Poster Girl

Dreaming that you're crawling into bed

2011-06-11T14:02:00.013-04:00

I've previously found young British singer Florrie, a Xenomania protégé who's branching out into work with other producers, promising and frustrating, capable of making songs with instant appeal (see the Fred Falke remix of "Call 911") but too often creating music that feels...distant, both as a result of her voice and her style. It's the same sort of problem that prevented me from getting swept away by, for example, Sally Shapiro, though my personal tastes already prefer Florrie much more.

04 I Took A Little Something by poppostergirl

Good news: Florrie's "I Took A Little Something," taken from her new Experiments EP, still has that dreamy indie-disco sound cultivated in her earlier work, but before you know it the bright '80s synths have overtaken the detachment and turned the tune into the closest she's come to pure joy. As this is Florrie, there's still a subtlety to the topline, but here it seems less like aloofness and more like...a desire to not come across as too forward, a nervousness and consideration in the face of love that suits the song well.

Florrie finds just the right balance here between grown-up restraint and endless summer-style youth, the sweet spot where listener self-consciousness is gone both because the song is so well-made that there's nothing to be self-conscious about and because you're too daydreamily giddy to be all that self-reflective. Effervescent, smart pleasure, "I Took A Little Something" is a must for your playlist this next three months--and the next three years, too.

For a review of the whole EP, check out XO's. You can buy Experiments from iTunes internationally here as of tomorrow.

Sacrifice my life for you

2011-06-11T11:52:00.010-04:00

Amazing songwriter Tony Nilsson gave a radio interview a week ago and, amongst the other comments I had to strain to understand a third of (yeah, I need to find a Swedish tutor pronto), one of the more interesting facts was that Fernando Fuentes sang the original demos for Tony's "You're Out Of My Life" and "Like Suicide" (the latter of which Fernando co-wrote). The show even played a few clips, excerpted below for anyone who's as much of a pop nerd as I am.

Like Suicide Clip by poppostergirl

You're Out Of My Life Clip by poppostergirl

Fernando's claim to fame comes from participating in the first season of Fame Factory. Since then he's mainly been out of the public eye, but he's worked as part of a party band and at Wallmans, a show-featuring restaurant where many journeymen singers work as part of making a living in music.

Fernando may not have gotten to sing "You're Out Of My Life" or "Like Suicide" in Melodifestivalen--those privileges went to Darin in 2010 and Christian Walz in 2011, who both recorded excellent studio versions even if they received disparate results in the contest--but before you feel too sorry for him, he provided backing vocals for Eric Saade at this year's Eurovision. Participating in Sweden's highest-ranking entry since victory in 1999 has to feel pretty darn good, as does showing up on the cover of Aftonbladet celebrating.

In today's Melodifestival, it's hard to climb from the behind-the-scenes roles into the spotlight, so I'm not necessarily expecting Fernando to appear in the contest as an artist in his own right. Still, every now and then someone manages it, so who knows? He certainly acquits himself very well in the "Man Of The Mirror" video above (and sounds pretty good on the demo of "Like Suicide" as well, though I'm glad we have Christian Walz's version). If nothing else, keep your eyes peeled the next time you see a line of singers swaying behind the main artist--you never know who you might spot.

(Photo credit to SVT.)

Love at first sight

2011-06-08T12:15:00.007-04:00

Oh Alright, the debut album from Sweden's Le Kid, jumps back and forth between lush, swoony mid-tempos, cheeky '60s kitsch, and day-glo '80s pop. As you'd expect from from a group whose "background" members are three of Sweden's best up-and-coming songwriters, the highlights are stunning. The jubilantly bouncy "We Should Go Home Together" updates Stock-Aitken-Waterman with a wink but also with so much joy that the group reveals a real affection for that sound, as well as an understanding of what made its best examples work. "Mercy Mercy," the group's debut single, is a cheery, summer-ready improvement on Girls Aloud's "Can't Speak French." Perhaps Le Kid's greatest work yet, though, is their fourth single. "America" takes the cosmic ice princess disco longing in Kylie Minogue's "The One" and melts it into something just as beautiful and sparkly but also warm-blooded, making its underlying plea for love all the more powerful in the process.

If outside the context of the album the retro pastiches "Oh My God," "Kiss Me," and "Seventeen" at first seemed a little juvenile or not quite up to par with the swooshy pop-dance of "Telephone" or the Gwen-Stefani's-"Cool"-meets-orchestral-strings of "Escape," their quality somehow becomes more apparent when they crop up in the midst of Oh Alright. Their demanded-replay-value still suffers in comparison to the rest of the album, but their charms, particularly those of "Oh My God," pop a bit more, too.

Elsewhere, "Bigger Than Jesus" is another soaring disco reverie, with a chugging electronic beat outpacing the restrained coos of singers Johanna and Helena. A bonus track version of the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" works surprisingly well both on its on terms and in creating a desire for more Le Kid covers. Still, it's "We Are The Drums," another of the group's consistently great songs even if not the acme of their work, that sums up Le Kid's potential: "we are the chords and the lyrics and the melodies," they sing in their mini-anthem, practically daring you to disagree with the affirmation that they're the beat you run your life to. If they can keep making material that so effectively sums up the joys of pop music, they really will be.

Le Kid's debut album, Oh Alright, comes out August 17 in Sweden. Preorder it here.

You'll regret saying all those things you said

2011-06-05T10:19:00.005-04:00

I give up. Abandoning his previous husky-voiced balladry and pop-rock, Dutch singer Jim returns with a new single and new style. "Feel You Love" is a RedOne ripoff with a level of shamelessness not heard since Cascada's "Evacuate The Dancefloor," only with the budget RedOne-style beats made even more stop-start. It is incredibly cheesy, I'm not sure I'd introduce it to any of my friends, and the music video opens up with a shirtless male model and ends with a couple undressing each other--because jumping on the sound-of-the-moment bandwagon wasn't desperate enough, apparently...

...and yet every time it comes on, I find myself fighting the impulse to jump up and down, hands in the air. I'm surrendering to the stupid, mindless giddiness, no longer able to resist: if you're looking for cheap fun with minimal risk of negative aftereffects later, a sort of counterpart to Enrique Iglesias's "I Like It," "Feel Your Love" comes highly recommended.

Jim's single "Feel Your Love" is available on iTunes internationally here.

Maybe they'll open with an album track

2011-06-02T09:41:00.001-04:00

Some of the tracks making me happy at the moment:

Saint Etienne, "Tonight (Demo)" and "DJ (Demo)": the solo songwriting career of former Xenomania member Tim Powell got off to a strong start with soaring dance joy of Alex Gaudino's "I'm In Love (I Wanna Do It)" and the fizzy pop bounce of Ed Drewett's "Champagne Lemonade," but hit a stumbling block with the interestingly dark but ultimately payoff-lacking "Together" by the Pet Shop Boys. Thankfully, he's back on track with the slick, mature pop-disco of his new demos for Saint Etienne. That endorsement comes with a caveat: the assumption that these truly are demos, not yet mastered into their full, crisp final states. If you'll forgive the needlessly obscure reference, "Tonight" and "DJ" are positioned between "Your Love Is Like A Drug" on Bananarama's 2005 Drama album and Saint Etienne's own "Method Of Modern Love." They aren't quite as exuberantly sparkly as that previous single from the British trio, but they could easily sit on the same album.

CocknBullKid, "Yellow": why oh why was this perfectly constructed little pop song not one of the first three singles released from British singer/songwriter Anita Blay's debut album? I can only assume it was relegated to fourth single status, even as every prior single failed to take off, purely because it didn't exist yet. Otherwise why this instant earworm of a grownup, soul-restoring melody wasn't used to launch the album is incomprehensible.

Find it on: Adulthood

Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass": why is it that the rapper known for her crazy voices and colorful, dirty bragging seems to be the American popstar ending up with all the best pretty, mushy music box melodies? "Super Bass" follows previous Nicki singles "Your Love" and "Right Thru Me" into the world of pretty little odes to love balanced out by hints of her crazy persona in the verses. Maybe she was forced into the world of middle-of-the-road adorability by a pop radio environment too scared for a whole song in the style of her many featuring appearances, but it's hard to be too upset about musical conservatism when it leads to songs as charming as "Super Bass."

Find it on: Pink Friday

You keep telling me to grow up

2011-05-30T16:48:00.005-04:00

My conflicted feelings about Eric Saade the popstar have been documented to the point where I'm sure it's straining reader patience, but my constantly optimistic attitude towards Swedish boy pop means that, like many other fans of Scandinavian pop, I'm looking forward to the release of Eric's second album. Oddly titled Saade Vol. 1, it's released June 29.

Hearts In The Air (feat. J-Son) by poppostergirl

There's at least one reason to feel encouraged about the end product. Around half of the tracks were co-written with Jason Gill, one of several songwriters I'm constantly wishing more European singers would employ. He has a good track record for sparkly synth-based songs with young male Swedish popstars, having turned in Darin's "Paradise" and Måns Zelmerlöw's "Rewind," "Freak Out," and "Hold On." Though not amazing, "Hearts In The Air," the second single from Saade Vol. 1 and a Gill track, is a nice attempt at a slightly more international sound for Eric.

As for additional songs, "I'll Be Alright," a mid-tempo track I initially thought of as totally throwaway, was debuted before "Popular" was released. We've also heard a low quality clip of "Timeless" (listen to it here), a Gill co-write that sounds like a cute fluttery pop-dance-R&B mid-tempo song with enough of a beat to keep it interesting. The demo I've heard of "Me & My Radio" (which could end up being the final version for all I know) falls into a similar category, though this time Eric's nursing feelings of being cheated on instead of reassuring his girl that their love will last forever. I am an eternal sucker for anything that can milk pathos out of the human-radio relationship, so as lightweight as "Me & My Radio" is, its pretty little fast-paced synth runs and lonely chimes charm me.

None of these songs is going to fill the void felt by listeners seeking a second "Popular," but Eric, for all his drawbacks, has always had the admirable quality of knowing where his bread is buttered musically; anything less than another dance track or two would be surprising.

The tracklisting for Saade Vol. 1 is reproduced below, complete with the songwriting credits I'm aware of. If you know more, please fill me in!

1.) Timeless (Jason Gill/Robin Fredriksson/Mattias Larsson/Eric Saade)
2.) Hearts In The Air (feat. J-Son) (Jason Gill/Robin Fredriksson/Mattias Larsson/Eric Saade/J-son)
3.) Me & My Radio (Mich "Cutfather" Hansen/Jason Gill/Mikkel Sigvardt/Daniel Davidsen/Engelina Larson/Brandon Beal)
4.) Made Of Pop (Jason Gill/Robin Fredriksson/Mattias Larsson/Eric Saade)
5.) Popular (Album Remix) (Fredrik Kempe)
6.) Someone New
7.) Killed By A Cop (Jason Gill/Robin Fredriksson/Mattias Larsson/Eric Saade/J-son)
8.) Big Love
9.) Stupid With You (Jason Gill/Robin Fredriksson/Eric Saade/Fredrik Kempe)
10.) Echo (Jason Gill/Robin Fredriksson/Mattias Larsson/Eric Saade)
11.) Still Loving It (Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad/Niclas Lundin)
12.) Popular (Original Version) (Bonus Track) (Fredrik Kempe)

Preorder Eric Saade's second album, Saade Vol. 1, here.

Turn the hour hand back

2011-05-30T16:24:00.002-04:00

I was starting to worry that the dance-influenced pop-rock anthem trend of the past few years (Metro Station's "Shake It," Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad," Boys Like Girls' "Love Drunk") was never coming back. Who knew Canadian punk pop band Simple Plan would swoop in to save the day? Having failed to convincingly build on the more grown-up sound of 2005's "Untitled" on the album that followed it, they've finally figured a way to transition from the innuendos and (admittedly sometimes fun) tantrums that first brought them success into a sound more fitting for a group with an average age of thirty. The uptempo "Jet Lag" has a surprisingly effective little metaphor for missed connections at its center, but what seals the deal is its radio-ready chorus. The end result is the best both Simple Plan and Natasha Bedingfield have sounded in a long time. In a summer that's so far lagged behind in worthy hit songs, here's hoping this one breaks through.

Where do you run to when everything's gone?

2011-04-11T13:11:00.005-04:00

Maybe I'm forgetting something, but it feels like Roxette's new single, "Speak To Me"...

01 Speak To Me (Bassflow Remake) by poppostergirl

...has the Swedish duo's best chorus in a long time. A long time. As in "up there with classic Roxette ballads" long time.

(I've probably recited my thoughts about Bassflow often enough; check here for my most recent rave. Suffice to say I think he gives "Speak To Me" just the polish it needs.)

The group's most recent album, Charm School, is already out and contains the original version of "Speak To Me." It can be purchased here (physical) or here (digital). The single remix, though, will be out April 18 in Sweden

Pure and clean

2011-04-05T17:05:00.004-04:00

When a clip of Kate Ryan's new single "LoveLife" was posted to her SoundCloud page, I began to worry the album era responsible for uniting the two great pop forces of Kate and Le Kid's Felix and Marta was going to underwhelm...

KateRyan LoveLife Radio Edit by Kate Ryan

...I'm sorry, Kate. How could I ever have doubted you?

"LoveLife" is pop Kate, not full-on trance Kate. Neither of those is necessarily better than the other, but I do love that such a light-hearted topline and sample is backed by more bass than I expected.

Kate Ryan's new single "LoveLife" is released on April 11 in Belgium. You should be able to buy a digital copy here as of that date. The album it precedes, Electroshock, will have a long way to go to equal her last real studio album, 2008's Free. With her usual producers 2N broken up, perhaps going back to them wasn't an option. If that's the case, it's difficult to imagine a more theoretically exciting choice than Felix Persson and Marta Grauers. It's still a nerve-wracking transition, though. Hopefully the end result is as good as you'd imagine and not a replay of what happened when Petra Nielsen worked with the former other half of September, VDB Productions, for no more than three songs on the latest September album (though to be fair, her previous, all Von der Burg-produced album Dancing Shoes showed some signs that the partnership was no longer as consistently great as it used to be).

Boy, nobody's keepin' score

2011-04-04T14:38:00.010-04:00

Two excellent new songs were recently made available as free downloads from their artists' websites. That "free" tag comes with the caveat of handing over your e-mail address, but neither is to be missed.

American actress and Boomkat singer Taryn Manning's voice is processed and distorted more than I've ever heard from her before on the new solo song she posted on her site, "Turn It Up" (stream above), as if she's singing over two aluminum cans and a string. Despite that--and maybe partially because of it--"Turn It Up" has been popping up in my head all day, equally inescapable at the gym, in front of the washing machine, down office hallways, or in the car with another song playing on the radio. The strength of its electro-pulsing production is a welcome surprise, while something about its chorus works in that ineffably addictive pop way, enough so to perhaps make "Turn It Up" my favorite song Taryn has been involved with. "Turn It Up" seems unlikely to wear out its welcome any time soon.

Heir to the playful Xenomania sound of Mini Viva's "Left My Heart In Tokyo" and V's "Hip To Hip," SoundGirl's "I'm The Fool" is a bouncy, youthful brush-off co-written by former member of the aforementioned British songwriting team Miranda Cooper. "I'm The Fool" harks back to that time when Xenomania so effortlessly made fun, innovative, girl-powered pop songs with off-the-wall lyrics that one didn't need to be seeking innovation to appreciate, traits characteristic of much of Girls Aloud's best output. SoundGirl, a new British girl group, seemed to be setting up "I'm The Fool" as their breakthrough attempt before announcing recently that it would be made available as a free download. Let's hope that was a considered strategic change rather than a last-minute panic based on a cool reception for "I'm The Fool"--we need someone delivering music like this.

'Cause just when I think we're through, the memories come flooding back

2011-03-31T17:18:00.005-04:00

The musical event you know you all were waiting for is finally here:

the studio version of the single from the combined New Kids On The Block-Backstreet Boys supergroup, the awesomely named NKOTBSB, has arrived.

With hooky synth staccato pulses and washes, a singalong chorus reminiscent of co-writer Claude Kelly's "In Your Head" for Jason Derulo but with less "seriousface intensity," lyrics that semi-function both in regards to a personal relationship and their relationship with the audience, "Don't Turn Out The Lights" takes up right where you would hope. It's a catchy pop song somewhere between mid- and up-tempo that won't alienate old fans but fits right into our post-RedOne pop universe.

There have been hints in the past few years that the two all-grown-up boy bands are capable of delivering songs that are both modern and in keeping with their earlier work. New Kids' 2008 comeback album The Block contained a surprising amount of songs that were not just relevant but actually good. I'm particularly partial to "Twisted," a synthy update of the boy band sound which surprised yet again by being a great Timbaland song right at that point where Timbaland's 2006 excellence was starting to fade out into the mediocrity faced by so many writers who suddenly have the whole world beating down their door.

The Backstreet Boys would take a little longer to return to electronic pop (and, once again most importantly, good songs), but they finally got there with 2009's This Is Us. It was still too full of filler, but, besides the enjoyable "Bigger"'s direct lift from their "I Want It That Way" past, it featured a few songs that put the group where they needed to be. Brian Kennedy twisted the joyful, synthy sound he brought to Chris Brown's "Forever" into something slightly more aggressive on "Masquerade," while "Bye Bye Love" was a floaty up-tempo song that danced between airy and insistent.

"Don't Turn Off The Lights" reunites the Backstreet Boys with "Bye Bye Love"'s Claude Kelly, but its other co-writers are a surprise: Emanuel Kiriakou and Jess Cates. Both are capable of good work, but I'd felt in the past that what they contributed to the Backstreet Boys counted amongst their forgettable pop-rock songs. Emanuel's contribution to The Block, "2 in the Morning," was one of its misfires (the world will never recover from "gotta know if you're mad at me/before Grey's Anatomy"). Further, in the past few years he's specialized in making ballads--including some great ones (David Archuleta's "Crush," for example), but I never would have expected him to have gone in this direction. I'm thankful to be this pleasantly surprised, though.

It's rare that your past musical tastes, modern chart trends, and your current preferences align. When it happens, there's a certain kind of joy that occurs, the kind that has you wondering if maybe you really should buy tickets to that tour you previously brushed off as you press repeat for the tenth time in a row. And really, nothing is better than that.

NKOTBSB's single "Don't Turn Out The Lights" comes out April 5 in the U.S. You'll be able to buy it from Amazon here (digital). "Don't Turn Out The Lights" will be followed by an album May 24 composed mainly of the two groups' old hits (though I suspect if "Don't Turn Out The Lights" did well they'd have more reason to record more new original songs).

(Hat tip to Robbie for alerting me to this important event.)

Tell me I'm your one and only

2011-03-24T16:13:00.005-04:00

It's kind of getting wordy around here, so, straight to the point, here's a great mood-lifting pop song from Nicole Scherzinger's new album. Like the album's lead single, "Poison," it's produced by RedOne, but, much as I love it--which is a lot, considering it's currently the song I keep going back to on a surprisingly enjoyable although not filler-free album--I hope it never gets the single treatment. It's best served as a little album track treasure.

As others have said, her current single, "Don't Hold Your Breath," is a fantastic pop song. I hope it's not too late for it to take off in the U.S.

Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, Killer Love, is out now in the UK and can be purchased here (physical).

Speaking in codes now

2011-03-23T13:00:00.001-04:00

Sweden is lucky enough to be home to several of the most interesting, refreshing up-and-coming pop acts of the moment, all of them quite different. Le Kid makes pure pop decorated with big dollops of kitsch. Sound of Arrows make dreamy electronic pop.

