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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