NEW HAIM!: haim - the steps

VIDEO PREMIERE: miley cyrus - malibu

miley cyrus - malibu
the return of miley marks a more earthy musical direction kicking off with this raw sounding pop rock number which is actually quite good. allegedly about her relationship about her fiance liam, this is a nice kick off to her upcoming new album in july. i like!

VIDEO PREMIERE: kiesza - dearly beloved

kiesza - dearly beloved
produced by stuart price, kiesza's return after 3 years is a surprisingly house-free guitar focused pop jam that ends in a celebratory choir that lays tribute to her best friend who passed away a year ago. as to what else to expect from the dance diva, hopefully we will be getting some dance tracks in the mix too! we shall see...

NEW VANCE JOY!: vance joy - fire and the flood

vance joy - fire and the flood
part of the deluxe re-release of his debut album 'dream your life away', vance joy's new track definitely has more epic intentions than the simplicity of his first batch of songs that we all grew to love.

WONGIE INDIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: lucy rose - our eyes

lucy rose - our eyes
there's something so pleasantly breezy about UK singer/songwriter lucy rose's new single. throw in this kooky dorky video and you've got what could be her biggest crossover hit yet. i'm a fan and this just continues my love for her!

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: dan croll feat the very best - nobody knows

dan croll feat the very best - nobody knows
as part of his deluxe edition (with 8 extra tracks!) dan croll ventures deeper into his love of paul simon's 'graceland' album with this afro-groove sprinkled pop track that has the potential to crossover big time. we've been fans of dan for a bit so all this new material marks a happy day for us!

want more? check out dan croll's collaboration with the amazing ladysmith black mambazo below:

dan croll feat ladysmith black mambazo - hello my baby (record store day release)

WEEKEND MIX: the vamps - last night

the vamps - last night
after claiming two top 5 hits in the UK, the vamps will continue their streak with this singalong pop jam that you'll be humming along to for months to come. on the verge of releasing in the US, there seems to be a wealth of material to choose from to break this country.

POP MIX: american authors - best day of my life

american authors - best day of my life
after meeting at the prestigious berklee college of music, the four piece of zac, james, dave and matt moved to brooklyn to try to hone their songwriting/performance skills for world domination. it looks like it's working cause their current (very catchy) single is causing ripples in multiple formats. heading towards the top 10, you have been warned!

POP MIX: the 1975 - settle down

the 1975 - settle down
yeah this is a slice of guitar pop perfection that reminds me of the UK 80's bands that found as much influence in soul music as well as rock. what a song!

WONGIE (joint) INDIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: bombay bicycle club - luna

bombay bicycle club - luna
with their album 'so long, see you tomorrow' just out, the BBC have once again gifted us a collection of catchy complex indie pop songs that allow you to discover new things with each listen. 'luna' has been doing exceptionally well on indie radio and easily plays as a crowd pleaser when you check them out at a venue near you. love these guys!

SONGS WE LIKE: kodaline - one day

kodaline - one day
i've said it many times before, but these irish lads are near perfect with their catchy guitar based tunes for the masses. their current single continues to spread their talents and hopefully a US successful crossover that i swear is just around the corner.

POP BOYS: the vamps - wild heart

the vamps - wild heart
welcome to your new boyband obsession! though signed to a major label in 2012, the vamp boys (aka bradley (lead vocals), james (guitar), connor (bass) and tristan (drums)) grew their fanbase through youtube covers and touring with mcfly throughout the uk. it also helps that the boys are highly cute and write great earthy guitar pop like this insta-hit. looks like we'll be hearing alot from this four piece in the coming months, you have been warned ...

want more? check out their 1st single that went to #2 on the UK charts a few months back:

the vamps - can we dance

WONGIE SONG OF THE MONTH: dan croll - home

dan croll - home
maybe cause there's a chill in the air, or maybe cause i just need a nice cuppa tea, but this 3rd official single by the uk singer/songwriter is hitting all the right spots on this tuesday morning. channeling the best of harry nilsson then morphing into a rousing singalong with four part harmonies, what's not to love about this gem about the perks of going home. album doesn't come out til next year, making him a frontrunner for one to watch 2014!

POP MIX: birdy - light me up

birdy - light me up
after releasing a slew of piano driven ballads, birdy finally loosens up and puts out this joyous upbeat number co-produced by rich costey (arctic monkeys/sigur ros) and ryan tedder. it's a gem so turn it up!

HOT SONG: travie mccoy feat jason mraz - rough water

travie mccoy feat jason mraz - rough water
what a totally commercial pop rap number by travie mccoy and jason (thank god he cut his hair) mraz, that'll easily play into setting up his long player for early 2014. a great song to add to your 'love during fall season' soundtrack if there ever was one!

GUY MIX: one republic - something i need

one republic - something i need
hm... the video makes no sense. so are all women rabid dogs that will inevitably kill us? just another day in the wacky world of one republic.

WONGIE GUITAR POP SONG OF THE WEEK: kodaline - brand new day

kodaline - brand new day
single number four from their uber entertaining debut album 'in a perfect world'. i'm still quite surprised that kodaline haven't crossed over as big as their music should be, but with buzz growing in the US, maybe 2013 will be their massive year after all.

WEEKEND MIX: taylor swift feat ed sheeran - everything has changed (remix)

taylor swift feat ed sheeran - everything has changed (remix)
now with a bigger fuller sound, hopefully mainstream radio will pick up on this under appreciated lovely duet!

WEEKEND MIX: matt cardle & melanie c - loving you

matt cardle & melanie c - loving you
x factor uk 2011 winner matt cardle joins up with sporty spice melanie c on this not half bad duet. looks like matt is finally recording music that he can get behind since parting ways with his previous label and going independent. it's not a bad new chapter if you ask me, plus you get to see matt be a pretty decent kisser in the process!

wanna hear the song is spanish? apparently they want international domination with this song! now do chinese!!

matt cardle & melanie c - te amo

WONGIE ROCKABILLY SONG OF THE WEEK: ruen brothers - walk like a man

ruen brothers - walk like a man
the ruen brothers (aka rupert and henry stansall) have come a long way since playing at their local pubs for the past few years. just a few weeks back the duo performed at the glastonbury festival/bbc introducing stage and is set to continue their buzz with a headlining mini tour. with their retro sound and tight harmonies filtered through a wonderfully dirty sound system, these kids are definitely on my radar.