All The Electronic Circuits Overload

Theya Hermann “Champagne and the Starlite” – This song is so deeply obscure that it’s like the only evidence that Theya Hermann ever existed. Who is she? Did she record other songs, and did they also sound as though they ought to be covered by the Scissor Sisters? (Like, RIGHT NOW, Scissor Sisters!) “Champagne and the Starlite” may very well be the most cheerful and romantic song ever written about the gas crisis or any other sort of shortage of consumer goods. It’s peppy, effervescent, and adorably flirtatious, especially when Hermann reassuringly declares “don’t despair, cutie baby loves you and she’s always gonna be there!” on the giddy lead up to the chorus.

Michel Polnareff “Fame a la Mode” – It’s usually a bit tedious to listen to pop singers complain about the pitfalls of their profession, but Michel Polnareff’s “Fame a la Mode” successfully avoids getting sent off to the Dept. of Tiny Violins by contrasting its melodramatic moments with jolly bits that convey the singer’s love of performing, and the repeated admission that “when you are the show, then you know the show must go on.” If anything, Polnareff just makes the melancholy and feelings of isolation seem sexy and glamorous, almost encouraging the audience to fantasize about rescuing him from himself.