Set Fire Run - I Don't Mind At All

"At least it means we're talking again"

It's 2011's first Set Fire Run post! There are bound to be many more. These guys are going to be big this year, dammit! They've just got to be. The sheer amount of epic tunes they've churned out pre-album is staggering. This is the latest: a herky-jerky synth attack that's been lodged in my head for the past week or so. With many of my favorite Swedish bands reaching their later years, it's about time we get a new breed on the radio. I would be overjoyed if Set Fire Run were a part of that. The guys have a new facebook page for their new name and, if you're not a "fan" of it yet, I urge you to go there and become one. They're always posting exclusive streams of tracks and tend to reveal more when they get more fans. It's a new age in the recording industry. Online and fan support is more important than ever. And Set Fire Run deserve to have an army behind them.

I Don't Mind At All by setfirerun

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

Hoffmaestro - Round It Goes

"And the world keeps turning"

I heard this recently on Swedish radio and instantly loved it. I've written about Hoffmaestro before (the ridiculously energetic Ibracadabra is an epic party song), even though they don't necessarily fit the normal "sound" that I usually post. They're one of those groups that operate in a gray area, with production that melds together many different genres. The overriding sound, though, is definitely ska. But in this case it's not the sound that made me post this. It's the catchy, insistent melody (especially that rambunctious chorus). There's something refreshing about a song like this. It bucks current trends and relies on something more classically feel-good to become a hit.



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

Salem Al Fakir - Split My Personality (Bassflow Remix)

"I leave the good and bad behind"

Bassflow is one of my favorite production houses out there right now. Their trademark, surging sound never disappoints. I'm convinced that they can take any song and make it magic. This track, one of the least memorable from Salem Al Fakir's solid 2010 album, has been turned into something quite epic with this radio remix. One of the biggest gripes I had with the album last year was that Salem only seemed to take his new electronic direction halfway. The tracks that were more experimental were amazing, but the second half of the album was bogged down by more traditional fare (the original of this song being an example). Luckily, by replacing some tracks and scrubbing up the playlist order, the album was easy to rejigger into something great. And now I can add this fantastic club hit to the fold. It may just end up eclipsing everything else. The production brings out the melody to perfection.

Salem Al Fakir - Split My Personality (Bassflow Remix) by alienhits

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

Christian TV - When She Turns 18

"I know how to treat her right"

I've been listening to this track for nearly half a year now but wanted to finally post it at the beginning of 2011 because I think there's a good chance Christian TV could become big in the next twelve months. It really hinges on the songs he releases. The reason I say this is because, of the three tracks he's posted, I'm absolutely in love with this one but don't care for the other two. The gap in quality is actually kind of staggering. This is a full blown electro-dance-rock single with attitude-filled vocals reminiscent of Thomas Troelsen's from the Danish band Private. In fact, it's got a very Danish-pop sound to it (those that follow this blog closely may know what I mean by that... maybe?). And from the looks of the video, this guy's got some serious pop star potential. I'm a bit worried he'll end up going down the Ke$ha route (ie: sleazy to the point of being beyond irritating), but right now I'm cautiously optimistic.

When She Turns 18 by christiantv

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

Eva & The Heartmaker - Signals

"I'm calling out tonight"

Whew! I'm done with the Ark posts, at least for now. But I'm not moving very far geographically. From Sweden to Norway, I've got a great new pop track to kick off the new year. Eva & The Heartmaker have already released one single (and it's doing pretty well), but it's this second single that truly has me interested in them. From the jumpy Van Halen meets Goldfrapp synths to the Alphabeat boogie-synth beat, this just about ticks all the right boxes. It's one of those sweet little pop songs that seems to grow on you each listen. I can see this kicking off a big career for this duo in Scandinavia. Rather than soundcloud the song as usual, I'm offering a youtube stream (the band has the song set to private on soundcloud for god knows what reason...), but if you friend them on facebook you can hear a higher quality stream.



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

The Ark - Breaking Up With God

"Find my own heaven alive"

I don't usually post on weekends, but what would an Ark tribute be without a reveal of their new single? I've been listening to this for several days now, and I can safely say that this is up with their best material. While I was disappointed with their last album, this is truly a return to form. It's a combination of all of their best sounds -- epic glam rock, 80's style disco, and thoughtful, uplifting lyrics both skewering and celebrating religion. It's a brilliant way to end their career (love those choirs and guitars in the middle eight) and really makes the whole idea of a band break-up that much more bittersweet. I wasn't sure they still had this kind of song in them (production from the man behind In Lust We Trust certainly helps). This is the song I've been waiting for!

Breaking Up With God by theark

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