Irmin Schmidt – Le Weekend
Bowing us out this week is former Can keyboardist and all-round cool dude, Irmin Schmidt with his 1991 track “Le Weekend”. Taken from the album Impossible Holidays, the song is a four and bit minutes of tango-inspired silliness, which let’s face it, all of us need after a loooong week [...]
Martin Rev – Mari
In 1980, the former Suicide lone instrumentalist Martin Rev released his self-titled debut album on the imperious No Wave label Lust/Unlust. The record has become much sought after due to Rev’s edgy employment of Suicide’s proto-synth pop, hypnotic drum machines, jittery synths, and drone bass lines. Have a listen to [...]
Orange Juice – I Can’t Help Myself
If, like me, you’re dreading the return of normality tomorrow and want to banish those end of Bank Holiday blues, there’s nothing better than to bounce around to the sounds of everyone’s favourite Glaswegian post-punkers Orange Juice. The Edwyn Collins-fronted group released ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ in 1982 and was [...]
Peter Baumann – Repeat Repeat
This slightly tongue in cheek synth-pop track was the title track of former Tangerine Dream founding member Pete Baumann’s 1981 album ‘Repeat Repeat’. Baumann shared production duties on this record with the suave Robert Palmer, who adds a charismatic sheen and melody to the track. With its detached and slightly [...]
Greg Kihn Band – Jeopardy (instrumental version)
Everybody knows Greg Kihn Band’s early 80s pop/dance classic ‘Jeopardy’, hell, even Weird Al spoofed it back in the eighties. But there’s always an excuse to post this 1983 gem in any shape or form. So enjoy this instrumental version, with its lovely reverb, big drums and Italian-style synth keys. [...]
Groovy Ghosts of Yule: Roger Lavern & The Microns – Christmas Stocking
Yo ho ho! Christmas is here once again! Here at Days Are Numbers we’re pulling out our special Christmas stocking to bring you our favourite festive moments. From disco coated candy canes to sackfuls of Santa soul, you’ll be soon walking in a post-punk winter wonderland. Or have you dancing [...]
Plastic Bertrand – Gueule D’Amour
As the snow falls around us, how about we get warm and cosy with everybody’s favourite Belgian anti-pop star Plastic Bertrand and his cover of 1983 new wave/Balearic classic? Oh, go on then! It’s too cold to argue. Covering Nacht Und Nebel’s glorious leftfield classic ‘Beats of Love’, Bertrand croons [...]
Frightenin’ 45s: David McCallum – House Of Mirrors
The Man From U.N.K.L.E David McCallum, teamed up with legendary producer David Axelrod in 1967 to record the cult crate diggin’ classic, Music- It’s Happening Now! (great title) in 1967. House of Mirrors was sampled by DJ Shadow on his track Dark Days back in 2000. The lopsided and laidback [...]
Surreal Singles Club: Toni Fisher – The Big Hurt
The first record to feature electronic phasing effects, Toni Fisher’s eerie and extraordinary song, The Big Hurt, entered the US Billboard Chart at number three in 1959. The record-buying public presumably beguiled by the enigmatic Fisher’s vocal delivery and the mind-bending phasing provided by her producers Stan Ross and Dave [...]
Single of the Day – Cortex – Sans Toi
Released in 1978 on the Crypto label, this funky little jazz number comes from the cult French jazz duo Cortex. Taken from Alain Mion and Alain Gandolf’s third album Pourquoi, Sans Toi is a quirky mix of electronic sounds and groovy Gallic pop. Apparently written for Mion’s wife, this is [...]