Flashback Friday: Tsar - Silver Shifter

"I will climb and you will find the moon will shine moonlight"

I'm not going too far back in time for today's flashback. Less than a decade actually, to the year 2000 when boy bands and Britney ruled the airwaves. I think a bunch of you have already heard of Tsar. They're sort of famous for having one of the best albums that you can get for under a dollar on amazon. Their flawless power-pop debut was virtually ignored upon release, even though it's the kind of record where every song sounds like a number one hit. I'd compare their sound as a mix between McFly, the Ark and, in come cases, the soundtrack to Grease. If you have not given their album a try (listen to clips here) and you like power-pop (or music in general, really) you have got to make this purchase. I'm posting Silver Shifter today because it was my first introduction to the band back in 2000. Plus, it's a veritable melodic masterpiece with one hell of a bombastic chorus. I was obsessed with the song at the time, but didn't have the album until a couple of years ago. I would also recommend Kathy Fong Is The Bomb, though, because it is ultra ultra fun.

Tsar - Silver Shifter (zshare)

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

OMFGOMFGOMFGOMFG

I don't use "OMFG" lightly (or at all, actually) but this deserves it. It's the funniest thing I've seen in months!

For those of you interested in Swedish music (otherwise known as the best music on the planet), here's an interesting article (amazingly) featured in this month's Spin Magazine.

Okay, maybe I just like it because the Ark gets a mention!! But seriously it is interesting as well.

Lady Gaga - Beautiful Dirty Rich

"Bang, bang! We're beautiful and dirty rich"

People are flipping out over Lady Gaga's debut single Just Dance. I'm not one hundred percent obsessed myself... the verdict's still out, but I do really appreciate Gaga's obvious influences, style and ambition. Unlike pretty much every other pop star in the States right now, she's trying to bring a sense of glam style to the music. Beautiful Dirty Rich highlights this quite well. The song's pure attitude from the get go and I love how it sounds like a track that would normally be sung by a guy fronting a glam rock band. More of this on the album and less songs featuring Akon, please!

Lady Gaga - Beautiful Dirty Rich (zshare)

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

The Virgins - Teen Lovers

"Vacation is over, don't wait"

Out of the blue, New York's The Virgins have released one of the best party/indie/rock albums of the year. You may remember them from this blog (I posted the fab Rich Girls not too long ago). Now that I've heard the entire debut, I've got to post something else as well. I was torn between two great uptempo tracks: Teen Lovers and Murder. Both are equally as strong, but I'm going with Teen Lovers today because it's synthier. How they manage to pack so many hooks into just over two minutes I will never know. I could see these guys becoming potentially very big in the States, sort of like how the Killers broke through a few years back. Also be sure to check out their perfectly retro (ie: 80's) video for the single Private Affair. What are they wearing??

The Virgins - Teen Lovers (zshare)

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

Pop Levi - Dita Dimone

"Dita likes to let me drive her car"

Pop Levi's new single Never Never Love is absolutely addictive, while at the same time sounding like nothing out there. His music has been described as an amalgam of every pop style known to man, which explains the ultra-catchiness of his sound. His new album (same title as the single) is out soon and it's really quite good. A lot of the songs remind me of Prince, especially the odd, funky Dita Dimone. Mixing glam with r&b and pop, the track is instantly likeable and undeniable from the start. If there was any justice in the world this guy would be huge. He's certainly got the songs to do it... but it seems as if he'll be relegated to cult status instead.

Pop Levi - Dita Dimone (zshare)

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