handmade handsome poster providing details of the next disco..on saturday 12 march at king’s cross social club…

Men
London, The Lexington
08/02/2011

Poster girl for uniqueness JD Samson springs passionately into mid winter London sporting block colours and buckets of enthusiasm for her performance/art collective, MEN.

The guitars are sharp, the bass is addictive and the Brooklyn trio’s accessible funk-disco gives JD’s niche lyrics about liberty and sexuality a mainstream audience.

It is the genuine onstage energy that sets MEN apart, proving that passion for a cause is the best way to pop.

‘Off Our Backs’ slickly blends into the bluntly-worded ‘Credit Card Babies’ and after just three songs the stage is invaded by excitable fans who become impromptu backing dancers (and singers).

Social commentary with a bounce .

Sunday Girl
The Garage, London
06/02/2011

Her namesake may be a first class pop song by Blondie but Sunday Girlhas picked synth over guitar and is more like Ladyhawke than Debbie Harry. Actually, she looks more like Mischa Barton from The OC doing a Chanel advert, but her music is supposed to be the focus tonight, so the details of her modelling/blogging/London Fashion Week DJing career can wait.

Taking the headline slot upstairs at The Garage on, funnily enough, a Sunday, she has a tough act to follow. The small crowd are still catching their breath after a hauntingly beautiful acoustic set by Emma’s Imagination, so when 22-year-old Jade Williams - Sunday Girl is a nickname from her days as a weekend assistant in a pet shop apparently – appears with a pair of unnaturally good-looking male guitarists wearing Italian suits, the crowd are caught off guard. The stage is decorated too, with a couple of carefully lit vintage display cases containing mounted butterflies, making the show look more like a Hugo Boss advert than a gig. But there is (a bit) more to it than just pretty faces. The band launch into a punchy guitar-backed synth feast and William’s soft, almost slurred, vocals lazily float above the music.

Opening track ’24 Hours’ is quickly followed by Sunday Girl’s Diplo-produced first single ‘Four Floors’, as the band charge through a short set with barely a moment for a “hello” or “thanks”. Her latest single – a cover of Laura Branigan‘s spooky 80s power ballad ‘Self Control’ - is quickly recognised by the crowd, but sadly falls rather flat being nowhere near as good as the original version. Sounding like a less-quirky Alison Goldfrapp means that Sunday Girl is not a bad musician and is actually quite pleasant to listen to live. But she blends in far too easily with the growing bunch of fashion-conscious female-lead pop acts doing the rounds right now. Her “scruffy Chanel” chic may have got her voted Company magazine’s ’19th coolest girl’ but for now she’s struggling to match that musically.

Indigo2, London
28/01/2011

Resurfacing exactly 30 years after the release of their massively successful‘Pelican West’ LP, new wave funk-pop crooners Haircut 100 are back. Whilst, these days, they look more Gap advert than early 80s hipster, musically they sound like they never *ahem* parted.

Followers of indie bands of the moment blessed with good-looking and over-styled lead singers – take The Drums and, a few years before them, The Libertines - should look up Haircut 100. The guitar-led funk-pop outfit had a fleeting moment of en trend brilliance circa 1981-2, releasing four top ten singles and posing for numerous American Apparel-influencing cover shoots for music magazines. Lead singer Nick Heyward – who thirty years ago looked like a smooth-skinned, better behaved Pete Doherty - persuaded the world that polo boots, rolled-up chinos and baseball caps, combined, were cool. Then he vanished amid rumours of self-destruction. Sound familiar? And Haircut 100′s music remains equally relevant with traces of the Haircuts’ sound reappearing through bands such as Two Door Cinema Club and The Rumble Strips.

Heyward cradles his guitar at chest height and his finger-splitting funk is as sharp as it ever looked on Top Of The Pops tonight, even if his floppy fringe is now swept to the side and there’s not a deck shoe in sight. ‘Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)’and ‘Love Plus One’ bounce around the Indigo2 with all the excitement you would expect of the 19 year-old boy who wrote and sang them to crowds of swooning girls three decades ago. It is impossible not to smile and even Heyward swaps his trademark poster boy pout for a satisfied grin, as he sings ‘Fantastic Day’. Backed by a brass trio and bongo drums, the show is a genuine celebration.

one way of coping with this, i found, was to start a disco (dirtyconverse) and channel every available ounce of love into it – much better than getting angry with the world for giving me rubbish girlfriends (in the past).

this is why dirtyconverse is and has always been all about ‘pure disco love’ and so much of the music that gets played is selected for its dancefloor amour-inducing qualities (in a clean and wholesome way, of course). and it works – whether it’s faith-restoring lyrics, drums that beat-up angst or synth that simply makes you smile – there is a lot of love at our disco.

naturally this means the february party is extra pure special – being a chance to celebrate the love of music, dancing and everything else that comes with a good disco…so whether you’re hugging your friends, humping your other half or doing a robyn (that’s dancing on your own, not knobbing a hot blonde), you should find a place at our Second Ever Lovers’ Disco.

with that in mind here are ten carefully selected disco love songs, which ensnare every dimension of love and will likely make you sing, shiver and sick a little bit – hopefully, all at the same time. messy.

1. ‘dancing on my own’ by robyn. life-affirming synth for the unloved.

2. ‘feels like i’m in love’ – by kelly marie. giddy pop proof that even ginger-haired ladies with a touch of the troll about them can fall in love. if kelly can wear a bin liner One-Piece while looking like someone’s nan doing the robot on tv, AND still feel like she’s in love, then there is hope for anyone. provided you can do ninja kicks and unsubtle arse-slap dance moves, that is. that’s asda price!

[better videos here and here and also here in what looks suspiciously like it could be original video for this belting song, the embedding for all sadly disabled]

3. ‘everlasting love’ – by the love affair. something to aspire to.

4. ‘true blue’ - by madonna. even if you don’t appreciate “true love, oh baby” you can still enjoy the cute faux-innocent close-ups of the backing dancers well-toned asses. an american apparel-inspiring treat.

5. ‘young adult friction’ - by the pains of being pure at heart. sex in public libraries? (almost) better than love.

6. ‘your ex-lover is dead’ - by stars. not for the light-hearted, this one. cellos and duets and no end of sarcasm from a fresh wound. very raw, that one.

7. ‘put a little love in your heart’ – by jackie deshannon. do what jackie says and the world will be a better place, for you, and me, you just wait and see…

8. ‘heartache’ by pepsi and shirlie (and their ra-ra skirts). well, thanks to sony bmg preventing ANY wham embeds, sadly ‘wake me up before you go go’ and ‘careless whisper’ could not be included in this disco love-in. THANKFULLY, one-time wham backing (imagine if they were boys?!) singers and all-time disco princesses pepsi and shirlie, said ‘yes’. “remember we met and the room was crowded, i can’t forget the way that i found it…” if you’re listening, ‘hi shirlie!’

9. ‘fading like a flower’ - by roxette. belting break-up song channelling pain through power guitars. just let it go, go on…such a cold town.

10. ‘neighbourhood #1 (tunnels) by arcade fire. attention to the finer details of falling in love and forgetting everything that happened before. impossible not to love.

and finally, the voice of one angry young lady who has clearly been turned into a super-creepy she-devil by love. let this be a warning to you:

The Walkmen
Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
25/01/2011

It is very hard if not impossible to go to a Walkmen gig and not spend a large part of the show anticipating the moment when they will play their 2004 masterpiece , ‘The Rat’. Which does a disservice to a band who having been together for the best part of ten years and six studio albums in, are on tour, basking in the critical glow of almost universally rave reviews of their latest LP, ‘Lisbon’.

Still, when lead singer Hamilton Leithauser unassumingly appears on stage, his lazy, nasally vocals floating out over The Walkmen’s trademark marching drums, there’s a flash of uneasiness to ‘Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Has Gone’, from 2002′s eponymous debut album. But the New York-Philadelphia five-piece quickly hit their stride with guitars taking hold half way through the opener, instantly engaging a well-filled Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Visually they are an unappealing lot, ambling on to a minimalist stage in the sort of casual suits more befitting suburban civil service workers than credibly cool NYC garage rockers. But this is a gig for music fans, not fashion followers, and anyone who agrees with the fine reviews of The Walkmen’srecent offerings is not disappointed by the display tonight.

Next up is a spine-tingling rendition of ‘Angela Surf City’ – one of the highlights of ‘Lisbon’. Clever guitar work and rhythm changes on the latest album are laid bare, loud and clear, on the likes of ‘Blue As Your Blood’ and ‘Victory’ as the first half an hour of music is pure immersive emotion. There is a definite lull in the pace midway as Leithauser croons his way through ‘Look Out The Window’ and ‘On The Water’ before taking a Pinter-esque pause with the reflective tones of ‘While I Shovel The Snow’. But a steady stream of 6Music airplay makes sure ‘Juveniles’ – the one that sounds eerily similar to Rod Stewart’s ‘You’re In My Heart’ – gets a warm reception.

Leithauser’s impassioned drawl shapes the band’s sound both on and off stage – drawing inevitable Bob Dylan comparisons – but their accomplished live performance is set apart by the slick guitar work and commanding drumming, which is less polished but no less brilliant when performed live. That is why The Walkmen are undoubtedly at their peak when playing full-throttle, as they show by launching into a sprightly and rejuvenated rendition of ‘Woe Is Me’ towards the end of the set. ‘The Rat’ is rather too predictably reserved for the encore but is no less exhilarating, sacrificing only a small amount of its drama to the audience’s lingering expectation. The only surprise, perhaps, is that it is not the final song.

you can ride the pony. again.

laura branigan: highly likely to make you go a bit ‘kate bush’ on the dancefloor. even if you don’t remember it precisely you probably enjoyed listening to the soothing tones of ‘self control’ on steve wright in the afternoon at an early age in the 1980s. if you were lucky enough to do so the song would have imprinted itself on the back of your head, remaining there to this day, lurking, ready to provoke swirling arm movements and dramatic singing should you hear the chorus played at a disco.

this 1984 synth soap opera is everything a good 80s pop video should be and more. LB also sang ‘gloria’ as featured in the wonderfilm that is flashdance, thus making her officially all sorts of cool.

so, the news is that ‘self control’ has been covered by sunday girl, rather well, actually. i’m going to her gig on friday 21 jan at the nest in d-d-d-dalston. i live among the creatures of the night…

sunday girl’s previous releases ‘stop hey’ and ‘four floors’ while not as good are equally as en trend (i.e. pure synth pop with a pretty face and an acceptably lo-fi posh voice) so i’m sure she will be famous soon, or at the very least won’t look out of place in e8.

this beautiful double cd arrived in the post a few days ago and is helping to brighten the grey abyss that is january in hackney. it will no doubt have an influence on the music played at the next dirtyconverse disco which is scheduled to take place on saturday 12 february…two days before Love Day 2011. pure disco love.

this brightly coloured package of early nineties treats was the first EVER album i owned (at the age of 10-nearly-11) and my original copy is the double cassette edition. it’s still intact and works fine on my jvc tape deck BUT disco practicality dictates that i must own it on cd if i am to share it with an audience. so i now own two copies. smash hits fan #1.

highlights from ‘smash hits 1991′ (as i remember them) include sophie lawrence’s cover of the donna summer classic ‘love’s unkind’ and ‘just another dream’ by cathy dennis. CATHY DENNIS!

(totp dance moves to die for)

back to 2011 and having listened to half of cd1, i’ve just reactivated an absolute belter of rock ballad by roxette, which is best described as the musical equivalent of a swoon. ‘fading like a flower’ was on repeat in 1991 and 20 (!!!) years later…stilljustasgood.

trust me – it’s worth braving the ten second emi-sponsored ad to watch the official vid on youtube. backlit blonde hair, 80s-cum-danny-zuko-grease dance moves and that leather jacket, marie fredriksson, you are Invited to our lovers’ disco…

full tracklisting:

• 1. Good Vibrations – Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
• 2. Thinking About Your Love – Thomas, Kenny
• 3. One And Only – Hawkes, Chesney
• 4. Happy Together – Donovan, Jason
• 5. Just Another Dream – Dennis, Cathy
• 6. Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave) – Roxette
• 7. Get The Message – Electronic
• 8. Over Rising – Charlatans
• 9. Promise Me – Craven, Beverley
• 10. More Than Words – Extreme
• 11. I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
• 12. International Bright Young Thing – Jesus Jones
• 13. Chorus – Erasure
• 14. Love’s Unkind – Lawrence, Sophie
• 15. Be Young Be Foolish Be Happy – Sonia
• 16. Shocked – Minogue, Kylie
• 17. GLAD – Appleby, Kim
• 18. Are You Mine – Bros
• 19. Footsteps Following Me – Nero, Frances
• 20. Love And Kisses – Minogue, Dannii
• 21. Baby Baby (I Know You’re A Lady) – Grant, Amy
• 22. Charly – Prodigy
• 23. Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
• 24. Everybody’s Free – Rozalla
• 25. Now That We’ve Found Love – Heavy D & The Boyz
• 26. 3am Eternal – KLF
• 27. I Wanna Give You Devotion – Nomad
• 28. Alright Alright – Urban Soul
• 29. Winter In July – Bomb The Bass
• 30. Pray – MC Hammer
• 31. Peace – Johnston, Sabrina
• 32. Do The Bartman – Simpsons
• 33. Insanity – Oceanic
• 34. Move Any Mountain – Shamen
• 35. 7 Ways To Love – Cola Boy
• 36. Gypsy Woman – Waters, Crystal
• 37. Ring My Bell – Monie Love & Adeva
• 38. Can I Kick It – Tribe Called Quest
• 39. Call It What You Want – New Kids On The Block
• 40. Crazy – Seal

they are best known for super-60s pop stomp ‘have i the right’ which is all sorts of amaze and was number one in the uk charts in 1964. i read somewhere that the distinctive drumming was enhanced by actual stamping on the stairs of joe meek’s studio, recorded by microphones connected to the bannisters by bicycle clips.

the honeycombs teeter along the fine line dividing sixties suave and ‘little bit gay man’ with their beautiful matching tailored suits and sharp demi-quiffs – appaz, guitarist martin murray was a hairdresser before forming the band which could explain their well-informed sense of style. perhaps.

by taking her beehive onto every young person’s black and white tv screen and no doubt inspiring a plethora of impressionable young girls to join bands, honey lantree gets hero status. she also has a prrroper london accent and remains amazingly fashion conscious, sporting a sharp royal blue box-shouldered jacket in an interview where she talks about working with joe meek.

although 50 years on the band are still performing, honey took the graceful path, retired early and is no longer drumming. she is probably now someone’s very cool nan…

i bought a ‘best of’ the honeycombs album last week and despite being dubbed one-hit wonders it’s surprisingly good. highlight alongside ‘have i the right’ has to be the slightly sinister ‘eyes’, which seems to be all about eyeing up people in bars (or maybe just full-on stalking) – great lyrics, and of course, superb drumming: