Everywhere I go, I pray for universal love.

Before we get too far here, I know.

Bring up Aqua, and it's either love or hate for Barbie Girl. 

So let's be crystal clear again, I'm a big fan. While there's plenty of good melodic angst out there, music can, and should be, just plain fun sometimes! 

These Scandinavian popsters ran with the crazy well before we had the Haus of Gaga. Almost anything off their two albums from the late 1990s and early 2000s will make me smile when it pops up on a playlist, and the neon videos are a hoot! All of this should come as no surprise, since I've said all this before.

It's not just the crazy that endeared me, though. For every song about plastic dolls, candy or cartoon heroes, there were also a few killer less-sugary tracks to balance the palate.

With the band back together more permanently it seems, and about to release a third new album, they have a new single out, and Playmate to Jesus, is a pleasant surprise more along the lines of Turn Back Time, We Belong to the Sea or the more-recent My Mamma Said than to anything technicolor.

Playmate to Jesus

But yeah, it's still Aqua and it does head into the planets, so not too serious either!

Their new album Megalomania is out October 3. I can't find a U.S. date is confirmed, but I already have my signed copy preordered straight from Denmark!

Don’t mind me, if we need no I.D.

If you've stuck around here this long, you already know about Frankmusik. And it's fitting that he was one of the last posts on here before I, um, got distracted?

Since The Fear Inside, he has been ramping up his second album, which finally drops later this month.

The album's title track, Do It In The AM, has worn down the gears of my old iPod this summer -- always making me bob the ol' head a bit. It's a great collaboration with Far East Movement.

Now he's back with something completely different, with another fellow Cherrytree label-mate. Can you just feel the corporate synergy thumping on this album? No matter, Collette Carr does just fine by me on the track.

A little mellower, with a strange Grease-Is-The-Word vibe in the video, No I.D. is clearly a more mainstream attempt to get Vincent Frank front-and-center here in America.

If these two singles are a sign of what's to come, I can't wait for the album! Even better, the release date coincides with his Denver show, opening for Erasure at The Ogden Theater. I'll be there!

No I.D.


Do It In The A.M.

Breaking the chain, because love isn't meant to complain.

I have a hit or miss relationship with Canadian electrofunkers Chromeo.

Throw in a dash of Elly Jackson (of La Roux fame) and suddenly I tilt back in their favor again.

Of course, they didn't bother to splice her into the old video of the song they had her join in on, but this Hot Mess is a much improved endeavor regardless.

It's a shame the online stores only have the old Elly-free version, so far.

No time for cameras, we’ll use our eyes instead!

I guess it's hard to top stripping naked in Times Square, so why not beat the crap out of each other?

So it is with Matt & Kim and their video for Cameras, even if it does veer into sort of creepy domestic band violence territory

The video's fine, but if you haven't seen these two in person, you're really missing out on one of the highest energy live sets out there! You'll get your chance again in May when they drag out their keyboards and drums again for their Sidewalks tour.

Love it!

I'm a bad girl. Oh! Oh! (Woop!)

How about some still-percolating Robyn from last year to kick off some new music for 2011.

This is the new clip for her collaboration with Savage Skulls and Douster that came out last year. It certainly looks like the full court Robyn press continues! It'll help when her next official Body Talk single hits as well.

Bad Gal

Now someone explain to me why she hasn't exploded here yet?

And you sway in the moon, the way you did when you were younger.

Duran Duran just keep on ticking, and it's usually in an interesting direction. While their 80s classics are still the high point in their career to me, I have really enjoyed their more recent forays back into the pop universe.

Both 2004's Astronaut, and to a slightly lesser extent 2007's Red Carpet Massacre, were relevant albums from a band some have confined to the dustbin of "when MTV still played music."

So it's with a raised eyebrow to see them pairing with Mark Ronson on their latest album, All You Need is Now. If there's anything I've learned over the past few years, when you have a band or singer you already like, and you mix them with a little Ronson it's usually well worth a listen.

The album's title track took a few plays for me to get the hang of it, and the video below helps a lot. It's a driving little return from an 80s band thats survived, and I'm really liking it!



Apparently the world agrees. The album's rocketing to number one on itunes charts worldwide.

Brand new year, coming up ahead...

With a little help from The Killers, wishing everyone the happiest of holidays, whatever you celebrate!

Boots

Fear inside of me, oh, fear inside of me!

Back in 2009, I was pretty infatuated with Frankmusik, a British newcomer who knew his way around a good beat.

Well Vincent Frank is back, and I'm liking what I'm hearing for round two.

The Fear Inside is a great tease for what's to come, I'm hoping in 2011...

I, I, I, Went to Tokyo!

Since we're on a Tokyo kick right now, and it's a fitting bookend to 2010, here's the other Tokyo song by Telekinesis that's been on iPod repeat ever since we got back from Japan...

Why don't we go to Tokyo?

A Spanish group, singing in English about taking a trip to Tokyo?

That's about all I really know about The Pinker Tones, and their new single Tokyo.

While I've never heard of them, they've been around for a while, so it sounds like I have some catching up to do.

In the meantime, enjoy their super-clever, catchy Japanese paper-riff.

I'm your prostitute, you gon' get some.

I liked Lykke Li's debut album well enough, but the more I listened to it, I found it a little twee for my taste. Let's call it a little too sweet-tart upon repeat spins.

Well, she's back, and surprisingly has some real swagger along with some tribal beats. The Swedish singer toughens up a bit with her bold new single Get Some, and I like it!

Her new album, Wounded Rhymes, drops next year. Suddenly, I'm piqued.

