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...

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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....

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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 StopDidn't like it at first, but the track's druggy weirdness won me over in a big way -- enough to become my favorite American...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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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...

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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...

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