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Friday, May 25, 2007

The Golden Compass Trailer

This isn't a movie blog, but the mother of all trilogies begins this December and I have to share the trailer with you, because if this is done right, it could end up being my favorite movie ever. The books are just so amazing. So far it's looking good...

Dragonette - Black Limousine



"Got the time for a little bit of luxury"

I'm going to post a track from Dragonette's upcoming debut album, which I am convinced is too good to actually be successful. I'm hoping the UK or the States or somewhere will prove me wrong on this. So far, though, with the flop that was I Get Around, the UK doesn't seem to be showing much interest. As you listen to Black Limousine, remember that this is a late album track, not a single. Yet, it's catchier and more enjoyable than 90% of the pop on the market right now. The album, Galore, isn't out until early July, but it's full of pop music the way that pop music should be: overblown, daring, and incredibly charismatic. Embrace it, folks.

Dragonette - Black Limousine (mp3) (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Preorder the album here)

Thursday, May 24, 2007

The Touch - Touch Me And Hold Me



"Got to get to know each other"

The Touch are an electronic/dance trio from Gothenburg, Sweden, and I actually don't know much more about them than that. They've got several tracks available for free download (see link below), but I've really fallen in love with Touch Me And Hold Me the most. It is very "techno," which can sometimes (and sometimes quite rightly) be a dirty word, but the squelching beat is undeniable, along with the simple, repetitive singing parts. Plus, it's got grunting! When was the last time you heard a song with random grunts thrown in? It's really quite enjoyable.

The Touch - Touch Me And Hold Me (mp3) (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Download more for free here)

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Goose - Bring It On



"You know I commit"

Off to Belgium today for the band indie pop band Goose. Their sound is very electronic, even though they're a "proper band" with instuments and such, if that makes any sense. Bring It On is the new single from their debut album and I could see it making plenty of waves on indie dancefloors all across the world. It's the aggressive, dominant synths on this track that really set it apart, although the band's other singles are equally as good. It's rare that a band out of Belgium gain much attention outside of their home country, but these guys seem to be generating buzz around the internet with each single they release.

Goose - Bring It On (mp3) (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here)

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Boogaloo Stu - Just Want You To Know



"You'll find you always bring me sunshine"

I can't take the credit for this one. Arjan Writes recently posted this track from the amazing Boogaloo Stu. Stu is a dj, entertainer, writer, dancer, cartoonist... secret agent as well, probably. Basically, he does everything, adding his over-the-top fashion persona to it all. His debut album, The Glambassador, was released last year and his new one's due this summer. Just Want You To Know, which sounds much more like Goldfrapp than you' think it would, is the lead single from that album, and it's an amazing slice of laidback glam pop. You get the sense from his ridiculous promo pictures and silly name that this guy's music would be far from credible. But, this track could (and should) easily be a hit in today's market.

Boogaloo Stu - Just Want You To Know (mp3) (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Buy the album here)

Monday, May 21, 2007

The Chemical Brothers (ft. Ali Love) - Do It Again



"Got a brain like bubblegum"

I'm not one for posting many songs by established bands like the Chemical Brothers, and my appreciation of straight up dance (or techno, or house, or whatever you want to call it) is sporadic at best, but the first time I heard this track I was instantly hooked. It's very simple, minimalist and repetitive, but the hook is so freaking catchy. I don't know all that much about Ali Love, but his vocals are perfect on this song. Parts of it actually sound a lot like early Scissor Sisters (pre debut album). Knowing me, I probably won't like the actual album this comes off of, but I don't see how this song won't be a massive hit, at least in the clubs.

The Chemical Brothers (ft. Ali Love) - Do It Again (mp3) (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! Preorder the album here)

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
Release Date: May 15, 2007
Label: Geffen



I have to admit that I’ve never quite grasped Wainwright’s unique appeal before, even though I’ve always appreciated what he’s done in the past. Luckily, with Release The Stars, he’s crafted an album that manages to be more succinct and accessible without abandoning the over-the-top theatrics that makes him so charmingly unique.

Release The Stars is a pointed work. A superb example of this focus is the scathing first single, Going To A Town, which lampoons the current state of America through a gorgeous, melancholy melody. It’s understated for Wainwright, yet constructed with such simplicity that its message is powerfully unforgettable. To my ears, it’s the pinnacle of his career so far. Elsewhere, Wainwright and producing partner Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys lace the music (which is the usual theatrical cabaret pop you’d expect) with trumpets, harps, strings, and even electric guitars on Between My Legs, which is Wainwright’s first real rocker, a genre he proves surprising adept at handling. Slideshow, meanwhile, builds up slowly to a hissy fit of a chorus, leading into the playful Tulsa. Even the more straightforward moments (Nobody’s Off The Hook and Rules And Regulations, one of the album’s catchiest moments) have their own unique charms. In fact, even if the record loses a bit of momentum heading into the go-for-broke closing title track, there really isn’t much to find fault with here.

Those who have not yet succumb to Wainwright’s charms may want to give this a listen. It’s not his most challenging work, nor is it probably going to turn out to be his career defining album, but it is easily his most accessible and an accomplished record in its own right. A-

Key Tracks: Going To A Town, Between My Legs, Do I Disappoint You?
Maroon 5 - It Won’t Be Soon Before Long
Release Date: May 22nd, 2007
Label: A&M/Octone Records



With their second release, Maroon 5 promised us a harder edged, 80’s influenced affair. Other than a few bursts towards the end, this promise is broken about five tracks into It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. In addition to that dire album title, it’s really a shame that the rest of the record doesn’t reflect the three-four opening tracks, which all pulse with an edgy energy that lifts the band to an entirely different level.

Lead single Makes Me Wonder is the best example of the new disco sound, a pitch perfect summer pop song that has quickly become a deserved success. If I Never See Your Face Again, which opens the album, is the other standout, a whirlwind of electro, soul and funk. Little Of Your Time completes the trio of opening smashes with its tripped out, sped up chorus and stabbing guitar. The trouble rears its head around track five, where the band begins to use their previous hit, She Will Be Loved, as a template. The problem is, She Will Be Loved was the only patchy moment on their otherwise flawless debut, a plodding, sub par boy band ballad that did Adam Levine’s potentially whiny voice no favors. Luckily, Won’t Go Home Without You, despite sounding a lot like the Police, is nowhere near as annoying as that, but it does kick off a disturbing trend of middle-of-the-road pop that dominates the remainder of the album. Other than the wispy Goodnight, Goodnight and the funk rock workout Kiwi, there’s nothing else that grabs you quite like their debut did.

Really, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long is divided by extremes. The tracks that attempt to push the band’s sound forward work remarkably well, but the ones that try to replicate older material come off sounding like lesser versions of better songs. We’ll just call it a transitional album, I suppose. But, it should have been a homerun. B-

Key Tracks: Makes Me Wonder, If I Never See Your Face Again, Little Of Your Time