I've been remiss, though, in not mentioning a third such exciting act: Viktorious.

In his earlier musical life as a member of the group Sugarplum Fairy, Viktor Norén helped create indie-friendly rock. His current music sheds almost all trappings of that sound, though. Neither is the self-styled superhero trafficking in Sweden's boy pop sound beloved by pure pop fans. He's still too new for us to know for sure what's going to characterize his music, but so far, it's bold electronic pop that I can't think of anyone else in the Swedish music scene at the moment making.

With that reference to distinctiveness out of the way, I must confess that the song I'm posting today from Viktorious is a tweaking of his debut single, last year's "When We Were 10," that pushes him back towards a musical sound we're all familiar with. It's a sound that I so adore, though, that I can't help giving it its moment in the sun.

When We Were 10 (Bassflow Remake) (Radio Rip) by poppostergirl

The sound in question? The surging pop production of Peter "Bassflow" Boström. No, I'm probably never going to stop singing his praises. In his remix of "When We Were 10," Peter takes us back to a sound anyone familiar with his work, be it his amazing Martin Stenmark remixes, Ola's "Natalie" and "S.O.S.", Charlotte Perrelli's "Hero," or any of his numerous other hits, will recognize. In the years since his reworkings of Martin Stenmarck's "Sjumilakliv" and "100 År Från Nu" took up frequent residence on Swedish radio, Bassflow remakes of pop-rock songs have become a popular way to entice P3 and Rix FM to play new singles. "When We Were 10 (Bassflow Remake)" is a great example of this little subgenre that can continue until the sun burns out as far as I'm concerned--it turns almost any song into a fist-pumping jolt of energy.

As for Viktorious, I'm very excited to see where he goes next. A new male singer who seems to be getting the electronic pop thing right is always welcome in my book. If you use Facebook, you can, as Swedish Stereo and #1 Hits From Another Planet have been reporting, download one free song each week from his website.

As one more side note, you have to appreciate a male singer signed to a major label who upon embarking upon a solo career outside of his indie-sounding rock group makes this one of the first photos he shares of himself online:

...with the caption "To celebrate the International Women‘s Day, here is Viktorious as a woman. Not just any woman, probably the best woman ever. Madonna, Like A Virgin. Looks pretty good, right? So if everything goes to hell, Viktorious can always become a drag queen. That‘s good to know!"

There's nowhere to purchase the Bassflow Remake of Viktorious's "When We Were 10" yet, but you can buy the original version here (digital).

I'm not quite finished with you

2011-03-22T15:28:00.010-04:00

Will Tyler Hilton ever release his second major label studio album? Heaven knows I'm probably the only person who's never seen One Tree Hill to still be interested. Since 2004's The Tracks of Tyler Hilton, Tyler seems to have gone from EP to EP with a constantly dangled promise of The Storms We Share, said next album, always just out of our reach. I can't say I blame him or his record label--given the difficulty the young-guy-with-guitar model is having finding traction on top forty radio, the amount of time invested in this album seems unlikely to be compensated with mainstream success; digital EPS are a way of periodically making a guaranteed small amount from fans without having to spend much money on promotion.

That's a shame, though, because The Storms We Share contains some road trip-ready pop-rock songs. It may forsake the dance beats currently dominating the charts and may shy away from arena-ready blistering guitar solos, but it doesn't lack for energy. Albums like these run a risk of getting bogged down in introspective ballads, but the opening salvo of "Sunset Blvd.", "So Young," and "This World Will Turn Your Way" quickly assures listeners that Tyler is just as capable of writing soaring uptempo songs as he is slow songs about love and broken hearts. "16th Summer" ups the ante one more, with the hardest guitar sound we're probably going to get from Tyler. Even there, though, the licks are bookends to a big strummy chorus more concerned with a singalong melody than keeping the rocker vibe of the song going. That's no complaint, though; Tyler is best when giving himself over to gentle pop-rock hooks he's so good at making.

Most of the slower moments share those same strong hooks, though how they reframe them varies from the fuller, lusher sound of "Someday" to the sparser "Say It Like A Lie." There's nothing all the way to either end of the spectrum, though--The Storms We Share is never totally stripped back nor heavy on obvious studio work but instead opts for a "produced organic" sound somewhere in between. "I Believe In You" does a good job of showing off the benefits of that approach, with rushing waves of music eventually hushing for one of my favorite studio tricks for pop-rock groups: a two-thirds point emotional climax where a quiet repeated phrase is met with and overlapped by the singer also singing a second melody on top (see also: McFly's "Falling In Love").

09 Ain't A Thing by poppostergirl

Perhaps my favorite song, though, is the unassuming but excellent "Ain't A Thing," co-written with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum. Mid-tempo, it finds Tyler assuring an ex "you ain't a thing without me" through a quietly, irresistibly catchy chorus. As confident as Tyler's boasts are, though, there are enough hints that he was on the receiving end of the break-up to prevent the song from coming across as overly brash--instead, it's either the strutting break-up anthem we all wish we could honestly sing or a crushed heart putting on a brave show, depending on the listener's emotional state at the time. If you listen closely, there are signs of "Ain't A Thing"'s country heritage, but a twangless delivery from Tyler positions "Ain't A Thing" solidly in pop-rock territory.

It feels like damning with slight praise to say that The Storms We Share is the best mainstream pure pop-rock album I've heard in several years; the competition hasn't exactly been fierce. Still, if there isn't room for songs this strong sung by the rare man who has just enough grit in his voice to give them weight and not so much as to be abrasive, then something is truly wrong with America's current musical climate.

Tyler Hilton's album The Storms We Share is not yet available, but in the meantime, you can buy his most recent EPs on iTunes internationally here. The Ladies and Gentlemen EP, for example, contains four of the songs on the version of the album I heard: "Sunset Blvd.", "I Believe In You," "This World Will Turn Your Way," and "Keep On."

(On a totally personal, frivolous note, I'd like to dedicate a sentence to how much I love "Kiss On" from The Tracks of Tyler Hilton: A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT.)

Dreamin' that you would be good for me

2011-03-21T12:20:00.008-04:00

I'm officially on board the Sky Ferreira bandwagon.

Though she's had enjoyable tracks before, I'm taken aback by just how much I'm won over by the young American singer's delivery of the songs on her new As If! EP. Even on a frothy, messy trifle like "99 Tears," Sky holds the whole thing together by--well, perhaps not force of personality yet, but through the emotions that slip through. Just listen to the surprisingly grown-up way the sometimes-Lolita sings "don't you know that" and "karma karma" in the song's bridge. It's a small detail, but it's the sort of thing I mean when I refer to someone as a good singer: not necessarily technical range (though supposedly Sky has that, too) but the capability of inducing surprising little shivers down your spine with what they convey through tone.

"99 Tears," produced by Greg Kurstin, is a fun listen, but for my money, the two standout tracks on the EP are "Traces" and "Haters Anonymous." "Haters Anonymous" is the sound of Bloodshy & Avant messing around with skittery electro again, though this time they've melded that upgraded "Piece of Me" sound, channeled through Sky muttering about Internet commenter culture in the verses and a robo-voiced middle eight, with a surprisingly innocent-sounding big poppy chorus.

"Traces," co-written by rising singer-songwriters Neon Hitch and Colin Munroe, leaked in low quality months ago, but what a difference crystal-clear audio makes. A song I previously disregarded has revealed itself to be one of those big emotional electronic mid-tempos I so adore, the kind where you feel dragged down by the heaviness of each deep, measured beat. It's the sort of song to make you forget all about Sky's interview persona and fall head-over-heels for this girl who shouldn't have fallen in love with a boy.

I've felt let down recently by a usually reliable singer who, despite a couple of great singles and a pair of enjoyable tracks, delivered an album that even her special pop voice couldn't stop from feeling soulless. I'm not ready to give up on her--I never will--and the plethora of Sky songs we've heard have varied too greatly in quality for me to count on her as pop's next great thing, but there are moments on As If! that indicate Sky could, if given the chance, develop into something special. Let's hope the commercial stumbling blocks she's faced so far don't stop that from happening--the world may need another great popstar sooner than we think.

As of tomorrow, residents of the U.S. will be able to buy Sky Ferreira's As If! EP here (digital).

Time is ticking

2011-03-12T12:38:00.007-05:00

There are a bunch of things in the music world that need to be discussed--the new Britney album, some new Eurovision songs, finally having the studio version of Danny's "Catch Me If You Can"--but with the Melodifestival final starting in less than two hours, Sweden's national selection for Eurovision has to take priority.

Half the time I don't know what I truly feel about any given entry until I have a gut reaction to how it ends up ranked. As of right now, though, I'd be happiest with a Danny win. I have a rising concern about the Moniker, though, and I'd certainly rather see Eric Saade take it instead of him.

In terms of solely my personal preferences--ignoring the odds of any of this actually happening--I'd be most pleased by a victory for Danny (in my top three favorite songs for this year as well as my favorite song and my favorite performance package of the entries remaining), Eric (there's still a missing ingredient for me, I'm frustrated that better similar entries in past years have been rejected and this one might win, and in the unlikely event that Danny should end up seriously challenging him the detachment I feel from Eric's entry would intensify, but when the song and presentation are taken together it's tough to deny that it averages out to be one of the night's best entries), Swingfly (a messy on-stage presentation, but the song is a lot of fun and gives me that rush of joy I wish I got from "Popular," even if I'm not sure that it's actually better in the long run), or Linda Bengtzing (she's had better songs and better performances but I love her and her infectious enthusiasm and enjoy "E det fel på mig"). I'd be fine with Brolle winning as well. After that, my enthusiasm would drop off precipitously, but it wouldn't feel like the end of the world if Sara Varga won. Despite its great production and great singer (though, truth be told, she's using a side of her voice here that I don't hugely enjoy), Sanna's song still leaves me cold. I like "The King" a good bit (yes, really) but feel like the Playtones' performance is a black hole for charisma. Any of the aforementioned choices would be better than the remaining two, though; Nicke Borg or the Moniker winning would leave me distraught.

Still, we should be in for a great show. Though songs I loved were lost along the way to Globen, I'm actually pretty happy with the line-up we'll be facing. Yes, two of the songs that would have made the best impression internationally were lost in Andra Chansen last week, but this year's final nevertheless includes mostly enjoyable songs that, even if they wouldn't make for great Eurovision entries, make for great entertainment.

You could be all that you want

2011-03-07T10:21:00.006-05:00

Sometimes, when you disappear from the Internet for a while, you miss things.

Big things. Important things. Like, say, the fact that DARIN IS RECORDING A NEW ALBUM WITH AWESOME PRODUCERS.

What finally clued me in to this fact was a tweet from him today saying he was recording with Anders Bagge (who has done so many songs that his discography quality varies) and Johan Kronlund. Even better news is that a month ago he apparently was recording with Niklas Bergwall (formerly of 2N, the production team behind Kate Ryan's hits) and LO-FI-FNK. Seriously, let's just repeat that: Darin is recording with Lo-Fi-FNK.

I'm sure this was covered on blogs a month ago, but since I only just found out now, I need to emphasize how awesome that is. Lo-Fi-Fnk are the kind of cool but pop-friendly electro pop duo that Sweden seemed to be producing every other day a few years ago, but they're one of the best. I've been eager for new material from them, but I had no idea they'd moved into producing for other people as well. Their version of "Want U" is probably a good indicator of their sound, though it's a little less boyish than Boylife, the album that preceded it. So you can hear that sound, I've embedded "Steppin' Out" from that album as well. Darin recording with them is the sort of slightly left-field but smart choice that reaffirms my faith in him as a popstar (not that it needed to be reaffirmed).

I'm so glad Darin had his big ballad moment. I love Tony Nilsson and I loved their work together; "You're Out Of My Life" was one of my favorite singles of last year and much of the Lovekiller album contained big, lovely, '80s-styled pop songs.

Still, it's time for something different and this news about his new album collaborators couldn't be more welcome. Lo-Fi-Fnk and Niklas Bergwall (definitely worth getting excited about in his own right--I enjoy almost everything he does and most of what he does is dancey pop) certainly indicate a change of direction. I literally don't think I could be more excited.

Still I'm hopelessly in love

2011-03-05T13:37:00.006-05:00

A quick note: all my support in today's Melodifestival second chance round goes to Loreen...which means she will lose her first duel and I'll be left bereft for the rest of the show. If Loreen should fail to advance, I'd like it to go to Love Generation, but really, they're a distant second. I do genuinely enjoy all four of the songs in the top bracket, though--just don't try to remind me of that fact immediately after Loreen gets knocked out.

I'm much less picky about the second bracket. I'd be happy with anyone besides the Moniker...which means he'll probably win (I think there's actually a good chance of that happening, too, which scares me).

As always, you'll be able to stream Melodifestivalen starting at 2 PM EST here.

(Photo credit to Lina Bostrom Einarsson.)

Wanna make you scream my name

2011-03-05T12:53:00.009-05:00

Well, at least Rachel should be happy...

It's felt inevitable that we'd see Alexey Vorobyov at Eurovision one day since he popped up in the 2008 Russian national final. That was the year Dima Bilan won (and would go on to win Eurovision) and the year Sergey Lazarev took fourth, but Alexey still managed to be a standout in a long, messy final.

Even if he'd won, he would never have stood a chance at making it to Eurovision. You actually had to wonder if the people behind him--or the panel in charge of approving the Russian songs--knew anything about the contest other than its name; Eurovision songs must be wholly original and though there are often accusations by fans that particular elements of a song have been borrowed from another, there was no disputing the fact that Alexey's song sampled another: the famous Russian folk song "Kalinka." Why was it indisputable? Well, Alexey's entry was actually called "New Russian Kalinka." Alexey had basically taken the melody of that song and worked it into an R&B-pop song of the "clearly influenced by 2006 Timbaland" sound his competitor Dima was in love with.

Still, even as international fans watched the webstream agog at the fact that "New Russian Kalinka" had somehow made it into the contest, Alexey's performance hinted at star potential. Partly it was the fact that he was a cute young guy; there are, apparently, few things Eurovision fans like more. In addition, though, he managed to hold together the whole patently ridiculous performance, turning what could have been a car crash into a fun three minutes and one of the few moments of the night worth remembering later. He wasn't, metaphorically speaking, a star yet, but it seemed a certainty that that night would set him on the road to becoming a star.

Now comes the news that Alexey will be representing Russia at Eurovision 2011 with a song penned by RedOne. I should be enthusiastic about this. I liked Alexey that night and, though I can't say I've kept close tabs on his career, in the time since he's made indications of growing into the popstar everyone expected (even covering a song from Darin's Break The News at one point). I hope that, when I hear "Get You," I'll finally feel that enthusiasm.

Somehow, though, I'm left feeling...underwhelmed. Maybe it has something to do with the way this whole thing feels like the inevitable fulfillment of what began that night in 2008. There's just something so...expected about it. Russia is clearly seeking to repeat the Dima Bilan 2008 template here: young, cute (to some) guy singing a song by one of the world's top songwriters/producers. There's absolutely no logical reason to hold "inevitability" against Alexey, though--if he stood out in his introduction because he was good, shouldn't I be happy to see a good performer get his due?

I should. I hope I will be. Give me a few days.

Jag kan klara mig själv, kan gå ut varje kväll, kommer hem när jag vill

2011-03-05T07:15:00.009-05:00

The demo CD of the Melodifestival boxset is pretty fascinating. Fascinating enough that it's already got me wishing for a sequel, even if the singers are more Agnetha Körsvik and Anette Ingemarsson & Ida Segersten than Linda Bengtzing and Måns Zelmerlöw.

7-17 Jag ljuger så bra by poppostergirl

Noting the changes a song goes through between being demoed and being properly debuted is something only a schlager nerd would love--but that's what I am, so it's thrilling to hear the considerably different lyrics on Agnetha Körsvik's "Hero," the way "Night Of Passion" was completely rearranged (as well as lyrically tweaked) for the Poodles, or the different way Jessica Andersson sings "Jag ljuger så bra."

Often the changes were ultimately for the better; I prefer the lyrics to Charlotte's version of "Hero." Still, for those of us who will never get to sit with a songwriter as they hone a song into the best version of itself it can be, listening to demos like these is the next best thing.

As I mentioned recently, Linda Bengtzing's "Jag ljuger så bra" is quite possibly my favorite schlager song of all time, and definitely in the top ten. I had no expectations that Jessica Andersson's demo would surpass it in my affections, especially without the benefit of having ever been given the final polish a song actually to be released receives. It doesn't, but I'm very glad to have it.

Jessica, going solo after considerable Melodifestival success as half of Fame, faced a devil of a choice in 2006: if I'm remembering correctly, she could have sung either "Jag ljuger så bra" ("I'm Such a Good Liar") or "Kalla nätter" ("Cold Nights"), two of the best songs ever to compete in Melodifestivalen. She chose the latter, a Rachel Stevens-esque modern pop song, but unfortunately failed to make it out of her semifinal after a nervous performance that was better in theory than in reality. Linda took the former, a string-featuring classically styled schlager song with some of Ingela "Pling" Försman's best lyrics, and went straight to the final.

Jessica's demo reveals that she didn't sing "Jag ljuger så bra" with the spunk of Linda; Linda sells the song with charming bravado that enhances the lie of the song's protagonist, who brags to her ex about how life is better without him while secretly wanting him back. I'm glad she made the choice she did--both of them, in studio, are perfectly suited to the songs they ended up with. Still, hearing Jessica's voice on an uptempo schlager song makes me wish once again for the album we could have had if "Kalla nätter" and "Du får för dig att du förför mig" had taken off instead of the one we got once retro ballad "I Did It For Love" did well in 2010.

(Edit: a bit of research I should have done earlier reveals that Jessica was also offered and turned down "Evighet," which went to Carola and became the eventual winner of Melodifestivalen 2006. Also, as Alexander and this interview point out, "Jag ljuger så bra" was written specifically for and about Jessica, who was in the process of divorcing her husband at the time. However, when both the songs she sang on, "Jag ljuger så bra" and "Kalla nätter, were accepted into Melodifestivalen, she had to make a choice. She alludes to pressure from Bert Karlsson factoring into the decision she made and says that "Jag ljuger så bra" still feels, to her, like her song.)

You can purchase the gold edition of Melodifestivalen 10 År På Turné 2002-2011, which contains the demo CD, here (physical). I'm eager for my copy to arrive so I can start the two years it will probably take me to finish reading the included book.

I leave it all behind

2011-03-04T12:37:00.006-05:00

As mentioned a few posts ago, Scandipop and Swedish Stereo recently featured thirty-second clips of Danny's new album, In The Club.

Now, another site has posted sixty-second clips of each of the songs. Listen to them here. "Catch Me If You Can" is still the song I'm most eager to have my hands on--it's the era of "oh oh oh"s, apparently. If you click on the song titles, you can also see some (though not all) of the songwriters for each track (albeit in a messy way).

While we're speaking of clips of Melodifestival albums, Eric Saade previewed another song from his upcoming album for Expressen. Eric may not say a name, but if you made me guess, I'd say it's going to be called "Timeless." It's written with Jason Gill (he of some of my favorite songs from Måns Zelmerlöw--"Hold On," "Rewind," "Freak Out"--and Darin--"Paradise"--as well as of Sofia's "Hypnotized"). Eric also mentions two other co-writers who I'm guessing are Mattias Larsson and Robin Fredriksson.

Schlagerprofilerna and Tobbe recently revealed the tracklist for the Melodifestival box set's demo CD (which is out today in Sweden). By my count, at least ~~seven~~ eight of the songs have been heard before (Sarah Dawn Finer's "Not A Sinner Nor A Saint," "Surrender To My Heart," Lina Hedlund's "Alla flickor," Camilla Blom Polfeldt's "Gone," Friends' "Give Me Your Love," Shirley Clamp's "A Miracle," and Sonja Aldén's "Invincible," though if I've missed one please let me know EDIT: Andrés Esteche's "Tango! Tango!" as well), but this is the first time we've been able to purchase most of them. It is, as I thought it might be, heavy on recordings by demo singers as opposed to people who were established artists at the time of the songs' recordings, but since we love many people who were previously backing and session singers--Shirley Clamp, Sonja Aldén--it should still be a treat to get to hear their vocals on songs we love. I think Jessica Andersson's version of "Jag ljuger så bra" may be the song I'm most interested to hear. Linda Bengtzing's recording is often my favorite schlager song ever, so I don't necessarily expect Jessica's version to surpass it--just provide an alternative from a singer who I desperately wish was still recording music in that style.

I've had it with shame, I've had it with sorrow

2011-03-04T07:32:00.012-05:00

There are, oh, a few dozen songs already released this year that I feel I need to cover at some point to give even a half-accurate impression of where I'm at with music in 2011. I've never been particularly timely with my coverage, but you may see a few more egregious examples pop up in the future (and it's only going to get worse--I'm still thinking about discussing not just my favorite singles from 2010 but also my favorites from 2009...because there's nothing more thrilling than reading some random person on the Internet's personal reactions to two year old songs you're tired of hearing discussed).

Breaking Up With God by theark

Case File #1 is the Ark's "Breaking Up With God." The bad news: it's one of the last songs we'll ever hear from the Swedish rock group--they're calling it quits after they finish promoting their greatest hits. The good news: it's their best single since State of the Ark's one-two punch of "One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young" and "Clamour For Glamour."

"Breaking Up With God" also pulls off the tricky feat of sounding thoroughly in keeping with the group's previous work while also filling a musical niche none of the Ark's previous singles did. It has the energy of the aforementioned State of the Ark singles, but it achieves the emotional release of earlier songs like "It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane" and "Calleth You Cometh I."

Unlike those songs, though, "Breaking Up With God" goes about creating that release through the closest the group has come to a party song. The cleverness and opaqueness of the Ark's lyrics means I've never really thought of them as band whose songs work in the "lost in the music" way associated with the best dance songs, though their work performs the traditional "rock outsider" role of creating a communal feeling that transforms even your bedroom into a packed gig full of people reveling to anthems.

While it has a high tempo and kicky beat, "Breaking Up With God" is clearly no dance song. It can be danced to, though, as lead singer Ola Salo proved in his characteristically flamboyant way at last week's Melodifestival semifinal (I hope this isn't the last we'll see of Ola as a recording artist, by the way--hard as it is to imagine him without the rest of the band, the world would miss the effortless charisma he gives off even when he seems half-bored). No, "Breaking Up With God" is definitely pop-rock, albeit with a sound that pays less clear homage to the '70s than some of the Ark's earlier work. That's "Breaking Up With God"'s second trick: while bearing guitar work and occasional vocal harmonies that wouldn't sound out of place in the '70s, more than anything it sounds timeless.

The best trick of all, though, is that previously mentioned sense of uplifting, lost-in-the-music release, the kind you never would have expected to find in a song that deals seriously with concerns about religion. How the Ark pull off comparing the Sword of Damocles to a cross and then singing "I heard the call, but I won't follow 'cause now I'm breaking up with God...and the Devil too" without seeming preachy or pretentious but instead like the best party band you've ever heard is something I'll never understand. "Breaking Up With God" is well-written in all areas--music, melody, and lyrics--and grand in smart ways, too, without dwelling on the grandness. In short, it's the epitome of everything I've ever loved about the Ark.

I have a history of overhyping songs released in the first quarter of the year and then considerably dialing back my opinion by December. Still, if there's been a better expression of synth-free pop-rock joy in the past five years, I can't think of it.

The Ark's greatest hits, Arkeology, can be purchased here (physical) and on iTunes internationally here. Alternatively, it's available at this digital music store that has no country restrictions.

(Photo credit to Sven Lindwall of Expressen.)

Not gonna be anything but loud

2011-03-02T13:10:00.006-05:00

Melodifestivalen may have finished introducing new songs for the year, but there's still one thing we fans have to look forward to (besides Andra Chansen and the final): Melodifestival-related albums.

I'm not just talking about this year's Melodifestival album (and its exciting demos). We also have a number of artists who competed in this year's contest who are releasing albums. All except the last of the albums listed below is out already or will be released in the next few weeks. International customers should be able to buy any of the CDs listed below from Bengans or Megastore.

Melody Club have already released Human Harbour. You can listen to previews here.

Previews of In The Club, the new album from Danny, can be listened to here. It's only eight tracks, with one repeated from Set Your Body Free and including his earlier unnecessary cover of "In Your Eyes", but otherwise they almost all sound pretty great. Thanks to Swedish Stereo and Scandipop for the tip!

Making up for Danny's dearth of songs is Anniela's Electric, which, at fifteen tracks, includes the English version of her entry "Elektrisk" (and, somewhat bafflingly, a cover of September's "Sin Of My Own") and is out March 14. The quality ratio probably won't be quite as high, but I imagine will get some fun tracks out of it. Preview clips are here.

Swingfly is repackaging his debut album with his Melodifestival entry and a new song with Pauline. It's out March 4 and is titled Awesomeness: An Introduction To Swingfly. Yes, really. That's going straight in this year's "Best Brilliantly Ridiculous Pop Words" contenders.

Linda Bengtzing gives us one new track, "Män i uniform," on her greatest hits album. Preview it here.

Sanna Nielsen has a new album out. Unfortunately, the previews have left me underwhelmed, especially considering the nice surprise of her Celine Dion-like last album, but maybe the songs sound better in full. Thanks to Schlagerfiasko for the preview link and to Scandipop who earlier debuted clips.

Anders Fernette's years-in-the-making album Run comes out March 11. His record label uploaded a few new songs from it to SoundCloud and they pretty much sound like I expected they would--if he's never been to your taste before, they won't win you over, but they work for me (in, admittedly, a not incredibly long term way).

We don't have any new preview for Le Kid's album, but we do have a title--and, predictably for this group, it's amazing: Oh, Alright! Yes, still one of my most anticipated albums of the past few years, even if "Oh My God" did underwhelm me.

I can't believe you're doing this to me

2011-02-26T18:51:00.009-05:00

Melodifestivalen has been eating this blog alive for the last few weeks. If you have no interest in that Swedish contest, though, don't worry; with all the songs introduced and only two weeks remaining, you won't have much more to slog through.

If you are an international pop fan who ignores Melodifestivalen, the one entry most likely to catch your eye is Love Generation's "Dance Alone," courtesy of it being written by popular producer RedOne. The four girls of Love Generation did a great job today, coming across as having a shot at being the current best girl group offering in the world.

Still, if you only make time for one Melodifestival entry a year--heck, if you usually don't make time for any of them--there's one track I ask you to give a chance: Loreen's "My Heart Is Refusing Me." It's mid-tempo electronic pop, certainly more commercial than indie, but it has a dark undercurrent to it that, when combined with Loreen's revelation of a voice, I find haunting.

Something about that song plus that voice gets under my skin in a way I can't wholly understand. All I know is that when she gets to that chorus (especially in the post-middle eight repetition), I begin to feel like shreds of my heart are being torn away.

Loreen will be competing in the top half of the bracket in next weekend's second chance round. Unfortunately, she's slotted against some strong competitors, including the aforementioned Love Generation. Can we just send them both through? And maybe add in Jenny Silver, too?

Don't need you tonight

2011-02-26T18:05:00.009-05:00

Tonight's Melodifestival results were surprising, to say the least.

(Photo credit to Aftonbladet.)

E det fel på mej by poppostergirl

My jaw dropped (for the second time, but we'll get to that in a minute) at the news that Linda Bengtzing had won her semifinal and would be advancing straight to the final. It's welcome news for someone who loves Linda as much as I do and for anyone won over by her energetic, explosive schlager. Still, considering "E det fel på mig" is, at first few listens, not as good as her previous three entries and her staging was a little messy--not only did it seem to have taken several steps backwards into the past after the flirty, modern performance of "Hur svårt kan det va?", even the traditional old-fashioned schlager elements weren't executed as well as they could have been for the first two-thirds of the song (though Linda was a star, as always)--I was shocked that she'd been the night's top vote-getter. Shocked but, even if feeling that it was a teeny bit undeserved, pleased.

The Hunter by poppostergirl

Poor Melody Club ended up in seventh. I had inklings of trouble when I realized Kristofer's vocals weren't transferring too well to the Melodifestival context (he has a quirky voice which doesn't necessarily sound traditionally "strong" even when he's on form), but I never truly considered they'd be outside of the top five. I hope they get a radio hit out of "The Hunter"--it's the best they've sounded in years (and features a great guitar solo--seriously, how we can we have a drought of good guitar solos for so long and then have multiple so close together?)--and hope their upcoming album is of equal quality.

Nicke Borg drove the knife in even further by going straight to the final instead of Love Generation. A slick performance with pretty good vocals (a few of the girls were less good than the other two, but none were awful) and a good song had me hoping the girls would give the Melodifestival final a boost of modernity and international appeal, but even outside of the "how do we want to present Sweden to the rest of the world" dilemma, the whole package was deserving of advancing further than it did. Love Generation still have a chance to make it to the final. Unfortunately, they were sent to the top half of the second chance bracket, which means they'll be facing off against my other favorite AC contenders, Loreen and Jenny Silver.

Still, as we Melodifestival fans drown our sorrows, there's one thing to comfort us (well, one thing besides lovely Linda's fantastic direkt-till-Globen achievement): this year's songs are all finally on sale. You can buy the deluxe box set celebrating the past ten years here.

Finally

2011-02-26T09:31:00.009-05:00

Twitter, the place I would usually go to with my quick, fairly uninformed opinions, seems to be down. I need somewhere to vent my first, unconsidered thoughts about the full versions of the fourth Melodifestival semifinal tracks, though, so here we go.

I'm hugely pleased with Melody Club's song; they may have just swept straight into my personal first place of this final (with--shhh--a chance at ending up my favorite song of Melodifestivalen 2011). That surprises me a little--I haven't truly loved their recent singles, so I expected a "like but not adore" case with "The Hunter"--but I'm thrilled about that surprise. Finally, we've got a pop-rock entry that really delivers.

I'm still a little concerned that Linda Bengtzing's "E det fel på mig" isn't quite up to her usual (incredibly high) standards, but I'm hoping in proper quality it will shine more. It's still energetic schlager which I know I'll enjoy, though. I'll definitely get swept up in the moment.

Love Generation's "Dance Alone" is a nice modern pop entry. I like it and will probably play it a lot over the course of the year, but it's difficult for me to say more because I keep getting drawn back to "The Hunter" every time I think I should listen to "Dance Alone" again.

Anders Fernette's "Run" is basically what I hoped it would be: pleasant pop-rock, light on the rock, with a nice melody to it (better than his past couple of singles, too). It still has no chance here, but hey, at least we're finally getting that album.

Linda Pritchard's "Alive" is the sort of ballad which probably, well, comes alive in its live performance. I do love the dramatic middle eight. "Something came alive" isn't my favorite key line for a song, though.

Nicke Borg's voice is unfortunately not my favorite kind of rock voice; in the hands of a performer with a less raspy, nasal voice, I could see myself enjoying "Leaving Home."

Julia Alvgard's "Better Or Worse" is better than its likely result in the contest will indicate. It's pleasant mid-tempo R&B-pop which I'm not enthusiastic about but which is fine.

Lasse Stefanz...well, it makes me feel like someone horribly uneducated making grand pronouncements about things they really know nothing about to say it, but I'd enjoy this song more with another singer. I know, I know, Lasse Stefanz are a much-loved dansband so there's clearly appeal in Olle's voice to many people who know much more about this style of music than I do, but I wish someone else was singing it. Not some glam female diva--just a different dansband.

Performances taken out of the equation, my personal preferences would probably be Melody Club and Linda Bengtzing direct to Globen and Love Generation and Anders Fernette to the second chance round (with Love Generation to the second half of the bracket and making it to the final while Anders goes into the top half, with Loreen making it to the final). Clearly that's not going to happen, but I'll be hoping for Melody Club, Love Generation, and Linda to advance (and whichever one of them failed to make it directly to the final going in the bottom half of the second chance bracket). I'm very nervous, though...

You can't take this feeling away

2011-02-23T14:59:00.004-05:00

Straight from the "destined to be adored by a small group of people on the Internet and no more" files: the solo career of Britt Love, formerly one-half of Mini Viva.

Can't Stop Loving You (Clip) by litendark

The British duo may have been dropped and disbanded, but Britt provides an indirect way of getting way of getting your Xenomania-Mini Viva fix. She's been working with production unit Youth Kills. Included in that trio is Tim Talbot, who at one point was playing keyboards for an in-development Xenomania act.

Tim also used to be part of Lite N Dark, the duo which originally put out "Can't Stop Loving You." Britt's version is a a big step up, though, all swooshing, hands-in-the-air dance beats and vocals several steps above your average random dance song session vocalist.

The good news--well, the good news besides the fact that Britt seems poised to continue making great music--is that she's probably no longer carrying top ten expectations. With more independent backing, she's free to worry less about just making music for that "small group" and more about keeping all of her music as exciting as "Can't Stop Loving You."

There's nowhere yet to buy Britt Love's music, but you can purchase Mini Viva's excellent run of singles here (physical) or just "Left My Heart In Tokyo" here (digital).

Like a star, like a hero

2011-02-23T06:09:00.004-05:00

Via Schlagerprofilerna, the BEST news you will read all day is on page 19 of this PDF. Some of the demos to be included on this year's Melodifestival ten-year celebration CD set are:

Jessica Andersson's "Jag ljuger så bra"
Timoteij's English version of "Kom," "Run"
Linda Bengtzing's "Headlines"
Backup singer Agnetha Körsvik's "Hero"
Fredrik Kempe and Shirley Clamp's "Du och jag mot världen"
Sonja Aldén's "Night Of Passion" and "Invincible"
Brandsta City Släckers' "En gång för alla"
Sarah Dawn Finer's "Not A Sinner Nor A Saint"

If you haven't already preordered this set, you can do so here. It comes out March 4 and includes this year's Melodifestival entries, a book of reminiscences from Christer Björkman, four CDs with classic entries from the past ten years, and the aforementioned disc of Melodifestival demos.

We may only be in the second month of the year, but musical acts are going to have to work pretty hard if they want to beat this release for the title of most exciting CD of the year.

Bet you're missin' my voice on those records you own

2011-02-22T14:42:00.002-05:00

One of the most charming pop songs to come from a British singer recently was Keisha Buchanan's "Under Control," a leak from the former Sugababes singer's recording sessions with songwriter Alex James (of Alexandra Burke's "Bad Boys" and the Backstreet Boys' "Masquerade") and David Gamson (the former Scritti Politti member). Despite production that initially sounds more demo-y than you might hope, its poppy, upbeat core is instantly appealing--appealing enough that, before you know it, you've played "Under Control" several times and can't understand how you ever found it fuzzy or underproduced. It's situated somewhere near the Sugababes' "Push The Button" and Groove Armada and Mutya's "Song 4 Mutya," though with fewer dance influences. There's an effortless, summery vibe to the song that seemed to indicate Keisha had, confidently and with understatement, found a musical sweet spot without any of the struggle that so often characterizes early solo careers.

Gimmie Pressure by poppostergirl

"Gimmie Pressure," written with Alex Cantrall (JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)"), isn't as innocently poppy or warm as "Under Control." It feels more aggressive and boastful, as well as a little more urban--it even switches over to a skittery grime beat for its fadeout. All that said, it's not hard or edgy in the way much pop-R&B is nowadays; there are no slicing synths or icy minimalist dance beats. The lyrics may seek to announce Keisha's queen bee status, but the song itself doesn't make enough of a statement to work as a smart solo debut single. Still, when taken with "Under Control," it does nothing to dissuade interest in the return of one of the UK's most distinctive voices.

Keisha Buchanan currently has no solo releases to purchase, but you can buy her earlier work with the Sugababes here (physical) or here (digital).

Take me away

2011-02-22T07:07:00.007-05:00

Swedish Stereo, Scandipop, and the Schlager Boys have already featured songs from this coming weekend's Dansk Melodi Grand Prix--Denmark's national final for Eurovision--but I have to throw in my two cents. Granted, there really is about two cents worth of comments here, but still: it sounds like it's shaping up to be a great set of songs.

I'm particularly impressed by just how poppy the songs are. Over the past few years, the Dansk MGP has been slowly but surely solidifying itself as one of the best national finals out there. This year continues that trend. Granted, we could be in for a bunch of great choruses and disappointing verses since all we've heard are clips, but I'm optimistic.

There are four songs I'd like to single out, in rough order of descending love:

Kat and Justin Hopkins, "Black and Blue": pumping pop production that reminds me of Bassflow behind an instantly catchy uptempo but downbeat chorus.

Le Freak, "25 Hours a Day": delightfully cheesy throwback schlager from Thomas G:son.

Lee Hutton, "Hollywood Girl": former member of the much-lamented pop group Industry singing an uptempo teen pop-style song with cheesy rave synths behind it.

Jenny Berggren, "Let Your Heart Be Mine": former Ace of Base member on a stompy electronic pop song.

Edit: Anne Noa's "Sleepless" is also quite lovely.

The Danish Melodi Grand Prix will be airing this Saturday. There should have a web stream for any international fans interested in watching it, but unfortunately, since it starts at 2:30 PM EST, it will conflict with Melodifestivalen.

You just don't see the beauty in anything

2011-02-21T19:55:00.007-05:00

Norwegian duo Eva & the Heartmaker have solidified their place in the exciting artists roster with their recent work. Last spring's "Mr. Tokyo" was a charming, fragile introduction to the new electronic-friendly sound of their third album era, but it's with "Signals" that they truly arrived. One of the best singles of the past six months, it's a sweet, infectiously upbeat track with pop-ified Van Halen synths. Stream it here or in the above video.

04 Gone In a Flash by poppostergirl

There's nothing to rival the instant joy of "Signals" on their new album, Dominoes, but that would be a tall order to fill. The great title track has a similarly well-constructed uptempo instrumental but this time with more regretful vocals from singer Eva Skram. It might work better as a whole than the track I'm sharing today, the sashaying "Gone In A Flash," but please forgive my indulgence: "Gone In A Flash" has me fascinated at the moment. Picture male light rock from the '80s sung by a modern girl group that segues into "I Feel Love" before switching back to the '80s for a hard rock guitar solo. All without blinking an eye. It's mildly crazy, except the whole thing is done with such smooth ease that you find yourself thinking "of course, why wouldn't a Norwegian husband-and-wife indie-pop duo meld Hall & Oates, Donna Summer, and Van Halen?" As with the rest of the album, though, even when the group is flirting shamelessly with the '70s and especially the '80s, they make it sound thoroughly modern with their slick arrangements and production.

Edit: one day later, the group has debuted the music video for "Gone In A Flash." Apparently it's the next single!

The third album from Eva & the Heartmaker, Dominoes, can be purchased here (physical). At eight tracks, it's short but sweet.

Counting every single one of them a conquest to achieve

2011-02-21T16:08:00.005-05:00

There's probably not much in the world that is more of a navel-gazing entrée into boredom than discussing the mechanics of blogging. Still, sometimes it feels as if the only way to sort issues out is to verbalize them in some way...and maybe get some input...so please forgive me as a do that for a minute.

