Song of the Week: "Chick Habit"

So I ditched the world the other day, and holed up in the local googleplex to see Grindhouse. Not sure I'd buy the double-feature homage to B-movies on DVD -- or two DVDs, seeing as how they might split Planet Terror and Death Proof to boost sales -- but I was nevertheless entertained by the hellzapoppin' hyperactivity of it all. Plus I had my heart-clogging popcorn, my far-too-large cup of frothy Pepsi and a seat right in the middle of the theater, so I was a happy camper.

For me, the best part of the movie was the very end, when a trio of tough women is kicking the stuffing out of psychopathic baddie Stuntman Mike. As "THE END" zooms onto the screen, a cheeky, vampy, go-go-'60s song starts blaring. Because of the jumbo trough of Pepsi, I really had to go to the bathroom. But the song was so good, I risked bladder infection anyway. When I got home, I did some iTunes research and wound up finding and buying the song. (If you want to buy it, too, search April March instead of Grindhouse. It's available in both "single" format and album-only.) So here you go...

SONG OF THE WEEK
April March
Song: Chick Habit
Album: Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof (Maverick)
In stores: Now
Why we care: This ’60s-style French-pop vamp puts kitschy punctuation on the end-credits of exploitation homage Grindhouse. The cheeky, slightly sinister March (aka Elinor Blake) used to be an animator for Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Ren & Stimpy.
Why we like it: “Hang up your chick habit! Hang it up, Daddy!” Tarantino has always had an eclectic musical ear, but this might be his coolest find: March’s little-girl sass, the stalking bass line and the blasts of car horn are perfect for the demise of Stuntman Mike, a serial killer who’s lust for the ladies backfires in a bloody way.
Reminds us of: Adam West’s 1960’s Batman series. Everybody do the Batusi!
Song grade: A

Comments

[Joel]

I had resisted iTunes for years, but I finally caved in to download Chick Habit. It's cooler than "Woo Hoo" from Kill Bill, if only because Chick Habit hasn't been omnipresently appropriated by any telecommunications provider.

[F. Alan Thompson]

You might also like the original French language version of the song, "Laisse Tomber Les Filles" by France Gall.