Beast - Hands Up

For whatever reason, I hadn't been particularly drawn to Beast in the past. In fact, up until a few months ago I think they were probably the last major Korean boy group that I hadn't gotten into yet. Since the beginning of the year, though, I've been immersing myself in their back catalog (particularly their last few albums, which are nearly flawless). They're doing something pretty cool and releasing a new Japanese song each month for the rest of 2015. It's a great way to keep the music coming and it's really exciting for fans. Hands Up is the second of these tracks, and sounds almost like it could have been a summer single for One Direction. It has that same stomping, anthemic chorus and rock vibe. It's certainly not the strongest song in their discography, but it still could have easily functioned as an actual single instead of being part of this 10-month promotion. Most people highlight the chorus when talking about this track, but I actually love the verses with their acoustic guitar accents. For more of what Beast's typical music sounds like, though, be sure to check out the excellent Shadow and Good Luck. I can't imagine you'd be disappointed.



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

Scarlet Pleasure - The Strip (Bomfunk MCs Remix)

I've had my eyes on Scarlet Pleasure (terrible band name, btw) for awhile now, checking in briefly as each of their singles climbed up the charts in their native Denmark. I really enjoy their soulful, almost Michael Jackson-esque vocal delivery but also crave to hear uptempo tracks from them. They have a very laid back sound, even in their more dancey songs. But, when I came upon this remix of their excellent single The Strip, it was finally the one to click with me. The remix doesn't necessarily increase the tempo all that much, but instead beefs up the track's general presence. If you're a fan of 80's funk-pop, they're definitely a group to check out... almost like a more subdued version of Thomas Troelsen's band Private.



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