Melody Club - Let's Celebrate

"I will follow you through the night"

Instead of releasing a new album (grr...), Alienhits favs Melody Club have put out a Best Of collection. Now, I understand that this is a necessary step for any band who've been lucky to last more than a couple of studio albums, but I really want more new stuff from them! Luckily, there are two new tracks on the Best Of. We've already heard Paralyzed, which was okay, and now we have Crossfire, which is better. It's pretty much classic Melody Club... kind of like Destiny Calling mixed with The Hunter. If, for some reason, you've not listened to any of Melody Club's material yet, I really envy the treat that you're in for when looking back at their Greatest Hits. There's a reason that they're part of my "Holy Trinity of Swedish Music." As the title of the album suggest, we need to celebrate their massive pop accomplishments--and look forward to a future that (hopefully) will be filled with more music.



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

Melody Club - Paralyzed

"When she walks into the room, I stop and stare"

Melody Club is back! I don't think there's a more reliable band on the planet when it comes to amazing pop music. Each album has been different to their last, yet wonderful in its own way. I'm sure this new one will be just the same. From the sound of the single, they're going for a more modern, even rocky, sound. Paralyzed is hook-laden and instant (like all their songs -- single or not) and I love it. That goes without saying, though, as the band is part of my Holy Trinity of Swedish Music. In fact, they're the only band still together from that triangle of epicness. For that reason alone, I hope they stay together forever. It's already been ten years, which is certainly a great start. Now bring on that album!! I don't think I can wait any longer.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their music (as if you haven't already) here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Melody Club: Ten Year Anniversary + "Paralyzed"

This needs no introduction. To say that I can't wait is a huge understatement. (though would it have killed them to have included "Take Me Away" in the medley?)

Top 20 Albums of 2011: 6-5

6. Aqua - Megalomania



The comeback of the year. Aqua went from novelty pop band to something more mature and interesting. Yeah, there are still plenty of fun bubblegum tracks, but they're filtered through a band whose experience makes itself known through the laser-targeted songwriting and awesome production. There isn't one track worth skipping.

5. Melody Club - Human Harbour



Melody Club may just be the most consistent pop band out today. Every one of their albums has easily found its way into my top ten, year after year. The band knows what they do best and treats us to yet another album chock full of catchy pop tracks. The production, as usual, is flawless and varied, especially the inspired use of a children's choir in Dreamer's Wasteland.

Top 50 Singles of 2011: 25-21

25. Erik Hassle - Are You Leaving



Working with the guys from Kent was a genius move. The atmosphere, combined with incredible songwriting, make this one of his best.

24. Swingfly - Me & My Drum



The most rousing track in this year's Melodifestivalen, I just don't see how anyone couldn't enjoy this. It's incredible, dumb fun.

23. Le kid - America



Another Swedish track, this is all about the soaring melody. Quite possibly their best ever single.. so far.

22. Melody Club - The Hunter



As always, Melody Club delivers with another anthemic power pop single. Huge bombast channeled into a catchy, succinct pop song.

21. Will Young - Jealousy



Undoubtedly my favorite single he's ever released. Everything's right... the emotion, the incredible vocals, and the subtle--yet enduring--melody.

Countdown to the Countdowns: An Alienhits Christmas!

Next week kicks off my annual year-end countdowns. Top 20 Albums and Top 50 Singles, here we come! But first, I've got a week-long countdown to my countdown, starting with this requested feature on Christmas music!

While Christmas is definitely one of my most favorite times of the year, when it comes to music I'm more of a Halloween songs kind of guy. Still, there are quite a few of lesser known tracks that I love to listen to around the holidays. Here, in no particular order, are a few of them:

Darren Hayes - Last Christmas
My favorite version of this track, captured during his Savage Garden days. It ups the tempo and pretty much perfects an already perfect pop song.

Melody Club - I Don’t Believe In Angels
The kind of Christmas track I could (and do) listen to all year long. It's got everything: bells, cheesy lyrics, a singalong chorus and that indelible Melody Club charm.

Girls Aloud - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (or anything off their EP)
Leave it to Girls Aloud to camp up Christmas. This is them at the height of their powers.

