They Live By Night - They Live By Night (2009)

Don't be shocked if you can't get They Live By Night's "Ctrl+Alt+Del My Heart" out of your head. As far as I am concerned it has unseated Peter, Bjorn and John's "Young Folks" as indie pop's reigning whistling ear worm. It's the standout track on their poptastic new self-titled album, which is jam packed with unrelenting bouncy, upbeat pop. Not surprisingly, it's catchy as hell. "Catching Up" kicks the album off at a runners pace with more whistles, strings and wistful love. It rarely lets down after that. "Meaningless Repair" finds the middle ground between the Spinners and the Beach Boys. There are a lot of opportunities for singing along, but the chorus on "Excuse My Troubling You" is one of my favorites. The moody and melancholy may want to go elsewhere for their summer jams.

Fitz And The Tantrums - Songs For A Break-Up Vol.1 (2009)

While I tend to prefer grittier southern soul to the polished and smooth northern variety, the Motown-influenced Fitz and the Tantrums' will be a nice addition to my next summer mixtape. It's blue-eyed soul with serious pop cross-over appeal. In fact, unlike most of the retro artists you hear these days, this actually sounds like something your mom or dad might have heard it on their AM radios. I hear a little of the 5th Dimension's California soul vibe going on in"Breakin' The Chains Of Love" and the chorus of "We Don't Need Love Songs" reminds me of the Spinners' "The Rubberband Man". Or maybe these songs just sound like a couple highlights off one of those old Slow Jams CDs I used to see in the bargain bins. Either way, these will go great with BBQ .