Lenka - "Heart Skips A Beat"

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Lenka has released the video to her new single, "Heart Skips A Beat." Brasilliant and I already celebrated our annual beer and wings night at Fire on the Mountain, but this video is a nice addition to the more widely celebrated version of the holiday.

DJ Earworm - "United State of Pop 2010: Don’t Stop The Pop"

2010 is nearly over and I can't think of a better way to say goodbye than with DJ Earworm's mash-up of the top 25 pop songs this year. I have to admit that for all the music I listen to I am not familiar with most of the songs on this list, at least by name anyway. "United State of Pop 2010: Don’t Stop the Pop" (mp3) has just about everything I want from a dance song and is by far my favorite way to engage the top 25.

Eliza Doolittle - EP (2009)

All of you mourning Lily Allen's new maturity will be glad to hear the new Eliza Doolittle has picked up the slack as Britain's sassy young poptart. Over all, the EP is light and fun, if a bit shiny and sweet. Still, I could see the bouncing "Moneybox" working itself onto a couple playlists. I was going to wait until the full video was released, but the sentiment seems perfect for Beer and Wings Day, as it is called in my household.

DJ Earworm - "United States Of Pop 2009" Video

I'm not really a fan of any of the songs used, but this is pretty rad. Someone needs to do this for indie music in 2009. Check out DJ Earworm's website to download the track and see the full list of artists.

Surfer Blood - "Swim" [Single] (2009)

Looking ahead to 2010, Surfer Blood's album Astro Coast is set for a January 19th release date and if advance blog chatter is an indication of an albums potential success, consider Surfer Blood soon to be platinum artists. We all know, however, that hype can be misleading, so I prefer to turn to cold, hard evidence. Exhibit A: Their first single "Swim (To Reach The End)" is the kind of anthemic catchy pop rock that is worth looking forward to. Soaring vocals hover above power pop chords with intermingled riffs that are reminiscent of Vampire Weekend, although the bands shouldn't be directly compared. If "Swim" is representative of what the rest of the album will offer, save a slot on your "summer short list" because I have a feeling the album will be packed with summer jammy-jams. Just think, you could be the first kid on your block rocking these tunes at your late January barbecue. Ultimately, there is good stuff here and if the nine other tracks follow the "Swim" direction, I think that Astro Coast will be one to tap into come 2010.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up from Below (2009)

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are a neo-hippie band started by one of the guys from Ima Robot. Apparently they tour around in a big old bus and have wild celebratory live shows. The songs from Up from Below fit perfectly with that image. On songs like "Carries On" they sound like Hot August Nights era Neil Diamond, while "Home" adds the Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood-style vocals to an atmospheric Hang Em High soundtrack. Spanish lyrics coupled with mariachi horns and manly grunts turn "Kisses Over Babylon" into a great opening sequence to an epic Western. The coda on "I Come In Please" references "Sympathy For The Devil". There a couple acoustic folk songs sprinkled throughout which diversify the album, but don't add much else. Overall, the mood is laid back and retro, spacey and fun.

The video to "Desert Song" is too weird not to share.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)

News of the gloved one's death on my car radio while driving actually made my eyes well up with tears and after hearing each station pay tribute by dedicating their airwaves to nothing but his greatest hits, I decided I had to commemorate the wonder that is/was Michael Jackson in whatever way I could. The Barack Obama of rock n' roll and pop music, he was one of those few people who managed to achieve immortality while he was still alive and I sincerely feel like America lost one of its greatest visionaries. What a talent, what a genius, what a loss. What a shame.

As they played perennial favorites like "Thriller" or "Beat It," they just brought me back to the days of my youth as I can still recall where I was when I first heard those magical songs, dancing around with my sisters in our old basement to my parents' vinyl or cassettes of Bad, Off The Wall, and Thriller. Or when I first heard "Billie Jean" and was completely awe-stricken by that killer music video, as I was/am by most of his dazzling videos that are each, at best, a visual tour de force . Then they played songs I'd long forgotten how much I loved, like "Do You Remember The Time?" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." He was so phenomenal... and I blame the media leeches who focused on his personal life instead of his musical achievements and just plain refused to leave the man alone. A prisoner of his own fame, I wouldn't be surprised if he actually died of a broken heart. I myself don't even have the heart to make any Jesus Juice jokes today, I just hope he's moon-walking his way to a much better place (than Los Angeles, at least).

