Kick him to the curb baby, don't stop running

If you listened to Wikipedia, your main impression of Rooster would be that they were an "English indie rock band." Now, not that there are no good indie bands, but the term "indie" definitely carries with it certain associations (are they really signed to an independent label?) and expectations of a certain sound. Rooster might not be pop (they could be, but I have suspicions that, especially recently, they might not liked to be called that), and they might not be pop-rock, but they definitely don't sound like what you (or at least I) expect an indie band to sound like; if you're not going to call them pop or pop-rock, I think the best description would just be rock. In fact, their sound is something that might even appeal to classic rock fans. That said, some of the songs from their self-titled first album are really catchy and worth listening to as long as you're not turned off by a large dose of guitars.

Come Get Some--Rooster's debut single, and a good choice for that--though rocky, it's also catchy, with a great shout-along chorus. In fact, the bridge would be great to shout along with as well. Don't let all this talk of "shouting" fool you, though--underneath it all is a very pop structure, as well as song (you can already hear that pop-ness if you really think about it--imagine the song without guitars, or without such loud guitars, and it really would be clearly pop; since the guitars, though, are mainly busy with hooks or just adding a bit of added power to the lyrics, the catchiness is only enhanced). In fact, this song, even in the verses (though they're not as shout along-able), just oozes catchiness--or, more accurately, threatens to smash a guitar over your head with its catchiness.

Platinum Blind--an album track, but for me, it's one of the catchiest songs on the album. One of the great things about both "Platinum Blind" and "Come Get Some" is that their bridges are at least as catchy as their choruses (here, I'd argue that the bridge is even catchier than the already catchy chorus)--not only will you have "Wanna lose the plot/spend some money that I ain't got" stuck in your mind, you'll also have "Acting like you're loaded/Knowing that you're broke" replaying in your head all day. I expected this song, with a title like "Platinum Blind," to be about something like falling in love with a blonde, but it's actually about overspending on your credit card--and really, there aren't enough songs about that, are there? Especially ones backed by guitars?

To buy Rooster's debut album, Rooster, go here (physical) or here (digital).

Huge thanks to Tip Top Pop (which linked to me forever ago, but I kept forgetting to thank) and Catchy Tunes of Sweden for linking to be. Tip Top Pop is incredibly thorough and will introduce you to both artists and versions of songs you didn't even know existed; Catchy Tunes of Sweden has songs with more catchiness than is probably legal and will introduce you to some absolutely amazing artists. They are both sites I check possibly obsessively (I'm beyond thrilled to be linked to by them) and absolute must-visits for anyone who doesn't already read them!

Next up: maybe an old song by someone who was an album coming out soon.

Hold my hand, let's chase the sun

Please forgive (this is the second day in a row I'm starting out with that phrase!) a relatively short post today--partially, it's because I don't know that much about this particular artist, but mainly because I'm distracted by McFly's ABSOLUTELY AMAZING new album (if you haven't already bought it, what are you waiting for? Buy Motion In The Ocean here [physical] or here [digital]). There's been a little bit of debate about what song this one samples from--some people have said it's "Insomnia" by Faithless, but apparently it's actually "Encore Une Fois" by Sash (neither of which are songs I know). Regardless, this song is the debut by Stunt, a group made up of producers Pete Kirtley and Mark Dowling and singer Molly Smithen-Dowes (and, as you might guess for the output of a "group" which has two producers, it's a dance song). It's been around for a little while--apparently, it was being used in clubs last year, and was official released this December or January, depending on where you live.

Raindrops (DJ Demand Remix)--this is a remix, and not a radio-length one either (it's about 6 minutes long). However, after listening to this version, there's really no going back to the original--the power and danceability of the DJ Demand Remix far outweighs that of the original. My vocabulary for describing dance music is somewhat limited, but basically, it's fast, fun dance music--not quite as "colorful" as Cascada, and not electro-rock like the Superjupiter or Young Love songs I've posted before--more just a regular fast-paced dance mix, if there is such a thing.

For anyone who really doesn't want a six-minute long song (I can understand--for a while, I had no patience for anything that wasn't radio-length), here's the radio edit.

Raindrops (Radio Edit)

To buy the EP for Stunt's "Raindrops," go here (physical) or go to iTunes.

Next up: maybe that song in Spanish.

