a few filthy bits, part 2: freddy's revenge

when i tilt my head to the side, my lips look like a vagina

thanks to one of my favorite fellow music blogs, #1 hits from another planet, for introducing me to this tune. nineteen-year-old, and fellow homosexual, joe mcelderry was the sixth season-winner of the u.k.'s the x factor, an american idol-type competition show. (don't fret, america! the u.s. version is coming to the airwaves in september 2011. isn't that great?! t.v. really has a lot to offer, huh?) his first single upon winning the show was a cover of miley cyrus's "the climb." (insert vomiting sound here.) his debut album, wide awake, was just released in the u.k. to mixed reviews. but one of the standout tracks is "until the stars come out," a great dance-pop tune which cleverly samples george michael's "faith." 

Joe McElderry - Until the Stars Run Out - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

speaking of dance-pop, check out australian duo parralox's "don't listen to me" from their forthcoming third album metropolis.

Parralox - Don't Listen To Me - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

chris wargo and craig robert smith came from two different music backgrounds. smith favored ambient sounds, while wargo preferred hip-hop and dubstep. together they formed nazcarnation and produced mostly instrumental tracks. later they added vocals and gave their tunes a pop edge. all of those elements come together on songs like "trust fall," from their debut EP dynazty.

NazcarNation - Trust Fall - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

grafting elements of alternative, rock, and country, minneapolis-based tapes 'n tapes delivers the goods on their first single "freak out," from their upcoming debut album outside. any album with song titles like "badaboom" and "hidee ho" has to be good. seriously.

Tapes 'n Tapes - Freak Out - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

a few filthy bits of amazing

a bunch of dirty hot (mostly) new music has graced my iTunes of late, but my 9-5 has been keeping me crazy busy. (or rather just crazy.) so instead of doing individual posts, i decided to do one fell swoop and give ya all the shiny, glossy, sexified goodness at once.

adam kesher is actually five guys, not one. the paris quintet is gaining some blog buzz with their new single "gravy train" from their sophomore album challenging nature. it's a super song, as are the remixes, but another stand-out album track is "kiss me kinski." their high-energy electro-rock is rife with synths and hand claps, and a sort of ethereal quality in the vocals. not sure which kinski they're referring to in their song. my first guess is nastassja.

Adam Kesher - Kiss me kinski - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

i ♥ erik hassle. it's a shame he hasn't blown up yet. there's still plenty of time, however i was truly hoping 2010 would be his year. what's more is, i wanted him to tour the states. that's not to say he hasn't made waves in various corners of the globe. but his undeniable talent and stunning voice deserve to be heard by many more.

he just released a new EP, taken, featuring a track from his album, both in its original form and a reworked version, and three new songs. the best of those new songs is "if it takes all night." although "drums in my heart" may have been a better title.

Erik Hassle - If It Takes All Night - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

dato (thomas and david) are really cool guys. we first blogged about them long ago and far away with their excellent tune "how many times" from their debut album disc 1. their new single, "she's looking for something," isn't featured on the album, but it still possesses their trademark cooly seductive, instantly danceable, highly addictive electropop sound.


DATO - She's looking for something (featuring Danny Andersen) by DATO

november 2 marks the release date of bear hands' debut full-length burning bush supper club. (which is also a great name for a porno, by the way.) check out their first single "crime pays" below.

Bear Hands - Crime Pays - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

bubble scum

there's a new three-piece electropop-funk band from finland. they call themselves bubble scum, but don't let the name fool you. it's actually apropos to their sound: grimy, grungy, sticky-sweet pop. their debut album, body 2 body, recently dropped and i suggest you track it down as soon as you can. it's filled with dirty little secrets. not to mention that it's the perfect saturday night party album. great for getting ready. perfect for the clubs. and the smartest way to erase from memory that nameless person you woke up next to the following morning, and all the while having fun doing it.

Bubble Scum - Body2body - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Bubble Scum - Golden Gun - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

better than daylight

have you ever known within a few seconds of hearing a song for the first time that you're going to fall in love with it? love at first listen. it could be just a note, but when it happens, it's almost euphoric. early last year i had that experience with matt and kim's "daylight." i played that song so much last year, it's one of the few from which i actually need a break. well, i found its replacement. the pop-punk duo's new album, sidewalks, drops next week and i got my sticky little hands on a preview copy. it's a much stronger album than grand, and that same instantaneous joy pierced my eardrums when i heard "good for great." strings + synths + hooks = orgasmic. i'm spent.

