OVERLOOKED: "WALK THE MOON"

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a band names themselves and doesn't even bother to check to see if that name has already been taken.  In my view, once a band name has been taken, it belongs to that band - end of story!  You could modify it but you can't just use a name that has already been used!  I recently was searching out for an old album, the debut, self-titled album from Walk the Moon released on MCA in 1987.  I was surprised when I saw a flurry of new web pages and information about the band - until I realized that it was all about a NEW band from Ohio or somewhere called Walk the Moon.

Granted, the earlier band Walk the Moon never had a huge hit or made much of a dent in pop culture, but if they reached me as a kid growing up in the middle of nowhere, they were at least a blip on the radar.  Besides, it's not like Walk the Moon is really even that great of a band name - as the original band themselves must have known, because after their one album under that name, they rechristened themselves Eleven and released some really outstanding music, including the fantastic album "Avantgardedog" in 2000.

"Walk the Moon" was an album I picked up from a dollar bin at my local five and dime when I was in junior high.  It looked interesting and for a buck, I figured I'd give it a chance.  It never became one of my favorite albums, but it stuck with me enough that years and years later I dusted it off and decided to look up whatever became of the band, which lead me to discovering Eleven and their great music.  The band was comprised of Alain Johannes, who I was recently able to see play live, and his partner Natasha Shneider.  They are both very accomplished musicians who have long histories in the Los Angeles music scene.  Johannes especially has worked with many notable musicians, from his time in an early lineup of Red Hot Chili Peppers, to playing with Chris Cornell, Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys.

This curious 80's album kicks off with what was presumably the lead single, "Daddy's Coming Home," which comes off as a little bit forced.  It seems like they were trying too hard to have a hit, and in 1987 this was not the cutting edge of mainstream rock.  However, it is kind of catchy so you can see what they were trying to accomplish.  The rest of the album is pretty consistent in its sound, with a few more rocking, catchy numbers like "Love is What You Make It," (which sounds vaguely Lita Ford-esque) and "Sugar" being some of the better ones.  Ballads like "On Your Lap" and "Tears in Your Smile" show more depth and passion, but the entire thing comes off slightly hollow, perhaps the result of a new band being pressured by a label to fit into a certain sound.

All in all, the album is mainly notable for me as a bit of nostalgia, because it introduced me to the amazing musicians who went on to grow and create some really great music.  Heck, they even wrote and produced a song for Adam Lambert ("Time for Miracles," a bonus track on Lambert's debut disc and featured on the soundtrack to the film 2012).

Sadly, Natasha passed away in 2008 following a battle with cancer.  Queens of the Stone Age performed a concert in tribute to her in Los Angeles featuring guest musicians including Alain, Jack Black and PJ Harvey.  They donated the proceeds to help defray the medical costs associated with Natasha's illness.

So, let's remember who the real Walk the Moon is and pay tribute to them.

ORIGINAL: COREY HART "BOY IN THE BOX"

This is one of the first records I ever remember buying.  There was this great little music store in the small town near where I grew up and unfortunately, they were going out of business right around the time I started having enough allowance to actually buy music, but on the bright side, they had slashed their prices so my measly pocket money went considerably further.  I remember my mom handed this album to me and said "You like Corey Hart, right?"  Well, I had never really thought much about it before, but I did love his song "Sunglasses at Night," and of course "Never Surrender" had been played to death on the radio but I still kinda liked it, so I bought this album, probably for about $1 or so.

I had this strange habit when I was a kid of amassing music but not listening to it.  I think I might have listened to this record once or twice back in the day.  I probably played "Never Surrender" a few more times, and I distinctly recall the chorus to "Komrade Kiev," but other than that it just didn't really stick with me.

Looking back, I find in general that a lot of Corey Hart's music is very subtle and at the time, when I was a weird kid delighting in obscure early electronica records by The Human League and the Icelandic art-rock of the Sugarcubes, Corey was probably just "too mainstream" for me!  It's funny to realize that now, especially because musically and vocally he's actually very similar to one of my favorite female solo artists of that time - Tiffany.

Lately I've been on a Corey Hart kick, going back and reliving the albums of his that I had before and discovering all the ones I missed, and this album sticks out as being one of the more overlooked ones.  Although I find the A-side of his debut, "First Offense," to be nearly flawless, side A of "Boy in the Box" is pretty damn good as well.  Because the title track was not a big radio hit I never thought too much about it, but now it's been stuck in my head for a week or so and I've been enjoying it.  I actually was prompted to change the way I thought about this song a couple years ago when reading one of my favorite pieces of music bloggery ever, the Bottom Feeders: Ass End of the 80's series from Pop Dose.  Unfortunately, Corey is the butt of many jokes at Bottom Feeders, as the guy who writes it has a serious beef with him.  One of the (many) things about Corey that annoys him is the way he switches the numbers five and six in the lyrics to this song.  But the 80's were all about quirky lyrics and music and "Boy in the Box" has the perfect combination of quirkiness, paranoia, and funny synth music mixed with powerful dance beats and it all wraps up to something I really enjoy.

"Eurasian Eyes" is a great ballad on the album which is similar to other Corey Hart ballads, but a little darker and more unique than "Never Surrender," which of course was Corey's biggest hit ever here in the states event though you hardly ever hear it now.

Side B is actually better than I remember it being but Corey always seemed to do better A sides than B sides.  I do really like "Everything in My Heart" but it's another ballad, and he tends to be a little ballad-heavy.  I would have liked at least one more quirky synth rock number similar to the title track, although "Silent Talking" is pretty close.

All in all, probably the best early-era Corey Hart record, just slightly better than "First Offense."

Rating:  OOOO (Four out of Five O's)

ORIGINAL: VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE "HONEY LINGERS"

