Flashback Friday: Boney M - Brown Girl In The Ring

"Show me a motion"

I'd always been hesitant to explore Boney M's music, and I think a lot of that has to do with the band name. But there's no denying their big influence in the late 70's around Europe. In some circles, they're as beloved as Abba. So, I've been delving into their back catalog these past few weeks and picking quite a few tracks that I really like. In these late Summer days, a track like Brown Girl In The Ring is just what I'm in the mood for. It's a cover of a traditional children's song from the Caribbean, but as recorded by Boney M, it became an addictive hit pop single. I feel like the song is particularly appropriate because today was the last day of the kid's summer camp that I lead every year. There's nothing better than spending your summer connecting to your inner child, though to be honest, my inner child is never very far away!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their greatest hits here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Madeon - The City

"There is a place in the distance"

This track premiered a couple of days ago and I can't stop listening to it. I previously featured Madeon's epic Finale on the blog and raved about what an amazingly awesome producer he is. This is gonna be more of the same, though The City is far more uptempo and radio friendly. You can definitely see some Daft Punk influences in the track (it'd sound right at home on their Discovery album), but Madeon continues to do his own thing. I hear that he's been working with Lady Gaga on new material and I hope this is true. I can see him crossing over to even poppier music and being a huge success. For now, he's two for two when it comes to his most recent releases.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the most recent EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Michael Jackson - Speed Demon (Nero Remix)

This is why I love remixes. Nero could have chosen a more obvious single from Michael Jackson's classic Bad to reinterpret as part of that album's 25th anniversary, but I think it's awesome that they went for Speed Demon. And boy did they go for it! The song works wonderfully with Nero's usual production style. Who knew that it could work so well as a dubstep track? Unfortunately, the music police have literally disabled streaming of this song on every site possible after it leaked several days ago, so this is the rare instance where I can't let you listen to it. Instead, let me flag this as a necessary track to experience once the "powers that be" deem it appropriate to hear. If you can find it, play it loud. You won't be disappointed. I'm excited for the re-release of Bad, particularly that unseen concert DVD that comes with the deluxe editions. Long live Michael's music, in all its many iterations and remixes!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the re-release here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Pop Blitz: 90's Revival Edition

This Fall, the big story is a 90's revival in the music world. Not only do we have artists that sound like they could've been at home back then (I'm looking at you, Carly Rae Jepsen), but we've got a slew of big 90's acts releasing new music--often their first in years. Here's what I think of a few of the singles. And while we're at it, I'd like to request the return of Shania Twain and Janet Jackson (at least in her 90's heydey).

No Doubt - Settle Down
I wrote about this song when it was first released and said that, while I liked it, it didn't strike me as being strong enough for such an anticipated single. I still think this (and its chart placement echoes my thoughts). The song's still great, but it's more of an album track than hit single. Even so, they're by far my most anticipated comeback on this list. B+

Green Day - Oh Love
Well, they never really went away, but it has been a few years. Unfortunately, I just don't think this is one of their best. It straddles the mid-ground between their older, punkier stuff and their newer, more ornate rock. Melody-wise, though, it's just a little repetitive and unsurprising for my tastes. B-

Matchbox Twenty - She's So Mean
They were a band known for making excellent radio hits, even if they didn't always have the critical respect behind them. This is no bad thing in my book, and this new single follows their template exactly. This might sound like a gripe, but in 2012 their sound is downright refreshing. A very pleasant surprise. A-

Alanis Morissette - Guardian
Alanis has never really reached the heights of her breakthrough album, Jagged Little Pill, since its release, though she has put out some good music. This is a nice little comeback and definitely in keeping with her better work. Plus, it's awesome to hear her distinctive voice again. B+

Pop Blitz: 90's Revival Edition - Your Choice!

No Doubt - Settle DownGreen Day - Oh LoveMatchbox Twenty - She's So MeanAlanis Morissette - Guardian

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Otto Knows - Million Voices

Dance music has really taken over in the past few years. For better or worse, it's become the new rock and roll. DJs and producers are the new rock stars of the moment, though everything's cyclical and I'm sure the universe will come round again eventually. I've always been a fan of the dance genre, though I prefer it when it's mixed with a healthy dose of pop and rock. But every once and awhile I can really fall for an instrumental, pure dance track. Million Voices is one of those cases. When it's at its strongest, this kind of music can conjure a sense of euphoria that's unlike anything else on the radio. This track is ridiculously simple and repetitive, yet somehow it just pulls you in. No wonder it's currently smashing in a number of European countries.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the song here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Felix Cartal - Tonight (ft. Maja Ivarsson)

