Once in a while you come across a song for the first time and you can't stop listening to it, over and over. Not in the way a song can go bad on you ("Hey Ya," "Crazy"), but in the way you still love it months and hundreds of listenings later. My current obsession is Dirty Mags by Blueboy.

I was late to the Twee Pop party, and only recently discovered Blueboy, and the label they recorded for, Sarah Records. Sarah was known for it's stable of Twee and Indie Pop bands, and Blueboy was no exception to this. Dirty Mags is a stand-out from this understanding, it's vibe and tone and carries a more harder, brit-pop, shoegaze sound. Dirty Mags was the lead track on a three song EP released on Sarah in 1995 shortly before the label shuttered.

Blueboy - Dirty Mags

More story and song lyrics after the jump.

Alerted to its impending arrival by EW of all places, I'd been expecting the release of Keren Ann and Bardi Johannsson's pet project Lady & Bird for several weeks before it actually hit the shelves here in the States. In that period, a smattering of mixed reviews came out and a partial from the last track floated around the blogs...removing a lot of the hope I had for the record. Fortunately, almost everything I'd read and heard before the album came out was wrong.

Beginning with moments of shimmering 60's folk and pop, it winds its way through psychedelia and back, invoking a feeling along the lines of what you'd expect from a husband and wife duo record made in Britan in 1967.

The songs Keren and Bardi have written themselves shine as the backbone of the record, leaving the stage set for their two particular covers: The Velvet Underground's "Stephanie Says" and the theme from M*A*S*H, "Suicide is Painless". In the hands of Lady and Bird, the latter becomes the epic 60's ballad that would have it was meant to be, had it come in time for the summer of love.

An excellent example of the tone of the record, check out "Walk Real Slow":

Lady & Bird - Walk Real Slow

The Liverpool duo Johnny Boy released their debut single, the deftly named, You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve, in 2004 to critical acclaim. Produced by James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers), the song is part Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and partJoy Division "Atmosphere." Band member Davo describes it's unique sound as, "Church bells, boy-girl vocals, loops, twists, warps, walls of sound and edgy guitars combined to rekindle the idea of Sandinesta-era Clash having an, erm, shootout with Phil Spector."

In June of 2006 Johnny Boy released their full-length album, however for unknown reasons, it's currently only available in Wales, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and as far as we can tell, sadly through no internet music stores.

Until someone snaps up this duo (Lolly Hayes and Davo) and gives them a proper release schedule, please sample their brilliant and infectious debut single, and try and not dance.

Johnny Boy on MySpace

Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation ...

Sweden has been the source of some very tasty pop of recent couple years including bands like, The Concretes, The Shout Out Louds, Jens Lekman, and The Legends. Add to this list Peter Björn & John.

Formed in 1999 in Stockholm, Peter Björn & John is made up of members Peter Morén on vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Björn Yttling on vocals, bass, vocals, and keyboards; and John Eriksson on drums, percussion, and vocals.

Peter Björn & John - Young Folks

From their 2006 release, Writer's Block, the song Young Folks features Victoria Bergsman of The Concretes sharing vocals with Peter on a decidedly lo-fi, sixties baroque pop gem, that lyrically shares some innocent observations of relationships with those of fellow Swede, Jens Lekman.

Peter Björn & John Website

Once again I am infected by an extremely catchy tune.

In this case it's the first single, Again & Again, from the new duo, The Bird and the Bee. It's a beautiful trifle of 60's French Pop and Brazilian rhythm wrapped around a jangly Indie Pop center.

There full-length debut is due at the end of this month. You can find further information about them at their MySpace page and on their soon to be relaunched website.

The Bird and the Bee - Again & Again

Two wonderful gems from Norway this week:

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra have released a covers record of some 80's standards, as well as some off the wall choices. Susanna's quiet voice is layered over harpsichord to re-invent these songs as dark and brooding Norweigian blues, trapping pop songs in icey cabaret prisons. Finish half a bottle of wine, and then check out her version of AC/DC's It's A Long Way To The Top.

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - It's A Long Way To The Top

We also have Norwegian Grammy winners the White Birch. I'm thoroughly convinced that anyone who listens to the full of their album will be hooked. Combining Icelandic production values with Kings of Convenience vocal stylings, and wrapping it all up in a pop manner that invokes early Cold Play (when they were relevant), the White Birch have created what I believe to be one of the most perfect indie pop records ever.

White Birch - Seer Believer

Blonde Redhead will release their second album on 4AD in April. The album titled, 23, will be released on April 10th in the States and the 23rd in Europe.