Back in 1991, it seemed like Voice of the Beehive was poised to take over the world - or at least the world of pop music.  Their debut album, "Let It Bee," had made some waves in the UK and even some ripples in the US.  I heard of them around the time of that first album, but never caught them on the radio or MTV.  Then, one fateful day, "Monsters and Angels," the first single from their second album "Honey Lingers," came on the car stereo, and I was hooked!  As soon as I could, I went to the record store (that day) and bought the cassette tape, which featured the beautiful artwork as seen above of the two sisters, Tracey and Melissa, who were the vocalists for the band.  From the first time I heard it, I was in love.
The 10-song album is about as tight and perfect as an album can be - the only possible gripe is that it's too short.  Kicking off with the aforementioned lead single, the gloss and shine of the production is a great match with the raw energy and enthusiasm of the band.  The video for the song is great too, bringing to life the famous painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, with the band members playing characters within the diner.  Those shots are interspersed with performance shots in which Tracey is wearing her trademark baby-doll-head dress (which she made herself according to legend).
Next is Adonis Blue, which takes things up a notch.  This is an energetic, sing-a-long romp with delicious vocal harmonies from Tracey and Melissa playing out with the perfection of the boys' instruments behind them.  It's one of those songs that you sing along with by the second or third chorus and the lyrics have so much color in them.  This song should have been a single, and indeed was released as a promotional CD single which contained a b-side, "Shine Away," which was another great song from that time period which was not included on the album.
Up next is the band's cover of "I Think I Love You."  I hadn't heard this song before I heard their version, but my mom got quite the kick out of it when I played the tape in the car (I was in high school at the time).  They update it with a very slick pop/club vibe and this was another single and hit for them in the UK, but was not released in the US.  The video is very brightly colored and shows the band in a club in a sort of rave type setting with lots of colorful extras dancing around to the song.
Never one to shy away from poking some fun while making a statement, Tracey sings "You can read the good book to feel bad about yourself, but just one small donation could save you from burning down in hell" on the hilariously frightening (because it was so true then and even more so now) "Look At Me."  This song really could be the theme song to any one of the hundreds of reality shows that inundate our airwaves these days.
Ending side one of the cassette (or vinyl) is the simple, sweet song "Beauty To My Eyes" which opens with the sublime lyric, "Stars have been subjects of poets and priests, and girls on bended knees, I see the heavens looking at you."  The gorgeous harmonies of the sisters mirror the lyrics of the song, creating beauty to the ears as well!
Kicking off side two in ultra high gear is "Just Like You," which to this day is one of my favorite Beehive songs.  This one reminded me a lot of the B-52's and I thought that if any of the songs on the album could be a huge, mega-breakthrough hit in the US, it would have been this one... why the record company didn't realize that, I'll never know!  "It's just like you, to make me shiver when I'm sweating!"  The video would have been eye candy.
"Little Gods" is a cute little song with a good message - "Little girls shouldn't treat, little boys they happen to meet, like little Gods."  It's a sort of somber look at how girls fall over themselves trying to please and impress the guys their interested in, when really it should be the other way around, but it's wrapped up in so much sugar and sweetness that it doesn't sound preachy or cynical.  Just a spoonful of sugar...
"I'm Shooting Cupid" was another of my favorites and even became the centerpiece of a long running conversation I had with a girl I was pursuing throughout a lot of my adolescent years.  Again, like "Little Gods," it takes some really harsh thoughts on romance and rejection, and ties it up in such an adorable package: I mean, just the title alone looks so cutesy when you imagine some lovelorn lady taking a gun to the little cherub!  Many years later, the band released a special CD collection of rare tracks and b-sides to coincide with their 2003 reunion tour of the UK, which included the original demo of this song which differs considerably from the album version.  I believe that version is now available on iTunes and is definitely worth downloading if you haven't heard it before.
"Say It" is in a similar vein to "Look At Me," being a little naughtier and rawer than some of the other songs and explores a relationship where the female decides it's OK for the male to get away without saying those three little words as long as he treats her right, culminating with the line "as long as we're not saying it, I know something else we can do."
The album ends with another slower track, the haunting "Perfect Place."  As beautiful as this song is, I was very surprised to hear it on the radio as it was the follow up single to "Monsters and Angels" in the US and I really felt strongly that they needed to have a really up-beat song released instead (namely "Look At Me").  It's a really pretty song, and has some really great lyrics and sentiments in it, but since "Monsters" was already pretty much a slow-jam, and since Voice of the Beehive was really a fun, wacky party / dance band to see live, it seemed odd that the label seemed to want to push them as this adult-oriented easy-listening type of band.  They did tweak the mix a little bit so that it opened with a heavier drum beat, but it was still definitely not a "party song."  This strange phenomenon would continue with the band's next (and final) album, which was preceded by the strange choice of first single "Angel Come Down" which, although a very pretty song, didn't seem to represent Voice of the Beehive in a way that would have got people's attention.  The videos for both that song and "Perfect Place" are stunningly gorgeous, though, and again, the original demo version of the song (which the band was always apparently way happier with then the ultra-produced album version) was included on the 2003 exclusive tour CD.
There were some other really good songs the band wrote, recorded and performed around this time that are great additions to your music collection, including "Pocketsized," which was a b-side to "Monsters and Angels" and was in a similar vein to "There's A Barbarian In The Back Of My Car" from their first album.  "Something About God" was a b-side to "I Think I Love You" and is a really cool ditty as well.
This is one of those albums that you can always go back to and have it bring a smile to your face, and sing along to every song.  It's a shame that not more people heard it, but it does make it very special to those of us who have.

Rating: OOOOO (Five out of Five O's)

OUT NOW: HUMAN LEAGUE "SKY"

"Sky" is the third single off The Human League's new album, "Credo," and probably the one that sounds the most like the band's 80's output.  Like the previous two single releases, this one is accompanied by a slew of remixes.  The remixes do little to transform the song, but are all decent enough - none of them are awful, which is a pretty good feat considering I often loathe remixes. 
The track itself is a grower - the first time I heard it, it almost sounded unfinished, or half-baked.  The chorus especially, with it's ultra-simplistic lyrics, takes a few listens before it works.  It's very reminiscent of some of the material from their 1984 album "Hysteria," which itself was the follow up to their mega-breakthrough album "Dare."  It's synth-pop at it's most minimalistic, and it tells a story woven throughout the verses about meeting a girl in a bar, who is in some kind of danger, if she was ever actually there at all.  Despite it's starkness, it does end up sounding quite epic in the end with all the layers of vocals and synths finally getting to climax.  A really good music video could do a lot to enhance this track, but it's probably a pipe-dream since this is the third single from the record. 
As far as the mixes go, the Paper Plates remix just kind of plods along with a sort of fake-funk beat that sounds like something you might hear in an after-hours club.  The Hacker's take is probably the most radically different with some menace to it, but gets a little repetitive and overstays it's welcome at 7:44 total length.  Fusty Delights and Martin Brodin both borrow heavily from the sound of the League's seminal "Don't You Want Me," which is good in the way that it makes that connection, but really, who hasn't heard "Don't You Want Me" enough?  There are enough interesting bits in both mixes to make them worthy of the dancefloors though.
"Credo" will see a vinyl release on the same day that "Sky" is released (July 25) and is rumored to be getting a US release later this year.
Listen to the remixes here.

