ArpLine - Fold Up Like A Piece Of Paper

A: ArpLine
S: Fold Up Like A Piece Of Paper
C: Travel Book

What else to do than a rocking pigge nigge on a lazy sunday afternoon? Looks like Arpline got the season wrong in the video, or I got the moment of posting messed up, but who cares bout such juicy details with such a great tune to discover. Travel Book is one of those debut records that introduces the band as not one with potential to build on, but as a fully developed superpower.

Is Tropical - When O' When

A: Is Tropical
S: When O' When
C: When O' When - Single

Is Tropical looks like the sort of lads that could never get clean, no matter how hard they washed. Personal hygiene aside, this lo-fi, London-based-squat rock trio spit out music that ping-pongs between fuzzy pop glory and dark, instrumental weirdness. Schizophrenic freaks seems an apt moniker.

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl Feat. Q-Tip and MNDR - Bang Bang Bang

A: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl Feat. Q-Tip and MNDR
S: Bang Bang Bang
C: Record Collection (out 10.09.10)

Just so you know that I know that you know that everybody else posted the song everywhere else already before. But I figured it was one tune not to miss in my summer 2010 hit list. Although I like the video more than the song. Or the intro to the video to the song. You can never go wrong if you mix retro with a touch of french and mix it all with a dash of Asia. Voila.

The Real Tuesday Weld - Bathtime in Clerkenwell

A: The Real Tuesday Weld
S: Bathtime in Clerkenwell
C: I, Lucifer (or Weeds, Vol. 2)

Animation by Aleksey Budovskiy

I actually really like the song, altough I guess this will be more about the film, which is about The Great Revolution of the British Cuckoos, who bravely took over London, forcing all the people to move inside the cuckoo clocks.
Jury Award for the Best Animation at Sundance Online Film Festival 2004, Prize "for the perfection of music and fantastic Imaginary" at Ottawa animated film festival 2004, Grand Jury Award for the best animated short at Florida Film Festival 2003, and so on and on.

Kelis - Milkshake

Kelis-Milkshake from serkan kalender on Vimeo.

A: Kelis
S: Milkshake
C: Tasty

Just becuase. With sizzling degrees outside as well as inside, I think we could all use some of Kelis' milky shaking. Back in the days before her life was everything but acapella, Kelis seemed to be a bit more fun, I think. So let's turn the volume up and the freezer inside out, and celebrate one of pop's finest lines ever: I could teach you, but i have to charge!

Janelle Monáe Feat. Big Boi - Tightrope

A: Janelle Monáe (Feat. Big Boi)
S: Tightrope
C: The ArchAndroid

.. things are looking up! This is what summer 2010 is all about, and if it is not, it bloody well should be. I know that this is gonna be my number 74 favourite track this year, but it is not my fault if things are just getting better. So stay tuned. And just for the record: Janelle has the same hair do as I do - kind of bigger tho, bit more curls, and maybe a tone more of black in it. Besides that, we could be twins!

Florrie - Call 911 (Fred Falke's Remix)

A: Florrie
S: Call 911 (Fred Falke's Remix)
C: Call 911 (The Remixes) - EP

I don't know if there's an original version of the song around, which is a bit weird - then again: who cares? Fred Falke did a great job in remixing this tune to an all hot summer favorite. In the last two years Florrie has played drums on various tracks for Kylie, Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys etc.
More on her, according to her web-site: as traditional a musician and performer as can possibly be, but at the same time a completely new type of independent pop artist... I would like to point out that you can't be pop as in popular and indie as in independent at the same time - never mind.

The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog - Sex Week 7

A: The Stooges
S: I Wanna Be Your Dog
C: The Stooges

Ok, it was a close call between this one and Peaches Fuck The Pain Away. I will keep the latter one for the second sex week, sex week the sequel, or whatever you want to call it. Anyway, Sex Week was fun, even if it turned into Retro Week in the end, sorry bout that. Can't wait to catch up with all the new shit next week now. It will be a blast. Watch and see!

Trude Herr - Ich will keine Schokolade - Sex Week 6

A: Trude Herr
S: Ich will keine Schokolade
C: Niemals Geht Man So Ganz - Die Zwei Gesichter Der Trude Herr

Turn the volume up. Alright, this wasn't planned - but the more you watch the video and listen to that voice, you realize that the sex isn't in the lyrics (I don't want any chocolate, I want a man - one to kiss me, to wrap me round his finger) but in the whole performance. Which, after all, must have caused a drama or two, back in 1965.

