Markus Krunegård - Du Stör Dig Hårt På Mig (Bassflow Remake)

I just love this pairing. As longtime readers know, Bassflow is one of my ultimate all-time favorite producers. Everything he remixes or produces is pure gold. And Markus Krunegård is the vocalist for one of my favorite Swedish bands (the now defunct Laakso). Add these two together and you get something very special--an off kilter pop song married to that sweet dance beat. It also reminds me that I really need to delve deeper into Krunegård's solo material. He's been pretty prolific and popular in Sweden since Laakso ended. This serves as a nice and easy reintroduction. I love the tropical-sounding synths used after the chorus, and the driving beat is on point as usual. I've got a long playlist of Bassflow remixes on my ipod and it's literally the best workout music ever.



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

Ruth Lorenzo - Gigantes

After what seems like forever waiting, Ruth Lorenzo's debut album finally has a release date! Planet Azul will be out on October 28th. After the magnificent Dancing In The Rain earlier year, my anticipation is certainly at a fever pitch. Ruth's impossibly gigantic voice is on full display in her new anthemic single, Gigantes. The song is performed in Spanish, as will the rest of the album, but it's easy for the listener to get the feel of the track regardless of what language they speak. Gigantes is nowhere near as instant as Dancing was, but it does paint a portrait of a mature, elegant artist with a sound not entirely unlike Shakira's pre-American stuff. I'd imagine that it's also probably a good indicator of what the album as a whole will sound like. If that's the case, it will be perfect for the tail end of Autumn.



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

Billy Idol - Postcards From The Past

"Yesterday is history"

I had no idea that I thirsted for, of all things, a Billy Idol comeback in 2014. And then I heard this track, and instantly wondered why I haven't been pining for this for years. Idol's last studio album was almost a decade ago and, from what I can remember, wasn't all that great. This time, he's enlisted the help of AMAZING producer/writer Trevor Horn. Horn understands how to bring Idol's 80's swagger into the present while still maintaining what made the music awesome in the first place. Also, I very much believe that a whopping 100% of what Horn touches is gold (see his one-two punch of Scissor Sisters and Kylie Minogue albums a few years back). So far, Idol has released two tracks from the upcoming album. Both are excellent, but Postcards From The Past is the one that instantly caught my attention because it sounds very much like his 80's stuff. That chorus! That production! That trademark, sneering voice! If the entire album is this good, then we've got an awesome surprise on our hands.



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

Cheryl Cole - I Don't Care

"I'm screaming, I don't care"

It's been awhile since I was into a Cheryl Cole single. In fact, not since 2012's still-awesome Call My Name have I felt the need to write about her music. Refreshingly, her new song I Don't Care is a gimmick-free, classic melodic dance track that doesn't sound at all like it wants to be trendy. The beat, while not new or unusual, is amazing from the start and the melody hooks as it wraps deliciously around the production. I don't expect that this will be Cheryl's new sound, and I'm actually kind of surprised that they chose it as a single, but I'm happy that she's up for recording something like this. It'll be interesting to see how the public takes to it. I can't help think that this is more of a Summer single, but I definitely understand that she'll want to ride the publicity of her return to the X-Factor UK (which is looking pretty good so far this year).



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