Plastic Operator - Folder



"It'd be more than I could take if I just told you"

I hope that everyone that celebrates it had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was subdued and relaxing as usual... just the way that I like it. As the week closes, I've got a sweet, soft electropop love song for you. It may not be a hit-you-over-the-head pop masterpiece, but I instantly liked the sentiment and the catchy melody. The duo reminds me a lot of Postal Service, but I've never liked Postal Service, so who knows why Plastic Operator appeals to me. I guess it's because they sound a bit more Scandinavian, which of course is always my thing. Anyways, Folder grows on me each time I hear it and I think under the right circumstances these guys could have a hit with it.

Plastic Operator - Folder (zshare)

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

Semi Precious Weapons - Magnetic Baby



"I've been magnetic since I was a baby"

New York's Semi Precious Weapons fall firmly in the Hedwig/Do Me Bad Things/Kevin Cahoon category of punky glam rock. I'm not entirely sure of what I think of the entire debut album (which is available for free at their website and is produced by the legendary Tony Visconti), but I am definitely into their new single Magnetic Baby. It's everything a song of its kind should be: loud, glamourous, trashy and a whole lot of fun. There's no doubt that frontman Justin Tranter has the makings of a great glam rock star. We'll just have to see what these guys do next.

Semi Precious Weapons - Magnetic Baby (zshare)

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

Kylie Minogue - White Diamond



"And just like a burning radio I'm on to you"

I, like many, have been anticipating Kylie's comeback cd for awhile now and I must say I'm not happy with the result. 2 Hearts was alright (though it doesn't fit in the context of the album at all) and the rest of the record is divided by good, classy songs that remember that pop music has got to have a melody, and some atrocious bits that I hated as soon as I heard them (Nu-Di-Ty & All I See spring directly to mind). Luckily, there's been so much material that's come out of the "X" sessions that I've just gone ahead and made my own comeback cd. I wanted to build it around two of my favorite tracks that Kylie's recorded in the past few years. My initial inspiration was I Believe In You (released in late 2004), one of the most gorgeous things Minogue has ever sung. Secondly, I knew I had to include White Diamond, the should-have-been first single from the new album, which I'm posting for download today. See what you think of my mix. I find it one hundred times more satisfying (and far less schizophrenic) than the actual album:

Kylie - White Diamond
1. Fall For You (unreleased)
2. Made Of Glass (b-side)
3. I Believe In You
4. White Diamond (unreleased)
5. The One (from X)
6. Rippin' Up The Disco (X b-side)
7. In The Mood For Love (unreleased)
8. No More Rain (from X)
9. Wow (from X)
10. Love Is The Drug (from Radio One album)
11. Stars (from X)
12. Spell Of Desire (unreleased)

Kylie Minogue - White Diamond (zshare)

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

MGMT - Time To Pretend



"I miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home"

Rolling Stone is not the bastion for new music than it used to be (in fact, I hardly even read it anymore), so it was to my surprise that one of their top ten new artists to watch actually resonated with me. MGMT (pronounced "Management") play alternative pop music that's not too far away from the kind of stuff that Arcade Fire is doing right now. This song, though, I think is better than most of Arcade Fire's stuff. The vocals are less shouty and the melody is absolutely gorgeous. It's more of a slow burner than most of the stuff I post, but it's definitely worth the patience.

MGMT - Time To Pretend (zshare)

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