EXO - Lucky

Despite absolutely loving their debut EP last year, I wasn't really sold on EXO's 2013 full-length album. Too many ballads and midtempos. Over time, I've grown to like the single, Wolf, but have been even more won over by the album's re-release, with its awesome r&b single Growl. Beyond Growl, the re-release includes two new songs. Of both of them, Lucky is the truly awesome track. It's a full on dance production, which would sound completely at place on the stages of Melodifestivalen or Eurovision. There's something about it that just doesn't sound like most contemporary Korean music. That chorus melody smashes it... a sugar rush that screams Scandinavia even though there's no connection.



(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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Selina Stoane - One Sin Is Never Enough

"Give me more than one if you wanna have fun"

Thanks to the always amazing Scandipop for posting this track today, because I loved it from the first listen. I'd never heard of Selina Stoane before, but apparently she's an independent pop artist from Norway. I haven't listened to the album yet (it's all streaming on soundcloud), but this track is making me want to. It's utter cheese, in the best way. A non-stop disco/dance beat with vocals that sound like early Madonna? You know what you're in for, so just give in!



(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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Kang Seung Yoon - Wild And Young

Oh, yeah! What I usually like most about k-pop is its futuristic, highly polished and choreographed pop/dance/r&b music, but this is totally different. What we have here is a classic, big-riffed guitar anthem. It's like something Lenny Kravitz (or even my favorites, the Ark) would have performed. Kang Seung Yoon has been training with one of the big three record companies, YG, and this sounds very atypical to their usual output. However, of the big three, it seems that YG is the most adventurous, so I guess it's not a huge surprise. Whatever the case, I was obsessed with this from the first listen and can't imagine anybody disliking it. For those not particularly interested in Asian music, it's got a pretty strong western influence. Plus, this guy's got a great rock voice.



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

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Eli Lieb - Young Love

"I need some more tonight"

I'm really starting to love this song. It's got that strummy, anthemic pure pop sound to it that I just eat up. Eli Lieb released his debut album a few years ago and showed off some amazing potential with an expressive voice and a knack for a big hook. Still, Young Love is far and away the highlight of his career so far. I love songs that seem to tell a story, and the lyrics and melody here evoke a relationship in such a visual way. Plus, you can totally sing along to it. I'm not sure when the album is out, but hopefully it lives up to this single.



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

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Summer Movie Round-Up: A Summer for Coming of Age

 I'm a huge fan of Summer movies, but it's been a weird few months this year. There has certainly been no Avengers-level blockbuster as far as quality. Being a Marvel fan-boy, I enjoyed Iron Man 3 and The Wolverine. Fast & The Furious 6 was good fun and even if Pacific Rim didn't live up to the hype, I still enjoyed it. Yet none of these were as awesome as I wanted them to be. Action movies--blockbusters in general--seem to be flagging in 2013. They just aren't doing it for me.

On the other hand, my three favorite films of the past three months have all been very similar. It's almost as if they've formed a trilogy of their own. Mud, The Kings Of Summer and The Way, Way Back all deal with teens or preteens coming of age. All are hilarious, and all are emotionally affecting in at least some way.

I just saw The Way, Way Back two days ago and I think it's my favorite film of the year so far. What a perfect blend of emotions. Absolutely hilarious, but certainly not sugar-coated or Hollywood-ized. I feel like it's the little movie that could, and maybe if it didn't have such an off-puttingly lame title, it would actually brek out with the public, Moonrise Kingdom style.

My point in all of this? I don't often post about movies, but I want to encourage everyone to skip the multiplexes for a week and try something a little smaller. I'm all about the blockbusters, especially during the Summer, but the indies are where it's at this year.

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HAIM - The Wire

"I know that you're gonna be okay, anyway"

I would absolutely love it if HAIM surprised us all and just released an album without even scheduling it beforehand. I've been playing their past three singles all year and I'm sure that this will be added to the mix, but I really need a full-length because I can't get enough of these girls. To me, their sound is so 90's, which I have a fond nostalgia for and naturally gravitate towards (almost as much as the 80's). I love that there's more of a riffy guitar influence on this track. It's quite different than a lot of their past work, yet still sounds like them. As much as I adore dance production, more of this organic, band-focused pop music would be great in the future too.



