In an effort to both drive up the commenting here at the Bugg Blog as well as to completely rip off two blogs that I love, The Driftwood Singers Present and I am Fuel-You are Friends, I will now be highlighting music that I love and that people should hear every Friday, weather and real life permitting. Songs that as my girlfriend says are “the undiscovered, the rediscovered, the recently uncovered and a few that should stay under the covers.” As a disclaimer for those with prying eyes, I am not a fan of illegally downloading music, so the songs I highlight will be songs from albums that I have bought and paid for and are to be downloaded for demonstration only. If any lawyer type wants me to take the song down, feel free to shoot me a line.

I’m writing about Haircut 100, so let the bald jokes begin. I don’t really know a lot about this band, but a viewing of VH-1′s “100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80′s” with Jessica the other night piqued my interest.

Not only was it impressive to me that Jess knew all the words to Bertie Higgins’ “Key Largo”, but I forgot how many goofy little New Wave tunes there are out there to be enjoyed.

It’s probably strange that I dig New Wave. I mean, this is some white music. It’s always twitchy and the guitars are just a little too clean for my tastes, but most of the bands that bubbled up to the surface in that time had a strong sense of how to write a pop hook. I guess that’s why so many of them had hits.

I’m not sure, I’ve heard some people say how wonderful that New Wave was and how some people saw it as a death kneel for music. I’m somewhere in the middle. There was some good stuff out there, but at the same time, when the sound becomes such a fad that the likes of Peter Frampton and Billy Joel are recording New Wave sounding albums, I’m not sure if it’s a revolution (with that being said, Glass Houses by Billy Joel is a kick ass rock album).

But just listen to “Love Plus One” by Haircut 100. it sounds like Steely Dan filtered through some very British sensibilities. Gone are the sleezy lounge lizard aspects of Becker and Fagan’s sound and in its place is some bizarre Mark Knoffler and “Ray Davies” influenced cheekiness. It’s a pretty gorgeous song that never really overtly says what it’s about. Instead, the song is a blast of melody and rhythms, saxophones, xylophones and ska sounding guitar. Music should always be this fun.

That fun is what I dig about Haircut 100. In a parallel universe, they are writing hits still. Smart little British boys writing vague and simple songs about god knows what. I imagine most British guys are like what I hear on this song. Fuck Thome Yorke from Radiohead.

So, without further adieu, here’s Haircut 100 doing “Love Plus One”. Enjoy it. Download and be sure to leave a comment. I love you all.

Haircut 100- “Love Plus One”

Until later, be good.