Hey You Guys!

Does anybody remember The Electric Company?

(Yes yes, I am giving away my age there.)

The Electric Company is a syndicated children's television program produced by the same folks that gave us Sesame Street. Thought of as a show catering to more mature kids (ergo, kids with minds more sophisticated and, well, with greater tendency towards perversion), The Electric Company is best known for its screechy catch-phrase popularised by the diminutive Rita Moreno: HEY, YOU GUYS!

Ah, yes. Quite the sentiment of our music programmer here, hehehe. And see, I can take a hint (/me getting up from bed and typing this post).

OK. Playlist now.

1. This Rainy Decade - CLEANERS FROM VENUS

This comes straight out of the catalogue of L'Agence Des Refusés, reportedly a 1980s cassette only Belgian label which is attracting some kind of interest within the snooty "hard-to-find titles" clique. Perhaps our European radar (who also happens to be Belgian) can shed more light on this.

2. I've Got a Crush on You - LUSCIOUS JACKSON

From the compilation "Red Hot + Rhapsody: The Gershwin Groove" comes this quirky, delightful cover.

3. Modern Girl - CAMERA OBSCURA

Camera Obscura, the band from Glasgow, Scotland, has been around since 1996. The song "Modern Girl" comes from arguably their most popular work to date, Let's get Out of This Country, released some ten years later. A new album, My Maudlin Career, is due for release on April 2009.

4. Only Happy When It Rains - RICHARD CHEESE and LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

I like Shirley Manson a lot and this is one of my favorite songs by Garbage. This track in the playlist is a wicked remake by the irreverent Richard Cheese.

5. Straight to Hell - LILY ALLEN (from the War Child Heroes Compilation)

Lily Allen does this cover with no less than The Clash's Mick Jones. Read about the War Child heroes Compilation here.

6. Army of Me - BJORK

And oh, who does not know Bjork?

So there. Capping off this post is this clip from what was once a part of my perverted childhood. Enjoy folks.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 5 Part 1: Seeing Red

Looking for love in all the wrong places? You might just find it here, if you listen closely.

In celebration of the dreaded Valentines week, Trash Radio Manila brings to you Part 1 of Episode 5 titled "Seeing Red."

Let Ian McKaye and the boys smother you with spit as they announce that they are seeing red. Then cavort with the young lads from Sheffield as Alex Turner sourgrapes about a lost girl in "Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts."

Want advise from the older hats? "Wake Up" is one of the products of Tim Armstrong's collaboration with the Aggrolites where he sang, well, a mouthful. Find yourself bobbing your head along with Suggs and the rest of Madness, who remain as energetic as ever as they do one of their more recent tunes, "NW5."

Or maybe you might just want to groove along with Royal Crown Revue, or fall for Susie Arioli's cool-as-spring vocals, or dance along with Richard Cheese and his kooky version of Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher."

This segment's playlist:

1. MINOR THREAT - "Seeing Red"
2. ARCTIC MONKEYS - "Bigger Boys And Stolen Sweethearts"
3. TIM ARMSTRONG WITH THE AGGROLITES - "Wake Up"
4. MADNESS - "NW5" (Live)
5. ROYAL CROWN REVUE - "Stormy Weather"
6. SUSIE ARIOLI - "He's Funny That Way"
7. RICHARD CHEESE WITH LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE - "Hot For Teacher"

Still haven't found love yet? Stay tuned for more "love songs" in our next segments. What? Did you say "hot teacher?" Just strain your eyes a bit more and you'll find one, too.