ellie

british songstress ellie goulding has just repackaged and re-released her debut album, lights, calling it bright lights. i wasn't thoroughly impressed with lights when it first came out mainly because i preferred the demo versions of "wish i stayed" and "starry eyed" which have been circulating last year. the album versions were over-produced. too polished, too slick. bright lights features the current single "your song," a cover of the elton john classic, and boasts 7 great new tracks including "home" and "believe me." i'm also including one of the best songs from the originally released album called "your biggest mistake," an absolute gem of a pop song.

Ellie Goulding - Your Biggest Mistake - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Ellie Goulding - Home - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Ellie Goulding - Believe Me - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

aural sex

brooklyn's body language is the personification of DIY nu-disco. dripping with soulful sexiness, their ballad "you can" is a silky-smooth, honey-drenched example of aural carnality. (or maybe i'm just too horny.) the song is available for free download, along with its accompanying EP social studies over on their bandcamp site.

Body Language - You Can - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Marina and the Diamonds - Obsessions (Body Language Remix) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

framebreaker

san francisco's return to mono describe themselves as a cross between florence + the machine and ratatat, and with good reason. their atmospheric sound wraps you in its warm, lush notes and electro-rock beats. check out the title track from their upcoming debut album framebreaker, which will be released january 13. and if you're local, check 'em out at slim's on december 16. 

Return To Mono - Framebreaker - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Return To Mono - Seeker Circuit - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

smooth criminal

taking a public service announcement from the 1950s about the dangers of drug use, washing out the images and drenching their psychedelic new wave synth pop over the moving pictures, louisville, kentucky's the pass has made one of the most ingenious videos of the year for their single "criminal." their debut album, burst, is available at their bandcamp site for only $8.

The Pass - Criminal - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

storyteller

the dirty disco are back! lead singer adam boy sent over their poetic new video and two remixes -- which you can download for free -- of their new single "storyteller."

The Dirty Disco - Storyteller (Robots With Rayguns Mix) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

The Dirty Disco - Storyteller (I Got Paid Remix) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

esser

i don't know what rock i've been living under that i didn't discover esser sooner. if not just for his music, but his hair! fucking amazing. recently the brit has lent his vocals to the shoes' awesome tune "stay the same." this turned me on to his music. his debut album, braveface, came out last year. this tune, "stop dancing," is probably the album's best song, followed closely by "satisfied". it reminds me a lot of junior boys' "in the morning." take a listen and see if you notice the similarities. someone should do a mash-up.

Esser - Stop Dancing - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

a few filthy bits of amazing, part iv: 3 ninjas knuckle up

body talk pt3, the last part in robyn's body talk trilogy, reunites her with '90s pop mega-producer max martin. he was the man behind the teen pop explosion of the late '90s and early '00s (i.e. britney) and produced robyn's first album and singles, such as "show me love." their current collaboration "time machine" might be robyn's finest hour, ranking up there with "with every heartbeat." it's pop in its purest form.

Robyn - Time Machine - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

speaking of good pop, enio chiola is a do-it-yourself electropop jack-of-all-trades. writing, performing, and producing all of his own material, the openly gay (and very sexy) electronicanadian this year released his fourth(!) album called immolate. the third single, "knee-jerk," details the young singer/songwriter's feelings with musical stagnation. you can download the tune for free here or over at his bandcamp site. check out his EP of '80s covers, too. "open your heart" is a standout.

Enio - Knee-Jerk (Radio Edit) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

catcall is catherine kelleher, an australian whose dreamy, laid-back italo disco pop tune "swimming pool" is blowing up the interweblogs. the cover art captures the sound well. it's like a lite-brite picture created on the beach at sunset in 1986. wherever that beach is, i want to be there.

Catcall - Swimming Pool - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

it's such a lonely time of year

a different kind of christmas carol. yes, i realize it's not quite thanksgiving yet and i'm posting christmas-related music. trust me, there won't be much after this one. but this song could be applied to any holiday, including thanksgiving. bust out the hankies.

