Baby Scream-Identity Theft. Argentina's Juan Pablo Mozzolla is back with the followup to last year's Ups and Downs, and the result is a nifty little EP that's the most Lennonesque thing this side of Future Clouds and Radar. The lovely (and short at 1:12) "Be" kicks things off, "Dead Woman Walking" bears a Jon Brion influence, and the midtempo "Nicole" is where the Robert Harrison comps come in. "Memories" almost sounds like something from McCartney's first solo album, and "Underground Blues" recalls Lennon in his Phil Spector phase. Early line favorite of Top EP of 2010. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes
The Tangerines-In Season. With bands like The Merrymakers and Beagle no longer with us, someone needs to pick up the torch of classic Swedish power pop, and The Tangerines are ready to fill the bill. After their excellent 2007 self-titled debut, Per Tolgraven and Hakan Eriksson are back with In Season, 16 tracks that will feel like a breath of fresh air and put a spring in your step. The opening 1-2 punch of "You'd Better Stop" and "Rock'n'Roll Girl" will immediately catch your ears with their non-stop pop hooks. Other tracks of note include the strangely-70s-ish "New Sensation" which somehow reminds me of Joe South meets The Bay City Rollers (don't ask me why, just listen to it below), the exquisitely jangly "Girl of My Dreams", "Diamonds in the Dew", which would make a great TV theme, and the Beatlesque "Hey Hey Michelle". How Swede it is!CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes
