February is many people’s least favorite month, what with the cold dank weather and leaden skies. Suicide rates go up. What’s the cure for the midwinter blues you ask? Dance like you’ve never danced before!

Apollo 440 “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (Blue Oyster Cult)
Normally this song just makes me want to smoke dope. Now it makes me want to dance. And then smoke dope.

Second Run “Seasons In The Sun” (Terry Jacks)
A melancholy song gets a serious shot of caffeine.

Cristina “Drive My Car” (Beatles)
I was introduced to Cristina’s Sleep It Off album when I was doing college radio. One of the other disk jockeys played their cover of “Ballad of Immoral Earnings” from the Threepenny Opera. I didn’t know squat about Kurt Weill at the time but I loved the song, which was sort of a new-wave tango duet about a man pimping his girlfriend. I asked her who performed it and she pointed me at this album.

The original songs were pretty uninspired but another cover on the album caught my ear.

Boogie Pimps “Sunny” (Bobby Hebb)
One of the greatest band names ever.

Pet Shop Boys “Where The Streets Have No Name” (U2)
I find U2 horribly pretentious. I find Bono to be a preening self-righteous prick and the people who receive him like a head of state are idiots. He’s a freaking rock and roll singer, people!

So I’m completely in favor of bands turning U2 songs into scorching disco epics. The snippet of “You’re Just Too Good To Be True” is inspired.