I reinstalled the Music Wednesday Plugin and this will be the first post with it.

The Teenagers are a Euro-based alt-pop band who list their base whereabouts as both London and Paris. I’m imagining a boathouse anchored on the channel. The trio’s biggest track to date has been “Starlett Johannson”, which you can sample by hitting the “more by this artist” button right in the player there. If it shows up. :]

I chose the “French Kiss” track because of the way the music helps the lyrics draw you into the suspenseful moments leading up to a first kiss. The nervous energy and odd things you find yourself saying can be comical —when you’re not in the moment anymore. The experince of the very first french kiss is delved into in the lyrics, which is a bit insightful, but how the song captures the nervous moments leading up to it is what really captured my attention. It would have been a good choice for last week, V-D and such. I hope you enjoy it.

This week, we have Valentine’s Day, so when I came across this track, I knew that it just had to be the one for my post. Diesel Boy Has recently had a re-release of the 1999 album to Amie Street, so you can get the tracks for your digital music device (DRM-free, no less!) for a great deal less than other places. The track is about pining for the long-lost best friend in a romantic way.

Diesel Boy was always known years back for songs that would now be pigeonholed in the “nerdcore” category: Shocking, self-effacing humor, heavy instrumentation, and hyperactive vocals. Call it what you will, it’s fun to listen to.

The band I re-discovered this week is Nerf Herder. They are out of California and have been around since ’94. I picked this song to go along with my previous post. I just had to get a sci-fi hook in there this time. It’s a great song about chatting up someone online who isn’t interested because you simply don’t fit the pre-made mold she had in mind, and then finally giving her a piece of yours. Sounds like ‘punk rawk angst’ to me. On any other day, if I were posting Nerf Herder, I’d have definitely used the song “pervert”. On the player, hit more from this artist, and double click the song title to hear it.

The band I discovered this week is Fat Robot. I was following links, and the band seems to be off-and-on, and possibly defunct. Out of Toronto, this three-piece includes an engineering student and a world traveler, and they have a sound similar to The Strokes and maybe even Modest Mouse, especially on the track “I Roll“. I hope you enjoy them!

The band I discovered this week is Dropjoy. Everyone needs a little bit of punk-inspired bootprint-on-the-forehead fun music here and there, and this one is a good one for working out the cobwebs in your cranium after lazing around on New Years Day in your “recovery” from the previous evening’s shenanigans.

Dropjoy is a three-piece from San Diego with a range of tastes and a strong gut feeling for songwriting. The tracks I found so far range from punk and high-volume rock to sweet, lonely ballads. It’s all there, do don’t be afraid of the “more from this artist” button.

I really dig the throwback to early punk, and the almost predicted yet unexpected hook in this track. This is another one that’s good for getting stuck in your head. Works for me!

The artist I have discovered this week is Joe Santa Maria. The track I’m highlighting here, Panic, is a fun, retro rock song. This one just begs for a pre-dusk winding road, windows down, and the sylphs rushing through your hair, singing along at the top of your lungs, and testing your reaction skills in the curves while the changes in the riffs stick with you.

While you are listening, be sure to hit Lose Me Lucy, which is more pop and indie rock to hear more range. I also like A Different Nature, although the sample might cut out too early. I suppose you will just have to purchase that one to experience it!

I’ve slacked off for two weeks on the Amie Street Music Wednesday meme, but don’t worry, kids, I’m climbing back onto the wagon, and this time, I’ve got Linus, a one-man band from Germany. He records himself playing each instrument, and singing in each voice, then does the full mixdown. His videos are full of fun film tricks and effects, and all of his songs I’ve heard have a fun beat, light, heady lyrics, and hooked choruses that will keep you humming. The song this week is very upbeat, singing praises for his significant other. The lyrics walk us through drudgery and disquietude of daily life, and then we find out in the chorus why none of those things bother him so bad:

Then you walk in, say hello
And my heart starts to explode;
Oh, I know I’ve never felt a love so strong for anyone
Then you begin to undress, overwhelming in caress
Lord, and when you start to moan,
Sexy girl, you turn me on!

The video for this song is really fun, and is embedded over at Amie Street, as well as on Linus’ homepage in the “videos” section.
Be sure to hit the “More From This Artist” button on the player over here and double click to hear some of his other tracks, like “The Whole Truth”, and “Splinter”.

Bonus kickass video of “It’s one of these lifes again [sic]“!

Its one of these lifes again – MyVideo

This week, I’ve gone through my catalog of music on Amie Street, and found some fun stuff… Evil Weiner may be dubiously named, but their songs are just laid back and fun… The lead guitar has a bit of a surf-guitar sound, and the vocals and lyrics have a self-effacing, life-embracing quality that is in good fun.

I’m highlighting the Space Girl song, but don’t forget to hit the “more by this artist” button here. My other favorites from Evil Weiner are Turn Green, Topsy Turvy, and you absolutely must give a listen to Laughed at My Heart. Fun stuff!

The band reminds me of other fun bands like The Refreshments, Southern Culture on the Skids, and They Might Be Giants.