Nanne - Pissenisse



"oi...oi...oi...oi!"

I've had Swedish singer Nanne's new album on repeat for the last week or so and have got to share something from it with you today. Nanne's a bit of an institution in Sweden... and a fair share older than most of the contemporary pop singers on the radio. She sings in Swedish and within a genre known as dansbander (think fluffy pop music who's entire goal is to be more infectious than herpes). Pissenisse (which I cannot find a translation for and my beginning Swedish language knowledge certainly doesn't cover... but it's fun to say) is the name of this track and, though I hated its saccharine-ness (new word?) the first time I heard it... it lingers like some crazy circus in my head and I can't stop singing along. Listen especially for the moments between 1:54-2:17, which really do speak for themselves I think. Pure fizzy brilliance! Nanne deserved to get further in Melodifestivalen with her brilliant entry, but luckily for us, she quickly released an album full of similar greatness. Plus, she's a bit insane (just check out Viskaren, where she literally turns into a witch... I swear).

Nanne - Pissenisse (mp3) (zshare)

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

Plemo - Flashlight



".....flashlight........"

I've got something kind of weird for you today. Flashlight, by German singer Plemo begins with a high pitched introduction that I have completely given up trying to decipher. Luckily, it very quickly jumps into an insanely catchy, energetic synth workout. It has the same wild, strange energy that the Scissor Sisters used to have in their demo days, but with more of a dance/club edge. I could see this track simply lighting up the dancefloor. Though it sounds like very little else you've heard, you'll be singing along with whatever they're saying before the first listen is even over.

Plemo - Flashlight (mp3) (zshare)

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

Video Premiere: Juvelen - Hanna

I must say, it's not what I expected. Synchronized swimmers and lots of diving board drama wrapped up with a stylish black and white presentation. I'm glad that they decided to put the budget behind this song rather than Watch Your Step (Juv's other single), though, because honestly Hanna is one of the best tracks released so far this year by any artist.

Andrew Benon - Rock And Roll Moves



“She lives and dies in the dancefloor lights"

Andrew Benon has crafted a pitch perfect recreation of great 80's pop with this track. From the Bowie-esque vocals to the screaming saxophone to the sparkling synths, Rock And Roll Moves deserves to be the summer anthem of convertible drivers everywhere. It almost sounds like it was written by Prince back in his eighties hey day, especially the flawless chorus. Best of all, Andrew Benon's debut effort is full of this kind of stuff. Many artists (especially on this blog) draw from the eighties for their sound, but few have been as believable as Benon is. Lyrically, Moves is very clever as well, which is always a pleasant surprise in pop music. Finally, on a related note: I need those sunglasses.

mp3: Andrew Benon - Rock And Roll Moves
zshare: Andrew Benon - Rock And Roll Moves

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

King Midas - West End Boys



“Come on, let's hit the blinding lights"

A few weeks ago Norway's King Midas quietly released Sorry, their latest album, and what could end up being one of the best records of the year. I've heard their sound on Sorry compared to such artists as Roxy Music and the Human League, but with a more contemporary edge. Today I'm posting West End Boys, the group's first single (released in late 2006) from the album. It amazes me that a band can release a pop song this perfect and go practically unnoticed outside of their homeland. Despite being lyrically quite dark (about Nazi Germany, or something like that... I haven't quite deciphered it), the pulsing beat, background chants and chiming bells add up to pure pop perfection. If you like any of the bands I champion on this blog, you'll love King Midas. And, if you like this track, the album is full of similar greatness.

mp3: King Midas - West End Boys
zshare: King Midas - West End Boys

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

Swedish Synthpop EP

In honor of my upcoming travels to Sweden, this week's EP features synth flavored pop from that very country. Scandinavia does this type of music better than anyone, as evidenced by the abundance of the high quality pop bands ruling their charts. All six of these tracks are flawless and, though none are singles, they could all easily rule the radio.

1. Bodies Without Organs - European Psycho (mp3) (zshare)
2. Bobby - End Of Story (mp3) (zshare)
3. Universal Poplab - Soma Generation (mp3) (zshare)
4. The Sounds - Hurt You (mp3) (zshare)
5. Lo-Fi-Fnk - A.D.T. (mp3) (zshare)
6. Le Sport - Your Brother Is My Only Hope (mp3) (zshare)

Jann Wilde & Rose Avenue - Tokio Okei
Release Date: February 21, 2007
Label: Hype Productions



Strutting around the stage, every inch of him adorned like an androgynous peacock, Jann Wilde looks like a man out of his era. His band’s debut, a reckless throwback to a time when male mingled with female and glitter was all the rage, sounds positively revolutionary, even if the ideas are decades old.

Purveyors of glam rock, whether they long for the snotty stomp of the music or the theatrical adornments of the players, will find much to love on Tokio Okei. Each track is a short punch of attitude, spiraling guitars and boisterous energy. Wilde has made public his influences, which are both vintage (think T.Rex and New York Dolls) and contemporary (Sweden’s The Ark, who might as well be the band’s spiritual compass), but Rose Avenue also incorporates elements of eighties pop and new wave into their style. Tracks like Boys Out Of New York, Lover Lover Lover and Every Heartbeat pulse with a frantic energy that would see them fit in well on the dance floor. The highlight, though, is the self-referential Mr. Wilde, which blasts out of the speakers as a giddy glam sing-along. Wilde has compared it to The Ark’s Father Of A Son in style, and although the lyrics are a bit sillier, the sentiment’s definitely there (not to mention the melody, which is flawless). In fact, the record only falters when it calms down a bit. Cinnamon is a lovely wisp of a ballad, but Metropolis is a bit lifeless. Suicide Radio is one of the noisier tracks, but not nearly as fun as the band’s best songs.

Taken as a whole, though, Tokio Okei is a whopper of a debut and heralds the arrival of a band with the confidence to spark a revolution (as one of their songs nonchalantly proclaims). If a bit overlong, it is still remarkably consistent, with at least seven songs that (if they’re not already) sound like singles. Best of all is the charisma that simply oozes from the album. It is clear even with a casual listen that Rose Avenue is a band not content simply to play their music, but to strut it. A-

Key Tracks: Mr. Wilde, Boys Out Of New York, Rock ‘n’ Roll Dreams

Dover - Follow The City Lights
Release Date: October 10, 2006
Label: Loli Jackson Records

Dover are from Spain, though you’d hardly know it after listening to their new album Follow The City Lights. What used to be a more traditional rock band has transformed into the sort of stylish, dance floor ready group that you’re more likely to find in Scandinavia or the United Kingdom nowadays. While this stylistic shift may ruffle some feathers with longtime fans of the band, those new to Dover will revel in the album’s giddy highs.

From start to finish, Follow The City Lights is a thrill ride of neon colors, sweeping synths, and chirpy singalongs. There isn’t a bad song to be found, though none attempt to break the pop boundaries that the band have set up for themselves. Still, leave the boundary breaking to more restless artists. Follow The City Lights is a nearly flawless pop album. Opening with the shrill yet rollicking Let Me Out, Dover catapults into their new sound immediately. Following closely behind are Do Ya and Keep On Moving, which easily continue the party. Other uptempo highlights are the frenetic Madrid and Tonight, which boasts the kind of instant pop melody that simply screams for radio. Just as successful are the more reflective tracks. Dear McCartney pulses with a gentle pop melody and You & Me forgoes the dance elements for an astonishingly catchy pop sound.

In a time where Americans need to go beyond their borders to find high quality pop music, Dover’s Follow The City Lights is a revelation. It concerns itself not with heavy issues like politics, war or identity, but instead focuses on time-honored radio traditions (i.e. love, sex, dancing). And, even though it doesn’t say much as a album, it speaks loudly and brightly, just like those city lights in the title. A-

Key Tracks: Tonight, Let Me Out, You & Me