Sweet As Soda POP!

Soda Shop is the merging of Drew Diver (Horse Shoes) and Maria Usbeck (Selebrities), a boy and a girl who met by fate at an Embassy concert in Brooklyn, NY. The Embassy, whom heavily influenced both Drew and Maria's other acts, brought together a new duo. Though this time, leaving the drum machines and synthesizers behind for a hollow-body guitar and tambourine.

If you're a fan of classic girl-groups (Shangri-Las, The Ronettes) or current pop (Acid House Kings, The Cardigans, Tennis, The Raveonettes or Summer Camp) you won't want to miss out on the debut single from Soda Shop.

Farewell is a small taste of what's to come.

Download: Farewell
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That's Some Community

Brazil’s most promising indie-rock band, Some Community, formed in 2009. The five piece that met in prep school consists of Juliana Vacaro who delivers charming and delirious vocals as well as: Veronica Vacaro (keyboards and guitar), Marco Frugiuele (percussion), Gabriela Gonzalez (guitar), and Fernando Fernandes, who brings lead guitar to the mix.

This clashing of talent and instruments is augmented and punctuated by an array of Casiotones and melodica (played by all) in arrangements sweet enough to give you a cavity, yet hard hitting enough to knock that tooth right out.

Some Community will be releasing a brand new single later this month, and will be traveling all the way to Austin for this years’ SxSW Festival!

Download: Random Words

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Don't Cross The Lines

Sounding something like Hard Fi in a head on collision with The Enemy and perhaps the Arctic Monkeys, The Lines have been making quite a ruckus in their native Wolverhampton.

Making giant strides and getting the heck out of their hometown has been a major goal for this band and judging by what they've released so far they've done just that. From their debut single Domino Effect to their latest El Matador it's easy to see why these guys are clearly on to something.

With an incessant groove and a hook bigger than Wolverhampton and it's big city cousin Birmingham, El Matador is the sort of tune that you'll have a hard time clawing out of your brain.

The guys are preparing a full on SXSW assault this Spring and until then enjoy the matador.

Download: El Matador

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Pay The Goddamn Electric Bill

When Jason Torbert began writing new material for his solo project, Goddamn Electric Bill, he wasn’t picturing his most enthusiastic audience as a conservative Middle Eastern emirate. But after releasing a few tracks to radio, he noticed that he was getting a whole lot of play in … Qatar. His music continues to float around at the top of the Qatar QBS Radio charts this year, garnering attention from DJs and fans in the Arabian Peninsula.

It’s a good omen for Jazz, the third full-length album from Goddamn Electric Bill. Torbert began to write and produce the tracks from Jazz as a score for the indie film, “Douchebag,” which was nominated for the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize last year. But when inspiration hit and Torbert found himself swimming in tons of new material, he began to imagine the tracks as one solid album.

“This is the first time an album has felt truly cohesive to me,” Torbert says. “I think it’s because I wrote it all at the same time and it just clicked.”

The album is a departure from Torbert’s usually melancholy work. It’s hopeful. It’s youthful. It’s feisty. Deft hand-claps propel “Pull the Lever” through rolling synth and a reverb vocal chorus. “Fairytale Orchestra” is a playful plod through the sunshine. These are all glass-half-full tracks that master the art of optimism.

Download: Pull The Lever
Download: Fairytale Orchestra

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Keith Canisius Is A Fish Out Of Water

Keith Canisius, American born (Cambridge, MA) living in Copenhagen, Denmark is determined to create beautiful, mood elevating, dreamy pop music sometimes with an explosive edge, and other times with a smooth and tender bedroom. Stubbornly he’s been practicing and learning how to produce his music on his own, putting out records every year since. Keith Canisius hates and loves genres so much, that he has decided not to worry about them anymore and just make whatever music he wants.

His newest album This Time It’s Our High released on Darla Records is his proudest work so far. The hard work and late night bedroom dreams are finally starting to redeem themselves he feels. After releasing 4 albums, an EP, and contributing to various remix and compilation albums in 4 years, Keith Canisius is starting to wake up from a long dream where This Time It’s Our High is serves as an interesting transition to a new one.