Sweeping eggshells still at 3 AM

I've focused on fun uptempo songs (normally my true love) for the past few days, so please forgive me as I temporarily detour into music that's far from poppy and far from uptempo: Josh Groban's latest album, Awake. It's too early for me to judge the album as a whole (it was just released this past Tuesday), so this will only be a couple of songs that have jumped out at me. Josh's songs don't ever seem to be about hooks, or fun, so it may be somewhat surprising that I like them. I think the key with him may be acknowledging that a good portion of his songs is about atmosphere. There's also something about his voice--how you rise and fall with it--and the instrumentation of his songs that allows him to get away with could-be-trite lyrics like those of "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)." It also feels like there's a hint of mystery underlying many of his songs. You could argue that the purpose of his music--which appropriates some elements of classical music and some elements of pop--is to shamelessly exploit a certain demographic, and I don't tend to listen to all the songs on his albums (I still haven't really gotten around to listening to Closer), but when he (or his producers) gets it right, he can do some really great songs.

Now Or Never--this is the song that's jumped out at me the most (though admittedly I haven't listened to most of the non-English tracks yet). As I mentioned before, I feel like many of Josh's song have an aura of mystery, and sometimes a surprising darkness, about them--this is one of those. Easily the best part of this song occurs about two-thirds in, where Josh sings "now or never" and a series of Joshes answer back in round, overlapping and harmonizing--it's just gorgeous; even if the rest of the song wasn't that good (and it is good), it would be worth listening through to get to that part.

Awake--I almost posted album opener "Mai," a strong, dramatic track, instead, but a few factors swayed me to include this song instead. One is that the normal physical album doesn't actually include it, and some Internet download sites don't even have it, which I think is a shame. More importantly, though, I wanted a slightly more minimal, less effects-driven song. The huge drama of some songs Josh does works really well, but I also wanted to show that, even with the focus very much on his voice in a comparatively simpler song, his music can still work. Of course, an album full of songs like this might get dull, but, used in the proper proportion, they help ground Josh's music, providing the sweet but solid base for songs like "Now Or Never" or "Mai" to contrast with. "Now Or Never" is probably the stronger song, but if you just want something soothing, "Awake" is more up your alley.

To buy Josh Groban's third album, Awake (the version with two bonus tracks, "Awake" and "Verita"), go here (physical) or here (digital). If you're just starting with him, though, I'd recommend getting his debut album, Josh Groban, first--you can buy it here (physical) or here (digital). The first song, "Alla Luce Dal Sole," is amazing.

Next up: I think "Mai" may make an appearance here at some point, but up next will probably be a very famous Puerto Rican singer.

Musiikki vie mut taivaisiin

After a couple of days in Sweden looking at some artists with Melodifestivalen connections, we're off to Finland and an artist who has gotten a little bit of Eurovision buzz (though he's said he doesn't want to compete in it yet): Antti Tuisku. Like many of the artists I've written about, he, too, rose to fame through a Pop Idol show--he took third in the first season of Finland's Idols. However, he's since become probably the most popular out of any of Finland's Idol contestants, releasing four "real" albums and a Christmas album. In fact, two of those albums were released simultaneously this October and took up the #1 and #2 slots in Finland's album charts. The #1-reaching album, New York, was dance-oriented, while the #2 album, Rovaniemi, was more pop. The album covers look pretty neat next to each other--New York, with a blue theme, has Antti facing towards the left with a close-cropped haircut and Rovaniemi, with a red theme, has Antti facing towards the right and with spikey popstar hair (you can get the general idea by looking at his official site). Overall, I think the one dance album, one pop album--at the same time!--idea is a great concept (even if it would be difficult for most people to do) and I love that he was (apparently) successful with it.

Sekaisin--as you might guess from the title, Antti's songs aren't in English, and although that might make it slightly more difficult for the English speaker to appreciate an entire album of his, it doesn't really hurt the single songs. "Sekaisin" was the lead single from the New York album, so it is definitely danceable and full of electronic-based music. It seems like his voice might be a little overpowered by the music at first, but stick with the song at least until the first chorus, where it gets really fun and almost catchy (but not really hooky--it does really feel designed more for dancing to than sitting around appreciating its merits).

This is where I'd normally tell you where you can go to buy the album, but I actually have no idea where you can get it--if anyone knows of any Finnish music stores (keeping in mind that I live in the US--I don't think CD On ships to the US, does it?), either to buy digital music or actual CDs, please let me know, because there's some music coming out of Finland that I'd like to hear, including Antti's. In lieu of that, I'll just say you can buy his second album, Antti Tuisku, here (digital).