Named after a song by band, DNA, Blonde Redhead was formed in 1993 in New York City. Current band members, Kazu Makino and twin brothers Simone and Amadeo Pace, have continued the refinement of the bands unique sound with their upcoming release. Transitioning from the no-wave influence felt on their early releases, the band has grown into to a sound hard to pigeon-hole. It is both delicate and dramatic, and walks in territory occupied by both indie cred and britpop/shoegaze textures.

Check out a track from the forthcoming release below.

Blonde Rehead resources online: official website, myspace, label, tour dates, itunes

Blonde Redhead - Dr. Strangeluv

Originally recorded for the BBC Radio 1's Leftfield Show, hosted by Rob da Bank, Cansei De Ser Sexy performs the catchy I Wanna Be Your JLo.

Online resources: CSS MySpace, CSS Website, Rob da Bank MySpace, Leftfield Show Website

Cansei De Ser Sexy - I Wanna Be Your JLo

Lets talk about boys for a second. Particularly, this one right here:

J'adorable. Hell, half this band is pretty dang attractive, and seems to have a flavor for every taste. They're Je Suis France, a Georgian progadellic indie psych outfit getting ready to drop their latest full-length, Afrikan Majik. This will be their 3rd full length, and the buzz beginning to build suggests that its their most cohesive to date. With 17 CD-R or 7" EPs under their belt between their first two records and the release of Afrikan Majik, they've made sure to spend the time carefully crafting gorgeous Southern fried indie pop and big glammy psychadelic songs.

The two tracks below hopefully serve to show how diverse and solid the new record will be. Whalebone is a 7+ minute long jaunt into very psychadelic territory, keeping a pop sensibility to the vocals that recalls Dump and Yo La Tengo. The second track "That Don't Work That Well For Us" is a short and sweet indie pop jam that shows they have some accesibility to the band as well.

I just hope he comes over to play it for me. Did I mention his name is Darkness? That shit is too cute. And check the tooth gap, because boys with gapped front teeth make my pants tight. Bands, please have more cuteness like this.

Je Suis France - Whalebone
Je Suis France - That Don't Work That Well For Us

Montréal trio, Land of Talk, released their visceral debut album, Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, in 2006. The influences of Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey can be heard throughout. The album is a fresh re-take on what indie rock was and should be, again.

Online resources - Website, MySpace, iTunes.

Land Of Talk - Speak To Me Bones
Land Of Talk - All My Friends

DJ/Producer Mark Ronson has just released his second full-length, Version.  You may know his name from previous eponymous remix fame or production work for Nikka Costa, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams.

Ronson's album, is a interesting pop hybrid of remakes, covers, collaborations, samples, and mash-ups  Featured guests include, Lily Allen, Kasabian, Phanton Planet, Ryan Adams, and more covering some by the likes of The Smiths, Maxïmo Park, The Zutons, Coldplay and Britney Spears.

This kind of album has been done before, and well, by remixer/producer Richard X.  Whereas the Richard X's centered on re-purposing Eighties songs with British R'N'B act's vocals; Ronson targets an rockier assortment of Indie collaborators while still keeping a mind to his dj/club beginnings.

Online Resources: MySpace, Website, iTunes.

Mark Ronson - Stop Me (Original Mix)
Mark Ronson - Just (featuring Phantom Planet)

The North Carolina band The Rosebuds just released their third full-length, The Night of The Furies. Between the recent albums the band reduced ranks from a trio to the orginal duo of Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp. Besides personnel changes, the band's sound on the new release has swapped the somber atmospherics of their prior release, Birds Make Good Neighbors, for a synth-pop optimism.

Check out Get Up Get Out from the new album, and Outnumbered, from their second album.

Online Resources - Website, MySpace, Blog, iTunes.

Rosebuds - Get Up Get Out
Rosebuds - Outnumbered

I always find it intriging when a band chooses to go back and remake one of their own songs. When Montreal's Arcade Fire released their second full-length, Neon Bible, they included a revisiting of a song from their self-titled, 2003, debut EP.

They've taken a solid and engaging Indie Rock track and transformed it into a majestic and powerful piece that shows the confidence and ambition they've amased in the four years since.

Online Resources: Website, MySpace, iTunes

Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (2007)
Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (2003)

This song is the jam of summer.

The French duo of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay are best known through their remix of Simian's track Never Be Alone, released as We Are Your Friends by Justice vs. Simian.

On June 11th, (July 10th in the US) Justice will release their debut full-length to be called, †. For now, enjoy the 2007 Summer Jam, D.A.N.C.E. Hopefully, it doesn't get as overplayed as Gnarls Barkley's Crazy did.

Online resources: MySpace, iTunes.

Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Original)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Extended)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Tittsworth Remix)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix)