“Southbound” is the latest single from Lake Heartbeat, and it’s even more watercolored than the band’s first releases, “Mystery” and “Golden Chain.”  Not sure I can even claim these tracks are first – they’re all from the same album.  But, yeah, “Southbound” is dreamier than those two.  If that’s still too hard for your massage, try the Kisses version.  The LA duo remix/relax “Southbound” and move it away from the original’s lush, cloud-filled space.

Lake Heartbeat’s debut has been pressed into limited edition vinyl for record store day, which is next week.

I love featuring bands with beautiful artwork – basically From and Lake Heartbeat.  lol me.

Lake Heartbeat – Southbound

Lake Heartbeat – Southbound (Kisses Remix)

You can count on Maskinen for fun, driving/party music.  Their latest single “Kärlek Vid Sista Ögonkastet” can and should be blamed for taking turns too fast and refills too soon.

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French pop star Alizée is back with a cute new single.  It’s catchy, bilingual, and updated with Goldfrapp/Ladytron influences.  It’s not a huge change; “Les Collines” is much closer to Euro pop than experimental electro.  The sound isn’t as much of a departure from her early work as “Limelight,” the teaser single.

What elevates it is Alizée’s subtle performance.  She doesn’t do the brash, sexed up club vocals typical to the genre.  I just wish the hook came sooner – you have to wait to 1:08 for it – but it’ll def work for a driving mix.

The video was directed by Hawaii Fantôme, and the new album Une Enfant du Siècle comes out March 29.

Alizée – Les Collines (Never leave you)

Alizée – “Limelight”

Get Alizée’s music on iTunes

Visit Alizée on her site or Twitter

Here’s the concept: a one-girl electro pop band stages a video with inflatable, crayon-colored balls and sings about youth in the US.

Name the Pet’s “American Boys” could very well be an inverted Swedish version of From’s “American Girl,” but I’m too close to the subject to judge.  Hanna Brandén is a much more accessible singer than I am, and our aesthetics are quite different as well.  I love high end fashion, innit.  So yeah, this song has been popular on the Swedish radio station I stream.  RMX below.  It’s my Valentine’s present to Annie and Robyn fans.  Observing holidays is a popular blog past time.  The other track is for Prexy Day and reminds me of Hot Chip’s “Ready for the Floor.”

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“Hollywood Hills” comes from former Laakso singer Markus Krunegård.  His latest album, Prinsen av Peking, was produced by Mauro Scocco, and his collaborations with fellow Swedes include projects with Johnossi, Sâkert!, and Kleerup.

The video opens with a proud Universal Music ID – adorable.  Check out more old school logo spots here.

Markus Krunegård – “Hollywood Hills”

Get Prinsen av Peking from 7digital or CDON

Visit Markus Krunegård on MySpace

Le Sport is back!  The band has been releasing songs on a simple site featuring videos + MP3 downloads.  It’s all you need, really.

“Dreaming” is darker and harder-hitting than the upbeat dance pop of previous releases.  Well, there’s a long way to go toward anything truly goth from the Pet Shop Boys sound of early Le Sport, and other recent tracks “16 December” and “Love in Stereo” are more in line with that sunny mood.  Though not as party-infused as “Tell No One About Tonight.”

Le Sport – “Dreaming”

Le Sport – “Love in Stereo”

Next song comes out Feb. 6 on lesportmusic2.tk.

No, “Afrika” isn’t a European answer to the Afro beat trend amongst some American indie bands. Thankfully.  “Afrika” is a track from the forthcoming debut by Swedish band Ikons, and it sounds like a mod foray into psychedelia with its neat yet repetitive groove.  It’s fitting that Ikons opened for Spiritualized during their Scandinavian tour this past summer.

The six musicians and one video artist that make up Ikons are based in Göteborg, and their self-recorded album was mixed by Alex Palmestål of Pistol Disco and Dan Lissvik of Studio.  They’ll announce UK & European tour dates this spring – go if you’re there!

Ikons – “Afrika”

The album IKONS will be released on February 15, 2010 on CD and 180g vinyl.  Stream it now at their excellent label Service.

A cinematic, mostly black and white video just came out for Avner’s “Besatt” (possessed in Swedish).  “Besatt” comes from the album Lyssna, released by Sincerely Yours.  The label is also home to the Tough Alliance and JJ.  Avner talk-sings over an orchestrated instrumental, all with a rich reverb and clever arrangements.  I like the lush simplicity.  Then there are a couple of points that I don’t get.  He paints yellow stripes on his cheeks, and we’re past the MGMT tribal heyday.  And I’m a little weirded out by Swedish artists taking on Jewish names (wtf Sally Shapiro?), but maybe Avner means something else to him besides King Samuel’s commander-in-chief and a common first name in Israel.

Avner – “Besatt”

Get Lyssna on iTunes or Clicktrack

Visit Avner at MySpace or get more info at his label’s site, Sincerely Yours

Brother and sister Sarah Parthemore Snavely and Jacob Donald Snavely are Dag för Dag, a duo that’s Swedish and American with a history spanning Greece, Spain, Wisconsin, Honolulu, and Stockholm.  They remind me of Throwing Muses.  Is there gonna be a grunge retro moment, or can we leave it at this nice song?

Dag för Dag – “Hands and Knees”

Visit Dag för Dag on their site, iTunes, MySpace, or Facebook

I’m writing this as a friend who would write something to help you out.  Your iPod might hate you.  Let’s figure this out.  The situation may suck right now, but it’s super easy to remedy.

Some might say that inanimate objects like MP3 players can’t hate because they don’t experience feelings.  Fair enough, but hate may not be a feeling.  We leave it up to a court of law to determine whether or not offensive acts are hate crimes.  No lawyer would debate whether a crime is provably sad or happy.  Those are feelings for sure.  We keep them out of the legal system.  Hate?  A feeling?  Who can really tell.  I’m not here to discuss that.

It would be more constructive just to find out if your iPod hates you.  Let’s go.  How to tell if your iPod hates you: a flow chart I made.

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