"I'm gonna be the one for you tonight"

I was first brought to this track by Maja Ivarsson's involvement. For those who don't know, Maja is the lead singer of Swedish band The Sounds. I've been a massive fan of the Sounds since their debut album and always like to hear new material from them (though it's hard to really compete with their earliest stuff). Even though this is technically a track by Canadian producer Felix Cartal, it might as well be a new Sounds track since Maja handles all the vocals. Sure, it's a little more electronic than her band's usual output, but underneath all that fancy production is a catchy, simple pop song. The track's from Cartal's album, Different Faces, which was released a few months ago.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Muse - Madness

"Now I have finally seen the light"

Sometimes it seems like I'm the only one in the world that adored Muse's Olympics song, Survival. It was deliriously campy and over the top, something that I honestly didn't know the band had in them. For their next single, though, they've taken their sound in a much more subtle direction. Madness finds them embracing a slightly electro, downtempo side. It's a different step for them, and doesn't really come alive until the last minute and a half. I'm not sure if this is something that radio is going to jump on, but it's very pleasing regardless. It's deceptively melodic and the vocals are really perfect. I like that they're experimenting a bit, particularly with production. This, combined with the last single, makes me very eager to hear the album (which has unfortunately been pushed back to October 1st/2nd).



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Flashback Friday: Chess - Never Change A Winning Team

"The odds aren't always what they seem"

I've been pondering the awesomeness of Abba lately (something I often do). Particularly, I've been reintroducing myself to their last album, The Visitors, which I consider to be a pop masterpiece. But even after Abba broke up, their style of music--namely, the Bjorn/Benny songwriting--continued in Scandinavia. One of Benny and Bjorn's most prominent projects was the musical Chess. This song isn't from that play (as far as I know), but it is from a Dutch group named Chess and (I believe) written and produced by Bjorn and Benny. Please let me know if I'm wrong. Even if I am, you can imagine why I'd draw that conclusion. It sounds exactly like how I'd imagine a late-80's Abba track would sound. Unfortunately, when it came to an album, all these girls released was a bunch of Broadway covers. This is somewhat of a red herring in their short discography.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the Chess musical album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Hampenberg - Glorious (ft. Jesper Nohrstedt)

"Together we glow in the dark"

I don't know how this track passed me by for so long. It's been out for nearly a month and I just discovered it a couple of days ago. I've been a huge Jesper Nohrstedt fan ever since he finished third (which seems to be the place to finish...) on Danish X-Factor a couple years ago. His Melodi Grand Prix entry, Take Our Hearts, was an excellent first single and should have gone on to represent Denmark in Eurovision. It certainly would have done better for the country than the entry they ultimately chose. I don't like Glorious quite as much, mostly because it sounds much more conventional and anonymous, but it is a rousing club track and it extends his burgeoning career as a dance/electro artist. I'd love for an entire album in this vein. For now, though, I'm just happy that he's still releasing singles (even if it's just as a featured vocalist).



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the song here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

The Storm - Raver

"I should be dancing like a raver"

I posted a song by Danish duo The Storm a few months ago, even though their album had already been out for quite awhile. The upside to this is that it has seemed (to me, at least) like only a blink of an eye between their last release and this new one. The band used to specialize in big, loud rock music, but went through an electro reinvention that continues on this new track. Raver is a mammoth aural blitzkrieg. The production sounds like something Robyn would gravitate towards, though this is slightly more over-the-top. Think of it as the older, louder sibling to Dancing On My Own. It's not quite as good as that track (what is?), but would fit neatly alongside it in a mixtape. If the album's this huge-sounding, I can't wait to hear it.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the song here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Alphabeat - Love Sea

"Jump on in, jump with me"

I love Alphabeat. There's no two ways about it. In this day and age, with all its negativity and stresses, it's so amazing and refreshing to find a band that creates such uplifting, upbeat, FUN music. I am counting down the days until their third album, much the way I've counted down the days to every previous release. Last single Vacation was a major grower. This one's not quite as lively, but the melody is incredibly strong and infectious from the first listen. Parts sound quite a lot like Whitney Houston's immortal How Will I Know and the instrumental intro is a close neighbor to The Who's Baba O'Riley (of all things), but the entire package is wrapped up in such a light, bubblegum sound that it really defies comparison to any other artist out there. This is Alphabeat doing what they do best. Thank god.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their last single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Flashback Friday: Scool - Roll Baby Roll

"It's so full of fun"

I just uncovered this track earlier in the week. I was completely won over by its cheesy charm, especially those pumping synths that form the instrumental hook of the song. Scool (what the hell is up with that name?) were a short-lived German girl group and this song was written about--what else?--rollerskating. I feel like it's a long lost unreleased track from Xanadu or something. Sure, it's catchy and bright, but the biggest reason I love it is because it's so damned tacky. I mean, look at that picture above! Sometimes I can't believe that this era actually existed. The song's "lyrics" are also worth a good laugh (my favorite is quoted above--the delivery is just so unconvincing). I hope there's a music video out there somewhere...