Rating: OOOO (four out of five O's)

ORIGINAL: THE B-52'S "LEGAL TENDER"

"Legal Tender" is probably my favorite music video of all time, and one of my all-time favorite songs as well.  It's not because it has some huge emotional connotation for me, and it's really quite a simple, silly little song, but something about the way it sounds - the vocals sung in unison, the cheesy drum machine beat adorned with hand claps, and the wonky keyboards - just equals sonic bliss for me.  I first heard the song during an MTV special about the band, back at the end of the 1980's when "Love Shack" was riding high in the charts and introducing the band to a whole new generation of fans including myself.  The video is such a great encapsulation of the band, what with the many wigs, the hilariously cheap-looking blue screen effects, and the random cactus during the simple guitar solo.  It was a song only the B-52's could have done, and still sounds original to this day, maybe even more so than it did when it was first released.  It's probably the most upbeat and poppy sounding song ever written about counterfeiting. 
This was the first single from the band's 1983 album "Whammy!" which saw the band experimenting with drum machines and keyboards, perhaps trying a little too hard to fit in with the new wave/synth pop sound of the time.  Despite not making much impact on any charts, and alienating some fans who preferred the rougher, more natural guitar/drum sound of their first couple albums, "Whammy!" does contain some great tracks including "Song For a Future Generation" and "Queen of Las Vegas."
Chartwise, "Legal Tender" got to #81 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #9 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Rating: OOOOO (Five out of Five O's)

OUT NOW: BLONDIE'S "PANIC OF GIRLS"

Blondie, one of the greatest bands of all time, is back with a brand new album titled "Panic of Girls."  Apparently, a panic of girls is similar to a murder of crows or a school of fish.
The album starts off with a bang, or rather many bangs as original drummer Clem Burke kicks into high gear with a propulsive beat on "D-Day," a song that seems to allude to the current state of the music industry and internet, with references to piracy, transfers, and limited privacy.  The chorus is infectious, with the backing vocals that seem to be chanting "Debbie Devil, Don't You Dare," although I could be hearing it wrong.
From there the high energy continues with the absolutely stunning "What I Heard," which definitely should be a summer single.  It's sing-a-long ready and sounds like classic Blondie but with an energy that is so current and immediate.  Amazingly, this level of passion and frenetic energy is continued into the third track and first single, "Mother," which is another great sing-a-long which just seems perfect for Debbie Harry to sing, as to many, she is the "Mother" of punk-pop/new-wave/girl-rock or whatever she represents to the legions of people she and the band have inspired.
The band brings things down a notch for the next track, the reggae influenced "The End The End" which seems to be an apocalyptic love song reminiscent of other island-flavored Blondie tunes like "The Tide is High" or "The Only One."
Throughout the rest of the album, the band explores a variety of sounds and influences, keeping it mostly mellow from here on out, although "Love Doesn't Frighten Me" is another poppy rock song with a very classic Blondie feel about it.  Some of the stranger, but very cool moments, include the latino jam-band groove of "Wipe Off My Sweat," with Debbie's repeated coo-ings of "Papi, Papi," and the half sexy/half silly rapping of the bonus track "Horizontal Twist" with it's name-checking of Sheryl Crow of all people.
Overall, this album takes a few listens to get into the less-catchy songs that dominate the last 2/3rds of the album, but for a band that's been going as long as Blondie, this music serves them now as it does feel like an album they could actually perform live in it's entirety without being forceful or sounding like they're trying to be something they're not.  It doesn't have all the highs that their previous two discs had (1999's No Exit, and 2003's shamefully under-appreciated The Curse of Blondie) but it's a welcome return from a band who has produced some consistently brilliant and envelope-pushing work.  Debbie's vocals continue to mature in a sultry, jazz chanteuse sort of way but retains enough of her brash, punk attitude and standoffish sex appeal, and the new band members do a good job of honoring the past Blondie sound without being slaves to it.

Rating: OOO (Three out of Five O's)