Mika  | Celebrate (Feat Pharrell Williams) 

I love how much new Mika has been showered upon us the last few weeks. He’s just one of those artists whose songs just make you smile. 

And “Celebrate” will make you wanna do just that. 

Alphabeat | Vacation

Alphabeat, my favorite pop artists from Denmark, have a new single out and it’s sugary sweet deliciousness as usual. 

Ladyhawke | Black White and Blue

Big fan of Ladyhawke, so I was stoked to find out today she has a new album coming out really soon (late February). This song is definitely good, but I’m not sure I love it as much as I do some of my favorites from her last release. 

Best Albums of 2011 // #19

19. Mates of State - Mountaintops

Married duo Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel returned with another album chock full of toe-tapping pop that they’ve gotten down to a science at this point. 

It’s been a long year for me personally, with some pretty dramatic highs and lows. But through it all, the good and the bad, one constant for me is music. I go to it for inspiration when I write, to give me something to dance like a lunatic to, to enhance the scenery of my long bike rides, turning them into small movies (in my mind), to stay with me ‘til I’m asleep at night, or, ya know, just because.

So, I decided to compile a list of the best music and videos this year. Well the best to me. So for the next month, I’m going to be posting my favorite albums, songs and music videos from the past year. I’m just one guy and unlike a fully staffed blog can’t begin to ingest everything out there. I feel like my lists are pretty eclectic, but they’re obviously biased to my tastes and there’s a good chunk of stuff I’ve heard is great, but just haven’t gotten my hands on/ears in yet. But I do hope you enjoy my selections and maybe find some awesome new music to groove to in the new year.

Marina and the Diamonds - “Scab and Plaster”

This is really good and makes me that much more excited for her upcoming album Electra Heart. She’s definitely evolving her sound, partly explained by the musical alter-ego she transformed into (from which the album gets it’s name). 

ETA:

Found some info on the Wiki page that’s pretty interesting about the concept behind this album.

On 8 August 2011 at 4pm, Diamandis uploaded a new video to her YouTube page titled “Part 1: Fear & Loathing”. In an interview with Popjustice, Marina explained the whole concept of “Electra Heart” with the album to be under the same title and “Fear & Loathing” as an album track, and to be released on iTunes on 25 September. However this will not be an official single. The high concept video for it sees Marina slowly transforming into the character of Electra Heart, a guise Marina says “epitomises and embodies the lies, illusions and death of American ideologies involved in the corruption of self.” but will however not be an alter-ego as Marina says it is too “clichéd”. Asked to describe just what Electra Heart is and stands for, Marina told Popjustice: “Electra Heart is the antithesis of everything that I stand for. And the point of introducing her and building a whole concept around her is that she stands for the corrupt side of American ideology, and basically that’s the corruption of yourself. My worst fear - that’s anyone’s worst fear - is losing myself and becoming a vacuous person. And that happens a lot when you’re very ambitious.”

Some poppy goodness from Natasha Bedingfield with “Touch”. 

And who remembers this little gem from her brother Daniel Bedingfield (who I thought was a woman for the longest time) 

  • 40 Plays
  • Don't Stop (Color On the Walls)Foster the People

Foster the People - Don’t Stop

Awesome, awesome album. This is the best pop album of the month (sorry GaGa) and one of the best of the year thus far imo. 

Yelle

Two songs for the price of one! 

I don’t know what’s going on in Cut Copy’s latest, “Need You Now” from their latest album (which I still need to get), but digging the song

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

Ahh! This song! Her voice! The imagery of the video!

So, so good! 

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