Young Guns: 2007

In addition to sharing with the world my favorite bands and artists, I like to think that I help in breaking new talent as well. Last year, I was among the first to feature bands like Alphabeat and Lucky Soul on a regular basis and watched proudly as they released their debut albums.
So, this year, in what I’m hoping will become a yearly feature, I’m proud to spotlight three of my favorite discoveries of 2007 so far. Not to say that there won’t be more added in the future, but for now these three are the bands/artists I’m looking to break. None have released a full length album yet (well, at least one that's distributed by a label), but all three have projects in the works. Most importantly, all are prime examples of unique, colorful pop that deserve a place on the radio.

Gender

I was overwhelmed when I discovered this duo’s new single, If I Was A Girl. It’s incredibly fresh and edgy… just what the pop charts need. I was happy to find, upon listening to other tracks from their catalogue, that it wasn’t a one-off. Gender focuses on catchy electronic based pop music with plenty of sexual ambiguity and glam attitude. Myspace

Pikko

I was lucky enough to be formally introduced to this singer through her live performance, which was in a word, stunning. Fusing soft 80’s inspired electro pop with her unique vocals and worldview, Pikko is unlike any other singer out there right now. I think she describes it best in explaining her work as a “blend of modern dance, art, electronic music and stage excess.” Myspace

Napoleon

A huge eleven person band (according to their website) from Sweden, Napoleon is on a quest to bring back old Motown Soul and mix it with 70’s and 80’s pop, with fantastic results. The combination of front man Johan Barrett’s husky lead and the gorgeous, shimmering background vocals of the band’s female singers is undeniably great. Kitchen sink pop doesn’t always work, but in this case it’s a revelation. Myspace

So what does it mean to be an Alienhits Young Gun?

These three acts will get regular coverage on Alienhits, including reports on new music videos, album/single reviews, and updates on news. Plus, look for all three to have a permanent home on the sidebar very soon.