[VIDEO] SIRPAUL: "body connection"

sex up your friday with the steamy new "justify my love"-inspired video from SIRPAUL for his single "body connection." the track is from his latest album, the horse, about which we recently posted.

bastille: "of the night" and "what would you do"

covers are tough. an artist must maintain the integrity of the original, especially when a song is popular, iconic and fondly remembered, and infuse his or her own style. the end result is either wildly successful or embarrassingly awful. luckily for bastille, he achieves the former. in fact his cover of corona's 1995 worldwide smash "rhythm of the night" is so good it bests the original. not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination. the cover also interpolates a portion of snap!'s 1993 dance floor classic "rhythm is a dancer," making for an early-'90s europop twofer that's downright irresistible. the song is from his recently released EP of eclectic covers, other people's heartache, which you can download for free here. also check out his cover of city high's 2003 hit "what would you do" below. if you're in the u.k. you can pre-order his new single "overjoyed" here.

bravestation: "signs of the civilized" (polarsets remix)

u.k.'s polarsets rework canadian band bravestation's latest single "signs of the civilized" and come out in spades. the tribal pop tune is taken in a livelier direction replete with lush synths and a more accessible beat. that's not to say that the original is anything to scoff at. but if you want to know what a "remix-done-right" sounds like, check this out:

matthew dear: "in the middle (i met you there)" [feat. jonny pierce]

yes.

[CAMP!] marilyn chambers: "shame on you"

the first porn video i ever saw starred marilyn chambers. it was called marilyn chambers' private fantasies #2 and i was about 13. my grandfather had a copy on VHS and sometimes i would sneak into his dresser drawer when he and my grandmother weren't home and watch it. although as a young gay man i was never sexually attracted to her, i was instantly drawn to her. she was likeable and charming, down-to-earth and had a genuine erotic appeal that was downright fascinating. over the years i would hear her name mentioned on television talk shows and sitcoms and realized that she must have been pretty famous if she were being referenced on mainstream programs. however, this wasn't surprising. i could tell her personality must have made it easy for men and women to relate and be attracted to her.

years later i would often revisit the private fantasies video tape. (oh, yes, i swiped it from my grandfather's dresser drawer. if he ever knew, he never said anything.) it wasn't so much the porn aspect of the film -- though some of the men were very attractive, and i was a horny teenager -- it was her. she was alluring. she not only aided in my discovery of the pleasures of sex, lust, physicality and romance but became a symbol of my burgeoning sexuality as a teenager. i remember being at work on april 12, 2009, scanning the day's news online when i read that she had unexpectedly passed away, just 10 days shy of her 57th birthday. this sunday would have been her 60th birthday.

though she was a legend in the adult film world she was also a bit of an anomaly. her career spanned nearly 40 years, a remarkable feat for a woman in any aspect of the entertainment business, yet she made only 8 adult feature films. in 1972 she went from struggling model and actress to global superstar courtesy of the landmark film behind the green door, produced and directed by san francisco's notorious mitchell brothers. she was only 19 when she made it, and the week the film premiered the brand new box cover of ivory snow soap flakes hit store shelves. there on the box was 16-year-old marilyn chambers smiling and holding a laughing baby. ivory snow's tagline was well known: "99 44/100% pure."

marilyn casually mentioned the box to the mitchell brothers who, as savvy business men and marketers, recognized what a goldmine this was going to be for their new film. they phoned every media outlet they knew of and it wasn't long before everyone knew that marilyn chambers, this symbol of young american motherhood, was joyously and willingly participating in adult films. it may seem tame today but the controversy of ivory snow and green door caused a firestorm of publicity. the film played at cannes and became the first widely distributed hardcore adult film in the united states. made for a modest $60,000 the picture went on to gross over $50 million making it one of the biggest money-makers of the year. and with it marilyn chambers became the world's first porn star.

she and the mitchell brothers followed the film in 1973 with resurrection of eve. i had the chance to screen the film last summer here in san francisco, which i wrote about on the Pop Sucker. since then i've been absolutely enamored -- some might call it obsessed -- with marilyn chambers. i've studied her career, watched her films, read her books, spent hours on eBay and other sites trying to find anything i can about her. i even created a tumblr to house the enormous collection of photos i've amassed over the last 8 months. (you can visit it here, but it's NSFW, obviously.)

so what does this have to do with the Pop Sucker, a music blog? one of the things i've learned is that marilyn had a much more varied career than one might suspect: she starred in stage plays in new york, las vegas and london, including neil simon's last of the red hot lovers; she made a successful crossover into mainstream films including a role in the horror movie rabid directed by a young david cronenberg; she wrote three books, including her autobiography, my story, published in 1975; she wrote two different sex advice columns in genesis and club magazines for 20 years; she even ran for vice president of the united states not once, but twice; and, she sang. in addition to her disco single in 1976, she was also the lead singer of a country band called haywire in the early 1980s. but her greatest musical achievement, at least of those few that were officially released, is "shame on you," the theme song to her 1980 film insatiable.