Nancy Sinatra - It's Such A Lonely Time Of Year - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

the book, its cover, the fool

one look at the cover of sons of york's debut album, black and white summer, and i thought: oh fuck, is it 2012 already?! muscles tensed, brows furrowed, vacant stares all around. yup, this is the end, i thought. if the album cover is any indication of the music, we're all fucked. well, color me barbra -- i was wrong! wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. the album cover belies the music. it's straightforward rock/pop, but there's a charm and substance to it that's desperately lacking from mainstream rock/pop artists. the high point of the album comes just after the midway point. the lyrics and arrangement of "twice the fool" are melodramatic and slightly bombastic, but damn is it good! i've always said the world would be a much happier place with more strings and harmonies and "twice the fool" has plenty of both. just try not to get drawn in.

Sons of York - Twice The Fool - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

take me over

the first official single from cut/copy's forthcoming third album, zonoscope, was released today. cut/copy are, hands down, my favorite band. and zonoscope ranks high on my list of must-have albums of 2011. "take me over" has a more worldly sound, but still retains the group's trademark electropop delectability on its chorus. i'm still on the fence about this one. the true test will be if i wake up singing it tomorrow.

Cut Copy - Take Me Over - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

bigger than us

White Lies - Bigger Than Us - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

free association

with all the headlines this week of iTunes securing the rights to some group called the beatles, i realized i hadn't posted any '60s songs recently. the beatles are justifiably the most famous and influential group of the decade (and every decade since). one of the more underrated and largely forgotten groups of that golden era of music was the association. for a brief time, the association was one of the most popular vocal groups on the planet. they never won any grammys, nor were they showered with other peer accolades, and the tight harmonies and lush vocal arrangements of their california sunshine pop seems more a product of its time and almost quaint compared to what passes for music today. they weren't drug-addled hippies. no one member of the group stood out more than others, and because of that (or in spite of it) they weren't fodder for the tabloids. yet they were phenomenally successful. they had seven top 40 hits, two of which reached #1 hits, and three others in the top 10. and their crowning achievement, the gorgeous ballad "never my love," was accredited by music publisher BMI as the second-most played song on the radio of the 20th century!

their first hit, "along comes mary," was released in 1966, a year when drug music was increasing in frequency. so much so that people naturally assumed the "mary" of the song was marijuana. and with lyrics like "and then along comes mary/and does she want to set them free, and let them see reality from where she got her name/and will they struggle much when told that such a tender touch as hers will make them not the same," it was hard not to believe it. the association always denied the song was about pot, but the controversy only propelled the song into the top 10, peaking at #7.

The Association - Along Comes Mary - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

in 1967, the band had a #2 hit with "never my love." from wikipedia: "In 1999 the song was recognized as the second most-played song in history, with performances of more than 7 million, according to BMI. The #2 rank on the Top 100 Songs of the Century, listing the most played songs on American radio and television, placed "Never My Love" between the #1 song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", written by Barry Mann, Phil Spector and Cynthia Weil, and the #3 song "Yesterday" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. BMI estimated that the song had as of 1999 received what amounted to about 40 years of continuous airplay in its 32 years." 

The Association - Never My Love - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

"windy" was the band's second #1 hit in 1967, following their first, "cherish," the year before. 

The Association - Windy - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

days ahead

yesssssss....!

Museum of Bellas Artes - Days Ahead - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

riri's back...

...although i think it's fair to say she never really left the spotlight. rihanna is one of the very few top 40 pop stars whose body of work i enjoy and from whom i look forward to hearing new material. (and when i say "very few," i literally mean maybe 1 or 2 others.) her latest album, loud, dropped yesterday, and while it's not as strong as some of her past efforts, it's got its share of standout cuts, three of which are included here:

Rihanna - S&M - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Rihanna - Fading - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Rihanna - Man Down - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

rescue

is there something special that flows in the water of sweden? if you took my library of music and separated out all the songs by swedish artists, they would wrap around the world twice. ok, i made that part up, but you get the point. dear euphoria is elina johansson. her voice is described as "quirky" on her facebook page, but that might not be the right word. it's clear and breathy. in fact it's so clear there's an icy, fragile quality to it. it's used to maximum effect on her new EP this night will flee, especially "rescue." her voice takes center stage and although it's a gorgeous ballad of hope and the power of love (not the celine kind), it's also stunningly sad. it's the musical equivalent of a three-hankie warner bros. 1940s melodrama. the kind you can't stop watching (or listening to).