Etta James - I Just Want To Make Love To You - Sex Week 5

A: Etta James
S: I Just Want To Make Love To You
C: At Last!

Originally released in 1954 by Muddy Waters, Etta covered the song in 1961 for the debut album. It was a big hit back then but only got released as a B-Side of another single. In 1996, things got even more massive when Diet Coke used the song for their iconic ad campaign. In short: pop has not just been dirty since rap came along, back in the 50's things were just as steamy!

Scissor Sisters Feat. Kylie Minogue - Any Which Way - Sex Week 4

A: Scissor Sisters Feat. Kylie Minogue
S: Any Which Way
C: Night Work (Live @ Glastonbury 2010)

Wait for the bridge - it goes something like this:
You know baby
When I was taking my pantyhose out of their egg this evening
I thought: I'm going to find that man that is the right shade of bottle tan
A man that smells like cocoa butter and cash
Take me anyway you like it
In front of the fireplace
In front of your yacht
In front of my parents
I don't give a damn baby, just take me

Brigitte Bardot & Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'Aime - Sex Week 3

A: Brigitte Bardot & Serge Gainsbourg
S: Je T'Aime
C: Best Of BB

Nobody does it better than the french, at least that's what they say. And nobody did it better, and more graphic for that matter, than Serge with Brigitte. I give you the original version of the song, which was never released officially because Mister Bardot wasn't too happy about things when he found out. Wonder why... Serge released the Song with second wife Jane Birkin, and as much as I love Jane, Brigitte did it better. And that's the end of that story.

50 Cent feat. Olivia - Candy Shop - Sex Week 2

A: 50 Cent feat. Olivia
S: Candy Shop
C: The Massacre

Since nobody was crazy about Britney's breathing yesterday we will take things to 50 per-Cent's licking today. Candy Shop is fine with me as a metaphor to all things sexy - and I'm always pro features, like the line from the M&M's campaign 'I'm trying to explain baby the best way I can - I melt in your mouth girl, not in your hands'...

Britney Spears - Breathe On Me - Sex Week 1

A: Britney Spears
S: Breathe On Me
C: In The Zone

Welcome to Sex Week! Let's start stuff with the sexiest virgin this planet will ever see: this is actually my favorite Brit Song - and believe me, there aren't that many. This one is fantastic though, it is very subtle, it leaves everything open to imagination. All Britney wants you to do is breathe, and we all know that the softest touch might just have the strongest impact.

Taxi - Campari Soda

A: Taxi
S: Campari Soda
C: ...

Probably the most beautiful Swiss holiday relax-to-the-max-chill-out song, ever. Released in 1977, the song was only supposed to be an album filler. Taxi never really had any success with it, not until other artist started to cover the song. Then in 2006, Swiss International Airlines used the song for an advert, and after that the song finally made it to the top 3 of the Swiss national charts. As i said the advert was for Swiss and not Swissair, so you might want to ignore the video.

Madonna - Don't Cry for Me Argentina

A: Madonna
S: Don't Cry for Me Argentina
C: Evita - Soundtrack

Oh come on, I had to.

Lo-Fi-Fnk - Steppin Out

A: Lo-Fi-Fnk
S: Steppin Out
C: Boylife

The video for Dance Duo Lo-Fi-Fnk's second single Steppin' Out from their critically acclaimed debut album Boylife. According to their own definition, they make thin music for thin people. Now there's the first good reason why, if at all, you should start a diet. With the heatwave lurking over Europe at the moment, shouldn't be too hard. And you might still make it in time for the end of bikini season!

Eminem Feat. Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie

A: Eminem Feat. Rihanna
S: Love The Way You Lie
C: Recovery

Not a big Eminem fan, and never been really keen on Rihanna - but they pull this one off together, nicely. Eminem has always been a master for features and samples so I give him full credit for that. Stan feat. Dido will probably always remain his masterpiece, and Dido's career probably over by now if it wasn't for Em. When she released her debut album, it kind of got unnoticed until Stan came out - and we all know the story after that.