Against Me! - White Crosses & I Was A Teenage Anarchist

"White crosses on the church lawn, I wanna smash them all"

Sometimes you're just three years late. I was travelling to Kentucky last week and listening to the newly launched EW radio on Sirius XM. They played this song I Was A Teenage Anarchist by punk band Against Me and I was instantly smitten. Of course, I knew about Against Me prior to this. I remember reading great reviews of their 2007 album New Wave, but I always thought they were too "punk" for me. And a lot of their songs are not exactly to my tastes. But I think it's awesome that their lead singer came out as transgendered and that they write political lyrics in an age of cut and paste rock music. Lead singer Laura Jane Grace's voice reminds me of a growlier John Cameron Mitchell of Hedwig & The Angry Inch fame. The first four tracks off their 2010 album White Crosses, are nothing short of epic. I wanted to share the first two today in the hope that you guys will be as pumped about them as I am. I love this kind of highly charged, soaring anthemic punk rock (kinda reminds me of Foxy Shazam, who also released their best work in 2010). It's never too late to discover an awesome band.



(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.

Austin Mahone - What About Love

"What about our promises?"

Ugh. I shouldn't like this. I didn't want to like this. Austin Mahone's management is clearly trying to set him up as the "new Justin Bieber" now that Beiber's gone rogue, and until this song I didn't think he had a chance. But they brought in the big guns, enlisting RedOne to produce this track. And my god, it worked. This is totally bringing me back to the teen pop heyday of 1998-2000. It could've been on any of the 'Nsync or Backstreet Boys albums. It's refreshingly melodic in a sugary way, with a video that wouldn't have been out of place thirteen years ago. I don't know if they intentionally meant to create such a flashback, but in doing so they're really going to please us older pop fans. This feels more like something that would've come out in Sweden--not America. It'll be interesting to see if he can gain Bieber-like popularity. The song already seems to be doing pretty well for him.



(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.

Bullock Hearts - The Moment

"I can feel it grabbing hold like a dreamer in the night"

Call me immature and juvenile, but I can’t get over this band’s name. The first time I saw it in writing, I mistook "bullock" for "buttock," and honestly some things you just can’t unsee. Band name aside, this is a totally refreshing song. It’s their debut in their native Sweden and seems to be doing well for them. Unlike the club tracks thrown out by most of their peers, Bullock Hearts is going for earnest, hyper-melodic balladry. This is a big, beat-your-chest-while-singing anthem. It’s got a slight country feeling, but not in a bad way. I’d actually compare it more to the power ballads from the 80’s. It’s the kind of song that would appeal to everybody--so pleasant and straightforward and well done that it can’t be faulted. Again, this is a definite compliment, especially in a radio landscape where this kind of music is deemed “old fashioned” and pretty much wiped from the airwaves.



(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.

Diviney - Sex Games

"I stole a kiss from you, but I need more"

Diviney is back with a new single! I couldn't be more excited. The band is, of course, Shaun Diviney (formerly of Short Stack) and his cohorts. He/they released the brilliant You're So Cool last year, which had a funky INXS-vibe to it that I latched onto immediately. Sex Games follows suit, adding plenty of keyboards to the mix. It wouldn't sound out of place on Short Stack's last album, but he does seem to be going for a lighter, poppier sound. No complaints here. I still think he's one of the most charismatic frontmen out there right now and I can't wait to hear the rest of the EP, which is due to be released in a couple weeks. I hope Australia (and maybe the world) will embrace this as much as they did his former band. It's the kind of cool, catchy pop/rock that the radio could use more of nowadays.



(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.