Lene Alexandra - Glamour Superstar

"You can't get with me cause I'm sronger than your average fool"

I'm going to post an incredibly campy song today. I am somewhat ambivalent when it comes to flourescent girl pop. There are some artists that I absolutely love, like Kylie and Linda Sundblad and September, but most of it is too annoying and commercial and (quite frankly) girly for me. I have, however, really enjoyed this campy as hell new record from Lene Alexandra. It's so freaking lame but really uptempo and fun, and who doesn't need some of that? As someone who was disappointed by Kylie's most recent release, Lene is a breath of fresh air. This kind of music should be stupid and embarassing. Plus, this track (Glamour Superstar) has got some mean retro synth work.

Lene Alexandra - Glamour Superstar (zshare)

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

Big Face - Rides The Front Seat

"This girl, she shook the shook out of me"

If you've ever wondered what the Fratellis would sound like backed with a dance beat and a touch of electronica, look no further than Big Face. The band have got a few tracks up on their myspace but my favorite by far is Rides The Front Seat, which has a real glam feel to it. It's a bit on the long side (coming in at just over six minutes) and I bet a radio edit would be killer, but I'm enjoying the extended version just fine. It's unclear from their site whether these guys are preparing an album or even plan one, but with some more polish and promo they could potentially be very interesting.

Big Face - Rides The Front Seat (zshare)

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

Holy Ghost - Hold On

"We peddle candy door to door"

I love this track by New York's Holy Ghost. I just recently discovered them and at first I was afraid that this was an instrumental because it's got such a long opening. Turns out that the verses and chorus are fantastic, though, and I am a happy camper. The duo is definitely fond of old synths and the Italian disco sound that was really popular in the late seventies and early eighties. Hold On sounds like it could have stepped right out of that era. It's got that simple (yet incredibly effective) sound that's perfect for an extended dance break. I'm not sure if there's an album in the works, but I hope so.

Holy Ghost - Hold On (zshare)

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

Temposhark - Blame

"Sky, don't let it fall on me"

Temposhark have been hailed around the blogs for what seems like forever now, and I've held off writing about the band because I'd really just be saying the same things as everyone else. However, when I heard Blame, off of the soon to be released debut album, I knew I'd have to post it. It's just one of those great examples of soaring radio pop done fantastically. The album itself is very versatile, with a lot of electronic and even orchestral effects, but this track is just pure pop magic... no gimmicks or anything, just a great melody. It's a shame it probably won't be as ubiqitous as it deserves to be.

Temposhark - Blame (zshare)

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

Pacific! - Poolside Bungalow

"I want a break tomorrow"

I was so excited a few weeks ago when I discovered that Sweden's Pacific were releasing a full length album at the end of this month. They've had brilliant singles so far and I was hoping that they'd put them all on a record, and luckily they have. Reveries is out now on download sites and it's definitely worth your time. I struggled when deciding which track to post because, apart from the singles (including brilliant new one Number One), the band's music is more subtle and laid-back than a lot of the tracks I post on here. I ended up going with Poolside Bungalow, an upbeat(ish) track from the second half of the album that defines what a great summery song should sound like. In fact, ditto for the whole album. It is definitely a summer affair.

Pacific! - Poolside Bungalow (zshare)

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