Just watched the performance portion of the first round of Melodifestivalen and here are my thoughts on who I think should and will advance. I'll put them in descending order, the most likely to advance on top...

1. Amy Diamond - Thank You
I think it'll be a pretty clear consensus that this was the best song of the night, by far the catchiest and performed by a beloved fresh artist as well. It won't win the whole contest, but it'll sail through today.

2. E-Type & Poodles - Line Of Fire
Again, a really strong song and I was surprised at how much I liked it. One thing though: could these guys be any uglier? Their performance, though not lacking energy, could have been a bit more enjoyable. Still, great song.

3. Brandur - Lullaby
Though the song bordered on being a bit boring, I think this guy's going to be the surprise of the night. It stood out against all of the uptempo stuff and the crowd seemed to love him.

4. Velvet - Deja Vu
I didn't love the song... very typical Velvet fare, though. Her name recognition should be enough, but I thought it was all a bit boring.

5. Christer Sjögren - I Love Europe
Stupid song, but a lot of fun too. And, never underestimate the power of a novelty track in this kind of competition.

6. Michael Michailoff - That's Love
The song was pretty good in a sort of forgettable way. I could see it garnering radio play but it probably won't move on tonight.

7. Face-84 - Alla Gamla X
Again, too forgettable. And, the performance left something to be desired as well. The song's alright but I found it getting kind of annoying even after the first listen.

8. Suzzie Tapper - Visst Finns Mirakel
I can't see this moving on. It was so boring and she didn't even look happy to be there. Easily the weakest of the night.

We'll see if my predictions were right in a few minutes!!

UPDATE: So I was obviously wrong about number 3 and 8! Number 8 must have had really good lyrics, that's all I have to say!
UPDATE 2: I knew that stupid Europe song would go through! And I also know that I'm going to be very very sick of it very very soon.
UPDATE 3: I guess I wasn't the only one who didn't really like that Velvet song. How the hell did that Suzzie Tapper move onto second chance?? Also, Etype/Poodles should definitely have been switched with the Europe song, but oh well. At least Amy got through as predicted.

Breaking News!

Delay's album "Everything's The Rush" will be out April 28th, preceded by first single "Hooray" out the 21st. Even more exciting: you can stream a clip of Hooray on their myspace now! Not 100% sure how I feel about the chorus yet, but I love the verses!

Kaka - Lift Me Up Sensational

"You have to try to lift me up when all the others drag me down"

I hope you've all gone and bought this Kaka album, because it's really a great record. Due to the affiliation with The Mo this'll probably not be the last time you hear about this project on Alienhits, but even if you're not into The Mo like I am (and really, who is?) you should still check this guy out. The sound is a very unique mixture of pop, electronica, African rhythms, and reggae. It's not really like anything else out there and that's a hard thing to accomplish in this day and age. Lift Me Up Sensational is one of the more instant and pure pop tracks on the record, with an incredibly catchy chorus. Why isn't stuff like this at the top of the charts? Especially in Sweden.

Kaka - Lift Me Up Sensational (zshare)

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

Northern Kind - Tears & Tinsel

"It's snowing on London road for all the wrong reasons"

Back to electropop today, and you're going to love this English group Northern Kind. Their music is very Human League-esque with the pop vocals of Abba or Madonna, and their songs are a total throwback. The track I'm posting today is technically a Christmas one, and I know it is far too late (or early?) for that, but I think that it's the kind of song that can be listened to anytime. In other words, there isn't really that strong of a Christmas theme. Anyway, the group is amazing, you're going to love them, and you're going to want to buy the album, which includes some fantastic non-Christmas themed tracks like Millionaire and On & On. Lucky for you, they've got it up on itunes, because otherwise it would be impossible to find.

Northern Kind - Tears & Tinsel (zshare)

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

The Floor Is Made Of Lava - Do Your Sister

"Take a wild guess, I'm guessing I kissed her"

I'm posting a rockier track today, but that doesn't mean you should ignore it if you're more a fan of the electropop or dance stuff that I post. For one, the band (The Floor Is Made Of Lava) is from Denmark, one of the countries with the popiest stuff around. Also, the song is catchy as hell. I mean, from the first listen you are going to be so addicted. It's got that indie dance rock sound, somewhere between Franz Ferdinand and (maybe?) Arctic Monkeys. In other words, it would be an easy hit in England and parts of the States, and if it were tranformed into a bubblegum dance song, or an r&b club track... or whatever genre you can think of, it would still work just as well.

The Floor Is Made Of Lava - Do Your Sister (zshare)

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

Neon Sleep - Commercial Eyes

"Your eyes are so commercial when we speak"

I posted a track by Germany's Neon Sleep a long time ago (summer of last year, I think) and I'm happy to see that more material's come out since then, including the beautiful Commercial Eyes. The thing about this song is that it would be brilliant based on the opening synth alone. Luckily, the vocals and chorus and everything are wonderful as well. If you like Lorraine's brand of electropop (maybe with a little more oomph) you'll love this track. An album is currently in the works, and Henning Sommer, the guy that basically is Neon Sleep, seems to have undergone a style upgrade since I last posted about him.

Neon Sleep - Commercial Eyes (zshare)

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