Next up: possibly the songs I keep saying I'll write about, or an American singer who makes me think of California.

Love the smell of the green

Staying in Sweden for another day, we're focusing on a member of a hugely popular (at least in pop circles) group, Alcazar: Andreas Lundstedt. As the group "takes a break," Andreas has embarked on a solo career, releasing one "real" single, "Lovegun," which reached #1 in Sweden. Before that, he had competed in Eurovision 2006 as part of Six4One, representing Switzerland. He'll also be competing in Melodifestivalen to represent Sweden in 2007. This September, though, he released another solo song as a download-only single. The song, "Dollar Queen," is the theme song for a computer game, Dollar, which, based on its website, looks rather violent. Don't worry, though--the song itself is fun, which you might not expect based on the blood-spattered image on the game's home page.

Dollar Queen (Radio Edit)--though this is still fun pop (with strings!), it also has a hint of intrigue about it, which is suitable for the theme song to a video game, I suppose. It's faster than "Lovegun" and, though you might argue it's repetitive (I'd say it just gives you more of what you want), it's also got some nice lyrics scattered throughout (nice as in they sound good...I'm not sure why, but I love the "looking for more, like a simple whore, on a nightstand store" part--it sounds better than that reads, really, thanks to the music and the way Andreas sings it). The deviation from Andreas's singing, where a woman takes over for a couple of lines, is a nice touch--it slows the song down for a moment and adds some feeling.

To buy Andreas Lundstedt's single "Dollar Queen," as well as a great remix of it, go here (digital). I really hope he releases a full album at some point.

(Picture source)

If you all are wondering about the complete lack of McFly mentions here lately, it's because I'm trying to wait until my copy of Motion In The Ocean arrives before I listen to any of the songs on it (except the singles...and B-sides...and the medley on their MySpace...but I've drawn the line there! Who knows how long it will be before I scrub that line out and draw another, more favorable one, but, for the moment, that's where it is).

Next up: a song in Spanish or a singer who, though American, often sings in Spanish and Italian.

Can't get away from my one-track mind

After a run of songs that seemed to all be serious, hip, or rocky, today we're returning to "pure pop" that is, most importantly, incredibly fun and happy. Fame (who should really be shown in a color picture, because black-and-white just doesn't represent them) were a Swedish duo made up of Magnus Bäcklund and Jessica Andersson, two contestants on Fame Factory, a reality show singing contest. Though Magnus won (Jessica dropped out), the two would team up to form Fame and ended up representing Sweden in the 2003 Eurovision with "Give Me Your Love," which took fifth. Supposedly, from what I've heard (which could very well be out of date--does anyone know?), the duo is still sort of together, but Magnus released a solo album this year (it's more pop-rock than Fame's music) and they each competed separately in Melodifestivalen. Though the studio recording of "Give Me Your Love" on their album (also called Give Me Your Love) lacks some of the energy and emotion of the live version, the album nevertheless has some really great songs on it--it's incredibly poppy.

Anyway You Want It--some of the album's songs have, like "Give Me Your Love," Magnus and Jessica singing together. Others, though, feature just one of the two. This is one of those--it's a Jessica song. "Anyway You Want It" starts out with this neat overlapping, harmonizing effect before it jumps into the energetic, upbeat part of the song. The whole song is cheery, poppy fun, but the chorus deserves special mention--it'll have you wanting to sing along with it.

Like The Sun After Rain--a little more balladish than "Anyway You Want It" (though catchy and still not really slow), "Like The Sun After Rain" features both Jessica and Magnus. It's sweet and, though still very pop, it's a little more toned down--not quite bursting with exuberance like some of their other songs, but still happy.

To buy Fame's debut album Give Me Your Love, go here (physical).

Next up: Give Me Your Love also has a surprising (though I can guess why it's there) cover on it that will be appearing here in the near future. For now, either a song in Spanish or a couple of songs from the new album of an artist who often sings in languages besides English, but is American.