Rolling in the deep, tears are gonna fall.

When Britain's soulful Adele first made it across the Atlantic a few years back it was easy to lose her in the shadow of the Amy Winehouse's invasion of the airwaves.

I found it hard not to compare the two singers, and frankly, for me, Amy Winehouse could do no wrong in that period before she spiralled into tabloid crack-whore infamy.

So it's refreshing to be caught off guard now by Rolling in the Deep, Adele's sorrowful yet thumping lead single off her new album, 21. A little melancholy suits her, along with a gorgeous video that proves you don't necessarily need pyrotechnics, when you got the pipes to sell the song all on its own.

Awesome.

Amy who?

I see my demons and I just can't hide.

So yesterday, I came across a nifty little video by British electronic outfit Fenech-Soler, a group I'd never really heard about before.

But seeing as my musical tastes are rarely more than a few degrees separated, it should come as no surprise that I may not know the group, but I do know the voice.

So don't be surprised if while listening to Demons, you are reminded of Groove Armada's killer track from earlier this year, Paper Airplanes.

It's the same lead singer.

Enjoy!

Fenech-Soler, welcome to my radar.

Gonna ride my bike until I get home!

Sometime after the utter brilliance that is Bang Bang Bang, and before his indelible pairing with Boy George, Mark Ronson released a little trifle of a song about a bicycle this summer.

La Chanson du Vélo (better known as The Bike Song) has slowly engrained itself into my head this fall.

It never fails to make me smile



If you still don't have the new Mark Ronson and The Business International album yet, you really need to stop reading this and download Record Collection now.

It's one of the best albums of 2010.

Now, let's see what he does with Duran Duran in 2011...

Invisible Light

The following is NOT SAFE FOR WORK. But brilliant.

Scissor Sisters have gone in a gloriously new, differently dirty direction for their stomper, Invisible Light.

Enjoy in privacy, if you dare:



Yes, I know it's been a while. We'll see what else I can come up with, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Some of the Others

OK, so I'm not going to go through every Summer Sonic band, because frankly, I don't intend on seeing them all.

So here's a few bites of other bands that we may stumble upon...

3OH!3

I'm posting the Colorado boys' old hit, only because I really can't stand the new one with slurry pop girl, and I've already posted the teaser track from the new album that's been absolute ear worm this year. So yeah, maybe we'll hang back for a few tracks to represent the 303.



Pavement

OK, so I know I'm supposed to like Pavement and be all hip to their cult status and the impact they've had on music, etc, etc, etc...

The problem is I never really got into them. I mean I've heard of them, heard of Stephen Malkmus, but you'll notice if you peruse this blog that my taste in music doesn't really reflect what was big in the mid to late '90s here in the States. That goes for most of the grunge bands, and what followed.

My ears belonged to Europe and Asia at the time, and it was significantly much more upbeat on either side of either pond. Which suited me just fine.

So maybe this will be an opportunity to discover a band I should have listened to the first time around. Or maybe I'll be catching...

A-Ha

...instead. I mean if this is Pavement's reunion tour, then isn't there some value to the 80's Nordic popsters' farewell tour?

The real question is what do A-Ha fill a farewell tour with? Everyone knows Take On Me, and there was the follow-up video on MTV when the drawn guy runs around the real world. And I think they did the theme to one of the lesser Bond flicks.



Apparently they have more songs. And this is it -- Not that I was ever too concerned about missing them the first time around.

Thirty Seconds to Mars

That Jared Leto can really emote. So maybe it'll be neat to see the theatricality that is Thirty Seconds to Mars.



I don't know if I can take so much pseudo-angst. But I bet they know how to work the stage, and the music can be catchy.

Jay-Z

So he may be the big headliner, and plenty of people have told me he's been the highlight of many a festival lately. But hey, it's not really my cup of tea. Not to mention he's playing at the same time Calvin Harris is doing his DJ set and electronic masters Orbital are getting all techno on other stages.

And I bet he doesn't have Alicia Keys along to sing about New York.



Nas, Richard Ashcroft, The Offspring, The Smashing Pumpkins (and others)

The best part of a festival is that there's a little bit of something for everyone else, no?

Look at me, oh look at me. Is this the way i'll always be?

Looking back, I'm thoroughly surprised I haven't written much about Passion Pit, especially considering I saw them rock out The Ogden here in Denver earlier this year.

Super catchy recorded, these guys are even better live. Even half exhausted sitting in the rafters they got my feet tapping, and had the crowd on the floor pumping.

So it's with some giddiness that I'm glad to get a second chance to see them this year at Summer Sonic, hopefully a little more energetic myself.

Sleepyhead


Little Secrets


The Reeling

Delphic Take on Japan

Delphic is probably one of the bands I'm most excited to catch at Summer Sonic.

Their debut album Acolyte has been a constant companion in the car this summer. If you haven't given these electronic wizards a spin, CATCH UP HERE. Their videos

Alas, they've already beat me to Japan, it seems...

No, I can talk...

I've already given a bunch of love to Two Door Cinema Club, so I think I've made my point. Clearly, I'm excited to see them in Osaka!

Wonderful Life

For the next week, consider this corner of the internet a Summer Sonic 2010 playlist.

First up, the early band we'll be aiming to catch over at Maishima.

I've already introduced you to Hurts early leaks, and some are comparing them (for good reason) to 80's icons Pet Shop Boys. A band with a clear image and solid tunes, I'll be surprised if this suited-up duo don't give it a real go.

Here's the spruced up, sexier, video for Wonderful Life, now the official lead single for their upcoming debut album, Happiness.



A great way to start a festival, indeed