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

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Hanson - Get The Girl Back

"It's about time to put your cards back on the table"

This has been percolating for awhile. Initially, when Hanson first released their new single, I gave it a quick listen and thought "this is surprisingly great." Then, I promptly forgot about it. Now I'm really delving into their new album (amazingly titled Anthem) and getting kind of obsessed. I've always thought Hanson were very talented. I play This Time Around and their debut album to this day. The awesome thing is that they've just kept on making quality music, even if most may have forgotten about them. Anthem is full of material that's rockier, funkier and hookier than their other recent material. It deserves to win over new fans and bring back old ones (like me). Anyone think Taylor sounds a lot like Michael Jackson in parts of this? SO catchy.



(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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Crayon - Bar Bar Bar

Don't ask me what the hell Bar Bar Bar is supposed to mean. Nothing, I'd bet, based on the overall gonzo-ness of this song. It should be called Jumping, since that's what the girls sing and do over and over again in the bizarrely addictive music video. Crayon Pop are a newer K-Pop girl group that seem to be going for a slightly quirkier, sillier pop sound than most of their contemporaries. With this song, it totally works. It's one of those kind of tracks you can sing along to even before the first listen is over. Ridiculously addictive. I dare you not to succumb to its charms!



(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.

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Emblem3 - Spaghetti

"Everything's gonna be alright"

Even though I sometimes liked them/sometimes didn't on the last season of US X-Factor, I've been rooting for Emblem3 to do well post show. That's partly because the show desperately needs someone to be successful, and partly because their debut single Chloe has quietly sneaked up to become one of my favorite songs of the summer. And on first listen, the album seems to be more of the same. There's something very late 90's about these guys. It's like a little bit of Sugar Ray, a little bit of LFO and of course a fair amount of teen pop. It's refreshing in that it doesn't sound much like what other groups are doing right now. For the next single, I'd vote for Spaghetti. It has such a carefree, backyard BBQ feel to it.



(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.

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One Direction - Best Song Ever

"Said her name was Georgia Rose"

I told myself I wasn't going to write about this song, especially since everyone and their mother already has. But then I saw the music video, and realized that I have something to say. Moments like this are really exciting for pop music lovers. Any popstar/group worth their salt has a few moments worth noting in their career. First is the breakthrough single or album, but even more critical than that is the one song or moment in which the singer/group bumps it up a notch and cements their place in pop history. There's very little I find more exciting in music than this. I'm thinking moments like Rihanna's Umbrella, Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, Backstreet Boys' I Want It That Way, Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, Nsync's Bye Bye Bye, and Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, to name only a few. The very best artists have these moments several times, throughout the course of a decade or more. The point is, I think this is One Direction's such moment. It's not only to do with the song (which is fantastic bubblegum pop/rock), but also the excellent video where the guys show off surprisingly skilled and funny acting chops. You all know I'm not embarrassed to like anything, whether it's pitched at 13 year olds or 80 year olds. And I'm certainly not embarrassed to say that this is very, very fun. I'll embed the full video so you can judge for yourself.



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

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Martin Rolinski - On The Run

"We don't care about tomorrow"

Oh yeah. I have been ready for Martin Rolinski to properly get his solo career off the ground forever. Blame It On A Decent Matter was an outstanding start, followed by this year's great Melodifestivalen entry, In And Out Of Love. But I feel like this single will be the one that actually gets followed by a full album. Rolinski has one of my favorite voices in pop music, and I'm so glad that he chooses to use it on such big, popstastic songs. He will always be closely tied to BWO to me, so it's hard for me to consider this anything but another fabulous BWO single. Either way, start your weekend off right with this!

* Edit: Just played this through decent speakers. Freaking hell this is a tune!



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

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Avicii - Wake Me Up (with Aloe Blacc)

"I know where to start"

I've been neglecting to post this because I figured everyone had already heard it, but Wake Me Up just might be my song of the Summer. Of course we've all heard of Avicii, and especially his inescapable single Levels. But truth be told, I never really gave him much attention until now. Wake Me Up is something special... something that just makes you feel really good. As evidenced by its popularity around the world (minus the U.S.... for now), I'm not the only one who's fallen under its spell. You want a track you can sing along to at the top of your lungs? Look no further. The mix of Aloe's countryish, soulful vocals and the electronic bliss is just spectacular.



