Tracks to check out:
(all can be sampled on Hits From Another Planet)
Bobby – She’s History
The members of Bobby have been producing new-romantic influenced glam pop for the better part of the decade and have some brilliant singles under their belt (check out “Wide Eyes Open,” “Sooner Or Later,” and “Come Crashing In”), but their most instant is also their most recent. “She’s History” almost sounds like a long-lost [Roxette] track. The lyrics are a bit suspect, but there is absolutely no denying the pure pop catchiness of the guitar-assisted chorus. This should have been massive. The band is releasing a new album later this spring, and I’m hoping it gives them the success they deserve.
A.C.T. – Call In Dead
A rock band that mixes a bit of Queen, ELO and Abba into their music, A.C.T. is completely over the top. “Call in Dead” is under three minutes long, yet it sounds like an entire rock opera sped up and crammed together until it practically bursts with odd verses, stylistic changes and multi-tracked theatrical vocals. It takes at least a few listens to even be able to digest it. The track is off the band’s newest album Silence, though they’ve been around awhile and have three earlier albums of similar prog pop/rock. File this near Tally Hall and LEO and have yourself an epic rock evening.
Pennebaker – Runaway Heart
I know that a lot of my readers are fans of the soft-rock resurgence (think The Feeling or any other Supertramp influenced band out there), and I’m sure that those people will absolutely adore this track. Pennebaker is a Swedish trio who sings “soft rock/pop with western influences.” Think driving down the west coast with the top down. Or, if you haven’t actually done that, try to imagine what it’d be like. “Runaway Heart,” a minor hit in Sweden, is a near-perfect pop nugget: all wispy vocals and pounding piano. If this track doesn’t make you wish for summer, I don’t know what will. Based on its quality, I’ll probably be playing it well into the spring.
We Are The Fury – Now You Know
If you like Hot Hot Heat (and really, why wouldn’t you?) you should love We Are the Fury. The band plays the same kind of jerky dance rock with perhaps a bit more of a glam edge to it. Actually, some of the tracks on the band’s full-length debut wouldn’t be completely out of place on My Chemical Romance’s new glam-inspired album. “Now You Know” could have easily been yet another emo-punk track trying to be glamorous, but the piano and thomping beat allow it to be a bit more. Plus, the band’s got some of the best album covers around.
Lisa Miskovsky – Acceptable Losses
Lisa Miskovsky is a singer/songwriter from Sweden who writes semi-acoustic pop songs with some interesting global influences. She’s been pretty successful in Sweden, first with “Mary,” which was alright, then with “Sweet Misery,” which I loved, and soon with “Acceptable Losses,” my favorite song from her so far. At first it may not sound like much, and is definitely a departure from the kind of music I usually highlight, but it’s got a real perfect pop melody that gives it a lot of staying power. Couple that with one hell of a chorus, and you’ve got a hit, no matter what the genre!