The Who - Christmas
From the best rock opera ever, Tommy, it's not the happiest of tracks, but it's freaking brilliant. I've gotta say, though, I prefer the movie version to the Who's version.

Aqua - Spin me a Christmas
Christmas the euro-pop way! Aqua 2.0 basically can do no wrong, and this follows suit.

Lady Gaga - Christmas Tree
She may have a new, more traditional Christmas EP out now, but I prefer this smutty oldie recorded back when she was still hungry for fame.

Sparks - Thank God It’s Not Christmas
An epic song anyway you shake it, this is just ridiculous bombast. Not the cheeriest of lyrics, but they're amazing anyway.

Hurts - All I Want for Christmas is New Year’s Day
It's about as downbeat as you'd expect from these guys, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The bells make it.

Billy Elliot Soundtrack - Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher
From the absolute best modern stage musical, this is the show's catchiest track. I listen to it all year, but it's especially festive (in a vitriolic, down-with-Thatcher way) this time of year.

Pikko - The Ghost of Christmas Future
An icy electro track by one of my favorite indie Swedish artists. It's not high on melody, but has a sound that compliments the chilly season.

The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
Pretty much what you'd expect from a Christmas song by the Darkness. It's got everything stuffed into it. And it's highly melodic to boot.

And some songs that sample Christmas. Can you tell which classics these tracks use?

Prozzak - It's Not Me It's You
The Mo - Rats on the Radio
JLS - Do You Feel What I Feel

Melody Club - Sweet Disaster

"I still sleep with the enemy"

We've got a new Melody Club single! Personally, I was pulling for the superb Dreamer's Wasteland, but I'll gladly take this track, which has grown on me immensely since listening to it for the first time a few months ago. Sweet Disaster is a catchy midtempo number in the classic MC style. It features some great female background vocals in the chorus and a stirring middle eight. It's not the kind of track that hits you over the head immediately, but the melody is so insistent and the production so flawless that you find yourself coming back to it over and over again. I hope it has the same effect on the Swedish public (though if The Hunter couldn't do it, I've got my doubts). If you haven't yet, please check out their latest album. It's my favorite of the year so far and about as good as classic pop music will get this year.

Melody Club - Sweet Disaster by alienhits

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

Track-by-Track: Melody Club - Human Harbour

Melody Club, above all else, are aptly named. Throughout their five-album career, they've never skimped on melody--never strayed from a flawless chorus or subtly compelling verse. They are pop music through and through, and don't make apologies about it. Many would call them a guilty pleasure, but that doesn't really mean anything. They are one of the decade's most consistent, and most enjoyable, pop acts. With Human Harbour, they continue their streak of unbroken hits (or, realistically, hits-to-be/hits-that-could-have-been/hits-that-should-have-been).

1. The Hunter - Their unsuccessful (in the context of the show) Melodifestivalen entry. Unlike most singles, this seems to sound better and better each time I hear it. While I was initially pleased, I'm now beginning to think that this is right up there with their best singles. What a way to kick off the album. 10/10

2. Dreamer's Wasteland - This bundles together two (cheesy but wonderful) things I love about pop music: power chords and children's choirs. It HAS to be the next single. The mid-tempo synth track combined with one of the album's best melodies makes for something very special. 10/10

3. Sweet Disaster - Slightly more uptempo than the last track, though still more mellow that we're used to from these guys. The melody and production, though, are spot on. In fact, the production throughout the album deserves a special mention for being slick, polished and varied. This is a grower, and it's totally working because I can't stop listening to it. 10/10

4. A New Set of Wings - An uptempo glam stomp that borrows some production elements from the Ark. It's good (and very catchy), but lacks just a little something. I can't put my finger on it. Still, it's an excellent album track, particularly the frantic middle eight. 9/10

5. Only You Can Heal Me - A slow-burning, atmospheric electro-ballad, this is also a duet with a female vocalist (any ideas who? I don't have liner notes with me). It's very pretty and delicate, though not one of my favorites on the album. 8/10

6. War Of Hearts - Back to uptempo here, though the melody's actually quite slow. The brittle funk of the beat makes a nice contrast with the vocals. At first I thought the chorus was lacking a little something, but I've completely come around to it now. 10/10

7. Human Harvest - This song is an absolute beast. It's the longest, most complicated, and craziest of all the tracks. Segueing from melodramatic ballad to 80's arena rock to a classic rock refrain, this covers a lot of territory in just over five minutes. It's also got some of the best melodies on offer. Ridiculously catchy. 10/10

8. Bed Of Needles - This has a classic mid-tempo shuffle, like a slowed down version of their 2007 single Fever Fever. The production's different than anything else on the album. It's a track that I enjoy immensely when it's playing, but it's not one that I seek out specifically. 9/10

9. Karma Control -Definitely the most frantic song on here. It begins with Kristofer's voice and a string section, but quickly adds are kicking dance beat that propels the song forward at breakneck speed. It's a great, late-album highlight. 10/10

10. I Don't Believe In Angels - I rolled my eyes when I first saw that this was going to be included on the tracklist. I thought, am I really going to want to listen to a Christmas song all year round? But take the "Christmas" out of it and the kitchen-sink production (bells, chimes, guitar solos, etc) is too wonderful to pass up. The lyrics are cheese incarnate, but that melody's indelible. I actually found myself enjoying this more in the context of the album. Go figure. 10/10

11. You Don't Love Me - Another new shift in sound for the band, this alternates between solemn, slow verses and pumped up guitar-charged choruses that are among the loudest pieces of music the guys have ever made. It's all got an anthemic, cathartic release to it. A perfect ending to the album. 9/10

Album Grade: 9.5/10

Melody Club - Human Harvest

"It's your last summer, and it's fading away"

They've done it again! Melody Club have yet to release a bad album, and while their latest is more melodically and rhythmically varied (ie: more-or-less a little 'slower' than we're used to from the band), it's a stellar collection of criminally catchy songs. I struggled to decide which track to share today (Dreamer's Wasteland, with its inspired children's choir is another must-listen), but eventually it came down to the oddly-titled Human Harvest. It was my initial standout, if for no other reason than its brazen epicness. It's a stab at the Bohemian Rhapsody format of pop song. There are four distinct melodic parts, ranging from melodramatic ballad to rollicking 80's arena rock. The story is an overblown drama concerning death and redemption and deals with the devil, but it's the melody here that works wonders. It's been stuck in my head for days and I'm a little worried that it isn't going to leave. I'll have a full review of the album, soon. In short: it's great.

Melody Club - Human Harvest by alienhits

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

Hell Yes!!

They're baaaaaaack!



(and looking a little bit like the X-men!)

UPDATE: And adding to this blissful news, the band are doing what I always hoped they would.... participating in Melodifestivalen!! Their new single, The Hunter, will be in this year's contest! Now we just have to wait a couple of months...

Casablanca - Downtown

"We've got one chance left to turn it all around"

Imagine my delight when discovering that two fifths of this new Swedish supergroup are Erik Stenemo (from Melody Club) and Josephine Forsman (from Sahara Hotnights). That alone caught my attention and guaranteed that I was going to sit up and take Casablanca seriously. The band hearkens back to the over-the-top hair metal of the 80's and is very authentic in that. They really go for the lighters-in-the-air anthem template with Downtown, a song that sounds a little like The Ark in parts--the dramatic, slowed down chorus, especially. Frontman Anders Ljung is no Ola Salo, but his throaty, at times sleazy, vocals fit the KISS-style aesthetic perfectly. This genre trends toward self-parody almost instinctively, but something about this band (and Swedish music in general), manages to harness the genre's tropes and turn something that could be cheesy into something quite rousing. And with support from Swedish radio (this song debuted on the annual P3 Guld awards), they could turn out to be what we thought H.E.A.T. was last year.

Casablanca - Downtown by alienhits

(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.

Top 20 Albums of 2009: 2-1

2. Melody Club - Goodbye To Romance



What a stunning run of albums these guys have had. Making irony-free pop music is an occupation that’s becoming more and more rare, but Melody Club managed to record an album that hearkened back to the days of shimmering bubblegum pop music with a rock edge. It’s a shift for them, downplaying the synths in favor of a meatier, guitar-influenced sound. There was nothing else like it recorded this year, and it easily wins the prize for the jolliest sounding record of 2009. The band is probably past their prime commercially, but I pray that they stay together and keep recording because they would leave behind a very big hole in the market if they stopped.

