Soft Cell is the ultimate club band, more so than any dance-rock outfit you might see spinning old records at the indie club near you. When was the last time you went to an 80s club and didn't hear "Tainted Love?" Right, I thought so. It's not just 1980s clubs, though, "Tainted Love" still gets played with nearly the same frequency as "Blue Monday" (although, unless you are playing the "Where Did Our Love Go?" extended mix, it's not good for a bathroom break). But, dear readers, I would like to remind you that there is so much more to Soft Cell than a Northern Soul cover that half the world (including Marilyn Manson, I presume) didn't realize was a cover. (For the record, I might not have known that it was a cover had I not been the daughter of soul-loving folks who informed me of such when I was six and made them turn up the radio whenever Soft Cell came on.) Like I said, though, there is much more to Soft Cell than "Tainted Love," namely three albums stemming from the band's first incarnation (four, if you include Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing) and loads of singles of dirty, electronic dance music with lyrics that describe the nightlife more accurately than any newspaper or alternative weekly club column ever could. When you go out in LA, it is as likely that you will hear "Tainted Love" as you will see a drunkard puke in the corner of a booth, but you might also hear "Sex Dwarf," "It's a Mugs Game," "What?" or "Bedsitter," in addition to many other tracks (I played "Down in the Subway" a lot at Bang!, while "Torch" and the re-formed Soft Cell track "Monoculture" were biggies at Transmission).
Soft Cell is a huge personal influence (and I could probably name a handful of other DJs out here who would feel the same). As such, I plan on doing Soft Cell and Soft Cell-related posts whenever the opportunity presents itself. Today's edition features a cover.
Now, if Soft Cell is the ultimate club band, then "Bedsitter" is the ultimate club song. While we don't have bedsits in the U.S., studio apartments and/or bachelors provide a nice substitute. This is the morning-after song, when you wake up alone and realize that the people that see you every week at some establishment don't really contact you outside of the club. Then you realize, much like in an episode of the short-lived That 80s Show, that you don't even know the last names of all of your friends. (So true, so very true.)

Carter USM "Bedsitter"
(Song Removed)

This version is provided, as noted above, by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. You might recall this band from its minor modern rock hit "The Only Living Boy in New Cross" (also, I think "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" got some radio play). Note that the end of this true Soft Cell cover is actually "Torch." Nice little mash-up, boys.
When I found this, I immediately emailed my friend Paul the (ex) Go Go Box Whore, a friend I met at the clubs whose last name I actually can say and spell. Paul is a big Carter USM fan, so I offered to send it to him. Turns out he already had a copy. He also noted that it was released on the U.S. version of the single "Bloodsport for All." Man, if it weren't Paul, I probably wouldn't know jack about Carter USM (and, off the subject, I would only know one Bloodhound Gang song if it weren't for him). I couldn't find copies of this cover version available, but you can check Carter USM's website for CDs and other related fangear.
Now, that we're on the subject of clubs...
Last night, Carlos and I went to this show at the Avalon. We learned an important lesson that I want to pass on to you. Never park in the lot across from Avalon, as they charge $20 on WEEKNIGHTS! The lot behind Capitol Records charges $10. The lot at the Music Box, where I parked, charges $8 and it's only a two-block walk to the club from there.
In other last night news, it took a long time for the headliner to hit the stage, so long that 3/4 of Disintegration played over the PA. By the time side 2 (not really side 2, as I heard "Last Dance" and the sound didn't suck, so it was obviously a CD) of the album kicked into gear, the crowd was screaming, as if they thought that "Prayers for Rain" was part of the band's set. Couldn't they tell that the music was pre-recorded? Couldn't they tell that this was from the best Cure album ever created (yup, better than Pornography)?
I thought that everyone had a copy of Disintegration. I was wrong. With that in mind, I'd like to urge anyone who doesn't have a copy of this album to get one. This album is epic, so much so that Robert Smith has spent the following decade-and-a-half writing music that ranged from mediocre to "Dude, what were you thinking?" in comparison. Go to your local record store and purchase an actual copy because the cover art and lyric sheet are imperative to this album. Also, note that there are two songs missing on the vinyl version. For the record, I will never, ever post an MP3 from this album on account of the fact that you must listen to it from start to finish in one sitting in order to get the true effect.