Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v5

A long overdue post of the music I've been listening to and highly recommend. Artist links will take you to an informational website (MySpace page, artist website, etc). Song links will take you to a video of the song.

Swedonia Songs
There is some really great pop music coming out of Sweden. The varied offspring of ABBA and Roxette keep forming new wondrous variations. I only wish my friends in the States had direct access to some/all of it. So, I'll do my part to enlighten and encourage.

Alphabeat's bouncy Fascination came out in 2008 but holds up well to global inspection even today. John ME has a yearning love song with the requisite reference to drugs, Love is My Drug, on which he duets with Amanda Jenssen (winner of Swedish Idol). At 3:05, it looks a lot like love. Another winner of Swedish Idol is Agnes Carlsson (or just Agnes). Her dancefloor hit, Release Me, is one of the best dance pop songs of 2009. YouTube seems to have pulled the video (since she has exploded on the music charts around the world), but you can watch it on her website. Another one of her songs, On and On, is more Eurodance but still lots of fun. Basic Element is a dance act from the 90's that re-emerged a few years ago. They are putting out blatant eurodance like Touch You Right Now. What's not to like about that? Then, there's Robyn. She's practically Swedish music royalty. Be Mine! is quirky pop. Very Robyn. Speaking of Swedish musical royalty, A Camp, the side group of Cardigan's lead singer, Nina Persson, released Stronger Than Jesus.

In spin class, I've gotten into the zone with some spirited music including Oh Laura with Release Me (Attic Remix) and Swingfly with Singing That Melody. Position 2, please.

Swedish acts are featured prominently in commercials. The Honeythieve's Reminder is used in television ads for Lindex. I love the global ad and the song for Magnum Temptation ice cream bars. Though, the music sounds a bit like the White Stripes. A DJ/music producer out of Stockholm creates sonic snippets for use in Cubus commercials. And I love them. Two ads, for Christmas and Summer, are the best. I think of them as my own personal soundtrack. I walk down the street and this music plays in my head. Try it. Oh, and the model in the commercials is Swedish supermodel, Mini Anden.

I'm a sucker for a good power ballad. I grew up in the 70's and 80's, so guilty as charged. When I heard Takida's Curly Sue, I knew I would like it in spite of myself. Why!?! And then there is my lone Swedish Alternative pick (cause Alphabeat is pop with a capital P), Mando Diao, with their Echo and Bunnymenesque song, Dance With Somebody.

Dance
Shena brings back the disco with her NuDisco gold, Can't Stop The Rain. David Guetta pairs up with Kelly Rowland for When Love Takes Over; this is the dance song of the Summer. And, yes, the Black-Eyed Pea's I Got A Feeling will compete with Guetta for song of the Summer. Hed Kandi continues to roll out (and rework) some great dance music including Warren Clark's Bitch is Back which features the aforementioned Shena on vocals. And Ali Payami's Dancin' which features vocals by Missum. She brings on the fun-K. Kraak & Smaak lay on the funk with Squeeze Me Tight. Utada is a Japanese-American who sings mainly pop who has had much more success in Japan. But, Automatic, Pt. II caught my attention. Sleek. Stylish. Tokyo at night. Laurent Wolf, French DJ/producer, has delivered with a followup to No Stress, again featuring Éric Carter: Wash My World. And finally a song from way back in 2007: Let Go by German DJ extraordinaire Paul van Dyk.

Alternative
Moby's new release, Wait For Me, traverses one amazing sonicscape. Shot in the Back of the Head is sublime. When the weepy guitar comes in at 1:08, it's staggering. Pale Horses harkens back to Play quite nicely. Lily Allen actually wrote a song I like (Lily Allen = not so much). Normally, I think the whole Brits singing with a Brit accent a little much. But, this cheeky homage to a Carpenter's song, F*ck You is quite catchy. Diane Birch has some great pipes. Fortunately for me, she was featured on iTunes where I was exposed to Rise Up.

