erik hassle

we're only two weeks into the new year, and erik hassle's single "hurtful" has already racked up over 200 plays on my iTunes. considering i reset my play count the day after christmas, that's quite a lot. i have a feeling erik hassle is going to be my la roux of 2010. you know, the kind of artist that releases something so great i get obsessed with them. la roux was 2009, cut copy was 2008. erik hassle might be 2010. plus he's sexy and swedish to boot. mmmmm......

download "hurtful" to see what i mean.

support erik's music: (iTunes)

nancy boy

as this is my introductory post, i thought it only appropriate that i showcase one of my ultimate favorites. every fag has his diva. she is mine. nancy sinatra.

nancy's incredibly underrated. so much so that her most fervent fans -- myself included -- get extremely frustrated and angry that she gets little to no respect in the industry. although, judging by the producers and songwriters tapped to produce her 2004 album nancy sinatra (morrissey, pete yorn, bono, steven van zandt), plus quentin tarantino's inclusion of "bang, bang" in kill bill, vol. 1, it seems it's actually hipper to like nancy sinatra now than it was 44 years ago when she exploded onto the scene.

still, to the ignorant, she'll always be frank's daughter with the pair of boots. i feel sorry for those people.

some of nancy's best work was in her later years at reprise records (ca. 1969-72), when she parted ways with lee hazlewood for the first time. some people prefer her lee hazlewood collaborations, whether they're her solo efforts or their duets. i agree they're spectacular. but if you want to see a different, more mature side to nancy, check out the first three tracks. also included is one of the best nancy & lee duets, and a hazlewood-penned single from '67 that hit #15 on the billboard hot 100. finally, there's "let me kiss you," written and co-produced by morrissey.

• how are things in california? (1970)
• machine gun kelly (1972)
• is anybody goin' to san antone? (1970)
• nancy & lee: lady bird (1968)
• love eyes (1967)
• let me kiss you (2004)

watch the original video for "these boots are made for walkin'" here.

support nancy's music: (iTunes) (amazon)