Kite - Dance Again

"All those years were the best that I had"

In preparation for next week's release of their fifth EP (appropriately titled "V"), Swedish electronic duo Kite have shared another new track with us. Despite its upbeat title, Dance Again is actually a lot closer to a slow-burning, melodic, U2-style rock anthem than a club track. Of course, with them being an electronic band, the pieces that sound like they could be guitars if performed by another artist are icy keyboards when performed by Kite. it's an interesting juxtaposition between the production and the melody, and definitely one of the duo's more mainstream, song-focused tracks to date. It'll be interesting to see where they go from this.



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

Kim Cesarion - Undressed

"Cover your body with my autograph"

This track is the kind of 80's funky Prince-homage that Maroon 5 would kill to have. Kim Cesarion is from Sweden, and his music is sort of a cross between that country's Salem Al Fakir and Denmark's Thomas Troelsen. Most importantly, Cesarion's vocals have charisma dropping from every note. The lyrics are pretty damn direct to the point of being kind of humorous, but with this track it's really all about that huge chorus. It's absolutely destined for the top of the charts. And Scandinavia seems to agree, with the track approaching the top ten in Sweden and also doing well in Finland.



(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.

Capital Cities - Safe And Sound

"I could lift you up"

This song is killing it right now in Germany. At the time of this writing, it's number one on the singles chart. I mention this only because it surprises me, particularly since the song's been around for years (it must be part of some advertisement or something). I've known about it for quite some time myself, but looking at the itunes chart caused me to re-investigate. And really, it's a song worth a second look. The band seems to think so, too, as they've released a new music video and reignited conversation and buzz around their music. The song itself kind of reminds me of a more accessible Empire of the Sun. It's got that airy, organic dance sound that's perfect for a lazy Summer afternoon. We're not quite to Summer yet, but at least it brings to mind warm weather and long nights.



(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.

Annie - Tube Stops And Lonely Hearts

"Can't stop, I'm about to begin"

My musical relationship with Norway's Annie has been a bit rocky. I wanted to like her music so badly but it didn't hit me instantly. However, I knew it was something that would grow on me, so I worked at liking it, and eventually I came around. That might sound like the music's unapproachable or self-indulgent or something. It's really not. I think the thing that put me off initially was her unique, airy style of singing. I remember thinking that there wasn't a lot of presence (or any grit) in her voice, and for some reason that bothered me and stopped me from fully embracing her cool brand of pop. Whatever. I'm over it now, and I love all her stuff. This new track took no effort to like, from its instantly catchy verses to the breezy, cooler-than-cool production. I'm happy to have her back, and this time I promise I'll embrace the new music without a lot of fuss!



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