Myspace

1. Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster



Nobody defined pop music in 2009 more than Lady Gaga. She single-handedly took control of the year, spawning armies of imitators while fearlessly steering herself into what looks to be a long-lasting career. The Fame Monster was the exclamation point on a flawless run of singles. It managed to top her debut in every way possible and offer a portrait of a true pop artist. The album is short, just like some of the best records of past decades, and all the stronger for it. There isn’t a bad track here, or a song that doesn’t instantly sound like a huge hit single. There are hooks within hooks, bizarre lyrics, and the opportunity for even more out-of-this-world costumes. What more could you want?

Myspace

Top 50 Singles of 2009: 10-6

10. Blake Lewis - Heartbreak On Vinyl



The Idol runner-up’s best single to date. A smart, hooky ode to record stores and those who love them.

9. Tommy Sparks - She’s Got Me Dancing



A springtime party track in a year where there weren’t many to go around. From the squeaky synth opening to the undeniable hook, this was pure magic.

8. Lady Gaga - Paparazzi



Gaga’s most lasting radio single yet, the jaw-dropping video was what really propelled this to the forefront of people’s minds. Several months in, it still hasn’t gotten old.

7. Melody Club - The Only Ones



A galloping pop single signaling a shift in the band’s sound, this track just makes you feel really, really good. Simple as that.

6. Filthy Dukes & Tommy Sparks - Messages



Even better than Sparks’ solo stuff, this electro dance track was the coolest thing to come out of the UK this Summer. I prefer to think of it as the 2009 Scissor Sisters comeback single that never was.

Top 50 Singles of 2009: 21-16

20. La Roux - Bulletproof



The catchiest moment on her album, this is the single that cemented La Roux as an artist with staying power.

19. Melody Club - Where Do I Belong



A single that was never given the push it deserved, this is a classic Melody Club pop song with shimmering synths and a melody that refuses to leave your head.

18. Johan Krafman - Disarmed



The type of song Ola Svensson would have easily taken to the top of the charts, this was yet another example of why the Nilsson/Bassflow combo is unstoppable.

17. Linda Sundblad - 2 All My Girls



Max Martin’s best output in a year full of amazing songwriting, it took frenetic to another level. The Hammer dancing in the video is forever scarred in my retina.

16. Donkeyboy - Ambitions



A soaring, surprise Summer smash (how’s that for alliteration?), these Norwegians came out of nowhere and took their home country by storm.

Alienhits loves... Växjö, Sweden

An otherwise quite ordinary small college town in southern Sweden, Växjö has a huge distinction in my book. It is my Mecca for pop music.
The reason? All three of my favorite bands were birthed from this same town.
It’s hard to believe, but The Ark, Melody Club, and The Mo (yep, that’s the holy trinity right there) all met each other, started making music and formed in and around Växjö. It’s practically like a fairytale.
Though I’ve been to Sweden and seen two out of these three bands live (the Mo broke up before I could make it over), I’ve never traveled to Växjö. From what I've read, it’s not a town most tourists would put on their map. Plain, boring…etc. etc. Yet it’s from places like these that I think the best groups are formed. Towns like Växjö aren’t big enough to have a “scene,” so there’s no allowances for copycatting. Nobody was doing what these three bands were doing when they broke onto the scene. Though all craft pop music with strong retro influences, their image and sound would be considered pretty risky in any other part of the world than Scandinavia. They would be misconceived as trying to be ironic or just plain cheesy (in a world where cheesy = bad). The fact is, these guys are consummate musicians, as skilled at writing a perfect pop song as they are at picking out a perfect leather jacket.
Maybe I’m biased, growing up in a small town myself, but a part of me thinks that this kind of creativity is fostered best by boredom. I'd love to walk through Växjö with an Ark/MelodyClub/Mo playlist on my mp3 player. A religious experience? Not quite, but darn close.

Learn more about Växjö here