Adult Alternative
Seriously, I love Laura Izibor. This woman's voice has me hypnotized. She finally released an album with all the wonderful songs I'd heard before and some new favorites. This includes the quite lovely If Tonight is My Last. It puts a big smile on my face. Another new voice with promise is Angel Taylor with Make Me Believe. True, Yael Naim made her name by having her song, New Soul, included in an Apple commercial. Don't hold that against her. Instead, check out another single, Far Far, and enjoy.

R&B/Soul
A great voice not to be missed is Chrisette Michele with Blame it on Me.

Trip Hop
Tricky! He's back. Puppy Toy. Check it out.

Guilty Pleasures
I am not sure if these guys qualify as a guilty pleasure or the end of all things with taste as we know it. Star Pilots competed in Melodifestivalen 2009 with their song Higher. Needless to say they did not make it to Eurovision representing Sweden. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. So, where do I start? How about a contest? See how many song lyric cliches you can identify in this song. It is basically just a string of cliches set to a throbbing dance beat. Not as egregious and 100% eurodancepop is their other song In The Heat of The Night. Enjoy.



Archive Posts
Musik i Full Fart Volume I
Musik i Full Fart Volume II
Musik i Full Fart Volume III
Musik i Full Fart Volume IV

Opera Diva Wins Melodifestivalen

The winner of the 2009 Melodifestivalen has been selected to represent Sweden in the Eurovision contest. It's opera singer, Malena Ernman, who sings La Voix in both English and French to a throbbing disco beat. It should have strong multi-national, multi-generational appeal. How can it lose? I mean, this is the 35th anniversary of ABBA winning the Eurovision contest. Well, that satirical musical number presented at the finals in Stockholm might not go over well with this year's Eurovision host country, Russia. More on that later.

Melodifestivalen is bigger than ever. Here's an introduction to this year's event. There were four regional contests held around the country to select the semi-finalists for the finals in Stockholm. In additional, there was a second chance contest (andra chansen in Swedish) to select from those artists that did not make it through the semi-finals. The first regional show was right here in Göteborg. The event was televised live. According to reports, 3 million people watched that show. For perspective, Sweden only has a population of 9 million. In the United States, 100 million people would have to American Idol to achieve the same ratings success.

My take on the artists and songs in this year's contest can be described in one word: flat. There were some very lackluster performances and forgettable songs. Now, I like Alcazar, but their song, Stay the Night, was as limp as a semla sitting in milk. At least compared to this little ditty, which I love. And, Måns Zelmerlöw's Hope & Glory didn't have any. Måns was a favorite going in to the contest. Maybe next year. I still think he is the Enrique Iglesias of Sweden. E.M.D. with Baby Goodbye was pretty good but the song title was self-fulfilling. And Agnes, who I like, didn't deliver enough Love Love Love. Still, most had the requisite sing-along-pop and dance sensibility. Which is what Melodifestivalen is all about. The winner, Malena, wasn't expected to do well, but the public voted for her in big numbers.

Now, on to the controversy. At the finals, there was a parady skit and dance number that mocked Russia and its national anthem. The dance number had Matryoshka dolls and Cossacks and dancing bears. Oh my. Lots of Russian stereotypes. Offensive, maybe. But, funny as well. Oh, those nutty Swedes. Enjoy.




And, one final treat. In honor of ABBA's win at Eurovision 35 year's ago, here is a video of them singing Waterloo in Swedish at Melodifestivalen that same year.

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v4

This post contains a list of new and notable music I've been listening to of late. Feel free to comment with your favorite songs and artists. I always welcome suggestions for music. To find out more about my musical tastes, check out my profile on LastFM.

Artist links will take you to an informational website (Myspace page, artist website, etc). Song links will take you to a video of the song.

I’ve dug a little deeper into world music for this edition. Some artists are repeat offenders; I’ve previously recommended their music. Enjoy!

