Every Time That I See You, Your Uniform Becomes See-Through

The Divine Comedy “To Die A Virgin” – The song starts off with a bit of dialogue from some old British film (anyone recognize it?) — a prim young woman tells her boyfriend that she will sleep with him before he gets killed in a hypothetical war — and Neil Hannon runs with the premise, playing the virginal lad’s sexual anxiety for laughs (larfs?), but keeping up an obvious sense of empathy for his dilemma. The music has a cheery early Elton John quality (think “Philadelphia Freedom”), but also the winky, playful tone of a screwball comedy. (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)

Madder Rose “Car Song” – Slipping gracefully back and forth between slow, dreamy moments of reflection and small bursts of physical energy, “Car Song” evokes the feeling of having to force yourself to stay awake while nursing a hopeless crush. As the singer’s mind wanders, she confesses “I think of you all day long,” but it seems more like a personal admission rather than a declaration to that person. I found this early 90s gem via Maria Tessa Sciarrino’s Her Jazz show on WPRB, which you really ought to check out if you’re into this sort of thing. (Click here to buy it used for 20 cents on Amazon.)

Also, hey people in the Washington DC area!: