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Friday, August 28, 2009

"It won't be long my darling"

God, this song has been in my head all week. It's Selena Gomez's official debut single with her band and it's quite a spectacular slice of electro/pop/rock. I'm so pleased she's gone in this direction: totally upbeat with retro influences. Although she doesn't possess the same kind of pipes as her contemporaries, she's got the look, attitude and personality to pull this kind of music off perfectly. There's a certain part in the bridge (quoted in the lyrics above) that gets me every time, though the chorus is pretty fantastic too. If only top 40 radio would pick up on this. They seem to have a thing against Disney, just as they had a thing against American Idol for awhile. Based on this taster, though, I have high hopes for the album.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

"Everybody dance and everybody sing"

Before Adam Lambert, Jacob Hoggard (lead singer of Hedley) was the most exciting/unique performer to come out of an idol. And he's by far the most successful artist ever featured on Canadian Idol, though that's not saying much. And, he didn't even win! (Though he did have one of the best performances ever). Although it's not really my favorite genre, the pop/punk of his band Hedley has been something I've really enjoyed. Their new single has now been released and, like some American counterparts, the band's going for a dance-rock sound that I'm totally cool with. The lyrics of Cha-Ching are lame and trying too hard to be "important," but the big chorus is there and Hoggard's voice is as strong as it's ever been. It's definitely one of their better singles. I keep waiting for these guys to break America. After all, they're huge in their native Canada. This probably isn't the song to do it, but it should be.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the old stuff here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

"And you know that I'm there every night"

So I'm a little late with Mini Viva, Xenomania's new girl-pop-duo, but better late than never. Their uber-catchy single Left My Heart In Tokyo has just been a-listed on radio one and totally deserves it. It's one of the most unabashedly fun dance track of the year. Bedroom Viber is another (curiously titled) song from the girls and, although it's not quite as frenetic, it's just as catchy. It reminds me in many ways of something Girls Aloud would perform, which is a high compliment in the pop universe. The rocky beat coupled with the explosive chorus and hook combine to create a standout electro-pop track that bodes well for the album. Awesome.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to more here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

After nearly an hour of trying to get imeem (the site I use to host music) to work and get my ever-slowing computer to move more than two miles per hour, I've given up for the day. I'll save today's post for tomorrow, when things are working! I hate Vista... especially when there's not enough memory installed to run it properly.
Luckily tomorrow's song is worth the wait.

Monday, August 24, 2009

"Make it lust forever"

Zoot Woman's long-pushed-back album Things Are What They Used To Be (huh?) was recently released and I had a listen to it this weekend. Zoot Woman have always been on the cusp of greatness in my opinion, and the singles so far have been a nice taster to the album. As expected, there's a lot of filler, but there are definitely some gems as well. Lust Forever is one of the poppiest tracks on the album, and one of the highlights because of its catchiness. There's a great stomping glam beat that drives the entire thing, plus a singalong chorus/hook that will latch onto your memory on first listen and refuse to let go. It's actually pretty similar to what Muse are doing right now... total electronic/industrial modern glam. This is definitely the route that the band should be taking in the future.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)