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

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Diviney - Skeleton

"I don't wanna go home"

I've been a little sluggish on writing about Diviney's new Sex Games EP (it was released over a week ago), but it's not due to a lack of excitement. The entire thing's very good. It's like a continuation of the (excellent) last Short Stack album. A welcome dose of sorta-funky, sorta-80's rock music. If you liked You're So Cool or the title track (and how could you not?), you'll love the other four new tracks that accompany them. Best of all is Skeleton, with its uptempo, bombastic production and INXS-esque melody. The instrumental bit after the chorus reminds me so much of another song... I just can't quite put my finger on it.



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

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The Royal Concept - On Our Way

"We are young, we are one"

I love it when I can use the word "galloping" to describe a song. And if ever a song deserved the adjective, it's this one. Sweden's The Royal Concept have been impressing me more and more with each track they release. World On Fire was amazing, and now On Our Way cements them as a Scandinavian band to watch. You can never have too many epic/anthem sounding songs. The music video premiered today and I hope that means that an album is imminent!



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

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Natalia Kills - Saturday Night

"Another fist, another wall"

I'm suddenly really excited for Natalia Kills' upcoming second album (released in September). I always thought she had a ot of potential to be a very interesting popstar, and some of that potential was fulfilled in her debut. Now that she can move past Gaga-esque sounds and carve out her own niche, we could be in for some really cool mainstream pop. Saturday Night is certainly a move in that direction. A slow-burning electro thump gives way to a melody that sounds more like a classic rock ballad than 21st century pop music. Best of all, it seems like Natalia actually has something interesting to say (rather than the obligatory "throw your hands in the air... isn't life great? we're so cool!" sentiment). Now please let the album live up to my hopes for it!



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

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Pop Blitz - U.S. Itunes Top Ten

Time for a little snapshot of Summer 2013 on U.S. itunes. These are the top ten tracks at the time of writing. Do they stack up against other summers?

1. Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. & Pharrell)
This is the Summer of throwback jams. I'm continually amazed that Thicke still has such a strong career. This gets a little annoying after repeated listens, but there's no denying nostalgia. B+

2. Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop
Didn't like it at first, but the track's druggy weirdness won me over in a big way -- enough to become my favorite American Summer track so far this year. A

3. JAY Z - Holy Grail (feat. Justin Timberlake)
Timberlake just annoys me, but his vocals are almost unrecognizable here. I actually really like the first minute or so, but then it becomes all too murky and forgettable. The Nirvana reference doesn't work at all. B-

4. Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
This has become more and more inescapable as the months have gone on. It's not really my thing (a little too dark), but I can appreciate it -- and it's definitely got that big hook. B

5. Daft Punk - Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)
A nice compliment to song number one, this disco throwback has become a surprising hit. It's deservedly soundtracking the Summer. A-

6. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)
For some reason, I thought this was Frank Ocean for the longest time. The track never really surpasses its "message" status, but it's an important message and I'm certainly happy that it's become so big. A-

7. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)
I'm actually kind of amazed at how much success these guys have had. I'm not as big a fan of this track as the last one, but it's cool enough, I guess. B

8. Florida Georgia Line - Cruise (Remix) [feat. Nelly]
Country and rap... is not something I usually enjoy. Add a healthy bit of vocoder and you've got this weird track. I just don't know... C

9. Anna Kendrick - Cups
She must be absolutely shocked that she suddenly has a top ten hit. I was a fan of Pitch Perfect when it was first out, but have cooled on it quite a bit as it's gained so much popularity. This is... fine (for a little cup ditty). B

10. Bruno Mars - Treasure
I don't know why I've never connected with Bruno Mars. On paper, he should be everything I like. I just can't get into it. This is a nice throwback and better than I expected, actually, so I'm hoping it'll grow on me. For now I'm gonna have to give another B

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Shinee - Password

I know a lot of you are probably wondering why this mostly-Euro-centric blog has been upping the K-Pop content over the past year. You may think it's just a phase. I thought it would be too, but I am fully invested in Asian music, now. Obviously, I've still got way more English-language stuff on tap, but I can't ignore some of the awesomeness coming from the east. And for this year, top of the list in Awesomeness goes to Shinee. They've done something remarkable in releasing three (!) albums of stellar quality over the past six months. First there were their double Korean releases, Dream Girl and Why So Serious, and now they've put out their second full-length Japanese album. So, technically, this is J-Pop. While being a bit ballad heavy, Boys Meet U is an excellent collection of songs -- better than Why So Serious, in my mind, but not quite as amazing as Dream Girl. The guys (or rather, the production team behind them) are really experimenting with their sound. I love the ferocious dubstep-meets-punk Kiss Yo. But Password, which opens the album, is even more impressive. It's full-on electric psychedelia. The spacey instrumental in the hook reminds me of the 70's (particularly ELO and Elton John's stellar Funeral For A Friend). The melody is equally grandiose. Even if you've been unimpressed with the Asian music I've been posting the last few months, check this out because it's different and very, very cool.



