Celebrating A Full-grown Man's Ending

Elmgreen & Dragset - Monument to Short Term Memory (2004)

Mika - Happy Ending (sendspace mp3): The inspirational choral backing and pop-molded falsetto in this Mika track remind me of the bombastic wailings my little sisters used to belt to the rhythm of the monthly Z104FM tune. For some reason, a specifically gospeled All Saints song called "Never Ever" comes to mind. I hope it motivates you to similarly strain your upper octaves and sway like it's hardest story you've ever heard. Because c'mon folks, that's what a really bad pop song is for. The rest of the record tastes like heavy inspiration from the Sissor Sisters, Cutting Crew, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and even the "Step by Step" theme song.

Phosphorescent - Fullgrown Man (myspace mp3): I am fully aware that this track is folk-inspired and that I have broken my word of hosting a folk-less week. But cut me some slack, I paired it with a late-nineties-reminiscent ultra-pop. Phosphorescent's [playing in Urbana tonight] subtle Man-man drunken instrumentation would be appropriate to score an Irish wake and would have been a swell opener for Charlemagne back in Madison's Catacombs hayday.