Je t'écris de ce rêve de t'avoir tant aimé

It's only been about a month since I last wrote about French singer Grégory Lemarchal (you can see my original post here--the songs still work, and, if you missed them, "Je suis en vie" and "Le feu sur les planches" are definite must-listens), winner of the French version of Star Academy, but I have to write about him again. I know I originally said I wasn't sure if the following song would transfer well to the world of music blogs, and I'm still not sure it will (it's long--more than six minutes--and I have a feeling that, since there are so many great music blogs, if a song doesn't grip you instantly, it's often ignored), but I just have to post it.

Je t'ecris--I may have a tendency to talk songs up too much. For this one, though, I'm going to avoid superlatives--there really are no words for it. I'll just say this: you absolutely must listen to it. All of it. Even if it means letting it play in the background while you do something else. Please?

It starts off as a simple piano-led ballad--very minimal, just Gregory and the piano. Much of the beginning is sort of hushed, but, as the song progresses, there are a couple of moments where his voice starts to rise and gather a bit more power, but then it descends back down. By about halfway in, those high points are mixed about half-and-half with the toned-down parts. However, it's when the song hits four minutes that magic happens: the pace picks up. There's a little bit of overlapping vocals, and the electric guitars come in, with the piano continuing but faster. I really can't do this song justice in words, but that build--it simply has to be heard.

To buy Gregory Lemarchal's debut album, Je deviens moi, go here (physical). It's an amazing album--definitely worth buying.

Next up: probably another song in a language besides English.

Waiting, watching the clock, breathing like I'm gonna stop

Out of all the albums I've listened to and expected to grow on me, Lee Ryan's self-titled debut album was not one of them. The first time I heard the singles off of it, I thought they were (to be honest) boring. Though "When I Think Of You" got better with a couple of listens, back in August I was still calling for the whole album, except one or two tracks, to be reworked (I was a big fan of the radio edit of "Real Love," though). I'm still not going to say I listen to every song on the album, but enough songs have grown on me (and those songs that have grown on me have grown on me a lot) for me to hope he gets to release another album. I'm still surprised that I can say that, but it's true--the album may not be full of uptempo stormers (it does have a pretty consistently slow pace, and it might be nice to have that varied up a bit on the next album), but it does have some really pretty songs on it.

When I Think Of You--Lee's third single. It might be mid-tempo, but probably not--it's got a very slow, almost jammish or crooning feel to it. It feels like a Sunday morning song (as does much of the album), made for just staying in bed or sipping coffee on the couch. The switchup in the bridge is surprising (the melody really changes, and the syllables get really dragged out and become sort of up-and-down), but it works and, despite not being that fast, helps prevent the song from fading into the background.

Turn Your Car Around--Lee's second single. It entered the UK chart at #12, which I think was an undeservedly low placing, at least in comparison to the higher charting (#3) of his debut solo single "Army Of Lovers" (which I like much less). It's a little faster than "When I Think Of You" (especially the lyrics in the verses). His album, as shown by this song, uses these little beeps or electronic swirls--I'm not really sure what to call them--really well, and you can hear them in the chorus here; they really help elevate the song, both in the sense of making it better and and also giving it an "elevated," sort of floating feel.

Parking--not a single, but it should have been. "Parking" is a really pretty song--I might even go so far as to say gorgeous. It's sweet, sad, and wistful all at once (even if, based on its subject, it might arguably have no reason to be wistful). The bridge here might be the best part. Lee's voice works really well for this style of music and so, though my natural inclination (based on personal preference) is to hear him do songs with more energy and speed, this style suits him so well--it might just not suit a radio- and singles-oriented market. That, however, does not make the songs any less good--it just makes it a better idea to buy the album or listen to the songs on one's own.

To buy Lee Ryan's debut album, Lee Ryan, go here (physical) or here (digital).

In other news, Anthony Callea's new single "Live For Love" comes out today (buy it here). The boy seems to have gotten slightly obsessed with love (pretty par for the pop course), as the B-side is called "Meant For Love." The press release compares it to "Rain;" I'd say it's sort of mid- to up-tempo (it might have some hints of ballad elements, but, despite what I've heard of the lyrics, it seems really upbeat), from what I've heard of it, but it's more pop than "Live For Love," and it definitely sounds catchy and good--if "Meant For Love" didn't make the cut for the album, the album must be excellent (not that I ever really doubted that). I'm really thrilled--songs like this are a fantastic direction for Anthony to go in, and, from a really biased perspective, perfect for my taste in music. You can listen to a clip of it here (which I can't get to work, but I think that's just my computer) or by going to the Australian iTunes store. Speaking of love, I will love forever anyone who can tell me where I can buy/get it--I'm pretty sure the only place it's being sold is on iTunes, which means no one outside of Australia can buy it, and it's not going to be on the album. I'm more than willing to pay for it...I just don't know if there's any way I can buy it, which is a shame; as I've said, it sounds fantastic.