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Learn more about them here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Dragonette - Live In This City

"Can I do it for free?"

The countdown to Dragonette's upcoming 3rd album continues with this new single. Live In This City follows up Let It Go with a similar sound. It's a little rockier I suppose, with a propulsive beat and a ton of fuzzed out pop guitars. It's the kind of track that never slows down, even as it breaks for a hand-clapping section towards the end. It's fast and furious... more of an attitude piece than a thoughtful, melodic song. That's perfectly alright, especially if the hook is as big as the one here. I'm curious if the album will follow in this sound or be more of a grab bag. I've always thought that one of the band's biggest strengths was a chameleon-like ability to pull in different genres when crafting their unabashedly pop sound. I hope this continues!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the track here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

The Sound of Arrows - Remixed

This isn't really a "song" post, but any Sound Of Arrows news is worth noting. They had my favorite album of last year and continue to treat their fans to awesome videos and surprise downloads like this one. The guys have taken remixes of their excellent singles and collected them all together in one album. Best of all, the album's free to download! All you have to do is visit the band's facebook page (link here). They were even generous enough to include printable inserts for cd cases. This is a band that truly appreciates their fans. Now, all we need is a second album of original material ;)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Download the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Chris Wallace - Remember When (Push Rewind)

"Do you remember when we started this mess?"

Chris Wallace has the dubious challenge of sharing the same name with a well-known FOX News anchorman. I can't help but think that he needs to come up with some sort of alias or something. I also can't help but think that this song should have been Adam Lambert's comeback single. It's modern pop radio fodder, for sure, but punchy and catchy enough that it really sticks with you even on the first listen. It's like a really good, modern Melodifestivalen track (apologies if that reference goes totally over your head). Chris was previously the lead singer of White Tie Affair, which had a hit with the excellent Candle (Sick And Tired) way back in 2009. He's obviously a fan of song titles with parentheses in them. He's also gone even poppier with this track, with vocals very remeniscnet of the aforementioned Lambert. It's good stuff, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if this becomes bigger than his White Tie Affair material.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the track here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Flashback Friday: Champagne - Rock 'n Roll Star

"Fortune and fame, oh what a shame"

Do you like Abba? And have you heard the Dutch version of them? If not, this should be fun. Champagne are clearly an Abba knockoff, down to the facial hair of the guys in the band. This is no bad thing, though. They were successful in the late 70's/very early 80's in the Netherlands, though they only released one actual album. To me, their output is pretty spotty, but when they're good... they're great. This is my favorite track, an Abba pastiche if I've ever heard one. It has a very strong chorus with tons of harmonies and overdubs. It's also got that vaguely folk-inspired sound that some of Abba's most anthemic songs (Fernando, Chiquitita, SOS) had. It's incredibly old-fashioned, but sometimes that's just what you feel like.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Learn more about them here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Example - Say Nothing

"Your eyes do the talking"

Example is an... ahem... "example" of an artist that just keeps getting better. I've admired his music for awhile now, but it was Changed The Way You Kissed Me last year that cemented him as an awesome hit-maker in my book. With each single in his discography, he seems to be getting poppier/rockier (his earlier work was almost entirely rap). I'm sure some are annoyed at this, but as a lover of mainstream pop, I am so glad that he's gone down a more melodic route. The new single, Say Nothing, is the kind of electro anthem that should go down very well in today's musical climate. There's a little bit of rap thrown in there to remind us of who wrote the thing, but this has "radio" written all over it. Another year, another hit.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy his previous album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Parade - Light Me Up

"You need to take me higher"

Parade are a UK girlband that I, in all honesty, never really paid attention to before. But, they've done an excellent job of hyping up their new single and it definitely got me interested. It helps that the sound is in a poppier, more melodic style. In fact, it sounds kind of like a combination of Girls Aloud and the Wanted, which makes sense since its writers/producers worked with both of those bands. I'm also getting a little bit of an 80's Bananarama vibe, particularly in the bridge before the chorus. It's a great track, and officially gets me pumped up for what the girls are gonna do next. Best of all, you can download it for free on their soundcloud!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the previous album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.