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Thursday, June 25, 2009

"Like a comet, blazing across the evening sky, gone too soon"

Wow. We just lost the best entertainer in the world. Kinda knocks the breath out of you.
Massive, massive Michael Jackson fan here. This seems so surreal. People as big as Michael Jackson just don't die, right?
I just listened to Thriller on Monday with some friends. Nobody could sit still. You can't sit still when Michael's playing. What a talent. He will be missed.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

"Love and devotion have no place down here"

To tell the truth, I've always admired Heads We Dance's cover and album artwork more than their music. I've wanted to be majorly obsessed with them. I should be. Their music is the kind of synth-fueled pop that I go gaga over. The vocals never really caught on for me, though. I mean, the singer's talented and there's nothing wrong at all with the vocals, but for some reason I'm just not much of a fan of his type of voice. Weird, I know, but I can't help it. I am beginning to come around, though, because their debut album is really quite remarkable. It's got that futuristic, computeresque sound that brings me right back to the 80's. Apart from the singles, The Gold City is one of the standouts. In fact, it may be the standout. It's got a great glam swagger about it and sounds a lot like Pet Shop Boys. And then the choral part comes in about two-thirds through and I'm completely sold.

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

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

"You cut me open and I keep bleeding"

I've got something really fun and unique today. Yes, it's a cover of Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love. But... it's a 50's rock-n-roll (think Elvis Presley) cover by German band The Baseballs. They've released an entire album of covers in this genre, from Rihanna to Katy Perry to Scissor Sisters to Roxette. They've really picked some fantastic songs to perform, which helps create a very strong, super-enjoyable album. The trio is totally correct in saying that we haven't heard anything like this before, especially a whole album's worth. What keeps it from straying into novelty territory is the amount of talent these guys possess. Their vocals are not only authentic but a real treat to listen to. I imagine big things for the Baseballs, even though they're certainly a niche band.

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

Monday, June 22, 2009

A Nice Surprise

How did I not know that Ola Svensson was releasing a new single this month? It's fantastic, of course. This is one guy that can always be counted on to make fun summery pop music.

Here's what I assume to be the debut performance. And fyi (just to brag) I saw the Ark at the same venue that this was filmed. It's an amusement park, of all places...

Watch the vid

"No matter what they tell us, this is not our war"

The William Blakes are a Danish pop/rock band that have seemingly come out of nowhere to release two albums in about a year's time. Their sound is varied. I'd best describe it as hooky, experimental pop. I can't decide what I think of the new album. On one hand, there are spacey, totally awesome tracks like No Matter What. On the other hand, the singing on some of the songs gets on my nerves a bit. Some of the notes are... interesting, to say the least. It's like the band has a split personality. Overall, though, I quite like them. Their album has a cool Superfamily-esque conceptual thread that ties the songs together, and there are some real gems. No Matter What was the first track that stood out to me and would be a fantastic summer single. It's both indie and pop and I think it'd appeal to just about anybody. It's also got one of the best grooves I've heard in awhile.

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