Guilty Danish Pleasures (aka possible porn title)

AQUA - Back to the 80's

Aqua is back! And I have one thing to say about that…THANK YOU JESUS, FINALLY! The world of pop has been a virtual wasteland of Britney sluttiness and Miley pseudo-pedophilia since this Danish foursome disbanded in July 2001 (btw what’s with me and adoring all things Danish?). Remember when pop music was well …pop music? When it was fun and lame in the best possible way? I yearn for those days to return. If I see another 16 year old ‘pop sensation’ showing me her goodie bags while using Auto-tune I may have to give up hope for the future of little girls everywhere.

Sure it’s ironic that I’m hoping for pop music salvation from a band who broke up due to Lene sleeping with multiple members of her group but that my friends is beyond the point. Aqua is a symbol, like Batman but without that annoying raspy voice that Christian Bale does. A symbol of just having a good time.

They have obviously tried to update their sound a little but this song is still pure Aqua. Perhaps it’s a little gay but it’s gay in a rubbing up against a guy in a bus by accident kind of way. The best thing about their return is that they seem to realize that they were the exact thing missing from pop culture today. Aqua basically create updated 80’s pop, they were just born in the wrong decade.

Yes I’m totally serious.

Alphabeat - Fascination

Ok so let’s keep with the Danish guilty pleasures. I can’t think of another song that I should ethically despise but I TOTALLY love. As embarrassing as that is to admit, I’ll admit it proudly, I’ll wave the rainbow flag. I dare someone to listen to this song in their car and not turn it up, unless of course someone else is in the car. “Whoa oh whoa oh”. The first couple beats are blatantly and purposefully stolen from Kenny Loggins “Footloose” and that someone adds to the songs appeal. It’s like pop sampling, FINALLY!

Remember when you were 15 and just made out with that person you never thought you would in a million years? You’re ridding your bike home smiling from ear to ear, thinking how your love will last forever. This song is the personification of that moment. A 15 year olds boys boner basically sings this song. And I’m listening. Loudly.

Katy Perry - Hot n' Cold (LMFAO Remix)

Ok let’s get one thing out of the way: I’m not a Katy Perry fan. If I hear about she kissed a girl one more time I may jump in front of a moving train. While she’s certainly not the biggest villain in the pop world she’s not helping matters much. Now that’s out of the way I AM an LMFAO fan and they remix this shit out of this song.

That being said this song gets in your head like Satan’s orders to murder (ed. note: WTF?). Getting caught singing “You’re hot then you’re cold” while walking around the office makes for awkward situations. Whatever they just don’t “get it”. Right? Sigh.

Tom Waits vs.You

The Piano Has Been Drinking – Tom Waits

If I have to explain the amazingness of Tom Waits then our blogger to blogee(?) relationship has probably run its course. "Shhhh I know. Shh it's ok. It's not you. It's me, really. I just need some space. This is better for both of us...really."

For some reason I want this song played at my funeral. No one would really get it. Everyone would be looking around at the other people in attendance for some sort of explanation as to what this song has to do with my life. Then there would be a handful of people who ‘got it’ who would desperately be trying not to make eye contact or smile with anyone. One of them would be frantically trying to hold back laughter and whisper to themselves “Fucking guy”. Perfect. That person may be my father.

Your Love (The Outfield cover)– Emma Burgess

Josie might be on a vacation far away but awesomeness isn’t (HOW lame was that!). I dig this girls voice, she sounds like she would be one of those tiny chicks that you meet once in a blue moon in the dark corner of some seedy pub that remind you of why you started liking girls to begin with. She has jokes, gets irony and is shy about how talented she is. I’m also aware that I have a vulva for loving this version. I’m ok with it.

Bicycle – Queen

I wonder what Freddie really wanted to say when he sang about all the “fat-bottomed girls riding this way” in this song. Is a fat bottomed dude good times in the sack? I don’t really get it, maybe i was never meant to. This song is all kinds of rad though. Reminds me of being a kid in Queensland and racing my arch nemesis “Big Mike” on my BMX for the yearly neighborhood bike race. I remember looking over during the race and being neck and neck with my villain. Streamers whipping in the wind off my handlebars. Me grinning, eyes still on the front of his bike and mine, knowing that this was “my year”. Then I remember hitting the back of my dad’s parked Buick. Punk rock.

Random Audio Commentary

Too Drunk to Fuck – Nouvelle Vague

Cover of a Dead Kennedy’s classic This song is pretty much amazing any way you try to cover it. Making a French jazz cover of it makes it amazing times ten. Liking this song used to be pretty much mandatory for someone to be a dating option. Or they had to have no idea who Dead Kennedy’s were and thus be “cute and kind of ironically sad”. Like a potbelly pig.

Don’t Cry Out – Shiny Toy Guns

I’m not sure why but I adore this song. It’s basically emo meets electro. Which is basically Mike meets Mike. So really this song is me having sex with my clone but in a nice, let’s cuddle after kind of way. I can see me telling me how that moment was really special to me (I may be lying to myself when I say that to me).

Wonderwall (Oasis cover)–Ryan Adams and Cat Power

Why does this song still have relevance? I have no idea but it does. In a real ‘circle of life’ kind of way Oasis did the original, Ryan Adams covered it, then Noel Gallagher covered Ryan Adams’ cover of it. I’m not sure at which point this just ends up being musical masturbation but it can’t be far off. Cat Power just kinda rules so I added her, she wouldn’t date me, EVER. Which is rad for some reason.

You Make My Dreams Come True – Hall and Oates

Basically the best Huey Lewis and the News song not written by Huey Lewis and the News. How many movies has this song been in? Try every Michael J. Fox movie ever. Remember when he banged his Aunt in “The Secret of My Success”? How weird would that be? Then when she finds out he is her nephew she tries to sneak into her room all night when they all stay overnight in that mansion for the party. Awkward.

Transmission – Joy Division

Maybe the most important band between 1977 and 1982. I’m a lil obsessed but they changed everything. How does one band catch on the tail end of the punk movement, basically create post-punk, have its lead singer commit suicide on the eve of their first North American tour, then go on to form New Order and help create the 1980’s-90’s rave scene? Without them there is no U2 and there is no Tiesto (let’s not hold that last part against them).

The Grand Opening

Welcome to the grand opening of "The Awkwardness of Life".

In the near future i'll be posting various ramblings in regard to life in general, music, sports, philosophy and all the things that i want to talk about because...well, its my site ("i do what i want!")

I've been secretly wanting to do something like this for a long time and have finally gotten around to doing it...and...ya...awwwwwwwwkward.