Gender - If I Was A Girl

"If you were a man, you would eat right off my hand"

Wow do I love discovering new music! I mean, it's basically why I started this blog in the first place, but I'm happy to say that over a year later I still get almost ridiculously excited when a new song comes hurtling out of (seemingly) nowhere into my ears and I can instantly tell that I've found a new band to worship. In this case, the band is Gender, and the song is If I Was A Girl. In addition to having the coolest promo shot I've seen in months and a great band name, the duo creates catchy electropop that manages to be both radio friendly and lyrically interesting. That's a difficult balance to strike, but Gender have made it their mission to do so. If I Was A Girl, which is their new single, is one of the best songs I've heard all year... seriously. They are (big surprise here) from Sweden, and would probably feel quite comfortable sharing a stage with some of my favorite bands like Melody Club and the Ark. Most importantly, they are effortlessly cool and bring a unique, androgynous style to their music (just listen to those vocals!) which sets them apart from others in their genre. I'm calling it now... these guys are going to be huge.

Gender - If I Was A Girl (mp3) (zshare)

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

Danny - Hey (I've Been Feeling Kind Of Lonely)

"Workin' through this struggle, the pain within my chest"

I like to think that my taste in pop music usually goes beyond the cheesy and cliche, but every once and awhile you've just got to give in. Danny Saucedo's debut single Tokyo was an instance of cheese being so well done (yuck... burnt cheese) that it became somehow elevated to something more. Naturally, I was curious about the guy's album (I mean... that cover! He's just so... camp). It turns out that the whole thing's pretty samey, and Tokyo's forgettable follow-up Play It For The Girls (yeah... right) is a good indicator of what Heart.Beats sounds like. Instead, he should have released Hey (I've Been Feeling Kind Of Lonely), an incessant piece of cheese that nearly one-ups Tokyo as the dancefloor anthem we know Danny's capable of.

Danny - Hey (I've Been Feeling Kind Of Lonely) (mp3) (zshare)

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

Plushgun - How We Roll



"We never comb our hair, our clothes are out of fashion"

Plushgun is the brainchild of 23 year old New Yorker Dan Ingala, and it's a brilliant project that combines indie sensibilities with pop minded electronica. I've been very impressed with the success that the similar-sounding Hellogoodbye have been enjoying recently, and How We Roll is every bit as good as that band's material. Opening with a dynamite synth riff, the bouncy track quickly cascades into an incredible chorus, incorporating everything from Pet Shop Boys, Daft Punk and Ben Folds Five as it hurtles through its rapid-fire lyrics. As of now, Plushgun is an unsigned band, but I don't think that will last long. Under the right guidance, a song like this could be huge.

Plushgun - How We Roll (mp3) (zshare)

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

Vivek Shraya - I Won't Envy



"A groove to dance in my own shoes"

Vivek Shraya is an indie-pop artist from Canada (where all cool new music seems to be coming from these days). He just released his new album, If We're Not Talking, on May 15th (coincidentally, my birthday) and I Won't Envy is the kickoff track. And what a kickoff it is! It's short, at just over two minutes, and the production is rather spare compared to a lot of pop. It's also extremely explosive and catchy, with a fantastic, unique melody and sound that demands replay after replay. It's most definitely on my summer playlist.

Vivek Shraya - I Won't Envy (mp3) (zshare)

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

Unklejam - What Am I Fighting For?



"This must be love, oh what am I fighting for?"

UK radio is about a million times better than American radio. One of the reasons is, instead of picking about five songs and playing them to death for the entire year, things move fast in the UK and new bands are always just around the corner. Unklejam is one such new band, and they are amazing. Think Gnarls Barkley but a little less rap and a heap more craziness. What Am I Fighting For?, the group's second single, is set to become (with any luck) a summer smash. And, it is perfectly suited for the job. A hybrid of dance, electro, pop, and soul, this is the kind of radio friendly music that's not afraid to take a bit of a risk. I'm eagerly anticipating their full length debut.

Unklejam - What Am I Fighting For? (mp3) (zshare)

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