Flashback Friday: The Shorts - Comment Ca Va

"Comme ci, comme ci, comme ci, comme ça"

The Shorts were a Dutch boyband active during the 80's, and I'm sure they released quite a few wonderful tracks, but it's this irresistible single that they're most known for. You don't have to speak Dutch (or French) to enjoy this--though their is an English version available, if you're so inclined. It's one of those songs I could imagine being played at an Oktoberfest somewhere, which is not a bad thing at all. It's so easy to sing along to, and has the feel of a big, crowd-pleasing folk song. It's the kind of track that could have only come out of Europe. In fact, it's pretty much a stereotype of "European" music. This means that it probably sounds pretty chintzy and lame to some Europeans, but to a Yank like me, it's utterly charming.



(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.

Tegan and Sara - Closer

"I won't treat you like you're typical"

I'm so glad to see Tegan & Sara releasing new material and continuing to be relevant in the pop world. I first fell in love with their music back with the still-awesome single Walking With A Ghost and its corresponding album. Since then, they've released some other nice singles and collaborations, but I can't say I was expecting something so modern, glossy and propulsive when it came to their 2012 comeback. Closer is everything Ladyhawke's most recent album should have been. It's extremely instant and commercial sounding, but manages to still keep the cool indie edge that the duo have had since they burst onto the scene. It should see their profile rise quite a bit, as I could see dance producers having a field day with this. Top of the charts, please. That's where this belongs.



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

TVXQ - Catch Me

"Catch me if you wanna"

This could be the year that Alienhits goes K-Pop. Not all the way, of course, but it is the year where the rising genre has really connected with me. I'm not often one for music sung in other languages (though there are more than a handful of non-English Melodifestivalen and Eurovision songs that are some personal favorites), but of late I've really been gravitating towards the idea. Maybe it's because lyrics in English songs have become so trite and repetitive, but to be honest I've always been more of a production and melody person anyway. It's what hits me first and most strongly when listening to a song. And non-English tracks do have their benefit. Not knowing what the singers are saying means I get to impart whatever wonderful meaning I want on the songs. It's really quite freeing! Moving on, this track and video was just released and I find it absolutely stunning. This, to me, looks and sounds like the future. In a lot of ways (and I don't want this to sound racial in anyway, because it's not), it truly hearkens back to the title of this blog: #1 Hits From Another Planet. Yeah, there are definite elements that sound like what's on the American charts at the moment, but it's somehow bigger, stranger and much more ambitious.

For those curious, here are a few other K-Pop tracks I've been obsessing over (I seem to gravitate towards the male groups. Much of the girl-group stuff just kind of sounds like Gaga-esque, production-heavy American pop).

Exo-K: Mama, History, What Is Love (My fav. k-pop group right now. Epic stuff)
Beast: Breath (simply an awesome beat)
Shinee: Lucifer (when that double beat kicks in at the second chorus... wow), Sherlock
Bigbang: Fantastic Baby, Monster

So, K-pop fans (and I know you're out there!), what am I missing? What should I listen to??



(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.

Britt Love - Music Makes You Lose Control

"Come on, I command you"

Oh, Britt Love. It was such a nice surprise to see her on this season of X-Factor UK, but such a disappointment that she didn't make it through to judge's houses. Still, I hope the show gave her a bit more exposure, because this is an artist worth breaking into the big time. Music Makes You Lose Control is a brand new track she posted earlier today and, like her other solo stuff, is an excellent slice of funky electro pop. The song samples Abba's Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight),
which--although overused--is never a misstep. But it doesn't rely on that sample, focusing instead on some propulsive production and a big, bombastic sound. I hope we get a Britt Love solo album sometime. Until then, I'll just have to listen to all the unreleased Mini Viva tracks!


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

Melody Club - Let's Celebrate

"I will follow you through the night"

Instead of releasing a new album (grr...), Alienhits favs Melody Club have put out a Best Of collection. Now, I understand that this is a necessary step for any band who've been lucky to last more than a couple of studio albums, but I really want more new stuff from them! Luckily, there are two new tracks on the Best Of. We've already heard Paralyzed, which was okay, and now we have Crossfire, which is better. It's pretty much classic Melody Club... kind of like Destiny Calling mixed with The Hunter. If, for some reason, you've not listened to any of Melody Club's material yet, I really envy the treat that you're in for when looking back at their Greatest Hits. There's a reason that they're part of my "Holy Trinity of Swedish Music." As the title of the album suggest, we need to celebrate their massive pop accomplishments--and look forward to a future that (hopefully) will be filled with more music.



(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.