My ipod, bless its heart, is always on shuffle. I listen to it while driving to work, while I’m cooking, working out, while I’m cleaning, when I’m playing dress up, whenever the spirit moves me really. Today I noticed a forming pattern. The female artists on my ipod for the most part are from foreign countries, and the majority of them hail from European countries. Maybe it’s some new thing-- for me, I mean. Like some sort of “phase,” as my mother likes to call it. Before long it will pass, then I’ll be into music from Kazakhstan or Mozambique or Utah or sometimes I’m in the mood for some good ol’ fashion gibberish from Nomansland. My point is this, um, err, oh yes: Euro chick music. Amy and Lily aren’t the only girls making a rawkus.

Are you familiar with Annie? No, not the freckle faced, red head with pigtails from our favorite childhood sing-a-long, I mean, musical. Did she have pig tales? I digress. If you haven't familiarized yourself with Norwegian electro pop singer Annie, you should. Her sound is like early Madonna doped up on bubble gum and pixie stix. Yes, that means dance music. She's woven from the same cloth as Datarock and Skatebård. Well, they all come from Bergen, Norway, anyway. England's Richard X, who has produced for Róisín Murphy and M.I.A, along with a handful of productions from fellow Norwegians Röyksopp and Timo Kaukolampi of Op:L Bastards, formed the basis of Anniemal, Annie’s debut album.

Her highly anticipated second album Don’t Stop is to be released on April  27th. Popjustice got their paws on a copy and declared it a “complete modern masterpiece.” The first single, a cover of Stacey-Q’s "Two of Hearts," was produced by Richard X and was leaked on the Internet a while back. It is a modern day dance till it hurts kind of song, complete with all the trimmings to make you move your feet till you get a cramp in your big toe. The second single, "My Love is Better," features this one guy from this one band...
Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. Ring any bells? Kind of a big deal. They just performed a packed show at Amoeba Hollywood, though without Annie. Anyway, he plays the guitar on this track, another track called "Loco," and in general for that band I mentioned. They won some awards or something. Oh, yeah and he sings the lead vocals for them too-- the band, I mean. My bartender told me the girls go crazy for him.

This year really flew by. I mean that 2008 really flew by. You might be thinking...it is already 2009, but I am still sort of living in 2008. I am now almost ready for the new year to start. I figure I will be ready by about March. I just moved back to Los Angeles last January and it has already been a year! I was barely done uppacking and settling down when we decided to move again. But I really did sort of fall back in love with Los Angeles this year, so we are still here for a while I think. It was just time to move again. Now that 2009 is officially underway to the rest of the world, the music is starting to come out again. I worry every once in a while about the state of the music industry. But I do get some faith back in it every time I fall in love with a new album. I just get excited thinking about all the new albums that are going to come out this year -- all the bands that might not even be bands yet that will put out fantastic little albums in the next couple of years. The albums are out there. You just have to look for them. The year might be getting off to a slow start but those new albums are coming. Just in case you don't have it already, please go buy the new Antony & the Johnsons. It is called The Crying Light and it is magical! I have also been obsessed with the debut album from Empire of the Sun. They are from Australia and sort of sound like MGMT. It is just an import right now but I am sure it will come out domestic soon.

There is something coming up for everybody, don't you worry. All you Kelly Clarkson fans out there don't have to wait too much longer, I swear. I don't really know how that Doolittle lady from american idol managed to get an album out, but it is true-- Melinda Doolittle has an album out this week. I try to avoid american idol as much as I can. I don't even think it deserves to be capitalized in this blog. But it does have an amazingly powerful hold over the country. They manage to find some of the most unattractive and worst musicians in the country and some how make people obsessed with them. Seriously, those are some magicians over there producing that show! But that Kelly Clarkson, there is just something about her. Maybe I have given into American Idol just a little bit. I never watched a single episode that she was on but somehow she got some power over me. I told you -- those producers have some crazy magical powers. Somehow those catchy pop songs get a hold of me sometimes. I do love listening to the radio though. Maybe that is my problem. So the new Kelly Clarkson is out March 17th and that is all I am going to say about it. Enough with my super guilty pleasure! But I feel like I have to give in to popular music every once in a while or I will explode or something. Some pop culture is good for you in moderation. To balance that out a bit I have been listening to this Grouper record a bunch lately. It came out last year, but my coworker Chris recommended it to me and I finally bought it and am now a bit obsessed. If you want some weird folky dark lady music than I highly recommend it. The album is called Dragging a Dead Deer Up A Hill. It is worth it alone for the amazing album cover. I seriously can't stop staring at it. I dare you to try and stop staring at it. I still can't figure out if it is a doll or an actuall girl.

Last week was the week of Bruce Springsteen and Franz Ferdinand. Two completely different generations but I imagine that I am not the only one that was interested in both albums. I have loved the Franz Ferdinand ever since I first heard "Take Me Out" about 6 years ago. I will admit that I am probably one of their older fans. Seems like their fans just keep getting younger. We went and saw them at Bill Graham Civic for the last album and the crowd was mostly 18 year olds. But they just did an instore at Amoeba last week and the crowd did mostly seem to be more like 13 and 15 year olds. But it made me happy -- not all 13 year olds just listen to the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus. I don't think I will be turning into a musical grandpa quite yet this year. But it might be getting close to that time. I still love Franz and that show was great and super high energy. Bruce was too busy performing at inaguration parties and super bowls to stop by Amoeba, but maybe someday he will stop by for a little instore. Also out last week was a new album from Andrew Bird and Amoeba's Secret by Paul McCartney finally came out on CD.