Major Maker - Window



"Every lie that you say, I’ve said before"

Major Maker is a Canadian rock/pop band with a hit (Rollercoaster) that is apparently featured in some advertisement on TV. It might just be Canadian TV, though, because I’ve definitely never seen it. Regardless, they’re a great, catchy band that kind of reminds me of my beloved Whyte Seeds from Sweden. Window is a raspy, full throttle 60's style rocker with a great chorus. I don't know a whole lot about these guys, but I can definitely see them being successful in the States. They're very radio friendly.

Major Maker - Window (mp3) (zshare)

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

Tokio - Smoke/Loud



"Let me get you high"

Denmark's Tokio are what this blog is all about. They are unsigned, fairly unknown, and absolutely bursting with potential. They've got it all: the sound, the tunes, the look, even though they've only released two songs so far. I'm posting them both here today since they're available for free elsewhere and I know once you hear one of them you'll want to hear more. The band's sound is definitely electro pop, maybe a mix between Alphabeat and The Lovemakers. It is incredibly catchy, fantastically colorful, and completely irresistable. Consider these guys a band that I will be keeping a close eye on for sure. Like Alphabeat, my previous discovery from Denmark, they will be going far.

Tokio - Smoke (mp3) (zshare)
Tokio - Loud (mp3) (zshare)

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists! No album yet, but be sure to watch for one!)

An Alienhits Blog Recommendation....

Well, not so much a blog as part of a blog. It's A Trap! has been around for awhile and hardly needs my promotion, as it's one of the biggest and most reliable sources of information on Scandinavian music on the web, but I've still got to highlight its fantastic store.

I've only just purchased my first album from the store, and I've gotta say, for U.S. fans of Scandinavian indie rock and pop, there is no better option. You don't get those ridiculous import prices, they've got amazingly cheap shipping rates (they actually charge you for how much it costs to ship the item! How novel is that?) and the cds get to you fast. I've spent months (literally) waiting for stuff to come all the way from Sweden so this in particular is a real treat.

Anyways, go check it out. They've got both the new Laakso album and the new Superfamily one in stock for extremely reasonable prices. And, if you haven't got those two cds yet, how can you really call yourselves an Alienhits fan?

Empire State Human - Digital City



"Where all the girls are pretty"

Empire State Human has been around for awhile so I'm surprised that I haven't heard of them before recently. They have a retro electronica/synthpop (Human League are an obvious influence) with a modern edge. Digital City, one of their most recent tracks, doesn't have a lot of lyrics (basically the same ones repeated over and over) but it's just so damn danceable that I had to post it anyway. The band hails from Ireland, making them one of the few Irish groups that I've posted on this blog (though there are no bagpipes to be found).
Empire State Human - Digital City (mp3) (zshare)

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

Kate Miller-Heidke - Mama



"Mama, I wanted to please you"

Australia's Kate Miller-Heidke is kind of a cross between Tori Amos, Lily Allen and Nellie McKay. Basically she screams "critical darling." Her debut single, Words, is one of the better pop songs I've heard this year, while the rest of her debut album, Little Eve, is made up of more piano-based, quirky pop. At the forefront is Mama, a thumping, dramatic track that highlights Miller-Heidke's operatic tendencies in the terrific chorus. I wouldn't be surprised if she breaks out of Australia and into the international market. Words alone could do it for her.

Kate Miller-Heidke - Mama (mp3) (zshare)

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

Radio LXMBRG - Score On The Floor



"Score on the floor, won't ask for more"

I've always been this close to fully embracing Stockholm's Radio LXMBRG. But, with their new album, I think I've been completely converted. This single was provided free from their myspace (as well as two older tracks) and it is incredibly good. Mixing old-school 80's synth with a punky edge, the band have crafted something that is at once instantly catchy and also very odd. It's yet another example of a Swedish band mixing it up and creating a sound that's heads and tails above most of the stuff out there.

Radio LXMBRG - Score On The Floor (mp3) (zshare)

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