one of her best-known and fondly-remembered films, insatiable marked her return to adult films after a 7 year absence. at her most beautiful, most glamorous and most captivating, marilyn was also in fine voice after having spent several years doing her cabaret act and theater performances. with its wailing guitar licks and sultry vocals, "shame on you" could have been a huge hit and might have been had it been sung by a karen carpenter or bette midler. however, since it was sung by a porn star and used in a porn film, it's been largely ignored or unheard. until now.

roshambo: "cigarette lemonade"

oh, cigarette lemonade/you've been laced again/you taste so divine

roshambo sounds a lot like the name of rambo's younger sister, but if that's really the case, she definitely kicks ass. proving that sweden isn't merely about sparkly euro-disco and max martin, the three-piece roshambo, from karlskoga, deliver energetic rock 'n' roll on tracks like "cigarette lemonade."

the reverb junkie: "tear down walls"

the reverb junkie is the moniker of michelle chamuel, a singer-songwriter in western massachusetts who, by all accounts, is simply mad about vocals. all kinds. doesn't matter. she lays 'em down. she does 'em up. but most importantly, she works it. "tear down walls," a song for the lovelorn, makes excellent use of syncopated rhythms and ingenious, yet simple vocals effects.

future unlimited: "golden"

if a song title contains the words "summer," "sunshine" or any abbreviations, derivatives, or synonyms, i'll immediately listen to it no questions asked. it doesn't matter the artist, the style of music, if a title even hints at the notion of warmth and sunny days, i'm all over it. "golden," by nashville duo future unlimited fits the bill perfectly. synths, a beat and filtered vocals. yes, please. you can grab their debut, five-track EP here.

kimbra / mark foster / a-trak: "warrior"

good music sells shoes. at least that's what the people at converse think. so they tapped mark foster, of foster the people, kimbra, who's riding a wave of success as a featured singer on gotye's "somebody that i used to know," and DJ/producer a-trak for their "3 artists, 1 song" campaign which i know nothing about either. except that the music that's produced as a result of this campaign is pretty damn good. "warrior," the collaborative track, is a nice balance of each artist and offers a killer hook with a memorable "you're just pushing me down/pushing me down/pushing me down" lyric. guaranteed to burn up summer mixtapes galore.

morten harket: "when i reached the moon"

fun fact: this is actually my body with morten harket's head photoshopped on to it. of course i haven't received any residuals. nor do i expect to. but rest assured it is mine. le sigh. anyway, that's what attracted me to the album in the first place. my body from the neck down. morten harket is best known as the lead singer a-ha, the '80s supergroup that up until 2010 was still recording. (they released their final album and disbanded that year.) out of my hands is harket's fifth solo album. "when i reached the moon" is straight-ahead pop, much like a-ha's best material, and harket's trademark falsetto is all over the song, much like a-ha's best-known song "take on me." 

plushgun: "i like it" and "kick me out"

plushgun have been building a steady and devoted following since their debut track "just impolite" hit myspace in 2007. after signing with tommy boy records, they released their full-length debut album, pins and panzers, in 2009. since then we've seen only a smattering of singles and remixes, notably "mixtapes" and the accompanying remix by buffetlibre. finally a new song, "i like it," surfaced last november as a precursor to their upcoming sophomore outing me. me. the brooklyn band, which is essentially the brainchild of dan ingala, serves up some delicious alternative electropop on their second full-length (which inexplicably includes the two-year-old "mixtapes"). songs such as "i like it" and "kick me out" are chock-full of toe-tapping melodies, hooks, and sing-along "bahp-bahp-bahps." perfect springtime, feel-good music.

plushgun - kick me out

chantal claret: "bite your tongue"

kitten berry crunch: "black and blue"

the kickdrums: "lights" (feat. rebecca jordan)

i heart the kickdrums. ever since i heard their track "animal," i was enamored with their style and the way they effortlessly maneuver between and incorporate myriad genres such as hip-hop, pop, and electronica into their sound. their latest mixtape follow the leaders is more of this perfected blend. (it was even supposed to feature a much-discussed collaboration with A$AP rocky and lana del rey which was pulled from the mixtape at, literally, the last minute.) "lights," featuring rebecca jordan, is one of the more atypical songs on the album. sort of acoustic-with-a-beat. as much as jordan's vocals are wonderfully seductive and a joy to listen to, it would be interesting to hear the kickdrums' alex fitts sing the tune with his distinctive vocals. you can download the entire mixtape for free here. highly recommended.  

rebel rebel: "love songs" + remix of avicii's "levels"

time to disco your tuesday. rebel rebel is a trio based in gothenburg, sweden: a singer with a background at the swedish ballet school, a producer/musician from the band katakomb, and a DJ who's big in the club scene. "love songs," their debut single has got the aeroplane, modern eurodisco sound down pat, and features killer harmonies. also check out their remix of avicii's "levels."

