Walk The Moon - Shut Up And Dance

"This moment is my destiny"

I've been so plugged into the international music scene of late that I haven't had my finger on the pulse of U.S. based music. This song by Walk The Moon completely passed me by until I heard it on the radio today. I've heard this band's name before but I don't remember where. I certainly hadn't given them a listen, but now I'm excited to peruse their back catalog. Shut Up And Dance is the exact kind of power-pop/rock track that I adore without hesitation. The moment that driving beat and crunchy, rifftastic guitar comes in, I'm in heaven. This song actually reminds me of something that could've been on My First Band's Corazon album earlier this year. It's an old school rocker... catchy from the word "go" and never letting up in energy. The album's out in a few weeks. If it's anything like this, we're in for a late year surprise of the best kind.



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

Stig - Roy Orbison

Okay, this is kind of a random song today, but as I've been enjoying more and more Finnish music, I'm always browsing through Finland's itunes page for new tracks. This morning I just happened to run across this song, Roy Orbison, by oddball artist Stig. At first glance, I thought Stig was a lot older than he is, and was surprised to find out that he's only five years older than me. He's definitely got that weirdo Tobias-from-Arrested-Development vibe going on. The music, on the other hand, is divine. The synth alone is so cool, but the hook is also indelible from the first listen. The entire thing is smooth and polished and just easy as hell to enjoy. I find it funny that his wikipedia page lists his genres as hip hop, R&B, rap, country, and folk. This isn't any of those. Maybe a tiny bit hip-hop, but not really. I'm excited to explore the other things he's released.



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

DGNA - Rilla Go!

When it comes to music, I'm incredibly visual. That might sound strange when talking about an art form that is auditory by nature, but more and more I'm finding that visuals--from stage costumes to music videos to album covers and fonts--play a very important role in how I discover and enjoy new music. It was the visual that first drew me to DGNA's new song. In the realm of k-pop, DGNA are a small fish that I wasn't very familiar with prior to Rilla Go. But, I love a jungle/tribal theme (no idea why, to be honest) and when I saw the teaser to this video, with its campy jungle-wear, I was instantly curious. It turns out that the track itself is worthy of that curiosity, from its guitar-strumming verses to the explosive chorus. I'd like to see these guys gain popularity fast, because this is easily one of my most underrated K-Pop tracks of the year.



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

Julia Vero - How Does It Feel

"I will go on"

I have scandipop to thank for this one. The moment they said that this song sounded like Roxette in their prime, I knew that I had to give it a listen. And luckily, the description turned out to be quite apt. The chorus of this moody, 90's-esque midtempo is pure Roxette circa the Crash! Boom! Bang! era. It's a sound that I didn't even realized I'd missed until I heard this. Just proper, emotive songwriting without a gimmick. Julia Vera hails from Sweden and has released some other stuff before this, but How Does It Feel is the type of song that simply shouts "breakthrough single." I'm really hoping it happens for her. I am 1000% onboard with this 90's resurgence.



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