(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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Icon - Rockstar

This weird little track has won me over. It makes no secret of the fact that it's aiming for Gangnam Style success, from the inane chants to the "everybody dance" nature of the second half. Yet, as derivative as it is, I can't help but love it. Part of that is due to the colorful, 80's music video, part is the addictive "I-C-O-N... my name" chants, and part of it is how "rockstar" somehow has been turned into "rockster." This is a new breed of K-Pop. It's very international and kind of experimental (in a G-Dragon Crayon sort of way). It's a shame that the accompanying EP is incredibly boring.



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

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The Preatures - Is This How You Feel

"I wanna know, wanna know"

Imagine if awesome Californian pop group Haim went just a tiny bit funkier. I think that, if that were to happen, they'd sound a lot like Australia's The Preatures. Is This How You Feel features a lot of the aspects I love about a great pop song. Bright, sunny production, a girl/boy vocal duo, and a lot of percussion. It's got a great organic sound that really stands out in an age of electronic dance anthems. There's something incredibly classic about it. The rest of their stuff seems a bit mellower, unfortunately, but this should provide them with a nice-sized hit Down Under.



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

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Raise - Page Two (In This Light)

"In this light, he looks like Mr. Right"

Their has been so much good dance music around this Summer, most of it emanating from Europe. Avicii's latest smash, Wake Me Up, is currently taking over the world (and rightfully so -- I'm obsessed and may very well post about it later), but today I'm going to highlight a slightly lesser-known dance track. It's just as amazing, though. Raise's Page Two (In This Light) is the sequel to their less-exiting Page One from a few months ago. At first, you're lulled into the song by Vera Kebbe's soulful, airy vocals, but then that monster beat drops and lets you know what you're really in for. The last minute in particular is just huge. It works as both an excellent pop song and a total club-banger. Perfect for this hot weather we've been having in Northwestern USA.



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

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The Sound Of Arrows - There Is Still Hope (Fear Of Tigers Remix)

"Within the darkest hour, there is still hope"

This may very well be the best seven minutes of music we'll hear all year. The original version of this song is one of my absolute favorites from Sound Of Arrows, but now--two years later--this remix kicks it even higher. I may or may not have gone totally nutso to this track over the weekend and ended up as an emotionally invigorated pile in the corner of my room. Just sayin'. This band does things to me, and the combination of them and Fear Of Tigers is beyond brilliant. Epic. Epic. Epic. If anything this a "must listen," then this is it. Now we just need a video to go along with it.



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

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Samantha Jade - Firestarter

"You can be my fire starter"

The very deserving winner of last year's X-Factor Australia, Samantha Jade, has just unleashed her next single on us. For those unfamiliar with her, imagine if Kylie Minogue opened up a school for aspiring pop stars. Samantha would be valedictorian. She's like an honorary Minogue. I'm not sure I'm as into this song as her last release, but I have a lot of goodwill towards this girl and I really want to see her become a success. As far as I'm concerned, XF AU is three for three when it comes to their winners. It'll be interesting to see what happens this Fall with a (half) different judging panel, coincidentally featuring a Minogue among them!



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

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Midnight Boy and Nicole Saboune in concert!

I've got something a little different for today, because two of Sweden's (and the world's) most exciting new stars recently gave awesome, intimate mini-concerts in their home country and both are available to stream online! I was especially impressed with the unheard tracks from Midnight Boy. Sounds REALLY good, especially Security and Butterflies. I need to hear the studio versions ASAP. Hopefully, we'll get some news on when both of these acts' debut albums/EPs/etc come out. Sweden is on the rise once more!

Midnight Boy


Nicole Saboune

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The Limousines - Scream Please

"I see you here and then away you go"

There are a few albums I've had on high rotation recently, yet haven't had much of an opportunity to write about on here. The Limousines' recent project is definitely in that category. I did feature their single, Love Is A Dog From Hell, a few weeks ago. It's still the best track on the album, but there are a few more standouts worth highlighting. Scream Please is one of the most instant, most melodic, and poppiest songs the band has recorded. It has a real warm vibe to it, with bright synths and a playful melody that sticks after one listen -- kind of like the work of Sweden's Tough Alliance. It wouldn't make a bad second single, actually.



