Urban Cone - Kings and Queens

"Let's talk about your biggest dreams"

Sweden specializes in a certain type of music--a hybrid of electronica, indie and dance with a hint of that Scandinavian accent. Bands like The Tough Alliance or Lo-Fi-Funk come to mind immediately when I think about this. I think I can now add the strangely named Urban Cone to that list as well. I know very little about the band, but the moment I heard this track, with its persistent, bright synth and Sound-Of-Arrows-esque vocals, I knew that I was listening to something both familiar and special in its own right. I love the atmospheric production and the anthemic, yet restrained, hook.



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

Madeon - Finale

"Go out fighting, go out young"

My Summers tend to be about ten times as busy as the rest of the year (that's why posts don't always come every day), and I'm often looking for some pump-me-up music to keep myself awake and energetic. I think this totally fits the bill. Madeon is an amazing, prolific, young new French producer. This is his latest track and it's an absolute behemoth of a song. Incorporating elements of dubstep, UK rock and dance, it's the kind of track that makes me want to run up a mountain, pump my fists and just scream up to the sky. In other words, screw energy drinks. This'll get you up in the morning.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to more of his stuff here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

RAC (ft. Penguin Prison) - Hollywood (The Magician Remix)

"I'm not your friend anymore"

I heard this song the other day and said to myself: "that voice sounds very familiar." I was very pleased that I could accurately peg the vocals as Penguin Prison's before I actually learned the song title/details. Hollywood is the result of awesome production by RAC (André Allen Anjos & Chris Glover, from my birth town of Portland, Oregon) and the aforementioned PP vocals. It is, from first listen, an amazingly catchy slice of retro synth pop. I mean... that chorus! It's good to have Penguin Prison back in any capacity, but to have it as part of a track so hit-worthy is even better. The original version and remixes are all available for free download on soundcloud, but it's this particular remix that, to me, is the definitive version. It adds the necessary bounce to the track without extending it to something that wouldn't be appropriate for radio.



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

No Doubt - Settle Down

"I'm trying to get a hold on this"

No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, along with Savage Garden's debut, were the first two albums I owned. Both continue to be favorites. I was absolutely OBSESSED with No Doubt in high school and as I went onto college and life, they never let me down. So it's a great pleasure to post this song today, their first new single in nearly a decade. Their upcoming album, out in September, was one of those holy grail type records that it seemed would never actually be released. Now it's actually happening! So, given all of this excitement, is the single actually worth it? I think the answer's yes and no. I wish it was a little more Tragic Kingdom and less Rock Steady, and that it was more of a big, brash comeback statement kind of track. But, like some of their best songs, I think it's a bit of a grower. I listened to it this morning and wasn't really all that impressed. Then I listened to it a few more times in preparation for this post and I'm already liking it much better. More than the single, though, I need the album. I can't think of any other album I'm anticipating more this year.



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