Crystal Castles

By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

1. Crystal Castles “Not In Love” – Considering that I’m a fan of just about every style of music that originated in the 1980’s, interestingly enough I don’t gravitate towards a lot of the “nouveau ‘80s” bands that are resurrecting (or outright ripping off, in some cases) the stereotypical ‘80s synth-driven pop sound. However, the latest single from Crystal Castles, an updated version of “Not In Love” off of their 2010 release Crystal Castles II, caught me by surprise. It doesn’t hurt that vocal duties are now handled by the one and only Robert Smith, fashion-challenged ‘80s icon and goth diva extraordinaire. This is one you can dance to and brood to.

2. Kraftwerk “Computer Love” – Crystal Castles got me thinking back to the early days of computer and synth-driven pop, when innovation in music was a near constant thing and boundaries were pushed with seemingly every new release. German computer-pop legends Kraftwerk were so far ahead of their time, it was as if they had seen (and heard) the future; in fact, they were laying the groundwork for the future of dance music in the hands of groups like Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem and Chromeo. “Computer Love”, from their 1981 LP Computer World, has always been a favorite of mine. Also recommended is Glass Candy’s excellent cover of “Computer Love” from their 2007 debut album, Beat Box.

3. Eurythmics “Love Is A Stranger” – Eurythmics always delivered a slightly tweaked view into affairs of the heart, one of my favorites being “Love Is A Stranger” from their 1983 album Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This). Annie Lennox’s persona was larger than life, a stylish chameleon on par with David Bowie in terms of continual reinvention through character play. There were few who could compete with the combination of style and substance that were standard fare for the Eurythmics.

4. Just Jack “Heartburn” – Every now and again, you stumble across an artist or album completely by accident and it becomes an instant favorite. It was like that for me with Just Jack’s 2002 debut album The Outer Marker. Still a relative unknown several years later, most people are only familiar with their hit single “Snowflakes (Cured by Temple Of Jay Remix)”, which liberally sampled from The Cure’s “Lullaby” to excellent effect. As good of a track as that is, I find almost every other track on the album to be even better, and “Heartburn” has become a favorite. Deep, melancholy and lyrically very honest, this one turns up frequently on my mp3 player.

5. David Bowie “As The World Falls Down” – Someone mentioned ‘80s film Labyrinth to me a few days ago, and it got me thinking about some of the great music that David Bowie wrote (and performed, as goblin king Jareth) for the film. My favorite song from the film is the dreamy ballad “As The World Falls Down”, featured in my favorite scene from the film as a backdrop for heroine Sarah’s drug-induced hallucinations of falling in love with Jareth at a twisted masquerade ball.

6. Florence + The Machine “Addicted To Love” – I literally can’t get enough of this woman’s voice, and it does wonders on this completely rearranged version of Robert Palmer’s classic track. There are no women in black dresses with slicked-back hair and glossy red lips here; this version actually emphasizes the neediness and obsession behind the lyrics, instead of the vampy raunchiness of the original music and the camp of the video. Addiction has never sounded quite so appealing.

7. Bobby Darin “Down With Love” – I have a soft spot for old standards; they transport me to a time that I sometimes wish that I had lived during. While some prefer Sinatra, Bennett and Martin, I love guys like Bobby Darin who were equally as talented and defined the era with their smooth voices, lushly orchestrated songs, and jazz tempos. He’s best known for hits like “Beyond The Sea” and “Mack The Knife”, but this one is doing it for me right now.

8. Marc Almond and Siouxsie Sioux “Threat Of Love” – There were many ill-advised duets in the ‘80s, but fortunately this wasn’t one of them; Soft Cell singer meets Banshee for a public service announcement to warn goth kids about falling in love. I love the ominous key and the very Creatures-esque slow driving percussion and orchestral hints. You can almost imagine this being on the soundtrack of a modern-day remake of the Phantom Of The Opera. This is one orchestral maneuver that I always love to hear in the dark.

9. Lush “For Love” – All of your cool alternative girlfriends listened to this song in the ‘90s, and when I’m feeling the need for shoegaze and Britpop, this is one of my go-to tracks. From their shimmering, literate, Cocteau Twins-produced 1996 album Spooky, “For Love” was one of the band’s last singles before breaking up later that same year. If The Smiths had ever had girlfriends, they probably would have been the chicks from Lush.

10. Metric “Stadium Love” – Metric seems to be the band of the moment, emerging from Canada and taking Scott Pilgrim fans by storm. I wouldn’t call myself a fan, but their 2009 release Fantasies was one of the more interesting albums I had heard in awhile. Tracks like “Help I’m Alive” and “Gold Guns Girls” show their indie dance cred, while playlist pick “Stadium Love” would probably sound equally as great if remade by She Wants Revenge. Fantasies is equal parts aggression and innocence and doesn’t really sound like anything else out there, which is getting harder and harder to pull off these days.