Some bits...

Sorry about the lack of a post yesterday. I was at the county fair watching Foreigner (still got it, btw) and eating crap fair food. Today's just going to be a little bit of everything:

Fab Swedish band Dyno have two new tracks on their myspace, the excellent Destroy! Destroy! and Too Close. These guys are like the new Daggers. I hope we actually get an album.

Speaking of great Scandinavian bands, Superfamily have a new track on their page from the third album out in about a week. Super excited about this record.

Another album I am drooling in anticipation for is Muse's new one. You can listen to samples on itunes worldwide and, judging from the clips, this may be the band's best album and candidate for album of the year. I cannot wait.

In the opposite musical direction, Miley Cyrus' new EP also has samples available. I am totally won over by her new single... one of the best she's released and certainly one of the best of the summer. This girl is going places. It always surprises me how much I like her voice.

In other pop news, Selena Gomez's new single is finally out (with her band The Scene). Happily, it sounds like something I would listen to outside of Disney. Quite good.

Carolina Liar - Last Night

"Did the vodka make you leave with me?"

Over a year since their album was released, Carolina Liar are enjoying their first smash hit stateside with the massive Show Me What I'm Looking For. It's one of the biggest sounding records of the year, with choirs and chiming bells and all the extras. I adore it, and the rest of the album's pretty darn good, too. Last Night is another standout, an uptempo pop rocker that sounds almost identical to the Killers--complete with "killer" synth riff. It's one of the band's collaborations with Swedish producer Max Martin (who's also working with Adam Lambert... yay!), so of course it's gotta be fantastic. It's kinda crazy that the band's able to produce such eclectic pop music. Last Night sounds very little like Show Me What I'm Looking For, but the two share something very important: they both sound like huge hits.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend

"We get a thrill from clapping our hands"

I considered posting an album track from Calvin Harris' new record, but I am too addicted to this single not to write about it. It's by far my favorite track he's released so far. Everything about it is what a 2009 dance record should sound like, even the over-the-top diva chorus (which usually isn't my thing in these types of songs). The album itself is surprisingly good. Surprisingly, because I've never really gotten Calvin Harris before. His singles were alright, but nothing that really blew me away. This time around he's more consistent and poppier than ever, and it suits him well. Certainly recommended. But what the hell is the lady saying in the chorus to this song? Sounds like "Ooh, I've got gum on my shoes," though that's obviously not right. Right?

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)

Teddybears - Get Mama A House

"We sold out all over the world"

I'm back after a long weekend with the first track from Sweden in a long time. It comes from Teddybears (formerly Teddybears Sthlm), an electro/rock/pop group responsible for both amazing songs and amazing productions during this past decade. Their new single is nothing short of marvelous. Apparently, it started out as a jingle for a commercial, and I can totally see that, but it's not annoying. Quite the opposite. It is the best single I've heard come out of Sweden this summer, and quite possibly a worldwide smash for the guys. It's one of those hook-upon-hook songs--basically a bunch of choruses strung together. It's also the perfect hybrid of dance, rock and pop, and probably a couple months late because it could have been the song of Summer.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the old album here. Follow me on twitter at nickajames)