Lights Over Paris - Turn Off The Lights

"I know the little things you like"

This is wholly American powerpop radio fodder, with a sound circa 2008 (think Metro Station's Shake It), yet that's partially why I love it. There's a single-mindedness here, to create a track as catchy and instant as possible for modern radio. It follows a template, sure, and sounds like about a million other things, but the band definitely succeeds. The overall feel is uptempo and singalong, though in some of the group's other tracks, the vocals have a pleasant glam swagger (some even sound a bit like Def Leppard). Just don't watch the video, which swings full tilt into cheesy posturing (with a horrible pop-culture-of-the-moment twist at the end). The song's already cheesy and disposable enough, but for Summer of 2010, it'll work.

Lights Over Paris - Turn Off the Lights by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Samsaya - Good With The Bad

"When you're up, you don't look down"

Attention: we've got a huge summer hit here. Samsaya is criminally unknown outside of Norway, but this song is as catchy as any Katy Perry/Lady Gaga/Kelly Clarkson track. If released by any one of those artists, I'm sure this would be an enormous hit. Not that I'm complaining about Samsaya's performance, as it's pretty much flawless. She's got the type of quirky pop voice reminiscent of artists like Nellie Furtado and Santigold. It's a refreshing sound, and it's all tethered to a massive, celebratory dance-pop anthem. It's the kind of track that could launch a career, and I'm expecting nothing less here, especially in Europe where this type of feel-good fluff has an easier time gaining popularity (although Perry's California Gurls is a pretty notable counterexample). Either way, I'm eager for you guys to hear this one. I think you'll be impressed.

Samsaya - Good With The Bad by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here (worldwide!). Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Tove Stryke - Million Pieces

"I'm living by the minute"

Tove was my favorite contestant on Swedish Idol last year, and came in third. She has a unique vocal style, amazing stage presence and a quirky pop sensibility that was very welcome in an overall lackluster season. Her debut single plays to her strengths. She's going for the indie Robyn-type pop sound... exactly what I'd hoped for her. The track's heavy on the percussion, with an instantly catchy verse that's even stronger than the chorus. It starts out pretty tame and sparse, but grows as the song goes along. Overall, it's very cool, just as Tove was on TV. And as instant as the melody is, I have a feeling it's more of a grower than a surefire hit single. Either way, it's a promising start to a career I've been anticipating for some time now.

Tove Stryke - Million Pieces by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. No place to buy the single yet! Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Pop Blitz 7/2/10

Travie McCoy (ft. Bruno Mars) - Billionaire Irritating. From the "cute/funny" Jason Mraz-ish chorus to the ho-hum rapping, this is exactly the kind of novelty summer tune that gets me switching the radio. C-

Selena Gomez - Round & Round
A natural progression from her last single, they've finally discovered how to match her airy vocals to an equally light-weight pop song. Surprisingly, this is a good thing. A-

Enrique Iglesias (ft. Pitbull) - I Like It
I'm actually surprised at how much I like this, since I'm not a fan. It's very "male Lady Gaga," but the melody's strong and fits his voice well. I could've done without the Pitbull parts, though. Shame about the album, which borders on unlistenable. B+

Maroon 5 - Misery
What a limp comeback single. They've done so much better in the past, which makes this forgettable track a big surprise. I trust there's better on the album. I have a feeling they'll need a strong single next because this sounds like a bomb. C

Taio Cruz - Dynamite
Yes, it's pretty much a carbon copy of his other songs, but his sound remains a welcome addition to the radio. This isn't quite as good as his last one, but it's very addictive (especially, the ravey bridge). A-

3OH!3 (ft. Ke$ha) - First KissJeez, is there enough misplaced punctuation in this title? I think both of these artists are about as abominable as you can get and I wish they'd scurry back under the rocks they came from. That being said, this isn't as terrible as I expected it to be. It's still nothing that we'll remember in a couple of years. C

Neon Trees - Animal
One of the only rock hits on the radio right now, it benefits from sounding different. Good thing it's a deserving entry in the indie-rock summer hit playlist. That chorus is just great. A

Alexander Rybak - Why Not Me

"Kathy, why not me?"

Unless you're willing to wade through some serious schmaltz (and some very... interesting lyrics), I don't recommend Alexander Rybak's new album. There's certainly nothing as strong as Fairytale, nor is the overall quality up to that of his debut. But, there is one standout worth noting. Why Not Me is an interesting rock/pop song, partly because it's so straight forward. There's no mention of magic dolphins or drowning horses or any of the other odd stuff he usually sings about. Instead, we get a slightly 80's sounding rocker with (gasp!) a synthy violin riff following the chorus. It stands out from the rest of the album's tracks like crazy, and I think it's the direction he needs to keep heading if he hopes to continue finding success. Less of the awkward tributes to fan mail (5000 Letters) and comeback singles that sound like they're about pedophilia (Oah), please!

Alexander Rybak - Why Not Me by alienhits

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