Pop
From Australia, Gabriella Cilmi, with a full-throated voice like Anastacia, delivers in-your-face pop-rock on Save The Lies, the follow-up to Sweet About Me. Her next single is Don’t Wanna Go To Bed Now. Pretty smart lyrics coming from a 16 year-old. She's got the voice to back up the bravado. And, finally, in Gabriella’s case, who doesn’t love a good cover of Echo Beach! Also from OZ comes Vanessa Amorosi with her soaring Perfect. Yes, it is. For a sweet redux back to the 60’s pop landscape, there is UK artist Beth Rowley on So Sublime. Canadian singer Esthero is Never Gonna Let You Go. Now, if she could just offer this unreleased song for sale. Swedish rising star Veronica Maggio sings in Swedish, but her voice translates Stopp and Mandagsbarn into mod 60’s-esque pop gems. An Iranian-born Swedish artist, Arash (featuring Rebecca), was all over the airwaves last month with Suddenly. And, then there is Belgian singer Kate Ryan. Her last song (Voyage, Voyage) was pure europop. But not my cup of tea. And repetitive. The same can be said of her new song, Ella Elle l’a. Still, I cannot get it out of my head. The final Pop entry is huge in Europe. I’m not sold, but I’ll pass it along anyway. The Script from Ireland with the somewhat drippy The Man Who Can’t Be Moved. Maybe a new category: schmaltz pop.

Dance
Shine (Ian Carey Mix) is yet another dance song off of Booty Luv's debut album. More grooves to shake things up on the dancefloor. Laurent Wolf (featuring Éric Carter) brings on the euro-dance beats with No Stress (Club Mix). Bellatrax (featuring Sophia May) loses control on I Can’t Help Myself (Sunfreakz Mix). One of those songs where you want to be in the center of the dancefloor waving your arms over your head. Well, I do. On Mike Polo’s I Love U Baby (Extended Mix), I think we get it. Emphatically. I finally jumped on the fun, sexy Lady GaGa bandwagon. Teamed with Colby O’Donis on Just Dance, Lady GaGa may not be able to see straight, but she knows the ultimate destination is the dancefloor.

Alternative
Wow! When I first heard Stop The Clocks by German band Donots, it was like listening to WHFS in Washington, DC back in the early 90's. Ah, the good old alternative radio days. And I dating myself here? Probably. Still, how can you resist a music video with puppies? Someone who caught my attention then is back again: Juliana Hatfield. She teams with Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs on This Lonely Love. The song is a long way from Everybody Loves Me But You or Universal Heartbeat. Her voice and tone has matured nicely with age. From Spain, Amaral puts it out there on Kamikaze. If only Shakira had gone in this direction.

Adult Alternative
The search for the next retro-cool singer (think Amy Winehouse or Duffy) has turned up a young Swiss singer, Stephanie Heinzmann. She’s big in Germany and her voice is spreading across the continent. Check out Like A Bullet, My Man is a Mean Man, and Revolution to get a sense of her talent. Norwegian singer Maria Haukaas Storeng sang Hold On Be Strong in the 2008 Eurovision contest. I missed the performance. As such, I didn’t hear her song until it started flooding the airwaves this Summer. Finally, Irish singer Laura Izibor follows up the promise of From My Heart To Yours and Don’t Stay with breezy, bright Shine. Check out this talented voice!!!

Hip-Hop
In 2007, Norwegian group Madcon remade Beggin’ and garnered success in a few corners of Europe. What a difference a year makes. The song, an amalgam of hip/hop and retro pop, has made its way all over Europe in a big way. Dig deeper and check out their song Liar.

Guilty Pleasures
Swingle Singing. Huh? Say what? In Swingle singing, songs without lyrics are sung using the sounds doo's, boo's, dah's and bah's. It originated out of the 60’s from a group of French session singers led by Ward Swingle. Hence the name. The Swingle Singers have been through several incarnations, but are still around today (sans Ward).


Archive Posts
Musik i Full Fart Volume I
Musik i Full Fart Volume II
Musik i Full Fart Volume III

Summer Listening

On holiday. Hence, the dearth of posts. Just finished the first leg of travel. Heard this song driving through Germany. Highly recommended. Little White Lies by Jenniffer Kae. She's an upcoming singer out of Germany and has a great voice. Her website is here. Enjoy the video.

