Pop Blitz 7/16/10

Fefe Dobson - Ghost This sounds A LOT like the Veronicas and not much at all like Dobson's older stuff. It's more synth-heavy. I just wish it was a little less forgettable. Still think she's a dynamic performer, though. B-

McFly - Party Girl
Or, "McFly goes Gaga." They get points for trying something completely different, but they should have bypassed current trends (could this sound more '09-10?) and gone for a more classic dance sound. But it's somewhat promising. B

Swedish House Mafia (ft. Pharrell) - One
Great beat, massive sound, but will it be remembered this time next year? Doubt it. Though as far as club/dance songs go, I like this a lot more than I would have thought. B+

Usher - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love Again
As much as I hate to admit it, I was totally won over by OMG (though it took me two months). This just sounds like Taio Cruz. It's a good thing, and a step up from the usual Usher single, but I see it getting irritating fast. Then again, maybe it'll win me over, too. B-

JLS - The Club Is Alive
Wow, I actually dislike this quite a bit. It's so unimaginative and ticks all the current musical trends in the most boring way possible. I liked some of their earlier songs, but this is nearly unbearable. So dull. D+

Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak AmericanoThese novelty European dance hits just keep getting stranger and stranger. But even though I'm not a fan of the old-timey samples over modern beats thing, this is a better example of the genre than most. B

Professor Green (ft. Lily Allen) - Just Be Good To Green
Even Lily can't save this one. I really hate this Professor Green character. He's got one of the most irritating voices on pop radio. This is something I'd actively avoid, and if it wasn't for the Lily parts it would be an easy F. As it is, it's a solid D

Darin - Lovekiller

"You're a murderer!"

I wasn't going to write about this song because it's been so well-covered in the blogosphere already, but then I realized that some in my little corner of the internet may never hear this if I don't post it. And it's something to hear, for sure. It's as pop as pop gets, but bolstered by an enormous, rising melody and a one hell of a well-utilized backing choir. When it comes to Darin's music, I usually either love it or don't. I like him, definitely, but many of his past songs have veered too far into boyband territory. That being said, he's recorded a handful of brilliant tracks in the past and this might be the very best of them all. I'm a sucker for choirs in pop songs, and I hate it when they're used subtly. If you're gonna have a big honkin' choir, use the dang thing to its limit! No worries here, as the wall of voices screaming "murderer!" certainly attest to. This brilliant single is taken from Darin's upcoming fifth studio album, out next month. From what we've heard so far, it sounds like the album could end up being entirely (or mostly) ballads. If they're all this good, I won't be complaining.

Darin - Lovekiller by alienhits

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

Hotstreets - Complicated

"Let's get a little higher"

Yes! I love it when a song like this comes out of nowhere. This is so damn good I can't believe I haven't discovered it before (it was released back in February). Hotstreets is a side project from Under the Influence of Giants' David Amezcua and it has a similar sound to that band, though maybe with a little more r&b influence. This particular track, the single (and best song) is a huge driving dance rock masterpiece with the most exhilarating chorus I've heard in awhile. It starts out slow with a verse that sounds almost like it's emerging from underwater. Then the hook bursts the whole thing wide open and the song becomes what Thomas Troelsen's group Private would sound like if they were a rock band. It's one of those rare songs that just slayed me on the first listen. The rest of the album's worth checking out as well, though nowhere near as excellent as this single.

Hotstreets - Complicated 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.

The Hoosiers - Choices

"I will let the wind decide"

This single has been floating around for awhile and I've been meaning to write about it for just as long. I was an admirer of some of the Hoosiers' singles from their debut album, but never fell in love with the album itself. But now... now is a different story. The band has built on its pop/rock sound and drawn influence from early 80's new wave bands. There's a strong Buggles feeling here, which is a relatively specific sound I've been waiting to come back for a long time. Choices is an ideal single selection, and a great bridge from their old stuff to their new stuff. The melody's sharp and the vocals don't grate like they sometimes did on older songs. In short, it's got all the ingredients to be their best single yet, which makes it all the more frustrating that radio doesn't seem to be picking it up. Maybe they're waiting until closer to the album (out in August). Speaking of the album, I've heard another track and it's literally just as good as this one. I never expected to anticipate a Hoosiers release as much as I'm anticipating this one. It can't come soon enough.

The Hoosiers - Choices by alienhits

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

Sparks - Tryouts For The Human Race

"My oh my we wanna be someone"

Sperm. This song is about sperm. Or, more specifically, it's a song written from the sperm's perspective. I don't often post flashback tracks, but I was listening to this track (and the BRILLIANT album it comes from) this weekend and realized that it needed to be highlighted. If you're not a Sparks fan and have even a passing interest in the music I post on this blog, check them out immediately. They're one of the best bands of the 70's (and the 80's, 90's and 00's - they've been active for well over three decades). This massive 6-minute epic (from their disco period) tells the dramatic tale of sperm's quest to "be someone." It kicks off with a few lonely synths and slowly builds into a huge sound that's completely explosive by the end, including a catchy Village People-esque, rockier chorus. Sparks are known for writing pop songs about strange topics, but this is one of their most successful. It takes a unique point of view and creates quite a compelling narrative, then backs it with a sound bursting with electro drama -- especially the last 30 seconds. Wow. Who'd have thought?

Sparks - Tryouts For The Human Race 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.