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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Topp Dogg - Annie


I am absolutely in love with this song right now. I feel like we're at the beginning of a New Jack Swing resurgence right now, at least in the East. Topp Dogg are a 13-piece (!) boy group from Korea and this is a special single celebrating their one year anniversary (Annie = Anniversary). It's a total 90's throwback with brilliant production and is definitely my new favorite track from the guys. The slick video is inventive and addicting, and highlights the song's fantastic beat with a perfectly matched dance. But, of course, the best thing about this song is its undeniable New Jack Swing influence. It's a genre that's very specific, but one of my favorites. Having grown up adoring Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, it's a sound attached to great musical memories for me. There's an undeniable complexity to the production that ironically feels a hundred times more fresh than most of today's music, even though this is obviously a homage. Can't wait to see where these guys go next.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy their music here.)

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Jedward - Ferocious


"I'm setting free my inner wolf"

It might be hard to believe, but Jedward are now on their fourth album. Let's rewind a bit. Back in 2009, Jedward were the joke act on the sixth season of the X-Factor. They couldn't sing, they looked ridiculous, and yet still managed to be insanely entertaining. In fact, they were way more interesting and fun to watch than any act on this year's X-Factor. And ironically, they'll most likely end up to be more successful and long-lasting than any act from this year or last. It really all comes down to the twins' love for pop music and hard work. Yeah, they're not "singers," but when produced well, that's not a huge issue. They've worked with some great collaborators in the past, but now they're writing their own material and it seems that they've got an ear for melody. The verses, in particular, to new single Ferocious are great. The chorus can get a bit irritating in its repetition, but all in all it's a surprisingly solid dance track.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Monday, October 27, 2014

Ola Salo - Trouble


"I know that I should've known better"

Another season of Sweden's amazing Så Mycket Bättre has started. I was particularly excited about this one because Ola Salo, lead singer of now-defunct band The Ark, was participating. It's no secret that the Ark were, and are, my favorite band of all time. That said, I'm not sure what has happened to Ola's vocals since the band broke up. It may be the production techniques he's using now or maybe just a new singing style, but for the past few years I've found his vocal production to border on shrill--something I would've never said during the Ark's heyday. It's a bit of a pity, because those shrill bits keep Trouble (the song he covered on 80's singer Orup's day of broadcast) from being a total homerun. It's still an awesome slice of old-school glam, because pretty much everything Ola touches turns to awesome, but I feel like it could've been even better if he'd covered it about 8-10 years ago with his band. Still, it's a blast for a fan like me to see Ola participate in this series and I can't wait to hear the music he releases in the coming weeks.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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