Dear Euphoria - Rescue - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

it's about time

JESP is actually joe espinoza, a miami producer/songwriter/synthmaster extraordinaire. his stuff is hip, it's freestyle, pop, electro, it's '80s, '90s. it doesn't really matter what style with which you try to classify this sound. it's fun to listen to, fun to dance to. it's good. so listen, download, enjoy.

JESP - It's About Time - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

the key

got sent these two cool remixes of one of my favorite songs of the year ("the key"), from one one of the best albums of the year ("the golden year"), by one of my favorite bands, ou est le swimming pool.

this sexy beast did the remixes

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - The Key (Ridney Dub Remix) by ridney


Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - The Key (Ridney & Devos Reprise) by ridney

[EXCLSV DWNLD] lectrolips - "tough enough"

the guys over at lectrolips (ant & leo) have sent over their latest track, "tough enough," for exclusive download on the Pop Sucker. combining '80s synths with a modern-day sensibility, "tough enough" is one of their strongest songs yet. the more these guys churn out, the more sophisticated and smarter their electropop sound becomes. 

check out some of the other lectrolips tunes we've posted.

LectroLips - Tough Enough - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

feed the birds / san fran

remember that scene in mary poppins where julie andrews sang that hauntingly beautiful song about that creepy little old woman who lived in a snow globe, had an affair with some saint named paul on the steps of a cathedral, and fed the birds tuppence a bag? the song is stunning, but the creepy old woman freaked me out so much when i was a kid that when i saw home alone 2 i thought it was a horror movie. anyway, the new zealand lads behind kids of 88 may or may not have had mary poppins in mind when they put together their own song called "feed the birds." there's something haunting about it, but as far as electropop goes, it's a spoonful of sugar.

Kids of 88 - Feed the Birds - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

kids of 88 also score points for their song "san fran." any song with the following lyrics deserves to be heard: "let's move to san francisco/where full house looks like a disco/and the bridge is not as gold/i can play uncle jesse/you can play mary-kate/we can be a happy family/all the live long day."

Kids of 88 - San Fran - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

never hear surf music again

celebrity crushes are pointless and unoriginal. celebrities are virtually unattainable, and they represent this false sense of beauty and glamor. this is especially true if you're queer. the last time i had a celebcrush was in college. i was hot for josh hartnett and plastered my dorm room walls with posters from teen vogue. (and just so my dorm mates wouldn't suspect anything, i also hung up pictures of half-naked women too, like cher and madonna.) hartnett's not gay (to my knowledge), and while it was fun to swoon over his dreamy, james dean-esque swagger, it got really old really fast. in a word, celebrity crushes are boring. but boredom is the new black and i have a huge, celebrity crush on james franco.

his new film, the highly-anticipated and much talked about 127 hours, blew into san francisco this weekend. people are talking about it because of it's compelling performance by my husband, and the graphic depiction of franco's character's self amputation. (don't worry, i'm not giving away any surprise plot twist.) the amputation wasn't nearly as gruesome as it was made out to be, but the critics were right in that franco is superb. (sadly, there was no masturbation scene as had been described in early interviews about the film.)

the film opened with this great song by brooklyn-based free blood. "never hear surf music again" is a beautiful blend of bohemian sounds. it's soulful, experimental, pop world-music driven by a powerful beat.

Free Blood - Never Hear Surf Music Again - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

friday fuckfest

toril lindqvist drops f-bombs and four-letter words like a $1.98 hooker. her band, alice in videoland, is dirrrrty, and i love them for that. their grungy electroclash sound coupled with their often racy lyrics make for a fun, filthy fortissimo. their new album, a million thoughts and they're all about you, is out now and you should purchase it. immediately. it breezes through nine songs that are all so pop-punk powerful (save for the weak final track, a cover of "buffalo stance"), you'll find yourself listening to it again and again.

