Son Of A Kid - Consider This Self-Defense

"I'm not afraid to enter the fray"

Sweden's Son Of A Kid (once part of the excellent synth-pop group Dyno/Set Fire Run) has been releasing new demos at a blistering pace. Many of them haven't connected that strongly with me, but they are only demos, so that's to be expected. This track, though, sounds like something that could have been released by Dyno. It's got that driving, full-production sound, especially in the chorus. It's what I first fell in love with when I heard this band/artist, and I'm glad to see that it's still in full force. I also like the lyrics and title, which promise the kind of emotive, aggressive pop song that definitely appeals to me. Best of all, the song can be downloaded for free by following the link below!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Listen to (and download) his other stuff here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Two new songs by two of my favorite indie artists!

I've talked about both Son of a Kid and Tyson a lot on this blog and I don't necessarily have anything new to discuss, but I still wanted to feature this pair of tracks since they were just unleashed upon the world.

Son Of A Kid - Maybe We Could Be Enemies
Son of a Kid is really amping up with a fistful of excellent pop tracks. The beat on this one is just perfect. It's smart, quirky and--as always--expertly produced. And it's available for free download!

Maybe We Could Be Enemies by sonofakid

Tyson - After You're Gone
Tyson's new selection is a slow-burning, dramatic piece of 80's synth-soul. In other words, it's a natural continuation of everything he's already put out. He's on his way to an excellent debut album.

After You're Gone by TYSON

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

Son Of A kid - Run Sucker Run

"You're staring into a loaded gun"

First they were Dyno, then Set Fire Run, and now it's Son Of A Kid. Luckily, with all of the name changes, the music hasn't changed all that much. It's remained incredibly strong. Son Of A Kid is now a solo project, but you're still gonna love it. Run Sucker Run packs a walloping chorus and some awesome, swirling production tricks. And best of all, it's up for free download! If you like this, I'd urge you to check out his other tracks on soundcloud, particularly the very 80's, all French Libertine (which is also a free download). I get the sense that this project is in its experimental phase and there's a lot of interesting stuff happening. Hopefully we'll get some solid news about possible releases down the line.

Run Sucker Run by sonofakid

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

Son Of A Kid - Like You

"She asked me what my dreams were"

My beloved Set Fire Run (formerly known as Dyno) have changed their name yet again and are now Son Of A Kid. They've been a little vague about the reasoning behind this and what exactly it means, but it seems as if there's been a bit of shift in focus from the trio towards more of an individual artist. I could be wrong, though. What's important is that the music's still coming. Along with the name change, we've got a new song. Like You has been recorded in both a Son of a Kid version and a Set Fire Run version. Not being one to let things go easily, I'm a bit obsessed with the Set Fire Run recording. As usual, the standard's incredibly high. It might not be 100% commercial or trendy, but this is real pop music. Let's hope the third time's the charm and these guys break out the way they deserve to!

Like You (Set Fire Run version) by sonofakid

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

Set Fire Run - I Don't Mind At All

"At least it means we're talking again"

It's 2011's first Set Fire Run post! There are bound to be many more. These guys are going to be big this year, dammit! They've just got to be. The sheer amount of epic tunes they've churned out pre-album is staggering. This is the latest: a herky-jerky synth attack that's been lodged in my head for the past week or so. With many of my favorite Swedish bands reaching their later years, it's about time we get a new breed on the radio. I would be overjoyed if Set Fire Run were a part of that. The guys have a new facebook page for their new name and, if you're not a "fan" of it yet, I urge you to go there and become one. They're always posting exclusive streams of tracks and tend to reveal more when they get more fans. It's a new age in the recording industry. Online and fan support is more important than ever. And Set Fire Run deserve to have an army behind them.

I Don't Mind At All by setfirerun

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

Set Fire Run - Roki Road

"I know it will take me home"

Alienhits favorites Dyno have officially changed their name to Set Fire Run. I'm not really super excited or super annoyed (just sort of ambivalent), but it does give me an excuse to post another of their amazing pop songs. Roki Road has been around for awhile and is a prime example of this band's world-conquering synth-flavored sound. They are THE unjustly ignored band of 2010. Of course, they've yet to release much officially so I'm hoping that all this name-change business means that they're getting closer to invading radios (right where they should be). I feel like this is the full potential that the Killers never quite realized. The melodies are always tight, the production is flawless and the vocals are incredibly charismatic. This is definitely the kind of band I created this blog for.

Set Fire Run - Roki Road by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Friend them (under their new name) on facebook here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Dyno - Back

"I close my eyes and let myself go"

I haven't written about Dyno in some time here on alienhits, and it's a shame because they are one of the absolute best new bands of the year. Of the 17 tracks I've heard, they've yet to have a single misstep. They're that rare band where you know you're going to get a little pop epic every single time they release a song. Back is one of their newer songs, and yet another example of their hyper-catchy, lush synth sound. It begins a little tentative before launching into a propulsive, fist-in-the-air chorus. The guys have an EP coming out soon, followed by (hopefully) an album. I can't help but think that these guys are not getting the support, both online and in traditional press, that they deserve. They are seriously more amazing than 99% of music out there right now, and exactly the type of sound this blog was created to highlight. And on another note, isn't that photo (above) stunning? Would make a great album or EP cover. Just sayin'

Back by dynodynodyno

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

Dyno - Above And Beyond

"You've gotta move and go beyond her"

I've got something very exciting for you all today. Sweden's Dyno are THE band to watch in 2010, mark my words. The guys have been kind enough to let me hear what they're working on, and I can safely say that they are creating the best debut album I've heard in quite some time. No joke. If you liked the EP, you've going to love the album. I've got an exclusive stream of one of the tracks today, the downright perfect Above & Beyond. The song begins as a moody electro ballad before segueing into a rapid-fire dance track with a chorus to die for. These guys know how to write big melodies. They're the kind of band where every track could be a single. Longtime readers of this blog know that there's a specific brand of pop music that I consider the best of the best. This ticks all the boxes and then some. Those lamenting the demise of the UK's Daggers (ie: me) need to check out these guys NOW. They're managed by the same people as Erik Hassle, and we all know how that turned out. 2010 is the year of Dyno. Remember where you heard it first.

Dyno - Above And Beyond by alienhits

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

Top 50 Singles of 2009: 5-1

5. Dyno - Don’t Speak Love



My favorite new indie group of the year, this song was seemingly written using a template of everything that I love. A stunning example of why Swedish pop is so unbeatable.

4. Lady Gaga - Poker Face



Her official, world-conquering arrival. For that alone, it’s worth noting. But that’s forgetting the sheer brilliance of the song.

3. The Galvatrons - Cassandra



The track where I can safely use the “synths from Van Halen’s Jump” comparison. That, by the way, is pretty much the highest praise in the world.

2. Alcazar - Stay The Night



Never liked them too much before, but this song single-handedly changed that. This will sound as fresh and joyous twenty years from now as it does today.

1. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance



Her gutsiest single to date, and the release that marked her speedy evolution into a proper pop artist. This is so far ahead of anything else on this list, it’s ridiculous.

Some bits...

Sorry about the lack of a post yesterday. I was at the county fair watching Foreigner (still got it, btw) and eating crap fair food. Today's just going to be a little bit of everything:

Fab Swedish band Dyno have two new tracks on their myspace, the excellent Destroy! Destroy! and Too Close. These guys are like the new Daggers. I hope we actually get an album.

Speaking of great Scandinavian bands, Superfamily have a new track on their page from the third album out in about a week. Super excited about this record.

Another album I am drooling in anticipation for is Muse's new one. You can listen to samples on itunes worldwide and, judging from the clips, this may be the band's best album and candidate for album of the year. I cannot wait.

In the opposite musical direction, Miley Cyrus' new EP also has samples available. I am totally won over by her new single... one of the best she's released and certainly one of the best of the summer. This girl is going places. It always surprises me how much I like her voice.

In other pop news, Selena Gomez's new single is finally out (with her band The Scene). Happily, it sounds like something I would listen to outside of Disney. Quite good.

Dyno - Deliverance

"Time to throw away all your innocence"

I know I just wrote about these guys last week, but for those who missed it I've gotta talk about them again because I think that they're the most exciting new band I've discovered this year. And, although Don't Speak Love is still agonizingly cool, after a few more listens of the EP I've decided that Deliverance is the ultimate masterpiece... and possibly the best new song I've heard in 2009 (though technically it was released in late 2008). Its brilliance didn't quite catch me the first time around, but after a few listens I was completely enchanted. What starts out as a simple, ultra-cool 80's beat soon becomes something dramatic and surprising. It's the kind of song where you're not sure exactly where it's going to go next and seems to have about twenty hooks. In other words, it's the best kind of pop song. The vocals on this are out of this world, too, including the great shouty-choral parts that remind me of the Mo's immortal Howl In The Jungle. It all builds to quite a feverish climax with some fuzzy guitar until everything fades to silence. Give this a few listens if it doesn't quite strike you the first time, because it gets better and better. I'd also recommend all of the band's other songs. Emotional has a chorus Melody Club could have written for their first or second album. Camille Deals Damage is a freaked out version of the Killers, while My Cocoa sounds like Keane dipping both feet in the synth-infested waters (instead of just one). Finally, Heartattack's the funkiest thing Dyno have done, with a chorus that hits you from listen one.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the EP here.)

Dyno - Don't Speak Love

"I really wanna help but you lost me in translation"

O. M. G.
Sorry for the textspeak, but that's pretty much how I felt when I discovered this new band. It's as if these guys took a look at my top albums of 2007 list and decided to perch themselves right between Laakso and Superfamily. Dyno have only been together for a few months, but they are one of those instant smashes with me. Discovering these types of bands is what makes blogging so fun. They're from Sweden, of course, and they've released a flawless five-song EP with another track up on their myspace. Don't Speak Love is the "big hit" of the six, a relentlessly catchy synthrock track with a fantastic chorus and an even better breakdown after the chorus. Dyno have everything: the voice, the look, the sound, the cleverness... and obviously the work ethic too, since they were able to come up with this many instant classics so soon. I am beyond excited to hear more from this band.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the EP here.)