Matt and Kim - Good For Great - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

automatic

one thing that annoys the hell out of me is when i can't understand rappers (or any singers for that matter). many rappers especially take a lot of time to craft their rhymes. but if they mumble, what's the point? maybe that's part of the reason i can't stop listening to e-dubble's "automatic." not only can you understand what he's saying, but he spits out his rhymes so effortlessly, and they're insanely clever. plus the tune's got an electro groove that's hard to resist, and a catchy-as-fuck chorus. 

for the last 39 weeks, the baltimore-based MC has given away a freestyle tune for gratis, each one sampling a different tune from artists as diverse as kanye, mgmt, and guns 'n' roses. "automatic," his latest, samples glitch mob. 

he's also got that sexy beast thing going for him. there's something very animal about him. in fact, at the 2:25 mark he lets out a roar. it's hot. it works. and i'm hooked. the song has been on repeat for days. i don't think i've been this excited about a rap song since i heard madonna freestyling during the bridge of "american life." ok, just kidding on that last part. maybe.  

e-dubble - Automatic - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

torn

awwww.....

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

fuck

fuck is probably the greatest word in the english language. i try to say it every fucking day. it's a power word. no other word can be used as readily, easily, and correctly to express happiness, sadness, anger, rage, fear, joy, pleasure, and just about every other feeling or emotion out there. it's a word as versatile as half the gays in the castro pretend to be. still reviled and revered by many, there have been books written about it, and even time magazine took a closer look at its magnificent staying power since the early 1500s. it's fucking wonderful and i advocate its usage as an adjective, adverb, noun, etc. ... but mostly as a verb.

Christian TV - Let's Just Fuck - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Childish Gambino - Fuck it All - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

get some

here's the song everyone's buzzing about today. grab it for free, and its b-side, here or over at lykkeli.com.

get some | paris blue

this land is oh land

from the moment i heard "sun of a gun," i knew oh land was going to be huge. check out the interwebs lately and you can almost feel the momentum building behind this girl. she's gotten everyone's attention, and there's good reason. her smart, radio-friendly electropop is instantly accessible and addictive. plus, she's got that vintage, glamorous, movie star look about her. in a phrase: the total package. her u.s. self-titled debut EP was just released on iTunes, which features "sun of a gun." check out a recent stripped-down, acoustic performance of the song below along with another track from the EP. mark my words, 2011 will be the year of oh land.

Oh Land - Sun of a Gun (Acoustic) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Oh Land - White Nights - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

[video] firework by liptease (katy perry cover)

liza with a 'psb'

some people might consider cabaret to be the peak in liza minnelli's illustrious career, but i disagree. one need look no further than the first track of her 1989 album results to find the entertainer's high watermark. "i want you now" is a dramatic, sweeping, string-soaked dance-pop number written and produced by pet shop boys. in fact, the entire album was produced by neil tennant and chris lowe, along with julian mendelsohn.

the album was a huge hit in the u.k. and reinvigorated liza's career. it produced four singles, the first of which was a dance version of the stephen sondheim classic "losing my mind." in my opinion, this was one of the weakest songs on the album, but it proved immensely popular and reached #6 on the u.k. singles chart. of course this wasn't the first time that tennant and lowe did wonders for a pop diva. two years prior they put dusty springfield back on the map with "what have i done to deserve this?"

results didn't do nearly as well in the u.s., peaking at only #128 on the billboard top 200. however it did produce two top 40 dance tracks with "losing my mind" and "love pains." allmusic.com claims this is more of a pet shop boys album than a liza minnelli album. this might be true to some degree, but as someone who has never been a huge pet shop boys or liza minnelli fan, i find this album irresistible. it could just be liza's undiscovered masterpiece. either way, it's worthy of a reevaluation.

Liza Minnelli (feat. Pet Shop Boys) - I Want You Now - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Liza Minnelli (feat. Pet Shop Boys) - Losing My Mind - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

music from the motherboard

computers are magical. and computer magic's tunes are all kinds of houdini-style amazing. CM is actually the brainchild of new york native danz (right), who writes, performs, and produces every track. (you can grab her two free EPs over at her site.) there's something beguiling and sweet about her tunes, including this one: "teenage ballad (high school)." it's quirky and catchy, and while danz might not win any fans over with her commanding vocal range, she gets major points for originality and cleverness.

