The Virgins - Rich Girl

"I'll tell you anything I know"

The Virgins are obvious admirers of Hall & Oates (even this song shares a name with an H&O classic), which is evidenced by the soulful pop sound of Rich Girl. It's the consummate summer pop song, easing along on a perfect groove until it explodes into an amazingly catchy chorus. Imagine the space between Maroon Five and Under The Influence Of Giants and that's where these guys fit in. Their name is a little silly (I sometimes wonder if all these "the" bands just point to a random word in the dictionary, put a "the" in front of it, and call it good) but with this track they've got a potentially massive hit on their hands. The rest of their stuff I've heard doesn't really sound as radio friendly (or as good), but if they can build on this they could very well be huge.

The Virgins - Rich Girl (zshare)

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

MGMT vs Daft Punk - One More Time to Pretend (Immuzikation Remix)

"We're fated to pretend one more time"

I rarely post remixes here and I've never posted a mash-up, but there's a first time for everything and this track definitely deserves to be the first. MGMT's Time To Pretend is one of the best tracks out this year and I've been thrilled with the success it's garnered since I posted it on this blog late last year. In this brilliant mash-up, it's been paired with Daft Punk's classic One More Time, and the interaction between the two tracks is just perfect. It's a mash-up in the truest sense of the word, not just one track's vocals played over another's beat. Also, posting this gives me another opportunity to let you know about the fantastic MGMT album that came out a few months ago. If you don't have it already, you definitely need it because it is an amazing listen.

MGMT vs Daft Punk - One More Time to Pretend (Immuzikation Remix) (zshare)

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

Hey, look! Popjustice has just discovered Alienhits favs Daggers! Here's hoping this helps lead to a record deal and an album because I need one now.

Delays - The Earth Gave Me You

"I can prove there's more than light in your eyes"

Delays continue their unbroken pattern of releasing perfect (perfectperfectperfect) albums with Everything's the Rush today in the UK. The album isn't a huge departure from past efforts, though their are more vocals by Aaron this time rather than Greg. I was worried about this (and still don't 100% approve) but it turned out not to matter at all when it comes to quality. The album is beyond brilliant (though their peak will probably always be You See Colours, my favorite album of 2006) and I could easily pick so many songs as my favorites. The Earth Gave Me You, though, sticks out above the rest, even though it's tagged on as a "bonus track" (think of it as an encore instead, as it closes the album perfectly). I like to think of it as Valentine Part II because it's by far the most falsetto-ey of the bunch and it even follows a similar musical structure. Bottom line, however, is that it's a gorgeous, perfect summer pop song, the kind that Delays do best. It is impossible to ignore this kind of music. Go buy their album because they are not getting the love that they should be. I already got mine at amazon for the very reasonable import price of seventeen bucks (minus vat and including shipping!).

Delays - The Earth Gave Me You (zshare)

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

Flashback Friday: Blind Date - Your Heart Keeps Burning



"My heart keeps beating, I'm sure I can't be so wrong"

Instead of just mentally going back to the eighties, today I've actually got a proper track from the decade. Although, I bet hardly anybody from the States has heard it before. The band is Blind Date, hailing from Germany and playing (what else) synth assisted pop. The song is the excellent single Your Heart Keeps Burning. I just love the chorus to this. The trade-off between the male and female vocals, though far from original, works really well here. The track's taken from the group's 1986 release Dreamworld, which is mostly kind of on the dull side, with Your Heart standing way above the rest of the material. It's the kind of song that doesn't succeed because of its inventiveness or brashness, but instead because of its terrific pop melody. And, of course, you've got to love that sax!

Forgive the fuzzy quality of the video above, but it's worth watching anyway, if only for the dance moves!

Blind Date - Your Heart Keeps Burning (zshare)

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

Hercules In NY - Nightlight

"Take me to your nightlight"

Australia seems to be the new hub for great 80's revivalist bands in 2008 (along with New Zealand of course, which boasts the incredible Ladyhawke). Hercules In NY are a brand new group specializing in synth assisted rock music. Nightlight is a strange little song. It starts with a great beat, then kind of transitions to a slower portion before speeding up a bit again. I love the guitar especially in this track. I can only imagine what "nightlight" is supposed to connote in the context of the lyrics, but it sure sounds scandalous. While this song might not hit you over the head the very first time you listen to it, it is definitely something that improves each time you listen to it. Oh yes, and apparently they've harnessed the power of flight as well.

Hercules In NY - Nightlight (zshare)

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