Can’t You Hear Me Going Insane?

Drexel “East Dayton Saturday Night” – Feeling at once pleasantly familiar and strangely unique, Drexel play a sort of white trash cabaret music that sounds a bit like Tom Waits after a serious drinking binge. Set to lonely piano chords and vocals which tread a fine line between histrionics and soulfulness, the song describes an average night in economically depressed East Dayton, complete with methheads, crack whores, pregnant teens, and lots and lots of booze. There’s a ragged elegance to this music which is quite lovely and evocative; it’s really a shame that more people haven’t picked up on this band yet. This ought to be a classic. (Click here to buy it directly from the band.)

The Mo & Kris Le Mans “Nostalgia Locomotive” – God bless the Swedes, not just for creating a pop song as delightfully weird as this, but also for the fact that they have collectively made this a successful hit in their country, peaking at #13 on their pop singles chart. This is basically a huge, melodramatic modern stage theatre sort of song; a duet between some alt-glam dude and a woman who sounds as though she’s trying very very very hard to sound like Kate Bush. You have never in your life heard anyone sing the words “choo-choo” with as much passion and intensity as these two Swedes. As they say, the “Nostalgia Locomotive gives one hell of a ride.” And they look like this! (Click here to visit The Mo’s official site.)