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v3

This post contains a list of new and notable music I've been listening to of late. Feel free to comment with your favorite songs and artists. I always welcome suggestions for music. To find out more about my musical tastes, check out my profile on LastFM.

Artist links will take you to an informational website (Myspace page, artist website, etc). Song links will take you to a video of the song.

Dance
Freemasons ft. Katherine Ellis – When You Touch Me (2008 Club Mix/Radio Edit). The Freemasons come to the dancefloor rescue! What a killer dance track. The video is an homage to Bob Fosse's choreography in a dance number, Rich Man's Frug, from the movie Sweet Charity. For more of Katherine Ellis’ exquisite full-throttled voice, try Stereo Palma – Dreaming or ABSO ft. Katherine Ellis – Let The Beat Hit ‘Em (Soul Avengerz Remix). The latter can only be found on a Hed Kandi mix at the moment.

This Summer, one of the hottest songs in Europe (and hopefully beyond) is Hagenaar & Albrecht – What Would We Do (Original Edit). The funky piano chords hit you hard. Although the next song, Soul Survivors ft. Angie Brown – Bring It Back (Classic Club), came out last year, take a listen to this retro disco gold. Angie Brown's vocals are strong, lively, and cajoling. Bring it back, indeed. An electric disco maestro from Australia, Sam Sparro – Black & Gold, hit the UK charts earlier this Spring. His music is making its presence known in the US. Listen closely and enjoy. Dig a little deeper and try Hot Mess, a falsetto funk that echoes Prince and Al Green. If you seek a distinctive, androgynous voice set to a hypnotic disco sway then Hercules and Love Affair – Blind should meet your needs. Need to be uplifted? Danny Clark & Jay Benham – Wondrous (MuthaFunkaz Mix) truly delivers a wondrous reworking of a praise chorus by SuSu Bobien. And who knew that girl from Queens, Cyndi Lauper – Set Your Heart, would still be delivering the goods 25 years after she just wanted to have fun. End it all with a little (lack of) love from Russia: Valeriya - The Party's Over

Trance/Electronica
Kaskade makes big waves with Strobelight Seduction. Great vocal tracks include Angel On My Shoulder and I Remember (Strobelight Edit). You may also want to check out his remix of Britney Spear's Break The Ice. Yes, I am recommending a Britnot song. The last time I did that, it was a Guilty Pleasure pick.

Ambient Alternative
Bitter:Sweet delivers sexy space-age love songs. That's the good news. The bad news is that most of their songs sound oh-so-similar. The best of the bunch is The Mating Game.

Adult Alternative
Aussie Gabriella Cilmi sings playfully sly and sweet on Sweet About Me. The song was used in a 2008 European commercial for Rexona deodorant. Keren Ann sings airy and light as a Summer breeze on Lay Your Head Down. The song was used in a commercial for H&M promoting their 2008 Summer collection. Jon McLaughlin – Beautiful Disaster reminds me a lot of Shawn Mullins. And that's a very good thing. I liked Tristan Prettyman when she sang with Jason Mraz on Shy That Way from her previous album, 23. Check out her new song, Madly, and see why I continue my admiration for her singing and songwriting abilities.

Jazz
Every once in a while you need something cool and calm to wind down the day. That something could be Melody Gardot singing Worrisome Heart.

Retro 70’s and Neo-Soul
Jamie Lidell is crazy. The evidence is here, here, and here. But, he makes great music. How can you not be taken in by the soulful retro old school sounds of Another Day?

Guilty Pleasures
We started with a video homage to Sweet Charity and end with another for Valley of the Dolls. It's the Pipettes! With their retro 60's Brit-pop confection called Pull Shapes. I had read about the group a few years ago, but didn't explore much beyond three female singers in polka dot hoop skirts. Then, late last year, YouTuber Michael Buckley (aka What The Buck) promoted the song in his video blog. And I became hooked. You might too.



Archive Posts
Musik i Full Fart Volume I
Musik i Full Fart Volume II

Midsommar: The Movie

For your viewing pleasure, my first attempt at making an iMovie:



If you want to view the video at higher resolution (recommended), go to YouTube and select the "watch in higher resolution" link below the Views (below and to right of video frame).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1lYxoTJdh8

And, because you need to know, the lyrics to the frog dance. Sing Along! And, I bet the song will get stuck in your head.

Lyrics in Swedish:

Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se! Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se! Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de! Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa!

Literal English translation:

Small frogs, small frogs are fun to see! Small frogs, small frogs are fun to see! No ears, no ears, no tails they have! No ears, no ears, no tails they have! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa!

I Kissed a Girl

Um, me? Not recently. Barrack, with Hillary? Probably not. And no, this is not wishful thinking for an Obama-Clinton ticket in the Fall election. That would be like wishing for a War of the Roses style divorce.

No, this was just a little bit of Photoshop fun that popped into my head while listening to Katy Perry's new song. Titled appropriately, I Kissed a Girl. Love, love, love this song. I like singing it out loud - ironically, of course. Of course. There may even be some choreography with the singing, but I'll refrain from divulging those details. Just had to talk about this song before the next Music i Full Fart post comes out in June. Katy Perry may be the new Pink. Or a hybrid of Pink and Joan Jett without the lesbian undertones. Either way, the song is fun. None of that pop-tart music stuff by J-Britimi. Refreshing.

Now, back to Barrack and Hillary. Yes, I am following the election over here. Every cringe-inducing, jaw-dropping, and painful moment of it. And that's just the news commentators. I can't wait until the real battle [of the words] begins this Fall. I'll be over here in Sweden hiding under a rock from embarrassment. Not to fret, I will be voting. I'm not one to shirk my civic duty. Hopefully, one of the two Democratic candidates above won't screw up this opportunity to take back the White House. There is change in the wind. I can feel it all the way across the pond. Either that or we're in for a cool Summer.

And, no, I do not think it is appropriate to refer to Hillary as a girl. She is a woman. And I have a lot of respect for her. Though not as much as I used to have. I merely linked the Democratic race to the title of a pop song - visually. Nothing more. Nothing less. I would hate to cause a kerfuffle.

It's Dancy Times!

There are a series of ads for a digital TV company in Sweden called Boxer. This particular ad is a take-off on Indiana Jones using their corporate character Robert; thus, the name Indiana Robert. Robert is computer-generated; life-like, but not that convincing.

But, that's besides the point. This commercial is all about the song. TJ loves it. And made me try to find it. I did. Not available anywhere yet...except BitTorrent (which I do not use). Here's the commercial:



The song is It's Dancy Times by Priddyboy which can be heard, not seen, on YouTube. Is that an oxymoron? It's a fun little party tune. Should last through the Summer. Probably will be heard in soccer stadiums throughout Europe. I'd dance to it. But, I probably wouldn't get the digital TV service from Boxer. So much for effective advertising.

So, Priddyboy has yet to post the lyrics to this song on his new website. Until he does, this is what I've come up with so far. A few small gaps remain. Any assistance with the missing lyrics would be appreciated.

Note: Priddyboy allows you to download the vocal only and instrumental only tracks of the song from his website. Follow link named Yo DJs.

It's Dancy Times Lyrics
Artist: Priddyboy

Move Your Ass!

CHORUS
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh, it’s dancy time
Dancy, dancy ‘til you’re fly
Come on, pick it up, pick it up and dance

REPEAT CHORUS

[Dance] To the ????? (lyric might be rhythm divine)
It’ll take you out of place and take you out of time
Have a little look and don’t be shook
Dance like a crook, dance dance to the hook [dance]
And now I’m here, hold the line.
Your man is live and you know I don’t waste time
You know who it is.
I’m looking for kidz, still doing gold in this biz

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

[Dance] To the ????? (lyric might be rhythm divine)
With your man on the line.
[Dance] Would you be so kind and lose your mind and move your behind
[Dance] Then you can do it ???? sexy beats with macho rhymes (unknown word)
A combination that will make you feel so fine
Take cover cause we’re gonna wreck it one more time

Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh

Dancy slow with me tonight (not 100% sure about this line)
So come on hold on tight

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

It’s dancy time
It’s dancy time
It’s dancy time
Dancy, dancy ‘til you’re fly.

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

[Dance]

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v2

New and notable music to set the mood for the Summer ahead. Artist links will take you to informational websites (Myspace, etc). Song links will take you to a video.

Pop: from both sides of the pond, but with a preference for europop

• Delta Goodrem – In This Life [Had heard of this Aussie for a few years. Wasn’t sure what she was about. Uplifting pop music, it seems]
• Sonny J – Can’t Stop Moving [Silly fun from the UK]
• Duffy – Mercy [Amy who? More retro sounds from the UK. Very 60’s]
• Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love/Better in Time [A diva is born]

Dance: if you can dance...for inspiration

• Dave Armstrong & Redroche – Love Has Gone (Original or Full Vocal Radio) [Hard-driving song about a callous ex-lover-to-be]
• David Guetta ft. Tara McDonald – Delerious (Original Extended or Radio Edit) [Happy dance music]
• Yves Larock – Rise Up (Club Radio Edit) [Best experienced while dancing on a beach in an exotic location]
• Freemasons ft. Hazel Fernandez – If [Yet another dancefloor gem from the Freemasons]
• Rubberman – Creep (Raul Rincon Mix) [More Hed Kandi goodness from their latest: World Series: SF]
  

Trance/Electronica: last night a dj saved my life

• Armin van Buuren & DJ Shah – Going Wrong (AVB’s Extended or Radio Edit) [This is my song for the Summer. I recommend checking out the whole album, Imagine]

Ambient Alternative: sonic sounds to move you into a different time, space, feeling

• Gary B – Lead Me Home [Builds slowly. Achingly so]

Adult Alternative: great voices, introspective lyrics, accomplished songwriters apply only

• Jason Mraz – I’m Yours [This is happy music. You will feel good after you listen to it]
• Brett Dennen – She’s Mine [Great voice. Great sentiment.]
• Joshua James – Lord, Devil, and Him [Storytelling at its best. Sit back and listen]
• Snow Patrol – Open Your Eyes [Kind of sounds like their other songs. Great]
• Sara Melson – I Feel It Coming [I believe. You will too. The grass is oh-so-green]
• Josh Kelly – Unfair [Love, unfair? Say it ain’t so. A funky ode to love lost.]
• Missy Higgins – Where I Stood/Going North [The first, hauntingly beautiful; the second, the aural tonic for anyone striking out in new directions]
• Laura Izibor – From My Heart to Yours/Don’t Stay [The first, making her case for ,convincingly; the second, making her case against, convincingly]
• Kendall Payne – I Will Show You Love [Everyone needs to hear these words at least once from someone in their lives]
• The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build a Home [Slow, careful piano passages. It’s hard not to soar along with the high notes]

Alternative: alterna-who, alterna-what

• Feist – I Feel It All [She can do no wrong. Hard to stand still to this song]
• Sia – The Girl You Lost to Cocaine [Channeling her inner-Feist here. Her vocal chops make it her own. The video is out there]

Neo-Soul: adventures in retro soul

• Jill Scott – Hate on Me [Listen to Jill, but stay out of her way. She means business]
• James Lidell – Little Bit of Feel Good [It does go a long way. The video is weird beyond words]
• Marlena Shaw & Diplo – California Soul [So glad I stumbled on this song. Takes me back to the 5th Dimension in the best possible way. Currently used in a Dockers commercial. This is the only video - which sux - that I could find with the song]

Guilty Pleasures: you know you shouldn't like it, but you do

• LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum [A guilty pleasure only because of the name. I love the song. Actually, I love the name too. Quite apropos]

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed]

I usually try to seek out music that doesn't fall within the confines of Top 40 radio. Not that there is anything wrong with that type of music; I grew up on Top 40. But, my musical tastes changed [for the better] in 1979 when I first heard the B-52's. Since then, I have navigated through a multitude of musical genres: from new wave/progressive, industrial, alternative, adult alternative, dance, electronica, ambient, even emo (though not a big fan). Today, my taste in music is broader than most. Eclectic to some. But, always recommended.

I have shared my musical tastes and song lists with a few friends. But, in the interest of economy, I've decided to expand the reach just a bit. I'm posting new and notable music. Hope you enjoy my selections. And, no, not all are available on iTunes US. Yet. But you can sample on iTunes UK. Song links will take you to a video.

Dance: if you can dance...for inspiration

• Audio Fraud vs. Peyton - Music in Me [This song is found on Hed Kandi's The Mix 2008. Great reworking of a Kiki Dee chestnut.]
• Nowak ft. D'Layna - Stand Up (Guitarness Extended Mix) [Also from HK Mix 2008. Feel the disco house vibe.]
• Armand Van Helden - I Want Your Soul [He can still get me on the dancefloor, almost 10 years since I danced to U Don't Know Me in Mykonos]
• Jill Jones - Someone to Jump Up (Function Junction & Korovin Remix) [You will dance to this song. Resistance is futile.]
• Freaks - Creeps [Get on The Dancefloor] (Vanadalism Vocal Mix) [Another great dancefloor burner]
  
• Booty Luv - Mess With My Man (Extended Mix)/Some Kinda Rush (Spencer & Hill Remix) [These girls just keep churning out the dancefloor hits]
• Moby - Disco Lies/I Love to Move in Here [Disco Lies delivers the goods. I Love? Meh. It started out with so much promise]
• Eako & Morelly ft. Barbra Evans - You Make Me Crazy (Club Mix) [Been listening to this for a few months. Channeling Dale Bozzio never sounded so good]
• Kimberley Locke - Band of Gold (Almighty Radio Edit) [You lose your disco card if you don't love this song. Check out the song Change as well, both the regular and Jason Nevins remix versions]
• Dannii Minogue + Jason Nevins - Touch Me Like That (Radio Edit or Jason Nevins Mix) [more retro-disco goodness]

Adult Alternative: great voices, introspective lyrics, accomplished songwriters apply only

• Adele - Chasing Pavements [Amy Winehouse without the drugs, drama and beehive]
• Adele - Make You Feel My Love [Exquisite. And, my comment about Chasing Pavements was a disservice to Adele]
• Sheryl Crow - Now That You're Gone [Sheryl, vulnerable and defiant. Just the way I like her]
• Shawn Mullins - All in My Head [Another finely-crafted song of doubt and lament]

Ambient Alternative: sonic sounds to move you into a different time, space, feeling

• Morcheeba - Blue Chair [The lead singers may change, but their sound remains the same - inviting]
• Goldfrapp - Road to Nowhere/A&E/Happiness [Step inside this lush soundscape]
• Madita - September [Love lost, reimagined as a James Bond theme]
• Sia - Day Too Soon [My favorite love song, or any type of song, from 2007]

Alternative: alterna-who, alterna-what

• B-52s - Funplex [Fun, danceable music. Check. Holy Crap! They're back. And it's like they were never gone. I'm at the mall on a diet pill!]
• Gnarls Barkley - Run [Can a song be too retro cool for its own good and still be great? This song gets my vote]

Pop: from both sides of the pond, but with a preference for europop

• Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts [Vampy, seductive fun. I'm in love. Wooooh!]
• Enrique Iglesias - Tired of Being Sorry [Muy, muy....you get the idea]
• Sarah Bareilles - Bottle it Up [Yeah, she's everyone's darling. But this song is catchy. In a Jason Mraz kind of way]

Guilty Pleasures: you know you shouldn't like it, but you do

• Shania Twain - That Don't Impress Me Much (international version) [Recently, heard this on the radio. Always liked it. Just bought it. Shania: she's a little bit country and a whole lotta pop]

Eurovision Blast from the Past

Winners of the 1973 Eurovision Contest:



Having the time of your life? Then, check this out.

New Music: Europop Goes the Weasel!

Remember back in the day when "bad" meant "good?" When it comes to some of the music from Europe, sometimes bad really is bad. And sometimes, it is so bad, it's actually good (deliciously so). The latter is reserved for what I call cheesy europop. You've heard it before: dramatic orchestral segments, hand claps, yodeling, cheering, sing-a-long choruses, and polka-esque interludes.

And now we can segue into some of my musical selections based upon listening to our new favorite Swede radio station - RIX FM, dancing to songs from Sweden's 2008 Melodifestivalen, and tirelessly scanning the Internet. All for your benefit.

Side Note: RIX FM has a show called the MorronZoo, Swedish for Morning Zoo. Of course, to our trained ears, it sounds like moron zoo. Which, I'm sure, is a lovely place to visit. But, please don't feed them.

Now, as I explained in a previous post, none of these songs are available on the US iTunes store. So, for all intents and purposes, you probably won't be able to purchase them any time soon. But, luckily, there is YouTube which has videos of all the songs mentioned below; most are live performances. The link for the song title goes to a video, while the link for the artist's name goes to an informational website.

Melodifestivalen 2008 Contestants

• Hero - Charlotte Perrelli [The winner of Melodifestivalen 2008; this song will represent Sweden in the Eurovision Contest. The beginning is kind of uninspiring, but the chorus is truly something to behold. It really makes you want to sing along at the top of your lungs. Well, I do. Still, not my favorite.]
• Lay Your Love on Me - BWO [The lyrics are just hilarious. But, you'll be shimmying your shoulders in no time. Very Eastern European. Love it!]
• Just a Minute - Rongedal [My favorite of all I heard. Had so much fun dancing to this. Think bastard love child of Mika and the Scissor Sisters.]

Swedish Idol Contestants

• If Only You - Danny (ft. Therese) [Sounds like a Summer romance song, European style. High swaying quotient]
• Brother Oh Brother - Mans Zelmerlow [At first, we thought this was Enrique; he rules the airwaves here. But, no, not quite. Fun, in the same vein - the Swedish Enrique!]
• Do You Love Me - Amanda Jenssen [Okay, the studio version sounds so much better. Still, love the voice. I think I do love her....well, not in that way. This I know.]

Miscellaneous Europopsters

• Voyage, Voyage - Kate Ryan [I liked one of Kate's previous songs (Je T'Adore), so I think this one may grow on me. My main problem with it is the repetition. Voyage sounds good once, but repeated twice is a little irritating.]
• Lollipop - Mika [But, what is he really trying to say? Oh that silly Mika.]
• Miss Blue - Vincent [At first, I thought the lyrics were "I'm psycho on you" but I've since been proven wrong. Yeah, "I'm stuck on you" is logical, but when has that ever stoped me. Regardless, this is a great "get in your car and drive with the windows down" song. I have to wait a few months for that, but still, I like the concept. Oh, and you should to be tapping your toes as well.]
• We Keep on Rockin - Alcazar [My favorite new song. D-I-S-C-O! There is a true Xanadu moment in the song around 2:20. And, um, the leather pants in the video. Hey now, hey now.]

Next time, maybe just a list of songs. :)

Parting Shots [from Stockholm]

Stockholm is a very colorful city. Certainly with respect to the architecture. But also with the people.

On Saturday night, our group ventured out to a club that played throbbing techno dance music in one part. The other part of the club played songs from the Melodifestivalen competition. The winner of this contest represents Sweden in the Eurovision song contest. A surprising number of the songs are sung in English. And everyone was singing along and emoting (oh my) to the songs. Even as they were played for the 4th or 5th time. Of course, the amount of spirits consumed may have had something to do with that. Nonetheless, this is serious stuff. We could only observe for so long before we joined in. Okay, in actuality, TJ dragged us off the techno dance floor and out into the midst of reveling euro pop-tarts.

Most of the songs are eminently danceable. Lyrically, some are good, some are bad, and some are truly awful. I think the word "cheese" might apply. Sample lyrics to one song below:

We can dance all night with the bourgeoisie
Lay your love on me
Take a chance on me, take the liberty
Lay your love on me

The winner is a dramatic diva-esque tune called Hero. Someone (he who shall remain nameless, but has two letters in his name) likes this song. So I have no alternative, but to purchase it on iTunes Sweden. Should anyone else want to hear this fine example of europop at its, er, best, let me know. :)