I'm speaking specifically of the music blogging practice of posting songs. We've got two pretty clear ends of the spectrum--posting a stream or download of a song which a label has sent to you to feature on one side and posting a stream or download of an unreleased song given to you in confidence on the other. I think we could all generally agree the former is totally acceptable and the latter is wrong (though a few people might argue with that particular point).

What do you do with something in between those two points, though? We, as bloggers, repost YouTube videos of leaked songs all the time. That could be an ethical dilemma of its own--theoretically, we're hurting the publicity campaigns of those artists, preventing songwriters from selling a demo unused by one artist to another artist because the demo is too inextricably linked to the first artist, and perhaps decreasing sales, among other problems.

Still, the only time I ever question my decision to repost a stream of a previously leaked song is if I know of a direct negative effect that is directly linked into broadening public knowledge of the song. For example, I refrained from posting YouTube videos that played the thirty-second preview clips from Amazon and similar stores of Love Generation's "Dance Alone." Since that song will be competing in Melodifestivalen, which forbids anyone from sharing even clips of competing songs until broadcaster SVT itself puts them up, I was worried that broader knowledge of the clip's leak might increase the song's chance of disqualification (though one could debate whether that's actually any more a "direct negative effect" from those cited in the above paragraph). Yes, you're probably assigning too much importance and power to yourself, but personal responsibility factors into moral decisions at least as a matter of principle or symbolism even if one's actions won't necessarily have a wide-ranging effect. In the end, the song wasn't disqualified. However, though I chose not to repost those clips, I don't really believe that technically there was anything wrong with the decisions of those people who did--they themselves were not leaking the songs, just sharing a clip leaked by music stores.

The dilemma I've been wondering about recently is similar to that situation. If an unreleased song is posted elsewhere on the Internet by a fairly official source (obviously "fairly official" is a questionable term), has not been noticed by the public at general, is presumably not yet meant for general public consumption, and has a decent chance of drawing significantly more notice through you featuring it, is it OK to link to a stream of that song?

On the one hand, you're not releasing it to the world--it's already been unveiled somewhere. On the other, if you're worried enough to have to justify it in your mind with these "I'm not leaking it, just publicizing it" arguments, isn't that a sign that your conscience might be telling you something that your eagerness to write about a new song might not want to hear?

Better or worse

2011-02-20T07:56:00.002-05:00

It's almost a week away, but this fourth semifinal of Melodifestivalen already has me worried...about results. I'm much more optimistic about song quality. As always, I have absolutely no inside sources, so I am indebted to the below mentioned sites for their information.

Sources: SVT, Poplight, Expressen (1, 2,), QX (1, 2), Aftonbladet (1, 2,), GD

Melody Club, "The Hunter" (Kristofer Östergren/Erik Stenemo/Jon Axelsson/Nicklas Stenemo)
Melody Club entering Melodifestivalen is a bit like the Ark entering in 2007 in some ways--a credible band with a sound not known for being in the contest--and different in others--I'd say Melody Club are a little more on a downward trend in popularity than the Ark were when they entered. The group, which recently lost a member due to personal legal issues, also has a style that is more synth-inflected pop-rock than the Ark's '70s rock preference.

Melody Club says that the self-penned "The Hunter," taken from their new album (out in March), isn't jaunty but is fast-paced, surging, and at points in a minor key.

To watch: Melody Club performing second album single "Baby (Stand Up)" back in 2004

Julia Alvgard, "Better Or Worse" (Manne Hjelm/Ola Holstad/Joar Lenz)
Like Jonas Matsson in the first semifinal, Julia's participation in Melodifestivalen is the result of winning the Web Joker contest Swedish broadcaster SVT ran this year for the second time. As a result, we've heard a version of the ballad "Better Or Worse," though it will have been tweaked for its television appearance.

To ~~watch~~ listen: well, there aren't exactly many options, but thankfully we do have another song of hers which Damian uploaded to YouTube. Here's "I Was."

Lasse Stefanz, "En blick och nånting hander" (Alexander Bard/Ola Håkansson/Tim Norell)
Alexander Bard, songwriter behind Army of Lovers, early Alcazar, and BWO, may be the most internationally famous of that set of songwriters, but Ola and Tim found some middling international success with Secret Service (of "Flash In The Night"). Together they made up the Swedish equivalent of Stock Aitken Waterman (and even won Melodifestivalen in 1989 with Tommy Nilsson's "En dag"). Factor in an incredibly popular dansband and you've got a definite '80s flashback vibe, though Lasse Stefanz has continued with success into the present day. That's an understatement, actually--I wouldn't rush to brush off Lasse Stefanz's potential to do well this Saturday.

The group nearly competed in Melodifestivalen in 2009 with the song that became Thorleifs' "Sweet Kissin' in the Moonlight." This time, their lead singer says they described what they wanted in a song to the songwriter trio, who then made sure the song fit their requirements. He added that people will remember the last five seconds of the song for a while.

To watch: well, it's not the ideal choice based on song, but so you're viewing a decent quality video of something from the past ten years, here they are performing 2007 single "På egna vägar."

Linda Pritchard, "Alive" (Oscar Görres/Fredrik Kempe)
Linda has been a background dancer at Melodifestivalen and was in the early stages of one season of Idol, but her biggest exposure thus far came when she performed "You're Making Me Hot-Hot-Hot" in last year's Melodifestival.

Linda failed to make it out of her semifinal then, but she returns this year with "Alive." It's described as a vulnerable, powerful, stripped-down ballad written for her based on her demo version of last year's "Hollow" (sung in the contest by Peter Jöback). Linda says it is about feeling lonely but then realizing you are loved already.

Fredrik Kempe is of course well-known in Melodifestivalen at this point (with previous ballad entries including Sarah Dawn Finer's "I'm Moving On," "Hollow," and Simon Forsberg's entry this past weekend). Oscar is best known for his work with Danny as well as E.M.D.'s "Baby Goodbye," though he also co-wrote Linda's own "Miracle."

To watch: Linda performing "You're Making Me Hot-Hot-Hot" at least year's Melodifestival.

Anders Fernette, "Run" (Desmond Child/Negin Djafari/Hugo Lira/Ian-Paolo Lira/Thomas Gustafsson)
The Fame Factory winner and demo and background singer for many Cheiron-associated writers, the former Anders Johansson (or Anders J) floated through the '00s with a few hits but, especially in the second half of the decade, usually on the fringes of pop awareness. He's released a lot of music but is certainly no institution in Sweden, so this is a chance for the frequently one-man-Westlife-meets-Bryan-Adams sounding Anders to finally establish himself (and put out that album for which he's been releasing singles for the past four years).

Anders was originally meant to compete with "Don't Stop," but since songwriter Carl Falk had posted it on his MySpace, it was disqualified. Instead, he's performing a song from Desmond Child, famous for his '80s rock songs (Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love A Bad Name," Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like A Lady) amongst others), Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca," Katy Perry's "Wakin' Up in Vegas," and about a million other songs. Let's hope this is something he put actually effort into as opposed to just reaching into a bottom drawer to fish out. The other songwriters have likewise written a conglomeration of songs (they fall in the "names pop up on random album tracks around the world" category), though nothing as internationally successful as Desmond's. They have worked with Anders before, including on ballads "If It's All I Ever Do" and "Without You."

Anders says "Run" is an uptempo song but more serious than "Don't Stop" with a simple but effective chorus that requires a good singer. "Run" was originally meant to be a single from a Celine Dion album that never happened.

To watch: the vast majority of videos of Anders performing are of dubious quality. Here's one of the more tolerable ones, Anders performing his cover of Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes."

Linda Bengtzing, "E de fel på mig" (Pontus Assarsson/Thomas G:son/Jörgen Ringqvist/Daniel Barkman)
Linda, despite her albums' tendency to have more pop-rock than ninety-five percent of people want from her, is known for one thing in Melodifestivalen, the contest that made her famous (though she'd been in Fame Factory before): schlager. Big, shiny, energetic, often flirty schlager. All her previous three entries--which include some of the best schlager you'll hear--have eventually made it to the final and she's improved significantly as a performer since her 2005 debut with "Alla flickor."

Pontus and Thomas are Eurovision national final veterans most associated with schlager, having written songs like Fame's "Vindarna vänder oss," Friends's "The One That You Need" and "Lysnna till ditt hjärta," and Carola's "Invincible." Jörgen, Daniel, and Pontus co-wrote Pernilla Wahlgren's "Jag vill om du vågar" from last year's Melodifestival.

Linda describes "E de fel på mig" as a typical Linda track, "a bulldozer on a ninety-degree slope without brakes. Unstoppable." She says it's about living a safe life but still dreaming of something else.

To watch: "Jag ljuger så bra" and "Alla flickor" may sneak slightly ahead of her 2009 entry "Hur svårt kan det va?" in my affections, but her performance of the latter is light years ahead of her performances of the other two, so here's "Hur svårt kan det va?"

Nicke Borg, "Leaving Home" (Jojo Borg Larsson/Nicke Borg/Fredrik Thomander/Anders Wikström)
The lead singer of the long-running rock group Backyard Babies goes solo with a rock song that is somewhat different from his group's material. Nicke says "Leaving Home" is a classic power ballad, at first stripped-down and then hard-hitting.

In addition to being co-written by Nicke and his wife, "Leaving Home" includes assistance from the Epicentre team of Fredrik Thomander and Anders Wikström. Their catchy hooks are often displayed in pop songs (for example, the oft-covered "Love Is All Around" and Alexander Schöld's "Den första svalan" in the 2009 Melodifestival), but given Nicke's rock style, their work with the Backyard Babies, the Poodles, Erik Grönwall, and Anders's membership in hard rock band Treat may be more relevant.

To watch: Nicke as part of Backyard Babies performing "Abandon."

Love Generation, "Dance Alone" (RedOne)
The four-person girl group follows up last year's self-titled semi-hit with another uptempo pop song from RedOne (most internationally famous for his work with Lady GaGa but who worked with Swedish acts like A*Teens and Darin before that), clips of which have been circulating after previews were posted in digital music stores.

To watch: unfortunately most of the group's performance videos are of low quality. Here's one from last summer of them performing "Love Generation."

Personal notes: LINDA BENGTZING LINDA BENGTZING LINDA BENGTZING. This week is pretty close to being all about Linda for me--I'd sacrifice any other entry to get her through. That said, she has a high standard to maintain, something which is going to work on my nerves until we hear reports on songs in the middle of the week. Worries about song quality and competition are guaranteed to have my mental state on a roller coaster all week.

Despite being quite happily able to "leave" half of Anders's songs, I really enjoy the other half and have tons of good will towards him. I'll be crossing my fingers that the has a good song. I'm never excited to hear that a song is recycled (and it sitting around without being snapped up in the intervening time isn't a great sign), but I'm still hopeful. I'm not sure how he's going to handle uptempo-friendly staging, though.

Love Generation's song should be fun. I'm not sure about their live performing skills, but there is more interest in them than your average fairly new girl group might have due to the RedOne connection--they're in with a chance. At the least, I imagine the song will get many iPod plays from me.

I've liked a number of Melody Club songs over the years and, though their latest album had fewer songs I connected with than ever before, I'm going to hope that this new song will be in keeping with the ones I have enjoyed.

I thought Linda Pritchard (and her song) were pretty underrated in 2010 and she's done nothing to dissuade my interest in her yet. A ballad admittedly isn't my first choice for anyone so I might not be able to rouse the excitement I'd like to, but she'll probably sing well and I wouldn't like to see her fall out of competition.

My guess as to my reaction to Lasse Stefanz: it will probably be contingent on their results. I'm not a huge dansband fan but if they pull a middling place, I'll probably like their song in a somewhat removed way; if they go straight to the final, though, I'm pretty likely to angrily think they "stole" some the spot of some act I liked more.

Rock ballads are rarely my thing (I'd rather have a big stadium-shaking crossover rock hit any day), particularly hard rock ballads, and I just don't see Nicke doing the big cheesy MOR power ballad I'd have a better chance of enjoying. Still, he's got good songwriters, so there's a little chance of a surprise.

There are times when the doubts get to me

2011-02-19T16:22:00.004-05:00

Today's Melodifestival results were predictable: Eric Saade, he of the strongest fandom in the contest, and the Playtones, they of the top-selling albums of last year in Sweden, were voted to the final. One might have expected Sebastian, who advanced straight to the final last time, to have a shot at the second chance round, but even his fifth place isn't especially shocking.

The results aren't especially disappointing either. Do I still feel like there's something missing in Eric the popstar, even if I strongly approve of his use of aggressive choreographed group dancing? Yes. Do I think that "Popular," though full of exciting production touches and situated in a style I like, is lacking in its topline? Yes, definitely. In a lackluster heat like this one, though, I can't deny that the combination of his song, staging, and performance deserved to advance. I just can't feel the enthusiasm for it that I would like to. I'd rather send him to Germany than the winner of semifinal two, Sanna's "I'm In Love," but considering how cold that song leaves me, that's not saying much. I don't want to sound too negative, though: "Popular"'s beat and whistle, the dark, edgy staging, the dancing (particularly Eric's little backwards side-to-side shuffle midway through the song), and Eric's obvious seriousness about the whole endeavor all earn thumbs-ups from me.

I can't say I feel any passion about the Playtones. Their energetic song is nice enough and they filled up the stage nicely. Still, they've done nothing to convince me they have anything other than anti-charisma when they perform.

I would have liked to see better for Linda Sundblad, whose entry this week was my most-played going into today; "Lucky You" has a warm charm to it. It isn't as strong as the best of her work, though.

Shirley's Angels had an effectively staged performance, but "boring" has already started to creep up on their song. Considering how little time we've spent with it so far, that's troubling.

Sara Lumholdt's "Enemy" is a good song. Sebastian's "No One Else Could" probably is, too. Will they be hugely missed at Globen, though? No.

The Swedes are apparently over old-fashioned schlager ballads, with Simon Forsberg coming in last, and find bossa nova most effective when married to what are apparently moving lyrics about the importance of escaping from an abusive relationship. With my broken Swedish, most of the subtleties of Sara Varga's "Spring för livet" go over my head, but, like with Pernilla Andersson's entry, I think I can understand its appeal in a detached way.

The best thing about this week's semifinal was that, with relatively little investment in the songs, it made for a fairly stress-free view experience. That's sure to change next week, though, when the traditionally overpacked fourth semifinal will have us biting our nails as our favorites face tough competition. Let's hope it contains something internationally spectacular or we may be facing a solid but spark-lacking final.

Dancing for my life

2011-02-19T09:41:00.008-05:00

If you do not usually tune in to Melodifestivalen, Sweden's contest to select an entry for cross-Europe song contest Eurovision, today is not the day to start watching.

Usually, Melodifestivalen--literally, the Melody Festival--is a reliable source for well-written songs, most often of the pop type. Tonight's semifinal, the third of four that introduce new songs before a second chance round and a final, is a disappointing step back in song quality compared to both this year's previous two semifinals and the contest's previous editions.

That's not to say you won't be in for a good time if you tune in to the web stream that will be available at 2 PM EST. At this point, Melodifestivalen is a slick entertainment production. Sure, the artist introduction packages have sometimes been running a bit long this year, but tonight's semifinal will feature what reports say is the best intermission act yet: Lena Philipsson, 2004's winner, performing an English hard rock version of her classic '80s Melodifestival track "Dansa i neon."

You'll also see one of the top contenders for this year's top placing. Young Eric Saade, the breakout star of last year's Melodifestival, will be performing "Popular," an uptempo pop song that is practically unnecessary in terms of him making it to the finals--Eric advancing is the closest you'll get to a sure thing in Melodifestivalen this year. Whether you fall for "Popular"'s pulsing hard beat or not, the best thing about Eric has always been his eagerness and dedication to putting on a show. Eric's strong dancing skills and a glass-shattering stage gimmick promise a strong overall performance package.

The problem viewers will run into this week, though, is that the songs are generally enjoyable but not exceptional; there isn't anything to stir up the fiery, passionate devotion that promises heartbreak when one's favorites don't advance. Most of the players--including Linda Sundblad, Sebastian, Shirley Clamp of Shirley's Angels, and Sara Lumholdt of A*Teens--have been involved in better songs in the past, even if their offerings this week are not bad per se. It's instead a matter of songs that, one suspects, will in the long term reveal themselves to be three star affairs instead of the four and five star songs one hopes for in a contest of such prominence.

Still, even in an off week, Melodifestivalen will be must-watch viewing for me. A good performance can make you temporarily overlook a song's shortcomings. Most of all, though, even when the songs fade down the stretch, the contagious enthusiasm surrounding the online conversation about them rarely does.

I'm not gonna wait this time

2011-02-18T12:28:00.006-05:00

As you may have read elsewhere, Norwegian electro-pop singer Margaret Berger--she of the amazing "Will You Remember Me Tomorrow," "Samantha," and "Robot Song"--is releasing her new single "In A Box" on February 21. Yes, after months, probably years of waiting, we'll have new Margaret music in just a few days.

As we wait for Monday, though, we can listen to a stripped-down performance of "In A Box," featuring just Margaret and a piano player, here. She also performed another new song, "4.E.V.E.R.L.O.V.E.", which is the b-side to "In A Box." Based on what we hear there, I'm just as excited to hear it as to hear the a-side.

(I had to switch from Firefox to Internet Explorer to get the videos to work. You'll also have to sit through an ad.)

Granted, the studio version probably (and hopefully) sounds quite different, but I've been excited for new Margaret material for so long that I'll take what I can get to help me survive the next few days. I'm also more nervous than I'd like to admit (when all the stars align, Margaret's music is nigh unbeatable, but I'm worried she may have wandered from the pop-friendly path that appeals most to me), so I'm being extra-clingy about any indication as to the sound of her new music.

Lucky you

2011-02-13T12:45:00.006-05:00

This week's semifinal, the third of four that will introduced new songs, features a couple of big names. There's also a little bit of a course correction in presentation--I'd forgotten that I used to focus on live performances where available, to give an idea of what acts' live singing skills and stage presence are like, and have now switched back to that approach.

Sources: Aftonbladet (1, 2, 3,), Poplight, QX (1, 2, 3), SVT, VK, Expressen, Sydostran, GD (1, 2)

Linda Sundblad, "Lucky You" (Linda Sundblad/Johan "Kermit" Bobäck/Fredrik Thomander/Anders Wikström)
The lead singer of rock band Lambretta-turned-solo-act has bounced back and forth between pop-rock and '80s pop, but she enters the contest this year with what she describes as a happy, warm pop song which, though sounding at home in 2011, has ABBA influences. Her co-writers have worked with her before: Fredrik and Anders (the producing duo Epicentre, best known for their early '00s teen pop work) contributed "Let's Dance" to her latest album and Johan has co-written many songs with her, among them "Pick Up The Pieces," "Serotonin," and "Damage."

To watch: Linda performing "Let's Dance," the second single from her latest album.

Simon Forsberg, "Tid att andas" (Fredrik Kempe)
Sweden's current Mr. Gay, a former Fame Factory participant, will be singing what he calls a warm, powerful ballad that allows him to show his voice. He notes that it's challenging and has lyrics he relates to.

To watch: well, since "Tid att andas" is a ballad and there aren't that many choices, here's Simon performing "The Christmas Song."

Sara Lumholdt, "The Enemy" (Niclas Lundin/Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstadt)
The former A*Teens member makes her third attempt at launching a solo career, having earlier found little mainstream traction with her R&B-dance sound or her singer-songwriter style. This time out, she's performing a mid-tempo mix of rock, pop, and R&B. It's written by one of the members of Le Kid, Anton, but don't let that affect your expectations--it won't be in keeping with their super-poppy sound. Niclas's discography is a bit more eclectic; he's one of those songwriters whose work pops up as random album tracks in a number of different countries. There's a demo collaboration of a song called "Saturday Or Sunday Night" between Niclas and Anton on Niclas's MySpace if you maybe want to get a feel for the mood they were in when collaborating.

