Well, it is an Alienhits tradition (and never ceases to bring a smile to my face!)
Back to normal posts tomorrow. For now, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Back to normal posts tomorrow. For now, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
"Freddy's coming for you"
Looking for a nice dance medley with a bunch of Halloween movie clips for tomorrow? Well, look no further than this. Remixer extraordinaire Stormby mixes up a witch's brew of spooky sounds, blockbusting beats and swirling synths. All that and some inspired clips from A Nightmare on Elm Street. It's all just perfect for Halloween. Download for free via the soundcloud link below!
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to more Stormby here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Monday, 29 October 2012
"It all makes sense to me"
One Direction's new single has been revealed and it's a bit of a left turn for the band. While previous single Live While We're Young sounded very much like a rehash (and suffered because of this), Little Things is easily the most stripped-back production they've had. It's obvious that it's been written by Ed Sheeran, since it pretty much conforms to all of his songwriting quirks. This could be a problem, but I think it actually fits really well with the boys. Lyrically, the theme echoes that of the self-esteem booster What Makes You Beautiful, but there's something much more personal about this--at times almost uncomfortably so. Will it be their first big ballad on radio? It remains to be seen (I could honestly imagine this going either way), but at the very least it makes me curious about the album. It's nice to hear them trying something a little different, and the melody and harmonies are actually very pretty.
(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.
Friday, 26 October 2012
"Dracula, I'm a sucker for your love"
Any Halloween track that opens with a creaking door is okay with me. This was the follow-up to Toto Coelo's only big hit, I Eat Cannibals. It did little on the charts, but for a kitschy holiday track, it's kind of brilliant. I love this kind of overdramatic, uber-poppy novelty stuff. I'm all for your Monster Mashes and Thrillers, but add this to you Halloween mix this year and really impress your friends with your knowledge of obscure pop music!
(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.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
"We're just living life and we never stop"
Icona Pop burst on the scene this year with their breakout single I Love It. That's still one of the best tracks of 2012, but it's time to move onto a follow-up. We Got The World is not quite as aggressively performed, but it does borrow the sing/shout style we've grown accustomed to from the girls. This is more of a dance track, and slightly more conventional because of it. Still, it bridges the gap well from the unfiltered statement-of-intent that was I Love It to something more mainstream. But more than that, Icona Pop represents a new hope for me. Sweden used to be my number one go-to country for new, exciting pop music. However, the past couple years very little exported from the country has really caught my imagination. I'm hoping a band like Icona Pop paves the way for more upcoming artists to follow in the big footsteps of folks like Robyn, the Ark and Melody Club (to name only a very few!).
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the EP (which unfortunately doesn't feature this song) here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
"She keeps me up all night"
Unfortunately, this season of X-Factor Australia has kind of devolved into a boring non-event, particularly after one of their best contestants inexplicably left the competition and the should-have-been-winners were voted off in a "shock" elimination in week two. But, putting that all aside, last year's competition was awesome. The main reason was Reece Mastin, who won the season and was pretty much predetermined to since his first audition. Some things are just that obvious, and Mastin's vocals, charisma and style are something the show was very, very lucky to have. Now, after a string of successful (and good) singles, he's finally released his debut album (his covers cd last year doesn't count). It's chock full of harmless, but addictive, punk/pop/rock and this, the title track, is one of the best examples of his brand of music. Actually, this kind of reminds me of the final material from another Aussie band, Short Stack. Not bad at all.
(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.
Monday, 22 October 2012
"You don't have to fall, lean on me"
Not only is this an absolute revelation, but it's also the single biggest musical surprise of the year. I severely disliked Matt Cardle on series 7 of X-Factor UK, where he came in first over acts like One Direction, Cher Lloyd and Rebecca Ferguson. I wasn't alone in this dislike, as Cardle's winner's album died a quick death on the charts while all three runners up have been amongst the most successful acts ever to come out of the series. Even though I never cared for Cardle's perceived bad attitude or complete lack of presence, what I could at least admire were his vocals. Now, with this remix of his new single, those vocals have finally been put to brilliant, downright soul-stirring use. This track sounds exactly like I wish the Delays still sounded (and would fit in quite nicely on their 2006 album, You See Colours). Cardle simply has the voice for dance music. It's powerful, androgynous and textured. I'd count this as being in the top five singles to come out of that year of X-Factor, and that's saying something considering he was one of my least favorite contestants of the series. Drop your preconceptions and listen.
(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.
Friday, 19 October 2012
"It's too late for me"
Repo! The Genetic Opera is one bonkers movie musical. It's certainly not for everybody and it really is a schlocky, though ambitiously so, film. None of the songs really make as much sense out of the context of the story, but the package as a whole is a great choice for this time of year. One of the film's biggest coups was getting Sarah Brightman to take on the role of sightless opera singer Blind Mag. Not everyone involved with the project had an amazing singing voice (ie: Paris Hilton), so Sarah's songs are obviously some of the best. Chase The Morning features some of her beautiful operatic vocals in the hook, surrounded by ambient techno-goth speak-singing. If it sounds weird, that's because it is.
