When I was in high school Otra Vez by Miami Sound Machine was one of my favorite albums. I remember finding it in a record store one day and absolutely going crazy (silently, of course, I was always silent when I screamed back then) because it was so hard to find their early 80s Spanish only records anywhere, much less at the local Sam Goody. That album made me so happy and later (way after that year of school was over) I was still dancing away to the sounds on my Sony Cassette Walkman.

I just always wanted to dance like a fool when I heard their upbeat songs. I didn't care that I didn't know one word of Spanish. I knew what the spirit of the songs was and that was all that mattered to me.

I really don't think about Miami Sound Machine that much anymore...but tonight I popped in this album by Los Amigos Invisibles and I felt that same happy goofy way again...I just discovered them, like three hours ago, and all I can is: wow! I want to dance around the living room like crazy, but I live in an apartment and it's getting late and I don't want to disturb my neighbors, but: oh     my     gosh...did I saw wow?

Miami Sound Machine what? This is even better than those bittersweet sounds I can almost hear right now.

If you don't believe me listen to "Mentiras" right now!!

The dance floor isn't there no more,
But my body's still movin'.
Tell me, do you know,
Where are we to go, when our world is so confusing?  
from the Apples in Stereo album "Travellers in Space and Time" 


Amazon is offering a brand new Apples in Stereo song free at their digital download store..."Dance Floor" is one toe-tapping, whimsical sounding infectious puff of pop; you won't be able to resist the beats or the words!: (for all of the words to this amazing song, click here) I'm not usually one for nostalgia, but "Dance Floor" sure makes it sound appealing and bittersweet.




(I accidentally hit the picture twice, but I like the song so so much I'm leaving both images up! It's that good!)

 And this one (also free!) called "Angel Underneath" reminds me of something Tom Waits would do (with all the song's quirky warm toughness):




Okay, this one is not free, but it's so oddly addictive and contains a Family Guy/ Stewie ("let's have a sexy party")  reference I couldn't resist; the image on the single cover is very disturbing (I think) and I'm not sure I feel that comfortable posting it, yet I can't help but think Jeffree Star is trying to say something here and not be offensive:




But by all means, please avoid one of the other free downloads of the day..."Woop Woop (That Means Your Phone is Ringing")...absolutely, positively horrible! Well, maybe not horrible...it's just that it sounds like a joke. I listened to the rest of the album and it pretty much all sounds like this:

The 2010 Beehouse Records Spring Sampler is another awesome freebie from the Amazon MP3 store!!! It's perfect (if you have an "aux" button in your car to connect your player or if you burn this to a cd once you go to the Amazon store) for a nice breezy easy day driving around in your car! I love it!

Super best tracks include: "Breaking Skin" and "More" by Duplex (never heard of this group before, but I'll be checking them out regularly from now!) plus "So Long Blues" by Tall Tales and The Silver Lining, "Everything and Nothing at All" by The Spires (they sound like She Wants Revenge) and "Charlie, Sky and Jupiter" by Sparkles in the Milk.

 And if you like Josh Rouse there is a good chance you'll love  the wonderful "Brother Bird" by Franklin for Short.

This album is full of mellow, fun and sunny sounds...even the sad is upbeat at times!:)

One of my favorites of all time ("How Deep Is Your Love?" by the Bee Gees) has been covered in very recent years by some musicians who truly get the beauty and underlying sorrow of the song.

The bird and the bee featured "How Deep is Your Love?" on their Please Clap Your Hands EP back in 2007. It is one of the few bird and the bee songs that sounds so vulnerable, heartfelt and honest. It's not that their other material isn't beautiful or that it's full of falsehoods...just that this song is completely free of their (almost) trademark teasing sound (where you're not quite sure if Inara George is mocking you or not.)

The Bad Plus (featuring the amazing voice of Wendy Lewis!!) is completely unconventional, meshing contemporary wayward jazz sounds with the vocalist's lovely, lovely voice. When their cover opens everything is a bit jarring, but soon the song settles into its odd rhythm and gets to the heart of the matter.

Though I will always love the original version the most, both covers got me to listen to the lyrics, not just hear them (Barry Gibb is amazing and I adore him, but he's not the easiest singer to understand.) Taking in the covers slowly I thought for the first time that this song applies to any couple who has ever faced outside pressures...especially from people (i.e. society) who don't think they belong together.


We belong to you and me  (a line from "How Deep") pretty much sums up all that matters when two people are in love with each other...nothing else matters, no one else has the right to judge them.

(Of course, this is my just two cents, but it's how I feel...)

The past two weeks of "Lost" have sent chills down my spine. April 6th's Desmond-centric episode and last night's Hugo-centric shared a soulmate theme that I was just a sucker for...especially when Libby sought out Hugo in the restaurant because she has started remembering their time together in the alternate time line, or rather the original time line (writing about this can be very confusing!).

The look on poor Hugo's face when he discovers she's actually slipped away from her doctor who has taken a group of psychiatric patients out for lunch is sweet and touching and just one of the many reason why everybody loves Hugo. That look says "well, that explains it!"..."that" meaning (to him) the only reason a woman like Libby would like him.

If you don't watch the show or haven't tuned in lately, then none of this makes sense to you...of course, even regular "Lost" fans often have trouble making sense of the show. But for those of us who haven't abandoned the show we continue to watch not just for the character development and "Twin Peaks"-like plot but because of the endearing appeal of the idea that love knows no boundaries.

During a scene last night where Hugo visits Libby at the hospital (her doctor insists it's not a good idea until Hugo offers him a generous donation) I found myself talking to the tv screen as I sometimes do when I witness two shy people not sure whether to share their feelings with each other.

I like the idea that (on tv shows and in movies, at least) a girl as pretty and special as Libby is (played so well by Cynthia Watros) could like a "big" guy like Hugo who has a wonderful heart and personality.

And I absolutely (!) loved it when Hugo's mom told him she'd set him up on a blind date and the first thing he asked wasn't "what's she look like?" but "what's she like?" (...because while Hollywood seems to embrace the 'looks don't matter' theme when it comes to how women see men, very rarely is that concept reversed...see shows like "King of Queens" for reference point!)