At first glance, Dua Lipa might seem cut from the same cloth that gave the world Ariana Grande – that auto-tune driven, melodically acrobatic melting pot of music and, more crucially, image that ensures that Instagram is somehow an important service to the world. But not so! Dua Lipa comes at you with an added dosage of sharp rebelliousness, like biting into a chilli with your corn flakes or hearing a kids show presenter swear. It’s things you’re certainly familiar with and like, but with that added kick in the pants that takes it from being wholly generic to bitingly catchy.

Sometimes, I drop draft posts into the either/or machine with the intention to write about them later. Usually, I’ll put a link to a song or something so that, you know, I remember what I wanted to post about. All I did for Martha Tilston was save her name as a draft post… AND THAT’S IT. Dangit past me, that is super not helpful! I don’t even remember how I stumbled onto her music in the first place, but that just means I get to rediscover her lovely, folky-twangy songwriting style that evokes a lovely, autumnal feeling.

Have you ever been, like, “Man, the Martha Reeves and the Vandella’s classic, Nowhere to Run, sure is a bonafide hit, but dang, I just wish it were more epic!”? If so, you’re a bit odd. But since this is the 21st century and everything old is new again, WE HAVE YOU COVERED. Or, more accurately, Boga has you covered, with this… remix? Reimagining? Either way, it’s undeniably funky and undeniably powerful, so wrap your ears around it and get grooving.

george (and, by extension, Katie Noonan, who fronted the group) deserve far more prominence and fame than what they currently have. For one, the music is astoundingly good, and two, Katie Noonan’s voice is heavenly. Case in point: this single from their debut album, Polyserena, released in 2002, which is a mesmerising pop/lounge ballad. Heartfelt, striking and soulful, it’s perfect for those sleepy, rainy days and nights when you’re feeling just a tad bit blue!

george is mostly dormant these days, but they had a decent following in their home country of Australia back in the day. Noonan has thankfully pushed on with a solo career, but we here in Australia have done the traditional ‘dismissal of home grown talent’, for… reasons I guess?

Mmm boppity bop! I am all for trying to get into a better mood as of late. Not that it’s easy to be all sunshine and lollipops, but sometimes it’s nice to feel good! I get nothing but good time feels from Tom Lark’s peppy music – super fun pop hooks get nicely accentuated by a dash of crunchy, alternative guitar work and a wee bit of electronic accoutrements. It kind of reminds me of Hotel Lights’ Marvelous Truth, a song I have not yet posted about because… reasons? I dunno. Regardless! This song is great and so is the rest of his eponymous EP, so go set your ears loose on it, now!

Sometimes, you get a little “POW!” from music; a spark that kicks you in the keister, runs up your spine and starts tap dancing in your head. Or, to put it in far less stupid terms, sometimes music just makes you go “Oooo, that’s pretty sweet!”. So with any lucky, here is some rad Swedish electro-pop that’ll hopefully give you that reaction!

There’s a big ol’ mix of crazy, punchy drumming contrasted with soothing electronic drones and wrapped up with some wild vocal work that kind of gives this tune a bit of a modern jazz feel. Something about that mix of craziness and relaxation is certainly zapping me in the keister right now!

Time for some Cher! Now now, don’t be so quick to judge! Yes, Cher does not butter everyone’s crumpets (my crumpets remain quite unbuttered), but she writes catchy pop and there is nothing wrong with that at all.

I personally never liked Believe: something about the liberal use of auto-tune really got my gristle during its heyday, so I wasn’t expecting much when my friend Laura linked me to this cover. But here’s the thing: I have not been able to stop listening to this. It’s a beautifully stripped down, acoustic version of the song with incredibly sweet vocals. It’s an unbelievable transformation from it’s dance-pop origins to something that is genuinely heartfelt. It’s just… wow. Just listen to it already!

I think I’m starting to come around on the 80s. Something about it always seemed monumentally tacky to me, particularly with music. However, between listening to more of the Split Enz back catalogue and getting deep into Stranger Things and it’s superb, synth-based score, I’ve come to realise that I have much to be thankful for of the period. My bad, 80s! Don’t judge a book by its cover and all that…

Now, this is obviously a modern tune, but it certainly has its roots in the ethereal synth drone of the 80s. Beautifully dreamy and poignant, but completely lacking the tackiness. You have floored me, Selfoss!

Ah, how I do love some summer cruising music: reminds me of all those long, relaxing road trips along idyllic beaches with close friends… that I have never taken in my life. Oh well! Let’s call it an aspirational dive into the memory bank then, shall we?

Here is a wonderful track that very much reminds me of the output of Triptides, only a tad bit more hi-fi. That added boost of hi-fidelity techno-wizardry has, thankfully, done nothing to dull the simultaneously soothing and peppy tone that immediately harks back to all those days lost to the summer haze (now THAT’S poetry!). It’s what I imagine the Beach Boys might’ve been like if they removed all that natty earnestness from their music.

Let’s be legit here, folks: these guys have an AMAZING sound. So many different elements come flying at your ears from the funk, rock and pop eras of yesteryear. Better yet, the blend between the various styles is done perfectly handled, as a result of some pretty darn solid compositional and performance skills. Mad skills, I’d say!

It is a joyous cacophony of awesomeness that’ll no doubt tickle your pleasure centres in a most delightful way.