Computer Magic - Teenage Ballad (High School) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

in case you missed it:friends electric premier golden blood video

on monday the Pop Sucker brought you the exclusive premier of friends electric's video for their spectacular new single, "golden blood." in case you missed it the first time, check it out. if you watched it before, it's time for a repeat viewing.

Golden Blood from Friends Electric on Vimeo.

GOLDEN BLOOD by Friendselectric

cover me, part 3

back in august we brought you a sweeping, dramatic, electropop cover of bruce springsteen's classic "dancing in the dark" by australian sarah mcleod. as expected, the opinions were split down the middle. some loved it, others didn't. i loved it; in fact more so than the original. the nashville/l.a. trio the royal front are also electropop musicians, however their cover of "dancing in the dark" is anything but. it's an elegant piano ballad and a wonderful interpretation. koral michael's vocals have a karen carepenter-esque clarity about them, and her minor key harmonies are exemplary. which version do you like better?

the Royal Front - Dancing in the Dark - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

while the royal front offered a different version of their cover, impossible situations (aka bram de wijs from the netherlands) gives us a pretty faithful take on keri hilson's "i like," one of the best pop songs of the last few years.

Impossible Situations - I Like - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

this record sound

back before this site learned to walk, we introduced you to lectrolips, a u.k. duo producing some excellent, '80s-inspired electropop. now leo and anthony are back with more on their new EP exempt from classification. one look at the album cover and the promo photos that are splashed on their site and facebook page, and you get the idea of their music's sound: golden, sexy, and provocative. and like some good sex, they leave you wanting more. just take a listen to one of the standout cuts, "this record sound." you can grab the entire EP for free at their site.

This Record Sound by LectroLips

This Record Sound (Lips To The Floor Remix) by LectroLips

¡muy caliente!

dibs on the guy in the purple plaid. mmmm....

linguistics and words fascinate me. sadly, i only speak english. well, let me put it another way: i don't speak spanish, so when i try to sing along, i'm basically making up my own words. it's not quite spanglish though. i suppose i'm speaking in tongues. but hey, good music is good music no matter what the language, so i bring you she's a tease, whose new album millonaria is out next month. "fiebre," from what i understand, is the first single. "datos intimos" is an older single. i think. i couldn't understand what i was saying.

She's A Tease - Fiebre - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

She's A Tease - Datos Intimos - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

love in an elevator

here's one the blogosphere will be buzzing about this week. a new track has leaked from the about-to-break-mainstream-pop-music it girl, sky ferreira. it seems "elevator," produced by bloodshy and avant (aka miike snow), the team behind sky's single "one," won't appear on her debut album or as a single. and she's none-too-pleased that the track is making the rounds on the interwebs. "leaks=the worst," she tweeted saturday.

Sky Ferreira - Elevator - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

exclusive premier video: golden blood by friends electric

back in august we introduced you to friends electric, a u.k. electropop band whose sleek and sexy track "wall of arms" had us bolting straight to the dance floor. now they've unleashed their next single, "golden blood," and we're proud to premier the video here:

Golden Blood from Friends Electric on Vimeo.

GOLDEN BLOOD by Friendselectric

my leather, my fur, my nails

amazingness takes many forms. just like satan. in this case, the amazingness comes in the form of stepdad's "my leather, my fur, my nails." from the opening notes -- which make me feel like i'm waiting in line for a sixth spin on the carnival tilt-a-whirl -- this grand rapids-by-way-of-chicago band takes us on a four-and-a-half minute journey of exhilarating, devilish, well ... amazingness. honestly, i don't remember the last time i had this much fun listening to a record. and their EP, ordinaire, is anything but ordinary or usual as its names implies. the songs, like "my leather, my fur, my nails" and "squares," are built around big hooks, some excellent harmonies, and something a lot of pop music seems to be missing these days: unrestrained amusement.

Stepdad - My Leather, My Fur, My Nails - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Stepdad - Squares - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

star

what would it sound like if simon and garfunkel, circa bridge over troubled waters, did electropop? it might sound a little like hey champ's "star," the title track from their debut album. the chicago trio is one of the standout electropop bands of the year. (they're also a lot of fun live, too, so check 'em out if you get a chance.) "star" is one of the best tracks on the album because of its folky elements, which stand up well alongside other excellent, but grittier, album tracks "cold dust girl" and "face control."

Hey Champ - Star - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

NEW GAGA!

no word on where this came from or if it belongs to any album. it definitely sounds like a demo. simple drum track, simple synth effects, and gaga. this could be a song from her forthcoming album born this way. perhaps it's a leftover from the fame or the fame monster. either way, it just hit the interwebs and little monsters are buzzing. and it's damn catchy! (sigh.) viva la gaga!

Lady GaGa - Nothin On (But The Radio) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

remix round-up

Marina and the Diamonds - Shampain (Fred Falke Radio Edit) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Bag Raiders - Way Back Home (1928 Remix) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Gemini Club - Ghost (Hey Champ Remix) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

never mind the haters

despite a dark and downcast vibe throughout, "never mind the haters," by sweden's peder claesson (formerly of the motorhomes), is strangely charming. perhaps it lies in the lyrics: "you know you make me shine/even if you're down/oh, you will get around/never mind the haters." it only appears to be cloaked in despair, but it's actually a song of reassurance and hope, told through from an empathetic point of view. the track is taken from the album of the same name. although this and the other tracks have only been roughly mastered, and the album isn't 100 per cent complete, it's an excellent preview of things to come from multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter claesson. you can check out the tunes at his bandcamp page.

good grief it's candy!

canadians jordy birch and mark henning were previously in the '90s alt-rock band pure together. after doing their own things for a while, the two met back up and formed guilty about girls. over the last few years they have released several EPs under the GAG moniker. the new one, the very best of..., features this tune: the rollicking speak-song (a la marcy playground) alternative emo romance/sex anthem "candy candy."

Guilty About Girls - Candy Candy - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

the closest thing

this song came out a few years ago, but i only recently discovered it. there isn't anything particularly original or inspired about this song. it's middle-of-the-road adult contemporary pop you've heard a thousand times before. but the harmonies are killer, especially on the outro, and i'm a sucker for great harmonies. plus, the vocals are excellent.

Sheva - The Closest Thing - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

free

when i spoke with jamie scott of graffiti6 back in july, he told me how excited he and tommyd were to release their debut album, colours, because of its eclectic mix of musical styles. one track in particular, "free," he said they were most proud of. "that's our baby," he said. "we'd be devastated if people didn't hear that song." according to their facebook, the track is now slated as the album's third single. it's the perfect choice to follow "stare into the sun" and "annie you save me." drenched in scott's blue-eyed soul vocals, the track perfectly encapsulates the certain sound the band is carving out for itself; something they've called psychedelic northern folk soul. remember back in the day when every song sounded this good?

for all the u.s. G6 fans out there: although the band is spending most of time building its fan base in their u.k. home right now, but the album is available stateside.

Graffiti6 - Free - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

gotta go

as mentioned before, i have no intentions of posting any of the new ace of base songs. however, neither did i think i would post any of jenny berggren's solo material. she's releasing her first album before the year's end and the songs i had heard up until now didn't do much for me. now, her first single, "gotta go," has been released and it's quite good. it doesn't sound too much like ace of base, but i think that's a good thing. the new ace of base sounds way too much like ace of base, which is unfortunate since the band isn't the real AOB anymore. jenny's got the right idea though. "gotta go" is a strong pop song, with a catchy hook and her vocals are top-notch. i'm not sure that she'll make a dent in the american pop charts, but nothing good ever does.

Jenny Berggren - Gotta Go - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

take it personal

ok, let's put aside for a moment the fact that this is likely the kind of song you'd hear blaring through the speakers at hollister. and let's disregard that joshua and florin, who make up the seattle-based duo go periscope, look like they would shop and/or work at hollister. we won't hold any of this against them; the reason is "take it personal," which comes from the duo's self-titled debut album, is actually good. in fact, the whole album is a pretty strong piece of modern emo-electropop. and you can download their new mixtape for free (holla!) from their bandcamp site.

Go Periscope - Take It Personal - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

answers & the key

the fact that ou est le swimming pool's debut album is so strong makes the recent death of their lead singer, charles haddon, all the more tragic. it's dark, catchy electropop through and through, a la pet shop boys and depeche mode. in fact, haddon sounds a lot like on neil tennant on many of the tracks, including the band's fourth single, "the key," which is a standout. "answers," another track, is also a hooky, shiny gem.

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - The Key - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Answers - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker