A DARKER SHADE OF DISCO
June 16, 2010

There's no doubt that RAW gets hard for disco. We love it. We live it. We play it as much as we can. But our tastes fall well outside the limits of average disco, spilling into territories better-suited for blue pills and Gordons Vodka. Off-beat percussion to monotone pentameter to panning congos to hi-hats and hand-claps. As long as it feels good and has passion, we're into it.

Captain Sensible was best known for his involvement in the UK punk outfit The Damned. With a departure to focus on solo work in the 1980s, he transformed himself into an alternative pop singer with an uncanny, rebellious self image. His song Wot was actually a parody of a rap song, but it's chugging bassline and wah'd out guitar riff, coupled with some hot female refrains in the chorus, take this "parody" to an entirely different level—a heightened plateau of boogie and danceability.

The Tom Tom Club was the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, who were also successful with another band you may have heard of here and there over time (The Talking Heads). This lovely cut, Lorelei, is an instrumental track from their 1981 self-titled album. It's also the rare and sought-after extended mix (for all you vinyl junkies out there), with limited availability as a B-side from the outdated cassette version.

Lastly we've got an erogenous and outright dirty cut from Marianne Faithfull. Why'd Ya Do It? is a punk-tinged, dark reggae song with lyrics from the poet Heathcote Williams. If you don't know who Marianne Faithful is, call in sick and tell your friends you'll be outta touch for a couple days. Treat yourself to a lengthy and pretty amazing story about a very intriguing, ever-changing and ground-breaking woman. With a name as dope as Marianne Faithful, you can only imagine what her bio will entail.

Captain Sensible - Wot (12-inch Extended Version) (256 kbps) | Download

Tom Tom Club - Lorelei (Instrumental Long Version) (256 kbps) | Download

Marianne Faithfull - Why'd Ya Do It? (Special 12-inch Version) (256 kbps) | Download