Fluxblog Weekly #148: Unpopular Pop playlist, Marit Larsen, McLusky, Silures, Spektrum
February 23rd, 2018
16 Years Of Unpopular Pop
This is a collection of the finest non-hit pop songs from the 16 year history of this site. (Well, actually, one legit hit made it through because it fit in nicely.) Itโs basically nothing but world-class bangers.
You can experience it as an Apple Music playlist, a Spotify playlist, or as an expanded download version featuring 16 extra songs that are not available on streaming platforms. Iโve marked the bonus songs in the track listing for the download set below.
DOWNLOAD PART 1
Scissor Sisters โPaul McCartneyโ / In Flagranti โGenital Blue Roomโ / Spektrum โDonโt Be Shyโ / Goldfrapp โRide A White Horseโ / The Silures โ21 Ghostsโ / Basement Jaxx โCish Cashโ / Rachel Stevens โSome Girlsโ / Klanguage โNever Overโ / Kylie Minogue โSweet Musicโ / Annie โChewing Gumโ / Pleasure โOut of Loveโ * / Architecture in Helsinki โThat Beepโ / Out Hud โItโs For Youโ * / Matthew Dear โDon and Sherriโ / Bossanova โRare Brazilโ / Enon โDaughter in the House of Foolsโ / Katy Rose โRosemaryโ * / Fox Nโ Wolf โYouth Alcoholicโ / The Knife โHeartbeatsโ / Revl9n โWalking Machineโ / AG Cook feat. Hannah Diamond โKeri Babyโ / GFOTY โDonโt Wanna/Letโs Do Itโ / Poppy โMy Styleโ / Grimes โArtangelsโ / White Hinterland โChill and Naturalโ / Von Sudenfed โFledermaus Canโt Get Itโ / Bjรถrk โInnocenceโ / Justice โDVNOโ / Kate Nash โPumpkin Soupโ / Yelle โTristesse/Joieโ / Girls Aloud โBlack Jacksโ / Veronica Maggio โGammal Sรฅngโ * / Kimbra โMadhouseโ / Hemme Fatale โAnimal Loverโ * / Alphabeat โHeatwaveโ / Ellie Goulding โAnything Could Happenโ / Sissy Wish โFloatโ / Fight Like Apes โPop Itchโ / Carly Rae Jepsen โTiny Little Bowsโ / Brown Eyed Girls โ๋ ์๊ฐ๋โ / Junior Senior โWe R the Handclapsโ / Gameboy/Gamegirl โSweaty Wet/Dirty Dampโ / Muscles โChocolate, Raspberry, Lemon, and Limeโ / Crossover โExtensive Careโ
DOWNLOAD PART 2
Sleigh Bells โCrown on the Groundโ / Maria Magdalena โCVMC (Cada Vez Mas Cerca)โ / Friendly Fires โHurtingโ / The Rapture โWhoo! Alright โ Yeahโฆ Uh-Huhโ / M.I.A. โURAQTโ / Ceโcile โRude Bwoy Thug Lifeโ / Redinho โPlaying with Fireโ / CSS โLetโs Make Love and Listen to Death From Aboveโ / Spank Rock โSweet Talkโ / Stazi โLove Is Lethalโ * / Yellow Note vs. Pukka โNaked, Drunk, and Hornyโ / Armand Van Helden feat. Spalding Rockwell โHear My Nameโ / Cut Copy โSaturdaysโ / Quarks โI Walkโ + / QT โHey QTโ / Peaches โDumb Fuckโ / Heloise and the Savoir Faire Dancers โOdyleโ / Tracy and the Plastics โHenriettaโ * / Junesex โGets Close to Mineโ / Mouse on Mars โMine Is In Yoursโ / LCD Soundsystem โYeah (Crass Version)โ / Ladytron โDestroy Everything You Touchโ / Of Montreal โThe Partyโs Crashing Us (I Am the World Trade Center Remix)โ / Futon โGay Boyโ + / Dog Ruff โJon E Stormโ * / Chicks on Speed โShick Shavingโ * / Avenue D feat. Cazwell โThe Sex That I Needโ / Gene Serene โElectric Dreamsโ / Vanessinha & Alessandra โGiraโ * / United State of Electronica โLa Discotecaโ * / Planningtorock โI Wanna Bite Yaโ / Nouveau Riche โTake Me Homeโ * / Hilary Duff โDangerโ / SEVENTEEN โChange Upโ / Britney Spears โHow I Rollโ / MNDR โCut Me Outโ / Skrillex โStrangerโ / Sophie โLemonadeโ / Saint Pepsi โBetterโ / Sky Ferreira โI Blame Myselfโ / Lolita Storm โDancing with the Ibiza Dogsโ * / Chairlift โI Belong In Your Armsโ / Au Revoir Simone โThrough the Backyardsโ / La Big Vic โAll That Heaven Allowsโ / Rework โNot Quite Like Any Otherโ
* = Not on either Spotify or Apple
+ = On Apple, but not Spotify
February 22nd, 2018
We Dive Into Devotion
Marit Larsen โThe Sinking Gameโ
Marit Larsenโs solo debut Under the Surface was released in her native Norway in March of 2006, nearly eight months before Taylor Swift released her own debut in late October. Larsen and Swiftโs aesthetics overlap a lot, particularly as Swift phased out the more overtly country rock elements of her debut in favor of the sort of hyper romantic, vaguely twee princess-y vibe Larsen was chasing from the start. I wonder if Swift ever actually encountered this music. It seems possible, but who knows. Itโs just clear to me that on all the levels that truly matter โ approach to melody and arrangement, lyrical fixations, an apparent fascination with fairy tale aesthetics โ they are kindred spirits. But, like, Taylor Swift is one of the most famous pop stars in history, and Larsen is virtually unknown in the United States outside of being a member of the short-lived early โ00s teen pop duo M2M.