(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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Girls' Generation - Love & Girls

It doesn't matter if you like Korean/Japanese music or not. As long as you have a healthy appreciation for bubblegum pop, you will go nuts for this song. Girls' Generation impressed with their single I Got A Boy earlier this year, and now they're back with a Japanese track that is seriously gunning for novelty dance chart topper status. I mean, that whistling breakdown was made just to infect everyone in sight (ditto to the crowd dance in the video). The melody is equally sticky--something between weird children's song, Call Me Maybe sibling and long-lost Girls Aloud single. It is ridiculously cheerful and utterly impossible to dislike. Come on, I dare you.



(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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Nicole Sabouné - I Surrender

"Every happy story ends"

I'm a bit behind and meant to post this last week, but I think it's worth the wait because Nicole Saboune is one of my favorite new artists of the year. She's already dazzled us with two singles, and for the third it's time to move on to something more pensive. I Surrender, like Conquer Or Suffer, was co-written by Nicklas Stenemo (formerly of the Mo and currently with Melody Club and Kite). This instantly gets my attention, as he is one of the absolute favorites on this blog. I'm so happy to see him working with so many other artists -- particularly ones as interesting as Saboune. I Surrender might not hit you as instantly as her faster tracks, but it's definitely a grower. The production is fantastic.



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

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Joywave - Tongues (ft. Kopps) (RAC Mix)

"Sometimes I think that they don't understand me"

I was all prepared to post about a million other things today, but then this song appeared on my soundcloud stream and hit me over the head with its awesomeness. Readers of this blog will already be familiar with RAC, who have remixed Penguin Prison (among other artists). Now they've taken on a song from the band Joywave, who I'm not familiar with (yet). You will be completely won over from the get go. Those wonderful blippy vocals that kick off the track and continue throughout are too catchy to resist. This has "slow burning hit song" written all over it. And best of all, download it for free from the soundcloud link below!



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

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Studio Killers - Funky At Heart

"You fit into my puzzle"

After years of anticipation, Studio Killers' album is finally out! As expected, it's the first album in a long time that's consistently awesome all the way through. This is what Summer 2013 needs! Apparently, a lot of people agree, as it's done pretty well on worldwide itunes charts (at one point it was in the top 20 on the U.S. charts, which shocked me -- in a good way). I could literally post any track and it would be completely worthy. I almost highlighted to the slower Who Is In Your Heart Now, which would make for a fantastic fifth single, but I decided instead for the more uptempo, instant Funky At Heart. Like most modern dance tracks, its centerpiece is a mammoth, thumping electronic instrumental, but what I really appreciate is the soaring melodic verses that surround it. This is top-down, driving in the sunshine 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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Against Me! - White Crosses & I Was A Teenage Anarchist

"White crosses on the church lawn, I wanna smash them all"

Sometimes you're just three years late. I was travelling to Kentucky last week and listening to the newly launched EW radio on Sirius XM. They played this song I Was A Teenage Anarchist by punk band Against Me and I was instantly smitten. Of course, I knew about Against Me prior to this. I remember reading great reviews of their 2007 album New Wave, but I always thought they were too "punk" for me. And a lot of their songs are not exactly to my tastes. But I think it's awesome that their lead singer came out as transgendered and that they write political lyrics in an age of cut and paste rock music. Lead singer Laura Jane Grace's voice reminds me of a growlier John Cameron Mitchell of Hedwig & The Angry Inch fame. The first four tracks off their 2010 album White Crosses, are nothing short of epic. I wanted to share the first two today in the hope that you guys will be as pumped about them as I am. I love this kind of highly charged, soaring anthemic punk rock (kinda reminds me of Foxy Shazam, who also released their best work in 2010). It's never too late to discover an awesome band.



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

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Austin Mahone - What About Love

"What about our promises?"

