New England - P.U.N.K.

"No respect for the other kids"

We're going back in time today to 1979 with a great song by the band New England, who I recently discovered. Imagine mixing Journey, Sweet and the melodic skills of Abba with a glam-punk attitude and you've got the beginnings of the sound the band accomplished on this record. Great vocals, great guitar and fantastic, catchy verses arae all present here, making this an unfairly forgotten group that should have been much bigger than they were (they only had one "hit," if you can even call it that). In a different universe I can even imagine the Ark singing a song like this. All the bombast that I love is definitely there. (Also, you've got to love those pre MTV music videos)

New England - P.U.N.K. (zshare)

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

Hail Social - No Paradise

"There is no paradise"

I've written about Hail Social a few times throughout the life of this blog, and they've always been a band that I've been on the cusp of being really obsessed with. They've got some great tracks and I love how they don't shy away from potentially cheesy disco and soft rock vibes. They've got a new EP out now highlighted by No Paradise, which is definitely their fullest, most lush sounding song to date. While it might not knock you over the head (it's not aggressive enough for that), it will impress you. The strength lies in the layered instruments (and the wicked guitar solo towards the end) which make the track sound downright sci fi. I can't wait to see what these guys have up their sleeves for later.

Hail Social - No Paradise (zshare)

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

De Novo Dahl - Shakedown

"It's just a system failure breakdown"

I posted about De Novo Dahl in 2006 and now they've released their second full length, Move Every Muscle, Make Every Sound. I'm not sure how I feel about the album as a whole, but there's no denying it's got some fantastic tracks. Shakedown is at the center of these, a soulful dance track that would sound amazing on radio. It's the kind of thing I can imagine Maroon 5 doing, but I think it's a bit more timeless sounding. It's got that light, easy disco sheen to it (ignore the strange and rather unnessecary opening) that would really play well in the summertime. Plus, you've gotta love those outfits, right?

De Novo Dahl - Shakedown (zshare)

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

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Teen Horniness Is Not A Crime

"Horniness is on the rise"

I finally got to see Southland Tales (Richard Kelly's follow up to the amazing Donnie Darko) last weekend and, even though it is as strange and impenetrable as all the critics have said, I was still really fascinated by it. There's something to be said for ambition, even if it is sometimes misguided. Anyway, on to the song. Teen Horniness... is a parody of all the over processed, beat heavy, ultimately meaningless "pop" out on the radio today. It is quite insipid itself, but that's the fun in it. Sung by Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in the film (her breakthrough single as an "artist"), it could sadly be mistaken for a hit in America right now. If that's not a depressing proclamation, I don't know what is! Oh, and one more thing: You're not going to find a better song title this year.

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Teen Horniness Is Not A Crime (zshare)

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

Guillemots - Cockateels

"Thank god I've got imaginary creatures"

One of the finest pop albums of the year (so far) is released today. Guillemots' Red is weird pop for the masses, filled with so many different, disparate genres of music and yet still managing to be a cohesive whole. There are many standouts (if you haven't heard first single Get Over It yet, please do), but I can't get Cockateels out of my head. It's a giant, stage-production worthy track with a soaring melody and a gorgeous string assisted chorus that goes on until it touches the sky. Then comes the middle-eastern choir section. This track's got everything. It's definitely different from most stuff I post here, but to be fair it's pretty different than anything else out there right now. If you haven't checked out Red yet, make sure you do, because I'm thinking it'll most likely end up in my top ten of 2008.

Guillemots - Cockateels (zshare)

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