(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.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
"I love you, baby I'm not a monster"
I told myself that I wouldn't let this blog be overrun by K-pop, but I just have to post this track because it's become an intense obsession for me over the past few weeks. For those who don't know, Bigbang and pretty much the most successful group in South Korea (and, honestly, they're big around the world). Initially, they sounded and were styled like pretty much every other boy band, but with this most recent album they've really evolved artistically and experimented with many different genres. Monster is the single from the reissued version of the album and, beyond its amazingly cinematic video, it's an absolute stunner. It's amazing how you can get the point of a song with only a couple of lyrics in your native language. The music really tells the story here, along with the gorgeous rapped/sung vocals. The chorus is truly one of the best of the year. I wish we had male acts like this in the States--ones who aren't afraid of being highly stylized and totally embracing avant garde fashion. As wonderful as Gangnam Style is, this is the type of K-pop I would love to see cross over internationally.
(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.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
"We're the leaders of the pack"
Any pop blogger worth their salt will tell you that Girls Aloud were (are) one of the most explosive, creative and enduring acts in modern pop music. They'll forever be tied to production team Xenomania and luckily have turned again to them for their comeback after several years away. It wasn't until I heard this song that I realized how much I'd missed the group. There really isn't anybody else out their like them. Nobody else could've gotten away with a track so cheesy-weird or meandering in melody and made it sound so good. On first listen, I thought parts of Something New were a little overdone and cringeworthy (I'm talking about you, intro), but then I realized that this track includes everything I've loved about the girls throughout their career. It's ballsy and brash and crammed with ideas, so much so that you've gotta give it a few listens before you realize how wonderfully it all connects.
(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.
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
If Stand By Me is the perfect movie about childhood friendship (and I believe it is), The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is definitely in contention for the perfect movie about post-adolescent friendship. It’s rare to find a film about teens not dedicated to who-is-dating-who these days, and Perks definitely touches some of those familiar tropes, but goes deeper with a darker, more realistic and relatable aesthetic. By the end of the film, I left both devastated and inspired--a bittersweet, complicated jumble that’s all but impossible to find in today’s movies.
If you’re a coming-of-age nut like me, do yourself a favor and seek this movie out. It’s not the most commercial or glossy production in theaters right now, but has incredible heart and a great sense of humor about itself, despite being one of the darker films I’ve seen recently. If nothing else, see it for the actors. They’re incredible. A
QUICK VERDICT: Must Go
Monday, 15 October 2012
"This must be another fairytale"
Throughout the months, I've shamefully forgotten how much I love the newest Donkeyboy album. It came out so early in the year that it seems like ages ago, but it definitely remains one of the best pop releases of 2012. This track, a remix by one of my favorite producers (production teams?) Bassflow, reignites interest in not only this single, but the album overall. It doesn't change Silver Moon too drastically from what it was originally, but adds enough oomph to make it shine as a more club-ready version. Here's to Bassflow producing the next album!
(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.
Friday, 12 October 2012
"Restless souls will put on their dancing shoes"
For the next few Fridays, I'm going to share some songs that I think would be perfect for Halloween. After all, it's an Alienhits tradition. To be honest, I feel like Halloween is really sneaking up on me this year. I still haven't carved a pumpkin, I've only had a couple pieces of candy corn, and there hasn't been a corn maze or harvest festival in sight. What am I doing?? At least this song, from Nightwish's most recent (awesome) album, puts me in the creepy Halloween mood. Scaretale is seven plus minutes of perfectly atmospheric, Tim Burton-esque magic. I can't think of a better song to soundtrack a visit to the haunted house of your choice.
(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.
Thursday, 11 October 2012
"Where's my stache?"
It's been awhile since we've heard new music from Lady Gaga. And even if this isn't an official solo track, it sounds like a weirder, looser continuation of her Born This Way era. What she's done here is add vocals to a track by producer Zedd, so this isn't anything that will appear on her next album (at least, I'm assuming it won't). What it is, though, is a return to the weird, experimental dance pop we love Gaga for. In all honesty, it wouldn't make for a bad single. I love how it manages to retain the gritty electro of underground dance music, but coat it in a super-catchy melody tailor made for radio. All with some truly bizarre lyrics. If this is a hint of the type of thing we'll be getting from Gaga next, I can't wait to hear the album.
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the last album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
"I've gotta see you again"
Loreen's Euphoria remains one of the best winners of Eurovision in the past decade, so it's no surprise that nothing else on her debut quite lives up to it (though singles My Heart Is Refusing Me and Crying Out Your Name come close). That's not saying that there isn't a ton of things to enjoy about the album, though. Loreen's got one of the most powerful, naturally polished recording voices in pop music currently, as well as a desire to create lush, multifaceted dance/r&b/pop music that sounds immense. See You Again is the closest she gets to following trends, but it's Loreen's version of "following trends," so it's automatically different and awesome. The album has a bit too many slow moments for me, so the propulsive drive of this track is a very welcome addition. That said, if you still just want the essential Loreen, check out those three singles I mentioned above.
(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.
Monday, 8 October 2012
"Will you ever win?"
