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The seminal cassette compilation C86, released by the NME back in 1986, has a lot of personal indiepop faves on its tracklist (Miaow, the Shop Assistants, the Close Lobsters), and it opens with Primal Scream’s “Velocity Girl.” It’s a slip of a song about a girl with too many indulgences and too many demands, and it has a guitar solo that can rightfully be described as sublime (you can hear echoes of it in “There She Goes” by the La’s). Somehow, I missed that the Swedish electro duo The Tough Alliance covered the track on their 2004 EP Holiday, with the original’s big, puffy clouds of guitar replaced by splayed-out synth lines. In case you haven’t heard the original, it’s after the jump.
The Tough Alliance – Velocity Boy [YouTube via offnotesnotes]
Primal Scream – Velocity Girl [YouTube]
Speaking of the Tough Alliance, how freaking awesome is Air France?!?!? “No Way Down” is the best EP of 2008.
@T’Challa: So awesome!
I’d heard The Tough Alliance before but had never heard “velocity girl”. The original sounds pretty cool. I’m not even sure if I’ve heard Primal Scream either but they seem pretty cool.
@MayhemintheHood: they are definitely kinda shape-shifty. however, i recommend all these tracks.
1991:
2000:
2008:
@Maura Johnston: Dude, I totally know “Movin’ On Up”…just never really knew who did it. It was one of my favorite songs from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I’d only listened to it on the game though, but now after listening to it on headphones, the drums(if you can call it that) are pretty crazy. It’s almost like a trance beat.
The last one is right up my alley as well. I will now proceed to the iTunes store.