Pop Blitz 4/29/11 (UK Edition)

In honor of the Royal Wedding (which I really don't care about), today's Pop Blitz only features music from the UK (which I really care about!)

The Feeling - Set My World On Fire
The formerly popular soft-rockers return with an uplifting, breezy single that has an undeniable chorus. This could easily be irritating, but I'm really loving it. It's got such a buoyant sound. A-

Nero - Guilt
A dark, sleazy beat supports airy vocals. It's an interesting contrast and sets this club track apart from all of the other hundreds out there. Not a classic, but very enjoyable. B+

Wretch 32 - Unorthodox
This features Example, which can only be a good thing, but still fails to make much of an impact (even with a hooky Stone Roses sample). At least it's not offensive to the ears like many similar tracks are. B-

Clare Maguire - The Shield And The Sword
Maguire's singles just keep getting better (and there are plenty more ready on her album). This is slightly more uptempo than her releases thus far, with a powerful, grandiose melody. A

Olly Murs - Busy
Well, if you've heard his other singles (or any of Jason Mraz's), you've heard this. I really have a bit of a thing against this "back porch" throwaway rock. It's supposed to be "chill" and everything, but it just fizzles into nothing. C

Jessie J - Nobody's Perfect
I've yet to understand any of the hype surrounding this artist. Her first single was alright, the second was horrible, and this one goes nowhere. I still don't get why people like this. C-

Birdy - Skinny Love
Now this seems a little more special, especially taking in the artist's age (she's only 14). The song's a cover, but the voice is the true standout here. With only a piano for support, it's really pretty stunning. A-

I've had my say, now it's time for yours! What's your favorite song of this week's blitz?

Pop Blitz 4/29/11 Your Choice!

The Feeling - Set My World On FireNero - GuiltWretch 32 - UnorthodoxClare Maguire - The Shield & The SwordOlly Murs - BusyJessie J - Nobody's PerfectBirdy - Skinny Love

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Wolf Gang - The King And All Of His Men (New Version)

"Why don't you stop fighting me?"

Quick post today. I wrote about this song two months ago, but it's been re-recorded for the album and is EVEN AWESOMER! Yes, in the case of this song, "awesomer" is a word. I loved it before, but I love it even more now. There's an electronic oomph added to this version that fulfills the enormous potential that the song's always had. We'll see if the album follows suit (I've liked all of the singles so far), but if not, at least he's given us this fantastic song.

The King and All Of His Men by wolfgang

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listens to the other tracks on the sampler here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Oh My! - Run This Town

"Never wanna see you again"

I had meant to write about this when I first heard it a couple months ago, but it fell by the wayside. No more, because this track (and band) is too good not to post. Oh My! are UK rap-popper Example's new girl group (who ever thought Example would be big enough to have his own girl group?) and this is their first single. It's a little Lily Allen, a little Girls Aloud and a little bit of Example's own influence. And though the chanted chorus is ridiculously catchy, this is more of an "attitude track" than anything. As a statement of intent and an introduction to these girls' obvious swagger, it really can't be beat. In a lot of ways, it's the perfect buzz single. And the best part is, the song is freely downloadable from their soundcloud page! Here's hoping they can build on the quality with the next release.

OH MY! Run This Town by OhMyOfficial

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

Vincent - The Moment I Met You

"I'll follow you wherever you go"

I am in love with Vincent's new music. I liked his old stuff, too, but there's something really special about this album campaign so far. In a lot of ways, it's classic Swedish indie-pop -- a little bit of the Caesars here, a little Erik Hassle there. But most importantly, the melodies are incredibly tight. This track, his next single, has a mammoth chorus. It's one of those sing-it-to-the-rafters, Melodifestivalen/Eurovision hooks (though this is anything but glossy dance pop). It reminds me of what I'd imagine a band like the Whyte Seeds producing if they were still making music. I love Sweden, not only for its always excellent dance pop, but for this! This simply wouldn't exist anywhere else.



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

Set Fire Run - A Trauma

"Can't you see this is a trauma?"

Every few months I like to post a Set Fire Run track. It serves two purposes: 1. It reminds everyone how consistently amazing they are, and 2. On the off chance you're visiting this blog for the first time, you get to discover one of this moment's best (and criminally underrated) bands. As a review, Set Fire Run used to be known as Dyno. They've crafted nearly enough perfect pop nuggets to fill two albums, have worked with the wonderful Erik Hassle, and are generally awesome. A Trauma is another in their arsenal of should-be-number-one hits -- a propulsive, synth-drenched anthem just waiting for radio to sit up and pay attention. This is grade-A pop music. I don't know what else I can say, really. I'll let the music speak for itself. It's just perfect. The guys really need an army of fans over on their facebook page, so if you haven't already "liked" them, please go and do so now. You won't regret it. They tend to stream a lot of their wonderful songs on the page for their fans.

A Trauma by Set Fire Run

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