On Heavy Rotation

Some Songs I'm Digging Lately:

1. Telepathe - "So Fine" (on Dance Mother, out April 14th in the U.S.) Wonderfully breezy disco-dreampop.

The video (hey, it's another supermarket video):



2. The Cocktail Slippers - "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" (on St. Valentine's Day Massacre, out April 27th in Europe and on April 28th in the U.S.) Possibly one of the most upbeat songs with the word "Massacre" in the title. The winsome retro charm of the Norwegian popsters helps do the trick, as do a few handclaps (handclaps always help). Plus, the song isn't about murders. It addresses, depending on your perspective, insecurity and/or lack of commitment in a relationship.

The video:



MP3: The Cocktail Slippers - St. Valentine's Day Massacre (on St. Valentine's Day Massacre)

3. Pet Shop Boys - "Vulnerable", "Pandemonium", and "More Than A Dream" (on Yes, out March 23rd in the U.K., April 21st in the U.S.) I like first single "Love Etc." well enough, but I'm more fond of the other three. At least for now, they're my favorites on Yes.

Audio-only video of "Vulnerable":



4. Placebo - "Battle For The Sun" (on Battle For The Sun, out June 8th, and available as a free download on Placebo's official website.)

5. Metric - "Gimme Sympathy" (acoustic version, non-album track, one of three songs given as an incentive to pre-order Fantasies - officially out April 7th - from Metric's website store. The others are "Help I'm Alive" (which is on Fantasies) and Pink Floyd cover "Nobody Home" (which is not). A limited-edition deluxe edition version of the album, vinyl, and assorted combo sets are also being sold in the online store. Metric is billing the acoustic version of "Gimme Sympathy" (along with "Nobody Home") as exclusively available with pre-orders. That's a pity, because I think the acoustic take on "Gimme Sympathy" is much better than the original. The slower tempo makes the song seem more introspective and yields more thoughtful and sincere-sounding vocals. Emily Haines sounds less connected with the lyrics in the peppier album version.

A video of an acoustic performance of "Gimme Sympathy":



An audio-only video of the album version: