Long Hot Summer

Wednesday was the longest day of the year, which means one thing: It's time for people to trade their Summer Burn CDs. (Okay, so there might be more than one thing, but you get the point).

For those of you are scratching their heads and thinking "Summer what, now?" let me explain. Summer Burn is a groovy project run by the funjunkies website.

Everyone who signs up has to send out a double compilation CD of summer tunes to two, randomly selected, music fans on the summer solstice. In return, they get two CDs from another set of particpants. It's a bit like a pyramid scheme except (a) you actually get something, and (b) it's a very flat pyramid.

Anyway, with all the characteristic traits of a procrastinator I finished and sent out my CDs today, and I am mighty pleased with the results. I'd been planning to put the files on the website, too, but my internet connection is fucked in the ass (that's the technical phrase).

In the meantime, I've uploaded the cover art and the tracklistings so you can recreate the magic for yourself.

In fact, you should definitely try that - as I'm off on holiday and this is the last post I'll be making for a week or so.

Have a good summer!
mrdiscopop

CD ONE - POP
1) Regina Spektor - Us
2) Brendan Benson - Tiny Spark
3) Eels - Saturday Morning
4) John Lennon - Oh Yoko!
5) Coldplay - Don't Panic
6) Hard-Fi - Middle Eastern Holiday
7) The Like - June Gloom
8) The Cardigans - Don't Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)
9) Nina Gordon - Straight Outta Compton
10) Ohmega Watts - That Sound
11) Common - Faithful
12) Nelly Furtado - No Hay Igual
13) Camp Lo - Luchini
14) Handsome Boy Modelling School - Breakdown
15) Lily Allen - LDN
16) Girls Aloud - Long Hot Summer
17) Madonna - True Blue
18) Deee-Lite - Good Beat
19) Janet Jackson - Escapade
20) Sugababes - Breath Easy
21) Asira - Everlasting Love

CD TWO - URBAN
1) Tico Mocotó - Swinga Sambaby
2) Johnny Jones - Purple Haze
3) Evinha - Que Bandeira
4) Quarto Em Cy - Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser
5) Segio Mendes - Mas Que Nada
6) Donal Leace - Today Won't Come Again
7) Stevie Wonder - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
8) Sly & The Family Stone - If You Want Me To Stay
9) Graham Central Station - Hair
10) Archie Bell & The Drells - Tighten Up
11) Buddy Rich - The Beat Goes On
12) Henry Mancini - Pink Panther Theme
13) Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova
14) Harry Belafonte - Jump In The Line
15) Herbie Hancock - Bring Down The Birds
16) Young Holt Unlimited - Ain't There Somethin Money Can't Buy

Front cover

Back cover

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Gooooaaalllll!

Long-time readers of this blog may have realised I'm not much of a sports fan, so the lack of World Cup coverage on these pages won't have come as a big surprise.

However, I finally managed to watch one of the games last night - at the Odeon Cinema in London's Leicestershire Square, of all places.

The Odeon is where all the big-budget film premieres are held in the UK, so it's quite likely that I was sitting in a seat previously occupied by Tom Cruise or Cameron Diaz. Although, given my decision to purchase an ultra-cheapo ticket for the middle of the auditorium, it was more likely to have been the seat Michael Barrymore or Christopher Biggins sat in during the first screening of the Spice Girls Movie.

Anyway, the game was excellent - John Cole's first goal, in particular, was a spectacular example of a man kicking a ball in the right direction.

But England did what they always seem to do when I watch them: play brilliantly in the first 20 minutes, then get a bit clumsy and forgetful before throwing the whole game away in the closing minutes.

It's like they've modelled themselves on Wile E. Coyote: running at full pelt in pursuit of the Roadrunner, almost catching him, then realising they've run off the edge of the cliff and waving bye-bye before plummeting to inevitable doom at the bottom of a massive canyon.

Last night's match was being shown in HD, which looked pretty amazing considering it was being projected onto a screen four storeys high. The picture was a little jittery and pixellated, but I think that may have been the fault of the satellite link from Germany as the adverts at half time were stunning - perhaps even better quality than films I've seen at the venue. Still not enough to make me spend two grand on a new TV set, though.

Anyway, Come On England. There's only one Aaron Neville. Etc.

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Unsurprising news

It's not Thursday, it's not seven o'clock, and it's definitely not Top of the Pops. The BBC have only gorn and axed the only pop music programme left on the telly (I'm not counting the new Popworld because it is, frankly, a load of old toss).

Oh well, it's just me and the 47 cable tv music channels from hereon in.

The BBC statement 'in full'

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Reasons to be cheerful

1) The shouty one out of Mis-Teeq, Alesha Dixon, has enlisted the help of Girls Aloud hitmakers Xenomania and pop genius Richard X for her debut solo album, says the Observer Music Monthly. It will therefore be nothing less than pure pop gold. You can hear a little bit of the magic on Alesha's inevitable Myspace site.

2) Beyoncé is back with a new album called, ridiculously, B'day. The lead single, Déjà Vu, has leaked and is definitely better than anything on the last Destiny's Child album, although its becoming increasingly clear she'll never top Crazy In Love. Get jiggy by going to Spine and scrolling down til you find a link to the MP3.

3) I've just about managed to stop laughing at the name of Nintendo's new games console (actually, that's not true - the schoolboy in me will never be able to say Wii without immediately also saying poo, bum and willy). Anyway, the games still look pretty interesting - and unofficial Wiiblog Get Wiid has compiled a list of all the unique ways the console's motion-sensitive controller will be employed. Better start working on those upper arm muscles now.

4) Think you have lots of records? Think again. Roots drummer ?uestlove has considerably more records than you - Youtube has the evidence.

5) Prince, who was 48(!!!!) last week, is playing concerts again. Stereogum has a review and setlist from one of his 4-hour(!!!!!!!) gigs last weekend. Please, please, please, please come back to the UK, Mr Purple. Last time you played here I got engaged - god only knows what'll happen next time around (!!!!!!1111!!! - boink).

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Video Of The Week: Step Back In Time

Here's a nice one for the summer: Kylie's Step Back In Time - which is now a shocking 16 years old! Boy, am I feeling every one of my 31 years now...

This was, of course, the first Kylie song that cool kids could admit they liked, even though they had to use regulation heavy irony.

It came, seemingly, out of nowhere. Kylie's previous single was Better The Devil You Know: a massive hit, but still very much cast in the cheesy Stock Aitken and Waterman mold.

So this slab of disco funk took everyone a bit by surprise. Not only was it breezy and catchy, but it had guitars in it. Plus, Kylie looked hot.

This was just around the time she started boffing Michael Hutchence and playing up the sexy side of her image. When she turned up in Smash Hits to promote this single, starkers except for a black feather boa, I distinctly remember getting a funny feeling in my stomach (or, to be more precise, in my pants).

The video provides another link to Hutchence, as it was directed by Nick Egan - who made several INXS promos, as well creating the iconic montage of the band on the front of their Kick album.

He was also the desinger behind the perv-tastic cover for Bow Wow Wow's See Jungle album (pictured right), so he knew a thing or two about sexing up elfin pop starlets.

It's not a fantastic concept - Kylie rides around in a car wearing 70s clothes while some men in comedy afros do a dance - but its colourful and ebullient and fun. In other words, like I keep saying in this column, it's great because it captures the mood of the song perfectly.

If only they'd thought to release it in July, instead of dreary old October, it would have gone to number 1.

Get Kylie's greatest hits on DVD from Amazon

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The sounds of silence

Now, I like Depeche Mode as much as the next man - and the next man says he likes Depeche Mode quite a bit, thank you very much - but they are one of those groups that inspire a very particular kind of creepy fan.

You know who I mean - the sort of people who name their daughter after the keyboard Martin Gore used on Just Can't Get Enough, or who colour their teeth in black for Dave Gahan's birthday.

So, perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise to find that someone has collected thirty-seven (count-em!) cover versions of their single Enjoy The Silence.

Uber-blog My Old Kentucky Blog has made all of them available for download and, surprisingly, they're all pretty damn good. I particularly recommend Pat McDonald's Seattle-esque unplugged performance, and Jazzhole's tabla-enhanced easy listening version.

Here is the link

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