Alice In Videoland - Take Me With You - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Alice In Videoland - Bender - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Alice In Videoland - Last Lover - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

way back home

one of the best songs of the year, three ways.

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

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

Bag Raiders - Way Back Home (Club Version Feat. Duane Harden) - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

i heard a rumour

thanks to the wonders of google and its amazing products, i was able to translate the information on copenhagen-based the rumour said fire's facebook page. the indie-folk rock band, formed in 2008, recently released its debut full-length album the arrogant. the track we're featuring, "desolation, mr. foe," is an excellent example of their style, which is both frenetic and meaningful. led by lead singer jesper lidang's melodic voice, the song soars highest during its harmonies, both in the verses and chorus. of their unusual name, the translation i got said this:

'The rumor said the fire' is about the time period or the life lived between a rumor arises and it is either confirmed or disproved. The uncertain time between one state and one next to a man or a history of humanity. It's about the period between peace and war between love and hate, between the beautiful and the terrible, friendship and enmity, healthy and sick, sobriety and alcoholism. To take a few major examples. All extremes, which we at the paper easy to make as opposed to one another but who lived life are multiple and vertigo meanings, as life progresses, continue to weave in and out of each other and constantly changing nature. At the time the rumor fire occurs and the confirmed or disproved, are all insecure and anxious, and this is where people really put to the test.

ok, so maybe google translator has a glitch or two.

The Rumour Said Fire - Desolation, Mr. Foe - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

electropop kicks

try these on for size! (ba-dum-bum) there's something icy cool and seductive about the shoes' electropop sound. like dancing around a twilit art deco apartment with walls covered in vicks vaporub. and check the vocals of the delightfully sexy esser on "stay the same." mentholated goodness.

The Shoes - Stay The Same - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

The Shoes - Cover Your Eyes - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

life's too short

my best buddy daniel and i were chatting the other night about the obscene amount of music we download in a single week. sometimes it's hundreds of songs, some weeks it's just a dozen. the only time to listen to all these songs is to and from -- and at -- my 9-5 job. sometimes i never make it through the never-ending new batch of songs when i find that one song that sends me into aural bliss. such a song is "life's too short" by the brand-spankin' new five-piece texan band wild party. this made the workday fly by. it's the kind of song that makes you want to dance around your apartment naked. over and over again. (or, you know, around your cubicle.) cannot. stop. listening. to. this.

Wild Party - Life's Too Short - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

november

i love me some girl bands. montreal's mad june released their debut album, we're not strangers, last fall, and have been growing their fan base playing shows in canada. the track "november," is a politically-charged lamentation of a fucked-up world. but don't fret. the song doesn't feel as heavy as all that. it's actually a great danceable rock song that builds and builds into a crescendo, capped by a fantastic tightly-harmonized french outro.

Mad June - November - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

the soft sell

mmmmm.... furry bellies, furry chests

disco nap became it a DIY indie rock-pop band after ross hope's former band, iron on, unexpectedly went on indefinite hiatus. hope recently told rolling stone: “i literally had nothing to do. half my life was either playing shows, rehearsing or booking shows behind the scenes.” so hope began crafting melodies solo. later, he took his tunes to pal darek mudge and the two formed disco nap. "the soft sell," from the band's debut album running red lights, is a bittersweet reflection of life after iron on's breakup. still, hope has no intention of breaking the DIY mold of his new venture. “i love writing and playing music but i don’t wanna go industry chasing," he said. "i don’t think being a career musician is my goal any more. you get frustrated easily when you’re trying to climb this invisible ladder to the top but i don’t think many people think about the final destination.”

Disco Nap - The Soft Sell - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

mega star

the danish are coming! the danish are coming! and these two danish studs call themselves the wong boys. their debut album, w, has been highly anticipated in denmark thanks to the single "get ur fuk on" making the rounds last year. i read somewhere that frank and stefan, the men behind the wong identities, are making music for everyone except middle-aged women. "if they like it, there's something wrong with them." umm, ok. i have their new album, and i'm sure it's wonderful, but i can't get past the first song, "mega song." it might just be the funkiest, catchiest dance song about domestic abuse between siblings.

The Wong Boys - Mega Star - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

in the meantime

five star hotel has been around for nearly a decade, but their debut album has just been released. the greek quintet (three of whom are named giannis) was formed in 2001 by two of the guys, but didn't really take shape until a few years later. after touring, honing their sound, and being included on a couple greek-only compilations, the band finally landed a record deal. it's been a long road, but the end result is a pleasing concoction of dreamy indie pop, light electronica, and garage rock. standout track: the plaintive ballad "in the meantime." 

Five Star Hotel - In The Meantime - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

love is a mixtape

aren't mixtapes amazing? i used to make tons and tons of mixtapes for friends when i was in high school. and they were actual cassette tapes, thank you very much. (apparently some of those friends still have them!) there's something very romantic and sexy about making a mixtape for someone you care about. hoping that favorite song will strike an emotional chord the same way it does when you listen to it. tift merritt encapsulates the joy of mixtape lust into 3 minutes and 21 seconds of sheer bliss.

Tift Merritt - Mixtape - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

in the middle

hottest video of the year? well if not, it's certainly the gayest.

a few filthy bits of amazing 3-D

just when you thought it was safe to go back to the blogs.

hugo manuel is chad valley, a u.k. lad making some delightful washed out-esque minimalist-psychadelic-sample-chillwave. just take a listen to "ensoniq funk" and try to not to get seduced.

Chad Valley - Ensoniq Funk - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

austin, texas's quiet company evokes memories of those great 1960s pop groups like the association, the turtles, the monkees, the beach boys, and of course the beatles. and they mix the best parts of the sunshine pop goodness of those bands into a unique style of their own.


Quiet Company - Things You Already Know - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

among their influences that nashville's roman candle list on their facebook page are: bob dylan, burt bacharach, oasis, everly brothers, and neil young. take a listen and tell me you don't hear a little bit of each in "eden was a garden." such a great song. 

Roman Candle - Eden Was a Garden - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

name a band that lists their genre as: afro-beat/experimental/beach pop/surf pop. can't think of one? meet san diego-based dirty gold. they meld these sounds so effortlessly in songs like "california sunrise," i swear to god i would move here if i didn't live here already (huh?).

clearly from the songs i've posted here, i'm not quite ready to give up the summer sun. and even though it was 80 degrees in san francisco today, those days are fleeting as fall quickly creeps its way into our blood. until then, i've got dirty gold to keep me warm. 

Dirty Gold - California Sunrise - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

things that money can't buy

i found this gem over at we all want someone to shout for. mondrian is a french (and from the looks of it very sexy) band whose debut EP pop shop contains this tune, "things that money can't buy." it's a wonderfully nuanced performance, multi-layered in its intricacies, and demanding repeat listens. the lyrics are mournful, but the overall feeling isn't entirely melancholy, which adds a wonderful touch to an already exquisite song.

Mondrian - Things that money can't buy by the Pop Sucker

rainbow & red paint

i'm feeling a bit discombobulated & stressed this week, so i'm just doing a quick post with a couple of the Pop Sucker mainstays. enjoy!

Oh Land - Rainbow - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

Matt and Kim - Red Paint - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

don't say oh well

GROUPLOVE is gaining a lot of buzz/momentum right now, and even touring with florence + the machine. check out their story on their facebook page. it reads almost like a movie. and their music makes the perfect soundtrack. "colours" is the tune getting the most press right now, but it's "don't say oh well" from their debut self-titled EP that scores the most points with me. it's rocking, rollicking, and rowdy. bottom line: it makes you feel good. and who doesn't want that?

GROUPLOVE - Don't Say Oh Well - thepopsucker.blogspot.com by the Pop Sucker

no. 1 on the hype machine!

we did it, kids! a big, heartfelt thank you for showing some love and helping to make the recently posted matt & kim track #1 on the hype machine. i, quite literally, could not have done it without you. thank you, thank you, thank you!