Welcome to a new piece here at the Bullz-Eye blog, where we ask musicians to tell us which songs get their mojo risin’, as it were. Our inaugural subject is Saam Hagshenas, lead singer and guitarist of Chicago synth-rock trio Hey Champ, whose 2010 album Star is still in heavy rotation at BE headquarters and whose new EP Anything at All hit digital shelves earlier this month. It might not surprise you to hear that some Chicago house made the cut, but so did Led Zeppelin. Dude’s got diverse tastes, to be sure.

“Inspiration Information,” Shuggie Otis

Not only does it illustrate Shuggie’s amazing knack for songwriting, but it also seamlessly blends funk, soul, and psychedelic. Not to mention the guy went and pulled a Stevie Wonder, recording basically all the instruments himself while still a teenager.

“Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” Led Zeppelin

This track is just so damn raw. If anyone ever disagrees with the absolute fact that this band is the Godfather of heavy metal and hard rock, make ’em check this one out. Bonham’s thunderous drumming, the precision in Page’s and Jones’ musicianship, and Plant’s ridiculous range and blues-rock crooning make this a definite favorite.

Two words: dolphin boobies. That is not a misprint.

The synth-pop scene has been positively flooded with shitty bands in the last couple years, poseur tools who think whacking a few notes on a synth and acting snotty is all you need to do. But even the simplest kinds of music take sophistication to pull off naturally, and Hey Champ understand that better than most. They also understand astronomy and science fiction, as their (awesome) album Stars is littered with references to steampunk and the Uranus moon Trinculo. Fortunately, those brainy moments are wrapped in some unforgettable hooks, and “Neverest” is one of the hookiest songs the band’s done yet.

And the video…where to start? The band are trapped in some neon pyramid, performing the song for some strange warlord who’s flanked by two topless babes…with breasts shaped like dolphin heads. Your girlfriend will love you for putting this in her iTunes library, but you should probably keep her away from the video, unless you absolutely want to make sure that you don’t get laid tonight.