Sometimes mash-ups can be sort of pointless, but whenever Titus Jones is involved, I know I'm going to get something good. For me, his best work comes when he takes an older, classic song and augments it for modern times. Rhiannon's Stronger Island, which is built around Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon, Kelly Clarkson's Stronger and Mike Posner's Cheated and the instrumental of Pendulum's The Island. It's the first and last part of those ingredients that make this so amazing. I could honestly have done without the Clarkson and Posner bits, which make up the bulk of the track's second half. As a remix for the Fleetwood Mac song, though, this rules. The very last part of the track, which amps the Rhiannon refrain up to euphoric levels, is absolute bliss. Best of all, you can download the track and it's entire accompanying album for free here!
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Download the album for free here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Friday, 5 October 2012
"Comme ci, comme ci, comme ci, comme ça"
The Shorts were a Dutch boyband active during the 80's, and I'm sure they released quite a few wonderful tracks, but it's this irresistible single that they're most known for. You don't have to speak Dutch (or French) to enjoy this--though their is an English version available, if you're so inclined. It's one of those songs I could imagine being played at an Oktoberfest somewhere, which is not a bad thing at all. It's so easy to sing along to, and has the feel of a big, crowd-pleasing folk song. It's the kind of track that could have only come out of Europe. In fact, it's pretty much a stereotype of "European" music. This means that it probably sounds pretty chintzy and lame to some Europeans, but to a Yank like me, it's utterly charming.
(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.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
"I won't treat you like you're typical"
I'm so glad to see Tegan & Sara releasing new material and continuing to be relevant in the pop world. I first fell in love with their music back with the still-awesome single Walking With A Ghost and its corresponding album. Since then, they've released some other nice singles and collaborations, but I can't say I was expecting something so modern, glossy and propulsive when it came to their 2012 comeback. Closer is everything Ladyhawke's most recent album should have been. It's extremely instant and commercial sounding, but manages to still keep the cool indie edge that the duo have had since they burst onto the scene. It should see their profile rise quite a bit, as I could see dance producers having a field day with this. Top of the charts, please. That's where this belongs.
(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.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
"Catch me if you wanna"
This could be the year that Alienhits goes K-Pop. Not all the way, of course, but it is the year where the rising genre has really connected with me. I'm not often one for music sung in other languages (though there are more than a handful of non-English Melodifestivalen and Eurovision songs that are some personal favorites), but of late I've really been gravitating towards the idea. Maybe it's because lyrics in English songs have become so trite and repetitive, but to be honest I've always been more of a production and melody person anyway. It's what hits me first and most strongly when listening to a song. And non-English tracks do have their benefit. Not knowing what the singers are saying means I get to impart whatever wonderful meaning I want on the songs. It's really quite freeing! Moving on, this track and video was just released and I find it absolutely stunning. This, to me, looks and sounds like the future. In a lot of ways (and I don't want this to sound racial in anyway, because it's not), it truly hearkens back to the title of this blog: #1 Hits From Another Planet. Yeah, there are definite elements that sound like what's on the American charts at the moment, but it's somehow bigger, stranger and much more ambitious.
For those curious, here are a few other K-Pop tracks I've been obsessing over (I seem to gravitate towards the male groups. Much of the girl-group stuff just kind of sounds like Gaga-esque, production-heavy American pop).
Exo-K: Mama, History, What Is Love (My fav. k-pop group right now. Epic stuff)
Beast: Breath (simply an awesome beat)
Shinee: Lucifer (when that double beat kicks in at the second chorus... wow), Sherlock
Bigbang: Fantastic Baby, Monster
So, K-pop fans (and I know you're out there!), what am I missing? What should I listen to??
(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.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
"Come on, I command you"
Oh, Britt Love. It was such a nice surprise to see her on this season of X-Factor UK, but such a disappointment that she didn't make it through to judge's houses. Still, I hope the show gave her a bit more exposure, because this is an artist worth breaking into the big time. Music Makes You Lose Control is a brand new track she posted earlier today and, like her other solo stuff, is an excellent slice of funky electro pop. The song samples Abba's Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight),
which--although overused--is never a misstep. But it doesn't rely on that sample, focusing instead on some propulsive production and a big, bombastic sound. I hope we get a Britt Love solo album sometime. Until then, I'll just have to listen to all the unreleased Mini Viva tracks!
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to more of her stuff here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Monday, 1 October 2012
"I will follow you through the night"
Instead of releasing a new album (grr...), Alienhits favs Melody Club have put out a Best Of collection. Now, I understand that this is a necessary step for any band who've been lucky to last more than a couple of studio albums, but I really want more new stuff from them! Luckily, there are two new tracks on the Best Of. We've already heard Paralyzed, which was okay, and now we have Crossfire, which is better. It's pretty much classic Melody Club... kind of like Destiny Calling mixed with The Hunter. If, for some reason, you've not listened to any of Melody Club's material yet, I really envy the treat that you're in for when looking back at their Greatest Hits. There's a reason that they're part of my "Holy Trinity of Swedish Music." As the title of the album suggest, we need to celebrate their massive pop accomplishments--and look forward to a future that (hopefully) will be filled with more music.
(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.
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