To watch: there aren't very much recent performances from Sara. Here's forty seconds of her singing Michelle Branch's "Everywhere."

The Playtones, "The King" (Fredrik Kempe/Peter Kvint)
The winner of Dansbandskampen 2009, this rockabilly-influenced dansband sold more albums in Sweden in 2010 than anyone else. They've described their song, written by Fredrik Kempe (best known in the contest for schlager/pop uptempos and ballads) and Peter Kvint (best known for his pop-rock work with acts like Andreas Johnson), as rock-based with a touch of rockabilly and a big tougher than their previous work. They say it has a touch of the Stray Cats (the '80s rockabilly group behind songs like "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town").

To watch: their cover of Alexander Rybak's "Fairytale" would be the obvious choice, but I never really fell for their interpretation. Instead, I'm cheating and sharing something from the lead singer's earlier incarnation as Boppin' Steve; truth be told, from the little I've heard from both eras, those earlier performances did a better job of selling them as an appealing musical proposition. Plus, their entry this year is said to be rockabilly in sound and this performance of Jerry Lee Lewis's "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" show more of that rockabilly sound than their Dansbandskampen performances did.

Shirley's Angels, "I Thought It Was Forever" (Robin Abrahamsson/ Alexander Bard/Bobby Ljunggren/Henrik Wikström)
Shirley Clamp, much-loved by many schlager fans for songs like 2004's second placed "Min kärlek," returns to the contest after a disappointing last place in her semifinal in 2009. This time, she's performing as part of a trio (though she's definitely the frontwoman). "I Thought It Was Forever" is said to be a catchy pop song with a streak of melancholy. It's not slow, says Shirley, but it's not a disco song either and it's either very happy or very sad. Bobby and Henrik frequently appear in Melodifestivalen doing all sorts of work, Alexander is well-known for his usually pop work with acts like BWO, and Robin's previous entries have been ballads for Suzie Tapper and Cookies 'n' Beans.

To watch: easy choice--Shirley singing the fantastic "Min kärlek" in Melodifestivalen 2004. This is one of those schlager songs that creeps up on you until one day you wonder why you didn't fall for its semi-mysterious-sounding charm right off the bat.

Sebastian, "No One Else Could" (Andreas Alfredsson Grube/Sebastian Karlsson)
Former Idol contestant Sebastian returns to the contest with a track that he describes as quite different from the sound of his first three pop-rock albums: "No One Else Could" is an up-tempo synth song. He's suffered a drop in popularity since his 2007 appearance Melodifestivalen, though, meaning that he probably hopes to relaunch his career. Co-writer Andreas appeared in Melodifestivalen 2009 as part of Lasse Lindh's band.

To watch: even though he's been going around saying that his entry this year sounds totally different from his previous Melodifestival entry, here's "When The Night Comes Falling," a direct-to-the-final qualifier from 2007.

Sara Varga, "Spring för livet" (Sara Varge/Fredrik "Figge" Boström)
Sara is taking her singer-songwriter sound to Melodifestivalen and a bigger audience with "Spring för livet," a slow song with personal lyrics. Sara is an unknown quantity to most of the Swedish public, so for her this is a big opportunity for a breakthrough.

To watch: the music video for her song "Always Have"

Eric Saade, "Popular" (Fredrik Kempe)
Following on his breakout performance with last year's "Manboy," former boy band member Eric Saade returns to Melodifestivalen with another uptempo pop song, this time with lyrics about wanting to be the best. He emphasizes that he only wanted to return if his song was better than last year's (though that's what every back-to-back entrant says) and that "Popular" has an international-friendly sound. He adds that "Popular," written by Melodifestivalen veteran and co-writer of "Manboy" Fredrik Kempe, is clubbier and funkier than "Manboy." Eric has also talked a lot about how big his stage show will be. He's definitely one of the most anticipated contestants in this year's contest.

To watch: well, last year's "Manboy," of course. As you might be able to tell, my feelings towards Eric run considerably cooler than those of most Melodifestival fans, but he does at least win points for using the V performing-in-the-rain technique.

I don't know that my excitement is quite as strong as last week, but the general trend may be the reverse and I think Christer Björkman may surprise us with what he's packed into these next two weeks.

I'm looking forward to Linda Sundblad's entry--I have a few worries it could verge into overly cutesy and be too fluffy, but I generally love her work and those songwriters give me confidence; with Epicentre, you can usually count on a strong poppy hook. I'll be worried for her even if it is good, though.

Sebastian's reinvention intrigues me. I've never loved a full album of his, but he usually has at least one fantastic song per disc. I just hope his entry has a strong enough song at its core to go with the nice new stylistic trappings.

Shirley doing the sad-non-ballad thing is an enticing prospect.

Sara Lumholdt's song could go either way and I'm not too confident about her performance, but maybe we'll end up with something fun in studio.

I don't expect the Playtones to surpass Brolle in the rockabilly sweepstakes (in terms of quality), but I'd like to be proven wrong with a nice energetic rockabilly-pop song.

If Sara Varga made it into the contest, you'd think her entry would be a particularly nice version of her singer-songwriter sound.

Eric's song will probably be great-to-fantastic and I'm certainly quite interested to hear it, but I just can't work up the level of excitement for him it feels like I should have given the style of music he works in (mainly for tone of his voice reasons, I think). Hopefully this will be when he finally wins me over, though. He's certainly an energetic trier.

Fired up

2011-02-11T16:31:00.004-05:00

Call me a sucker for a pop vocal over a big ravey dance song and I wouldn't argue. We've had a number of those recently, ranging from David Guetta and Kelly Rowland's "When Love Takes Over" to Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World)" to Alex Gaudino and Maxine's "I'm In Love (I Wanna Do It)."

01 Burning Up by poppostergirl

The vast majority of such songs, though, are sung by women. Sure, we've had a good number of male-sung songs on the charts that take some cues from pop-dance, but rarely do they go all the way into euphoric swooshes and instrumentals that would truly sound at home on the dancefloor. Usher's "DJ's Got Us Falling In Love Again" and Enrique Iglesias's "I Like It" show a restraint that positions them somewhere between pop and pop-dance on the music spectrum. They can be fun--a lot of fun, in the case of the latter--but they never have that same sense of lost-in-the-music release.

Nick Carter's "Burning Up" doesn't have the same stratospheric production as the aforementioned "I'm In Love," but it's one step closer to the sound I crave: the male-vocaled pop-dance song so jubilantly dancey that it actually makes you want to partake in all the clubbing cliches that seventy-five percent of these songs mention.

Blah blah blah "generic" blah "sounds like everything else in the charts right now," I know. Only it doesn't--"Burning Up" probably was inspired by post-Black Eyed Peas/whoever surge in dance-influenced songs, but it goes in a surging rave direction most male singers don't--and, more importantly, Nick's half-disinterested verses and the repetitive chorus are actually the perfect foil for a rave riff that, basic as it may be, never fails to make noon on Thursday feel like midnight on Friday.

"Burning Up" is taken from Nick Carter's second solo album, I'm Taking Off, just released in Japan. It can be purchased here or here.

I sing all your favorite songs

2011-02-10T16:01:00.000-05:00

By far the best thing to come out of Frankmusik's post-Complete Me output is "Stereo World." Based on the material he'd distributed on two free EPs, I was starting to get a bit worried. Sure, they were all free songs that presumably weren't good enough to make the cut for his upcoming second album, and sure, there were some interesting ideas scattered here and there, but nothing showed off the strong, engaging songwriting skills that were on full display in the vast majority of the demos before and songs on his first album.

The bright, initially frivolous-sounding love song "Stereo World" allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief. It's got the bounce, charm, heart, and melody that, in addition to all his great production tricks, make him such a welcome force on the pop scene, that make it worth setting aside his personal stumbles to get to the music on the other side.

"Stereo Love" is available as a free download on Frankmusik's website.

I live my life the way I planned

2011-02-09T16:29:00.006-05:00

Ahh, Twitter--destroyer of free time, and yet, what would we do without you?

Not A Sinner Nor A Saint by poppostergirl

Today's interesting Twitter moment came from Sarah Dawn Finer, who mentioned that her original 2002 demo of "Not A Sinner Nor A Saint" would appear on the (amazing) upcoming Melodifestival boxset documenting the past ten year's of the contest.

Sarah's comment left me hitting my head against the wall--how had I not realized that was her singing on this demo for all these years? Obviously Alcazar's version is definitive and the way to be introduced to the song--it's a Melodifestival classic in their disco interpretation--but it's always nice to get these "peaking behind the music industry door" moments.

For anyone who hasn't heard it, here's Alcazar performing the song in Melodifestivalen 2003. It's the first version of "Not A Sinner Nor A Saint" anyone not in the music industry heard and the change from the original demo is stunning...and for the better, much as I love Sarah (though that has much to do with the arrangement and production).

I'm excited to hear what other demos will appear in the boxset. Dare to dream of the 99% impossibility of Måns's version of "Hero" showing up...

Anything to cover up

2011-02-09T10:20:00.006-05:00

Back when the idea of Xenomania Records still seemed like the most exciting prospect in pop--before all the interesting artists we heard about had disappeared into the mists of potential popstars lost in "development," disappointing songs, or terminated record deals--American singer Jessie Malakouti teased us with at least two fantastic songs, the straight-up pop-dance of "Standing Up For The Lonely" and the slightly more melancholic "Who's That Man."

Jessie's time with Xenomania wasn't her first appearance in the music world. She'd earlier been a member of the pop-rock-hip hop girl group Shut Up Stella and shared songs like "If U Seek Amy" predecessor "Trash Me" (written by the Larsson/Franson/Lundgren Örebro gang) on her MySpace. Still, it wasn't until the Xenomania polish that she really started to--well, not quite shine yet, but show hints of shimmer.

Unfortunately, her proper debut single "Standing Up For The Lonely" was never released and she and the British songwriting collective parted ways. I expected a quick drop-off in song caliber, but if anything, her latest project has the highest quality rate yet. As the only real person in Jessie and the Toy Boys--she's backed up by several mannequins--Jessie seems to be finally hitting her stride with an attitude-prone electro-pop sound.

Perfect Shade Of Red by poppostergirl

I've written about "Hitman" and its addictive chorus before. The triumphant "Key To The City" is even better, perhaps her best song yet, while "Like You Better" and "The Radio's Talking To Me" both have their own cheeky charm.

"Perfect Shade Of Red" certainly belongs in the top two or three songs from this Jessie era. Finding a middle ground between the spikier, spunkier sound of the Toy Boys and the pretty mid-tempo longing of "Who's That Man," "Perfect Shade Of Red" is pretty much all I want out of pop at this point in time. Its well-written earworm of a chorus is supported by equally strong verses and a perfectly balanced mix of synth stabs and washes, with Jessie holding the whole thing together with popstar presence. If some of Jessie's other songs have seemed too try-hard youthful for you, "Perfect Shade Of Red" might be the song to win you over.

Jessie and the Toy Boys are off to a running start. Let's just hope this particular Jessie Malakouti project makes it further than Shut Up Stella, her first solo attempt, or her second Xenomania-backed try.

There are currently no Jessie and the Toy Boys songs available to purchase, but I believe "Push It" to be on sale soon. In the meantime, you can buy several of Jessie's older songs on iTunes.

Vaken i en dröm

2011-02-08T12:53:00.007-05:00

A tradition half-abandoned last year makes its quiet return two days (or two days and one week) late: a preview of this coming weekend's Melodifestival semifinal. As always, I have absolutely no inside information, so I am incredibly indebted to the below mentioned websites; all of my information about this year's entries comes from them.

Sources: Aftonbladet (1, 2, 3,), Poplight, QX (1, 2, 3), GD, SVT, VK, Expressen,

Brolle, "Seven Days and Seven Nights" (Brolle)
Former Popstars contestant Brolle carved out a successful niche for himself in the first half of the '00s with his Elvis style. His latest songs haven't had the staying power of early hits like "Playing With Fire," though, which may have finally brought him to Melodifestivalen. Brolle describes his self-penned ballad as a tribute to love and the way the members of a couple fight but then work together to make the relationship work. It is, he elaborates, a mix between old Brolle, new Brolle, and rockabilly.

To watch: though I think his third album contains some underrated tracks and even liked the Billy Idol-flavored single from his greatest hits, the description of "Seven Days and Seven Nights" makes me think "Playing With Fire" from his first album might be more representative.

Loreen, "My Heart Is Refusing Me" (Moh Denebi/Björn Djupström/Lorén Talhaoui)
A 2004 Idol contestant turned television host, Loreen describes her song as "as far from schlager as you can get." She's elaborated by saying "My Heart Is Refusing Me," a dramatic, emotional, string-filled ballad with a lot of pain, represents the intersection of electronic and organic. Loreen is signed to a new record label run by Måns Zelmerlöw and the two co-writers of Loreen's song. Speaking of the songwriters, I'd characterize these three as "working men" songwriters, for lack of a better phrase--they've had songs on albums (and in Melodifestivalen), but they're not big names. That's meant as no slight, though, since that's how most writers come up through the ranks.

To ~~watch~~ listen: the best I've got is her 2004 featured vocalist appearance on Rob n Raz's single "The Snake"

Babsan, "Ge mig en spanjor" (Larry Forsberg/Sven-Inge Sjöberg/Lennart Wastesson)
Fittingly for the first drag queen performed-entry in Melodifestivalen since After Dark twice graced the stage, "Ge mig en spanjor" is said to be a mix of "La Dolce Vita" (written by these songwriters, as is Jill Johnson's "Crazy In Love") and "Y viva España" or, alternately, a happy disco-flamenco song. Expect humor in the performance--not that you needed to be told that, given that the song is being sung by Babsan and has a title that translates to "Give Me A Spaniard."

To watch: Babsan performing at Allsång på Skansen

Elisabeth "Bettan" Andreassen, "Vaken i en dröm" (Lars "Dille" Diedricson/Calle Kindbom/Kristian Wejshag)
Bettan is a veteran of both national finals and Eurovision at this point, having competed in Melodifestivalen six times and Norway's Melodi Grand Prix five times and making it to Eurovision four out of those eleven tries. She won the whole contest in 1985, performing "La det swinge" as part of Bobbysocks. Dille and Calle are likewise Melodifestival and schlager veterans. They've co-written songs like, in Dille's case, Charlotte Perrelli's "Tusen och en natt" and Linda Bengtzing's "Jag ljuger så bra" and, in Calle's case, Fame's "Give Me Your Love" and Barbados's "Kom hem." Kristian debuted in the contest with Jessica Andersson's "I Did It For Love," co-writen with Calle, and since "Vaken i en dröm" is said to be a ballad, that entry might be an indicator of what to expect.

To watch: since we're expecting a ballad, here's her performance of "I evighet" at Eurovision in 1996. Performing for Norway, Elisabeth took second.

Sanna Nielsen, "I'm In Love" (Bobby Ljunggren/Thomas G:son/Irini Michas/Peter "Bassflow" Boström)
Power vocalist Sanna, a young Celine Dion in the making, returns to Melodifestivalen for the sixth time. As the public vote-winning but ultimately second-placed contestant in 2008 with "Empty Room," Sanna's entry this year will be much anticipated. With five previous entries, Sanna has basically covered the schlager spectrum of tempos; this time, she returns not with a ballad but with an up-tempo, upbeat song. She says it begins mysteriously, has a strong chorus, and allows her to show her voice. The song's writers are a conglomeration of big festival names: Bobby and Thomas have created all sorts of generally schlager-flavored entries, Peter makes excellent uptempo pop like Charlotte Perrelli's "Hero" and Ola's big hits, and Irini, the least famous of the bunch, co-wrote Sofia's Greek-pop-rock "Alla."

To watch: Sanna performing the the uptempo schlager song "Våger du våger jag" in Melodifestivalen 2007. Sure, it doesn't show off her voice or make the same impression on the public as "Empty Room," but a.) I never really warmed to "Empty Room" and b.) her entry this year isn't a ballad. The completely lovely "Hela världen för mig" might actually do a better job of making her live vocals sound appealing, though.

The Moniker, "Oh My God!" (Daniel Karlsson)
Performing under a stage name, former Idol 2007 participant Daniel Karlsson will sing an entry he describes as a '60s-type song inspired by ABBA, the Beatles, and the Ark in a faster, happier style than he usually uses.

To watch: the music video for his single "Would You Believe?", released under his own name in 2008.

Anniela, "Elektrisk" (Johan Alkenäs/Tim Larsson/Tobias Lundgren/Johan Fransson)
"Elektrisk" has been linked to both Linda Bengtzing and Magnus Carlsson, a promising indicator of pop-friendliness, as is the credentials of its songwriters (the makers of Linda Bengtzing's "Alla Flickor" and "Hur svårt kan det va?" and Alcazar's "Alcastar"). Anniela, a young singer looking to break into the Swedish consciousness after the release of her debut album last year, confirms that speculation by calling "Elektrisk" danceable electro-pop.

To watch: there are better songs on her debut album, but none of them have music videos, so here's said album's single, "Strip-teaser."

Christian Walz, "Like Suicide" (Fernando Fuentes/Henrik Janson/Tony Nilsson/Christian Walz)
Best known for singles from his second album like "Wonderchild," the somewhat quirky, soulful singer-songwriter makes his first appearance in Melodifestivalen with a song he describes as "a combination of my band and a spaceship." Henrik and Tony have teamed up on songs like Velvet's "The Queen" and Darin's "You're Out Of My Life" (with Tony also writing most of Ola's big hits).

To watch: the music video for "Wonderchild"

I don't dare make predictions about results, but I'm cautiously optimistic about the quality of this week's offerings. I kind of wish Brolle had a few other songwriters backing him up, but given my established weakness for his musical offerings, I expect to be won over nevertheless. Sanna and Anniela's songs should be great (even if Anniela's likely lack of stage experience and name recognition may hurt her performance, I expect it her song to sound great in studio and those particular songwriters always get me excited). I'm a fan of Christian Walz and several of his song's co-writers so, even if they seem like an unusual match, we might get something good from him, too. Getting a great schlager ballad in Melodifestivalen is rare nowadays in my books, so Elisabeth's entry doesn't have me psyched up. Still, one always hopes that institutions like her wouldn't return to the contest without something decent. Daniel's earlier single was quite good, but having heard less material from him, quality-wise he's a wild card. Loreen's song certainly sounds intriguing though I'm not counting on it to translate to the Melodifestival stage. Finally, the songwriters for "Ge mig en spanjor" have shown their skill enough in the past to make me hope there's a song of substance--albeit fun, frothy substance--behind Babsan's performance.

Then again, I'm always cautiously optimistic about the quality Melodifestival semifinals. It's those voting results you have to look out for...

The good advice I always hated

2010-09-23T14:18:00.005-04:00

Via Idolator...

Nicki Minaj - "Right Through Me" (Tags) by nickiminajorg

Rapper Nicki Minaj's new single, "Right Through Me," may tone down the playful obscenities of her featuring appearances in favor of continuing the sparkling modern ballad feel of "Your Love," but it matures and improves that template. The excellent if lyrically incongruous chorus hook overshadows the verses' story, an up-and-down relationship that the narrator sometimes sabotages but ultimately wants, with a thoroughly loved-up feel. It remains to be seen whether or not "Right Through Me" will stay just as lovable when subjected to the radio test--this might be the sort of song best played on your iPod--but for now, it's a welcome addition to pop's charm bracelet.

