This is not a new song at all. Frontside Ollie has been around since early last year in Finland. In its original format, it's a cute little pop/rock track sung by an artist commonly referred to as "Finland's Justin Bieber." The original is fine as far as teen pop goes, but recently I've become a little obsessed with this remixed version that appeared on the reissue of the debut album. The entirety of the original track is in there, but it's surrounded by a sledgehammer of warm synths that really put it over the edge and make this something really special. This is my kind of dance production. Clean, funky and more on the pop side as far as remixes go. No clue what the kid is saying, but it doesn't matter. This is great Spring/Summer listening.
(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.
I've been looking forward to this project for awhile now. Midnight Boy is the new alias of Sweden's Johan Krafman, who I wrote about on the blog a few years ago. He's got some excellent Tony Nilsson penned tracks, but never released a full album. Now, with Midnight Boy, he's gone full on 80's with an excellent, funky slice of synthpop. This is my kind of thing, through and through. From the polished, crisp production to the confident vocals and oh-so-catchy hook, the song has it all. A video's out later in the week and I'm hoping this begins a new stage in Krafman's career. Everything seems right for a big pop splash in Sweden (and hopefully beyond). Mostly, though, I just selfishly want more music from him!
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the song (worldwide on itunes) here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
For some reason, I've recently been drawn to Finland when on the lookout for new pop music. When I think of Finnish music, the first thing that pops into my head is dark, symphonic goth metal. That's still their specialty, but there's a burgeoning pop movement happening right now as well. Haloo Helsinki! are a rock/punk band who have been around for a couple of years, but they're really riding high with their fourth album, Maailma on tehty meitä varten. It's got a definite 80's/early 90's pop influence, and that's most apparent on the brilliant single, Huuda. You don't have to speak Finnish to enjoy this. From the monster beat to the bright production to the singalong hook, it's incredibly easy to love from the get-go.
(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.
It seems like I've been writing about Tyson forever (and with good reason). It started with Unklejam in 2006, which he was a part of, and continued on during the following years with his slow dribble of excellent singles. I knew that he released a full-length last year, but I figured I'd heard most of the songs (especially the good ones). But then, his newest single (the fabulous Mr. Rain) became an unexpected hit in Germany and I'm back writing about his again! This is the very best track he's given us yet, a slow-building, pulsating 80's electro anthem that sounds exactly like Tina Turner circa the Private Dancer era. Nobody is doing anything like this right now. It's flamboyant, passionate and really just a lot of fun. Honestly, all it takes is one listen to this track and you will be impossibly addicted.
(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.
...Transmissions come in from outposts all over the universe... Unfamiliar melodies stream into our radios... Fronted by colorful aliens with big voices... The music begins to catch on ... It's in our heads and it refuses to leave... And we like it...