Ugh. I shouldn't like this. I didn't want to like this. Austin Mahone's management is clearly trying to set him up as the "new Justin Bieber" now that Beiber's gone rogue, and until this song I didn't think he had a chance. But they brought in the big guns, enlisting RedOne to produce this track. And my god, it worked. This is totally bringing me back to the teen pop heyday of 1998-2000. It could've been on any of the 'Nsync or Backstreet Boys albums. It's refreshingly melodic in a sugary way, with a video that wouldn't have been out of place thirteen years ago. I don't know if they intentionally meant to create such a flashback, but in doing so they're really going to please us older pop fans. This feels more like something that would've come out in Sweden--not America. It'll be interesting to see if he can gain Bieber-like popularity. The song already seems to be doing pretty well for him.



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

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Bullock Hearts - The Moment

"I can feel it grabbing hold like a dreamer in the night"

Call me immature and juvenile, but I can’t get over this band’s name. The first time I saw it in writing, I mistook "bullock" for "buttock," and honestly some things you just can’t unsee. Band name aside, this is a totally refreshing song. It’s their debut in their native Sweden and seems to be doing well for them. Unlike the club tracks thrown out by most of their peers, Bullock Hearts is going for earnest, hyper-melodic balladry. This is a big, beat-your-chest-while-singing anthem. It’s got a slight country feeling, but not in a bad way. I’d actually compare it more to the power ballads from the 80’s. It’s the kind of song that would appeal to everybody--so pleasant and straightforward and well done that it can’t be faulted. Again, this is a definite compliment, especially in a radio landscape where this kind of music is deemed “old fashioned” and pretty much wiped from the airwaves.



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

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Diviney - Sex Games

"I stole a kiss from you, but I need more"

Diviney is back with a new single! I couldn't be more excited. The band is, of course, Shaun Diviney (formerly of Short Stack) and his cohorts. He/they released the brilliant You're So Cool last year, which had a funky INXS-vibe to it that I latched onto immediately. Sex Games follows suit, adding plenty of keyboards to the mix. It wouldn't sound out of place on Short Stack's last album, but he does seem to be going for a lighter, poppier sound. No complaints here. I still think he's one of the most charismatic frontmen out there right now and I can't wait to hear the rest of the EP, which is due to be released in a couple weeks. I hope Australia (and maybe the world) will embrace this as much as they did his former band. It's the kind of cool, catchy pop/rock that the radio could use more of nowadays.



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

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CL - The Baddest Female

There’s something about these K-Pop/Hip-hop records that always reels me in. When I first heard The Baddest Female, I dismissed it as little more than a bunch of incongruent noise. To a lesser extent, I thought the same about G-Dragon’s One Of A Kind and Crayon, which turned out to be two of my favorite songs of 2012. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s (mostly) in another language, or that all those seemingly incongruent elements seem to blend into one sickeningly catchy refrain -- but I think what it really comes down to is the utter charisma these stars bring to the table. As leader of girl group 2NE1, CL is the most recognizable of her bandmates. The same thing could be said of G-Dragon and Bigbang. I’m kind of obsessed with the weird, snarly accent with which CL spits out the Korean/English lyrics. She spent many of her formative years in France studying--among other things--English, so I feel like her entire persona is a cool hybrid of east and west. One thing’s for sure: she’s a force to be reckoned with. Rap isn’t really my genre, but I can’t stop playing this.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy 2NE1's albums here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Magnus Carlsson - Glorious

"We're feeling high on life"

We pretty much know what to expect from Magnus Carlsson, don't we? This isn't gonna be some serious, laidback singer-songwriter affair. This is a balls-to-the-wall, campy as hell schlager anthem. And really, that's all we want from Magnus. Few artists can get away with releasing this kind of music anymore, and even fewer outside of Scandinavia. Thank god for Sweden! Honestly, it might be a little too much for even me, but I feel like the music industry needs to stop taking itself so seriously, so I'm happy to feature a song as ridiculously over the top as this. (It's still not a patch on his epic Live Forever, which I doubt whether he'll ever surpass)



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

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A Preview of my Leading Candidate for Album of the Year

In pop music, it seems like albums are a dying format. It's sad, but I'm noticing more and more that when the end of the year rolls around, I have no problem compiling a list of my favorite singles. But when it comes to featuring entire albums that are as strong, I struggle. That's why it's such a nice treat when something comes along like The Sound Of Arrows' debut a couple years back -- something where a lot of effort went into the entire package, rather than only the singles. By all accounts, Studio Killers' upcoming album sounds like it will be that rare, cohesive batch of songs. It helps that they've been working on this for years and have teased us with four singles that only seem to get better. But listening to the album preview (below), I think it's safe to say that this is going to be well worth the wait. I'm counting down the days.



(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.

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Exo -Wolf

Korea's Exo were one of the groups that really got me interested in K-Pop. There are boy and girls bands by the dozen in the genre, but I found that Exo-K's debut EP was really to my taste musically. I still find History and Mama to be stunning pieces of pop music. The main drawback of K-Pop, at least as I see it, is that it doesn't tend to be all that consistent. So many groups sound the same, which means it's more about the songs they're given by the producers/songwriters than it is about their individual talent. Obviously, that's not true with everyone (G-Dragon and PSY are two unique characters I can think of right off the bat), but I'm finding it to be the general rule. For Exo's comeback, they released the bizarre Wolf as their first single. It's a weird, WEIRD rap/dubstep hybrid with howls and everything. I really like the melodic parts (though they're few and far between) and the production is suitably dramatic, but I can't tell if this is going to grow on me or if it's just too cheesy to register. Only time will tell. It's certainly no Mama or History or even What Is Love. But the group has enough goodwill left over that I'm willing to give them a chance.



(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.

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Anton Ewald - Can't Hold Back

"Got me dizzy by the way that she moves"

Anton Ewald was probably the best surprise to come from this year's Melodifestivalen. In fact, I think he would've been the right one to represent Sweden and undoubtedly would've done better in Eurovision than Robin did. I still much prefer Ulrik Munther's song, but I've also been a longtime supporter of Anton's Beggin'. That song appears at the end of his just-released EP, and definitely holds up outside of the MF/Eurovision world. Releasing an EP instead of an album was a really smart decision, as such a short track list makes it much easier to keep the quality up. Honestly, the kind of music Anton's making isn't particularly groundbreaking. That's fine, but to an certain extent these songs could've come from Eric Saade, Danny, Darin or any other of his fellow Swedish popstars. Much of this kind of music often feels pretty anonymous, which makes quality control all the more important. And I'm happy to say that the five tracks on the EP are all at a high level. It's straightforward, trendy pop/r&b/dance, but the production and hooks are very solid. Other than Beggin, Can't Hold Back is the danciest of the songs, and even if it feels slightly familiar, there's no resisting a song like this. It's pretty massive.



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

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Playb4ck vs SuperMartxe ft. Mohombi - I Don't Wanna Party Without You

"You're like the sun in California"

This song has been kicking around for awhile now, and I've been meaning to feature it. It's been somewhat of a staple in the Scandinavian charts for weeks and I can see it absolutely blowing up this Summer. Whatever we may feel about it, for now and the foreseeable future, DJs and production teams are the new rock stars. As such, just getting this track's name and feature list out of your mouth is a doozy. However, here at alienhits we are quite familiar with Mohombi, who's released some great music in the past. It was his name that first drew me to this track, and his vocals are the standout here. It's obviously quite a bit more club/dance than we're used to from him, and if I'm being honest, the production basically just follows the template set out by every other club track, but with the weather getting nicer, we can never have enough of songs like this.



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

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The Limousines - Love Is A Dog From Hell

"We can do anything we want to"

Though I've been familiar with the Limousines in the past (and even posted about them three years ago), for some reason I never really gave them the full attention they deserve. Then I heard this song, and I started wondering why they'd fallen off my radar for so long. This is the first single from their new, upcoming kickstarter-funded album, and it's sonic bliss. Sometimes you a track just hooks you the first time you hear it. The dreamy, synth-drenched production, the anthemic (yet not overpowering) melody and the character-laden vocals combine to produce something quite epic. It reminds me of Swedens The Sound Of Arrows, who released my favorite album of 2011. This song is also a little reminiscent of MGMT before they got all weird (think Time To Pretend, but remixed to fit in a John Hughes movie). Brilliant. I can't wait for the album.



(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.

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UAO - Moving On

"After all these years, don't know who I am"

I'm surprised that this track hasn't received more online attention. I chalk it up to the fact that there are dozens of like-minded dance tracks fighting for attention at any given moment. Plus, UAO have pretty much no online presence. I can't figure out who they are, where they're from or if they've ever done anything else. All I know is that I like the song, and sometimes that's enough. I'm a big fan of unusual vocals on dance/club tracks. In a rock setting, there'd be nothing unexpected about the scratchy tone to this guy's voice, but coupled with the production here, it really stands out. It sounds to me like what Ulrik Munther would come up with if he was collaborating on a dance track.



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

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