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Thursday, June 05, 2014

5 Seconds Of Summer - She Looks So Perfect


"I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart"

Sometimes my rapid consumption of music proves to be my own worst enemy. I scan global itunes charts like a fiend and scroll through blogs at hyper speed. When I see something that's suddenly blowing up around the world, my first thought is that it's probably trendy, lowest-common-denominator stuff, soon to be overplayed on every American radio station. I don't know why. I mean, I'm not a music snob (clearly, since most of what I post here would be called "guilty pleasures," at best, by "cool" music aficionados). But, I also know how music these days is as viral as youtube videos. Just because something is suddenly everywhere, it doesn't mean that it's a good song, or even a song at all (The Chainsmokers' godawful Selfie immediately comes to mind). So, a few months ago I saw that this 5 Seconds Of Summer track was surging to the top of the charts worldwide. I gave the itunes preview a spin, and within thirty seconds judged that it was the kind of teen pop-punk that I wasn't really into. What a mistake. Had I bothered to listen to the song in full, or watch the music video, I would've realized that the track shares just as much with bombastic 80's stadium rock as it does with... let's say... Sum 41 or Fall Out Boy. This is a pop track that deserves the hype. Every once and awhile something like this comes around, like with One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful a couple of years ago. It's just a brilliant, classic slice of pop that would've smashed in any decade, and will forever be the band's calling card. You only need to listen to it once to be won over, and even if you wanna be snobby about it, you really can't deny that hook. I hope the band's album follows suit. Their newest single, Don't Stop, is a good start. The world could use another Mcfly-ish power pop band.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Dami Im - Super Love


"They can't bring us down, down, down"

I adored Dami Im when she was on (and won) Australian X-Factor. Weird, then, that when her debut single was released a few weeks ago, I had an initial reaction that was kind of cold. The cartoony outfit they stuck her in for parts of the music video certainly didn't help. More than that, I dismissed the track as an EDM, Avicii rip-off, which I am so so sick of. And that's partly true. It is a rip-off, down to that country-esque breakdown that they haven't quite committed to after the chorus. But then something strange happened. The melody stuck. And stuck. And I can't get it out of my head. The song has gotten better with every single listen and I'm now a total convert. Judging from the Australian itunes charts, I'm not the only one. Dami Im's voice remains remarkable, and cuts through any calculation that might otherwise sink the song. This is good stuff, and I'm angry with myself for not realizing it right off the bat. Plus, Dami recently met with K-Pop Star BoA, and her surprised enthusiasm reminded me just why I fell in love with her in the first place.

Super Love by Dami Im on Grooveshark

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Prides - Messiah


"Say you'll be my messiah"

It's great fun to stumble upon a band without knowing anything about them. I love being drawn in by only the music, not worrying what the group's done in the past or where they might go in the future. It was like this with Messiah, by UK band Prides. The song's got that big-sounding hybrid of synth and rock that I just love, and once it gets all chanty (think Bastille's Pompeii) towards the end, the song has well and truly clicked with me. The guys have only released four songs so far. This is the best, but I like their general sound quite a bit. They seem primed for a breakthrough, and I have a feeling that with the right single, they could find that Bastille-level success. My advice? Don't ever tone down the synths, and go for the epic and melodic. Of course, that's always my advice!!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Monday, June 02, 2014

Robin - Kesärenkaat


Out of seemingly nowhere, Finnish pop star Robin has released yet another single. This time, it's not actually from his latest album. Instead, it's part of a campaign for condom use in Finland. Yes, you read that right. Scandinavia -- ever progressive Scandinavia -- has enlisted its biggest 15-year-old singer for a condom campaign. Can you imagine what FOX news would have to say about that in good ol' America? Ha! I love it. Anyways, the song (and video) is all about biking in the summer. Rough Kesärenkaat translation: "Summer tires" = summer rubber = rubbers. Get it? It's all silly but clever and also kind of fantastic. Plus, it's the second song by a Finnish pop act this year about bike riding, that's really not about bike riding at all (wink, wink). Kliff's excellent Mun Jopo is the other. Plus, the subject matter makes for a music video that's mostly breezy fun, but also kind of awkward as it reaches the 2:51 mark onwards. But, putting that all aside, the song itself is marvelous. It's a perfect summer concoction, reminiscent of Robin's 2013 smash, Boom Kah.

Kesärenkaat by Robin on Grooveshark

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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