The sun is baking New York and tourists are everywhere all the time. Summer is definitely upon us, so this week's alternate soundtrack takes one of my favorite upbeat, bubbly platformers and one of my favorite upbeat, bubbly albums to make one delightfully bright summer experience.
Though it was the second game in the Kirby series, Kirby's Adventure served as the introduction to what has become Kirby's signature ability: copying his enemies powers (only a select few items gave Kirby special powers in 1992's Kirby's Dream Land). Released very near the end of the Nintendo Entertainment System's lifespan, 1993's Kirby's Adventure really pushed the NES as far as it could go with lush graphics, a vast soundtrack, and dynamic gameplay.
girlsareshort were an electronic pop group from Ontario. Originally conceived as a full band by members Alex Puodziukas and Daniel Zabawa, they soon realized that they worked best as an two-man electronic act. Releasing two LPs – 2002's contactkiss on Hi-Hat Recordings and 2003's earlynorthamerican on Upper Class Recordings – the band split up after producing Death From Above 1979's 2004 album You're A Woman I'm A Machine. Fans' hopes for a reunion were dashed when Alex found great success teaming up with DFA1979's Jesse Keeler as the dance club powerhouse MSTRKRFT.
Kirby's Adventure has recently been rereleased twice, as the Game Boy Advance port Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land in 2002 and on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007. Though tracking down cds of both girlsareshort albums proved difficult (yet rewarding) a few years ago, both albums are now readily available on the iTunes Music Store. MSTRKRFT kicks mucho butt too, but that's a soundtrack for another day.