I attempted the unfathomably difficult mental "Top 5 Favorite Michael Jackson Singles" tribute list while driving, and just couldn't settle on 5. Not only is that another testament to his greatness, but a man of his caliber deserves a Top 6 list. Here goes:

6) "Dirty Diana" / "Smooth Criminal" (it was a tie, really)
5) "Wanna Be Startin' Something"
4) "Man In The Mirror"
3) "Human Nature"
2) "Billie Jean"
1) "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (a great, de facto MJ tribute video)

What say you, QuickCritters? Share your cheers, but spare the jeers (this time only).

The Broken West - Now Or Heaven (2008)

If I heard this without knowing the artist, I never would've guessed that this was the Broken West. Their last album was full of future power pop classics, but that sound seems to have mostly been discarded. They've exchanged the hook driven and punchy riff and harmony structure for a more laid back approach to melodic pop. It's still catchy, just mellower. Some of the songs remind me of British pop bands like Travis, especially "Embassy Row". Luckily, they still write some great songs, "Perfect Games" for example. "Gwen, Now And Then", "Terror For Two" and "Ambuscade" are also good. Overall, I don't think they quite hit the highs of the top singles off their last album, but power pop can grow stagnant and this new direction sounds promising.

Ben Arthur - Mouthfeel (2008)

After a four year hiatus from his 2004 (and one of my favorite albums), Edible Darling, I was excited to potentially add ten new songs to my Ben Arthur music playlist. When I heard the first song on Mouthfeel I thought ahh, he's back. Pairing up with Rachel Yamagata and DJ Big Wiz, there's an interesting mix of his "classic" stuff with some new sounds.

I don't want to say I was disappointed with the album, but when listening to it in the car I was bummed that there were a few songs that struck me as booor-ing. I think it would be fair to say that I'd definitely add six of the ten songs to my top list and see if the remaining four grow on me a little more.

With that said, I absolutely love three songs on the album: "Tattoo" (the first song), which sounds a lot like my favorites from Edible Darling; "Last Goodbye" which harks back to the glory days of Blink 182 (Ve1cro I'm sure he wrote this one for you); and "Beautiful Day in LA."

Nicole Atkins - Neptune City (2007)

When I first listened to Nicole Atkins’ Neptune City I was hooked, but it took me a while to accurately describe my love for the album.

In the voice department, Atkins does not let down. This lady can really belt out a tune (but not in an annoying, pop starlett, warbling kind of way). Her style harks back to the music of my parents' and grandparents era – 50s and 60s crooners with a touch of vaudeville at times. I can’t pinpoint her sound to one particular influence, but if you could imagine Cass Elliot covering The Ronettes covering Judy Garland, you’d have it just about right.

Neptune City, released just a few months ago, is wonderfully diverse album. The downside? Is how long I will have to wait until she comes out with another!

Favorites: Neptune City, Brooklyn's on Fire, Maybe Tonight

Kate Nash - Made of Bricks (2007)

Made of Bricks technically came out in the U.K. in 2007, but didn't hit the States until January this year. I first heard of Kate Nash after reading a comparison to Lilly Allen, and was pleasantly surprised at first listen. I love her voice, her heavy use of piano, and her melody and lyrics that are super catchy. I frequently find myself humming and singing (in my best English accent),"why you bein' a dickhead for/ you're just fucking up situations." Then, I kick myself in horror because I'm vocalizing this sentiment in public (not unlike the time I had to put a serious curb on listening to "Golden Streams" by the Hidden Cameras).

Instead of trashing her ex's like Allen, Nash prefers to stew in the thoughts of her ne'er-do-well boyfriends and her own insecurities. She reminds me of what it was like to be 19 again - dramatic, nonsensical, and sometimes sweet (but not too sweet, one must keep up the ball-busting exterior). Every song in Made of Bricks is like a chapter in Nash's own private diary, all packaged up and set to a pop beat or a thoughtful tune. In "We Move On," her friends attempt to assuage her devastation over a boy by saying, "like whatever/you'll find someone better/his eyes were way too close together." Truer words were never spoken. Love it. Love it. Love it.

Other favorites include "Foundations," "Birds," and "Mouthwash."

Tift Merritt - Another Country (2008)

What a beautiful album. Sure, I miss the soulful alt. country that made me love Tambourine, but her voice is also perfect for this intimate and melancholy set of songs.