Next up: I've written about "Real Love" before, but my number of posts about Lee Ryan will probably hit at least three at some point, since "Jump" is also good. That's a little ways away, though--tomorrow might be sort of rock-ish music, or a girl from Australia.

You've been stealing since the first day

Today, we go back to Sweden to check in with another male singer: Martin Stenmarck (who I had an awful time finding decent-sized pictures of). "7milakliv," a mid-tempo pop-rock song that gives no real hint of his musical theater background (he was even once rumored to be considering playing Aragorn in the musical version of Lord Of The Rings, and he certainly looks the part), has been a big hit in Sweden lately, and it's still near the top of the charts. Before that, he was known mainly for representing Sweden in Eurovision in 2005 with "Las Vegas," a very Las Vegas-y, almost Tom Jones-esque song that was his only other real commercial hit in Sweden. Even if you don't like either of those songs, though, listen to this one--it's more like "7milakliv" than "Las Vegas," but it's far better.

I'm Falling--that success "7milakliv" is having? It--and much more--rightfully belongs to the uptempo (some have said it sounds like a faster, stronger version of the Calling's "Wherever You Will Go") "I'm Falling," from Martin's critically-praised but criminally overlooked debut album One (I suspect most people don't even realize his new album 9 Sanningar och En Lögn is his third album [excluding his children's album]); One faded away with very little impact on the general public. I think two singles--"Losing Game" and "The Cure For You"--were released off of One, vanishing pretty much without a trace. That's a shame, but the real shame is that this song was never a single (I think it was a single in Germany, where it hit #1, but I can't find record of it having been released in Sweden, or if it was, I don't think it charted).

"I'm Falling" should unquestionably be a radio classic, and not just in Sweden; there are some radio stations in the U.S. that should or would lap it up. It is rock, or at least rockier than what I normally post, but genre should place no limits on the recognition of a good song, and this is far more than a good song; additionally, I think it's also definitely pop. You're hooked from the very opening, with those guitars and the distant echoey voice that still somehow hints at the power to come. Then you get to the first verse, and the guitars tone down for a moment, but with those lyrics ("God, I'm so stupid"--the lyrics generally aren't revolutionary, but they work well and are sung with conviction) and Martin's delivery--strong but with a touch of self-anger or self-disgust, as well as rebuke (for who? the girl who broke his heart or himself?)--you know something big must be coming. And then, finally, we get to the chorus, and it's like a release--all that mixed-up anger and rebuke come out in a shouted but not shouty couple of words--it's enough to make me want to grab a mike stand just so I can do the rocker tilt-it-to-one-side thing and shout along with him. It's so simple, yet so powerful and so perfect. Martin has such a perfect voice for this kind of music, smooth but strong, appealing and yet perfectly capable of expressing emotion, only hinting at a rasp once in the song. It's rock, but it's not hard rock, and it actually has a melody and hooks and is perfectly radio-friendly. How was this not a hit? Why was it not released? If I ever run my own radio station, this is getting a lot of play (and I don't care if it doesn't fit in with Gareth Gates and A*Teens). "I'm Falling" is perfect for everything--for radio, for headphones, for blasting out of your car, for stereos, for concerts--everything. You must hear this song.

(It's also worth noting that, on the promotional copies of One, "I'm Falling" was labeled "Thief," so it's sometimes referred to that way.)

Buy the album. OK, so if you're only into "pure pop," it probably won't appeal to you, but it is ridiculously good--get it here (physical) while you still can. I'll review it in more detail later (it's so good--cohesive, powerful, the proper proportion of ballads, and catchy)--but, right now, I'm so in love with "I'm Falling" that, whenever I try to listen to the rest of it, I end up skipping back to "I'm Falling."

For anyone looking forward to the new McFly album, you can read a track-by-track review of it here; I don't dare take the star ratings at face value (though I hope they are accurate!), but at the very least, it'll give you an idea of what to expect. Motion In The Ocean sounds brilliant.

Next up: I'll be gone from Thursday through Sunday, so the next post won't be until Monday--maybe a well-known US singer.