SIRPAUL: "dark beat"

the first thing that strikes one about listening to SIRPAUL's new album the horse is that each song is all about the chorus. and each song's chorus is not only strong, but is driven into the listener's consciousness over and over again. this is a tried-and-true formula, of course, but it's one the openly gay, new york-based singer does well throughout the album's 15 tracks. take "dark beat" for example. the incredibly infectious chorus is sung numerous times -- we counted six -- over the course of the song's four minutes and 20 seconds. once is enough to get you hooked; by the sixth time it'll be so firmly lodged in your brain you'll have no choice but to sing along.

jetsi kain: "i'm in control"

jetsi kain are a brand spankin' new group from copenhagen. their debut single, "i'm in control," has a fresh, summery vibe to it. it's also got a light reggae beat too. yet there's something almost showtune-y about it as well. so picture julie andrews as maria von trapp except she's in jamaica, not austria, and she's got dreds; captain von trapp is playing "edelweiss" on the steel drum; and the von trapp children are singing "the lonely goatherd," only instead of using marionettes, they're rolling blunts. that's what this song sounds like.

qualité motel: "kisu kisu" (feat. pintandwefall)

i forgot to feed you/so you ate me

qualité motel, the side project of quebec electro-jazz band misteur valaire, is taking a different approach on their debut album. as they note of their web site: "we are trading our usual artillery to sit down in front of small synthesizers and a drum machine." motel california, released this week, is one of the most exquisitely diverse and commanding records this year. calling on assistance from a variety of worldwide artists in myriad genre, the album is a striking potpourri of sounds. not all of the tracks work, but most do. and when they do there's no denying their appeal. like on "kisu kisu," with vocals provided by finnish, zorro mask-wearing girl group pintandwefall. from its sickeningly sweet, yet tongue-in-cheek lyrics (you are my sugar pie/my pumpkin/honey babe/the light of my life) to its '60s girl group-meets-modern electropop sound, the track is irresistible.    

so luxxurious: the pain, pleasures & passion of baron von luxxury

"i love pop music," says baron von luxxury. "there's something to be said for the song structure of verse, chorus, verse, breakdown or a bridge, and chorus. that format always appealed to me. i don't think anyone doesn't like it." talking by phone from his los angeles home last week, baron von luxxury (real name: blake robin) speaks emphatically about the joys of pop music. his passion for it is obvious and engaging. for if it's true that the best musicians are music fans, baron von luxxury is no exception.

baron von luxxury's the last seduction
is a finely crafted pop album.
just don't call it women of a certain age.

in mid-february baron von luxxury released his long-awaited debut album the last seduction. dripping with '80s synthpop nostalgia, modern dance-pop production, pop culture references galore and influences ranging from disco and giorgio moroder to new order and sparks and ABBA, the last seduction is a finely crafted album. it's also an intensely personal one. three of the songs are inspired by the suicides of two friends.

"my friends theresa and jeremy committed suicide in 2007," he says. "it was a defining moment in my life; a huge event that really threw me for a loop." theresa duncan and jeremy blake were well-known multimedia artists in new york. duncan, devastated over a film project which she had spent years making that had recently hit a roadblock, committed suicide in the manhattan apartment she shared with blake. the couple had been together for 12 years. one week later, blake traveled to new york's rockaway beach, walked into the atlantic ocean, and was never seen again. it's a dramatic story; one that's been profiled in vanity fair and new york magazine, and even optioned by hollywood.

"this is my version of their story," says baron von luxxury. "i want their story to be told, but i didn't want to exploit them. i cherish having the memories and images...but i'm worried about the hollywood version of their story. i don't want them to end up like cartoons." the songs "the lovely theresa," "alice underground," and "rosebud was the name of his sled" are his and the couple's story written from the points of view of jeremy, theresa, and his own, respectively.

"i feel like i chickened out not calling [the album] the lovely theresa," he sayd. "but i didn't want it to be 'the suicide album.' maybe i was a little too paranoid about that though. i probably over-thought it all."

despite the dark imagery of the lyrics all three tracks, particularly "the lovely theresa" and "alice underground," are wrapped in easily accessible, shiny pop beats. other songs follow the same pattern, such as "terry richardson," an ode to the celebrated and controversial photographer. it's a song baron von luxxury says he was fortunate enough to give to richardson on a chance meeting."i'm really proud of that song lyrically," he says, citing that he took a steely dan approach to the song. "[steely dan is] a band that people perennially go on a rant about, but to me they're awesome. their lyrics are awesome. the songs have a bright sheen to them but underneath the lyrics are really disturbing."

other highlights include the europop "that disco beat," a collaboration with little boots, the witty "women of a certain age," and the bombastic "i'm not bad, i'm just drawn that way," which is certainly the album's high-water mark. every song on the album is a mixture of all the things baron von luxxury loves about music.

"i started writing because i'm a fan," he says. "i'm so passionate about music, and the inspiration that other artists have given me. and i want to create that feeling that they [gave] me. i wish i could make the music that i love." the baron has landed.

jump jump dance dance: "all we got"

jump jump dance dance first came to my attention a couple years ago with their tracks "modern eyes" and "show me the night" and their various mixes. the LA duo of chris carter and simon lewicki had quite the pedigree in their own rights as producers, DJs and musicians before collaborating on JJDD. "all we got," from their eponymous debut album, is european flavored rock-disco at its best.