Tommy Sparks - These Things Happen

"This must be love again"

I am so happy that Tommy Sparks' single She's Got Me Dancing is shaping up to be a hit in the UK. It's the perfect summer song, and a great introduction for this new popstar. Having heard the album, I can say that (with any justice) it'll spawn more hits as the year goes on. In my opinion, These Things Happen should be the next single choice. It straddles the line between pop and indie perfectly and would sound enormous on the radio. I love the squeaky synth bits that kick off the track and the simple, punchy chorus. Of all the songs on the album, this has got a definite 80's feel, like something the Cars would have come up with. It feels very classic. I think it could have been a hit in any decade. The album comes out in a few weeks and deserves to do well. Check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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

Kish Mauve - Modern Love

"Where's my mind at?"

I think I'm pretty behind on these guys, but I'm going to post this track anyways because I doubt most people outside of the UK have heard it and it is a sleek, stunning example of classy electropop. Kish Mauve are the songwriting/production duo responsible for Kylie Minogue's comeback hit 2 Hearts (itself a cover version of one of their earlier songs). They released their first full length album, Black Heart, for download about a month ago. It's half brilliant, half forgettable...but honestly that's how most albums are these days. One thing that I love about Kish Mauve, though, is how they use guitar as a backbone for a lot of their otherwise pure-pop tracks. The guitar hook on Modern Love is just massive--so much so that there's really not a need for a proper chorus. I can imagine Sophie Ellis-Bextor covering this track for her new album. It's got that sort of avant-garde disco sound to it.

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

Alice In Videoland - Psychobitch

"I wouldn't wanna be in your shoes"

Alice In Videoland are back!! After the disappointment (at least on my end) of their last album, they've come back with a single that hearkens back to their earlier days. It is incessantly catchy and fuses their otherworldly electro-punk with a glossy pop edge. These guys are primed for a fantastic comeback, and this song could easily do it for them. In a lot of ways, it highlights the things that have always been so cool about AiV: the in-your-face vocals, the pulsing electro that sounds more like rock & roll, and the instant accessibility of their simple melodies. I hope that the next album is this strong, and a couple tracks longer than their last, EP-ish release. There really aren't any other bands that sound quite like them.

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

The Enemy - Elephant Song

"Concrete up to the sky"

I was a big fan of the Enemy's debut record a couple of years ago. Sure, they were really in the same realm as the Kasabians, Razorlights, Hard-Fi's, Arctic Monkeys, etc etc--bands that seem to be a dime a dozen in the UK. But, the songs really set them apart. Their new album ups the drama a hundredfold, attempting a type of American Idiot for twenty-first century England. And while it doesn't reach those heights, I've been enjoying it quite a bit. I was wracking my brain trying to think of what song to post. The best part of the record by far is the double-whammy of an opener. Problem is, you've probably already heard the mega single (No Time For Tears) and the first track, Elephant Song, is almost more of an instrumental intro than an actual song. However, I decided it's still good enough to post. Don't be fooled by the extended, decidedly non-musical, opening. Soon the song bursts into full on symphonic rock with a killer guitar riff. Then comes the vocal hook--a wall of sound so ferocious and catchy it'll set your hairs on end. In the context of the album, it segues perfectly into the next track... half of a rousing duo that the rest of the album just can't quite live up to.

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