Nixon - Standby Mode

"Wake me up from this static dream"

For some reason the beginning of this song (before the vocals) reminds me of Christmas. Maybe I'm just in a holiday mood. Anyways, Norway's Nixon specialize in elegant 80's synthpop that sounds just like many classic new wave bands and one in particular that I can't put my finger on right now. My mind's drawn a complete blank but trust me, they're a dead ringer. Regardless, though, their songs are very beautiful and danceable at the same time. Their single, Tiffany, was released earlier this year and was very poppy. And from what I've heard of the album Uberpop, it sounds good too, though maybe not quite uber.

Nixon - Standby Mode (zshare)

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

The Killers - The World We Live In

"I heard a rumor that you quit this day and age"

I'm not sure how I feel about the Killers' new album yet. Many are going to find it way too bland, and I might end up fitting into that category too. Oddly enough, it seems like the Killers are morphing into Keane this year and Keane are morphing into the Killers. Strange.
Anyway, onto the album. It's definitely got a slower tempo than their past two releases and, while all tracks (except the last one) are good, none really stand out. It's a grower, for sure, but how much it actually grows remains to be seen. I waffled between two tracks to post today (This Is Your Life and The World We Live In), neither of which are really uptempo. But, other than the singles, they're my favorites right now. I think I'll go with The World We Live In, mostly because of the great beat and stately synth work. I can't help but feel that this song should have opened the album. It would segue into Human brilliantly.

The Killers - The World We Live In (zshare)

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

Britney Spears - Amnesia

"I forgot my name, I forgot my telephone number"

I figured that the Britney ship had completely sailed for me. Other than a handful of songs, Blackout was a disappointment and I haven't listened to any of the earlier albums for years. Gimme More, an utter snoozefest and her worst single by a mile, all but nailed the coffin for me. But then I watched the TRL finale and got all nostalgic for the late 90's/early 00's pop boom. Curious, I gave Britney's latest album a listen and although this type of music isn't 100% my thing anymore, I'm pretty darn impressed--especially with the bonus tracks. The best of the bonuses is Amnesia, a Cyndi Lauper-like shuffle that sounds way too good to be Britney. It's one of those songs you flag right away... just so different and catchy than everything else. As with most of Britney's stuff, a different singer would have knocked this into the stratosphere, but at least she's around so that great writers/producers can give her their stuff.

Britney Spears - Amnesia (zshare)

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

Kendi - Connected (Squash 84 Edit)

"There's something between us"

Hey, it's a female/male version of Iglu & Hartly! And, they're from Finland of all places. Kendi call themselves a dance duo, which they definitely are, but there's a huge focus on really poppy rap/hip-hop as well. Only this time it's the girl doing the rapping. Kendi have scored a couple of synth-powered hits already this year in their homeland and they definitely deserve it. Their danceable songs remind me of something that would be really popular in the UK...in fact their sound borrows heavily from many of the dance artists that have been on Radio One this year. In other words, they don't sound anything like you'd expect from Finland. The single Connected is their best song by far, so I'm posting a remix of it today, though I'd recommend checking out the original as well.

Kendi - Connected (Squash 84 Edit) (zshare)

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

The Galvatrons - Robots Are Cool

"Have you seen this kid? He's gonna change the world"

Every chance I get to shower praise on Australian band supreme The Galvatrons, I take. Luckily, they've given me a really good excuse today. They're giving away a new (well, new to some... it's been around in lower quality for awhile) track Robots Are Cool for free! I love this song. It's pretty much the mantra of my 80's childhood. In fact, I was just out shopping yesterday when I ran across a discount set of repainted 80's Transformers and I had a major nostalgia freakout. This is a band that almost seems created just for me. I hope you guys like them, too, though I don't know how anyone could resist this bouncy, fun song.

The Galvatrons - Robots Are Cool (download)

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