Nicki Minaj's single "Right Through Me" is not yet available for sale, but you can buy her earlier work on iTunes. Her album, Pink Friday, is out this November but is not yet available for preorder.

I reached out for your hands and you threw it all away

2010-09-23T12:30:00.004-04:00

"You Gave Me Nothing," taken from British producer Mark Ronson's forthcoming album Record Collection, is, to paraphrase Popjustice, the best proper duet I've heard in months. Not that there's been much competition--if we're just talking about balanced duets, not featuring appearances, what else has there been, save Robyn and Snoop Dogg, since, say, spring?

05 You Gave Me Nothing (feat. Rose Elinor Dougall & Andrew Wyatt) by poppostergirl

The singers in question are Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow and Rose Elinor Dougall, formerly of the Pipettes. Andrew's appearance on "You Gave Me Nothing," which might be more intuitively titled "You're Not My Baby," is certainly the most I've ever enjoyed his voice; listening to the Miike Snow album always felt more like an art appreciation exercise than an engaging musical experience, though the seemingly-still-unreleased remix of "The Rabbit" might be the exception to that rule. Maybe it's the added urgency of the gently unsettling dystopian music (yes, a gentle dystopia--the kind where our robotic overlords aren't killing people left and right in the streets but have passed futuristic Alien and Sedition Acts). Maybe it's balancing his voice with an equal amount of Rose, whose indie-beloved solo material I've ignored to date but who here comes across like the next great popstar.

Regardless, the two singers and Mark all bring out the best in each other. The cold fire of Mark's dark electro-meets-band composition, the dismissive anger of Andrew and Rose--how can there be such power in the final product when all parties involved resist the urge to scream and shout at each other? "You're Not My Baby" somehow still manages to radiate icy, ominous fury in the midst of its grown-up hooks. Free of kitsch or self-aware irony, let's hope it and its sheathed-knife electro passion set the template for Mark Ronson's upcoming work with Duran Duran.

"You're Not My Baby" is taken from Mark Ronson & the Business Intl's album Record Collection (which does feature vocals from Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon on the title track), out next week. You can preorder it here (physical).

Evergreen, you and me, we got everything here

2010-09-23T08:28:00.004-04:00

The lead single from the second album of Sweden's Vincent, the singer of "Miss Blue," co-writer of Danny and Therese's "If Only You," and son of Roger Pontare, is another throwback to the pop-rock of the '60s. In fact, if anything it may play up those influences even more than his previous work.

Baby Hurricane by poppostergirl

Vincent has kept the gentle electronic touches of his earlier work, though, which enhances "Baby Hurricane"'s charm. The little electronic riff that opens the song is catchy but in a subdued way; combined with the Beach Boys-style harmonies and a drum part which is prominent and energetic in a functional, modest way, it creates the feeling of a smart, controlled mid-tempo romp.

We're not talking unrestrained exuberance, though. There's a certain joy the participants in an us-against-the-world relationship have, which shows up in "Baby Hurricane," but even if its subjects are willing to throw all caution to the winds, the song doesn't quite go there. It's a summer celebration song, sure, but hints of autumn sneak through.

The unassuming nature of "Baby Hurricane" might mean that it slowly creeps up on you. Creep up on you it will, though--"Baby Hurricane" sounds like the work of a (one-man) band so confident in its own abilities that it doesn't need to show off and instead can just get straight to the business of making something that is honed to greatness.

(On another note, the lyrics certainly have me hoping we'll get a music video.)

Vincent's single "Baby Hurricane" should eventually be able on Swedish iTunes. I'll update this link with more specificity and an international-friendly link should one become available.

Fall in love at first sight

2010-09-09T07:01:00.004-04:00

Drop what you're doing--the music video for Le Kid's new single "We Should Go Home Together," the most joy-inducing song since Alphabeat's "Fascination," has arrived. Please, please, please watch it--or at least listen.

One of the best songs of the year, no doubt about it. It's amazing how they make "we should go home together" and "oh oh oh oh" sound like the most anthemic things you've heard all month.

According to Oswalds Popcorn, the single will be available for purchase September 27.

Talkin' fantasy right to my face

2010-09-03T07:42:00.002-04:00

Newsbreak:

Xenomania News pointed out that several songs from Jessie Malakouti's time at Xenomania leaked recently. The best news about this fact? We finally get to hear the full studio recording of "Who's That Man." Though I'd rather have the opportunity to pay for the full quality version, with Jessie moved on to her Jessie and the Toy Boys project, it seemed unlikely we'd ever hear it, making this is something of a relief.

Magnus Carlsson has a new single coming out. It's called "The Best In Me" and is probably produced by Pitchline (based on how much he's worked with them and the fact that it's got a Pitchline remix). The cover can be viewed here, while the tracklist seems to be "The Best In Me," a solo version of "Crying At The Discotheque" (eek), "Feel You (Ruff & Jam Radio Edit)," and an extended remix by Pitchline of "The Best In Me."

On the "I'm way behind in reporting this" front, Nadine Coyle's debut single is "Insatiable," written by her and Guy Chambers. It's apparently not a ballad and bears a resemblance to the Bangles, though the latter is a comparison from the Sun so take it with a grain of salt. Fingers crossed--I really want this solo project to live up to Nadine's potential. Fellow Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole's lead single for her second album is called "Promise This;" there's a low quality clip here, but I'll need to hear at least the chorus to know for sure what to make of it. Speaking of Girls Aloud, I don't think I've mentioned here yet that Luciana Caporaso reported she was writing songs with Sarah Harding. As I've said elsewhere, that seems like it could be a good match; Luciana's punky pop-dance work might be a good way to channel Sarah's apparent love of rock and sometimes shouty vocals (and Sarah's solo Xenomania songs aren't a million miles away from Portobella songs like "Meet Me At The Y Bar" or Kylie's Luciana-penned "Cupid Boy").

The music video for Kylie Minogue's joy-inducing "Get Outta My Way," one of the songs of the year, is out. Floor choreography! Chair choreography! Actually, the choreography is nowhere near the star of the show--that's got to go to these moments. I usually try to hold the belief that everyone has a perfect right to like and dislike what they want, but if you don't enjoy "Get Outta My Way," it's hard to believe you like music.

Margaret Berger has posted some pictures from a recent photoshoot on her Facebook page, as well as stated her new single will be out this fall (maybe as early as September, but I may have misunderstood what she was referring to). We were told earlier to expect it as a spring/summer single so there could understandably be some skepticism, but hopefully we'll have new Margaret music soon. Now, if only Bertine Zetlitz would give us a release date...

a1's new album, Waiting For Daylight, is out October 11 in Norway. That's not news. What is news--or news-ish, anyway--is that you can see a tiny picture of the cover here.

On the subject of albums going to be released in Norway, Melodi Grand Prix 2010 contestant Bjørn Johan Muri's album, Airwaves, comes out September 13. The tracklist and cover are here.

Swedish Stereo broke the new about the tracklist and cover for Ola's third album, out September 15; you can view them here. At ten tracks, four of which are already available for purchase, it's a short album, but hopefully it's got the gems he's capable of being a vehicle for.

The summery new single from British boyband JLS, "Ay Mama" (which features Shontelle), sounds kind of nice, based on a live performance of it.

Alcazar are featured on an Anders Hansson/Sharon Vaughn song on the new Same Difference album. Details at Scandipop.

I guess the change in my pocket just wasn't enough

2010-09-02T07:50:00.005-04:00

I hated Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," but the only thing wrong with the new single from soul singer Cee-Lo Green is the radio edit, "Forget You," which suffers from a poor word replacement choice.

The original, though? Solid gold.

Darkness can't get me to sleep yet

2010-08-25T16:26:00.007-04:00

What's on my playlist at the moment?

Alex Gaudino, "I'm In Love (I Wanna Do It)" (as featured on Xenomania News and Popjustice)
An uplifting pop-dance track with an instrumental from Italian dance producer Alex Gaudino, topline from former Xenomania member Tim Powell, and vocals from young American singer and former Xenomania development project Maxine, "I'm In Love (I Wanna Do It)" soars straight into summer anthem status.

Sky Ferreira, "Obsession"
Previously recorded but unreleased by Adam Lambert, the Ryan Tedder-penned "Obsession" is Sky's American debut single. In contrast to the pure electro-pop sound of her UK debut, "One," "Obsession" is an electro-glam shoutalong which finds a throaty-sounding Sky demanding her love interest's full attention. The middle eight's "ain't nothing wrong with OCD/long as it's for me, long as it's for me" might be the earworm that burrows itself furthest into your brain, but the hooks elsewhere do a more than adequate job.

Usher feat. Jay-Z, "Hot Tottie"
It feels like cheating on Max Martin to confess that the song from Usher's new Versus EP that has drawn most of my attention is the Ester Dean-penned "Hot Tottie," but the vaguely exotic-sounding electro-hip-hop come-on is my favorite thing Usher has done since Confessions (unless you count the "pow pow pow" line in "OMG").

Sirens, "Stilletos" (as featured on Don't Stop The Pop)
Though they've been around since 2003, the new single "Stilettos" is the first time I've paid attention to thus far hit-free British girl group Sirens. The synths here surround you in a perfect mix of gentle and sharp, but I'm at a loss to explain why this song works just so well for me--suffice to say, it does.

Katy B, "Louder" (as featured on Karinski)
British singer Katy's current single "Katy On A Mission" may be riding high in the UK midweeks at the moment, but it's "Louder," a late-night dubstep track, that I prefer.

One Night Only, "Say You Don't Want It" (as featured on #1 Hits From Another Planet)
Pop-rock with a big singalong chorus and hints of electro influence? Yes please.

Armin van Buuren vs. Sophie Elllis-Bextor, "Not Giving Up On Love"
The collaboration between Dutch trance producer Armin and British singer Sophie is another song channeling that late summer feel, mixing uplift and melancholy, but can you ever really have enough songs in that vein? Not when they shimmer like this one.

I can see it in your eyes

2010-08-24T13:07:00.006-04:00

We should be getting the music video for Swedish band Le Kid's amazing second single, "We Should Go Home Together," any day now. A few weeks ago, the group provided this picture from the video shoot:

Everything they do just makes them more lovable. They know exactly what music they want to make and what image they want to go with it.

If you've forgotten what "We Should Go Home Together" sounds like--kicky pure pop joy, basically--here's the live-performance-with-supplemented-studio-audio video again.

Drop the record

2010-08-21T21:20:00.004-04:00

Alexandra Burke's latest single, "Start Without You," isn't really doing it for me, but her performance of it on TV show Magic Numbers was befitting of someone who's had one of the best singles of 2009 and one of the best singles of 2010.

There's enough "popstariness" there and in her delivery on "Bad Boys" and "All Night Long" to certainly make you hope her label and A&R get their act together and deliver on the album front next time around, no?

This place is prison

2010-08-19T08:34:00.005-04:00

The music video for McFly's new single, "Party Girl," is out.

The cynical part of me says that if you're already facing accusations of bandwagon jumping with your new more electro sound, throwing vampires in your video isn't exactly going to fend off those claims.

Maybe more importantly, it makes no sense, probably due to the fact that it seems to be random clips from the online movie they've made (as opposed to, say, a music video length presentation of a plot), intercut with performance footage. It also literally features a stripper pole. Then again, they've hardly been making great videos as of late anyway.

The song is still solid but not fantastic (why couldn't there have been a stronger chorus?). Nothing's really going to knock the album off the top spot on my "most anticipated albums of the year" list, though.

In other news, the original b-sides for the single include "Hotel On A Hill" and "Sunny Side Of The Street," two songs from the set that leaked earlier this year.

My mind starts to go

2010-08-18T17:20:00.007-04:00

Speaking of songs that make sense after a week of driving around and lying on the beach...

Before I left, I was one of those people complaining about the auto-tuning that makes the words in the chorus of Alex Gardner's new single "Feeling Fine" incomprehensible. The highly processed sound was a sudden shift from the "Xenomania does singer-songwriter with some synths" of before and hid what many saw as Alex's main asset, his soulful voice. Don't summer singles largely live and die on the ability of a group of people to sing along with them? It's impossible to do that here--well, impossible to do in unison outside of a phrase here and there, since we're probably all just making up our own words to go along with three-fourths of the chorus.

A few days of lakeside towel residence bookended by drives past empty fields and creatively named fishing shops has a way of doing funny things to your music perception, though. A song that previously seemed like the throwing away of a vitally important second chance for a struggling singer to establish himself suddenly becomes the song that makes you wish your increasingly sand-filled headphones hadn't become so tinny that using them is like listening to a thirty-year-old cassette recording of a song's radio debut. Blame the sun, blame the company, blame your cliché-filled brain--but in the end, you can't even blame the great quicktalking middle eight for your newly developed love of the song: that chorus, that darn gibberish-filled robotic chorus, has managed to burrow its way into your brain and, like the sand that a week later seems to have also found its way into every corner of your suitcase, refuses to disappear.

British singer Alex Gardner's second single "Feeling Fine" is released in the UK on September 27 and should eventually be available for purchase here (physical).

Make the same mistakes but I can't walk away

2010-08-18T10:49:00.005-04:00

The new a1 single is their third great release in a row, meaning that everything they've offered as part of their comeback has, so far, been worth buying. Now, if only there were somewhere from which those of us outside Norway could buy it...

The studio version is streaming here.

It's the their third time in a row offering up a sparkly mid-tempo ballad as a single, but somehow they manage to change up the template just enough each time to make me fall all over again (though if forced I'd peg their Melodi Grand Prix offering, "Don't Wanna Lose You Again," as my least favorite of the three). I don't care if the crowd was forced into punching the air and singing along--their group actions feel like the naturally counterpart to "In Love And I Hate It" and give me just the slightest hint of goosebumps.

Come on, show 'em what you're worth

2010-08-18T07:02:00.004-04:00

Let's all just pretend the other Katy Perry song to leak this morning doesn't exist and enjoy the other Stargate contribution from her upcoming Teenage Dream album, the dance/rave explosion that is "Firework."

Katy Perry - Firework by ileaks

By the way, after initially being just mildly positive about "Teenage Dream," I fell hard for it last week.

You can preorder Katy Perry's album Teenage Dream here (physical).

Hit the lights, start the show

2010-08-16T08:57:00.006-04:00

Darin's new album has only two songs that can even kind of be argued to be something other than a ballad. Before the album's release, we'd heard at least part of every song on it except two. There are only ten songs on it.

01 Microphone by poppostergirl

And you know what? Despite all that, it's pretty good. I can't lie and say that I wouldn't have been happier if he'd delivered a few more songs in the vein of "Breathing Your Love" or "Paradise" ("OK (Dangerous Game)" is the closest you'll find to the RedOne-heavy sound of Darin's previous album), but overproduced '80s power ballad-style drums and synth washes behind classic melodies suits him.

Mutt Lange-loving producer Tony Nilsson is probably guiding force in this stylistic change. "You're Out Of My Life" still comes across as a lost John Waite-meets-REO-Speedwagon hit from twenty-five years ago, which is nothing but a compliment. "Only You Can Save Me" and "Drowning" continue in the same vein and count as some of Darin's strongest ballads ever, while Darin's generally electronic cover of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" adds in little U2 guitar flourishes. The pseudo-uptempo "Microphone," featured on this year's Swedish Idol, is a highlight; it falls somewhere between inspirational self-affirmation and cocky boasts but finds the right musical mix of string-using uplift, those '80s drums, and modern electronic beats to avoid being as cornball as you'd expect.

The only two songs on the album which aren't co-written by Nilsson are end-of-August ballad "Endless Summer" and "I'll Be Alright," an acoustic guitar and string-featuring ballad written solely by Darin, but they slot in nicely next to the other tracks, even if they are noticeably different.

Lovekiller is an enjoyable album, pushed along by strong melodies, a good production concept, and Darin's always pop-ready voice. Now, if only we could get someone to start making modern day "Livin' On A Prayer"s...

Darin's fifth album, Lovekiller, can be purchased here (physical) or here (digital).

Take me somewhere I can breathe

2010-08-07T09:56:00.003-04:00

I'm heading out of town today and will most likely be without Internet access for a week--I might pop up with a tweet or two depending on cell phone reception, but even if not I should be back next Saturday or Sunday.

I'm looking forward to catching up on what I've missed the past few days as well as what I'll miss in the next seven, but in the meantime, I'd like to leave you with a perfect, dreamy pop song that has so far eluded my every attempt to write about it. Some songs are just that special, you know?

All Saints' "Pure Shores" is from the group's second album, Saints & Sinners, which can be purchased here (physical) or here (digital). It's also available digitally for Americans on Amazon.

Solamente pienso en ti y en lo estúpida que fui

2010-08-02T12:14:00.012-04:00

The new single from Mexican pop band Belanova is almost all anyone could want from them.

01 Nada de Más by poppostergirl

Full of upbeat synths that dance and sparkle but retain a gentle feel to them, "Nada de más" splits the difference between songs like "Baila mi corazón," the uptempo lead single for their third album, and songs like "Paso el tiempo" and "Niño," which set their lyrics about loss set to swoony melodies and beats.

It showcases the best side of the group's music: how they mix the cute with the beautiful. Denisse's girlish voice is backed by beats that manage to be cute without sounding small or bleepy--the opposite, in fact: the group creates full, colorful, electronic soundscapes. The simple verses of "Nada de más" find the narrator brushing off the idea that anything is unusual or noteworthy in her life before, in the chorus, making a tiny little confession: she can't stop thinking about her former love. It's framed in a straightforward but heart-tugging way:

Solamente pienso en ti (I only think about you)
Y en lo estúpida que fui (And about how stupid I was)
Al pensar, al soñar, que ibas a regresar (To think, to dream, that you would return)
Al creer, que tal vez, un día ibas a volver a mí (To believe that, maybe, one day you would come back to me)

That girlish, coy voice of Denisse's brings an added poignancy to the song's story--she sounds so young that all of this bears the rush of your first teenage heartbreak, but the grown-up way she knowingly plays with those words conveys someone who's been though enough to know she should know better. It's all the intensity of puppy love with just a hint of the frustration of a cynic angry at herself for taking chance, wrapped up in in a romantic tone and joyful beats.

My only complaint is that Denisse, equally capable of using her voice to make me go weak at the knees or stressing it into sounding too nasal, leans a little too close to the latter in the middle eight. Usually the big climax and final adlibs are, thanks to her singing, my favorite part of these sorts of Belanova songs, but "Nada de más" doesn't quite reach the heights of the aforementioned "Paso el tiempo" and "Niño" in that regard.

That's nitpicking, though. "Nada de más" is an excellent example of one of our most cherished musical forms: danceable songs about heartbreak. It's adorable and moving, catchy and beautiful, youthfully intoxicating and smartly made--proof that none of the best traits of music are mutually exclusive.

"Nada de más" can be purchased from U.S. digital music stores like Amazon and iTunes. It's the lead single for the band's fourth album, Sueño Electro I.

In love and it's so overrated

2010-07-30T10:44:00.003-04:00

Newsbreak:

Mexican group Belanova's new single, "Nada de más," comes out August 2, apparently. You can listen to a clip below. It sounds pretty fantastic, but then again, I would expect nothing less for the lead single for their new album, Sueño Electro I.