This is a shame, as I am certain that there are literally millions of people who would love her solo work โ but especially Under the Surface โ if they ever had the chance to hear it. โThe Sinking Gameโ is a big favorite for me, and itโs a great example of the sort of earnestly romantic quasi-country rock she excels at making. Itโs a very graceful piece of music, particularly during its instrumental bridge section, but itโs really a song about abandoning poise and allowing yourself to open yourself up to big, messy emotions. A lot of Larsenโs early songs describe love in somewhat passive terms, but this song is about willfully leaping into it. It sounds scary and joyful at the same time, and every breaking into the chorus feels like a dive into the unknown.
Buy it from Amazon.
February 21st, 2018
BORN TO HANG AND PROUD OF IT
McLusky โThat Man Will Not Hangโ
The clever thing about McLusky is that they knew how to express anger, bile, cynicism, and bitterness in vivid and visceral ways, but also knew how to make that genuine feeling also come off as dumb and funny. The best McLusky songs allow you to connect with the guy who is in a sputtering rage on a cathartic level, but also someone pointing and laughing at that guy on an intellectual level. As great and wonderfully specific as Andy Falkousโ lyrics could be, itโs sorta like he was singing in an entire language made up of different inflections of โfuck you.โ
โThat Man Will Not Hangโ is the platonic ideal of a McLusky song โ a pummeling bass line, a vicious vocal, and a heavy final sequence that intensifies an already intense song. Falkous starts the song off with a fanciful image โ โthereโs a story on a thimble on a dimple on a peaโ โ and proceeds from there to paint a portrait of some pathetic asshole whose greatest crime seems to be that he โintroduced me to the joys of doubtโ and โgave away his heart like it was his to give away.โ Falkous sings about this guy in a way that makes you want to hate him too, but if you listen a bit closer, he seems more like a dumb chump whoโs been taken for a ride.
Buy it from Amazon.
February 20th, 2018
Theyโre Swallowing Me Whole
The Silures โ21 Ghosts (Part 1)โ
At the time โ21 Ghostsโ was released in 2003, a techno approximation of a glam rock shuffle was very on-trend in electronic music. Goldfrapp released their signature hit โStrict Machineโ around the same time, and artists on Michael Mayerโs Kompakt label were rapidly iterating on the โschaffelโ sound. I love this aesthetic โ sleek, sexy, intimidating โ and wish it would come back in style. In context, this sound came out near the end of the electroclash phase and pushed that sort of cheeky hedonism into a more severe, aggressive, and kinky place. (Not for nothing, but โ21 Ghostsโ is a song that casually mentions watersports.)
โ21 Ghostsโ was the result of a collaboration between the French producer Vitalic and the American punk singer Linda Lamb, and appears on a one-off EP called All You Can Eat. Thereโs two versions of the song, but I strongly prefer this one, which has this violent, urgent feeling to it. I like the way Lambโs nasal NYC accent contrasts with the harsh, grinding tone of the music โ itโs like sheโs trapped inside this machine. The lyrics flip between evocative nonsense โ โlady fancy knickers likes watersports,โ โlook out, Argentina just scored another goal!โ โ and a creepy account of being haunted by precisely 21 ghosts. Itโs a horror song, but itโs not necessarily the supernatural element that makes it scary. Itโs more about feeling like you have no agency, and that you have no choice but to be passive as outside forces dominate you.
But really, if you wanna TL;DR this, let me just say this: This is one of the greatest bangers to ever be featured on this site. It is one of the best songs of the entire 2000s.
Buy it from Amazon.
February 19th, 2018
Oh My God Letโs Dance Forever
Spektrum โDonโt Be Shyโ
Spektrumโs songs have a dominating, forceful quality โ heavy electro-funk so strong that it overrides all physical inhibitions. The boldness doesnโt end at the groove, either. Lola Olafisoyeโs vocals and lyrics get absolutely filthy, and at times it seems as though sheโs trying to make you blush. โDonโt Be Shyโ is an industrial-strength banger on par with the wildest Basement Jaxx tracks and features a particularly sassy and seductive performance by Olafisoye, who spends the entire track enticing you to drop all your reservations and surrender to the music and to doโฆ well, she has some very specific instructions for you. You can just listen to the song to find out.
Buy it from Amazon.