Download: Peoples Faces
Download: The Beach House

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Narcoleptic Dancers

Brace yourselves, because nothing can get cuter or sweeter than this Dutch-French brother/sister duo The Narcoleptic Dancers and their infectious sugary sweet pop songs. This is the kind of cavity inducing sweetness that your dentist would drill you for.

The Narcoleptic Dancers take you on a care-free stroll into a world full of animated chirping birds and quirkilicious personalities. Their simplistic instrumentation packaged with melodic vocals and endearing lyrics join harmoniously together to create a sound born to bring a smile to your dial.

Download: Not Evident

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The POP! Stereo Top 25 for 2010

This was originally going to be posted at the end of December 2010, but things sort of happened that wouldn't allow me to do this. If you follow the blog on Facebook or Twitter, you'll know that I've had a family medical emergency that made me set the blog aside for a couple of weeks. I'm now trying to do the blog in an effort to create a sense of normality amongst a sea of change.

So, my apologies for doing this late, but family comes first .

As for the countdown, it's a god honest run down of my favorite records this year. It's got NO hipster credibility as I, quite honestly, have no idea what the hell the blogosphere went gaga over the last year. It's what I found myself listening to over and over again. Belle & Sebastian is about as cool with the hipster community as relaxed fit jeans...but you know what? I still love them and they made a fantastic record that's on this list. That's just a little hint of where I'm coming from...so prepare yourself and enjoy!

Without further delay...here we go....and no those aren't mp3's but videos from each album.

25: No Age: Everything In Between
This is indie rock the way it used to be played.
Fever Dreaming

24: Quitzow: Juice Water
Pure, simple, overjoyous synthpop
Cherry Blossom

23: 1900's: Return of the Century
Fantastic indie pop that's lazy goodness

22: Julius C: Ok Ok
Big massive power pop to fill enormodomes
Don't Want Anybody

21: Magic Bullets: Magic Bullets
All hail Orange Juice and those who sail in them.
Lying Around

20: Five O'Clock Heroes: Different Times
Yeah...that band w/Agyness Deyn showed up in.
Who

19: Lyrics Born: As U Were
Somewhere right now Cameo is shitting himself.
Kontrol Phreak

18: Goldfrapp: Head First
Alison Goldfrapp revisits Xanadu and never leaves.
Alive

17: DVAS: Society
Like a Members Only Jacket only cooler.
Society

16: Shout Out Louds: Work
Sunshiny pop from Scandinavia that's not work to listen to.
Show Me Something New

15: Wolf Parade: Expo 86
Who knew these guys could have made a record this good?
Yulia

14: Belle & Sebastian: Write About Love
Stuart is still brilliant. I still love them and always will.
I Want The World To Stop

13: Foals: Black Gold
Musical adventure that's absolutely blinding.
Black Gold

12: Amusement Parks On Fire: Road Eyes
The Son of Mustang Ford is still alive and kicking.
Flashlight Planetarium

11: Stereolab: Not Music

Two decades later and these guys are still amazing.
Silver Sands

10: The Mynabirds: What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
The soulful sixties channelled through one of the most gorgeous voices on earth.
What We Gained In The Fire

09: Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
Still as important as ever.
Ready to Start

08: Rusko: O.M.G.

To say Rusko is a dubstep producer is an insult to his ability to level dance floors of all kinds.
Hold On

07: School of Seven Bells: Disconnect From Desire
Somewhere amongst the miasma the Cocteau Twins are blushing.
Windstorm

06: Editors: In This Light And On This Evening
Having done the Joy Division thing, they're well on their way to becoming the next New Order.
Papillon

05: OMD: History of Modern
Who says resurrections can't be fantastic?
New Babies New Toys

04: The Vaselines: Sex With An X
Let the c86 revival start now...again.
Sex With An X

03: LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
Is there anything James Murphy can't do?
Pow Pow

02: The Drums: The Drums
The Best British Band On The Planet and they're NOT even from Britain.
Best Friend

01: Chromeo: Business Casual
Some bands know that a tongue planted firmly in cheek is the key to great pop music.
Hot Mess

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