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Saturday, March 14, 2009

What is Cyprus smoking??

In perusing Eurovision entries from a few countries this year, I came across Cyprus's...um...entry. Granted, it's a relatively small island, but they've gotta have some people that can sing better than this. I was amazed at how often this girl was off key! The song's pretty enough, but just listen to the howling.
Exhibit A - 1:36
Exhibit B - 1:50-1:54
Exhibit C - 2:15
Exhibit D - 2:37+ (!!!)
Not to mention she looks like she's about to fall asleep.

Melodifestivalen to Eurovision

Okay, that was the most tense results I've ever seen on Melodifestivalen! I'm super happy for Malena, as she was my pick to win, but I feel bad for Mans and Alcazar, especially after the juries and the public disagreed to such an extent.
I'm so happy that EMD didn't go on to Eurovision. The song's crap. And how about Caroline?? Has a second chancer ever gotten that good of results in the final before?? I guess the song's a grower. It's certainly grown on me. I'm also shocked that Agnes didn't get any love from the voting public, but I'm glad that Emilia and Molly finished so low. Very well deserved. BWO and Star Pilots should have taken their places anyway.
I'm so sad that Melodifestivalen is over, but it's on to Eurovision now. So far I will be supporting Sweden and Norway.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

"This place is holding you back"

For the first time in what seems like forever, I'm posting a song by an American band. Contrary to what the charts say, not all American music is shit. In fact, like the criminally ignored Your Vegas last year, some of it can be downright transcendent. Remember the UK band Protocol a few years back? They broke up before releasing an album, and I'm still annoyed by that, but I think that Liam & Me are their American counterparts. The English teacher in me can't stand that band name, but the vocals and overall sound are pretty similar. And, while it's too early to tell if an album will be worth buying, if it's anything as strong as Fast As You Can, we're in for a treat. This track grabbed me from the first 30 seconds. I love how the instrumentation builds perfectly with the melody. Like a lot of the songs I post here, the band straddle the line between pop, rock and synth music in a way that really widens the song's appeal. They also have a single out, which you can hear on their myspace.

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

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

"Everything was alright, dancing in the moonlight"

Popidiot are an Estonian indie/electro group that has a new album called Antenna Of Love out now. They've got a very 80's sound, similar to Swedish group Kamera or Elkland. They had a hit awhile back with a song called Love Vulture, but from what I've heard I like their newer stuff better. It's a bit more aggressive and seems to have better production. Dancing Like An Idiot is very synth-heavy, with a winding melody that fits the stop/start instrumentation perfectly. These guys are obviously inspired by bands like Depeche Mode and New Order, as some of their tracks sound almost like covers of tracks by those bands. I'd be interested in seeing what these guys come up with in the future, because I feel like there's even more to them than what they've recorded so far.

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

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

"I wanna be there for you"

Given that H.E.A.T.'s song was a surprise favorite of mine in this year's Melodifestivalen, I knew I had to check out their debut album, which is being rereleased this week. It's pretty much more of the same, which is a good thing. In my opinion the first handful of tracks are the strongest, especially the lead track There For You. These guys have an extremely authentic 80's rock sound that manages to be a throwback without being cheesy (like fellow Swedes The Poodles). The opening guitar riff is all you really need to hear to know what you're getting. Melody is always at the forefront, even when the guitars are blazing. I feel like this is a band that has the potential to get even better with their next album. After all, my favorite track of theirs is still their most recent, 1000 Miles. It won't win Melodifestivalen, but it was a refreshing burst of energy in the competition anyways.

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

Monday, March 09, 2009

"Did you hear your favorite song one last time?"

I've been meaning to write about this song for months, but keep forgetting. With The '59 Sound, American band The Gaslight Anthem have crafted the single I wish the Killers would have come back with. It's a grand, melodic rock song with one hell of a chorus. In that way, it's a very close cousin to When We Were Young. These guys have been compared to Springsteen a lot (and maligned by some for that very reason), but I've never really been a Springsteen fan so it doesn't matter to me. What I hear when I listen to this song is a refreshing burst of energy that's been missing in most of American rock during the past few years. Above all, it's an amazing track. I think another one of their songs is doing the rounds on Radio One right now in the UK, but for my money this is the big hit.

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