Swedish singer Nanne's new album, En Rastlös Själ, comes out October 6. It's been preceded by the singles "Otacksamhet" and "I Natt Är Jag Din," with one more, the title track, to be released August 18. The cover of the album is at left and the single cover can be viewed here. Other upcoming Swedish albums you may be interested in: Darin's Lovekiller (August 18), Ola's new album (September 15--at least, that's what I read at one point, but Ola now says that it's only 28 days away), and Robyn's Body Talk Pt. II (September 6 internationally). You should be able to buy all those albums from Bengans, though Ola's album isn't listed yet and it probably makes more financial sense to buy Robyn's album from a music distributor in your home country.

The third proper single from the reformed a1, following on "Take You Home" and "Don't Wanna Lose You Again," is "In Love And I Hate It." It's out August 4 in Norway, but the group has been performing it live recently. If you want an advance feel for what it sounds like, here's one such performance.

You know "Champagne Lemonade," that great new song from upcoming British singer Ed Drewett which I wrote about a month ago? It's co-written by Tim Powell of Xenomania. Now we know why it's so buzzily fun. Unusually, for a song coming from a member of Xenomania that we actually get to hear, its only authors are Tim and Ed.

Nothing starts 'til I say go

2010-07-29T07:29:00.007-04:00

Stop EVERYTHING.

Britney Spears's "When I Say So"--the full thing, not that tease of a clip we heard last year--has finally, finally, FINALLY leaked.

01 When I Say So by poppostergirl

On the list of songs locked away in vaults that you know exist but have never been heard, "When I Say So" has been high on my desperate-to-hear list. It's one of the songs BT created for the pop princess during the Britney era. The full story of how her work with BT went from album anchors and lead single (as the amazing "Before The Goodbye" was once meant to be) to one import bonus track ("Before The Goodbye"), a b-side ("I Run Away"), and an unreleased song ("When I Say So") can be read here. The gist, though, is this: inspired by the success of the BT-produced "Pop" by 'N Sync, Britney's people asked BT to work on material for her. When the album ended up going in the more R&B, dirty funk direction of songs like "I'm A Slave For You" by the Neptunes, the futuristic pop songs BT had created were set aside.

Now, though, like manna from pop heaven, "When I Say So" has arrived, and it's just as good as we could have imagined--not just better than most of the songs on Britney, but one of Britney's best songs, period.

"When I Say So" is not available for purchase anywhere, but you can support Britney and BT's work together by buying "Before The Goodbye" on Britney here (physical).

Things can fall apart

2010-07-26T13:12:00.009-04:00

I love some good pop-rock. I've had trouble finding much this year (recommendations would be very welcome)--and the past few years, come to think of it--but Swedish group Fashion's "Blinded By The Dark" fits in that category.

Lead singer Jakob Erixson is the Erixson of Holter/Erixson, the production team perhaps best known for their remixes but also responsible for songs by Shirley Clamp and Kostas Martakis, amongst others. Fashion has apparently been around for a little while, but there may have been some forward motion in the past half-year. I don't know of an official single release date yet (though their site says an album, Eau de Vie, is coming this year), but at least Lionheart, the record company with which I think Jakob is affiliated as a songwriter, has mentioned them on their site now.

"Blinded By The Dark" is prettily mid-to-up-tempo pop that just happens to be played by a band. Supplemented by some chuggy backing effects (they first kick in during the second half of the first verse), humming, and piano, the song musically conveys the feeling of struggling to soar while being pulled back. I mean that as no insult--based on the lyrics, I think "troubled anthemic" as opposed to just "anthemic" is actually its goal.

Slightly tangentially, the best thing Oscar Holter and Jakke Erixson have ever done? The Holter/Erixson vs. Tom Bola remix of "Burn," one of the songs they wrote for now defunct Irish pop group Industry. Swooshy pop-dance remixes don't come much better than this.

There's nowhere to buy Fashion's "Blinded By The Dark" yet, but you can listen to several other songs on their official site here.

I'll make my first steps in the sand

2010-07-23T17:04:00.006-04:00

Dance songs are like buses: you wait forever for one song sampling Nik Kershaw's "The Riddle" to come along, and then two come along at the same time.

Actually, neither Giorgio Prezioso & Marvin's "The Riddle" or JayKay's "Princess" is recommended, but it's an odd coincidence, like Everything But The Girl's "Waiting For A Star To Fall" all over again. Listening to "Princess" is a particularly surreal experience since it's basically what Flo Rida's "Right Round" would have sounded like had its creators decided to sample "The Riddle" instead of "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)." No exaggeration--if you ignore my strenuous warnings, have three minutes to waste, and listen to it, there's no way you'll be able to see it as anything else.

More worth your time in terms of summer dance fluff is Spanish group Dreaminfusion's organic dance song "The World In My Hand," which, like the aforementioned songs, features on Volume 13 of Vale Music's annual Disco Estrella. It's a release I always look forward to more than I should, given Vale's general cheap tendencies, the often year-old nature of many of the songs, and the "playing in the background at your nighttime beach party" vibe, but the series can feature some gems; it's the first place many of us heard Lucky Twice's "Lucky," for example.

A few more days may reveal if there are other songs worth mining from it (though it already obviously features some of the best singles of last year, including two of my favorite dance songs, DJ Layla's "Single Lady" and Junior Caldera's "What You Get"), but, to be honest, I've not given Disco Estrella much of my time yet--I've had difficulty tearing myself away from Kpop the past few days.

Your beauty haunts me though I haven't seen your face

2010-07-21T16:18:00.000-04:00

I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I know, boring story, but it gets worse--wait until you see how that cheesily leads into today's song.

Insomnia by poppostergirl

Cheddar, right? I think the reason demo singer and co-writer Lisa Greene wants to have trouble sleeping is a little different from my experience, though. "Insomnia" evokes less lying bored in bed counting sheep and more fevered tossing and turning between tangled sheets. Its writers are the creators of Britney Spears's "Breathe On Me" and that's certainly a shared lineage you'll have no trouble hearing.

Maybe they're too similar to appear on the same album, but the headphone-ready grown-up bedroom sexiness and ambience-creating style of "Breathe On Me," "State Of Grace" (once again by these writers and which Lisa also sang the demo for), "Insomnia," and another old demo, "Under Your Skin," makes me wish Britney would record at least one of these sorts of songs for each album. I imagine Kylie was a possible target for many of them as well--and I love her--and sure, you could imagine Rachel Stevens or any number of other female pop singers doing it, but no one suits these songs better than Britney.

There's nowhere to buy Lisa Greene's work as a singer. She's co-written and sung the demos for a number of fantastic pop songs over the years, but it seems like her passion as a recording artist is more in line with jazz or bossa nova; you can listen to some of that work on her MySpace. The best option for financially supporting her is probably buying a song she's co-written. Britney Spears's "Breathe On Me," for example, is on In The Zone, which you can buy here (physical) or here (digital).

Loverholic, robotronic

2010-07-20T14:46:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Nikki and LeAnna for being the reasons this post exists.

Korean boy band SHINee just released their new album. It's their second full album, but, due to the number of rereleases and EPs Korean record labels tend to put out, the group is responsible for a lot more material than your average American act by the time of their sophomore release.

The title track and lead single, "Lucifer," is like a ravier version of the dirty electro sound of some Remee/Troelsen productions (Sarah Connor's "Under Your Skin," for example, which has been covered by another Korean boy band), though it's by Yoo Young-jin, the writer of SHINee's earlier hit "Ring Ding Dong" and Super Junior's "Sorry Sorry." "Lucifer" is from that futuristic, piecey strain of Kpop, a mosaic made from the smashed windows of a spaceship. Its irregular pieces jut together to form a whole that lacks fluidity but which is almost more impressive because you can see how its parts fit together. If an artist from another country released this song, it would probably be more vocally melodic and less rat-a-tat machine gun-fire, but that's no complaint.

With Darin apparently too busy making (admittedly very good) '80s ballads to give us the sharp, edgy male-sung urban pop the music scene needs, someone had to step up.

Someone has.

(Also, on a personal note, I'd just like to say how much I've missed seeing choreographed group dancing in music videos. I'm a child of the late '90s pop boom--I can't help it.)

SHINee's new album, Lucifer, can be purchased here (physical).

Don't fall recklessly, headlessly in love with me

2010-07-19T15:42:00.014-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the new Robyn single, "Hang With Me," via Radio 1:

Hang With Me by poppostergirl

An acoustic version appeared on Body Talk Pt I, but the song was originally released by Paoloa, a Swedish singer and former partner of Klaus Åhlund. This incarnation of the song doesn't really resemble either of its predecessors (well, predecessors to us, if not in terms of when they were made), though; it's not a traditional dance song--would you expect one from Robyn?--but its backing is much more in that direction.

"Dancing On My Own" was a total triumph, a melding of "Be Mine!" and "With My Heartbeat" that might--might--be better than either, so "Hang With Me" has a lot to live up to. Is it better? It's too early to truly judge, but perhaps not. Is it a worthy new single? Yes, oh yes.

"Hang With Me" is the lead single for Robyn's Body Talk Pt II, out September 6, as is the single. You should eventually be able to order them both from here.

You make me feel like the act of love is empty

2010-07-18T13:14:00.007-04:00

Is there a song with sadder lyrics than Darren Hayes's "Unlovable"?

The electro-pop song's structure is flawless: the verses find the former Savage Garden singer aggressively spitting out his feelings while the chorus mixes a squelchy beat with a more expansive melody that in another context would be radio singalong fodder across the world. Musically, it's perfect. Darren could be singing almost anything and I'd love it.

Those lyrics, though. They, in all their awful emotive specificity, are what secures this song its place as one of the best things recorded in the '00s. The disgust the narrator feels for his subject and for himself, his depression, his anger, his desperation, his helplessness--I hope no one reading this ever has reason to feel "Unlovable" strikes them straight to their core, but it captures the tormented state of mind of an emotionally abusive relationship better than any song I can imagine.

"Unlovable" is on Darren Hayes's excellent second album, The Tension and the Spark, which can be purchased here (physical) or internationally on iTunes here.

Start to dial your number, then I disconnect

2010-07-18T12:41:00.001-04:00

Sam Taylor's "It's A Mistake" has been featured on Fizzy Pop, Pop Trash Addicts, Chart Rigger, and many other sites and I'm months remiss in doing the same, but it's better late than never. Well, that's only slightly true since the song is no longer streaming on Sam's SoundCloud, but you can listen to other music by him on his MySpace.

Bobby of Don't Stop The Pop and Paul of My Fizzy Pop have been largely responsible for getting me to fall for the balladeering of British singer Sam Taylor. After featuring on a television soundtrack and revealing several songs last year, Sam went quiet for a little while, but he returned recently with what's easily my favorite song from him yet. "Beautiful" and "heartrending" may be overused words in the music industry courtesy of overhyped press releases, but "It's A Mistake" is the rare song that earns them.

Sam's singing conveys a desperate need and a deep fear without actually sounding desperate. He shows the skill of a good actor: allowing us to sense his emotion and the strength of it without overplaying his hand. "It's A Mistake" swells as that emotion threatens to overcome him before backing off as Sam regains control of himself for a few more seconds to continue his plea to his lover to reunite. The instrumental backing of the song, based mainly on piano and kept simple but filled out so it's more than a sketch, feels timeless, which is appropriate: the song's melody, narrative, and Sam's voice deserve nothing less.

The only place you can buy Sam Taylor's music so far is on the Beautiful People soundtrack, which is available here (physical).

It's 2 AM, I can't decide what I'm doin'

2010-07-17T20:54:00.005-04:00

I've had some questions about the other JC Chasez demo I alluded to in the comments of my "Don't Stop" post come in. I'm just going to copy and paste my response to one of them:

The other demo I've got is "La La Land." To be honest, the reason I've been dragging my feet about posting it is that it's more of an interesting little oddity than a song to stir up excitement--more mid-tempo stream-of-consciousness than a typically melodic song. I wouldn't be leaking it since it was posted elsewhere on the Internet in a legitimate way, but given that it seems it's not been widely heard, it does worry me that it might in some way disillusion people. It's just an outtake, but sometimes, when you hear so little new music from an act you love, you end up reading too much into the random tracks you do get to hear.

Still, I definitely know how it is to want to hear anything an artist has recorded, even if it's not single-quality material, so I'll try to post the song soon.

I should probably have clarified that by saying that I know hardcore fans have been through enough to usually understand the difference between an unused song and a song that an artist intends to use as part of a comeback--it's casual commenters who sometimes don't pay attention to the difference.

Anyway, with all that in mind, here's a the key part of this post that is less a "you must listen to this song!" post and more a "for the fans" post: "La La Land," which finds JC engaging in rambling verses about life in Los Angeles and casually "la la la"ing his way through the short chorus. You could make the argument that the casualness of the whole thing fits in with the the way he's parodying being caught up in the fame-loving LA scene, with hipster cred being equated to acting as if you don't care. The end result is still a song that feels more like an extended (arguably humorous) interlude, but, hey, you get to hear his voice.

La La Land by poppostergirl

"La La Land" is unreleased, but you can buy JC Chasez's debut solo album Schizophrenic here (physical) or here (digital).

Brick by brick

2010-07-17T19:59:00.003-04:00

Did you know that the maker of one of the most undeservedly overlooked albums of the past five years has a new EP out?

No, probably not. American singer Ferras's minimally promoted new EP is a "live in a studio setting" thing, which means it doesn't have all the fantastic "The Remedy (You And I)"-style production from the Matrix and Gary Clark that I loved on much of Aliens & Rainbows, his 2008 debut album. It's just Ferras singing and playing the piano.

Ferras's songwriting skills have never really been doubt and his songs have withstood the stripped treatment before. Aliens & Rainbow's final track, the beautiful ballad "Take My Lips," stood out as not just an album highlight but one of the best "why aren't teenagers everywhere falling in love with and to this song?" tracks to be released recently, even though it was another live-sounding, piano accompaniment-only recording. Still, it was an open question how that style would hold up over five songs that average a length of six and a half minutes each--that sounds like a recipe for a mess of acoustic, indulgent musical noodling.

There's bad news and good news on that front. These are not condensed songs, more diary entries set to piano, but the bones are strong. If Ferras felt like turning these into "proper pop songs," it could probably be done pretty easily. It is possible to make a structured, traditional if unconventional song with pop appeal that exceeds six minutes in length. Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)," Darren Hayes's "Casey," Styx's "Come Sail Away," Girls Aloud's "Untouchable"--it's not a huge list and it's more a case of "exception that proves the rule," but it could go on. Ferras, however, doesn't really even try to do that here, just unhurriedly explores his way up and down the piano while singing a topline that, though including some great lyrics and delivered beautifully, generally is devoid of hooks, or at least presented in a way to minimize them.

The result is works that are beautiful and poignant and probably important for a growing artist to experiment with, but that in their current incarnation feel more appropriate for some dramatic contemporary dance (see montage below) than at home on my hit heavy playlists. I appreciate them, but I also appreciate the fact that this is an "interim" release, a side project, and not his next proper album.

The song out of these five that comes closest to being catchy is probably "Gypsy Girl," mainly due to its plinky piano background giving the vocal melody room to breathe, though it's also probably not the biggest "achievement" here. "Wall Around My Heart" is the nominal single and, in a different, more accessible life, you could see why, though the same could also be said for "Phantom Song" or "Marshmallow Spaceship."

As it stands, if you're new to Ferras, this isn't the place to begin. The songs on Aliens & Rainbows are a near-perfect melding of diary page-style musings with mainstream-mysterious electronic production and catchy pop melodies.* However, I can never fault an artist for being generous enough to give us something in between albums and, though I can't unequivocally recommend this EP to others, I'm glad I purchased it.

Ferras's EP Interim is available on iTunes internationally here. If you missed out on his debut album, though, I highly recommend it; Aliens & Rainbows can be purchased here (physical) or on iTunes internationally here.

As with any Ferras post, I have to thank Robbie for introducing me to Aliens & Rainbows.

*Though I must admit I've long had a question about his decision to adopt certain points of view in the lyrics. Still, pressured or not, it's the narrator's prerogative, I guess.

A sucker for the crazy life

2010-07-17T16:50:00.004-04:00

It's not the most traditionally melodic thing in the world...

...but how fantastic would the new leaked Kat DeLuna song, "Everybody Dance," sound in the middle of a dancefloor mix?

I understand that "Push Push," Kat's last single, was probably slightly more likely to be a hit on American radios than the full-on slicing Eurodisco of "Everybody Dance," but as for which is actually a better song, there's no contest.

I'm not sure how, but in a time when RedOne is so in demand that his name on a song is no longer a guarantee of quality and he can pretty much charge whatever he likes, Kat has apparently managed get something out of him that is not just worthwhile but exciting.

There's nowhere to buy "Everybody Dance" yet, but you can buy Kat DeLuna's debut album, 9 Lives, here (physical) or here (digital).

There's things that you guess and things that you know

2010-07-15T13:31:00.002-04:00

Via Electroqueer comes this remix of a cover of George Michael's "I Want Your Sex."

I'm surprised by how much I like what American singer Chris Mann and remixers SECTR 24 have done here. The descending instrumental part during the title line, which reoccurs during the fantastic final minute or so, goes a long way to breathing life into their take on the song, while its lack hurts the original version of the cover. This remake, though, sets aside the minimalism of Chris's original cover and the funk of George's original, pursuing a sound that doesn't sound like a full-on dance remix but rather just a poppy electronic update. Not every part works in a radio-ready way (though that's probably not the intent anyway) and I imagine you're better off not thinking about it in comparison to the original too much, but for me, it's been perfect for those moments when you need to clear your mind--a headache-alleviating, smile-inducing, pep-in-your-step, air-conditioning-in-the-summer song, which is always a good thing.

You can buy Chris Mann's "I Want Your Sex (SECTR 24 Remix)" on iTunes internationally here, as well as several other versions of the song.

If looks could kill, then we all would be doomed

2010-07-14T09:38:00.007-04:00

When journalists made comparisons between the new McFly single and Lady Gaga, I thought it was just a bad description based on the Dallas Austin-produced "Party Girl" having some electro influences in it.

Party Girl (Clip) by poppostergirl

(Full credit and many thanks for that recording goes to here.)

I was wrong. Boy, those opening "ohh"s could have come straight out of a Lady Gaga song, couldn't they? Of course, after that, the song takes a different direction.

Apparently the full thing is getting played on British radio tonight, but as far as premature evaluations based on fifty-four second clips go, I'm pretty excited.

OK, that's an understatement: the verse and and bridge are both FANTASTIC, hard electro-pop with a great topline. They're shout-it-from-the-rooftops amazing. Though I have nowhere near the right persona to pull off an expression like this, they are in fact, as reported, "rocking." My only concern is that I hope there's more to the chorus than we're hearing, a second half that is irresistably catchy and as aggressive as the music from those earlier sections; so far, it's the least impressive part of the song. Still, we hear so little that I'm fairly hopeful that there's more to the chorus or that it makes sense in its complete form.

After being very underwhelmed by the single from their greatest hits and all the singles except "Falling In Love" from Radio:ACTIVE, it's such a relief to be excited and enthusiastic about a lead single from them again.

"Party Girl" is out September 6 (why so far out?), with the album probably out in November or so and preceded by a second single, "Shine A Light."

In her own world

2010-07-13T12:09:00.006-04:00

British band McFly's new single, "Party Girl," comes out September 6, but we should be hearing it on British radio soon. Produced by Dallas Austin, it's been described by one set of people as having more of an electro feel than their earlier work and as being comparable to Enrique Iglesias's "I Like It" or as "Taio, Tinchy, Enrique and 3OH!3 all rolled into one." There will be more news forthcoming as journalists attend listening parties for three of the group's new songs, but we do know (from earlier news) that the group worked with Taio Cruz in addition to Dallas for their album, which is out in October or so.

Fans were divided over some demos that leaked a while back, some thinking they were too much of a departure from McFly's usual sound, but I really liked some of them, including the ones that sounded like they were actually from this fifth album's recording sessions. Sure, there are some electro effects, but they didn't really feel like that much of a departure and, more importantly, they were good.

There's also been "news"--blah blah blah logos blah blah blah famous movie poster designer etc.--about a fan community the group is setting up (the reason for the photo at left), but none of it is really all that exciting yet. Just give us some of the song to listen to, eh, boys?

Now no one can save my heart

2010-07-13T09:20:00.011-04:00

Swedish retailer Ginza gives this picture as the cover for Darin's new album Lovekiller, out August 18. The tracklisting is below. I've linked to the studio versions or live performances where we have them, or, failing that, noted anything we know about the songs. If you know anything I've left out, though, please tell me!

1.) Microphone (written by Tony Nilsson/Darin Zanyar)
2.) You're Out Of My Life
3.) Lovekiller
4.) Can't Stop Love
5.) Drowning (hear Darin working on the studio version here)
6.) Viva La Vida
7.) Endless Summer (by George Samuelson/Tomas Granlind/Darin Zanyar; George also wrote Darin's uptempo second album single "Want Ya," but I've read nothing to indicate what "Endless Summer" sounds like)
8.) Be Careful With My Heart
9.) Only You Can Save Me
10.) Turn It Up
11.) I'll Be Alright (Darin wrote or co-wrote it and was in the studio while strings were recorded for it recently)

We know most of the songs are by Tony Nilsson, and that Henrik Jansson (who co-wrote "You're Out Of My Life") is also involved. A press release mentioned that Arnthor Birgisson contributed to the album, though his work might or might not be amongst what we've already heard.

Remember, you can preorder the album here, regardless of where you live.

It's so clear to me

2010-07-12T19:45:00.006-04:00

Sweet Swedish popstar Darin makes me want to pull out a trapper keeper and scrawl "I ♥ Darin," complete with flowers and rainbows and unicorns, in pink Gelly Roll ink all over it. It's not so much a case of pure physical attractiveness--though he's grown up to be someone who, on the right day, when he's not trying so hard, pulls that off--but because he's EXACTLY WHAT I WANT IN A POPSTAR. He has a perfect pop voice and makes perfect pop music.

01 Lovekiller by poppostergirl

Now, that said, he's yet to pull off a perfect album in my books, though his fourth, Flashback, came the closest. Catchy and often club-friendly, it was just what an international male popstar should release, even if it didn't take off internationally for him.

Unfortunately, it didn't exactly take off in Sweden either, resulting in a change of labels and change of styles. It's hard to believe given the massive success Darin found with the '90s teen pop style "Money For Nothing" from his first album and the floorfiller "Step Up" from his second, but there was reason to be worried about him having a record label given the less than stellar sales of Flashback and its singles (including the excellent "Breathing Your Love," which took the title of my sixth favorite single of 2008 and probably should have been even higher). Darin found a new home at Universal, though, and in late 2009 had his biggest hit in years with an electronic cover of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" produced by Johan "Kermit" Bobäck.

That hit seems to have been the jumping off point for Darin's new material. His Melodifestival entry "You're Out Of My Life" is one of the best singles of the year so far, and it marks the debut of the Darin-Tony Nilsson giant percussion-based '80s mid-tempo ballad sound. I first fell in love with Tony when he was making pure pop uptempo songs like Ola's "S.O.S."; for a while, that was always the sort of song I'd hope any new track from his was. As of this year, though, I am all about him channeling his big dramatic '80s ballad side, mixing the adult contemporary and power ballads of that era to singing-at-the-steering-wheel-of-your-car effect.

Darin's song for the royal wedding, "Can't Stop Love," was in a similar style and, if not quite as fantastic as "You're Out Of My Life," still pretty good. Now, back with "Lovekiller," his first "proper" single since "You're Out Of My Life," Darin finds himself once again going back to the '80s. From the opening strings and lyrics about bloodstained hands, a smiling knife-wielder, and an irreparably scared heart, you know Tony and Darin have drama on their minds. The bridge is absolutely fantastic, building and building as Darin repeats his accusations. The chorus backs off from that intensity, which occasionally still a little iffy about (it sometimes feels a little too...musically open still, like it's a great thought that's not quite finished and just needs a little closure). Still, when the middle eight comes up and mixes the bridge from earlier with clanging bells and a choir, I'm so swept along in a tide of big pop ballad awesomeness that no sooner has the song ended than I'm playing it again. This is full-on clenched-fists-and-dramatic-lip-syncing stuff--and there's no one who could do it better than Darin who, even when he isn't releasing edgy danceable pop, proves there's a reason he's my favorite popstar going.

Darin's new single "Lovekiller" is available on iTunes in Sweden here. It will be on his fifth album, also titled Lovekiller, which is due out August 17. You can preorder the album here (physical).

I bet you've been here before

2010-07-12T12:42:00.010-04:00

Darin's new single, "Lovekiller," comes out tomorrow, the same day he'll be performing it at Allsång på Skansen.

That is all.

Edit: and Darin's just uploaded the audio to his YouTube page:

Hmm...I'm only one listen in, but after being one of the few to think it had real potential based on the live performances, I think I was expecting better. The bridge and bells are fantastic, though, and I know me--once again, I'm sure I'll play it a bunch and upwardly revise my opinion in a few minutes.

(Also: Darin, release the photoshoot from Chic as proper promo pictures!)

I can't believe it's only Monday, the worst day of the week

2010-07-11T23:06:00.010-04:00

One of two likely Xenomania products from a leak of tracks recorded for British X Factor winner Shayne Ward's upcoming third album, "Knocked Down" is one of those songs that makes everything seem to move in slow motion--slower than the beat would make you think, though the gentleness of the instrumental makes the pace seem less than it is. Musically, it's a bit like a more subdued "I Wish" by Mini Viva.

Knocked Down by poppostergirl

The lyrics in the middle of the song at first seem to go a little off course--"Come on, take off something/Girl, don't be shy" is more direct and less kitchen-sink a come-on than Miranda Cooper usually uses--but there's reason to forgive that when, right when you think the song has established the track it will be treading, Xenomania manage to pull off one of their trademark surprises. It's not a section that sounds like it's torn out of a whole different song (a la "Biology") or the last minute reveal of the chorus that's been held off the entire song (a la "It's Magic")--in fact, it's a line we've heard several times throughout the song up to this point. Somehow, though, just as the song is fading out, Xenomania manage to make it pop out at you:

"Because you fit under my arm just right"

I'm sure dozens of songwriters have used a similar phrase before, but what matters is that right there, in that moment, as the song slips away and the keyboards gently swoon and dance their way into silence, it catches you and feels like a moving, authentic expression of something you'd have trouble articulating so succinctly.

What that little fragment captures is also the feel of the whole song, even if it's not necessarily the story the lyrics tell: having a dreamy, loved-up feeling sneak up on you from nowhere. You're not feeling particularly sentimental--caught up in the chase and lusty, if anything--and then there it is: the idea that that little physical indicator, the way your arm fits around someone or vice-versa, might be an indicator of a connection that is, suprisingly, more than just physical. And as you drift off to sleep, mind too fuzzy to really think deeply about any of this, it dawns on you, You know, maybe that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world...

There's nowhere yet to buy "Knocked Down," but you can buy Shayne Ward's most recent album, Breathless, here (physical) or here (digital).

'Cause radio plays our favorite song

2010-07-11T20:40:00.008-04:00

What has happened to the Estonian national finals for Eurovision lately? They've been low on quality for the past couple years (with the exception of Rolf Junior, whose entry this year is still one of the best singles of the year). Some of the credit for the quality back in the first half or so of the '00s has to go to the team of Pearu Paulus, Ilmar Laisaar, Alar Kotkas, and lyricist Jana Hallas. They contributed some fun, poppy, but kind of classy entries, three of which won and got to represent the country in Eurovision.

Young Ines might not have won the 2000 ESC as many anticipated, but "Once In A Lifetime" is still a gem, mixing a gentle acoustic guitar sound with traditional Europop to create something completely endearing.

Lovely Swedish singer Anna Sahlene ended up singing "Runaway" in 2002 when Ines turned it down. Representing the host country that year, Sahlene did Estonia proud with her performance and the third place result it brought in. Once again, the Paulus/Kotkas/Laisaar/Hallas team turned in a great uplifting track.

Another Swede, Sandra Oxenryd, represented Estonia at Eurovision in 2006 (just beating out Ines in the national final). She failed to make it out of the semifinal despite some of the year's best choreographed group strutting. Come back to national finals somewhere, Sandra--it's been too long since 2008's "Superhero"!

If you're looking for more music by these songwriters, check out Ines's "That's All Because Of You," which was covered by Swedish group Friends as "Favorite Song (That's All Because Of You)." It's another great song in their catchy, upbeat, organic Europop style. "You Wanna Play Too Tough" is also highlight from them. The composers of the group are also part of the group 2 Quick Start, but I've got only the most cursory of knowledge of that group's material. It's in Estonian and more Eurodance, from what I've heard of it.

After 2006, the team had a few more entries in the national final, but none to rival the quality of their earlier work. It's a shame--fans of Eurovision could use them operating at the same level they used to

Tangentially, while we're talking about Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest, I have to recommend the documentary Estonia Dreams of Eurovision, which Len was kind enough to send me a few years ago. It's an interesting look at Estonia's preparations for hosting the contest in 2002, including the falling out between the duo that won for the country in 2001, the national final to determine who would represent Estonia in 2002, and the decision as to who would host Eurovision. It's much more entertaining than that description makes it sound, though.

Ines's debut album, Here For Your Love, isn't really available for sale any longer, but you can always keep an eye on eBay and hope to get lucky. Anna Sahlene's debut album, It's Been A While, released under the artist name Sahlene, is available on iTunes internationally here and digitally internationally here; it's really an enjoyable little album--check out the amusing "House" and her 2003 Melodifestival entry "We're Unbreakable." Sandra Oxenryd's album Through My Window is available digitally internationally here.

Searching for shelter

2010-07-10T08:56:00.009-04:00

I'm starting to think I'm alone in loving the music video for Brandon Flowers's "Crossfire" as much as I do.

Sweet, smart, and--the thing I'm not reading as much as I'd like--funny. What's not to like? The slow motion capturing of action scenes, languid editing, lingering close-ups, and ballad style of the song juxtapose with the action going on around stationary Brandon in a genuinely humorous way. Likewise, the contrast between the Americana-a-la-Springsteen style of the song and the position Brandon finds himself in--the object in need of rescue, not a swaggering powerful macho subject--is deliberate and, once again, funny. Factor in Charlize's exasperation, Brandon's apologetic, semi-embarrassed, "yes, I've been captured again, but you still love me anyway, right?" smiles, and Charlize putting her arm around him at the end despite it all and you've got a perfect video.

That first explosion, pushing in from offscreen at what seems like a slow pace compared to the manic editing we're used to for action scenes, coming after a minute of atmospheric observation of a stationary Brandon and matched with the serious tone of the belted chorus, is a genuinely laugh-out-loud moment for me, and it's intended to be. Ditto the way Charlize manages to dispatch ninjas attacking her from behind without even needing to take a backward glance to interrupt her "really, Brandon? I have to rescue you again?" face.

With its mix of action, flip humor that plays on our genre-based expectations, and genuine affection between the characters, the video makes me think of great action-comedy-dramas with competent, strong female fighters rescuing slightly awkward semi-love interests or companions--say, Chuck, Xena, or Buffy--and tapping into the same pop cultural vein as those shows can't be a bad thing.

I am no angel

2010-07-09T12:47:00.006-04:00

A couple of fluffy pop-dance songs today that sound like they were made with the summer in mind:

I really should have written about Wynter Gordon's club-oriented "Dirty Talk" months ago, but with the weather as it is at the moment, now seems like a good time to finally fix that. Sure, the lyrics are ridiculous and eliminate any chance of it getting played on American radio--Britney can't even say "sin" here without it being censored--but the Jamaica-by-way-of-Ibiza production is positively intoxicating. It definitely makes me eager to hear more from Jupiter Ace as a producer. Even if I was never as excited about "Surveillance" as many other pop fans, Wynter seems to be a pretty good songwriter (we all agree the song she co-wrote for Jennifer Lopez, "Everybody's Girl," sounds like it's by far the best thing Jennifer's done recently, right?), so I'm looking forward to hearing more from her, too.

Scratch by poppostergirl

I'm not totally certain how much I like frequently-renamed American girl group BG5's new single "Scratch" yet. It's fun, but I have this lingering fear we'll be moving on without looking back before much time has passed. "Scratch" is another Antonina Armato and Tim James (a.k.a. Rock Mafia) song, meaning it comes from the people behind Miley Cyrus's "See You Again," Selena Gomez & the Scene's "Naturally," and Aly & AJ's "Potential Break Up Song," as well as the title track and several others on the latest Miley album (Antonina is also the person behind the group). "Scratch" isn't up there with "See You Again" and "Naturally"--the second half of the chorus isn't as strong--but the bouncy production makes it a good entry into the modern teen-pop world.

Wynter Gordon's single "Dirty Talk" is available on U.S. iTunes here. BG5's single "Scratch" isn't for sale yet, but you can buy an earlier EP by them on U.S. iTunes here.

Needing every second just to keep myself from stressing

2010-07-08T22:37:00.011-04:00

I just get done complaining about not having any new great songs to write about...and what falls in my lap? Only just that.

07 Dance Tonight by poppostergirl

Killabite is made up of the space-obsessed, Swedish music-adoring Matt Engst and Chau Phan, one Canadian and one American. Chau, the main singer, co-wrote "The Rain" and "Can't Breathe" on Cyndi Lauper's Bring Ya To The Brink, but as far as I know, that's basically all the exposure they'd had up until their latest project, Killabite.

The modus operandi for Killabite seems to be sparkly, female-vocaled, '80s-influenced pop, which I realize describes a third of the music getting made today. The best of Killabite's music, though, is incredibly charming, melodic, and, well, refreshing. You know all those indie-pop duos with cute names like the Bird and the Bee, the Raveonettes, Muchuu, and She & Him? Killabite basically sound like what I hoped those groups would sound like--so really, nothing like them, or only like them if they decided to make bright, poppy, synth-filled music. You get the feeling listening to their music that it could be indie friendly, but their best songs are really so incredibly, brilliantly POP that I don't know how you couldn't be charmed by them.

Some of their pop shimmer probably comes from Alexander Kronlund, the songwriter and former Max Martin colleague behind songs like Britney Spears's "Lucky," Linda Sundblad's "Lose You,' and Robyn's "Don't Stop The Music" and "Who's That Girl." He's co-written about half the songs on the group's upcoming album and, whether it's the '60s girl group chorus of "Ai Love U" or the Kylie-friendly backing track of "Killabyte," his tracks show his pop chops. The group can do the job on their own, though, as "I Don't Care," with its bleepy verses that give way to a bouncey chorus spruced up with little electronic harp plucks, and the moodier "Guns & Makeup" show.

"Dance Tonight" is one of the cases where everything comes together for the duo. Like several of the group's other tracks, it feels like a '60s song made popular through an '80s cover with the '80s hit then being covered again today. The verses, anchored by some deep guitar in the background, feel like they push forward against the beat and the chorus's one-two-four drumbeat gives it a joyful, handclap-like feel, while Matt sprinkles synth sparkles throughout and Chau provides her best naïve-meets-coy voice to deliver lyrics that convey the joy of escape on the dancefloor. It's not a new topic, but Killabite and Alexander have made the arrangement, melody, and singing so catchily, cutely, earnestly appealing that that's not a problem in the least (and there are some good lyrical moments as well, ones that work perfectly in context). The song sports a great middle eight, too, complete with a chanty first half and sparser, hands-clapping-over-your-head second half.

"Off We Go," "Go Down," and robo-voice-featuring "Follow Me Home" are, likewise, also recommended.

So far, the group has only released a cover of "Puttin' On The Ritz" and even that only in Scandinavia, but you can buy it here (digital). Keep an eye out for their debut album, out this year, and in the meantime listen to some more of their songs here, here, and here.

(Editing note: an earlier version of this post referred to the duo by their old name, the You Know Who; they go by Killabite now.)

Du vet att kärleken väljer som den vill

2010-07-08T22:12:00.004-04:00

Do you ever have one of those days where it just seems like there's no song that fits as a feature, none that has that intangible X factor that somehow combines quality, lack of Internet saturation, and something you can add to the discussion about it? Today was one of those days for me.

As a result, let's just listen to four Swedish girls sing the best song from their album that hasn't been a single yet.

That was Timoteij with "Vild," the happy, slightly Irish but über-poppy second track from their debut album, released this spring. If you enjoyed it, I'd also recommend the current single "Högt över ängarna"--as pure pop a song as you'll hear this year (it's like the A*Teens never left...but lost their two boys)--and their debut single and Melodifestival entry "Kom"--which sounds like it's for six-year-olds (that's not an insult!) but is all about how important hook ups are in the summer.

You can buy Timoteij's debut album, Längtan, here (physical) or here (digital).

No sabes bien como me arrepiento

2010-07-06T16:51:00.006-04:00

How have I not mentioned "Egoísta" on the site yet?

Mexican pop singer Belinda rose to fame on children's television before releasing an album in 2003 that sounded pretty much like those released by her American counterparts: very light teen pop-rock. Pretty forgettable stuff, though anyone who loves cataloging the recycling of songs might find it interesting.

It was in the beginning of the campaign for her second album, 2006's Utopía, that Belinda began to show any signs of being a popstar worth anyone's time. Lead single "Ni Freud ni tu mamá" was a stompy electro-rock pop song with a snappy title, but it was its English version "If We Were" that really made me fall in love. Belinda might have been ostensibly listing all the great things she'd do for this guy if he'd be with her, but her sweet nothings sound a lot more like threats. The angry, biting edge to the song was irresistible.

(You can spot Raven and Drew Seeley in the video, presumably due to the Disney connections Belinda picked up through her appearance in a Cheetah Girls movie.)

Utopía, though once again no masterpiece, contained several other enjoyable songs. Whoever was A&Ring the record had a surprisingly interesting idea for what it should sound like. The title track, for example, is written by Sia and Greg Kurstin, and even if it was just a matter of someone asking Sia for an unreleased song she had lying around, it was still a pleasantly unique idea back in 2006. Several other cases of recycling appear on the album--an unreleased Skye Sweetnam, a cover of a Pussycat Dolls' bonus track--but the end result was still a step forward compared to Belinda's first album.

Belinda released her third album, Carpe Diem, this year and, in typical Belinda fashion, its tunes are not entirely unfamiliar to international pop fans (she covers Kim Lian for the second time in her career). You can make a solid EP out of its tracks, though.

In general, Carpe Diem moves Belinda closer towards spacey pop-dance, but "Egoísta" picks up right where "Ni Freud ni tu mamá" left off, with a robo-voiced Belinda delivering menacing insults to a guy over a hard electro-pop-rock beat. It's basically amazing on all fronts, including the chanty "ego-ego-ego-egoista" that makes up the song's main hook. Pitbull shows up, but since he brings with him the radar-style beeps of "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," it's not an unwelcome appearance. There is, once again, an English version, but this time I'll be sticking with the Spanish version; Belinda doesn't sound nearly as much like a blank-eyed assassin in English this time out.

You can buy Belinda's third album Carpe Diem here (physical) or, if you live in the U.S., here (digital). The iTunes only bonus track "Duele," written by Cathy Dennis and Chris Braide, is better than many of the songs actually on the album, though, so you might be better off going to iTunes.