By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

1. IAMX and Imogen Heap “My Secret Friend” – Sneaker Pimps’ Chris Corner went down a dark path after disbanding the Pimps to work on his solo project, IAMX. As far back as Becoming X there were dark undertones in the Pimps’ music, but Corner’s downward spiral arrived at a deliciously dark and danceable conclusion with IAMX. On most IAMX records, Corner comes off as obsessed with sex, death, alienation and addiction, and he’s laid his obsessions over some of the better darkwave dance beats to come along since the early days of the genre. On his most recent album, 2009’s Kingdom of Welcome Addiction, Corner once again wanders through his old familiar lyrical territory, but on a different musical path. This is not a dance floor album; it instead offers slower tempos, haunting piano, and an almost creepy feel. The standout track by far is “My Secret Friend”, a danceable duet with the incomparable Imogen Heap, who possesses one of the most unique vocal styles in pop music. This is what Eurythmics might have sounded like if they had continued evolving.

2. Kelli Ali “Psychic Cat” – Interestingly, this trippy track by former Sneaker Pimps vocalist Kelli Ali from her 2004 album of the same name dovetails nicely with the previous pick from her onetime partner in crime. Ali left the Pimps after their monstrously successful debut album, 1997’s Becoming X, but never achieved commercial success on her own. Her style is funky yet electro, elegant yet bratty, and always smooth and sensual. I much prefer Psychic Cat to her debut solo release Tigermouth (2003), mostly due to tracks like this one as well as “Voyeur”, which is very reminiscent of the Pimps but more hard-hitting in the choruses. Psychic Cat is a record best listened to late at night, in the dark, with a friend to hold onto.

3. Gus Gus “Monument” – Tribute albums typically tend to go in one of two directions; they either completely score, or they completely flop. Fortunately for Depeche Mode fans everywhere, 1998’s For The Masses: An Album of Depeche Mode Songs went the former route as opposed to the latter. Among the interpretations of DM songs by more commercially known acts like The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins and Deftones was a chillout version of a song that most Mode fans pay little attention to, performed by a group from Iceland that was relatively unknown at the time. Gus Gus went on to gain prominence in various electronic music subgenres, both for their own music and for remixes they’ve done for several of their electronica cohorts. Their version of “Monument” ended up being one of my favorite tracks on the For The Masses tribute album.

4. The Dead Weather “Are Friends Electric?” – I’m a Jack White fan. I’m not a White Stripes fan, a Raconteurs fan, or even a Dead Weather fan, but rather a fan of White himself and what he adds to the songwriting process or to the production of a record. I’ve had White-related tracks on the playlist before, but it’s always been about the song itself and never about the group that recorded it or the album the song was recorded for. This pick is no different, though The Dead Weather is certainly a good rock band, and the combination of White and Alison Mosshart (frontwoman of indie rockers The Kills) on vocals is definitely enjoyable for any true rock lover. This pick is all about how White took a beloved, classic and synth-driven song by one of the forefathers of the electro genre (Gary Numan) and he not only didn’t screw it up, but his arrangement actually did it justice. Such is the brilliance and musicianship of Jack White.The

5. Cake “You Turn The Screws” – I still remember my reaction upon hearing Cake’s first single “The Distance” back in 1996; who in the hell are these guys? Is that a sample from a Snoop Dogg song? What’s up with those funky horns? And that bassline! I went right out and bought their 1996 LP Fashion Nugget and didn’t stop listening to it for about three weeks, and was later blown away by seeing them open for Counting Crows at the Beacon Theater. Cake’s sound is best described in vague terms; they are sort of jazzy, kind of hip-hoppy, a little bit groovy, semi-intellectual, and slightly tongue-in-cheek, all while being completely laid back and totally original. Fashion Nugget ended up being the extent of my love for Cake, but “You Turn The Screws” is a standout track from their 1998 follow up, Prolonging The Magic.

6. The Beatles “Baby’s In Black” – There’s very little I could say about The Beatles that hasn’t already been said, so instead I’ll mention how surprised I was to discover my favorite Beatles song long after I thought that I had heard them all. Once again, Little Steven’s Underground Garage radio station was the source; the man just has an uncanny knack for unearthing hidden gems and rock rarities. The Beatles’ 1964 album Beatles For Sale was largely unremarkable and is well below the radar of most casual Beatles fans, notable mostly for its inclusion of the hit “Eight Days A Week”. However, “Baby’s In Black” from that album is a perfectly crafted pop song, and I loved the musical structure of the song so much that it took me a few listens before I even cared what the lyrics were about. The song clocks in at just over two minutes, but it’s just over two of the best minutes in Beatles history.

7. The Stooges “1969” – The peace-and-love vibe of the early 1960’s was turned on its ear with the release of the 1969 self-titled debut album by Michigan rockers The Stooges. Fronted by the explosive and legendary Iggy Pop and produced by the Velvet Underground’s John Cale, The Stooges’ sound signaled a sea change in rock music. Bloated corporate rock this was not; it was a much more innovative, violent and chaotic rock sound, a precursor to what would become punk rock, played by a bunch of down and out kids with nothing to lose and some pretty epic addictions. In a very literal sense, The Stooges had an appetite for destruction, with Pop himself known for consuming massive quantities of illegal substances, rolling around in broken glass onstage, and vomiting on his fans. While I much prefer the aggression of their 1972 Bowie-produced album Raw Power, “1969” is the sound of being poor white trash in the ‘60s, with nothing to look forward to and no one to look up to.

8. O. Children “Dead Disco Dancer” – The self-titled debut album by the gothically-inclined O. Children won’t be released until July 12th, but they’re already generating a buzz among Gotham City’s children of the night thanks in part to the unique vocal style of lead singer Tobi O’Kandi and songs like this one. Imagine an African-American Peter Murphy fronting an indie-goth band with a groove, and you’ve pretty much got “Dead Disco Dancer”. The sound works somehow, and though I’ve enjoyed the few advance-released singles I’ve heard, I feel like the extreme depth of O’Kandi’s vocal tone might get old across an entire full-length album. Regardless, this track has a cabaret-like quirk factor that I’m totally digging.

9. Neko Case “Hold On, Hold On” – I discovered my two favorite Neko Case songs in completely random fashion; first hearing “Deep Red Bells” (from 2002’s Blacklisted) at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ while waiting in the crowd to see Mike Doughty perform, and several years later hearing “Hold On, Hold On” (from 2006’s Fox Confessor Brings The Flood) while in a doctor’s waiting room. Both times, I was held spellbound by the beauty of the songs and even more so by Case’s incredible voice, which is often compared to a modern-day Patsy Cline and frequently recorded using Cline-esque echo. Once I had the chance to listen to the songs up close I was again enthralled, this time by the lyrics. Case is a murder-balladeer in the tradition of Nick Cave and Tom Waits, an alt-country outlaw with a knack for visual imagery in her lyrics. I mean, it’s not often that you come across lyrics like, “The most tender place in my heart is for strangers / I know it’s unkind but my own blood is much too dangerous…”. I’m sorry to say that the overwhelming majority of Case’s work doesn’t appeal to me, but the two songs mentioned here are among my favorite songs of all time.

10. Gene Wilder “Pure Imagination” – I have AT&T to thank for reminding me about this sentimental song, which is used in a recent commercial featuring a bunch of children’s drawings come to life in the middle of a big city. Every time I see that commercial, hearing that song makes me feel like a child again – and with good reason. Gene Wilder sang this song in his iconic role as the title character in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, based on the novel by beloved children’s author Roald Dahl. The song invokes the wonder and amazement that Wonka’s creations inspire in the children, even though ultimately each child’s own brand of gluttony leads to their downfall. I’ve never been an Oompa Loompa fan, but I had to share the song that’s been making me smile for weeks. Fortunately, it hasn’t been making me think about AT&T.